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Finally, the cold winter weather is getting warmer. This past Sunday was beautiful. The Air Quality Index (AQI) was low (below 50) and even with the chili breeze, my family was itching to get out and explore.
I mentioned in a previous post that living in the suburbs makes it difficult for us to get into the city, especially since every Saturday and Sunday we have commitments like Kung Fu lessons for my son, Skype calls to family back at home, and church on Sundays. We live far enough out that a commute into downtown takes up a lot of time, but we just couldn't help ourselves on Sunday. We came home from church, grabbed a snack and left right away. During our explorations, we found a treasure that will surely become a favorite place for my family—a park I know we'll go back to many other Sunday afternoons.
Chaoyang Park (Sun Park)
This park has two names. My tour book calls it only by Chaoyang Park, but the ticket entrance lists the name only as Sun Park. Other travel guides use both names.
I have to confess that this is actually the second time we went to Chaoyang Park. Our first visit was a disaster, and I couldn't get out of there fast enough. On our original visit, we made the mistake of going during Chinese New Year when they were celebrating a Spring Festival in the park. The crowds were so massive, I felt like I was suffocating in the masses. That first visit, once I entered the park, all I could do was move with the current of the crowd while trying to explain to my very frustrated son why it was so hard for him to see anything. It was so crowded that every time we stopped, we were being pushed out of the way as others tried to crowd in. We ended up letting the kids do one ride on an overpriced children's ride and then leaving. That first visit was a complete waste of time. So my first and biggest recommendation when it comes to Chaoyang Park—don't go on a Chinese holiday or when they are advertising a special event.
As difficult as that first experience was, I had heard such good things about this park, I had to give it another chance when they weren't holding a special event. I am so glad we did. This will surely become a favorite, and my family will go back multiple times.
With the windy weather, it was a perfect kite-flying day. At the south entrance of the park stood several kite vendors, and the kids were excited to give it a try. While numerous kites flew very high, there were plenty of other families in our vicinity who were struggling to get one airborne. We had a grand time trying until our kite got stuck in a tree. We did manage to salvage the kite, but by then we were happy to move on to something else.
Close to the South Entrance, we found a bike rental where we rented a bicycle for four. Until we started riding and looking at the maps around the park, I had no idea how massive this park is. We spent two hours here and only explored half of it—we never went north of the yellow loop in the map. The kids thought it was a blast taking turns in the front seat and trying to steer the car. I enjoyed getting some exercise and soaking in the nice views.
The Rug (A Nice Restaurant for Brunch or Dinner)
After a couple hours of playing in the park, we were pretty hungry for dinner and wanted to use a gift certificate to a restaurant close to the South Entrance called The Rug. The food we ordered was excellent. They had a small play room for kids, but I didn't find the menu to be very kid friendly. We were not offered a separate kids' menu, and it wasn't easy to find something for my picky eaters to eat. It was a more expensive restaurant than one we would have chosen for ourselves had we not had the gift certificate, but it was a good experience and the menu had an interesting selection of things to try. It's definitely worth going at least once.
Finding it can be tricky because it is on the bottom floor of an apartment building. After going out the South Gate of the park, cross the street and turn left. Walk until you see a sign that says Lishui Garden. Go through the gate and it will be on the first floor of the apartment building inside.
Getting There and Other Logistics
Getting there from Shunyi district was a bit time consuming. We are still learning how to get around. It is probably easier (and quicker) to drive to this park. But even though my husband has a Chinese driver's license, he often doesn't like driving downtown. Traffic in Beijing is horrendous, and even when a place is easy to get to, parking can often still be an issue. This time we drove to the closest subway stop and then took the subway downtown. It took us one hour (and two train transfers) to get there in the subway. With all the walking, it's about one-and-a-half hours from our house in Shunyi to Chaoyang park. This link from China Travel Guide will give clear directions on how to get there on the subway. It also lists which buses will take you there. The link also gives prices for entrance into the park (8 RMB–very inexpensive and definitely worth the price) as well as the prices for bike rental and other activities that are offered.
Overall Experience
I'm beginning to understand what the attraction is to Beijing. Moving is hard. Getting settled is hard. And as smooth as the transition has been for us, and as happy as I am to be here, I've had a bit of a sour disposition to Beijing as a city. I've been missing Seoul—the clean air and the mountains and a culture that is polite, where everybody follows the rules. Beijing has a chaotic feel that Seoul, as busy as it is, never really has.
I don't know that I'll ever get used to the traffic here. (On Sunday, during this one afternoon that we were out, I saw two scooters come about two inches from being hit by rude drivers. I saw countless traffic violations that would never happen in the US . . . or in Seoul.) But on a cool day with blue skies and clean air, like what we had on Sunday, I can understand the overall attraction to Beijing as a city. I can understand why there are so many expatriates here who have chosen to stay for over ten years.
I'm trying to get out of my habit of comparing. Perhaps comparing the unknown to the known is my way if making sense of things I don't understand. My family had such a wonderful time in Chaoyang Park that on our way out, I couldn't help but to reminisce on one of our favorite places to go in Seoul—World Cup Park. How many afternoons did we spend at World Cup Park riding bikes, or feeding cracker crumbs to pigeons, or (when it was hot) letting the kids run through fountain sprinklers? I couldn't help but think, "This my new World Cup Park. I could spend so many afternoons here."
But the more I think about it, the more I realize that the two places are completely different—the activities, the atmosphere, the landscape—they are unique in so many ways. I guess what connected them in my mind was having a place to go outside and simply enjoy being a family. And that we did—we had a great time.


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Parfrey's Glen in Devil's Lake State Park.
… Continue Reading →
Ray-Ban Wayfarers are perhaps the most perfect sunglasses ever designed*. They're classic, comfortable, protect your eyes from that bright thing in the sky, and look effortlessly cool.
There's just one little problem. They're $100 bucks a pop, and if you're prone to doing stupid things like wearing your sunglasses into the ocean, they're not exactly affordable.… Continue Reading →
Minneapolis is only 4 hours from Madison and 5 hours from Milwaukee. It's an easy drive, just hop on I-94 and set your cruise control. Before you know it, you're there! With fabulous restaurants, a stellar craft beer scene, fun attractions and plenty of recreation opportunities, our neighbor to the north is the perfect place to spend a long weekend.… Continue Reading →
Just around the corner from neighborhood fixture Dangerous Man Brewing Company lies a little slice of England plopped down in Minneapolis. From the creaking wooden sign outside to the vinegar carafes adorning the tables, The Anchor's commitment to the full British fish n'chipper experience is extraordinary.… Continue Reading →
Psycho Suzi's is what you get when you pour a biker bar, a beach, your salty great-aunt Lola, and a fifth of rum into a cocktail shaker and shake it up. In other words, it's flat out fun.
The obvious draw are the tiki drinks, which range in strength from strong to zombie.… Continue Reading →
Nestled in the charming Northeast neighborhood of Minneapolis is the tiny and vibrant Dangerous Man Brewing Company.
Despite the name and the ferociously bearded logo, Dangerous Man is first and foremost a neighborhood tap house that aims to bring fresh, delicious beer to its patrons while fostering a sense of community that harkens back to the neighborhood pubs of yore.… Continue Reading →
It's official, I'm in love with LeSportsac's travel bags & purses.
Now you all know that I adore my Weekender. It's been my faithful companion as we've traveled around the world. However, their new carry-on bag, the Abbey, is quite possibly the perfect bag for quick trips.… Continue Reading →

subset: commoncrawl


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New website launch for UnderDeck The Original®By UnderDeck ProMarketingFehrMark, WebsiteWith 0 comments
UnderDeck The Original® – your source for creating a waterproof ceiling under your elevated deck. www.UnderDeck.com
UnderDeck's new website offers a portfolio of installed under deck ceiling photos from around the USA. It also features installation instructions and videos that enable a handy do-it-yourselfer or a seasoned contractor the confidence to install this attractive dimensional outdoor ceiling with ease.
There's just a few components, and getting a free product cost estimate is made simple by using UnderDeck's Online Estimator form. All that's required to complete the form is taking some measurements of your deck, and counting joist spaces and joists. To ensure accuracy, you can even upload your under deck photos or a scanned drawing of your deck. If you have questions, you can contact UnderDeck toll free at 1.888.353.3347, by email: email@example.com or by using the Online Contact Form on our website.
UnderDeck is covered by a limited 15 year warranty offered by UnderDeck's parent company, FehrMark, Inc.


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|Message view
|« Date » · « Thread »
|« Date » · « Thread »
|"Rick Hillegas (JIRA)" <derby-...@db.apache.org>
|[jira] Updated: (DERBY-1458) Add MessageBundleTest to build script to verify that there are no orphaned message ids
|Thu, 27 Jul 2006 21:35:15 GMT
[ http://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/DERBY-1458?page=all ] Rick Hillegas updated DERBY-1458: --------------------------------- Urgency: Normal > Add MessageBundleTest to build script to verify that there are no orphaned message ids > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Key: DERBY-1458 > URL: http://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/DERBY-1458 > Project: Derby > Issue Type: Test > Components: Build tools > Affects Versions: 10.2.0.0 > Reporter: David Van Couvering > Assigned To: David Van Couvering > Fix For: 10.2.0.0 > > > MessageBundleTest can't be run with the regular tests because it relies on SQLState.java and MessageId.java, which are not in the jar files. But it actually makes more sense to run it as part of the build, as we are verifying the consistency of code references. -- This message is automatically generated by JIRA. - If you think it was sent incorrectly contact one of the administrators: http://issues.apache.org/jira/secure/Administrators.jspa - For more information on JIRA, see: http://www.atlassian.com/software/jira
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So we've already featured the Blue Zoo cord dungaree set from Debenhams and now it's the turn of this adorable blue denim dungaree set, now £8.70, down from £14.50. And just £6.96 if you use the promotional codes PY6P and SHD1 at checkout.
There may not be anything cuter than a little dude in a pair of dungarees. I don't know precisely when kids become too old for dungarees but there is something insanely sweet about them on babies and toddlers.
A charming example of Blue Zoo's collection of great value outfits for baby boys, this blue lion dungaree set combines classic dungarees with splashes of red and blue stitching and a funky little blue and white top. As well as a cute lion patch on the front, these dungarees feature popper fastening for easier nappy changes. I LOVE that about these dungarees. Popper fastenings are massively underrated. When you're changing upwards of 6 nappies a day you too will come to love threads that don't have to be entirely removed every time nature calls. Poppers rock; enough said.
The top is 100% cotton and the dungarees are 100% cotton while the lining is 85% polyster and 15% cotton.
With thanks to andywedge at HUKD


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The UK Is Building Its Own Spaceport, And It Will Be Ready Sooner Than You Think
Exciting news people of Britain, as it's been announced that the UK will be getting its very own launch pad, set to open in the early 2020s. The announcement was made yesterday by the UK Space Agency, who said the spaceport would be located in Sutherland – a remote peninsula on Scotland's north coast. Initial funding of $3.3 million has been given to the Highlands and Islands Enterprise to develop the site. "This spaceport grant will help kick-start an exciting new era for the UK space industr


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Whether the early illuminators used pigments because they were bright or because that is all they could get or even because they were aware of a particular symbolic meaning is uncertain.
Of Gold, Hildegard of Bingen said:
"...shining fire, unfathomable, inextinguishable, fully alive and existing full of life...."
Genesis 10: 12 -16:
And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth........and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature......
The Lost Sutras of Jesus:
" Purity is like empty space, it produces the light of love whose brightness illuminates everything. Because it illuminates everything, it is called the Way of Peace and Joy"
Revelation 21; 19 - 20:
And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
If we look at Genesis, the colours used in manuscript illumination - red, red/orange, yellow/ gold, green, blue/ indigo and violet – could have been seen as a representation of the rainbow, a sign of the covenant, between God and Earth. The stones referred to in Revelation 21, that make up the foundations of the Heavenly Jerusalem, are variations of red, red-orange, yellow, green, blue and violet.
* downright poisonous table: Diane George
Of the above list of pigments, the British Library has identified Orpiment, Indigo, Verdigris and Red Lead as the main pigments in use in early manuscripts. Additionally, white lead, chalk, and some earth pigments were used. Vermillion and Lead Tin Yellow appeared around the 12th century or so. Lapis Lazuli is occasionally seen in early manuscripts, but in small doses. Even today, a ¼ pan of genuine Lapis Lazuli, extra dark, will set you back in excess of £245 and just 10 grammes of 'Fra Angelico Blue', genuine Lapis loose pigment, will cost you over £150.
When choosing pigments, you have to decide whether you will follow historic pigments, use only non-toxic ones, or affordable ones (!) or simply go for the brightest colours. A manuscript illumination must be bright. It must have impact. There are some exceptions to this. Some illuminations have quite a muted palette of earth pigments. If a manuscript was historically used in a dimly lit interior, then the pages must need be bright. The surface of vellum has a degree of luminosity and the available light is reflected back off the page, through the pigment. The toxic and poisonous pigments frequently contain metals and these tiny, metallic particles also reflect light.
NEXT (Paint Preparation)


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On Saturday, I raced the Danville 10k! This was my Q2 goal race, building on my 5k PR in the first quarter of the year.
Before I go any further, I need to talk about my existing 10k PR a bit – sorry about this. I set my PR in February 2014 at Bay Breeze when I ran 50:37 on a short course. It measured 6.18. If I extrapolated that up to a full 6.2km, it would have been 50.46. That's an 8.11 pace! I've never been entirely sure what to claim as my PR – 50.37 or 50.46? No worries…I'd claim the pace, 8.11!
For this race, I had a flipping ambitious goal – a sub-50 minute race, which would be an 8.02 pace. That's a big leap. A week or two beforehand, it became apparent that sub-50 wouldn't be happening at THIS race, so I decided to focus on just PR-ing, taking any time at all off my PR. This was a really good decision – it relieved me of the pressure I was feeling and fired me up for the race. I got REALLY fired up when my fast friend Angela offered to pace me. Seriously – when someone whose PR is six whole minutes faster than your goal-pace, offers to pace you, you bit their hand off to say yes!! Angela had never paced anyone before, I'd never BEEN paced, so it was new territory for both of us. A few days before, I emailed her all my thoughts (in bullet-point format) which basically said:
- Please wear my watch for me.
- Don't tell me anything, I don't want to know how I'm doing.
- Please run just to my left and just in front of me.
- Feel free to get sergeant-majory on me and shout at me if necessary.
There was a lovely crowd of us at the race. Me, my boys, Angela, Jen and Danielle who wasn't racing but who drove over to cheer us on which is super-kind! Jen's boyfriend's sister was also doing the 10k! It was going to be a warm day (very warm) so I decided to run in a skirt and sports bra. Initially I felt a bit self-conscious (baby over-hang) but I quickly forgot about it and it was very definitely the right decision – I was a decent temperature throughout the race! I also felt like this was my best ever race outfit. I looked fast, even if I was going to be slow.
The Danville Half-Marathon and 10k is a really nice event. In its fourth year of running, it's grown from 60-odd runners to just over 400. It's in honour of a local soldier who died a few years ago and in aid of the Semper Fi foundation (which supports injured soldiers and their families). We all gathered at the staging area which was the local LDS church – they let us use their loos, which was much appreciated. It was Memorial Day (like Remembrance Day in the UK) so it was all very patriotic. They played all my favourite American songs including this one – if you're British, you need to click on this link and watch it!! Anyway, there were speeches, including a speech by the father of the fallen soldier which was very moving. The National Anthem was sung and then there was an amazing fly-by by some WW2 planes, which was very exciting…and the Half-Marathoners set off. We hung around for a few more minutes then shuffled forward to start. (There was no chip timing for the race). I think there was a whistle or something…and we were off.
I (we) started off like greyhounds! As we ran onto the first path, Angela literally stretched her arm out to stop me running any faster – we were doing 7.10 pace! We slowed to a more realistic pace. We ran along the path, onto and along a residential road and, about half a mile in, we joined the Iron Horse trail for the rest of the race. I was flying. I felt absolutely amazing. The pace felt easy. We barely spoke, saving energy, but it was effortless. Angela was like a machine, checking our watches frequently to adjust the pace. I trusted her completely. The first mile ticked by. Done. We continued along the Iron Horse trail, through downtown Danville. The trail was much shadier than I'd expected, I was grateful. Still easy. Mile Two done. Mile Three was still easy. I thanked all the volunteers, aware I probably wouldn't be able to thank them on the way back. It was still so easy. We must be doing 9-min mile pace. Had Angela's watch miscalculated, I wondered? But I kept my mouth shut and ran on. I was God's gift to running! At the turnaround, I saw three familiar figures – the Husband, the Dude and Danielle. Lots of cheering, it was so nice to see them. We were currently third and fourth ladies.
We turned the U-turn and started back up towards Mile Four. And all of a sudden it became clear. The route is an out-and-back. The 'out' was ever so slightly downhill. Not enough that you noticed it, but enough that the running was effortless. But all of a sudden, I was running 'uphill' and it was like a mountain! I had been totally ready to work but the sudden increased effort was a shock! I stuck close to Angela and started working. I heard an older lady, on the 'out' section of the 10k, say 'Oh look at those fast young women'. I think she meant us. I totally decided she meant us.
It was at about Mile 5 that the wheels started coming off. I saw the boys and Danielle again – and the Husband told me later than I 'didn't look so great this time'. Angela ran steadily at my PR pace, she was a metronome. I just had to stick to her. But suddenly she was a few steps ahead, then a few more. She wasn't far away but I couldn't catch her. I bust a gut to catch up to her – I more or less got to her but couldn't maintain the pace. Correctly, she just kept running my PR pace…all I had to do was stay with her.
I couldn't stay with her. I was probably about six seconds behind her for the remainder of the race – but those six seconds could basically cost my PR. The mental battle began. The shutting up of demons. The fighting off of despair. The embracing of the suck. This was where it got tough. I'm fairly pleased with how well I handled it – I did despair, the demons did tell me I sucked but I kept on keeping on.
Finally we got off the Iron Horse trail, roughly a mile to the finish line. I was fading super-fast by now, I just wanted the whole thing to be over. I slogged along that residential road onto the final path. It twisted and turned, all I wanted was to turn a corner and see the finish line. It seemed to never come. But eventually I could see it. As we ran back onto a road for that final 0.1, I could see Danielle on my right, cheering. And on my left was a cyclist cheering for me too – by name. I had no idea who it was and I did not have the strength to look. I must have been crawling by now but I ran as fast as I could towards the finish line whilst the mystery cyclist yelled my name. I looked up at the timing clock – 50-something. I put in the final sprint (ha!) and crossed the line. The suffering could end.
I caught my breath for a few minutes. Angela reappeared with water and watermelon – she looked as fresh as if she'd just been walking round Target. My boys and Danielle hugged me and the mystery cyclist turned out to be Layla who had come to cheer as a surprise! Angela gave me my watch, I glanced down…50.14. PR, baby!!!! And the endorphins flooded me and it had all been worth it.
Jen came through a minute or so later, PR-ing by 30 seconds! And Angela had come third woman overall and had won a cup, so we decided to hang round for the presentation. It actually took longer to wait for the presentation than it had to run the race (the organisers waited till the first three men and women for the half had come through too) so we ate a lot of watermelon and snacks. It suddenly occurred to me that Layla was cycling! Ages ago, she trashed her thumb on a bike ride and hadn't cycled for 10 months…this was her first ride back. I was SO proud of her!! This was a big day for all of us.
Eventually Angela got her cup, presented by a small child (adorable) and we all sloped off for brunch at Chow. I'd given up sugar and alcohol for the preceding three weeks so I was VERY excited about brunch – I'd been chanting 'FRENCH TOAST FRENCH TOAST FRENCH TOAST' throughout mile 5. It was as good as I had expected. I sat in the shade with my lovely friends and family, still wearing my medal like an idiot, and thought how flipping lucky I was. What a great morning.
A note on my time. The course measured slightly short, at 6.15 instead of 6.2. If I extrapolate my time up, it would be 50.45 which is still (just) a PR. Clearly I'm claiming the 50.14…and I'm all fired up to race again and beat it!
The Danville Half/10k is an excellent race. It has a really lovely small community feel but was well-organised. The medals were cool, the cotton t-shirts were awesome (my woman's small fitted better than any race t-shirt has ever fit me) and there were plenty of snacks AND a WW2 plane fly-by. I'd suggest they move it forward to a 7am start to avoid the heat but whatever, it was a great morning!
And the French Toast was perfect.


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Civil And Structural Engineering Consultants - Design & Documentation Companies in Australia
TGVK- we are a milestone in civil and structural engineering consultancy. It has been 30 years now that we had started with a passion for re-shaping the world around us. We are a team of trained professionals-equipped with the technology and knowledge for structural and civil construction designs and documentations proudly serving throughout Australia. We are capable of creating authentic structural designs and documentation for civil engineering companies in Australia. We have technically skilled experts who are well acquainted with the latest engineering tools.
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A new report suggests that two-thirds of the 13 presidential election swing states are suffering worse income losses than the national average under President Barack Obama. That, in turn, suggests the 2016 election could become a middle-class revolt.
The swing states are those that lack clear dominance by Democrats or Republicans. They are where presidential elections are usually won or lost on social issues, with liberal city dwellers facing off against conservative suburban and rural voters.
But analysis of state-by-state income data released on September 15 by the Census Bureau's American Community Survey reveals that 8 of the 13 states where the presidential race appears the most competitive have continually suffered from below-average income growth since 2008.
Most Americans are painfully aware that the average income growth in America since Barack Obama took office has been negative, at -2.4 percent. Incomes enjoyed a recent spike in 2015, but as Breitbart News noted, that was partly due to female heads-of-households taking second jobs to just make ends meet.
Despite a $10 trillion build-up of national debt to fund a huge increase in government spending over the last eight years, the Gallup U.S. Economic Confidence Index is -12 percent, meaning more Americans are pessimistic than optimistic about the future.
The Census Bureau also revealed that U.S. income inequality increased last year. The data highlights that the recovery's income gains were concentrated in central cities, with middle class suburbs and rural areas largely lagging behind over the last seven years. Separately, Gallup found that rather than poor inner-city families making economic gains, the vast majority of urban income gains went to the top 10 percent of wealthy families.
The top regional income gainers in 2015 included the communities surrounding Washington, D.C., where many federal employees live. Average income jumped to $75,847 in Maryland and hit $75,628 in the District of Columbia, according to the American Community Survey.
In June 2016, Politico reported that most pollsters expected changing demographics in the 11 states of Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin would determine who won the 2016 presidential election. They expected Hillary Clinton and the Democrats "will enter the general election with a perceptible advantage: Of the 11 states most likely to determine the victor, President Barack Obama won all 11 in 2008, and 10 of the 11 in 2012."
The mainstream-media scoffed at Trump's unorthodox campaign for economic change, and relentlessly demeaned his motto — "Make America Great Again" — as a retrograde, nativist throwback to an America of the 1950s that was gone for good.
But Trump has relentlessly hammered his economic themes, including immigration and trade, and three months later is now leading 47.2 percent to Hillary Clinton's 41.7 percent in the latest USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times tracking poll.
Arguably, the overwhelming driver of Trump's strength is anger about middle-class Americans falling behind economically . As the details of the Census Bureau report highlight, middle class incomes losses are even worse than the national average in about two-thirds of the swing states, including: Wisconsin -3%; Ohio -3.3%; Michigan -4.5%; Florida -6%; North Carolina -6.7%; Arizona -8.2%; Georgia -8.5%; and Nevada a stunning -15.5%.
Pollsters are still trying to credit changing demographics, and rising Latino populations in particular, for narrowing the Republican advantage in traditionally strong GOP states such as Arizona and Georgia. But as Breitbart News has suggested, the November 2016 election may reveal a huge number of "stealth" voters" who have claimed to be "undecided," yet plan to turn out and vote for Donald Trump.


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MINNEAPOLIS – A decade ago, when Barry Bonds was viewed as the scourge of baseball and booed unmercifully in every city except San Francisco, then-Brewers outfielder Geoff Jenkins said, "I'm not saying anyone wants to be treated like that, but it is the ultimate sign of respect. When you're booed, it means you're good. Real good. People don't bother booing mediocre players."
Which brings us to A.J. Pierzynski, who is no Barry Bonds, but who has been a pretty damn good catcher during a 19-year career in which he's posted a .281 average with 403 doubles (one of four catchers in history with 400 doubles), 187 home runs and 907 RBIs (one of 17 active players with 900 or more).
Pierzynski is hated in many cities for a variety of reasons we won't go into at length here. Suffice to say that over two decades he's gotten into a few brawls, made more than a few inflammatory comments, reportedly kneed a trainer in the private parts, and playfully (or no so playfully) poked at opponents, umpires, opposing fans and even some teammates. It's who he is.
Or, rather, who he was was. It's important to note that Pierzynski really hasn't done much of that stuff during his two seasons with the Braves. If he'd been a jerk after signing a one-year contract, the Braves wouldn't have brought him back this season despite the unlikely late-career resurgent 2015 season – he hit .300 with a .769 OPS in 113 games last season, taking over as primary catcher after Christian Bethancourt struggled early.
Anyway, A.J. has been good for the Braves and particularly for the young pitching staff, despite his dimished offensive production this season. A quiet leader who speaks up on occasion in the clubhouse and quite frequently with pitchers. He's been great helping young guys (and some older ones) cut through the B.S. and get over fears or lack of confidence. He's perhaps a tad abrasive for the gentler sorts, but listen to Braves pitchers and you will more often than not hear unsolicited praise for Pierzynski after a pitcher has a good game with him behind the plate.
But anyway, we digress.
A.J. is still hated in most every city the Braves go to. Either for some great game or series he had against that city's team in a crucial playoff race or a postseason series, or some real or perceived indignity he foisted upon a team or player. Or, for how he left a team, which people can be particularly sensitive about, sometimes creating scenarios in their own minds about what kind of character this player or that one showed and how he was liked or hated by teammates (when often, most outside the clubhouse really don't have a good read on this).
As Juan Uribe said when I asked Uribe last year, only half-seriously, why his pal Pierzynski was booed just about everywhere he went, "(Bleep) A.J. 'Boooo, A.J.'"
And Uribe really likes him. A lot. A.J. just has that effect on people.
His friends also obviously know he is as thick-skinned as a rhino and can take the insults and boos, so the ones who know him best and feel comfortable around him don't mind piling on and adding some of their own. But that's not many folks at all in the Braves clubhouse, because most aren't nearly old enough to feel comfortable saying anything like that to or about Pierzynski, and the ones that are probably haven't played with him long enough to feel like they can bust his chops. He can be quite an intimidating dude, thick and broad-shouldered, shuffling through the clubhouse, unsmiling, a few days' or weeks' worth of beard on his face, hair looking like he forgot it was there.
Then you (a reporter) ask him a question and he doesn't hesitate to stop what he's doing and respond, almost always with a thoughtful and reasoned response and never with some canned answer or cliché that he feels he must say in order not to offend someone. Not a smile, mind you. Rarely that. But so what? I like an honest response to a question, don't much care for a smile, not if it's a fake smile if the person doesn't feel like smiling.
Anyway, where were we? Oh, yes, the hate. It's still there. Because most people haven't gotten to know Pierzynski late in his career, and his reputation as the most hated man in baseball – other players voted him No. 1 in a poll years ago – follows him, whether or not he does much if anything these days to warrant such dislike. And the thing is, he never tries to make people understand he's not a rotten guy, that he's matured or mellowed a bit or whatever. He just does his thing, comes to the ballpark every day, arrives early, works hard, meets with his starting pitcher and goes over hitters, etc.
Then he goes out, hears varying degrees of boos in almost every road ballpark when his name is introduced, shows no emotion in response, and goes about his business.
But don't think he doesn't notice, even if he doesn't show it. I say this because Tuesday night, there were very few boos at Target Field when he was introduced. There might actually have been as many cheers as boos, at least from my vantage point in the pressbox.
This surprised Pierzynski, who has heard the boo-birds for years whenever he returned to Minneapolis, the place where he began his career and played parts of six seasons through 2003. Particularly when he returned with the White Sox, whom Pierzynski helped win a World Series in 2005, his first season in Chicago, when he had 18 homers and 56 RBIs. The next year he was an All-Star with a .295 average and .769 OPS in a career-high 140 games, and he played for the White Sox through 2012.
Why did they hate him after he left Minnesota? Well, that's no so clear, other than a combination of his personality – he was the kind of guy you loved having on their team but hated when he was on any other team – and the fact that he prospered after leaving the Twins. Nevermind that the Twins made the decision to go with young Joe Mauer at catcher instead of Pierzynski.
The Twins took A.J. in the third round of the '94 draft, selecting him higher than some expected after they'd failed to sign first-round pick Jason Varitek the previous year. After four years in the minors and two seasons as a major league backup, A.J. became the Twins starting catcher in 2001, and they won consecutive division titles in 2002 and 2003, with A.J. making the All-Star team in 2002 when he hit .300 with a .773 OPS in 130 games.
The next season, 2003, he had then-career bests of .312 average, 35 doubles, 11 homers and 74 RBIs. But with 2001 overall No. 1 draft pick Mauer waiting in the wings, ready to go, the Twins traded A.J. to the Giants for reliever Joe Nathan and minor league pitchers Boof Bonser and Francisco Liriano. Nathan and Liriano went on to do big things for the Twins, while Pierzynski lasted one season with the Giants before going to the White Sox as a free agent.
So you would think that Twins fans, considering what they got for Pierzynski in that trade and the fact that, well, he was traded and didn't leave as a free agent, would've welcomed him home with applause during those following seasons. But you would be wrong. They did not. Most booed him. Loudly. Probably didn't like the arrogance they perceived – he gave off that vibe, no doubt – and the fact that he went on to bigger things with the White Sox in the same division, playing the Twins so frequently.
But now, four years after he played for the White Sox, and in first visit to Minneapolis as a visiting player since May 2014, Pierzynski heard a different sound from a good-sized crowd at Target Field in Tuesday's series opener, a 2-0 Braves win in which he had a double and scored Atlanta's second run. He heard … wait, what? … a smattering of applause.
"It was kind of weird they didn't boo me," Pierzynski said after the game, his 10-year-old son Austin standing nearby as reporters interviewed the aging catcher. A.J. smiled. "Then again I think no one in the stands remembered that I played here it was so long ago. There was actually some claps, which was a little bit different."
He added, "I've always enjoyed playing here. People have always been good to me -- away from the field obviously. In the town, the city. It's the first time my kids have been here, and they've been able to have a good time yesterday, see some people, see Minnesota."
And not see or hear dad get insulted and booed by the masses at the ballpark. What a trip, indeed.
• In our last day in Minneapolis, I'll close with this one from another of my all-time favorite bands that hails from the Twin Cities. Ladies and gents, the mighty Husker Du.
"DON'T WANT TO KNOW IF YOU ARE LONELY" by Husker Du
I'm curious to know exactly how you are
I keep my distance but that distance is too far
It reassures me just to know that you're okay
But I don't want you to go on needing me this way
And I don't want to know if you are lonely
Don't want to know if you are less than lonely
Don't want to know if you are lonely
Don't want to know, don't want to know
The day you left me, left me feeling oh so bad
Still I'm not sure about all the doubts we had
From the beginning we both knew it wouldn't last
Decisions have been made the die has been cast
The phone is ringing and the clock says four A.M.
If it's your friends, well I don't want to hear from them
Please leave your number and a message at the tone
Or you can just go on and leave me alone


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Lambertus is already living and working in Catalunya for over 30 years. He started in the tourist industry but soon changed to real estate due to his keen interest in rustic real estate. The beautifully located farmhouses or the age old town houses fascinate him. It represents a life style unlike anywhere else in Europe.
Many foreigners from all over Europe have been serviced to great satisfaction by Lambertus. They have become the proud owners of a rustic property, either in perfect state or to be done up.
With great skill and extensive local knowledge he will show you every corner of Catalunya in order to find the perfect location.
For over 20 years Jasper is active in real estate, both residential and industrial, working among others at DTZ. KRK and Industrial Real Estate. He developed several houses in Catalunya and lives and works in Begur (Costa Brava) .
"I experienced first hand how complicated it can be to settle in Spain. Therefore I understand the needs of my clients like no other. A trusted broker forms a bridge to another country."
Jasper considers it a privilege to be a broker in Europe's most beautiful region. He will help you realizing your dream, either in Dutch, Spanish, German or English
Franck is owner of a real estate agency on the Dutch coast. He is active in real estate for over 20 years. Besides this he has a very strong connection with Catalunya.
"working in real estate is making a choice for a fantastic profession in which you can help clients realizing their dream. Be it either a first home, the building of a house or a future investment. As Le Corbusier quoted; a home is the temple of a family. To meet up with your expectations you can count on my expertise and skills. And of course on the dedication of our office in Spain.
We will accompany our clients during the complete route it takes to either buy or sell your second home in one of Catalunya's beautiful cities or villages . Of course with full professionalism and discretion.
Franck feels privileged to be a broker in one of Europe's most attractive region.
He can assist you in French.
For over 15 years Rustic Portal is the trusted real estate company for inland properties in Catalunya.
With a portfolio of 300 objects we have the most versatile offer. Ranging from castles to ruins, from country estates to forest parcels, we have it on offer.
The splendid interior of Catalunya is a dream for anyone seeking a sunny, safe, southern European lifestyle. From the high Pyrenees unto the outstretched plains near Tarragona we have objects for sale. Close to the dramatic Costa Brava coast line or in a historic town centre, Rustic Portal has it on offer.
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Give us a call or drop by for a coffee or a glass of wine, either in Begur or Barcelona.
Please fill in your phone number or e-mail


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Mechanical Masterminds
The key to winning in Formula E is having the right set-up. And the Andretti Formula E team knows that the key to achieving success is constant feedback.
My apologies for the delay in updating you on the latest and greatest with Andretti Autosport and TE. It was a busy holiday season for me and we are now working hard to get ready for Buenos Aires. First, hopefully you had a nice holiday break. For myself, I could not ask for a better holiday in the UK filled with family, friends, and a lot of food! I also caught up with a number of my UK colleagues who had a lot of questions about my adventures with Andretti Autosport. One of my colleagues asked a question around the mechanical set-up prior to the race. I told him the question would make a great blog topic and that he will need to read the blog for the answer.
The set-ups are chosen by the race engineers; mainly determined by two key factors: the driver's style of driving and track conditions.
Before we get into the set-up itself, I think it is important we recognize the hard-working group of mechanics. People may think being a race mechanic is a glamorous lifestyle, but few realize the early mornings and late nights at the races. I have had a chance to witness their blood, sweat, and tears first-hand. For example, during the Punta Del Este race weekend in Uruguay, the mechanics did four battery changes on Robin's (Frijns) car. Yes, you read that right – four. It is not the type of battery you switch out like an AAA. Of course, there are benefits; like working on some of the coolest and most-advanced technology out there. And not to forget, being part of the Andretti family. On the Andretti Formula E team there is approximately a 50:50 split between the engineer and mechanic groups. Simona (de Silvestro) and Robin have their own set of three mechanics, who solely work on their respective cars. Then there is one crew chief and an experienced mechanic floater between the two sides, supporting where necessary.
After the cars are unpacked from their transport boxes, the mechanics give the cars a full inspection – checking the torque of all fastenings, bleeding the braking system, inspecting all major components for wear, and replacing anything that was damaged in the previous events.
The mechanics are responsible for all the physical changes made to the cars, while any software updates or changes are made by the data engineers. The set-ups are chosen by the race engineers; mainly determined by two key factors: the driver's style of driving and track conditions. There is constant feedback (both verbal communication and data downloaded from the car) that influences how the race engineer tweaks the set-up in an effort to enable the driver to extract the maximum performance and therefore minimum lap time.
To give you an idea of some of the possible adjustments:
- Ride Height: How close the car sits to the ground. It is frequently adjusted to compensate for different track surfaces. Bumpier tracks require a higher ride height.
- Wheel Camber: This is the vertical angle of the wheel. By adjusting, extra grip can be achieved.
- Wheel Toe: This is the horizontal angle that the wheels are set to. Adjusting this also affects the grip and stability of car at high speeds.
- Tire Pressure: The FIA and Michelin set guidelines with minimum and maximums.
- Downforce: The car is equipped with adjustable wings (both at the front and rear). These can be changed between high downforce (more grip, less speed) and low downforce (less grip, more speed).
- Spring Rates: Different springs can be fitted, either making the suspension harder or softer (affects the grip).
When we have people visit the paddock, I always seem to get the question about what tools are being used. Quite honestly, there is not much difference compared to what you probably have in your own car or garage toolbox: sockets, spanners, and hex keys. The team do use some highly accurate setup pads which the car is put onto for baseline measurements. By establishing this common baseline, all measurements can be compared. No matter the event or mechanic who takes the reading, the team knows they are accurate.
I am running a bit late for a meeting, but will update you after the Buenos Aires race on February 6. We're analyzing a lot of the data from the Punta Del Este test session and figuring out how we can apply these learnings to the next race. We are always looking to improve.
Here's to making 2016 the best racing year yet. Cheers!


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EL PASO TIMES / SEARCH: 1307 Pine Hill Drive Jefferson, TX 75657
- 3 beds
- 1 baths
- $69,000 price
- 20175341 mls id
- Square Feet: 1,720 sqft
- Year Built: 1955
- Status: Active
Perfect starter home with 3 bedrooms, 1 bath and is near both elementary and high schools. With 1720 sq ft of living, this home has extra large den with fireplace and separate formal living area. All appliances will stay. Nice fenced in back yard for children to play or dogs to run. This one needs a family!
- Site Link
- Property SubType Single Family Detached
Courtesy of: CENTURY 21 A Select Group
Office Phone: 9039382632
Listing Agent: Kathy Whitfield
Updated: 15th August, 2018 4:52 AM.
1307 Pine Hill Drive Jefferson, TX
Real Estate | El Paso Times Powered by Placester


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By T.F. Patton, special commentary for Sportsyackontap
This question will of course dominate sports talk and water cooler conversations all week in D.C. After listening to post-game analysis from the pundits and watching twitter remarks, from geniuses like Chad Dukes, it appears a foregone conclusion that Beck will start at Carolina next week.
However, does anyone feel a tinge of desperation in the air if they start Beck?
Yes, Grossman had a horrible day, and following Rex's fourth pick, Shanahan had no choice but to go to the pen, and try to at least allow Beck to give the team a spark. But if they give up on Grossman now, they cannot go back.
For starters, whatever confidence Grossman has left, will be all but gone if benched for next week. Secondly, and most important, all coaches are egomaniacs to some extent, and stories of Shanahan's hubris are legendary. So if Shanny pulls the trigger on a QB change now, barring injury, he will stick with his boy wonder for the rest of the season at all cost.
Conversely, Shanahan and his son chose Grossman to start the season and they aren't going to let four quarters of bad play (going back to the St. Louis game) and mobs of fan(atic)s on sports talk radio change their minds so easily. Now if Grossman plays like this next week against Carolina, all bets are off. Thus, it's much easier to make a QB change at 3-3 than at 3-2, especially if Grossman plays next week like he played today.
The only viable reason to resort to Beck right now, is because of the offensive line injuries the Skins suffered today. A major part of the Skins success leading up to today, had to do with their lack of significant injuries, and today they possibly lost two offensive lineman, and Chris Cooley (who has mostly been irrelevant this season), but he is seemingly an integral part of the Skins' two tight end set. Beck gives the Skins much more mobility at QB, and this might be reason enough.
Aside from Grossman's performance, the Redskins weren't horrible today. The defense was outstanding in the second half, and the special teams was good all day. And people, they're still 3-2, essentially (because of a game in hand, and having beat the Giants) tied for first in their division. If they choose to bench their starter from game one, this sends a message to the entire team. It tells them that the recipe that brought them to 3-2 was not good enough, and they need to go in a new direction.
Most importantly, and the reason I think the Shanahans will not pull the trigger, is it shows EVERYONE that they made a mistake with regard to Grossman in the first place. Shanahan is probably not going to admit defeat with the benching of Grossman, when he has a winning record through 5 games.
In any case, I don't think it's rational to ditch Rex at this point. The Redskins are still in a good spot, in a division that appears nobody is going to run away with, and at the end of the day, Sunday was simply a loss to a desperate divisional opponent. Redskins' fans rooting for the change should be careful for what you wish for. Pulling the trigger this week might be one week too early, a clear sign of desperation, and there would be no going beck, excuse me, back.
Follow us on twitter @sportsyack @JudgePatrick
Monday, October 17, 2011
Who Will Be The Starting QB Next Week?
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Rich Turpin's Very Super Forecast: The 2017 Washington Redskins
By. Rich Turpin Week 1, Philadelphia "Let me fleece Mr. Snyder first, and then I'll see you in 2018!" The Redskins op...
2017 SLIDER CUP STANDINGS THRU 9/19/2017 PLAYER POINTS K-Mac 2749 Pass ...
By. Mike Baxter, @sportsyack Another week of NFC games in the books, and yet another week of uncertainty of who might be playing post...
By. Rich Turpin Week 1, Philadelphia "Let me fleece Mr. Snyder first, and then I'll see you in 2018!" The Redskins op...


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Strand Brewing Black Sand Imperial IPA
Out of stock
Craft Beer
Strand Brewing
Black Sand Imperial India Pale Ale is the dark twin of White Sand Imperial India Pale Ale. Aggressively hopped with Summit, Cascade, Amarillo and Simcoe, this bold ale finds its soul in the dark crystal and German malts used to color, sweeten and fortify it in contrast to its hoppy bouguet.
- 500 ml
Inside The Cellar ships to the following states: AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, GA, FL, ID, IA, IL, IN, LA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NY, NM, NC, OH, OR, RI, SC, TN, TX VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, and WY.
Orders are shipped within 3 business days of being received, unless otherwise notified.
All orders require an 21+ adult signature at the time of delivery or will call pick-up. If there is no adult signature - your order will not be delivered. Please plan accordingly. (We cannot ship to PO Boxes).
Inside The Cellar ships via FedEx Ground. Rates are calculated at the time of checkout and include a $3.00 FedEx adult signature charge.
Will Call orders must be picked up at 13017 La Dana Ct., Santa Fe Springs, CA, 90670.


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Access Masters Tour and Access MBA Tour in Athens
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The grille is from a not so lucky Rolls Royce in the rallye. I have heard of rumours that no less than three of the participating SLRs have had alternator breakdowns and that service personnel from the factory was flewn to Thailand for repairs. I will get back in that matter as soon as i know more on that.
Tags: c215, cl, gumball, gumball3000, w215


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ASOS JERSEY BOMBER JACKET – Similar Styles here
UNIQLO – Jogger Trousers
NEW LOOK – Dark Suedette Boots
NEW LOOK – 'Brooklyn' Bodysuit – Similar Style here
ASOS – Choker
I wanted to share an outfit I was loving. I love black and has always been a go-to of mine, I wanted to jazz it up with a bit of colour and also make it a little more casual with the jersey bomber too.
If you have been reading my blog for a while, you will know I have a ankle boot obsession! So when I saw these, I had to grab them to add to my collection and having being my first red pair – I was very excited. They are very comfy and add a little something to any outfit, I love they can look great with a black outfit to a pair of jeans and white tee.
The bomber is the star of this outfit, with its white sleeves and patchwork stickers making any outfit have an edge. Not to mention its extra comfy too!
Till my next post


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Barb was raised in southern California and moved to the Bay Area to attend college when she was seventeen. She earned a Bachelor's Degree in Clinical Psychology at U.C. Berkeley, and a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology at JFK University in the 1980's.
As a refuge from the demands of her child abuse job, Barb developed hobbies that were calming or a distraction or an outlet, like organic gardening, tiling, mosaic, painting, stained glass, construction with her sister, playing pool… and writing.
Barb retired in 2012 after 22 years as a child abuse investigator. Barb's chapbook, Boxing Without Gloves, came out in November 2014 on Finishing Line Press, and it was shortlisted for the 2015 Rubery International First Book Prize in London. Barb is currently working on a new collection, Once the Thunder Stops. She lives in the Bay Area and studies with poet Jude Nutter.
News and Accomplishments
Barb has been published in the Apogee Journal Queer History Folio. Under Contributors, click on Barb's name to read her poem, ASH.
A to Z was published in CALYX Journal Vol 29:1 March of 2016 to coincide with the journal's 40th anniversary!
- Barb's poem Underbelly of the False Ballet was a finalist for the Peseroff Prize, third out of 1,000.You can read the poem here!
- Boxing Without Gloves was shortlisted for the Rubery International First Book Award in London!
- Barb was interviewed & read her poetry, along with 4 other poets, on KPFA Radio. She read during the 11:00pm hour with two other poets for national poetry month on the BAJABA (Bay Area jazz and blues artists) radio show 94.1. If you missed the broadcast, the show will be available for listening and downloading for the NEXT TWO WEEKS only via the website KPFA.ORG. It is the BAJABA show on 4/25/15.
Recommended Links:
Jude Nutter
Maureen Murphy
Eve Reynold's Arcolution
Song for All Beings


text: GBAtemp WiFi Night! 12th - 13th December A Night of Fun and Online Games! GBAtemp will once again hold its Wifi night tonight. Chat with other Tempers, swap friend codes and then start playing some awesome games against each other. The event will begin at 5:00pm-12:00am GMT-5 (Times might be changed to due to different timezones) so make sure to be there! Those of you who plan on attending may post in the official thread linked at the bottom. Can't make it? Fear not because our WiFi channel (#gbatemp-wifi) is open 24/7 meaning that you can face anyone in chat at anytime! Details and discussions on how to gain entry to the Wifi Night (channel) can be found in the link provided below. Official GBAtemp Wifi Night Thread


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Must Read: How to unlock bootloader LeTv LeEco Le 2
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Must Read: Install Magisk on Android Smartphone (Magisk Manager)
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I hope you like this new update LeEco Le 2 EUI 5.9.021s Beta Stock Rom installation guide from which you will be able to easily install or update LeEco Le 2 EUI 5.9.021s Beta Stock Rom without any extra efforts. If feel any problem in this guide then please use comment box. Thanks to all.
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Kentucky is the allergy capital of the US, and I am certainly not immune to effects of pollen that blanket our state. I try to avoid the doctor at all costs, but my nose had had enough. I knew if I wanted to ever breathe normally again, I would have to go back to the allergist.
I sat on the examination table feeling like a grasshopper under a child's magnifying glass while the nurse asked a dozen questions.
"Why did you come in today?" This is the office of an allergy doctor. Why do you think I came in?
"What all are you allergic to?" Isn't that what you are supposed to tell me?
"Have you experienced any considerable weight gain?" Since when? Yesterday? No. Since high school? No comment.
"Do any of your blood relatives have heart disease?"
My stomach leaps into my throat. I look away from the nurse and choke out a lie, "No."
Well, maybe that's a lie. But maybe it's not.
Here's the truth.
The truth is I hate that question. The truth is I want to snap at her and say, "That's none of your business." The truth is I avoid the doctor because of this question. The truth is—I don't know the truth.
I don't know if someone in my family has a history of heart disease because there is a whole half of my genetics that are a complete mystery to me.
My father walked out on my mother and me when I was only six weeks old. He chose drugs and alcohol over his family and never looked back—well except for that time he wrote me a letter from rehab while I was still an infant that promised me he would get clean. Promised me he would come back. Promised me he would be a real dad some day because he promised me he loved me.
That letter might as well have been just another fairy tale mom read to me before bed because here I am nearly three decades later, and he is as real to me as talking bears who eat porridge and sleep in human beds.
Actually, no.
He is very real.
But I've spent the majority of my life pretending that part of me didn't exist. After all, you can't be rejected if the relationship never existed in the first place. And so, I worked hard for years to completely block the reality of this man from my mind.
And then I go to the doctor. Why in the world an allergy doctor needs to know about family history of heart disease is beyond me, but they inevitably ask, and I inevitably pretend I actually know the answer to that question. Then I spend the remainder of my day going through a playlist of questions that always come up whenever genetics are mentioned.
"What if he does have a serious condition that will affect my health? What if he is dying of a genetic disease as we speak, and I have no idea? Will I ever see him again? What if he just showed up on my doorstep one day? What would I say? Would I let him in? Why did he leave me in the first place? Am I not worth sticking around for?" Deep down, I always know the answer to that last one, but I still mull over the list of things that are wrong with me for the rest of the afternoon.
Life as That Girl
Growing up, I was the only person in my group of friends who had divorced parents, and so I was especially the only one with an invisible parent. And I felt it all the time. Little league softball was the worst. I swear it seemed like every single dad of a player was a coach. Except for mine of course. After all, it's hard to make it to practices when you are in jail.
"Let's take a picture of the girls with their daddies," a mom would shout after a game, and everyone would collectively sigh and put their hands over their chests like they had just watched a little girl get a brand new puppy. And there I would be, standing just off the field wishing I were invisible.
But I wasn't. And everyone knew about my past—my friends, their mothers, my teachers. I wasn't treated overtly different, but you could definitely see pity in their eyes when I would only reserve one audience ticket to my recital. My friends' moms liked me, but I was always that girl. The girl from a broken home. The girl without a father.
My mother never really took me to church when I was child. Between going to school full time and working a full time job at a local factory, she was too exhausted to get us both dressed in our Sunday best and out the door before 10. But from the moment I heard about Jesus, I knew I wanted him. I heard my friends talking about Jesus at school, and I loved a picture Bible that I had won the summer before when my aunt took me to Vacation Bible School at her church.
So, I accepted Christ when I was eight years old alone in my bedroom. No one prayed with me or had me repeat a prayer. It truly was my decision to follow Christ, and I meant that prayer with all my heart. I knew Mom would be too tired to really listen that night, and so I couldn't wait to get to school and tell my friends who I had heard talking about Jesus earlier that week.
I saw my best friend first. I tugged her shirt and the words exploded from my heart, "I got saved last night!"
She looked at me puzzled. "What? How?"
"I prayed and asked God to forgive me. I'm so excited! I'm a Christian now, right?"
My cheeks were hurting at this point from smiling so much, but with a scowl, she simply responded, "You can't be saved." And with that, she rolled her eyes and walked away.
There, in Mrs. Farley's second grade classroom, my heart was shattered into a million pieces, and it has taken me years to put them all back together.
She was wrong, of course. And deep down I knew it. But it was why she said it that hurt so badly.
No matter how well behaved I was or how much I achieved, my past would always seem to define me early in life. I would always be the girl that your mom would say, "Well, bless her heart" about after I left the sleepover. I was always the daughter of a struggling single mom. And I was always the daughter of a drug addict—even though I wasn't his daughter at all.
The Perfect Man with a Far from Perfect Family
Far too often our family history defines us. Even if we don't define ourselves by our past, others do. And no matter what your past consists of, whether it be broken relationships, substance abuse, an eating disorder, a specific sin that you can't seem to let go of, sexual abuse, a deadbeat dad, or whatever else has been written in the story of your life so far that pains you, it does not take away the beauty and brilliance of the life God created—your life.
But, it took me years not to feel deep shame about my family history. Like 25 years to be exact. In the middle of an obsessive compulsive episode (that I will get into another day), I was hungry for godly wisdom, and I listened to several sermons from some of my favorite Christian leaders every chance I could get (probably a compulsion now that I think about it). Of all the sermons I listened to, there is one that truly changed my perspective on my lifetime of hurt: a Christmas sermon about Jesus's genealogy.
You think you have the crazy aunt that you have to warn your children about before going to Thanksgiving dinner? That's nothing compared to Jesus's family. Turns out, the Savior of the world had some pretty messed up people in his family background. Seriously. Prostitutes, liars, murders. You name it, they are there.
In fact, one of the earliest ancestors of Jesus—and one of the most mentioned throughout the Bible—has a shockingly dirty record. Chances are you have heard the story of Joseph. You know, the son Jacob loved more than his other sons and who was given an amazing coat—a technicolor dream coat you may have heard it called—as further evidence of his father's favoritism. The Joseph who was sold into slavery by his brothers, ended up in the king's home, and then through God's providence and power was made royalty himself. Yeah, that Joseph.
Incredible story, right? Clearly God watched over him and chose him for His purposes. He's gotta be in Jesus's lineage!
Actually no. He's not.
But one of his brothers is.
Now, I've never grown up with a sibling, but I have watched my sons do it, and I know the crazy jealousy that can creep into that relationship at times. Jacob obviously showed more affection for Joseph, so you can hardly blame his brothers for disliking him. It surely didn't help Joseph's cause when he started telling them about dreams he had been having where the brothers were bowing down to him. Awkward.
So Joseph's brothers had had enough, and they decided to deal with their feelings in the worst possible way. They made a plan to kill their little brother, Joseph.
As Joseph's doom neared, Judah, Jacob's fourth son, spoke up out of the goodness of his heart against the plan. Well, he spoke up, but I can't say it was with pure intentions.
"Then Judah said to his brothers, 'What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.' And his brothers listened to him" (Genesis 37:26-27).
In other words, Judah told his brothers that it would be better to sell their brother into slavery than to kill him because they could at least make money out of the deal and not have to carry the weight of having murdered their own brother. I mean, I've heard of siblings threaten to sell their brother or sister when they are young, but this is taking it way too far.
And so, Joseph is not in Jesus's family tree. The Savior of the world came from a different line. A different son of Jacob: Judah.
I'll go ahead and pause while you pick your jaw up off of the floor, but I'm warning you, that's not even the worst part of Judah's story.
Another Layer of Disgrace for Judah
Although much of this particular storyline in Genesis will follow Joseph, the very next chapter details Judah's life after he sold his little brother into slavery. It may seem as if it is an unnecessary or random interruption from the story just as it is getting good, but ultimately, the entire Bible is about Jesus, and as I already told you, Jesus was a descendent of Judah—not Joseph.
So in Genesis 38, we learn that Judah further proves his rebellion from God's law by leaving his family and his home to marry a Canaanite girl. More than likely, this doesn't sound that offensive to you. It's not odd for you to pull up Facebook and see someone you graduated high school with living in a different state now or married to someone outside of your hometown. However, leaving your home was very significant to God's chosen people, and marrying a Canaanite woman was even more offensive.
Okay, that's a little harsh. All we know about her is that she was a Canaanite woman—isn't it a little unfair to assume she wasn't a worthy bride?
It's not so much her as it is her ancestors.
The Canaanites descended from a man named Canaan, who was one of Noah's grandsons. If you've gotten most of your Old Testament knowledge from children's stories, you likely aren't familiar with what happened after the rainbow. Hmmm, that's kind of catchy. After the Rainbow. Sounds like the perfect television drama, and Noah's story would fit right in with networks' current primetime lineup. After all, it's definitely too scandalous for children's illustrated Bibles, and you will soon see why.
You know Noah—the obedient man who stepped out in faith and built an ark as God commanded even when it didn't make sense at the time, gathered all of the animals two-by-two, and survived the flood that took the lives of everyone in the world besides his and his family's. After he returned to dry land, Genesis 9 tells us that Noah had a little too much to drink one night and fell asleep without any clothes on.
Yes, the man who built the ark got drunk and passed out naked.
Noah's youngest son, Ham, was the first to find him. Instead of covering his father, he further robbed Noah of his dignity by going to get his brothers and telling them what he saw. His brothers, Shem and Japheth, then entered Noah's tent backward so they wouldn't see his nakedness, and they covered him with a garment.
When Noah woke up, the Bible says Noah responded to Ham's degradation of his father by cursing Ham's son, Canaan:
"Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers." He also said, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant. May God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant" (Genesis 9: 25-27).
And that was the beginning of a long history of Canaanite rebellion against God and his law. So, fast forward to Judah.
The romantic in me wants to read that this woman was different from her ancestors—that she fell in love with Judah because of his zeal for God and then he took her as his bride and they lived happily ever after, serving God obediently together as husband and wife.
But there is no such story. In fact, this is all the Bible says about the start of their relationship: "And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua; and he took her and went in to her" (Genesis 18:2). The verb "saw" here most likely means that she was a beautiful woman and that is why Judah took her as a wife. So basically, Judah had one requirement for his future wife: she had to look good. Wow. He's a real winner, right?
From this marriage, Judah had three sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah. Don't worry about writing those names down in your notes—they won't be around long. But you will want to write this one down: Tamar.
"And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord put him to death" (Genesis 38:6).
So God took the life of Er because he was wicked, leaving his wife, Tamar, widowed. According to Jewish custom, Judah was to then give Tamar to Onan, his second son. Onan complied but didn't want to have children with Tamar, so God took Onan's life, too.
Instead of recognizing the disobedience of his own sons, Judah incorrectly attributes his sons' peril to Tamar, and so he hesitates to marry his third son, Shelah, to her. Judah instead sends Tamar to live with her father. As time passes and Tamar realizes that Judah has no intention of marrying her to Shelah anytime soon, she decides to take matters into her own hands.
When Tamar heard her father-in-law was going out of town to sheer sheep, she followed. Waiting for him by the side of the road with her face covered, Tamar looked like a prostitute. You see where this is going. Judah asked her to sleep with him, and she did.
So, Judah slept with his daughter-in-law, but he didn't know it was her at the time. No, that revelation came three months later when he heard Tamar was pregnant, and what happened next would have made the producers of Dr. Phil salivate if it had happened today.
"And Judah said, "Bring her out, and let her be burned." As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, "By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant" (Genesis 38:24b-25a).
Much to the horror and humiliation of Judah, Tamar brought out a signet, cord, and staff that Judah had given her that night three months before.
"And she said, 'Please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff.' Then Judah identified them and said, 'She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah'" (Genesis 38:25b).
I'm telling you, if you like drama, save your money! Don't buy cable—just read your Bible!
The Significance of the Virgin Birth
But let's not miss the point of the message here. This man wanted his brother dead, then kept him alive only to profit financially, left his family, married a Canaanite woman, raised wicked sons, refused to take care of his daughter-in-law, and then later slept with his daughter-in-law because he thought she was a prostitute.
This man is an ancestor of Jesus's mother, Mary. A forefather of Jesus. That means that Jesus, the One who was perfect in every way, shared this man's DNA. And Judah wasn't the only other person in Jesus's lineage that would make you blush either.
But honestly, this shouldn't be surprising to us. After all, just like you and me, they all came from Adam, and based on Romans 5, the curse of sin that was put upon Adam after he ate from the tree is seemingly passed down from generation to generation through the birth father.
This is why the virgin birth is so incredibly significant. Not only does Mary's ability to conceive a child without ever having sexual relations with a man demonstrate God's unlimited power for the miraculous, it also explains how Jesus escaped the curse of sin. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit; therefore, Jesus came into existence free from the curse of Adam. Free from the sinful nature passed down through the father.
Abba Father
Well, that's great for Him, but what does that mean for me—the girl who undeniably shares DNA with the man whose name is on my birth certificate?
For so long, I have felt doomed to become like my birth father. Half of what makes up my physical being came from him and that broken part of my past. The power of genetics is undeniable. Just Google "twins separated at birth" and you will find numerous stories of the influence shared DNA can have on the lives of individuals.
But the creator of the genetic code is far more powerful.
There is no denying that I am made up of the very genes that I am embarrassed by; however, because I believe in Christ and His resurrection and have asked him to make me more like Jesus, the Bible says He has made me "a new creation," and that "the old has passed away," and "the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Don't miss the power of this verse. The old you—the "you" that came from brokenness and shame—doesn't exist anymore if you are in Christ. It is gone. It is dead. And what has taken its place is a new creation. Did you hear that? New. Not simply improved. Not simply forgiven. But completely new. John 1 says:
"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God (12-13)."
So, yes. I still have my earthly genetics, but my soul—the part of me that makes me me, the part of me that will exist long after my earthly body leaves this world, the part of me that will live for an eternity in heaven with Him—has been completely reborn and is now free from the curse of sin. And because of this rebirth, my father is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, not a broken human who neglected me years ago.
God has broken the bondage associated with my ancestors and calls me His daughter. And here is the most beautiful part of it all. Romans 8 says:
"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" (v. 14-15).
Abba Father. The sweetest sound in Scripture for a broken daughter like me. Abba Father is Aramaic for what we would call, "daddy."
Daddy. A word that signifies the unbreakable bond between a father and his child. A word that can bring peace and comfort to a broken heart. A word that can protect even in the most fearful times. A word that can bring joy to the weary and strength to the broken.
A word I longed to use nearly my entire life.
"Daddy" carries a different meaning than "father" or even "dad." "Daddy" demonstrates a childlike need for a father, a protector. And the Bible makes it clear that God fills that role for all of those who call upon Jesus and are reconciled to Him.
So now, instead of being the child of a drugaddict doomed to forever carry those blemished genes I inherited at birth, I am now a new creation known as a child of the God most high. And while this realization about who I am still doesn't help me answer the unavoidable questions about my family history while a nurse takes my blood pressure, it reminds me that the only blood that truly impacts my life now is the blood of Jesus that claimed me as a child of the God most high.


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DOWNLOAD MP3: A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie - Day 1 - Music
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A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie has been in the news over the last 12 hours, for his role in an attack on Lil' B backstage at the Rolling Loud Bay Area Festival on Saturday (Oct. 21).
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With a solid New Hampshire primary victory in hand and a new symbol for his surging campaign, Paul E. Tsongas wasted no time yesterday staking a claim to the loyalty of Maryland voters who will decide March 3 if his candidacy can flourish outside New England.
Veteran political organizers in Maryland say any of the four top Democratic candidates could do well here, but the stakes may be highest for Mr. Tsongas.
"If he doesn't do well in Maryland, it will be a major stumbling block," said Baltimore City Councilman Perry Sfikas, D-1st, a Tsongas coordinator.


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By CRAIG KAPITAN
Eagle Staff Writer
Two women arrested earlier this year on what prosecutors said were groundbreaking charges - that they used cocaine as a deadly weapon against their unborn children - pleaded guilty Tuesday in exchange for probation.
College Station residents Dollie Michelle Green, 32, and Bethany Witzel, 19, each was charged in February with possession of less than 1 gram of cocaine. Each woman's child had died after being born premature, and both women had admitted to using cocaine days before the births, court documents state.
Possession in the amount the two were arrested for generally is a state jail felony, but the charges were enhanced to a third-degree felony - punishable by up to 10 years in prison - because prosecutors argued the deadly weapon finding. Green's charge was enhanced to a second-degree felony - punishable by up to 20 years in prison - because she previously had been to prison.
The deadly weapon enhancements were possible, prosecutors said in February, due to changes in Texas law in recent years that allow fetuses certain rights as victims from the point of conception.
"We believe this is the most effective way to address these offenses," Assistant District Attorney Shane Phelps said at the time, explaining that the women's arrests appeared to mark the first time charges have been filed in such a way.
It is also rare, Phelps said, for someone to be charged with possession of a controlled substance based solely on admission of guilt and on drug tests found in medical records.
As part of the plea agreements, Green was sentenced Tuesday to seven years of deferred adjudication probation, and Witzel was sentenced to five years of deferred adjudication probation.
Green's attorney, Earl Gray, said afterward that he would have liked to have challenged the charges to see if both controversial issues would stand up at the appellate level. But in the end, he said, fighting the charges didn't make sense for his client.
"I think the law needs to be tested, but I'm not the one looking at prison time," he said. "[Green] didn't want to be the guinea pig.
"If there was any way we can help keep her out of prison and get her the treatment she obviously needs, I think that's a win for everybody."
Phelps agreed Tuesday that prison time wasn't a priority in the two cases.
"The idea was never to put these women in prison," he said. "It was to get their attention any way we could to impress upon them the obligation they have to their unborn children. Nothing else was working."
According to court documents, police began investigating Witzel in June 2005 - after the death of her 1 1/2-month-old child, Faith. The baby was put on life support after being born 27 weeks premature, documents state.
According to Child Protective Services, Witzel tested positive for cocaine during her pregnancy, and she told a case worker that she had used the drug four days before her child's birth. A urine sample taken during the birth confirmed her statement.
During a subsequent interview with police a month before her arrest, Witzel again admitted to snorting cocaine during the pregnancy but said she since had quit the habit. She was four months pregnant with another child, she told police.
She tested positive again just days before her arrest, according to court records.
Green's son Jaylon died in April 2005 after a similar premature birth, court documents state. She and her son both tested positive for cocaine at the hospital, prosecutors reported, adding that three of her other children had health problems due to cocaine use during pregnancy.
According to a CPS worker, Green said she had used the drug two weeks before the birth and that she was trying to have a miscarriage because she did not want the baby.
At the time of the arrests, Phelps said his office decided to try the new approach after what appeared to be a rash of cases involving children born with cocaine in their systems. While the charges were "pretty cutting edge," the law had been thoroughly researched before they were filed to make sure they could stick, he said.
"We were pretty confident what we were doing is legally sound," he said Tuesday.
One other woman - 26-year-old College Station resident Arlendra Marie Williams - has been indicted on similar charges. That case is pending, prosecutors said.
• Craig Kapitan's e-mail address is [email protected]


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Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men. Marvel does.
A/N: Writer's Block Buster. Move, Block. Dammit. T.T
Rating: Er...T. Implied rape. Nothing explicit.
The first time Alex Summers heard the word beautiful, he was five years old, sitting on the giant white swing on the giant white porch of his giant white house.
His father was looking at his mother in a way that made Alex both warm and squeamish - with wide adoring eyes and a goofy smile that spread over his lip like butter on toast. He had his hand on her face, thumb brushing against her pale cheek that Alex knew for a fact was smooth, and was whispering "beautiful, beautiful, beautiful" in a way that made her eyes water and sparkle and made giggles escape her throat. "Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful," his father continued to chant, laughing with her, and then Alex started to say it too, because even if he didn't know what it meant, that warm feeling was suddenly bursting joy and he knew that if anyone felt like that, was beautiful, it was his mother.
Things had been simple then. Easier.
He heard the word several times after, especially when his little brother was born ("what a beautiful baby!", "look at those beautiful eyes!"), but while it always brought a small smile and an echo of a happier time, they never recaptured the exact same feelings as before. And as time went by, and life became harder, Alex grew into an angry and bitter teenager. It was just a natural progression, his parents said, even though he ended up butting heads with them more times than not. Something inside of him was just filled with fury, a burning ache of rage he didn't know the source of.
When devastating blasts of red light erupted from his body in a fit of temper and destroyed his home, killing his beautiful mother and leaving his family in shattered pieces, he found his way to prison and forgot the wonderful feeling all together.
But while the feeling was gone, the word remained.
"Beautiful", in prison, was like a nick of a blade against your neck - a warning. Alex was sixteen when he was locked away in a facility with criminals who killed by intention, twice his age with crueler eyes and an urge of hunger he had never tasted. He was young, slim, blond, and traumatized - never said a word and never looked anyone in the eye. He was easy. And the next time he heard "beautiful, beautiful, beautiful," spoken in a mantra, it was in the shadow of an unmonitored shower, accompanied by endless sharp bursts of paced pain and pleasure that felt like a slice to his soul. The warm feeling was replaced by a foul stench and a nightmarish memory that made him feel ruined and weak and angry.
He deserved it.
His body trembled with past and present pain and he watched the blood trickle down his ankles and heard the heavy satisfied breathing of the other and knew.
He deserved it.
Solitary confinement was a God-send. Two years of silence. Two years where beautiful did not exist but fear did and where his nightly screams were heard only by the four walls that surrounded him. His own personal cell in Hell where nothing behind the door could touch him.
Where everyone was safe from him. And the image of his mother's ruined body could freely haunt his sight.
Where he could have his pain. And pretend the dull scratches on his arms were bleeding.
But then the door opened.
Okay. At the moment ... this is just a two-shot, because I want to incorporate this idea into a different fic. However, I digress, if you like it ... this could be a prologue to a longer story. I suppose. (the small amount of Havok/Beast multi-chapters kill me *dies*). I have so many. ...Suggestions are welcomed, but regardless...
Let me know what you thought? :)