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How much money would it take to get an English major to switch to engineering? Would a $1,000 discount on tuition every year do the trick? What about $5,000? What if switching majors not only reduced students' debt load but also made it much more likely that they would find a job after graduation? Would that be enough to change their mind?
These are questions Florida is debating as it looks for ways to steer more students into high-paying fields that employers are eager to cultivate. Governor Rick Scott's task force on higher education recently suggested freezing tuition at state schools in "strategic areas" like engineering, science, health care and technology, while letting the cost of humanities and other majors rise.
(MORE: TIME Oct. 29, 2012, Cover Package: Reinventing Higher Education)
The Florida proposal is a new twist on an old idea. Instead of increasing tuition across the board, many universities over the past decade have started charging more for majors with courses that are more costly to provide. Degrees in biology and engineering, for example, typically involve smaller class sizes, higher faculty salaries and cutting-edge labs with expensive equipment, so universities look to students to foot more of the bill. Today some 45% of large public research universities differentiate their pricing this way. At the University of Texas at Austin, which started charging different tuition rates in 2004, engineering students pay $5,107 each semester, while liberal-arts majors pay $4,673. (That's for in-state residents; for out-of-staters, the tuition costs jump to $17,189 and $15,878, respectively.)
Kevin Stange, a professor of public policy at the University of Michigan, studies the outcomes of differential tuition and has found that higher prices tend to dissuade students. The generally accepted consensus is that a $1,000 change in costs is associated with a 5 percentage point difference in enrollment rates. Similarly, a June study from Hanover Research found that for every $100 increase in tuition, enrollment decreased by 0.5% to 1%.
"When institutions start charging more for engineering and business, we do see a decline in the number of students pursuing those degrees," Stange said. But he thinks it's unlikely that lowering tuition will persuade huge numbers of people to major in such rigorous, technical fields. "Getting humanities majors to become engineering majors is probably a stretch."
(MORE: Is the Student-Loan Debt Crisis Worse than We Thought?)
Past attempts by the government to push students toward the sciences and math have had underwhelming results. In 2005 Congress approved a government grant program, known as the National SMART grants, that was designed to use additional financial aid as a carrot to encourage more low-income students to major in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Qualifying students could receive as much as $4,000 a year on top of their Pell Grants. But getting low-income students into STEM fields was tough — the program never met its participation targets and was cut in 2010–11.
"People tend to pursue what they're most comfortable with, so lower-income students are drawn toward teaching and social sciences," says Tom Mortenson, a policy analyst at the Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education. "You don't bump into engineering by accident. It requires a serious commitment to education and a more structured path to get there."
Motivating students to pursue degrees in technical fields remains an uphill battle, despite increasing demand for STEM majors. A White House report released in February estimated that the U.S. will need 1 million additional STEM graduates over the next decade in order to fill the growing number of jobs that require those skills, yet student interest remains low. The report, drafted by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, found that fewer than 40% of students who enter college intending to major in STEM fields complete a STEM degree.
(MORE: Top Three Flawed Arguments of the Anti-College Crowd)
Many prospective college students aren't even considering studying math or science. An online survey commissioned by the University of Sciences in Philadelphia and conducted in April by Harris Interactive found that 51% of high schoolers weren't interested in pursuing careers in the sciences or health care, 21% said they felt they were not good at the subjects and 16% said they did not feel ready to study science or health care in college. "The problem is not that students are uninterested in STEM fields but that they are unprepared," Sherman Dorn, a professor in the College of Education at the University of South Florida, wrote in a blog post. "How many undergraduates in Florida start out wanting to be doctors and are absolutely certain they are going to be doctors until they hit calculus and organic chemistry?"
Cheaper tuition might motivate some students to tough it out, but Timothy Wilson, a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia and author of Redirect: The Surprising New Science of Psychological Change, urges schools and policymakers to proceed with caution. "There is some evidence that external incentives lower internal motivation," he says. "There's a danger if people are doing something just because it's cheaper. Engineering is a very challenging field. People need to be really into it — it's not something you can do just for the money."


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When facing labour, there are many unknowns. Here's a crash course of tips and ideas to make your baby's birth a positive experience.
Is this labour? You've been feeling contractions on and off for days. Today they seem more regular—and when you actually write down the times, you find they are showing up every six or seven minutes. Is this it?
"It's not unusual to have one (or more) false starts," says childbirth educator and doula Samantha Leeson. Here's what to look for:
• Before or in early labour, you are likely to have loose bowel movements as your body gets ready. • You may notice that the mucus plug has come away from the cervix, often tinged with blood (called a "bloody show"). This can happen a day or more before labour starts, or during early labour. • The contractions are more than 45 seconds long, and are gradually getting stronger and closer together. Shorter contractions that don't increase in intensity are more likely to mean false labour.
Think it might be just a practice round? Your partner can massage your lower belly and back to make you more comfortable. Try having a warm bath (perhaps with a glass of wine) to see if this will stop the contractions. If not, it will help you rest and relax.
Read more: Strategies for an easier labour>
Labour supply list • Snacks and drinks • Music and CD player • Warm socks: Feet tend to get cold in labour! • Extra pillows • Ice water and washcloth for a cool compress • Tennis balls and rolling pin for firm pressure against your back • Hot pack: Fill an old sock with two cups of uncooked rice and sew shut. Heat in the microwave. • Exercise ball • Plastic lawn chair for sitting in the shower
What happens during this stage • Contractions usually start at about 20 minutes apart and gradually get closer together, until they're about five minutes apart. • Contractions last 30 to 45 seconds. • The cervix thins out or "effaces." • The cervix begins to dilate and may be dilated three or four centimetres by the end of this stage.
Your goal for this stage The goal in early labour is to relax and ignore it for as long as possible," says childbirth educator Michele Sears. "I encourage couples to brainstorm before labour starts about what might work for them. Sometimes they pick a movie they'd like to see and buy the DVD in advance."
Strategies couples have used to distract themselves • listening to music • meditation • going for a walk • shopping • doing light housework • packing for the hospital • baking a birthday cake for the baby
If you can, sleep or rest; this will help you have more energy later. Or take advantage of the pain-relieving effects of natural endorphins that are released when you laugh (so make that movie a comedy) or have sex (or at least some affectionate cuddling).
Generally, it's a good idea to wait until you're in active labour. "You're looking for contractions that are four minutes apart and lasting at least 60 seconds, and that have been that way for at least an hour," says childbirth educator Samantha Leeson. Going to the hospital too early can make labour seem longer, and the hospital environment may feel more stressful.
Some exceptions: if you live a long way from the hospital, or if the weather may make driving difficult, you may want to go sooner. If your membranes have ruptured, follow your doctor's or midwife's instructions. For a home birth, you may want to call the midwives a bit sooner, so they have time to get set up.
Doulas: More than holding hands Can a doula help you during labour? Cori Smithen of Saskatoon is convinced of the benefits: She found that even though she'd attended childbirth classes and read lots of books, once she was in labour, "it was like I forgot all that stuff!" Having a doula to remind her and support her made a big difference.
Read more: Doulas: Choosing the right one>
A doula will support your partner as well as you through labour and birth. Research has shown that having a doula significantly reduces your risk of having a Caesarean section and other medical interventions, shortens labour and increases the chances of breastfeeding success.
What to expect • Contractions are usually about five minutes apart at the beginning, and get as close as three minutes apart. • Contractions last 45 to 60 seconds. • The cervix thins out more and dilates to seven centimetres.
Your goal for this stage "The contractions are becoming more painful during this stage, so your goal is to manage that pain," says Sears.
Some coping stategies Use water Sears suggests getting into a shower and letting the water run on your back or belly, or getting into a bath. Your partner may want to bring a bathing suit too.
Read more: Celebrity birth stories>
Keep cool If you find you're getting hot and flushed, have a bowl of ice water handy to put your hands or wrists in, or use a cool washcloth on your face.
Vocalize Try making low-pitched sounds, or singing with your jaw relaxed. Leeson says research has shown a definite correlation between a relaxed mouth and jaw and a relaxed pelvic floor.
Read more: Dad-to-dad advice for the delivery room>
Breathe slowly and rhythmically Partners can help by slowly counting each breath or saying "breathe in (long pause) breathe out."
Walk Staying mobile has been shown to significantly reduce the length of labour and the need for pain medication. If your partner or doula walks with you, you'll have someone to hold onto for support when the contraction starts. Leeson suggests that if you feel tired, lie down for 30 minutes, then get up and walk again.
Try different positions When you don't feel like walking anymore, try kneeling, hands and knees, squatting or lying on one side and then the other. As labour progresses, the baby moves further down into your pelvis, so the position that was most comfortable an hour ago may not be working now.
Massage can help — but the person doing it needs to pay attention to your responses What feels good at one point may be annoying at another stage. During active labour, massaging the lower back and shoulders is generally more helpful than massaging the belly. Your partner can use tennis balls or a rolling pin to apply pressure to the lower back. (Actually rolling the rolling pin on your back will probably be uncomfortable; rather, use it to apply firm, steady pressure.)
Drink lots of water Stay hydrated by sipping water after every two contractions, suggests Leeson. It's also important to keep your bladder empty, so try to urinate every hour even if you aren't feeling a strong urge.
What happens during this stage • Contractions may be two or three minutes apart, or may be right on top of each other, with little or no break. • Contractions last 60 to 90 seconds. • The cervix is completely thinned out and dilated to 10 centimetres.
Your goal for this stage "Your goal is to maintain your confidence," says Sears. Transition is an intense stage of labour. Many women experience nausea, shaking, chills and hot flashes. You are also likely to feel overwhelmed and ready to give up.
"This is when caring, positive support is so important," Sears advises. Encouraging words ("You're doing great; the baby will be here soon") can really help.
Take it one contraction at a time Rest as much as possible between contractions, even if the breaks are only brief.
Reduce outside stimulation Keep the lights dimmed, and any music low and calming.
Keep your breathing slow Patterned breathing (for example, three short breaths followed by a longer, more forceful breath) can give you something to focus on.
Lean on your partner Try slow dancing, or holding onto him or her and slowly bending your knees as contractions intensify. Your partner should brace himself and be prepared to support your weight in case your legs give way during a strong contraction.
Moan in a low voice, sing or repeat a particular phrase over and over Saying something like "I know I can do this" helps you feel confident too, but Leeson says even repeating your phone number can work.
Strong pressure against your lower back This can help, but stroking or rubbing is usually not appreciated.
As the pushing stage approaches, some women begin feeling the urge to bear down and push even though the cervix is not completely open. If that happens, you can blow out—as though you are blowing out a candle—repeatedly during the peak of the contraction. You may also want to change positions, perhaps moving to hands and knees, or lying on your side so there is less pressure against the cervix.
Back labour
A baby whose face is towards your belly (posterior position) can cause extra pain in your back during and between contractions. Try getting onto hands and knees, sitting backwards on the toilet or chair, or leaning over a table or bed — any position that uses gravity to lessen the pressure against your spine. Or take a lawn chair into the shower and let the water run over your back. Firm pressure against your back can help too.
What happens during this stage • Contractions may be further apart again—perhaps five or 10 minutes. • The mother feels the urge to bear down and push with the contractions. • The baby moves through the open cervix and vagina and is born.
Your goal for this stage You'll want to find the most comfortable and effective position for giving birth to your baby, Sears says. Brady Henderson, for example, originally tried squatting, but then moved onto her hands and knees. "Once I was in that position, I could push more effectively, and the baby came right away," she recalls. Other options (and your choices may depend at least in part on your caregiver's preferences) are standing (with support), semi-sitting, using a birthing stool, or lying on one side.
Your other goal is to relax and let the birth canal and perineum open up for the baby. To achieve this, try to • Relax your abdominal muscles by putting one hand on your lower belly and pushing it out as you breathe in. • Visualize everything opening up to let the baby out. • Ask to have warm wet cloths applied to the perineum. • Put your hand down to touch the baby's head as it moves down. This can help you understand where to push (plus it's an incredible feeling!). Or ask your caregiver to put his or her fingers just inside the vagina to create some pressure and help direct your pushing. • Push in response to the contractions and your body's signals. Hold your breath only as long as your body tells you to. Pushing will be more effective if you don't make noise (but you can't always help doing some grunting and groaning). Your partner may need to provide physical support—keeping you in a semi-sitting position, for example.
As the baby crowns—which means the largest part of the baby's head is emerging — you may feel an intense burning sensation. This is normal, and is a signal to you to stop pushing (easier if you keep your breath flowing without holding it) so that the baby will be born more slowly and the risk of tearing is reduced. Very soon your baby's body will slip right out and you can welcome your new son or daughter.
Medical interventions
While most births are straightforward, about one in four women will have their babies born by Caesarean section, and more than half will request some kind of pain medication (most commonly epidural anaesthesia during labour).
Read more: Should you have en epidural>
You may want to discuss the risks and benefits of any procedures with your doctor, midwife or childbirth educator, or do some research on your own, so you can make the decisions that are right for you and your baby. Keep in mind, though, that things can change during labour and your plans need to be flexible.
Partners may feel their support isn't as important when medical interventions become necessary, but that isn't so; by helping the mother feel less stressed and asking questions on her behalf, a partner makes a positive difference for both mother and baby.
While your attention is naturally consumed by getting to know this incredible little person, the birth process isn't quite complete. The cord that connected your baby to the placenta before birth needs to be cut; new Canadian research shows that delaying this for two minutes will reduce the risk of the baby's iron levels being low later in the first year, so it's worth waiting. (Your partner, if interested, can be the one who cuts the cord.) Then you'll feel more contractions—a little milder now—as the placenta separates from the uterus and emerges.
Read more: Umbilical cord care>
If everything has gone well, ask to have your baby skin to skin, perhaps with a blanket to cover both of you; this helps stabilize your baby's temperature and prepares you and baby to begin breastfeeding.
Whether labour has gone just as you expected, or things turned out not quite as planned, this is a day you will never forget—the day your baby was born.
Keep up with your baby's development, get the latest parenting content and receive special offers from our partners

subset: commoncrawl


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February 5 is National Pancake Day, a celebration of flapjacks and philanthropy at your local IHOP, where they'll serve you a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes in hopes of securing your donation to Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Thinking about pancakes—besides giving us a warm, syrupy smile—brought up memories of some of our favorite breakfast scenes in movies.
You may think of breakfast as a leisurely meal you eat in your pajamas, or as something you gulp down absent-mindedly on your way out the door, but on film, breakfast takes on a much more dramatic flavor. Here, then, are 10 movie breakfasts worth toasting.


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Every month I make a short list highlighting my choices of the best resources I shared through (and learned from) Twitter, but didn't necessarily include them in posts here on my blog. Now and then, in order to make it a bit easier for me, I may try to break it up into mid-month and end-of-month lists (and sometimes I'm a bit late).
I've already shared in earlier posts several new resources I found on Twitter — and where I gave credit to those from whom I learned about them. Those are not included again in this post.
If you don't use Twitter, you can also check-out all of my "tweets" on Twitter profile page or subscribe to their RSS feed.
I use Storify to "curate" my best tweets:


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Currently, the CRAN package repository features 12194 available packages.
Table of available packages, sorted by date of publication
Table of available packages, sorted by name
Please type help("INSTALL") or help("install.packages") in R for information on how to install packages from this repository. The manual R Installation and Administration (also contained in the R base sources) explains the process in detail.
CRAN Task Views allow you to browse packages by topic and provide tools to automatically install all packages for special areas of interest. Currently, 35 views are available.
All packages are tested regularly on machines running Debian GNU/Linux, Fedora, OS X, Solaris and Windows.
The results are summarized in the check summary (some timings are also available). Additional details for Windows checking and building can be found in the Windows check summary.
The manual Writing R Extensions (also contained in the R base sources) explains how to write new packages and how to contribute them to CRAN.
The manual CRAN Repository Policy [PDF] describes the policies in place for the CRAN package repository.


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A Stunning Fall For CIA's Celebrated Petraeus
CIA director David Petraeus has resigned after admitting to an extramarital affair. Host Scott Simon talks to NPR's Tom Bowman about this latest development in the former general's storied career.
This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon.
David Petraeus has resigned as director of the Central Intelligence Agency, citing an extramarital affair and saying that he showed, quote, "extremely poor judgment." It was a stunning fall for one of the most celebrated generals in recent U.S. history. NPR's Tom Bowman is here to talk about it. Tom, thanks so much for being with us.
TOM BOWMAN, BYLINE: You're welcome, Scott.
SIMON: What do we know now about what happened?
BOWMAN: Well, this all happened on Thursday. General Petraeus went to meet with the president, saying he wanted to resign for personal reasons. He said in a statement that his behavior was dishonorable, said he was married for 37 years.
Now, his wife Holly was also high profile. She worked at Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and they helped soldiers with financial issues, exploitation by non-profit schools and lenders. They also have a son who served as an army officer in Afghanistan back in 2010.
SIMON: Affairs by nature are secret. How did this one come to light?
BOWMAN: This all came to light through an FBI investigation. Now Petraeus was not a party to this investigation in any way, but Paula Broadwell was, and she was the one having an affair with General Petraeus.
SIMON: Someone who's written a book about General Petraeus.
BOWMAN: Exactly. Yeah, she's a West Point grad, a researcher. She wrote this glowing biography of Petraeus. And the FBI found hundreds, if not thousands, of emails between the two, and clearly from the emails there was an affair going on here. But there were no criminal charges, so the FBI just kind of notified Petraeus, you know, we have all this information, and then that led to him going to the president and resigning.
SIMON: So the investigation was not into General Petraeus.
BOWMAN: Right.
SIMON: And we know why the FBI was looking at (unintelligible)?
BOWMAN: You know, we don't. We just know that Paula Broadwell was involved in some way in this investigation. But at this point we don't have a lot of detail.
SIMON: President Obama called David Petraeus one of the most celebrated generals. What made his reputation?
BOWMAN: In one word - Iraq. The Iraq war, he's one of the few national leaders who came out looking good from the Iraq war. And he took over command, he was in - he took over command in 2007 when people thought this, you know, Iraq war was doomed.
And what he did was he changed the way they looked at the war. Rather than just go after insurgents, he focused on the population, rather than just capturing and killing insurgents. He pushed for security of the population, worked with tribal elders, build roads and schools and so-forth, and tie the people to their government. That's how you deal with insurgencies.
SIMON: He had critics too, must be noted.
BOWMAN: You know, he did have critics. He was seen as a self-promoter, cozying up to generals throughout his career. And he also courted the press quite well and that did not endear him to his fellow generals. There was a famous Newsweek magazine cover with the headline in showing General Petraeus in full battle gear and the headline was Can This Man Save Iraq?
SIMON: That will not necessary endear you to your other colleagues.
BOWMAN: Absolutely not.
SIMON: Look, I've gotten a lot of emails in the past few hours. And maybe you have too, Tom, from people who say in the past, generals, and even commanders in chief have had extramarital affairs, and they didn't resign. Why did David Petraeus, now head of the CIA, feel obliged to resign?
BOWMAN: Well, all we know is what he said in his statement, that his behavior was reprehensible, that he thought it was a point of personal honor that he should leave this agency, and he said, you know, we're held to higher standard here at the CIA, therefore, you know, I think it's my duty to resign.
SIMON: So near as you can tell as we speak now, this was self-motivated, not necessarily put in place by outside of him.
BOWMAN: That's right. All the indications we have now is he did this on his own. Once the FBI came forward and told him about that they have information about the affair, he decided on his own that he had to go.
SIMON: NPR's Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman. Thanks so much for being with us.
BOWMAN: You're welcome, Scott.
Copyright © 2012 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio record.


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Connecting Kids to Real Food
10 Apr 2013
Cibecue, Arizona is a community of 1700 White Mountain Apache tribal members situated among stunning red rock hills, scrub juniper, and sprawling grasslands. It is located on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in eastern Arizona at the foot of the White Mountains.
Cibecue is off the beaten path—an hour's drive from any other town or city—and due to its isolation, food options are limited. There are three convenience stores in Cibecue. Last year, while serving as a FoodCorps service member, a network of leaders connecting kids to real food, I perused the shelves of the largest of the three. There was one cooler in the back of the store sparsely stocked with packaged cucumbers and half-ripe tomatoes, and a couple of heads of iceberg lettuce. These are the only vegetables for sale in the community. In one of the other stores, with a growling stomach, I searched for the healthiest item, and after settling on a 16-ounce (450g) block of cheddar cheese, discovered that it cost $7.00. In that same store, one can buy 308 ounces of soda (9 liters) for the same price.
Most Cibecue families make a weekly trip 48 miles to Walmart, where food prices are cheaper and there is a greater variety. You can imagine then, because access to fresh vegetables is so restricted in Cibecue, what families are left to purchase to feed their families if they can't make that weekly trek. So it's not all that surprising that kids growing up there may have never seen a real carrot.
In 2010 FoodCorps partnered with the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health (JHCAIH) and beginning last year placed two FoodCorps service members on the reservation to teach gardening and nutrition to kids at the local school. Through the Edible School Garden program third, fourth, and fifth graders learn about the plant life cycle, tools to help them choose healthier foods, and about the wild foods their ancestors used to eat.
This year, we are fortunate to have Gilbert Ivins as our service member in Cibecue. Gilbert is a member of the White Mountain Apache Tribe and has lived in Cibecue his whole life. Prior to FoodCorps, he worked as an Emergency Medical Technician and firefighter in his community.
Last week I sat down with Gilbert to hear about his service thus far. This is what he had to say:
Gilbert: Being a FoodCorps service member is really cool because I get to be the stepping-stone for many young Native American youth making a positive change toward their health and nutrition. I've seen kids try all the vegetables and fruits we brought them.
Kathleen: How do you see your service addressing all of these challenges?
Gilbert: I see my service addressing these issues by working through the kids. By that I mean teaching and showing these kids healthy from non-healthy items. I hope that kids take home and share with their parents the information they get from our classes. I hope too that the parents will come to us with questions about healthy eating lifestyles.
Kathleen: What is the biggest challenge you face in your service? What is the biggest reward?
Gilbert: My biggest challenge I face in my year of service is coming out of this successfully, having touched many lives and changed the community for the better and for the future of the kids. My biggest reward I would have to say is knowing that I helped make change in my community, especially with getting the youth on the right foot and never going astray from what we have taught them.
Kathleen: What is your favorite part of being a FoodCorps service member?
Gilbert: My favorite part of being a FoodCorps service member is interacting with my Apache youth—teaching them through food that they have had many connections with life even dating back to their ancestors. I like teaching them that this healthy lifestyle has been provided for them even before their time came. The trick is getting them back to their ancestral roots by reintroducing them to the wild foods that grow here. Through the lessons we teach in Edible School Gardens kids now know that there are other alternatives when it comes to choosing what to eat.
By Kathleen Yetman, FoodCorps Fellow and Gilbert Ivins, FoodCorps service member
Article adapted from the Slow Food USA blog.
Blog & news
Change the world through food
Learn how you can restore ecosystems, communities and your own health with our RegenerAction Toolkit.


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Episcopal's longtime football coach and boys athletic director, Mark Gowin, announced plans to retire at the end of this school year in late January.
Gowin, who joined the boarding school's staff in 1988, has coached the football team to four Interstate Athletic Conference championships and three undefeated seasons. Coaching baseball in the spring, Gowin also led Episcopal's boys of summer to one IAC title.
"I speak for two decades of student athletes and professional colleagues when I express my appreciation to [Gowin] for his devoted service to EHS," said Headmaster Rob Hershey. "He and his teams have embodied the ideal blend of competitive spirit and sportsmanship."
When he wasn't on the field, Gowin was in the classroom or working as the school's dean of students. He came to Episcopal from Gonzaga, where he spent 10 years as the Washington private school's athletics director and football coach. He'll officially hang up the whistle in June.


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Level III 10-26-10
Welcome to the iHanuman Digital Download Store! Enjoy Incredible Classes, Workshops, Lectures and Training Videos to assist your Daily Practice. We Contribute AT LEAST 5% of EVERY Sale to Charitable Organizations. Learn More...
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Prince Pro blend Tennis string
Tennis Plaza opened its doors in 1990 with a store in South Miami. It impressed customers with a rapid growing selection of tennis equipment and apparel and easily differentiated itself from other tennis retailers by offering competitive prices and unparalleled knowledge of the tennis industry and its products. Most importantly, Tennis Plaza has always prided itself on giving superb assistance from its wonderful employees.
Today, 24 years later, Tennis Plaza stands proudly as one of the major tennis retailer in the United States. This has been possible through our undying devotion to stay true to the same values that were implemented when we first started. We continue to offer a comprehensive array of tennis services, such as same day restringing with top-of-the-line electronic stringing machines from Wilson and Babolat, racquet customization, the free of charge racquet demo program, and free shipping* in orders placed in our website. But that's only the beginning.
Tennis Plaza prides itself on its world-class selection of brand name tennis equipment, tennis apparel, and tennis accessories for players of all ages and abilities. Premier merchandise brands include Wilson, Babolat, Head, Prince, Dunlop, Luxilon, Yonex, Volkl, Tecnifibre, Nike, Adidas, Fila, Kirschbaum, Gamma, New Balance, K-Swiss, Tail, Bloq-Uv, Diadora, and many more. Aside from this breath-taking selection, Tennis Plaza also carries racquetball and squash gear.
We can go on and on about what makes Tennis Plaza so great, but that tells only one side of the story. Experiencing our partnership with the Miami Open Tennis Tournament shows our commitment to serve the tennis community in new and exciting ways and our ever-expanding retail stores in Florida (Miami, Doral, Aventura, Orlando, Lake Buena Vista, and Tampa) are wonderful places to shop and have a chat with a passionate employee about your favorite sport. Let us not forget our website, TennisPlaza.com, continues to be the place many players go to shop virtually.
Come on by any of our stores, browse our website, or give us a call! We would love to help you get the right gear for your game.


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Adolf Hitler is running for election in India. So is Frankenstein. The tiny northeast Indian state of Meghalaya has a special fascination for interesting and sometimes controversial names, and the ballot for state elections Saturday is proof.
Among the 345 contestants running for the state assembly are Frankenstein Momin, Billykid Sangma, Field Marshal Mawphniang and Romeo Rani. Some, like Kenedy Marak, Kennedy Cornelius Khyriem and Jhim Carter Sangma, are clearly hoping for the electoral success of their namesake American presidents.
Then there is Hitler.
Related stories:
- Moses replaces Hitler in Japanese comics
- Novel imagining Hitler return is bestseller
- Germany marks 80th anniversary of Hitler's rise
This 54-year-old father of three has won three elections to the state assembly with little controversy over being named after the Nazi dictator.
His father had worked with the British army, but apparently developed enough of a fascination with Great Britain's archenemy to name his son Adolf Hitler – though he also gave him the middle name Lu, Hitler said.
'Didn't have a role in my naming.' Hitler (L) (Photo: AFP)
"I am aware at one point of time Adolf Hitler was the most hated person on Earth for the genocide of the Jews. But my father added `Lu' in between, naming me Adolf Lu Hitler, and that's why I am different," Hitler told The Associated Press from the small village of Mansingre, 200 kilometers (125 miles) west of Gauhati, the capital of the nearby state of Assam.
Hitler said his name has not stopped him from traveling the world, including to the United States and Germany.
"I never had problems obtaining a visa but I was asked many times during immigration as to why I should have such a name. I told the immigration staff I possibly didn't have a role in my naming," he said.
India played little role in World War II, and many Indians view Hitler not as the personification of evil but as a figure of fascination. Hitler's book "Mein Kampf" is prominently displayed at many Indian bookstores.
The owner of a menswear shop named his store "Hitler," then expressed puzzlement last year after Israel complained.
Musfika Haq, a teacher in Meghalaya's capital, Shillong, said such names are common in the state.
"Parents obviously get fascinated by names of well-known or great leaders, but must be unaware that some of them, like Hitler, had been highly controversial," he said.
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On this Dodgers off-day, the most important other MLB game is Reds @ Giants, 7p first pitch. Edinson Volquez (3-1, 4.98) takes the mound against Matt Cain (9-10, 3.11). Accuscore published in the WSJ today said the Giants should win 6.2 runs to 4; Giants fans are chilling their chardonnay glasses as I write this.
The Giants trail NL Wild Card leader Philadelphia by two games, sharing the second-place WC slot with the Cardinals. The Cards play the Pirates (Lohse vs. Ohlendorf) and the Phillies host the Astros (Blanton vs. Myers), with both games starting at 4p PT, so the Giants will know how their competitors are doing as they take the field.
Let's go, Reds!


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After exploring several galleries full of evocative work by an international array of artists, visitors to Drawing Surrealism are invited to make some art of their own using touchscreens for the purpose. Visitors have been sharing the results since the exhibition opened.
As you doodle, don't be surprised if there appears to be a ghost in the machine; the drawing app is collaborative, such that the work of each individual participant appears on each of the drawing screens in real time. As you draw, someone else might be drawing right there along with you. The resulting sketch derives from a spontaneous, uncoordinated group process, in keeping with the automatic and collaborative methods practiced by surrealist artists.
Watching visitors enter into the drawing experience is reminiscent of something André Breton wrote in his 1924 Manifesto du Surréalisme: "Pure psychic automatism, by which one seeks to express, be it verbally, in writing, or in any other manner, (is) the real working of the mind, dictated by the unconsciousness, in the absence of any control exercised by reason, and free from aesthetic or moral preoccupations."
Leo Estevez of Small Green Door developed the web application that supports the experience, using an open source library called Meteor. During a visit to the exhibition, Leo noted a direct connection between cultural forces surrounding the early advent of surrealism and present times. "At the time of surrealism, there was a huge shift in technology going on, with the rise of industrialism," he observed. "People were trying to find the limits of the machine and understand the parts of it that are human and the parts that are not human. A surrealist show is the perfect platform for emerging technology. You expect technology to do what you tell it to do, bu when you add another user's input, you get unexpected results. It's a performance. In surrealism, you see people trying to abstract the world that way together, too. It's like the beginning of programming!"
Amy Heibel


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The last time that I made cornbread I tried serving it with maple syrup and it reminded me of pancakes. My next thought of course was, why not try cornmeal pancakes? With all of the fresh local blueberries available right now blueberry pancakes are often on my mind and I figured that it was the perfect time to try some blueberry cornmeal pancakes. The blueberry cornmeal pancakes came together quickly and easily and they turned out great! They were nice and golden brown on the outside and light and fluffy and filled with blueberry goodness on the inside. Blueberries and maple syrup are a great combo and I could not resist drowning these blueberry pancakes in maple syrup and topping them with a dab of melting butter to finish them off. I really enjoyed the texture that the cornmeal added to the pancakes and I am definitely going to be making cornmeal pancakes again.
Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
- 1 cup blueberries
- Mix the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl.
- Mix the buttermilk, eggs and butter in another bowl.
- Mix the wet and dry ingredients making sure to not over mix.
- Mix in the blue berries.
- Heat a pan and melt a touch of butter in it.
- Pour 1/4 cup of the mixture into the pan and heat until the surface starts to bubble and the bottom is golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.
- Flip the pancake and cook the other side until the bottom is golden brown, about 1-2 minutes.
Blueberry Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Blueberry Oatmeal Pancakes
Cottage Cheese Cornbread
Blueberry Maple Oatmeal Muffins with Pecan Streusel
Blueberry Cheesecake Pancakes
Seven Layer Dip Cornmeal Pancakes
Jalapeno Cornbread
Blueberry Zucchini Pancakes
Honey Lemon Zucchini Pancakes
Jalapeno and Cheddar Corn Pancakes with Bacon (aka Jalapeno Popper Pancakes)


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In late 1988, when I chaired the Helsinki Commission, I listened in a dining room in Moscow filled with American and Soviet officials, as a Russian dissident named Lev Timofeyev stood and proposed a toast. Not two years before, he was chopping lumber in a forced-labor camp in the Ural Mountains. Now he was home, and he raised his glass that night to the immediate freedom of "all those people whom we are accustomed to call political prisoners."
We Americans drank to that, but the Soviets refused to touch their glasses. An uncomfortable moment passed until the editor of the government paper rose to speak on their behalf. He said: "If we are talking about innocent people who were falsely convicted—well, I can support that." And the Soviets drank, as well.
I don't want to overstate the gravity of that moment. The distance across that table lay between those who believed that every political prisoner is innocent, and those who believed that some words and some thoughts were worth prison. Neither side won over the other that night. But the editor of the state paper made an important concession: that some prisoners had been unjustly convicted; that there was such a thing as an innocent man in a labor camp; that innocence itself mattered. And from the regime behind the purges and the show trials and the Gulag—from the regime that gave terrifying meaning to the word "disappear"—those words truly carried weight.
The fall of the Soviet empire—and the fall of this Wall—was to a great extent the result of such small concessions, piled up bit by bit, and of the brave men and women who elicited them and called the empire to account for them. When the Soviet regime signed the Helsinki Accords in 1975, its leaders believed that they had scored a great diplomatic coup, and that the provisions committing them to respect human rights and freedom of conscience would be an afterthought, easily ignored.
But inside the Soviet bloc, they were not ignored. They became a rallying cry for those with the bravery to push their masters to live by what they had signed, from the Russian dissident movement, to Charter 77 in Czechoslovakia, to Solidarity in Poland, to heroic men and women like Andrei Sakharov, Elena Bonner, Natan Sharansky, and Vaclav Havel. As Havel said to a joint session of Congress: "We knew a great deal about the enormous number of growing problems that slumbered beneath the honeyed, unchanging mask of socialism. But I don't think any of us knew how little it would take for these problems to manifest themselves in all their enormity, and for the longings of these nations to emerge in all their strength."
The Helsinki Accords were central to that awakening. The historian John Lewis Gaddis observed: the Helsinki Accords "meant that the people living under [communist] systems—at least the most courageous—could claim official permission to say what they thought."
And when that permission was denied, those men and women could point to the signatures of Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union and Nicolae Ceausescu of Romania and Erich Honecker of East Germany, and all the heads of state of the Soviet Bloc, promising otherwise.
In my work with the Helsinki Commission, it was my privilege to add my voice to that great calling to account: to press for a halt to ethnic oppression in Bulgaria, or to speak for the freedom of worship and of movement in Russia, or to plead for the freedom of Ambassador Bota from prison and execution in Ceausescu's Romania. And it was my joy to watch with the world as this Wall eroded and then crumbled away.
In this Wall—whose exuberant graffiti and blank concrete face sum up the terms of the struggle so well—we saw communism die as an ideal before its body died. Those who were forced to set up this Wall had promised so much—equality, plenty, brotherhood. But they delivered only what Orwell called the prospect of "a boot stamping on a human face, forever." They called themselves revolutionaries, but they acted out one of the oldest human urges: the urge to dominate our fellow humans. In this Wall, we saw a system that could entrap, but not entice. When it stood, this Wall stood for the division of Europe; but in the battle of ideas, it was also the gray flag of surrender.
Now it is in pieces, and I am proud to own a small one. But though the destruction of this Wall, by cranes and by young men and women with hammers and chisels, was one of the most joyous images of our time, let us remember the darker side of the picture. In the fragmentation of this Wall, let us remind ourselves of the oppression diffused across our world—no longer summed up in as potent a symbol, or as easy a target, but every bit as deadly.
Part of this Wall is in Rangoon, where Aung San Suu Kyi sits under house arrest.
Part of this Wall is in Pyongyang, where schoolchildren are forced to memorize songs in praise of the "Dear Leader."
Part of this Wall is in Beijing, where young students cannot use the Internet to discover what happened in Tiananmen Square on June 4th, 1989.
Part of this Wall is in Afghanistan, where girls were attacked in the face with acid for the crime of wanting an education.
Part of this Wall is in Saudi Arabia, where men were beheaded for the crime of being gay.
Part of this Wall is in the hearts and minds of terrorists who imprison their own people behind vengeance and violence.
Part of this Wall is in Darfur, where millions have been subjected to dispossession, rape, or genocide.
Part of this Wall is in Tehran, where Neda Agha-Soltan was shot in the heart for daring to ask: "Where is My Vote?"
And part of this Wall, as Dante observed, is in the reality of good men doing nothing in the face of evil. Part of this Wall is here in America, to remind us to keep faith with those shut behind each wall.
On this anniversary, we pledge again to keep that faith—and to remember that each wall, no matter how tall or fearsome, is ultimately an act of surrender, an admission of bankrupt promises. Just as we did 20 years ago, we add our voices to the great calling to account, with faith that our voices will be heard; that those walls will shake and one day fall.
We keep that faith because, in the words of Bobby Kennedy: "Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance."
Let us renew our commitment to stand up for our ideals, to speak out against injustice, to improve the lot of others, and to sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.


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Employers say obesity is a top health concern for their workers. But health is a sensitive and personal issue. Some employees say these wellness initiatives can go too far.
For several years, Ryan Tax Servicesin Dallas has offered a wellness program to its 2,000-person staff. The program includes health fairs, free screenings, cooking demos and health club memberships. Nearly 70 percent of employees participate, and that's helped curb health care costs, according to the company.
Fifty-six percent of the employees that tested are overweight, which was a little shocking to me because we have a very young population. The average age is in the high 30s.
Still, says Delta Emerson, executive vice president, "56 percent of the employees that tested are overweight, which was a little shocking to me because we have a very young population. The average age is in the high 30s."
Obesity can lead to medical complications like diabetes and heart disease, and can increase absenteeism and the risk of injury on the job. Helping overweight employees nudge the scale in the other direction might be good for their health and for the company's bottom line. But firms have to walk a fine line, Emerson says, in what they say to workers.
"We have to be very sensitive," she says, "about the fact that there are some people that are not going to want anyone to have a conversation with them about that, even indirectly."
Geonetric, a software firm in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, that has 65 employees, has also controlled insurance costs in recent years with an office-wide wellness program that tries to help employees build fitness into the day.
Health considerations went into choosing the company's new office building, for example, says Anne Ohrt, who handles the firm's operations. "Our company will be on the third floor, so people have to go two flights of stairs to go down to the cafe and eat. It will encourage them to get away from their desks."
And, she notes, "We have 10-inch plates and tall, narrow [drinking] glasses" in the cafe — to help people manage their portions.
"We try not to absolutely target one thing," Ohrt adds. "Because we don't want anyone to feel like we're singling them out."
It's difficult to address obesity because wellness programs must be voluntary, says Laurel Pickering, the executive director of Northeast Business Group on Health, a nonprofit focused on reducing health care costs. Employers can offer incentives, but they can't directly talk to an employee about a weight problem. Preserving medical privacy is also a concern. And laws prohibit employer discrimination based on a person's genetic makeup.
Some employees, including Matthew Woessner, a professor of public policy at Penn State University, think some wellness programs go too far.
"We commonly refer to it as the great wellness rebellion," Woessner says.
He led the rebellion last summer when his university asked employees to participate in a medical screening survey or pay $100 more a month for their health insurance.
The survey asked workers (without asking them to submit their names) "whether they were depressed, whether they were having marital problems," Woessner says. "It got into such intimate details of our lives that we thought it was inappropriate for the university to require such a survey and not give us a way to opt out."
It seemed invasive, he says, even though it was anonymous. And though he's sympathetic to the university's need to control health costs, he thinks a survey can't achieve that — it won't make people healthier.
So Woessner circulated a petition to change the program. Eventually, his side prevailed. Now, those who participate in the survey receive a cash benefit. But there is no penalty for those opting out.
"I recognize that my health care rates are driven up by persons who don't live right and don't eat healthy," Woessner says. "But I'm willing to pay a higher rate because I, in the end, believe that liberty is more important than lower health care bills."
The Northeast Business Group on Health estimates that U.S. businesses lose $73 billion a year in productivity because of obesity.
Half of teenagers are overweight, and that means employer health care costs for everything from insurance to injury and illness are likely to balloon, says Edwin Foulke, the former head of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
"If you don't address these issues, the cost is going to be so great that it's going to affect the viability of the company," Foulke says.
And that, he says, is the biggest challenge — one that few businesses are openly talking about.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Ms. Walley: "Hi, I need to make an appointment to see Dr. Grumpy."
Mary: "Okay, our next available new patient visit is in 2 weeks..."
Ms. Walley: "What about next week?"
Mary: "He's out of town next week."
Ms. Walley: "Out of town? What do you mean?"
Mary: "He's going on vacation."
Ms. Walley: "But he's in the area, right?"
Mary: "No, he and his family are flying to California. Anyway, we have an opening on..."
Ms. Walley : "Wait a minute! That's a long way. What if I were to have an emergency, and need to come in urgently when he's on vacation? Would he fly back to see me?"
Mary: "No, he has other doctors who cover for him, and there's the ER, and..."
Ms. Walley : "So your doctor just feels like he can abandon patients and leave town? That's ridiculous. Never mind. I'll find another doctor, one who believes in caring for people."


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Supreme Court Will Hear Case On Executions And Mental Disability
The standard by which a person is judged to be mentally competent enough to face execution for a crime will be reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court, which agreed Monday to hear a Florida case revolving around that issue.
The capital punishment case, Hall, Freddie L. v. Fla., centers on the standard for judging mental disability and how state officials arrive at that judgment. The case will be argued in Washington early in 2014.
"In the new case, attorneys for Freddie Lee Hall contended that Florida courts have adopted a 'bright line' rule that a person is not mentally retarded unless their IQ falls below 70," reports SCOTUSblog. "The state Supreme Court found that Hall had an IQ of 71. In an earlier stage of Hall's case, before the Supreme Court had decided the Atkins case, he had been found to be mentally retarded, the petition said."
Last December, Florida's Supreme Court affirmed Hall's death sentence in a ruling that included its earlier finding that, "While there is no doubt that [Hall] has serious mental difficulties, is probably somewhat retarded, and certainly has learning difficulties and a speech impediment, the Court finds that [Hall] was competent at the resentencing hearings."
Hall was condemned to die for the 1978 murder of Karol Hurst, who was 21 and pregnant when she was abducted after visiting a grocery store. He was tried separately from an accomplice, who was sentenced to life in prison. The pair were also blamed for killing a sheriff's deputy.
This past summer, Florida executed John Errol Ferguson; the U.S. high court had denied his request for an appeals hearing based on claims of long-standing mental illness.
A Christian Science Monitor story about Ferguson's case sums up some of the questions revolving around capital punishment and mental competence:
"Because the death penalty is a form of state-authorized retribution for crime, it is essential that the condemned prisoner appreciate the significance of the punishment, legal experts say. Without that appreciation, the process would lack any retributive purpose and amount to a government killing without an accepted justification. T hat would violate the Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishment, according to legal experts."
In 2002, the Supreme Court issued a ruling that bans the execution of people deemed to be mentally retarded.
The court agreed to hear Hall's case Monday morning, in issuing its Order List. In that list, the court said it will hear a case on penalties for bank fraud. It also requested additional information about a separate case involving the U.S. government's authority to punish foreign banks for not turning over data that are protected by secrecy laws.


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In the 1960s and '70s, if you were in a doctor's office, or a funeral home, or a motel in Florida, chances are a landscape painting hung on the wall. Palms arching over the water, or moonlight on an inlet. Tens of thousands of paintings like this were created by a group of self-taught African-American artists, concentrated in Fort Pierce, Fla.
The Highwaymen, as they're called, didn't earn that nickname until the 1990s, but it refers to their early days: Following the years of Jim Crow segregation, they churned out lush oil landscapes four and five at a time, and sold them from their cars along Route 1 — often before the paint had even dried. After all, they weren't allowed in galleries.
Those paintings, which once sold for $25, now go for thousands, and owners include Michelle Obama, Shaquille O'Neal and Jeb Bush. But as the reputation of The Highwaymen has grown, so has something else: tension on their native turf.
Gary Monroe, professor and author of The Highwaymen, Florida's African-American Landscape Artists, counts 26 original Highwaymen. That's how many were inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 2004 — 18 of whom are still living.
Mary Ann Carroll, 71, is one of them — a tall, formidable woman who keeps a Bible handy. She's a pastor, and to this day, the only female painter of the group.
As a young woman, Carroll picked citrus and cotton, and had seven children to raise on her own. Like many of The Highwaymen, she got her start because she needed the money.
Although she paints quickly, she says she puts her heart into every canvas: "It might just be a drop of water, you know? But in my mind, I'm working on a masterpiece."
"Some of them are really horrible, ugly paintings," says Kathleen Fredericks, executive director of the A.E. Backus Gallery and Museum in Fort Pierce. Her attitude stems from a belief that The Highwaymen owe an unacknowledged debt to the work of regional painter A.E. "Beanie" Backus.
Born in Fort Pierce in 1906, Backus painted romantically, masterfully, inspired by Florida's wild coastal beauty. He was the first native Floridian to paint Florida year-round, capturing the subtle way the seasons changed, the gusts of wind that came off the ocean and curved the palm trees like sabers arching over the water.
He was exceptional in other ways, too. Jim Crow was in force in Fort Pierce, which was, in his youth, literally segregated by train tracks and was the site of Ku Klux Klan marches. And yet Backus kept his studio doors open to anyone of color, and everyone came.
He gave jobs to students like Alfred Hair, a young, black aspiring artist whose art teacher took him to the Backus studio on a field trip in the 1960s. Hair started building canvases for Backus, and was soon painting on his own. A smart man in a hurry to make money, he took the landscape techniques and reworked them, painting faster and faster; by today's standards, they went viral.
Fast, cheap and appealing: That would become the business strategy behind the whole Highwaymen enterprise — and it did become an enterprise. Hair wasn't the only painter of his kind. Harold Newton had figured it out. So had James Gibson.
Fredericks would also hang out at Backus' studio. And today, she defends his reputation fiercely, believing The Highwaymen have made cheap reproductions of the paintings that hang in her gallery. "There's a reason why they were viewed as motel art," Fredericks says.
Her words hint at a broader divide in Fort Pierce. Not just an art spat, but perhaps vestigial racial tension from Jim Crow to the present. Fort Pierce recognizes The Highwaymen, but doesn't seem to know how to include them. One particular sore point is a monument that was built in their honor: The commission went to a white artist from Miami.
"We had a struggle, and we still have a struggle here in St. Lucie County, kid you not," says Mary Ann Carroll.
A festival the Backus museum gave The Highwaymen in recent years devolved into acrimony and accusations. Yet nearly everyone says The Highwaymen and Backus are intertwined. So where is the spirit of tolerance and inclusiveness that everyone remembers from Beanie Backus' home studio?
The Highwaymen don't all tell their story the same way, see it the same way, or paint their own history in the same hues. But Mary Ann Carroll says no matter what, she knows her life is better for having been an artist.
"My life," she says, "no matter how bad it might have been, I took joy out of it. I took the bad and reframed it. You know like you take a bad painting and put it in a beautiful frame? It makes a difference."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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It's hard to listen to the 16-minutes of audio coming from the Aurora Police dispatch. It begins with the first reports of a shooting at a movie complex.
At about two minutes into the recording, you hear reports that "someone is spraying gas." Then as police begin arriving at the scene, they start asking dispatch to send more officers, to send more ambulances.
"I got people running out of the theater that are shot," one officer says.
Another one requests gas masks. A shooter might still be inside theater 9, one officer says. But the auditorium is filled with gas and the offficers need gas masks.
The requests to the dispatcher are calm and dispatcher just repeats the requests.
Can anyone get gas masks to theater 9, she asks.
In between, you can hear sirens, you can hear heavy breathing, you can sometimes hear the stress of the situation in the voice of the officers.
"Get us some damn gas masks for the theater now," one officer says. "We can't get in."
At about five minutes into the recording, an officer outside the theater calls in to report a "suspect in a gas mask." He calls for back up.
As Mark reported, Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates said that when James Holmes was arrested, he was wearing a ballistic helment, ballistic vest, gas mask and other protective gear.
It's about at that point in the tape, when police apprehend the suspect and make their way into theater nine that officers begin reciting what sounds like a sad, litany of victims.
They ask for ambulances or even police cruisers, anything that can help rescue victims.
One is shot in the face, one emergency worker says. One is immobile. Another has been shot twice in the back. "I have a child victim near the back door," one officer says.
"Where are my ambulances at?" one police man asks. Another notes that one victim has been "eviscerated."
At minute 14, you hear an officer coughing. You hear what sounds like a fire alarm and you hear more sirens.
One of the officers says he has another victim who's been shot in the neck. It's chaos and one officers pleads for ambulances at the back of theater nine. "Any available," the officer says sounding resigned.
Update at 9:40 a.m. ET, July 21: The latest word from authorities is that 12 people have died from wounds suffered in the shooting rampage and about 58 others were wounded. (Earlier, police had said a total of 71 people were shot; it appears one person may have been counted twice in that previous estimate.)
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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In case you're still stumped as to what to get the gardener on your gift list this year, here are a few suggestions:
5-inch for $25.50 / 9-inch for $47.95
It's been my wish for several years to create my own herbarium, much as poet Emily Dickinson did in the late 1800s. Gathering specimens of flowers and plants from my own garden is a way for me to preserve the beauty and memories in a way that photographs cannot do. A flower press makes it so much easier and this one by Microfleur uses the microwave. I've had one for years and can attest to its ease of use and the good job it does.
I have the 5-inch version, but it comes in a 9-inch size as well.
Online Herb-Drawing Class
$50 from Val Web at The Illustrated Garden
Val Webb is the kind of artist I wish I could be. Her illustrations are charming and life-like and I never tire of seeing what she's created. She's also very generous. This year, she's been providing illustrated monthly calendar pages that you can print out, free of charge. So when she announced an online class to learn how to draw six culinary herbs, I knew this was going on my Gardener's List of Gift Ideas.
For just $50, beginning in January (through May), you can have access to videos and printed instructions on how to use colored pencils and watercolors to create your own art, at your own pace. She'll also talk about the history of these herbs, and as long as supplies last, she's sharing seeds from her own organically grown herb garden! For gift-giving, you'll get this beautiful gift certificate for the classes.
To sign up, visit her website, where you can also find more detailed information.
Corona 1-inch Bypass Pruners with Adjustable Handle
List price: $26.11 ($21.25 at Amazon)
I have a lot of Corona tools in my tool shed, and I can honestly say that I like all of them. I'll also say that I have pruners from several different companies and there are a few that I especially like, including this one from Corona. All my Corona pruners work very well, but what makes this one a step above is that it's adjustable for smaller hands, like mine.
One pair of pruners is never enough for a gardener, so even if you know your favorite gardener has a pair of pruners already, you might want to think about giving a pair of these as a gift. They're perfect for that, because unlike many other pruners, one size really does fit all.
Reusable Produce Bags
5 color-tagged bags for $11.00. ($8.10 at Amazon)
These see-through mesh bags from flip and tumble are great for storing fresh produce in and out of the refrigerator. You can take them to the grocery with you, cutting down on use of the plastic bags provided there. Of course, you can use them for lots of other things too and they're machine-washable. I use mine all the time.
Hanging Art Basket
List price: $29.95
Here's something fun and funky! Toland Garden Products makes hanging baskets from the same UV-resistant fabric that outdoor flags are made from so they resist fading. There is a plastic liner with a drainage outlet and the entire thing collapses when not in use. The 14-inch baskets come in several patterns: Blue Marakesh, Paisley, Sunburst, By the Sea, Patriotic, Dragonfly, French, Spring Fuchsia, Garden Scallops, Damask, and Spring Blooms.
Dramm One-Touch Shower and Stream
List price: $16.99
Truth be told, I'm a HUGE fan of all things Dramm. I use several different types of their handheld watering devices, their oscillating sprinkler (which is what turned me on to them in the first place), and this last summer I started using their ColorStorm hoses. Believe me when I say I've tried numerous watering devices and when you tally the score at the end of the day, Dramm comes out WAY ahead.
This One-Touch Shower and Stream watering nozzle is one of my favorites. The shower setting is perfect for watering containers and flower beds, while the stream setting gives a stronger shot of water when you need it for cleaning things off. But what I love the most about it is the way you turn it off and on. The swivel bar on top is easy to use and it never gets loose or stuck. And like other products in the ColorStorm line, THEY COME IN SIX DIFFERENT COLORS! (Blue, green, red, orange, yellow, and purple. I'm a red girl myself.)
Tabletop Terrarium
9"L x 5.75"W x 8.75"H Rectangular Terrarium $69.00
Another favorite vendor of mine is H. Potter, which sells the most beautiful objects for your inside growing and out. I met Jerry Peed, the owner, at a trade show and found him to be personable while being very focused on carrying unique and high-quality products. I drooled all over his booth full of terrariums, trellises, and the like, and put several on my wish list.
I already had an H. Potter terrarium and didn't even know it when I purchased it at Longwood Gardens in 2006. I now have another, which is a tabletop Wardian case-type that is perfect for growing succulents. Usually, succulents aren't recommended for enclosed spaces since they don't like high humidity, but this one has a vent, allowing the potting medium to dry out sufficiently and excess humidity to escape.
Check out all the wonderfulness that is H. Potter; this is just the tip of the iceberg!
Little House in the Suburbs by Deanna Caswell and Daisy Siskin
List price: $22.99 ($15.63 on Amazon)
I've read a lot of books this year, gardening and otherwise. Each focused on a different aspect of gardening, and it's hard for me to pick just one that stands out as my favorite new book of the year. But I have to say that the one that gave me the most usable information presented in the most entertaining way while keeping it real was Little House in the Suburbs.
Not everyone has the desire to be self-sufficient, but if you're a gardener, you likely practice some aspect of it already. And if you don't, you're thinking about it. This is a good place to start. You can read my review here.
Haven Brand Compost Tea
3-pack assortment for $12.95 w/ Free Shipping
The 3-pack of cow, horse, and alfalfa compost tea makes a great stocking stuffer and I swear by the cow version for my houseplants. Until I started using Moo Poo Tea, I never got a single orchid to rebloom. Now I've gotten nearly every single one to rebloom, including the Bratonia (formerly Miltassia) Shelob 'Tolkien'.
Bratonia (formerly Miltassia) Shelob 'Tolkien' |
Annie Haven is at the helm of this family-owned business, which she learned from her father while growing up in southern California. The manure comes from natural pasture-fed livestock, so you can be comfortable knowing you're using an all-natural product.
Membership to AHS (American Horticultural Society)
One year membership for $35.00
I've said before that this is one of the best values going in gardening. For just $35, you get all this:
- The American Gardener magazine — six issues featuring the very best horticultural information, the latest plant selections, and practical advice to help you be a better gardener.
- Reciprocal Admissions Program — offers you free admission and other discounts at public gardens and arboreta across the nation. (This alone is worth the cost of membership!)
- Seed Exchange Program
- Exclusive online gardening resources — read past articles from The American Gardener on their website.
- Special discounts on all AHS educational programs.
Clarington Forge Planting Spear
I cannot tell you the number of times I reach for this skinny little shovel when I'm in the garden. I use it for planting and transplanting in tight spaces and for planting bulbs. It's great for removing deep-rooted weeds like dandelions and thistles. It goes deep and it's forged, so it's got some heft to it, making it perfect for just about any job where a larger shovel won't do.
Clarington Forge is one of the very few companies left that makes forged garden tools (they've been doing it since 1780!) and these are tools that you'll have for a lifetime.
Cold Frame
$139.00 and $149.00
I just ordered a cold frame from Peaceful Valley Farm last week. I used to have one that we made from some old windows, but that was something we threw together quickly and it only lasted a few years. And there was always the issue of lifting the lid to vent it when it got too hot. Sometimes I remembered and sometimes I didn't.
I want to grow some spinach in it over the winter, or at least earlier in the spring and later in the fall. We love fresh spinach for salads, along with hard-boiled eggs from our chickens. (Add some raisins, sunflower seeds, shredded cheddar, bacon bits and poppy seed dressing – YUM!)
Peaceful Valley has a couple of styles of well-made cold frames by Juwel available. To solve the problem I had with venting, I also ordered an automatic vent opener. I thought the prices for both items were very reasonable.
Worm Factory 360
Nature's Footprint has the perfect solution for growing your own red wiggler worms. Why would anyone want to do that? Two reasons: it's a great way to get rid of kitchen waste and you can use the worm by-product (that would be their poop) to feed your plants! That's right - more poop for the garden!
I have a Worm Factory 360 in my office and contrary to what you might believe, there is no smell and I have no fruit flies. Those worms are pretty efficient at taking care of whatever I put in their bin. You can read about my first weeks with the Factory here. I've had it for about six months now and it's pretty fascinating to see how these little worms work!
Right now, Nature's Footprint has 10% off sitewide. Just use the code HOLIDAY10 when placing your order. The Worm Factory has Free Shipping, too.
PotterFactory™ Paper Pot Maker Kit
$9.95 plus shipping
You've seen other paper pot makers, I'm sure. But what I like about this one is the cylinder that allows you to fill the pot with potting medium as a next step before removing it. It's a little thing and of course you can add soil to paper pots at any time, but this allows you to pack it in snugly without worrying about the pot falling apart or breaking.
On their website, they also have templates you can print out to make decorative sleeves for your original paper pots, in case you want to give a plant as a gift. The company that makes PotterFactory™ is environmentally conscious and operated in the United States, so you're truly buying American.
For $9.95 plus shipping, you get a 2 ¼" pot and soil block form, a 1¾" pot form and Soil Compression Tool, and a 100% cotton muslin storage bag. Instructions are included, and they have videos on their website to show you how to do it as well.
Leaf Earrings
$44.00 from Aha! Modern Living
I love botanically-inspired jewelry. That is all.
Okay, that isn't all, and Aha! Modern Living has some other pretty cool jewelry (as well as a LOT of other awesome products for the home and garden). Go shopping!
Habitat Hotel
$59.95 from Gardener's Supply
I love the design of this hotel for solitary bees, butterflies, ladybugs and lacewings - all great pollinators in the garden. Each has a different nesting requirement, which just adds to the coolness of the appearance of the pine and bamboo hotel. I don't have one of these, but I'd like to!
Hopefully, this helps some of you with your holiday gift-buying and if nothing else, maybe you'll have a few things to add to your own list of wants. Happy holidays!
This post also contains some affiliate links. (Amazon, H. Potter, and Nature's Footprint)