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D Wizzle's World is your source for sports and pop culture with daily articles,videos,and exclusive interviews. Email: dwizzlesworld at yahoo.com
Monday, March 19, 2012
Joe Lacob gets booed by Warriors' fans during Chris Mullin retirement ceremony
This was both uncomfortable and entertaining to watch at the same time. Lacob looked like he was about to cry when the boos kept on raining down.
The Warriors' fans are frustrated with the team trading Monta Ellis last week and also because the team has not done well over the years.
6 comments:
only in Oakland!!!! lowlifes they will be in San Francisco in 2017. Come to Frisco Joe!!!
- March 19, 2012 at 11:05 PM
Jackass fans!!! Stay Classy Chokeland stay classy!
Dubs stink
- March 19, 2012 at 11:13 PM
- Jason Whetzell said...
Bogut is an elite center. The warriors have a glut of talented guards and in time this make them a more balanced team. The people booing are fools.
- March 20, 2012 at 12:13 AM
Your an idiot bogus will never play a full season
- March 20, 2012 at 1:49 AM
Montay Ellis was a loser who never did jackshit for us. Bogut is a solid center who can stop Bynum and Howards of the world. Go Lacob Go Gruber Go Fitz!
- March 20, 2012 at 10:48 AM
Another idiot who doesn't know basketball. How can bogus stop anyone when he can't even get on the court! He'll retire before he finishes out his contact.
- March 21, 2012 at 7:50 PM


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On Bible Software Review Weblog, Rubén Gómez draws attention to this blog belonging to David Alan Black, Professor of New Testament and Greek at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina:
Dave Black Online
The blog appears to be pretty frequently updated and it's been on-line since November 2003. The topics are wide ranging, often American politics, but there is some NT material in there. Unfortunately, there is no RSS feed, so it's one of those one has to try to remember to look at from time to time. The blog is part of a larger web site under the same name.

subset: commoncrawl


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Tag Archives: hunting indusrty
How to get into the outdoor industry
I get emails or direct messages from Twitter or Facebook on how to get into the "outdoor industry". 1st I want to thank the people up front that asked me, this is more of a hobby than anything. I will … Continue reading
Posted in hunting Tagged 6or7, antlers, bass fishing, blogging, deer hunting, experience, fishing, free outdoor book, free outdoor gear, how to be a prostaff, how to get into the outdoor industry, how to get on a pro staff, how to get on a prostaff, hunting indusrty, life, tips, tips on getting in the outdoor industry Leave a comment


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Israelis shoot at demonstrators in Gaza - Ken O'Keefe, Beit Hanoun, Gaza 29-11-10:
November 29, 2010
Today is the International Day of Solidarity with the People of Palestine. S...
more info
Today is the International Day of Solidarity with the People of Palestine. So today we expressed our solidarity by painting messages of support on a wall in Beit Hanoun and demonstrating against the ongoing siege of Gaza. Despite this entire event being completely peaceful on our end, Israelis shot at us and bullets whizzed by within feet of us. You can clearly hear one bullet whizz by myself (Ken O'Keefe) and several others in my area.
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
Palestine Video - A Palestine Vlog
Monday, November 29, 2010
Israelis shoot at demonstrators in Gaza - Ken O'Keefe, Beit Hanoun, Gaza 29-11-10
Posted by …壣€¥ç↙ at 2:45 PM
Labels: Gaza, Palestine Video
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Selected Videos
- ***Alnakba [The Catastrophe] - [P1] The Threads of the Conspiracy [P2] Crushing the Revolution
- ***Alnakba [The Catastrophe] - [P3] Ethnic Cleansing [P4] Nakba Continued
- **Al Nakba [La Catástrofe] - [P1] Los Hilos de la Conspiración [P2] Aplastar la Revoución
- **AlNakba [La Catásrofe] - [P3] Limpieza Étnica
- *A Palestinian Woman
- *Azmi Bishara - Interview:
- *Azmi Bishara on Israeli Apartheid
- *Azmi Bishara: The Last Colonial Question
- *Blood & Religion, Unmasking the Israeli State
- *De Facto State of Lawlessness
- *Drying up Palestine
- *Edward Said - On Orientalism
- *Edward Said: Lecture The Myth of 'The Clash of Civilzations'
- *Edward Said: Memory, Inequality and Power: Palestine and the Universality of Human Rights
- *Edward Said: Palestine, Iraq and U.S. Policy
- *Francis Boyle - Palestinians and International law
- *From Occupation to Enclosure: Fragmenting the Palestinian State 1 - Diana Buttu"
- *From Occupation to Enclosure: Fragmenting the Palestinian State 2 - Amira Hass"
- *George Bisharat - Ending the Palestinian Nakba
- *Ghada Karmi at Yale
- *Ghada Karmi: Why Israel is a Failed State
- *Ilan Pappe - Interview
- *Ilan Pappe - Israel's 1967 Plan for the West Bank and Gaza Strip
- *Ilan Pappe on the Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine
- *In the Spider's Web
- *Interview: Ghassan Andoni
- *Israel's Secret Weapon (Israel's WMD)
- *Jeff Halper - Israeli Apartheid and the Paths to a Just Peace
- *Jeff Halper- The United States, Israel and the American Jewish Community
- *Jenin Jenin
- *John Pilger - Palestine is still the issue
- *John Pilger - The War on Democracy
- *Landscapes of Occupation in Palestine
- *Muhammad Jaradat & Eitan Bronstein: 1948 and the Right of Return
- *Noam Chomsky - Middle East Crisis
- *Noam Chomsky on Gaza - MIT
- *Norman Fikelstein - The Israel-Palestine conflict: what we can learn from Gandhi
- *Norman Finkelstein speech at Columbia University (3 parts video)
- *Occupation 101
- *Off The Charts - If Americans Knew
- *Palestine Street -1- The Lost Bride
- *Palestine Street -2- The Bride in exile
- *Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land: Media & the Israel-Palestine Conflict
- *People and The Land: The Story of a People Under Occupation
- *Phyllis Bennis - "Dual Occupations: Iraq and Palestine in Bush's Empire"
- *Rachel: An American Conscience
- *Rashid Khalidi - Palestine: 40 Years of Occupation, 60 Years of Dispossession
- *Rep. Paul Findley Dares to Speak Out -- Again! AIPAC exposed
- *Salman Abu Sitta: Atlas Palestine
- *Salman Abu Sitta: The Geography of Occupation
- *Secret WMD in Israel
- *Technical Error at Beit Hanoun
- *Tegenlicht ('Backlight') A Documentary on the Israel Lobby -
- *The Bases Are Loaded: US Permanent Military Presence in Iraq
- *The Easiest Targets: The Israeli Policy of Strip Searching Women and Children
- *The influence of the Israel Lobby on American foreign policy
- *The Iron Wall
- *The Israeli Wall in Palestinian Lands
- *The Killing Zone
- *The Unrecognized
- *This is Not Your War
- *Wall of Shame
- Watch "If Americans Knew" Videos
- Watch Alternate Focus Videos
- Watch B'Tselem Videos
- watch ISM Videos
- Watch pdxjustice Videos


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Mark Driscoll
August 5, 2014 Mark Driscoll
Mark Driscoll, dubbed the "Cussing Pastor" of Mars Hill Church, faces increasing opposition from people who question his controversial behavior. In the wake of recent controversies regarding plagiarism and apparent manipulation of the bestselling books list, many who consider his autocratic leadership style to be abusive -- spiritually and otherwise -- are now speaking out. Driscoll's lie that his critics are 'anonymous' has given new impetus to calls for his resignation.


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Fight Club:
- You don't talk about fight club.
- You don't talk about fight club.
- When someone says stop, or goes limp, the fight is over.
- Only two guys to a fight.
- One fight at a time.
- They fight without shirts or shoes.
- The fights go on as long as they have to.
- If this is your first night at fight club, you have to fight.
Project Mayhem:
- You don't ask questions.
- You don't ask questions.
- No excuses.
- No lies.
- You have to trust Tyler.
da Fight Club di Chuck Palahniuk.


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Here are the new paper packs in the 2013 Spring Summer Idea Book!
Look at all the new choices you have!
Chantilly is my choice of pack to work with this month. Here's a peek at the WOTG kit:
What a beautiful spring layout.
CTMH has also introduced some coordinating fabrics as shown in this project:
Oh My!!!


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Thursday, February 21, 2008
Take Your Medicine (part 2)
It's time for another installment of "Take Your Medicine" -- where Chip and Sally tell you what the Park LaBrea advertising banners along 6th and Houser Street really mean.
Million Dollar Views = Yes, our apartment does have a million dollar view, but others not quite so much. Configuration of the towers and their rooms are arranged in a way that maximizes the view out from and sunlight into each apartment, the "x" shape layout of the rooms works out fairly well in that regard, in my opinion, however, this means lots of the rooms look out at another tower (which is great for any voyeurs out there, but not so million-dollar-ish). Just make sure you actually see your view before you move in and sign the lease (as opposed to just looking at the view in the model apartment they show everybody on the tour at the beginning.)
Oh, and just one more thing. . . Chip and I received a bill from Park LaBrea management last month for $4,500.00. The management "informed" us that we hadn't paid for December's rent and we were being tagged with a steep late fee and extra penalties here and there, that, in our view, didn't add up. Since we're smart people, however, we were able to copy all of our cancelled rent and fee checks and deliver them to the management office -- proof we were neither late on our rent or delinquent in terms of any fees. Here's a word of caution. Park LaBrea management is and is run like a large corporation, they will loose track of you and will try to get money out of you without the slightest hesitation. Keep copies of every transaction you have with Park LaBrea management if you move here and, if you can, keep those copies in a safe place off the Park LaBrea premises. Serious. And we're not conspiracy people. We're hoping this "confusion" doesn't happen to us again while we're here. Stay tuned . . .
Posted by Sally P. at 9:38 PM 4 comments:
Can You Guess What This Is?
Around the perimeter of Park LaBrea you may notice these curious metal columns that look like a lamppost, but that have vents a the top instead of a lamp. What are they? They are methane vents, as Kevin Roderick recently discovered in the course of writing a book on L.A. There's a note about the vents at this page his blog, down in the comments section.
The vents exhaust the methane so that the gas doesn't build up underground (remember, we're across the street from the bubbling, belching, geologically active TAR PITS and we're sitting on top of an oil field). This was supposedly the same underground methane that blew a hole through the basement of the Ross Dress-for-Less (next door to PLB) in the 80s. But a 1992 report on the incident connected the explosion to a type of oilfield wastewater disposal popular in the 50s. Either way, these little vents remain reminders that everyday, as we move through our routine, we are smack in the middle of L.A.'s strange geologic circumstances.
Posted by Sally P. at 9:19 PM 2 comments:
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
New Best Friend
The metal cart with wheels is a mandatory investment for our neighborhood; for trips to the Farmer's market, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's or getting loads of random stuff out to the car, laundry, etc. this little blue cart is indispensable. This powder-blue beauty came from Bed, Bath & Beyond for $20.
Posted by Sally P. at 8:12 PM No comments:
Look Familiar?
Preservationists in Germany are seeking Historic World Heritage Site-status for six 1920s-era, modern-living housing projects (like the project in Berlin shown above). This story in Der Spiegal points to the "cream of the crop" of European Architects and builders who sought to provide a "utopia in bricks and mortar" – decent, comfortable, functional social housing for ordinary people.
Even today, 80 years later, these complexes continue to provide convenient places for working class people to live comfortably, amidst green lawns and groups of apartment blocks, near transportation and shopping and jobs. Sound familiar?
From the article:
"The settlements are something really special, not just in Germany or even in Europe," says Annemarie Jaeggi, director of Berlin's Bauhaus Archive museum, "The quality of the building is so high and the architecture has spread right across the world -- it was really one of Germany's contributions to the 20th century."
Posted by Sally P. at 8:07 PM No comments:
Monday, January 7, 2008
Take Your Medicine (part 1)
Let's make this clear - we really like Park LaBrea so far; the experiment is going well, BUT life inside is not all the leasing office cracks it up to be. I let out a little snicker each time I drive down Hauser Ave. (the public street that cuts through PLB) past the lamp post banner advertisements for the various amenities offered inside the gates of Park LaBrea. This post will be the first in a series "Take Your Medicine" where we post the truth behind what the banners say and what they really mean.
"5 miles of running trails" & "bike trail" -- The Park LaBrea management company issues a small map to all new residents on their orientation day. The map is of the streets inside the complex which includes dotted lines showing 1-mile, 3-mile and 5-mile round about and doubled-back routes through the sidewalks and streets. In other words, there are no separate tracks dedicated for jogging or biking, it's just a planned out route through the place. Good news is, Pan Pacific Park is across the street – it does have a jogging, walking & biking path . If you circle enough times, I'm sure it adds up to 5 miles.
Posted by Sally P. at 10:07 PM 1 comment:
Elevators in Park Labrea are slow, rickety, often broken (thank God each lobby has two) and now, apparently, late for inspection. I normally don't approve of tagging, but I would like to thank to this observant tagger for their well-meaning graffiti; hopefully the maintenance staff doesn't just spray off this note with cleaning fluid (as has been done before to a similar note). This keen tagger has noticed that A) the elevator is to be inspected once a year and B) the last time the elevator was inspected was in 2006. This means the elevator is past its inspection date. There's even another note below where some other elevator rider "agrees." On the other hand, it'd be great if someone actually reported this maintenance issue to management. Note to tagger – next time use a non-washable Sharpie pen. And thanks for your continued support for safe elevators in the Park LaBrea towers !!
Posted by Sally P. at 9:50 PM No comments:
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Towers on top of tar, on top of fault lines
This article by William Fox puts it in perspective -
read it here
Posted by Sally P. at 11:15 AM No comments:
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Friday, January 23, 2015
Ticket Sales for Five Generals Bus Tour available at Heritage Trail Association website!
Ticket sales for the Five Generals Tour are now onsale at the Heritage Trail Association's website.
The date is Sunday Feb 15th at several time slots. For a nominal cost and about 2 hours of your time visit all 5 historic homes associated with the Middlebroon Cantonment of 1778-1779.
The Wallace House will of course be a featured site. Hope to see some of you turn out!
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If you really want to give a memorable commencement speech, singing it might be the way to go.
At Landmark College in Putney, Vt., each graduate speaks for two minutes. When Aaron Pickover, originally from Southfield, Mich., got to the microphone he chose to sing to the audience.
After accepting his associate's degree, he launched into a two-minute song and received a standing ovation at the end.
Watch the video above to hear the whole tune.
CORRECTION: A previous headline for this article stated that Pickover's song was to his parents; this is incorrect, but we're sure he was, in a way, thanking them as well.


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I love making my friends homemade gifts. DH and I have been in to cutting wine bottles lately and I have been experimenting with gift ideas for them. Here's one we came up with.
Hurricane Candle Birthday Gift
For this project we used:
One wine bottle with the bottom cut off
(To see how I cut the bottles, click here: CUTTING GLASS BOTTLES)
Mod Podge Photo Transfer Medium
Mod Podge - Gloss
Wash cloth
I selected a bottle I wanted to use for the hurricane candle.
Then we created an image for the bottle.
When using this medium, you need to reverse the image.
We printed the image on a laser printer on regular white paper.
Trimmed the image to the desired size.
Smothered the image with the transfer medium.
With a sponge brush, smoothed it out.
Gently and carefully applied the paper to the bottle. Then we waited over night for it to dry completely.
With a wet wash cloth, I moistened the paper. Then carefully and some what tediously rubbed the paper off.
Being careful around the edges, the layers of paper peeled off.
Once the paper was off, I blotted the bottle dry.
Then applied a nice coat of Mod Podge for a finished look.
It looked pretty good.
It had an unfinished look to me though, so I added a princess charm around the neck of the bottle.
Then I added a chain to the charm. Looks complete to me :)
One note on this project. My bottle was too flat at the bottom. So when I lite a candle and put the bottle over it the candle would go out. TG DH is smart, he said it wasnt getting enough air. So I added these cute gem stickers on the bottom to let air in and candle burned wonderfully.


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Beyonce Will Headline 2013 Made In America Festival — Full Lineup
Beyonce and Nine Inch Nails will headline Budweiser's second annual Made In America Festival on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. Read on to see the full lineup!
For the second year in a row, Jay-Z put together a roster of artists to perform at 2013's Made In America Festival. Sadly, he will not perform unlike last year, but he picked the next best artist to headline the festival — his wife Beyonce! [Side note: Jay-Z will like be busy with his "Legends of the Summer" arena tour with Justin Timberlake.]
Made In America Lineup — Beyonce Will Headline 2013 Festival
Other performers announced on April 10 include: Nine Inch Nails, Queens of the Stone Age, Deadmau5, Phoenix, Calvin Harris, Empire of the Sun, Imagine Dragons, Wiz Khalifa, Kendrick Lamar, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Miguel, Public Enemy, Nero, 2 Chainz, Gaslight Anthem, A$AP Rocky, Walk The Moon, Solange, Feed Me, Porter Robinson, Wolfgang Gartner, Emeli Sande, Haim, Schoolboy Q, Ab Soul, GTA, Robert DeLong, Red Light, Rudimental, Aluna George, Jay Rock, Jessie Rose and TJR.
"The point of having that diversity in our music lineup we're trying to expose the people to different types of music," says Paul Chibe, Budweiser's VP of marketing. "Much like last year, where if you never saw Pearl Jam but you're a Jay-Z fan, we want fans of Beyonce or Calvin Harris or Wiz Khalifa to have the opportunity to see Nine Inch Nails or stuff they might have seen for awhile like Public Enemy. That eclectic mix creates an opportunity for us to really show the impact of music and culture."
On April 10, tickets went on sale to American Express cardmembers and fans of the Budweiser Made In America Facebook page exclusively through April 16 at 10 p.m. ET. Public ticket sales begins April 17.
What do YOU think of the lineup, HollywoodLifers? Are you satisfied?
— Chris Rogers
More Beyonce & Jay-Z News:
- Beyonce Debuts Blonde Hair In 'Grown Woman' Teaser — Watch
- Beyonce's Nails In New Pepsi Commercial — Get Her Exact Look
- Beyonce & Jay-Z Celebrate Their Fifth Anniversary In Cuba — So Cute


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An unpleasant Twitter war has broken out between Chandigarh's celebrity contestants – Gul Panag of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Kirron Kher of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
After wishing each other luck in elections, the ladies have been taking digs at each other on the social networking site.
It all began with Gul, who was not too pleased when the BJP publicised one of her tweets praising Narendra Modi, which said, "When it is between the fire & the frying pan- when you've been roasted long enough in the former- might as well try the latter??No? #NaMo4PM". The actress shared the tweet titling it trip down memory lane.
In the meantime Kirron Kher made her Twitter debut. Husband Anupam Kher welcomed her, "Finally Kirron ji has decided to be on twitter. So friends! Send her your love, warmth & best wishes at @KirronKherBJP :)"
Gul further launched a direct attack on the senior actress saying, "Doubt if I'll have the energy to run around like this and serve my people, when I'm 60. I guess that's why there's normally a retirement age."
Doubt if I'll have the energy to run around like this and serve my people, when I'm 60.I guess that's why there's normally a retirement age.
— Gul Panag (@GulPanag) March 19, 2014
To which Kirron replied, "My father is 101 years old and still happening. He said," Good Luck Puttar. You have Always been winner." For me Life starts at 60."
This tweet was in fact retweeted later by Gul herself.
However, Kirron took the tweet-war further with, "I may not be a marathon runner but I know Slow and Steady wins the race. I love the Josh in our Karyakartas."
Husband Anupam Kher has been openly supporting his wife and retweeting all her posts. "Anupam Kher @AnupamPkher: The daughter (Kirron Ji) has now returned to her Maika, her Home to serve her people since her husband & son can take care of themselves.:)," posted the actor.
Kirron Kher has received support from the industry as well. Tusshar @TusshKapoor: @AnupamPkher ji, really proud of @KirronKherBJP & the step she has taken for our country, all the best to you both, you are too good in MTH!
Indian academic and writer Madhu Kishwar also tweeted her support, Madhu Kishwar @madhukishwar: Kirron Kher is a heavy weight in every sense in comparison to feather light Gul Panag!
For all the latest Entertainment News, download Indian Express App


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The Hobo Philosopher
That's a big baby
By Richard E. Noble
My wife and I didn't have any children. People often look at us with the beginning of a tear in their eye and say, "Oh how sad." But there is nothing wrong with either of us - really. We chose not to have children. When people ask me why I made such a choice, I have two answers.
Answer #1 - When I was young, I didn't feel that I was mature enough to handle the responsibility of having children. When I felt that I was mature enough to handle the responsibility, I was too old to have any children.
Answer # 2 - I never really liked being a child myself. So why should I stick that burden onto somebody else.
But owning an ice cream parlor was an eye opening experience for any childless couple.
My first observation was the same as many famous visitors in the past have noted about Americans - kids rule.
I sincerely believe that some mothers used to cart their children over to my ice cream parlor because they could not stand to watch any more destruction of their own home. They would open the doors to their vehicles and the kids would come running. They would bang and roughhouse their way through the front door. Then it was a mad dash for the free juke box so that they could press every button on it.
Kids came into the store with sneaker roller-skates. I never saw anything like it. They would roller-skate all over the store smashing into everything and everyone. All I could think was that they would tumble over a few of my older customers, and I'd have a lawsuit on top of everything else.
The biggest question I have for young mothers is. How large does a child have to get before he/she is considered too large to be carried on a mother's hip. There were some five-foot-three mothers in my store carrying around some five-foot-nine kids. I'm not kidding. These kids were big. And some little ladies had one monster on each hip. It was amazing.
Then came the question and answer period. The mother is standing there in front of the ice cream case. She has this 22 year old on her hip. It has one whole hand in its mouth.
"Now what flavor would you like, Bevis?"
Bevis would look over the vast assortment of ice cream obviously wondering what it was. When I would look in the kid's direction, he/she would tuck his head into mommy's shoulder. Mommy would smile as the line of people who knew exactly what they wanted formed behind her.
On some occasions, I was convinced that the kid on mommy's hip didn't even know how to talk yet. Why was she asking him all these questions when all he could say was da-da and goo-goo?
Ninety percent of the time the kid didn't order a flavor of ice cream, he screamed a color: I want blue; I want red; I want green.
Some mothers would stand at the case with me or my wife and chit-chat while there kids would systematically go about destroying anything in reach. The mothers in these particular cases usually had eyes that were glazed over. They looked like they hadn't slept for days. Their hair was often unwashed and their clothes looked randomly selected.
Most mothers seem to have the ability to disconnect themselves from their kids. If you watched the kids and then watched the mothers, you wouldn't even know that the kids belonged to them. I think this was a strategy. Nevertheless I hesitated to point out a misbehaving child to its mother. I was afraid that the woman would simply explode. "YES, YES, YES! IT'S MY CHILD! What do you want me to do about it! It's too late for a abortion now. I didn't know what I was doing. I thought it would love me. I was lonely. I needed to be fullfilled. I didn't know it would be like this. Do you think that I would have had children if I knew this was going to happen? What do I look like - a complete idiot?"
Did you ever watch the TV show, the Nanny. My god!
My wife and I watch that show and constantly compliment ourselves on our decision. We have truly been "blessed."
The Eastpointer is R.E. Noble latest publication. It is a selection of columns from the Franklin Chronicle. It is for sale on Amazon or locally at Downtown Books. Richard Noble is a freelance writer who has lived in Franklin County for thirty years.
Idaho Penitentiary Hospital
9 months ago


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Visualnoisetype and o:Bass:ity at the White Rabbit!
Guess who's partnering with o:Bass:ity? VNT! Bringing you the hottest House, Techno to Fremont !!!
Every first Wednesday of the month, DJ Miss Shelrawka will be spinning at the White Rabbit. She'll be playing a intoxicating blend of bass pumping melodies that will get you in the mood. For details about DJ Miss Shelrawka click this link. The White Rabbit has NO COVER, Happy Hour from 9-10pm, $3 drink specials and food till 10pm. Did we mention.. NO COVER?!?
If you can't make it down to Fremont don't worry because VNT will be streaming DJ Miss Shelrawka live on our website.
To listen live, all you have to do is log on to http://www.visualnoisetype.com, click VNT Radio, then press the "Listen Live" button under Clean House heading. It looks like this!
Check out O:Bass:ity on twitter
link to FB event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=186055858102901


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While browsing the net the other day I found this fun site called Tilt-Shift Maker.
You can upload photos and it will manipulate them so that look like models. Its kinda fun and some mindless entertainment for a few minutes. Here's a few I did:
My original picture of downtown Auckland taken from the Birkenhead ferry:
And here's the Tilt-Shift version:
Isn't that cool? Here's another pic - this time with people in it: Daryl and Isla sailing (original).
And here's the Tilt-Shift version:
I don't think that one's so good. It seems to work best on scenic pictures especially with buildings or vehicles etc in them. I really like the first one though.


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I posted this last week, but a glitch at Blogger made it difficult for nearly everyone to find it. So I'll try again today...
It's easy to think about the great prayers of the scriptures. The Savior in Gethsemane, Enos on his hunting trip, the brother of Jared with his sixteen stones, Joseph Smith in the grove. Prayers with purpose in places set apart with the attention of the prayer-givers focused intently on the matter at hand.
And yet, I also think about a prayer my MTC companion told me about. Late into our missions we were serving in the same zone. We happened to be on a split together and he told me about a moment with his companion that had so upset him that when he went to bed that night, all he could pray was this: "Heavenly Father, I'm so mad I could spit."
It helps me to remember that God hears both kinds of prayers. And yes, of course the first kind is valuable (and more likely to be fruitful), the second also has its place as we lay our burdens at the Lord's feet.
Sometimes I don't know what to pray. And sometimes I'm so mad I could spit. And sometimes I'm so tired I fall asleep before the prayer ends. And sometimes I can pray in a place set apart from my routine, with purpose and focus.
Sometimes my prayers are those omnibus prayers – mention everyone by name and specific concerns I'm aware of. Sometimes my prayers are more general, grouping like folks together ("the kids" or "the kids at home"). Sometimes my prayers are focused on just one person – my wife or one of my children or another family member or friend – or one event. Sometimes my prayers are fixed in time and space and sometimes that prayer lives in my heart throughout the day.
It's comforting to know that God hears them all.


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by Shanti
I don't know how to read this in piano language. I want to know it in letters. Please help, I am waiting.
Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Do you have a funny story or something to share about this music.


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Fire up your engines because these are the hot-rods of toggle switches! Equipped with an aerodynamic blue protective casing, and a diffused blue LED at the tip of the switch, this Blue LED Toggle Switch is sure to add some flair (and flare!) to your project.
Often seen on control panels, now you can mimic a racing car, fighter jet, submarine status panel, factory controls, or anything really. They will control virtually any accessory you can throw at them, with a rated voltage of 12V max, the LED lights up at 3V so you can use it with lower voltages too. They say "20 A" on the side but Adafruit recommend 1-2A max.
Since there's an LED inside, but only 3 pins, they're a little different to wire than most toggle switches.
- The anode (positive side) of the LED is connected through a resistor to the pin with a 'headlamp' (=D) symbol on it
- The cathode (negative side) of the LED is connected to the pin with the ground symbol, which is the pin that is sticking out the side of the switch.
- The switch connects and disconnects the (+) pin and the 'headlamp' pin
That means you have a few options for wiring:
- If you want to use the switch to turn on/off something, you can use the toggle to connect and disconnect the two pins on the bottom
- If you want the LED to always be on, provide 3-12V between the ground and headlamp pin
- If you want the LED to be on only when the switch is connected, provide 3-12V on the (+) pin and connect ground to the ground pin.
The protective cover will automatically turn the switch off when flipped closed, but you can simply remove it if it isn't desired.
Technical Details
- Switch Actuation Style: Rocker
- Insulation R: 500V DC 100M min
- Dielectric Strength: 1 Minute 1500V AC
- Operating Temperature: -25°C~+85°C
- Electrical Life: 10,000 Cycles
Documentation and Resources:
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By Neil Pederson
When embarking on research in Mongolia, though in all other situations, too, it is best to couch your disposition in two important mindsets: patience and persistence. Perhaps the best way to begin these journeys is to take on an almost Buddhistic mindset and not get too clingy to objects. It is best to let it come as it should. Of course it is easier to type that then to sit in a jeep for a few days and see nothing that warrants sampling like the below. Oh, it is beautiful, but not helpful for study.
It seems like every sampling trip here in Mongolia begins like 2011 did: searching for a goldmine site, but finding little of research value. It has happened so often that I have finaly learned to sit back and have some kind of faith that the trees will appear. This mindset finally paid off during the first leg of our field season. In fact, it paid off so well that by the last day, it seems our bodies were running on sawdust and mosquito wings.
Intellicast.com suggested the field season would be cool, nicely cool. A colleague in Mongolia came back from the field and reported that it would be one of the worst field seasons in terms of insects. So, as Murphy's Law sort of goes, both expectations trended in the opposite direction as we would like.
After spending about a day and a half of looking for good sites, we finally got a lead through a village elder for potentially old forests. Most of that conversation is recorded below:
Listen to his accent. Can you pick out the word davaa? How about nars? [nars = Scots pine, Pinus sylvestris; davaa = mountain pass]
This is why we should listen to our elders – in the end, they are often correct. The key phrase is "in the end" because as we drove up into the steep and narrow valley he suggested, again, all we saw was this:
Even the drive back down valley held little promise. Baatar had noticed some rocky slopes that might have something good. But, from our perspective, the trees didn't look as old as we needed [we are constantly on the search for 300-400+ yr old trees so we can learn what the long-term trends and patterns are in climate and ecology]. We decided it was worth a look and shortly after beginning our hike, we found a decent pine with 5-7 fire scars, "ok, this seems ok".
We continued up the slope and found middle-aged trees (~150-200 yrs) with a few fire scars (4-6). It was fine, but not what we really hoped for.
We finally found a tree a little bit older and with 7+ fire scars. Like Pavlov's dog, we started dreaming about rewards. We started racing upslope to find more of these trees. Along the way, we started noticing remnant wood – trees that likely died 50-100 yrs ago – that could help us extend our knowledge of fire history back to the 1700s, perhaps even the 1600s!
Having an extra crew member in Erdene, I became the bird-dog: "dog will hunt!" [for old, fire-scarred trees]
I went on ahead and started searching all slopes for old, fire-scarred trees. The slope and bedrock made the work fun. The heat, on the other hand, required rationing a bit on water. I finally treaded up a narrow ridge in hopes of finding more. While hiking this 'knife-edge', I kept coming back to the idea that I get paid to do this; I'm a lucky dog.
Perhaps the neatest thing I saw was a planking tree (you know this fad is really getting out of hand when a tree in northern Mongolia planks).
Towards the upper end of the ridge I came upon a couple trees that looked pretty good. I didn't fully inspect them as I had been 'out' for an hour and didn't hear the chainsaw behind me. I was concerned that I had gone too far ahead. I circled back and found our crew hunched over the saw where I left them an hour earlier. Seems some bad gas hampered the saw and Bayaraa and Erdene were on their way to becoming chainsaw technicians of the first order. They finally got the saw fired up after another 25 minutes and we headed upslope to collect a couple of samples from stumps near the false-peak.
It was now getting late in the day. I was sunburnt, it was hot, we were running low on water and food. Spirits had plunged a bit following the Chainsaw Repair Hour.
I showed Amy the two trees I had spotted on my camera's small screen and mentioned they were a bit upslope. Our samples were not great at that point and the general feeling was that we should go for it.
We decided to walk halfway there, combine our food and have a small late-afternoon snack (bread, peanut butter, sardines, an apple and some water [but not all of it!]). The energy intake seemed to do the trick. Spirits came up as we walked the knife-edge.
Then, upon closer inspection, we knew that our patience and persistence paid off. Amy was the first to rush over.
And, why not rush? This site finally turned into the Goldmine we were looking for.
We quickly went to work scouring this little pocket of Mongolia for all that it might contain. Bayaraa went to work, retrieved some fine samples and showed off the A1 Sawyer that he is these days.
Again, no trees were killed in the collection of these samples.
Upon further inspection…
Everyone was thrilled. It was time to celebrate hardwork.
The lessons on topographic location, aspect, landform and a few tree characteristics paid off over the next few days as we located the Three Amigos and a Field of Onions.
The next day we headed across the valley and found more of the same. Younger, few scars lower on the slope, a goldmine of older trees and multiple-scarred trees further up slope. Probably the best thing from that day, beyond the other goldmine, were the valley views. The most surprising things were the pivot irrigation fields. The resurgence of the Mongolian agricultural industry has been impressive, as was indicted towards the end of this post from 2010. The presence of pivot irrigation confirms Mongolia's commitment for food independence.
What drew us out of this goldmine was a peak to the east. It looked rugged and remote. We had high hopes for our next area of study.
We decided to head there immediately as day was falling. It took longer than expected and was nearly dark when we arrived in the new valley. It was indeed isolated and the grasses were tall, suggesting the valley was not heavily used. It was so nice that we jokingly called it Xanadu. We later learned this was someone's Xanadu. A herdsmen stopped by our camp, we immediately gave him some tea. He was looking for his small herd of horses and told us this was his winter pasture, so it was his personal winter capitol. It must be lovely in the winter.
Of course, the joke was on us. As we finished putting up our tents, the mosquito horde came out. We layered and wrapped ourselves; our source was correct – this was about the worst mosquito season I have experienced in Mongolia. We dashed into our tents soon after dark.
This part of the post will be interrupted to convey the specialness of night in the Wilderness of Mongolia. The only light in the valley was the temporary lamp in the tent next door.
Here is what it sounded like:
During the middle of the night, the mosquitoes were gone and the Milky Way was out!
The next day we went for the rugged peak across the valley. It was getting hot and the initial forest didn't look so old. But, we found some nice remnant pieces that should lengthen our record.
There was so much material, I got into the sawing act.
We stopped on a saddle around midday for lunch before shooting to the looming and rugged ridge ahead. What do we do for lunch in the wilds of Mongolia? Here is one example.
It was in the forest beyond the saddle where ideas/hypotheses of forest development in this part of Mongolia started bubbling up. Instead of working in young or burnt-over forest, we hit a pocket of 'old-growth' forest containing a pine with a 20-30′ fire scar and 12+ scars. It was sitting next to a forest of mixed species and ages. It was a lovely site.
We headed across the minor valley in pursuit of the marvelous looking pines across the way (below).
The area, again, was a goldmine. However, at this point, we had a nice collection of fire-scar samples. So, we went snobbish and decided to collect from the oldest, most scarred trees.
The slope we scrambled up was barren from the last fire and southwest facing. We later learned it hit 93 degrees F around the time we hiked up the open slope. We could feel it. We were on fumes. Even Bayaraa.
Again, efforts were rewarded when we hit The Three Amigos.
This trio of trees really made us happy! They were just what we have been looking for. I've not really seen these kinds of scars before, so I exclaimed, "OMG! It's an onion!"
We retrieved our samples and relaxed for a bit. But, not for long. As we looked out over the valley, we saw and then heard the signs that we should get off the mountain quick.
As we were headed back to our camp, we saw the sky literally open up over the village of Hyagalant.
This storm, actually, turned out to be a benefit. Erdene's mother was very concerned for our safety; she didn't know it rained worse in the village than in our little piece of Xanadu. So, the next morning she scolded Baatar enough to come pick us up early. That was fortunate because we went to another ridge that morning (after meeting the herdsman and waiting out a storm). It turned out to be a complete bust. Baatar's early arrival allowed us to drive to another ridge that would have taken too long to walk to.
What I found soon after taking the picture above was thrilling. In fact, it was the scene below where I yelled, "Field of Onions!"
The pictures below ought to explain the term 'onion'.
This last day, the day in the Field of Onions, was likely the scientific highpoint of our 2011 field season. We found a high concentration of trees with multiple scars in a new region and the trees are of decent age. The climbing that day was fun, too. But, the battles with the mosquitos and heat left us on fumes. I am pretty sure we were only running on sawdust and mosquito wings [and, sure, some adrenaline].
We'll top this long post off with a few more pictures.


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Do Female Cats Spray? Yes female cats definately do spray Cat Spray. But what is Cat Spray anyway. Cat Spray is a combination of urine and phermones. Cats Spray when there marking there territory, feel threatned or when they show affection (as if to say...yes you are mine).
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Today I am at the 4th annual consumer health IT summit in Washington DC.
The summit is focused on consumer/patient engagement, blue button and there is even a session on consumer-mediated exchanges – which is exactly what Medyear is.
My interest is how bluebutton plus and direct email comes together to give consumers easier access to their health information so they can take control of their health.
[category News, Health]
[tag health cloud]
Mark Scrimshire
Health & Cloud Technology Consultant
Mark is available for challenging assignments at the intersection of Health and Technology using Big Data, Mobile and Cloud Technologies. If you need help to move, or create, your health applications in the cloud let's talk.
Blog: http://2.healthca.mp/1b61Q7M
email: mark
Stay up-to-date: Twitter @ekivemark
Disclosure: I began as a Patient Engagement Advisor and am now CTO to Personiform, Inc. and their Medyear.com platform. Medyear is a powerful free tool that helps you collect, organize and securely share health information, however you want. Manage your own health records today. Medyear: The Power Grid for your Health.
via WordPress http://2.healthca.mp/1AQjPJG


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Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Andy Morin, Mayor
Kerri Howell, Vice Mayor Eric King, Council Member
Steve Miklos, Council Member Jeff Starsky, Council Member
1. Call to Order:
2. Roll Call: Council Members: Howell, King, Miklos, Starsky, Morin
3. Adjournment to Closed Session for the Following Purposes:
a. Conference with Real Property Negotiator - Pursuant to Government Code section 54956.8:
Properties: Approximately
0.595 acres of real property on the Southeast corner of Blue Ravine and
Negotiating Party: Fire Chief Eric Dutton on behalf of the City of Folsom
Under Negotiation: Price and terms of sale
Properties: 7550
Folsom-Auburn Road, Lake Pointe Apartments: APN 227-0222-009; Real property
located at the confluence of
Negotiating Parties: Public Works Director Richard Lorenz on behalf of the City of Folsom
Terri Demmon on behalf of the Demmon Family Partnership
Anthony L. and Mary Sue Cardoso, Trustees on behalf of the Capital Investment Trust
Under Negotiation: Price and terms of sale
b. Conference with Legal Counsel - Anticipated Litigation
i. Significant Exposure to Litigation Pursuant to Government Code section 54956.9(b)(1)(A):
1 Potential Case
ii. Initiation of Litigation Pursuant to Government Code section 54956.9(c):
Golden State Water Company
3 cases Undisclosed
c. Conference with Legal Counsel - Existing Litigation - Pursuant to Government Code section 54956.9(a)
i. Chantry v. City of Folsom et al.
4. Reconvene: Announcement of Final Action, If Any
5. Adjournment:
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Andy Morin, Mayor
Kerri Howell, Vice Mayor Eric King, Council Member
Steve Miklos, Council Member Jeff Starsky, Council Member
1. Call to Order:
2. Roll Call: Council Members: Howell, King, Miklos, Starsky, Morin
The City Council has adopted a policy that no new item will begin after 10:30 p.m. Therefore, if you are here for an item that has not been heard by 10:30 p.m., you may leave, as the item will be continued to a future Council Meeting.
3. Pledge of Allegiance:
4. Agenda Update: Chief Financial Officer
5. Scheduled Presentations:
a. Resolution of Commendation Honoring Coyne Maur Bane Design Partners, Inc. for their Creative Contributions to Parks and Recreation
b. Presentation from Sacramento's Children's Health Initiative Regarding Insuring Children through "Cover the Kids" Program
6. Business from the Floor:
Members of the public are entitled to address the City Council concerning any item within the Folsom City Council's subject matter jurisdiction. Public comments are limited to no more than three minutes. Except for certain specific exceptions, the City Council is prohibited from discussing or taking action on any item not appearing on the posted agenda.
7. Consent Calendar:
Items appearing on the Consent Calendar are considered routine and may be approved by one motion. City Council Members may pull an item for discussion.
a. Approval of the August 16, 2006 Special Meeting Minutes
b. Approval of the August 22, 2006 Special/Regular Meeting Minutes
c. Appointment of At-Large Member (Banking/Finance) to the Redevelopment Agency Citizens' Advisory Committee
d. Appointment of At-Large Member to Traffic Safety Committee
e. Resolution No. 7893 - A Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Construction Contract with PBM Construction, Inc. for the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary Wild Canid Exhibit: Wolf Hybrids AND Presentation of Resolution of Commendation to Friends of the Folsom Zoo Sanctuary
f. Resolution No. 7894 - A Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Contract with Automated Merchant Services to Provide Credit Card Processing Services for the City of Folsom
g. Resolution No. 7895 - A Resolution Authoring the Public Works Director to Execute and Submit the Folsom Transportation Development Act Claim for Fiscal Year 2006-07, and a Revised Claim for Fiscal Years 1997-98, 1998-99, 2000-01 and 2005-06, to the Sacramento Area Council of Governments
h. Resolution No. 7896 - A Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute an Agreement with the City of Sacramento (On Behalf of the City-County Office of Metropolitan Water Planning and the Water Forum Successor Effort) and the Sacramento County Water Agency, City of Roseville, Placer County Water Agency and San Juan Water District for the Water Forum Successor Effort Program
i. Resolution No. 7898 - A Resolution Acknowledging Obligations Imposed by Sacramento Countywide Transportation Mitigation Fee Program
8. Old Business:
a. Ordinance No. 1064 - An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Folsom Enacting Section 2.33.090, Chapter 2.33 of the Folsom Municipal Code and Authorizing Further Amendment to the Contract Between the City of Folsom and the Board of Administration of the California Public Employee's Retirement System (Second Reading)
9. New Business:
a. Presentation on the Second Phase of the Way Finding Program and Direction to Staff
b. Resolution No. 7892 - A Resolution Certifying the American River Watershed Project, Folsom Dam Raise, Folsom Bridge Project Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (SEIS/EIR); Approving the Bridge Project (Alternative 2); Adopting Statement of Overriding Considerations and Findings of Fact; and Adopting the Mitigation Monitoring Program (Continued from August 22, 2006)
10. Public Hearing:
i. Resolution No. 7889 - A Resolution Declaring Necessity For and Authorizing Initiation of Eminent Domain Proceedings to Acquire Real Property for the New Bridge below Folsom Dam Project No. 2319 (APN 071-0040-095) (Continued from August 22, 2006)
ii. Resolution No. 7890 - A Resolution Declaring Necessity For and Authorizing Initiation of Eminent Domain Proceedings to Acquire Real Property for the New Bridge below Folsom Dam Project No. 2319 (APN 227-0222-009) (Continued from August 22, 2006)
11. Convene Redevelopment Agency Meeting:
a. Roll Call: Board Members: Howell, King, Miklos, Starsky, Morin
b. Consent Calendar:
i. Approval of the August 22, 2006 Redevelopment Agency Meeting Minutes
ii. Resolution No. 246-R - A Resolution Authorizing the Executive Director to Execute an Owner Participation Agreement with Kikkoman for Building Expansion
c. Adjournment:
12. Reconvene City Council Meeting:
13. City Manager Reports:
14. Council Comments:
15. Adjournment:
NOTICE: Members of the Public are entitled to directly address the City Council concerning any item that is described in the notice of this meeting, before or during consideration of that item. If you wish to address Council on an issue, which is on this agenda, please complete a blue speaker request, and deliver it to the City Clerk prior to discussion of the item. When your name is called, stand to be recognized by the Mayor and then proceed to the podium. If you wish to address the City Council on any other item of interest to the public, when the Mayor asks if there is any "Business from the Floor," follow the same procedure described above. Please limit your comments to three minutes or less.
As presiding officer, the Mayor has the authority to preserve order at all City Council meetings, to remove or cause the removal of any person from any such meeting for disorderly conduct, or for making personal, impertinent, or slanderous remarks, using profanity, or becoming boisterous, threatening or personally abusive while addressing said Council, and to enforce the rules of the Council.
The meeting of the Folsom City Council is being telecast on Metro Cable TV, Channel 14, the Government Affairs Channel, and will be shown in its entirety on the Friday and Saturday following the meeting, both at 9 a.m. The City does not control scheduling of this telecast and persons interested in watching the televised meeting should confirm this schedule with Metro Cable TV, Channel 14. The City of Folsom provides live and archived webcasts of regular City Council meetings. The webcasts can be found on the online services page of the City's website www.folsom.ca.us
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you are a disabled person and you need a disability-related modification or accommodation to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Clerk's Office at (916) 355-7270, (916) 355-7328 (fax) or firstname.lastname@example.com. Requests must be made as early as possible and at least two-full business days before the start of the meeting.


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Marine litter a growing problem, but cleanup plans are in the works
published in TheEpochTimes August 7, 2012 by Joan Delaney
After several weeks of tracking floating debris from last year's Japanese tsunami as well as debris from the North Pacific Gyre, the tall ship Kaisei has arrived in Richmond, B.C.
The Kaisei is the primary research vessel for San Francisco-based Project Kaisei, an international program dedicated to raising awareness and implementing solutions to the growing problem of marine debris.
The research gleaned during the Kaisei's latest voyage will be presented at the Richmond Maritime Festival from August 10 to 12, where the public will be able to board the 46-metre brigantine and learn firsthand about her environmental mission.
There will also be a series of question-and-answer talks led by Project Kaisei staff and scientists, including co-founder Mary Crowley, as well as video screenings highlighting the project's latest research.
We see [marine debris] as a major global epidemic that is affecting the health of the ocean.— Project Kaisei co-founder Mary Crowley
Crowley, executive director of the Ocean Voyages Institute, the non-profit that operates the Kaisei, says the problem of marine debris is worrisome, given its detrimental effect on marine life and the overall health of the world's oceans.
"I personally, and our organization, have been extremely concerned with the global issue of ocean trash, because in all of the world's oceans we are getting more and more proliferation of mainly plastic—just all this plastic that never goes away and is really bad for sea life," Crowley told The Epoch Times.
"I mean, there's 330,000—at least—marine mammals being killed every year by either ingesting plastics or getting entangled in them. So whales and dolphins and seals and all sorts of things are getting killed."
According to UN estimates, at least 80 percent of litter in the sea comes from land-based sources.
According to UN estimates, at least 80 percent of litter in the sea comes from land-based sources.
Much of this waste ends up in the North Pacific Gyre, more infamously known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a large expanse of remote open ocean where four currents converge, acting as a catalyst in collecting floating materials.
The gyre has become home to huge fields of plastic and other debris from both North America and Asia, and represents one of the world's great environmental challenges in terms of the scope and scale of the debris.
"We see [marine debris] as a major global epidemic that is affecting the health of the ocean," says Fowler.
Tsunami DebrisThe hundreds of tons of debris swept into the sea by the Japanese tsunami, which is currently floating across the Pacific and beginning to wash up on shores along the west coast of North America, "just adds another layer of bad things happening for the ocean," Fowler notes.
"I think the issue of the tsunami debris is a very serious one for the ocean and a very serious one for shipping. And in our studying of it, we would like to be proponents of going out there and doing clean-up—getting as much of it out of the ocean as possible."
As well as tracking the debris, the Kaisei is taking large water samples that will be tested at the University of Hawaii to discover the degree of radioactivity being spread throughout the Pacific.
While the tsunami debris itself hasn't been shown to have significant levels of radiation, Crowley says radioactivity continues to be dumped into the ocean from the Fukishima nuclear plant.
"After the tsunami a great deal of radioactivity was dumped into the ocean, but the fact is it's continued to be dumped into the ocean—it's being dumped into the ocean today," she says.
"It's a general belief that the ocean is so large that the radioactivity spreads out and becomes insignificant, but I think there's a limit."
On its return trip to San Francisco, the Kaisei will conduct further research on large fields of tsunami debris it encountered off the west coast of the U.S. on its voyage north to Richmond.
"When we do our return voyage, we've allowed quite a lot of time to survey off the coast of Washington and Oregon to follow up on some of the sightings we took coming north, and spending more time doing a pattern through the area recording the debris and picking up debris as is appropriate, etc.," Fowler says.
The Kaisei team is also studying the effects of Persistent Organic Pollutants, or POPs, from collected samples. Land activities and leachates from marine debris are sources of pollutants that can negatively affect marine life and human health.
Cleaning UpThis was Kaisei's third voyage to the garbage patch, and on each trip the crew salvaged a good deal of ocean trash, but much more needs to be done, says Fowler.
To that end, Project Kaisei has partnered with Covanta Energy, an international waste-to-energy company that can convert ocean waste into fuel or energy.
"I think from the point of view of being responsible and caring about the health of the ocean and the health of the planet that clean-up is imperative, and it also is necessary to be sure that everything that's cleaned up is being recycled and repurposed. And we definitely are able to accomplish that," Fowler says.
Project Kaisei is also working with researchers from the University of Hawaii—experts in ocean current patterns who can direct the ship to areas containing debris.
In addition, Fowler has assembled a think-tank consisting of naval architects, marine engineers, fishermen, sailors, and ocean industry representatives to help come up with a plan for the most effective ways to do a major clean-up.
"We've actually come a long way in a couple of years, putting all the pieces in place," she says, adding that the project is currently looking for funding to do a series of clean-up expeditions.
"We have people from Europe, people from India, people from South America all coming to us and asking for the most effective ways to do clean-up," she says.
"My think-tank really feels that we have to do a couple of big expeditions and then we will happily release all the information and consult with and help people around the world, because that's what we want to do is inspire people in all different parts of the world to do clean-up."
The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.


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Today's guest blog is an example of what using social networks can do for you. Tee C. Royal is a fellow tweeter on Twitter.com. Find her at www.twitter.com/rawsistaz) She is also a great example of what dedicated people can do for one another. I hope her piece on rejections helps you deal with it better.
Five Tips for Dealing with Rejection
By Tee C. Royal
It's a fact. Most people do not like to be rejected and this does not change for those in the literary arena.
I'm going to take a step back from RAWSISTAZ/being a book club founder & moderator and throw on my other hats. While it's not something I actively promote, I have been a freelance editor and reader for around seven years. I started both shortly after starting RAWSISTAZ, working directly for authors and also for a few publishing companies, but it's never been the main focus of what I do, simply because RAWSISTAZ had the #1 slot. But during this time, I've seen hundreds of manuscripts, quite a few of which needed work and unfortunately I couldn't recommend for publication.
Now, I'm an agent and focusing more on getting my agency running and taking what I've already done in the industry a step further and actually helping authors get their work published. Granted, there were a few deals I helped authors achieve prior to becoming an agent, but now I'm doing it for real and enjoying the experience. Unfortunately, one of the hardest parts is rejection. For the author and for me.
It's hard rejecting potential clients, especially if I've enjoyed some of their previous work. It's also hard having a client receive a rejection letter from a publisher. With the very first rejection I received, I was at a loss for words, couldn't figure out why or what the editor must've been missing to pass on such a wonderful book. LOL. (I'm now sure this is what all authors think when they get rejections.)
The author took it better than I did, and I eventually put my feelings to the side and moved on. But it's hard. Man is it hard. I also remember the first rejection I gave as an agent. I was overly concerned about hurting the writer's feelings, so I took several weeks before I actually sent the email. Again, it is hard!
I said all that to say that I can now somewhat imagine being the author and dealing with rejection, but I do have 5 quick tips on the subject. Hopefully they will help those who may need that extra push to keep going.
1) BE PREPARED - Please don't submit your work before it is completed. This not only means have the book finished, but ensure it's been edited. I don't know how many times I've received a query, requested more than the standard 3 chapters, but then I don't hear from the author for several months. Why? Because they're finishing the book.
2) ACCEPT CRITICISM - Again, no one likes being rejected, but you'll find some agents/editors offer feedback on why the book didn't work for them, suggestions on what needs improving, and things of this nature. Don't be so quick to throw out these tidbits of information along with the rejection. Good can come from being rejected. Also keep in mind that it can be a good story, well-written, and all that, but it's not right for that agent/editor, for that cycle, or various other reasons. It's simply one person's yes or no. Move on to the next person.
3) BE REALISTIC - There are thousands of authors out there, so you're not the only one submitting your work to a particular agent or agency. Don't assume that we're sitting around fiddling our thumbs. We aren't. Also, our existing clients are our primary focus, so while we would love to respond in 3-4 weeks or sooner, it simply doesn't work out that way sometimes. Be patient and realistic while waiting for a follow-up. Inquiring every 2.3 weeks isn't helping your case any. It actually hurts it. And, once you get the follow-up, don't be arrogant, rude, obnoxious or all-knowing about it. It's a turn off and could possibly turn what would've been an "I'm interested" into an "I'll pass." I loved an author's work recently and could see the book doing well, but his reply to my request for the remaining chapters and a contact number totally changed my desire to work with him. Granted, it took quite a while to get to his submission and reply, but starting off his response with "It's good to hear from you after 5 months," wasn't really too bright. Then, he didn't send what I requested, but another "taste" of the book. What? LOL. Sorry, he had to go. Not following directions is one of my pet peeves.
4) KEEP ON MOVING - Don't find yourself in the waiting mode; continue to write, query others, write more, and study the craft. Oftentimes, we find ourselves stuck in the "I'ma wait until" frame of mind, expecting someone to do something or for something to happen. While it's good to be hopeful, it's not good to be so expectant. Basically what I'm saying is don't put anything on hold waiting on the "yes" because in some cases, you will be disappointed. Instead, live in the present, and again, continue to write, query, study and do research. Be confident in knowing that it'll happen when and as it should.
5) CHANGE YOUR VIEWPOINT - Change your viewpoint about the rejection. Don't take it personal, as an outright slight against you. The work was rejected, not you per se. Look at the rejection as one step further in recognizing your dream of being a published author (or of getting that agent, deal, etc.). Everyone started off with that first book. Many authors who were rejected numerous times over are now best-selling authors. So, continue to work hard, keep the faith, utlize the aforementioned tips and continue to perfect your manuscript. Then, submit again and again and again. It'll happen.
Continued blessings to each and every one of you on the path to publication. May your rejections inspire you to work harder and one day secure your spot as a best-selling author.
**Originally posted on my column for Blogging In Black, March 12, 2008*
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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't and The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success. She is also the author of the Amazon Short, "The Great First Impression Book Proposal". Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor blog.


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|Comparison of statistically estimated effects
of temperatures on observed and simulated
U.S. yields in rainfed counties
Researchers found that without efficient emission reductions, U.S. farmers could suffer yield losses of 50 percent for corn, 40 percent for soybeans and 20 percent for wheat by 2100. Bernhard Schauberger, lead author of the study, said: "Projections tell us that in the U.S., these crops will suffer from hotter days. Since these days will get more frequent with climate change, there will be harvest losses."
Researchers came to their conclusions through computer simulations, Kavya Balaraman reports for Climatewire. "According to their estimates, corn and soybean plants can lose 5 percent of their harvest for every single day that is recorded above 30 C (86 F). Such crop losses could have huge repercussions for domestic food security and—given that the U.S. is one of the largest crop exporters in the world—affect prices in the international market."
The main problem is that hotter days lead to higher water evaporation rates, Balaraman writes. "Moreover, plants tend to open their stomata—small pores on their leaves—to transpire water when temperatures increase, creating an additional source of stress. Certain studies have also suggested that high temperatures during a plant's flowering period could actually lead to a 'sterilization' effect . . . The problem is exacerbated in areas like Kansas and West Texas that are entirely reliant on groundwater resources."


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Why Would AJ Allmendinger Do That?
For all of those that were foaming at the mouth every time AJ Allmendinger climbed into an IndyCar, their dreams of poaching a NASACAR driver are over. Curiously enough, the driver that was banished from NASCAR and Roger Penske's Sprint Cup team has signed with JTG Daugherty Racing to drive their No. 47 Sprint Cup entry. Hmmm…
At the risk of sounding like the sour grapes of a guy that was just dumped by the hottest girl in school, I was never that giddy with Allmendinger's presence in IndyCar.
AJ Allmendinger had an impressive career in Champ Car from 2004 through 2006. He was replaced at RuSport by Christiano da Matta in the middle of the 2006 season. Within a week, he was driving for Gerald Forsythe. He promptly won the next three races, reeling off victories at Portland, Cleveland and Toronto. He went on to win five races in a partial schedule with Forsythe, before bolting for a ride with Red Bull in NASCAR.
The likeable Californian did not have a good career in NASCAR, to put it bluntly. His first season with Red Bull in 2007 saw him finish forty-third in points, failing to qualify in nineteen races. He failed to qualify for the first three races of the 2008 season and was temporarily replaced by Mike Skinner (talk about an insult) for five races, before being brought back. He was released for good with seven races to go.
His best two NASCAR seasons came in 2010 and 2011, while driving for Richard Petty Motorsports – finishing nineteenth and fifteenth respectively. When Kurt Busch had his meltdown with Dr. Jerry Punch and was summarily released by Roger Penske, Allmendinger was tabbed to drive the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil car for Penske. The results were not eye-popping, but he did earn a second-place finish at Martinsville and two ninth-place finishes before his suspension for a failed drug test just prior to the July Daytona race.
Shortly after his suspension, Allmendinger was dropped by Penske Racing in a not-so-surprising move. Yet when Allmendiger completed the substance-abuse program and was re-instated by NASCAR to run the last few races of the season for Phoenix Racing, word started circulating that The Captain was going to run Allmendinger in a part-time ride in his IndyCar program. Talk about landing on your feet.
The rumors turned out to be true. Allmendinger did not run the 2013 season-opener at St. Petersburg, but he was in the third Penske car at Barber and Long Beach. For his first time to run these types of cars since 2006, Allmendinger did OK, but not great. But his input to the team was encouraging and he seemed to get along well with his new part-time teammates, Helio Castroneves and Will Power. Of course, all of this was in preparation for the Indianapolis 500.
At Indianapolis, it was a different story – in practice, qualifying and the race itself. His times were fast all month and he out qualified his experienced teammates. Allmendinger started fifth, while Power was alongside in sixth and Castroneves was directly behind him in eighth. Allmendinger finished seventh, while Helio was just ahead in sixth. Power fell all the way to nineteenth and was the last car running on the lead lap at the end.
But Allmendinger's seventh place finish doesn't tell half the story. He led twenty-three laps and at one point seemed to be driving away from the rest of the field. He was in contention to win until his seatbelts came undone in mid-race, resulting in a lengthy pit stop. Finishing seventh after that tells you how superb his drive was that day.
The cheers that ran through the Speedway when Allmendinger led laps, were only surpassed by the ovation that Tony Kanaan received when he eventually took the checkered flag. That's how popular Allmendinger was with the fans.
The next week was the double-header weekend at Belle Isle. Allmendinger's weekend could not have gone much worse. Between the two races, Allmendinger failed to complete a single lap. He crashed out on the opening lap in both races. The last image we have of AJ Allmendinger at an IndyCar race is of him sitting quietly and very humbled in the Team Penske pit box. He hasn't raced since in an IndyCar, not so much for his performance – but due to lack of sponsorship.
In the meantime, Allmendinger was running some races early this season with Phoenix Racing as well as a couple of races for Roger Penske's Nationwide team, both of which he won.
To me, it was a bit of a shock when it was announced that Allmendinger was confirmed for the full 2014 Sprint Cup Season at JTG Daugherty Racing. Although you admire their spunk, this is not a front-running team in NASCAR. Which leads me to wonder; why would AJ Allmendinger take a full-time ride with a third-tier Sprint Cup team instead of the chance to run in IndyCar with one of the top teams in the history of the sport?
Has he been informed by The Captain that there is no room in the Penske stable for next season? Perhaps he was told that the best he could get next season was about the same that he had this year – the Indianapolis 500 and a handful of races.
Was this all about the money? There is lots of money to be made in NASCAR – currently, much more than in IndyCar. Even with a small team's budget, it is likely that Allmendinger will make more driving fulltime for JTG Daugherty Racing than in a few races for Roger Penske in IndyCar.
Is it the challenge? Allmendinger won five times in his last season in Champ Car. He proved to everyone that he can drive an open-wheel car. But like so many before and after he made the switch to NASCAR, he has yet to win. Perhaps he wants to be the one to debunk the myth that IndyCar drivers can't win in stock cars. In the past twenty years, the only driver to win regularly in both is Tony Stewart. Since Allmendinger left Champ Car in 2006, the list of IndyCar drivers unsuccessfully trying their hand in NASCAR has grown longer and longer. Juan Montoya, Sam Hornish, Dario Franchitti and Danica Patrick have migrated to NASCAR and been burned. Danica is the only one of that group to not win an open-wheel championship, but none of them tasted much, if any, success in NASCAR. If Allmendinger could become one of the few to win in both, it would help reverse the perception that it's tougher to drive a stock car than an IndyCar.
The most troubling possibility for an IndyCar fan to process is that maybe he just didn't like it over here on the IndyCar side. I know my passions are just a little skewed, but if I had the chance to drive a car prepared and crewed by Team Penske at the Indianapolis 500 – I would pass on any other opportunity. To me, the chance at the Borg-Warner trophy would trump anything else. Rick Mears said it best when he said that a part-time ride with Team Penske is better than a full-time ride anywhere else. He said all the right things when he was driving an IndyCar, but apparently it wasn't that important.
I certainly don't have any idea what transpired behind closed doors between Roger Penske and AJ Allmendinger since that dreadful weekend in Detroit. Maybe nothing happened and he saw this as a good career move. But from an IndyCar fan's viewpoint, his signing with JTG Daugherty Racing when he was just a loose seatbelt away from winning the Indianapolis 500 just a little over three months ago seems just a little bit of a head-scratcher.
George Phillips
15 Responses to "Why Would AJ Allmendinger Do That?"
He's a racer, as much as the chance at a Indy win must be tempting sitting around waiting to race isn't going to pay his bills. Would I like to see him in INDYCAR, yes, he had a world of potential but at 30+ his clock is running…
No racer wants to sit and wait for a part time ride, if there is an alternative. As Nat said, sitting around waiting won't pay the bills. I think he was very popular with the fans, but his returning to NASCAR full time seems to have been the best option for him.
From your point of view, George, a Penske ride at Indy is the pinnacle of what a driver could hope to attain. But from AJ's and (sadly for Indycar) the great majority of American race fans, a ride on a second or third tier Nascar team is more important, more lucrative and less dangerous. I suspect he looks at Indycar like a lot people do–a small, quirky, troubled, make-it-up-as-you-go, underfunded, under-sponsored, unwatched racing series–sort of like the minor leagues when compared to the reach of Nascar.
The ride is more important because it's there and a full time deal in IndyCar at Penske is not.
If Roger offered AJ a full time ride in IndyCar and JTG offered what they did…I'm pretty sure AJ would take the Penske deal.
There's a reason while, as a NASCAR driver in 2011 he bought into Michael Shank's IndyCar team.
He said he loves IndyCar and even by his twitter feed before he came back and did any races he was an avid IndyCar fan.
He could have gone the NASCAR route when he was a kid but he chose to go open wheel racing and if all things were equal he'd be in IndyCar.
He DID choose NASCAR over F1 tho. But that was purely on the "i don't want to live in Europe" stance.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush…
Also, what redcar said, sadly.
Had to vote "other" because while I don't blame him, he can make more money, and it's a done deal…I don't agree that it's the series where he would want to be, all other things (but overwhelmingly money) being equal. He clearly had more success in open wheel and all of his public comments earlier this year made it sound as if he wanted to come back to Indycar if possible.
He is a NASCAR driver and he did what he wanted to do, drive NASCAR. Why should anyone be upset?
Allmendinger knows he is fortunate to be getting a second chance in racing and I'm sure sees no reason to turn down a full-time job for a possible part time ride, even one with Roger Penske.
The rumors of a possible future for him at Penske had quieted down significantly in the past month, which makes me think that Roger couldn't promise AJ anything for next year. Had sponsorship materialized (or, had AJ won Indianapolis), and allowed Penske to give him the "8 additional races" rumored after Barber, then we might be reading a different story. As an Allmendinger fan, I wish we were, but I will continue to root for him in the fendered cars.
I still think we could see him run part time in Indycars over the next couple of years, especially at Indianapolis. JTG Daugherty is a team that would benefit from the attention of having a driver attempt the double, I think.
If Penske comes knocking next year with a full time Indycar ride, there's little reason to think AJ wouldn't take it.
AJ "left" for the same reason Danica didnt. Money. It is really that simple.
Danica also left for a second reason that does not get a lot of airing. She did not like the declining number of oval races in Indycar. Don't think that doesn't affect some of this.
Hmmm. Let's try did.
He left for the same reason he left Champ Car originally. To have a job.
When you have Tony Kanaan unsure of his future. Sebastien Bourdais and all his championships at a ride like Dragon. Justin Wilson is in a ride like Coyne…and yet a hack like EJ Viso(who was kind enough to give me the bird in the Baltimore paddock) is in a top tier Andretti ride. What more needs to be said?
I think he showed he is still competitive in these cars. He never drove a DW12 before a short test at Sebring. He had pace at Barber and ran in the top 10 until he stalled in the pits. A clear sign of nerves and inexperience in these cars. Was in the top 10 in at Long Beach before Hildebrand bit another Penske car…even then it was a mechanical failure that ruined his day. Even more curious that even in Champ Car he wasn't any good at Long Beach. Haha. Detroit was a disaster but he even admitted he needed seat time and hadn't been at that track. He knew it was his last race and pushed too hard and hurt himself in the process. The second race more than the first. I think Bourdais' slipping up causes AJ's wreck in the first race.(of course, looking back it may have been Penske sending another car to try to sabotage Dixon 😉 )
He clearly still loves IndyCar. His best friend is still Justin Wilson and he was having a good time in the paddock with his teammates and guys like Hinch(who was an Atlantics Forysthe driver when AJ was on the Champ Car team) and also was mentoring Conor Daly a bit…not to mention at Indy he and Katherine Legge seemed to be attached to each other. Haha.
Remember he also bought into the failed MSRIndy project about 2 years ago.
He said several times and was vocal about saying he would take any full time ride offered whether it was Cup, IndyCar, or Sports Cars.
There's also the rumour that he may run the double for Penske next year despite the JTG signing. Even heard a few sources say JTG may become a Penske satellite team. There's also the possibilty AJ still runs Fontana this year.
In any case I think AJ did what any of us would have done. Taken the sure thing in tough times.
Your middle finger is probably taller than EJ Viso.
Actually..I'm a pretty short guy but I was taller than EJ…haha
Besides the money, AJ is a racing driver. Racing drivers love to drive, and NASCAR runs more races.


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Hard to believe that he's 9 years ago. Peter lovingly reminded me this morning he's 1/2 way to being 18. I didn't want to hear that! I tried to upload a baby picture of Isaiah but I kept getting an error message. But boy was he one cute looking baby and now super handsome young man. Today was also Hannah's due date. When I told him he might have to share his birthday with his sister he said "well that's ok" And he really would have been happy to share this day with her. But it's still just his day! Isaiah was born one day before Peter and I's one year anniversary. He was the perfect gift then and he is the perfect gift today. Every year when we celebrate Isaiah's birthday Peter and I always reflect on that first year of marriage and how fast everything went.We got the ultimate expression of our love for each other and a reminder of how blessed we are on that day.
We love you Isaiah!!


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I also had this sketch laying around that I created so I used it as a creative starting point.
First up I just wanted to be creative. I had lots of fun patterned papers to work with but I wanted something that looked handmade and a little artsy. I reached for a striped MME stamp, 3 colors of inks and a small misting bottle full of water.
Here's what I ended up with. Fun strips of striped patterns that have a water colored look to them. I just inked up my stamp with the lightest yellow, then the orange then the dark pink color......then misted with water....then stamped the image on strips of cardstock. Again, just for fun, just for the sake of being creative and to see what I could come up with.
So next I got started with my first set of cards. In keeping with the sketch, I used a large Papertrey label die that I cut from patterned paper + a neutral cardstock. I'll end up using one half from each for my cards. The main focal point of these cards will be the large label image with some stamping and lots going on in the foreground.
Once I had my labels kind of pieced together, they didn't stand apart from the base card very much. So I decided to stray from the sketch a bit and created a background using ledger paper from my stash + a few scraps and some Washi tape. Just layered quickly onto the background piece and then stitched. This got me very excited to just take a creative session to just make backgrounds. Again, the creative process came into play much more than any product I was using. So fun!
And here's 3 finished cards that I made, using the sketch + my handmade water colored strips + some fun accents and popped up stamp images. I really do like how these turned out.
Those scrappy little backgrounds got me so intrigued that next I wanted to create some cards that focused more on the background than a large focal image. These came together very quickly by just adding some of the leftover watercolor striped paper I made, some Washi tape, some scraps of paper and a few Small White Tags.
When working on the first cards, I felt a little confined to my detailed sketch. So this time I just rolled with whatever popped into my head. I reached for some Dainty Doilies, stamped up a few Grid Paper Labels and then stamped some MME flowers onto punched circles. I didn't quite know how my cards would come together but I just let the creative process take place. I knew these cards would just go into my stash so whatever came about was just fine.
And here's the end result. I love how quickly these came together versus the time it took me to put together the cards using the sketch. But I loved working on both sets of cards. Sometimes it's detailed that you want, other times it's quick and easy. Notice that I also made a coordinating envelope using some Washi tape and Studio Calico stamp (which I cut apart to fit my liking).
For a final set of cards I wanted to explore the handmade backgrounds a little more. I like the idea of starting with a piece of "something" that has a pattern on it. Above I used my ledger papers and this time I reached for some Library Cards. I didn't have a plan for the card design but I liked the idea of using the stamped Grid Paper Labels again along with some tiny stamped labels.
I started out by laying on strips of paper and Washi tape on the base card. They needed a little pattern to start off with. Next I just worked on layering stuff to the library cards. At this time they are not attached to the card fronts. The fun part of this process is that you can work on the background piece and get it all finished before attaching to the card.
This way you can layer and wrap tapes around the back of the piece and even machine stitch and staple on the piece without it all showing on the inside of the finished card. You can look at the above photo and then how I added more layers and stitching to the piece in the photo below. This might be a new favorite way to make cards.....all because I just let the creative process flow with no finished product in mind.
And heres's my two cards. I topped the layered background with more Washi tape, the stamped Grid Paper Label, hand cut/stamped flowers and some Studio Calico wood veneer hearts. Notice how I let the small "memo" label hang over the edge of the library cards. The labels look like they flow from one layer to the next. That's an easy way to tie the background layer and the main base card together.
And one more thing that was was fun to do....I cut tiny strips of Washi tape and used them over and under my flowers and veneer hearts. I love this look and will be using this technique again soon. Amazing how you discover little creative tidbits when you sit down to just make something.
And that's it for today. I really enjoyed this creative session because it was just fun and I had no deadlines, no criteria to follow....it was all about the process. I hope you give it a try. :)


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Sunday, September 16, 2012
Shower Tile Trends
I am working on a master bath remodel & I found these gorgeous 12x20 travertine tiles from Ann Sacks. I love how they paired them with the larger slab pieces for the shower walls-it's a cleaner look with less grout lines. What do you think-Do you like this look?
Posted by Susan Crabtree at 8:38 AM
Labels: interior design
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Vocal technique methods, if correct, should lead a singer to the same optimal operation of the voice. The imagery may be different, but the anatomy is the same.
In the next few posts, I would like to discuss Power, Path and Performance vocal training method techniques in relationship to the "Alexander Technique", which is a tremendously important study of connecting the body and mind to the voice. I am going to give you a link to a very informative article from teacher Ron Murdock on the Alexander Technique which I encourage you to read as you ponder the following techniques I teach in "PPP". This post will concern "Power"... of the breath. .
Please click the following link: http://www.cursa-ur.com/articles/BornToSing.htm and scroll about 1/3 of the way down. Begin reading where the paragraph begins "The breathing organ makes up the other half of the singing instrument..."
When you've read the paragraphs concerning the breathing apparatus, please focus on Illustration (Fig) 15.
Notice the intricate scaffolding connecting and suspending the diaphragm to the bottom of the ribcage... AND to everything from the neck to the lumbar spine. Looking at this, we can see how important it is to be flexibly tall, not allowing the chest to collapse inwards. Support and control of breath truly is dependant on balancing the weight of the body on the strong leg bones, lumbar spine and pelvic bone (which I refer to as the "Power of the pelvic floor"). The importance of lengthening the muscles between the neck and pelvic bones, The importance of freeing the head upon the neck are also clear from the illustrations. This information also shows why it is important to:
- Stand or sit tall (like you do with your back to a wall)
- Stand or sit flexibly (as when you dance or feel the groove)
- Don't stiffen legs, ribcage or neck
- Think of the diaphragm as a space invader and stay the heck out of it's way. Allow the diaphragm to have a wide, flexibly suspended area at the bottom of the ribcage and let it support and control the breath naturally with no conscious manipulation. (also ... see note below)
- Correct, tall and open (not slouched) posture, weight balanced at the tailbone, allows for the correct sense of power coming from the pelvic floor.
- A silent, deep and wide (but not huge) breath which you let "fall in" instead of trying to "suck in", allows the correct inhale. Open nose mouth and torso and air will rush in to fill the vacuum created in the chest.
One note of difference: In my personal and teaching experience, I have found it universally better to inhale through both nose AND mouth... not just the nose. Most people tend to suck air in too high when trying to get air in only through the nasal passages. There are times when a person needs to focus on the nose, especially if sinuses feel stuffy, but it is imperitive to ALLOW BREATH TO FALL IN instead of sucking it in. Notice that Ron Murdock also mentions this in his article.
I have found that if you pay attention to just one small area in the upper spine, about an inch below the shoulder blades, you can cause the chest to open and the diaphragm to have the correct "tonus". Put your hand behind your back and press this area forward. You should notice an automatic inhale, caused by the opening of the chest. Keep this point flexible and forward (as it would be with you standing against a wall) when you sing, and the chest will not collapse. You must be careful not to allow your lower back to become "sway-back" when doing this... the lumbar spine should stay steady, tailbone tucked a bit inward. Flexible knees should make this happen. This is why feeling the groove in your spine and legs is so important.
Another issue this article doesn't address (though I've received a comment from Ron and he agrees) is the importance of having "life" in your arms and hands, to keep them from causing the chest to collapse, as I discussed in a recent post.
My next post will compare my "path to the open throat" to the Alexander technique. Your thoughts, as always, are most welcome. Is this post interesting to you? Do you undertand it? lemme know by clicking "comment".


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Brian Wood is famous for the graphic novel Channel Zero. When I heard that he was offering a 17MB download of a work he's calling Public Domain ... sketches, character studies, found art and photographs, short stories ... everything that informed him in making the story, but had not yet made it into print.
The real thrill is seeing the "what went into" and the unfinished test sketches and drawings. Sometimes, the best art is 'undone'.
There's a great amount of found stuff, as I menched, but one which really caught my eye was apparently taken from a subversive flyer tacked to a 'phone pole in NY, one which even some (well, probably a great many) people in Portland can even relate to:
It's challenging for those in thier comfort-space.
Oh, yeah, you can download it from this page hyar. Free.
Tags: Brian Wood, Channel Zero, Public Domain, graphic novels, free downloads