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Most high school students can barely find the time for volunteering, much less to build two computer labs in an underserved area of India for a mere $1,500.
Most high school students can barely find the time for volunteering, much less to build two computer labs in an underserved area of India for a mere $1,500.
But Wellesley Hills Congregational Church members John Williams, 18, and Clark Andrews, 17, both of Natick, travelled to Uttar Kannada, an area in the Indian state of Karnataka, this past June to accomplish just that.
Williams first got involved in the project, called the India Lan Academy Project, after the associate minister of WHCC, the Rev. Pashington Obeng, told him he was interested in purchasing computers for his work with the African Indian Alliance. AIA is a nonprofit organization committed to improving the lives of the Siddi people – Indians and Pakistanis of African descent – in India.
Obeng gave Williams a budget of $1,500 and told him he'd like to purchase two computers.
"I told him, for that budget, I could get him a whole computer lab system," Williams said.
Williams would know. The home-schooled 18-year-old also runs a nonprofit organization called The Linux Club, which refurbishes old computers and provides them to communities through housing authorities, senior centers and schools in Wellesley, Needham, Framingham and St. Sebastian's School in Needham.
Williams asked Andrews to come on board in the early phases of the project. The two have worked on projects before, and Williams needed someone like Andrews who could offer budgeting expertise.
The two said once the project became a reality, they booked flights to India and spent a month ordering computer parts directly from China and setting up the labs at their homes in Natick.
The challenge, Andrews said, "was deciding how we wanted the computer [labs] to act like an education facility."
With the goal of creating a learning environment, Andrews and Williams developed two labs, each with four small Android netbooks that connect to a teacher's laptop to stream educational videos. They loaded the teacher's laptop with approximately 120GB of videos from online educations centers, like the Khan Academy, TED talks and Oxford online courses.
The computers were also equipped with educational games, the full and simple versions of English Wikipedia and the Kannada [the local language] Wikipedia.
Williams said he was able to find the basic curriculum for Indian public high school students online and used that to select the education programs, courses and videos that were uploaded onto the computers. The subjects ranged from English and math to physics and general wellness education, Williams said.
Andrews, a rising senior at Natick High School, said "it was a little strange," as a U.S. high school student, to organize a curriculum for students in India. He said the Indian education system differs greatly from the U.S. system. "It's just totally different perspectives."
The main goal of the project, for both Williams and Andrews, is to help students in the Siddi villages of Yellapur and Mainilli gain access to educational resources, in the hopes that they will continue their education.
Williams said there are a little less than 100,000 Siddi people in India, and in the country's caste system, "they are at the very bottom."
The Siddi people live in villages of about 500 people and are primarily day wage laborers by trade, Andrews said.
"You don't have to be very educated to be a day wage laborers," Williams said. "Siddis would get to ninth or tenth [grade] and they would just stop because there is no point — if they get that far."
"We were hoping to inspire them to continue their education to get a decent job," he said.
One of the labs Williams and Andrews set up is located in a convent, which acts a community center for the village. The other lab is located in a Siddi Alliance building, which also serves as an afterschool center. Social workers sponsored by the African Indian Alliance maintain and run the labs.
Students are brought in to the labs after school, and a teacher can either teach the whole class a lesson, or students can explore on their own, Williams said.
"We wanted to give the teachers these [educational] resources, but it wasn't a crucial part that they use them," Andrews said. "It was crucial the kids get a chance to explore their interests. We wanted to leave it up to the teachers [to educate as they wished.]"
Though Williams and Andrews were successful in setting the labs up, unreliable electricity and dial-up access to the Internet provided them with plenty of challenges along the way.
"Everything was working in our house, and we get [to India] and everything starts breaking," Williams said.
Despite the obstacles and long hours of troubleshooting, the project "was definitely worth it," Andrews said.
The two plan to maintain contact with the villages and the social workers charged with maintaining both labs.
"We hope to redesign the lab and potentially go back next year," Andrews said. "While we were very happy with the results, we felt there was a lot we learned that we could improve upon."

subset: commoncrawl


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The second annual Rivals100 Five Star Challenge will be held in Chicago June 7-9, and the field is loaded with some of the nation's top talent.
Prospects from all over the country will make the trip to the Windy City to put their talents on display in drill work, one-on-one, and seven-on-seven action at legendary Soldier Field.
With a field saturated with elite prospects, Georgia fans have to be excited by the number of top targets in Chicago this weekend, and below, UGASports takes a look at those targets and where the Bulldogs currently stand with each.
OLB Lorenzo Carter (Norcross) - There may not be a prospect in the country with a higher ceiling than Carter. He is already and elite play maker on Friday nights, but it is also clear that his best football is ahead of him. The Five-Star Challenge is a great place for Carter to put his talent on display against some of the top offensive linemen in the country, and it will be interesting to see how Carter uses his length and explosiveness to compete in one-on-one drills.
Where UGA stands: Carter hasn't made it official yet, but it appears that this is a two-team battle. Georgia and Alabama are at the top of his list, and both schools seem to have a lead over the rest of the field. Alabama has a strong history of getting players out of Norcross and the Crimson Tide hosted the five-star prospect for a three-day weekend earlier in the spring. Georgia, however, has gotten Carter on campus twice in 2013 and the blue chip pass rusher has gone on the record as saying how much he likes UGA's success at developing pass rushers. This one is nowhere near over, and the next few months will be big. Don't count out Florida, Florida State, or LSU either as those teams could enter the mix in the near future.
RB Sony Michel (American Heritage; Plantation, Fla.) - The Five-Star challenge format is one in which Michel has a chance to thrive. The Georgia commitment has an elite ability to change direction and is ultra talented in space. He should be a big time weapon for his team in the seven-on-seven tournament, and Michel will be looking to show everyone in attendance that he has fully recovered from an ACL injury in his sophomore season.
Where UGA stands: Georgia landed a commitment from Michel in the spring, and since that time, the five-star running back hasn't taken any visits. Immediately after committing to Georgia, Michel told Rivals.com that he would only take one official visit, and that would be to UGA.
RB Joe Mixon (Freedom; Oakley, Calif.) - Mixon is one of the hottest prospects in the country right now and, like Michel, he should be a major weapon for his team in the seven-on-seven portion of the event. Mixon has excellent length to go with strong hands and his explosiveness should make it tough for linebackers to check him in the passing game. Mixon will be looking move up even farther in the Rivals.com rankings as he just earned his fifth star in the last set of evaluations.
Where UGA stands: Mixon has consistently stated throughout his recruitment that Georgia is a program that stands out for him. UGA running backs' coach Bryan McClendon has built a strong relationship with the five-star prospect, and he is already planning to take one of his official visits to Athens this fall. At this time, schools like Oregon, Notre Dame, UCLA, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin all figure to be major players in Mixon's recruitment. Georgia could be getting a commitment within the next six days from Rivals100 running back Nick Chubb, but Mixon is definitely one to keep an eye on because of his interest in the Bulldogs.
LB Raekwon McMillan (Liberty County) - McMillan competed in the Five-Star challenge in 2012 as an underclassman, so this will the second time around for the Peach State prospect. McMillan isn't the type of player that thrives in the camp setting, but he is plenty athletic enough to make plays in both the one-on-one and seven-on-seven portions. If he uses his hands and redirects running backs and tight ends like he is supposed to, his length and instincts should allow him to make some plays on the ball.
Where UGA stands: At this time, we don't consider Georgia a major player for McMillan. The Bulldogs aren't out of it for the five-star talent, but Ohio State, Clemson, and Alabama are all ahead of Georgia for McMillan. UGA could make a move in the coming months, but that move will have to be a big one.
DE Kentavious Street (Rose; Greenville, N.C.) - Street has shown us once before that he can dominate a camp. After being virtually unknown back in January, Street showed up at the U.S. Army All American Combine in San Antonio and turned heads. The 6-foot-3, 260 pounder has violent hands and excellent quickness, and he is almost unblockable when he brings his hips on a bull rush. Due to his size and athleticism, he could give offensive lineman fits in Chicago.
Where UGA stands: Street has North Carolina State as his top school right now with Miami, LSU, and Georgia in that top group. Georgia was the leader for a while before Street visited the Wolfpack, and the five-star prospect is originally from the Peach State. Right now, Georgia has some catching up to do but the Bulldogs are poised to make up that gap once they get Street on campus this summer.
WR Josh Malone (Station Camp; Gallatin, Tenn.) - Malone was unstoppable at the Rivals Camp series stop in Atlanta and a lot of that has to do with his combination of size, speed, and quickness. At 6-foot-3, Malone possessed elite length and strong hands. He also has the speed to stretch the field, and the most impressive part of his game is how he accelerates out of his cuts. He gets into his break quickly and gets out equally as fast. There will be some excellent defensive backs in Chicago, but Malone should make his fair share of big plays and he will have a chance to make a case to be the top receiver in the country.
Where UGA stands: A few weeks ago, no one would have though Georgia had a chance with Malone. As a matter of fact, the Bulldogs had yet to offer. But once UGA decided to target the four-star receiver, things started to get interesting. Malone visited Athens last weekend, and came away having decided to take one of his five official visits to UGA. Notre Dame, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt are all in the mix, but Georgia is the only school that has essentially secured as spot in his top five. Add that to the fact that his family holds Mark Richt in high regard, and Georgia could be considered a favorite for his signature at this time.
OL Isaiah Wynn (Lakewood; St. Petersburg, Fla.) - Wynn was one of the biggest movers in the last Rivals.com recruiting rankings because of his performance at the Rivals Camp in Atlanta. Wynn has tremendous length for an interior offensive lineman, and excellent feet. One could make an argument that the 6-foot-3, 270 pounder it the best athlete of all the offensive linemen in Chicago. He has the strength to handle interior rushers, and the combination of length, quickness, and patience to handle guys on the edge. He should be fun to watch.
Where UGA stands: Wynn has named Georgia his leader with Vanderbilt and Florida being the Bulldogs' main competition. The Commodores got on Wynn early, but after a visit to Athens and an offer, Georgia appears to be the team to beat. This one is a long way from over as Wynn wants to visit a number of campuses with his family, but Georgia is in strong position as of now.
OL Mitch Hyatt (North Gwinnett) - Hyatt is one of the 20 underclassmen that will be at the Five-Star challenge, but the 6-foot-6 270 pounder can and likely will hold his own. Hyatt has ultra long arms and great feet. He plays with strong technique, and is patient when he gets in his pass set. Some of the bigger, stronger pass rushers may give Hyatt problems, but he should excel against edge rushers.
Where UGA stands: It is hard to tell where Georgia sits right now with Hyatt. The 2015 standout told UGASports recently that he hasn't really gotten the recruiting process started yet, but Clemson has an early edge because of the fact that he has been to so many games in Death Valley. Hyatt grew up a Clemson fan, but he insists he isn't a lock to the Tigers and all teams will be given and equal shot.


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That's Bhikkhu Bodhi's opinion, but I accept Thanissaro's view.Ben wrote:Hello Individual
Regarding SN44.10:
BenWe should carefully heed the two reasons the Buddha does not declare 'There is no self': not because he recognizes a transcendent self of some kind (as some interpreters allege), or because he is cocerned only with delineating 'a strategy of perception' devoid of ontological implications (as others hold), but (i)because such a mode of expression was used by the annihilationists, and the Buddha wanted to avoid aligning his teaching with theirs; and (ii) because he wished to avoid causing confusion in those already attached to the idea of self. The Buddha declares that "all phenomena are nonself" (sabbe dhamma anatta), which means that if one seeks a self anywhere one will not find one. Since "all phenomena" includes both the conditioned and the unconditioned, this precludes an utterly transcendent, ineffable self.
-- Bhikkhu Bodhi, notes to Ananda Sutta (SN44.10), A translation of the Samyutta Nikaya, Wisdom
Based on my experiences with biblical translations, it's a mistake to ever assume that any translator is absolutely trustworthy... Not that I'm suggesting Bodhi is devious, only that he may have biases, stemming from his education, culture, personal background, sectarian affiliation, etc., which can subconsciously imprint itself on his rendering of the text. Not necessarily in blatantly incompetent ways (you said Bodhi is a good translator and I'm sure he is), but such bias can be reflected in more subtle, unintentional ways: such as the preference for a more literal translation over non-literal, or vice-versa. Without learning the language, the only way to really get a perfect picture of a translation's accuracy is to compare multiple translations, while referencing the original terms used in lexicons.Chris wrote: With due respect, to obviate falling into misunderstanding ... of the two translators .... I'd go with Bhikkhu Bodhi everytime.
So, for now, I'd agree Bhikkhu Bodhi is probably more reliable, but in the future, if we have 8 different translations available online, there's nothing that would objectively make one more or less "authoritative".


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Every year Oklahoma seemingly gets overlooked as one of the top talent producing states in the nation. Just North of the Red River, the Sooner State doesn't always seem to get the amount of respect it should, probably because it's right next to some of the most prime recruiting territory in the nation with Texas. However, quite a few schools have found Oklahoma to be happy hunting ground and this year will go down as one of the better years for talent in Oklahoma in quite some time.
Players like four-star receiver Jameel Owens and four-star defensive tackle Stacey McGee of Muskogee, Okla., highlight the Rivals.com Oklahoma top 20, but if you dig deeper into the list you'll find there's some really good talent scattered throughout.
But as with every list, you must start at the top and at the top is Owens, the dynamic prospect that ranks among the best pass-catchers in the nation. Owens had an average of 18.3 yards a catch in 2006, and he's gotten even bigger and stronger and expects to cause even more damage on both sides of the ball in 2007.
"I've had several college coaches tell me he's as good a receiver as they have seen at his age," Muskogee coach Matt Hennesy said. "The things he can do on the football field are well, amazing. He's also such a great kid off the field, too. He's a winner."
Owens is the most highly regarded wide receiver to come out of Oklahoma since former Booker T. Washington star and recent first-round draft choice Robert Meachem. Owens' teammate, McGee, isn't too shabby either. At 6-foot-5 and 280-pounds, McGee plays both defensive end and defensive tackle in high school, but he'll be inside on the next level.
McGee, the No. 2 player in Oklahoma, had 87 tackles in 2006 and already has racked up scholarship offers from teams like Arkansas, Kansas State, LSU, Oklahoma, Texas Tech and many others.
"As refined as Jameel is, Stacy has about as big of an upside as anybody I've coached," Hennesy said.
The state's other four-star players come in at No. 3 and No. 4 on the list.
The third-best player in Oklahoma is Guthrie athlete Kye Staley. The 6-foot, 200-pounder threw for more than 1,000 yards and also rushed for 1,400 yards as a junior. He's been offered by a who's who that recruits in Oklahoma, including Arkansas, LSU, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Tennessee and Texas Tech. Right behind him at No. 4 is Texas Tech pledge Harrison Jeffers. The 5-9, 195-pound running back had 1,812 yards rushing and 16 scores in 2006.
Behind that group is a solid core of players that demonstrates how deep the class is this season.
Jenks, Okla., defensive tackle Tony Gillespie is at No. 5 on the list, and he's got scholarship offers from programs like Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Kansas State and is also getting serious looks from Florida and Tennessee. K.J. Williams of Norman North comes in at No. 6, and he's blew up this past spring and has impressed every camp he's attended. Kansas State looks to have landed a real gem with tight end Cooper Bassett at No. 7. The 6-foot-5, 235-pounder just clocked a 4.66 time in the 40-yard dash at K-State's camp.
Teresita (Okla.) Sequoyah-Tahlequah quarterback Nathan Stanley has also impressed everywhere he's gone this summer, including stops at Michigan and EA Sports Elite 11 Regional in Las Vegas. The 6-foot-5, 185-pounder is the No. 8 player on the list. The final three-star prospect in Oklahoma is Lawton, Okla., athlete Cornelius Douglas at No. 9. Douglas could play cornerback or slot receiver in college.


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Minimum Requirements for Degree: 60 credits
The human service technology program provides training and knowledge in basic helping skills needed for entry level employment in public, private and volunteer human service agencies.
Human service tchnicians provide case management, needs assessment, advocacy, crisis intervention and stabilization, and supportive task-centered short term counseling under the supervision of a specialist worker and usually within a multidisciplinary team. They are employed in a wide variety of human service settings such as: mental health, Native corporations, developmental disabilities, public assistance, corrections and substance abuse treatment.
Persons seeking a career in human service should recognize that in order to be successful they must be emotionally stable, creative and flexible. Human service technicians work with diverse groups and individuals with a wide variety of ages, social and cultural backgrounds and life situations.
Upon completion of the major or minor, students are eligible to apply for certification as a substance abuse counselor technician through the Alaska Commission for Chemical Dependency Professionals Certification.
The minor in HST provides the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills applicable to careers in the helping professions.
Undergraduate Program
Human Service Technology -- A.A.S. Degree
1. Complete the general university requirements.
2. Complete the A.A.S. degree requirements. (As part of the A.A.S. degree requirements, complete: PSY 101 for the social sciences requirement.)
3. Complete the following:*
** Repeatable for credit by HST majors to a maximum of 9 credits.
Human Service Technology -- A.A.S. Degree**
1. Complete the Rural Human Services certificate.
2. Complete the general university requirements.
3. Complete the A.A.S. degree requirements. (As part of the A.A.S. degree requirements, complete: PSY 101 for the social sciences requirement.)
4. Complete the following:*
** For holders of the Rural Human Services certificate.
1. Complete the following:
Substance Abuse Counselor Certification by the state of Alaska
1. Complete the following:*
Note: Currently certified Substance Abuse Counselors are eligible for transfer credit toward the human service technology degree. Contact the human service technology program coordinator at (907) 474-6658 for more information.
Send comments or questions to the
UAF Admissions Office.
Last modified March 10, 2000


text: Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos, winner of the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize, joins a long list of laureates that includes President Barack Obama, Pakistani activist for female education Malala Yousafzai, former President Jimmy Carter and South Africa's anti-apartheid revolutionary Nelson Mandela. Here is the list from the past couple decades. The first award dates back to 1901.


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Thorns to North Bennington Prudential Committee for using trust fund on legal fees
THORNS to the North Bennington Prudential Committee for unanimously voting to transfer another $10,000 from the Ethel "Babs" McCullough Scott trust fund to its general fund to pay for legal fees. The committee took a similar action in December, transferring $10,000 for attorney costs as well as designating $26,000 from the trust fund for the independent Village School of North Bennington Board of Trustees to pay its legal expenses. Scott created the trust fund "for the enhancement of the district" with the only stipulation being that it not be used for tax relief. We argue the fund would be better used for a more direct benefit to the children of the school district, not its attorneys.
ROSES to those who make area parades a success. We recognize that a lot of time and planning goes into organizing these processions. Last Sunday TJ Carmody's annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in Bennington drew a fun-loving crowd to take in the procession of firetrucks and floats festively decorated in green by area organizations. If you missed that one, Hoosick, N.Y., will host its St. Pat's parade today beginning at 1. And on April 7 in Bennington, a parade commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War and honoring all veterans will kick off at noon. THORNS to federal budget cuts that could shut down nearly 240 air traffic control towers at smaller U.S. airports. While pilots are trained to land without help by communicating among themselves on a common radio frequency, airport directors and pilots say the removal of a second pair of eyes on the ground increases risk.
ROSES to the Arlington Memorial High School girls basketball team for winning the semifinals of the Division IV girls basketball tournament vs. West Rutland in Barre on Tuesday night. With the 59-49 victory, Arlington reaches the final for the second time in three years.
THORNS to the board of the Cambridge Central School for its inability to work well internally and with others. The board this week accepted a request from school administrators to have building principals and the business administrator sit at a table apart from the board of education at meetings. The board also failed to come to an agreement about its own retreats intended to address conflict. We believe the board's time and the public's time at these meetings would be better spent if more attention was paid to issues that affect the students and less to internal posturing.
ROSES to Bennington's Congregation Beth El for making an effort to look for ways to get involved with and to serve the community. Congregation Beth El recently underwent an expansion of its synagogue and other facilities and is set to formally install its new rabbi, Rabbi Jarah Greenfield, at an April ceremony to which the community at large will be welcomed.
~Michelle Karas
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


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Date: January 16 2013
Former Bundaberg surgeon Jayant Patel has urged a judge to strike out legal particulars the crown plans to rely on when prosecuting him for manslaughter.
Patel is due to stand trial in early February for the manslaughter of Mervyn Morris, 75.
Mr Morris died in June 2003, three weeks after Patel performed an operation on him.
The lead-up to the case has been plagued with difficulties, many relating to the defence team's satisfaction with how the crown intends to run its case.
The crown has so far filed four different sets of particulars, which outline the material facts it alleges are true and which it will attempt to prove at trial.
The defence applied successfully to have the third set of particulars struck out on December 20.
However, barrister Paul Smith on Wednesday told the Supreme Court in Brisbane that Patel was still dissatisfied with the fourth set of particulars, filed during the past week.
He told the court there were still "structural problems" with the alleged facts, and that the crown had not properly set out any logical chain between Patel's duties and actions and causation.
Mr Smith has urged the court to again strike out the crown's particulars.
However, prosecutor Michael Byrne, SC, told the court the crown was "amenable" to getting the particulars in the correct form.
He asked Justice George Fryberg to let the crown amend the particulars again if he ruled in the defence's favour.
Justice Fryberg indicated he was disinclined to do so.
"Mr Byrne, that's a hard ask," he said.
"You've had four goes over a period of months."
He has reserved his decision.
This material is subject to copyright and any unauthorised use, copying or mirroring is prohibited.
[ The Age | Text-only index]


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Shutdown ruling 'no soft landing'
ST. PAUL -- Many Minnesotans would feel a state government shutdown, even though a judge is allowing more than a third of state employees to stay on the job.
People stopping at a highway rest area or planning an excursion to a state park, forest or recreation area may be inconvenienced if a shutdown begins on Friday, but Chief Judge Kathleen Gearin of Ramsey County District Court ruled Wednesday that public safety and health programs would remain operating even if there is no state budget.
State troopers and prison guards would remain on duty, and most state-funded health-care programs would continue during a state shutdown. Local government payments would be made. Nursing homes would stay open. Colleges and universities would operate. Temporary assistance to needy families would continue.
But parks and most state child-care programs would close. Lottery tickets would not be available. The state's two horse-racing tracks would close. State highway construction would stop.
State officials are sorting out the ruling to see how far its impact will reach.
"This government shutdown is going to be difficult," said David Lillehaug, Gov. Mark Dayton's attorney in the case.
Lillehaug said Minnesotans will notice this shutdown, unlike a smaller one in 2005. "No one who reads that order will say there is any type of soft landing."
While Dayton and legislative leaders tried to work out a last-minute budget deal, Gearin released her order that provides for what she called "critical core functions" to keep operating.
"The failure to properly fund critical core functions of the executive and legislative branches will violate the constitutional rights of the citizens of Minnesota," Gearin wrote.
Local government officials were happy that she ordered state payments to them to continue.
"There is no doubt that cities dodged a major bullet this morning that may have crippled communities," said Park Rapids Mayor Nancy Carroll, president of the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities.
School funds will continue in a shutdown, which school officials praised.
"We felt that as an association representing school districts, we needed to make the case that K-12 is, indeed, a core function," said Executive Director Bob Meeks of the Minnesota School Boards Association.
The governor was pleased that Gearin followed his recommendations.
"It appears that her order arrived at the same middle ground as my administration, and essentially agreed with my list of critical services that must continue," Dayton said in a statement. "I prepared that list based on my constitutional responsibility as governor to protect the lives and safety of the people of Minnesota."
Attorney General Lori Swanson sought Gearin's ruling to keep government operating because after today because most state agencies would have no authority to spend money. A new two-year state budget should begin Friday, but Dayton and lawmakers still were negotiating details Wednesday.
The impact of a shutdown would begin even before Friday.
"I've been told to close at 4 p.m. Thursday pending the negotiated state budget," said Phil Nasby, manager of Kilen Woods State Park near Lakefield.
People from others states driving in to Kilen may be blindsided by the closing.
The Department of Natural Resources, with 66 parks and six recreation areas, could lose $1 million a week during a shutdown. Among DNR impacts would be suspension of selling fishing, boating and other licenses, and thousands of camping reservations for the July 4 weekend would not be honored.
While licenses cannot be obtained, conservation officers will remain on duty to write tickets for those who do not have licenses.
"I'm just sending out a mass email to all our reservations," said Bill Hansen of Sawbill Canoe Outfitters near Tofte. "And we've posted something on our website. We're telling them to get their fishing license now online."
For days, state workers have been preparing for a shutdown.
Julie Quanrud, one of two employees at the Department of Labor and Industry at the Vocational Rehabilitation Unit in Bemidji, said she was told to clear out her office in preparation for a state shutdown. The rehabilitation unit provides assistance to injured workers and helps residents find employment.
"The expense of shutting down is astronomical," she said.
Also a shutdown, non-profit organizations that normally receive state payments may not get them, new driver's license tests may not be available and loggers would not be allowed to cut trees on state land.
The judge agreed with contractors who said shutting down road and bridge construction projects will result in higher costs, but she said they are not a core government function.
"The delay in construction and increase costs that will likely happen as a result of a government shutdown will be because of the executive and legislative branches failing to resolve the budget issues," Gearin wrote.
Federal government-supported programs need to continue, Gearin wrote, such as several that provide health care for the poor, disabled and elderly. Also allowed to continue is what used to be known as the food stamp program.
Gearin appointed former Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz as "special master" to make specific recommendations about what would be funded. Gearin retained the final say.
Gearin's order could be appealed to a higher court.
Ana Anthony of the Worthington Daily Globe, John Myers of the Duluth News Tribune and Anne Williams of the Bemidji Pioneer contributed to this story.
Don Davis reports for Forum Communications Co., which own the Bemidji Pioneer.


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Student Bar Association (SBA) President Michelle Silva
Thursday, March 7, 2013
San Diego (March 7, 2013) – Michelle Silva, '14 (JD), is a true extrovert who is energized through interaction with others. She's followed her bent in a variety of for-credit and volunteer activities.
"I've wanted to be a lawyer since I was 16 and participated in mock-trial. Our coach was a judge, and I got the chance to observe real trials in the courtroom. I was hooked!" After her first year of law school, she had a summer internship with a private defense attorney and then worked at the Office of the Alternate Public Defender as part of the Criminal Clinic under the supervision of Professor Jean Ramirez. "I learned so much through these experiences. I learned a lot about client control because in the criminal defense world, many of the clients have mental problems and can be very demanding."
Especially memorable was the first time Silva's supervisor sent her into the holding tank to confer with a client. "There I was, this short, blonde girl in high heels, locked inside a glass tank that was sort of like a giant fishbowl with a bunch of criminal defendants, trying to whisper with my client because the court was proceeding outside." Silva now hopes to add to her resume with some experience working on the prosecution side.
In addition to pursuing her goal of becoming an attorney practicing criminal law, Silva wanted to get to know as many of her classmates as possible; so, in her first semester, she ran to be her section's representative to the Student Bar Association (SBA). She won that election, and in her second year, she's served as SBA treasurer. "This was a perfect job for me because as I helped with the budgets of student organizations, I got to know lots of people and see all the exciting projects their groups were working on. I was often locked in the SBA office, sending emails, writing checks. As a third-year, I saw how much effort students were putting into organizing activities for their clubs; it made me wish I had time to attend all the events that are happening." Silva will be serving as president in her third year.
The best part about being a student at USD? "The school is small enough that you can get to know everyone. People are friendly, and I really feel I'm part of a community."
About the University of San Diego School of Law
Recognized for the excellence of its faculty, curriculum and clinical programs, the University of San Diego (USD) School of Law enrolls approximately 900 Juris Doctor and graduate law students from throughout the United States and around the world. The law school is best known for its offerings in the areas of business and corporate law, constitutional law, intellectual property, international and comparative law, public interest and taxation.
USD School of Law is one of the 81 law schools elected to the Order of the Coif, a national honor society for law school graduates. The law school's faculty is a strong group of outstanding scholars and teachers with national and international reputations and currently ranks 23rd worldwide in all-time faculty downloads on the Social Sciences Research Network (SSRN). The school is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Founded in 1954, the law school is part of the University of San Diego, a private, nonprofit, independent, Roman Catholic university chartered in 1949.
Post Contact
Academic Services Advisor Janet Madden
(619) 260-2293


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Monte Rosa group > Pollux / Polluce > Climber's Log
Pollux / Polluce Climber's Log
[ Sign the Climber's Log ]
|Route Climbed: SE Ridge Date Climbed: August 27, 2004
|Beautiful day. Took us 3.5 hours form Klein Matterhorn to summit. Back down to the base, traverse to the base of Castor and summited this in another 2.5 hours. Traversed the Castor ridge to the Felikjoch and down to Quintino Sella Hut in another 1.5 hour.
|Posted Sep 8, 2004 12:59 pm
|Mathias Zehring
|Route Climbed: normal Date Climbed: August 8th 2000
|fine day, good conditions. Climbing the steep part with the chain was not that easy. One of us lost a crampon there that we had to find back in a steep couloir.
|Posted Aug 31, 2004 12:59 am
|Route Climbed: SE Ridge, Normal Date Climbed: August 22, 2004
|We reached the summit in perfect weather and had an all around fabulous day.
|Posted Aug 30, 2004 10:02 pm
|Pierre smetsers
|Route Climbed: Normal route Date Climbed: 10 aug 2004
|Again and now with two Friends, Karel & Reinier.
No good view and more people on the top
|Posted Aug 17, 2004 4:57 pm
|Route Climbed: Normal Date Climbed: October 2001
|One day link-up of the Breithorn, Castor, and Pollux
|Posted Jul 25, 2004 12:47 pm
|Route Climbed: SE Ridge Date Climbed: July, 2004
|Got out of d'Ayas hut without really knowing what we wanted to do, we simply followed the Italian groups up the glacier. When the crowds turned for Castor we naturally went for the SE ridge of the Pollux (from the saddle connecting the two).
How to make an easy ascent difficult- Even if looks like a rocky ridge, smells like a rocky ridge and behaves like a rocky ridge all the way up, if the guidebook says that it's "mix" climb - do not leave your crampons down at Col. :)
|Posted Jul 18, 2004 10:49 am
|Route Climbed: normal from Mezzalama hut Date Climbed: july 2002
|heavy fog,i'm not sure had reached the summit!!!
|Posted May 11, 2004 11:12 am
|Route Climbed: Normal route Date Climbed: aug 1996
|From bivacco Rossi et Volente we climbed Castore and Poluxe in the same day... Nice tour
|Posted Apr 19, 2004 2:57 pm
|Pierre smetsers
|Route Climbed: SW Ridge from mezzalama Date Climbed: 24th july 2003
|a long day started at 3.00 am until 8.15 pm,
so more than 17 hours started at the Mezzalama hut.
riched the top at 10.00 am and than back to the car in Italy. lets say speed topping but than not so speedy.
Thanks to Désirée as a partner and friend.
|Posted Oct 5, 2003 4:54 pm
|Samuli Mansikka
|Route Climbed: South west ridge Date Climbed: 12th august 2003
|Took the cable car to the Klein Matterhorn before the noon and walked over the glacier to the start of the route. Glad there were not many other climbers on the route at the time since the falling stone really would have formed a serious problem.
After the scrambling through the couloir the route appeared to be a nice snow walk to the top.
|Posted Aug 31, 2003 2:11 pm
|Route Climbed: SW Ridge Date Climbed: 12 July 2002
|We ( Tim and I) started after a stay overnight at the bivacco Giorgio Rossi-Cesare Volante at 3750 m with the Castor(4228m)westflank and started at about 0900 hr at the SW-ridge of Pollux.Just below the statue the rope is replaced by an iron chain and could be a little problem in winterconditions .Very nice summit because we were totaly alone on Castor and Pollux .
|Posted Dec 7, 2002 7:50 am
|Tom Fralich
|Route Climbed: SW Ridge Date Climbed: August 22, 2002
|Climbed the SW Ridge in about 7 hours round-trip from the Klein Matterhorn station. A little congestion at the fixed chains, but what a great route!
|Posted Aug 22, 2002 11:52 am
|Route Climbed: Regular Route Date Climbed: Juli 2000
|We climbed the Pollux at Juli 2000 on winter (!) conditions. A suisse mountain guide with skis at his backpack climed behind us, he was going down the Pollux West face with skis .... crazy conditions !
|Posted Aug 21, 2002 4:04 am
|Route Climbed: From Kleine Matterhorn Date Climbed: June 26 2001
|There was alot of snow on the peak the day I went up and the famous chain at the rock section were almost completly burried. I Found this section not very difficult since the exposure is not great but I could see it giving trouble to inexprianced climbers.
The path on the top was tricky since I was the first climber that day I had to break the trail all the way as I was alone I was acting very carfully because I though there was a cornice danger.
Once on the peak and looking back I could see there was no danger but better safe than sorry I allways say.
Fortunetly the party that followed me up was guided and the guide just ignored my meanderings and took the correct path along the ridge.
|Posted Jan 31, 2002 12:09 pm
|Route Climbed: normal route Date Climbed: 1999
|Again part of the 5 day Monte Rosa tour. 10 summits above 4000m in 5 days.
|Posted Nov 25, 2001 6:15 am
|Oyvind Lind Petersen
|Route Climbed: From Kleine Matterhorn Date Climbed: July 13 1996
|This was my first 4.000 meter in the Alps. Not that difficult. For me it was because of the exposed rocks. So I stopped the group twice. I said I will retourn alone. After some dicussion - "don't act like a danish gote" - we all climbed fast and easy to the summit.
On the way down I met two americans on the way up with their suisse guide. One of them would like to turn around, but was stopped. "I am a prisoner, he cried to us.
|Posted Sep 17, 2001 2:39 pm


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The Elias Sports Bureau's statistical rankings from the past two seasons are making the rounds, and Hank Blalock and Milton Bradley, two of the five Rangers who filed for free agency, are Type B players. That means the Rangers would receive a sandwich pick between the first and second rounds of the First-Year Player Draft if Blalock and Bradley are offered arbitration but sign with another team.
That's more likely to happen with Bradley, who said late in the season that he is seeking a multiyear contract. But he also has said that he would like to return to the team with which he became an All-Star for the first time in his career.
General manager Jon Daniels has said several times this month that the Rangers will pick up the $6.2 million option on Blalock rather than buy him out for $250,000.
Jamey Wright just missed receiving a Type B designation. Jason Jennings and Ramon Vazquez also fell below the Type B cutoff.
-- Jeff Wilson


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Kate Moss Fashion Editorials
Kate Moss Is Unstoppable — See 150 of Her Most Stunning Editorials
Can you believe Kate Moss turns 41 today? It seems like just yesterday she was a fresh-faced teen model, posing for Calvin Klein ads and dating Johnny Depp. Through setbacks, scandals, and stirring up global controversies, Kate's career has managed to endure — she has starred in campaigns for Rimmel London, David Yurman, Stella McCartney, and Dior, to mention a few, and has even designed collections for Topshop and Longchamp. In 2011, Kate returned to the runway for Louis Vuitton, cigarette in hand — silencing even her harshest critics and reminding us all why we love her so much — then showed her softer side during her English countryside wedding to The Kills' frontman Jamie Hince. With the release of her coffee table tome, Kate: The Kate Moss Book in 2012, it became even more apparent how staggering Kate's career is, spanning over 25 years. No matter what she's gone through, Kate remains a fashion industry icon and continues to inspire us with her gorgeous spreads and covetable street-style looks. We're taking a look back at some of her many amazing fashion editorials — click through to see them all now.


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No festival is complete without music and food. Larger bands will offer rock 'n' roll, R&B, jazz and soul on the Main Stage on Waverley Street, while the Webster Stage will ring out folk, Americana, country and blues. Food courts on Bryant and Waverley streets and food trucks will augment the offerings of downtown restaurants.
For the kids, free art activities can be found at the Kids' Art Studio at University Avenue and Kipling Street, staffed by Palo Alto Parents & Professionals for Art.
The festival is the major fundraiser for the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce, and the Italian Street Painting Expo, co-sponsored by the Palo Alto Weekly, raises money (through sponsorships) for Youth Community Service.
This year, the festival organizers are offering gift certificates in $25 denominations that will be accepted by all festival artists. They may be pre-ordered and emailed within 24 hours, if received before Aug. 22. The certificates may be used towards a purchase during festival hours.
The following offers a snapshot of a few of this year's festival participants.
Helen Willoughby-Peck
Although she said she can't draw, Helen Willoughby-Peck has always dabbled in some kind of art, from embroidery to quilting, and ultimately glass.
"I always wanted to do stained glass," she said, but she didn't enjoy the soldering part.
She did love the translucence and the assembly. And the complications.
Introduced to the medium through a stained-glass class, Willoughby-Peck moved on to fused glass — created through an aperture flow (or pot melt) process where pieces of colored glass are placed in a ceramic flower pot, then fired in a kiln until the glass melts and flows "like honey" through the hole in the bottom of the pot.
The glass melts into a solid disk with swirls of color, which she then cuts up and reassembles into rectangles and returns to the kiln for further fusing. The plates, platters or bowls are then remelted over a ceramic form to give them a curved shape.
In 2005, Willoughby-Peck gave up her day job in human resources (she says an employee handbook she wrote paid for her first kiln) and moved to the Sierra foothill town of Mariposa with her husband. Today, at 57, she spends about half of each day in her studio creating Willoughby Art Glass.
Willoughby-Peck is intrigued by the precision required: Glass has to be melted in steps and certain minerals (such as copper for aqua and selenium for red) do not go together without creating havoc, she explained.
Glass and mineral compatibilities took time to learn, she said, adding, "That's the fun part to me. ... I like the challenge and complexity of seeing how to make it work right."
Willoughby-Peck's tiles and platters go for $65 to $185, and her jewelry from $20 to $50. This is her third time at the festival, but visitors may have also seen her work at July's Palo Alto Clay & Glass Festival, where she's appeared four times.
Phillip Van Ornum
As a child, Phillip Van Ornum watched his grandfather, one of the few survivors of the U.S.S. Juneau during World War II, create hand-carved replicas of the ill-fated ship.
"I watched him pour so much passion into (his carving)," Van Ornum recalled.
Everyone around him seemed to be working with their hands, he said, and by age 8 he too was working in the wood shop. His brother became an electrician; he went to work as a carpenter.
Today, at 45, he creates intricate furniture with hidden compartments, whimsical mirrors and inlaid and shaped boxes.
He said he poured a "ton of heart" into an inlaid table with a hidden drawer that he made without a customer in mind. The piece took more than six months to complete and he's priced it at $6,800.
"I made it knowing that it may never sell. ... I like to tell people that we work hard and our money should go to something that our children's children will want to use," he said.
His mirrors, which vary in size and shape and can be custom-made to match furniture, sell in the $300 to $800 range.
Describing himself as "old school, old world, a dreamer and a romantic," Van Ornum is inspired to create custom pieces as anniversary or graduation gifts. "A lot comes from customers and my knowledge," he said.
He still works three or four other jobs to support his artistic Van Ornum Wood Working in Sunnyvale.
But making fine furniture simply isn't a quick process, he said. Once you start to shape the wood, it changes the tension on the rest of the board, and it takes time to let it settle into a new shape.
Sissel Auerbock and Mette Julian
Sisters Sissel Auerbock and Mette Julian grew up in Norway, married and moved far away from their homeland and each other, then ended up in Santa Barbara 14 years ago with a shared business, Sisters Creative Design.
Auerbock, 67, is the jeweler; Julian, 70, creates porcelain birds and fish in figurines and vessels. This will be their third year at the Palo Alto festival.
Auerbock says they complement each other. "I take my inspiration from nature; my sister lived in Japan and is influenced by that. Much of her work is pretty organic," she said.
Auerbock worked as a teacher in Norway, then spent 25 years with her husband and children in Africa; her husband now spends half the year with her in Santa Barbara. Julian came to the U.S. many years ago to study, earning degrees in Japanese studies and librarianship.
"We get on very well together and we have a lot of fun; we influence each other," Auerbock said, pointing out that they were apart for a long time and could seldom see each other.
"For us, it's very wonderful to be able to do this together."
In Africa, Auerbock worked in batik and painting, but eventually took up jewelry design.
The sisters share studio space, but each requires separate work areas: "the dirty work of jewelry" in the garage, separate from the kiln required for ceramics.
"We share so much taste," she said. "Our products are so similar and complement each other so well."
Julian noted that they often collaborate where she creates the ceramic bits that are incorporated in her sister's jewelry. Auerbock's jewelry ranges from $35 to $500, and Julian's ceramics from $25 to $185.
Cristy Aloysi and Scott Graham
The married glass-artisan team of Cristy Aloysi and Scott Graham recently relocated from Seattle to Boulder Creek; they hope to have their Viscosity home studio completely set up by October, Aloysi said.
An art major in college, Aloysi was originally drawn to ceramics, but after doing an internship at a glass studio, she moved to New York City where she worked at Urban Glass — and met her husband.
She describes glassblowing as "a team sport, or a team art. ... You have to make it with someone." Aloysi, 36, and Graham, 37, work together on all their pieces, she said.
Aloysi is hard-pressed to describe her favorite projects, but she quickly comes up with the couple's double-walled bowls, which they call bubble bowls.
"It's fun to come up with different color combinations. (It's) a little weird, but really cool in its weirdness," she said.
They start by blowing a big ball; while shaping it, they suck in the front of the bowl.
"It's like a ball that's folded into itself," Aloysi said.
They make four sizes of bubble bowls, ranging from 5 inches (at $85) to 14 inches wide ($425).
Aloysi described their 2-foot-tall bird's nest double as "an atraditional vessel. It can be flipped either way. ... It's not sculpture but it's not a traditional vessel form." At $950, the double forms are among the couple's more expensive pieces, she said.
While finishing up the plumbing and construction of their glass studio — with its three different glory holes and two large annealing ovens — the couple has been blowing glass three days a week at the Bay Area Glass Institute in San Jose.
"We really love what we do," she said.
For more Home and Real Estate news, visit www.paloaltoonline.com/real_estate.
What: Palo Alto Festival of the Arts
When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 24, and Sunday, Aug. 25
Where: University Avenue, between High and Webster streets
Cost: Free
Info: www.mlaproductions.com or call 650-324-3121.
This story contains 1484 words.
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Big life changes were on their way.
"My advice is so basic. Number one: Read. I feel like it's amazing how many people I know who want to be writers who don't really read. I'm not convinced someone wants to be a writer if they don't read. I don't think the problem is that they need to read more; I think they might need to readjust their life goals. Reading is the nourishment that lets you do interesting work. To be reading good things. I feel that you should be reading what you want to write. Nothing less."
And from Runners World Daily:
race verb
1 : to believe that one can move forward just a tiny bit faster than one is currently moving, regardless of how fast one is currently moving, and then to try
By analysing actual performances and extrapolating, Francois Peronnet, a professor at the University of Montreal, calculates that the first sub two-hour marathon will be run in the year 2028.
Whenever it happens, it would mean running each mile at a four minute 35 second pace. By comparison, a decent club runner might run at a seven-minute mile pace, and a casual runner at nine or 10 minutes.


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Corbin in All-Star form for 10th win of season
PHOENIX -- Even though he was winless in six starts since June 2 entering Sunday, Patrick Corbin didn't seem to mind being stuck on nine wins for more than a month with his club winning four of those contests.
His teammates, however, thought the young southpaw warranted better outcomes.Full Game Coverage
PHOENIX -- Even though he was winless in six starts since June 2 entering Sunday, Patrick Corbin didn't seem to mind being stuck on nine wins for more than a month with his club winning four of those contests.
His teammates, however, thought the young southpaw warranted better outcomes.Full Game Coverage
On Sunday, the Arizona lineup took matters into its own hands, pounding out 11 hits in support of another stellar performance from Corbin as the All-Star finally earned his 10th win of the season, 6-1, over the Rockies as the D-backs won their fifth straight game following a five-game losing streak.
"He deserved it a long time ago," Miguel Montero said. "He hadn't had the run support so it was tough, but he has been outstanding. He should be 15-0 to be honest. I'm pretty sure there's a lot of weight off his shoulders to get that 10th win."
In reaching double-digit wins before the All-Star break, Corbin became just the fourth pitcher in franchise history to accomplish the feat, joining Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling and Brandon Webb.
Despite being mentioned in the same breath as those illustrious names, the 23-year-old shied away from talking about himself.
"It helps when you're scoring that many runs," Corbin said. "Look, I'm trying to win every game I go out there. I got No. 10 today and I'll aim for No. 11 the next time I go out there."
The only run Colorado managed to push across Sunday came on Jonathan Herrera's solo homer in the eighth inning. Corbin finished his afternoon tying a career best with 10 strikeouts and allowing just three hits.
Combined with his most recent outing against Colorado on May 20, in which he tossed the first complete game of his career, Corbin has 20 strikeouts over 17 innings against the Rockies.
"They like to swing early, but he makes quality pitches every time, so he gets them out early in the at-bat," Montero said. "He was dominating right out of the gate and when he's on, he's on. Today was outstanding, they couldn't lay off him."
In the three-game sweep of the Rockies, the D-backs outscored the division rival 22-2 while each Arizona starter went eight innings and allowed one run or fewer. That meant the club's bullpen only worked three innings all weekend coming off a series in New York in which the D-backs played a combined 10 extra innings.
Bullpen staples like Heath Bell, Brad Ziegler, David Hernandez and Tony Sipp all received three days off, setting them up nicely for when the Dodgers come to town Monday trailing the D-backs by 4 1/2 games in the National League West.
"That was good, we were beat up coming in and it couldn't have went any better," D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said. "We're in much better shape going into this series than we were going into this last one."
The D-backs got on the board first Sunday in the second when Eric Chavez doubled to lead off the inning and later came around to score on a wild pitch. With two down in the frame, Rockies starter Roy Oswalt threw a slider in the dirt that Wilin Rosario couldn't handle, allowing Chavez to scamper in from third. While attempting to cover home, Oswalt came up limping on his left leg and was forced to leave the game with a strained hamstring.
Into the Colorado bullpen after just 1 2/3 innings, the D-backs broke the afternoon contest open in the third as each of the first four batters in the inning reached base. After Corbin walked and Gerardo Parra singled, Aaron Hill and Paul Goldschmidt each followed with run-scoring doubles to left field, handing Arizona a 4-0 cushion.
Goldschmidt's RBI upped his NL-leading total to 74 on the season.
Two innings later, Chavez added another insurance run with a single to left to give the D-backs' at least five runs for the fifth consecutive game.
"We've had good approaches lately," Chavez said. "We had a meeting in New York about doing that early in games, and since then, we have."
The five-spot was plenty of support for Corbin, who at one point retired 13 consecutive batters and only allowed one runner into scoring position all day, and he added to his memorable day in the sixth when he drove an RBI double into the right-center-field gap.
A byproduct of his gem, the lefty lowered his ERA from 2.49 to 2.40, good enough for fifth in the Majors. Upon his exit, Josh Collmenter worked a clean ninth to secure the sweep. Gibson considered letting Corbin try for his second career complete game, but with a pitch count of 97, he decided to go to the 'pen.
"Do you let him go back out there? He didn't have a shutout and I kind of wanted to put 'Colly' out there," Gibson said. "Eight innings was plenty for Patrick."
Tyler Emerick is an associate reporter for MLB.com.


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[/size]yalborap, about 4chan wrote:I have stared into Satan's asshole, and it fucking winked at me.
Kuribo's Jew wrote: »scarab you have mental problems
CasinoGhost wrote: »
CasinoGhost wrote: »
Is this one of your obscure references that I never get or... did you read my diary
I've never done ego searches in my life, except for two times when I was a young lad and someone mentioned "Hey you can search for your name on the board" and "What will show up if you google your name/handle?"Redeemer did you find this by ego-searching or by searching Silent Hill?
The Far Side is a girl? I did not know that.
The Far Side is a girl? I did not know that.
Well. She's transgendered. As in, she has a male body right now, but she is in fact a woman. At least that's the way I understand it. Correct me if I'm wrong Ms. FS.


text: I've been quilting for about 3 years, but I'm new to the group. Work full time, so I have to steal sewing moments whenever I can. I'm looking forward to participating in some of the block swaps. Santa brought me a new Babylock Symphony for Christmas, and I'm looking forward to exploring what it can do this year! I'm really interested in trying a modern quilt, and have some great fabrics in my stash for that project!


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Schoop hits refresh button on season
By David Wilson / MLB.com
BALTIMORE -- As players filed into the clubhouse on Sunday morning before the Orioles' series finale against the Rays, Jonathan Schoop came in with bags in hand ready to begin his season.
It didn't matter that he'd already done this at the start of the year and had been with the O's all season. He needed to try it again.
So at the suggestion of Orioles first-base coach Wayne Kirby, the infielder packed up his bags, went out to the parking lot, came back in and treated the day as if it were the first day after he was called up.
"You know what you should do?" Schoop said, recalling the conversation and imitating Kirby's voice. "You should come back here like a new guy, a new player."
Before he tried take two, the rookie had been mired in a 0-for-12 slump that saw his batting average drop to .213. He's registered two hits in all three games since and his average has ticked back up to .227.
"It kind of refreshed my mind a little bit," Schoop said. "It was in a joking way, but it's working. It refreshed my mind. I started a new season in my mind."
Schoop said this won't be his plan for any time he's in a slump, but he can't deny that it's working so far. Even with a small sample size, the jolt hasn't gone unnoticed.
"We might have to try that in a couple other places," Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said.
Davis gets back to basics with swing
BALTIMORE -- Chris Davis' batting average has plummeted all the way down to .205. He's homered just twice since June 14. His defense has been good, but in almost every other way he hasn't been the player the Orioles expected him to be after his MVP-caliber season a year ago.
Before batting practice on Wednesday, Davis went back to the basics. As Buck Showalter looked on, the slugger set a ball up on a tee and practiced hitting balls on the outer half of the plate.
"A number of swings this year I've really been pulling off the ball or hooking the ball," Davis said, "and that was something that in the past I've always done really well, going the other way, staying through the ball."
He doesn't need to relearn how to hit the ball the other way, he said, but he needs to get better at staying through the ball to drive the ball.
A handful of times during Tuesday's 8-3 win against the Rangers, Davis had pitches up and away that a year ago he would've driven into the seats. This year, balls like those have typically become foul balls.
"That's when you know you're not right," he said. "Those pitches, when you're going good, are driven the other way."
He's still been able to pull inside pitches over the fence, but opponents have responded by shifting him harder than ever.
In the fifth inning on Tuesday, Davis ripped a line drive toward the first-base line. Texas second baseman Rougned Odor was shifted more than usual, though, and snared the ball out of the air.
During his final at-bat in the eighth inning, Davis belted a fly ball to center field. Ranger outfielder Daniel Robertson got to it before having the ball bounce off his glove. The play was ruled an error, but Showalter looked at that as a promising sign. He said it was one the best hit balls Davis had in days.
If things are starting to turn for Davis, they're not turning easily. Publicly, he said he's content as long as he's playing every day and the team's winning. Privately, Showalter said, it's been tougher.
"Don't think for a second it's not frustrating for him," the O's manager said. "I look at it with good players like him that somebody's going to pay. Somebody's going to pay down the line. It bodes well for us."
All-Star nod may be on horizon for Britton
BALTIMORE -- It wasn't in a save situation, but Zach Britton hurled another scoreless inning at the end of the Orioles' 8-3 win against the Rangers on Tuesday.
As a whole, the O's bullpen has been exceptional this season and Britton has been at the forefront of that. An All-Star nod could be forthcoming with the announcements coming in the next few days.
"There are so many things that go into that selection," the pitcher said. "There are a lot of guys doing well, so it's not something I think as a player we really focus on too much."
Britton took over as the Orioles closer after Tommy Hunter blew his third save of the season -- and second in a row -- against the Tigers on May 13. Since then, Britton has recorded all 10 of his saves and allowed just five earned runs in 21 innings. The lefty has blown two saves this season and has an overall ERA of 1.49.
Not long ago, Britton was a promising young starting pitcher for the Orioles. Before 2014, he had come out of the bullpen only once in his three-year career. He began the year pitching in the fifth and sixth innings and has quickly become one of the best closers in the American League.
He attributes his unprecedented success in the bullpen to a number of things, including his ability to rely on just two pitches. He rarely mixes his changeup in with the bevy of sinkers and sliders he uses.
But the bigger benefit has been the amount of work he's able to get out there. He knows he can be called in any game, so he stays more engaged and relishes the opportunity to get into a rhythm by throwing more than just once every five days.
"It's improved my command," Britton said. "As a starter you have four days off, but in the bullpen, having that opportunity to throw every day, I think it's really benefited me experience-wise. And then it's allowed me to really command my sinker better than I ever have."
Norris could return next week for Nats series
BALTIMORE -- Bud Norris could return for one of the Orioles' two games in Washington, D.C., on Monday or Tuesday -- there's a reason he's been taking some batting practice -- but he will have to pitch some time before then. It may just be a simulated game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, or it could mean a start somewhere in the Minors.
"The decision's going to be -- not if but when -- whether he needs to go pitch somewhere or take a sim game here and that's enough," O's manager Buck Showalter said. "He won't go just from a side day into starting."
Norris, who hasn't played since June 21 due to a right groin strain, threw a bullpen session in Baltimore on Wednesday. Norris will take pitchers' fielding practice on Thursday and will throw a side session on Friday.
Norris is eligible to come off the disabled list on Monday.
"He's getting better," Showalter said. "He's improving. … We think we might pitch him in Washington."
Worth noting
• Kevin Gausman pitched two innings for Class A Short-Season Aberdeen on Wednesday. The pitcher allowed one hit and an unearned run in a 9-5 loss to Staten Island. The righty struck out one and walked one. He is a candidate to start for the Orioles on Sunday.
• With his 26th home run of the season on Tuesday, Nelson Cruz tied Rafael Palmeiro for third most home runs in Baltimore history before the All-Star break. Chris Davis set the record with 37 last year. Cruz is also tied with Jose Abreu and Edwin Encarnacion for the Major League home run lead after Encarnacion homered on Wednesday.
• Orioles pitcher Suk-Min Yoon had an injection to treat imflammation in his right shoulder on Wednesday. He will be re-evaluated in the coming days.
David Wilson is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Austrian gunman kills 3 cops, still at large
3 police officers and an emergency rescue driver were found dead, a fourth officer was wounded
By Philipp-Moritz Jenne and George Jahn
Associated Press
KOLLAPRIEL, Austria — A gunman in Austria killed four people, including three police officers, and fired sporadically at police on Tuesday after barricading himself in a farm building, officials said.
After a 12-hour standoff, police stormed the building with body armor and assault weapons and were searching for the suspect, Interior Ministry spokesman Karl-Heinz Grundboeck told The Associated Press. It wasn't immediately clear whether he was still in the building and the search was widening to other nearby buildings on the farm grounds.
The hunt stretched on more than three hours. Grundboeck said police were moving carefully in an area with many possible hideouts and locked doors. "The safety of our police is our top priority," he said, shortly before midnight.
The killings began about 24 hours earlier, when police stopped the man on a road near a wilderness area west of Vienna where there has been frequent poaching.
Austrian media said the man was a suspected poacher. Police named the suspect as Alois Huber, a 55-year-old businessman.
The gunman fled in his car, which landed in a ditch in the nearby town of Annaberg, then shot and wounded a member of Austria's Cobra SWAT team at a police checkpoint, said Grundboeck. The police officer later died.
An ambulance raced to the scene, but the gunman shot and killed its driver as he tried to give first aid to the wounded policeman. The gunman also shot and wounded another officer at the scene.
Later Tuesday, another officer who had been missing was found shot dead in his patrol car, said Grundboeck. Regional police spokesman Roland Scherscher said that officer was apparently killed after the suspect carjacked the police vehicle and took him hostage.
The attacker then fatally shot another police officer at a roadblock before barricading himself in the farm building on the outskirts of Melk, a central town 70 kilometers (40 miles) west of Vienna, Grundboeck said.
The gunman sporadically fired at police units near the building, with the last shot heard about an hour before police piled into three Austrian army tanks and moved in.
Scherscher said he could not confirm an Austrian media report that the suspect was shot in the abdomen by police before he sought refuge inside the farm building.
The provincial government of Lower Austria ordered black flags flown from all public buildings in honor of the gunman's victims.
Copyright 2013 Associated Press


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Hodgkin's lymphoma is a cancer of lymph tissue found in the lymph nodes, spleen, liver, bone marrow, and other sites.
Lymphoma - Hodgkin's; Hodgkin's disease; Cancer - Hodgkin's lymphoma
The cause is not known. Hodgkin's lymphoma is most common among people ages 15 - 35 and 50 - 70. Past infection with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is thought to contribute to some cases. Patients with HIV infection are more at risk than the general population.
Other symptoms that may occur with this disease:
Note: Symptoms caused by Hodgkin's lymphoma may also occur also with other conditions. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific symptoms.
The first sign of Hodgkin's lymphoma is often a swollen lymph node, which appears without a known cause. The disease can spread to nearby lymph nodes. Later it may spread to the spleen, liver, bone marrow, or other organs.
The disease may be diagnosed after:
If tests reveal that you do have Hodgkin's lymphoma, more tests will be done to see if the cancer has spread. This is called staging. Staging helps guide treatment and follow-up, and gives you some idea of what to expect in the future.
The following procedures will usually be done:
Some people may need abdominal surgery to take out a piece of the liver and remove the spleen. However, because the other tests are now so good at detecting the spread of Hodgkin's lymphoma, this surgery is usually not needed.
Treatment depends on the following:
Tests will be done to see if the cancer has spread. This is called staging. Staging helps guide future treatment and follow-up and gives you some idea of what to expect in the future. Staging is needed to determine your treatment plan. Stages of Hodgkin's lymphoma range from I to IV. The higher the staging number, the more advanced the cancer.
Treatment depends on your age and stage of the cancer.
People with Hodgkin's lymphoma that returns after treatment or does not respond to the first treatment may receive high-dose chemotherapy. That is followed by an autologous stem cell transplant (using stem cells from yourself).
What other treatments you have depend on your symptoms, but may include:
You can often ease the stress of illness by joining a support group of people who share common experiences and problems. See: Cancer - support group
Hodgkin's disease is considered one of the most curable forms of cancer, especially if it is diagnosed and treated early. Unlike other cancers, Hodgkin's disease is often very curable, even in its late stages.
With the right treatment, more than 90% of people with stage I or II Hodgkin's lymphoma survive for at least 10 years. If the disease has spread, the treatment may be more intense. However, 90% of people with advanced disease survive for at least 5 years.
Patients who survive 15 years after treatment are more likely to later die from other causes, including complications of the treatment, rather than from Hodgkin's disease.
People with Hodgkin's lymphoma whose disease returns within a year after treatment or who do not respond to the first treatment have a poorer outlook.
You will need to have regular exams and imaging tests for years after your treatment. This helps your doctor check for signs of the cancer returning, and for any long-term treatment effects.
Treatments for Hodgkin's lymphoma can have complications. Long-term complications of chemotherapy or radiation therapy include:
Chemotherapy can cause low blood cell counts, which can lead to an increased risk of bleeding, infection, and anemia. To reduce bleeding, apply ice and pressure. Use a soft toothbrush and electric razor for personal hygiene.
Always take an infection seriously during cancer treatments. Contact your doctor right away if you develop fever or other signs of infection, especially if your white blood cell counts are low due to treatment. Planning rest periods during your daily activities may help prevent fatigue due to anemia.
Call your health care provider if:
Eichenauer DA, Engert A, Dreyling M. ESMO Guidelines Working Group: Hodgkin's lymphoma: ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines for diagnosis, treatmetn and follow-up. Ann Oncol. 2011 Sep 22 Suppl 6:vi55-58.
Horning SJ. Hodgkin's lymphoma. In: Abeloff MD, Armitage JO, Niederhuber JE, Kastan MB, McKena WG, eds. Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2008:chap 111.
Armitage JO. Early-stage Hodgkin's lymphoma. N Engl J Med. 2010 Aug 12;363(7):653-62.
1000 Johnson Ferry Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30342
(404) 851-8000
450 Northside Cherokee Blvd.
Canton, GA 30115
(770) 224-1000
1200 Northside Forsyth Drive
Cumming, GA 30041
(770) 844-3200


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The Hefei wise teaching temple, is situated in the Chinese Anhui Hefei rambles nearby Tianjin park, old name iron Buddhist temple, also said that wise teaching Taiwan, Cao Cao call the roll of officers and assign them tasks Taiwan. When this temple builds in Southern Dynasty Liang, to Sui end, the temple leaves uncultivated. Tang during big all previous years (766-779) digs hard Buddha one in the ruins, Luzhou provincial governor Pei Juan reports the royal government, plays the reconstruction, chooses a name for "the wise teaching courtyard". The Ming Dynasty renames "the wise teaching temple". The latter repeat after is popular waste. Up to the clear Xianfeng three years (1853), duplicate destroys in the flames of war. The Guangxu Dynasty reconstructs. in 1937 the winter, the temple part construction is blown up by the Japanese forces airplane. After new China was established, the government Department concerned allocates funds many times the restoration. in 1983, this temple is decided as the Han Nationality area nation key temple. The wise teaching temple history is glorious, the building is grand. In the Qing Dynasty, crown of the cuhap Feicheng numerous temple. The extant construction has the entrance, Son of Heaven palace, the Sakyamuni valuable palace, the repository for buddhist scriptures, the reception room, the Laotian room and so on.
Anhui Province, a province of the PRC, located in the east, the Yangtze River Delta hinterland. Across the Huaihe River, Yangtze River, the three major river systems Xin'anjiang. Provincial capital of Hefei. Anhui geographical diversity, both north and south colors. Is a southern province of Anhui Qing, Kangxi 6 years (AD 1667), analysis of southern provinces of Jiangsu and Anhui provinces and the formal province, take time Anqing, Huizhou, two governments, named after the first word. Territory Wan Shan, Anhui water, that today's Anhui Tianzhu Mountain and River, Spring and Autumn when the country was labeled Po, called Wan country, it is referred to Anhui Anhui.


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Night sights and lasers: Necessary accessories for off-duty concealed carry
Finding any limited light technology on the smaller pistols we use as backup guns or off-duty concealed carry weapons is unusual. Since these pistols are generally weapons of last resort, being able to use them effectively in the dark is highly desirable.
Radioactive tritium-powered night sights have become almost universal today on duty pistols. Laser aiming devices are widely use by SWAT teams, but are less commonly found on pistols carried by patrol officers. Finding any limited light technology on the smaller pistols we use as backup guns or off-duty concealed carry weapons is unusual. Since these pistols are generally weapons of last resort, being able to use them effectively in the dark is highly desirable.
One way to gain limited light capabilities is to upgrade an existing pistol with replacement night sights and/or a laser. Several companies manufacture replacement sights with tritium illumination for those pistols with easily replaced sights — generally meaning those with existing sights fitted into dovetails in the slide.
Intermediate-sized concealable pistols from Glock, Sig, Smith & Wesson (S&W) and others allow a wide range of choices from several sight manufacturers. Night sights can be purchased for the front sight only, or for both front and rear in several configurations; the common Three-Dot, a Bar/Big Dot combination from XS sights, or the "Straight Eight" two vertical dot layout used exclusively by Heinie Specialty Products (my personal preference).
Often the smallest pistols, like the very popular Ruger LCP .380 and Kel-Tec 3AT, have fixed sights which cannot be exchanged. Small frame revolvers are similar in this regard, generally requiring serious gunsmithing to add night sights. XS sights make a replacement front sight which can be fitted to some small revolvers with minimal modification and are now offered as a factory option on some models by both S&W and Ruger.
There are ways to mount a laser-aiming device to almost any pistol, ranging from elegant and effective to simple, yet tough to conceal.
The most elegant, in my opinion, is the little S&W .380 Bodyguard pistol which includes a laser built into the frame. S&W also makes a .38 Special caliber snub-nosed revolver with an integral laser, also called the Bodyguard. LaserMax lasers, which fit inside the pistol, replacing the recoil spring guide rod, fit any holster but are the most expensive.
The easiest way to mount a laser on a concealable pistol uses the accessory rails built into the frames of some models. While a rail-mount laser sight is effective to use, and usually more reasonable in price, it can hamper your ability to conceal the pistol. In between these extremes are add-on devices that fit into replacement grips (or around the grip of a Glock) or mount to the trigger guard.
Lasers that generate a green light rather than red are now available, and preferable for daytime use. The human eye is much more sensitive to the green wavelength, so the green dot is visible on most close targets in daylight. Of course, the newer green laser technology comes with a significantly higher price tag.
Whatever device you choose to enhance the night fighting capability of your small pistol, get to the range and train with it. The sights/lasers will most likely be used in limited light; not daylight but not full dark. Indoor ranges provide almost ideal limited light training conditions when the targets are placed away from the full lighting spots (usually in between traditional shooting distances).
|Left to right – Colt LW Commander with Crimson Trace Master-series Laser Grips, S&W .380 Bodyguard with integral InSight laser, Springfield Armory XDs with Crimson Trace Rail Mount (green), and S&W M&P Shield with trigger-guard mount LaserLyte. Note how much brighter the green dot appears. (PoliceOne Image)
Testing under these realistic lighting conditions has caused me to prefer night sights with a white ring around the tritium tube, helping me catch the sights when it is a bit too bright for the green radioactive dots to be readily visible. Gunfights rarely occur in total darkness where a flashlight is required, but you should practice that, too.
A scenario like the 2012 active shooter attack at the Dark Knight premiere in Aurora, Colo. is just one situation where an off-duty or retired officer armed with an effective night-sighted handgun could have been instrumental. Radioactive night sights would have been very visible in the darkened theater, but a laser dot on the killer's face would have been the ultimate way to neutralize the threat and save lives. Are you ready to make that difficult low-light shot?
Isn't that why we carry off-duty/retired? To put our life-long training to use when innocent lives are in jeopardy?
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KSC Celebrates 22nd Merry Tuba Christmas
Once again the holiday season will be ushered in with the glorious sounds of Keene's annual MERRY TUBACHRISTMAS® 2012. This event began in Keene twenty-two years ago, and since that time, hundreds of tuba players, both professional and amateur, have participated in this celebration of the holiday season and the heritage of this noble instrument.
The free concert will be held on Sunday December 2 at 1:00 PM in the L.P. Young Student Center's Mabel Brown Room. All area tuba and euphonium players are invited to perform. (Please, no instruments other than tubas, euphoniums, and baritone horns.) There will be a rehearsal in the same location as the concert at 10:30 AM. Performers pay a $5.00 fee to the Harvey Phillips Foundation, which is a tax deductible, but the concert is free.
For more information on Keene' MERRY TUBACHRISTMAS, please contact:
Dr. James Chesebrough, TUBACHRISTMAS Conductor and Coordinator
Keene State College
Department of Music
229 Main Street
Keene, NH 03435-2402
603/358-2193 (office)
E-mail: email@example.com
To request accommodations for a disability, please contact the coordinator at least two weeks prior to the event.


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From: The Hundred Parables Sutra
Namo Amitabha Buddha!THE PHYSICIAN GIVES MEDICINE TO THE PRINCESS TO MADE HER GROW UP FAST
Once upon a time there was a king who brought a daughter into the world. He sent for the doctor and asked him, "Could you prescribe some drugs for my daughter in order to make her grow up faster?"
The physician replied, "I have a good prescription for her. However, I don't have the medicine on hand. I should look for it. Your Majesty must not see her at the time of my searching for the medicine. I'll present her to your Majesty after she has taken it."
Then the physician went to a remote region in search of the medicine. He found it and came back twelve years later. Having taken the medicine, the daughter was led to the king who was happy to see her. Then he said to himself, "He's a good physician. My daughter has indeed grown after taking his medicine."
The king then ordered his attendants to reward the doctor lavishly with gems. All the courtiers derided the king for his ignorance to such an extent that he did not know to think of the year in which his daughter was born. The king believed that her growing was due to the effect of the medicine.
So are the people in general. They will visit a wise man and say, "We should like to attain the path of Enlightenment. Please instruct us that we may immediately receive the transcendent wisdom."
By means of expediency, the master will guide them to practice meditation and contemplate the Twelve Links connected with the causation of rebirth. After gradually accumulating all kinds of merits, they reach the Arahant's degree. Then they will jump with joy and exclaim, "How fast it is! Our great master, you have made us obtain so quickly the quintessential truth."


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CORRECTION: A previous version of this story gave the incorrect age when a murder victim came to the United States. Jan Pietrzak was 10 when he arrived from Poland.
The mother of a U.S. Marine sergeant, who was murdered along with his wife in 2008 in his French Valley home, testified in court Monday, June 10, describing her anguish upon learning her son's killers were also Marines.
"I felt like somebody stabbed me right in the heart," Henryka Varga said, crying as she spoke and bringing some of the jurors to tears as well, during the penalty phase of the trial in Riverside. "Everything that he believed and I believed crumbled in one moment."
Sgt. Jan Pietrzak was born in Poland and moved to New York with his family in 1994, when he was 10, his mother said.
"He was very proud to be American," Varga said.
"He was very proud to become a Marine."
Kevin Cox, 25, Tyrone Miller, 25, and Emrys John, 23, were convicted last week of two counts of murder and allegations of burglary and robbery in the shootings of Pietrzak, 24, and his wife, Quiana Jenkins-Pietrzak, 26. A sexual assault allegation against Miller also was found true.
Testimony in the trial began in April and two juries heard the case against the three defendants. Now, the same jurors will be asked to recommend whether the defendants should receive the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The penalty phase of the trial began Monday.
A fourth defendant, Kesaun Sykes, 26, will be tried separately on the same charges. His next court date is scheduled for August.
The Pietrzaks were newlyweds and had been living in their Bermuda Street house for only a few months when four Camp Pendleton Marines armed with guns came to their door in the wee hours of Oct. 15, 2008, prosecutors have said.
Several hours later, the couple's bodies were found in their ransacked home with gunshot wounds to their heads. Jenkins-Pietrzak was naked, bound and had been sexually assaulted. Her husband had been beaten and hog-tied. There were racial slurs — intended to mislead investigators into thinking the killings were racially motivated — spray-painted throughout the home and someone had set small fires inside in an attempt to burn down the house, prosecutors said.
Cox, John and Miller all worked with Pietrzak — a helicopter mechanic — at one time while stationed at Camp Pendleton.
On the witness stand Monday, Pietrzak's mother told jurors the story of her son's short life and the stories behind the cherished items stolen by his killers and later found in their homes.
There was the gold pendant with the "Holy Mother" that Pietrzak's family gave him to protect him before he was deployed to Iraq; the expensive watch his mother gave him for his birthday; the diamond engagement ring Pietrzak worked extra jobs to pay for; and the military dress uniform that Pietrzak's family couldn't bury him in because it was still hanging in Tyrone Miller's closet.
Varga said the last year of her son's life was like the "American dream in action."
"Everything he wanted in life was coming together," his mother said.
He was a Marine, he had gotten married, he had bought his first home.
Pietrzak's wedding was Aug. 8, 2008 and it was the happiest day of his life, Varga said.
"That was the last time I saw him," his mother said.
The penalty phase of the trial is expected to continue for several days.
Follow Sarah Burge on Twitter @sarahkburge or online at blog.pe.com/crime-blotter


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There are usually two ways you find June Ansorge's Towles Court pottery studio: You're looking for it, or you're adventurous. Either way, if Ansorge is at the wheel, you're in for a treat.
The 84-year-old potter is a chatterbox, and her signature purses, molded out of terra cotta clay and stuffed with terra cotta combs, Visa cards, sunglasses and orchestra tickets, are conversation pieces.
If you've not heard of Ansorge or seen her clay versions of designer handbags, you're not alone. A Longboat Key resident, the artist garnered much attention at last month's Red Hot! Love, Romance & Humor show at Art Center Sarasota, where she exhibited three porcelain wedding cakes, a plate of porcelain cupcakes and four lifelike purses, slumped, stuffed and pleated to look like worn leather. The collection of bags so closely resembled the real deal that Art Center patrons had a hard time fighting the urge to pick them up by their straps.
"They're the ultimate container," Ansorge says of her handbags. "Everyone should carry one. Men too. In Europe, men carry bags. Here, their pockets bulge."
Seated behind a 60-year-old potter's wheel — a relic she inherited decades ago from Bessie Schonberg, the widow of a hobby potter and a dance legend for whom the "Bessie" awards were named — Ansorge rises to turn off her noisy radio.
"You're going to think I've been cleaning all night," Ansorge says, wiping her hands on her shirt, a lightweight button-down that once belonged to her husband. "But I work clean. I don't like breathing in this crap."
Tucked behind a large Web site design business on Links Avenue, Ansorge's studio is smaller than some bathrooms. At 8-by-18 feet, it contains a few cupboards, a stationary sink, a loud radio, piles of magazine and newspaper clippings and, of course, her beloved wheel.
Ansorge, a Manhattan, N.Y., native, has worked in Towles Court since 2004 and lived permanently on Longboat Key for just as long. A city girl at heart, she says she moved for good the day she signed the lease on her studio.
"I think people feel like they've found a treasure when they find me," she says of her hideaway workshop. "We've all shopped and explored in strange cities. You think you're missing out until you find something off the beaten path."
Other than a few temporary displays at a handful of Towles Court art galleries, the potter has kept mostly to herself, charming occasional tourists whenever they happen to sniff out her studio during Third Friday Art Walks. Though she's made pottery for 45 years, she's yet to enter her work in a Sarasota art show.
"I'm too old for that nonsense," she says, scraping bits of red clay out from under her fingernails.
At the urging of a friend, she began taking pottery classes when her children were little. The hobby stuck, and soon Ansorge was teaching beginner ceramics classes at the 92nd Street Y on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. She started making clay purses not because she was a handbag fanatic, but because she realized a thrown cylinder of clay takes on a familiar shape when you cut it down and begin kneading it.
She also liked the playfulness of purses and, eventually, she started stuffing them with loose keys, watches and wallets crafted from clay.
"I've seen her process," says Art Center curator Marcia Ente. "She collects all these fashion magazines and then pores over the ads. She stays current and produces things people can appreciate and relate to."
Each purse Ansorge makes is thrown on the wheel and then sculpted and glazed to match a designer bag. After spending half her life studying Gucci, Prada and Coach advertisements, Ansorge has become a kind of trend-spotter. She can pinpoint the exact location of the Chanel ad every Sunday in The New York Times — the upper right-hand corner of page 3.
Boutique business owners have repeatedly asked Ansorge to produce pieces for commercial inventory, but each time the potter has said no. She doesn't need the pressure, and the purses are too fragile to ship.
Despite her laissez-faire business approach, many friends and friends-of-friends from New York to Florida collect her work, which Ansorge says is a source of pride and all the validation she needs.
"I don't need to make bowls," she says. "There are many fine potters out there who make bowls. I prefer the whimsy and creativity of purses."
If You Go
Visit June Ansorge's mint green studio at 238 S. Links Ave. (behind atLarge Inc.) Friday, March 19, at the Third Friday Art Walk, in Towles Court. For more on Ansorge's purses, visit www.towlescourt.com/june.htm or call 383-7240.
Contact Heidi Kurpiela at [email protected]