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Today the boys and I went to Kennedy Krieger's Behavior Therapy department in Baltimore for an initial meeting with a therapist to discuss some stuff that is going on with Ryder. It takes us about 30 minutes to get there, but it is a straight shot and easy to find which is nice. The boys were both upset when they saw the valet parking people drive off with our car so I had to reassure them multiple times that they would bring our car back when we were done.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Behavior Therapy
We went into one of the therapy rooms and started talking with the therapist. Unfortunately, they are doing some construction on the floor below and happened to start using a saw and hammer directly below us. As soon as that started Ryder was in tears jumping into my arms so we moved to a different room which was much quieter. I came prepared this time with crayons and paper to keep the boys occupied while I talked with the therapist. We were there for almost 2 hours and I feel she really listened and heard what our concerns were. She asked tons of questions and had obviously read all of Ryder's past history because she knew a ton of what was going on. Then she made a list of things that she heard and felt we could & should address through therapy. Some of the things we will work on include needle phobia, violent tantrums, bedtime tantrums, mealtime tantrums, aggressive outbursts, and potty training.
We chose to start with the needle phobia since he has to get those infusions and the way we go about it now with Ben restraining him will just make it harder and worse long-term. His first therapy session will be next week on July 6. She went over a few of the techniques we would use and one of them really has me excited. There is something I was told about by a few other parents and I have researched online, but didn't want to just buy it without know how it worked. This thing is called Buzzy and basically it is used to distract the child's feeling of pain. It has an ice pack and it vibrates in order to overload the body with sensations so they won't feel the pain. It is placed in specific areas (depending on where the needle will go) to get the best outcome. At Kennedy Krieger they use this in their therapy so we will get the chance to try it out.
After we make progress with the needle phobia we will move on to the other concerns. The good thing is that she told me generally all of the other things utilize the same behavior plan and therapy techniques.
Posted by April at 7:49 PM 0 comments
Fun Weekend
This weekend was filled with lots of fun stuff. On Saturday we had some friends over for a BBQ and to just hang out. The boys loved having people over to entertain and play with. They also love to play with Kyle (Tracy & Dave's son). We had about 10 people over and had tons of food including crabs.
On Sunday we took the boys to the Orioles game. They were so excited about going to watch baseball since they watch it on TV with Ben all the time. They are members of the Junior Dugout Club so parents get $6 tickets and they have $1 concessions. I wasn't sure how far into the game they would make it, but we ended up leaving during the 6th inning which was pretty good I thought. We had decided to not try any night games since they start so close to their bedtime, but neither of the boys handled the heat very well so we might try one of the night games to see how they do without the sun beating down on them.
Posted by April at 7:40 PM 0 comments
Monday, June 20, 2011
Swimming & Other Stuff
The pool that we joined opened up so we have been spending sometime there. I have taken a few pictures and videos on my cell phone, but unfortunately my cell phone is broken. Long story short is that I no longer have a cell phone. We did order new ones online which should get here Wednesday. I lost everything that was on my phone which includes all of the videos I had taken, but luckily I had already transferred a few of the pictures. Zak does so well in the pool now as long as he has his arm floaties on. He will jump in and swim around the whole time without any help. He has no issues with putting his face under the water and is able to hold his breath for a little while. Ryder is more cautious, but is definitely getting better. It takes him a while to get used to the pool so he tends to be clingy at first. By the time we are ready to leave he is usually kicking around on his own, but won't jump in or put his face under. I have no fears taking them to the pool on my own because of how well they are both doing.
Zak had just jumped into the pool
Now for some pictures from the last week or so. We have been spending a lot of time outside which means lots of dirt and boo-boos.
Posted by April at 6:59 PM 1 comments
This afternoon the boys played outside with a bunch of the other kids in our court. They started out on their scooters, but then moved on to borrowing tricycles from other kids. Zak is able to ride his bike with training wheels, but Ryder has yet to be able to pedal his. So when we saw this we were so excited! Apparently, pedaling a tricycle is slightly different because the physical therapist at his school worked with him and said he was able to do a tricycle, but we have not seen it yet.
Posted by April at 5:14 PM 0 comments
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Zak the Photographer
Today I let Zak have my camera for a while and he had a blast. He loves taking pictures and I thought it was neat to see his perspective behind the camera. There were tons of pictures, but here are some of the better ones. He made sure to take pictures of important things to him. The first 2 are pictures I took with my phone showing him taking pictures, the rest are ones he took.
Posted by April at 4:06 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Ryder's Last Day of School
Today was Ryder's last day of school. He has made such huge changes since he started in September. I wanted to post some pictures from his first day and then pictures from today.
September 1, 2010
June 15, 2011
He was a little upset during the pictures today because he was more interested in watching TV. I also wanted to let everyone know that I just found out both boys got spots in the regular pre-k at their home school (where they will go for K) for next school year. I have not gotten the actual acceptance letters, but Ryder's teacher from this year sent me an e-mail telling me she heard they got in (but not to tell anybody she told me!). They will go 5 half days next year.
Posted by April at 4:23 PM 0 comments
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Though Congress has quashed any new round of base closures in its latest funding bill, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Monday called shutting down some excess military installations inevitable as the Pentagon seeks to shed operating costs.
"Now may not be the time for (Base Closure and Realignment Commission) as our economy recovers, but sooner or later, one way or another, the department is going to need to take a hard look at its basing infrastructure as we seek to reduce our overhead costs," Panetta told a meeting of the Association of Defense Communities in Monterey, Calif., according to a report of the speech from National Defense magazine.
Talk of BRAC, which is formed to slash military expenses and make operations more efficient, leads to widespread consternation in many military communities, which fear loss of jobs and trouble planning for roads and other services.
The latest round took place in 2005 and was just completed last fall. It involved closing 24 major installations and consolidating other service-specific bases into joint installations.
In New Jersey, McGuire Air Force Base, Fort Dix and Naval Air Station Lakehurst were combined to form Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. And in Washington state, Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base became Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The joint bases share administrative and support operations.
Panetta had proposed new rounds of BRAC discussions for 2013 and 2015, but the House Armed Services Committee in May voted down funding of such efforts.
Still, Panetta sees base closings and realignments as an important way to cut costs.
"It is a debate we must continue," Panetta said, according to National Defense. "Based on conservative estimates, the first four rounds of BRAC are producing annual savings of $8 billion, and the comparable figure for the 2005 round is $4 billion."
Panetta said on Monday that base closures not only save money but provide a way to transfer ownership of government property that can spur private economic development in those communities.
A report by the Government Accountability Office, found that the 2005 BRAC round cost $35.1 billion to execute with net savings not realized until 2018. Previous base closings in 1988, 1991, 1993 and 1995 were less complex and generated savings more quickly.
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subset: commoncrawl


text: As a police officer for the past decade, I have interviewed hundreds, if not thousands of victims of street crimes. In most all cases, they always stated to me that they were "caught off guard" or did not see the criminal before it was too late. The majority of these crimes would have never happened..read more >>


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DOVER -- Federal Savings Bank held its annual meeting at the Bank's main office in Dover on January 24
During the meeting, the Board of Directors thanked Edward Lemos, VMD for his service as 2012 Chairman and voted Dana C. Lynch as 2013 Chairman of the Board and James Schulte as Vice-Chairman. The Board of Directors also voted to elect Edward Lemos, VMD and James. J. O'Neill, Jr. for additional three-year terms as well as Art Nickless and James Jalbert for one-year terms. The Bank's Board of Directors includes Edward Lemos, VMD, James Schulte, Dana C. Lynch, James Jalbert, Patricia Barbour, Arthur Nickless, Michael Bolduc, and James J. O'Neill, Jr.
President and CEO, James J. O'Neill, Jr. thanked retiring board members Richard Houghton and Robert Steele, for their dedicated service to Federal Savings Bank. Both Houghton and Steele joined the Bank's Board of Directors in 1996.
Dick and his wife Gail owned and operated Houghton Hardware in Durham for 27 years. Steele previously served as Dover and Rochester's City Manager and Northern New England Division President of Waste Management.
"Dick and Bob led this institution through a period of tremendous growth and their knowledge and strong business sense has unquestionably benefited the Bank and its customers. They are well respected in the community for their leadership and philanthropy as well as their unwavering commitment to local, community banking. On behalf of the Directors, Management and staff of FSB, I thank them for their dedicated service," said O'Neill.
Houghton and Steele were formerly recognized during an evening reception at the Orchard Street Chop Shop.
The Bank will recognize employees at its annual employee meeting in February and looks forward to the upcoming release of its 2012 annual report.
Since 1890, Federal Savings Bank has operated as a true community bank, a "mutual" bank. The bank has offices in Dover, Barrington, Durham, Portsmouth and Rochester. For more information, call 1-800-426-2265, visit www.fsbdover.com or www.facebook.com/FederalSavingsBank.


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Regular price
Rs. 590.00
Rs. 290.00
Redefine your little one's overall look with this stunning dress from Highflier. Made from cotton fabric, this dress is skin friendly and comfortable to wear. Exquisite pattern and attractive shade creates a look of understated elegance
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Designer Collection for babies and toddlers. The collections are perfect for special occasions, casual wear and gifting, Sizes available from 0 months to 12 years as of now !
Boon Kids


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Hon Authorized RetailerShop All Hon
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Browse through other customizations for the Solutions Guest Chair with Arms
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Solutions Guest Chair with Arms
by HON
Solutions seating is designed to be versatile and comfortable no matter how it's used. This affordable guest chair uses a specially designed cushion that provides integrated lumbar support while the fixed arms keep your limbs comfortable. Great as an office side chair, waiting room seating or even a work chair for your desk, the Solutions Guest Chair from Hon can do it all.
The Solutions Guest Chair features:
- 23.5"W x 24.5"D x 32"H
- seat height: 19.25"
- molded polymer outer back shell coordinated with base
- cushion designed to provide lumbar support, keeping you productive and awake
- fabric upholstery
- four-leg base
- fixed arms
About the Manufacturer
HON Office Furniture
Inspired by practicality and invested in understanding the needs of its customers, The HON Company strives to establish meaningful connections resulting in product solutions and customer support that exceed market demands. As a leading designer and manufacturer of workplace furniture including chairs, storage, panel systems, tables and desks, HON's commitment to serving its customers is rooted in reliable performance and a member culture that is approachable, confident, smart and ready to serve. Headquartered in Muscatine, Iowa, The HON Company has numerous manufacturing facilities strategically located throughout the United States, and markets its products through a nationwide network of loyal dealers and retailers. The HON Company is an operating company of HNI Corporation.
Materials & Measurements
molded polymer outer shell
upholstered seat and back
23.5"W x 32"H x 24.5"D
seat: 20"W x 18"D
seat height: 19.25"
Shipping & Delivery
Free Front Door Delivery: Free
The HON Solutions Guest Chair ships within 3-5 business days from the date of your order, and is shipped via FedEx 2-Day delivery. For additional shipping and delivery options, please give us a call at 888-467-6278.
Questions & Answers
The HON Solutions Guest chair is covered by HON's limited lifetime warranty. HON promises to repair or replace any product or component that is defective in material or workmanship for as long as the original purchaser owns it.
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For the second time this month, a U.S. service member who worked in a military sexual assault prevention program has been accused of a sexual crime. In the latest incident, an Army sergeant first class assigned to such a program at Fort Hood, Texas, is being investigated for alleged sexual assault, pandering, abusive sexual contact and maltreatment of subordinates. Charges had not been filed as of Wednesday morning.
A Defense Department official says "initial indications" show that are at least one person may have been forced into prostitution activity, but the matter remains under investigation no conclusions have been drawn yet.
The sergeant has not been named. In a statement that does not use pronouns that would identify the gender of the service member, the Defense Department said that the person has been suspended from all duties.
The allegations come as the military is under intense scrutiny for sexual assaults within its ranks. The number of service members anonymously reporting a sexual assault grew by more than 30% in the past two years, according to a Pentagon report released last week.
More than 26,000 troops experienced "unwanted sexual contact," a significant jump from 19,300 troops, a figure reported in a 2010 report on the topic.
The news of the Fort Hood case comes as the military prepares for a historic move: opening combat roles to women for the first time. It's unclear how that might affect the apparently increasing problem of sexual assault.
The department's own research indicates that both genders are victimized. Consider that 10,700 of the 19,300 troops were men, according to the 2010 report.
On Wednesday, the investigation into the Fort Hood case continued as special agents from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command were in charge.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel was told about the case Tuesday and met with Army Secretary John McHugh.
"I cannot convey strongly enough his frustration, anger and disappointment over these troubling allegations and the breakdown in discipline and standards they imply," Defense Department spokesman George Little said of Hagel.
Hagel has ordered that all service members working in sexual assault prevention units be retrained and screened again. If they pass, they will get new credentials.
That should also apply to personnel and military recruiters.
An Air Force officer who was arrested the first weekend in May on allegations that he attacked a woman and groped her buttocks and breasts in an Arlington, Virginia, parking lot was a personnel officer by training, said Gen. Mark Welsh, the Air Force chief of staff.
In February, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Krusinski was placed in charge of a branch of the Air Force's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program, and he oversaw a five-person office, an Air Force official told CNN after the incident. The official declined to be named, citing the ongoing law enforcement case.
Shortly after Krusinski's arrest, military officials appeared before a congressional panel for an already scheduled hearing on sexual assault in the military. Welsh described Krusinski when he was asked what made him qualified to work in the sex assault prevention program.
Krusinski, 41, is a 1994 graduate of the Air Force Academy who served tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He made an initial court appearance last week. He did not enter a plea.
During the hearing, lawmakers brought up yet another case that has made headlines involving sexual assault. Lt. Col. James Wilkerson III was found guilty last year by a jury of Air Force officers of sexually assaulting a woman at his home outside Aviano Air Base in Italy.
He spent four months in a Navy brig before Lt. Gen. Craig Franklin, the convening authority in the case, threw out the verdict.
Franklin was the officer who ordered Wilkerson's court-martial at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. But military law allowed him to have the final say.
"After considering all matters in the entire record of trial, I hold a genuine and reasonable doubt that Lt. Col. Wilkerson committed the crime of sexual assault," Franklin said in a letter to the Air Force secretary released publicly this week.
Pentagon officials told CNN that it is rare for charges to be dismissed in this manner. The decision angered victims' rights groups and some members of Congress.
"I am extremely disturbed," said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, who chaired a hearing last month on the issue. "I don't know how you can say that having 19,000 sexual assaults and rapes a year is discipline and order."
Reports of sexual assault appear to be weighing heavily on higher-ranking officers.
"This is so contrary to everything upon which the Army was built," McHugh, the Army secretary, has said during testimony before the House Appropriations Committee defense subcommittee. "To see this kind of activity happening in our ranks is really heart-wrenching and sickening."
He spoke generally about sex abuse crimes in the military.
"As I said to our new Brigadier General Corps when I spoke to them about two weeks ago, 'You can do everything from this point forward in your military career perfectly, but if you fail on this, you have failed the Army,' " McHugh reportedly said.
There were 3,374 sexual crimes reported in the military in fiscal year 2012, a 6% increase over the previous year, according to the Defense Department report issued last week.
Military officials worry that many victims don't come forward because they fear retaliation. But the numbers might indicate that more victims are willing to report crimes than in the past.
On Monday, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard P. "Buck" McKeon said he was outraged and disgusted by the Fort Hood allegations.
He called the case the "latest chapter in a long, sordid history of sexual abuse" in the military.
The military was rocked in the early 1990s by the Tailhook scandal. A female Navy lieutenant said she had been sexually assaulted at a military convention by other service members.
McKeon, a California Republican, has a granddaughter in the Army.
"I see no meaningful distinction between complacency or complicity in the military's latest failure to uphold their own standards of conduct," he said. "Nor do I see a distinction between the service member who orchestrated this offense and the chain of command that was either oblivious to or tolerant of criminal behavior."


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black market(redirected from black markets)
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Encyclopedia.
Black market
An illegal market.
Black Market
A market for products that are illegal, stolen, or otherwise need to be hidden from regulatory authorities. A black market encompasses the horrific (e.g. human trafficking) as well as the more mundane (e.g. participating in the market to evade taxes). Legal products on a black market are usually less expensive than on the regulated market because sellers do not pay taxes on their goods and services. That said, there is little or no recourse for the customer if and when a black market product fails. It is worth noting that black markets tend to be largest in jurisdictions where there are the most regulations and government monopolies. It is also known as an underground market.


text: DescriptionThis general purpose RTD probe transitions directly to 36" lead wires without the use of a metal transition fitting. This design makes for a more compact probe when space limitations are a factor. Note that the point where the lead wire exits the probe sheath will not be as durable as on the PR-11 probe, which uses the metal transition and spring as strain relief.


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"A report released by The Pew Charitable Trusts today provides guidance for federal and state policymakers on how to make the payday loan marketplace more safe, transparent, and predictable. According to a series of studies by Pew, repayment of these short-term loans takes 36 percent of the paycheck of the average borrower, who can afford to pay only 5 percent. As a result, the typical customer has to repeatedly "re-borrow" the money every two weeks, spends five months of the year in debt, and ultimately pays $520 in fees for the original loan of $375. "Payday loans fail to work as advertised," said Nick Bourke, who directs Pew's payday lending research. "They far exceed borrowers' ability to repay, and—by a 3-to-1 margin—payday loan users say they want more regulation of the product. All small loans must have affordable payments. Payday loans do not. Pew's research demonstrates effective ways to address this problem." Payday Lending in America: Policy Solutions is the third report in a series that provides information for policymakers as they consider ways to make small-dollar loans work better for borrowers. Research is unclear on whether high-interest small loans are beneficial to consumers with poor credit histories, but better regulation is needed regardless. Based on findings from the reports, Pew recommends that when policymakers choose to allow these loans, the following regulations should be in place to minimize harm to consumers and to maintain a marketplace for lenders:
- Limit payments to an affordable percentage of a borrower's periodic income.
(Research indicates that payments above 5 percent of gross income are often unaffordable.)
- Spread costs evenly over the life of the loan.
- Guard against harmful repayment requirements or collections practices.
- Require concise disclosures that reflect periodic and total costs upfront.
- Continue to set maximum allowable charges for small-dollar-loan markets that serve those with poor credit."


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Brian McGinn was making a house call last Thursday, looking for ways the owner could save money this winter.
McGinn, a residential energy advisor for ElectriCities, was doing an energy checkup of Mildred Arrington�s 31-year-old house on Jarvis Street as part of New Bern�s free energy audits for utility customers.
�It�s a great program,� McGinn said. �I go into houses where people didn�t even know we had this free program.�
The home energy audit program has been available in New Bern for seven years, and McGinn does about 50 of them a year in the city and 500 throughout Eastern North Carolina, he said.
�It is a way to educate people on how to save energy before winter,� he said.
Looking over records, McGinn said Arrington�s electric bill spikes every winter because that is when she uses the most energy.
�It�s because of that baseboard heating,� Arrington said, looking at the heating vents at the base of her wall.
McGinn agreed that was part of it. Not many homes use baseboard heating now, he said.
�Although it is a nice heat, it uses a lot of energy,� he said.
McGinn said she could cut costs by turning off the heat in other rooms. He also suggested wrapping plastic around the outside of her window air conditioners or removing them in the winter. Other questions he asked were how often she used her dryer, how old her house was and if she used energy-saving light bulbs.
As part of the program, McGinn gave her an energy kit with several energy-saving light bulbs, a device for heating and air conditioning filters that whistles when the filters are dirty, an educational DVD and book on energy-saving and a low-flow shower head that he installed for her.
Arrington quickly pointed out she knew how the shower-head saved on costs because she worked at Moen for 11 and a half years after her teaching career.
�You probably made this one then.� McGinn laughed.
�I probably did,� Arrington said.
McGinn also explained how Arrington could use a can of expanding foam that came in the kit to fill holes around pipes or in walls.
�Oh, I need a lot of that,� she said.
The kit also had thermometers for the refrigerator to make sure it wasn�t leaking cold air and to check the hot water at the sinks, where the temperature should only be 120 degrees or less to save money.
McGinn pointed a heat meter toward light bulbs below Arrington�s ceiling fan and showed they were emitting 140 degrees of heat, compared to an energy-saving bulb that emitted 85 degrees of heat.
McGinn then toured the house looking in the kitchen cabinets, the garage, bathroom and bedrooms. Along the way, he made several suggestions that he later said would help Arrington save on utility costs this winter, including replacing the gaskets on her refrigerator doors, using the expanding foam on areas in her cabinets, replacing a hollow door to her garage and keeping her thermostat at 68 degrees during the winter.
While McGinn was preparing to print out a list of the suggestions for Arrington, he said she was fortunate because earlier she took advantage of the federal Winterization Assistance Program and had her house and water heater insulated free.
�It is all about energy education,� McGinn said. �The things I tell people � they probably already know. I�m just reinforcing it.�
Arrington said she was glad she asked the city for the energy audit.
�It helps to know about these things and to be educated,� she said. �If you don�t know anything about your electric bill, the costs will continue to rise. He gave me some good points and ways to improve and save energy.�
Karla Overby, New Bern utility service investigator, said the city makes an effort to educate the public about the energy audits just before winter that could be beneficial year-round.
Dawn Heller, New Bern account service supervisor, said November is typically the month customers see the lowest electric bills.
�People usually don�t use their heat or air conditioning at this time,� she said. �So we think it is a good time to get them ready for winter.�
Renters or homeowners who pay city of New Bern utility bills can request a free energy audit from the city, McGinn said.
New Bern also provides an online link called Energy Depot on its website at www.newbern-nc.org, which is a do-it-yourself tool that helps customers use energy efficiently. (On the city website, click on Finance; then Customer Service; then Home to find the link.)
Utility customers can used the Energy Depot to set up a personal energy profile to obtain a comprehensive look at home energy use and how to save energy and money through energy conservation tips and property upgrades.
�There are many low cost or no cost opportunities to save energy in the home,� McGinn said.
ElectriCities and the city of New Bern Business Office also can help direct customers to the local agency that administers the federal Weatherization Assistance Program.
To sign up for a free home energy audit, call the New Bern Business Office at Fort Totten at 639-2750 to make an appointment.
The audits last approximately one hour and are conducted on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Customers must be present while the audit is being performed.
Eddie Fitzgerald can be reached at 252-635-5675 or at email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @staffwriter3.


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NBA Pause Moment Of The Week: Shawne Williams Kissing Marvin Williams + Fight (Both Were Ejected From The Game)
New York Knicks At ATL brawl January 28 2011
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My card fits some current challenges as well! It fits the "Back to School" theme for Ribbon Reel Challenge #10, Cupcake Craft Challenge #159, Our Craft Lounge #82, If The Shoe Fits #90 and Delightful Inspirations Saturday's challenge. It also fits a twine/string challenge for Little Red Wagon #98, and Belli Challenge #126. Here is what I created!
Cardstock: Bazzill Basics (aqua) & Papertrey Ink (vintage cream)


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2012 books
At the NY Times' motherlode blog, KJ Dell'Antonia has a post in which she admits that she has read none of the NY Times 100 Notable Books of 2012. I had to laugh, because for a while I had a regular annual post on this blog, where I wrote about which of the Notable Books of the year I had read.
Somewhat to my shock, I have read 10 of the books from the list this year, the most in any year where I've been tracking it:
- Bring Up the Bodies, by Hillary Mantel — this is the second in her series about Thomas Cromwell and Henry VIII. It's a quicker read than Wolf Hall, and I liked it a lot.
- NW, by Zadie Smith — had to push to get through this one, given the combination of the stylistic experimentation and the British slang that I didn't know. Can't say I felt it was worth the effort.
- This is How You Lose Her, by Junot Diaz. I loved Oscar Wao, but these short stories didn't work for me.
- What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank, by Nathan Englander. A very mixed bag of short stories. A few of them are totally haunting and others were just eh.
- The Yellow Birds, by Kevin Powers. Overwritten, but still compelling. I'm glad I read it, but mostly because I enjoyed talking about it with my dad. His take is that it could have done with one less round of revision.
- Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel. Not nearly as good as Fun Home. I'm just not that interested in therapy.
- Behind the Beautiful Forevers, by Katherine Boo. Stunning and heartbreaking. Shattering.
- Coming Apart, by Charles Murray. I made a point to take this out of the library because I didn't want Murray to get my money, but was surprised to find how much of this I agreed with. In particular, I think his geographical analysis explains why people who make $250,000 a year don't think they're rich — everyone around them makes just as much or more.
- How Children Succeed, by Paul Tough. A quick read. I've heard a lot of the pieces before, but it was interesting how he put them together. The contrast between how different schools think about "character" was striking, and made me think about my own parenting values. I'd love to read Murray's response to the story of the middle school kid who is ranked as a chess master, but got terrible scores on standardized tests– how do you fit that into an pure IQ framework?
- The Passage of Power, by Robert Caro. This took me most of the spring and summer to get through, but was worth it. A very different take on RFK than I'm used to hearing. I still need someone to explain to me why at this time, the Dems wanted to cut taxes and the Republicans didn't, and when this changed.
I also started Telegraph Avenue, by Michael Chabon, but couldn't get into it. I seem to either love his books or find them unreadable.
All of these, except for the Caro, I got from the library. I got the Caro on my kindle, because there was no way I was ever going to read it if it involved carrying a 700 page book around. I did manage to destroy my kindle while on vacation (it fell out of its case and something broke), but Amazon gave me a nice discount on a replacement.


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Laurie French Acclaimed as President of OPSBA for Second Time
Jun 12, 2017, 12:41 ET
TORONTO, June 12, 2017 /CNW/ - The Ontario Public School Boards' Association (OPSBA) is pleased to announce that Laurie French was acclaimed as President of OPSBA for the 2017-18 school year at its Annual General Meeting held on June 9, 2017. President French's depth of experience and invaluable knowledge of the province's school system will continue to contribute to the strength of public education in the province of Ontario.
"I remain committed to supporting public school board trustees across the province in the vital role they undertake on behalf of Ontario students, their families and their local communities," said President French. "Leadership in public education continues to be as critical as ever. We must continue to lead by example, demonstrating strength in public education governance, and inspiring our students as future leaders to get involved in their communities and make a difference."
President French, a trustee with the Limestone District School Board, will be supported in her position as President of OPSBA by Jerry Chadwick, trustee with the Toronto District School Board, who was acclaimed as First Vice-President, and Cathy Abraham, Chair of the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, who was acclaimed as Second Vice-President. OPSBA's President and Vice-Presidents offer unique insights, school board expertise and commitment that will provide strong leadership for the Association in the year ahead.
OPSBA's Executive Council/leadership team for the 2017-18 school year will also include: Donna Edwards, Vice-President, Central East Region (Durham District School Board); Robert Hunking, Vice-President, Western Region (Avon Maitland District School Board); Gerald Kleist, Vice-President, Northern Region (Keewatin-Patricia District School Board); Donna Danielli, Vice-President, Central West Region (Halton District School Board); David Shields, Vice-President, Eastern Region (Renfrew County District School Board); Parthi Kandavel, Vice-President (Toronto District School Board); and Rick Williams, Vice-President (Peel District School Board).
OPSBA is very pleased to announce that Elaine Johnston, trustee with the Algoma District School Board, was acclaimed as OPSBA's First Nations Director. Trustee Johnston's dedication and commitment to the role will continue to strengthen public education for Indigenous students and foster broader perspectives for all students.
The Ontario Public School Boards' Association represents public district school boards and public school authorities across Ontario, which together serve more than 1.2 million public elementary and secondary students. The Association advocates on behalf of the best interests and needs of the public school system in Ontario. OPSBA is seen as the credible voice of public education in Ontario and is routinely called on by the provincial government for input and advice on legislation and the impact of government policy directions.
SOURCE Ontario Public School Boards' Association
For further information: T.J. Goertz, Communications & Policy Officer, Ontario Public School Boards' Association, [email protected], (416) 340-2540, ext. 112


text:
This chapter contains:
This guide serves as a quick start guide, which describes Oracle technologies for the Microsoft .NET Framework, including the key features of Oracle Data Provider for .NET and Oracle Developer Tools for Visual Studio. It leads you through installation and configuration, shows how to build basic applications using Oracle .NET products, and how to create and use both PL/SQL and .NET stored procedures.
Note:This guide was created using Microsoft Visual Studio 2008. If you are using Microsoft Visual Studio 2005, you may notice differences in screen shots, shortcuts, menu options, and generated code, but generally the differences should be minor and not cause problems.
After working through this book, you will be ready to continue with more extensive information available in the Oracle Database documentation library.
The Microsoft .NET Framework is a multi-language environment for building, deploying, and running applications and XML Web services. Its main components are:
The Common Language Runtime, or CLR, is a language-neutral development and run-time environment that provides services that help manage running applications
The Framework Class Libraries, or FCL, provide a consistent, object-oriented library of prepackaged functionality.
Oracle Data Provider for .NET (ODP.NET) provides fast and efficient ADO.NET data access from .NET client applications to Oracle databases and access to other Oracle Database features.
ODP.NET allows developers to take advantage of advanced Oracle database functionality, including Real Application Clusters, XML DB, and advanced security.
Oracle Developer Tools for Visual Studio (ODT) is a set of application tools that integrate with the Visual Studio environment. These tools provide graphical user interface access to Oracle functionality, enable the user to perform a wide range of application development tasks, and improve development productivity and ease of use. Oracle Developer Tools supports the programming and implementation of .NET stored procedures using Visual Basic, C#, and other .NET languages.
These are some of the Oracle Developer Tools features:
Integration with Server Explorer for browsing the Oracle schema.
Designers and wizards to create and alter schema objects.
The ability to drag and drop schema objects onto a .NET form to automatically generate code.
A PL/SQL editor and debugger with integrated context-sensitive dynamic help.
An Oracle Data Window for performing routine database tasks such as inserting and updating data or testing stored procedures in the Visual Studio environment.
An Oracle Query Window for executing SQL statements or PL/SQL scripts.
An Oracle Deployment Wizard for .NET described "Integration with Microsoft Visual Studio".
Oracle Database Extensions for .NET is a database option for Oracle Database on Windows. It makes it possible to build and run .NET stored procedures or functions with Oracle Database for Microsoft Windows using Visual Basic .NET or Visual C#.
Integration with Microsoft Visual Studio
After building .NET procedures and functions into a .NET assembly, you can deploy them in Oracle Database using the Oracle Deployment Wizard for .NET, a component of the Oracle Developer Tools for Visual Studio.
Oracle Providers for ASP.NET offer ASP.NET developers an easy to use method to store application state common to web applications (such as web user information, shopping carts) within an Oracle database. These providers are modeled on existing Microsoft ASP.NET providers, sharing similar schema and programming interfaces to provide .NET developers a familiar interface.
Oracle supports the following providers:
Membership Provider
Role Provider
Site Map Provider
Session State Provider
Profile Provider
Web Events Provider
Web Parts Personalization Provider
Cache Dependency Provider
Each ASP.NET provider can be used individually or in combination with other Oracle ASP.NET providers for your web site. Each of them store a specific set of web site information.
Oracle Providers for ASP.NET classes, their use, installation, and requirements are described in Oracle Providers for ASP.NET Developer's Guide, which is also provided as dynamic help.
See Also:
Oracle Providers for ASP.NET Developer's Guide


text: THE propensity for nudity by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has backfired this time. A new anti-fur, anti-leather commercial starring Pamela Anderson as a scantily clad airport security guard who strips passengers of animal products is too racy for CNN Airport Network. PETA planned to debut the spot tomorrow at all three Gotham-area airports, and later this fall in the other 45 major airports serviced by CNN. But the network wrote to PETA saying it's "particularly sensitive because children make up part of the demographic in airports." PETA is now looking to run the ad — which also features Steve-O, Andy Dick, comic Carol Leifer and punk icon Nina Hagen — on in-flight entertainment.


text:
A charming bed and breakfast located in Falmouth, Massachusetts. Falmouth is a delightful New England village on Upper Cape Cod. Our romantic bed and breakfast is located in the Historic District, a quiet residential area of tree-lined streets, picket fences, colorful gardens, and elegant homes. Beautiful beaches, quaint shops, ferry shuttles and excellent restaurants, are only a short stroll from our Cape Cod Bed and Breakfast.
Palmer House Inn
Bed & Breakfast
81 Palmer Avenue
Falmouth, MA 02540
508-548-1230; Fax: 508-540-1878


text:
Top flight deals to Cleveland (CLE)*
Fly to Cleveland with KLM
Together with our global network, we as KLM Royal Dutch Airlines offer flights to Cleveland, serving Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE). If you have any questions about your flight to Cleveland, contact us 24/7 via Facebook, Twitter or WhatsApp and expect a prompt response!
Top Cleveland attractions
- Quicken Loans Arena: an imposing multi-purpose arena home to the NBAs Cleveland Cavaliers, and various other local sports teams.
- Edgewater Park Beach: a beautiful sandy beach located along the shore of Lake Erie, famous amongst locals for sunbathing, swimming and panoramic views of Downtown Cleveland.
- A Christmas Story House: a museum in Cleveland located in the actual house used in the famous 1983 movie "A Christmas Story."
- West Side Market: the oldest indoor/outdoor market space in Cleveland, featuring over 100 vendors.
- Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum: the official Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which recognises and archives the history of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers, and other notable Rock & Roll figures.
What's the best way to get around Cleveland?
Keep an eye out for the green buses - these are the authority-run electric buses that cover routes to all of Cleveland's most popular areas every 10 to 15 minutes, and they are completely free! If you do want to travel further out into the city's districts, you can catch one of the many paid buses or trains that link the surrounding areas to the city centre.
What's the weather in Cleveland?
Late spring or summer is the best time to visit, with temperatures averaging 26°C (80°F). If you are visiting later in autumn or winter then prepare for a cold snap, with temperatures often below freezing. Ohio regularly has snowfall in the winter, so Cleveland could be the perfect destination to experience a white Christmas.
Weather in Cleveland
Powered by: OpenWeatherMap.org
26 °CWednesday12/08/2020
28 °CThursday13/08/2020
29 °CFriday14/08/2020
22 °CSaturday15/08/2020
23 °CSunday16/08/2020
25 °CMonday17/08/2020
20 °CTuesday18/08/2020
*All amounts are in USD. Taxes and surcharges are included. No booking fee is applicable, but a payment surcharge may apply. Prices shown may vary depending on fare availability. You will see the final amount when selecting your payment method.


text:
A white dorsal fin among a pod of orca whales swimming off the coast of Russia is believed to be that of the first all-white adult orca spotted by scientists, the BBC reported.
The rare creature, nicknamed Iceberg, was found by the Far East Russia Orca Project.
"We've seen another two white orcas in Russia but they've been young, whereas this is the first time we've seen a mature adult," researcher Erich Hoyt told BBC News. "It has the full two-metre-high dorsal fin of a mature male, which means it's at least 16 years old – in fact the fin is somewhat ragged, so it might be a bit older."
Additional images and video of Iceberg can be viewed on the BBC site.


text:
I really admire Ira Glass of radio's This American Life. He's just so intelligent. And it comes across in a very real, down-to-earth way that's indicative of someone who seriously mulls things over.
This is a snippet of a longer talk on creating stories for television or radio, but in this particular segment, he is speaking on the topic of improving your craft, and it's inspirational to anyone who creates. He describes the difference between your aspirations and the level you are currently at as a gap, which is especially large when you are first embarking on a new genre of craft. He underscores the importance of imposing deadlines on yourself in order to churn out a large amount of sub-par work, which will enable you get to the level of skill that you aspire to. In other words, perfecting your craft through diligent practice. "… You have to turn out that work. Because it's only by going through a volume of work that you're actually going to catch up and close that gap. And the work you're making will be as good as your ambitions."
He concludes with words of encouragement. "It takes a while. It's going to take you a while. It's normal to take a while. You just have to fight your way through that. Okay? You will be fierce, you will be a warrior, and you will make things that aren't as good as you know in your heart you want them to be. And you will just make one after another."


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Heres another post to commemerate some of my favourite anime characters. Going down in alphabetical order once again, today we have Asu no yoichi, Asura cryin and the funny as nuts baka test. Asura cryin is great, asu no yoichi is pretty good and baka test is just phenominal, all are good choices when it comes to quality anime worth of your time. But when it comes to characters, there are just some that interest you way more than others, so without ado, here are my favourite characters from these individual animes!
Spoilers ahead, ye be warned!
Asu no yoichi
Lets start off with asu no yoichi, known as the samurai harem. It may not be very well known, but its definetely a good show worth watching for those anime addicts (like myself). Its plot may not be very strong, but the characters are very likable. Plenty of awesome and funny characters pull this to one of the better "good" animes I have seen.
|Gangsta? No! Joker!
First up for asu no yoichi, heres the man of the hour. Washizu looks like a gangster, a badass, a delinquent, someone who would beat the shit out of you for just looking at him, but believe it, he's a joker! Thats right, he's funny, and when paired up with his little friend torigaya, they make a dynamic joke duo! But besides the point, more than just being funny, Washizu was the character in the anime that made the biggest character developement, and that was what sealed the deal for me.
Washizu is what people consider a delinquent, and is known for being the strongest guy around, unbeatable by any gangster. His friend torigaya always hangs around him, boasting washizu as "wa-san" and promoting to everyone to how strong washizu is. But, despite being the big boss around town, Washizu has a crush on Ibuki Ikaruga, and that caused him to change. Now around Ibuki, he acts all nice and gentlemen like. But! Because of Yoichi, he sees yoichi as a rival, and thats where the shit gets real!
Washizu challenges yoichi to fights to win over ibuki as a huge misunderstanding. Being the thick headed fool that he is, he is stubborn and doesnt give up. He usually loses, but that doesnt stop the ikaruga family and his friends to be entertained. From, a loner, he gains alot of friends, and his personality started to change, becoming a nicer person. And the nicer he gets, the smaller torigaya becomes (this is just lol), until the last episode torigaya becomes a little chibi! An overall interesting, funny and favourable character, I must say. And to add to it, though he is mostly an ignored character, he is actually liked by tsubasa, one of the show's cuter girls. Tsubasa X Washizu bitches!
Asura cryin series
One of the better shows out there, Asura cryin is a fantastic anime with a nice blend of occult demon lore and mecha action. It had its share of good characters within its splendid world and solid plot, but if I had to choose one character.....it has to be her.
|When it comes to cool girls, it doesn't get any cooler than this.
All hail Toru kitsutaka! If there were to be a character I would choose to be with in Asrua cryin its her! Shes looks like a typical gothic emo girl with all that fringe covering one eye like a typical bishounen, but those of you who watch the anime should know, she has a funny and cute side to her! Its a pity her love for tokiya blinds her and turns her against Tomoharu and gang later on, and she gets turned into a burial doll.....still, my love for this character won't dwindle! Toru taichou will be the coolest character of the entire Asura's cryin series.
Before toru turned rogue in season 2, she was cool as hell in season 1. She didnt make that big of an appearance at first, and she was the first to the gang to introduce herself as an ex machina weilder. Towards the end of season 1, when kagakagari attacked the passenger plane, toru showed up as reinforcements and did a number on him. Kicking ass with the big ass katana of hers, she sure knows how to fight with style, and being the first to introduce magic immunity as an ex weilder, she sure turned the tables for that fight.
But things get better when she shows off her more feminine side. Seeing her go all girly for tokiya really makes my heart melt, so kawai! And it only makes tokiya looks more like an ass for still going nuts for aki, toru's sister. Acting like a big sister/onee-san figure really only makes her all the more worthy for my vote. Definetely toru, shes definetely gets my pick. Shuri gets a close second though, shoutouts to her.
Baka to test to shoukanjuu series
A must watch for any anime and comedy fan. Baka test is still up to date the funniest anime I have ever watched, and I remember almost every individual episode clearly in my mind. I have yet to watch season 2 though, so no comment on that, but since the characters are still the same, I am more than ready to make my verdict. And since baka test is such an amazing anime worthy of so much praise, theres no way I can choose only one character! So here are my 2 favourites!
|Is that a geass I see?!?!
You ALL saw this coming. Who the hell can resist the urge to like this guy???!?! He's possibly the funniest thing I have ever seen in an anime. Every character in baka test is ridiculously funny, but voyeur takes it to the top. Voyeur is a class F student like Akisa and most of his friends, and he is the class pervert, bringing his trusty camera wherever he goes. Completely filled with nothing but lust to take pictures of pervertic shots, he is a complete comedian. Rushing to scenes where he can get panty shots or other shots of girls changing, he goes to whatever measures required to get the job done.
Voyeur is easily turned on, and has all the knowledge about perverted stuff in the world stored in his mind. He takes pictures at the beginning of school, going to class early, sniping at unsuspected girls walking in through the school gate. He has pictures and information of every girl in the school, supposedly, and he keeps data on them in his trusty PC. A true pervert I would say, and he keeps copies of pictures he takes and sells them to fellow male classmates, mostly to Akisa though.
Voyeur, as I said earlier, is turned on easily, he nose bleeds at the sight of panties, and by getting sweet talked by another girl he nose bleeds as well. The swimming pool episode has him and akisa nose bleeding every 20 seconds everytime a new girls shows up in bikini. Awesomely funny, in so many ways. All camera systems in the school belongs to him, and he can easily get all footage of girls changing in the school, sneaky bastard. And to make things even better, his best subject is health, and hes so good at it, that he can defeat an A class student in a summon being battle in relevance to a health subject! Awesome.
|Beauty is not what it always seems!
Heres my other favourite of baka test, shouko kirishima. Shouko is hot, but thats not why she's here on the list, its because she is no doubt, pretty damn funny. Despite being an incredibly good looking and smart young woman (she is the rep of class A, the best class in school), shouko has turned down every guy, and only has feelings for one, true idiot. Yuuji sakamoto of class F. Being childhood friends, she has a deep admiration for him since young.
Shouko is a strict and demanding girl. She loves yuuji and claims him for her own even though yuuji refused over and over to go on a date with her. Many a time she is seen dragging him along with her, with him being the one in distress. She restricts yuuji to have interests in any other girl but herself, and if she has the slightest suspicion, she will go and "clarify" with yuuji, in her own painful ways. Everytime yuuji is seen talking with a girl, she shows up and the moment she does, yuuji starts to act quieter, in fear that he will be attacked. This alone is hilarious, as her prescense itself makes yuuji quiver like a frightened puppy.
To further explain her feats, she brings yuuji along in an amusement park date, and has her purposely dragging him along to do all the fun stuff. The entire F class crew even goes and volunteerly acts as amusement park workers to cleverly set up the mood. In the swimming pool episodes, she ties yuuji and blindfolds him in a corner, forbidding him to look at any of the other girls in thier swimsuits. Also, she brings a taser along with her at times, like when bringing yuuji to watch that long ass movie 3 times. Funny stuff. When it comes to a restrictive girl who likes to control her man, no one does it funnier than shouko.
Peace out for now.....


text:
Ahhh, internet problems. I finally get a chance to get on to post...and I can't get in! We seem to be getting more and more server problems these days. What a busy week. We had a great few days in Pittsburgh! Sorry, no pictures from our trip however. We were about an hour's drive from home when we realized we had forgotten to bring the camera and there was no turning around at that point. What a pair?!? We really did need a few days away! Luckily for us, we picked a very nice hotel, with a fantastic huge jacuzzi tub in our room, so that certainly made for a very nice end to a long day, especially since you could lay back in the whirlpool with a glass of wine in one hand and watch the TV from the comforts of the swirling water! So lots of driving, lots of shopping, eating, and relaxing. It was a wonderful get-away.
I did manage to find one cross stitch shop, a very nice one called Teatime Stitchery and I found a few little things to add to my stash, the new book by Blackbird Designs, and one of the Little House Needleworks/Crescent Colors collaboration, pictures below.
The fabric is called Fossil, its just a small remnant piece but the colour was too cool to pass up!
Unfortunately I didn't make it to any quilt shops, however Joann's Fabrics managed to satisfy my fabric shopping.
We were back home late on Friday night and Saturday I spent the day in Toronto at the Knitting Frolic - more shopping and more stash enhancing, this time for my wool stash.
And Sunday was spent working on a quilt for Kristy's upcoming 16th birthday. Pictures coming for that.....
There were several of you interested in the Spring Sampler which I offered up in my last post, so to be fair, I wrote down all of your names and had hubby draw one, and Sonya was the winner. So Spring Sampler will soon be flying on its way to you, Sonya!
I still need to catch up with blog reading....and see what everyone has been up to!
Monday, April 30, 2007
Get Away
Ahhh, internet problems. I finally get a chance to get on to post...and I can't get in! We seem to be getting more and more server problems these days. What a busy week. We had a great few days in Pittsburgh! Sorry, no pictures from our trip however. We were about an hour's drive from home when we realized we had forgotten to bring the camera and there was no turning around at that point. What a pair?!? We really did need a few days away! Luckily for us, we picked a very nice hotel, with a fantastic huge jacuzzi tub in our room, so that certainly made for a very nice end to a long day, especially since you could lay back in the whirlpool with a glass of wine in one hand and watch the TV from the comforts of the swirling water! So lots of driving, lots of shopping, eating, and relaxing. It was a wonderful get-away.
Posted by Wendy at 8:21 am 10 comments
Labels: Stash
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Spring Sampler
Spring Sampler by Little House Needleworks using Crescent Colours Belle Soie silks, on 32 ct Natural Linen
C'est fini! Sorry the colours in my scanner don't seem to be picking up the pretty greens, they are much much nicer in RL. Its nice to get a smaller finish, I don't get many of these since most of my stitching projects are so huge. The new Belle Soie silks are so nice to work with, very reminiscent of Gloriana silks, although I was coming close to finishing the light green and had to be very careful towards the end that I didn't run out. That said, while I don't have enough to do a second piece, I am happy to send off my slightly used pattern and leftover silks to anyone who is interested in giving this little piece a try.
Leave me a comment if you are interested!
I know its Sunday, but its going to be a work day for me. Hubby is finishing up some holiday time this week, so we are off on Wednesday to Pittsburgh for a few days, just the 2 of us! How romantic!! I don't know yet what we will be doing, but shopping is definitely in, I have have addresses for all the local Joann's to plug into the GPS, and my Visa primed and ready.
Shocking - it was like summer here yesterday! The temperature outside my car read 27 degrees C!
Posted by Wendy at 8:45 am 24 comments
Labels: LHN
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
At least I can show some of what I have been working on.....
My PIF gift to Su:
This is called Quaker Tree, a freebie from The Workbasket. I used one of the new DMC colour variegated threads for this, and a hand-dyed fabric, 25 ct Vintage Country Mocha, very pretty and toasty coloured.
And my PIF for Sonya:
This one is called 'Think Spring' by Calico Crossroads, done on a 28 ct pink linen, and it used a really pretty Needle Necessities floss called Finian's Rainbow. I really fell in love with this fibre and I'm dying to use it again. Its used in the specialty stitches around the edges, which unfortunately don't show up too well in the picture.
I'm so happy that my first PIF's are out and now its time to send out these next batch!
Last night was a quilting night, I worked on the next stage of my Twisted Log Cabin blocks for my next class, its next week, but I needed to get my sashing done since the intersections involve different coloured stars and if I didn't get them all just quite right, I would end up with stars with different colours points = wonky stars.
Posted by Wendy at 8:05 am 28 comments
Labels: PIF
Monday, April 16, 2007
Spring Sampler
Here is my update on Spring Sampler by Little House Needleworks. I'm afraid I don't have a lot to show as last week I also worked on my ABC exchange for the SBEBB. The stitching is done and next up is the finishing. I think I'll browse the Focus on Finishing blog for some ideas on that. And I spent some time this weekend quilting. It was another one of those very rainy, very chilly weekends, very spent inside. Although we did have a great dinner out Saturday night with some friends who kindly treated us after hubby had spent some time fixing up their computer problems.
Thanks for all the advice about magnifiers and readers! I tried some cheapie readers at the dollar store actually. The 1+ didn't seem quite strong enough and the 2+ seemed a little too strong. Yes a little bit of Goldilocks going on here, because of course they were out of the 1.5+ style. I don't mind the option of sticking an extra pair of glasses in front of the ones I wear. In fact I do that with my sun glasses. I have fantastic sun glasses that I bought years ago (make that also very expensive sun glasses) from back in the days when I only wore contact lenses and when driving I always pop them on. Works for me! So next time I'm near the dollar store, I'm going to try again. Meanwhile I'm afraid the 40-cts are going to have to wait for daylight stitching!
This is a short posting as work is calling me, its piled high on my desk today!
Posted by Wendy at 7:44 am 17 comments
Labels: LHN
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Carriage House Samplings
I love these pieces, I really do, I just don't know why I don't seem to get more accomplished on them than what I do. I finally finished up Block 1 of Houses of Hawk Run Hollow, all except for the name and year. I'm leaving out the year, because really who knows when this piece will ever be finished. If I sound frustrated at this point, I am. Its been over a year since I started and I haven't even reached the halfway point.
I still enjoy stitching on this and I have to remember, the joy is in the stitching, not in the finishing. I guess its because there are just so many things out there that I want to do, and as much as I would like to start, I can only work on so many things at a time.
And part of the problem with this one and the CHS Alphabet series, is the 40 count fabric. I love the look of the stitching on this fine count, but my eyes have decided that its a little too fine for comfortable stitching. Which is a quandry because I can still see well enough to read so I don't feel I'm at the point of needing glasses. I tried a magnifier that clamps onto a table and as long as I can get it positioned properly, it works great. But most of the time I can't get it positioned properly. So every time I plunk myself down for the evening, I have to get hubby to help me adjust everything just so and I dare not move until I decide its beddy-bye time (and, sigh, this means no bathroom breaks either). That also means that I have to have everything at my finger tips, all flosses, scissors, snacks, drinks, and of course remote control!
So meanwhile I'm still plodding away at my CHS pieces, slow but sure wins the race......and eventually I'll need those reading glasses!
Posted by Wendy at 8:02 am 22 comments
Labels: CHS Alphabet, Houses of Hawk Run Hollow
Monday, April 09, 2007
A Sewing Weekend
It sure wasn't one of those weekends where I wanted to spend much time outdoors. It felt like winter out there! So I had to make the best of my time inside and at my sewing machine. I made myself another project tote bag, this time one with fabrics that matched my sewing box (that is still in the works, waiting for its lid to be attached and various inside pieces to be done). But this tote bag it now done and I'm wondering which project I can use it for....hmmm, maybe something new?
I finished quilting this table runner for my kitchen table, ready in time for our Easter dinner. It was made with a charm pack called 'Santuary' which was a pack of 5" fabric pieces from the Sanctuary fabric line. Since everything is already cut, its so quick to sew it together and then it was just a matter of sandwiching it and machine quilting it into a table runner. Its nice to have something new and fresh for the kitchen.
And here are my completed Twisted Log Cabin blocks from my quilt class last week. These fabrics are called Spring Fling, from the Moda jelly roll pack. Cool looking huh? They are waiting on white sashing with stars at the intersections which I didn't get around to this weekend. A little too much thought needs to go into that since I have 5 colours to work on for the stars, and will need to mark each sashing piece to get the star colours to match up.
Hubby and I went out Saturday night to a local theatre production of Brigadoon. One of Carrie's best friends was starring in it and it was fantastic! We so enjoyed it - the music, the singing, highland dancing and even the bagpipes! It was held in a renovated town hall from 1873, so quite small but full of character. We really have to get out to more of these local productions. Last night hubby had tickets for the Toronto Raptors but basketball isn't really my thing so he took Nick and his girlfriend Kristy and they all enjoyed the game and I enjoyed my quiet evening. I got started on my ABC exchange for the SBEBB! April is going by too quickly for me!!
Posted by Wendy at 8:01 am 19 comments
Labels: Quilting
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Spring Sampler ~ Little House Needleworks
I just realized I don't have pictures of my Jelly Roll quilt blocks... you'll have to wait for those! The class was so much fun and made me wonder why I hadn't been taking more classes. Its so much nicer to sew among a fun group of people than on your own. The day just flew by! I have a little homework to complete before the next 1/2 day class, but that's 3 weeks off so lots of time for that.
When I got home I had some nice mail stash arrive - a package from Mary Kathryn from Ehandcrafts with LHN's Spring Sampler. This came with the new Crescent Colours Belle Soie silks and 32 ct natural linen so how could I wait to start? Here is my little blue bird already done. While the silks really remind me of Gloriana silks in the look, they don't want to lay as nicely as the Gloriana. Another funny thing, the variegation seems to show up much more in the picture than in RL too! How odd? I'm wondering if I should re-do part of the birdie so he doesn't look so chunky??
I must get out tonight for some Easter shopping! I just realized I haven't got anything in for the kids, big as they are, they still look for something from the Easter bunny. And I think I have a pinched nerve in my neck - ouch! I've been stretching and using an ice pack, and of course my workload has suddenly increased hugely, but tomorrow is a holiday so that will help.
Have a wonderful holiday weekend!
Posted by Wendy at 8:01 am 21 comments
Labels: LHN
Monday, April 02, 2007
Yummy jelly rolls
I have some new pics to share, if only Blogger will cooperate! Is it me, or is Blogger unbearably slow to upload pictures?
This is a jelly roll, not the edible kind that with all those delicious sugary calories. This one will definitely not be added to my hips! Jelly rolls are the name given to 2 1/2" cuts of all the fabrics in a fabric line, this one being called Spring Fling. I think there are 40 fabric prints in total. Isn't it gorgeous! This is going to be used in the quilt class I signed up for tomorrow, for a pattern called Twisted Log Cabin. Marg and I saw saw samples of these at our last quilt block meeting and couldn't resist. Tomorrow is a full day class and in 2 weeks, we finish up with a 1/2 day class. What a great reason to take the day off work.
Next up is my latest finished sock. And I've got to hurry up and finish the other one before Nancy entices me into some new start at the Knitting Frolic Day she is tempting me with. She knows my weaknesses!
And finally my Sampler Gameboard which I managed to pick up this weekend while at a stitching gathering at Marj's house. I got 2 houses, one motif, and some lettering finished up as of Sunday night. Tonight I'll have to get my things together for the class tomorrow! Can't wait....
Posted by Wendy at 8:04 am 16 comments
Labels: Knitting, Quilting, Sampler Gameboard


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Ganon Baker, owner of Shake N' Bake Basketball Services, works out more than 3,000 kids a year. He also teams with Nike as a Skill Development Trainer to work with the nation's best high school boys and girls basketball players. In this amazing DVD, Baker reveals his phenomenal individual shooting workout, including detailed instruction on shooting technique. Learn to master three critical areas of shooting technique: Footwork, catching the ball and the release. Once you have the stroke down, try out Baker's rigorous shooting drills. More than 20 advanced shooting drills in all. All of these drills focus on maintaining effective form and shooting technique - and "getting after it!" Players at any level can benefit from this DVD by building great shooting form, by increasing their shooting percentage, and by winning more games!
40 minutes. 2005.
This item also belongs to the following series!
Copyright 2020 BasketballCoach.com & Championship Productions, Inc.


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Bright Horizons' Early Education and Preschool is proud to host a Pancake Pajama Party to benefit the Bright horizons Foundation for Children on Saturday, December 1, 2012 from 9 to 11 a.m.
As part of the Toward a Better World curricula that nurtures and guides children's development of empathy, compassion and social awareness, attend this event for a fun morning to benefit the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children.
- Pancake breakfast served from 9:00 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
- Special musical performance by Peter Sheridan at 9:45 a.m.
- Interactive art activities
Please bring one pair of new pajamas for donation to the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children.
For more information, please visit www.brighthorizonsfoundation.org
Bright Horizons at Brickstone
400 Brickstone Square
Andover, MA 01810
Bright Horizons® is the North Shore's leading provider of high-quality early education and preschool. The programs empower children from infancy on to become confident, successful learners and secure, caring people. Bright Horizons strive to grow young readers, scientists, artists, and explorers who are engaged and curious. The programs invite children to approach school and academics with skills, confidence, and a drive for excellence. To learn more about Bright Horizons' full-time, part-time and back-up programs for infants, toddlers and preschoolers in the North Shore area, please visit http://www.brighthorizons.com/NorthShoreKid
Bright Horizons Early Education and Preschool


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As filed by State Sen. Joe Negron explicitly prohibits using unmanned aerial drones, except when the U.S. secretary of Homeland Security determines there is a "high risk" for a terrorist attack.
PANAMA CITY � State senators want to keep Big Brother in check, and they believe they have the legislation to do it.
State Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, recently filed SB 92 for the 2013 session, titled "Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act," which calls for substantially restricting drone use by state and local law enforcement.
As filed, the bill explicitly prohibits using unmanned aerial drones, except when the U.S. secretary of Homeland Security determines there is a "high risk" for a terrorist attack. Further, the bill would allow civil lawsuits against law enforcement agencies who misuse drones, and it stipulates incorrectly collected evidence is not admissible in court.
Read the proposed legislation.
In the past year, drone use has fueled national discussion on privacy and civil liberties, especially as their price has fallen. A Bloomberg report in May said low-end drones can cost between $30,000 and $50,000.
Negron said he filed the bill because safeguarding individual liberties is his "key goal" in the Legislature. He feels perpetual drone surveillance severely
undermines privacy.
"Drones are good for killing terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but I don�t think they should be used to spy on the lawful activities of Floridians," he said.
Negron said drone surveillance is "Orwellian" and "Big Brother at its worst," but he said the bill�s terrorism exception is reasonable. He plans to add another exception allowing for drone use with a search warrant.
If law enforcement believes nefarious activity is afoot and it has probable cause, it could get a warrant from a judge for a set amount of time, Negron said.
Senate President Don Gaetz said Tuesday that, in general, he believes it�s a "good bill."
Gaetz, R-Niceville, said he agrees with Negron on the terrorism exception because the country must take every step to keep it from harm.
"However, the routine use of spying on Americans has no place in our constitutional republic," he said.
Gaetz said for law enforcement to obtain search warrants it must show probable cause of criminal activity. He paralleled that with drone surveillance.
"I think that anyone would have to carry a very heavy burden to allow overflight of backyards and private homes without a warrant by drones or anything like that," he said.
He added, "My belief is that warrantless searches of Americans� private property and their homes by drones or any other means is un-American."
Evers� concerns
The bill has been sent to four Senate committees, including the Committee on Criminal Justice, which Sen. Greg Evers, R-Baker, chairs.
Evers said the terrorist attack exception was reasonable, but the search warrant exception must have strict interpretation. He doesn�t want it misconstrued to expand drone use for wide surveillance.
Evers said the Legislature should create guidelines for drone use. He, like Negron, is worried about Big Brother tactics becoming the norm. He would not take a stance on the bill, however, but addressed the broader issue.
"My general idea is there may be certain instances that this would be permissible, but I have some reservations as far as Big Brother watching you," he said.
Evers said if there is no criminal activity taking place, the drones should not be zipping around doing reconnaissance. "I think it�s something that needs to be addressed," he said.
The Bay County Sheriff�s Office, Okaloosa County Sheriff�s Office, Panama City Police Department and Panama City Beach Police Department do not use drones.
PCB Police Chief Drew Whitman said drones could be a valuable asset but must be used correctly and not abused.
Whitman said he does not want the bill to cut off law enforcement tools. Instead of helicopters, he said, drones could monitor spring breakers on the beach or be deployed in hostage situations.
"It�s one tool that would be an asset if used properly," he said.
But, Whitman said, the fact Negron�s bill was filed at all indicates abuse likely has taken place already.
An Okaloosa County Sheriff�s Office statement said drones offer advantages, but the agency understands civil liberty concerns.
"We have not looked at implementing any such program due to the costs and those unresolved issues concerning civil liberties," said George Collins, OCSO�s Homeland Security Inspector.
BCSO spokeswoman Ruth Corley said the Sheriff�s Office does not anticipate purchasing drones and Sheriff Frank McKeithen is "very satisfied" with its current law enforcement tools.


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Main Content
DHPA Jewish Historical Resources
Madison County
Anderson is the county seat of Madison County was platted in 1823. Trader William Conner came into the area now known as Anderson before the 1820s. Introduction of internal improvements caused a growth in the population in 1837. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal was to come through Anderson. The completion of the railroad in 1852 caused another population growth. In 1865, Anderson was incorporated as a city, with a population of nearly 1300 people. Moses Marks, an early Jewish businessman, came to Anderson sometime in the late 1840s or early 1850s.
Prior to the 1865 there were but a very few Jewish families residing in Anderson. These families included Louis Loeb, Joseph Stein, Louis Warner (a partner in Gates & Warner, clothing store), J. Obendofer, Jacob Warner, and Philip Obendofer. However, in 1870 several more families moved to Anderson.1
In 1887 natural gas was discovered in Anderson; by 1912 the natural gas ran out. Several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. With its proximity to Muncie, Indiana a Muncie-Anderson Hadassah Chapter was formed.2 Several Jewish business owners operated in Anderson. Morthon Roth opened a ready to wear store, Ray Weiler operated Weiler's Department Store, which was stated in Portland, Indiana by his father. In addition, a Mr. Ziegler operated a scrap business.
1 John Forkner and Byron Dyson, Historical Sketchers and Reminiscences of Madison County, IN (Logansport, Indiana: Wilson, Humphreys and Co, 1897), 437.
2 John Forkner, History of Madison County, Indiana (Chicago: John Forkner Lewis Publishing Co Chicago, 1914).


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|DU, JIANCHANG - Purdue University
|TIAN, SHIXI - Purdue University
|HANS, CHRISTIAN - Purdue University
|JACKSON, SCOTT - Purdue University
|Cannon, Steven
|Shoemaker, Randy
|MA, JIANXIN - Purdue University
Submitted to: Plant Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/15/2010
Publication Date: 6/16/2010
Citation: Du, J., Tian, S., Hans, C., Jackson, S., Cannon, S.B., Shoemaker, R.C., Ma, J. 2010. Evolutionary conservation, diversity and specificity of LTR retrotransposons in flowering plants: insights from genome-wide analysis and multi-specific comparison. Plant Journal. 63(4):584-598.
Interpretive Summary: The organization and structure of flowering plant chromosomes is often quite complex. Scientists have collected evidence regarding the evolutionary relationships of many plant species. However, much of this information is based on physical attributes of the plants. What is lacking is an indepth analysis of those elements of chromosomes that are known to modify chromosome structure. In this paper, the authors take advantage of the recently completed decoding of all of the soybean DNA to analyze elements known as 'jumping genes'. They show that some of the elements can be traced through evolutionary lineages back to a time before grasses separated from non-grass species, about 100 million years ago. This gives scientists more insight into how complex genomes came about and how they have come to have common features, even among distantly related species. This information is important for the better understanding of plant evolution.
Technical Abstract: The availability of complete or nearly complete genome sequences from several plant species permits detailed discovery and cross-species comparison of transposable elements (TEs) at the whole genome level. We initially investigated 510 LTR-retrotransposon (LTR-RT) families that are comprised of 32,370 elements in soybean. Approximately 87% of these elements were located in recombination-suppressed pericentromeric regions, where the ratio (1.26) of solo LTRs to intact elements (S/I) is significantly lower than that (1.62) of chromosome arms. Further analysis revealed a significant positive association between S/I and LTR sizes, indicating that larger LTRs facilitate solo LTR formation. Phylogenetic analysis revealed 7 Copia-like and 5 Gypsy-like evolutionary lineages that had existed before the divergence of dicot (e.g., Arabidopsis) and monocot species (e.g., rice), but the scales and timeframes within which they proliferated vary dramatically across families, lineages and species, and notably, one of the 7 Copia-like lineage has been lost in soybean. Analysis of physical association of LTR-RTs with centromere satellite repeats identified two putative centromere retrotransposon families of soybean (CRS), which were grouped into the CR (e.g., CRR and CRM) lineage of grasses, indicating that the functional specification of CR predate the bifurcation of dicots and monocots. However, a number of families of the CR lineage are not physically associated with centromeres, suggesting that their CR roles may have been defunct. Our data also suggest that the putative Copia retrovirus-like family, SIRE, is likely derived from the Gypsy retrovirus-like Athila lineage, and thus we propose a hypothesis of the single ancient origin of retrovirus-like elements in flowering plants.


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Using Drug Levels and Drug Resistance Testing to Select Effective Anti-HIV Drug Combinations in Patients With Drug-resistant HIV
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00027339
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : December 5, 2001
Last Update Posted : May 21, 2012
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
|Condition or disease
|HIV Infections
|Drug: lopinavir/ritonavir Drug: indinavir sulfate Drug: tenofovir disoproxil fumarate Drug: ritonavir Drug: fosamprenavir
|Phase 2
Treatment options are limited for HIV infected individuals who have extensive treatment experience and harbor resistance to antiretrovirals (ARVs) from multiple drug classes. Increasing the concentration of PIs in a regimen may be one way to provide more substantial ARV activity. It is uncertain how combining specific PIs with RTV affects viral susceptibility and ARV effect. The relationship of PI concentration (e.g., Cmin) to virus susceptibility (IC50) may be a better predictor of treatment outcome than susceptibility alone. This study will evaluate the predictive value of pharmacokinetic-adjusted phenotypic susceptibility (C12h/IC50) on ARV response to ritonavir (RTV)-boosted regimens in patients failing their current PI-containing regimens.
Participants will have blood drawn during a screening visit for phenotypic assay and to determine viral load. At study entry, participants will discontinue their PIs while continuing to take their other ARVs. Each participant and his or her doctor will choose to add one of three RTV-boosted regimens: 1) indinavir (IDV) and RTV; 2) fosamprenavir (FPV) and RTV; or 3) lopinavir (LPV)/RTV plus additional RTV. Participants will take this regimen for 14 days. On Day 14, patients will have a 12-hour pharmacokinetic evaluation. On Day 15, patients will add tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) to their regimens and may choose to modify their other ARVs while continuing their RTV-boosted therapy. Participants will have additional study visits at Weeks 4, 8, 16, and 24. Study visits will include a physical exam and blood and urine tests. Participants will complete adherence questionnaires four times during the course of the study.
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Actual Enrollment :
|53 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Parallel Assignment
|None (Open Label)
|Primary Purpose:
|Official Title:
|A Phase II Study of the Predictive Value of Pharmacokinetic-Adjusted Phenotypic Susceptibility (C12h/IC50) on Antiretroviral Response to Ritonavir-Enhanced Protease Inhibitors in Subjects With Failure of Previous Protease Inhibitor-Based Regimens
|Actual Study Completion Date :
|June 2005
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|13 Years and older (Child, Adult, Older Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- HIV infected
- Viral load greater than 2500 copies/ml within 60 days of study entry
- On regimen with at least one PI for a total of at least 48 weeks
- On the same PI regimen for at least 90 days prior to study entry
- Decreased susceptibility to two of these three PIs: LPV, APV, and IDV (documented by phenotype within 90 days prior to study entry)
- Have taken a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) for at least 12 weeks anytime in previous treatment history, or have decreased susceptibility to at least two NNRTIs
- Have taken two or more nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) for at least 12 weeks anytime in previous treatment history
- Agrees to use acceptable methods of contraception
- Weighs 88 lbs or more
Exclusion Criteria:
- Cannot tolerate RTV, APV, FPV, LPV/RTV, or IDV
- Use of HIV vaccines, investigational agents, hydroxyurea, or therapy to affect the immune system within 60 days of study entry
- Serious kidney problems
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding
- Alcohol or drug use that would interfere with the study
- Serious illness that requires treatment or hospitalization (patients stable on therapy or who have finished therapy at least 14 days before study entry may be eligible)
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00027339
|United States, California
|Los Angeles, California, United States
|Stanford CRS
|Palo Alto, California, United States, 94305-5107
|UC Davis Medical Center
|Sacramento, California, United States, 95814
|Ucsd, Avrc Crs
|San Diego, California, United States, 92103
|United States, Colorado
|University of Colorado Hospital CRS
|Aurora, Colorado, United States, 80262
|United States, Florida
|Univ. of Miami AIDS CRS
|Miami, Florida, United States
|United States, Indiana
|Indiana Univ. School of Medicine, Wishard Memorial
|Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, 46202
|Methodist Hosp. of Indiana
|Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, 46202
|United States, New York
|Beth Israel Med. Ctr., ACTU
|New York, New York, United States, 10003
|NY Univ. HIV/AIDS CRS
|New York, New York, United States, 10016
|United States, North Carolina
|Unc Aids Crs
|Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States, 275997215
|Duke Univ. Med. Ctr. Adult CRS
|Durham, North Carolina, United States, 27710
|United States, Tennessee
|Vanderbilt Therapeutics CRS
|Nashville, Tennessee, United States, 37203
|Puerto Rico
|Puerto Rico-AIDS CRS
|San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00936-5067
|Study Chair:
|Douglas Richman, MD
|University of California, San Diego
|Study Chair:
|Joseph J. Eron, MD
|University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
|Responsible Party:
|National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|Other Study ID Numbers:
10079 ( Registry Identifier: DAIDS ES )
|First Posted:
|December 5, 2001 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|May 21, 2012
|Last Verified:
|May 2012
HIV Protease Inhibitors
RNA, Viral
Viral Load
Treatment Experienced
HIV Infections
Lentivirus Infections
Retroviridae Infections
RNA Virus Infections
Virus Diseases
Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes
Immune System Diseases
HIV Protease Inhibitors
Protease Inhibitors
Enzyme Inhibitors
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Anti-HIV Agents
Anti-Retroviral Agents
Antiviral Agents
Anti-Infective Agents
Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A Inhibitors
Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme Inhibitors
Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors
Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors


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Are you ready for the 2012 FernandoMania Bobblehead Hunt? Staring tomorrow, and for several days thereafter the Dodgers are running a kind of scavenger hunt for two free field level tickets to the September 29th
|(twitter link)
Go here for the rules.
At approximately 10:00 a.m. Pacific Standard Time ("PST") on each of August 14, 16, 18 and 20, 2012 (the "Promotion Dates"), the Dodgers will tweet, on the Dodgers' Account, the specific location of a Fernando Valenzuela bobblehead (the "Bobblehead"). Participants will need to travel to the location of the Bobblehead, take a photograph with the Bobblehead at such location, and tweet the photograph to the Dodgers' Account with the hashtag "#Fernandomania." The first five (5) Participants that are verified by the Dodgers to have tweeted the photograph with the Bobblehead will win the Prize.What if there's a tie?
In the event of a tie such that more than five Participants reach the location at the same time and simultaneously tweet the photograph to the Dodgers' Account with the hashtag "#Fernandomania," a Dodgers Trivia contest among those Participants who are tied will be conducted on-site by the authorized Dodgers' representative to determine the Winner(s).
|(twitter link)
* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *
* Like Dodgers Blue Heaven on facebook *
* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *


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If We Go Over the Fiscal Cliff, Whose Fault Will It Be?
If President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans fail to reach an agreement to avert the "fiscal cliff" by the end of the year, most Americans believe Republicans will be at fault, according to a CNN/ORC poll.
Forty-five percent of those surveyed said Republicans in Congress would be mostly to blame if an agreement is not reached. Thirty-four percent believe that Obama would be more to blame and 15 percent said both Obama and Republicans would be responsible for not reaching an agreement.
Most Americans also believe the fiscal cliff is a serious issue, but do not have much confidence that elected officials will reach an agreement, the poll suggests.
When asked if the fiscal cliff "would cause a crisis, major problems, minor problems, or no problems," most answered crisis (24 percent) or major problems (44 percent).
When asked if elected officials "will behave mostly like responsible adults or mostly like spoiled children," 67 percent said "spoiled children."
Compared, though, to Summer 2011 when Obama and the Republicans were negotiating an increase to the nation's debt limit, the public is slightly more confident that a deal will be reached. In 2011, 77 percent expected the elected officials involved to behave like spoiled children.
In the negotiations, Democrats mostly want to protect funding for social welfare and entitlement programs while Republicans mostly want to keep tax rates low. Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) and other Republican leaders have said that they will accept revenue increases that come from eliminating tax deductions and credits, but they do not want tax rate increases. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and some other Democratic leaders have said that tax rate increases must be part of the deal.
If the two sides do not reach an agreement, tax increases and spending cuts will automatically go into effect. The Congressional Budget Office has said that the combination of both of those occurring simultaneously will likely cause a recession.
If the leaders were to simply revoke the spending cuts and tax increases without replacing them with a long term deficit reduction plan, though, it will cause even bigger problems in the future, the CBO added. Namely, the nation's debt burden, now at over $16 trillion, will become unsustainable.
The Nov. 16-18 poll of 1,023 adult Americans has a plus or minus three percentage point margin of error.


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Sorry folks, I broke this blog a while ago and it took me a while to get it back up. Sorry for anyone that was using it, turns out there was an issue with a PHP upgrade that was forced on me by my hosts.
The old theme doesn't work anymore, but at least the content is up!
Let me know if anything doesn't work.


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There are over 6,000 inscriptions carved in runes on various materials, from Scandinavia, its North Atlantic colonies (Faroe, Iceland, Greenland), Britain and Ireland, and occasionally elsewhere. The overwhelming majority of these are in the runic alphabet known as 'the younger futhark', dating from c.AD 750-1500.
This website is the homepage of a newly-established project which will produce an English dictionary of the vocabulary of inscriptions in the younger futhark.
This work of reference will provide both a basic introduction to the language of the runic inscriptions and a foundation for the further study of its lexicon. The aim is to make the rich resources of Viking Age and medieval Scandinavian runic inscriptions more accessible to a variety of end-users.
Visit this resource


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|Artist: Dawn
|Date Added: July 16, 2011
|Steps: 7
|Favorited: 19 (view)
|Views: 0 in last hour, 2 in last day, 18 in last week, 38183 total
|Comments: 0
|Tags: how to draw eyes, draw eyeballs, how to draw an eyeball
Description: Making something look cool and gruesome at the same time can be a little tricky. Even though cool and gruesome is hard to draw, thinking of an easy solution is probably more complex. I have come up with a good idea for a disturbing tattoo design that is going to be easy to replicate, and fun to tackle. With my second kicken tutorial of the day you will learn "how to draw an eye tattoo", step by step. I know that drawing an eyeball is not that exciting, but with this design I made sure to turn a standard looking eyeball into something that you would see as cover art for metal band album covers, or even those older style tattoo designs. Ed Hardy tattoos are some of the more inspirational pieces that I love looking at. Even though the colors are a bit dulled out and the style of the tattoo drawings are a little dated, Ed Hardy is probably one of the most noted tattoo artists of all time. He actually studied the art of tattooing in Japan back in 1973 with tattoo master Horihide. What made Ed Hardy so amazing and well recognized is how he incorporated American tattoo style with Japanese tattoo style. This explains why his dragons, and other fantasy based designs look so amazing and traditional. I myself love Ed Hardy's work, and I think he is a fantastic artist. This drawing is of an eyeball with a twisted appeal. I drew in some sharp teeth on the actual cornea of the eye, and also drew in some thick veins that spider around the eye, and stem off. If you like weird tattoo art, you will love this lesson on "how to draw an eye tattoo". Thanks for joining me with this amazing lesson, I will be back with some more stuff for you to enjoy real soon. Peace people!


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David A. Tallmon, Ph.D.
Selected Publications
The following articles are linked to full-text PDF files. For a complete list of recent publications please link to the curriculum vitae (RTF) page.
Tallmon, D.A., G. Luikart, and R.S. Waples. 2004. The alluring simplicity and complex reality of genetic rescue. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 19:489-496.
Tallmon, D.A., M. A. Beaumont, G.H. Luikart. 2004. Effective population size estimation using approximate Bayesian computation. Genetics 167:977-988.
Luikart, G.H., P. England, D.A. Tallmon, S. Jordan, P. Taberlet. 2003. The power and promise of population genomics: from genotyping to genome-typing. Nature Reviews Genetics 4:981-994.
Tallmon, D.A., E. Jules, N. Radke, L.S. Mills. 2003. Of mice and men and trillium: cascading effects of forest fragmentation. Ecological Applications 13:1193-1203.
Tallmon, D.A., H. M. Draheim, L. S. Mills, F. W. Allendorf. 2002. Insights into fragmented vole populations from combined genetic and demographic data. Molecular Ecology 11:699-708.
Newman, D. and D.A. Tallmon. 2001. Beneficial fitness effects of gene flow into recently isolated populations. Conservation Biology 15:1054-1063.
Tallmon, D.A., W.C. Funk, W.W. Dunlap, and F.W. Allendorf. 2000. Genetic differentiation of long-toed salamander populations. Copeia 2000:27-35.