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In this post, J. Sumerau reflects on the process of composing and publishing Homecoming Queens, a southern gothic bi+, poly, and trans love story set in the south and based on their experiences as a bi+ poly trans person and researcher collecting stories of other sexual and gender minorities throughout the past couple decades.
Earlier this month, my third novel and second book in the Social Fictions Series of sociological based novels – Homecoming Queens – was officially released. The novel is a southern gothic bi+, poly, and trans love story based on hundreds of formal and informal interviews with sexual and gender minorities throughout the southeast I've collected over the past couple decades as, first, a curious bi+ trans and poly kid and later, as a researcher focused on sexualities, gender, religion, and health in the lives of sexual, gender, and religious minorities. In this post, I elaborate on the background and creation of the novel after doing so with Cigarettes & Wine, my first research based novel, has been useful both for readers interested in my work and fellow teachers using my stories to teach sexualities, sociology, gender, LGBTQIA studies, and Southern studies in classrooms to date. For more information about the novel or to purchase it, see here.
Like many aspiring novelists I have met in my life, I dreamed of writing the next great American novel around the same time I was finishing college a decade ago. The seeds for Homecoming Queens emerged in early failed attempts to do this back then, and in fact, the scene in the diner between four of the main characters near the end of the book comes from an experience between four people I witnessed – including being in the diner scene of real life I recreated in the novel – over a decade ago. Like many other writers across genres, I have my favorites, and the southern gothic traditions of the likes of Toni Morrison, Flannery O'Connor, and William Faulkner have always spoken to me via the use of real world complexities, the ways the past shapes and becomes active in the present, and the fine lines between the darkest and brightest moments of love, pain, and life itself. Homecoming Queens began as an entire handwritten journal in 2007 wherein I sought to translate small town life in Georgia through the eyes of a brilliant, older African American neighbor I had who told me so many stories about the world at the time in what was, in hindsight, a poor attempt at writing like other southern gothic writers – especially Toni Morrison – I worshiped then and now without the skills to do it myself in my own voice at the time. It was a learning experience that got put in the background of so many other failed novel attempts in my life at the time.
Fast forward to the year 2016, and the completion of my first novel, Cigarettes & Wine, and I found myself thirsty for trying to write more novels without any clue if I could do that well or publish the first one. I was celebrating the legalization of my primary life partnership, and began asking about the idea of Homecoming Queens in conversations with my spouse and my best friend. For some reason I still can't explain though I'm beginning to agree with now, neither of them had any questions or doubts about my ability to write more novels, and both thought I should try it out since I had just resurrected my first novel from an earlier failed attempt in college and was well enough situated in academic and public writing credits to have the time and space to commit some time to fictional endeavors without other parts of my career falling behind. This led to priceless patience on both of their parts as I talked and ran through scenarios and data I had for the next novel relentlessly on late night walks, phone conversations, and over lunches and dinners for a while. I was more than a little fixated and obsessed in hindsight, and I was lucky enough that they were okay with that and supportive of it at the same time.
I was also repeatedly listening to the newest album by one of my favorite – and in my opinion, one of the most talented ever – songwriters. The entire album, Brandy Clark's Big Day in a Small Town, was about small town adventures and experiences with a mixture of humor and heart. I kept coming back to the song "Homecoming Queen" and the memory of the former homecoming queen friend who moved back to her small town with her two spouses, and things that happened to them, good, bad and in between, in the process. I also kept talking about this one story, and how it related to so many other stories from my own life and the lives of others I had spoken to in the south with my patient supporters. I also thought about what it would look like to illustrate my own primary romantic relationship structure in terms of how it worked, how our rules were set up for each of us to always get what we want together and individually, and how other mono, poly, and fluid (sometimes mono, sometimes poly) unions operated. Finally, I started thinking about both how many things from the past are prevalent in the nation today, and my experiences (on both sides of mentor / mentee relationships over time now) of the different ways trans and other queer kids find community, support, rejection, and / or struggle in the world as they try to be themselves. These were the threads that I would weave together to create the novel.
Data and Methods
I began crafting character profiles and a small town that could be any southern small town, and looking at all these things as homecomings of a sort that happen in between the various connections and disconnections we each experience throughout our lives. I followed the same process I do in many qualitative and quantitative studies and outlined in relation to Cigarettes & Wine in a previous blog post. The data points from real people's lives and stories – and my own lives and stories to date – became the ingredients for the town, the characters, the conflicts, the tensions, and the narrative arcs of the story itself. Even more than in Cigarettes & Wine – or my independently published novel Essence – I crafted a tale that could be anyone or anywhere in the places I have seen, lived in, and visited in the south over the years, and created a story where, as friends have said about each of my books, I was both everywhere and nowhere in the book at the same time. As I've done in other works, maybe it's the researcher inside me, I once again also only used events and experiences that had happened to a wide variety of people in different ways, at different times, and in different settings to capture an overall set of common – or as we say in scholarship, generic – experiences anyone could potentially relate to, experience, or know of in the lives of other people to demonstrate both possibilities and probabilities in the world.
As I've noted with the first two novels in conversations individually, in classrooms or at conferences where I've been invited to talk about such things, or otherwise, I do not believe it is ever up to the writer to gauge the results of the composition. I feel the same way – as many people know from other speeches related to my academic, journalistic, public, and other writing – about everything I write. It is up to the audience to decide what the book means in terms of messages, merits, and ideas, and I leave it up to audiences to figure such things out. I know what I sought to do. I sought to, as always, offer a realistic portrait of some of the many ways – good, bad, and everywhere in between – queer life takes place in the south, thrives and continues in the face of support and opposition, and speaks to broader norms and patterns in cultural notions of sexualities, romance, gender, family, history, relationships, and lives. I don't know or want to decide what others will think of the work, but I feel confident that I accomplished what I wanted to do with the book and early responses to it (both good and bad) have suggested as much.
Instead of trying to ascertain any concrete result or metric, when I think about Homecoming Queens as a now published work available for purchase by anyone, I think about the stories that have and continue to inspire me, that others have kindly shared with me so many times over the past couple decades, that resonate with me in cases of both similarity and difference, and that speak to a much wider, more complex, and more varied Queer existence then I can usually find in academic or mainstream media portraits and publications.
If those last couple of lines sound familiar, it is because they are copied directly from my thoughts on Cigarettes & Wine right as it was published, and you could continue down that set of paragraphs in that blog with Homecoming Queens as well because, for me, the goal is the same. For me, these stories I write – like any other research or art or writing that blurs (or Queers) such distinctions – is about the same thing, revealing the beauty, complexity, pleasure, pain, and wonder of Queer experience in its many forms, places, and continuations for as many of us and as many others as possible in ways people can relate to, think about, and consider as they navigate the complexity and possibility of the world in their own lives and their treatment of others they may encounter.


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19 comments
Got my count on thursday, and couldn't believe my eyes! What an amazing gi, the attention to detail is second to none as is the quality, fit, and feel of the gi. I love it! This is my first shoyoroll, but it definitely will not be my last! I trained in it for my entire session thursday night and it was extremely comfortable. I own three top level gis (lucky, gameness elite, and shoyoroll) and I'm pretty sure this one will become my favorite. I also like that they leave room across the gi for me to be able to put patches, and embroider my studio's crest on it.Reply
Great fit and the gi looks great! I really like how shoyoroll puts thought in all of their products. Reinforced stitching in all the right places and it's super light weight.Reply
i havent rolled in it yet i will tonight, so far no loose threads on the gi it looks extremely sharp, which is why im keeping it and not selling it on eeebay, the sleeves man did they over due the sleeves though, they are long and so is the skirt, the pants fit me perfect though, ill post more details after im done rolling in it tonightReply
I am 5'10", and usually up to 163 lbs. I ordered the batch 11 Shoyoroll Maeda in the brand new size A1L. This is my first shoyoroll, and I was unsure of where I fit in their sizing chart, but according to the description I would make a good candidate for the gi between the a1 and a2. When it arrived, the pants were a bit longer than I prefer and the top needed to be "shrunk to fit" the way I like.
I washed in cold water and dried in the machine low for about 7 minutes. This seemed to get the gi top to narrow a bit in the sleeves well enough. I can't wait to roll in it as soon as I adorn my school patches.
I follow bear on instagram and it was cool to see the process of getting the shipment out through pictures taken on his iphone. I will definatly be looking foward to future SYR releases (especially the new Ryan Hall).
I love the site and appreciate the coverage on the GUMA membership–I was tempted but I think I will just stick to the regular releases…
You never know J, SYR could still do something pretty awesome with GUMA (at least I hope so!). Glad you are getting something out of the coverage. That's the entire reason that I purchased it, so that everybody could have a thorough review of the whole process.
Glad you're enjoying The Count! Consensus seems to be that SYR has really redeemed itself after putting out a quality Americana, but sub-par Compadre.Reply
via http://krispf3.blogspot.com/2012/03/gi-review-shoyoroll-batch-11-count.html
Ladies and gentlemen, after 4 months of waiting, the newest Shoyoroll has been shipped to customers worldwide. I am not one who supports the idea of pre-ordering a jiu jitsu gi and having them take my money 4 months in advance, but Shoyoroll is notoriously hyped in the BJJ world as being a premier gi that fits like no other. So I bit the bullet. I don't spend my money on much, mostly because I'm a poor college student, but I was in the market for a new gi anyway. The biggest reason is because although I love my Keiko Raca Limited Edition blue gi jacket, the pants are awful. Seriously Keiko, where do you get off selling these crappy pants? Anyway, I digress. How does the new Shoyoroll measure up? Let's begin. And please note, these are POST-WASH measurements. I'll talk more about this later in the review.
The kimono top feels great. There was a small amount of bunching at the back shoulders, but the wash (warm) and hot, complete dry seems to have fixed that. Before the wash, the cuffs stopped about a half inch above my wrist. Post-wash (actually 2 washes later, since I rolled in it last night after the initial shrink), it's about 3/4″ above the wrist. Quite honestly, it fits almost perfectly. One thing that I really like about the Keiko Limited kimono is the tapered collar that curves downward. It's a different style, and there's more material. Merely a matter of opinion, I would think. This shoyoroll is definitely lighter. Less material overall, and a different weave (pearl, compared to Keiko's gold). This of course also factors into the shrinkage issue. Here are some more pictures of the kimono.
Lining looks fancy. Stitching is a bit crooked.
Close-up of the trademark patch.
Let me quickly address the stitching on the kimono. Some others who reviewed the previous model shoyorolls have griped about the crooked contrast stitching. This model is by no means perfect, but it's pretty damn good, in my opinion. Nothing is too muffed up looking. The seam tape is also straight all around. I think Shoyoroll fixed any problems they had with previous manufacturers, which is good. Now, on to the pants!
I'll cut straight to the point: these pants are perfection. They feel custom made. There is no excessive bunching in the crotch area, and there is the RIGHT amount of material, given the size, at the waist so I don't look like I stuffed a pillow over my ass. The cuffs are slim and don't provide an excessive amount of material for easy gripping. The crotch is reinforced with a slice of gold weave gusset, and the inside of the knees, pictured below, are reinforced with a layer of gold weave for extra durability.
Post-shrink. Honestly, the cuffs lost maybe 1/4″. I'm talking virtually zero shrinkage here. Enough for it to pretty much form-fit you.
Here are some stats for you. I'm 5'10", about 147lbs, and the gi size is A1L. This is apparently a new size from Shoyoroll that is made for taller, skinnier guys. As you can see, even out of the box the thing fits wonderfully. For those unfamiliar with the weave, "pearl" refers to a treated material that withstands shrinkage better than any other weave. From what I can tell, this is true. My Keiko is a gold weave that that thing is STILL making me paranoid to dry it, even 6+ months after I got it.
The Shoyoroll, on the far right, boasts the thickest collar. This could be attributed to wear and tear on the other two (blue is the Keiko, white on the far left is my pearl weave Alliance gi).
Final picture is the gi bag that came with it. I don't intend to use this, and it doesn't seem to be particularly durable. It took me a minute to realize the glaring typo here ("repsect"). I know it isn't the gi, but they should have made sure this didn't happen.
The retail price of this gi was $165 + $15 in shipping. On a scale from 1-10, I have to give it a 9/10. By comparison, given my complaints about the Keiko pants, I would have given that gi a 6.5/10. Shoyoroll needs to kill their waiting period and have gis ON HAND. I also expect a premium gi to NOT have typos on any part of the package.
Thanks for reading. Feel free to leave any questions or comments, and please subscribe to the blog for future gear reviews and more thoughts from a grappler!Reply
I want to hear reviews about this Gi once everyone has rolled in it. From the pictures I am kicking myself a bit for not pre-ordering it, but maybe I might luck out like I did with my Americana. I must have gotten a cancelled order. Someone's loss is my gain because I love my Americana. The only somewhat negative review I have seen has been Meerkatsu's first look at the Count. Also, I want to know how much lighter it is compared to the Americana, because I like the weight of my Americana.Reply
As far as I know Annie, they are the same weight. Same oz. cotton pants and both 450g tops (but one is gold and the other pearl). So the tops will feel different, but should be the same weight.
It does look great in the pictures, but it's hard to get over the misspelling on the bag. I wonder if they've had any problems at the IBJJF with using them.Reply
Great gi; the only issue mine has is that the rasta cuff tape is sewn on very poorly in all areas (inside of sleeves, legs, and skirt). Some areas it is not completely sewn down due to the stitches being out of alignment. My Compadre doesn't have this issue. Did anyone else notice this?Reply
I haven't rolled in it yet, so it isn't coming out. The stitching that holds it down is off course in a lot of areas. I'm not sure how it will hold up.Reply
Overall the Kimono is really nice. Shoyorolls to me are great uniforms because they fit me perfect. The A2H is a perfect fit that I haven't found anywhere else. The Jacket is well constructed and stitched well. Some crooked lines but they add character and do not take away from the performance. The Pants are good, but feel much heavier then others of the same stock (Twill Cotton). And again, they continue not to extend the knee pads? This just might be my issue, but knee pads are to cushion the knees? What good are they when your knee is bent and the knee pad is protecting your shin?
Construction: 7 of 10
Jacket: 9 of 10
Pants: 6 of 10
Fit: 10 of 10 (like a glove)
Feel: 7.5 of 10
Overall: 8 of 10
Most crooked lines are no big deal, but I've seen some on people's compadres on the lapel that are just atrocious and shouldn't have been sold. But, my 1751 and Americana are great.
Are the shin pads on your above or below your knees? They're reinforced no to protect the knee, but to make the pants last longer, so when the first layer of material gets worn out, the pants don't become useless.Reply
the pants is the only issue that i have with this gi, the design jacket and the rest are all fine to me… it's just that with the pants once it gets sweaty i do have a hard time moving with it, somehow feels a lil heavy.. now rolling with the new comp gi's they got.Reply

subset: commoncrawl


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San Diego Child Custody Modification Lawyers
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Request an initial consultation by calling (858) 492-7968.


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07 Dec 2010
Schools across the UK are being invited to take part in a unique challenge – to design innovative new approaches to help older people stay better connected to their communities and younger generations.
The Keeping Connected Challenge is looking for fifteen secondary schools to work with professional designers to develop ideas for new technology-enabled services and systems that promote and improve meaningful interactions between family, friends and younger people, as well as address issues of reassurance, relationship building and social responsibility. Enabling older people to stay better connected to their wider community and family is increasingly important. Currently approximately 1.7 million older people live alone, and people over 65 years spend over 80% of their time at home, rising to 90% of their time for those over 85 years.
The Challenge was launched today by the Technology Strategy Board in partnership with the Design Council, who are asking interested secondary schools to visit www.designcouncil.org.uk/schoolschallenges to find out more and apply. Deadline for applications is 19th January 2011.
As well as delivering designs for technology enabled systems and services that improve the quality of life of older people, Keeping Connected will work in a new way with young people in schools, enabling them to engage with older people, designers and industry. The idea is to harness the creativity and information technology ability of young people, along with the life experience and wishes of older people, to generate concepts that are then developed into market-ready services and products by industry.
Fifteen selected schools will be partnered up with a professional designer, who will act as a mentor, guiding schools through the design process. Schools will also work closely with older people in their community, and in doing so challenge current attitudes about both older and younger people. Following the design development phase in Spring 2011, shortlisted schools will be asked to 'pitch' their design concepts to a panel of experts from industry in July 2011, who will select 2-3 concepts to turn into professional design briefs.
Iain Gray, Chief Executive of the Technology Strategy Board said:
"The concept of younger people working with older generations to devise solutions to this challenge is inspired. It is what innovation is all about; collaborating and sharing knowledge to come up with creative new solutions to challenges. The use of technology enabled solutions to address a big challenge like an ageing population makes perfect sense. There will be a great business opportunity, but in addition to this, using technology to address the acutely personal and human issues of social isolation, and mental wellbeing is truly amazing. It shows that it is possible to work towards sustainable solutions to some of the big challenges that we face in our society and improve quality of life for everyone."
It is the first national Schools Design Challenge that the Design Council has launched, following a series of successful regional challenges in which students have worked with designers to develop and implement innovations to help improve the sustainability of their school.
David Kester, Chief Executive of the Design Council said:
"Governments around the world are seeking solutions to address the rising costs of an ageing population. There are innovations to be found in the smart application of technology – that's where design comes in. There are also whole new dirctions to be explored – that's where the sum of our creativity is required. That's why we are calling on our emerging young designers, engineers and scientists to work together and put forward their ideas alongside professionals in industry."
The winning concepts will form the basis of the second phase of the project - a national industry challenge for small and medium sized businesses, who will apply for grants to take forward the concepts, developing them into working solutions that can be scaled-up and implemented in 2012.
Keeping Connected is part of a two-year, £2million programme called Independence Matters from the Technology Strategy Board and the Design Council, which aims to develop innovative new technologies, systems and approaches to help older people stay well while living independent and fulfilling lives. The programme, delivered by the Technology Strategy Board and the Design Council, will see designers, business, young people and older people working in partnership to jointly develop and test new systems and services which tackle issues of mobility, healthy eating, staying fit and keeping connected to friends, family and the younger generation.
For full press release including notes to editors please follow this link
Press enquiries should be directed to
Nigel Campbell, Head of Communications, Design Council 020 7420 5282 firstname.lastname@example.com and / or
Claire Cunningham, Media Relations Manager, Technology Strategy Board. 0755 4115745 firstname.lastname@example.com.
Last updated on Monday 14 February 2011 at 14:15


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Freed for Freedom
I am living in sin.
If you're shaking your head, stop. Because it IS true and there's no point in denying it. I am disobedient every day. Every day I know the things I should do, I know what I am compelled to do - yet I cannot achieve it. As hard as I try to obey commands, all I ever do is miss the perfect target. I'm supposed to love unselfishly - yet I'm obsessed with myself. I'm supposed to serve others - yet in my heart I've already found reasons why I won't. My mind is supposed to be clean - yet I cannot seem to get rid of filth.
The darkest, most destructive sin in my life is doubt driven by fear. I'm afraid that I've failed too many times, broken to many laws, indulged too many times. I'm afraid that I'm going down the wrong path, ignoring truth, deluding myself, embracing selfishness and living without love. I'm afraid I'm lying to myself, afraid I'm smothering my own conscience. I am afraid that the love that supposed to love me, hates me.
That focus on fear is the opposite of love. It destroys love with self-obsession and self-reliance. Instead of trusting this love to lead me, I am focused on myself. Instead of trusting love to provide clarity, I look to myself for answers. And instead of finding answers, I find ever deepening doubt and fear. I smother love beneath doubt and obsess over all kinds of questions:
- Do I love God with everything in me?
- Is God happy with me?
- Is my conscience clear?
- Have I truly committed my life to love?
- Am I good enough?
- Am I doing enough?
- Am I loving enough?
- Am I praying hard enough?
- Am I obeying all the commands?
- Am I giving enough?
- Am I putting love first?
- Have I left my life of sin?
And so fear grips me and I give in to doubt. I believe I am condemned and destined for wrath. Love is forgotten as I wallow in depressive emptiness. I cry, I beg, I search. I try harder, HARDER. And fail even more spectacularly. I am the naughty child, standing at the bars, staring at a pile of gifts - without even hope for even a lump of coal. I know what I deserve - and I am terrified of it.
And that's the whole point. I AM worthless. I AM completely incapable. I am utterly unable to keep any commands, unable to love, unable to give with pure motives. I am selfish and pathetic and so weak. I AM living in sin. And that's the point!
Even while I am so completely worthless and destined for punishment (because I AM that naughty child), this love is SO powerful it rescues me. Love. Rescues. Me. I did NOTHING to earn it. I can do nothing to deserve it. I can do nothing to keep it. Yet unbelievably, it is already promised to me. It has already saved me - me the worthless, naughty child destined for not even a lump of coal.
That's love. And it's that love - that powerful, undeserved love - which releases me. I am released from obsessing over myself and all I cannot do. I am released from obsessing over the laws that of myself I cannot keep. I am released! Because this love fulfills everything and accomplishes all I cannot do in and of myself. This love, so much greater than me, achieves for me ALL that is required. I am living in sin - yet this love makes me sinless. I am weak - pathetically so - but this love is my power. I fail at everything - yet this love succeeds in all things. Every law satisfied. Every struggle complete. Not by me - but by this amazing love.
This love doesn't just stop at fulfilling requirements. It goes even further. It creates new focus within me. My old focus struggled to fulfill laws, to keep commands, to do things to save myself. To earn and prove my innocence. Yet this love releases me from myself to refocus on love. On repentance instead of denial, on forgiveness instead of wrath. On others instead of myself. I am freed to serve others. To LOVE others. To give with everything in me - not out of requirement - but out of thankful joy for what I have been released FROM. I have been released to live my life in daily thanks for this love which has accomplished ALL of this for me!
THAT is freedom. Oh, the incredible joy I have! To be free from obsessing over laws I cannot keep. To be free to be a living, walking dedication of THANKS to this unstoppable love. Free. And this love's freedom compels me to a completely new life - to not indulge my own selfish desires or to seek my own comforts or demand entitlement - that was what my own me-focused self did before! Instead this love FREES me to thankfully relinquish everything that is me - my life, my body, my mind - to serve this love. And I am so relieved to do so because serving myself was nothing but painful, destructive, oppressive and empty. But this new freedom - I am overwhelmed with joy! Because of this incredible, undeserved, totally unfathomable love. I am free. I. Am. Free.
You know this love I am talking about - Jesus Christ - and you know why I'm sharing this. Because I love this love. I AM the naughty child given gifts I could never hope for. All mine - to use in thankful love to serve this love. To serve others - and thankfully - FINALLY - not myself! And the one who gives such amazing gifts - he will never take them away, never say: "You filthy, naughty child! You didn't earn these!"
Do you know what he says? "Believe in me." Because the love I didn't earn, the love I cannot attain on my own, the love that keeps on loving even when I am smothered in self-obsessive doubt over my own sinfulness - that love has accomplished all things for me. That love, loves. And because it loves me, I am now also finally freed to love. I am now finally, FINALLY free. "Believe in me."
More from this series
- Confessions of a Liar
- A New Command
- The Ideal Job
- Prime Directive
- Faith, Hope and Handouts
- Killing Monsters
- Jesus Loves Me
- A Letter to You
- Marriage, and the ONE Important Question


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Our global testing community, uTest, is made up of highly vetted digital professionals offering diverse expertise. Your test team is custom assembled to match your specific requirements and target customer profiles.


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Our Scale Up Social Program is for social entrepreneurs scaling their operation who need strategic and operational support to grow predictable, sustainable business models to help solve tough community, social, and environmental challenges. Scale Up Social is a six month social enterprise acceleration program that provides lean startup tools, operational accountability, and ongoing strategic mentoring from experienced entrepreneurs.
Our Social Enterprise Fundamentals (SoFun) Workshop is for social entrepreneurs who need tools to shape their social enterprise idea and build a business model. SoFun is a social enterprise fundamentals workshop that provides in-person education on globally popular lean startup tools, contextual examples from other social enterprises, and effective exercises to help shape your social enterprise.


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Troy Gentry's wife Angie has filed a lawsuit over his death in a helicopter crash in September. Angie Gentry is suing the manufacturers of the aircraft.
The lawsuit claims that Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Sikorsky Global Helicopters, Inc. and the Keystone Helicopter Corporation failed to make the Model 269 helicopter crashworthy, leaving its occupants no chance of survival.
She states, "The dangers from the lack of crashworthiness and defects in the engine, transmission and sprag clutch, throttle cables, engine attachments and absence of crashworthy features were unknown to the average user and consumer of this helicopter but well known to these defendants who made it a point to hide and deny and problems that could and did cause serious personal injury and death. The manufacturers' choices "treated the helicopter and its engine like an unwanted burden, while creating a serious and regular risk of serious injury or death as a result."
The helicopter crash that killed Gentry took place in Medford, N.J., on Sept. 8; he and Montgomery Gentry duo partner Eddie Montgomery were scheduled to perform there that evening. Gentry was removed from the helicopter crash wreckage at the scene but was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. In addition to Gentry, the helicopter's pilot, James Evan Robinson, died in the crash; crews worked for hours to remove his body from the wreck.
The National Transportation Safety Board reported that the helicopter pilot experienced mechanical issues prior to crashing. Troy Gentry was 50 years old when he died.


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On the same trip that led me to those most interesting wrenches I mentioned in a previous missive I also discovered a certain item that, while I didn't care to purchase it, intrigued me as to it's use and purpose...
Listed on it's tag simply as a "wooden press" and I cannot, for the life of me, figure out what in the nine hells it is... and the shop owner was equally bewildered by the device and as such could offer no suggestions of his own.
It is constructed of wood with brass fittings, the handle shows signs of wear at the edges from where one's hand would be in contact with it but there are no other markings or signs of use anywhere else on it aside from those that show where the brass had been in contact with the wood for some time which can be clearly seen in the photos.
As if it had been left in the open position for a considerable length of time for some reason.
So, I put it to you, the few that actually stop by once in a while to read this tripe, to help me figure out what this blasted thing is so I can put it from my mind move on to more important matters... like fine-tuning the edge on the most excellent Ka-Bar I got for my natal anniversary and figuring out how to weaponize a 1976 AMC Gremlin on a budget.


text: Egencia Traveler Training Videos Flight Search Tips & Tricks Learn how to harness the power of Egencia's flight search to find the right flight faster. Length: 4:36 min. Launch Flight Search Best Practices Full Traveler Training Includes all of the modules below in one continuous presentation. Length: 26:00 min. Launch Full Traveler Training Getting Started Includes how to sign in to Egencia, what to do if you've forgotten your password, and a review of the Egencia Home Page and Specials Page. Length: 1:45 min. Launch Getting Started Traveler Profile Configure your profile to book on travel with Egencia quickly and efficiently. Length: 7:20 min. Launch Traveler Profile Home Page Review the interface of the Egencia online booking tool. Length: 5:34 min. Launch Home Page Flight Booking Walk through searching for and booking air travel on Egencia. Length: 5:30 min. Launch Flight Booking Car Booking Get the rental car you need for your trip with Egencia. Length: :57 min. Launch Car Booking Extras Highlights including the Seat Pinpointer tool, updating Trip Preferences, and a walkthough of the Final Review and Purchase path. Length: 2:41 min. Launch Extras


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Got It by Dam It
Lakemba Signs Classic Style A-frame Handle shows the top section of the street sidewalk sign with total flat facing. Made in Metal.
Other Signage Close By:
Fantastic reception sign!
Campsie Signs This acrylic sign was created from 4.5mm thick clear acrylic, with coloured vinyl placed on the rear. We also supplied Stand-Off pins to stand the sign out from the wall for a professional finish. Call us today to receive a quote for your logo!
Safety Signage and Caution Workplace
Punchbowl Signs If you have low head room, please put up a sign. The bright colors may just save the bump.
Used for Events, farm days, sponsor days
Yagoona Signs RSPCA Information Banner Sign. The extra long ropes and strong vinyl make the sign suitable for constant outdoor use.
We can make signs mass production and save you money. New sign making techniques such as computer file printing, wide format, and mechanized screen printing. Call anytime for free advice.
Bankstown Signs Here, these signs are all mass produced using a new digital sign making machine, the plastic panels are cut to size and then an overlay is applied to give the graphics. Quantity is the key here, and options include screen printing directly onto the plastic material, or, using a flatbed digital machine or applying an overlay decal. This work was then further supplied in 20 sets and shipped to location.
Call 1800 815 166


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South Florida PBS's film-maker series kicks off Season 2 in April 2019. This unique program offers our region's storytellers a platform for broadcast distribution of their finished films.
Though South Florida is experiencing a cultural renaissance, the film-making community is at a dire crossroads. Funding cuts are hindering the growth of this community just as its homegrown talent begins to garner national and international recognition. South Florida PBS's film·maker project supports our local talent by providing the platform needed to disseminate their films to a new audience.
The initiative serves film·makers from the Keys to the Treasure Coast with an audience reach of over 6.3 million. The project is co-directed by three senior South Florida PBS staffers with support from local film organizations.
Tune in to South Florida PBS in April 2019 to watch our local filmmakers take center stage, with stories that define this community, explore diverse themes, question public opinion, and deepen the understanding of ourselves and our neighbors.
In Season 1 (fall of 2017) the film-makers' short and long-form independent films were broadcast to over 2.4 million TV households on South Florida PBS' WPBT and WXEL channels and were promoted heavily on social media, on-air, on the WPBT website through weekly press releases and e-blasts to our viewers.
The first season is now in national distribution, and we were thrilled to have two of the films nominated for Suncoast Regional Emmy awards and one winner!
Meet the Film Makers
Episode 101
This episode of film-maker, features three short films. Cheryl Maeder's "Play" is a look into the magic of children wildly jumping and playing in a mall wonderland. Get lost through the endless array of books in "Labyrinth," a cinedance from Sandra Portal-Andreu that explores the Historic Miami-Dade Main Public Library. And in Gabriel Rhenals' "The Promotion" a young woman is all about her career.
Episode 102
In this episode of "film-maker," we feature two films: "Freddie of Wynwood"—shot on location in Wynwood, featuring a chance encounter of two strangers--by Fabián Cárdenas; and "McClintock"—a thriller featuring a stranger in the shadows—by Christopher Irarrazabal
Episode 103
In this episode of "film-maker," we feature two films: "Tears of Joi"—featuring a mime looking for a break--by Yarnel Nicolas; and "Tesla"—which follows the trials and tribulations of the famed inventor—by Kamen Sway
Episode 104
In this episode of "film-maker," we feature two films: "Zindagi"—a bittersweet tale of lost love--by Vasisth Sukul; and "No Trespassing"—documentary on forgotten urban spaces—by Denise de la Vega
Episode 105
In this episode of "film-maker," we feature the documentary "Changes," by Yamilet Hernandez. The starting point of this documentary is the XIII Havana Biennial, which brought together all kind of artists, from Cuban-born Miami-based artists, Cuban-American artists, to internationally acclaimed contemporary artists.
Episode 106
In this episode of "film-maker," "Float" from Karli Evans is a psychological film about coming to terms with letting go. In Matthew Abad's "Isa" a young Hispanic girl encounters a villain you can only find between Westchester and Hialeah on a balmy summer day. And in "Foggy Sky" from Lauren McGarrett, a young man recounts the story of the best day he's ever had with the love of his life.
Episode 107
In this episode of "film-maker," we feature "Waking Up Dead," by David Molino, featuring a moving portrayal of a psychologically dysfunctional and mentally deranged elderly man.
Episode 108
In this episode of "film-maker," we feature two films. "Angels with Shoes: A Kidney Transplant Story," by Dan Perez, follows the harrowing and inspirational journeys of Yaredly and Kiara, two cousins bonded by a kidney transplant. In "J.U.L.E.S." Juliet Romeo gives a first-hand look at sickle cell disease and how it affects the patients as well as loved ones.
Episode 109
In this episode of "film-maker:" "Baggage," from Isabel Bacigalupo, features Stanley and Linda, soul mates that are lost in their own worlds and roam aimlessly as they are stuck in the past. Mark Pulaski's "Dream Recall" is a visual representation of an attempt to recall the details of a dream. And in "The Fallen" from Gabariel Tyner Adam and Eve discover the horrific consequences of rebellion.
Episode 110
In this episode of "film-maker," we feature "Zenú" from Claudio Marcotulli. In this film dreams and reality plunge a troubled musician into a river whose waters are kept sacred by a shaman living under the I-95 Bridge.
Episode 111
In this episode of "film-maker," we feature "Art Vessel" from Mateo Vengoechea. This film highlights Miami's growth as a world-class art hub with interviews from up and coming as well as established artists.
Episode 112
In this episode of "film-maker" we're featuring the documentary, "Markers" by Richard Jackson. Join us as we learn about the history and tragedies surrounding these roadside landmarks.
Episode 113
In this episode of "film-maker" we feature three notable films: a carpenter contemplates life's voyage in "Vessel," a narrative film from Gabrielle Olivera; "The Truth About Huntington's," by Dominique Seward, details how Huntington's Disease affects families across the U.S.; and Grace Shafir's "Heart of the Everglades" reveals the unique beauty of this National Park and the dedication of its care
Episode 114
In this episode of "film-maker" we feature "Father's Day" a documentary from Joe Pisciotta highlighting the plight of children who lose their parents as they serve time.
Episode 115
In this episode of "film-maker" we feature two short films: in "After Party: Bad Dessert" by Andrew Gaines we journey into a mysterious after hours labyrinth full of enchanting strangers; in Willa Kaufman's "The Children are Make Believe" the protagonist seeks an escape from this world though the Big Bad Wolf is always on her trail.
Episode 116
In this episode of "film-maker" we feature Ronald Baez's "Scenes from our Young Marriage," where a young couple journeys through seemingly innocuous conversations, exploring the emotional vastness of their short tenure in marriage.
Episode 117
In this episode of "film-maker" we feature "Animobiles" from Isaac Bencid, part of a series that follows the adventures of Nana, Guau, Ali and Mou--characters that form part of a crib mobile and come alive every night; and "The Wrecker Kings" from Robert Colom, a short film where the owner of a failing inn and his friend, a roadkill collector, devise a bigfoot hoax to draw in tourists but a Miccos
Episode 118
In this episode of "film-maker" we feature "Für Elise," by David Jura. While attempting to hide an affair with a woman from her husband, Marie finds herself inexplicably in a psych ward. As she struggles to restore her sanity, Marie attempts to piece together the events that led to her being committed.
Episode 119
Alonso Aliaguilla's "Reissued: A Rebirth of Vinyl," which provides an analysis of a select number of "protectors" of vinyl culture. In "Full Circle" from Raymond Knudsen an accomplished NFL wide receiver hopes to change the lives of the people from Pahokee, Florida. "Speechless" from Devin Marsh features a troubled man who is briefly plagued by the social stigmas surrounding his religion.
Episode 120
In this episode of "film-maker" we feature two short films. "Wait for Me," by Juan Castaneda, features Alicia who must piece together her memories from the night before if she's to win her lover back. Joseph Weisler's "The Abnormals" follows the trials and tribulations of three blended families as they collectively attempt to find level ground in the midst of abnormal situations.
Episode 121
In this episode of "film-maker" we feature two documentaries. "Naturally Selected" by Jimmy Evans . And a school for special needs children in Guatemala takes center stage in Tony Mendez's "A Través de sus Ojos" [Through Their Eyes].
film-maker is made possible by:


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Quick Quote
NO Portside is located on the edge on the main shopping strip 100m level stroll to everything including restaurant, bars, sailing club, shops, the famous Airlie Lagoon and a 10 minute easy walk to Able Point Marina.
Specials Packages
Specials Packages
Phone now for our best deals +61 (07) 4948 2288
We pride ourselves on our professional, friendly and personalized service. We look forward to meeting you and extending Portside hospitality.
Tours and Transfers
Tours and Transfers
Portside Whitsunday can arrange transfers from Whitsunday Coast Airport or Shute Harbour to the Resort with Airlie Beach Micro bus/Limousines.


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Utah dad uses artistic talent, over 900 lunch sack doodles to express love for his children
Midwest Mom Soldiers Grove, WIDec. 2, 2014 10:18 p.m.
My mom used to send little messages in my lunch bag.
It is true that "small and simple things" are what make a difference.
KSM's Dad Ogden, UTNov. 26, 2014 2:10 p.m.
Bravo! Great way to share a talent and let your kids know you love and think about them.
BYUalum South Jordan, UTNov. 26, 2014 1:52 p.m.
This is so cool. I am totally impressed that they saved these drawings through the years. What keepsakes for their personal history! I credit Mom for tipping these kids off to save these bags. What a treasure of love and support!


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Our News
MB Securities (MBS) improves brokerage activites with FiinPro® Platform
Orienting on transparency and risk management, MB Securities officially put into use FiinPro® Platform for research and brokerage activities.
Established in May 2000, MB Securities JSC is one of the first six and long-standing securities companies in Vietnam. After years of development, MBS becomes the leading stock companies and is in the top 5 of brokerage market. Particularly in 2013, MBS made the first and outstanding Merger & Acquisitions (M&A) deal with VIT securities companies which enlarges MBS's position in the market (Source: MBS website).
Apart from Brokerage, MBS concentrates on Investment Banking and Investment by improving specialist's expertise and equipping a transparent and intensive financial database, which offers investors wider product choices. Remarkably, MBS has received award "Best Investment Banking in Vietnam 2018" and "Best investment management" by World Finance. To maintain and sustain position in long race, transparency and risk management are MBS's keys to success. However, according to Mr.Tran Hai Ha - CEO of MBS, preserving a transparent business culture is uneasy on the tricky and sensitive stock market (Source: Dau tu Chung khoan Website). Hence, in September 2018, MBS cooperated with StoxPlus to use FiinPro® Platform for Research, Brokerage and Market Strategy Department to enrich its knowledge and capability.
FiinPro® Platform provides the most detailed information of standardized company profiles, corporate actions and ownership data together with free float, trading data, financial statements, calculated ratios and premium corporate news,… from all legitimate sources such as Ha Noi and Hochiminh Stock Exchange, General Statistics Office of Vietnam, Business Registration Management Agency. Besides, FiinPro® Platform helps MBS specialists make automatic business reports, synthesize daily news, track in-depth market data, screen good stocks and investment opportunities, etc.
Assisted by skillful data analyst, financial IT engineers and customer support staff and investment managers holding CFA, CPA and ACCA qualifications, FiinPro® Platform serves all information needs of Vietnam's financial and investment market, enhances investment research and trading process by various analytics tools such as detailed Company Analysis with earnings consensus, Strategy Screening for investment idea generation, Stock Screening for looking for a group of qualified stocks and Data Explorer with linkage to MS Excel and much more.
FiinPro® Platform is an effective assistant for MBS's research and brokerage activities with useful functions: Stock Screening, Strategy Screening, Portfolio Management, Technical Analysis, etc within dramatic landscape of Vietnam stock market.
Click here to learn more about the practical features of FiinPro® Platform.
Source: StoxPlus


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Know why your business needs Backupify
As companies increasingly move core applications and data to cloud applications, they face new challenges in enforcing IT best practices. Having a second, secure copy of your data is always best practice, and this still holds true for data in SaaS apps. By providing protection for data in SaaS apps, data can be protected no matter where it lives—on-prem, in virtualized environments, and in cloud apps.
An astonishing 1 in 3 companies report losing SaaS data. While SaaS applications have strong disaster recovery plans, they can't always protect you from accidental data loss caused by user errors or satisfy your legal and compliance needs. Using Backupify ensures that critical company data is protected beyond situations where hardware failure or natural disasters are to blame.
The Common Causes of SaaS Data Loss
1) Employee deletions
The most common cause of SaaS data loss are user deletions. Users within your organization make mistakes—whether that's deleting emails in the name of "inbox cleanup" or accidentally overwriting data in a spreadsheet. Cloud apps are great, but they're not people-proof.
2) Hackers and viruses
Hackers and viruses can wreck havoc in your Office 365 environment, whether that's in the form of corrupted files, ransonware viruses that take control over your data, or deleted information. Protect your data by always having a second, secure copy with Backupify.
3) Malicious activity
Sometimes the bad guy is operating within the walls of your organization. Employees are sometimes to blame for malicious deletions. It might be the person that knows they're about to be fired or someone that doesn't want others to have access to data.
4) Departing employees
Employee turnover happens, but data loss doesn't need to happen when the employee leaves. Manage the employee lifecycle by taking a snapshot of the employee's O365 data before you delete their user account to ensure their data continues to be protected and accessible.
5) App downtime
When cloud apps experience downtime and outages, it's not always at the most convenient time for you. By having a second, secure copy of your data in Backupify, you'll be able to access and download data when you need it most.
Back up, Search for, and Recover Data Easily
Automatically back up data
Rest easy with Backupify's automatic 3x/day backup for Office 365's email and calendar apps. Admins can also initiate a backup at any time.
Securely manage data
Protect your data with powerful security controls, including compliance with SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, and Safe Harbor. Data is secured with 256-bit encryption and admins have access to enterprise-grade controls and monitoring.
Quickly search for backups
Zero in on users, items, and metadata to quickly find what you're looking for from the dashboard.
Easily restore and export backups
Restore individual files or groups of files back into a user's account or download them directly to your machine.
Click for more information about how to get Backupify for your business.


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Aliases: Stacy Silver, Dana , Stacy Lovecock, Staci Silver, Sasha , Stacey Silver, Dana M., Dana A., Julie, Sasha
Gracing us with her truly beautiful appearance beginning in 2001, Porn Star Stacy Silver has been busy at work as both a hard-core performer and a model for one of the Czech Republic's hottest agencies. Her breathtaking good looks, luscious curves, and sense of playfulness and enthusiasm for her work has ranked her one of the most sought after starlets in the European industry. So far she has sizzled her way through over 100 features, some of her best including Killer Pussy #09, Blowjob Impossible #03, Sexx The Hard Way #03, Rocco's Initiations #04, The Passion of the Ass 3, Internal Violations, and Christopher's Beautiful Girls #07.


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Everyone in the lab is an evolutionary biologist interested in the phylogenetics of fishes or systematic theory. We focus on the large-scale phenomena that have shaped the history and diversification of fishes at various scales and in both geographic space and geologic time. We use a combination of phylogenetic trees, field collections, and focused anatomical, morphometric, and genomic analyses to understand the evolution and diversification of freshwater or marine fishes.
If you are interested in opportunities in working on the evolution of fishes at the University of Kansas, we encourage you to contact anyone in the lab directly.
Ongoing projects in the laboratory include:
- The higher-level relationships of spiny-rayed fishes
- The evolution of venom and venom genomes
- The evolution and systematics of mail-cheeked fishes
- The interplay of diversification and character evolution, focusing on luminescence
- The biogeography of Madagascar and Gondwana
Examples of popular press based on our research:
May 8, 2015 - Sarah Griffiths, The Daily Mail, "The animal kingdom's most bizarre MOTHERS: Fish that stores hatched babes in her mouth and frog with an egg 'backpack' among amazing creatures"
7 May 2015 - Gina Kaufmann & Matthew Long-Middleton, Central Standard, KCUR Public Radio, "How different animals mother their young."
September 17, 2013 - Helen Fields, Science, Science Magazine, Science Now, "Tracing cichlids through the seas"
March 5, 2013 - Julia Thiel, The Reader, The Bleader, "What is a fish? Field Museum curator Leo Smith talks about his research"
September 21, 2011 - Michael DeBonis, NPR, WBEZ, Clever Apes, "Meet the most venomous fish (and some other cool critters)"
February 24, 2009 - Robin Lloyd, LiveScience.com, "Freaky fish has eyes like ours"
August 29, 2008 - Adam Bulger, USA Today (Forbes Traveller), "World's deadliest delicacies"
July 28, 2008 - Jeanna Bryner, LiveScience.com, "Incredible fish armor could suit soldiers"
September 5, 2006 - Glenn Collins, New York Times "Stingray attack kills Australia's 'Crocodile Hunter"
These projects have been funded by the University of Kansas, The Field Museum, the American Museum of Natural History, and the National Science Foundation through grants on the Phylogenetics of Scorpionfishes, The Euteleost Tree of Life, The Evolution of Pharyngognathy, the Diversification of Spiny-Rayed Fishes, and Diversification in the Deep Sea


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Harkins Wealth Management
Our financial professionals provide comprehensive financial planning utilizing powerful tools through LPL Financial such as eMoney's WealthVision.
We specialize in working with clients going through a transition; divorce, widowhood, marriage, career changes.
We believe that an educated investor is a better investor and strive to provide educational opportunities throughout the year.
We offer a comprehensive approach utilizing independent objective research, customized technology, and work as a team with other experts in the fields of accounting, income tax, estate planning & trust services to better serve our clients.
- Holistic Approach to Comprehensive Financial Planning
- Women in Transition
- Socially Responsible Investing
- Retirement Income Planning
*LPL Financial Representatives offer access to Trust Services through The Private Trust Company N.A., an affiliate of LPL Financial. Securities, Financial Planning and Advisory services offered through LPL Financial. A registered investment advisor. Member FINRA & SIPC.
206 Gano Street
Providence, RI 02906
Phone: (401) 278-4049
Follow us on Twitter
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View our BuyLocal profile


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Cape Canaveral offers a unique experience for your family vacation. Located on the Space Coast, it's home to the famed launch pad, the Kennedy Space Center, as well as the Air Force Space and Missile Museum. You'll need a vehicle to get from the top sites in the heart of the city to these coastal attractions. Fortunately, Thrifty Car Rental has a wide variety of Cape Canaveral rental cars from which to choose. You can even get great money-saving at Cape Canaveral deals.
Discover the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
Get in a Cape Canaveral car rental and head to the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, the beautiful wildlife front to the Kennedy Space Center. It spans about 140,000 acres and is comprised of an array of habitats, including marshes, freshwater bodies, coastal dunes, pine forests and estuaries. You'll find hardwood hammocks that house more than 1,500 plant and animal species. Bird watchers in particular will enjoy a visit to the refuge - it's known for its abundance of fowl, especially between the months of October and April, when you'll find a wide variety of wading and shore birds as well as raptors.
Relax on the beach
Use your Cape Canaveral car rental to cruise around the multitude of warm, sandy beaches scattered along the coast. The 24-mile stretch is home to the popular Apollo, Vero and Cocoa beaches. Spread out a blanket and catch some rays under the bright Florida sun or hit the water for some wet and wild adventures. If you want to spy on some sea turtles, head to Playalinda Beach - June and July are the prime months for catching a peek at these endangered animals, and you can sign up for a ranger-led turtle watch during these months.


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All products in the above shot are from Marks and Spencer
The botanical look is huge news this Spring – gorgeous greens, fabulous fern, leaf and flower prints, lots of lovely natural wood and a splash of this season's must-have metal, copper.
Marks & Spencer have nailed the trend with their showstopping Eve bedlinen (seen on the bed above, from £19.50). In grown-up green and black, it'll make any bedroom look classy and is totally unisex.
Want to try the look above yourself? Here are my top tips:
- Take your inspiration from nature with fern, leaf, flower, butterfly and insect prints on bedding and cushions. Try (L to R) the Butterfly cushion £7 George Home at Asda; the Butterfly cushion £19.50 Marks & Spencer; or the Spring Butterfly Green cushion £6 Matalan:
- Black bedrooms aren't just for teenagers. Create drama with a decadent feature wall painted in matte black paint. Just keep the walls, ceilings and curtains white, unless you like having a room so dark you bump into things in the night!
- Bring the outside in and use plants like accessories. Dot them around the room, in pots on the floor and from the ceiling in hanging planters, like this bargainous Riskorn planter £6, from Ikea:
- Go for pale, unpainted wood furniture to keep things looking as natural as possible. It'll also help offset the dark walls and bedding. I like the copper details on this Range side table, £149 from Made.com:
- Create quirky wall art with artificial succulent plants. Glueing them in place would mean a replaster job when they came down, so attach a stick-on an adhesive disc plate-hanger (£1.64, Amazon.co.uk) to the back of each pot, and hang them from picture hooks or nails instead. These ones are £2.99 each from Dunelm:
- A desk lamp is the perfect alternative to a traditional table lamp as it allows you to direct light where you need it most. Choose one with copper details – one of this season's hottest trends; it looks great with black and green. I like this wood effect desk lamp, £20 from George Home at Asda:
- Choose a lampshade in a natural material such as wood, raffia or wicker. The gaps in the shade will create a lovely dappled, forest-like effect when the light is switched on. Try the Mandy shade, £18, B&Q:


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Hot chocolate with almond milk
Pan ideal para desayunar, está delicioso. El aceite de oliva virgen extra y las semillas de amapola le dan un toque especial, un aroma y sabor que recuerdan un poco a la avellana. Está elaborado con dos tipos de harina de espelta, las dos ecológicas, una completa y otra especial para repostería, más refinada. No he utilizado masa madre, preparé la masa por la mañana con mi maquinita de hacer pan y estuvo reposando tranquilamente hasta última hora de la tarde. Hoy, tras el smoothie de frutas variadas he tomado chocolate a la taza preparado con bebida de almendras y decorado con fresas deshidradas, y el pan de espelta que preparé ayer para mojar. Energía para todo el día!
Great bread for breakfast, it is delicious. The extra virgin olive oil and poppy seeds give it a special touch, aroma and flavor somewhat reminiscent of hazelnuts. It is made with two types of spelt flour, both organic, special for pastries and whole grain. I have not used sourdough, I prepared the dough in the morning with my bread making machine and was resting peacefully until late afternoon. This morning, after a delicious mixed fruit smoothie I made hot chocolate with almond drink and garnish with dried strawberries and, of course, eat with the spelt bread prepared yesterday for dipping into the chocolate. Energy for the whole day!
La receta
Para el pan:
- 200 gr de harina de espelta bio integral
200 gr de harina de espelta bio para repostería
1 cucharadita y media de sal
200 gr de agua
1 sobre de levadura seca para pan (7,5 gr)
4 cuch. soperas de aceite de oliva virgen extra
2 cuch. soperas de semillas de amapola
Para el chocolate a la taza (por persona):
1 vaso de bebida de almendras
3 cucharadas soperas de chocolate a la taza (he usado "Paladín")
1 cucharada sopera de fresas deshidratadas
The recipe
- For the bread:
200 g whole spelt flour organic
200 g spelt flour organic for baking
1 ½ teaspoon salt
200 g of water
1 envelope dry yeast for bread (7.5 g)
4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
For hot chocolate (per person): em>
1 cup almond drink
3 tablespoons of hot chocolate (I used "Paladin")
1 tablespoon dried strawberries
- I use a very simple machine to make bread only for helping me to prepare the dough but you can do as well by hand, mixing both flours and salt. Then add the water with the yeast and extra virgin olive oil and mix well to obtain a homogeneous mass. Knead for a while. Let dough rest at least two hours in a warm temperature; leave the dough covered with a damp cloth but the cloth must not touch the dough. With the machine just add all the ingredients, pouring the water with the yeast at the end and it does it all alone. My dough has been all day waiting for me quietly into the machine.
- After that time, the dough will have doubled in size. Remove from the container, sprinkle a little flour on the kitchen table and knead a little to shape the dough. Not too much to keep it fluffy.
- Place the dough in a plum-cake pan lined with baking paper. Sprinkle poppy seeds, with the back of a spoon, press lightly the seeds so that they are firmly attached. If the dough had been a little dry, sprayed some water over the dough before adding the seeds.
- I put my dough in a "cocotte" or cast iron pot that will act as a second oven and prevents the dough moisture loss. Bake for 60-70 minutes at 200°C, starting with a cold oven.
- For hot chocolate, heat the almond drink and when it begins to be quite add a tablespoon of cocoa powder at a time, mixing well before adding the next spoonful. Stir constantly and continue heating for about five minutes until thickened. Garnish with dried strawberries. Cut slices of bread, cut again each slice into three strips and toast lightly.


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Feel Good About Yourself!
907-696-0044 907-376-7433
Toddler's Classes are designed for very young children, ages 2 to 4 1/2.
This specially designed class is for for the very young to be introduced to the Art and Sport of Taekwondo. A shorter class, Tot Class is scheduled with the shorter attention span of young children in mind. Toddlers will learn many elements of Taekwondo, including foot and hand techniques, self-defense, and traditional Poomse while also practicing the positive mental aspects of Taekwondo such as concentration, patience, attention, self-control, and self-discipline. Classes are structured, but lots of fun! Kids can develop all the positive mental attributes of an ancient martial art and have a blast doing it!
Sessions are broken into three seasonal sessions during the throughout the year.
Children must be potty trained and able to use the public restrooms without assistance or have a parent present during the entirety of class.
Mention this page and try two classes for free!
Fall session began September 13th and continues through until November 24th.


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Ricoh Ulverstone opened our doors as Nashuatec in August 1993, as a branch of Nashuatec Launceston.
In October 1994, the Vayne family formed Dyernamics Pty Ltd and purchased the franchise, Nashuatec North West (Tas).
Nashuatec machines were made by Ricoh. Ricoh decided to take control of the very successful Nashuatec Franchises and Dealers in 1996. We continued to trade as Nashuatec for a period, selling both Nashuatec machines and Ricoh machines, until the Ricoh name was adopted in 1997, and Nashuatec machines were no longer distributed in Australia.
Ricoh Ulverstone has continued to grow and grow since 1993, from an initial Staff of 2, to our current Staff of 8 in March 2013.
Vic has an extensive Banking background, having worked for the Commonwealth Bank for 36 years and reaching the rank of Branch Manager.
Vic bought this wealth of finance and business knowledge to Ricoh Ulverstone and applied his knowledge to structure a strong and sound business, with advice and the highest level of service to our clients that is un-paralleled.
Judy worked in the banking industry prior to having children. She returned to work in 1995 as the business grew.
Judy enjoys maintaining a strong customer relationship, and is always happy to help Log a Service Call or Dispatch Toners when you need it.
Ken opened the doors in 1993, having worked for the Tasmanian State Government as an Office Machine Technician for the previous 5 years and completing his Associate Diploma of Electrical Engineering in May 1990.
Ken operated the business with his brother David for the first 13 months developing a strong relationship with Government Departments and Schools from his previous employment, and creating new contacts and Clients which continues to this day.
Ken has a simple approach to the business – "Service comes first and Sales comes from great Service", a philosophy that has proved itself time and time again over the past 20 years.
David helped Ken open the doors in 1993, as the man in the office when Ken was out on the road, which was most of the time. David initially helped prepare quotations, dispatch consumables, receive freight and our original copy shop operator.
David successfully built, sold and maintained computer systems from 1995 until 2004, sold as Dyernamic Computers.
Today, David provides Administrative assistance to our clients and produces many regular publications in our Copy Shop for local organisations.
Leon joined the service and sales team in 2008, having previously worked on Canon, Lanier, Konica Minolta, Hewlett Packard, Kyocera Mita and Toshiba office equipment. Leon has been in the industry since 1986 and has a wealth of Technical Knowledge and a willingness to provide the very highest level of customer support.
Leon has enjoyed success with the added task of Sales Advisor since joining Ricoh Ulverstone, we believe that no one knows better what a client needs in a machine, than the person who maintains it.
Leon has the knowledge to sell the Client what they need, not what a Salesman thinks they should have.
Shamsu has been repairing Office Equipment since 1977, originally in his native India, Shamsu also worked in Bhutan.
Previous to joining Ricoh Ulverstone in November 2005 through the employer sponsored immigration program, Shamsu worked for Ricoh Australia in East Timor for 5 years, supporting the United Nations Fleet of Ricoh equipment.
Shamsu and his Family became Australian Citizens in 2008.
Peter began his career in the Office Machine Industry over 40 years ago in 1974. Over this period of time Peter has seen massive changes in Office Equipment, constantly updating his knowledge with factory training.
Peter enjoys being part of a family company, the daily challenges of servicing equipment to the high standards that both he and Ricoh Ulverstone pride themselves on, and the ongoing contact with Clients he has known for many years.
Leah joined the Ricoh Copy Shop / Administration team in 2010, Leah is always happy to assist clients on the phone or over the counter, whether you need a copy, a toner or a box of staples, Leah is here to help you.


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The Importance of Setting Goals
Lots of people know the importance of setting goals, but handful of know how. Setting targets gives purpose to each and every activity in which you get involved. Every area of your life can benefit from setting goals, together with your career, your religious beliefs, your family life, as well as your personal aspirations. With out setting goals, existence would be like cruising in the Pacific Ocean with out a map. You drift along aimlessly without knowing where you are or in which you want to go. Ultimately, you will land somewhere, but is that in places you wanted to land And what kind of shape are you gonna be in when you perform
When setting an objective, you should ask yourself one easy question: \"What would I try to perform if I knew there'd be no chance to fail trying to attain it\" Don't limit yourself. Enable yourself to dream. Could you try to become a millionaire Would you try to retire at 49 yrs . old Would you want to elevate children who can change the world Some of these goals is possible should you have had the time, passion, generate, and road map to have there.
When you reconcile upon a worthwhile objective, write it down. Then, improve it until you have a plan of what you are going to do. Make sure the goal is actually realistic. For example, if you wanted to become a billionaire by next week, literally a corporate scandal or lottery win might get a person there. If you had 30 years to accomplish this goal, the world begins to open up.
Set sub-goals for yourself. There is no need to try to look at the top of the stairs when you have to take the step up first. Make each and every step a landmark on your way to your ultimate goal. Once you accomplish a goal, regardless of how small, it is a triumph for you and your psyche. It will give you the energy to keep going unless you reach your ultimate destination. Sub-goals also allow you to make corrections on the way. If you set the sub-goal to hit $100,000 through next year but fall short, you can make the necessary a static correction to reach that motorola milestone. Then the sky is the particular limit.


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Chemotherapy is easier on the skin than on the hair. Even so, whatever a person's skin type, chemotherapy will make skin drier because the drugs interfere with oil and sweat glands. Keeping skin as moist as possible during treatment is important to keep it looking young and healthy. Moisture can also prevent cracking and chapping, which can lead to infection in the cancer patient, whose immune system is suppressed.
Cancer patients are advised never to pull, tug or scrub the face too hard. Overzealous cleansing can strip away the remaining natural oils. Soap-free face cleansers that gently cleanse makeup and oil without drying skin are preferable. It is recommended to use an antimicrobial soap, however, to effectively clean areas like the armpits and genitals, which are prone to infection.
Moisturizing day and night can slow down the skin's loss of moisture by leaving behind a filmy deposit of oil. The oil not only helps retard the moisture evaporation, but it also makes the surface of the skin softer and more pliable. This may be especially important for hands and soles of the feet, which may become sore and blistered. Rubber gloves should be used when doing household chores.
Cancer patients are advised to moisturize with products containing sunscreens with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 because people undergoing chemotherapy may be more sensitive to harmful ultraviolet rays.
Dry, chapped lips can be helped with nonpigmented lip balms or petrolatum-based products, according to Harley Haynes, M.D., a dermatologist with Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. He recommends using lipsticks only when lips are in good condition. Chemotherapy may also affect nails, retarding their growth and, in many cases, causing them to become thin and brittle and develop horizontal grooves.
It's not a good idea to cover the nails with acrylics or other types of wraps, says Haynes, since these materials can trap bacteria that may cause infection. Instead, the nails can be clipped short and moisturized with lotions. A light-color nail polish will camouflage any nail imperfections. But to prevent nails from drying out, only non-acetone-based nail polish remover should be used.
Cancer patients who have professional manicures should bring their own implements to guard against infection. Cuticles should be pushed back rather than cut.
The above information has been provided with the kind permission of the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (www.cfsan.fda.gov).
For more, please visit the Chemotherapy Center and Cancer Center.


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Arbitration and Private Judging
The Family Court, like so many other institutions these days, is terribly short of resources. A tiny number of well-qualified Family Court judges struggle mightily to handle thousands and thousands of divorce cases, and many more thousands of other juvenile and adult Family Court cases, each year. Calendars are overcrowded, court delays are long, and proceedings are abbreviated.
Family law issues are the least susceptible to successful resolution through adversarial litigation. In recognition of this, the Family Court has long favored alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in divorce cases.
Alternatives to divorce litigation include negotiation, conciliation, collaboration, cooperative divorce, mediation, mastering, private judging, and arbitration. Private judging and arbitration can either be binding or non-binding.
In Hawaii, by law, divorcing spouses may enforcibly agree to a division of their property in a manner different than what the Family Court might otherwise require in a contest, provided that their agreement to do so is not procured by corruption, fraud, or other undue means. Likewise, by extension, and in accordance with contract principles, divorcing spouses may enforcibly agree to assign to a private judge or arbitrator the authority to divide and distribute some or all of their property, in accordance with certain agreed instructions. Divorcing spouses may also enforcibly agree to arbitrate their alimony claims.
Although in many respects private judging and arbitration is similar to Family Court litigation, in private judging and arbitration the parties have much more control over the manner of the proceedings, and the progress of the case. Compared to traditional litigation, private judging and arbitration is quicker, and it provides a far greater opportunity to present all of the facts.
We serve as private judges and arbitrators in more financially complicated divorces as one of the panel of family law arbitrators of Dispute Prevention and Resolution, Inc., Hawaii's premier private practice provider of ADR services.
Special Mastering
The Family Court can, and does, appoint referees, auditors, examiners, assessors, commissioners, receivers, masters, and special masters to assist divorcing spouses.
Special masters serve in many different roles. They can make binding or non-binding findings of fact. They can assist in the separation of business and investment interests. They can implement the division and distribution of some or all of the assets in a marital estate. Their authority is limited only by the agreement of the parties, or the order of the Family Court. We use special masters wherever possible as an alternative to lengthy and expensive discovery, pretrial proceedings, and long trials.
We serve as special masters assisting divorcing spouses, and their attorneys, resolve divorce issues.


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Posts: 936
Joined: Sat Jun 25, 2005 5:46 pm
Location: Canada
Re: Gathering Around the Bonfire
Kyra listened to both girls and watched how Songhue seemed to radiant with light and joy every time she talked of her mate. "A walk does sound good. Also, don't worry, Vineda, walking helps me too sometimes," she smiled at both girls. Then she stood up, and walked moved closer too them, "So where shall we head?"


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Saint-Gobain's prepared statement in response to air toxics story
November 7, 2011
InvestigateWest and the Northwest News Network sought a tour of the Saint-Gobain glass plant in south Seattle and an interview with the company as part of our reporting for our story on the top Northwest violators of the Clean Air Act. The company did not grant those requests but did issue this prepared statement. The list the press release refers to is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's "watch list" for Northwest clean-air violators.
Media Statement, re: Inclusion of SGCI Seattle Facility on EPA List
We don't believe the inclusion of any Saint-Gobain Containers Inc. (SGCI) facility on the EPA list is appropriate. In that regard, our company is proud of its commitment to meet all of its environmental compliance obligations including the Clean Air Act. Further, as a leading U.S. producer of more than nine billion endlessly recyclable glass bottles and jars each year, we are committed to a sustainable future for not only our business – but the planet.
From this perspective, we are pleased to provide an update regarding our activities as the first glass container company to reach an agreement on air emissions as part of the EPA's nationwide Clean Air Act enforcement initiative. As part of the nationwide agreement with the EPA, SGCI is installing emission control technologies and monitoring devices at its various plants, including innovative pilot technologies. That process will continue for several more years and requires substantial capital investment by SGCI.
Specific to our Seattle facility, we have worked with the Puget Sound Clear Air Agency (PSCAA) to address various emissions challenges the facility has faced over the years and in 2007 reached agreement with PSCAA regarding all open issues. Since that time, we believe all concerned are pleased with the progress which has been made despite many technical challenges associated with the plant serving as an EPA pilot for innovative new 'cloud chamber' technology designed to reduce sulfur oxides (SOx) and particulate matter (PM). Additionally, given the challenges of obtaining sufficient quantities of uncontaminated cullet to use in our production process, we have brought an independent business on-site to sort through single stream recycled materials to retrieve cullet which would otherwise be landfilled. While we aren't able to reach the levels of cullet usage our Milford plant enjoys because of the Massachusetts bottle bill, we are improving in this regard at Seattle because of these efforts.
As further examples of its commitments to sustainability, in June, SGCI had three of its manufacturing plants, including the facility in Milford, Mass., honored as the first and only in the industry to earn the 2010 ENERGY STAR® from the EPA for superior energy performance. Additionally, in March, the company shared in the honor of the 2011 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award which was announced for parent company Saint-Gobain. All Saint-Gobain businesses in the U.S. were recognized for their leadership in conserving energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The award marked the third consecutive year the EPA had honored Saint-Gobain and U.S. subsidiaries like SGCI. No other manufacturer of glass containers has ever been honored as a Partner of the Year or presented with a Sustained Excellence Award.
We believe these actions are a reflection of SGCI's commitment to operate in an environmentally responsible and sustainability-minded manner.
Forests and the Economy | May 2015
After the Wars, Common Ground
Environmentalists and the timber industry — once bitter adversaries — are working as allies on forest restoration. Collaborative forest thinning projects aim to fight megafires before they start — but money is scarce and tens of thousands of acres acres in Oregon now face an elevated risk of catastrophic fire. Ben DeJarnette reports for InvestigateWest.
Equity | April 2015
Home Sweet Portland?
Cash reigns in the Portland housing market. The city faces pressure from a new kind of speculation, as investors buy thousands of homes with cash and long-established protections for bank-financed homebuyers are ignored. Lee van der Voo and James Gordon report for InvestigateWest.
Wealth and Poverty | March 2015
After 10-Year Plan, more homeless than ever in Seattle
March 2015 marks the anniversary of a bold promise: King County's 10-year plan to end homelessness. Now that the 10-year plan is ending and local homelessness is worse than ever, talk of ending homelessness is being replaced with less-lofty aspirations: making homelessness rare and brief when it does occur.
In collaboration with KUOW this week, we examine the roots of the plan, the challenges it faced, and where community and city leaders think we go from here.
Equal Justice | December 2014
Grand jury reform propelled by Ferguson
With grand jury reform elsewhere focused on eliminating racial bias and curbing police use of force, Oregon is an outlier: It is one of just 14 states that do not regularly record the citizen grand juries that charge people with felonies.
Almost five years after police killed an unarmed black man in Portland and the Multnomah Co. district attorney petitioned for that grand jury to be recorded, lawmakers in Salem are lining up behind a reform bill to mandate recording statewide, InvestigateWest has learned.
Seafood | December 2014
Food fight pits iconic halibut against exports, fast food
A struggle in Alaska over shrinking supplies of halibut is threatening the iconic centerpiece fish in favor of cheaper exports, fast-food fillets and fish sticks.
At risk is most of the frozen supply that sustains restaurants, food-service companies and retail stores nationwide, such as Costco and Whole Foods. Lee van der Voo investigates.
Photo: Peter Haley / The News Tribune
Environment | November 2014
How government and Boeing fought to curtail Duwamish River cleanup
It will take hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up the Duwamish River. But how clean is clean? And who decides?
Robert McClure looks at how lobbyists and community groups have squared off over the health of the waterway and its neighborhoods.
Photo: Paul Joseph Brown/ecosystemphoto.com
Trafficking | October 2014
Gangs taking over Northwest child sex trade, say authorities
Authorities say organized gangs increasingly are trafficking children for sex in the Northwest, and even cooperating with each other to stymie police.
Meanwhile in Portland, the U.S. Attorney's Office has become the third most prolific nationally in securing indictments for trafficking children and adults for sex.
Photo: Oregon DOT/Flickr
Minimum Wage | August 2014
Washington struggles to help workers collect millions in stolen wages
"Everyone is aware that passing a $15 an hour minimum wage was historic," an advisor to Mayor Ed Murray and the Seattle City Council told InvestigateWest. "But if we cannot enforce that, we haven't accomplished much."
Based on a review of more than 20,000 wage theft complaints, hundreds of pages of reports and more than a dozen interviews, "Stolen Wages" shines a light on the dark world of pay violations in Seattle and across Washington.
Infrastructure | May 2014
Inside the Box: The Price of Portable Classrooms
Portable, modular or relocatable classrooms — whatever you call them — are a necessity for cash-strapped schools.
But many portables become permanent fixtures, in place for decades at a time. Costly and insufficient, these aging structures burden the grid, frustrate teachers and administrators and compromise student health.
Environment | April 2014
Smoke and Numbers: Inside Green Claims for Burning Wood
Energizing our world with wood sounds so natural. And it has quickly become a multibillion-dollar industry as governments including British Columbia and the European Union turn to biomass to replace dirty old coal. Yet what we found when we dug into the coal-vs.-wood debate will surprise you.
In our work, we rely on the generosity of many others who make their services available for free or at a discount to nonprofits, including Tableau and the Texas A&M GeoServices Team.


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This comes to us from Laura Kexel, an Orchestra teacher in Kent and was published originally in the League of Education Voters Blog, edCored, as "The day the music died." (http://www.educationvoters.org/2011/10/06/edcored-the-day-the-music-died/) Laura has given her permission to reprint her thoughts here.
I am an itinerant orchestra teacher. I am currently assigned to eight elementary schools teaching sixth grade beginning orchestra. When I was hired in 2007, I was assigned to five elementary schools teaching fifth and sixth grade orchestra. Every year that I have taught in the Kent School District, not only have elementary band and orchestra been on the chopping block, but the district has threatened to cut all elementary music to save money. Last year, fifth graders lost the chance to start in band and orchestra. The district is desperate for money, and our children are suffering.
I have a Masters Degree in Teaching, yet I spend only three hours a day in contact with students. I make enough money on mileage checks to pay three car payments in a school year.
Besides having to fight every year just to keep music alive in elementary schools, we have suffered some pretty devastating cuts. The district owns hundreds of band and orchestra instruments but has cut the repair and maintenance budget to ZERO. Would you buy a house and then never mow the lawn, vacuum, paint, etc.? They have a set maintenance fee for students to rent those instruments – $80 – but if a student has free or reduced lunch, the fee is reduced down, often to a mere $20. This $20 buys two strings (almost) or 1/2 of a new bow or 1/3 of a new case or almost none of a repair when needed for normal wear and tear issues.
Itinerant band and orchestra teachers used to get an allotment to spend on new music. Unlike math or science, we don't have a set of textbooks that the district purchases and adopts every five to 10 years. Our books are purchased by the students themselves, and music is our textbook. We have to share that music, and now that we only teach beginning orchestra and band, we can't use a great deal of what we have because it is beyond the skill level of the students. Our allotment was reduced to ZERO last year and has stayed the same. No new music, despite the changing needs of our students. Are we supposed to write the music ourselves?
Every school principal has warned against making too many copies. Again, I don't have a textbook curriculum. Everything I do is from a photocopy. I don't always have time at every school to make copies for just that school, so sometimes I have to make all the copies I need for the week in one place. I try to spread that around evenly, but I'm not always successful. My schedule doesn't allow me to be. I sincerely hope that I make it to the end of the year without getting cut off.
There are many more ways that budget cuts affect us and our students, but I have to stop here before I let all this wash over me. I need to keep positive despite the tough road ahead, and I can't do that when I dwell on all the bad news. The bottom line is that I teach whoever shows up in my class, whatever their needs. I spend my weekends calling parents to make sure every student has an instrument. I make extra trips on my own time to the district warehouse and music stores to get supplies. I do all of this because someone has to do it, and it is important. I want what is best for my students, and I will do what is necessary to make that happen.


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Housing First
Pathways to Housing DC was founded to positively transform the lives of people experiencing chronic homelessness, who are also living with serious and persistent mental illness and challenging health conditions. For the past decade, we have successfully engaged, housed, supported, and treated over 850 adults who had been living on the streets for years. As an alternative to a system of emergency shelter/ transitional housing, our model is simple: provide housing first, and then combine that permanent housing with supportive treatment services in the areas of mental and physical health, substance abuse, education, and employment.
While the model is simple, the Housing First Program is very complex and requires dedicated staff to coordinate all aspects (outreach, housing, healthcare, treatment and case management) of the program in order for the people we serve to be successful in their recoveries. Housing First means there are no conditions that have to be met before the person moves in. Housing is provided in apartments that are spread throughout the District, with each client holding their own lease. Using "scattered sites," we are able to give each client choice in where they would like to live, helping to foster a sense of home and self-determination. Stable, supportive housing is merely the first step towards reintegrating into their community, rebuilding family relationships, reconnecting with their faith fellowships, and experiencing an improvement in overall physical health and psychological wellbeing.
After receiving housing first, every client is matched with a support team (Assertive Community Treatment Team, Veterans Housing First Team and/or Permanent Supportive Housing Team) comprised of psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, certified addictions counselors, employment specialists, and peer health specialists. The team works together to provide comprehensive community-based treatment and support services around the clock, with a focus on integrating both health and social well-being into the recovery plan. These vital interventions are designed to empower client choice and support successful independent living. Using this model, we have been able to maintain a housing retention rate of at least 91% with clients who have traditionally been viewed as "treatment resistant," and "not ready for housing." We believe that housing is a basic human right, that anyone who says they want a safe place to live is "housing ready," and that virtually all people can be successful in housing with the proper combination of supports. Our success using the Housing First model demonstrates that the vast majority of people we connect with permanent supportive housing stay in that housing and on the path to recovery.