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Harvest holdup—Farmers wait for corn, soybeans to ripen
Weather a little weird this year.
Farmers in Dawson County and elsewhere know about uncertainty.
That's the name of the game.
Still, they can't help but wish away killer freezes when seed is planted in the spring and pray for the right amount of rain—minus hail and high winds—through the long days of summer.With days of Indian summer at a minimum so far this September, they wait for soybeans and corn to mature.
Because of ample rainfall and cooler-than-usual temperatures, farmers planted later in the spring.
Throughout the summer and early fall, there have been fewer optimum growing days for both corn and soybeans.
In fact, combines have just started to roll through soybean rows in Dawson County and corn harvest is expected to begin in late October.
All Points Cooperative vice president of grain Steve Costello said soybean harvest is about 1 1/2 weeks later than usual.
Still, Costello and Dawson County Extension agent Bruce Treffer expect a good crop of both soybeans and corn at this point.
U.S Department of Agricultural officials predict the largest soybean crop and highest corn yields in the history of farming nationwide.
Based on Sept. 1 conditions, Nebraska's corn crop is forecast at a record high 1.55 billion bushels which is 11% above last year, according to USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service, Nebraska Field Office.
If that happens, the 2009 harvest would surpass the 1.47 billion grown in 2007.
State soybean production is forecast at 237 million bushels which is 5% higher than the 2008 crop.
"Yields look good even though everything's late," Costello said.
Compared to other corn-growing states, Costello said Nebraska is in good shape.
"We're farther ahead than Minnesota, the Dakotas and Iowa which generally get a frost before we do," he said.
Temperatures hovering around the 33-degree mark in Gothenburg Monday night produced a light frost which probably won't affect test weights, according to Mark Ballmer, vice president of agronomy at All Points Cooperative.
That's because of the maturity of both soybeans and corn at this point.
Hail in the county last summer damaged some crops but around Gothenburg, ag officials said it was fairly minimal.
When corn harvest starts, Treffer said some farmers have talked about drying corn themselves or paying an elevator to do it.
"Energy costs are more reasonable this year," Treffer said.
Costello said they expect to fire up the dryer at All Points like they did last year.
"I've never seen two drying seasons like we've had back to back," he said about the 2008 and 2009 crops. "It looks like we'll be drying a lot of corn if we don't get some 80-degree days."
All Points was drying corn during the early morning hours of Nov. 20, 2008, when grain dust exploded and blew out the top of the main elevator.
Crews are still working to restore drying, storing and train-loading capacity at the elevator.
"It's good timing with a late harvest but it's still not enough," Costello said.
The grain buyer said the elevator is capable of drying wet corn but it will be limited.
All Points should also be ready to load both soybeans and corn on rail cars.
"But with one leg (on the repaired elevator), we won't load fast," Costello noted.
When it comes to selling corn or soybeans, Treffer said farmers who expect to see sizeable profits this year may be disappointed.
"There are no current ag commodity prices that will make anyone rich," Treffer said.
In fact, Costello said October cash corn is $1.40 lower this year per bushel than last and soybeans are 88 cents less than in 2008.
Input costs are not helping either, both Costello and Treffer said.
Cash rent, seed, fertilizer—everything farmers buy to raise crops—has increased.
"So $3 corn is not going to work this year and prices will probably get worse," Costello said.
In the meantime, farmers watch and wait.
What it boils down to now—as always—is weather.
"Last year, harvest lasted forever," Treffer said, referring to rain that kept farmers out of their fields. "It may be perfect weather this year."
Brock and his dad Britt Anderson had pretty good weather Monday when they started harvesting 600 acres of dryland, short-season corn.
Brock said they plant the 91-day corn so they can harvest it and still sow a wheat crop.
He estimated that picking short-season corn—sold to All Points for cattle feed—was about a week behind because they couldn't get into wet fields with their equipment.
"We hope to get our beans out in a week when they're dried down," Brock said, noting that harvest of irrigated corn will hopefully begin in two to three weeks.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Do return yards go under defenses or individual players?
I think I'm against it then unless we can added a KR spot in the starting line ups... I don't think there are enough WR / KR guys out there.I'd be in favor of some small amount of scoring for carries and receptions. Maybe like 0.1 per?
Two against. Rob sort of for. Ruiner suggested.Would like to resolve by the weekend in case people need/want to prep.
Leagues that I've been in that do those balance it out in a way that makes PPR and PPC about even. To keep the numbers simple, say that a good RB averages 20 carries and a good WR averages 10 catches, then they make the points something like 0.5 for a catch and 0.25 for a carry.
In the example above, I think an average RB can get 20 carries a game, but it's rare to find a WR that is catching 10 passes per week. Get a guy like Ray Rice in there with rushing and receiving stats and his points per week could explode.
If you guys aren't interested, it's no big deal - but it's not a question of backs suddenly being worth more than receivers. It's just a new wrinkle is all. As for pass catching backs, yes they'd be more valuable - but that would just change your draft strategy, it wouldn't make it some sudden advantage for one person. A guy who catches passes as well maybe just moves up into that top tier of backs instead of being relegated to second tier.
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Fans of Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir-turned-movie "Eat Pray Love" won't have to settle for a dog-eared book or a ticket stub as the only mementos of their literary and cinematic journeys through Italy, India and Bali. A massive amount of related merchandise has already been unleashed on the public: handbags, jewelry, journals, tea, fragrance, furniture and something called "firming serum" (which might be part of the "pray" portion).
Though merchandise tie-ins geared to kids is nothing new, selling products based on books and films to adults, specifically women, is a more recent phenomenon. Sure, "Sex and the City 2" had jewelry, sunglasses, vodka and thong panties, but it didn't have a weekend (Aug. 6-8) of themed stuff being sold on HSN and a line at Cost Plus World Market and themed travel tours.
"This is enough of a paradigm shift that it's not just another Friday night movie opening," says Peter Sealey, former president of marketing and distribution at Columbia Pictures and now a professor of marketing at the Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management at the Claremont Graduate University. "This movie [which opened Friday] has a uniquely different approach to generating buzz and marketing." "Eat Pray Love" is one of those rare convergences of a chick lit bestseller set in exotic locales turned into a chick flick starring Julia Roberts. In other words, a marketer's dream.
It all started with Gilbert's 2006 book, which recounts how she left an unhappy marriage, ultimately traveling the world for a year to Italy, where she discovered the joy of amazing food; India, where she got in touch with her spiritual side; and Bali, where she found love (in the cinematic version, her paramour is played by Javier Bardem). The book has since sold more than 7 million copies and has been translated into 30 languages. Since the film rights were sold, fans have been eager to see Gilbert's words come to life on the big screen.
So were executives at HSN, which is still selling those fans tote bags, dresses, bracelets, pillows and coasters. (The firming serum appears to be sold out.)
Mindy Grossman, HSN's chief executive, throws out phrases like "wrap-around experience" and "immersive event" when talking about the "Eat Pray Love" weekend extravaganza. She says she got goose bumps when the movie was invoked during a meeting with Sony Pictures Entertainment Vice Chairman Jeff Blake. "I think what's been created is this passionate, evangelical fervor around the products and around the journey." Grossman said she sent 2,400 copies of the book to customer service reps so they could hitch a ride on that journey as well.
At Cost Plus World Market, Elizabeth Gilbert/Julia Roberts fans can buy Tibetan prayer flags, a Buddha with a candle in it, meditation bells and wicker storage baskets, all part of the "Eat Pray Love" shop. They can pick up some limited-edition "Eat Pray Love" tea from Republic of Tea.
Or, fans can visit the online site of Dogeared Jewels & Gifts, where delicate charm necklaces come with cards that read "beauty is everywhere" and "to lose balance sometimes for love is part of living a balanced life." Hello Kitty! Los Angeles-based designer Sue Wong has a line of "Eat Pray Love" inspired comfy-but-elegant clothes shipping to Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales and other stores.
Sony Pictures and retailers are banking on women feeling such a connection with Gilbert's story—sorry, journey — that they'll want a tangible piece of it, be it a $20 pair of earrings or a $300 gelato machine. That, in marketing parlance, is something called transference, when someone takes the good feelings toward something (Gilbert's book or Julia Roberts' character) and links it to something else (a pasta machine) that might edge them a little closer to happiness and fulfillment. Retailers are also counting on a spillover effect from consumers who haven't read the book and don't plan to see the movie but like the stuff anyway.
Not everyone who read the book loved it, and even among those who liked the book there is already some backlash against the product lines. A commenter named "Helen" wrote on the website Monsters and Critics, in response to a story on "Eat Pray Love," "HSN might have taken us … higher. Instead, it's hawking marginally more exotic versions of stuff no one particularly needs. It's reinforcing its business priorities with its usual message: 'Shop your way to happiness.' It's taking Gilbert's book and standing it on its head, reducing her life-changing experience to the 'Eat Pray Love' lifestyle."
It might be easier for some to purchase the "Eat Pray Love" products since most don't carry logos, thus flying better under the radar. Indeed, the majority of the products are inspired by the book and film's stunning locations and then translated into brightly colored bed linens, prayer bead bracelets and the like.
Marcia Maizel-Clarke, founder of Culver City-based Dogeared Jewels & Gifts, is hoping its "Eat Pray Love"-inspired line will outperform the company's jewelry line based on "Sex and the City 2," which featured only 10 pieces. This one has 150-plus items and branches out to other products, such as luggage tags and bookmarks.
But if necklaces and pillows aren't enough to launch an epiphany, maybe a trip to Bali is. And not just any trip, but one that includes visits to places and people Gilbert encounters in her book, such as the town of Ubud, medicine man Ketut Liyer and musician Yude Andiko.
Spirit Quest Tours offers an Eat, Pray & Love Bali trip, presumably for those who don't care to craft their own life-changing expedition. "We did a trip in May and people were having these totally life-changing experiences," says Halle Eavelyn, a screenwriter who co-owns the business with her husband.
A fan of the book, Eavelyn knows what some of her clients (almost all women) want out of the trip: "We definitely work with people to try and facilitate spiritual breakthroughs." The tour includes readings from the book, which she calls "a beautiful, coalescing teaching tool. I feel the book was a huge catalyst in making [those breakthroughs] happen." Two more themed Bali trips are planned, with spots still available.
But with hundreds of "Eat Pray Love" items for sale, the product launches may be missing one thing, according to John Kremer, author of "1001 Ways to Market Your Books."
"Do they have an action figure?" Kremer says facetiously. "That's how you know you've made it."


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Professor John R. Abernathy, Dean
Department of Range, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management
Professor Phillip Zwank, Chairperson.
Professors Britton, Fish, Parker, Smith, and Sosebee; Associate Professors Patino and Wester; Assistant Professors Dabbert, Mitchell, Villalobos, Wallace, and Wilde; Adjunct Faculty: Ansley, Drawe, Harvey, Haukos, Pence, Price, Rhodes, Rollins, Taylor, and Teague.
This department offers study in the following graduate degree programs: RANGE SCIENCE, WILDLIFE SCIENCE, and FISHERIES SCIENCE, Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy.
Those interested in pursuing a master's or doctor's degree in the Department of Range, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management should consult with the chairperson prior to enrolling for any course.
Doctoral candidates may specialize in grazing management, range improvement, range animal nutrition, fire ecology, plant ecology, plant physiology, wildlife habitat management, big game ecology, waterfowl ecology, upland game ecology, fisheries, aquaculture or wetland ecology and management.
The M.S. degree requires a minimum of 24 hours of graduate course work plus 6 hours of thesis. Before being recommended for candidacy to a master's degree program, the student may be requested to take a preliminary examination to determine proficiency and background for graduate work. The student may be required to take (without graduate credit) such undergraduate leveling courses as may be designated by the graduate advisory committee. All M.S. degree candidates are required to take experimental design.
An oral and/or written preliminary examination is required of all students seeking a Ph.D. degree. If the preliminary examination reveals weaknesses in the student's background, remedial courses may be designated by the graduate advisory committee. The student's graduate advisory committee will also recommend courses to be taken in supporting disciplines. A Qualifying Examination for admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree will also be conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Graduate School. This Qualifying Examination is prepared and administered by the candidate's graduate advisory committee and any other professors the committee may consider necessary.
The doctorate normally requires completion of 60 to 80, or more, semester credit hours of graduate course work beyond the bachelor's degree, exclusive of credit for the dissertation. In addition to the courses required for the major, an applicant for the doctorate must have taken at least 15 semester hours of graduate course work outside the department. These hours may be taken in several supporting fields without concern for a minor specialization, depending on recommendation of the student's graduate advisory committee. However, if they are taken in a block of related courses, they may be declared as a minor.
There is no foreign language requirement for the Ph.D. degree, but such a requirement may be incorporated into individual programs at the discretion of the student's graduate advisory committee. All doctoral candidates must successfully complete or have completed two semesters of calculus, one semester of experimental design, one semester of teaching practicum (RWFM 7210), and College Teaching in Agriculture (AGED 5310).
Courses in Range, Wildlife, and Fisheries
Management. (RWFM)
5100. Seminar (1:1:0). Prerequisite: Departmental approval. An organized discussion of current problems in range, wildlife, and fisheries management. May be repeated.
5302. Range Research Methods (3:2:3). Prerequisite: ISQS 5346 or consent of instructor. Study plan preparation; methods of studying vegetation; sampling techniques; increasing sampling efficiency; methods of reducing experimental error; grazing studies; utilization studies; wildlife techniques; and tests of goodness of fit for binomial, poison, negative binomials, and normal distributions. F, odd years.
5303. Synecology (3:3:0). Prerequisite: RWFM 3302 or consent of instructor. An advanced study of terrestrial plant community ecology; mechanisms and consequences of species coexistence; diversity relations; causes and patterns of community development; community dynamics. Statistical and numerical analyses applicable to community ecology are discussed. F, odd years.
5304. Fire Behavior and Ecology (3:2:3). Prerequisite: RWFM 3202, 3301, and 3302 or consent of instructor. An assessment of the role of fire in succession and management of plants and animals in all major vegetation types of U.S. and Canada; effect of fire on litter and soil properties; fire temperatures and heat effects; prescribed burning techniques. Field trips required. S, odd years.
5305. Plant Ecophysiology (3:3:0). Prerequisite: RWFM 3302 or consent of instructor. Advanced study of the influences of the environmental complex on the processes, structure, and physiological functioning of an individual plant or species. S, even years.
5306. The Physiological Basis for Grazing Management (3:2:3). A study of the physiological processes, morphological development, nutritional qualities, and palatability of range plants as a basis for grazing management strategies for domestic and wild animals. Field trips required. F, even years.
5309. Population Estimation and Dynamics (3:3:0). Prerequisite: AAEC 3401, MATH 1331. Principles of estimation theory. Detailed examination of modern analysis techniques; indices, line transect, capture-recapture, Jolly-Seber, survival, and life table limitations. Computer use. S, even years.
5310. Advanced Range Ecology (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. An examination of the basic ecological principles affecting plant growth and development, distribution of plants, community structure and dynamics, and nutrient cycling. Field trips required. F.
5311. Wildlife Conservation and Management (3:3:0). An examination of conservation principles and management practices enhancing wildlife populations. Not open to biological science majors.
5312. Ecology of Renewable Natural Resources (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. An introduction to the ecology of renewable natural resources such as vegetation, wildlife, soil, and water. Not open to biological science majors.
5313. Advanced Big Game Ecology and Management (3:3:0). Prerequisite: RWFM 4305 or equivalent or consent of instructor. An advanced study of the ecology and management of big game resources. Field trips required. F, odd years.
5314. Advanced Upland Game Ecology and Management (3:2:3). Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. An advanced study of the ecology and management of upland game resources. Field trips are required. S, odd years.
5315. Advanced Studies in Range-Wildlife Habitat (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. An ecological approach to wildlife management stressing the relationships between animals and their habitat. Focuses on rangeland habitats. Field trips required. F.
5316. Waterfowl Ecology (3:2:3). Prerequisite: RWFM 4310 or consent of instructor. An ecological examination of waterfowl behavior, breeding biology, and habitat requirements. Field trips required. F, even years.
5317. Watershed Management (3:3:0). Management concepts of watersheds as a holistic unit. Inventory techniques, information sources, analysis procedures, and economic and financial effects applicable to watershed management planning.
5318. Range Animal Nutrition (3:3:0). Prerequisite: ANSC 3301 or equivalent. Study of the nutritional relationship between the range resource and grazing herbivores, including domestic livestock and wild ungulates, and techniques for range animal nutrition research. S, odd years.
5320. Natural Resource Biopolitics (3:3:0). Policy, planning, and conflict resolution from a natural resource management perspective. Historical, agency, and private organization roles in natural resource management are evaluated.
5323. Prescribed Burning (3:2:3). Planning, implementing, evaluating prescribed fires, and expert systems. Field trips required. S, even years.
5324. Physiological Ecology of Aquatic Organisms (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Regulatory mechanisms and adaptive significance of selected physiological processes in aquatic vertebrates. S, odd years.
5325. Predator and Prey Ecology (3:2:3). Prerequisite: RWFM 4408 or equivalent and consent of instructor. Principles of predator-prey dynamics; function morphology, optimal foraging, influence of behavior, ecology, and habitat on predators and their prey; applications of predator-prey theory to predator management. S, even years.
5330. Advanced Aquaculture (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. A global overview of aquaculture including fish, aquatic invertebrates, plants, and design and operation of production facilities. F, odd years.
5335. Advanced Fisheries Science (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Scientific study of the use of aquatic organisms. Includes resources, sampling, ecology and analysis of populations, resource conflicts, and management. May not be taken for credit by students who have taken RWFM 4335. S, odd years.
5336. Limnological Sampling Methods (3:3:0). Procedures and use of equipment in the field for sampling the biological, chemical, and physical characteristics of aquatic systems. Field projects.
5337. Fish and Wildlife Population Modelling (3:3:0). The development and use of models to analyze and simulate ecological processes in fish and wildlife populations and communities. S, odd years.
5338. Laboratory Techniques in Fisheries Science (3:3:0). Review of techniques in fish physiology and behavior, histology, blood chemistry, gas utilization and environmental biology, and of laboratory equipment.
5401. Advanced Fisheries Management (4:3:3). Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Theory and methodology used in managing aquatic renewable resources; applied field problems, equipment use. May not be taken for credit by students who have taken RWFM 4401. F, even years.
5402. Fisheries Ecology (4:3:3). Prerequisite: Statistics and basic fisheries. An examination of population dynamics, community ecology, bioenergetics, fisheries models and other quantitative aspects of fisheries ecology. S, even years.
5403. Experimental Design and Analysis (4:3:2). Prerequisite: ISQS 5346 or equivalent. Principles and applications of experimental design and analysis (completely randomized designs, randomized blocks, covariance analysis, factorials, split plots, repeated measures, regression). F, even years, and S.
5404. Aerial Terrain Analysis (4:2:4). Exploration of methods, the utilization of techniques, and evaluation of landscape using aerial photographs. An introduction to the theories, technical and practical aspects, and considerations of computer based geographic information systems in landscape planning, design, and management.
6000. Master's Thesis (V1-6).
6001. Selected Topics in Range Science (V1-6). Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Advanced topics selected by departmental recommendation. May be repeated for credit in different subject areas.
6002. Selected Topics in Wildlife Science (V1-6). Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Advanced topics selected by departmental recommendation. May be repeated for credit in different subject areas.
6003. Selected Topics in Fisheries Science (V1-6). Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Advanced topics selected by departmental recommendation. May be repeated for credit in different subject areas.
6301. Research Methods (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Approval of department. A review of the philosophy of science, scientific methods, research activities, and the planning and execution of research programs. F, even years.
6303. Imagery Interpretation for Natural Resource Management (3:2:2). Prerequisite: RWFM 4403. An advanced course in the applications of imagery producing systems for use in the inventory, analysis, planning, and management of natural resources. Involves the use of satellite imagery, infrared and radar scanning systems, as well as advanced work in interpreting standard aerial photography. S.
6305. Geospatial Technologies in Natural Resource Management (3:2:2). Principles of geographic information systems and global positioning systems. Applications for natural resource inventory, planning, and management are emphasized.
7000. Research (V1-12).
7210. Teaching Practicum (2:0:4). Prerequisite: Doctoral student in range, wildlife, or fisheries science program and AGED 5310. Supervised teaching experience at the university level.
8000. Doctor's Dissertation (V1-12).
Page Administrator: Gale Richardson


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Actress Lisa Bonet recently shaved one side of her head, showing off her roots of gray on one side and long dreads on the other. Bonet has always been bold with her beauty and fashion choices and I love her for that. So you have gray hair? I say flaunt it -- it doesn't mean you've given up. No one can say Nicole Kidman has given up.
When men go gray, they are called distinguished, sexy even (proof of gray-haired male hotties here), and it shouldn't be any different for women. Check out other beautiful celebrity women who went gray and never lost a strand of fabulousness.
Image via Splash


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** (out of four)
If "Oz the Great and Powerful" only had a brain. And heart. And courage.
Even then it'd still have James Franco, who should never again collaborate with director Sam Raimi. Franco's turn as Peter Parker's pal/nemesis Harry Osborn in Raimi's "Spider-Man" trilogy may be the actor's worst work, and he's just as lost in the disappointing "Wizard of Oz" prequel "Oz the Great and Powerful." As Oscar, the eventual Wizard of Oz, the actor's performance recalls his Oscar hosting abilities, not the role ("127 Hours") that landed him a Best Actor nomination.
It's like casting Chris Evans in "Casablanca: The Early Days."
In the uninspired story co-written by the guys behind the zero-star "Rise of the Guardians" and the straight-to-video "Into the Blue 2: The Reef," Oscar is a commitment-phobic circus magician who uses illusions to wow crowds and seduce women in 1905 Kansas. He's quickly out of his depth when he evades an angry strongman via balloon—presumably a common method of escape in those days—and, like Dorothy once did, lands in a colorful wonderland where the beautiful Theodora (Franco's "Date Night" co-star Mila Kunis) assumes he's the wizard whose day-saving arrival the king prophesied. When a woman like that offers her heart and gold, you can't blame a guy for stretching the truth.
Because Franco never layers Oscar with the necessary goodness or pizzazz, this grinch just seems like a deceitful jerk unlikely to rescue the innocent people of Oz or earn their faith. Contrasted against a luminous turn from Michelle Williams as Glinda and a nicely sinister performance by Rachel Weisz as Theodora's deceptively enchanting big sis Evanora, Oscar is a vacuum for energy and magic.
And did we need a story in which the man who would be the Wiz puts a sock on his doorknob to indicate a hook-up or saves a tiny china doll (voiced by Joey King) from a destroyed china city dubbed, yes, Chinatown?
Right, those 3-D visuals: Spears and other items pop out of the screen, and certain tricks achieve the intended wonder. Zach Braff voices Finley, Oscar's sweet, loyal monkey friend and the film's breakout character.
The 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz," the most celebrated L. Frank Baum adaptation, recognizes the value of a worshiped leader reassuring the people. "Powerful" delivers only broad hope, ignoring whether truth could be just as uplifting. Even though, like a documentary about David Blaine's childhood (I assume), most of this two-hour-plus misadventure consists of constant reminders that Oscar is no great shakes. It's time spent on the wrong side of the curtain.
Click here to watch Matt and Chicago's wingman Ernest Wilkins discuss if "Oz the Great and Powerful" is "Good or what?"
Watch Matt on "You & Me This Morning," Friday at 6:55 a.m. on WCIU, the U
Want more? Discuss this article and others on RedEye's Facebook page.


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Marine base shooting victim was goofy, churchgoing
Mar. 25, 2013
CORINTH, Miss. (AP) — A Marine who was shot to death at a Virginia base was described as a warm-hearted country boy from the South who grew up in the Pentecostal church and even preached a few times.
Jacob Wooley, 23, of Mississippi, was killed on Thursday by Sgt. Eusebio Lopez at the Marine Corps Base Quantico in northern Virginia, military officials said. Lopez also shot 19-year-old Lance Cpl. Sara Castromata to death before he killed himself.
The three worked at a school that tests Marines who want to become officers, but officials have not released their relationship or a motive for the shooting. Their bodies were found in the Taylor Hall barracks, where those who work at the school live. The candidates for officer live elsewhere on base.
Tiffany Wood said she met Wooley when they were teens.
"I'm just so confused. Jacob had no enemies. He was such a sweetheart," she said.
Wood said they went to the same schools in the small town of Corinth, in northeast Mississippi near the Tennessee state line.
"He was real goofy, too, like he always wanted everybody to smile. If he could lighten a situation he would," she said. "You couldn't stay mad at him. He would say something to make you laugh or make you grin."
Before joining the Marines, he had preached a few times at Central Pentecostal Church, she said. "He just had a real big heart. He would help anybody that he could."
Wooley was a field radio operator. He worked at the school, which is known for its grueling 10-week program that evaluates Marines on physical stamina, intelligence and leadership.
Lopez, of Pacifica, Calif., was an instructor there whose specialty was machine gunner. Castromata, of Oakley, Calif., was a warehouse clerk.
Wooley had always wanted to be a Marine. He joined in February 2010.
"He loved the Marines. I have friends that have joined and they hate it. But it was his passion to help people," Wood said.
Lance Cpl. Ian Mills, who served with Wooley on the Japanese island of Okinawa, said they remained close despite being assigned to different bases.
"Everybody hated Oki because they missed their families, but he was the guy who made us a family," said Mills, now at Twentynine Palms in California. "He brought us all together. He was always so loving and caring about everybody."
Cpl. Josh Darling said he grew up in Tennessee about 40 minutes from Wooley's hometown. He said Wooley was athletic, smart and liked to sing country music.
"He was fun, never had problems with anybody. Real laid back. Real nice guy," Darling said.
Wooley's great-aunt Jean Luker said after high school, Wooley went to Northeast Mississippi Community College and then the Marines.
"He was a very sweet young man," she said.


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Originally posted on travelers.comOver the last few years, many insurance companies have started using credit information to help determine what a customer pays for an insurance policy. In fact, over 90% of insurance companies use insurance scores, according to a study by Conning Research and Consulting Inc., a Hartford, Conn.-based research firm.
To help you better understand how your credit-based insurance score is calculated and how that "score" impacts what you pay for your policy, we have developed the following list of frequently asked questions. Please note that the use of insurance scores varies by state.
What is an insurance score?
An insurance score is determined by reviewing a consumer's credit history. A carefully developed and tested computer model performs this analysis, and looks at information such as payment history, whether you have filed for bankruptcy, if you have bills with a collection agent, any outstanding debts you may have, and the length of your credit history.
Unlike a "credit score", which is typically used when you are seeking a loan, an insurance score is used to help insurance companies accurately assign the best price available for your policy.
When calculating your insurance rate, insurers typically group consumers into categories. For example, driving record and age are the most often used categories to help calculate the cost of a customer's auto insurance policy. Insurance scores are just another method insurance companies use to determine what you pay for your policy.
According to extensive industry and independent research, people with certain patterns in their credit history that result in a lower insurance score are more likely to have claims that need to be paid by their insurer. For instance, keeping your credit card balances below the maximum limit and making regular, on-time payments will result in a higher score. On the other hand, if you have a history of "maxing-out" your credit cards to their limits and submitting payments late, your score will be negatively impacted, meaning a lower score.
An insurance score DOES NOT take into account income, race, gender, religion, marital status, national origin, or geographic location. It only reviews your credit history.
Why do companies use insurance scores?
Since insurance scores have been proven to be highly predictive of the potential for future losses, they help insurance companies determine the likelihood that a customer will file a claim, and thus allow carriers to set rates that are accurate and appropriate for each customer. This enables carriers to offer insurance coverage to a broader range of customers. What's more, many of these customers benefit from the use of insurance scores in the form of lower prices.
Insurance scores are used in the same way as other traditional underwriting factors. As a group, people with certain patterns in their credit history receive lower insurance scores and are more likely to experience a loss and file a claim. They are charged a higher premium to reflect that risk. This allows Travelers, and other insurers, to give better rates to consumers with higher insurance scores, who are less likely to file a claim.
Credit history helps predict the potential for future losses, but it is not the sole factor in determining the cost of your policy. It is one of several factors used to arrive at the best rate possible. The age of a driver and prior claim history are two other important factors that are also used to determine your rate.
What information affects my insurance score?
In determining your insurance score, the following information is used:
What if there is an isolated problem on my credit report?
Travelers recognizes that sometimes people face difficult circumstances, such as medical collections, divorce, or job loss. We have created an Insurance Scoring Resource Center (ISRC) to assist our independent agents and customers with issues like this. In most cases, an isolated instance of a late payment will not have a significant impact on your insurance score if you otherwise have an established pattern of responsible credit use. Your Travelers agent will contact the ISRC on your behalf if you have questions.
How does Travelers use my insurance score?
Travelers uses your insurance score together with a number of other factors (including the factors mentioned above) to determine the best pricing level available to you. Generally speaking, customers who have higher insurance scores and no prior claims or accidents, qualify for our best price.
For those customers with prior claims or accidents, a higher insurance score will help them qualify for a better rate than a similar customer who has a significantly lower insurance score. In turn, customers with no prior accidents or claims, but who have low insurance scores, may also qualify for a competitive rate.
The information in my credit history is personal and sensitive. What protection do I have against misuse?
Numerous federal and state laws and regulations are in place to protect you.
Under federal law, if the information in your credit history results in an "adverse action," by a company, that company must notify you and inform you about how to obtain a free copy of your credit report. You will also be provided with a description of your right to dispute the accuracy or completeness of your credit history.
Will my agent have access to my credit report?
No. Your agent will be informed of your overall score when the policy proposal is created, but will not have access to the underlying information used to calculate that score.
How can I improve my insurance score?
One of best things you can do is to make sure you pay your bills on time. That will help little by little with your credit history. You can also review how much credit you have. Are you up to your limit on a credit card? If so, that may also be considered an unfavorable factor. Consider how to reduce your debt without creating additional credit activity. Also, review your credit report regularly. Resources such as the American Insurance Association (www.aiadc.org) provide additional information about how to improve your credit history. Click here for a list of some ways to improve your insurance score.
What if I need more specific information about insurance scores?
The Insurance Information Institute Web site (www.iii.org) contains a great deal of specific information on this topic under the "Credit Scoring" link. It also contains links to other helpful resources.
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Curtis Granderson tripled in the eighth inning and trotted home on Adam Jones' sacrifice fly two batters later to help the American League to a 4-3 victory, extending the Junior Circuit's run to 13 unbeaten Midsummer Classics. The game's MVP was Carl Crawford, who robbed Brad Hawpe of a homer with the score tied in the seventh. More >
The build-up to President Barack Obama's anticipated appearance at the 80th All-Star Game was marvelous. The video-board messages from the five living presidents, including Obama, provided a tremendous prelude to his appearance in the flesh. Full Story >
Commissioner Bud Selig pronounced the 2009 All-Star Game experience on Tuesday as "four great, triumphant days for baseball." Full Story >
In a memorable pitchers' duel, the National League triumphed on a Maury Wills single in the 10th inning. More >
A furious late rally fell just short for the Reds-laden NL squad. More >
Cardinals outfidler Stan Musial homered for the National League, but the Junior Circuit triumphed. More >
The National League recorded the first shutout in All-Star Game history and Max West's homer provided most of the offense. More >


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What to CookAmanda & Merrill
Iced Tea, Two Ways
- Merrill
Over the Fourth of July weekend, my husband and I ventured to Los Angeles to visit family and friends. We arrived at my cousin Dan and his wife Monica's house one afternoon, and Dan excitedly offered us each a glass of what turned out to be his rendition of our grandmother's "famous" mint iced tea. We gleefully gulped the cool, sweet, aromatic tea, which I hadn't had in years. It's a taste memory that will always bring me back to sitting in my grandparents' large kitchen or under the umbrella by their pool on a summer day, sipping iced tea out of a tall, colored glass. My grandmother used Lipton iced tea mix, but she lifted it above the ordinary by infusing her tea with a generous amount of mint water, which she made by pouring boiling water over a huge handful of fresh mint that she'd just picked from the garden.
Inspired by Dan's brilliant -- and timely -- recreation of my grandmother's tea, I decided to make some myself at home las t week using tea bags instead of mix (you can use either -- I won't judge!). While I was thinking about writing this post, I also remembered that a neighbor and I had a conversation recently about a concoction she often throws together involving iced green tea and orange juice. I decided to try that as well, only adding some sparkling water for a little fizz. Both teas are lightly sweetened, so feel free to adjust to your taste. But make sure to serve both over plenty of ice!
Mint Iced Tea
Makes 1 quart
- 2 tea bags, or the equivalent in loose tea (I used English Breakfast, but you can really use any tea you like)
- 1 cup packed fresh mint leaves
- 3 to 4 tablespoons sugar (turbinado is good here, but you could also use honey or agave)
- Lemon slices for serving
See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.
Orange Green Tea Sparkler
Serves 1
- 1 green tea bag, or the equivalent in loose tea
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 orange wedge for serving
- Sparkling water
See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.
Like this post? Read Merrill's post from last week: Boozy Sour Cherries.


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This question is addressed through a series of questions and answers, each providing related introductory information such as how climate change is studied, the history of Earth's climate, and the effects of climate change on Earth's geology and... (View More) biology. The Climate Kids website is a NASA education resource featuring articles, videos, images and games focused on the science of climate change. (View Less)
Materials Cost: Free
In this activity, students learn the basics of the horizon, direction and the rising and settings of the Sun and stars by making a schoolyard "medicine wheel" with sidewalk chalk on playground asphalt. Medicine wheels are stone rings constructed by... (View More) the Plains people of North America which may have been used as a calendar system based on observations of objects in the sky. This activity requires a flat area at least 6 meters across – preferably asphalt or concrete – that has a good view of the sky. It can be done as a whole class activity. Part 1 of this activity involves constructing the medicine wheel (about 10-15 minutes). Part 2 of this activity involves making ongoing observations throughout the year at noon (about 10-15 minutes for each observation). Part 3 involves making observations from the wheel during after-school hours to observe the rising or setting points of stars, the Sun and Moon. Discussion questions, background information and a math extension activity are included. This activity is the second lesson in the Ancient Eyes Look to the Skies curriculum guide. (View Less)
Materials Cost: 1 cent - $1 per group of students


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Jan 27, 2012
has launched their official mobile app for iOS and Android. What this app offers is not necessarily the ability to play Steam games, but instead access to many features of the Steam frontend. The store can be browsed from the mobile app, games can be added to the wishlist, and games can even be added to the Steam cart; it is not immediately apparent if games can actually be purchased from the app yet, which may not be the case because of Apple restrictions, in particular. However, considering that Steam regularly offers sales, this could allow for those who want to partake in these sales but aren't necessarily at their computer to get a head start before they get back to their computer.
The app also offers access to Steam's social features; users can chat with their friends on Steam, and receive notifications of new messages. They also have access to the latest news on Steam games, just as in the desktop version of the app. Notifications could also hypothetically be used to alert of new sales on the store.
The only problem with the Steam app at this point is that access into it is very limited; it is in a closed beta, and Steam is only handing out codes to get in on an occasional basis. This means at the moment, the app is of very limited utility, but for those interested, signing in to the app does "show interest" to Valve for getting into the app, the necessary step toward getting that beta access code. Limited access to the interface does seem to show that Steam may be using a similar HTML5 wrapper around their iOS and Android apps, particularly with a similar slide-out menu to the Facebook app on both platforms. This may make it easier for them to update the app as necessary. Steam Mobile is available now for free.


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Three days before 6,126 fans packed historic Selby Stadium for the Ohio Machine's home opener, more than 250 people crowded the newly renovated Columbus Commons to play the sport, many for the first time, and attempt to break a world record.
From 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 16, the Ohio Machine, along with 200Columbus, the Greater Columbus Sports Commission (GCSC) and Experience Columbus, hosted the Ohio Machine "Lacrosse Launch Party." The event featured many activities and participants, along with four local food trucks including Cheesy Truck, Hungry Monkey, Mikey's Late Night Slice and Tatoheads. The event also had live music by Earwig, a 200Columbus Band Contest Finalist, and the attempt to set the world record for the world's largest lacrosse game.
According to the GCSC Director of Marketing and Communications Bruce Wimbish, the event was a successful part of the city's Bicentennial Celebration. "For the Bicentennial we had each major sports team do something to help Columbus celebrate being 200 years old," said Wimbish. "The Machine event not only celebrated the Bicentennial, but also helped bring more awareness to the Machine for the people who did not know that the Machine was the new professional team in town."
The launch party was also a chance for fans to meet some of the team's players for the first time. Some of the Machine players attending the event were Machine attackmen Chazz Woodson and Mario Ventiquattro, midfielders Eric O'Brien and Connor Martin, defensemen Brian Yontz and Brett Hughes and goalie Stefan Schroder.
For O'Brien, the event was a great way to help grow the game in a new market. "It was fun having all of the different age groups and organizations involved," said O'Brien. "We all enjoyed meeting the different people and to see the growth of the game in the form of the support that day."
Prior to the game, a short program took place with special guests Machine In-Game Host Mike Todd, City of Columbus Council Member Zach Klein, 200Columbus Bicentennial Program Manager Jamie Green and Ohio Machine President and General Manager John Algie.
Once the speaking was over….the game was on! The game began with everyone from Machine players to moms with their children to Columbus Crew's Frankie Hejduk to GCSC employees matching up on separate sides of the field in either red or blue, hoping to make their mark in the world record books.
Even GCSC's own Bruce Wimbish took part in the game and saw the long term benefits of the event. "I never played or handled a stick before, but I was hooked as soon as I got that lacrosse stick in my hand," said Wimbish. "I can see why it's the fastest growing sport in the county and I am excited about the future of the sport in Ohio."
More than 100 participants from all walks of life took part in the game with even more watching on that day, which helped the Machine set the pace for its inaugural season and for the future of lacrosse in Ohio to be a bright one.


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When George H.W. Bush invaded Panama back in 1989 (no threat to the United States, its leader a longtime CIA asset, thousands of civilian casualties: ring a bell?), Administration flacks dubbed the exercise Operation Just Cause. However, irreverent Pentagon apparatchiks assigned to plan the invasion mulled the lack of any rational justification for the attack and took to calling it Operation Just Because.
Iraq got lumbered with Operation Iraqi Freedom, which for Iraqis has turned out to mean freedom to have your head chopped off on TV, be blown to bits by "precisely targeted" American bombs and tank shells, "abused" with electrodes attached to your genitals, never stirring outdoors (if female) without an all-encompassing veil, or staying at home and sitting in the dark because there's no electricity. Since there is no conceivable justification for inflicting these miseries, we might as well tell them it's Just Because.
At least by this date we should not have to trouble ourselves with the possibility that Saddam posed a threat to anyone either with WMDs or links to Osama–save that even today, deep in the recesses of the terrorology business, the fantasies that once charmed the nation's journalists survive undiminished. Yossef Bodansky, the director of the Congressional Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare, has them all: secret shipments of Iraqi WMDs to Syria before the war, secret Iraqi-Iranian-Syrian plans to invade Israel, secret Iranian and Syrian long-range missiles in Lebanon (complete with detailed descriptions of their calibers and range), not to mention a secret and especially fiendish Syrian plot to contaminate Israel's water resources.
This torrent of drivel flows remorselessly through more than 500 pages. Sinister Arab plots, such as an Egyptian plan to invade Israel, loom as specters, only to disappear from the story as Bodansky scurries on breathlessly to newer and taller tales, usually garnished with attribution to one or another intelligence agency. Hence verbatim quotations from GRU (Russian military intelligence) reports march impressively through his narrative of the actual war. A quick Google check reveals these as lifted from a notorious wartime website touting GRU connections replete with wholly fictional reports of developments in the fighting. "Iraqwar.ru" was subsequently revealed as the concoction, according to one authoritative Russian military commentator, of "some guys kicked out of the [Russian] secret services for incompetence."
However, while consigning Bodansky's Secret History of the Iraq War to the UFO-abduction shelf, it is worth remembering that, not so long ago, most of the nation's national security intelligentsia were peddling material almost as self-evidently worthless. Brookings Institution experts, for example, endorsed the invasion of Iraq on the grounds that Saddam's nuclear weapons program posed a significant threat to the national security of the United States. These weighty conclusions turned out to be based on the word of Khidhir Hamza, self-styled as "Saddam's Bombmaker," the bulk of whose testimony was quite clearly fraudulent long before the war, and definitively exposed once the invasion troops found Saddam's nuclear cupboard to be entirely bare.


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Nick Lachey and gorgeous pageant queen Vanessa Minnillo were out for dinner last night at Katsu-ya looking like they just stepped out of 2002. Boot cut over pointy toe for her and borderline boyband/guido tee for him… not unlike what my mom sent over the other day. Maybe I"ve been off the scene for too long, but do you young girls really dig dudes who dress like this??? Really?
Nick must still be living at the height of his popularity, back when he was a bigger star than his then-wife.
Give me just one night… una noche!
Photos from Wenn.com


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With the Bulls missing three starters and the Nets jumping out to a 24-14 lead after the first quarter, it looked as if the home team would be in for an easy night in Brooklyn.
Instead, the Nets found themselves in the middle of a dogfight with a relentless opponent that refused to give an inch, even playing without guard Kirk Hinrich, forward Carlos Boozer and All-Star center Joakim Noah.
"We had the 10-point lead, and thought, 'Oh, it's going to be easy [with] no Boozer and Joakim,' and we were overpowering them," interim coach P.J. Carlesimo said. "But then they went small and our second group didn't start well in the second quarter, and suddenly [a 10-point lead] went to four and then it's like, 'Here we go again.' "
But thanks to contributions from all over the roster, including an inspired effort from the bench in the fourth quarter, the Nets were able to emerge with a hard-fought and desperately needed 93-89 victory over the Bulls Friday night in front of a sellout crowd of 17,732 at Barclays Center.
The Nets (28-19) spent most of the night playing against the Bulls' reserves, thanks to their starters being sidelined, and saw their own bench carry them. Andray Blatche, MarShon Brooks and C.J. Watson combined to score 25 of the Nets' 30 fourth-quarter points, including a key three-point play by Blatche with just over a minute left and a pair of free throws by Watson to ice the game with 11 seconds.
After Deron Williams had said before the game the Nets have struggled at times to keep their heads up when things start to go badly for them, he was encouraged by the team's ability to rally on a night when they didn't always play at their best.
"I think it was good for us," said Williams, who finished with 11 points and six assists while playing through his latest injury, tweaking his right ankle late in the first half. "It was good for all the people that played well. C.J. and Andray got going, MarShon … it was good to see those guys get some confidence, because we're going to need those guys as we move forward, and especially in the playoffs."
It had looked early on as if the Nets would have little trouble with Chicago, as the home team dominated the lane. Brook Lopez and Reggie Evans combined for 13 first-quarter points, as the Nets scored 18 points in the paint and jumped out to that 24-14 lead after one.
But Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, who beat out Carlesimo for Eastern Conference Coach of the Month honors, decided to go small for the remainder of the game, a move that gave the Nets fits.
After the Bulls outscored the Nets 28-17 in the second quarter to take a one-point lead at halftime, the Bulls then pushed the lead to 53-47 on a layup by Jimmy Butler with 7:19 remaining in the third.
But then Carlesimo made an adjustment of his own, pulling Evans and using Gerald Wallace at power forward the rest of the way, which allowed the Nets to match the Bulls all over the court.
"Your mindset changes with the position you play," Wallace said. "When you go down to the four, you're more focused on rebounding and trying to limit the other guys to one stop. You're considered a big, so your main thing is just trying to get rebounds and stops. That was our main thing tonight, trying to crash the boards, limit them to one shot and get us extra possessions."
Switching Wallace to power forward also opened up more room in the paint, which allowed the Nets to then successfully pound the ball into either Lopez, who led the team with 20 points, and Blatche, who scored all 11 of his points in the fourth quarter.
And in the end, the Nets made sure they didn't let a game they had to win — given the amount of firepower the Bulls were missing and the fact the Nets play eight of their 12 games this month against teams with winning records — slip away from them.
"I thought [our players] did a good job of regrouping at halftime," Carlesimo said. "I thought they did a very good job. We fell behind [in the third], but by that point I think they had decided this is the kind of game it's going to be, and let's find a way to win."


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Bequests (Australian Museum Foundation)
There are several ways in which you can make a bequest to the Australian Museum Foundation.
A bequest is an extremely beneficial way of supporting the Australian Museum's goals, inspiring and educating future generations in the natural sciences.
Types of bequests
Your bequest will be very gratefully appreciated. It could take any of the following forms:
- Residual; part of or all of your Estate after you have specified gifts for family or friends. This means your bequest will keep its value regardless of inflation, and that the gift you wish to make today is worth as much as when it is received by the Museum
- A percentage of your total estate
- Specified as including assets such as shares, bonds or property (for information about CGT and transfer of bequeathed assets, see the following link to the ATO website)
- A specified sum of money for the Museum
The Australian Museum Foundation can also be named as a beneficiary in a life insurance or superannuation policy.
You may choose to designate your bequest for the general purpose of the Australian Museum, and funds will be allocated to priorities of the Museum at the time. We do recommend that you seek independent legal advice when making or updating your Will. However, the clause for a simple gift in a Will could be:
"I give to the Australian Museum Foundation (ABN 64 497 967 210) ______* for the use and benefit of the Australian Museum at its absolute discretion** free from all taxes and duties payable in respect of my death, my estate or the administration of my estate and I direct that the receipt of the Director, President or other authorised officer for the time shall be an absolute discharge to my trustee(s) for the gift."
Bequest stories and ambassadors
- Story of a bequest: Clarence E Chadwick
- Story of a Bequest: Gwendoline West
- Bequest Ambassador: Journalist Robyn Williams
- Bequest Ambassador: Journalist Lynne Cairncross
Questions or comments?
We'd love to help you. Please contact the Development team on (02) 9320 6216 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Notes for consideration
* Details of the gift (for example, "the sum of ______.____ dollars" or "the residue of my estate") should be inserted in the space in the clause.
** If the gift is to be for a specific purpose, please discuss the details with us. These details should then be included in the clause and substituted for "the use and benefit of the Australian Museum at its absolute discretion".
The words making the gift "free from all taxes and duties payable in respect of my death, my estate, or the administration of my estate" should be considered with regard to prevailing tax and death duty laws. This provision may need to be amended or deleted as appropriate.
The person or persons whom the word "trustee(s)" covers may be referred to elsewhere in the Will as "executor(s)". In this case the relevant word should be included in the clause.
The suggested wording and notes above are to help you include the most appropriate clause in your Will. If you or your solicitor require further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the Development team on (02) 9320 6216 or firstname.lastname@example.com. All enquiries are strictly confidential.
The Australian Museum Foundation is endorsed by the Australian Taxation Office as an income tax exempt charitable entity and a deductible gift recipient. The Australian Museum is the Foundation's sole legal beneficiary.
Donations should be made payable to the Australian Museum Foundation (ABN 64 497 967 210). The Foundation is a charitable trust, the purpose of which is to ensure a secure financial base for the Australian Museum and the Museum is its sole legal beneficiary. The Foundation is endorsed as a deductible gift recipient and an Item 2 public ancillary fund under the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997. Donations may also be made to the Australian Museum Trust (ABN 85 407 224 698) which is also a deductible gift recipient under Items 1 and 4 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997
Jacob Burchett
Last Updated:


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Zucchini, Five Ways
Zucchini is in season right now and it's such a versatile vegetable. It can be used in so many other ways besides the ones we grew up thinking about — savory italian dishes. Due to the fact that it holds flavors so well; it can be dressed up or down and made sweet or savory.
If you are looking to take a somewhat traditional route; shave ribbons of zucchini into a green salad. The ribbons will add great texture and absorb the amazing flavors of the dressing. To make a traditional meal slightly less traditional; use zucchini in place of dough for pizza! Not only will you be cutting out a great deal of calories; it's an easy and fun way to get the kids to eat their veggies.
Be daring and make some zucchini cupcakes — I know, sounds weird but they're actually quite delicious. For easy finger foods, bake up some zucchini chips (I'm actually serving these at my upcoming bridal shower!).
Here are five unique and fun ways to use zucchini:
• Zucchini Crudo, Kiss My Spatula
• Zucchini Ribbon Salad, Proud Italian Cook
• Zucchini Oven Chips, Healthy Recipes
• Grilled Zucchini Pizza, Kalyn's Kitchen
• Zucchini Cupcakes, I Am Baker
Related: Summer Squash: 15 Spectacular Recipes for Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Pattypan & More
(Images: Kiss My Spatula, Proud Italian Cook, Healthy Recipes, Kalyn's Kitchen, I Am Baker


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How Are You Hiding From God?
There are two ways we can miss the mark of righteousness before God, two ways the relationship can be destroyed.
One is more or less obvious: outright sinfulness, unrighteousness, lawlessness, self-indulgence, what the Bible would call "worldliness",,. In other words, we can just say to God, "No thanks, I don't want it, I'll take my own chances."
The other is much less obvious and more subtle, one that morally earnest people have much more trouble with: turning our back on the free gift and saying in effect, "I do agree with what you demand, but I don't want charity. That's too demeaning. So I prefer to do it myself. What you are offering is too cheap. I prefer the law to grace, thank-you very much. That seems safer to me."
What this means, of course, is that secretly we find doing it ourselves more flattering to our self-esteem–the current circumlocution for pride. The law, that is, even the law of God–"the most salutary doctrine of life"– is used as a defense against the gift. Thus, the more we "succeed", the worse off we actually are. The relationship to the giver of the free gift is broken…the Almighty God desires simply to be known as the giver of the gift of absolute grace. To this we say "no". Then the relationship is destroyed just as surely as it was by our immorality. To borrow the language of addiction, it is the addiction that destroys the relationship…One can be addicted either to what is base or to what is high, either to lawlessness or lawfulness. Theologically there is not any difference since both break the relationship to God, the giver.
The law is not a remedy for sin. It does not cure sin. St. Paul says it was given to make sin apparent, indeed to increase it. It doesn't do that necessarily by increasing immorality, although that can happen when rebellion or the power of suggestion leads us to do just what the law is against. But what the theologian of the cross sees clearly from the start is that, even more perversely, the law multiplies sin precisely through our morality, our misuse of the law and our "success" at it. It becomes a defense against the gift. That is the very essence of sin: refusing the gift and thereby setting what we do in the place of what God has done.
There is something in us that is always suspicious of or rebels against the gift. The defense that it is too cheap, easy, or morally dangerous is already the protest of the Old Adam and Eve who fear–rightly!–that their house is under radical attack. Since they are entrenched behind the very law of God as their last and most pious defense, the attack must indeed be radical. It is a battle to the death.
Gerhard Forde, On Being a Theologian of the Cross, pg. 26-28


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Bite Me says he can dictate the type of weapon you own
Personally, I wouldn't let Joe Biden pick out my underwear, but he told House Democrats at their retreat that the government can tell you what weapons you can own says Politico;
"It is clearly within the right of the government to determine what type of weapons can be owned by the public."
Now, I'm no constitutional scholar, but I'm pretty sure that the federal government doesn't have any rights. I skimmed the Bill of Rights a few times, and couldn't find any rights, per se, in there for the feds. I see the tenth amendment with States' rights. So, I'm concluding that Bite Me doesn't know what he's talking about.
"Don't tell me because we can't solve it all, we can't act at all. … when people tell me you can't prevent these kinds of occurrences that doesn't mean we can't do something so god forbids if it happens again, diminish the carnage," he said.
Yup, we just have to do something, anything. Of course, unfortunately for the country, he'll still have his job in January 2015. Because if they go through with their gun ban, many of the Democrats in that room won't be in Congress.
Category: Gun Grabbing Fascists


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Interdisciplinary Studies
IDS 220 (EV, NW) The Body in Science and Society (1)
This class will use exemplars from the history of anatomy, physiology, and medicine to examine the intellectual processes that underlie science as a way of understanding the world. In addition, students will be introduced to paradigms for making reasoned judgments about the moral consequences associated with various advances in human biological science.
- General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Examining Values, Understanding the Natural World
- Offering: Spring
- Instructor: Harmer


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Asked T what sweet he would like to have for tea today, he requested brownies (as base) with the moist chocolate cake I baked the other day. Looked at the clock and after 2 seconds negotiation with him, he settled on just brownies.
This is a cake-like brownies with sugar reduced. Instead of adding chopped walnuts in it, I sprinkled some chocolate chips on the top for the "nutty" texture. As its name suggests, you need only one bowl to make this brownies. Less washing... The chocoholic is contented with his brownies, baker is happy too.
Ingredients (9" pan):
100gm unsweetened chocolate
110gm butter
200gm sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp milk
¼ tsp vanilla essence
120gm all-purpose flour, sifted
80gm chopped walnuts
- Preheat oven to 180 degree C. Grease and dust the pan with some flour.
- In a large mixing bowl, bring together butter and chocolate. Microwave on high for 2 minutes or until chocolate is melted. Mix well.
- Whisk in sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla essence. Whisk until the sugar is melted.
- Stir in flour follow with chopped walnuts, mix until combined.
- Transfer mixture into the pan and bake for 35 minutes.


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That Bettman/Daly presser this evening was a stake through the heart of the PA. A c-hair away from lacing them up and someone in the PA decided to push....one........more............time.Strangelove wrote:"I Blew Up The Union Real Good" - by Gary Bettman
You can bet your ass there is a strong contingent of players who are asking themselves, what the hell just happened and looking for a modern day Trevor.
Gary drove it home with his "October 11th, was the drop dead date".
Burkle, Tanenbaum, Vinik and Chipman were the players best bet. They offered a velvet glove and the PA tossed a gauntlet at them. Watch for Jacobs and Snider to take the reins and not spare the crop. Maybe our local wops have a cello player.......
So, they figured if the deal was done this week, there would be something less than 60, greater than 50 games for the season. Gary said less than the '94-'95 lockout 48 would be pointless. You do the math.


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In all instances, we will have to establish an open relationship, enabling us to better understand your company (or department) and its needs.
After all, it is your interest, as well as ours, to achieve the objectives you wish to achieve.
For example: If you contact us wishing us to improve your customer service delivery, we will have to learn from you the present state, your observations, what it is which bothers you with the present state, the quality of your supervisors and employees, their degree of know-how, overall work motivation and attitude.
We will also need to see two or three job descriptions, since these may lack guidance and direction with regard to customer service, and may need revision as a first step.
We wil also need information on feedback received from customers.
Sfter this preliminary assessment we will discuss with you alternatives for achieving the desired objective. You will choose the alternative which best suits your company and the budget at hand.
If all you want is a "refresher" training presentation, we can discuss this too. The fee would vary depending on logistics (venue, distance, etc.).
Or your management may experience a common problem, where you have supervisors, who are very good in their own sphere but who do not actually work together towards a common goal, i.e. real team-work.
Such a scenario would require several face-to-face conversations with all parties, or phone communictions in case of distance consulting.
In some instances, we may present you with a proposed activity for you to implement to solve this problem, or conduct the activity ourselves.
Each case is different, and so is each company and its players and circumstances.
In management consulting we are able to quote a fee only after completion of the required needs assessment.
For one-on-one coaching of one or more persons in your company, following a preliminary assessment, we will be ablel to quote an hourly fee.
Please rest assured that our fees are extremely reasonable.
Please always provide full identification when contacting us, with no "generic"
addresses (no @hotmail or any of the free mailbox address but your
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telephone numbers). We will respect your privacy and confidentiality.
However, when people approach us in the name of a company
but do not provide all required details we have to cross-check the
validity of the communication with the company itself.
Listing to be advised on the re-opening of our discussion forums is at http://www.easytraining.com/csforumlisting.htm
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Home Page: http://www.easytraining.com


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Johnson takes oath in public ceremony
Johnson takes oath in public ceremony
Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Bernette J. Johnson - the state's first black chief justice - has taken her oath of office in a public ceremony in New Orleans.
Thursday's public ceremony on the steps of the Supreme Court building in the French Quarter follows a private swearing-in that took place on Feb. 1.
Johnson succeeded Catherine "Kitty" Kimball as chief justice after Kimball retired from the court.
The chief justice position goes to the Supreme Court justice with the most seniority. Johnson assumed the post only after she and her colleagues resolved a dispute last year involving how her years of service should be calculated.


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June 26 2009 - NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNERS CONCERNING ADVERTISEMENTS FOR OBTAINING COPIES OF RECORDED DEEDS
Owners of properties for which property deeds have been recorded with the Department of Records have reported receiving advertisements via the mail offering to provide, for a fee, copies of their recorded deeds. These advertisements are addressed to the property owner and cite the recording number of the deed. (Example Solicitation)
Please be advised that these services are not affiliated with nor underwritten by the Philadelphia Department of Records. If you receive such an offer, your name, address and document recording number have been obtained from public records by the company making the solicitation. Although this is legal, it is not necessary for an individual to use such services to obtain copies of recorded deeds or other documents. Note the disclaimer in this sample advertisement.
Copies can be obtained directly from the Records Department, Room 154, City Hall, Philadelphia. The Department's fee for copies of recorded documents is $2.00 per page. Certification of a copy is an additional $2.00.
Copies of recorded documents can also be obtained via the Department's online system, Philadox, at http://philadox.phila.gov/picris/splash.jsp.
Purchase of a subscription to the system is required; the minimum subscription available is one hour of search time for $15.00.


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Following the GeneaBloggers Sunday's Obituary prompt I have begun to transcribe family newspaper clippings. An added bonus is discovering new information while entering each article.
Last weekend's post called Sunday's Obituary - Mary Matilda Starr Stock brought to light an exciting piece of family history. The article lists the organizations Mary had been part of throughout her life. There we find her as a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution!
My next step was to search the DAR database where I discovered the above record.
The following is the lineage I have in my records for Mary:
Patrick McSherry married Catherine Gartland
John McSherry, son of Patrick and Catherine Gartland - married Margaretta Black
Andrew McSherry, son of John McSherry and Margaretta Black - married Eve Norbeck
Sarah Matilda McSherry, daughter of Andrew McSherry and Eve Norbeck - married Alfred Platt Starr
William Francis Starr, son of Sarah Matilda McSherry (husband's 2nd great grandmother)and Alfred Platt Starr - married Anna Louise Steffy
Mary Matilda Starr, daughter of William Francis Starr and Anna Louise Steffy
I am sure this news will be of interest to my daughter, who is also a descendant of the patriot Patrick McSherry.
As a newbie to genealogy I realize how my inexperience can cause me to overlook important details. This is why I have connected to more seasoned researchers.
Through webinars, Facebook, Twitter, and blogging you will find others happy to give guidance. In fact during a recent workshop the presenter advised "look closer at the records in your files. You may already have the answer".
Indeed I did!
If not for the prompts Thomas MacEntee provides at GeneaBloggers this information may never have come to light. Thanks, Thomas!


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Roster Issues: Bonifacio, Kalish, Coghlan, Roberts, Final Positional Configuration
Not wanting to take the feel good spotlight off of Mike Olt and Ryan Kalish in the "they made the team" post, I'm separately addressing the roster-related implications of today's news.
First and foremost, Olt and Kalish are getting the last two 25-man roster spots for position players (in case you needed it in black and white, yes, Emilio Bonifacio is making the team). That means outfielder Chris Coghlan and utility man Ryan Roberts are out of luck. The latter was considering retirement before he came to the Cubs, and it doesn't sound like he's going to stick with the organization (UPDATE: Roberts has indeed requested, and been granted, his release). Coghlan will likely head to Iowa to await an opening in the big league outfield, or a possible future opt-out (if he feels like he can find a clearer path in another organization).
You'd like to see Roberts stick around at Iowa for depth, but you could also understand why he didn't want to. Even at Iowa, starts are going to be tough to come by with Villanueva-Baez-Alcantara locking down the non-first-base spots.
Kalish technically takes up the last 40-man spot, but the Cubs will also need one for Bonifacio. He'll likely take the one vacated by Kyuji Fujikawa when he hits the 60-day DL. Who is exactly getting which spot is largely academic. The point is: the Cubs have the space to add these guys without losing anyone else if they don't want to.
Although the pitching staff still has a couple spots to sort out (you can lock in Samardzija, Wood, Jackson, Hammel, Villanueva, Veras, Strop, Russell, Wright, and Rondon – questions on Rusin, Grimm, Cabrera), we can now lock in the positional side:
C: Welington Castillo, John Baker
1B: Anthony Rizzo
2B: Darwin Barney (plus UTL)
SS: Starlin Castro
3B: Mike Olt (plus UTL)
UTL: Emilio Bonifacio, Luis Valbuena
OF: Nate Schierholtz, Junior Lake, Ryan Sweeney, Justin Ruggiano, Ryan Kalish
Good balance and decent depth. The lack of a couple big-time bats is what holds you back from saying this is a decent lineup, but they've got plenty of guys who could break right, and turn this into an above-average offense. What if Castillo adds some power? What if Rizzo's BABIP jumps back up? What if Castro reverts to being a .300 hitter? What if Olt goes .250/.350/.475? What if Bonifacio does what he did in 2011? What if Lake puts it all together? What if the mish-mash in the outfield works fantastically in platoons (as their splits say they should)?
Not all of those things will happen in concert. It just doesn't happen that way. But if some or most do? Technically, conceivably … this could be an average or better offense. I wouldn't bet on it, but it's possible. I'm just sayin'.


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In order to provide the best possible customer service, reference librarians must continually seek ways to integrate new technology into the way we do things. Screensharing technology can be a big plus when doing a reference interview by telephone. Let's start the discussion about where we can go with this technology.
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Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life SYNOPSIS
Ayn Rand was born in 1905 in St. Petersburg, Russia. Defying the death warrant of the Soviet Union, she came to America as a temporary visitor in 1926 but remained for the rest of her life. Later, she would also defy the cultural and political views of contemporary America in such best-selling novels as THE FOUNTAINHEAD and ATLAS SHRUGGED. Her unique philosophy, Objectivism, challenged the cultural tradition of 2,500 years . . .
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January 19, 1999: "Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life" won a Golden Satellite Award for Best Documentary Film. The award was given by the International Press Academy at the…
At the 70th Annual Academy Awards ceremony, "Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life" was honored with an Oscar nomination in the category of Best Documentary Feature.
"In a loving—but not fawning—documentary look at this fascinating figure of 20th-century intellectual life, director Michael Paxton has created an exhaustive and definitive history of a challenging subject."
"The film, narrated by Sharon Gless, is an expertly assembled collection of news films, interviews with various people and television clips showing Rand being interviewed by people such…
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text: Save This Event For Later Hilltop Grasshopper, Kid's Bike Race North Caldwell, NJ, Sat Aug 17, 2013 Who's Registered? | Contact Event | Event Website | Google Calendar Start line address: North Caldwell, NJ 07006 Presented by JORBA This is a past event. If you wish to see the details for this event click, "Continue" below. If you are looking for a current event, please search the event calendar .


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food&family Magazine
Thanksgiving is drawing near so fast my head is almost spinning. I eagerly await it all year long and to think we're this close?
It is far and away my favorite feast of the year. Food, family, gratefulness... it's like a wonderfulness bomb that explodes joy all over my heart.
Is that too much? I can't help it. I love it so.
And I love ALL of it: the planning, the lead up, the actual event, and the days following it. It makes me feel giddy. Is anyone else about ready to pop?
In this season of togetherness, friends, and family fun, it's great to have a set of fast, go-to recipes that can provide holiday cheer to share with last minute or as an unexpected treat for the kids or even for the parents when the munchkins have been tucked into bed for the night.
Is there any food that screams Thanksgiving quite like pumpkin? I've been turning pumpkin goodies out of my kitchen like it's going out of style, but nothing quite compares to the ease of this thick, velvety Pumpkin Cheesecake Milkshake. This treatful shake makes any celebration just that much tastier. It is rich, pumpkin-y, and completely delicious, to be sure, but it is also done in mere moments, which makes it even more fun!
Pumpkin Cheesecake Milkshakes
Prep Time: 3-4 minutes • Cook Time: 1 minute • Serves: 3
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 ½ cups vanilla ice cream
1 cup milk
4 oz. PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese (Regular or 1/3 Less Fat)
¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 small pinch ground cloves
Crushed graham crackers (optional)
ADD all ingredients (except for the graham crackers) to a blender and blend on HIGH just until the mixture is smooth. It will be thick.
DIVIDE between three glasses and garnish with crushed graham crackers, if desired.
Are you looking for more Thanksgiving related recipes? Please visit KraftRecipes.com for more inspiration! And be sure to check out Kraft's Cheesecake Cheer site for more festive cheesecake recipes and inspiration!
For more recipes and ideas, visit my blog at www.foodiewithfamily.com.
Celebrate the day with our yummy Pumpkin Cheesecake Milkshakes. Our Pumpkin Cheesecake Milkshakes are a combination of some of our favorite flavors.
Total Time
Article by Kraft TasteMaker Rebecca Lindamood. For more recipes and ideas, visit her blog at Foodie with Family.
Please keep in mind that the bloggers opinions, advice and recipes are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Kraft Foods.
Receive free expert tips & inspiring weekly recipes right to your inbox.


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text: Everyday Finances share this page Start a Spending Plan A spending plan gives you control. Your plan will clearly show how much money you have coming in, what you're spending it on and where you can make trade-offs to come up with extra cash. Track Your Spending The first step to getting your finances on track is to know where your money is going. You may have a good handle on your monthly bills, but what about your daily expenses? Calculate Your Net Worth One of the best ways to assess where you stand financially is to calculate your net worth. When you add up all of your assets and subtract your debts, you can clearly see if you're progressing towards your goals. Monitor Your Financial Health Applying for a loan is a common first step toward buying a home, buying a car or going back to school. Monitoring your financial health can help you avoid surprises when you need a loan. Start an Emergency Fund We never know what the future holds for us, so it's always best to be prepared. Having an emergency fund put away is extremely important so you're always prepared to deal with what life brings—good or bad. Manage Your Checking Account Balancing your checkbook isn't what it used to be. Direct deposit, ATM fees and surcharges, online payments, automatic transfers and debit charges make keeping your account in balance a real juggling act. Reading Your Leave and Earnings Statement Your Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) provides detailed information about your pay and benefits. But the document can look like it's written in code. Here's what you need to focus on. Talk To Your Spouse About Money Talking about money issues under normal conditions can be stressful. Talking about them while a service member is deployed to a remote location can be more so. The best remedy is to communicate regularly about household finances. Set SMART Goals Goal-setting is pretty simple. A goal is something that you are willing to work for. You can get what you want by planning AND following the plan. Setting achievable—and SMART—goals is your first step to success. Free Tax Help for Military Families Filing your income taxes can be confusing enough, but special tax rules, exclusions, extensions and deployment can make tax season even more difficult for military members and their families. Fortunately, free tax assistance is available. Turn Your Tax Refund Into Instant Savings Taxpayers now have more ways to save the money they're getting back in their tax refund. Form 8888 lets taxpayers instruct the IRS to directly deposit a refund into more than one bank account or buy Savings Bonds. Preparing Your Finances for Deployment Developing a deployment financial plan and focusing on a savings routine will allow you to concentrate on your upcoming duties. Financial Tips for Your Next PCS Move To prepare for a life of moves, you need to know what to expect both before and after a move. That means asking a lot of questions and doing some research. Investing in Real Estate: The Inadvertent Landlord Managing real estate from afar can be a challenge for a family living the military lifestyle. You should approach real estate with the same care you would take before making any investment. share this page Featured Tool: my Social Security Take your retirement planning to new heights. Verify your earnings history and get your future benefits estimates online with a my Social Security account. Video: Thinking Money Documentary Travel from Wall Street to Main Street to find out how our brains—and the marketplace—affect how we deal with money.


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NEW ORLEANS – Now that the U.S. Justice Department's criminal probe of BP PLC is resolved, the company faces billions of dollars more in civil penalties for its role in the 2010 massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
On Tuesday, a federal judge agreed to let the London-based oil giant plead guilty to manslaughter charges for 11 rig workers' deaths and pay a record $4 billion in penalties.
Next up in the case is a civil trial designed to identify what caused a BP well to blow out in April 2010, triggering an explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig and spilling more than 200 million gallons of oil, much of it into the Gulf.
The trial also is intended to assign percentages of blame to BP and its partners.