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Slow times at NHGRI….
Not much happened today. I went to work, came home. In between, I read up on industry news and caught up on my reading of various blogs. One item that caught my eye was this item from yesterday's New York Times:
Loss Estimates Are Cut on Iraqi Artifacts, but Questions Remain
Apparently, the thousands and thousands of priceless artifacts that were reportedly stolen from the museum were actually about…..29 items. Four of the items – ivory objects from the eighth century B.C. – have since been traced.
Apparently, in addition to the looters, people carried stuff out of the museum for safekeeping. "Several hundred small objects — including a priceless statue of an Assyrian king from the ninth century B.C. — have been returned to the museum, in some cases by people who said they had taken the treasures to keep them out of the wrong hands. In addition, a steel case containing 465 small objects was confiscated by soldiers of the Iraqi National Congress and returned to the museum."
Given the choice between protecting the museums and protecting people, I'd grit my teeth against the loss and say "Protect the people." That being said, I am very glad that the museum's artifacts fared better than had been originally reported.
And now, your Moment of Zen:
Now, this is a collection of various funny or interesting or poinient
posts I've come across on SWHI.
"And it's tasty sausages":
Michael Snider writes:
>>The US government would go out of its way to invite Prince Metternich
>>to hold the Congress of Vienna in New York instead.
That would make for a very puzzling opening address. "Gentlemen,
welcome to the Congress of Vienna, so named because it's being held
here in New York … "
"What book would YOU like to see written on WW2?"
Zhivan writes:
"How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Josef Stalin
'Blitzkrieg – why speed and courage will always carry the day' by Field
Marshal Bernard Montgomery
'Penal battalions – an advance in mine clearing ?' – by Marshal Georgi
'Considerations on HQ security and protection of supply lines' –
Feldmarschall Erwin Rommel
'Bourbon St Whores' – by General George S. Patton
'My Kills (v.1) – Erich Hartmann
'My Kills (v.2) – Erich Hartmann
'My Kills (v.3) – Erich Hartmann
'My Kills (v.4) – Erich Hartmann
'My Kills (v.5) – Erich Hartmann
'Italian Fighter Kills of WW2' – Mussolini (now with eight page COLOUR
supplement) (total length twelve pages)
"A subject of history you shouldn't mention you know a lot about on a job
Coyu explains about Hemp in ancient times:
Well, hemp fibers seem to have been used since the Neolithic –
but on average, they're coarser than the flax fibers used to make
linen. That's why hemp was used for ropes and sails. Too coarse
for printing – ever read a burlap bag?
BtW, the current properties of the hemp plant are due to a few
millenia of selective breeding, most effectively in the last fifty
years. The ancient Scythians, to obtain a narcotic effect, basically
built a bonfire of the stuff, and inhaled deeply. Bumper sticker on
a Scythian chariot: "DO BALES!"
"What's The Blitz"
JasCJones explains:
The "Blitz" is when all the linebacker rush the passer (NFL)
A bltizkrieg is a fast invasion by armored units into unoccupied zones,
especially against a neighbor with whom one has a treaty.
First you make the treaty, then you invade so fast they can't must a
Effective as a short-termed miitary tactic, leaves some to be desired if
wants to build a "thousand years empire"
"And wich side are you on?"
James Nicoll writes:
No no no, they drop the *America*, calling themselves simply
the United States, or US for short.
Later on, in one of the inspired moments of very poorly though
out propeganda, the US's major rival sets up an alliance with the initials
T.H.E.M. and can't understand why nobody sides with them.
"This is going to be pretty dark "
David Townsend gives us an answer you don't want to hear at a cocktail
"Do you remember where you were when you heard that President Kennedy
had been shot?"
"Sure, I was in this grassy knoll disassembling my rifle and…"
"What if the Dominion of Canada was the Kingdom of Canada?"
Neil Bailey would be said because:
I woudn't have my favorite joke: Elizabeth, by the Grace of God, Queen of
the United Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, Head of
the Commonwealth, and Dominatrix of Canada."
"Various topics in history"
Saint Donald Tucker explains:
>> Economics
>> Agriculture
>> Art
>> Language
>> Mythology
> Should sport be included?
> I suppose that in many cases, it could be regarded as a subset of
> religion…
The Holy Catholic Church of Football has a schism between
North America and the rest of the world (ROW). The top conclave
of the ROW religion is now meeting in Paris, the current venue
of quadrennial encounters. North America completely ignores
this as its top conclave is held annually.
Doctrinal differences include the issue of running while
carrying the ball, blocking, tackling and bouncing the
ball of the head.
"Medevial Chemical Attempts at Changing Atomic Structure"
Stephen Lazer writes:
> Unfortunately such capture events take many orders of magnitude more
> energy than is available to chemical processes such as those the
> mediaeval alchemists were using; they had as much chance of success as I
> have of moving the Great Pyramid at Giza with a drinking straw.
::Phoof:: "Damn, it ain't workin' yet!"
"Try again"
::phoof:: "Nope, still ain't workin'"
"Okay, here, try a twizzler with the ends bitten off"
::hoo:: "Wow, lookit 'er go!"
"What if Hitler in 1940 was given a book on the entire course of WWII?"
Dan Abbott tells that in his opinion:
In my opinion, he would have recognized that by the end he was
insane. Given his attitude toward untermensh ("The place for a bottle
is on the top of a drunk's head," etc.) he would have looked down on
that version of him.
Hitler (mentally): "Note to self: Do not go insane."
"Watch out for 20/20 hindsight"
Douglas Muir writes
> Siberia is a *huge* area. Russia captured it in the 17th and (mostly)
> 18th and early 19th centuries. However, if I recall, the Mongols didn't
> own it before then. (Who would want a big chunk of ice, anyway,
> with the world approaching the Little Ice Age soon?)
Well, they didn't *know* that. "Hey, let's conquer Siberia!" "Naah, in
another sixty or seventy years, for reasons not clearly understood but
possibly associated with the Gulf Stream, world climate is going to cool
rather noticeably, and although it won't be as bad here in Asia as
around the Atlantic…" "Oooh, sounds like bad news for the
great-grandkids! Okay, let's conquer Persia instead!"
"Traveling to lands far away"
Jordan responds:
>> the world does not consist entirely and solely of 50 states, with snow
to the north and sand to the south; and that outside that area, there are
several cultures that have developed in such a way as to give rise to
different priorities.> "Small scale and limited military actions" mean only a few tens of
>> thousands to hundreds of thousands dead. Desert Storm and its aftermath
>> only killed a third of a million people; the Vietnam war only killed a
>> couple of million (directly).
> And the better way to deal with the threat of the Terrorist Network is
> … ?
Dial 10-10-321?
"Another good way to deal with trolls"
DJ McCormick:
To all sentient beings in the universe,
I would like to apologize to everyone for the behavior of Rob Cypher.
Rob's membership in the human race has been permanently revoked for
his callous and uncaring attitude towards others, especially beings in
a state of mourning. Please do not judge our whole species by the
action of this one abberation. .
Also, we will gladly loan Rob out to any intergalactic zoo, circus or
stellar branch of the Oscar Mayer Factory.
"Indian strategy during the King Philips War"
Alan Lothian responding:
> They wanted to free their society and culture from the economic and
> political constraints imposed on them by the English.
This vocabulary, which belongs profoundly to the 1990s, doesn't
really help a discussion of how 17th-century Indian tribes tried
to defend themselves against extremely competent invaders.
"Hmm, Magwa, take a puff of this pipe. I'm a bit worried about
the economic and political constraints these English are trying
to impose upon our society." Magwa puffs. "I think we need to
find a Third Way, sir."
"Well, it's not THAT bad"
Keith Morrison writes:
> Three cheers for the American educational system.
Hip-hip-hooray, hip-hip-hooray, hip-hip-hooray, hip-hip-hooray.
"The Biggest problem with any Sealion"
Doug Hoff points out:
> To get to Britain, you have to cross the Channel.
Step One, "Admitting You Have a Problem"
"A discusion of Germanies War plans against the US in the early 1900's"
Keith Morrison figured out that:
> > I read an essay on the various versions of that plans and it was a
> > Puerto Rico or Cuba as the staging area? The US Army occupied on the
> > frontier fighting Indians?
> What's up with the Germans & unrealistic warplans? Anyone got any
> thoughts?
General Staff + Schnapps = German strategic war plans
"Casting Call For Draka Movie"
"Karl Stringer" suggests:
We could also have Arnold Swarzeneeger playing Ken Lafarge in a movie
version of Drakon. Do you think he'd be at all convincing playing a cyborg
travelling back in time from a nightmare future in order to kill a woman?
Ian adds:
I dunno, maybe he'd be more convincing as the the burly human faced with
hunting down a predatory creature from another world.
"That Pope is one bad mutha"
Greg responds:
> What if Pius XII in WW2 had convicted [sic] nazism stronger during
> WW2? Could there have been more opposition by catholics in Germany?
> Could they have done something against [the Nazis] that matterred
> or would Hitler have ordered the Pope to be arrested?
1938- Pope Pius XII denounces Hitler's increasing international
adventurism and his attacks on Germany's Jews, calling anti-
semitism "irreconcileable with the principle of Christian love"
1939- Pius demands that German Catholics refrain from participating
in Hitler's invasion of Poland, and then later privately
counsels Benito Moussolini (BM) from allying himself with
1940- Hitler expands his persecution of Jews to include more
Italy declares war on France.
Hitler asks that Pius be arrested in Italy and extradited
to Germany for a show trial.
Pius goes underground, lurking thru the city sreets of Rome
and Milano, performing good deeds among the poor and fighting
evil where-e'er it rears its ugly head.
1941- Hardened by life on the streets, Pius develops his latent
Kung Fu skills, eventually destroying Moussolini in hand
to hand combat.
Italy seeks a separate peace as Pius oversees the shipment
of Care packages and a carefully worded note of apology
to Ethiopia.
Pius trains his Swiss Guards into an elite fighting force,
then leads them in a wildass suicide mission behind
German lines. He tucks a swagger stick under his arm and
vows "This time we'll show Jerry what-for!"
[I think this is pretty plausible so far, but I just don't know enough
about German internal counterinsurgency tactics this early in the war to
say whether Pius & his Swiss boys' night-parachute drop at Hitler's
summer home at Berchtesgarden will be successful. Help sought on the
completing of this what if]
"The Lowest point in SHWI history"
Doug Hoff responds:
> > Judicial review is the key to the survival of the US
> > constitution??
> No.
(Whoo-hoo! A dialog!)
"And what better to end this list than with a MUSCIAL NUMBER!"
[Editors Note: See if you can find an MP3 of this and give it a try to
singing it to the real song. Or don't.]
Kris Overstreet sings, sings sings!:
>If you can come up with something to the tune of "Little Birdhouse in
>Your Soul" by They Might Be Giants I'll be REALLY impressed.
It was a war
It was a lovely war
Well, not such a lovely war
In fact, a really crappy war, and it was
All Quiet on the Western Front
In 1918
For Fatherland we fought and lost
Not to put too fine a point on it
Versailles had our land's death on it
Oh Fatherland, we fought and lost
We could not believe our eyes
On that cold November sunrise
When the only sound we heard
Was the cheering of the Western Allies
We thought the war was destined to be
Ended most triumphantly
But now we starve in the aftermath
Our nation's name is M-U-D
Oh, Wilhelm, where are you?
What can we do
to make it right?
All Quiet on the Western Front
In 1918
For Fatherland we fought and lost
Not to put too fine a point on it
Versailles had our land's death on it
Oh Fatherland, we fought and lost


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This poster by Janet Pacey is destined to become a collector's item. Go here for info on this awesome event.
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Rabbit rabbit! Guest host Tom Brennan once again led The Great American Talk Show with cohorts Alasdair Wilkins and Kevin Burrows this afternoon. If you missed the episode, listen to it in entirety here: TGATS 3.1.09.
Be sure to tune in next Sunday at 12:30 for the next episode of From Across the Yard. The Great American Talk Show will be back two weeks from today with more invigorating pop culture discussion, March 15.


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Today – in my first blog post in over a month (more on that later) – I'll be giving you a DOUBLE REVIEW. That's right – two reviews in one blog post. Good for you both books are by Australian author extraordinaire Peter Cawdron.
Cawdron has had the book My Sweet Satan on Pre-Order for about a month now and it is just releasing this week. But, while we were all waiting for that book to drop, he snuck in another short story: Revolution.
In Revolution, Cawdron paints a picture of a world similar to our own, but with technology advanced a bit. Alexander Hopkins is getting home on a red-eye flight from Russia when that world slams into him with all the force Homeland Security can muster.
The breadth of the story is short, so I'll keep my review brief as well, but you want to catch each word in this tale as Cawdron once again showcases why he is one of the best indie writers around. The pace of the story is at first lazy and perhaps a bit deliberate – much like the landing of a 747 after a 10-hour trip. Once Alexander is on the ground, however, the action picks up and you find yourself whipped around from one place to the next in a desperate attempt to survive and figure out what is happening.
While the beginning of the story starts with lethargy, the ending is sudden and abrupt, stopping too soon for my taste. I wanted more, but isn't that the mark of a great story?
Now…on to My Sweet Satan.
I'll include my Amazon review in a moment, but I'll first say I was hesitant to read this book. I am a fan of Peter's and consider myself to be a friend as well. While I've read his work, he's also read and critiqued mine and we both share a fantastic editor. But…that title. Say I'm reading it and my wife asks what I'm reading. How do I explain it? It's hard to explain the title unless you've read the entire book, which is perhaps my greatest criticism of it.
The book is tremendous. A fantastic achievement and my only concern for Peter is that less potential readers will pick it up just because a title like that might scare them away.
Perhaps though, this is the ultimate test. Will someone read a book even with a potentially incendiary title? Will they bother to see if the text inside is worth the price of the three words on the front cover? Ultimately, the answer for me was yes.
With a title like that, it was a little difficult for me to want to read this book. Peter Cawdron has made a title that is very provocative, but if the reader can just get past it — get to the heart of the story — they will realize that Satan has very little to do with this tale at all.
I love Peter Cawdron's work. I just adore it. I have been a huge fan of his previous books and was instantly drawn into the narrative he created in MSS. While I admit the title took me aback, it turns out the title, and the message from the stray moon of Saturn, are both a little deceiving. Deception is a key concept of this book, starting with our protagonist, Jasmine, or Jazz for short.
Jazz wakes up out of stasis, but is missing 20+ years of her life. Now an astronaut headed for Saturn, all she remembers is being 19 and living outside of Atlanta. Her crewmates may or may not have secrets of their own, but the biggest secret seemingly is: What is Bestla? (besides a moon orbiting Saturn.)
In the process of a re-self-discovery, we are seeing the world through Jazz's eyes, crisp and clear at times, but vague and confused at others. She is smart, but the years of college and learning to be an astronaut are gaps in her memory. She doesn't know what to do all the time and turns to the only one she believes she can trust — the ship's AI, Jason.
I'll say this about Jason — he may be the best character I've seen in a long time. I loved what Cawdron did in creating a character that feels totally real, but is not only fictional, but also doesn't have a body to call his own. The evolution of Jason was fantastic and I would love to see more of him in a future book if Mr. Cawdron ever decides to revisit his MSS Universe.
The story is well told, well-paced, and one I would recommend highly.


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Aunt Joy explained to me when Mawmaw was ill that one of grandma's faults in life was not allowing others to help her. God would send people to help her in a time of need, and in her humbleness she would not allow the helper to help. I know that doesn't sound like a character flaw, being too humble. However, there is certainly an element of fellowship, and sharing in ministries that is spiritually healthy. Sometimes I see myself like Mawmaw, not wanting to inconvenience anyone with the burdens God has laid on my heart. So, I've had to learn to overcome this. In short, God has instructed all of His children to be stewards of the gospel, and specific to me He has burdened Sindy and I to do this to Spanish speakers. This is God's will, and He has established the church to carry out the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20 > Act 13:1-3) If this ministry is going to happen as God wishes then it will be because my fellow brothers and sisters at OHBC are supporting us! So, here are the tidbits God showed me as prayers were answered and financial support started rolling in:
- When people provide their time and treasure, it is an INVESTMENT not a DONATION. I desire to be the fruit producer God has called me to be, and any fruit I can produce will be fruit abounding in the accounts of those investing their lives into me. (Philippians 4:17)
- Accountability. What if three years from now I have no fruit to show? The investments will have been in vain! Not too long ago I weighed thirty pounds less, and was about twice as strong. I was going to the gym regularly, and I had a work out partner. Half of the reason I went to the gym was because I wanted to look good, the other half was because I was accountable to my partner. If I didn't show up then he wouldn't be able to get in the workout he desired. I needed to spot him, and push him to do more. I still desire to look good, but when there is no accountability then there is no motivation. Likewise, I'm motivated for ministry more than I ever imagined I could be, becasuse I'm accountable to many who have invested lots of time and money into me. (1 Corinthians 4: 1-2)
- Encouragement when you're down is great, and encouragement when you're not down is equally great! I've been down plenty of times, and God has used a wide variety of people to encourage me. However, as of late I've been excited about what God is doing at OHBC, and with my family. One might be led to believe that encouragement is not effective when you're on top of the mountain. However, I've found that God is still using people to encourage me, and instead of pulling me out of a valley it's helping me to see that there are mountain peeks even higher than where I stand now! As we go to Peru I'm asking God to increase and clarify the vision for the new ministry. Maybe God really does want to use me to reach the WORLD.


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1. Given an unsorted list L with n elements, define the set S: {a, b \in L: a < b and f(a) < f(b)} (where f(x) is x's position in the list). Call a list c-sorted (0 < c \leq 1) if |S|/(\choose{n, 2}) \geq c. For what 0 < c < 1 do there exist sublinear algorithms to c-sort any list L? (We can consider either algorithms that are guaranteed to produce a c-sorting of a list, or those for which the expected value of the expression |S|/(\choose{n, 2}) is at least c.)
2. Define a candy-passing game on a graph G as follows: For the initial state s_0, we assign a number of "chips" to each vertex v. We go from state s_i to state s_(i+1) as follows: if a vertex v with degree d has at least d chips on it, then it "passes" one chip to each adjacent vertex. Denote the maximum degree of a vertex in G by \Delta(G); is it true that, for any initial configuration with at least (\Delta(G)+1)*|V(G)| total chips, there is some k for which s_k = s_(k+1)? Can we place an upper bound on k?
3. Anyone know how to do LaTeX (or any sort of mathematical notation stuff) in Blogger?
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
1 comment:
- The Masked Marauder said...
Haha... I noticed you were trying and failing to get LaTeX to work. That was good for me, though, because it means I actually understood what was being denoted... most of the time :-D.
- August 8, 2007 at 4:32 PM
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Multi-disc, Japanese-oiled felt drag washers. DFD: Dual Force Drag system. 9BB + 1RB stainless steel bearings. Quick-set anti-reverse roller bearing. Precision machine cut brass pinion gear. CRC: Corrosion Resistant Coating process. HDGII: Corrosion resistant, High density gearing. Crossover aluminu ...
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Since there is only the two of us, when I make a roast, I must find things to do with the leftovers. And you can only eat so many Roast Beef Sandwiches.
So here is a soup recipe.
Put leftover roast into a crock pot.
2 beef bullion cubes (or use beef stock)
2 large carrots
2 large stalks of celery
1 medium onion chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 TBSP Italian Seasoning
2 bay leaves
1 cup pearl barley.
Salt & Pepper
enough water to cover and then some. I think I used about 8 cups today. You may have to play with the amount of bullion cubes. If you are using beef stock, just use enough stock to make it like soup and don't add any bullion.
Cook on low heat for about 4 hours.
We ate this with buttery bread machine rolls.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Beef Barley Soup
Labels: Crock Pot, Roast Beef, Soup
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Independence of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western
Sail Date: April 19, 2015
Ship: Independence of the Seas
Cabin Type: Balcony
Cabin Number: 9226
Traveled As: Family (older children)
Reviewed: 3 years ago
Review Summary
Beautiful ship, workers were constantly keeping the ship in continuous working order. Food was awesome. The shows were fun and entertaining. There was always something going on.
Ship Experiences
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Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Remember Whensday No. 18 - Rona Court
When we first moved to Rona Court, it was a brand new apartment complex and we were the first to live in our apartment. It was a ground floor unit. Over time, more buildings were added and then the swimming pool where we spent our summers.
My first job ever was at Rona Court. I delivered the local newspaper, the Maryland Gazette, to the subscribers in the complex as well as the houses in the neighborhood. I wanted a bike so that is how I earned money. The Gazette only came out once, maybe twice a week, so it took quite a while to save for the bike. Eventually I took on a daily paper route. Up and down the steps in the apartment building, every day, seven days a week! Oh to be that fit again.
Life was fun at Rona Court. Lots of kids to play with and of course the pool in the summer. We were a suntanned bunch of kids. I remember building forts in the nearby woods. We were in the flight path for what is now Baltimore-Washington International (BWI) Airport. Funny how one grew accustomed to the noise of the jets continuously flying overhead.
It was kind of sad to move away from friends, but we moved to a house with 3 bedrooms which meant getting our little brother out of our room. And of course, we made new friends in the neighborhood.
Thanks for sharing my trip down memory lane today. For more remembrances, click on the Remember Whensday badge below.
I hope to get back to posting daily soon. Things have been hectic with work and at home so I haven't been taking many pictures, much less posting them. I miss my blogging but currently am dealing with other priorities in life.
5 comments:
- Gaelyn said...
What a wonderful memory from your childhood. It's always hard to move away from friends, but kids usually have no problem make new friends. What a treat not to have to share a bedroom with your brother.
Have missed you. But certainly understand that life comes before blog.
- October 6, 2009 at 12:31 PM
- Michelle Johnson said...
You guys look so cute lined up against the wall like that. I lived in an apartment complex once while waiting on my parent's house to be built. I didn't love it like you show here. But, it wasn't all bad either. Have a great night.
- October 6, 2009 at 3:43 PM
- Kilauea Poetry said...
Hi, I'm Regina and I'll be submitting one shortly. This was a fun read and a great way to share a piece of your history. I'm sure that bike was worth every penny! Fantastic.
Mine is also in the 60's. Anyway, have a great day-
- October 6, 2009 at 5:16 PM
- Evelyn Howard said...
It's a really nice photo, and thanks for sharing your story. Great to have lots of friends to play with growing up...
- October 6, 2009 at 9:06 PM
- Pyatshaw said...
Little brothers are a real pain when they're small (I have one but now he's one of my best friends!) At one point in our lives we lived in a cottage on my grandfather's farm. It had one bedroom (my parents) and my 2 brothers and I shared a double bed, sleeping across the way. I was about 5 then.
- October 7, 2009 at 11:57 AM


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Here at the philosophy monkey blog, we've featured Michael Sandel's popular course on Justice before. Now we get to cross the ocean and switch from Harvard to Oxford, as philosopher Peter Millican gives us a fascinating overview of modern philosophy (with a beautiful English accent) in eight gripping lectures covering everything from the nature and sources of knowledge to skepticism of the external world, Cartesian dualism (and the mind-body problem), primary and secondary qualities, the problem of induction, free will and determinism, and the metaphysics of personal identity.
In today's first lecture, Professor Millican traces the history of philosophy from its roots in Ancient Greece and Rome, and how it would undergo a revolution in the 17th and 18th centuries, as great thinkers like Galileo and Descartes would rebel against the previously unchallenged authority of Plato, Aristotle and religious dogma, and would attempt to develop new and useful methods of inquiry. The world would never be the same again...
Click here to see the course slides.
And check out the rest of this excellent course.


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Posted: May 17 2014, 10:10 AM
head honcho
These mended bones The storms approach Ever so slowly Out on the sea.
staff is Offline
Here at Infinite Arms, we believe that everyone should have a fair shot at winning site awards. Just because your character isn't a super popular canon, or you're part of a small subplot, does not mean that your contributions are not being noted and appreciated! So, when we started to entertain the idea of introducing awards, we knew right away that we were not going to over-done "Of the Month" route.
So today, we are happy to introduce the secret project we have been slaving over... the Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans. We have taken the list of flavours from Bertie Bott's - and added some of our own here and there - to compile a huge list of beans/awards that we can give out. Throughout each in-character month, the staff will be keeping an eye on your characters and plots to see how things are progressing. We will then award specific beans to people based on their accomplishments. Some will be quite tricky to earn, while others may be quite simple.
But, here is the catch.
We will not be publishing the master bean list! It is kept in the staff forum under lock and key, making each award a surprise! So, not only are you going to get super fun, surprise awards... but you will be able to show them off! Beans that you have earned will be shown underneath your character's avatar. Each bean has been painstakingly brought to life by our very own Rachel! All you will have to do is hover over your bean, and you will be able to see it's name.
Each month we will also have a featured bean that can only be earned during that IC month. Since those beans will be "limited edition" we are going to tell you our requirements for earning them. Once the month has changed, that limited edition bean will be locked away, so be on the look out!
And remember, if you think we've missed you for a bean don't be afraid to let us know and we'll get that for you ASAP.
Posted: Jul 17 2014, 10:32 PM
head honcho
These mended bones The storms approach Ever so slowly Out on the sea.
staff is Offline
Limited Edition Beans
Because you were curious, these are the beans we've seen so far!
2 Year Anniversary Bean – When the board turned 2!
3 Year Anniversary Bean – When the board turned 3!
4 Year Anniversary Bean – When the board turned 4!
Cranberry – January Posting Achievement: 10 Posts with Character you've never posted with before.
Chocolate – February Posting Achievement: 15 posts with Friends/Lovers
Lambchop – March Posting Achievement: 15 posts with Anyone
Sugared Violet – April Posting Achievement : 10 posts Outside
Mashed Potato - Duelling Tournament Participant.
Tomato - Duelling Tournament Winner
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Gingerbread (suggested by Beatrice) - 10 Posts with a character you've never posted with before.
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Pinecone (Suggested by Rae) - Use five of our specially suggested words/phrases.
- Ham (February Posting Achievement)
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- Moondust - August Posting Achievement
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Ember - January Posting Achievement (outdoors)
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Posted: Feb 29 2016, 04:20 PM
this is the song that never ends...
rachel is Offline
Special Limited Time Beans only during our Postapalooza Events!
Howler - The First Postapaloozaaaaa!
Twilight Zone - AU Postapalooza
Pot of Gold - St. Patrick's Day Postapalooza
Slice O' Lime - Fresh Threads Postapalooza
Posted: Jun 18 2018, 11:50 AM
this is the song that never ends...
rachel is Offline
These beans can always be earned!
Almond – Devoted. (long thread, 15+ posts each)
Aubergine – Villain (Discretionary)
Bacon – Breakfast. (breakfast thread)
Black Eyed Bean - The first rule of fight club... ( fight scene)
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Buttered Popcorn- Action Star (action thread)
Cheese - Romantic and squishy quotes.
Chili Powder - Oooh, Burn. (Quote)
Dirty Sock - Foot in Mouth Disease (Discretionary)
Envelope Glue – the letter writer (25 posts)
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Peach - Gosh, you're so nice! (Discretionary)
Sardine - It's All Platonic. (Posting with Friend, 20 posts each-multiple threads)
Soap - Dirty mouth. (Discretionary)
Toffee Pudding - Welcome Wagon (Plots with lots of people)
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Spinach- Hoggy Hoggy Hogwarts (Hogwarts Posting Achievement, 65 posts at Hogwarts)
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- Three Year Bean - You've lasted three years!
Four Year Bean - You've lasted four years!


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Locust Valley School District
Sponsored By
Long Island Music Teacher Pleads Guilty To Sex AbuseJohn E. Benstock will get probation and must surrender his teaching license. He also must register as level one sex offender for 20 years.
More 'Inappropriate Contact' Charges For L.I. Teacher John BenstockJohn Benstock, a music teacher in the Locust Valley School District, has been indicted on 31 counts for inappropriate contact with 14 children.
Cops: Bayville Teacher Arrested For 'Inappropriate Contact' With StudentA music teacher in the Locust Valley School District has been arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child.


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Thursday, August 20, 2009
More Love!
I decided I better get these photos posted now as Kent says it might hail tonight. I hope not. This season I have so enjoyed walking around the vineyard admiring the beauty. Anyway, these are the three different types of grapes we will be harvesting this year. They are, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, and Syrah. Can you tell which is which?
Posted by Canelo Hills at 11:48 AM
1 comment:
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When 14-year-old Tiffany Chan made her debut in the Espirito Santo Trophy at Adelaide's Grange Golf Club in 2008 she could scarcely have imagined that eight years later she would cap a remarkable fifth appearance in the prestigious team event.
The 15th ranked player in the World Amateur Golf RankingTM is proudly representing Hong Kong, China in the 27th staging of the event this week at Mayakoba El Camaleon Golf Club and Iberostar Playa Paraiso Golf Club on the Riviera Maya on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.
Chan, who has just turned 23, is in no doubt about the importance of the WWATC to here rapidly flourishing career in golf.
"It means a lot to me and this is my fifth time already. It's always the biggest amateur event in the world especially for a team championship and I have been lucky enough to get picked every time for Hong Kong so every time I can get away from school I try to be here.
"I really enjoy playing with all the different countries. We normally play in Asia with the Asia-Pacific countries so it is only once or twice a year that you can see 55 countries in the world. It means a lot to all the players that represent their own country."
Chan won back-to-back NJCAA individual national titles playing for Daytona (Fla.) State College before transferring to the University of Southern California, where she earned All-America honours as a junior last season.
Fresh from competing in the Olympics in Rio, Chan now has her eyes set on the professional game and admits with a little sadness that this may be her last appearance in the WWATC.
"Every time I learn something new so it is good way to prepare if I turn pro in the future," she added. "I'm in my final year of college so it may be my last time playing this one. It's always the best tournament. I really love it and try to enjoy the moment every time I come."


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It looks like Lexar is giving away a free tool to recover deleted files on your digital camera's memory card.
According to the Lexar Image Rescue 3 website, the application… "recovers photo, video, and audio files from any brand or type of memory card, using any card reader"
That's a pretty good tool to have in case of emergencies.
There's a version for both the Mac and PC, and the site requires an email address before letting you proceed with the download.
Head over to http://store.lexar.com/imagerescue3/ to download a copy while the promotion lasts!


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What makes us happier: money or power? Power. Do we prefer money or status? Status.
What do children say they want more than anything when they grow up? Fame.
Paraphrasing Machiavelli: if you have to choose between being loved or feared, pick feared.
Yeah, power gets you respect. So if you can make a billion dollars or become an international sensation by Thursday I highly recommend it.
But powerful people often behave like asshole, why? Power reduces empathy and often causes us to dehumanize others.
In fact, one of the most recognizable signs that someone is powerful is that they break rules. Why? They can get away with it..just look at Mahathir and the rest of them.
And don't give me any bullshit that what I'm saying is not true course it's happening right here in our backyard and you know it.
What I'm basically trying to say is that most politicians and ____ are just bunch of greedy and power hungry assholes and those people supporting and living under their umbrella are just the same.
And then there are regular people like me and you who can't do shit about it, just checking on other people facebook status and hit like.


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The other day I decided to update the collage frames in my room. I usually focus them around fashion & fun pictures I find in magazines, so naturally, I did the same this time around. However, I wanted to look for pictures that would continue to inspire me - ergo Chanel, Coco Rocha, stripes (a favourite of mine), Marilyn Monroe, etc. Making collages is a fun way to document your inspiration and hold it in one place. It's easy to write things down that inspire you, but it's so much more fun & pretty to take scissors to paper and make a picture of everything you love!
I wore this dress on my last day at the spa. It's comfortable and perfect for summer! I found it at Winners in Nanaimo a while ago, but it was my first time actually wearing it out. Hallelujah for nicer weather (at that time, anyway. It's ugly and cold now)!
What are you inspired by, and what's your favourite summer outfit?


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Click here To View Our Summer Camps!
For any questions regarding dates or times, please contact the office at 910.426.3210
Located at:
3504 Masonboro Ct.
Hope Mills, NC 28348
Get directions
Our hip hop dance lessons use the latest sounds in Rap, R&B, Pop and Old School Hip Hop. Each class consists of hip hop elements such as popping, locking, and breaking as well as freestyle movement. Each class consists of warm-up, stretching and choreography. CDA has earned a reputation for its amazing Hip Hop choreographers and teachers in the Fayetteville, Hope Mills, and Spring Lake areas of North Carolina. Throughout the year, we offer many special workshops and classes, bringing in some of the most world renowned Hip Hop choreographers in the industry. CDA is always striving to stay current in the ever changing Hip Hop styles. CDA also offers a "Boys Only" Hip Hop class learning all aspects of Hip Hop and incorporating B-boying.


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My time in cambodia, see through my mother's SMSes:
Mother. We Change our plans and are staying the night at Udom near Kompong Chhnang. We met a girl on the bus to Chhnang. Just so you know. Let Solina Know. Girl's name is Borey. Awesome family. Will contact you again tomorrow.
So. Borey saw me screamig at the bus driver to stop the bus while Thi was paying for our tickets. Everyone was screaming with laughter as I bashfully apologized when the driver finished pulling into a gas station and thi steps up, flustered, after agreeing to my wild idea of leaving for Kompong Chhnang in 10 minutes. LETS DO IT! We jumped on a moto, bargained like crazy. Back to Hotel, packed our laundry that was strewn around, back on the motos and to the stations.
Borey was very amused and we had the best Khmer food that night. woke to a most amazing village sunrise. The air swelling with song as her family (most of whom didn't speak english) allowed us into their lives. I bathed outdoors in an outhouse, next to a fat ass spider.


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I've been wanting to update, but haven't known what to say. I left my job. I am home. I have a new therapist. I am committed enough to recovery to show up at therapy twice a week and dietary once a week, but not committed enough to eat according to my meal plan. I am tired and depressed and don't understand how I could have possibly worked the long, arduous days I did when I lived in the woods. I am up for two hours, then need a nap, having done nothing but update facebook and pin a gazillion trivial things to pinterest.
In theory, I want to live a full life, create art, write more, play with babies. In reality, I go to work, come home, and lay in bed wishing for something more. As I am wont to do, I believe my life will really begin with thenextbigthing, whatever that is. The next job, the next boyfriend, the next day off.
The sides of my Wreck This Journal are covered in the words "no day but today" — a reminder that my recovery starts today. That I can't wait until tomorrow or Monday or June to start eating what I'm supposed to be eating, taking meds, and whatever else. But it applies here, too. There is no day but today to begin living the life I want, creating the art I dream of, becoming the person I want to be.
Today: What will you do with it?


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Right Reverend Host: "I'm afraid you've got a bad egg, Mr. Jones!"
The Curate: "Oh no, my Lord, I assure you ! Parts of it are excellent!"
This much used saying pretty much sums up Southampton FC`s start to the new season. The first game was a pitiful 4-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace. The second was a surprise 2-1 defeat in the Carling Cup away to Peterborough and the third showed a marked improvement but ultimately another 2-1 defeat away to Norwich City.
And so to yesterday`s events at St. Mary`s Stadium, where the visitors were league leaders Stoke City, who included in their line-up two former Saints players - Rory Delap and Ricardo Fuller, whilst a third, Danny Higginbotham, did not feature as he is expected to join Premier League Sunderland in the next few days.
Saints also had an absentee - Trinidad and Tobago star Kenwyne Jones had submitted a written transfer request and refused to play. Toys and pram come to mind. Following the football convention that dictates that former players must score against their former clubs, it was Fuller who scored first for Stoke. However, Saints were showing more resilience and spirit this time, thanks in no small measure to an improvement in defence, which saw a home debut for Wayne Thomas and the return from suspension of Darren Powell. Thomas takes no prisoners, is built like a well constructed public convenience and already forms a formidable partnership with the combative Powell. The signs were encouraging.
Saints equaliser came from Andrew Surman (pictured above,) born in South Africa but raised since the age of eight months in Southampton. A product of our Academy (Theo Walcott, Gareth Bale, etc) Surman has improved hugely in the past couple of seasons - so much so that among the spectators yesterday were Stuart Pearce, the England Under-21 Manager and also Carlos Alberto Parreira, the national coach of South Africa - so there could be a tug of war for Surman`s inevitable international future.
The second half saw Saints take the lead through Gregorz Raziak and go further ahead from Jhon Viafara. Stoke cut the deficit with a late goal from John Parkin, but Saints held on for their first win of the season.
The result was one thing - the performance quite another. There was an energy and determination throughout the team, there was skillful movement and one-touch football and clinical finishing - all of which being a far cry from the stuttering displays in the previous games. Players we thought of as drummers - Kelvin Davies, Jermaine Wright and Rudy Skacel - were transformed into violinists, with Surman conducting the orchestra.
(click to enlarge)
One win does not a season make, of course, but it feels good to chew on a palatable slice of our euphamistic egg, rather than crunching our teeth on the shells of defeat.


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Hey TBP,
Get ready for another great CEO dinner! We're excited to say that we have Alexia Tsotsis, former Tech-Crunch Co-Editor, joining us for dinner next week. Tsotsis was listed a Forbes 30 under 30 in media, is making her mark on the technology media industry, and is currently in the Stanford Masters of Management program.
The CEO Dinner Series hosted by Stanford Tau Beta Pi is a way for members to have a small and personal dinner with leaders of the local tech industry. Candidates may earn 10 points by attending.
We keep the dinner to a small size (8-10 people) so every attendee can converse with our guest.
Date: Tuesday April 26
Time: 6-8pm
Place: Coupa Cafe @ the Stanford Golf Course
The form is due THIS Sunday April 24 at 11:59pm.
Note that dinners in the past have been on Wednesdays, but this dinner will be on a Tuesday. We'll be mixing the dates up a bit this quarter.


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Money money money...The Tennessee General Assembly this week will get the official numbers on just how large this year's budget surplus will be. Some sources are saying 300 million, some sources 400 million, and at least one person I've spoken with over the last few weeks expects that it may be even higher than that. The State of Tennessee is already sitting on a surplus of nearly half-a-billion dollars from last year, so this year's tally could put the total combined surplus at nearly a billion dollars-for any State Government, that is a whopping total.
There are few who disagree that some of that money needs to go toward infrastructure improvements, especially Tennessee schools. When you are fortunate to have that kind of money just laying around-amounts that would make some of our friends in Northern States seethe with envy-there is little excuse not to use some of it for needful improvements long delayed by the irresponsibility of the Legislature in the days of the Ned Ray McWherter and Don Sundquist administrations. Both McWherter (a Democrat) and Sundquist (a Republican and a far worse Governor) had much larger Democratic majorities in the General Assembly. Although Phil Bredesen is a Democrat, he came to power with Republican numbers dramatically increased in the General Assembly due to the Sundquist income tax debacle. In his second term, he has a de facto Republican Senate who chose a Republican Lieutenant Governor for him.
These political factors can be said to be part of the reason for the fiscal restraint we've seen that has led to the surplus. This restraint has led many people who might otherwise support Republicans to vote for Bredesen, believing that he is a Republican in Democrats' clothing.
Real liberals show themselves by not being able to avoid raising taxes even when it is not needed, and Bredesen (sure enough) put a 40-cent tobacco tax increase into his initial budget proposal, saying that the money would go to schools. Since the budget surplus is so high to begin with, many people on both sides of the aisle didn't understand why such a large tobacco tax increase was needed to fund education improvements when the State has such a large surplus that could fund these things on its own. The Governor bristled at the notion of tying these new tobacco tax revenues to a decrease in the grocery tax, or in providing any relief to working Tennesseans at the grocery checkout.
Now, with the numbers on just how high the surplus is about to be released, the Governor is changing his tune. Now he says he would settle for a tobacco tax increase fazed in over several years. Rumors abound that he may even be willing to a lower tobacco tax hike, and good for Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey-he's sticking to his guns in saying that Bredesen is not getting a 40-cent tax hike. Ramsey says that with such a high surplus-with the State taking in far more money than it needs to fund even the most ambitious programs, we should be talking about tax relief instead of tax increases. I would go so far as to say that if the surpluses continue coming at this rate, we as a State need to consider eliminating certain taxes altogether-and the grocery tax should be at the top of the list.
Labels: Tennessee politics


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I seriously believe I OD'd (Over Did, as opposed to Over Dose) on two things as a kid. One being white rice, the other fish.
White rice was served with 99% of dinners my mom cooked. White rice was the Japanese version of a side of carbs, taking the place of bread, potatoes or stuffing, sopping up whatever leftover juices were left on our plates. I'm sure as a tot I gobbled down bowls of it, as pretty much every Asian kid does. I even remember white rice as a dessert that my dad fixed – a bowl of rice and milk, sprinkled with sugar Not that we didn't have a "real" dessert available to us (he did own a chain of bakeries, afterall), but I think it was a form of comfort dessert to him, as he used to have that when he was a kid growing up during the depression. As simplistic as it sounds, I remember it being pretty good. But as I got older, the inner foodie in me (as much as I dislike that term), saw white rice as a bland, glutenous "filler," serving the purpose of nothing more than to take up valuable real estate in my stomach. To me, it was akin to iceberg lettuce in a sandwich. Tasteless. Wasted space. Unnecessary.
Fish was another food I ate as a kid, but eventually disregarded. I remember eating bass that was caught during excursions to the Redondo Beach Pier, grilled catfish on camping trips, fish sticks on Friday at the school cafeteria and anchovies fried up and eaten like french fries at old school Italian restaurants. But I think it was the tuna that did me in. Tuna sandwiches were a staple in my lunch box every week. Chicken of the Sea, mixed with mayo, salt and pepper. Sometimes mustard. Sometimes relish. Although it wasn't my favorite, it was lunch and I was hungry. But at some point during my teens, I gave up trying to like fish altogether. I think it must have coincided with the time I could actually buy my lunch at school.
I was the one Japanese who didn't eat fish, didn't eat rice. Go figure.
So with these two foods out of my diet for over 30 years, it's a wonder how they have found their way back into it again, and with a vengeance. Though the food still remains the same, the delivery has changed. This in the form of sushi – vinegared rice topped with fish. I do admit my initiation back to my roots with this traditional cuisine was a slow one. First it was California rolls only, for a while. Then I graduated to unagi, where I stayed for a long time. But once I had a bite of the buttery toro (which I'm sure was sake induced), I was in love. Bring on the hamachi, maguro, saba and uni. At least once a week.
I often wonder if I'll OD on white rice and fish again. There's always that.
I am hoping to apply my self-induced ODing theory to my latest addiction – Cheetos. I love Cheetos. The satisfaction of getting my fingers oranged up, digesting tons of fat and who knows what kinds of imitation cheeses, the crunch, the taste…I love love love it. I am hoping that if I eat enough bags of it, I'll OD on them, only to pick it back up again in another 30 years.


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June brings end of the year events such as recitals, award presentations, plays, dances, proms, graduations and a plethora of happenings parents of school-aged children attend, which are just too vast to mention all of them. Some of us parents, and by some it seems nowadays only a few, actually enjoy watching the yearly accomplishments of their children with pride and politeness.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Oh, HELL No!
Posted by Ask the Pro Stylist at 11:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Dance Moms, Parenting, Recitals, Respect, School Plays
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Life Lessons from a 14-Year-Old
I have neglected my blog lately. Been busy writing for money, rather than love. Like a favorite pair of shoes in the closet that has yet to adorn the perfect outfit, so is this blog waiting patiently for the perfect story. And now, as is generally the case, one of my children has inspired me to send a little love into cyberspace.
As many of you who follow me are aware, my children are my life. They also happen to be quite talented in various forms of the arts. At this moment however, I am choosing to focus on Michael, number two son and my angel baby.
Posted by Ask the Pro Stylist at 8:56 AM 1 comments
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Saturday, April 28, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
My Little Princess
Posted by Nichole at 8:48 AM No comments:
My Little Rockstar
Posted by Nichole at 8:42 AM No comments:
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Sooo Beautiful
Posted by Nichole at 9:37 AM No comments:
Roman's first car!
Posted by Nichole at 9:23 AM No comments:
Monday, April 16, 2012
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Flower Child
Posted by Nichole at 5:41 PM No comments:
Friday, April 6, 2012
My big girl
Love her!
Posted by Nichole at 1:08 PM No comments:
Thursday, April 5, 2012
What happens at Grammy's house...
This is what happens when Haven spends the evening with Grammy!
Posted by Nichole at 8:39 AM No comments:
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Princess Cousins
Posted by Nichole at 4:38 PM No comments:
Zoo Buds
Haven loves her friend Camryn! Camryn is two years older but Haven keeps up with her & just adores her! Here they are admiring a lovely swan at the zoo.
Posted by Nichole at 7:32 AM No comments:
Just say no to grass!
Roman hates grass! He will stay in one place for like 30 minutes so he doesn't have to touch the stuff! Which, if you have been around my son at all lately, you know that he is always on the move! He cracks me up!
Posted by Nichole at 7:22 AM 1 comment:
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Right now you can snag Converse All Star High Top Shoes for $44.99 (Retail $60) with code PZY4499 at checkout.
The Chuck Taylor All Star is the most iconic sneaker in the world, recognized for its unmistakable silhouette and cultural authenticity. For generations, the shoe's classic colors and quality vulcanized rubber sole have defined an icon.
Product Features:
-Vulcanized sole
-Rubber toe bumper and arch grommets
-High top shoe
-Durable rubber sole for enhanced traction and control
-100% Cotton Canvas


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It's official. The American population is retarded.
Or rather, at least according to a recent Gallup Poll, around 1 in 5 American's are retarded. That's right! For the third time in the last decade, American's have voted Ronnie Reagan as their favorite Commander in Chief this country has ever seen.
Yet we still wonder why the rest of the global community thinks we have a screw or two loose. Forget the fact that 19% of those polled think that Ronnie topped Abe Lincoln (who received 14% of the vote in second place), but we actually celebrate the fact that we let a former president of the Screen Actor's Guild hold the highest office of our government.
Now, not all the results of the poll induced such despair as Reagan being at the top. Thankfully, Lyndon Johnson (who took over after Kennedy's assassination), Andrew Jackson (who so skillfully bullied around the Native Americans that Adolf Hitler said he would never have been able to be so successful with the Holocaust without Jackson's notes), and Richard Nixon (don't really need to go into specifics on this one) all received less that 0.5% of the vote.
It is my belief that this poll is a testament to the old maxim, "Out of sight, out of mind." As noted in the article, 4 of the last 5 Presidents all hold spots in the top 10. The American public simply can not be bothered to remember and recognize the accomplishments of men such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was actually placed lower than Obama with less than 5% of the vote. Hell, even Bill Clinton beat out JFK. I'm a fan of blowies in the Oval Office too guys, but come on, better than JFK? Really?
Now I realize that most people who voted Reagan into the top spot are probably making their decision based on several key accomplishments, such as the end of the Cold War, a slashing of the inflation rate, and huge federal tax cuts. However, while these tax cuts made life a little easier for most Americans who were now receiving a little more spare change in each paycheck, he accomplished these cuts by digging in to Medicaid, food stamps, and Social Security. It was on the back of these cuts that Reagan, despite lowering taxes for John Q. Taxpayer, was still able to dump an additional 40% increase into the defense budget in his first term alone.
So, was Reagan really our best President? Sure! If you were in the top percentile of American's who did not suffer from the cuts made to federal aid programs, and banked on the tax cuts that largely favored the wealthy. If, however, you were a poor handicapped person living on the graces of Social Security, then you probably took offense to his administration's attempts to cull the disabled from the rolls of those who were eligible for Social Security.
And let us not forget that Reagan was the first president to allow the national deficit to push up into the TRILLIONS. During his second term, despite a hard-line platform to reduce and maintain government spending, the deficit jumped from $997 billion to $2.85 trillion, an increase of over 300%. An important tidbit in light of all the current debate surrounding Obama's attempts to balance the national checkbook, I'd say.
C'mon people. In the words of Bill Hicks, squeegee your third eye, wake the fuck up and realize that you're out there trusting the words of an actor in front of a camera. The man made his career playing a role on a stage, and if you think he was doing anything but as he was paraded in front of news cameras with that Hollywood smile and elitist rhetoric, then I'd recommend looking into the possible benefits of a lobotomy. Hell, at this point, it couldn't hurt. Don't get me wrong, I'm not just attacking Reagan here. They're all scum. To paraphrase another counter-culture icon, FUCK all these "smiley-glad-hands" and their hidden agendas. Stop feeding off all this bullshit you hear on the nightly news and start the Revolution!
I leave you now with an accurate representation, albeit a tad exaggerated, of how I think Reagan really felt about the general public.


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Invicta FC Strawweight Champion Carla "Cookie Monster" Esparza makes her first title defence at Invicta Fighting Championships 7 on December 7th in Kansas City, Missouri. Esparza is expected to face unbeaten BJJ black belt Claudia "Claudinha" Gadelha in a bout that may headline the card.
MMARising.com confirmed event date and location details with Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp today, and plans for the Esparza-Gadelha title tilt with multiple sources close to the negotiations. The fighters were first set to face off at Invicta FC 4, but Gadelha was forced out due to a broken nose.
To read the full article, (click here).


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This plugin is just a kind of quick link.
It will add the display list of the selected display object in the tree, in a separate tab.
So you won't have to browse the tree whenever you want to find the components you need.
Released on:
Flex tools
Kap Lab exists because innovation is our passion. Enjoy our products and help us to give you the best.
Cyril Daloz
CEO Kap IT


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The event is aimed at mothers.
The event is aimed at mothers, especially those from low-income ratios that want to bond with their babies and better aligned learn interaction techniques. Speech therapist speech therapist is a day special 'communication with your baby 'run sessions.
– Professor Pine said: We have found that promoting mothers can use simple hand gestures and their children have linguistic and wider non-linguistic benefits for children, especially for those who are delayed in danger of language development because of social deprivation ., low educational level of the parents, or other factors, it is of the utmost importance that the results of research are made available to the community so that interventions to those who need it aligned. .. The Gore Medical Products Division has creative therapeutic solutions to complex medical problems for three decades offers. During this time, more than 25 million innovative medical devices were implanted by Gore, save and improve the quality of lives worldwide. The extensive Gore Medical family of products includes vascular grafts, endovascular and interventional devices, surgical meshes for hernia repair and sutures for in vascular, cardiac and general surgery. Read More


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Top score on the Shuttle Sim hardest setting. Really not that hard.
I've gotten over $200 in cash back from them at places I would have shopped anyway! Ebay, Staples, more! I put it at the top because they ROCK. Basically, you get a kickback from Ebates when buy.com or whoever pays them. Win-win. If you like throwing money away, don't use them!
Thursday, July 07, 2011
That's right, Space Center Houston
Posted by Robert Bullock at 1:42 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Monday, July 04, 2011
Someone needs to optimize their search engine
Posted by Robert Bullock at 1:16 PM 0 comments Links to this post
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text: We are professional tree climbers and bucket truck operators. The bucket truck is used when possible to simplify the work. If the trees are not reachable with the bucket truck we will climb them with ease. We do not use spikes when trimming and pruning live trees. Trust J.M. Tree Service for all your Tree Removal needs!


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Follow @jeenyuscorner
(RT.com) – Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) will only serve the US Congress for a few more weeks, but victories for the congressman's allies this Election Day suggest the libertarian lawmaker's revolution might not end just yet.
A White House victory for the former Republican Party candidate was never considered likely by the mainstream media, but Rep. Paul focused his efforts throughout the election season on a bid for the Oval Office that inevitably came to an end this week.
Earlier in the year, Rep. Paul said he wouldn't be pursuing another term on the Hill, essentially meaning the long-time congressman would put his career in Washington behind him once his current role expires. Even with Capitol Hill soon to be in his past, though, the ideals Rep. Paul touted will likely be heard in the House of Representatives next session nonetheless thanks to a slew of wins this week for like-minded politicians.
President Barack Obama wasn't the only incumbent who lucked out this week: 32-year-old Rep. Justin Amash, a freshman lawmaker from Michigan, was re-elected to Congress for a second term following a well-received stint that drew several comparisons to Rep. Paul during the last two years. Rep. Amash was among Paul's biggest backers on the campaign trail during his ill-fated bid for the White House, and regularly went public with ideas that were voiced by few others in Washington, including opposition to both the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and the Federal Reserve. According to the District of Columbia Republican Committee, Rep. Amash is among the top 35 most influential members of the GOP under the age of 35.
"We are going back to D.C. and it looks like we are going to have a very similar makeup to what we have now," Amash told the Detroit Free Press early Wednesday. "We've got to work together to deal with our most pressing issue: the debt."
Speaking earlier this year to a crowd at the University of Florida, Rep. Amash said that his colleague's actions in Congress were instrumental for the future of advancing personal liberty. "This movement is Ron Paul's legacy," he said, adding, "Now it is our duty to grow it into the majority it can be."
Thomas Massie, another disciple of Rep. Paul, took nearly two-thirds of the vote in a face for Kentucky's 4th Congressional District on Tuesday, thanks largely to support from the congressman's son and fellow Republican, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. Additionally, Massie — a scientist with a background at MIT — received backing from the Liberty For All SuperPAC, a political action committee formed with the goal of electing candidates "who understand that limited government is the basis of security, prosperity and peace." The Federal Election Commission reveals that Massie managed to raise nearly 10 times as much as his opponent this race, Democrat attorney Bill Adkins.
Kerry Bentivolio, a retired high school teacher campaigning for Michigan's 11th Congressional District race, also won on Tuesday. Like Massie and Amash, the Liberty For All SuperPAC offered their support to his campaign as well.
Congressman Walter Jones, an incumbent up for re-election in North Carolina's 3rd District, was also victorious this week. As with Rep. Paul, Rep. Jones was adamant about halting the quick-paced erosion of American's civil liberties and ending foreign wars. Jones has served his state since 1995.
Even after losing the GOP nomination to former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, Rep. Paul resisted endorsing the Republican Party pick, nor did he support Pres. Obama's bid for re-election. Speaking to CNN earlier on Tuesday, Paul said, "I don't think there's enough difference between the two candidates, and I assume the victor today will be the status quo."
"We're going to continue with basically the same policies that we've had for a long time, so I don't see the election, as the way it's turning out, to be very crucial at all."
As far as the Executive Branch is concerned, Rep. Paul may very well be right. Given the success his allies in Congress are seeing though, at least the legislative branch might make some strides for liberty during the next few years.
Related articles
- Ron Paul revolution continues in Congress (rt.com)
- Ron Paul Republicans win House races | THE JEENYUS CORNER (jeenyuscorner.com)
- Ron Paul foresees 2012 outcome: Status Quo Will Win | JCTV | THE JEENYUS CORNER (jeenyuscorner.com)
- Hands Off the Electoral College by Ron Paul | THE JEENYUS CORNER (jeenyuscorner.com)
- Republican Electors Threaten to Vote for Ron Paul Instead of Romney | THE JEENYUS CORNER (jeenyuscorner.com)
- GOP in Deep Trouble, Ron Paul Looking Good | THE JEENYUS CORNER (jeenyuscorner.com)
- Doug Wead: How Mitt Romney cheated his way to the GOP nomination | THE JEENYUS CORNER (jeenyuscorner.com)
- Ron Paul- From Candidate To Movement In One Election Cycle | THE JEENYUS CORNER (jeenyuscorner.com)
- EXCLUSIVE: Interview With Brian "B-Ryan" Doyle: Pro-Liberty Democrat Challenging Rep. Jeff Duncan | THE JEENYUS CORNER (jeenyuscorner.com)
- Daily Caller: Several 'Ron Paul Republicans' win closely contested House races (dailypaul.com)


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Month of June:
The other day Mom was holding Li'ora while I talked to her. Li'ora saw me and waved to me. Fingers and all. :)
While I was babysitting one day, Li'ora was fussing on the floor. I picked her up and she gave me a kiss and a hug. It was so sweet. I cannot believe she will be 8 months old this July. July 4th too.
Emma and I getting in bed. Emma already laying down asks: "Can I pway wid youwr haer?" She has an obsession with hair. :)
Malachi and Emma are my students. This week we started memorizing bible verses. Malachi says his very well: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1 Emma is still working on hers. :) She says it very well and so cute!
I'm sure there are several other "little memories" but I cannot seem to recall them. If I remember any others I will come back and update this post. :)


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News story
May Labour Market Statistics for Scotland
Unemployment in Scotland fell by 7,000, to 199,000 in January to March 2013, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) data.
Unemployment in Scotland fell by 7,000, to 199,000 in the period January to March 2013, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) data released today. The Scottish unemployment rate is 7.3 per cent, which is below the average of 7.8 per cent for the whole of the UK.
The labour market statistics also show employment in Scotland has increased by 54,000 over the three months January to March 2013. The number of those in employment in Scotland now stands at 2,517,000.
The Secretary of State for Scotland, Michael Moore said:
"The latest labour market figures are another welcome step in the right direction and it is good news that Scotland is doing well as part of UK. This shows that the measures we are taking on the economy are working.
"However, there is still a long way to go and unemployment remains a huge concern for families and individuals in Scotland. It is therefore important that we maintain our economic strategy, working together with all partners to ensure that unemployment continues to fall. I am confident that the measures introduced to Parliament as part of the Queen's Speech earlier this month such as supporting families with childcare costs, and taking 35,000 businesses in Scotland out of National Insurance contributions altogether, will continue to aid the economic recovery in Scotland."
Headline Statistics for the January to March 2013 quarter:
Employment in Scotland increased by 54,000 over the quarter, and increased by 30,000 over the year, to stand at 2,517,000.
The Scots employment rate increased over the quarter to 71.8 per cent. The rate is above the UK average of 71.4 per cent.
Unemployment in Scotland fell by 7,000 over the quarter and fell by 21,000 over the year. The level now stands at 199,000.
At 7.3 per cent, the Scots unemployment rate is now below the UK rate as a whole at 7.8 per cent.
Economic Activity increased by 47,000 over the quarter and now stands at 2,716,000. The Economic Activity rate increased over the quarter to stand at 77.6 per cent.
In April 2013, the number of people out of work and claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) was 136,800.
Latest Data for Scotland
The Labour Force Survey (LFS) indicates that the number of people in employment in Scotland from January to March 2013 was 2,517,000. Employment was up by 54,000 compared to the previous three months, and was up by 30,000 compared to the same quarter last year. The employment rate was up on the previous quarter by 1.1 p.p., and it was up by 0.4 p.p. compared to the same quarter last year, at 71.8 per cent. In comparison, the Scottish employment rate is above the UK average.
Unemployment in Scotland was down 7,000 over the quarter January to March 2013, to 199,000. The level was down 21,000 compared to the same quarter last year. The unemployment rate was down by 0.4 p.p. on the previous quarter at 7.3 per cent, which is down 0.8 p.p. over the year.
Claimant Count
The claimant count in Scotland, based on the seasonally adjusted number of people claiming Job Seeker's Allowance (JSA), increased by 100 from March to 136,800 in April 2013. The level is down by 5,200 on April 2012. The claimant count rate is unchanged over the month at 4.9 per cent, and is down 0.2 p.p. over the year.
Economic Activity
The number of economically active (defined as those in employment or ILO unemployed, and seasonally adjusted) in Scotland in the January to March 2013 quarter was 2,716,000. This was up 47,000 on the previous quarter, and is up 10,000 on the same point a year ago. Among those aged 16-64 the economic activity rate was 77.6 per cent, up 0.9 p.p. on the previous quarter, and down 0.2 p.p. over the year.
The internationally comparable International Labour Organisation (ILO) measure of unemployment is the headline figure published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for UK regions/countries.
The ILO measure of unemployment, which is derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS), is published 12 times a year for an average of three consecutive months, so the May publication will show the average for January to March. ONS recommend that seasonally adjusted data should be compared with the previous non-overlapping three-month period: i.e. January to March data should be compared with October to December data. Quarter to quarter changes at country/regional level are especially subject to sampling variability and should be interpreted in the context of changes over several quarters.
The count of those claiming unemployment-related benefits continues to provide a full and timely range of data at sub-Scotland level for local authorities, Travel to Work Areas (TTWAs) and parliamentary constituencies. The claimant count is also the main source of information on unemployment by age and duration. Data on the claimant count in the New Deal age and duration groups is available from 1985.
The ILO measure of unemployment defines unemployed people as those who are; without a job, want a job, have actively sought work in the last four weeks and are available to start work in the next two weeks or; out of work, have a found a job and are waiting to start in the next two weeks. The claimant count measures the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance benefits. The claimant count measure is always the lower measure because some unemployed people are not entitled to claim benefits, or choose not to do so.
Economic activity is a measure of those who are in employment plus those who are unemployed but are available to enter the labour market (ILO unemployed). Conversely, the economically inactive are those people who are not in employment, but do not fulfill all the ILO criteria to be classified as unemployed. The most common reasons given for inactivity are being a student, being retired, looking after a family or home and being long-term sick or disabled.
To access the data from the ONS site, click on the following link:
Search for "Labour Market Regional Tables 1 to 11 Scotland May 2013". Select the above title from the list given, and select "excel" under the download options to access the data.
Media contact: Clark Dunn: 0131 244 9053/ 07917084371


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Over the next three to four years, the Unum offices will take on the new look for the more than 2,500 employees who work in
Unum CEO
"We want to make sure that our business offices are representative of the modern attitude we have about our company," McKenney said. The company began renovations in
The new offices include more light and facilitate more team decision making, said
"We think physical space is important to bringing teams and the company together," Sabourin said. "The engagement and interaction allos employees to cross learn other roles among the team, which facilitates a quicker customer response and issue resolution."
McKenney said Unum is investing "tens of millions of dollars" in its office facilities in
The 48-year-old Unum CEO also is eager to be more open about his company in
"We want more people to know about us," McKenney said in a recent interview at the corporate headquarters in
Poised for growth
After rolling up a record-high profit of
With the prospect of higher interest yields on the company's
"I think we are positioned better now than we have ever been to grow the company," McKenney said.
Among a half dozen industry analysts who follow Unum, most expect Unum profits to top
Unum's stock is up about 60 percent in the past year and has more than quadrupled from the low point reached in the market at its worst point eight years ago.
But Unum's stock still remains well below its 1999 high reached when the former
But McKenney said Unum is a growing company again.
Related Article
Unum earnings rise, beating analysts' expectations
Read more
Growing voluntary insurance at work
Unum has been the world's biggest disability insurer for more than 30 years. But disability insurance is now only about 20 percent of the company revenues. Over the past couple of years, Unum has acquired dental and vision companies to expand its work-based employee benefit offerings.
Dental and vision was a gap in coverage that Unum moved to fill by buying National Dental Plan in the
"We see dental and vision as a great growth area for us and we see the potential for us to be a top player in the next five to 10 years," McKenney said. "There are more opportunities, which could involve more acquisitions. But some of it is pure organic growth."
Unum, which is also the nation's third biggest provider of voluntary insurance and the fifth biggest overall insurer of group life insurance plans, will continue to sell its products in the work environment where employees typically are most able and desirous of buying and getting insurance and other employee benefits, McKenney said.
The company sells its workplace plans through more than 5,000 independent brokers.
"We're at the workplace and, while we don't want to do health care or retirement savings, we do want to meet other employee needs for benefits and coverage for everything else," McKenney said. "We want to be a one-stop broker for all of the other ancillary benefits."
Economy, political winds of change
Unum has benefited by the rebound in employment growth in recent years and the company should benefit as wages rise and more workers are able and willing to buy more volunteer benefits at work.
"We've seen some of the employment growth come back in the past few years, and now we're starting to see some more wage inflation," McKenney said. "Both of those are good for us."
The debate over the future of the Affordable Care Act, or ObamaCare, has created more uncertainty about health insurance benefits by many employers, and the trend toward higher deductibles has forced a bigger share of workers to pay for the first dollar costs of illness and diseases. More than one fourth of health insurance plans now have high deductibles for health insurance.
That shift has created some employer and worker anxiety, but it also is creating opportunities for Unum by encouraging workers to consider other income replacement and other types of voluntary insurance options.
"We're going to keep adapting and changing," McKenney said.
Changes in
The economic changes have also put Unum's headquarters into a new physical environment in its home town.
Although Unum has outsourced some of its jobs, such as
Unum has adequate parking for all of its
"Whatever is built, we want to make sure it fits with our overall campus downtown," McKenney said. "We can envision our employees during lunch time having a nice stroll around our offices, especially if these areas develop in an attractive way with opportunities for our workers and others to eat or shop or enjoy a walk around downtown. That matters to us as opposed to just getting top dollar with something that is not what we want in our surrounding property."
(c)2017 the Chattanooga Times/Free Press (Chattanooga, Tenn.)
Visit the Chattanooga Times/Free Press (Chattanooga, Tenn.) at www.timesfreepress.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


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July 11, 2017
As a follow-up to a recent article in this newsletter about the Disabled Sailing Association at the Canadian Forces Sailing Association Yacht Club, I asked the instructor, Jamie Hargreaves, "if she had a wish list, what would it be?"
Jamie put together her list and now I'm putting out the challenge to the boating community in the Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay and Esquimalt to put together teams, take a look at the list and figure out which part of the list are you best suited to take on.
"The List"
Companion Sailors must be a person with sufficient sailing experience to feel comfortable taking individuals out in a boat on their own. (There is help on the docks and a safety boat on the water)
• Sail Repair and Upholstery
• Boat Washing/Rudder Scrubbing
• Carpentry skills
• Fiberglass or Boat Repair
• Special Event Planning (Including New Year's Day Fundraising Regatta).
• Grill Master for Barbeques!
• Seeking Donations and In-Kind Support
• Professional Photography and Videography
• Website Support
• Writing articles for Newsletter or Social Media
• 'Manning' a Booth at a Fair
• Board Members


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Board Blogs December 20, 2005Posted by Michael McVey in Online Tools.
How delightful that a school district in West Bend, Wisconsin, is considering setting up a blog to aid in communication. Of course, when a school district sets up its own blog it also creates a new set of interesting issues and unintended consequences.
One issue already under examination stems from the fact that board members are not free to socialize with each other in case they inadvertently form a quorum of members. Open Meeting laws strictly control meetings of governing board members by specifying advanced advertisement of meetings, invitations to the public, and a posted agenda.
What happens in the virtual world if board member Smith posts a comment read by board members Grijalva and O'Hara who in turn post a reaction to the comment? Technically, they have all communicated a particular position to each other in contravention of open-meeting regulations. Or have they? Such questions are for the lawyers to unravel.
I suspect that board members will simply read the posts to get a sense of what people in their district are saying about key issues. However, even this can cause a problem when readers post rumor and innuendo as fact and inflame tempers and emotions. This could cause a situation where the publishing of a simple misrepresentation, easily cleared up in person, instead grows to a full blown crisis fed by the immediacy of the web log.
On the other hand, in school districts rumors and hearsay abound, a blog might be just the place to put to rest unsubstantiated theorizing and gossip. Some say we should open a window and let the sun shine in on the dark mysterious corners.
Open windows, however, can let in fresh breezes and warming sunlight. They can also let in the rain and a family of raccoons as happened in my cabin in the woods one afternoon. There is nothing like the smell of wet raccoon to add some disorder to a school board meeting.
No comments yet — be the first.


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Like many, we (my entire family) are Seinfeld fans. Who isn't?
So I am at LAX this morning, minding my own business when Julia Louis Dryfus strolls up. Honestly, I am not a Star Struck kind of person! I really tried not to stare. I really tried not to take a picture.
Carpe Diem got the best of me! Not sure when she would ever get the chance to take a picture with me again so . . . .
She was nice. I was nice too . . . I didn't use a flash!
Who is the most famous person you've gotten a picture with?


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If you are not an insider in the formal world of Jewish philanthropy, you may not be familiar with the Lion of Judah pin. Boy, are you ever missing out. And you thought there was no such thing as philanthropy pop culture. Well, I am here to prove otherwise.
I haven't found a good representation of the pin online, so I'll describe it to you in hopes you can picture it. In truth, I've only seen the pins on a number of occasions when top level federation donors are congregated for seminars or tours in Israel.
I first noticed the pin at such an event recently and was taken aback at its size and statement. Then I noticed that everyone in the room was wearing one and made it my mission to find out what it was. Allow me to fill you in so you too can be in the know on this little pop culture tidbit.
The Lion of Judah pin was created in 1972 during a fundraising drive by the Miami Women's Campaign as a "symbol of commitment to the worldwide Jewish community."
The pin was nationalized in 1980 with a campaign logo created in 1983. Gemstones are added to denote levels of giving, with more variations added over time as the pin's popularity and women's generosity grew.
Levels of Giving to the Annual Campaign: What the Gemstones Symbolize
- Gold pin: $5,000 annual commitment (base)
- Ruby: $10,000 annual commitment
- Sapphire: $18,000 annual commitment
- Emerald: $25,000 annual commitment
- Canary diamond: $50,000 (added in 1992 to mark the pin's 20th anniversary). The canary diamond inset marks the Zahav level.
- Gold flame: endowment gift of $100,000+. Called the Or L'Atid (Light Unto the Future), it is "is a symbol of the eternal responsiveness of Jewish women"
There are 12,000 Lions of Judah in the United States, 900 in Canada, and 13,000 worldwide.
What it Really Means to be in the "Sisterhood"
Think it's all about money and a little flash? This is no fools gold. Take a look at this video entitled "Sisters by Choice," a best practice model from the Washington D.C. Federation. (Psst, look for their pins in the video.)
I admit that I'm a sap, but this video is a great example of harnessing the power of donor emotions with a powerful message for an important purpose. Watch the video and you'll be thinking two thoughts, neither having to do with money:
- How do I become a part of that?
- What can I give to make a meaningful contribution?
Kapow! They got you.
I too want to give a chicken to a Cuban woman each Shabbat.
In the eloquent words of the Federation:
"Being a Lion of Judah, and wearing a Lion of Judah pin, gives us a very special way to connect with the greater Jewish community. You proudly show you recognize the meaning of tzedakah. Together, through caring and passion, women who wear the Lion of Judah pin are able to transform the concept of Tikum Olam from an abstract dream to a concrete reality."
A side note to foundation executives and campaign managers:
Maybe it is because I grew up when the internet was young and I don't feel proprietary toward information or media on the web, but this is such a great video, don't you want to use an embed code so that as many people as possible can see it? I don't know the politics of it and I'm sure that the federation who funded it wants ownership rights, but this is a video that would benefit the whole giving community if it had a wider audience.
I just had a conversation the other day at my own organization. We are producing a series of interviews with hot shot politicos, academics, and other leaders in the Jewish world that are available for free on our website. I strongly believe that all videos that will benefit the community and can be used for good should attempt to gain a wider audience. I'm sure there could be technicalities used to prevent copyright infringement or site hacking.
The bottom line: a really good promotional film takes time, energy, and a significant investment to produce. If your organization has such a thing, be proud of it and allow promotion to maximize your brand. Include your logo, site links, etc, but let people use it to push your mission forward! A great video can be one of the pillars of cause marketing and can do your work for you. You made the investment, now let others help you with its promotion.
See my entry on Cause-Based Viral Marketing: How Your Nonprofit Can Maximize Social Networking Tools.
For more information about the Lion of Judah movement, read Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand's story about her first encounter and what the symbol came to mean to her.


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An idea for rusksPosted: 30 September 2011 | Author: Rusty Wright | Filed under: baking, bread, chips and crackers, cooking, food, food drying, pressure cooker, whole grains |Leave a comment
I was reading an article online where the writer was raving about sriracha sauce, which I also love. It occurred to me that I could use it with my rusks. My idea is to use it just before I dry the slices. The slices are a very dense bread just before they're dried in the dehydrator; I'm thinking that I can thin the sriracha with a little water and then use a basting brush and brush some on one side of each slice before I put it in the dehydrator.
37.953811 -121.964375


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It's a union still deemed illegal in their own country, but two Australian women have found refuge here in New Zealand, where they were able to make a vow of love in a bittersweet ceremony boycotted by some of their family.
Bride Charity Turner, who wed her partner Phoebe Cox at wedding venue Sudbury in Peka Peka, north of Wellington said the pair "felt at peace" upon finding the setting.
Their wedding journey was filmed for the television series Bride and Prejudice: the Forbidden Weddings, which follows five couples whose families don't support their unions.
Turner, a singer-songwriter who grew up in a Pentecostal Christian family, has also shared her story on mamamia.com, detailing the frustration over being a same-sex couple wanting to wed in Australia.
"Telling someone their love doesn't deserve the same recognition as yours, is, I believe, not loving.
"After all, I'm just a girl that so happens to love another girl. It's not matter of religion. It's not a matter of politics. It's really quite plain and simple. It's just about love."
But Turner's family doesn't hold the same view.
She made a final plea to her parents via video, telling them: "This is who I am. I can't change. We leave for New Zealand now. It would make me really happy if you came, and that door is always open."
While Cox's mother supported the nuptials, Turner's parents and one of her four siblings refused to attend the ceremony.
When she asked her sister-in-law and old best friend why she wouldn't come to the wedding, she was told: "We all make choices in life" and that "comparing their relationship and mine is not a valid comparison because one is legal and the other is not."
But in a ceremony overlooking the countryside and attended by about 70 guests, the Cronulla-based couple were pronounced "wives for life".