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The 20 best jobs in business for 2016By Tanza Loudenback of Business Insider |
The 20 best jobs in business for 2016
It's a great time to be a job seeker. The US economy is humming, adding a total of 2.7 million jobs in 2015, and the potential for job growth in 2016 is bright as well.
U.S. News & World Report's recently published 2016 Best Jobs ranking provides a tool for job-seekers to compare professions based on important metrics like salary and expected number of openings.
To compile their ranking, U.S. News identified jobs with the greatest hiring demand — those with the highest projected number of openings from 2014 to 2024 — as categorized by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The jobs that topped the list were then scored using seven measures, including stress level, work-life balance, median salary, and employment rate. Read more about the full methodology.
U.S. News also broke down the best jobs by industry, including the best business jobs for 2016. The top business jobs this year are statistician, operations research analyst, and accountant. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts more than 30% job growth for positions as statisticians and operations research analysts and more than 10% job growth for positions in accounting.
Check out the 20 best business jobs for 2016 below, along with their average annual salary, according to 2014 figures from the BLS.


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2016 Scooty Pep Plus launched; Priced at Rs 43,534
Snapshot: TVS Motor Company has launched it 2016 Scooty Pep Plus at Rs 43,534 with some cosmetic updates.
Indian Two-wheeler manufacturer, TVS Motor Company has launched its 2016 Scooty Pep in the domestic market at Rs 43,534 (ex-showroom, Delhi). Available in 11 new colours, the new Scooty Pep Plus has been introduced with new updates and it will be targeting young female audience.
It will be powered by an 87.8cc, eco-trust, four-stroke, single cylinder, air cooled engine that is capable of producing a maximum power output of 5 bhp at 6,500 rpm and a peak torque of 5.8Nm at 4,000 rpm. Paired to CVT automatic gearbox with torque sensor, it has a company claimed mileage of 65 kmpl.
Cosmetically, the bodywork remains the same as its existing models and it will be available in 11 colour options. The Eco-smart series is offered in Nero Silver and Nero Blue, the white and whacky series is available in Perky Pink, Passion Purple and Blush Red, the Starlet series comes in Frosted Black, Dazzling Blue, Vivacious Purple, Sassy Pink and Gorgeous Grey while its Babelicious series offers Princess Pink.
Its other notable features include Side Stand alarm, Mobile charger socket, ample amount of under seat storage, open glove box, under seat bag hook, front bad hook and micro ally-chassis. It comes with two driving modes- Economy and Power for better power and enhanced fuel efficiency and has a fuel capacity of 5 litres.

subset: commoncrawl


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Photo: Gunnie Moberg
Kirkwall Grammar School, Orkney, 1978
Maxwell Davies, Peter
The Two Fiddlers (1978)
Duration: 50 minutes
Opera in two acts for young people to play and sing
Libretto by the composer from a short story by George Mackay Brown (E,F,G,I,S)
5 singing roles and chorus (all to be performed by children) 188.8.131.52-184.108.40.206-timp.perc(6):2glsp/marimba/xyl/4tpl.bl/2wdbl/ 2brandy glasses/SD/BD/tam-t/4susp.cym/cyms/choke cym/tamb/flex/ referee's whistle/swannee whistle/football rattle/guiro/nightingale/ beaters and scrapers including a pair of knitting needles/vln bows/ plastic soapdish/brushes-pft(=metronome,plectrum)-2vln(to be playedby the singers of the Two Fiddlers if possible).string quintet or sm all string orchestra-bagpipes(optional) (all instruments to be played by children)
Abbreviations (PDF)
This work is available from Boosey & Hawkes for the world.
World Premiere
Orkney Arts Theatre, Kirkwall, Orkney
Conductor: Norman Mitchell
Company: Kirkwall Grammar School
The story is an Orkney version of a widespread folktale. Two fiddlers are on their way home from a wedding when they encounter the trolls; Gavin escapes but Storm is drawn away to play for audiences underground. The grateful trolls grant his wish that his people should no longer have to work, but they trick him by keeping him much longer than he thinks. Meanwhile, Gavin acquires wife, children, grandchildren and material possessions; then Storm reappears, with twenty-one years gone for him in the twinkling of an eye. Reunited, the two friends go off to a party, where Storm finds that people have become utterly passive through the indulgence of the trolls, devoting their time to television, pop music and other horrors. He strikes up a new tune to break the spell and restore his people to useful activity. A celebratory haggis is piped in, and a final chorus points the moral.
Synopsis by Paul Griffiths
Contemporary, Environment, Magic/Mystery, Music/Arts, Mythology, Society
Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Peter Maxwell Davies
Unicorn-Kanchana DKPCD9070 (Dances only)
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Toyota Tundra: Problems & Solutions
merlinknight Posts: 1Hello,
i have a 2000 tundra 4x4. The problems i have been having are, for one that everyone knows about, is the brakes, They VERY, VERY POOR, putting it politely. The O2 sensors go out. i have had to replace 3 out of the 4 on the truck at around i believe 140$ each. The trans. does not shift correctly. Having to send off the valve body to a performance shop. Cracks in the exhaust manifold. Drive shaft misalignment that causes shaking at certain speeds.
Bought a toyota because i thought i was buying something that would last. Instead i bought a toyota that has caused me problems. Toyota does not fix anything because they figured out the problems after my truck was out off warranty. TOYOTA DOES NOT CARE. I will not own another TOYOTA! :mad: :lemon:0
lawncare01 Posts: 7I too, had a 2000. You could turn the brake rotors and balance the tires at least once a week. Also had 2 O2 sensors to go. I know quite a few other folks that had 2000 models with no problems. I still think Toyota builds the best vehicles. Now if my second Tundra has a lot of problems will change my tune. BTW, my 2000 was bought used with high mileage so I dont know how it was driven or taken care of before. Also had the shaking at certain speeds but thought it was the tires, or what dealer blamed it on.0
fatboy2k Posts: 1I have owned a 2001 V8 Access Cab gave to a friend and now have a 2004 Double Cab. The 2001 had 3 oxygen sensors go out (1up and 2 downstream), a master cylinder, and I have done a front brake job. I had the rotors turned as they had warped. Toyota has re-imbursed 253.00 for the upstream O2 sensor replacement on a notice I received in the mail. You must have saved all receipts from the work, and there is a mileage stipulation. The truck currently has 112000 on it and looks like it needs rotors turned again. I plan on replacing them with Wagner or Raybestos after market.
Michelin LTX they stay balanced better than Goodyears and work very well on both trucks here in Texas.
I have 43000 on the Double Cab and no problems what so ever! Have replaced the tires rims with 20" Hot Wheels and Michelin 55 series LTX.0
uofm360 Posts: 13I have a 2000 Tundra V8 with 30,000 miles on it. I have been hearing that the oxygen sensors may go bad. I am wondering if there was a recall for this or how much does it cost to get them replaced of they go bad. Thanks0
I too had the same experience when my truck hit 5000 miles the maintenance light had turned on and bothered me for a while until i read the manual yoou will find it on page 179. it has something to do with your keys being on the ignition.0
I have an 05 TUNDRA 4x4 the original tires are P265 70 16 and im thinking about changing it to LT 265 75 16. WOULD IT RUB?? i have stock suspension... the only difference is from 70 series to 75 series. and its also a little beafier.. P= passenger and LT= light trucks.
thanx in advance0
dano100 Posts: 22I own a Dbl. Cab (2004) and have not experienced any vibration problems. My 3 minor problems are (1) a squeek from the rear bed area on the passengers side (2) the blower motor on the heater/air conditioning squeals intermittantly (3) the O2 sensor went bad at less than 5,000 miles.0
I dont know if i just got lucky or what.....i have been reading the forum for quite sometime now and all i have been seing is mostly negative on the 05 tundras. I dont know if im lucky but i have an 05 TUNDRA DBL cab 4x4 with 5000 mile on it and from my observation is it is perfect for me. no vibration, no cab noise,transmission is flawless even on very cold days, does not stall when u slam on the brakes, good power, O2 sensor is fine, gas mileage is decent, no funny exhaust noise, no bed noise, no shocks malfunctions or noise, engine temp is good, oil pressure is good, i dont know what else to mention but my 05 Tundra is very good. I dont know what kind of driving conditions you guys do but, i drive alot on highways and i dont tow anything. Is that a major actor that my truck is fine??....PLS tell me what to watch for on my truck cause reading all the inputs are scaring me......sometimes im thinking that i should have bought a Nissan Titan cause i go to their forums just for reading purpose, and everybody is very satisfied with their TITANS...0
coninuation from #135.
BUT!!!! i only have one thing that is not good on my 05 TUNDRA, it happened twice now, when i first start it, the starter will stick and keep on turning but it dosent fire up even when i let go of the key...it would keep on turning untill i turn the key to off position and start it again then, shes fine............this ever happen to any of you???? pls let me know
idahoron Posts: 18I have about 3000 miles on my 05 DC. Mine is so far a great truck and I am happy with it. I drive it off road a little but that will become more as the hunting season starts. I have a shell on mine and I get 16.5 to 18 miles to the gallon. It depends a lot on my driving with this rig. So far I think it is a great ride. Ron0
Its good to hear that your truck is working great for you. At 5000 miles, your maintenance light will turn on, its only there remind you its time for oil change. Now if you bring it to the dealer they will reset he light for you, but if you do your own oil change, youll have to open up your manual to page (i believe 179) on how to reset your maint. light. Now just incase this is how you do it. make sure your key is in off position, now press and hold the button in you speedometer mileage while turning the key to ACC position and hold it for 10 o 12 secs. until you see the mileage reads -000000 and then your maint. light is gone and been reseted.
Your mpg sounds great. I am getting about 13-14 mpg around town, have about 750 miles on the truck so far.0
I have read the exhaust system is the "vibration culprit" in many instances. If I were to change the exhaust, which would be best. I don't need a performance system. I'd prefer one that is quiet and not too hard on the wallet.
Thanks for any input.0
cheapisgood Posts: 16I read your messages with interest. I don't have an answer for the "darting at 70 miles an hour" and that one sounds kind of scary. I would take that truck to a really good front end shop and see what they say.
I have a 2001 Access cab and had a lot of problems with vibration after the truck hit about 30K miles. The only way to solve it without throwing a lot of your money away is as follows:
1. Load balance the tires (not just a quick spin balance). It costs more, but is worth it.
2. Have the front end aligned using DJ's Specs. You can find these on Tundrasolutions.com. The standard Toyota alignment specs are not the best and have too large of a margin for error. If you can't figure out the specs, give me your email and I will respond that way." :shades:
dbl_cab_05 Posts: 1I own a 2005 Tundra Double Cab. This is my 3rd new Toyota. At about 7000 miles, cruising at 2000 rpm my engine light came on. She stalled before I reached the end of the off ramp. Had her towed to the dealer - the next day they ordered me a new engine. That was almost 6 weeks ago and she is still at the dealer waiting for more parts! So far they've ordered a short block, head, part of the intake and other various parts. I don't know the whole list because I haven't got her back yet. 3 pistons on one side have zero compression. They used a scope and saw one of my broken valves resting on the number 6 piston. They gave me a goofy story about a bolt coming loose in the intake near the throttle body. Sounds farfetched for 1 piston but impossible for 3. Anyone else have anything like this happen?0
srpeterson Posts: 6My Tundra has 1000 mi. on it and also has a mild vibration and rumble. Dealer has had it 3 times in the last 5 weeks. They claimed it was the exhaust but when driving down the road I can shift it into neutral and I still have the vibration and rumble. They also claim that they have swapped all the axles and driveshafts, re-balanced tires, re-torqued motor mounts and tranny mounts (auto tranny). They now say that they are waiting for headquarters to come-up with a fix. Truck rides nice and is very comfortable, just hate the vibration and rumble.0
I am thinking the 2005 Tundra was a bad design year or the folks at the assembly plants are not paying attention.0
phillip2 Posts: 1I have a 4x4 2005 SR5 Access Cab with VSC/16" HT tires and after trying 4Lo in the snow my left front wheel started to hop and bounce the entire fender...on a moderate grade/pavement/about 5 " snow..what is up? Are there any tricks or problems offroad while using the Tundra's 4x4?0
Even on snow, the wheels side-to-side need to "scrub" or scrape in order to do any turning. You didn't describe what you were doing when it was shaking on that side of the truck, but I would guess that you were trying to turn when it happened. If that is the case, there was nothing wrong with the way the truck was working, just that you didn't have enough slippage under the tires for the wheels to be able to slide. Keep in mind that in 4wd, either hi or low, ANY time you turn, there either needs to be slippage under the tires or the tires will scrub as the Front and back set of wheels are forced to have the same number of revolutions and the front needs to travel further in a turn. I hope this helps.
jnm1 Posts: 7I have a Tundra 2WD SR5 noticed all the stories about the snow and was wondering if there is any hidden secrets I can do to make my truck work a little better through the snow besides the original "sandbag way"....thanks for the help and all the other advice...Love it!! Jen0
This is coming from someone who has lived in Rochester and Buffalo for their whole life and has had experience driving in the conditions common in both cities in RWD, FWD and 4wd vehicles. In a rear wheel drive truck, the most significant thing that you can do to help your ability to drive in snow is get a good set of snow tires. It is an initial investment, but keep in mind you only put half of the miles on your summer tires and the same for the winter tires. So you only replace your tires half as often but have the security of the best tires for both conditions all of the time. Other than good snow tires and being a bit more gentle on the gas, sandbags help somewhat, but you shouldn't have too many troubles.
Hope this helps.
tundratoy Posts: 1I've owned my 05 Tundra for about a month now, and I've noticed that it has the exact same problem with the engine not starting on the first crank. I'ts happened to me three or four times already and it seems to only occur after the truck has been sitting a while. Other than that, it's been a great truck so far...0
After all the searching, I found someone else have the problem I am having on by 2004 Tundra DBL Cab. I have had my truck in the dealership since Feb 17 with low compression on the left bank. They originally blamed water in the fuel as what cause my problem. Since then I have had the fuel tested at a lab and have proved that conclusion wrong (1.5% water in fuel). I have been through the process with Gulf States Toyota and the Arbitration company denying my claim stating that I did not prove that it was a manufactures problem, just that the water did not cause the problem. Since then I have had my baby towed to another dealership to have them break the engine down.I am now waiting for the next conclusion of what actually caused the problem and if it will be covered under warranty. My truck is less than a year old with all oil changed done on time and with Amsoil Synthetic currently in the truck with only 11,150. I could really use any help that anyone could give to help me prove that this a manufactures problem and not mine. please email [email protected] or call me Sean @ 512-423-3133 CST0
There is a Toyota Service bulletin for a fuel suction tube that needs to be replaced.0
I have a 2001 sr5 access cab 2wd v8 automatic with 85000 miles. The trans's overdrive planetaries [non-permissible content removed] the bed on the highway at ~85 miles an hour. Granted I drive fast and commute 100 miles a day BUT
1) In your experience have you seen or heard of other tundra trans crapping out like this?
2) get a Reman trans from the dealer or let AAMCO rebuild it?0
I have a 2001 sr5 2wd v8 auto tundra with 85000 miles. The exhaust manifolds failed as did the o2 sensors. For those that are unaware - the warranty on emissions system is 90000. So get your truck to the dealer and get that stuff taken care of before it too late. My dealer fixed me up. Then the transmission exploded but thats another topic.....0
I have that click in the dash too! I have not figured out what is doing it. Anybody find the root cause?0
Has anybody out there had a dealer put this package (800 bucks) into their truck , and if so did it improve snow handling?0
The following are copies of several messages off Toyota Solutions forum, hope it helps:
My Ticking Noise is Gone!
Our Sequoia had been suffering from that slight ticking noise that's been talked about here. It's the one that appears to be coming from behind the centre console. More audible in cooler weather. Varies with the RPMs and can't be heard outside the vehicle.
Well I had the truck in for an alignment and rotation on Saturday and I mentioned this noise to them. I also told them what I had read here about it possibly being due to the ground wire from the fuel injector wiring harness transmitting noise thru the firewall. Sequoias are pretty rare around here and they said they hadn't heard of that but would look. So about three hours later they call me and say the truck is ready.
They moved the ground wire, straightened up some of the wiring in there while they were at it, and added some insulation around the throttle cable. Boom. Zero noise. Not reduced, but gone. Completely. Man, am I one happy puppy right now. All I can hear when I'm driving it is the sweet sound of that V-8.
BTW, the work wasn't done where I bought the truck (they couldn't hear the sound), it was done at a dealer closer to me (same city), Tony Graham Lexus Toyota. Kudos to them!
AMAZING!!!! I just moved the ground wire on my '01 Sequoia from the firewall to one of the bolts on the power steering reservior bracket (my ground wire is actually mounted on the firewall on the passenger side of the engine)... started up the engine and NO MORE TICKING SOUND... something that I had been attributing to piston slap since I bought this crazy vehicle. Even took it out on the highway to be sure... all I hear is smooth running Toyota V8 sound now. Best 5-minute investment of time I think I've ever made on any car.
It worked!! No more ticking!!! I would never had believed it if I hadn't done it myself. Amazing!! Thank you thank you thank you!!! (If you cant' tell, this was really an anoying little issue for me)0
txsparx Posts: 1I own a 03 Step-side V8 with about 20k on it and I too have windows that rattle badly. Mine do so when they're between 3/4 inch down from the top until a third of the way down. At half way down they're tight again.
Took it in and left it with a Toyota dealer in Arlington, Tx for a full day. Got it back at 6 that evening as they closed up. Drove it all of a half mile, hit a road with small bumps along it, windows started rattling just as bad as they ever had.
A full day wasted with no change at all in the truck.
I've had a couple of Ford trucks that did the same thing. It's a channel problem. Difference is that the Ford mechanics seemed to knew how to repair it and the Toy mechs didn't.
There again it may be the dealer. I've bought 6 vehicles from his numerous brand lots here - 2 Fords, 2 Mercury's ( the Lemon Law was enforced on one of them) and 2 Mitsubishi's and I've never, EVER had any luck at all any with any of his service departments. Not once, to the point of where I won't even shop there any longer.
I didn't purchase my current Toy from there and must have been feelin' my oats that day I took it in. They're less than a half-mile from my office and I thought, "Well, it's only replacing the window channels. The Ford guys had no trouble at all ...."
Wrong. A waste of time. Shoulda known better.
Soooo, anyone care to discuss engine lifter clattering/knocking when you punch it ?0
This discussion has been closed.


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The Facts About Healthy Eating
Healthy Eating
What do we really know about healthy eating? What are the facts about eating healthy foods, versus the myths? I'm a health writer. For over a decade, I've read countless books about food and nutrition. I subscribe to all the journals about health and eating. I've interviewed experts in diet and I know my A from my Zinc. Yet I still find it hard to sort through the myths and facts about healthy eating.
Much of what passes for knowledge in the media is really marketing hype. You'd be amazed at how many "super foods" are nothing of the kind. Their super status is nothing more than a cleverly disguised marketing campaign by an MLM (multi level) marketing company or a manufacturer of supplements.
First, let's explore what is really the truth behind healthy eating. Then, let's talk about how to eat healthy on a budget. Lastly, I'll give you some pointers for evaluating what you read and hear about food and nutrition so that you can make up your own mind about what's healthy for you.
Nutrition Facts
What do we really know about healthy eating? When you cut through all the junk that's out there, it's pretty simple. Here are the basic facts about healthy eating:
- The human body evolved to eat a variety of foods.
- We need fats, protein, carbohydrates and water to survive.
- Our bodies are very adaptable and can survive on many diets, although probably not thrive on them.
- From the Harvard Nurses Health Study to large population studies of longevity and health, the best diet for people appears to be plant-based, that is, heavily based on fruit, vegetables and whole grains.
- Refined sugar is known to cause health problems, particularly obesity and tooth decay, but is also linked to everything from hypertension to diabetes.
And that's about it. The rest of what passes for nutrition science is speculation or splitting hairs.
The RDA or Recommended Daily Allowance
You may wonder about the RDA of foods, such as the RDA shown on food labels or vitamin jars. Most people think it's the maximum amount of any vitamin or substance they should get. In fact, it's usually the MINIMUM for good health. That does not mean you should pop pills. Just know for example that an RDA for vitamin C means the amount you need to prevent diseases such as scurvy, but not necessarily what's the best for human health. The jury is still out on that one.
Eating Healthy on a Budget
We all want to eat healthy meals, right? But so much gets in the way! There's not enough time, we tell ourselves, or it's too expensive. Wrong. You can eat very cheap meals that are healthy. And you don't need to slave over a hot stove for hours, either.
- Buy foods on sale, and cook meals according to what you have in the pantry. Stock up on staple items you know your family likes when they are on sale.
- Shop with a list.
- Plan meals for the week, especially dinner.
- Limit dining out or fast food to treat status. As in, once a year or on birthdays only.
- Eat dessert sparingly. It's not good for you. Dessert used to be a treat reserved for holidays and Sundays in olden times. Since when do we "need" a cookie a day?
- Choose frozen vegetables over canned.
- Buy only enough fresh food for the week, such as fruit or vegetables - if it goes bad, it's a waste.
- Cheap cuts of meat, such as chicken thighs, can be cooked in a Crock Pot or slow cooker and taste like gourmet food.
- Avoid packaged meals, frozen meals, and boxed side dishes. Not only are they expensive but they're full of additives, preservatives, sugar and salt.
For those who are feeling adventurous, growing a simple garden is a great way to grow organic, fresh vegetables. You can start small with pots of tomatoes and peppers on the deck or a small pot of lettuce.
How to Decide for Yourself: Evaluating Evidence
People believe much of what they hear in the news, a fact which companies exploit to promote various products. For example, the evening news may announce that "pomegranate juice prevents heart attacks." Such a headline is ridiculous in and of itself. No one food can prevent a heart attack. Heart attacks can be caused by many factors, and a food cannot influence every factor. Nor is it possible for a research study to take into account all aspects that influence heart disease, such as genetics, lifestyle habits, smoking, complete dietary intake etc. If you just add pomegranate juice to the diet of an obese chain smoker, is it going to change his risk of heart attack? Probably not as much as if he gave up cigarettes and lost weight.
But let's go back to the headline: "Pomegranate Juice Prevents Heart Attacks." If you're watching the evening news, chances are good that's all you'll remember from the story. In fact, the manufacters of pomegranate juice are counting on it.
Since the television reporter has a whopping 30 seconds to cover the story, she just reads off the highlights: a recent study found that women who drank a cup of pomegranate juice every day had a 30% reduced risk of heart attack.
And that's it.
Now if you could get your hands on the study itself, you might notice a few odd things about the study:
- Only 25 women were enrolled
- There's no mention of follow up studies
- The sponsor was XYZ Pomegranate Juice company
Those three facts alone would make most people discount the results of the study. Why?
- The sample size - the number of people enrolled - is so small that the results probably cannot be applied to the entire population. If you think about samples and predictions, for example, you know that a political poll usually has a sample size of at least a thousand people, right? That's because the pollsters know that you need to talk to about that many people to be about 95% confident that the results can be applied to everyone! The same goes for research like this.
- Most rigorous scientific studies use a double-blind, placebo controlled method. This means that even the research team doesn't know who gets the test substance and who doesn't. This prevents their body language or other subtle cues from influencing the subjects. In addition, a group of people in the study get a placebo - an inert substance that looks, tastes and smells like the test substance, but doesn't act in any way.
- Always look at the money trail when deciding if you should listen to a scientific study. Studies conducted by companies on their products may have a degree of bias. Even if the study was conducted ethically, companies have been known to promote only the good results of a study and just not mention bad results. Since they're funding the study, they can do this. But it's up to you, the consumer, to pay attention to these facts when evaluating claims such as "super foods", "diet to prevent cancer" and all those other headline-grabbing items about nutrition.
Healthy Meal Planning
So how do you get started eating healthy meals? Begin with healthy meal planning. Plan a meal around one healthy entree. Choose a green, leafy vegetable such as spinach. Add a whole grain like rice and a side of fish or chicken. That's already one healthy meal.
At each meal, try to include one vegetable or fruit and one whole grain. Snack on fresh fruit. always choose unprocessed, unrefined products for the best nutritional bang for your buck.
If you've been eating the typical American diet -fast foods, lots of meals on the run, and little thought to what you're putting into your body as fuel - don't despair. It's a good idea to start slowly. Try replacing one fast food meal a day with a healthy meal. Eat fruit between meals instead of candy. Ditch the diet soda or sugar filled soda and drink water instead.
If you focus on changing just one habit every week, by the end of a year, you'll have 52 new and healthy habits - and you'll probably lose a little weight and feel better, too.
Fast Food Poll
How often do you eat fast food?
Well its a very usefull hub , and i know that fruits vegetables are really healthy for us , but since i am living alone , most of the time i end up eating food outside and that too junk food maybe pizzas or burgers. But recently i have started learning cooking at home so maybe this may prove out to be usefull
Tremendously useful hub about an incredibly important topic. Thanks for keeping the topic of healthy eating habits foremost in my mind.
so true dincan fast food is one of the main problem cause of that people are dying because of the fat they are gaining
fast food is one of the main problem of new generation, so that they are in lack of essential antioxidants and vitamins, which leads to potentially harmful diseases.


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Even most nontechies probably have an idea of what cloud computing is by now, but when you start getting into IaaS vs. SaaS vs. PaaS even those of us in the industry can struggle.
In a nutshell, infrastructure as a service (IaaS) provides virtual machines or storage from a provider on demand with elastic scalability and software as a service (SaaS) simply involves hosting software in the cloud (like Salesforce.com) so it doesn't take up on-premises resources.
[ InfoWorld's Andrew Oliver answers the question we've all been asking: Which freaking PaaS should I use? | Get the no-nonsense explanations and advice you need to take real advantage of cloud computing in InfoWorld editors' 21-page Cloud Computing Deep Dive PDF special report. | Stay up on the cloud with InfoWorld's Cloud Computing Report newsletter. ]
But what about platform as a service (PaaS)? What exactly is it, who are the big players in this market and just what is the difference between it and IaaS? To flesh this all out, I sat down recently with Sacha Labourey, former CTO of JBoss -- which was acquired by Red Hat -- and now founder and CEO of CloudBees, a Java PaaS company.
What is PaaS?
Well, there does seem to be some confusion around PaaS. It's a bit like middleware, both in what it does and in that people had trouble understanding [middleware] 10-15 years ago. For us, PaaS is a set of services aimed at developers that helps them develop and test apps without having to worry about the underlying infrastructure. Developers don't want to have to worry about provisioning the servers, storage and backup associated with developing and launching an app. They want to write code, test the app, launch the app, and be able to continually make changes to it to fix bugs. All the back-end stuff about setting up servers should be done automatically and transparently in the background, and that's the promise of PaaS.
[ MORE PAAS: Tips for a successful PaaS rollout ]
So you're writing applications that run on virtual machines in the cloud. That sounds a lot like IaaS.
If you deal with the infrastructure layer, chances are you're working in IT and your job is to build the software stack -- a virtualization layer, compute and storage. All that work of configuring the infrastructure is exactly what developers don't want to do. PaaS works on top of IaaS and will do all of that work automatically.
So then what's the difference between PaaS and middleware?
Middleware is a software layer that offers sophisticated features to developers -- transactions, security, clustering, etc. -- so they can focus on building their custom applications instead of solving those hard problems repeatedly. But middleware is only "static" software in the sense that you still have to configure it, deploy it on servers, manage and monitor it, which was typically left to IT teams to do.
PaaS is a superset of middleware and offers all these good middleware services to developers, in addition to covering the operational aspects that were typically owned by IT teams.


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PUBLISHED ON September 21st, 2010
Uniformed Haitian Men – each with a shotgun in hand – guarded the University of Miami's Haitian Hospital where we spent day 2 of our journey. When the doctors approved our arrival they opened the large metal gates and we immediately recognized encouraging differences in the organization, sanitization, and cooperation (not to mention the higher population of patients) compared to the previous hospital.
We got to work and all 24 enthusiastic Pest Management Professionals split up into teams to address the key target pests – mice, mosquitoes, flies, ants, and cockroaches. Our combined expertise made for a productive day! Within the first 4 hours of our arrival we had extensive IPM tactics completed – treated the perimeter of the property extensively, dropped tablets into stagnant water to kill mosquito larvae, excluded the buildings with hardware cloth to seal off holes in the structures, installed rodent bait stations, fly bait stations, Rodent glue boards…and much more! Soon after laying the glue boards we had caught at least 4 mice…within an hour we had excited doctors and hospital staff seeking out our volunteers to show us the progress that we had already made.
Boucard Pest Control's technician, Sonel – who will be carrying out the pest control needs at this hospital after we're gone – began his training today as he rotated between the pest management teams. Sonel used to work at the Haitian airport in air traffic control before he came to work for Terry's family after the earthquake. He was eager and attentive and spent a lot of his training time with Pierre, our only French speaking teammate from Canada. Sonel told us that he was learning a lot about how to help protect this hospital from pests – his ability to learn quickly and his dedication made our hard work and efforts worthwhile!
Mosquitoes were abundant and obnoxious – after hearing about the several cases of Malaria that had taken place that week we spent the rest of our day building and installing mosquito net screening for their windows. With limited resources – a combination of duck tape, PVC pipes, and screws we made the most effective mosquito proof screens possible. The installation process was slow – having to adjust to the inconsistent, and often unstable structures – we installed about 10 windows in the last few hours of our workday…but we found a groove and knew we were better prepared for our 3rd day.
Like any American hospital, emotions co-existed here today…we witnessed hardship in the weak, the sick, and the injured mixed with the excitement of new life, health, and gratitude. The difference between our American hospitals and this popular Haitian hospital is that the sick outweighed the healthy in large numbers and the doctors had limited space and resources – not to mention the abundance of pests that contribute to the spread of disease.
The University of Miami has developed an amazing hospital and medical program in Haiti – the volunteer doctors that contribute so many sleepless hours, love, care and hope to the desperate Haitian people that come through their gates was incredibly inspiring. We had the opportunity to meet many of them and heard remarkable stories about their experiences. So many of them expressed their gratitude and excitement for the mosquito netting screens and overall protection from pests – as they showed off their countless mosquito bites. We didn't know it was possible but they made our trip and experiences even more rewarding!
After the long day we headed to the hotel, exhausted (smelling not so fresh) and ready for dinner.
-Jen McCauley


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Bibio has recorded three live sessions for album tracks 'You Won't Remember...', 'Sycamore Silhouetting' and 'Raincoat' - from the recent album 'Silver Wilkinson'. Far from straightforward live footage, these beautifully shot films weave between English scenery and the songs that scenery informs, and are a rare treat considering the scarcity of a Bibio show (he has never performed live with a band).
Download the audio from the 'You Won't Remember...' session free here.
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From Bibio:
"These sessions were recorded in one day as a live trio in my friend's shed in rural Somerset, south west England. The only parts that were recorded separately were the sax parts on Sycamore Silhouetting and Raincoat. I met my friend Ben (the guy in the striped shirt) at university in 1999. I've been visiting him in Somerset ever since. In the early days the shed was literally just a tool shed belonging to his dad (who works in the building trade) it was full of buckets of nuts and bolts, paints, tools, ladders and lots of cobwebs and spiders. In these early days it was cold and pretty crammed in there, lit by a single fluorescent strip light and just a ghetto blaster for entertainment.
Whenever I visit, we spend most of the time listening to music, drinking cider and staying up till the early hours of the morning, occasionally jamming and recording things. Over the years the shed got more well equipped, Ben added a fridge, an electric heater and a hifi. The shed also got stuffed with more music gear over the years, lots of latin percussion and other exotic objects.
The shed is surrounded by fields and woodland in the glorious Quantock Hills, tucked away down a lane from an old rural village with 16th century cottages nearby. I have many fond memories of travelling from London or Wolverhampton to Somerset, usually returning with new musical discoveries. Many parties and bonfires have been had outside the shed under the barn, in all weathers, including snow.
In 2010 the shed got doubled in size and re-insulated, now it is far from the cold dusty toolshed that it once was, now it is more like a chalet. It is better equipped with guitars, amps, synths and a mixer among other things. I thought that the shed would be a great location to get together with my friends and record some live performances of a few songs from my new album 'Silver WIlkinson'. This is the first time I have ever attempted anything like this"
Stephen Wilkinson - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Alto Saxophone.
Ben Modley - Electric Jazz Guitar and Electric Baritone Guitar
Tom Dwyer - Electric Baritone Guitar and Electric Bass Guitar
Camerawork - Richard Roberts
Sound - Stephen Wilkinson
Additional Cutaway Shots - Stephen Wilkinson
Directed and Edited by Stephen Wilkinson.
Order 'Silver Wilkinson' from Bleep | iTunes | Amazon Vinyl | Amazon CD
"Gorgeous" - Q ****
"Silver Wilkinson is a career high point... (it) will stand as one of this year's best" - FADER
"...an impeccable creative beauty" - Clash
"À tout à l'heure" captures the kind of moments that you want to relive again and again." - Stereogum
"Gorgeous combinations of acoustic instrumentation and electronic modulation" - SPIN


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From the moment I entered the lush tree sanctuary surrounding Gritman, I knew I was in a place of healing and renewal. The fresh warm smells of the herb garden surrounded me as I walked from my car and I already felt better. Though I had heard of your empathy and skill from my friend, your spirit and capabilities exceeded my expectations. I had used aromatherapy in the past with some success for sleep and relaxation, but this was my first experience treating a viral infection with essential oils. As a pediatrician, I often treat patients with illnesses that don't require antibiotics or other major interventions, but would really benefit from symptomatic treatment. Many medicines used for symptomatic relief in adults are not appropriate for use in young children, and families and providers are often looking for safe mild alternative ways to relieve the discomforts of these childhood illnesses. Now I know that an effective complimentary therapeutic strategy exists, and I will recommend your products and your consultative services to my patients and their families, and will tell like minded colleagues of my experiences. I wish you success and look forward to visiting again soon for a workshop or retreat. Thanks again!
With Love,
Atoosa MD Pediatrics Austin, Texas
When I first went to Gritman for a workshop I was so impressed just be the land that surrounds their sacred space. I knew at that moment that they were healers and I knew that they had a sacred contract with plants and the essential oils. I felt like I was visiting friends that I had not seen for a long timeand that I was more than just a person taking a class. I was honored and treated with the highest respect and walked away deom that class feeling like I had gotten much more then I had paid for. It was like a three day retreat in one afternoon. During class they served a lunch that was unbelieve. You could taste the love in the food.
The Gritman Essential Oils Company has high intergrity and compassion. They are a great service to our community. I am sl glad I live in the Houston area and they are close to me. As a massage therapist and healer I use their oils with most of my modalities. I also make soap and its wonderful because I use the Gritman Essential Oil in my bath salts, personal care products, and energy work.
They are very organized and professional and I have never been dissatified with anything that I have ordered, they aim to please. Anyone reading this should try a class and experience these healers. Anytime I need help or advice on the phone they take their time with me or they get back to me as soon as possible. Their customer service is the best in the country and I would advice anyonr to try their products as soon as possible. I am thinking about starting a Gritman Fan Club, does anyone want to join????
Hitaji, Houston TX
I purchased some of your oils back in October or November, including the flu kit and flu soap. I am extremely happy to report that my family of five, has only had 1 small episode with the cold virus lasting only 3 days. (My eight and 4 year old children) I treated them with the flu kit and they never really came down with a full fledged cold, stuffy noses and minor cough. In any event, I wanted to thank you and tell you how pleased I am to have found you and your company. This is my first experience with essential oils and was not sure if they would work. I am convinced.
I also purchased lemongrass and anise oils to increase milk production, also with great results! So, now I am an essential oils nut and would like to purchase some more oils and broaden my uses.
Amber-Osseo, WI
Thank you so much for your reply. Thank you for your reassurance, for sharing your experience, and your willingness to help. It means a LOT to me. But if she (a client of Waverly's) asks me any questions I don't know the answer to I will be writing to you again....
I appreciated your help so much you were the only ones who took the time to respond and offer help. That meant so much to me. Thank you kindy!! Have a great summer!
Waverly Evans- Massage Therapist Houston, TX
I just have to send my incredibly heartfelt thanks since I'm thinking about it. I'm currently PMSing. and cramping and all the nastiest of the nasty. I put some of the oils(Female Ezzz) on my pulse points and 25 minutes later it has so calmed both my muscles and me that my whole body feels warm and fluid. I love you.
More incredible thank yous- I was able to sleep last night what with the Pain Release. Probably not the most poetic of descriptions, but I'm thanking God for it at the moment.
Laura- Woodlands, TX
I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciated you saving the day. The (fractionated) coconut oil got here Friday. Amazing! Got here so quickly. Used it for the last six days. It's great. I had been used Spectrum's oil for 30 years. Yours has a better feel to me and lighter touch. I can even scent it. I LOVED your catalog when I order my next gallon (of coconut oil) I will order fragrances to scent it. So thank you again. So glad to have met you. Look forward to getting coconut oil(in the future) and whatever else from you...
Evan- Asheville,NC
I am interested in anything that you have that might alleviate migraine symptoms. I already use and LOVE the Lavender/Chamomile Rub as well as the Brainbooster stuff. BOTH ROCK! The avocado and pecan body glazes I use after showers around here every couple of days. Did I mention that everything you send me rocks??!!!
Sierra- Medford, OR


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Amadou & Mariam will put out a new record this week, and it's a fairly star-studded one at that, as we've already heard the Santigold-featuring "Dougou Badia." Now the Malian duo have put out a video for album track "Wily Kataso," the song that features TVOTR members Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone in support. Watch it below.
Folila is out 4/10 on Nonesuch and Because. The Dougou Badia EP is out now on Nonesuch.


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Bozeman Montana Home Buyers Guides
Home Buyers Guides
These FREE buyer reports will save you time, money and headaches! Each report offers a unique insight into the buying experience.
Download these reports today!
Overview of the Home Buying Process
What are the main steps each home buyer will take in the process of buying, purchasing a home or other real estate?
Market Report
Market report and outlook for the new year.
Eight Insider Tips For Home Buyers
Make your next offer count! These eight insider tips for buyers will help you get the most house for the money!
Buying Versus Renting a Home
Should you buy or should you rent a home? How can buying save you thousands in taxes?
How Much House Can You Afford?
Calling lenders, looking at mortgage loan programs and interest rates can be confusing. There is an easy way to get started and stay organized! Read this report today!
How We Find You Your Perfect Home
How do we help our clients find the perfect property for their real estate needs? Read more here!
Foreclosures and Short Sales
What is a short sale? Or a foreclosure? How will these type of home sales affect the home buying process?
Writing an Offer
Read what you can expect when writing a contract to purchase real estate.
Why Home Buyers Need to Hire a Home Inspector
Read why hiring a home inspector will be the best money you spend in your home purchase.
The Home Loan and Mortgage Process
What steps should a home buyer utilize when applying for and receiving a home loan or home mortgage?
Types of Loans
What types of loans are available to buyers looking to purchase real estate in Montana?
Home Mortgage Preapprovals and Prequalifications
What are the differences between a mortgage preapproval and mortgage prequalification? How do they differ when writing an offer for a home?
Will Mortgage Preapprovals Hurt My Credit Score?
How much can a loan application affect your credit score? Find out more here!
Required Personal Information for a Home Loan
What personal information does a home buyer need to receive loan approval?
Do's and Do Nots During the Home Loan Process
All home buyers need to read this before applying for a home mortgage or loan!
Home Sale Closing Costs Explained
What are closing costs? What types of closing costs will a home buyer run into when he/she purchases real estate?
Questions to Ask Any Real Estate Agent
How can you find a real estate agent best suited to your needs? Save both time and money by hiring the right real estate professional with this list of questions!


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Welcome to Casa Mexicana
In 1978, Isidro Pena had a vision to continue to work hard and make his dream a reality. Owning your own business takes much dedication and support from your family. You first lay down the ground work to make sure all that is built is enduring of time. Through effort and good old fashion hard labor as a main component to the business, Mr. Pena has had his children and grandchildren continue in its legacy.
From its humble beginnings of producing concrete tile pavers one by one to importing tile from around the world, Casa Mexicana Tile has become a premier tile distributor known for its universal array of the latest in colors, designs, sizes, textures and trends. Casa Mexicana Tile has been a trend setter on staying on the cutting edge of chic, contemporary and most modern tile the industry has to offer.
Importing from Italy, Spain, Mexico, Turkey, Thailand, China and some of the most reputable tile manufacturers in the USA, Casa Mexicana Tile is the most knowledgeable and up to date in its extensive tile lines.
Offering Residential and Commercial tiles opens the doors to endless possibilities to your home or business. Importing tile directly from the manufacturer allows you the consumer to take advantage of most tiles being in stock.
We invite you to come visit our showroom and explore the limitless possibilities the tile world has to offer.


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St. Landry Parish Story Ideas
We have prepared a Media Profile sheet for your reference that will tell you more about our area and interesting tidbits that we know will peak your interest. Should you like to request a press kit from our office you may do so here.
View our most recent issue of What's New in SLP!
- Cajuns & Creoles-What is the difference?
- The history of one of Opelousas' most famous citizens, Jim Bowie
- Zydeco music & Cajun music-What is the difference?
- Get out of New Orleans and Celebrate Mardi Gras in the Country (Eunice's Courir de Mardi Gras)
- The haunting of Chretien Point Plantation in Sunset, LA
- The history of Holy Ghost Catholic Church (Opelousas, LA) - home to the largest Catholic African-American congregation in the United States.
- Who was Tony Chachere and how did he make the little green can the most popular Cajun/Creole seasoning?
- The Academy of the Sacred Heart (Grand Coteau,LA), the second oldest institution of learning west of the Mississippi, is home to a documented miracle. Who was Saint John Berchmans?
- The Zydeco Cajun Prairie Scenic Byway-explore St. Landry Parish, as well as Acadia and Evangeline Parishes.
- Explore the town of Washington , once the second largest port for steamboats in Louisiana during the 1820s and check out Louisiana's most original and unusual restaurant.
- Get out of the city and celebrate Mardi Gras in the Country (Eunice's Courir de Mardi Gras)
- Restored Cajun Prairie touted as one of the best in the United States
- St. Landry Parish music makers: Geno Delafose, Hadley Castille, Marc and Ann Savoy, Clifton Chenier (to name a few). What are their contributions to Louisiana's music appeal?
- St. Landry Parish Festivals: World Championship Crawfish Etouffee Cookoff, Catfish Festival, Celebration of Herbs & Gardens, Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Festival, and Cracklin' Festival--Just to wet your appetite for good ole South Louisiana food and fun!
- St. Landry Parish, the Crossroads of Acadiana, offers a wonderful weekend getaway for individuals and families.
- Evangeline Downs Racino, located in Opelousas, LA--the first racetrack & casino to be built from the ground up.
- What is the history of the Orphan Train that came down to Opelousas from New York?
- The Gateway to the Atchafalaya Basin
- Every Saturday night Rendez-vous des Cajuns Radio & TV Show
- What are crawfish, where do they come from and how do you eat them?
- What are cracklins and how do you make them?
- From plate lunches to Pecan Grove Shrimp--St. Landry Parish offers it all!
- What is boudin?
- St. Landry Parish food manufacturers (hot sauces, seasonings, boudin, sausage, etc.)
- Sample our seasoning and create your own (Targil Seasoning & Butcher Supplies)


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Re: is it ok to tighten up extproc security?
Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:55:21 +0000
Message-ID: <email@example.com>
Hi Douglas,
A few people have commented already but allow me to add a little.
If you are using extproc, then its good practice to move it to a seperate listener. There is a note on Metalink that describes this, sorry i dont have the number to hand. If you do this you can start the new extproc listener as a "nobody:nobody" type user. Of course also remove it from the main listener.
The extproc service was standard up to 11gR1, i.e. its not there by default anymore in 11gR1, this is good.
The hardest problem is to find out if extproc is used or not. There are a number of techniques that come to mind.
Check for dba_libraries :
SQL> edit
Wrote file afiedt.buf
1 select * from dba_libraries
2* where file_spec is not null
- -------
SYS DBMS_SUMADV_LIBC:\app\Admin\product\11.1.0\db_1\bin\oraqsmashr.dll Y VALID
ORDSYS ORDIMLIBSC:\app\Admin\product\11.1.0\db_1\bin\oraordim11.dll Y VALID
- -------
MDSYS SDO_GEOR_LIZARDTECH_LIBC:\ADE\aime_071014.0004\oracle\md\dll\lt_dbmrsid_oci.dll Y VALID SQL> and check if any added look like they are not installed by Oracle, i.e. these three are installed by Oracle.
Another trick is to fire up the listener control lsrnct and run the services command to see if any established connections have been made to the extproc service.
Someone also mentioned mining the listener log, this is a good idea. Another option is to look at all possible libraries, use the DBA_DEPENDENCIES view and see if they are accessed by any PL/SQL procedures (they must be if used) and then put audit on those procedures for EXECUTE by access. Aother option at this stage for a quicker answer is to check v$sqlarea for the same procedures.
You mention that AppDetective suggests adding valid node checking in the protocol.ora, this would worry me, how old is your AppDetective? - the protocol.ora has not been used for many a long year for valid node checking, or is this an AppDetective bug? also like the OP, if the lisetener is on the database server then the valid node checking will restrict network connections to start from the database server. Also valid node checking doesnt work at the service level so this would stop valid connections. Also as one risk would be use of a library rather than direct network access, this would not fix it.
Douglas Cowles wrote:
> An application called appdetective has flagged one of my systems as having
> an extproc service which is a security violation in it's estimation.
> It recommend I either remove the lines from listener.ora to prevent the
> service from spawning or modify the protocol.ora to use validnode checking
> parameter to only accept requests from certain network addresses.
> My first question is how can I determine whether there are any external
> procs being used in the database in the first place. I would figure it
> would require a library, but all the libraries I have in the database are
> owned by sys and don't seem user generated even for Peoplesoft purposes. I
> would imagine I could turn this off but someone must have modified the
> listener at some point to allow extproc in the first place which makes me
> think someone wanted
> to do it but when and for what. It could have been set up 3 years ago.
> Secondly, if the first question is not definitive, is simply putting the
> database server itself as the only node allowed to invoke extproc a
> solution that is likely to handle things? It is possible a Peoplesoft app
> or web server would want to invoke an extproc on a database server?
> This is a 10.2.0.3 database on AIX 5.3 running Peoplesoft 9 (unsure of
> exact version)
> Any other thoughts about how to handle a violation item like this would be
> appreciated.
> Thanks,
> Doug Cowles
-- Pete Finnigan Director PeteFinnigan.com Limited Specialists in database security. If you need help to audit or secure an Oracle database, please ask for details of our courses and consulting services Phone: +44 (0)1904 791188 Fax : +44 (0)1904 791188 Mob : +44 (0)7742 114223 email: pete_at_petefinnigan.com site : http://www.petefinnigan.com Registered Office: 9 Beech Grove, Acomb, York, YO26 5LD, United Kingdom Company No : 4664901 VAT No. : 940 6681 14 Please note that this email communication is intended only for the addressee and may contain confidential or privileged information. The contents of this email may be circulated internally within your organisation only and may not be communicated to third parties without the prior written permission of PeteFinnigan.com Limited. This email is not intended nor should it be taken to create any legal relations, contractual or otherwise. -- http://www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-lReceived on Fri Nov 14 2008 - 09:55:21 CST


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Some common causes of anger include stress, financial problems, abuse, frustrating situations, and difficult social or family environments, according to PsychGuides. Six commonly accepted forms of anger are chronic anger, passive anger, overwhelmed anger, self-inflicted anger, volatile anger and judgmental anger.Continue Reading
Chronic anger is prolonged feelings of anger that can eventually affect the immune system and contribute to other psychological disorders. Passive anger is difficult to recognize, as it presents with self-sabotaging behavior, apathy, meanness and sarcasm. People with passive anger tend to repress it, thus making it harder to identify.
Overwhelmed anger is caused by a person's life situations that become too difficult for them to handle. Self-inflicted anger is anger directed at oneself and may have guilt as an underlying cause. Judgmental anger is often caused by resentful feelings and is directed toward another person who is perceived to be the cause of those feelings.
Volatile anger is characterized by incidents of excessive anger as well as violence. People who experience this type of aggressive anger may be aware of their feelings, but do not necessarily understand why they have them. They may redirect the anger toward a scapegoat. People with this type of anger may physically damage property or other people.
Psychologists typically recommend counseling and anger management for those who have difficulty controlling their outbursts.Learn more about Psychology


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You have to admire his audacity. First, "Ride With the Devil" turns out to be a western. Second, it's set during the Civil War. Third, it's set among Confederate sympathizers. Fourth, they ride with the infamous William C. Quantrill.
That's right: It's about the wrong men on the wrong side of the wrong campaign in the wrong war. Its climax even takes place at the Civil War's most famous atrocity, Quantrill's bloody raid on Lawrence, Kan., in 1863. On top of that: no stars.
With all that wrong, what's left to go right? Fortunately, only the movie. In its quiet way, "Ride With the Devil" is terrific.
It turns on the adventures of Jake "Dutchy" Roedel (Tobey Maguire), called a Netherlander by the traditions of the rural South because he's really a German, and his best friend Jack Bull Chiles (Skeet Ulrich), a boulevardier type who looks dashing in a goatee and a flowing coat, with Hamlet's hair ruffling behind him in the breeze. They are young'uns when the guns begin to speak at Fort Sumter, and they are caught in the most dreadful of places, the middle of the dark and bloody ground of Missouri, where house by house and town by town, folks vary considerably in their attitude toward the peculiar institution, slavery.
Such unstable politics leads inevitably to what consumes Jake and Jack Bull: the meanest kind of partisan guerrilla war, with ambush and counter-ambush far from the lines of regular infantry clashing in the wide-open East. Instead, this brutal little affray is fought among hollows and hills, forest creek beds and caves. It's more like a rat hunt than a battle. When the cruel war is finally over, only one survives, and by then, 15 men killed and three wounds from now, he's a very old'un with empty eyes and thin cheeks and a limp at 19.
In its way, the movie recalls the best of the old, big stories. I thought not only of the great westerns of the '40s and '50s (like "Dark Command" and "The Searchers"), but also of that particular brand of "big" novel now vanished, such as Robert Lewis Taylor's "The Travels of Jamie McPheeters," which took the whole frontier for its canvas. So it is with "Ride With the Devil," which runs from 1861 to 1865, watches the impact of the war on the families of a region, watches the boys grow--some into men and fathers, some into corpses and nihilists watches the turning of the soil, the comings and goings of armies, and the most terrifying kind of close-in gunplay, with big, pulsing holes blown into human beings for a variety of reasons ranging from the political to the nonsensical.
Yet at the same time, the movie is a kind of anti-epic. As "big" as it is, it never yields its hold on the small and immediate. We may glimpse Quantrill in the decayed dress gray of the old Confederacy, his plume all funky like a foxtail in the rain, his charisma shrunk to screwball-eyed vengeance, and we may watch the massacre at Lawrence from the old MGM vantage point of a camera placed exactly where God's eye would be, but the focus of the film remains intimate. It never veers from Jake and Jack Bull, their friend Holt (Jeffrey Wright), who happens to be black, and the girl who comes between them, Sue Lee (the pop singer Jewel in another modulated, egoless performance).
Moreover, its view of the land is a bushwhacker's. The land is mostly forest, ingrown and dank; it's a paranoid's universe where fights break out and finish in a second. (Visually, it bears a resemblance to Walter Hill's "The Long Riders," which looked at that same embittered generation of Confederate Missouri boys a decade later, when they had evolved into America's leading desperado clan.)
For the longest time, we're stuck in a cabin hewn out of the ground in a parcel of woods as the boys hide and mend; for another, we rusticate on a farm bounded by fields that must be tilled by the hard labor of man and beast. Only once does Lee show us the land as John Ford might have, burgeoning, splurging to forever, lit by sunlight and broken up by mesa. That's at the end, when the cruel war is over and the land has once again become a field of possibility, not a killing ground.
The performances are measured, even elegant. The language, presumably adapted by scenarist James Schamus from Daniel Woodrell's novel "Woe to Live On," has that 19th-century filigree to it, a language of nuance and ritual, slow to move yet icy in its precision. You suspect that all these dangerous boys in their capes and high boots and shiny Colt Dragoon pistols must have studied Latin under stern tutelage.
The film is picaresque rather than plot-driven. Its course is the war, and whole chunks of time are dispensed with by a subtitle like "One Year Later." And the movie gives credit to the complexity of motive. Its subtext is growth, and it watches and charts as Jake and Jack Bull are changed by their experience. Neither really loves the South; neither holds a slave. But they love each other, they love their region, they love its traditions, and so they become Confederate guerrillas without "Dixie" having been whistled once. But the war soon enough becomes mere pretext for slaughter, and acts of mercy redound with horror. It's a war without honor or quarter, and each boy struggles to hold on to his humanity.
Lee loves the genre and its pleasures, and, as anti-romantic as the film's tone is, he still gives you a bucketful of the old glories of the western. If your heart is set to beating fast by strong young men on stronger-still horses that eat up the landscape, if the young men settle all debts by going to their Colts at the drop of a feather and you know it's bad but it's still thrilling, then the movie will let you love them once again. Yet unlike older westerns that celebrated such a quick-draw code of honor without irony or wisdom but just as something cool, this one lets you see the weight of accumulated killings.
It plays with melodrama. You feel the old formula being deployed, as cause for retribution is set up and the last stalk begins. But Lee is too clever to fall for this. By the end, these hard-gun boys are too exhausted to fight it out for nothing. They've seen too much killing. They've learned the lesson the hard way: Live and let live.
Ride With the Devil (138 minutes) is rated R for extreme violence and gore, including the amputation of a man's arms by the primitive means of 1863.
© Copyright 1999 The Washington Post Company


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Julie Ruin is the name that the former Bikini Kill/Le Tigre leader Kathleen Hanna took when she released a 1997 album of home-recorded synthpop experiments. The Julie Ruin is Hanna's new band, which also features the former Bikini Kill bassist Kathi Wilcox. And when the Julie Ruin release their debut album Run Fast in a few months, it'll mark Hanna's first full-length in the nine years since Le Tigre's swan song This Island. After a long break due in part to Hanna's battle with Lyme Disease, Hanna is once again firing on all cylinders, if the Run Fast track "Oh Come On" is any indication. It's an awesomely sneering and charged-up punk rock song, the sort of thing that Hanna does better than just about anyone else, and you can hear it below.
The Julie Ruin – "Oh Come On"
(via at Pitchfork)
Run Fast is out 9/3 on the Julie Ruin's Dischord-distributed TJR Records.


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Not to be outdone, the bridesmaids are rocking some pretty great dresses, in a gorgeous creamy taupe (and you all know how much I love a neutral). In fact, when Emily couldn't find just the right sash for her friends' dresses, her sister stepped up and made them herself! Thank you to Powers Studios for sharing this beautiful Northwest evening with us!
Photographer: Powers Photography Studios
Venue: The Empress Estate
Flowers: Main Street Floral
Dress: Vera Wang
Men's Attire: Mr. Formal


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Well, I had already posted a simple brinjal curry recipe which is more of a gravy kind. The one I am posting right now is a semi-solid curry and it goes really well with hot steamed rice. Again this one is from the cookbook called "MUMMY" and of course, one of my favourites. My mother calls it Vankaya(brinjal in telugu) Iguru but to put it simple, I would rather call it Brinjal Onion Curry after its two main ingredients. If you are looking to lose weight, brinjal is a good choice as it a low calorie vegetable and has its share of nutritional benefits.Lets move on to the recipe now.
Serves: 3
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Medium Sized Brinjals – 4
Medium Sized Onions – 3
Coriander Seeds – 1 tbsp
Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
Tamarind Extract – little
Jaggery – 1/2 tsp
Oil – 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
Salt – to taste
1. Grind coriander seeds with little salt. To this, add onions and chilli powder and grind to a coarse paste.
2. Chop brinjals into bite sized pieces and put them in water.3
3. Heat oil in a pan and temper mustard seeds.
4. Add brinjals and saute till they turn soft and are almost cooked.
5. Now add the onion paste and saute till the raw smell disappears.
6. Finally add tamarind extract, jaggery and salt and simmer for 2 minutes.
7. Switch off the stove and garnish with coriander leaves.


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The second recommendation of SEIU Healthcare's Sweet$16 campaign is for the Ontario government to offer retirement security to the lowest earning members of our healthcare system- homecare Personal Support Workers. But actually, this is an issue that affects all Ontarians.
Over the past three decades, the number of companies who provide pension plans to their employees has dropped by a substantial rate. Employers are not only eliminating defined benefit plans, but also defined RRSP contribution plans as well.
That means a larger number of homecare workers and Ontarians are being forced to rely entirely on their savings and their Canadian Pension Plan (CPP). Unfortunately, many don't have enough money saved up for their retirement. Many will be forced to work until they are 70-75 years of age before they can retire.
Many financial experts believe people cannot simply retire on their CPP alone. The CPP pays a measly $600 a month. For some people, that isn't enough to cover the rent. The vast majority of non-unionized PSWs in the homecare sector don't make enough money to save for their retirement. And most PSWs don't even work full-time hours. They usually work part-time, irregular hours that change every week. Imagine driving from one location to the next, without adequate compensation for gas & mileage, paying the bills and taking care of your own family, all on the above salary. That's barely enough to live off of, let alone try and save. A defined benefit pension plan will bring some more stability and peace-of-mind in an erratic industry.
"As a single parent, if I don't have a pension, who is going to look after me?" asked Elena Saballero, a homecare worker and SEIU Healthcare member who lives in Toronto. "I only have one child and I can't expect him to take care of me. If I have a pension, I can look after myself."
A pension plan will help also help reduce employee turnover. Many PSWs suffer from low wages and irregular work hours. Many also don't receive any kind of compensation for the time they drive in-between clients. They are leaving homecare and moving into sectors, such as retail and restaurants, where they are given a stable 40-hour work week.
It's time for employers to start offering defined benefit pension plans to Ontario's homecare workers. After spending their life looking after our senior population, there is no reason why this group of hard-working healthcare workers cannot retire with ease and comfort in their golden years.
Tell your MPP that Ontario's homecare workers, our frontline caregivers, not only deserve a minimum of $16/hour, but a defined benefit pension plan as well. Our healthcare system depends on it.


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If you are looking for some coupons and freebies to to help you save on dinner on the town, date nights, and for when you need a break from cooking, then you're in the right spot!
While we certainly know that eating out is more expensive than eating in, it is nice to treat yourself and your family every now and again to a meal out on the town. Our family eats out 2 or 3 times a month, and we've been able to do so for less than $60 for the month…in part because of all the great coupons, daily deals, and other offers from restaurants in our area.
Check out the latest coupons, deals and offers that will help you spend less on your next "out to dinner" night!
Restaurant Gift Cards
Don't forget that you can earn "swagbucks" for searching online and redeem them for restaurant gift cards. Refer your friends and earn faster!
Restaurant Coupons
- Baskin Robbins Coupon – $1 Off Any Medium or Large Frozen or Iced Beverage (exp: 6/30/2013)
- Blimpie Coupon – Buy 1 6 Inch Sub Get 1 Free WYB 22 oz. Drink (sign up for free eClub to access coupon)
- Chili's Coupon – FREE Flatbread to the First 1 Million (exp: 6/30/2013)
- Del Taco Coupon – Free Baja Shrimp Taco WYB Any Beverage (exp: 6/25/2013)
- Friendly's Coupon – Buy 1 Fribble Get 1 Free (exp: 6/18/2013)
- Godfather's Pizza Coupon – Buy 1 Regular Priced Large Specialty Pizza Get Medium 1-Topping Pizza Free (exp: 12/31/2013)
- Hardee's Coupon – Free Small Fry and Drink wyb Any 1/3 lb Thickburber (Must enter zip of nearest Hardee's)
- Joes Crab Shack Coupon – 10% Off Entire Purchase (exp: 7/8/2013)
- Krystal Coupon – Free Krystal or Sunriser with Any Purchase (exp: 8/31/2013)
- Macaroni Grill Coupon – 10% Off Entire Purchase (exp: 7/8/2013)
- Marie Callenders Coupon – Buy 1 Entree Get 1 50% Off WYB 2 Drinks (exp: 6/27/2013)
- McDonald's Coupon – $1 Egg White Delight McMuffin (exp: 6/20/2013)
- Mimi's Cafe Coupon – Free 4 pack of Muffins with any $5 purchase by joining eClub
- Pei Wei Coupon – Buy 1 Entree Get 1 Free (exp: 7/7/2013)
- Restaurant.com – deep discounts on restaurant gift certificates
- Starbucks Coupon – 50% Off Any Espresso Drink (exp: 6/18/2013)
- Starbucks Coupon – FREE Tall Cold Drink Including Frappuccinos (exp: 6/18/2013)
- Taco Bueno Coupon – Free Crispy Beef Taco with Any Purchase (exp: 6/20/2013)
- Taco Time Coupon – Buy one menu item, get one free of equal or lesser value by joining eClub
- Villa Fresh Italian Kitchen Coupon – Buy 1 Get 1 Free Pan Pizza Slices (exp: 6/30/2013)
Restaurant Freebies
- Chili's Coupon – FREE Flatbread to the First 1 Million (exp: 6/30/2013)
- Starbucks Coupon – FREE Tall Cold Drink Including Frappuccinos (exp: 6/18/2013)
Kids Eat Free
- Bob Evans – Kids eat free on Tuesdays with adult entree purchase
- Earth Fare – Thursdays from 4 – 8 pm, with $5 adult purchase
- Ikea: Kids eat free on Tuesdays
- Olive Garden Coupon – Free Kids Meal with Adult Entree Purchase (exp: 6/20/2013)
Thanks to Savings Lifestyle, Common Sense with Money, and Surviving the Stores for helping us compile this list!


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Top Folk Morning Markets in China
To make shopping in local markets in China is an unforgettable experience.
Qing Ping Market, Guangzhou
Qing Ping Market is renowned to be one of the most famous of China. The number of medicinal herbs and foodstuffs that it holds leads to predict beautiful surprises without doubt! Qing Ping Market is situated in the north of Shamian Island in the Liwan District of Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province. It came into existence in 1979 and contains all what usually can be found in a Chinese market.
It is a secret for nobody, Chinese people have a pronounced taste for particular foodstuffs and it is mostly true in Guangzhou; "Anything that walks, swims, crawls, or flies with its back to heaven are edible." — A traditional Cantonese saying.
The market includes long displays of healing plants, herbs, mushrooms and dried animals used for the Chinese pharmacy. Dried wolf berries, persimmons, scallops, seahorse, starfish, fungus, etc… Any edible stuff that can be dried is on hand! Just like a take-away zoo, you may find dried starfish, snakes, and leopard and lived ones as well.
Spices release a strong smell and it is also an animated place where Chinese eat, sleep, play cards, discuss and express amusement. In the bend of a perpendicular alley, the atmosphere changes radically. The plants bags make way to tiny cages occupied by living tortoises, cats, dogs, rabbits, fishes, shellfish sold as pets.
There are also a collection of jade shops along with stores selling antiques reproduction, old watches and jewellery, Mao memorabilia, and other collectibles. Farther north, on Daihe Lu, is the private antiques market, where you'll find plenty of old furniture, porcelain, jade, and banknotes.
Qingping Market has over 2,000 stalls along 1km of Qingping Lu and Ti Yun Lu just north of Shamian Island and over 60,000 people shop here every day. Great experience if you are looking for truly local life!
We would recommend not going too early in the morning because there is not much to see. The merchandise keeps coming during the day, and most of the interesting stuff is there by noon.
A busy market fun to walk around!
Guangzhou Jade Market is the largest market for jade in Guangzhou.
Huasheng Tianqiao Market, Beijing
A couple of hundred metres from Panjiayuan, in the southeast of the capital, Huasheng Tianqiao market immortalises Beijing's culture and folkloric traditions.
Address: Zuo'An Lu, Chaoyang district,Tel:+86 10 6761 7240, Opening hours: 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Huasheng Tianqiao Market is an alternative to the textile and antique market in Beijing and the perfect place for seeking the folk custom of Beijing.
It is a vibrant and bizarre collection of animals and additives. The market was once the home to street performers, acrobats, story tellers and singers. Now it is a massy maze of stalls selling fish, crickets, birds and animals of all shapes and sizes.
The performing tradition has not all being lost forever and the folk performers have stages to show their unique skills. The market is extremely busy and crowded at weekends when is the best time for you to share the happiness with Beijing people together.
Situated west of Panjiayuan Bridge and south of the East Third Ring Road, the Panjiayuan Antiques Market, Beijing is very accessible. The market deals mainly in antiques and arts and crafts. It also has the reputation of being the most inexpensive antiques market in Beijing, attracting foreign and domestic tourists.
Whether you want to sightsee, window-shop or buy collectors' items, there really is something for everyone.
It used to be a weekend-only market. But, after some refurbishment work, it is now open for business seven days a week. However, Saturdays and Sundays are still the best days to go
Antique Market, Tianjin
The famous antiques market of Shenyang Dadao is open every day from 7:30 am till approximately 3 pm. It is one of the most attractive markets in China. You can find quite a lot of objects requisitioned during the Cultural Revolution which escaped destruction while the current government resells little by little this booty to retailers who come to Tianjin to resell them. Objects arrive of all regions of China; they are very often labelled with the origin and the date of the seizure.
As for the local manufacturing, Tianjin possesses a long tradition of small crafts: jade and ivory objects, basketwork, silversmith, lacquer, kites, cut papers, embroidery. Besides carpet manufacturing tradition in Tianjin goes back to Qing dynasty.
Flower market, Dalian
The flower wholesale market, located in front of Dalian Dashang Airport consists of several areas, including a flower and plant zone, a bonsai and stone zone, and a flowerpot zone.
Nearly 100 shops in this market sell various flowers. One-third of the flowers are locally cultivated with the rest coming from Guangzhou, Shanghai and other places.
Flowers and Birds Market, Kunming
The famous Flowers and Birds Market in Jingxing Street is the city's biggest, most attractive shopping market where spring reigns all year.
Strolling on the market street, you can see shops and stalls of all sorts, especially those featuring flowers, birds, and fish. Beautiful blossoms and delicate plant crafts lure the visitor. There are hundreds of flowers on hand, including orchids, camellias, lilies, roses, and tulips bloom in profusion.
The Flowers and Birds Market is also a popular trading place for antiques. Curios, coins, jade articles, jewellery, ink stones, porcelains, potteries, stone carvings, and marble products are among the arts and crafts to be found there. It is a treasure trove for souvenirs. Do not miss the shops that sell colourful ethnic costumes with headdresses. Most are handcrafted and very popular with tourists. Prices are reasonable, and you may even bargain with shopkeepers.
The Ancient Cultural Street of Shuyuanmen and Antique Market are recommended for buying souvenirs such as the Tang tri-colour glazed pottery, replicas of Terracotta warriors, as well as folk handicrafts of paper-cut and shadow puppet.
Yuyuan Market located next to the Yuyuan Garden is a lively market that specializes in traditional Chinese arts and crafts. Souvenir hunters should not miss this hot tourist destination. Also you can try some Shanghai Xiao Long Bao, vegetarian buns, chicken soup to experience a little of the Shanghai culture.
Hangzhou Silk has a long standing reputation throughout the world for its old history, numerous varieties, good quality and magnificent colours. There is also a silk market between Fengqi Lu and Tianmushan Lu.
Most of the silk is artificial (real silk is very expensive!), but most stalls will have some real silk. Don't forget to bargain! You can get some really great prices.
Tailors are also available throughout Hangzhou to make dresses, shirts, and other clothing from silk and satin in a matter of days.
Chengdu has markets and streets all over the city designated for a specific type of item such as books, cell phones and bars. Birds and fish markets are numerous in Xianmen, the most interesting are the ones of Gongyuan Donglu and Xi' An Lu.
Hong Kong
The most important belong to Kowloon: Jade Market Yau Mai Tei, Bird Market in Mong Kok, Stanley Market.
Any sorts of jewels of different qualities (from sublime to ridiculous) at all prices are for sale in this specialized open market in Kansu Street from 10 am till 3:30 pm. It is the ideal place to find cheap souvenirs, but if you want to buy valuables it is better to be accompanied by a connoisseur.
The Bird market is more north to Hong Lok Street in Mong Kok. Singing birds are very appreciated for a long time in China, and they often remain the favourite animal of the old sirs (because it is a strictly male habit). Here, to the Bird Market, it is an obvious fact.
Further north, in Prince Edward's nearby district, in Boundary Street, the very specialized Fish Market is opened only early in the morning. Flower Market offers flowers from the whole world.


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Computational Laboratory for Fault System Modeling, Analysis, and Data Assimilation
Dr. Kristy Tiampo, Director
NSERC & Aon Benfield/ICLR Chair in Earthquake Hazard Assessment
The computational modeling and data assimilation lab contains nine state-of-the-art computer workstations designed for visualization and data analysis of large quantities of geodetic and seismic data, attached to a multi-disk storage array with more than one terabyte of capacity. These workstations are equipped with the latest in commercial and academic research software designed for the analysis of geodetic data and remote sensing images, modeling of the earthquake system using finite element analysis and integrated computational fault models, and includes the capability to perform parallel computing, all for the express purpose of performing near real-time data assimilation and inversion analysis in order to better understand the earthquake fault system.
GPS network
Hudson Bay stations, green triangles
We operate and maintain a small set of continuous GPS stations throughout eastern Canada. These include three stations between Ottawa and along Hudson Bay, three stations near Toronto at the southwestern tip of Lake Ontario, one on Georgian Bay of Lake Huron, and one station to be installed on the Saint Lawrence east of Quebec City. A number of these stations have been operating since late 2004, while the Hudson Bay stations were installed in mid-2008. All data is freely available for research purposes upon request (email@example.com).


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Separate names with a comma.
Discussion in 'R4 DS' started by Scytheandsickle, Sep 16, 2007.
How do you save with nesDS?
Touch the bottom screen, a menu will appear.
I strongly advise you to WAIT until you a better version is released, though - the current save system is in its infancy, and it crashes a LOT.
tl;dr : you don't for the moment.


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The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday backed a Florida landowner in a nearly two-decade dispute about developing property near Orlando.
TALLAHASSEE | The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday backed a Florida landowner in a nearly two-decade dispute about developing property near Orlando — with dissenting justices warning that the case could have broad implications for permitting decisions across the country.
Justices, in a 5-4 decision, overturned a Florida Supreme Court ruling in the battle between the estate of landowner Coy Koontz, Sr., and the St. Johns River Water Management District. The case stemmed from Koontz's plan to develop 3.7 acres of land and the district's decision to deny wetland-related permits.
Koontz, who died during the case, contended that requests by the district during the permitting process amounted to an unconstitutional "taking" of his property. That argument centered on a proposal by the district that Koontz pay for improving wetlands on another site as a way to mitigate damage to his land.
Tuesday's majority opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito, pointed to earlier rulings that required a "nexus" and "rough proportionality" when government agencies make demands of property owners in connection with issuing permits. Such demands can involve such things as widening roads to accommodate increased traffic, but the majority said the "nexus" and "rough proportionality" tests also apply when government requests involve "monetary exactions," as in the Koontz case.
The majority opinion said the Koontz case "implicates … the risk that the government may deploy its substantial power and discretion in land-use permitting to pursue governmental ends that lack an essential nexus and rough proportionality to the effects of the proposed use of the property at issue."
But Justice Elena Kagan, in a dissenting opinion, warned that the majority's opinion could have far-reaching consequences as government agencies make land-use and permitting decisions.
"The majority turns a broad array of local land-use regulations into federal constitutional questions,'' Kagan wrote. "It deprives state and local governments of the flexibility they need to enhance their communities — to ensure environmentally sound and economically productive development. It places courts smack in the middle of the most everyday local government activity. As those consequences play out across the country, I believe the Court will rue today's decision."
The Supreme Court's more-conservative members, Alito, Chief Justice John Roberts, and justices Anthony Kennedy, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas agreed on the majority opinion. The more-liberal members, Kagan and justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor, dissented.
Paul J. Beard, a Pacific Legal Foundation attorney who represented Koontz's son, Coy Jr., in the case, praised the ruling, saying it protects landowners from "government extortion."
"The Koontz family was challenging permit demands that were wildly excessive and had no connection to their land use proposal,'' Beard said in a statement posted on the website of the conservative legal foundation. "Today, the court recognized that the Koontz family was the victim of an unconstitutional taking."


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It's Not Too Late!/
Outside my window: The first Sunday of Advent, Mike and I escaped for a few hours alone to celebrate his birthday. The girls decorated the house for Christmas in our absence. when we arrived home, it had just turned dark. Through my sewing room window, I could see Nutcracker costumes piled high and in the hallway beyond, there was our Nutcracker collection. A child in our house receives a Nutcracker to mark their first performance. Since Dad has been pressed into the role of Drosselmeyer, and more than one brother has been the prince, they have Nutcrackers, too. The sight made me catch my breath. I've tried and tried to catch it adequately with my camera, but this picture doesn't quite do it justice. .
Listening to: Traffic. I'm at Kristin's keeping the dog company while they are out of town. It's noisy outside her window.
Clothing myself in: Sweatshirt and yoga pants. That dog and I are about to go for a long walk.
Thinking and thinking: About Advent. Nutcracker really consumed much of the first week. But now, I'm ready to settle into a quieter rhythm. I'm excited about my own book! (Does that sound strange?) It's been lovely to have a clickable Table of Contents and have a map for each day come alive on the screen. It's not too late for our family to live everything this season has to offer. It's not too late for you either.
Here's what some people are saying about the book:
So. I've been reading the daily advent quotes, prayers and reflections in the Ebook bundle that [Elizabeth] and [Kristin] put together this year and I've felt such a sense of calm and peace over the last few days. Nothing has changed except my attitude and perspective, but isn't that usually the most important stuff to change? That strangest part is that each day I've done one small thing to prepare for His coming rather than try to "GET IT ALL DONE RIGHT NOW" the way my results-oriented self usually wants to do it. Yesterday, we baked salt dough ornaments and I brought up our main nativity. Today, I got some extra greenery while we were out and beautified the mantel (I am love with how it looks! Simple but elegant.) The kids painted their ornaments. I'm moving from one required task to the next, but trying to leave room in my mind and heart to say "yes" to the little extras that I normally think I don't have the time or energy to do. "Lord, give me the grace to be the mom and wife I can't be on my own." Anyway! This is too long! You can get the Ebook yourself...I do recommend it. "
--Dwija, House Unseen
And it's not just for Catholics. Here's a review from a Protestant perspective:
Elizabeth Foss is a good friend of mine and has mentored me over the years in mothering and intentional traditions. As a mama of nine, she has much wisdom, experience, humility and perspective to share. She has put together a beautiful Advent ebook this year that I spent hours last night reading and pondering. Written from a Catholic perspective, her gentle voice will reorient your heart towards the Infant Jesus through teaching you to pray, to trust, to wait and also very practical suggestions for celebrations, feast days, recipes and crafts. I have read and looked at many Advent resources over the years, and this is the first one that really seems to understand the strain that mothers are under during this season and encourages and guides and gives lots and lots of grace. It's on sale through tomorrow for $9 which is the price of a fast food combo meal these days. This will be slow food for your soul. Well worth it. --Aimee Kollmansberger
Talking with my children about these books: We are using a bit of a hodgepodge approach to our Advent unit studies this year. A little from the great, good Tomie de Paola unit. A little from the evergreen botany, with some Nutcracker thrown in. And a little more from Christmas Around the World, and then all the old favorites. Plenty to read! I talked with Sarah recently about reading aloud during this time of year. Such a fun podcast:-)
In my own reading: I'm still listening to Brene Brown's Rising Strong. I loved The Gifts of Imperfection and Daring Greatly. I like this one even more. It's uncanny how she's so definitely inside my head. It feels like she's cleaning things up and de-cluttering it, rearranging it a little to make it much more functional. Highly recommended.
Learning lessons In: Letting go. Michael begins his new job today. In California. I've felt this feeling in the pit of my stomach before. I felt it when I left my baby with my mother-in-law to go back to work after my first child was born. It was all I could do to hang on by my fingernails until we could work out another solution. I felt it again when Patrick left home at 15 to live for a year in Florida with the US National Team U-17s. I felt it when Michael left for college. And then when the others left. I felt it when I left my baby in the NICU and drove away without her.
They were all temporary. It is entirely possible that this separation is not. We carry them and bear them and raise them and then they leave. That is the natural order, I'm told. Every stage of life has its challenges. Saying goodbye is the challenge of this one. Temporary goodbyes as children leave. Longer goodbyes as parents die. I am in the season of goodbye. Learning lessons here...
Encouraging learning in: Self care. Whoa, Nelly! Katie, my 13-year-old, danced 6 performance between Friday night and Sunday afternoon. She literally staggered into bed last night. I'm grateful she's homeschooled this morning and I'm doing my darndest to help her understand how to care for herself during intense seasons.
Keeping house: Nutcracker costumes finished and ebook launched, it's time to thoroughly clean the house and get ready for the people who will fill it next week and into the Christmas season.
Crafting in the kitchen: A friend gifted me with the Whole Food Freezer Cooking Workshop and so far I'm loving it!
To be fit and happy: My friend Rachel is trying to make me run from afar. I'm grateful for the shove out the door.
Giving thanks: For your kind words about the ebook. It's always a little scary to send one's heart into the world on printed pages. Thank you for your kind responses. I'm especially grateful for the Facebook group of readers. Your enthusiasm and your ideas inspire me!
All Nutcracker pictures are the kindness of Kristin Foss.


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Open Thread: Friends and Family and Everyone Else
Here's a place to talk about the relationships in your life whenever you want.
What does love look like to you? We're bombarded with so many images of over-the-top or fairy tale "love," prefab romance that—even with all of the efforts of communities like xoJane's, that know love is expressed in all sorts of ways—many of them still end up looking like this:
Fairy tale imagery has its usefulness, but real-life love can look very different. One recent morning, as I sat on the first of two subway lines I'd be riding to get to my destination, I saw what looked like love, and it was beautiful.
A couple got on the train a few stops after I did and sat down right across from me. Riding the NYC subway for me is a largely unpleasant experience, a negotiation between checking out so as not to take on the crowded chaos around me, and wanting to be alert and not live a life that is in any part deliberately checked out.
On this particular day, I was trying but failing to read a book, and the couple's arrival captivated me as soon as they entered my field of vision.
They rushed on to the train and sat down, huddled closely together. The wife (guess/assumption based on traditional gold band finger wrappery) opened the book that was already in her hands, a paperback copy of one of the Game of Thrones books.
She began to read aloud. In appearance and accent, I believe she is Japanese, and her husband presents as Caucasian. She had a thick accent, but still spoke clear and clean English through it. She was somehow both halting and confident in her speech, barreling through George R.R. Martin's long sentences with deliberate phonetic pronunciation and a totally justified hint of self-satisfaction. Her husband leans in closely, offering encouragement and ready to assist but not actually having to.
We already know the potential dangers of assuming or imagining the internal lives and motivations of total strangers. For all I know, they could each be married to someone else, their matching plain wedding bands being a plausible coincidence, and he's her lover, helping her steel up her English to go home to an abusive xenophobe of a husband.
Of course I hope that's not the case, but I know enough to leave room for all that I don't know. Still, to me, it looked like love. And love looked like this:
And of course, I'm projecting. The unbearable beauty of the man's patience as the woman slowly but competently sounded out the words looked like so much love that my heart actually throbbed at witnessing it.
I'm in a relationship that has hit a spot of bother, and that uncertainty casts a pall over my every move. It's not the devastation of abject loss, not yet anyway, for there is the beautiful and foul audacity of hope egging me on and helping me find my smile in the dark moments, albeit sometimes a crooked one.
It's an honest ugliness, a physical hole of questions that only beget more questions, obscuring an answer at the center of the quiet maelstrom that I might be able to see better than I think I can, were I not so afraid to truly look at it. It's the thread I keep carefully looping around to put back into its knitted hole instead of just pulling it once and for all and seeing how much unravels.
It's a very functional melancholy. It's a practical sadness that doesn't really inhibit my actions, as long as I steer clear of overtly romantic imagery and don't listen to my beloved Adele. It makes little landmines out of life; a Twitter friend's innocent request to see what people might wear for their hypothetical weddings turns into a reason for me to log off immediately. I don't have the mental and emotional space to think so deeply about how I don't think so much anymore about ever getting married.
Still, that tarnished hope can be polished up to reveal its former self. Hope can be a help, it can be a burden, it can be a trap. It can cost us everything if it is misdirected or misguided, and in its purest, most useful state, it can move mountains.
I hope we make it.
I long for a life that does not include taking public transportation. I'm an extroverted empath and New York City is so difficult. I'm interested in what's going on with others, and I feel too deeply the messages I get in the observation of strangers. I am not a passive bystander. I grew up here, blocking out everything I could in public, and I actively don't want that to be my way of being in the world, for even part of my day.
Usually, the observations and interactions are overwhelmingly negative—experiencing street harassment or witnessing injury or harm. On this day, it was the polar opposite. And yet here I am, in a very grey place on a sunny day.
I wish that couple the best. It's such a joyful act of emotional openness to see a couple in such love and claim a bit of that joy for yourself, even if it's only theoretical at the moment—to congratulate them and imagine that one day that might be you, and to imagine it clearly and purely with no muddying doubt or fear that it never will be.
I hope we make it. But if we don't, I hope we can each still someday have what that couple on the train has, with whoever we are meant to.
Fairy tales with castles and princes are best relegated to the world of fantasy. But, though fairy tales hold little value as a model for my adult life, I do believe in happy endings. I don't think they require vanquishing a witch or finding the magic beans, but perhaps just reading out loud on the subway in the afternoon and having someone lean in and truly listen.