text:
DARKTOLIGHT: A secular coming together
By Fred Strong
In Portland, Ore., the city that Huffington Post considers America's least religious, we seculars have a plethora of meetups, discussion groups, potlucks, talent programs and lectures throughout the year. In recent years, we've seen the emergence of more large-scale undertakings such as the annual Portland Humanist Film Fest.
Another event, in its third year, that's gaining national attention is DARKTOLIGHT.
DARKTOLIGHT is the manifestation of an idea that came to me many years ago concerning a desire to have a secular event to celebrate in December, the month when the world around us goes mad with hyper-religiosity. As a composer and arts lover, I knew that music and art would definitely be a part.
I decided to center the event on the Winter Solstice, a natural, celestial occurrence that carries with it very deep symbolic implications having to do with the very essence of the cycle of life itself. The emergence from darkness and death into the seasons of light and life became, in my mind, a metaphor for a paradigm shift in human attitudes from myth-based thinking to an enlightened world of scientific reason.
In 2008, working with a soprano duo and a roster of musicians and performers who would work for little or nothing, I booked the 140-seat theater of the Portland Music Community Center for Dec. 21. I'd written a work called "Songs for Winter Solstice," consisting of three contrasting songs. But when Portland was hit by an unusual cold front that essentially crippled a city ill-equipped to deal with radical weather conditions for close to two weeks, DARKTOLIGHT 2008 became a casualty.
In 2009, working with Center For Inquiry—Portland and the Humanists of Greater Portland, we held a joint potluck and interested several performers. DTL had its "sort of" debut.
The above groups approached me in 2010 and agreed to fund a small DARKTOLIGHT. I booked the 140-seat theater again, got the sopranos back on board and assembled a very accomplished group of actors, singers, songwriters and musicians. Kol Shalom, a secular Jewish group, helped with an ad in the program. We were all nervous -— no secular event like this had ever been attempted here.
Then the crowd started coming. Couples, families, children, teens, small groups and, before long, we realized we had a hit. DTL 2010 was standing room only! And, with the donations received and the sale of refreshments, the new event was fiscally almost a break-even affair.
I took 2011 off for personal reasons while receiving a fair number of inquiries about whether there'd be a solstice show in December. Early in 2012, CFI-Portland agreed with my vision of a much larger, bolder event, one truer to my original vision but also with a higher price tag.
I began putting together the newest incarnation of DTL called BANG! We booked a 200-seat, professional theater space and are doing three shows with a cast of 14 and four instrumentalists. BANG! takes the audience on a trip through time and space from the big bang to present-day Earth, with a humanist message about our choices and responsibilities. The music ranges from doo-woop to hip-hop and folk to jazz.
DARKTOLIGHT is a special time of secular togetherness, a cultural tether to fill us with a sense of pride, purpose and community. We encourage all locales to celebrate the solstice in their own way. We need to start establishing our own culture, arts and traditions, and it can certainly be done in ways that reflect individual locales.
We'll perform BANG! at Portland Metro Arts on Friday, Dec. 21, at 7 p.m. and on Dec. 22 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Go to darktolight.org/ for more information.
As a proud member of FFRF, I am very honored that you have allowed me this chance to be spotlighted in Freethought Today. Please say "hi" if you attend BANG! By supporting each other, we support the greater cause.
Fred Strong lives in Portland with his partner, Sandra Brown, and her five cats. He holds a B.A. in composition from Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Va. As he works toward making his avocations (writing, composition, songwriting) his vocation, he owns and operates a small but popular sustainable irrigation company.
In 2011, his humanist choral piece "The Well" was performed in the U.S. Capitol by the Women's Vocal Ensemble of Clark College, Vancouver, Wash.
Legally bland, Calli is not
Name: Callahan (Calli) Hyde Miller.
When and where I was born: Dec. 30, 1992, in Waukesha, Wis. I've lived my whole life, up until moving to Madison, in Wauwatosa.
Family: My mom (Kari), my dad (Patrick), my little brother (Charlie, 16), my little sister (Michaela, 14), and, of course, most importantly, my golden retriever Murphy (10).
Education: I'm currently enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and majoring in sociology with a certificate in criminal justice. I plan to double major, but I'm not sure in what yet. I graduated from Wauwatosa West High School in 2011.
My religious upbringing was: Lutheran, but my formal religious association never went beyond baptism as a baby, besides the occasional forced Easter/Christmas services.
How I came to work as an FFRF legal intern: I heard about the opportunity through the UW-Madison student organization Atheists, Humanists and Agnostics, of which I am treasurer. We've worked with FFRF pretty frequently. For example, FFRF generously helped fund our inaugural free conference, Freethought Fest, in 2012, where Annie Laurie Gaylor gave a speech entitled "God Fixation Won't Fix This Nation." Dan Barker is speaking at Freethought Fest 2013 in March, and we've hosted him as part of our Freethought Speakers Series in the past.
What I do here: I do whatever the staff attorneys need. Mostly, I help write letters and follow-up letters to various people and organizations nationwide who are committing state-church violations, as well as do research on some of the tips sent in from FFRF members on potential violations. I also help drink the coffee, out of the kindness of my heart.
What I like best about it: The coffee (just kidding)! I'm really enjoying all of the formal writing experience, as well as learning more and more about constitutional law. It has definitely been, and continues to be, a very valuable experience that I'm thankful for.
Something funny that's happened at work: I find it endlessly amusing how someone is almost always offering me food. And by "endlessly amusing," I mean "the best thing ever."
My legal interests are: I like the more sociological aspects of law, meaning the law in action versus the law on the books. I'm really interested in the field of criminology. I plan to go to law school after I graduate from UW.
My legal heroes are: Elle Woods. (Just kidding! OK, I'm not kidding.) But I think I'll have to go with my dad on this one, since he's a lawyer and thus really was the driving force behind my interest in law and politics. [Elle Woods is a character played by Reese Witherspoon in "Legally Blonde."]
These three words sum me up: Easily distracted, sleepy.
Things I like: Dogs, Lord of the Rings, folk music, boots.
Things I smite: Bugs, the meat industry, sinus infections.
Fun fact: I worship macaroni and cheese.
Getting school to act on rental charge for church
Shortly after I got back home from the FFRF convention in October in Portland, Ore., I started hearing advertisments on the radio where I live in Clarkston, Wash. The ads were for a church called Canyons Church and its services at the Clarkston High School auditorium.
This is our public high school of which I am a 1980 graduate. I thought this was curious — having church at the public high school. When, eventually, I saw a huge billboard advertising Canyons Church at Clarkston High School (with no disclaimer by the school), I decided I should look into this situation.
I went to "Legal" at ffrf.org/ and clicked on "State/Church FAQ" on the dropdown. I scrolled down and found "Churches Meeting at Public Schools." FFRF said I could do a public records request and would have to pay for copies of the information I am requesting.
The FAQ said to (1) ask the school district for a copy of the rental contract; (2) ask for verification that rent has been paid up to date; (3) ask for a copy of the school district's rental rate schedule to confirm that rent is reasonable.
I emailed the superintendent with the public records request on Nov. 11. He replied on Nov. 13 that he would have the information to me by Nov. 20. On Nov. 19, I received a phone call from Wendy, the executive director for financial services, who said I could pick up the information at the school district office.
I paid $1.05 for the copies (eight pages) and went home to study them. A cover letter was attached and in part said, "The third request asks for the current payment status of the Canyons Church account. Canyons Church is paid up through June 24, 2012. The district is at fault for not billing beyond this date (up until Friday, Nov. 16, 2012) due to a glitch in our system that we corrected on Friday. Invoices totaling $4,648 were sent to Canyons Church on Nov. 16."
Hopefully, the church is up to date and will stay that way.
FFRF's FAQ also advised to monitor signs and disclaimers. I did not find any signs at the school other than on the day of the service. There was, however, no disclaimer on the billboard in neighboring Lewiston, Idaho.
One last thing: The contracts state that all charges associated with use of facilities will be paid in full within 10 business days of receipt of invoice from the district. Yet the June 24 billing invoice date was 8/31/12, it was mailed on 9/11/12, due date was 9/30/12, and finally the invoice was paid on 10/15/12 (15 days late and apparently without penalty).
This whole process was quite exciting, I must admit. What shall I do next?
[Editor's note: You're doing fine, Jeff, but keep your powder dry. We try to gear FFRF's FAQ to citizen activism as much as possible, depending on the situation.]
Sharing the Crank Mail
My, aren't we cranky this month, the very month Jesus their savior was born? Hit and missives are printed as received.
You piece of shit Marxist Communist! Go live in Russia. Get the fuck out of here! Can't wait to see you burn in hell!!!!! — Joann Stump
FFRF Information Request: You people are sick, lonely, pieces of excrement. OK, it's your right to be stupid enough to not believe in God, but to FORCE YOUR SICK EVIL WAYS on others through legislation, pressure, and attempted intimidation is EVIL and WRONG.
Almighty God DOES exist, although not in YOUR lifeless, soulless eyes. I would NOT want to be you come the day of judgement. — "Suckmy Schwang"
ridiculous: I find you people to be out of line and unpatriotic. This nation was found as One Nation "Under God" and if you don't like it move to another Country. Having served this Country along with a lot of fellow Veterans we will put God on our side anyday, and if you don't like God used in the military or anywhere else keep it to yourselves or move. You are a minority but can believe what you like, but abortion is against God's will and it folks like you that have made it a political issue. Your organization is no different than the KKK. — Tom Lemmer
Freedom From Religion: You people make me fucking sick. You all don't need any organization your just a bunch of attention-whores crying like an infant who needs attention. I hope you all realize how pathetic you all are and just crawl back in your fucking caves. Yes that is my real address and anyone who comes to meet me there in a trespassing fashion will also meet my vast gun and ammo collection in a unfriendly way. — Steven Main
morons: r u clowns 4 freaking real when im up in heaven ill b looking down at u freakin morons burning in hell id like 2 c u on judgement begging god and his son jesus 4 forgiveness but then its 2 late burn in hell 4ever r tell god u r sorry and ask 4 forgiveness
You're watertower terrorists! I've concluded that your organization is deliberately targeting the water supply of an entire community by threatening its water tower and what they do with it. That makes you terrorists. You are just evil, not to mention that you have no regard for the safety of low flying aircraft in the darkest months of winter near an area where the Great Lakes exist that can perpetuate adverse weather conditions. Any kind of marking lights on that water tower is a good thing. It's a small town. They have what they can afford. Shame on you. Why don't you go to Colorado and attack the cross on the side of the Rockies that is lit up at night? Get a life! — Mary Adler, Waldorf, Ill.
Sickening Joke: You sick cunts are a fucking pestilence. My hope is that God is real, and you find out in the most awful way possible. Secondly, I hope each one of your deaths is slow, painful and cancer riddled. Fuck the lot of you. — Marcus Armstrong
UP YOURS: Your full of shit up yours ass holes. — Tony Roberts
assholes: why dont you idiots mind your own business.stay in wisconsin and leave everyone else alone.u are liberal assholes. — "Bendover Jerks"
Statue in Montana: You people are absolutely out of your mind. You are all sick and mentally handicapped in my opinion. You can all go to hell. — David Dempsey, Homer, Mich.
Then get out of the USA: If you don't like living in the USA, then get out. We have freedoms too. All ragheads, and people that don't believe in Christ should be shot. This makes me so mad, it has been fine up until a bunch of you self rightous dick wads want us all to be fair, well life isn't always fair, so buck up, shut up, and kiss my ASS! — James Williams
You are all assholes: You fucking people ought to mind your own business and let people express their own beliefs - if you don't agree with it keep your fucking mouths closed and don't worry about it.....you are not the majority. What a bunch of low life losers. — Stan Rohde
Hallelujah: You fags need to get a life, or just do the world a favor and kill yourselves. Is a statute on a ski slope really that offensive to you? Seriously you all must be the most over sensitive pussies in the world. Merry Christmas Bitches
— John Nelson, Houston, Texas
You are human trash: Just because one of your stupid assholes doesn't like a statue then it must be removed for everyone?
IDIOTS you sub-humans are! — Rick Lane
Evolution? Does your organization believe in "The THEORY of Evolution" ? If we have evolved, explain why so many people are so stupid as to vote for Barack Hussein Obama. If we have evolved, why do so many people murder their unborn? I can't think of any animal that does that, can you. – Britt Whit
no one: who the FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? There is a God. And I think all of you will be going to HELL. — "I love God"
Scum: I look forward to pissing on your grave, as well as all your children. Your nothing but a bunch of little spoiled dbags . . . get a fucken life!! — Mike Kelley— Travis Peebles, Texas
Texas: Don't mess with Texas. We don't need your Bullshit here.
Freedom From Religion! HEY, MERRY CHRISTMAS....YOU COMMUNIST ASS HOLES! — Stan Knowles
Haralson County High School: The people of west Georgia have a way of life and for you people up there in that dismal state of ugly girls, snowdrifts, and millionaire athlete worship to try to tear it down is disgusting, sad, repugnant and insulting to every peace loving comm unity on the planet. I'm sure you'd love to pick on some Muslims but you four-eyed, dope smoking geeks are too chicken sh!t. — Jesup Gentry, Atlanta, Ga.
Your Star: You should be sued for your interference of an organization to excercise its right of freedom of religion. If you don't like it here in the US, then leave dummy!!! — Leroy Smith
OF OF OF OF OF: IT'S FREEDOM OF RELIGION NOT Freedom FROM Religion you freaks! Read the Constitution! By asking government to HIDE religious events you are asking them to VIOLATE THE CONSTITUTION! YOU ARE IDIOTS! PS: GOD WILL GET YOU EVENTUALLY.
stay the hell out of my religion: bELIEVE WHAT YOU WANT, BUT STAY THE HELL OUT OF MY RELIGION AND WHAT I BELIEVE. GO BACK IN YOUR SEWER AND STAY THERE — Mickey Mathis, Brownwood
Freedom from religion: You're a bunch of idiots. You will lift up your eyes in hell! Enjoy! — Glen Kinard
stay within in you own state: mind your own house. your work is ignorant, intrusive, and serves no divine purpose. — Tawni Flick
National Holiday: I'd like to suggest April 1st as your group's national holiday. — Greg Thomas
assholes: Are you the Anti-Religion Nazi's that fucked over that town over it's cross ? What a bunch of fucking assholes. fuck off and die! — David DeSau
Kansas Town Forced to Remove Cross: Nothing but a group of progressive thugs. YOU PEOPLE SUCK — Chris Marshall
Freedom: This is America so you are free from religion. Your childish borish behavior towards people of faith is really quite telling to your character. This e-mail is sent with neither malace or respect as I have none of either for you. Oh who am I kidding "GO FUCK YOURSELVES" — Michael White, Green Bay, Wis.
Your Org: Your fucking existence is offensive to me, does my opinion matter? Or does only your opinion matter? Also it is freedom from the establishment of a state religion not freedom from religion you psycho fucks. — Miles Bouck, Carpenter, Va.
In the News
Where atheism gets
you a death sentence
A new study by the International Humanist and Ethical Union in Switzerland shows that atheists and other religious skeptics suffer persecution or discrimination around the world and in at least seven countries can be executed if their beliefs become known. The IHEU issued the report on the United Nation's annual Human Rights Day on Dec. 10.
The report, "Freedom of Thought 2012," said "there are laws that deny atheists' right to exist, curtail their freedom of belief and expression, revoke their right to citizenship, restrict their right to marry."
According to the survey of about 60 countries, nations where atheism or defection from the official religion can bring capital punishment are Afghanistan, Iran, Maldives, Mauritania, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Sudan.
The report also notes policies in some European countries and the U.S. that favor the religious while excluding nonbelievers.
In the U.S., a social and political climate prevails "in which atheists and the nonreligious are made to feel like lesser Americans, or non-Americans," the report said.
In at least seven U.S. states, constitutional provisions bar atheists from public office. One state, Arkansas, has a law that bars atheists from testifying in court, the report said.
Judge to archdiocese: Give up abuse files
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Emilie Elias on Dec. 10 ordered the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles to turn over secret files it's had for decades on 69 priests accused of sex abuse. Elias gave the archdiocese until Dec. 27 to give her the files. She set a date for early January to hear arguments from priests who want to keep their files private.
The Los Angeles Times reported that the order came five years after the 2007 settlement of $660 million with more than 550 alleged victims of 245 priests.
Ray Boucher, lead plaintiff's attorney, estimates the archdiocese has files on 80 more priests that it is not turning over to the judge. He also said documents on priests who belonged to Catholic religious orders are also missing.
Film documents
abuse by Wis. priest
"Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God" opened in U.S. theaters in November and will air on HBO in February. The film centers on four men who attended St. John's School for the Deaf in St. Francis, Wis., as boys and were sexually molested.
"A lot of individual stories had been done about clerical sex abuse, but I hadn't seen one that really connected the individual stories with the larger coverup by the Vatican, so that was important," director Alex Gibney told Reuters.
In a letter to the Vatican in 1998, the year he died, Fr. Lawrence Murphy admitted molesting some 200 deaf boys over two decades beginning in the 1950s.
'No faith' gains in United Kingdom
The Independent reported Dec. 10 that the number of persons with no religious faith in the U.K. rose from 14.8% in 2001 to 25.1% in 2011.
During that period, the number of Christians fell from 37.3 million to 33.2 million. The proportion of Muslims rose from 3% to 4.8%. Hinduism claims 1.5%, Sikhism 0.8% and Judaism 0.5%. About 180,000 claimed to be followers of the Jedi religion featured in "Star Wars," down from 400,000 in 2001.
Mothers 'maimed, forgotten' in Ireland
"The imperative to bear as many children as possible crippled hundreds of Irishwomen," Marie O'Connor writes in a column titled "The maimed and forgotten mothers" in The Irish Times. Catholic hospitals encouraged doctors to treat difficult childbirths with a symphysiotomy, a procedure that severs the pelvic joint, instead of doing a caesarean section.
According to O'Connor, the church preferred the symphysiotomy because it could widen the pelvis, "enabling an unlimited number of vaginal deliveries.
"But when it went wrong, which was often, the women suffered chronic pain and incontinence, and many could barely walk. . . . Doctors in every other Western country shunned the operation, but in Ireland it was performed on some 1,500 women between 1944 and 2005. About 200 victims survive today, most of them disabled. Yet they can't seek redress in the courts, because it only recently became public that these operations were unnecessary, long after the statute of limitations expired."
Bible favorite book, child favorite porn
A Manchester, N.H., lawyer with ties to a conservative Christian law firm took a teen girl to Canada, had her engage in sexual activity and convinced her to let it be filmed, according to federal indictments reported Nov. 17 by the Concord Monitor.
Lisa Biron, 43, is charged with transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, seven counts of possession of child pornography and five counts of sexual exploitation of children.
Biron is associated with the Alliance Defending Freedom, which, its website says, is committed to keeping "the door open for the spread of the Gospel" by advocating for "religious liberty, the sanctity of life, and marriage and family." In Concord, she worked with ADF to defend a Pentecostal church in its tax fight against the city.
She recently served on the board of directors at Mount Zion Christian Schools in Manchester. On her Facebook page, which was been removed, she listed the bible as her favorite book.
Police began investigating after receiving a tip from a man who said he'd seen child porn on Biron's computer.
Priest on abuse list
now that he's dead
Fr. Donald Musinski has been added to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee's list of clergy restricted because of substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of children, 15 years after the victim first accused him, the Journal Sentinel reported Dec. 1.
The archdiocese did not announce Musinski's addition to the list, possibly because he is deceased, said spokeswoman Julie Wolf. He died at age 69 in 2006. He was ordained in 1962 and served parishes in Milwaukee, Belgium and Johnsburg before retiring in 1999.
The victim, Karen Konter, now 54, reported Musinski to the archdiocese in 1997. She said Musinski began molesting her when she was 8, progressing to rape by the time she graduated from eighth grade. She said the priest took advantage of her, "an isolated and ostracized little girl, hobbled by polio and numerous surgeries," as the Journal Sentinel put it, at St. Adalbert's on Milwaukee's south side.
U.K. Scouts mull
atheist membership
The Telegraph reported Dec. 3 that the British Scouting movement is working on plans to draft an alternative godless oath and let atheists become full members and group leaders for the first time. For more than 40 years, versions of the promise have existed allowing Muslims to pledge allegiance to Allah and Hindus to substitute the words "my Dharma."
The traditional pledge mentions "duty to God and to the Queen, to help other people and to keep the Scout Law."
Scouting founder Robert Baden-Powell in his book of advice for boys, "Rovering for Success," compared atheism to gambling, excessive drinking, smoking and syphilis as a danger to be avoided.
Bible played role
in boy's death
Police said 7-year-old Roderick Arrington was beaten to death by his parents because he didn't read the bible and do his homework, the Las Vegas Sun reported Dec. 3. The boy's stepfather, Markiece Palmer, 34, and mother, Dina Palmer, 27, were charged with murder, child abuse and neglect.
Roderick died after being taken to the hospital on Nov. 30. A doctor reported he had fixed pupils, bruises all over his body and buttocks showing "fresh open wounds.
Markiece Palmer told police he spanked his stepson because he lied about reading a chapter in the bible and didn't do his homework. He admitted he hit the boy on multiple occasions with his belt, a spatula, a wooden paddle and his hands.
On one Facebook photo, Markiece Palmer wrote, "My babies they make me happy. GOD bless the children!!!"
On another photo of the boy, Dina Palmer wrote, "I wanna do better 4 my son, my family, myself, 4 you LORD!!!!!!!!"
Ask a Skeptic: Inhaling spirituality's heady fumes
George Saunders, New York, sends a USA Today clipping in which Ed Stetzer, LifeWay Research president, says "a majority of the population is spiritual but not religious." George asks, "Does anyone really understand what it means to be 'spiritual but not religious?' "
KATIE DANIEL: Spiritual means you believe in ghosts, but don't organize rituals around them or proselytize. Religious means that you believe in ghosts, organize rituals around them, and think everyone else should too!
PHYLLIS ROSE: I don't — "spiritual" seems to have the same connotation as the unknown quality of "religious."
PATRICK ELLIOTT: This is how I perceive it: "Organized superstition isn't my thing, but I don't mind doing it on my own." Which is equivalent to: "You won't find me running with the bulls in Pamplona, that is crazy! But, I'm not opposed to trying my hand at running with the bulls on my own."
WENDY GOLDBERG: To me, it means to be in tune with nature and especially with all the winter birds that "flock" to my feeders. "… and the little brown birds, which stirred occasionally in the hedge, looked like single russet leaves that had forgotten to drop." (from Jane Eyre)
ANNIE LAURIE GAYLOR: I've never read a definition of "spirituality" that was comprehensible. It stems from the word "spirit" and pertains to an imaginary "spirit world." The word "spirit" can have secular connotations today, such as "team spirit" or "keep up your spirits." But "spiritual atheist" seems like an oxymoron. I feel it's a mistake for atheists and other nonbelievers to adopt language that clearly has a religious genesis. (That's a joke!) Doesn't this just contribute to confusion, as in Einstein's metaphorical and unfortunate "God does not play dice with the universe" kind of language?
I am guessing that most nonbelievers who are using the term "I'm not religious, but I'm spiritual," probably mean that they are moved or awed and have emotional responses to music, artistry, nature or being part of the community and the universe. So why not say that? Why muddy the waters by using a religious term to describe a natural (not a supernatural) feeling, emotion or sense? People should say what they mean. It seems like a good policy for atheists and agnostics to take care that their pronouncements are not misunderstood by believers.
BILL DUNN: It means, if you're being truly honest with yourself, that you're more of a sociopath than a psychopath.
ELAINE HAMPTON: "Spirit" has so many different meanings, from supernatural beings to very natural beings — as in a high-spirited horse, or a great single-malt Scotch! Or genuine Napoleon brandy. I like to inhale the fumes.
When I first learned the Latin meaning of the original word, I had to laugh. "The spirit left him" = he stopped breathing. Or "holy spirit" = heavenly halitosis.
It's like using "heart" to mean anything connected with emotions. "And then my heart stood still" is a lovely song, but if the singer's heart had really stopped, they would have needed CPR immediately, or they'd be dead. Slippery, slippery words. I love to play with them.
JOAN REISMAN: I think people hasten to say "but I'm spiritual" in reaction to the (entirely mistaken) notion that atheists are dull, pragmatic people who only believe what can be proved, and who have no sense of awe or wonder or imagination. By claiming spirituality, they are asserting that while they don't follow any organized religion or believe in any gods, they are still multifaceted individuals who are able to sense and experience "higher" feelings and concepts and possibilities beyond mundane reality.
NORA CUSACK: I'm neither, because neither is fact-based. They're weasel words for people who don't want to acknowledge that when they're dead, they're dead.
ANDREW SEIDEL: To be religious is to believe in widely held, factually unsupported dogma. To be spiritual is to believe in factually unsupported dogma that is all your own. To alter the Robert Pirsig quote which gave Richard Dawkins' God Delusion its name: "When one person suffers from a delusion, it is called spirituality. When many people suffer from a delusion, it is called religion."
DAN BARKER: I think when people say they are "spiritual but not religious," they mean one of three things, depending on how "spiritual" or "religious" are defined.
Some of those people believe in a god, or gods, or a transcendent world populated by invisible personalities that have some kind of influence (they think) over their lives, but they are not members of any organized or recognized religion. They are going it on their own, defining "God" or "spirit" in their own way, and don't think they lack anything that is claimed to be possessed by members of religion.
For these people, "religion" is nothing in itself — it is just an artificial human-made way of organizing those who hold similar beliefs into a common group. Religion adds nothing to spirituality, they think. To my mind, these people are indeed religious, though not part of any organized religion.
Others think "religion" is indeed a claim to a transcendent reality, but they reject that claim and think "spiritual" is simply a personal way to experience feelings of the sublime, to meditate, to enjoy aesthetics and positive emotions, to appreciate the finer qualities of art and music, to contemplate "higher values," to breathe deeply and take the focus away from the mundane.
These might be atheists or agnostics who define "spirit" in a nonsupernatural manner, interpreting their "numinous" feelings in purely physical, neurological terms. They agree that others interpret the word "spirit" differently, but feel that their own material definition lacks none of the value or beauty of those who are religious. To my mind, these people are neither religious nor spiritual, even though they do try to redefine "spirit" in a nontranscendent manner.
There is a third group, comprised mostly of evangelical Christians, who define "religion" as "man reaching up to God," but define true Christianity as "God reaching down to man." (The sexist language is theirs, not mine.) I used to think like this; indeed, I preached sermons about it.
These people don't eschew religion, and even agree they are part of a religion — of course they are, if they go to church, pay tithes, support missionaries, promote a Holy Book, and so on — but feel that "spiritual" is more than an attitude or emotion.
To them, the "spirit" is the Holy Spirit, an actual person, the "spirit of God" with whom they have a personal relationship. Some of them think they are possessed by this spirit. When they say "Jesus came into my heart," they are not talking metaphorically. Pentecostals and charismatic types believe they have been "filled with the Spirit," and feel very sorry for the (mainly) mainstream denominations that have "a form of godliness but deny the power thereof." (2 Timothy 3:5)
When they say they are "spiritual but not religious, what they mean is that what matters to these people is "spiritual but not religious."
If I were forced to fit into one of those groups, I would have to choose the second one — except that I don't like the word "spiritual." I don't think the word "spirit" has ever been coherently defined. Every attempt to define the word ends up telling us what it is not, not what it actually is. It is the intangible essence or a nonphysical presence. A noncorporeal personality. An immaterial mind. None of this tells us anything.
In positive terms, what exactly is a spirit? If something exists, then it can be measured — it must be measured, or be measurable. How much does spirit weigh? How much space does it take up? When does it start to exist and when does it die or disappear? How does it differ from the "ether," which we now know does not exist though we continue to use the word "ethereal"?
Until the word "spirit" is defined, and it never has been, then to say you are "spiritual but not religious" is to say nothing at all. Except maybe that you don't like religion very much, and that is something I can agree with.
Helping our school board with its 'Gideon problem'
In the fall of 2011, I read in my small-town Kentucky newspaper how the Freedom From Religion Foundation had convinced the Muhlenberg County Board of Education to end Gideon bible distribution in local schools. I immediately checked out the FFRF website and decided then and there to become a member.
Six months later, curious about how our board of education was handling a different issue, I went online to review the minutes from the most recent board meeting. To my surprise, the board had unanimously approved "plans for collaboration and efforts to support the Gideon's [sic] organization."
Would a school board recently in trouble for allowing the Gideons into classrooms actually be pledging its support to Gideons International?
I spent nearly a month considering the matter. Though I found the board's actions outrageous, I knew that pushing the issue could have huge consequences. We live in a highly religious community where grievances are not easily forgotten.
And while it was widely known that our family did not attend church, most didn't know I was an atheist. I also knew that some would argue that I had no business criticizing public school policy, as we home-school our children.
Ultimately, I decided I could not let the matter go. I called a board member and asked him to explain the decision to collaborate with the Gideons. He insisted that the board's vote actually meant that now any nonprofit group would be permitted to distribute literature at after-school events.
Of course, his explanation of the district's new "open forum policy" was at odds with the official meeting minutes, so I emailed the district superintendent. He gave a similar version of events. When I asked to see the written policy, the superintendent told me that there wasn't one.
After a great deal of research into the legality of "limited open forums," I wrote the board and superintendent a detailed letter outlining the problems I saw with the policy, which appeared to have been adopted for the sole purpose of letting the Gideons back into the schools. I made it clear that if the board opened these doors, it would have to allow in other groups offering Muslim, pagan and even atheist literature.
I cited two school districts in North Carolina that abruptly ended their "open" policies as soon as pagans asked to distribute their books. After mailing the letter, I published it on my blog, hoping that going public might encourage the board to do the right thing. Unfortunately, the superintendent responded to say that the board was content with the policy as it stood and had no plans to put it in writing.
Dissatisfied with this response, I decided to attend a couple of school board meetings to see if the issue would come up. Little did I realize that I was about to stumble on another problem. It turns out that the board was also accustomed to starting its meetings with a student-led prayer.
Winning secular access
Shortly after attending a second board meeting, I made contact with Walter Petit, a Muhlenberg County High School graduate who is now president of the Secular Student Alliance at Western Kentucky University, about an hour from Muhlenberg County. He and a few others were eager to remedy the situation.
Our primary goal was to convince the board not to allow any outside groups to distribute literature at official school functions; however, if the board insisted on allowing religious groups, then we wanted to have a secular presence.
We sent separate requests to every public school principal in the county asking to distribute literature at upcoming after-school events. As an FFRF member, I said that I would be distributing a variety of materials, including Dan Barker's books Godless and Just Pretend: a Freethought Book for Children.
We didn't know what to expect, but our requests were quickly accepted, and the various school principals started the process of scheduling us for specific after-school events. When I blogged about our upcoming appearances at local schools, comments began pouring in from local citizens who were outraged that atheists would be allowed to hand out materials. The story eventually made the evening news.
The first event we chose to attend was Parent Night at the county's only high school. Despite the negative backlash on my blog, the event was quite pleasant. About two dozen people — a mixture of students, parents, and staff — stopped by our table to pick up literature or ask questions. Several people said they were glad to see us there.
At the board meeting two weeks later, Petit repeated our request that the board end its policy of allowing outside groups to distribute literature in the schools. He firmly stated our demand that school board prayer be discontinued. Highlights from the meeting included a highly sectarian opening prayer that took swipes at our activism, and an anti-evolution rant from a board member who is also a Baptist minister.
FFRF Staff Attorney Patrick Elliott has sent the board a letter outlining the problems with both the literature distribution policy and school board prayer. We are awaiting the board's response. In the meantime, I am enjoying networking with the many freethinkers I've met over the past few months, including several who live in Muhlenberg County.
In fact, our efforts have brought enough atheists and agnostics out of hiding that we hope to start a Muhlenberg County Freethinkers Group early next year.
Suzanne Lamb is a secular home-schooling parent, a former Catholic and the author of "What to Tell the Neighbors," a blog about "unschooling" (an approach emphasizing children's natural desire to learn that helps them become independent thinkers) and living as an atheist in the bible belt. Her fiction and creative nonfiction have appeared in the Los Angeles Review, Nano Fiction, Wigleaf and other journals. She lives with her husband, Steve, and their three children in Central City, Kentucky.
Member tries to rid Iowa city park of nativity
FFRF member Aiyanna Looney did stellar work in Oskaloosa, Iowa, trying to rid City Square Park, which is a public park, of a nativity scene. After she photographed it Dec. 5, she contacted FFRF Staff Attorney Stephanie Schmitt, who responded promptly:
"If you could forward me those photos, that would be very helpful. Are there other nonsectarian displays up? Context is extremely important in these cases — also if there is a sign or something that indicates this was put up by anyone other than the city."
Aiyanna noted in response that there were no other religious displays present. "There is a faux lighted pine tree with a star topper by the nativity, but no sign that states it's a holiday tree or Christmas tree, or who placed the tree in the park. There is no sign that states the nativity was placed by anyone other than the city."
She contacted Oskaloosa City Manager Michael Shrock Jr. about the religious display on public property. Her letter included this: "The use of government property to promote Christianity as superior to other faiths, religions and secularism is abhorrent. The city of Oskaloosa needs to take responsibility for this discriminatory display and remove the nativity or create an exhibit that is representative of everyone who lives in Oskaloosa and Mahaska County."
On Dec. 7, Aiyanna emailed FFRF that the nativity was removed the day before and that Shrock told her that he didn't want an open forum and had the nativity removed.
UPDATE: Right before Freethought Today went to press, Aiyanna shared a voice mail left on her phone from council member Aaron Ver Steeg, who said, "I seen your letter. … I just feel that people like you — if you don't want to look at something, look the other way — and you still have the freedom to move out of Oskaloosa."
UPDATE 2: At a special Dec. 12 council meeting for "discussion and possible action on establishing a policy for decorations and event use in the city square," Shrock backtracked.
The Oskaloosa Herald reported that the City council voted to return the nativity to the park: "They voted to add to the decorations within the city square so that it's not just a nativity scene, but is accompanied by a Christmas tree as well as other secular holiday decorations."
After the meeting, Aiyanna emailed: "I get the impression that no other faiths, or nonfaiths (atheists and agnostics), will be represented when the nativity is replaced in the park, and the city is going to use a 'three reindeer rule' regarding the city square: The 1985 Supreme Court ruling known as the 'reindeer rule' requires any religious display on public property to be balanced by secular displays in order to avoid any hint that the state is endorsing religion."
Egregious Texas violation protested
FFRF Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert wrote a letter of complaint Dec. 5 to city officials in San Angelo, Texas, urging removal of an illegal lighted Latin cross atop the Police Department. According to FFRF's local complainant, the cross adorns the building only during the holiday season. "The building is clearly marked 'San Angelo Police Department,' which allows all passersby to identify it as a city building," Markert wrote. "Its hosting of a powerful sectarian symbol cannot be seen as a traditional decoration of the holiday season, but instead can only be a message of government support for Christianity."
Towns mount crusades to 'Save Our Stone'
Two school districts and towns in Pennsylvania are aggressively fighting FFRF's federal challenges of Ten Commandments markers at public schools.
Marie Schaub, a New Kensington-Arnold parents who joined FFRF as a plaintiff in one of the lawsuits, reports that a "Thou Shall Not Move" movement is growing louder. "This time of year makes us feel marginalized and like second-class citizens," she said.
Children were lined up to pull Commandments mounted on wagons as part of a "float" at New Kensington's Christmas parade. A "Save Our Stone" rally in New Kensington organized by a man who says the United States is "Christian" led to mass distribution of "Save our Stone" lawn signs.
FFRF sued the Connellsville Area School District on Sept. 12 over an Eagles bible monument at a middle school. Two days later, FFRF sued New Kensington-Arhold School District over a 6-foot-tall bible marker in front of Valley High School.
The Supreme Court ruled in 1980 that the Ten Commandments can't be posted inside schools: "The preeminent purpose for posting the Ten Commandments on schoolroom walls is plainly religious in nature. The Ten Commandments are undeniably a sacred text in the Jewish and Christian faiths, and no legislative recitation of a supposed secular purpose can blind us to that fact. The Commandments do not confine themselves to arguably secular matters.
The New Kensington district has asked the court to strike from the lawsuit the plaintiffs' mention of school board President Bob Pallone's pro-monument comments on a Facebook page, "Keep the Ten Commandments at Valley High School." The page, which has been "liked" by about 1,200 people, including several school board members, was created last spring by New Kensington Controller John Zavadak.
In early December, FFRF's motion to allow pseudonyms for several plaintiffs in its New Kensington challenge was granted. A similar motion will be filed in the Connellsville case. FFRF submitted as evidence comments from Facebook posts, website comments, email and letters to the editor, which included:
• "Maybe we should get that lady's phone number who is (a) participant in the lawsuit and have everybody call her and give he(r) our opinion."
• "I'm sure if we look up the (expletive) she probably has a facebook account or a facebook page for her ridiculous group and we can slam the (expletive) out of the (expletive)."
• "Have the families involved in the lawsuit been identified? I cannot believe anyone living in the community would participate in such a worthless cause. Someone needs to send that group back to Wisconsin with several black eyes."
• "These people need drug onto the street and shot."
"I have been particularly alarmed by the reaction to the filing of this lawsuit by community members," Marie Schaub, the only local plaintiff whose identity has been revealed, told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "I am aware of numerous hateful messages that have been posted online, either as comments to newspaper articles about the lawsuit or on social media websites."
"The continued anonymity of my child and I is important to me because I fear that if our involvement were made public, both my child and I would experience social ostracism, harassment or threats from community members," said the other parent suing the district, who is identified as Doe 3.
"It amazes me to see people willing to come together in order to support something that's clearly in violation of the law," Schaub recently told the Tribune-Review. "I would encourage our school board and community to adhere to the Constitution, which will save our district from a very expensive court case."
"Relocating this religious monument will not prevent anyone from practicing their faith, but it will send a message that the school district includes people of all religions — in addition to those who choose none," Schaub added.


text:
202 2nd St
Calvin, OK 74531
Salt Creek Knife Co, housed in an old 1920s Chevy dealership building, specializes in new knives, old knives, ... read more...
302 S Service Rd
Calera, OK 74730
Stepp West beckons visitors in with eye-catching Western ironwork outdoors, while the interior is filled with everything ... read more...
4400 SW 21st
Oklahoma City, OK 73108
Loveless Custom Boots and Shoes is a family-owned business that has been custom making the finest quality boots for ... read more...
Yocham's Custom Leather & Cowboy Decor
401300 US Hwy 60
Bartlesville, OK 74006
Since 1974, Yocham's Custom Leather & Cowboy Decor in Bartlesville has been the place to shop for top notch custom ... read more...
104 E Main
Beggs, OK 74421
Blucher Custom Boot Company in Beggs is the oldest custom design, made-to-measure boot company in America. Each ... read more...
888-835-4004, 405-947-6831
812 S Meridian
Oklahoma City, OK 73108
Sheplers, a company founded in 1899, is a leading provider of cowboy boots, apparel and Western accessories. ... read more...
807 N Park Dr
Broken Bow, OK 74728
River Mountain Manufacturing offers lodge and western style furniture. Come see their collection of rustic and log ... read more...
800-552-8803, 580-369-2354
205 S A St
Davis, OK 73030
Stillwater Milling Co. is a 10,000 sq ft facility with an extremely diverse inventory. Stop in to browse through their ... read more...
109 West 5th St.
Elk City, OK 73644
Chick deals in western collectibles, old guns, Indian beadwork, Indian related collectibles and anything related to ... read more...
202 Dewey Ave
Poteau, OK 74953
Get your fix of cowgirl and Western wear at Heart's Desire in Poteau. You'll find everything to complete your modern ... read more...
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Best Western Plus Seaport Inn Downtown
Best Western Plus Seaport Inn Downtown
Hotel Guest Rating: 8.6/10
33 Peck Slip
New York, NY 10038
Welcome to the Best Western Plus Seaport Inn Downtown
Free continental breakfast, free Wi-Fi, convenient parking and great location have our guests saying "ahoy" to the non-smoking Best Western Seaport Inn.
Hotel Features
The pet-friendly hotel has 72 rooms on seven floors. Sink into slumber on triple-sheeted beds with duvet comforters, tune in the 32-inch, flat-screen TV or update your Facebook status with free in-room Wi-Fi. Terrace rooms take it up a level with balconies and whirlpool tubs. There's a free continental breakfast each day with make-your-own Belgian waffles and hard-boiled eggs, and the 24-hour fitness center means you can work out at any hour. Visit the 24-hour front desk for free coffee and tea (cookies are available in the afternoon). A full-service business center and plenty of meeting space are further pluses. Parking is available one block from the hotel for a discounted fee.
Hotel Location
Located in the historic South Street Seaport, the Best Western Seaport Inn is 20 minutes southwest of LaGuardia Airport, 30 minutes northwest of JFK Airport and 26 minutes east of Newark Liberty International (without traffic). The Fulton Street subway stop is a 10-minute walk from the hotel for quick travel throughout Manhattan. Shopaholics can head to the stores at Pier 17 and salty dogs can walk four minutes southwest to see the country's largest fleet of historic ships at the Seaport Museum. Wall Street and Ground Zero are a 10-minute walk west. Baseball fans can hop the nearby water taxi at Pier 11 for a free ride north to Yankee Stadium.
Guest Favorites
A historic location at the lively Seaport, free Wi-Fi, free continental breakfast and fun nearby attractions make the Best Western Seaport Inn a see-worthy destination for our guests.
Best Western Plus Seaport Inn Downtown Amenities
- 24-hour front desk
- Accessible facilities
- Air conditioning
- Alarm clock
- All public areas non-smoking
- Bathroom telephone
- Bell staff/porter
- Business center
- Cable television
- Cocktail lounge
- Coffee/Tea maker
- Complimentary breakfast
- Complimentary continental breakfast
- Complimentary in-room coffee or tea
- Concierge desk
- Concierge lounge
- Connecting rooms
- Cribs
- Data port
- Desk
- Doctor on call
- Elevators
- Executive floor
- Exercise gym
- Express check-in
- Express check-out
- Fax service
- Free local calls
- Front desk
- Hairdryer
- Hearing impaired services
- High speed internet access
- High speed internet connection
- High speed wireless
- Ice machine
- Interior corridors
- Ironing board
- Late check-out available
- Meeting rooms
- Multilingual staff
- Non-smoking
- Non-smoking rooms (generic)
- Photocopy center
- Premium movie channels
- Refrigerator
- Safe
- Safe deposit box
- Security
- Sofa bed
- Two-line phone
- Voice mail
- Wake-up calls
- Wheel chair access
- Whirlpool
- Wireless internet connection
- Wireless internet connection in public areas
Hotel Guest Reviews of the Best Western Plus Seaport Inn DowntownOur hotel ratings and reviews are from real hotel guests. Priceline.com ensures that its reviews are guests-only by proactively sending hotel surveys to customers after they've completed their hotel stays. In the post-stay surveys, priceline.com hotel customers are asked a number of questions about their stay and the hotel. On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the best, the survey asks guests to rate their overall experience and specifically rate the hotel's cleanliness, staff and location. Priceline.com does not allow site visitors to post unsolicited hotel reviews.
October 28, 2014
October 2, 2014
September 5, 2014
August 24, 2014
This guest did not leave comments about this hotel.
July 30, 2014
Loved it. Will go back next time I visit NYC.
June 30, 2014
Solo Traveler
This guest did not leave comments about this hotel.
June 30, 2014
Family Traveling with Teens
June 19, 2014
This was pretty much what I was expecting from the hotel. It wasn't anything fancy, but for the price I wasn't expecting anything more. It served it's purpose, we got in late and left early so we didn't need anything more. We were very pleased with our stay.
June 14, 2014
Business Traveler
located not too far away from the Fulton subway station. Clean, helpful staff, located next to the seaport bars and restaurants.
June 12, 2014
I was very disappointed in this hotel. If free OJ, bagels and danishes are what you're after, then this could be right for you. If you want something more, then avoid this hotel
(11 - 20 of 39 reviews)
- Millenium Hilton from $199 (0.5mi)
- Hotel 91 from $121 (0.6mi)
- Holiday Inn Soho (0.8mi)
- The Ritz-Carlton New York Battery Park from $329 (0.8mi)
- Tribeca Grand Hotel from $199 (0.8mi)
- Acqua at Peck Slip (0mi)
- MarkJoseph Steakhouse (0mi)
- Nelson Blue (0mi)
- Suteishi (0mi)
- Cabana (0.1mi)
- Rockefeller Center (8.1mi)
- Long Island City, NY (5.8 mi)
- Brooklyn, NY (6.2 mi)
- Union City, NJ (6.3 mi)
- Hoboken, NJ (6.9 mi)
- Astoria, NY (7.4 mi)
- Maspeth, NY (7.4 mi)
- Woodside, NY (8.0 mi)
- Secaucus, NJ (8.0 mi)
- North Bergen, NJ (8.4 mi)
- Elmhurst, NY (9.6 mi)
- Rego Park, NY (10.5 mi)
- Edgewater, NJ (10.7 mi)
- Ridgefield, NJ (10.7 mi)
- Jersey City, NJ (10.8 mi)
- Corona, NY (11.2 mi)
- East Elmhurst, NY (11.4 mi)
- Palisades Park, NJ (12.0 mi)
- Ozone Park, NY (12.2 mi)
- Fort Lee, NJ (12.3 mi)
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- East Rutherford, NJ (13.0 mi)
- Rutherford, NJ (13.1 mi)
- Carlstadt, NJ (13.1 mi)
- Howard Beach, NY (13.3 mi)
- Little Ferry, NJ (13.4 mi)
- Lyndhurst, NJ (13.6 mi)
- Bronx, NY (14.2 mi)
- South Ozone Park, NY (14.2 mi)
- Flushing, NY (14.5 mi)
- Jamaica, NY (14.6 mi)
- South Hackensack, NJ (14.6 mi)
- Hasbrouck Heights, NJ (14.8 mi)
- College Point, NY (15.0 mi)
- Bayonne, NJ (15.2 mi)
- Harrison, NJ (15.3 mi)
- Englewood, NJ (15.6 mi)
- Whitestone, NY (16.0 mi)
- Teaneck, NJ (16.2 mi)
- Belleville, NJ (16.3 mi)
- Newark, NJ (16.8 mi)
- Bayside, NY (17.1 mi)
- Yonkers, NY (17.6 mi)
- Staten Island, NY (18.0 mi)
- Tenafly, NJ (18.0 mi)
- Rochelle Park, NJ (18.3 mi)
- Saddle Brook, NJ (18.4 mi)
- Clifton, NJ (18.8 mi)
- Queens Village, NY (18.9 mi)
- Elmwood Park, NJ (19.0 mi)
- Springfield Gardens, NY (19.0 mi)
- East Orange, NJ (19.3 mi)
- Rosedale, NY (19.9 mi)
- White Plains, NY (20.0 mi)


text:
(based on 3 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
5 Stars
4 Stars
3 Stars
2 Stars
1 Stars
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Reviewed by 3 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-3
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Went back in time 50 years
By Little Brother
from Austin, TX
Comments about Chocolate Bonomo Turkish Taffy:
Received these from my brother for my birthday. Best gift I received. Just seeing them again was amazing. I jumped back in time 50 years. They smelled and tasted exaalty as they did when I was a kid.This is going to be an item I put into Christmas stocking this year
Bottom LineYes, I would recommend this to a friend
Was this review helpful? Yes / No
- You may also flag this review
(3 of 5 customers found this review helpful)
Yummy Blast from the Past!
By Nannakim
from Mitchell, IN
About Me Simple Tastes
Best Uses
I used to get these when I was a young girl. So I was excited when I saw them in your catalogue. I bought banana, chocolate and strawberry! Now my adult son is addicted to them.
(0 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
Won't buy any more
By Elly
from New York, N.Y.
About Me Candy lover
Were good when i was a kid, Not no more & cost to much.
Bottom LineNo, I would not recommend this to a friend


text:
15 Stephanie Biediger
|Houston, Texas
|High School:
|Second Baptist
As a sophomore:
Sat out the season due to injury.
As a freshman:
Before Quinnipiac:
A four-year varsity letter-winner at Second Baptist in Houston ... a two-time Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) First-Team All-District ... earned Second-Team All-State while leading Second Baptist to the 2007 TAPPS 5A State Championship as team captain ... was also honored on the All-Tournament Team ... led Second Baptist to a 2005 State Championship runner-up finish with an All-Tournament Team performance ... also earned 2005 St. Mary's Hall All-Tournament Team recognition and the 2007 Varsity Volleyball Fighting Eagle Award ... played for Houston Juniors 18 National team, winning the AAU Grand Prix in New Orleans ... earned the 2004 Cy-Fair District Academic Athlete Award and was a member of the National Honor Society ... took first place in Senior Portfolio at the TAPPS 5A State Visual Arts competition, as well as fourth place in Digitally Manipulated Photography and third place in Relief Sculpture ... also served as captain of the golf team at Second Baptist.
The daughter of Christine and Ronald Biediger ... has an older brother, Michael ... her mother, Christine, played volleyball at Texas Lutheran College ... her father, Ronald, played football at Texas Lutheran ... last name is pronounced BEE-dih-gur.


text:
The Community of Disc Golfers and About All Things Disc Golf
I am having difficulty throwing Star plastic. I have an RPro Boss and a Star Boss. I have the same problem with the Star in a pair of Destroyers. I can't throw the Star very far. Why does everyone else have Stars on thars?
Should I keep throwing it until it gets beat in more? I anticipate and appreciate your ideas.
Views: 96
© 2015 Created by Terry "the Pirate" Calhoun.


text: Explore the full agendas and speaker lists for Interop and Cloud Connect. Sign in to save them and sync with the Mobile App. If you are already registered for Interop, InformationWeek Conference, or Dark Reading Cyber Security Crash Course OR if you already have an InformationWeek, Network Computing, or Dark Reading account, please login with that email and password.


text:
Sacred Duty
Discussing contemporary religion and culture with Ken Chitwood
Posts filtered on Tag
Strong Response to Rick Perry Campaign Ad
You know it's a big deal when Jesus posts a response video on YouTube. I mean it's not everyday that the Son of God comes out of hiding over in GodTube land and posts on the "secular" video-sharing site. What brought Jesus to post such a response? Governor Rick Perry's new campaign ad "Strong." In […] [Read More]


text:
Do Movies Affect You Differently Now That You're a Mom?
What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday
Tokyo Gets Another Dose of Angelina's Smiles
Angelina Smiles With Brad but Gets Sad About Her Mom
Fab Blab: Angelina Jolie Talks About Changeling Costumes
Box Office: Madagascar Wins Lion's Share of the Bucks
Box Office: High School Musical 3 Is Still No. 1
Changeling: An Emotional Meat Grinder
Changeling: An Emotional Meat Grinder
Watch, Pass, TiVo or Rent: Changeling
Angelina Jolie Talks About Changeling, Brad and Their Brood
Do You Check-in on Your Children During the Night?


text:
Adrian Sutil is back in Formula One after securing Force India's second race seat for this year's Championship...
Adrian Sutil is back in Formula One after securing Force India's second race seat for this year's Championship.
Having been dropped by Force India at the end of 2011 in light of his legal woes, Sutil made a comeback at last week's Barcelona test when he put the new VJM06 through its paces.
The German impressed and on Thursday was confirmed as Paul di Resta's 2013 team-mate.
"I'm delighted to be back in Formula One, especially with a team I know so well. I'm very happy and I want to thank Sahara Force India for giving me a second chance," said Sutil.
"Having been away from the sport, I'm even more determined to achieve my goals in Formula One. Things went really well at the Barcelona test last week and it almost feels as though I've never been away.
"Driving the car felt so natural and I was able to get back in the groove quickly and find the limit. Now my focus is on making the most of the final test session this week, working with the team in the simulator and getting myself in the best possible shape for Melbourne."
Sutil beat test driver Jules Bianchi to the final seat on the 2013 grid with team owner Vijay Mallya admitting it was not an "easy" decision.
"It was a close call, but ultimately we felt that Adrian's experience and historic links to the team gave him the edge, and will provide us with the best possible chance of realising our ambitions for the coming season. If he can rediscover the exceptional form he showed in the second half of 2011, I'm confident that we can pick up where we left off at the end of 2012.
"As for Jules Bianchi, he has impressed us enormously with his speed and work ethic, and I'm hopeful we can continue working with him this year to help him develop into a future Grand Prix driver.


text:
Animals Apawthecary FidoDerm offers Holistic Herbal Dog Skin Relief. Animals Apawthecary FidoDerm is used on dogs and horses to relieve itching and promote healing of hot spots, flea and insect bites, minor abrasions, sun burn and other irritations of the skin. Not recommended for cats because of the essential oils that are used.
A natural, herbal blend for your dog's relief from skin irritations.
Relieves itching and promotes healing of hot spots, flea and insect bites, minor abrasions, sun burn and other irritations of the skin.
Formulated with organic and/or ethically wildcrafted herbs.
Available in a 4oz plastic squeeze bottle.
Animals Apawthecary Herbal Pet Remedy Ingredients
Certified organic aloe vera juice, calendula extract, distilled water, and essential oils of lavender, tea tree, and carrot seed.
How to Use Animals Apawthecary Herbal Pet Remedy
Apply to moisten effected areas of the skin as needed, or as directed by your holistic health care provider. Clinical strength--- a little bit goes a long way!
About Animals Apawthecary Formulations for Dogs & Cats
All Herbal Remedies are formulated by leading veterinarian herbalists who are intimately familiar with the needs and sensitivities of dogs and cats and ferrets. The herbs used are selected from the highest quality certified organic or sustainable wild-harvested North American sources in the world.
Because we know it is important to you, most orders are shipped fast within 24 hrs on business days by Priority Mail!


text:
To Do List 2012
There's never a busier day on the publishing calendar than the day after a holiday, and the first working day after New Years is the mother of them all. Having had a nice two week break to sit and contemplate the future of music, the inadequacies of their present situation, the wealth of unexploited future classics sitting in their song catalogs, and the disturbing similarity between their circumstances this year and last, songwriters the world over wake up on the first day of the new working year with one single mission forefront in their minds:
I know this because I used to be a songwriter, and I did the same thing. Every year.
Of course, it's only natural to want to reassess, re-organize, and restructure in order to get a fresh start on the new year. It's what we should be doing, whether we're songwriters or publishers. But often it's too easy for songwriters to bring a list of complaints and goals to the conversation, without providing any ideas as to strategy. Likewise, too many publishers are prone to offer up a plan that's amounts to more of the same—"keep writing, keep pitching and let's hope we get that big break". Both approaches leave a very good percentage chance that songwriter and publisher will be having the very same conversation next year. And no one needs that.
So what does it take to move things ahead in 2012? Of course, the detailed strategy will vary for every writer and publisher in every genre across every part of the world. Nevertheless, there are a few resolutions we can almost all agree to make, that will pay off regardless of our professional level or musical market.
In lieu of a champagne toast, I offer you a no-cost kickstarter for the new year:
12 Resolutions for 2012!
1. Get the paperwork right.
When I moved from being a songwriter to a music publisher, one of the great surprises was to see first-hand how much songwriter and publisher income vanishes every year due to paperwork errors, omissions and general sloppiness. Settle your split disputes, check your song registrations around the world, read your royalty statements, make sure your PRO (BMI, ASCAP, SESAC, PRS, etc) has your correct address. There's no excuse for a paperwork error in publishing. Paperwork is pretty much what publishing is.
2. Expand your territory.
When investment-backed companies like BMG Rights make billion dollar investments in the music-publishing sector, one of the key motivators is the anticipated expansion of the global music market. And yet many songwriters and publishers, particularly in genres like country, hip-hop, r&b, and even rock rarely think about the world outside their own borders. Beef up your sub-pub relationships, check out internet radio to familiarize yourself with markets outside of your own territory, use YouTube and other tools to find talent all over the world. There's almost always more than one geographical market for any type of music.
3. Don't demo.
Songwriters are the only ones left still using the word. Rough work tapes for reference are fine. But when you record, make masters. That way you can license them to film & television, commercials, video games and other venues.
4. Live the single life.
Please…. no more unknown artists making their "album". At this point, superstars are struggling to sell albums. We live in a singles market, so make singles—one memorable "hit" song will move your career further than a thousand interesting album tracks. Unless you're Radiohead or Adele, put your focus on making singles.
5. Tighten your belt.
The tragic truth is, there's a lot of money that's gone out of music publishing over the past five years, and it's not coming back. Plummeting mechanical income, some ugly days at the bargaining table for ASCAP and BMI, the complete bungling of the negotiations for the rates on "streaming" services, and wild, cutthroat competition in the sync world all add up to one thing: less. Less money for everyone, so get used to it. We're all going to have to cut waste, reduce overhead, and eat fewer lunches at Bice. Let's start with the cutting waste and reducing overhead part.
6. Loosen your grip.
Publishers like control—it's our nature. But with more and more of the entertainment universe being covered by blanket licenses, rather than specific song by song licenses, we're going to have to be willing to put our music out there, with less and less control over how it will be used. Whether it's a homemade YouTube video made by a stranger or a mix on turntable.fm, songs are being used all the time—we're just not being asked for permission. Those uses are what keep songs alive, even if it's not yet something remotely profitable. But squeeze those songs too tight and you'll kill 'em.
7. Don't sweat the small stuff.
In a world in which the income for publishers and songwriters has been cut drastically, we cannot continue to waste time on meaningless matters. Does the split dispute get settled at 17.5 percent or 20 percent? Unless the record goes 4x platinum, it just doesn't matter. Someone changed a line in the lyrics without permission? Just hope a listener is paying enough attention to notice. What matters is what makes money. All else can be ignored.
8. Put your head in the clouds.
For better or worse, the industry is embracing new cloud-based streaming services like Spotify, which means that iTunes will soon be going the way of Tower Records. Given that this technology didn't exactly sneak up on us, one might have hoped that the same mistakes made with mp3s might have been avoided this time around. Incredibly, the record companies managed to get this one right, while the publisher's income seems to be lost somewhere in the grey, murky ether. But publishers are going to have to figure out how to turn this technology into something profitable, or the only clouds we'll be seeing will be those we pass as we plummet to our demise. This is the battleground for the next five years.
9. Don't lose that syncing feeling.
Welcome to the only game in town. In the past ten years, the focus of publishing has shifted almost entirely, from records and radio, to film, television and advertising. At this point, the transition is complete, and the sync world is the one that every songwriter and publisher has to be a part of. Depending on the style of music you work with, it might be video games, advertisements, source music libraries, branding campaigns, television spots or web-based advertising programs. But your business has to have some strategy for licensing your music in sync uses.
10. Get the money in.
Easier said than done. It now seems that every record label uses songs without mechanical licenses in place, theater shows routinely drop songs into a revue without clearing the dramatic rights, advertisers sign sync licenses long after ads are on the air, and everyone pays late, if at all. It takes a new kind of tenacity to get paid, and only those who are the most persistent, the most unrelenting, and the nastiest will get their money. You can't just put your registrations in place and wait for the payment to show up. Those who snooze will be abused.
11. Move your business beyond music.
Despite a slightly better year in 2011, the writing is on the wall: the music business is in an almost permanent state of contraction. It simply is no longer the singular cultural defining force that it was 30 years ago. The good news is, the entertainment business as a whole is growing constantly, from new cable channels to internet tv to virtual worlds to a myriad of different venues for live entertainment. The best news is, music remains a vital element in almost every entertainment form. Sometimes it's okay to be the supporting actor. Music publishers who rely solely on the music business can't survive. Better to be one small part of the larger industry of show business.
12. Move your music beyond business.
Clearly 2011 was the year of Adele. Coming out of an environment knee-deep in Dr. Luke sound-alike records and generic auto-tuned voices over a Euro dance track, "21" was a breath of fresh air that above all else, sounded honest. Public taste always swings like a pendulum and one can be sure that whatever is popular in 2011 will change to at least some degree in 2012. But Adele's triumph signals a move away from things that sound blatantly contrived. Songwriters are going to have to be more subtle, more daring, and dig a little deeper. Music that sounds more like a marketing strategy than a song may be on its way out.
Everything always looks good at the start. I'm sure that for all of us, 2012 will have its high points and low points, and enough inspiration and frustration to keep us all battling for the next 12 months. Still, now is a moment to make some plans beyond just calling your publisher, or assuring your songwriter that this could be his or her big year. Here's to making, not letting, things happen in 2012. Happy weaseling in the new year!


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Oct 4, 2009
This was originally posted February 15, 2009. My blog was about 2 weeks old.
BB mentioned last night that there was this great property for sale up country and he and JL were teasing me about moving there. I don't like being "up country" and rarely even go to our own cabin. He seemed to think the fact that there were bunk houses included that I would be swayed. I could cook up the food and he could do the atv or snow mobile tours. Of course the only decent groceries would be many miles away. He mentioned that he wondered if they had power.
I found a different property and think we would be able to do the same thing there. I could do the cooking from the most beautiful ingredients that are readily available along with the fabulous wines from the local vineyards. Which one would you rather be at?
By the way we can't afford either one!!
9 comments:
- Sarah said...
Lorie, love your sense of humor! I'm with you though. I'd take the one in Tuscany. Have a beautiful Sunday! ~ Sarah
- October 4, 2009 at 9:23 AM
- Maggie B said...
Hi Lori,
Tough decision to make..............but if you twist my arm I'd have to choose Tuscany. It's so different, just gorgeous.
Thanks for visiting our Sunday Favourites reprise at the QCI, we are all enjoying sharing our love of Q with the world of bloggers.
Maggie B
- October 4, 2009 at 9:25 AM
- Mary said...
His for a week, yours for life! Though the bunk house is a real temptation :-).
- October 4, 2009 at 10:16 AM
- Sue said...
I would want readily available access to my wine! LOL
I am not a country girl- don't want to drive miles for the grocery store or the Target or anything else. Spoiled brat, I know.... I like convenience.
- October 4, 2009 at 10:26 AM
- Lori E said...
Okay ladies 5 of us are going to Tuscany. Mary will be late because she is spending a week in the bunkhouse.
- October 4, 2009 at 10:45 AM
- Chari said...
Hi Lori...
Hehe...Girl, count me in for Tuscany!!! Although I must admit...the other little trip sounds fun too...but then I'm just a country girl...it wouldn't be too much of a stretch for me! Hehe! Lori, I've had the opportunity to do some traveling in Italy...it was fabulous!!! Ohhh yes, I could go do an Italian villa for a couple of weeks!!!
Thanks for sharing this fun post with us for Sunday Favorites today!!! Sure made me smile!!!
Have a super Sunday, my friend!
- October 4, 2009 at 1:36 PM
- Keetha Broyles said...
I gotta admit - - - I can see A LOT of beauty in that BC property - - -
But my problem would be with the assumption that I would do all the cooking - - -
- October 4, 2009 at 2:43 PM
- Libby Murphy said...
What fun! I'm all for the Tuscan sun.
Happy Twirls
- October 4, 2009 at 5:04 PM
- Tamara Jansen said...
Hey, glad to be able to visit once again :) Can you believe that we managed to get a little property this year on a lake just 15 minutes south of Osoyoos?! It has no house but it's got tons of gorgeous water front. Can't wait to see what the guys plan to do to the landscaping.....maybe I should give them these pictures for inspiration!
- October 5, 2009 at 3:58 PM


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Erlanger Health System - Improving the lives of the people we touch.
975 East Third Street . Chattanooga, TN 37403 . 423-778-LINK (5465)


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Winged Foot Golf Club
Winged Foot has been ranked as one of the top courses in the U.S. and the World by Golf Magazine's panel of experts.
In 1921, a group within the New York Athletic Club wanted the club to build a golf course. When the vernable club decided not to make the investment, the members struck out on their own and in May of 1922, they acquired 280 acres of land in Mamaronack, New York. They then gave A.W. Tillinghast a mandate: Give us a man-sized golf course. After removing over 7,800 trees from the site, and moving an estimated 7,200 tons of rock, Tillinghast delivered the founders of Winged Foot Golf Club just that in June, 1923. Each course is a masterpiece, and together they are regarded as two of the finest layouts from golf's Golden Age of architecture.
The fairway bunkering defines the correct side of the fairway on nearly every hole at Winged Foot on each course. In order to attack the severely undulating greens and avoid the deep bunkers that guard them, a player must approach from the ideal side of the landing area. Fail to do that and you risk scoring a big number.
Several of the greens are pear-shaped--narrow in the front and wide in the rear, and many slope sharply from back to front. A prime example of this can be seen on the West Course's 10th hole, which Tillinghast regarded as the finest par 3 he ever built. From an elevated tee, players must hit a mid- or long-iron shot between two gargantuan bunkers on the left and right of the green. The putting surface tilts toward the front of the green, so players closing to cautiously go with a stronger club must then contend with an ultra-fast downhill putt.
The 18th on the West Course is a classic example of Tillinghast's design style. A dogleg left, players must hit the fairway in order to hit an approach shot that stays on the green-- anything landing short of the putting surface will roll back into the fairway and leave the player with a challenging up-and-down for par.
The East Course does not get as much attention as the West Course because it has not hosted six major championships won by player like Bobby Jones (1929), Hale Irwin (1974), and most recently, Geoff Ogilvy (2006 U.S. Open). But many locals and members feel it is an equally stern test of golf.
The 4th hole is a tough par-5, requiring two strong shots in order to reach the green. The uphill tee shot must carry over a pond, and the second shot must clear another small pond that sits on the right-corner of the dogleg. The wiser play is to lay-up on the second shot because the green is set off to the right an nearly a right angle to the fairway.
Winged Foot is known as a "players' club" and it has had notable teaching professionals call its practice area home. Craig Wood, winner of the Masters and U.S. Open in 1941, was the club's professional from 1939 to 1945. Then, Claude Harmon, winner of the 1948 Masters took over. Harmon, father of famous instructors Butch Harmon, was the last active teaching professional to win a major title.


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Here's a couple of rear shots.......
BTW, the best use of this trailer is moving machine tools that don't like to go up a ramp easily. I've moved milling machines and metal lathes with this trailer. Up to 2000 pounds...........real nice loading at ground level. The next one I build will have a simple plate of steel or aluminum for the deck. In this way it will be dead flat to load. This trailer has a deck with structure that is 4" high......
In the rear view pictures you'll see the spare tire. That is a counter weight to get the rear of the trailer down when it's empty. For a winch I used a side winder type so I can have total control of the lowering process. This type of winch is very easy to control with a load on it. And if you let the handle go it simply stops. You need to manually unwind it. I actually had an electric winch on it at first, but it was more bother than it was worth.
I'd take more pictures, but a neighbor of mine moving out to Californi bought it from me last summer and used it to move his bikes and outdoor furniture from Massachusetts to LA..........I got the parts to build another one this spring......
Results 11 to 16 of 16
Thread: Drop Deck Trailer
03-02-2008, 05:38 PM #11Senior Member
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03-02-2008, 07:54 PM #12Junior Member
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I like the trailer, good idea
do you have a pic or drawing of the underside,and the pivoting action ?
i could use one of thosemy daddy always said i was IRONHEADED....
feel free to P/M me
03-03-2008, 05:44 PM #14Senior Member
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I'll draw a plan and post in in a day or two...........
cool................thanks for the help
hope i helped
feel free to shoot me an e-mail direct i have time to chat. email@example.com
summer is here, plant a tree. if you don't have space or time to plant one sponsor some one else to plant one for you. a tree is an investment in our planet, help it out.
06-17-2010, 09:49 AM #16Junior Member
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Drop deck Trailer
You mention that you will post plans for this trailer in a 'few days' back in 2009. Did they ever get posted? How are the axles attached?\\THanks!!


text:
Adrian Sutil has revealed that he did not eat for "two days" amidst concerns that his weight is costing him valuable tenths out on track...
Adrian Sutil has revealed that he did not eat for "two days" amidst concerns that his weight is costing him valuable tenths out on track.
This season Sutil has often spoken of his struggles in light of the new 691kgs minimum weight.
Not only is the German one of the heavier drivers on the grid given his height but Sauber - who are introducing a lighter car this weekend in Spain - were also battling to get their C33's weight down.
This led to 31-year-old Sutil going days without eating food.
"I was testing it a little bit here and there. Two days, no food, only drink...I tried," he revealed at the Circuit de Barcelona.
"It was not easy but interesting what the reaction is. I'm eating now again, it's better."
The German admitted that the lack of food cost him strength while adding that not eating was his decision alone.
"I couldn't do much sport because the power was missing. I do it because I want to go on the limit just to make sure I did my maximum. I don't want to be in the car and say, 'Oh, I could have done more'.
"I could feel there was a limit where I hadn't the power anymore, the strength in my mind - you get stressed quite early - and you don't want that. It's just important to know your body quite well.
"I tried it but I'm still alive so don't worry too much. It was my own decision, this is most important."
As for the new lighter parts that Sauber will introduce in Spain, Sutil said: "It's a very good step I think in every area: the weight, the aerodynamics and also the power train has improved.
"I believe in it and especially tomorrow will be an important day to test it all to make sure everything works fine and I expect a good performance improvement throughout the race weekend.
"Our expectation is normally always to score a point or more and I want to be back in this area. So hopefully it's enough."


text:
Virtual Ghosts
Connectivity, or: Stay dead, would you?
Discomfort Zone on Gay street
by Jack Mauro
I'm on the elliptical thing in the Sterchi basement. Puddles of sweat expand below me, like feisty amoebae. I think, I will have two cigarettes after this. I think, I will have legs like Alexis Smith's in Follies . Then I turn my face up to CNN, parading multiple images on the set bolted below the ceiling.
People are sleeping on the sidewalks. They have been camped out thusly for days. They are not after tickets to a rock concert. They are not patiently waiting for admittance to a civil service agency doling out reparations for a natural disaster. They are there, tired and vulnerable and stinky, to be the first owners of the iPhone. I think, they should all be shot and hurled into a ditch. Then I think, Great. More connectivity. Which, barring yet another TBS-produced sitcom, is the last fucking thing any of us needs.
It isn't so much this new and jazzy Internet technology to which I object, mind you. I rely, in fact, on the primal urges of men using the web, as my career involves counseling them in the fine art of dating in that sphere. And, although my stomach goes all Vesuvius at the notion of so many misguided souls undergoing battlefield hardships for the sake of a toy doomed to be yesterday's mashed spuds by the time I finish this sentence, that isn't my issue either. It's what's happened already, Internet-wise. It's the enabled contact from searches. It's the ghosts.
Have you heard from them? Have they tapped, tapped, tapped on your door? If your name, for whatever reason, appears when anyone Googles it, you have. They are the shades from your high school days, or the fun folks you worked with 20-odd years ago. And they are absolutely delighted to have stumbled across you again. It has been far, far too long. You have been sorely missed. Now, here you are again. The good times, let them roll.
This has been my fate for the last several years. At first it is warming, if confusing. Was I really this popular, this adored, way back when? Funny, but I don't remember. But how nice to hear from Joe after all this time. He used to crack me up in homeroom. We were like devilish spies together in those halcyon days, wreaking minor havoc in Earth shoes and teenage arrogance. Was it 30 years ago? Goddamn. It was.
Then Billy contacts me. Then Eileen. The histories spring from different places and decades, but the enthusiasm rages. In each case, we're thrilled. In each case, a time is set for a phone call and a lengthy skip down that mnemonic lane of legend occurs. Then something happens. It justâ stops. Cold. And neither one of us even tries to kindle the fire again.
Somebody once said that you can't go home again (I think it was Jon Bon Jovi). Well, you can and you can't, kids. But what you unequivocally cannot do is recapture an intimacy forged under circumstances long since abandoned. It's like what Jeff Goldblum says in Jurassic Park : Nature selected certain critters for extinction. He may as well have been talking about friendships. Once the environment changes, the very raison d'etre for the thing vanishes. Billy was wonderful and I know I used to look forward to our working shifts together. But we don't work there anymore. The foundation is kaput. So, when we move toward each other now, we are running on air, a Cirque de Soleil act with no nets below. It's kind of sad. It's the way things are.
Take heed, classmates.com. You will have much to account for, once the wreckage is finally tallied. There are exceptions, of course. Yet they aren't exactly in this specific arena. I was sought out several years ago by another dear old friend. We are once more as close as we used to be. This friend, however, was never a dinosaur. All through the intervening years, I thought of her frequently andâ"lamelyâ"considered trying to find her. So myself, in her musings. As the thing had never really ceased to be, there was no Frankenstein-ish attempt at infusing life into what had died. The beast was there all the time, dozing.
As for these other shades from the pastâ"no. It is an unsettling thing, because I find them all to be as caring, as bright and as fun as they always were. I envy the people in their current lives, or at least I have a peaceful sense of knowing that others are reaping the benefits of knowing them. Good for them, say I. You are lucky to have Joey and Billy and Eileen. For me, however, the connection is lost. They are memories. If the Internet is an Autobahn, grand. But we'd all better accept: It's a touch hopeless to want to hang out at a loved landmark that you passed 50 miles ago.
More unsettling? In these interactions of which I speak, I too am a ghost. Of course. Which is what lies at the heart of every real ghost story, according to Peter Straub and Edith Wharton. (And, I think, Jon Bon Jovi.)
All content © 2007 Metropulse .


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Done with school. Starting my first project. I have a set of stainless turbo headers to build anyone have any tips on back purging? Dos dont's tips on cheap tube adapters for sealing and introducing the gas for back purge.
Results 1 to 10 of 11
Thread: Stainless tube
04-20-2010, 09:02 PM #1Member
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Stainless tube
You can buy some relatively inexpensive, but there's no need to unless you just want a new toy. Tape some cardboard over an end, punch a hole in it for your argon hose to enter, put another piece on the opposite end with a small purge hole in it and weld away.Miller Syncrowave 200
Homemade Water Cooler
Spectrum 375
60 year old Logan Lathe
Select Machine and Tool Mill
More stuff than I can keep track of..
04-21-2010, 05:57 PM #3Senior Member
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I've never used anything fancy, either. I do sometimes tape an old clear lens on one end so I can look inside and check for penetration w/o peeling the tape off all the time
Aluminum foil works well for capping tubes for purging, It conforms around the bends well. I also use aluminum tape quite often.Jonny
Dynasty 300DX
Esab PCM 1000
04-24-2010, 03:54 PM #5Member
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I love the clear lense idea! No more re-taping for me to check penetration!
Ur a genius hockey guy nick!
04-24-2010, 04:02 PM #6Member
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Stainless Steel Wool works good to!
I usaully tape out in the field, foil and steel wool can be easily lost inside a pipe.
Turn your main piece of tape sticky side out,then add a few small strips to hold it. Else you'll have a mad fitter cleaning off glue.
04-24-2010, 05:01 PM #7Junior Member
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cool something i always wanted to do. can you post some pics
05-01-2010, 04:58 AM #8Junior Member
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Bring your purge hose in the bottom and vent out the top. I purge with about 5 or 6 litres /minute on the flowmetre. Guessing yours reads in cubic feet/hour???, but anyway, if you have too much gas inside, it'll push your weld out, and even if not too that extent, you just use more gas than you need too.
05-01-2010, 05:27 PM #9Dynasty 200DX "Blue Lightning"
Bernard 3500ss water-cooler
Rockwell vertical mill
Beverly Shear B-3
Beverly Shear JR
Home-made English wheel
Milwaukee Porta-band
" Sawz-all
Tennsmith 36" stomp shear
Fixer upper 1968 Redface Lincoln sa200
Powcon 300st
05-05-2010, 05:27 PM #10Junior Member
- Join Date
- Nov 2006
- Location
- Auckland, New Zealand
- Posts
- 26


text:
Benefit Concert for ALS @ Threadgill's 11/10
Austin: Please join us on Thursday, Nov 10 for a special show by local songstress Jess Klein & Friends at Threadgill's South to benefit the ALS Foundation.
Jess will host this event to honor her father who passed away from ALS this spring.
Lineup so far includes Jess Klein and her band, featuring guest appearances by:
Jimmie Dale Gilmore
Shelley King
Dan Dyer
Colin Gilmore
Randy Weeks
Elizabeth Wills… and more!
100% of ticket sales will go to benefit the ALS Foundation. Get yours here.