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Saturday, May 12, 2012
Population or congregation - where the ghost of establishment resides
I'm coming to see that decision as possibly the prime disaster of the post-war church, principally in terms of mission. A few bullet points on the dimensions of that disaster:
- Where population is given that strong weight, there is no direct link between staffing and growth (or diminishment) of the congregation.
- There isn't even a direct link between population and workload, for the missing link between them is culture - a smaller population of more traditional culture will likely generate a larger workload for clergy than a larger population that is completely secular.
- It can cosset comfortable churches and set ceilings to growth, making it very difficult to reinforce success.
- It entrenches centralised management of resources rather than enabling local initiative.
- It confuses the mission of the church with maintenance of the status quo (that is, it equates the former with the latter) - and the status quo that was assumed in the mid-1970s is very far from being a healthy assumption to make about the church in the 2010s.
In my view the central diocese should step back from making such determinations, and hand over the responsibility for funding clergy to the parishes themselves, supplemented by a mission fund to support churches in more vulnerable areas. Failing that, we could at least shift to a system that excluded population from consideration, and tied the deployment of clergy directly to the size of congregations.
However, there is one aspect of population that I think would make a useful measure. There is, presumably, an average figure for how many from a local population are likely to become part of an Anglican church - let's say that it's 2.5% for ease - so for every 1,000 population we might expect a congregation of 25 people. We might then set up a system whereby any church which has a congregation of between 2% and 3% of the local population is considered 'average'; those with a congregation of less than 2% are less than average, those with more than 3% are more than average. This would give a rough and ready guide to how churches are doing (and obviously, other factors would need to be taken into account, along the same lines of the 'culture' mentioned earlier. Mission posts would not be expected to be 'average'!)
At the moment, a town of 20,000 people with a single church might have one that seemed to be thriving, with a church membership of 300 and all sorts of activities and services, whereas a small village with a population of less than 500 might seem to be failing, with a church membership of 16 - yet the latter would be 'above average' and the former quite significantly below. A formula for deploying clergy that places emphasis upon population will never challenge the former to grow, and will continue to reduce the resources available to the latter despite their progress in advancing the cause of the Kingdom.
7 comments:
It is interesting to note the huge difference In the calling of clergy between the CoE and the Episcopal Church in the states. Having been on a couple of Call Committees (the group largely responsible for the hiring of priests for a congregation), I have some inside knowledge of how it works. There are aspects I could appreciate in how you do things and the largest of those is the consistency across dioceses. Here, the whim of the bishop often determines their level of involvement in the choice - some being almost dictatorial and some not involved and every nuance in between. Generally, the vestry determines the need for additional clergy based on budget and congregational needs. Then hiring proceeds with interviews, visits to current congregations and discernment. One glaring exception is the deployment of the permanent diaconate. That is still at the sole discretion of the bishop but again, is not regulated by any rules like those you've described. I attend a 350-family church and we have no permanent deacon serving our church yet my deacon/friend has been assigned to a church of around 50 total members. Figure that one.ReplyDelete
I don't think even your residual use of population figures makes a useful measure. The church I attend would come out from that as extremely successful. It is indeed successful, but not for the reasons that measure would give. The figure would come out that way simply because it has been assigned an arbitrarily small district and so population, but the majority of the congregation comes from outside that district. Cross boundary church attendance has become so much a part of the C of E that any measures based on arbitrary or historically defined parish boundaries are bound to be misleading.ReplyDelete
I'm someone who lives in one place and attends in a completely different diocese. But, I also occasionally attend two local churches, and probably count as part of their mid-week congregations.ReplyDelete
And different congregations exist even in small churches, with low numbers. We are a rural benefice and have 5 different churches with ER's between 116 to 35. Probably total ER of 350.
8 am BCP Congregations, average 9 to 16.
9.30 HC CW(Trad), average 15-20.
9.30 CW Family Communion, average 30-40.
9.30 Family Service, average 55
11am Matins, average 20
4pm Evensons, average 20.
9.30 Monthly Benefice Communion (no other svce) average 70.
We rotate BCP services around the churches.
On any Sunday, there will be two 1 x BCP, 2 x 9.30, 1 x 11 am and 1 x 4 pm service, in rotation.
Our youth group run separate services with average attendance of 40+.
Messy Church attracts upwards of 50.
Christingles attract in two services an average of 340.
Christmas and Easter generate peak attendances, seeing upto 140 at a single service, with at least 4 services.
I can't work out the averages for these, but the numbers attract one stipendiary minister for the benefice. We are due to receive another 4 churches into the benefice this month, bringing their HFD priest with them.
If we had to pay for our own stipendiary, we could probably afford to pay for one full time stipendiary.
Who would pay for all of the peripheral support services from diocese?
Who would pay for ministry training?
who would pay for clergy housing?
Who would pay for Clergy pensions? It goes on.
I don't have a solution to the Sheffield formula, but can see how complicated it all is. Our Clergy deployment is decided at Deanery, not Dioccese. Deanery also pull the purse strings for diocese. This appears to work reasonably well, although, deanery could do with more resources for planning and mission and a permanent administrator.
UK Viewer.ReplyDelete
The answer is simple (planning laws permitting) - shut a few church buildings. If I understand you correctly, you have 350 people in five churches. Two or three would be enough. You might get away with one. I reckon you could employ one staff member for the cost of maintaining two to three churches. You would then have a better staff / building ratio.
This is objectionable to most Anglicans. They prefer the steeple to the people. Didn't bother Jesus - he sometimes preached in the open!
The schools, shops, and pubs have gone in your villages, despite their higher attendance. The churches should now be thinned out too. The C of E has a choice - buildings or front line staff. If it chooses buildings, eventually the numbers will fall to a point where they will close anyway.
Will anything happen? I doubt it. Too many inward looking people in the CofE. That's why I left.
God help England!
Why the exodus of people? I see several possibilities...help me understand. A) the church has become irrelevant. B) people are seeking out other religions. C) they can't be bothered to attend. D) Population itself has decreased. Here in the pacific northwest of the US, we are the #1 most unchurched area in the country mostly because of reason B above (including atheism) and C.ReplyDelete
This is a slow moving blog. I hope it is moving. I fear those advocating closing churches are not on the side of the people they have been provided for but of mammon which to me is another guise of the devil.ReplyDelete
Might I ask why church members generally allow and accept directives from a church 'COMMANDED' (not led) by bishops who dictate what shall be done in their parishes which under the provisions of Parochial Church (Powers) Measure 1956 PCCs have the right to refuse to accept any measure it considers prejudicial to its church?
I suggest it is because they have made the mistake of believing what Bishops and Clergy tell them must be true so have been very easy to dupe.
Sadly it is not the case that clergy and bishops behave with honour in the best interests of the parishes and parishioners as I can prove.
There are vested and selfish interests prevailing.
In my experience it has become apparent the houses of bishops and clergy have deceived those they should be serving and leading to achieve their wrongful secular aims of 'downsizing' by stipendiary minister's redundancies to make possible the sequestration and redistribution of the perceived wealth from purportedly well endowed parishes within 'Rich' Dioceses such as the Diocese of Winchester where the parish where we live is. That was and remains a corrupt unlawful confidence trick carried out by the houses of bishops and clergy based on the defiance and abuse of pastoral measures including false claims of shortage of applicants for ministry training. It was and remains a scheme to withdraw stipendiary ministry from parishes to facilitate the enforced merger of parishes to form amorphous dissimilar devices bishops called 'benefices' to justify declaring church and parish property 'redundant'when it was not, to justify seizing and 'disposing' of it by sale for the betterment of Diocesan and C of E funds to the detriment of parishes' spiritual and pastoral care.
That has been achieved by Bishops and clergy jointly disregarding the needs of the people they were appointed to serve and lead deceiving then defrauding them by denying their human rights to be heard by an impartial court appointed by law taking from them what was rightfully theirs by a generous bequest of Alice Long (ALT) of the parish of Owslebury made in 1832 placed in trust of Canterbury of £1,000 to be invested in irredeemable Government Loan Stock (CONSOLS) to provide in perpetuity for the benefit of the poor a minister's stipend and living with funds for the parish school and church hall beside the church of St Andrew on the Glebe where the parsonage still stands.
Alice Long's bequest served her intended purpose from the date of the proof of her last will and testament from the time the will was proved after her death in 1834 until 1972 when we arrived in the parish but I believe the embezzlement of ALT took place in 1921 when in another abuse of power by Bishops the parish of Morestead was deprived of its rector rectory and church rooms by merging the parishes of Owslebury and Morestead.
There is a fundamental flaw in this which is the acceptance of the right of Bishops to operate a chain of command when their role is leadership which has been eschewed by their desire to deceive those whose pastoral care and spiritual guidance they were ordained for to serve. Instead in order to satisfy the requirements of the Sheffield formula was devised which is a device designed by accountants and accepted by lazy bishops who have deserted their posts and responsibilities of serving and leading those they have duped into believing they had no power to resist the fraudulent activities of making stipendiary ministers redundant so as justify forcibly merging parishes to seize then sell their assets for the betterment of diocesan and church of England coffers to the detriment of spiritual and pastoral care in parishes as bishops built up their pension funds. Rescission of such malfeasances is urgently required to prevent the collapse of the parochial church which requires that bishops acknowledge the truth and put it right as well as PCCs to recognise they have a duty to protect their parish churches from the abuses of power they have so far not resisted.ReplyDelete


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Wendy (41 mins) Wendy dances in clubs around Prague. She's in good shape and I couldn't wait to see her body naked. She came to me looking for new opportunities and fast ways to make good money. I told her about the adult industry and she seemed very keen. I told her about the benefits and she was willing to give it a try. I got her naked and she was wearing some sexy white stockings. That was it for me I had an instant hard on! She sucked my cock and then we fucked on the couch. When I couldn't hold the jizz any longer I spunked all over her toned ass!December 28, 2013
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subset: commoncrawl


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Mr. President ~ thanks for the lecture to the Left, who elected you, today. I know you are pleased as punch with your Incrementalism but I am among the majority who elected you who are not convinced that you are on our side on the core issues.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating Mr. President and you have delivered for the Republics, Banks, Corporations and the Right who vilify you, while you give the Progressives, Liberals and Unions the bum's rush. You say you are the President of all America but you make a point of leaving your base out of that equation. I am deeply disappointed in you sir.
I did not vote for another term of the Reagan/Bush/Clinton/Bush Crony shenanigans!
The only fight you seem to have the stomach for Mr. President is with yourself, your base and the Liberal Ideal that your mother was sure you would stay true to…
Brad Parker
Left Turn Only


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dweebofthedead wrote:Man, what a crazy weekend. I believe UFC history was made that night. All three belt holders lost.
I hate Bisping and GSP looked great, but it's a shame he's dropping back down to his weight class.
Bummed for Joanna, though, but I like Thug Rose, too.
Also, Cody looked good, but TJ clipped him good.
Probably my favorite main card all year.
Agree, they had some horrible cards recently. I didn't order a few of the PPV as protest. Looking forward to seeing more of Costa and the Dec 2nd card is solid as well.


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Guten Abend allerseits 🙂
Scovia, war heute mit Hannah und ihrer Mutter beim Arzt…es wurde ein allgemeiner Checkup durchgeführt…Hannah war seid ihrer Geburt nicht mehr bei einem Arzt. Dank eurer Spenden, konnte sie nun endlich mal so richtig unter die Lupe genommen werden!
Scovia berichtet:
Today we have took Hannah to the hospital to check on her health, and this is what the doctor
Has told us me and hannah's mother.
Hannah needs special care for to grow well. He has mentioned many things as it follows below
• She needs love from both parents.
• She needs a hut on the head whenever she goes in the sun.
• She has to stay away from direct sun shine. If not so she will get skin cancer.
• If she can get sun screen that can be better for her.
• And if she starts school, we have to take her back to the hospital to get glasses which will help her in learning and seeing every thing.
• She needs a lot of fruits and vegetables every day to help her eyes see better.
The doctor has also told us show her love and to let her know that we are same only that for her it is the skin that is white but we are the same and you should do every thing that we can do too you a notdifferent from us. And she should grow knowing that.
Auf den Fotos könnt ihr Hannah beim Arzt sehen und ihre Hühner und die fertigen Fenster bewundern, die ihr unter anderem gespendet habt! 😉
Liebe Grüße,
Sophia& Charlotte


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Original Batmobile Auctioned Off For Record 4.6 Million
In 1965 George Barris bought a 1955 Lincoln Futura for one dollar. He just auctioned it off for $4.6 million. Now that is definitely what I call a profit.
Now after the initial $1 purchase he did put a whopping $15,000 into it. The car then became the first batmobile used in the 1960's TV series 'Batman'. The winning bid at the Barrett-Jackson auction house in Scottsdale, AZ, went to car collector Rick Champagne. When asked what Rick was going to do with the iconic car, his response was "I'm going to tear down a wall and put it in my living room." Good place for it Rick! I personally think it would be cool to see it in a museum somewhere but hey Rick, you do yo thang!
For those of you wondering how the Batmobile stacked up in car buying history, it actually tied the Aston Martin DB5 Sean Connery drove in 'Goldfinger' for the most expensive car ever sold.
Check out a video below of the car!


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Nissan/Infiniti Repair in Bridgewater, NJ
As busy as you are, you need a trustworthy Nissan and Infiniti repair shop that can keep up with you. Bridgewater Motorworks has the tools and experience you need, just minutes from your home or job.
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Depending on the situation, we might suggest engine or transmission replacement, especially if it can't be repaired economically. JASPER is the nation's largest and most-trusted engine and transmission remanufacturer, and Bridgewater Motorworks is the country's largest JASPER shop. Altogether, you can count on Bridgewater Motorworks' Nissan and Infiniti expertise.
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If you are in need of regularly scheduled Nissan maintenance or Infiniti service, come to Bridgewater Motorworks, located at 358 Union Ave, Bridgewater, NJ. Relax in our modern waiting area and speak with our experienced associates. If you're on the go, give us a call, at 908-218-9100. We look forward to serving you!
Years in Business
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The Service Was Excellent
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Courteous and Helpful
My 1992 Honda Prelude is 23 years old and BWMW always finds the parts and fixes it in a timely manner. If it weren't for them I probably would not have the car for as long as I do and running in great condition. My thanks to Greg, Bob, Pat , Brian and Joey for their courteous and helpful service. Highly recommended.
- Joseph M.
I am pleased to provide my experience with Bridgewater Motorworks, Greg Burchette, and the entire staff. I have always been treated in a friendly and courteous manner. Whatever needs to be done on my vehicles is done professionally and always with a prior and a reasonable estimate. Bridgewater Motorworks has always helped me in emergency situations, and has provided transportation to and from my Somerville office. I have the highest regard for Bridgewater Motorworks and would recommend them to everyone.
- Steve L.


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Release Date: December 9th, 2016 - 8:00am
Originator: Sergeant Barry Malciw, Media Relations, 905-825-4899
Contact: D/Constable Calvin Bulbrook, Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau, 905-825-4747 ext 2346
Location: Region Wide
Attachment: Dzugalo picture.jpg
Fugitive Friday Week #49
It is week #49 of our Fugitive Friday initiative wherein the Halton Regional Police Service reaches out to the public to help locate wanted persons and hold them accountable for their actions.
There are numerous people who continue to evade the police and the court system and continue to live out in our communities while having a warrant for their arrest in place.
Every Friday, Halton Regional Police Offender Management Unit will share information on a wanted person in hopes that the public can assist in locating the individual.
We will share Fugitive Friday information on our website and via social media through our website.
In this edition of Fugitive Fridays for 2016 the 3 District, Burlington Offender Management Unit is searching for Sacha DZUGALO 29 years old of Brampton ON.
It is alleged:
A warrant has been issued for her arrest.
She is now wanted by Halton Regional Police Service for:
DZUGALO is described as 5'2", 133 lbs with brown hair and brown eyes. DZUGALO has a tattoo of a star on her right forearm and a star on her left wrist.
DZUGALO is known to frequent Burlington, Hamilton, Brampton, Mississauga and the surrounding areas.
Anyone who may have witnessed this person or has information that would assist investigators in locating her are encouraged to contact D/C Bulbrook - Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4747 Ext. 2346 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca, or by texting "Tip201" with your message to 274637 (crimes).


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Anyone notice that blaser seems to have gotten even dirtier that usual ?
I used to shoot blaser ammo a lot few years back but then started shooting speer lawman almost exclusively as range ammo, which I have found to be extremely consistent.
I got a great deal on a case of blaser 45acp the other day an shot a few hundred rounds of it.
It has to be the dirtiest ammo I have ever shot by a longshot. After shooting 150 rounds my gun was filthy both inside AND outside. I was hooting an all stinless 1911 so the dirt was ver easy to see but Ive never seen any of my guns get near that dirty after a few hundred rounds.
Have the opportunity to get another case cheap but I think im going to pass base on the last case.
Just wondering if that is normal for blaser these days or what.
Dirtiest Ammo EVER??? In my opinion that title has long been held by Remington UMC!
In order to declare a new title holder, you'll need to perform a thorough scientific comparison, and once completed, provide a detailed Range Report to the forum for consideration...
If Some is Good, and More is Better.....then Too Much, is Just Enough !!
Blazer Brass is the only target ammo that goes bang every time, for me.
Never noticed being any "dirtier" than anything else.
Over the last couple of months I shot 9mm Blazer aluminum and Blazer brass in three pistols. The goal has been to see which pistol I perform best with -- from holster to multiple steel targets -- not really an evaluation of ammo. The pistols were a Glock, a Sig, and an all-stainless steel 1911. I cleaned the pistols in their normal manner, within a day two of each outing.
I did not feel that there was excessive carbon fouling an any pistol, especially in the stainless 1911. The Blazer ammo is relatively new, as I purchased it in separate transactions earlier in the year.
IMO there is much dirtier ammo than Blazer.
|Unflappable Enginerd
As noted above, I don't think I've ever seen anything as bad as UMC, hands down the worst, and I've shot a lot of blazer.
NRA Benefactor
I lost all my weapons in a boating, umm, accident.
|His diet consists of black
coffee, and sarcasm.
You'd have to look really hard to find a dirtier ammo than some Ultramax "remanufactured" (i.e., reloaded) .38 Special LRN I shot once. The smoke rivaled that of black powder and it covered my revolver and hand in gray soot. Runner-up is Wolf from the early 2000s (the last time I shot any). The residue wasn't that bad, but it smelled much like burning hair. I also recall UMC .223 smelling like ammonia.
Was just going to say that the Wolf steel case in 45 acp is nearly black powder. Haven't shot any lately, but still have about a 50 can full. I save that sort of thing for use on indoor ranges where they keep all the cases.
Have to say Remington UMC has consistently been some of the dirtiest I have shot. So much so I never buy it anymore.
Green box Remington and old Wolf were always the worst in my opinion.
All I've had all day is like six gummy bears and some scotch...
Yup !
I have a box that has just sat for the last few years. Thanks for the reminder. Next longer range session it will get used up.
Have not shot Blazer for awhile, it was always GTG for me. Maybe they changed powders or ran short and just substituted ?
Got back out to the range again today with the all stainless 1911.
The gun was spotless before today.
I shot 200 rounds of blaser 45 acp and again the gun was filthy afterwards.
I mean really really dirty.
What gets me is that I am seeing more on the outside of the gun that I ever remember seeing on any of my stainless guns even after shooting many more than 200 rounds through them.
Maybe it is just a bad batch but once this case is done ill be going back to speer for my future 45 range ammo.
|Bookers Bourbon
and a good cigar
Are you shooting Blazer Aluminum or Brass?
I always found the aluminum cased to be a bit dirtier (but not the worst by a long shot) than the brass cased.
"America without her Soldiers would be like God without his angels."
Claudia Pemberton
Magtech 9mm. A ton of unburnt powder every where.
|Sigforum K9 handler
Yeah, Ultramax was something. I shot a LOT of their 9mm when it was $89/1000. It was very dirty, and I think the fumes gave me super powers.
I haven't shot their stuff in years, and in looking, it appears that they are still in business.
"Make it a shooting, and not a gunfight" LSP552 02/19/2011
You MATTER. Unless you multiply yourself by the speed of light squared. Then you ENERGY.
The afternoon knows what the morning never suspected.
-- Robert Frost
|Little ray
of sunshine
I never found Blazer to be particularly dirty.
Wolf .223 used to be pretty dirty, but it still shot pretty good.
The fish is mute, expressionless. The fish doesn't think because the fish knows everything.
|Uppity Helot
Ultramax factroy reloads featuring lead bullets seems to be the winner in my book.
Of course some of my handloads are on par with the Ultramax as far as dirt is concerned.
I shoot Blazer Brass 9mm 115 FMJ for range/practice ammo. I shoot quite a bit of it and don't find it to be very dirty.
A Veteran is someone who wrote a blank check Made payable to 'The United States of America' for an amount of 'Up to and including their life'.
That is Honor. Unfortunately there are way too many people in this Country who no longer understand that.
|fugitive from reality
Wolf steel cased, Ultramax, and anything cycled through an HK with locking rollers.
'I'm pretty fly for a white guy'.
As long as it works who cares how dirty it is?
You want to see dirty shoot 100 rounds of black powder loaded 45 colt
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The Overbrook Community Association is pleased to be participating in the City of Ottawa's Building Better Revitalized Neighbourhoods study that is focused on the Vanier-South and Overbrook area. The study will be designed to consider a range of economic development incentives and initiatives for businesses along St. Laurent Boulevard, as well as ways to improve pedestrian and cycling routes along the street and its commercial area. The study will also help the City determine how it should go about coordinating its ongoing and upcoming projects in the area, and also examine key sites within the area that may be subject to redevelopment.
In terms of feedback, the Association has told the City planner in charge of the study that it would like to see the City commit to "human-scale" development along the St. Laurent corridor and in its adjacent areas in Overbrook and Castle Heights. Despite the study's St. Laurent focus, we also strongly indicated the importance of "revitalizing" local businesses on Lola at Donald and especially at Queen Mary Street; and also have requested that better connections be created between Overbrook and the future St. Laurent light rapid transit (LRT) station. With a large number of low-income residents dependent on public transport, we further recommended that better bus routes and connections be reinstated and that Donald Street continue to be considered for enhanced cycling infrastructure. The Association also requested that more investments be made towards social service programming to benefit our neighbourhood's low-income residents and to keep numerous Ottawa Community Housing properties in our community in a "state of good repair" with improved public safety measures.
We also mentioned that underfunded neighbourhood programming for disadvantaged youth, such as the non-traditional evening and weekend after-school "AlivEducation" program at the Overbrook Community Centre, requires access to sustainable, long-term government funding. Included in our recommendations was also a request that the Rideau High School property remain a public asset, to be used for either educational purposes, or as an officially designated community hub. While OCA supports continued examination of all legal and political options that will ensure that the school remains open for decades to come and has taken a number of actions, including petitioning the Ministry of Education for an administrative review and the provincial Ombudsman for a general investigation into the school closure process, we are also concurrently committed to supporting the continued use of the school site as a public-owned facility operated by community groups in the public interest.
Due to the many issues challenging the quality of life of our community, we are extremely satisfied that the City has launched this study. The Association is happy to have hosted Melanie Knight, a planner at the City, on May 18 at a public meeting, where neighbours provided opinions, comments and feedback on priorities for revitalization. A draft of the study is tentatively targeted for completion by October and for presentation to City Council by the end of the year. We have indicated our hope that such a plan represent a "Marshall Plan" for our community.
With massive development pressures impacting Overbrook, along with a proposed downtown truck tunnel portal that we persist in opposing, the Association continues to support the creation of a new City-led Community Development Plan. The Association continues to reiterate its request that the City Planning and Growth Management Department include Overbrook among those communities for which a Community Development Plan is created. With high levels of intensification occurring in Overbrook, especially on the Vanier Parkway corridor, we believe that such a plan is essential to guide future development in our community, especially since such a study has not been conducted since 1979.


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If we teach our children that school is a prison, then summer school is extra punishment for the worst offenders. The sting of humiliation and failure adds to the pain of having to go to school when your friends are free.
That's too bad, because summer school isn't a punishment, it's an opportunity. In terms of education, summer vacation isn't a well-deserved rest; it's the time students forget much of what they learned.
Summer vacation persists because of tradition, inertia and the desire of some businesses for seasonal labor. The school calendar may have agrarian roots, but there's nothing natural about it. The good lord may have decreed that plants sprout in the spring and are harvested in the fall, but he never said kids were supposed to stop learning in the summer. —Holmes: Send them all to summer school (Daily News Trivia)
Sheesh. When I used to teach a two-semester freshman writing course, I was shocked at how much backsliding there was over Christmas.
After I returned the first assignment in January and said something like, "This is not high school anymore, and I won't expect to have to repeat material that should still be in your notebooks," the next assignments were much better.


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The lyrics to a favorite Cake song keep running through my head
Some people* like to make life
A little tougher than it is
So, Monday I realized that I could move. I thought about it and decided Monday afternoon to put the ball in motion. Amazingly, everything fell into place quite nicely in less than 24 hours. Now I have just over a week to move. It's a good thing I hadn't finished unpacking.
Everyone keeps asking me why, and I don't really have a good answer. There are pros and cons. It just felt right and it goes along with my recurring theme of making life a littler tougher than it is.
I'll be living with a friend from my ward in a basement apartment close to work. The place is beautiful and has a great yard. I'll post pics once I'm moved in.
*some people=Jocelyn


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Splendid Close Call, Ltd Ed Silk-screen, Mark Kostabi - Large!
SIZE 42.5" x 30.25" INCHES
EXQUISITE! LIMITED EDITION MARK KOSTABI SIGNED SILK-SCREEN. Made of the very Finest Archival Museum quality Excellent NEW MINT CONDITION is highly desirable for collectors. This item selling in Upscale Art Galleries and Museum galleries when and if it can be found. This item is subject to availability. This is perfect for any elegant home, office, restaurant or place of business. WE CARRY SEVERAL works by this artist in our inventory.
Original Limited Edition Silk-screen on Arches paper, 1986. Paper Size: 42.5" x 30.25." Edition Size: 40 Arabic Numerals, 10 Roman Numerals, plus proofs. Signed and numbered in pencil by the artist. Published by Ronald Feldmann Fine Arts. Excellent Condition; never framed or matted. Certificate of Authenticity included. Suggested Retail Gallery Price: $3,500.
MARK KOSTABI, American (1960 - )
Mark Kostabi was born in Los Angeles on November 27, 1960 to Estonian immigrants Kaljo and Rita Kostabi. He was raised in Whittier, California and studied drawing and painting at California State University. In 1982 he moved to New York and by 1984 he became a prominent figure of the East Village art scene. Kostabi has designed album covers for Guns 'N' Roses and The Ramones. In 1988, inspiring extensive international press coverage, he founded Kostabi World, his large New York studio known for openly employing numerous painting assistants and idea people. In 1996 he began dividing his time between New York and Rome and consequently his work's already strong presence in the Italian art scene became much more prominent.
Retrospective exhibitions of Kostabi's paintings have been held at the Mitsukoshi Museum in Tokyo (1992) and the Art Museum of Estonia in Tallinn (1998). Kostabi's work is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim Museum, the National Gallery in Washington D.C., the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. His permanent public works include a mural in Palazzo dei Priori in Arezzo, Italy
Kostabi has been profiled on 60 Minutes, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, MTV and numerous television programs throughout Europe and Japan. In print he has been featured in The New York Times, People, Vogue, Playboy, Forbes, Artforum, Art in America, ARTnews, Flash Art.
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Beautiful Sara, young portuguese escort 23yo.I provide full service to men and women. Love being with couples.
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If you were a teenager in the 90s, chances are that for you, as for me, "Chelsea" wasn't a pier but an awkward frizzy haired blonde girl, MTV wasn't a platform for the newest C grade celebrities but a forum to ask the US President about his underwear (or maybe it was pretty successfully both), and "Socks" weren't just what you used to keep your feet warm, but also invoked the namesake of our national kitty. It is thus with a heavy heart, that I share with you, the following:
Socks, the White House cat during the Clinton administration who waged war on Buddy the pup, has died. He was around 18.
As the only living thing in the White House that didn't get on my nerves, I have to say, I'm sad to see him go….
Socks had lived with Bill Clinton's secretary, Betty Currie, in Hollywood, Md., since the Clintons left the White House in early 2001.
Currie confirmed Socks' death Friday evening and said she was "heartbroken." She did not give details, referring calls to the Clinton Foundation office.
The foundation released a statement from the Clintons:
"Socks brought much happiness to Chelsea and us over the years, and enjoyment to kids and cat lovers everywhere. We're grateful for those memories, and we especially want to thank our good friend, Betty Currie, for taking such loving care of Socks for so many years."
Socks had reached his late teens _ an advanced age for a cat _ when reports surfaced in late 2008 that he had cancer and Currie had ruled out invasive efforts to prolong his life.
"It's not a happy prognosis," presidential historian Barry Landau, a friend of Currie's, said at the time.
Socks was what feline-lovers call a tuxedo cat _ mostly black with white down the front and belly and on his feet, suggesting a fashionable dandy in a black satin evening jacket with a snowy shirt peeping out. He had markings that looked a bit like a mustache and goatee.
We'll miss ya, little guy. But I'm sure you would want us to remember the happy times that you, and your feline brethren brought to humankind. And thusly, in loving memory of Socks, I present to you, Kittens, Inspired by Kittens!:
Don't Stop Believing,
Sunshine Superfüry


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I found this little guy after 4 hours . It was from last year. I did flush 3 Pheasants. That is really encouraging for Fulton County.
found this guy last weekend in my timber, don't know what happened to him but the coyotes sure made short work of him.
What a great buck. Too bad you had to find him that way, but at least he is found.
It's like a blind person trying to describe a kaleidoscope
yes sir it is to bad to find such a beautiful animal that way. He is allot bigger than the picture shows him. So yes I want to do a mount like that and hang him on the wall.It also makes me want to start killing these Coyotes around here. Like clock work at dark every night they are making themselves known.
At least ya found one hornet,,,Knox thats an AWESOME deer!!!!Send it to matt and have the beetles work their magic:)
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Can you tell me what channel line up is for the Sports Entertainment Package for zip code 97229?
Thank you.
Hi amhumble. Thanks for posting on our Forum. I can assist with researching your local channel lineup and provide you with a list of the channels in your Sports Entertainment package in your area. To get started, please send me a private message and include your full name so I can access your account. You can click my name (ComcastJoeTru) to view my profile and send me a private message. Click "Send a private message" and private message me.
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Harajuku — SuicideGirl of the Day
Meet Harajuku, a 20-year-old Canadian SuicideGirl who says silly things and Pop-Tarts make her happy and lists things that glow in the dark and whiskey among her vices.
Name: Harajuku
Age: 20
Location: Canada
Into: Silliness, having adventures, geeky indulgences, smiling, tattoos, fresh fruit, fierce Japanese fashion, bright colors, music, loving life
Not into: Things that don't crush extreme
Makes me happy: The night sky, cats doing silly things, manga and anime, Metallica, sunshine, poor judgement, persistence, shenanigans, new tattoos, unicorns, Pop-Tarts, cotton candy, the art of Audrey Kawasaki, making new friends, Yu Gi Oh The Abridged Series, dry British humor, nature
Makes me sad: Snow and cold, strange syntax
Hobbies: Adventuring; crushing extreme, public drunkenness
Five things I can't live without: Family, friends, excitement, new experiences, kitties
Vices: Candy, peach green tea, things that glow in the dark, whiskey
Favorite bands:
- Tiger Army
- Koffin Kats
- The Meteors
- Blaqk Audio
- Metallica
- Nick 13
- Amplitusion
- Lady Gaga
- The Clash
Favorite films:
- Lord of the Rings trilogy
- The Shining
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame
- Spinal Tap
- Zoolander
- Anchorman
- The Lion King
- Nightmare Before Christmas
- Mulan
- Wayne's World
Favorite books:
- Lord of the Rings trilogy
- V for Vendetta
- The Watchmen
- The Hobbit
- Death Note
- Ghost in the Shell
- Hamlet
- The Boys
- The Red Tent
- Gimme Something Better
Favorite TV shows:
- Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
- Death Note
- Ghost in the Shell
- Digimon
- 30 Rock
- DN Angel
- Chobits
- Ren & Stimpy
- The Simpsons
- Blackadder
Favorite video games:
- Amnesia: The Dark Descent
- Jet Set Radio Future
- Guitar Hero / Rock Band
- Pokemon
- God of War
- Mortal Kombat
- Legend of Zelda
- Super Mario World
- Tetris
- Angry Birds
SuicideGirls is a community that celebrates alternative beauty and alternative culture from all over the world. Since 2001, tens of thousands of models have submitted millions of photos to their website hoping to become SuicideGirls.


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I decided to do a layout, since that is my main focus. I create cards and other items, but layouts are what I do more than anything else. So, here's what I came up with. I hope you like it. I wanted to show a number of embossed surfaces and lots of die cuts as well. I chose my photo first, then decided that I wanted this to be a white background page, to show the wonderful textures. Below is the completed project.
Now I will show you how I created this layout. First I decided what colors I wanted to use and chose my embossing folders. I chose two different folders.
I embossed two of each pattern and trimmed around the borders. Here you see that I chose a floral and a geometric pattern to use.
I chose my inks to match and then used my dies and cut 3 borders of 2 different patterns. (Only 2 of each shown in photo, I did one more each).
Then I cut 5 varying size circles from tan cardstock. I cut the borders into seperate sections and glued them to each circle.
Here is what they look like from the back.
After than, I chose my accent dies and got them ready. I cut several foliage patterns and one accent piece for below my photo.
I trimmed a little from my white background paper and matted it onto an ivory green sheet of cardstock. I then took my Kuretake marker in a blue and did some "faux stitching" around the border.
I took matching ink and inked each embossed piece that I started with. I used the two matching colors for this.
I cut circles and embossed them with a different folder to use as insets for the larger tan circles. I inked them first with some white ink.
I used my Kuretake markers again and outlined the tan circles first before adding the embossed lavendar ones.
I inked my title letters in a matching lavendar/purple color. I assembled all the elements and started attaching everything.
I also added some liquid pearls onto the border sections around each circle. You can see the white inking on the lavendar circles a little better in this photo.
I started out by attaching my 4 embossed larger pieces to the background paper. Then added my circles. I placed my photo onto pop dots and placed right in the center. I even cut out a few little squares for accent pieces and stamped a couple of images in each corner. The only other thing I added was an embossed border. I placed it in the center behind the photo. I added the blooms and die cut leaves last!
Below you can see a couple of close-ups of the placement of my blooms and leaves! Thanks so much for checking out my project! I really appreciate it!
Don't forget to check out all the great products at Couture Creations. And check back to see who the lucky design team members will be! Good luck to all of my fellow hopeful contestants!!!
Anna Griffin Inc. ink (blue)


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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Guard Larry Motuzis scored 26 points including 21 in the second half to lead American University past VMI, 69-64, Saturday afternoon at Bender Arena.
In the first ever basketball meeting between the schools, American won its second straight and raised its mark to 2-3 while the Keydets had their two-game win streak snapped and fell to 2-3.
VMI sophomore forward Tyler Creammer recorded his first career-double double with 16 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. Freshman guard Greg Parham scored a career-high 12 points which included two three-point shots.
American sophomore guard Sa'eed Nelson contributed 21 points for the Eagles hitting eight of 16 shots from the floor and guard CB Diallo chipped in 10 points.
The Eagles shot 50% for the game and were 5 of 12 beyond the arc in the first half, but cooled down to 2 of 8 from long distance. VMI was just 3 of 19 in 3-point shooting but out-rebounded the Eagles 38-27.
Down 47-34 with four minutes into the second half, VMI mounted a furious rally putting together a 17-6 spurt fueled by hot shooting from Greg Parham and guard Jordan Ratliff. A 3-point play by Parham pulled the Keydets within 53-51 with 8:20 remaining. Keith Smith converted one of two free throws to to make it 59-56 at the 3:34 mark, but that would be as close as VMI would come the rest of the way.
VMI's starting backcourt was limited by foul trouble in the first half as Smith picked up two quick fouls four minutes into the game and fellow guard Bubba Parham absorbed his second foul at the 12:16 mark. Both sat for the remainder of the half as the Keydets saw an early nine-point advantage turned into a 35-29 American lead at intermission thanks to a 24-9 run.
Creammer hit six of eight from the floor and grabbed six offensive rebounds in logging his first double-double.
The Keydets outscored American 34-30 in points in the paint and held a 13-4 advantage in second half points, but committed 15 turnovers that led to 24 Eagle Points.
VMI will wrap up the two-game road swing Tuesday night at Charleston Southern. Tip-off will be 7:30 pm.
"It was frustrating in some ways but I thought we played hard throughout. A couple of times defensively we didn't contain the ball like we needed to but our guys will learn from it. It wasn't a lack of effort, it was a lack of experience. We didn't make shots. It's tough to get a win when you are 3 of 19 from three but it's something where we have to get into the gym and stay confident and fire away when they are open shots. I thought we got some open looks. They just didn't fall. Proud of the effort but we have to get better at the execution of things."


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Temps de lecture :2 minutes
MIAMI, Florida (AFP) – (AFP) – A giant panda gave birth to twins at an American zoo this week — the first panda double birth in the US in 26 years.
Mama Lun Lun and her cubs, which were delivered Monday, are doing well, according to Zoo Atlanta in the southern state of Georgia.
"We are fortunate that both were born a healthy weight and strong," the zoo said on its website, which boasts a "pandacam" which allows the public to get a glimpse of the happy family.
Lun Lun, who is 15 years old, was artificially inseminated and is described as a "fantastic mom."
The siblings are being supplemented with formula as zoo keepers attempt to swap them in and out of their mother's arms.
The proud papa is Yang Yang, also 15. Together, he and Lun Lun have three other offspring, including older brothers Xi Lan, 4, and Po, 2.
Their first little one, Mei Lan, was born at Zoo Atlanta in September 2006 and has been living at China's Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding since 2010.
The birth of the newborns is seen as a feat since fewer than 1,600 giant pandas are believed to remain in the wild, according to the zoo.
What's more, they are the first twins to be born in the United States since 1987, it said.
"We're thrilled to welcome Lun Lun's and Yang Yang's twins," said Raymond King, president and CEO of Zoo Atlanta.
"This is a success we share with all of our fellow zoological organizations working to understand and protect this iconic species, and we share our joy with our local community and with our colleagues in China."
The cubs are expected to make their first public appearance in the fall.
The "pandacam" can be viewed at:


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Rainforest Retreat at Silky Oaks Lodge
Silky Oaks Lodge Overview
- Silky Oaks Lodge is located in a stunning riverside location adjoining the oldest living rainforests the World Heritage listed Daintree National Park. The modernised and elegant lodge offers ecological and culturally sensitive experiences, adventure or indulgent leisure. The surrounding region is diverse featuring lush tropical rainforests, vast savannahs, lava caves, unique river excursions as well the nearby Great Barrier Reef. The journey by road from Cairns takes in the gorgeous scenery of sealed coastal road meandering along deserted beach vistas and the sparkling waters of the Coral Sea.
Located close to the Mossman Gorge and its indigenous experiences including the Dreamtime Walk, the activities at the Lodge itself range from hiking trails, river swimming, paddling, canoeing, snorkelling, picnicking, biking excursions, guided bird walks and yoga by the river. There are thirty six designer furnished lodges with large spa baths and balconies ranging from the Billabong Suites and Family Retreat to River and Treehouses set in 80 acres of grounds adjoining The Daintree National Park.
The Treehouse Restaurant presents diners with an exciting menu using high quality locally sourced produce. The mineral rich waters of the river provide an inspiration for the Healing Waters Spa and a wide range of treatments using the luxurious organic Sodashi products enabling a perfect therapeutic escape and total relaxation.
- Experience the oldest living rainforest on the planet – The Daintree
- Just over an hour drive from Cairns Airport and 20 minutes from Port Douglas
- World-renowned lodge, recently rebuilt and refurbished under new ownership
- Endless options to explore the region: hiking, canoeing, river snorkelling
- Award winning Healing Waters Spa


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Living Springs has a Residential Family Centre which is registered by Ofsted where we work with families from all different backgrounds, many of whom are single parents, and we assist parents to improve their skills in caring for their children and babies.
The Centre offers a level of staff supervision and input appropriate to each case, including high level continuous supervision, when required. This provides the opportunity for parents and children to work closely with dedicated staff whose aim, during a period of observation, assessment, and training, is to encourage the parents to develop their own skills, and to evaluate the degree of risk which would be present if children returned to live with their parents within the community.
The Initial Assessment period (which acknowledges the need for a short time of 'settling in') is six weeks. During this period the parent/s and children will be closely supervised and the following areas will be covered:
Progress meetings are held weekly to give all involved an opportunity to discuss how a family's stay at Living Springs is going and what the next step should be. A Progress Report is provided by staff for residents and discussed with them prior to and during the meeting.
As the placement progresses these meetings determine to what extent the stay at Living Springs has been able to solve the parent's difficulties and what work remains to be undertaken The various options for future plans are discussed and the views of all present at the meeting are considered.
We place great emphasis on promoting an environment which is both non-judgemental and caring, in which parent/child relationships can be nurtured and developed thereby encouraging self-worth and self-esteem. However, the welfare of the child always remains our primary focus.


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[Close view of carved work on pilaster in Hindu Cave XXI (Ramesvara), Ellora.]
Photographer: Cousens, Henry
Medium: Photographic print
Date: 1875
Photograph of the carvings on a pilaster in Cave XXI (Rameshvara), at Ellora in Maharashtra, taken by Henry Cousens in the 1870s. The spectacular site of Ellora has a series of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain cave temples excavated into the rocky façade of a cliff of basalt. The Hindu cave Rameshvara dates to the 6th century and is renowned for its finely executed sculptures. The pilaster in this view has a square base carved with bands of floral motifs. Small figures of ghanas are seated at the corners of the octagonal section which is adorned with a medallion containing a seated couple.


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Friends of the Fine Arts Center invite you to a sizzling new Gala, Auction & Preview
Student Union Ballroom, UMass Amherst
Saturday, March 16, 2013
7:00 – 11:30 p.m.
Black tie or Festive BestFree Parking—valet or self-park in Campus Center Garage
$100/person (includes $50 tax deductible gift to FAC)
It's the Valley's premier Arts event that's got everyone talking! We're back on the UMass campus with a refreshing assortment of live and silent auctions.
Looking for a great Night Out? Where else can you go where you can have great food, libations, sing, dance, meet some new friends, bid on some great stuff AND where half of your admission is a tax deductible donation to help all generations have access to the arts? Have fun and do good at the same time!
Do you like to network? This event is Linked-in©, Twitter©, and Facebook© all rolled into one but a lot more fun. You'll meet all sorts of professional people from throughout the Valley.
Do you like to shop! This is one of the best auctions in the area. The silent auction will be busting with plenty of fine art, original creations, getaways, vacation homes, themed baskets and more all donated from local businesses and artists. Plus the live auction will feature some great packages and getaways - see below.
What are you waiting for? The evening begins with cocktails, appetizers, and music. Then you'll dine on sumptuous fare provided by the UMass' award winning Catering Services and enjoy two complimentary bottles of wine per table.
7:00-8:00 p.m. Enjoy cocktails, amazing appetizers and music by UMass' Free For All
8:00 p.m. Dinner is served in the Student Union Ballroom followed by Live Auction and sneak preview of the FAC's 2013-14 season. (We think you'll be pleased! )
9:30-11:30 p.m. The ever popular Cloud Nine returns to the Cape Cod Lounge for dancing and karaoke.
You can make your meal selection from:
1. Grilled Beef Tenderloin w/English Pea Puree, Baby Carrots, Truffle Potato Gratin, & Black Truffle Demi
2. Pistachio Crusted Wild Alaskan Salmon w/Cauliflower cream, sautéed spinach & tarragon butter sauce
3. Roasted Acorn Squash w/Quinoa, Dried cranberries and toasted almonds with maple reduction with asparagus
This year a pair of "Pledge Angels" will be circulating throughout the Gala and asking you to support our Angel Ticket program. Angel Tickets are awarded to in-need families who otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity to be exposed to the wonders of the FAC. Make a $50 pledge at the Gala and thanks to YOU, five (5) people will be able to see an upcoming performance.
Your financial support of this event goes a long way in providing Access to the Arts to others. Whether through FAC's Angel Tickets, Tickets for Kids, or Artist in Residency programs, the result is that more lives are touched by the arts. We hope we can count on your support!
Here's a peek at some of our LIVE auction itemsmore information on these live auction items
Four Weekend Tickets to the Gran-Am Rolex Series Championship Finale
Value: $250
The Sloane Club is an English beauty located in the heart of Chelsea, London. You and a guest can enjoy an elegant 7-night stay with daily complimentary breakfast. During the day, you can enjoy the great range of sightseeing, dining and entertainment that London has to offer. Value: $2,200
Four Seasons Liquors & Lone Wolf restaurant combine their efforts to give you an exceptional evening of dining and scotch tasting. You and a guest will enjoy a 4-course meal—catered by Lone Wolf, one of Amherst's premier restaurants—paired with 6 hand-selected whiskies to be held on Saturday, March 23rd. In addition, Four Seasons provides two premium bottles of Scotch whisky for your collection, cigars and cigar accessories. Value: $400
Calling all die-hard Bruins fans! Bid on these tickets and enjoy lodge section seating for the Bruins vs. Ottawa Senators, Monday, April 15th 7 p.m. at the TD Garden in Boston. Don't miss this opportunity to cheer the Bruins to victory.
Value: $220
Climb off "the grid" into this beautiful Italian villa for a one-week stay. Villa Trina is perched on a knoll in the rolling hills of The Marches (Le Marche) region of Italy and overlooks Treia and several other medieval hill towns. About 20 miles inland from the Adriatic Sea, Villa Trina's Casa Grande features a large kitchen, dining room, study, living room with fireplace, television lounge, four bedrooms, three full baths, covered patio and in-ground pool.
Value: $2,500
Submerge yourself in the tropics—enjoy this one-week stay at Kamaole Beach Club; Maui, Hawaii.
Located in South Kihei, across from Kamaole Beach, this luxury condo package offers accommodations for up to six persons beginning late April to first week of December 2013. Enjoy a variety of activities including spectacular sunset watching, surfing the waves, or just soaking up the sun. Value: $1,500
Don't miss this opportunity to see the Yankees play in Yankee Stadium while you sit in the WB Mason Luxury Box. You'll watch the game from two premium seats in luxury box Suite 30/located on the H&R suite level and enjoy premium food and beverages, private restroom, access to the H&R Block Suite Lounge, personal concierge service, and a private entrance, elevator, and concourse. Game date TBA. Value: $1,000
See the silent auction items


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We"ve all heard of people getting mugged or held up. It"s always in the papers or on the news. It"s an unfortunate reality that we all need to accept.
There was an incident recently, though, in Chile that involved a woman, a mugger, a bus driver, and a little bit of instant karma. This is the kind of stuff that makes you a little more optimistic in life. Maybe things will turn out all right, in the end.
Here, you can see the mugger talking to his accomplice, getting ready to make his attempt at stealing a woman"s purse.
He makes his grab for the purse just as the bus door starts to close. But the woman holds on tight.
He gives up on the purse and tries to escape, but the door is almost completely closed and the bus has started moving. He and his accomplice can"t keep the door open.
Now the situation has completely gone wrong for the criminal: his hand is now stuck in the bus door.
The bus driving pulls out a baton in order to intimidate the mugger and to keep him from escaping.
Eventually the mugger realizes the situation he has put himself in, and sees that it"s best if he just gives up.
And who would you guess is waiting for him at the next stop?
The police…and backup. The situation is then explained to the officers by the woman and the bus driver who through their efforts stopped the criminal in the act.
Here"s the original video:
Fortunately in this story, everything turned out okay for everyone except the criminal.


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On our way to last Thursday's Tweet-up we stopped by Charles Chocolatier at 15, rue Montorgueil in the first arrondissement. Their speciality is the Bûche à l'ancienne, 70% Cacao made from a chocolate-based praline of hazelnuts from Piedmont (Italy), peppered with bits of hazelnut, and whole and crushed pistachios from Sicily, all enveloped in a 70% dark-chocolate coating. However, instead of purchasing the bûche (in the shape of a log), we decided to try their pavés, which are similar in concept, but have different shapes.
The Pavé de bûche is the round confection shown in the photograph. The dark-chocolate exterior was firm to the bite, while the interior was smooth and melted readily in the mouth. It contained chunks of pistachio.
The Pavé de feuillante is the bar-shaped confection. It contained fine, crunchy praline.
The square-shaped confection is the Pavé de gianduja. It had a supersmooth filling of gianduja, a paste made from ground hazelnut and chocolate. My partner found that the flavor of the gianduja was less intense than the flavor of the other pavés.
All Charles Chocolatier chocolates are handmade. The chocolate shells and the fillings contain no animal fat, only cocoa butter. The absence of cream or butter makes the interiors a little more pasty than one finds in other chocolates — whether or not you like this will depend on your individual taste.
None of the confections were very sweet. Americans who are accustomed to intense sweetness in their chocolates might not care for these.
They are, after all, French chocolates! Vive la différence!
Tags: chocolate


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NY Foundation for the Arts Fellowships Enable Artists to Keep Working/
New York City might be home to the largest population of starving artists who are following their passions, without necessarily reaping the financial rewards. Whether it's for writers, visual artists, musicians, or videographers, the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) has been providing fellowships since 1984 to artists at various stages of their careers. For many fellows, the cash awards enable them to focus on their art. (See New York Foundation for the Arts: Grants for New York City).
In 2012, the foundation awarded 94 fellowships of $7,000 each, providing financial support for artists in a wide variety of disciplines including fiction, film/video, interdisciplinary work, and painting. Last year, the foundation expanded the fellowships to include folk and traditional arts as well.
"There are several great benefits to being awarded a NYFA Fellowship. The benefit of the financial boost is obvious: It buys you time to make work," said 2011 fellow Joseph Burwell in a foundation Q&A. "The psychological boost is not to be underestimated. The reality of actually being paid to do what you enjoy doing most is the ultimate satisfaction. You immediately feel more confident and energized and this inevitably makes your work better."
Since his fellowship, Burwell has continued his work as a visual artist, and a collection of his work was recently showed at Miyako Yoshinaga Gallery in Chelsea.
The foundation Artists' Fellowships are given to artists working in New York, and they can be used for whatever the artist see fit. Each year, the foundation accepts applications in five categories, which is on a rotating basis, as they consider work in 15 areas. Since 1984, the more than $27 million in grants have been made to over 4,000 artists. Past recipients include acclaimed film director Spike Lee, and 2011 Pulitzer Prize winners Jennifer Egan and Zhou Long.
Earning a fellowship is also an extremely competitive process, as more than 4,000 artists applied and the grants go to only 2% of applicants.
Past fellow Margaret Inga Wiatrowski noted how the award enable her to continue her work as a visual artist. Along with materials and supplies, as well as helping her find studio space, Wiatrowski said the award "also helped bolster the development of my work with an encouraging jolt of self-assurance."
The NYFA was founded in 1971 to empower artists at critical stages in their creative lives. Each year, the foundation provides more than $1 million in cash grants to individuals and small organizations.


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06-09-2009 04:25 PM - edited 12-26-2009 04:03 AM
J200 here with Vista Basic.
I also use Linux,
I would like to start from Scratch.
How do I go to Factory State?
Let me add December 2009,
How can I a) Upgrade Memory from 0.5 MB
and/or b) Upgrade Computer
c) Trade in for All in one?!


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Junkyard Wars in Zankel Hall?
In this exclusive interview for Carnegie Hall, George Manahan—Music Director and Conductor of American Composers Orchestra—speaks to composer Sean Friar about his Clunker Concerto. Part of ACO's Playing it UNsafe initiative, this percussion quartet concerto for junk car parts and orchestra receives its world premiere on March 4 in Zankel Hall.
George Manahan: Tell us about the piece you're writing. How did you get the idea for this piece?
Sean Friar: Clunker Concerto is a percussion quartet concerto for junk car parts and orchestra. The piece begins with a mock car on stage that gradually gets dismantled throughout the first half of the piece, revealing an arsenal of new junk percussion instruments in the process. Much of the fun and interest in the piece involves exploring the different ways in which the orchestra and junk can find common ground with each other, and surprising ways to interact.
The original impetus for this piece was the idea of the spectacle of having this whole "car-like" object on stage and having it slowly transform from a single object into a large array of unfamiliar instruments that all make very different sounds. And while that theatrical element is still an important part of the piece, as I got into writing it my attention increasingly focused on the peculiar and sometimes beautiful sounds of the junk, and ways in which they could interact with the orchestra in a more than a superficial way.
The way I've used junk percussion in the past—and the way it usually gets used—is precisely as that, junk. That is, it's usually used to merely add extra noise and abrasive grit to what is essentially already there in the music. The details of the instruments—especially their pitch capabilities, their resonance, and their harmonic spectra—are rarely taken into account. I decided early on that I wanted to delve into those lesser-explored aspects of junk, and I ended up spending a lot of time with each instrument figuring out exactly what they could and couldn't do. For instance, I've mapped out all the different pitches one can bow on a hubcap; and I did a spectral analysis of a piece of sheet metal to see which pitches it produced most prominently, and then wrote chords in the orchestra that sync up with that spectrum.
So in this way, I'm treating the junk as seriously and in as much detail as I do all the orchestral instruments.
GM: How did you connect with American Composers Orchestra (ACO) to write this piece?
SF: I had worked with ACO previously when I did their ACO / Penn Presents New Music Reading Session in 2009. Also, one of my professors at Princeton, Dan Trueman, did a piece for laptop orchestra and orchestra for ACO's first UNsafe series back in 2008—having seen that concert, I knew that ACO really wasn't kidding when they said they wanted to try unusual and risky things! So, I submitted a proposal when ACO had their open call last Spring—I thought my idea was fairly neat, but I was almost sure I had no chance of getting it. Fortunately, I wasn't the only person who thought it was a good idea to dismantle a car in Carnegie Hall!
GM: Tell me about how the UNsafe process has been for you this season. How have you used it to create Clunker Concerto?
SF: The way ACO has organized the writing and workshopping process for UNsafe has really been incredible. One of the difficulties composers generally encounter when writing for orchestra—especially if one is doing anything unconventional—is that there is so little rehearsal time that there really is very little opportunity for experimentation or discussion. If a piece has a few hours of rehearsal time, that is quite a lot, and that's really just enough time for the orchestra to get the music as tightly as possible.
I used the first few workshops primarily as testing grounds for unusual orchestrations and strange combinations of junk and traditional instruments. Some of them worked great, some had potential but needed tweaking, and others needed to be left by the wayside. That I was able to spend this much pre-compositional testing out ideas and defining what my sound palette would be for the piece made all the difference. When a composer is trying new things that have little or no precedence, he can't rely on past experience or an orchestration book to tell him what are the fruitful and not-so-fruitful ways to do something—the composer just needs to try it out. By having the three early workshops, a much larger proportion of the "trying out" was able to be done before the concert, rather than during it!
Another very valuable effect of these workshops is that now that I have worked out so many of the initial issues inherent in writing a piece like this, the whole thing can actually flow quite smoothly—the difficulty in doing a piece like Clunker Concerto isn't so much the actual performing of the piece, but rather in the initial work and experimentation early on in the composing process. Now, with that stage done and the biggest unknowns and logistical issues already overcome, another orchestra with a more typical amount of rehearsal time would be able to put it together without much difficulty.
GM: What are some of the challenges you have faced in putting this piece together?
SF: Though I've had a wonderful time working on the piece and have learned a lot in the process, I must admit that it has been a tremendous amount of work. I feel as though I am writing two or three pieces at once! There's the 15 minutes of orchestra music—which to write over the course of a few months is enough work on its own. There's going to junk yards, figuring out how to dismantle cars, finding parts that seem promising, and experimenting with how best to use them as instruments. Then there's thinking about how to combine these two very different things. There's also teaching the percussionists of Line C3 how to play these instruments they've never played before, and tackling the logistics of getting something with the semblance of a car on stage so it can be dismantled. The piece has forced me to develop several new skill sets that have nothing to do with writing music. My apartment looks like I'm running a scrap yard out of it.
GM: Tell me about the feedback you received during the workshops—has it been helpful? Was there any feedback you received that surprised you, or took the work in a new direction?
SF: The feedback sessions have been a big help! First, having Bob Beaser, Derek Bermel, Steve Mackey and Julie Wolfe all behind me listening to my work-in-progress has been extremely valuable. They're all wonderful composers and orchestrators, and all in very different ways—to hear each one's opinions of and suggestions for my music is so useful. Quite a few of their suggestions have been incorporated into the final version of the piece.
Second, many of the orchestral musicians have given me useful feedback, too, albeit about very different issues than composer mentors. For instance, an oboist told me that for the multiphonic I want, there's a better fingering than the one I suggested, which he gave to me. It's a little thing in itself, but lots of those little things add up to something that can make a big difference in how good the piece ultimately sounds, and how easy and fun it is for the performers to play.
GM: What do you think will happen on March 4 at Zankel Hall?
SF: As a whole, I think the concert will be refreshing, inspiring, and a lot of fun. All the pieces on the program genuinely tug at the seams of the conventional notion of the orchestral music, and the four of us that are on the program are all extremely stylistically different. Regardless of what audience members think of the individual pieces, I think many of them will walk out stimulated and reevaluating their thoughts about just how flexible the orchestra is capable of being. And perhaps the musicians in the audience will be encouraged to try out crazy ideas of their own that they've been saving up!
I'm hoping that as people see how some of these "unsafe" ideas aren't actually impossible to pull off, more ensembles and orchestras will take chances on more unusual ideas, and hopefully, on these pieces.


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Noah Mendelsohn
June 3, 2005
Our main subject for the upcoming face to face meeting is "TAG Directions". Tim set down some ideas in the note at [1]; here are some of my thoughts.
As Tim suggests, we should give serious consideration to documenting the architectural underpinnings of the Semantic Web, and perhaps of Web Services as well. I do think it's also useful to step back and take a bit broader look at our goals. IMO, our overall goal should be to maximize the success of the Web over the next 3-5 years and beyond, and we should set our priorities accordingly.
Specifically, we should consider:
Some more details on these are provided below. I propose that we invest in these three areas, aiming for the balance that will best contribute to the overall impact of the Web in coming years.
Last year we published AWWW Volume 1. Rather than assuming that our new work should be a volume 2, I suggest that we first set an agenda regarding technology and content. We can then decide whether to republish volume 1, establish a volume 2, focus mainly on findings, or whatever will be the right vehicles to carry our new messages.
If we do have additional volumes of AWWW, then I think they should be organized by topic rather than chronologically. We should give Volume 1 a subtitle (perhaps "Identification, Protocols, and Interaction") and make sure that Vol. 2 covers something clearly distinct. We can rearrange content from a republished volume 1 into volume 2 if necessary to create a sensible structure.
Bottom line: my thinking on how to split volumes is still pretty murky, but I'd lean toward doing it thematically, and giving ourselves license to republish or rearrange Vol 1 if useful.
That's the big outline from my point of view. Here are some notes on the three themes mentioned above.
While much of the core technology for the browsable Web has been covered, I think we need to be alert both for remaining problems, and perhaps for new challenges arising from changing circumstances. Examples include our open issues on XMLVersioning-41, mediaTypeManagement-45, putMediaType-38 etc. Maybe or maybe not those are the right specific issues, but we should be alert to breakage in such areas, and continue to offer guidelines for robust use of Web mechanisms, updating AWWW as appropriate.
For the Web to remain the premier shared information space, we need a robust architecture that scales to handle changing content, technology, and application models. I think the TAG should take a hard look at some of the following, to see whether they suggest work that's needed either on the Web Architecture itself, or in our writings about it:
Initiatives like the Semantic Web and Web Services bring capabilities that the Web has never had before. Sem Web in particular represents a very large investment for W3C, and we should indeed devote TAG resources to helping it "reach its potential". I'm inclined to suggest that we consider the Semantic Web in particular at two levels:
In the case of Web Services, we should at minimum continue to ensure that the Recommendations are designed to appropriately integrate with the Web. Maybe or maybe not we should go further and dive more deeply into WSA architecture; as with Semantic Web, I'd be inclined to leave that to the pertinent "Activity", with us providing guidance. As Tim notes, the development of such an architecture has been tried at least once in the Web Services area.
Those are some of the ideas I've been kicking around. The big theme is: figure out what's going to be important to make the Web successful over 5 to 10 years, then let the form and content of our publications follow from that.
[1] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/www-tag/2005Apr/0054.html


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Bard envisions the liberal arts institution as the hub of a network, rather than a single, self-contained campus. Numerous institutes for special study are available on and off campus, connecting Bard students to the greater community.
The Center for Civic Engagement at Bard College embodies the fundamental belief that education and civil society are inextricably linked. In an age of information overload, it is more important than ever that citizens be educated and trained to think critically and be actively engaged with issues affecting public life.
Bertelsmann Campus Center, phone: 7097
E-mail: email@example.com
Website: studentactivities.bard.edu/
The Office of Student Activities oversees the operation of the Bertelsmann Campus Center and works with students to develop weekly activities and programs. The office also provides support to student government and campus clubs. Student Activities offers a Thursday Night Live series in Down the Road Café, large scale campus events each month, as well as annual traditions such as Welcome Back Weekend, Urban Cowboy, Spring Fling, and many more. The Student Publicity and Activities Resource Center (SPARC) is also located within Student Activities and provides logistical support for all student-run events on campus. Consult with SPARC about registration procedures for all events (also see the Events Registration section in Chapter 5 of this handbook).


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Defender Alex is to miss the start of the Barclays Premier League season after Chelsea confirmed he is to be sidelined for a month with a thigh injury.
The 28-year-old will sit out Friday's friendly trip to Ajax because of the knock he picked up in training, as will new signing Yossi Benayoun, who has a groin problem.
"There are no more coming that didn't play against Crystal Palace, so Yossi Benayoun is out and Alex has a problem in his thigh but with the other players it is the same squad," coach Carlo Ancelotti, whose side beat Palace 1-0 at the weekend, told www.chelseafc.com.
It is the second such blow in successive days for Chelsea, who on Thursday saw goalkeeper Petr Cech ruled out for a month with a torn calf.
Friday's game will therefore give back-up keepers Hilario and Ross Turnbull the chance to stake a claim to begin the season in the first team.
"I think that against Ajax we will play 45 minutes each for Turnbull and Hilario, and I think Turnbull will start the game," Ancelotti said.
Copyright (c) PA Sport 2009, All Rights Reserved.


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Jaguar XF Sportbrake is 'Best in Class'
Tow Car Awards 2014
The Jaguar XF Sportbrake has been named 'best in class' at the 2014 Tow Car Awards for the third consecutive year.
The judging panel is led by David Motton, Tow Car Editor of Practical Caravan and UK Car of the Year juror, and includes What Car? road tester Rory White and The Camping and Caravanning Club's technical manager Ian Hewlett. David Motton said "we had a really impressive list of entries this year and an extremely busy week putting them all through what we believe is the most rigorous test programme. The results make interesting reading." A record fifty-six cars were tested for this year's awards, with the XF Sportbrake crowned best in the hotly-contested class of cars weighing from 1700-1899kg, with more than ten entries from the premium touring and SUV segments. The cars are tested on four key attributes; towing, solo, practicality and buying and owning, only when all four score counts are taken into account are winners selected.
The judges' comments on the Jaguar XF included 'stability at speed is as good as it gets' 'the 3.0-litre diesel engine has power to spare' 'this combination of unshakeable stability and effortless performance makes the XF Sportbrake such a relaxing car to tow with' 'starting on a 1-in-6 slope was easy, the electronic parking brake held car and caravan still, then released smoothly; the low pull of the 3.0-litre engine did the rest.'
Jeremy Hicks, Jaguar UK Managing Director, said "with the XF Sportbrake we feel we've built a car that boasts a class-leading combination of luxury, performance, practicality and versatility, and we're delighted that the Tow Car Awards judging panel agrees. To be named best in class of this hugely competitive category for the third consecutive year is a great honour, and highlights the exacting standards that we at Jaguar demand from every aspect of every car we produce from design, engineering and technology to customer service and after care."
Since its launch the Jaguar XF has won in excess of one hundred international and UK awards. The Jaguar XF received the Best Executive Car title in last years Diesel Car's Car of the Year Awards which is the fifth consecutive year the XF has won the award. The Jaguar XF Sportbrake was a finalist in Diesel Car's premium estate car category, and the Jaguar XJ was shortlisted in the luxury car category.


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I've been doing pro bono work for Arts Corps for a while now. They are a fantastic organization and I am happy to support them in any way I can. Here are a couple of examples.
(1)Postcard: A postcard design for the annual student showcase.
(2)Invitation: An invitation for a donors party.