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Middle and high school students in the 18th Congressional District, which includes Palo Alto, Menlo Park and other neighboring cities, are invited to participate in U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo's annual Congressional App Challenge. The contest officially launched this week, and submissions will be accepted through Nov. 1, according to a press release issued Monday.
A bipartisan initiative between Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, and Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Virginia, the first contest was held in 2014 and was established in an effort to engage more students in science, technology, engineering and math. Since then, the competition has grown to include 222 congressional districts across 46 states.
To enter the competition, students must register on the contest's website and upload a short video about their app on either YouTube or Vimeo. Students can submit as individuals or as part of a team of up to four people, and must either reside or attend school within the 18th Congressional District. The apps will be evaluated by a panel of judges within the academic, software and entrepreneurial industries. The winning team will receive a $250 Amazon gift card and their app will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol building and on the House.gov website.
Menlo-Atherton senior Anna Quinlan won last year's competition with her app, "A Smarter Insulin Pump," which helps regulate a user's blood sugar levels by automatically dispensing insulin, notifying them when glucose levels drop too low and calculating the amount of carbohydrates they need to consume to return to normal levels. She was also invited to Washington, D.C. to present her work to the House of Representatives.
More information about the contest can be found at eshoo.house.gov or congressionalappchallenge.us.


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"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." -Romans 12:2
For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. -2 Corinthians 4:6
Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. -Psalm 37:5-6
Think about a time when God shone through you. A time when you said words that carried more meaning than you knew or your actions had more effect than you thought possible. Maybe what comes to mind is the difficult situation you are facing. Are you scared that you won't know what to say and do? Are you praying that God will take the lead and give you the answers?
Can you think of a song that expresses your prayer that God shine through you? Maybe a song that praises the fact he loves us so much that he would come to dwell inside us, so that we can shine light into other's lives? I hope you will join us this month in creating a layout inspired by your favorite songs. Below are a few songs I thought fit this topic, but feel free to share any song that you feel drawn too.
Shine On- Need to Breathe
I Am- Ginny Owens
We Shine- Stellar Kart
For my layout, I used lyrics from the song Shine by the Newsboys. I wanted to record a prayer that not only will God shine through me but also through my son. We are currently facing a difficult time with my oldest. He is a smart and wonderful boy, but he struggles a lot. He just doesn't see things the way others do. We are currently at the point of trying to find the right help for him. In the mean time, I am still trying to help him understand how to handle his emotions and learn how to interact with others. I know that God wouldn't have given me this little boy if I couldn't be the mother he needs, but I also worry. I pray that God will help me make the right decisions for him, that my son will come to know the special purpose that God created him for and that others will see God shining through our lives.
Each month the designers are invited to create coordinated digital kits inspired by the topic to help you complete your layouts. This month's kit is from Designs by Angel and is based on the swatch below. You do not have to use this kit to participate, but I challenge you to create your layouts using these colors. Paper scrappers are welcome to join us by using similar colored products.
Here's Angel's sweet kit, Little Light!
And she has also made a quick page for us and its free for a limited time!
After you finish your layout be sure to share it with us in the My Sweet, Sweet Song Gallery and the monthly thread in the forum. I look forward to seeing all of your beautiful layouts and finding out what songs you chose.
Sing It Out!

subset: commoncrawl


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Mr Bones roars as he sees red
DURBAN – Sing with me, "One only Molinari, there's only one Molinari, one Molinaari, there's only one Molinaari"… this was being chanted at Carnoustie on Sunday late afternoon.
Congratulations go out to Francesco Molinari as he became the first player representing Italy to win a major in golf. Blitz Boks got a bronze in the Sevens World Cup and that's ok. Moving right along…
It's a 'Final Four Fantasy' Super rugby semi-final line-up. The ancestors are showing me red everywhere baba…… so we take this to be red and white of the Lions to be facing the red and black of the Crusaders, come next weekend in the Grand Finale.
The Crusaders are 4/10 favourites at home in Christchurch against their fellow countrymen from upstate, the Hurricanes at 22/10 for the win tomorrow morning.
There is a healthy handicap of +9 points with most bookies. Crusaders are 160 minutes away from yet another Super rugby trophy, deservedly so to be fair?
Both teams riddled with All Blacks, the home span will have the upper hand upfront and the Canes 'All Black' half backs will run the ball all day, and try to outscore their opponents at home.
This should be a banger indeed and an upset shouldn't be written off lads.
Then we have the top team in South Africa and Australia taking each other on in the Highveld tomorrow afternoon; it's Lions versus Waratahs at the famed Ellis Park Stadium at 15h00.
The Waratahs will play a tactful game and the visitors do have the metal to get the job done, however….. the Lions may have the upper hand being at home, also having won in recent games both home and away against their opponents.
From what I saw last week in both their quarter-finals, I suggest that the + 11 points for the Waratahs is the value bet.
One can also punt the Totals bet, going under 48. 5 points, which some of the bookies offer at 12/10.
In Formula 1, Lewis Hamilton is coming off the come-back of his life in Germany. Sebastian Vettel lost his way at home in an absolute thriller even for your fair-weather fan, like one Sangoma.
Question being, is there value to Lewis Hamilton's lead in the drivers' championship?
Ferrari is still the fastest car at the minute, so there is still a good race ahead for the championship.
This weekend in Budapest, Hungary, is the last race before the summer break.
Vettel is the favorite this weekend at 18/10, Hamilton at 28/10, Verstappen at 33/10 and Ricciardo at 7/2, with 16/1 bar the rest, for the win.
Surely Vettel will pull some points back and watch out for Red Bulls this weekend too.
In the drivers' championship, Lewis Hamilton has now become 6/10 favorite after good fortune and a young master class drive last weekend.
Those that like a little more contact, there is a bout in the UK on Saturday evening between heavyweights Dillian Whyte and one Joseph Parker.
The New Zealand born Parker goes in as a slight favourite at 7/10 and will be sure to rush Whyte in the early rounds. These bones don't see this bout going the distance, so look at a Joseph knockout to upset the poms and the local lad.
Tour de France comes to an end this weekend, where the upper echelon will be watching the 'Pelaton' ride into the beautiful Paris Champ-Elysees come Sunday afternoon.
The favourite Froome flopped and the Welshman Geraint Thomas held down yellow after taking major strides in the Pyrenees towards his maiden yellow jersey, after a brilliantly contested Tour.
🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴💨#TDF2018 pic.twitter.com/qlegZBBPSY— Le Tour de France (@LeTour) July 26, 2018
We salute you Sir.
Sangoma OUT!
Sanele Tshabalala@shabsgunner
The Mercury


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Garcinia Cambogia Mega Slim
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Garcinia Cambogia Mega Slim
You also place yourself in a situation where you will most likely gain back the entire amount you lost.Garcinia Cambogia Mega Slim You will not lose weight without exercising. Aim for a minimum of one hour, thrice weekly. Build an exercise schedule. Develop a routine where you exercise either early in the morning to jumpstart your daily energy or right after work to burn off some daily stress. Just be consistent with your exercise and eating plan, and the weight loss will follow.Garcinia Cambogia Mega Slim To reduce the waistline and also improve the appearance of your skin, avoid any foods fried in fat. Many studies show that eating lots of protein and little fat is good for your health.
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- Windows
- Multimedia
- Editors & Converters
- AVerTV 3D
AVerTV 3D
This 3DTV recording program has scheduling options, accesses TimeShift options, makes videos of a device screen, and takes its snapshots. It also switches channels and adjusts volume from within the program. The developers provide online support for users.
Our website provides a free download of AVerTV 3D 18.104.22.168. You can install AVerTV 3D on Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10 32-bit. The actual developer of the free software is AVerMedia Technologies Inc. The program's installer file is commonly found as AVerTV.exe. The program belongs to Multimedia Tools. The most popular version among the program users is 6.5.
From the developer:
The brand new AVerTV 3D refreshes you with the new look and various cool features and customizables. The intuitive user interface saves your time in learning or exploring the features you need. You can easily switch channel, adjust volume, TimeShift, or watch the astonishing and immersive live 3DTV with one click, just like the same way you do with the TV in the living room.
You may want to check out more software, such as AVer MediaCenter 3D, 3D-Fahrschule or 3D Topicscape Pro, which might be related to AVerTV 3D.
Please add a comment explaining the reasoning behind your vote.
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text: As we close out this academic year, the administration recognizes faculty and staff who have made milestones. This year, Mr. Ben DeMarais and Mrs. Natalie Murillo were recognized for 5 years of teaching at Shaw, Mr. Charles Gaines for 10 years, and Mr. Bryan Bairnsfather for 20. Also recognized were Fr. Tom McGahee, and Mr. Champagne. We'd like to thank La Providencia who hosted us for this event.


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photo: PM Beat
Parkersburg-based John Radcliff (above) has opened his doors for his 816 Quincy Street Concert Series.
We think house shows are cool, lotta people do. It's not everyone, though, who will let strangers walk into their house for a few hours. Who can't envision some totally awesome scenario where everyone just goes nuts and trashes the place?
Parkersburg-based musician John Radcliff doesn't care. Well, we're sure he cares, he just trusts people and wants to put on cool shows by any means. He's been hosting some neat looking house shows at his 816 Quincy Street Concert Series. And he's got one lined up tonite, as he welcomes The Kernal, Mechanical River (Joel T. Hamilton) and Andrew Combs (and you, if yer up there) into his residence.
We caught up with Radcliff to see what possessed him to host house shows…
WVRockscene: House shows seem to have been a weird mix of popular yet underutilized. You see some around here but you might think there'd be more. When did you decide to welcome musicians and strangers off the street into your home for this Quincy Hill House Concert Series?
John Radcliff: I started hosting shows in 2007. I came across Kevin Montgomery on Myspace and really enjoyed his music. I got to reading about him and this thing he does called, the 50 States in 50 Days tour. I had been hosting songwriter parties for a couple years and thought I could host a musician for a concert just as easily. I wasn't really planning on making it a continuing thing until I started getting emails from other artist wanting to know if they could play at my house. Pretty soon, I found myself looking at touring schedules for acts I really liked and trying to fit house concerts in the holes in their touring schedule.
Success with the first few shows made me want to keep on doing it. I find that the strangers that show up are usually some of the most interesting people I meet. There is a certain amount of apprehension about letting people into my house. But your realize pretty quickly that those are the people that really love music. Since Parkersburg isn't a really big town, I think guests really appreciate the quality of the artists that play at my house. Because otherwise, we don't attract that level of performer to the area. Since I started, there have been a couple bars that have started going after these kind of acts. And that is really refreshing, because the whole Mid-Ohio Valley wins, and I like to think it has made the music scene around Parkersburg that much better.
rockscene: Obviously for the most part bands play bars. While playing out like that is still cool, what are some of the pros of house shows versus playing at a bar (time/cost/atmosphere) and some of the cons as it relates to hosting something like these?
Radcliff: The best part is that seeing an act at a house concert really is the best way to see them. Most of the crowd are there to hear the music, and you don't get the noise and distractions you would at a bar or a large venue. It's intimate and you can actually sit down and talk with the performers in a casual setting after the show. I'm lucky that I have really cool neighbors that don't mind the extra noise or traffic. My reward is the two hours of incredible music and the looks on people's faces when they understand how right I was about the uniqueness and fun of house concerts. The con is cleaning up the next day.
rockscene: As it relates to the pros, what's the response been from the musicians and even attendees who've come to 816 Quincy Street for a show?
Radcliff: While I haven't toured extensively myself, I've slept on enough floors and back seats of cars to know how great it is to have a comfortable place to sleep and a warm meal. Besides hosting the shows, I have the room to let the acts stay the night. I try to make them as comfortable as possible before they head back out on the road. I think that goes a long way. First time house concert goers are the best. I know it was an eye opener for me at my first show I hosted. Most shows are $10 a head and I think people are apprehensive about laying down that kind of cash. But once they step through the door and commit to it, I think they feel the same way I do.
rockscene: You live in Parkersburg, right? I've heard of one or two places to play up there but do you see what you're doing here as something as an asset to the town?
Radcliff: Absolutely. The Adelphia Music Hall and Marietta Brewing Company have been great about bringing music to the area. But when I started hosting shows, there wasn't hardly anywhere to go see good music. I've lived here since 2003, so I'm probably not the best resource. But for what I wanted to listen to, there wasn't anything. I knew there were people in the area that would enjoy these types of shows. A lot of them came to my songwriter parties. But you know there have to be more people that are interested. It really works for both the artist and the area. It leads to bigger things, as well.
There is another house concert host in Parkersburg, Steve Tuck, that put together a really nice festival to raise money for The Children's Home Society. Steve is an absolute saint, and we're joining up to bring Kevin Montgomery back September 24th. It's really neat, because Kevin's 50 State in 50 Days tour is about raising awareness about foster children that age out of care. It's so closely related to what Steve does, it's like the perfect storm. But in a really good way.
rockscene: You've signed up for this "Concert in Your House" thing, how much is that going to help with promotions etc.?
Radcliff: I literally just signed up last week. I've received two emails from artist wanting to play here in the fall. So I would expect the more I work with acts through CIYH, the better it will work for me. Probably a lot more exposure. I think they'll enjoy Parkersburg too!
rockscene: Does being a musician (again, the pros and cons) give you an insight others might not have when it comes to booking these shows and convincing these musicians to come to your house and play?
Radcliff: I'm sure they like that I have a PA set up and ready to go when they arrive. I try to be reasonable and work with them any way I can. I think that comes from being a musician and knowing how much easier it is to put on a good show when your mind isn't clouded with other things. As far as booking, I have pulled from that network a few times to get acts here. I'm sure there's a certain amount of trust in knowing you're working with someone who really cares about music.
rockscene: You most recently released "Naked Souls" -- what's up with any recording or other highlights you're looking forward to the rest of 2012?
Radcliff: I have Haggard Wulf from Morgantown coming July 21st and Chris Bathgate August 27th. As far as my music, I'm doing a project called Demolicious. It's the songs I've written recently that I maybe want to record. So I've made demos of six of them so far. When I get to a point where I'm ready to choose and do make the next CD, it'll be fun to look back on them. I've also tried to video tape myself the day or the next after I write the song. So I'll have three layers to all the ones that make the final cut. It'll be fun to have that all out there to see the evolution of the songs. They are all on my Youtube site. There's also a few videos of the house concerts I've had. But I'm in the middle of editing a lot of them out and posting. So it's kind of thin right now.
rockscene: You've got Shovels and Rope booked for September?
Radcliff: Yes!!!!!! The day after Labor Day, September 4th. It's funny because I landed the three acts that will be here Wednesday night through the booking agent for Shovels and Rope. It was a last minute thing, but when I listened to them I was just like, "Hell Yeah!" I saw Shovels and Rope at the Nelsonville Music Festival and really thought it would be a long shot at best. But I ended up getting two incredible shows out of it. I'm really thankful you're taking the time to ask me about it and pass it on. It's just too good to keep a secret. Thank you!
John Radcliff 816 Quincy Street Concert Series
WED 6.27 The Kernal, Mechanical River (Joel T. Hamilton) and Andrew Combs
816 Quincy St., Parkersburg 8 p.m.
$10 suggested donation
Facebook event page? Here.


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We continuously invest in all our brands and build each brand to become the local market leaders. No brand is left behind.
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A Polish premiere of one of the most important comedies of the 21st century, which scores triumphs on stages all over the world! Its popularity further increased thanks to Roman Polański's star-studded movie titled Carnage.
This time, Yasmina Reza – an expert in harsh, yet extremely witty comedies – focuses on two married couples. They meet to discuss a fight between their sons. An initially innocent conversation gradually reveals dramatic tensions, turning into an open conflict and leading to an unexpected finale. Grand Prix, Acting Award for Marta Konarska and the second place in the audience vote at the 15th National Festival of Comedy Talia 2011 in Tarnów.Special award for 'remarkable partnership in acting' at the 10th Festival of Contemporary Playwriting 'Presented Reality' in Zabrze, 2010.


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Paisley Park can definitely stay all day, our selection Aso gets placed at 33/1 and favourite backers have another great day at the festival.
Cheltenham Festival Day 2 Review
Tiger Roll takes the Cross Country again and Altoir makes it 18 unbeaten in winning the Queen Mother Champion Chase for the second time
Cheltenham Festival Day 1 Review
Our Tip Espoir D'Allen take the Champion Hurdle at 16/1, the Mullins team gets a fast start and favourite backers in mourning.
Cheltenham Festival History
A brief insight into Cheltenham and how the festival became one of the most important weeks in the National Hunt Racing calendar.
Premier League Preview – Week 15
Bournemouth to get back on track against Huddersfield, 'Hammers' to get back to back victories and City to avoid being stung by the 'Hornets'.
Premier League Preview – Week 14
Huddersfield to continue good run, United to survive a 'Hughes' hairdryer at St Mary's, stalemate at the Emirates and Klopp to be King of Merseyside.
Premier League Preview – Week 13
Chelsea to get one over their London rivals, pressure to mount on Hodgson and Arsenal to find t tough going away at Bournemouth.
Premier League Preview – Week 12
It's derby weekend in the Premier League and SPORTSvox takes a more in depth look into the two managers on opposite sides of Manchester.
Premier League Preview – Week 11
Chelsea to steamroller Palace, Klopp to get the upper hand over Emery and Watford to add to Benitez's woes as they travel to Newcastle.
Premier League Preview – Week 10
Fulham and Hammers woes to continue, Arsenal to dominate London and Manchester City to 'touchdown' at Wembley with a bang against Tottenham


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Back in January, I got in contact with Jerri Quinn, the manager of Mike Quinn regarding the possibility of interviewing him about his portrayal of one of my favourite Star Wars characters Nien Nunb. Here we are towards the end of March and the possibility of an interview became a reality. This has been an interview I was extremely excited to conduct and I am thrilled with the answers Mike Provided.
"Only you could have smuggled an entire rescue craft under the Empire's noses."―Princess Leia Organa, to Nien Nunb
Nien Nunb was a Sullustan male arms dealer and smuggler who joined the Alliance to Restore the Republic during the Galactic Civil War. Shortly after the Battle of Yavin, Nunb answered the call from his friend, Rebel pilot Evaan Verlaine, to help smuggle a group of Alderaanians off of Sullust while avoiding detection from the Galactic Empire; the Empire was searching for surviving Alderaanians after Death Star I blew up its first planet, Alderaan. He went on to further assist Verlaine and Princess Leia Organa in their mission to unite the surviving Alderaanians, during which time he helped Organa escape from potential Imperial captivity.
Only a few years later, Nunb became part of the Alliance Fleet and flew as the co-pilot for General Lando Calrissian aboard the Millennium Falcon during the Battle of Endor. Together, they fought against Imperial forces while attempting to destroy the Death Star II in orbit of the forest moon of Endor. Their battle was a success, and the Millennium Falcon fired the shot that destroyed the Death Star and delivered a devastating blow to the Galactic Empire. Three decades later, Nunb was a starfighter pilot with the military rank of Lieutenant Commander in the Resistance and fought in the cold war, including the Battle of Starkiller Base.
How did you get the role of Nien Nunb?
It was certainly unconventional the way this came about. I was hired as a general creature puppeteer on the movie and so went from creature to creature as needed as the movie progressed. Well about halfway through or so, I was hanging around Phil Tippett's creature workshop at Elstree Studios. It was a small room up some stairs between Stages 8 and 9. Phil told me that this character had been chosen by George to become Lando's co-pilot in some scenes in the Falcon cockpit. I assume because Chewie was busy he wanted Lando to have an interesting counterpart.
Nien was purely a background extra at this time. His mask was static with no moving parts on it at all. But the problem was that George wanted him to have dialogue. So Phil was thinking maybe they could put an oxygen mask over his mouth to hide the fact it didn't move and maybe put air bladders in his cheeks to give him some life. I remember thinking that might not be so great. I could see if I put my hand inside I could sort of make his mouth move. I suggested to Phil perhaps he could be modified into a large hand puppet. He really liked that idea and suggested I modify one of the two masks into a temporary puppet to show George. So I "puppetised" the head so I could work it just like a large Muppet.
About a week later we shot a film test, directed by George with my puppet next to the extra in the masked version. He took us through assorted turns and reactions. I was able to wiggle his nose and suggested he could have eye blinks added. Also, I placed my finger behind his ear and made it wiggle, Stan Laurel style! Well, George loved what he saw and immediately asked how soon it could be mechanized and ready? Stuart Ziff who was coordinated stated about two weeks.
So off he went back to ILM California with Nien to be modified. Sure enough, he returned with mechanisms and all, just considerable heavier. Next thing I knew, I'd landed myself the job of the main performer for the new Nien in the scenes. So I guess I made myself the opportunity and it somehow worked out. Those fateful moments changed my life forever! I even wrote and spoke my own dialogue in English for reference on the shoot. The now-famous nod and laugh were just things I added that I had learned from my time with Muppets. That is now a big part of what fans enjoy about him now. I love that!
How did you get into Puppeteering and can you describe what it entails for people who are unsure about what it is?
I was always into puppets as far back as I can recall. They were always on TV when I was little, mostly as glove and string puppets. I used to move my teddy bear as though he were a puppet so I could bring him to life. When I was about eight years old I had a glove puppet show in a small booth that I would perform in park talent shows and auditions. I wasn't much good but the spark was certainly there and I had fun with it.
So I wasn't until The Muppet Show came along in 1976 that my spark for puppetry was fanned and the sparks became large flames. As Muppet Show was taped not too far from where I lived (coincidence?), I used to visit the set regularly on guest star days, so they got to know me. Eventually, I left school, asked for a job and I think Jim Henson took pity on me. Saw I was always hanging around he might as well give me a job, haha! This was just as they transitioned from the end of The Muppet Show to film The Great Muppet Caper at the film studio across the street.
The second part of the question is what does puppetry entail? It's a lot harder than anyone would think. Besides the obvious holding your arm above your head thing, you also have the weight of the puppet, you have to watch your performance and framing on a monitor (which is reversed from a mirror so when you move the puppet to the left, on the monitor it moves to the right. That really messes with your head).
You also must be able to communicate thoughts very clearly and simply through the puppet, be able to act, speak, sometimes sing, step over cables and boxes in mid-performance. Remember lines and even improvise at times too. It's a bit like being a
musician, to where you don't want to worry about the technical side of how to play the instrument but to be able to enjoy the performing of it. Yet you are also like a dancer, using kinetic movement efficiently to portray emotion. To stand out as a puppeteer, you have to work hard and excel. If not, you are doing the audience a disservice. So it's very physical but also requires mental gymnastics at times.
You also performed other characters like Ree Yees, Admiral Ackbar, and Yoda amongst others, how did you get involved with these?
Ree Yees was probably the first creature I performed on Return Of The Jedi because we filmed in Jabba's palace first. I never auditioned. I was just given the hand puppet close up to work and that was it. He had jaw and lip movement and eye blinks. He was very heavy so we created a pole that went from the body to a hip harness. My left hand was on the head turning it and my right worked the cable controls. There was also a full-length version of him, performed by Paul Springer which just like the costume version of Nien, had no facial articulation. So Paul and I worked together on scened in case we had to duplicate the action with both versions.
There was also a scene in Jabba's sail barge where there was an argument over drinks but it was cut from the final movie. Still exist for that though. Ackbar and Sy Snootles were handled by Tim Rose, who was involved in developing them during his time at ILM. So I became his assistant. For Snootles, I worked strings from above for the wide shots and the singing lips on cable control for the close-ups. For Ackbar, I worked his mouth on cables for the wide shots and his eyes and lids on cables for the close-ups.
Yoda was a real gift. I was a big fan of Yoda in Empire Strikes Back while I was still at school. I have already assisted Frank Oz being the right hand for Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear. So this really was the same gig, working for Yoda's right hand. I was small for fitting next to him under that tiny set and Frank knew my work. So he just requested me and that was it. It was a real joy though.
Can you describe your time filming scenes?
For all the Star Wars movies, it has always been such a blast! A real rush from start to finish, whether it's ROTJ or the new movies decades later. I'm often among the first to arrive and the last to leave. Perhaps that tells you something of my passion and love for performing and being on set? Also, I love working with the great cast and crew. They are all so lovely and talented and many have become good friends. So when a project comes to an end, it's always heartbreaking because the family has to split up. It has always been this way but you would think I would be used to that by now?
As far as working on set and filming goes, there's a huge feeling of gratitude and responsibility. You know you are creating something that will be viewed and dissected frame by frame for generations to come. Long after I'm gone in fact. So I try to not let that cripple me and just enjoy the process. Sometimes I'll just stand there in-between setups with the Nien head off and just look around and soak it all in. I want to remember the moment and that feeling. There's nothing like it I tell ya!
What was it like being on board the Millennium Falcon?
"Nunb can fly anything, in any conditions."―Gial Ackbar
Well, she may not look like much but she's got it where it counts. The Falcon is so iconic and my favourite ship of all time. So jumping into Chewie's seat was quite intimidating for this teenager. I was actually still 17 years of age at the time of filming. They had to cut out the seat part of the chair and were very concerned that it was necessary for me to fit in there as they told me they were 1973 race car seats and couldn't replace them. So I lay flat on my back, wore a microphone and had a six-inch black and white monitor on my chest so I should see what the camera saw. The cockpit was detached and on a rocking gimbal so Stagehands could roll it around. For me it was a bit like being in the hull of a boat at sea and unable to watch the horizon, so I actually got quite queasy in there.
Returning to the Falcon again in The Last Jedi, after over three decades was just wild! Standing there with what remained of the principle cast near me was quite surreal. It was lovely watching Carrie and Daisy sing together in-between takes. Rian Johnson placed Finn and Nien together and John Boyega was quite excited to have a little moment with Nien as he told me he played as Nien in Battlefront. We just improvised some stuff for that scene, so I made it my mission to say stupid things to him to try and crack him up (which I managed a couple of times). I consider that a well earned perk of being a "legacy" character!
What was the make-up and costume process like for these films?
Well for ROTJ, Phil Tippett had to lower Nien onto me through the Falcon window. My left hand was in his head and my right hand was in his right hand, holding the steering yoke. His left hand was stuffed and fixed onto the other side of the yoke. The puppet was pretty heavy and I had to sustain his performance for several minutes at a time. However, his weight I think was a blessing visually because it kept him grounded and forced me to keep him real and not too puppet-like. Perhaps that's why most people seem surprised when they hear that and thought he was a guy in a costume? I should take that as a compliment I guess, even though the technology wouldn't have been available to do it at that time.
For the new movies, I can now wear Nien as a fully self-contained costume. He was made to fit me perfectly and the head was made from a life cast of my head and shoulders. It takes two people usually to get me dressed into him, a wardrobe person and a creature shop person. We can usually do it within 10 minutes or so. I look through the eyes but they fog up very fast as I generate lots of heat and moisture during takes. Nothing I try seems to really help so they have to come in and blow cold air into the mouth hole in-between takes, which helps cool me down as well as clears out the vision for my eyes. After about two minutes I'm virtually blind in there, so I fall over a lot.
On both movies so far I've fallen over, I hope we don't go for three. In the first movie, I fell onto BB8 outside the Falcon on location and broke his antenna. It was a sort of slow-motion fall, so I was ok. But my only thought was to not damage the head! In the Last Jedi, Anthony Daniels and I had just had a fun conversation about falling over in our
costumes and the many times he had fallen in his over the years. Well, not a few hours later I was running through the twisting salt mine tunnels in near darkness, proudly sporting a suitably large rebel blaster when for this one take my foot encountered a boulder and down I went hard and fast! Again my thought was "don't break the blaster or the head!". It was a split second before I knew I was on the ground and in agony from the impact to my knee. It was the final arrival at the Crystal Fox exit. C3PO was directly in front of me and behind was Rose on the stretcher. I blew the take and we all had to reset. We got it on the next take thankfully. I felt bad but everyone understood.
After filming had wrapped and I returned home, my chiropractor had told me I'd put my knee and right thumb out when I hit the ground. It wasn't until a week or two later I had trouble walking. I suspect I came close to breaking it but the bone sure was bruised. at least I can say I do all my own stunts now, even if they aren't in the script!
Was there much interaction between yourself and the directors, if so, what sort of things would you discuss?
Well, the way I see it, if the Directors aren't giving me lots of direction then I'm doing okay. As George Lucas directed the Falcon scenes himself in ROTJ, I had him approve my guide dialogue I pencilled into my script. That was it for those scenes. Other then one of the camera operators telling me to watch my head doesn't go out of frame in one of the closeup cameras, that was it for that movie.
On The Force Awakens, I was given blocking and filled in the rest myself. JJ wanted to save a spot in the movie for Nien Nunb's reveal, as a gift to the fans. That was the shot of him striding out of the base entrance toward the X-Wing as the camera dollies left. The only thing was we had already seen him inside the resistance base earlier but I was happy he wanted to give us that moment.
In the X-Wing scenes, we just made stuff up pretty well and did a bunch of assorted looks, reactions and talking. It was all quite random but we knew they would just take it in pieces anyway. We never finished a full take as with all the shaking around in the simulator my battery pack connector separated, thus killing power to the head. So what you see in the movie were parts a single half take, no rehearsal or anything.
We were to shoot more scenes in the X-Wing for the dark environment, which is the second part of the Starkiller base battle. However, they were wrapping a lot of principle actors that day and my scenes were to be the last ones to shoot. They ran out of time and JJ came over from the other set and apologized profusely to me, which was very sweet. He was great fun on set and had a great energy. On The Last Jedi, Rian Johnson made a point to one over to me and thank me during my first scene, which was the one with Laura Dern. He was a delight and the crew just loved him. Very approachable. So I knew it would be okay to go up to him and ask for a blaster in the salt mine scenes, to which of course he obliged.
What are some of the main differences between filming for the original trilogy, and the sequel trilogy?
Surprisingly little. Mostly the technology has changed. I think film stock is more advanced. Lighting is a lot cooler and more subtle, probably due to the sensitivity of the cameras and everything now. But for everything else, it's kind of the same. Hundreds of extras in costume, practical sets and ships. Detailed props. It's amazing how similar it all is 35 years later. The food is actually better now, haha! There are even coffee trucks outside the stages. Wonderful stuff!
You have been in three of the Star Wars films now, what were the atmospheres like for them individually and was there one you enjoyed more than the others?
Hmmm.. well for ROTJ I was coming in as a huge fan of the first two movies, so it was an
amazing thrill to watch the third movie unfold in front of my eyes with all the familiar beloved characters and costumes. Coming back over 30 years later was a wonderful gift. A very surreal one. Now the new actors would recognize Nien Nunb and were amazed when they would learn it was me who played him in the Falcon too. I guess they just figured everyone was pretty well retired or dead by now, heh! I can't really say that one was more enjoyable than the others because they were each different. However, the more scenes I get to play in and the more sets I walk on, the happier I am. I've made new friends in the new movies too which is really lovely.
Nien Nunb managed to survive The Last Jedi whereas Admiral Ackbar was killed during an attack by the first order, how does it feel knowing that Nien Nunb is one of only a few characters from the original trilogy that is still alive?
Yes, it was quite the buzz arriving for the shoot and hearing that poor old Ackbar was a gonna. Some of the puppeteers thought I might be too but were too afraid to tell me. Happily, they were wrong. Once I was on the Falcon I knew I was safe! I think Rian Johnson said there were something like 20 Resistance characters left? That probably includes Droids. That's just wild. I'm almost convinced the only reason I'm still alive is that they kept forgetting to kill me off…..But I'm thrilled beyond belief because I get to return to the Falcon again after all this time. Now they will have to give me more to do on the next one right? There's hardly anyone left!
What was it like working alongside Billy Dee Williams in Return of the Jedi?
"Don't worry. My friend's down there. He'll have that shield down on time. Or this'll be the shortest offensive of all time."―Lando Calrissian, assuaging Nunb's concerns about the Battle of Endor.
He was a delight and really put me at ease. It can't have been easy for him having to talk to a chatty rubber head. But we would converse in-between scenes and have remained friends with mutual respect ever since. It's funny how those few minutes of scenes created a tie between us for the rest of our lives. I always enjoy seeing him at conventions and he's always so gracious.
Who are some of your favourite characters from the franchise and why?
Yoda became the big deal for me in Empire Strikes Back. Partly because he's a magical puppet (the first of his kind actually) and partly because when his scenes came on, there would be a hush in the cinema as everyone was so mesmerized by him. I think Yoda and Ben Kenobi are two of the most complex and interesting characters in this galaxy. But I may also have to say the Millennium Falcon is also a favourite character of mine. It is just so iconic and vital to each movie. I love that thing to bits! It has also changed my life by way of Nien Nunb.
What does Star Wars mean to you?
Star Wars means so much more to me now all these decades later. It's not just a movie franchise. It represents hope, that some things are worth fighting for and it has brought so many people together, young and old and it is global. Star Wars to me is like a Genie that's been let out of the bottle and keeps granting my wishes. I shall never take any of it for granted ever.
How does it feel knowing there are figurines of your characters?
I remember the very first time I saw the Nien figure hanging on a peg in a store. It was really weird and exciting. Now the current figure is actually from a 3D scan of me in the costume so it's a much more literal version of me and my proportions and everything. It's really a mini-me, rather than an artistic interpretation. Hundred have been calling for a Black Series figure so that hopefully will be happening eventually. There is a Hot Wheels car based on him too, which pleases the 7-year-old boy in me to no end!
You attend many comic conventions, what does fan interaction mean to you, and do you have any appearances coming up?
My appearances seem to come and go depending upon work. There was a time where I had all but retired from them. I do have new people working as agents for me now and that helping. I really enjoy doing them and meeting people. Its the only time I really get to hear what people think of the character. Had I not gone to shows I never would have known Nien's little nodding laugh was a thing. So now it's my mission to bring that back and get it in somewhere one last time for the fans. So now fans have a voice and can feed back into the movies. I think that's so cool! I love connecting the dots and making it real for the fans and not so abstract.
As long as it's fun, I will always try to fit in conventions. I've made so many new friends along the way. Also, they can be a great way to catch up with old friends and co-workers. So it's a win/win really. I've been so fortunate. Now I always enjoy doing panels and Q&A sessions too. So I'm gradually getting ramped up with shows for the year here in the USA and the UK and hopefully a few other countries. But many depend upon work and things are going to get busy again as the year wears on.
Speaking of that continuity from screen to fans, I'm also developing my Secrets Of Puppetry Academy for film and television puppetry. It's an online detailed training course that takes people from novice right up to expert if they so choose. It's the first of its kind and I'm using all the things bought to me directly by Jim Henson, Frank Oz and the rest of the Muppet performers. People can find it at SecretsOfPuppetry.com
I would like to say a huge thank you to both Mike and Jerri for making this dream of mine a reality. Nien Nunb has been a favourite of mine for a very long time and to know that I have interviewed the man behind the mask makes it so much better.
Be sure to check out Mike's puppeteering workshop page at: http://secretsofpuppetry.com/ and give him a like on all social media.
We all look forward to seeing Mike reprise his role as Nien Nunb in Star Wars Episode IX when it hits the cinemas in 2019 until then, may the force be with you!


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High quality gaming mice usually come at a high price. Players looking for a distinct advantage in their gaming need look no further than the recently release Bloody Headshot with Ultra Core 3 from A4TECH. Falling in at a reasonable $40 price tag, this customizable mouse is sure to give FPS players of any level some advantage over the competition. The Bloody Headshot boasts, right on the packaging, to provide Auto Recoil Suppression with 100% headshots. This is achieved through the downloaded drivers and software.
Before a mouse can give players an advantage in gaming, it must first feel good to use. A mouse may have the best intentions in mind for gamers, but if it doesn't fit the hand correctly or is not a comfortable mouse to use, its inherent advantages are rendered null and void. In this case, the Bloody Headshot is covered with a smooth rubbery texture that feels good with just enough of a grip without feeling like its sticking to the hand. The size fits my hand perfectly and I don't feel like I'm reaching to press any of the included 8 buttons. Both the left and right sides of the mouse flair out at the bottom giving just enough of a lip for both a thumb rest and a pinky rest so no fingers are ever dragging on the desk when using this mouse. With the near zero friction metal feet included on the mouse, this makes the Bloody Headshot feel like it is actually floating on the desk. Unlike mice with plastic feet that drag on the desk, this mouse slides so well, it doesn't even feel like it's touching anything. After a month of using it, there is absolutely no indication of wear to the feet.
In terms of customisability, the Bloody Headshot includes 3 separate cores that can be activated based on the type of gamer using it. The first core is meant for the RPG or RTS player and allows the gamer to customize 5 additional buttons, 2 located just above the thumb, and 3 buttons just below the scroll wheel. Using the device software, these buttons can be set to any command or macro the gamer needs. The second core, is engineered for the primary FPS player and changes the 3 buttons under the scroll wheel to automatically select either, for each left click, a single gun shot, a double burst, or a triple burst shot.
The real power of this mouse comes with the optionally purchased Core 3, giving advanced FPS players the same single, double, or triple shots, but includes the auto-recoil suppression technology. This additional feature mimics mouse movement to counteract the in-game gun recoil allowing players to hit their target every time. Competition ethics aside, this is an incredible advantage to FPS players. The Bloody Headshot software can be completely customized for any game and any gun found in those games. Some profiles are included in the software already, from CounterStrike to World of Warcraft. I hope to see some more profiles available for download for games such as Defiance or Black Ops because the customization of these profiles is extremely detailed and I was, personally, unable to truly grasp how to program the mouse for a game not already included in the software.
The A4TECH Bloody Headshot really is intended more for FPS gamers than MMO gamers. While an MMO gamer will get more use out of the sheer number of extra buttons found a mouse such as the MadCatz M.M.O.7., serious FPS gamers should look no further than this one for much improvement in their accuracy with the Auto-Recoil suppression. The mouse is comfortable to grip, the buttons are easily accessible, and the metal feet give it a clear advantage with a near-zero friction feeling. The advantages, coupled with the great low price, puts the Bloody Headshot in a category of its own.


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Members of the public could have the chance to learn in regards to the scientific facet of the culinary arts throughout the 2018 Science and Cooking public lecture series. The Ministry of Food Programme has a huge range of recipes to go well with many various dietary necessities. The Carib Indians added extra spice to their food with sizzling pepper sauces, and in addition added lemon and lime juice to their meat and fish recipes.
Dry marinade mixtures composed of salt, pepper, herbs or spices might also be rubbed into meat, poultry or seafood. Cooking requires cognitive abilities that transcend controlling fire, corresponding to the power to resist the temptation to scoff the substances, patience, memory and an understanding of the transformation process.
Cooking the main meal from primary elements increased significantly from T1 to T2 in the intervention group (0.61, SD zero.09, P
Cooked foods simply have extra that the labels tell us. Due to this fact, if we are calorically conscious we know how one can add up the calories in raw meals. Many cultures have a recognizable delicacies, a specific set of cooking traditions utilizing various spices or a combination of flavors unique to that tradition, which evolves over time.
Massimo Montanari, some of the famend historians of cuisine, has produced a properly-written quantity protecting a variety of topics, from medieval recipe books to staple foodstuff. Prepare your favorite connoisseur treats and settle in with the flicks that celebrate the joys of cooking.


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MUSIC: Trina ft. K. Michelle - If It Ain't Me
"If It Ain't Me" is a single off Trina's forthcoming album. Executive produced by Rico Love, the yet-to-be-titled project is set to feature appearances by 2 Chainz, Boosie Badazz, Plies, Kelly Price, and her ex Lil Wayne.
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The First Match
Sam's Football Stories are specially written to stimulate and motivate your slower learners and reluctant readers. Written by Sheila Blackburn, an experienced primary school teacher, the books will appeal particularly to reluctant boy readers. The six compelling stories in Set B continue the story of Sam, the football crazy boy, started in Set A.
Sam is football crazy. Everybody says so. Now that Eddie Ford has agreed to help Sam and his friends, they have arranged a friendly match against Parton Rovers. Sam and Danny have made the team and can hardly wait, but Sam has practised so much that he can't play well anymore.
What is he going to do?
You will find some of the answers in The First Match.
Let your pupils follow Sam and his friends on their journey. Join in the fun and excitement as they suffer injuries, lose their training pitch, enter a league and finally compete in a tournament.
- Provide stimulation and motivation especially for boys who are slower learners or reluctant readers
- Gripping story lines make children want to read the next book
- Compatible with the Primary Literacy Strategy category of everyday stories
- Vocabulary and sentence structure carefully controlled for easy reading
- Number of words per book increases as you progress through the series
- Clear font and print style
To extend the stories further, use Sam's Football Stories – Are You on the Ball?, a reproducible teacher resource linked to the stories in Set B.
Product details
- Released date: Jan 31, 2017
- Pages: 32
- Type: Storybook
- Subjects: Language and Literacy, Special Educational Needs, Storybooks
£ 1.99Add to cart
£ 1.99Add to cart
£ 19.99Add to cart
£ 19.99Add to cart


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Sketch 2. French Concentration, 1914. Schlieffen Plan
This map is a simplified illustration of the plan devised by Alfred, Graf von Schlieffen (1833–1913), Chief of the German Imperial General Staff, for winning a quick German victory in what became World War I. As a military strategist, Schlieffen was principally concerned with Germany's vulnerable geographic position. Situated between France and Russia, which were allied under a treaty concluded in 1894, Germany was certain to face a war on two fronts should trouble arise with either power. Schlieffen concluded that Germany should first fight France, the more militarily capable of its foes, by sending troops through neutral Belgium to circumvent a large portion of France's defenses, while Russia, which would take weeks to mobilize, was to be held at bay with minimal forces in the east. The so-called Schlieffen Plan, originally created in 1905, won the confidence of the German high command under Schlieffen's successor, Helmuth von Moltke. The plan was reworked and fine-tuned until the Germans were certain that victory over France would be achieved in six weeks, after which troops would be transferred by rail to defeat the Russians. The plan failed for a variety of reasons, and Germany soon became bogged down in a bloody conflict that lasted for more than four years and that ultimately ended in defeat. The map is from the collection made by General Tasker Howard Bliss (1853–1930) during his service with the United States Army in World War I and at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919.
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External Resource
- Ryan Moore, Maps of The First World War: An Illustrated Essay and List of Select Maps in The Library of Congress, Occasional Papers Series, no. 7, Philip Lee Phillips Map Society of the Library of Congress (Washington: Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division, 2014). http://www.loc.gov/rr/geogmap/pdf/plp/occasional/OccPaper7.pdf.
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This castile soap base is one of the purest and most natural products you can find. Ready to melt, scent, color, mold and be used in less than a few hours. This soap qualifies as a true castile soap, as extra virgin olive oil is the first oil ingredient. It will leave you feeling naturally soft and not chemically stripped.
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Nigeria special forces commandos training in India
8 July, 2015
A delegation of the composite Indian Defence Industry has visited the Nigeria Defence Headquarters in Abuja to establish a defence relationship between the two countries. The visit by the 15-man delegation was a follow-up to the Joint Defence Co-operation Committee meeting (JDCC) held last year.
CAJ News established that there were presentations that gave insight into the capabilities of the Indian Defence Industry and its benefits to the Nigerian military during the visit.
Speaking at the visit, the leader of the delegation,Ravin Kulshrestha, thanked the Nigerian military for its warm reception. He noted that the two countries needed to take a step to a higher level of defence production through various institutional mechanism of defence co-operation in the various areas of mutual interest.
In their presentations, the delegates, who are representatives of different indigenous member industries of the Indian Defence Industry, presented a variety of defence products that showcased the country's indigenization of the industry.
This included state of the art,mature and obsolescent defence systems, design, development, repair, overhaul and manufacture of aircraft, helicopters, ships, missiles, vehicle armour, special applications, engines, simulators, defence construction,sensors and bridging systems.
The Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, expressed appreciation for the presentation and encouraged them to interact more closely with the three arms of the Armed Forces in their area of interest.


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Writers Talk About Writing
How to Help Your Writing by Talking Like an Athlete
Are you a writer so addicted to self-sabotage that you regularly trash-talk to yourself? You know what I mean. You say things like:
I really don't know how to write...
My boss is going to hate this...
Readers are going to be so bored...
One of my best solutions for dealing with this problem, I think, is making a friend of doubt. Doubt is that narrow-eyed monster who tells you you're not good enough to write a blog post, never mind a report, and really don't even consider a book.
But I recently stumbled across some useful advice directed specifically at self-talk. In a 2011 review published in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science, researchers reported that athletes who were trained to talk to themselves, the right way, performed better than those who weren't.
The biggest lesson from this review? Instructional self-talk is particularly helpful. Have you ever learned to play a racquet sport? I always hated tennis but I love racquetball and squash. If so, you'll likely be familiar with instructional self-talk. Keep your eye on the ball, you tell yourself. That bounce against the right wall will put the ball back in the middle, so stay in the middle, you say. Snap your wrist (for racquetball); move your elbow up (for squash.) Stay on your toes so you can move quickly.
I used the 2nd person voice ("you") deliberately here because I find when I'm instructing myself it's almost as if I'm talking to an entirely separate person.
This kind of self-talk works for the following reasons:
It improves our attention. Instead of focusing on our feelings, which might well be negative, it teaches us to concentrate on specifically what we need to do. This is an excellent way to screen out distractions.
It's unfailingly positive. Instead of telling us what we're bad at ("I really suck at metaphors") it challenges us to do good work ("I need to place a metaphor in the next paragraph.") This type of challenge is actually more than positive — it's invigorating!
- It regulates our effort. If we're going to instruct ourselves, we need a goal and a plan for how to achieve it. Below, I've suggested some scripted lines you might want to consider saying to yourself when doing your own writing. After your next writing session, evaluate which lines worked best for you and consider pasting them onto a wall or bulletin board near your screen.
Here's the script:
- My goal is to write XX words per day. As long as I do that, I've succeeded.
- I don't need to look at Facebook/Twitter/email right now. I can use that as a reward when I've finished my writing.
- My number 1 objective is to write a really crappy first draft.
- I can make this writing better, later.
- When writing, my only job is to put words on the page. Publishing and pleasing both come later.
- Writing and editing are two separate jobs.
- The opinions of other people don't matter for now; I can deal with them later.
- The faster I get this first draft written the sooner I can get on with editing.
- The best writers are the best re-writers. No one — not even ____ [insert name of your favorite writer here] — writes a perfect first draft.
I am learning how to write and I will improve with time and practice.


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Dr. Rubel Shelly has served as a minister for the Woodmont Hills church in Nashville for twenty years. He holds a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University and has taught at David Lipscomb University and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.He is a known community leader, serving with groups such as the AIDS Education Committee of the American Red Cross and the Metro Public Schools, and is the author of over twenty books, two of which are The Names of Jesus, and What Would Jesus Do Today? Shelly is widely published in religious journals and co-edits Wineskins magazine. He and his wonderful wife, Myra, make their home in Nashville, TN.
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AUSTIN - Holding a large framed picture of her teen-aged daughter, Alex, Jeanne Brown could hardly control her emotions.
"This is my first-born child," Brown told her attentive audience at a conference room at the Texas State Capitol Tuesday afternoon. "Her nickname was 'Sunshine' … she was an amazing young lady."
However, on the morning of Nov. 10, 2009, as the 17-year-old high school student from Terry County was driving to school, she was texting four friends, Brown recalled.
"She never arrived at the school," Brown said fighting back her tears. "I was teaching, but she didn't show up to school and I asked the school to find her. As I retraced her steps to the house I found that her truck had rolled over in the middle of the field."
Alex Brown lost control of her 1999 Chevy truck and the accident cost her life, her mother recalled.
The story of Alex Brown is the story of 12 other people remembered at the Capitol this week. They all had one thing in common. They died in a motor vehicle accident caused by distracted driving.
State Rep. Tom Craddick, R-Midland, and Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, said what happened to Alex Brown and the other 12 victims might have been avoided if a law they are proposing had been in effect when those accidents happened.
Craddick's House Bill 63 and Zaffirini's Senate Bill 28 would prohibit texting while driving in Texas.
"If passed this session, HB 63 will provide a uniform statewide approach to curb this unsafe practice and will go a long way in helping educate drivers on the dangers posed by texting while driving and save lives," said Craddick, who named his bill after Alex Brown.
Zaffirini said the legislation is long overdue in Texas.
"While there are many forms of distracted driving, perhaps no activity, besides driving under the influence, is recognized as more incompatible with operating a motor vehicle than texting while driving," Zaffirini said.
"Alarmingly, you are 23 times more likely to crash if you text while driving," she added. "What's more, 18 percent of injury crashes in 2010 were reported as distraction-affected crashes."
In all, cellphone use contributed to 3,409 crashes in 2010, including 46 fatalities, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. That is an increase from 3,352, including 31 deaths, in 2006.
The texting while driving ban seems to be gaining momentum in the 83rd Legislature. On Tuesday 13 House members, including Reps. Ken King of Canadian and Charles Perry of Lubbock, signed as co-authors of Craddick's bill, bringing the total to 18.
Rep. Perry - in whose House District 83 Jeanne Brown, her husband Johnny Mac Brown and their 14-year-old daughter Katrina live - said he hopes the Legislature will pass the proposed legislation.
"There is a great level of awareness about this issue," Rep. Perry said. "It's a matter of public safety and public safety is one of those areas where the state government has a role."
The fact that Amarillo and about two dozen other municipalities in the state already have some type of cellphone ban - while Lubbock and other cities are considering similar measures - makes it necessary to have a statewide law, Rep. Perry said.
"That is another valid argument so that you don't drive from one county to the next wondering what law they have in place," he said.
Rep. Patricia Harless, R-Spring, also a HB 63 co-author, agreed.
"It's time for us to pass a uniform law that everyone understands in order to keep our drivers on the road safe," Harless said as she explained that the ban would also include emails, tweets and Facebook postings.
However, like other legislators, Perry and Harless remember that Gov. Rick Perry vetoed a similar Craddick bill the Legislature approved in the 2011 session.
Nonetheless, Harless said she thinks this time will be different.
"There is conversation with his office," Harless said after she - along with House colleagues Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville, and Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio - stressed the measure is needed in Texas.
Public pressure may make the governor reconsider his position, Harless and Menendez said.
The governor said in 2011 that he vetoed Craddick's bill because the state should not micromanage people's behavior.
Gov. Perry's deputy press secretary Lucy Nashed said when Craddick filed HB 63 though the governor has no regrets about vetoing the 2011 legislation, in the current session "he will thoughtfully review any bill that makes it to his desk."
For her part, Jeanne Brown said the current bill is much better than the one Gov. Perry vetoed two years ago because it had been "watered down" considerably.
This year's bill is more strongly worded and makes it easier for police officers to enforce the ban if the bill becomes law, Brown said.
"The way it is written, if the law enforcement officers see you with a phone in your hand, they can give you a ticket," she said.
In addition, she thinks that the chances of the bill becoming law have increased considerably, mainly because the public is more aware of the danger texting while driving represents, Brown said.
"I feel that we have a lot more support this time and I think that Gov. Perry will see that this is something the people of Texas strongly support," she said.


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I am very excited to announce that we will be reading The Way Back to You by Michelle Andreani and Mindi Scott for May's Book of the Month! I'm incredibly excited for this one as you could have seen with my April Book Haul post! We all agreed that with the official release of this novel being in a few days, it was a good idea to make it as our book of the month choice. It probably helped that I kept going on and on about how excited I was during April's book club meet-up… The story follows the unfortunate passing of Ashlyn and the discovery that she had saved three strangers by donating her organs. Ashlyn's best friend and boyfriend decide to go on a road trip and find them to see if maybe it will give them a sort of closure after so much heartbreak. I'm actually kind of nervous too about reading this one now. I feel like I got so excited that I might have overhyped it for myself. We'll have to see what I think on May 27th! I hope to hear what you guys think of this one!
I'm Being Featured in Another Book Blog!
I was contacted by fellow book blogger Balie from Novelers to see if I'd be interested in answering some questions for a post on her blog. She's doing this really interesting weekly post called Tea with the Blogger, where she interviews a different blogger every week. I believe my post might be the one for tomorrow! You'll have to come check it out! Balie is a new book blogger full of ideas. She's already talked to me about a bunch of different posts that she plans on making. With Tea of the Blogger, she also created this new Readathon titled Tackle That TBR. We probably all have something in common and that's a growing TBR list so I think this is a very cool idea. You could check out that page right here with all of the information.
2016 Reading Challenge! 11/40
- A YA bestseller : Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard
- A book set in your home state (or province): After Oil by Kristan Cannon
- A book that's under 150 pages: Laura's Legacy by Valerie Holmes
- A New York Times Bestseller: Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
- A book that's becoming a movie this year: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
- A book recommended by someone you just met: The Unquiet Past by Kelley Armstrong
- A book recommended by a family member: Forbidden by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee
- A book that is published in 2016: Passenger by Alexandra Bracken
- A book that takes place during Summer: Dangerous Lies by Becca Fitzpatrick
- A book with a blue cover: The Key of Light by Nora Roberts
- A book that's guaranteed to bring you joy: I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson


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Sterling silver ring with 5mm x 14mm green chalcedony bar. The band is 1.5mm.
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