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What do you do with over ripe bananas? Do you throw them away?
Please don't. Make my banana bread instead. You won't be sorry. It's my favorite kind of baking.
The dump (not that kind, silly)
and stir method. The only way to screw it up is mixing too much. Notice how you can still see the flour. That's what you are looking for.
Stir it up, bake, and wait 50 minutes for this
So, do someone a favor and make two. Keep one and share one.
yummy yummy yummy
M's Banana-Nut Bread
2 1/2 cups organic whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups mashed VERY ripe organic bananas (4-5)
1 1/4 cups organic brown sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
2/3 cup organic whole milk yogurt
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
Heat oven to 350.
Grease bottoms only of two 8X4 in loaf pans
Place dry ingredients in large bowl and whisk to combine.
Dump the rest of the ingredients in the bowl and stir just until combined.
Bake 50 - 60 minutes on lowest rack.
Cool 10 minutes and remove from pans.
Place top-side up on cooling racks.
Cool completely before slicing.


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Dir: Harold P. Warren
Stars: Tom Neyman, John Reynolds, Harold P. Warren, Diane Mahree
One of the most polarizing films in b-dom, some b-aficionados consider it too genuinely bad to be a b-classic, others regard it very highly, including one Quentin Tarantino who according to IMDB actually owns an original print of it. It's almost a dead cert that it influenced David Lynch in some way with its long shots, surreal qualities and creepy characters. My own feeling is that it is a b-classic but that unlike say Plan 9, Spider-baby, or Faster Pussycat, is not one that can be watched over and over, at least within a short span. Partly this is due to what makes it so distinct, the very loooong slowly paced scenes, which are kind of mesmerizing in their bizarreness, and may be some unintentional realism you don't see in most movies, in the sense that life often happens at a slow pace. I seem to remember that Hitchcock once said something about how melodrama is life with the boring parts taken out...by which definition Manos may not be melodrama, but it is a distinct work, and how many things can you say that about?
Some performances deserve credit. Tom Neyman plays the "Master", and is quite genuinely intimidating with his glaring eyes and his scowl. He is a cult leader who has a whole bevy of wives who go into some kind of trance or standing coma during the day time. One of the things that is most made fun of in the film is how strange the speech of the wives is, as when one is discussing the fate of some intruders into their secret hideaway and first wants to spare the woman, then in the next sentence declares that they all must die. But I rather think that, while it may be due more to ineptness than design in the writing, it actually reflects the off-kilter mental state of thralls of a cult, so is actually more convincing than if everything they said was consistent.
Probably by now the films most famous element is the unforgettable character Torgo, portrayed by John Reynolds in a reported drug induced stupor. His uneven way of phrasing such lines as "The master would not approve" have become iconic. Reynolds sadly died shortly after the shoot, so it is nice he has achieved some immortality as a subject of - if I can juxtapose these words - fond derision.

subset: commoncrawl


text: La Peña, as she was always called by the other kids, grew up in a small village in the rural parts of a not to be named third world country. She never knew her parents, because they left and she was still to small to remember. Some old fotos were the only connection between them, so she was left with a gruesome aunt that never really cared about her and the other kids were scared of her because of her awkwardness and looks. She was a very untypical kid, very tall and too intelligent for her surroundings, so what else could she do than leave this godforsaken place ? An odyssee began and she started to wander between worlds and countries, many things happened among them good and bad, but she grew up to be the proud lady she is today, she met friends found love and now here she stands. Fighting for rightousness, freedom and just the right type of music. La Peña is here to stay.


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Just in case you hadn't noticed, the spring and summer visitors our area relies upon are here once more. That means, among other things, it's time to be a bit more patient behind the wheel.
Year-round residents of the Grand Strand have long known that the rules change slightly in peak tourism times. Eateries that are normally easy to find a table at suddenly have hour-long waits. Beaches that were peaceful and serene not too long ago are full of families and sunbathers. Stores, restaurants and attractions that went into hibernation for the winter rub the sleep from their eyes and turn the lights back on. And the traffic gets ugly, especially around peak hotel check-in and checkout times (Friday afternoon and Sunday morning).
It's not so much the volume of traffic that's worrying, though it's frustrating enough to see commute times double or more during busy months. It's the dangerous traffic that drivers should be paying attention to.
Don't get us wrong. We love tourists. Bring 'em on. They're what keep our economy humming. But pack them into a compressed area they've never been to before, slowly creeping down streets looking for addresses or craning at the sights ("Is that a giant pyramid in the middle of the city?") and the driving can get downright scary.
How much of a problem can it be? Visit the website of the South Carolina Highway Patrol and they have a whole page prominently promoted on how to be safe while driving to and from the beach. Among their common sense tips which can't be repeated enough these days: don't tailgate and don't text and drive.
Statistics from the Myrtle Beach Police Department show that traffic accidents start increasing sharply around this time of year. From a fairly steady 200 or so accidents a month in the city October through February the number climbs to a peak of more than 600 a month in June and July. It's not particularly surprising. After all, increase the number of drivers (especially drivers often unfamiliar with their surroundings) and it's fairly easy to guess that traffic accidents will also increase. But it's a good reminder for those of us who have just had six months of slightly less crowded streets to forget about the risk.
Yes, getting to your destination might take an extra few minutes this time of year. Plan ahead accordingly. Hang up the phone. Expect other drivers to be less predictable than normal this time of year. Don't be the jerk weaving in and out of traffic and trying to push other cars to speed up. If so, you may very well also be the jerk stuck at the side of the road waiting for the police and a tow truck.
Be safe out there.


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As is clear to anyone looking honestly at the situation Republicans are champions of the 1% (many Democrats come in a close second but I'll save that for another day).
Republicans don't care about "free markets" or ending "Big Government" because if they did there are major points of convergence where they would be building coalitions with progressives and passing reforms which would create stronger free markets; which would at the same time have dramatic impacts on the quality of life of working people.
The failure of a single elected official in Georgia Legislature to speak out in support of the For Respect movement this past Black Friday, was, for me, an obvious sign of the corrupting influence of the 1% on state and local politics.
The reality is that the modern Republican party is a party attached to protecting the political power of a very narrow elite at the expense of quality of life of working people and the ability of local economies all over this nation to flourish and thrive. The irony is the 1% doesn't tend to reside in Georgia so local Republican's are fighting, for the most part, for a group of people who not only don't reside within their districts but look down on the lifestyles and cultural beliefs of their constituents.
The fact that Republican voters I know are pushing for policies that literally take money directly out of the local community and straight into the financial markets is something that drives me up a wall since this kind of "redistribution of wealth" is supposed to be frowned upon by Republicans. This money then gets used for the types of needless speculation and risk taking which created the most recent economic crisis (requiring massive bailouts by taxpayers) and it should piss you off--especially those of you who are out of work, looking for a better job, or are struggling to keep your local small business running.
One place where "conservatives" and champions of free markets here in Georgia, and elsewhere, could prove me wrong would be in standing up to government interference with the rights of organized labor in the private sector.
One of the results of the "Reagan revolution"--the neoliberal effort to undermine the political power of working people--has been to harness government's power to interfere in the efforts of organized labor. Restrictions on organized labor have had a devastating impact on the quality of life of American workers and is one of the key culprits of the erosion of wages and the massive disparities of wealth we are now facing.
One easy long term solution which state leaders should be pushing, as we work to get our economy back in order, is to simply get government out of private sector negotiations between owners and workers.
Lets let the market do what it does best, rather than having Government give mega corporations an un-level playing field, which allows owners to exploit their workers at the bargaining table--manipulating the market outcomes.
When massive corporations like Walmart, McDonalds, and Starbucks no longer have the ability to harness the state to keep workers from utilizing their collective bargaining power; local economies throughout the nation will begin the reap the rewards, as profits which are currently shooting straight to the top are more evenly distributed throughout the company.
When the political question of how to distribute profits within a corporation are decided, not by politician's in Washington and state capitals across the nation deciding they should pick the winner in advance, siding with the mega corporations in the process; but are decided within the company via contract negotiations, there will be major changes that will reverberate throughout the economy as working people harnessing market forces are able to put their hard earned dollars into their local economies.
If we were able to get government out of private sector negotiations and corporate profits began to become more equitably distributed throughout the company we would not only see stronger local economies we would also see the burden on our Federal and State welfare/social safety-net's reduced. This would be a win-win for any of the Republican's I know; at least if they are honest about their priorities and principles.
Currently there are many hard working Americans who need to tap into safety-net programs just to stay afloat and if politician's no longer allowed corporations to rig the labor market we could change this state of affairs by simply letting markets do what they do best. By skewing markets in favor of the political connected corporations--which is a top priority of Republican politicians--we indirectly increase the tax burdens facing our state and local governments.
Remember, government "picking winners and losers" is supposed to be frowned upon by Republican's but time and time again we see Republican's side with corporations and support government interference in the private sector. All at the expense of workers who live in their districts. Apparently its more important to be seen as "anti-union" than it is to support free market policies which would have positive impacts on the local economies of their constituents.
Dean Baker gives a good run down in his most recent book The End of Loser Liberalism: Making Markets Progressive (which you can download for free here) on ways government interfere's in labor markets resulting in skewed outcomes.
This government interference ends up transferring millions of dollars of wealth from the hands of working people into the pockets of the 1%. This is a situation where the "wealth creators" are having their pockets picked by the 1% simply because the 1% have the political clout to buy politicians to write the rules (interfering in the free market) so that they can enrich themselves. Here is overview from Dean:
Restrictions on organized labor
Yet another area where the government intervenes in the market at the behest of the well-off to diminish the well-being of workers and the disadvantaged is labor-management policy. The accepted view is that progressives want the government to intervene to protect workers, while conservatives would rather let workers and management sort things out for themselves. That's not quite the story.Though labor law provides protections to workers and their unions, it also constrains workers' power in important ways. For example, it is illegal to organize or honor a secondary boycott. If the workers at a restaurant go on strike and then arrange for the Teamsters to refuse to deliver food to honor the strike, the restaurant can enlist the government to deliver injunctions and impose fines against the Teamsters. If Teamsters officials ignore the injunction (e.g., they don't tell their members that they cannot refuse to deliver food to the restaurant), they can face imprisonment.[3] This is not the free market; this is the government intervening on behalf of employers.Another example of how labor-management policy is rigged away from market forces is the fact that 22 states currently deny workers freedom of contract with their employers. Under "right-to-work" laws, workers are prohibited from signing contracts with employers that require workers covered by a union contract to pay their share of the union's costs. The law requires that everyone who is in a union bargaining unit – regardless of whether they are actually in the union – gets the same pay and benefits. The law also requires that the union represent workers indisputes with employers on issues covered by the contract, whether or not a worker is in the union. This means that if a worker who does not pay to support the union is fired, the law requires that the union represent the worker through any appeals process established under the contract.While the law requires unions to provide the same benefits to all workers covered by a contract, right-to-work laws prohibit unions from signing agreements with employers that would require workers to pay for the benefits they are receiving. It in effect guarantees representation without taxation. This restriction of freedom of contract is not consistent with a free market. "Right-to-work" laws are just another way in which the right uses the power of the state to reduce the power and income of workers. Free marketers are perfectly willing to deny the freedom of contract to accomplish this end.Dean Baker. The End of Loser Liberalism: Making Markets Progressive (Kindle Locations 104-110). Center for Economic and Policy Research.
So next time you are talking to a Republican who claims they hate when government picks winners and losers you should chime in and ask them if they agree with you that we should end government restrictions on organized labor.
The more we start to call out Republican's for their support of the 1% the more we can begin to erode the power and control that the 1% hold over our state and local political elites (who truly have no need to build alliances with the 1% to begin with).
By beginning the long term efforts to hold conservative's to their claimed principles and exposing the Republican Party for its unabashed support of the 1% the more we will begin to identify allies and build alliances of local politicians across the political spectrum who want to prioritize flourishing economies over picking winners and losers.
Getting government out of private sector negotiations would be a sane, progressive, place to start.


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Sunday, October 18, 2009
Alumni Speech: 10/18/2009
Last fall, I stopped out at Taylor. I transferred to the University of Virginia in order to enroll in a study abroad program called Semester at Sea. I flew to the Bahamas on August 28th and embarked on a remarkable journey. I proceeded to live on a ship for 4 months, traveling to Brazil, across the Atlantic Ocean to Namibia and South Africa, then to India, Malaysia, Vietnam, China and Japan, across the Pacific Ocean to Costa Rica, through the Panama Canal and back to Miami Florida on December 14th. I visited a total of ten countries and took class on the ship along with 700 peers from an amalgamation of universities across the country. My professors were all from either Stanford or the University of Virginia.
My journey took me down dirt roads on horseback, it rocked me to sleep in hammocks late into the evening, challenged me to understand violence: from slavery, atomic bombs and HIV to the abandoned, neglected, scorned and forgotten. My journey shook me, it woke me up to sunrises at sea, to the lightness of the ship on the ocean: like my burdens in Jesus' hands. To the futility of life. To white consciousness. my journey took me on reckless rickshaws, quiet catamarans, hurried bullet trains and secluded subways through the hidden cu chi tunnels and the starry Namib Desert, through apartheid and it's remnants, the flooded streets of Ha Noi, the Great Wall, and endless tea fields in the Cameron Highlands of Malaysia. It taught me the brevity of life: as we lost a precious and dear friend in Hong Kong.
When I first came home, I was overwhelmed. My parents and dear friends were incredible: teaching me patience and gentleness. I cam back to Taylor absolutely distraught. I felt like it was a mistake to wake up for 4 months, asking Jesus to borrow his eyes. I was not meant to see what he sees. The Pain, emptiness and want that I saw, all juxtaposed against those who have plenty, who are known, who are not in need, was all overbearing. But then He told me a story: the precious and powerful story of when he healed the paralytic. He reminded me of how He did it, "Remember? I said, 'Your sins are forgiven' and then, so they would know my authority to do so, I made him to stand'". He gave me His eyes gain, this time not for clarity of sight; but rather, perspective. Jesus Christ is my living and powerful Savior who saved me first from my sin, and now is working on healing me of its effects.
So, I have let Him lead the remainder of this dance: Semester at Sea was incredible, but when Kurt Leswing died in Hong Kong, all the University of Virginia had to offer was its academics. No hope offered, no truth or light to be made evident. The bombastic shipmates who blamed the Christian God for colonization and slavery (and most other suffering in the World) were broken, and too hopeless or perhaps stubborn to allow Jesus to meet them where they were.
But at Taylor, God has supplied some answers, in His time. He has taught me through Dr. Corduan, to learn wisdom and moral instruction and to discern wise counsel. Jesus has taught me through Dr. Lay and Steve Austin, that it does not work to keep humbling myself, that I must cease to seek information bias, and desire a heart that pleads for Jesus to correct me when I am wrong. Through Dr. Seeman: I've learned the beauty of conviction: that he cannot hardly speak truth without it affecting him. Jesus has taught me through my peers here at Taylor, to pursue knowledge insomuch as I am first pursuing the Lord, to not be afraid to learn trust or love through the risk of attempting them in the strength of Christ.
I realized months after I returned from my voyage, that "my journey" was really Jesus. He took me down those dirt roads on horseback, taught me of violence on both macro and personal levels. He rocked me to sleep in hammocks late into the evening in Salvador. He enlightened me on the brevity of life, of cognitive and affective empathy and that in the beginning, was Father, Son and Spirit: in the beginning was love and relationship. Love and relationship have been at the beginning through the Trinity, and I am not invited into this dance, invited to accept as well as offer this love and to accept as well as enter into this relationship.
Thank you Lord,
Monday, April 27, 2009
Building Castles In The Air
I feel like I am a living dichotomy.
A year ago today, I would have told you that it was us. That God has enabled his people to complete his mission, and to bring his kingdom. Heck, he even taught us how to pray, "your kingdom come, your will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven". However, I have found myself in a different place this year.
On my voyage last semester, I was struck with something called, 'white consciousness'. I was in South Africa in an Art Museum during Heritage weekend. I remember it well. I had been stunned by the beautiful marriage of art and societal issues in this culture. Apartheid had its influence, and it was more than just a legislative influence. I remember walking past a statue which absolutely struck me. It was a statue of an African man's face, a black statue. He had a white cloth draped over his head, and was holding the edge of it in his hand, in a contemplative manner. This is when white consciousness struck me.
Never before had I seen a statue of an African man. In fact, almost every statue I have ever seen was generally a man, and one of European decent (other than the one I mention now, and one of Stalin I saw in Vietnam later that month). I could not believe it. How could I have never seen an elated figure in society, to the point of being molded into a statue, that was of African origin?
Suddenly, my error was ever before me. I can quote 1 Corinthians 7:17 to you on any day, at any given time. But I realized as my voyage went on, how much I have missed it. Ever since I became a Christian, I have wanted to better someone else's life. I have honestly wished I was poor at times, or of some other descent. I have coveted the poor and their few material possessions. I have hated myself for being incapable of relating, and for trying to relate when I clearly cannot. God slowly began to reveal the truth of a verse such as 1 Corinthians 7:17 to me: I am white, and I am privileged, and I do have an education, and I do love God, and I do love others, and I do want his kingdom to come.
I should not have to reject who I have been created as, in order to love God and love others well. I should use my whiteness, and my privilege, and God's heart in me to do more for the people of this world, and to bring His love to them. God corrected my compassion to be less of a disservice to me, and allowed me to remember that he already was the sacrifice: that I do not have to be. I sacrifice, not by denying my identity, but by founding that identity upon the Godhead.
Now, I see that juxtaposition of the white cloth draped over the black man, and I feel it. It affects me and I am moved. I feel it in my life. As I sift through the Bible yet again, for not merely half truths, but for whole truths. When a year ago, I would wish to live in an almost socialist way, I now study the Word, and I do not see God condemning all people of private property rights. However, I see him warning them against any heartfelt connection to their property. This sense of idolatry works its way into both extremes in the sense of which I am speaking. One could be defined by the material possessions one procures and arrogant as he or she consumes ignorant of ethics or morals in a free-market capitalist society believing God to bring his Kingdom in His time, in His way therefore lessening the responsibility of His people. One could be instead, be so caught up in social justice and giving all one has to the poor in an attempt to bring God's Kingdom as his children, and easily fall into Adam and Eve's trap becoming his or her own God, in a self-gratifying manner, and perhaps even a self-identifying manner. Either extreme is to fall short of the main point in my own perspective.
Today in Chapel, Dr. MacDonald from Scotland summed it up well. Our exclusive passion should be God himself. Not ministry, not fellowship, not gifts. Simply God. Shane Caliborne also said it well, as he spoke tonight at Taylor. As we loosen our ties to our material possessions, we do begin to consume less and share more. The Gospel is then capable of its truest form: both vertical (personal) and horizontal (corporate).
I have to end with a touch of my own story. I have a friend who lived on a ship with me last semester. She was kind of a free spirit. I remember getting so frustrated sometimes, because she always wanted to share with everyone. She felt like she was being hospitable, when someone felt comfortable coming into her room, and taking whatever they want that was hers. That aggravated me. She would ask me for my things too. I thought, "no way jose, you are not going to just give me things so you can take mine, I don't think so". As the semester continued, I realized how unimportant her material possessions were to her. Her heart was for the Lord, so those things would come and go, and she would not be worried. I saw her ability to trust God himself. Not just the church, or her prayer partner or something, but God to be her protector and provider, and that he would provide through her.
I'm not suggesting a hate toward those who serve the poor by any means. I am encouraging the use of education while staying grounded in humanity of all kinds.
May you choose to trust God by giving away your extra cloak this week. May you feed him, and clothe him as you do so to the least of these this very week. May we use our identities regardless of status, for the further growth of His kingdom, and for the least of these.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Plan B
Sunday, August 24, 2008
The Floating Waltz
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
The birth and death of day.
How did the rest of the day go? Well, I fear that I would legitimately bore you. But I spent a beautiful day with two beatiful young women, played Clue with the family and GA (and I won... mind you). I said goodbye to Ron today. He's leaving at 5AM to go swimming as he usually does before work. I wonder if Ron will ever know how much he means to me as a father figure. But then again, I really don't wonder. There is no way Ron will ever understand, because he matters more to me than most men in my life. He really is right there under my own father. I also know that it is different now that you are 20, and I can't just say things like that. Well, I will not lie- after that thought I had a sigh of relief. It makes everything a little bit cleaner cut if people don't know how much they matter to you. Shoot, after that thought I got choked up. E, D and S will be wished a goodbye tomorrow morning. Don't even get me started. How do I ever attempt to say goodbye to these roses in a life plagued with thorns (ok, my life isn't 'plagued with thorns' but I thought that sounded cool).
All I know, is at the end of the day, I was at R and J's house listening to R talk with God about me. It was a strange sound, but holding hands, J, G, R and I held hands on the ground and talked with God. The small elephant in their laundry room was slightly distracting, but I'm sure it will get tired and eventually dry their clothes. But over the distracting broken drier, I could feel God respond to R. I could feel his love and his gentle presence in the room right infront of me, just staring at my face; and his creation. I could sense his presence and knew he heard us and saw us gather and trust him some more. On the ground at R & Js house was where I knew God was. He was there 4 months prior when R talked with God about my trip to Jordan, and he was still there now. But the thing is, I knew it wasn't just because God had taken residence in the carpet of my friends house in this town, but rather that God was with me.
It was kinda like when you get in a fight with someone stubborn. They know it isn't best for you to necessarily walk away and put up walls, and they don't just sit and 'talk it out' so they just don't let you leave their presence. They will wrestle you, push you, hold you... whatever they need to do just to let you know that they love you, but they won't explain away or let you go. That is where God and I are now. He won't let me go, but he's not explaining himself. He just goes where I go. He doesn't let me build up walls from him, he loves but doesn't explain his love right now. I am stuck on the recieving end for now.
Well, now here I am, summarizing those thoughts. I'll be in Naperville tomorrow night. I cannot hardly believe that. C, DJ, J, R, E, S, D, R... and anyone else in the Marion area... you are loved.
Monday, August 4, 2008
I'm Home Hurray!
This has been by far the best summer I've had in years... and possibly ever. I cannot believe the absolute fun I have had this summer, along with the absolute transformation God has taken me through. Things that were concrete before are not just being shaken but have been bulldozed down in order to make room for new thought, for walls that are further reaching than before. God has enlarged my heart to fit him in a little bit more. Now, the next few months he will be enlarging my mind. 24 days and counting until I will be on the ship. In one month exactly, I will be 2 and a half days from the port of Brazil. I will have already spent one full week on the ship.
I hope that God is shaking you beyond what you thought your capacity was previously. I hope he is constantly stretching you so that you are constantly aware of your need for him. I hope when I get back to Naperville, I am met by family that is being stretched also, and by one or two friends who have found a way to survive in such deep waters with the bigger fish in the suburbs who are out to kill. May peace go before us all, and may it be the peace of God that makes peace, instead of just 'keeping' it. You are Loved.


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We decided on Oglebay Park in Wheeling, West Virginia, only 75 miles from home and a perfect holiday getaway with beautiful light displays and festivity through the entire park. To our delight, it snowed the night we stayed just the right amount to make for winter wonderland scenery yet safe road travel!
Chris treated me by driving throughout the park and stopping where I could take pictures. The stable animals were beautiful and so friendly. They reminded me of the Christmas carol, "The Friendly Beasts" which describe the animals surrounding Jesus the day he was born.
"Jesus our brother, kind and good was humbly born in a stable rude,
The friendly beasts around him stood, Jesus our brother kind and good."
Today is Small Business Saturday and I would like to recognize Mom's Memories scrapbooking store in Wheeling where I purchased the papers and note card on Tuesday as we left Wheeling. Local scrapbook stores are few and far between near my West Virginia home. The owner and associates are the best. Thanks to them for supporting the local economy and a creative outlet!


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In real time life, I am conversant with various relationships, the sum of which is one partner has "settled" for what the other partner is willing to accord them. And I'm not exempt, of course, as witnessed by my recent whining, I'm settling myself for less than what will make me truly content. And truth be told, it is something I've looked at long and hard and realized in the end, that I'm settling because the history of my dynamic with him always has been and probably always will be, I take him on HIS terms. Making me, I suppose, weak-willed and ineffective....
I accept, however, that it is, ultimately, ALL about choice and ALL about compromise. The trick of course being that you have some self-awareness of what that compromise will cost – in terms of comfort, in terms of emotional equilibrium, in terms of what you will gain versus what you stand to lose.
I think in one sense, the nature of life is all about compromise. It is neither realistic nor possible to assume that each of us always gets our heart desire out of life. We whine, we cry, we shout and yell and demand and scream that we MUST have it this way or NO way ... and in the end, we have to make a choice – whether to compromise, accept, walk away or deny.
"Settling" has such negative connotations- as if we accept less than that to which we are entitled; as if by accepting that we can live with less than we really want, we are somehow diminished, weakened.
In the end, most of us settle for what we think, in the end, is the "lesser" evil (Christian dogma aside, I think the intent is clear). Ultimately, it comes down to the individual own sense of preservation, self-esteem and desire.
Yet....and yet.
There is for most people, however, the hard reality that time and experience have etched on lives; a knowledge that the grass is often NOT as green ...a comprehension that dalliances, short-term experiences, limited exchanges in the end are not indicative of what a full-time life would encompass.
There is also often the hard-won knowledge that desire does not equate need, that want does not equal must and that what works in the short-term may not survive the long haul. There are so many adages that preach the whole concept of `settling` ``a bird in the hand``, ``be careful what you wish for`` .. a myriad of home-grown preachy sayings about settling for what you do have rather than yearn for what you may not.
Should you or shouldn`t you? Hell, I don't know.
What I do know is anyone with a modicum of intelligence will think long and hard before making a life-altering decision about anything. One must weigh the consequences not just on your own life, but on those whose lives are entwined with yours. For very few of us come without our own set of complications, our own Gordian knots of worries and confusions. The choices an individual makes impacts not just them but those with whom they are entwined. Further, no one comes to a new relationship unencumbered ... each of us brings our own baggage, some of it battered and torn, bearing history and hard-won lessons.
I think one of the most prevalent scenarios I see are online relationships where individuals equate reality with the stolen moments online; where pixels and visuals confuse fantasy with reality and where fulfilling what is ultimately a role is confused with living a life.
The bottom line is that living a real life is not the same as creating and maintaining an online one.
And if you are content with that, then more power to you. BUT, what i see more and more are people equating their fantastic twitterings with real living.
I would highly recommend reading some of the excellent blogs online that deal with the true realities of trying to live the BDSM lifestyle (simply as an example) day in and day out. Kaya's Under His Hand (http://underhishand.com/), morningstar's The Journey (http://wtsubbie.blogspot.com/index.html) or Swan's always insightful The Heron Clan (http://theheronclan.blogspot.com/). You see, they deal with the realities of life as we ALL live it. The worries, the pressures and stressors, the realities of medical issues, bad moods, outside issues and the normal interaction of human beings in short.
In musing about this, I realize too that the online worlds created with the advent of the internet are really just Marshall Mcluhan's vision brought into being ... for snatched moments online are really not all that different from the more cerebral and sometimes flesh on flesh "affairs" engaged in before electronic wizardry.
In fact, on a re-reading of some of his work, I realize what a visionary this man was!
All media work us over completely. They are so pervasive in their personal, political, economic, aesthetic, psychological, moral, ethical, and social consequences that they leave no part of us untouched, unaffected, unaltered.
And laptops, computers are most definitely 'media'. And the "creations" which appear on our screens are – as often as not – simply a form of media.
And this is fodder and discussion for another blog ....coming soon to this space.


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Ryan Villopoto
Net Worth $5 Million USD
Ryan Villopoto born August 13, 1988 in Fortuna, California, resident in Poulsbo, Washington is a motocross and supercross champion who currently competes in the AMA Supercross series and the AMA Lucas Oil Motocross series. He resides in Murrieta California and races for the Monster Energy Kawasaki team.
The 2011 season has been a five way battle between Villopoto, James Stewart, Jr., Chad Reed, Ryan Dungey and Trey Canard. Villopoto has been consistent with the exception of round 11 where he failed to qualify, crashing in both his heat race and the Last Chance Qualifier. On May 7, 2011, Villopoto won the 2011 Supercross Championship by a margin of 4 points over Reed 338-334.


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your bag is empty
Women Ultra Light Down Jacket
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Additional Information
Product Detail
Materials & Care
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- Imported
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Women Ultra Light Down Jacket is rated out of 5 by 542.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Bigsooze from Perfect Spring/Summer Jacket Lightweight yet warm, perfect for chilly trains, theaters, restaurants during summer months. Rolls into a ball and fits in any bag. Great for travel. Makes any outfit "pop".
Date published: 2018-07-17
Rated 5 out of 5 by Kittie from Handy jacket in a bag Great lightweight jacket that fits into a bag ideal for visiting somewhere where the weather is a little cooler than home and the down filling keeps you warm.
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Rated 5 out of 5 by Mops from Useful item I bought this for my 11year old grand daughter when I saw the price reduced. She wanted adult one for keeping it in her sports bag. During the winter, I bought three different colours for presents and myself. This is very compact and light. I carry it in my bag everywhere. Especially handy on traveling. Great item!
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Date published: 2018-07-08


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Cyber Seniors Connects Senior Students with College Students to Learn Computer Skills
April 05, 2010
Mount Union College served as the host site for ExperienceSeniorPower (ESP). This program, made possible by a federal appropriation sponsored by Congressman Ralph Regula for Cyber Seniors and ESP, is designed to teach computer skills to senior citizens who have little or no experience with computers.
'The response to the sessions we offered was amazing,' said Shana Blazer Hurby, coordinator of community service and service learning. 'We filled up immediately and had a lengthy waiting list.'
Mount Union students volunteered to assist the Cyber Seniors in developing basic computer skills.
Lessons covered Microsoft Windows, Word and Excel; keyboard use and computer terminology; e-mail; scanning and uploading photos; internet introduction; utilizing on-line forums; personalization and sending eGreeting cards and internet safety tips.
In a survey taken by the participants, the majority felt the sessions greatly helped them to gain the basic computer skills needed to not only do standard things such as using Word to write a letter, but also how to use the computer for entertainment such as surfing the net and playing games.
'The students were so nice and helpful,' said one senior student. 'It was a great experience.'
Basic computer skills were not the only aim of this class. It also aimed to build better relationships between younger people and senior citizens.
'It was a lot of fun to get to help out and interact with everyone,' said C.J. Checkelsky, a freshman of Big Prairie. 'I made new friends and learned new computer skills by helping others.'
More sessions are being planned for the future at the College.


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Lady loves to live By Bridget Bell
Lady loves to live
By Bridget Bell, Sep 21, 2009
where other people lived, acquires pillowcases
where other faces drooled, slurps broth off thrift store spoons
formerly cradled in the dark caverns of strangers' mouths.
She wears embroidered dresses with yellowed armpits,
and her repeatedly broken shoe laces are held together by fraying knots.
A line cook she met said I'm going to call you Nomad
when she told him her name was Lady.
It's fitting. Lady doesn't have a home.
She roams from city to city, always renting
apartments with eggshell walls, which she paints
yellow rain coat,
ice cube silver, mudslide.
Despite what's written in the lease, she never returns
the walls to their original white.
She imagines new tenants slicing celery, slicing jicama,
or black olives dumped from a tin can
while surrounded by the same colors that surrounded her
when she did her slicing.
Bridget Bell is an Ohio-born writer living in NYC, and she holds her MFA from Sarah Lawrence College. Her work has been published in the New Ohio Review, The Chaffey Review, Folio and SUB-LIT, among other publications. She works as a bartender in Manhattan's financial district, and also as an assistant editor at FourWay Books.
[ LINK: decomP Magazine ]


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You were with us when we bought the truck at the end of 2008 - lack of past credit history led to me co-signing a loan for Jordan for $4,500. It was scary then - we weren't married, just newly living together and everyone in the PF world say's 'never co-sign'...but I did and it worked out. We successfully paid off the truck in May, 2010 - way ahead of the 24 month amortization on the loan - through lump sum and increased bi-weekly payments.
It was a lesson for Jordan and I - a big lesson on how to manage money as a couple and the power of duel income when paying down debt. We really became a partnership then when it come to managing money.
So, what does this mean?
The truck sold for $850 (high kms...over 400K) - $250 of which was the last chunk to pay off the line of credit for the new couch. Jordan and I carpool every day to work - so while there may be a couple times of year when it's a headache to have one vehicle - the longer term savings will be well worth it.
We originally intended for the remaining $600 to go towards the house/back yard pool of money - however; Jordan would like to use some of it to buy some work clothes for me. I really do need another pair of pants and a blazer - so that might work out to split it up some.
My mom, who comments here often, has always said to dress for the job you want - not for the job you have. So, in that case, I do need to step up my game a bit in the clothing department.
The longer term implication of selling the truck however, is a reduction in our insurance premiums/registration fees. Jordan made those phone calls and found out that with two vehicles we were receiving a 15% multi-vehicle discount which, of course, we lost.
In addition to that, now that we don't have second cheap vehicle, my name has to go on the Escape as on occasional driver and I have a crappy driving record.
So. Our premium only went down by $9.38/month or $112.56/year.
We also stopped in the Registry office. In the province of Alberta in Canada your insurance and your vehicle registration are separate. We had just recently renewed and so when we returned the licence plate, we were informed that we would be eligible for a refund. So, that said, in the next two to six weeks we'll receive a cheque for $64.50.
Saving on annual registry fees and insurance means an approximate total annual savings of about $200. Not too mention that thing was a gas guzzler. Even though we didn't drive it often, it will be interesting to see if our 2013 gas expenditure trends down.


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An Afternoon of High Tea, Music and Jewelry
We recently had a wonderful experience of classical music, elegance and high tea with guests and friends in our Steinway piano show room. The tasteful decorations included a major showcase of the Crown Jewel Limited Edition Piano Series by Steinway & Sons. The series is defined by highly characteristic natural wood, unique luster, beautiful elegance and irresistible charm. For an even greater sense of nobility, the pianos were complemented by a showcase of priceless luxury jewelry from Montecristo including an outstanding pearl necklace and a sparkling gemstone.
Our guests were joined by etiquette expert Ann Elizabeth Burnett, founder and president of Elizabeth Etiquette. The ladies were given guidelines regarding how to present themselves as elegant and poised with the proper tea etiquette for fine company. Everyone was delighted to hear her insight and the event was enjoyable for all in attendance.
Photo Highlight
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Saturday, January 19, 2013
Top 5 Saturday Laughs: 1-19-2013
5 comments:
I know all about the identifying body parts phase, my husband taught our daughter nipple, totally unnecessary at 22 months, gah! Running man, gotta love it, V does the "plop" if we want her to come with us and she doesn't she will just plop right down and scream.ReplyDeleteReplies
Oh my! We haven't gotten that brave with our body part naming yet. The plop is just as successful in this household!Delete
AHAHAHAH!!! #6 is hilarious!! Well, according to my nephews, the aim thing doesn't get any better in junior high either.ReplyDelete
That is so funny with B because H does the same thing. HAHA- it takes so long but it is cute! Haha- so cute, T was worried about you! Oh peed on- that is a regular thing around here. Cute laughs! I needed this today!ReplyDelete
I can relate to #4! Lily does the same.ReplyDelete
#2 is so cute!


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On an especially cold Alaskan day, my brother and I trekked to one of the many parks in the city to take some quick photos. I can hardly believe he's already a senior, and that I get to be the one to take photos with him. Hopefully when I go back up for spring break we will be able to take a few more, because he and I have some really great ideas for conceptual pieces. One thing I love is getting to make more creative works with seniors, especially if they are willing to do so!
Can't believe my little brother is a senior in high school! *tear*
Hope everyone's week is going good!


text: Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I braved the crowded to check out the new Picasso Black and White exhibition at the Guggenheim museum. While it's not as dynamic or inspiring as some of the colorful Picasso exhibitions at the Gagosian galleries recently, Picasso's work is amazing in any color. The white spiral gallery at the Guggenheim makes a wonderful complement to the art as well. Hope you check it out the next time you're in New York. Picasso Black and White runs through January 23, 2012.


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Monday, July 26, 2010
Asia: The Theme Parks battle is about to begin !
I went back from vacation last friday, and as usual i had a choice of magazines when i entered in the plane. So, i choose the last issue of TIME magazine and also another one called ASIA News. And the big surprise was on the front cover not only with Mickey and Schrek, but also the title: "The Battle of Theme Parks"!
Incredible, i thought. I'm going back home and theme parks news are "falling from the sky" before i even asked for them! In this long and interesting special report ASIA News reporters details the theme park battle which is about to begin in Asia. Well, as a matter of fact it already began with the new Universal Studios Singapore but in the next years South Korea should have three new theme parks from Paramount, Universal and MGM, China is awaiting Shanghaî Disneyland, India will have a Bollywood theme park, etc....
So, below, you'll find the full ASIA News report, starting with the first article called "Mickey vs Schrek". Just click on each page to get them on bigger scale, the reading will be more comfortable.
The next article in this interesting special report is about Hong Kong Disneyland. HKDL financial results are not fantastic yet but it's a bit logical as the first of HKDL new attractions will open only in 2011 with Toy Story Land.
Next article is avout Universal Singapore and a interesting list of all the upcoming theme parks in Asia and South East Asia. Strangely, they forgot Shanghaî Disneyland but perhaps it is because the final opening date is not officially announced yet.
One thing is sure: in the next five years theme parks development in Asia is going to be huge. And it'll be very interesting to see who will win the battle which is about to begin!
All pages: copyright Asia News
5 comments:
- Juan José Parras said...
I just can't believe the big boost the theme park industry is receiving in some countries where the 5 or 10% of the population has the 90% of the richness... I think Asia, out the bounds of Japan and little else, is a very risky decission.
U.S. Singapore will be a good place to see if those bets can work. Hong Kong Disneyland has demonstrated to be (by lots of and varied reasons) a complete failure.
By the way... could it be possible that (at least a part of) the projects that are now practically abandoned from the Dubai planning land here in Europe? PLEASEEEEEE..?
We just have a medium/poor Disney resort; no Universal at all, no Busch, no Sea World... Even Korea is getting a MGM Studios Park that looks awesome :-( And here we have to deal with just some minor parks.
- July 27, 2010 at 6:43 PM
"We [Europe] just have a medium/poor Disney resort" - somehow you seem to have failed to notice that Europe has the most beautiful theme park ever created - yes, I´m talking about Disneyland Paris. Sure, it has suffered from neclect - but it still is an amazing park, and with a bit of investment, it could rival TDS any time. (I´m talking about DLP here - I won´t even mention that abomination next to it...)
- July 28, 2010 at 5:09 AM
- Juan José Parras said...
Yep. It's a beautiful theme park but hasn't received an E-ticket ride since 1995. We're talking about fifteen years ago, and there's still no E-ticket ride on the horizon.
And we have the ugliest Disney theme park ever: if DCA needed a major revamp, WDS needs probably a couple of bulldozers to demolish it all...
- July 28, 2010 at 5:32 AM
@Juan: oh yes, WDS... that´s what I refered to when I wrote "abomination next to it" - horrible, no doubt
- July 28, 2010 at 6:14 AM
I think that Disney is not being smart to invest a lot of money in a new theme park in China when they already have a theme park there which is a big failure, loosing money and needing desperately a major expansion (if you think that Disneyland Paris is bad, is because you haven't been to Hong Kong).
Disney invested a lot in Europe initially, made the most beutiful Magic Kingdom there and the Theme Park business did not develop in the continent as planed because, at least in the beginning, Disneyland Paris was a big failure and lost a lot of money, that's why they had to build a cheap second park (it's European's fault).
Regarding the MGM park, the only MGM park I knew was the former Disney-MGM Studios Park, is there another one? Is Disney involved in the project? As far as I know, the MGM studio is bankrupt.
Anyway I think that it is a mistake for all these theme parks to start making tons of franchise like McDonalds, the quality and exclusivity gets compromised and I think that it is a big risk for all of them.
The Magazine placed Jack Sparrow at Universal!
- July 28, 2010 at 7:38 AM


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As we previously noted, Easter Island is not large, so we left our rental car behind from time to time (only once with the keys locked inside it) to hike across a large swath of the island.
One afternoon, we set off to hike to the top of the highest point on the island. Maunga Terevaka, at 511 meters above sea level, is not actually that high, but it promised 360-degree views of the entire island and surrounding ocean. As soon as we pulled into the nearby parking lot, the sky opened up and the rain started to pour. We huddled in the car as the rain streaked down the windows, attempting to reach our best meteorological assessment of whether the rain would let up anytime soon.
As we waited, several dripping wet stragglers appeared, hiking down the trail out of the fog. Eventually, the clouds cleared and we decided that it was as good a time as ever to start our three-hour trek – Stephanie, at least, had planned ahead and brought her raincoat.
As we waited, several dripping wet stragglers appeared, hiking down the trail out of the fog. Eventually, the clouds cleared and we decided that it was as good a time as ever to start our three-hour trek – Stephanie, at least, had planned ahead and brought her raincoat.
We headed up the trail, winding through fields and even a few patches of hardy trees. Soon enough, we were caught in yet another torrential downpour and a cloud bank obscured the trail. Somewhere along the way, we managed to turn onto the wrong trail (there are seemingly no trail markings on Easter Island). We eventually decided we were on the wrong track and turned around, but not before leading a family of Dutch tourists who had followed us astray. Despite confessing our mistake, they kept heading up our original path and we never saw them again...hopefully they made it home safely.
We kept our heads down to escape the sideways rain and wind, occasionally asking one another where the top of this supposed mountain might be. From the top of one volcanic crater, we could see another higher peak, and continued on our way, encountering a few lost Spaniards en route. (Not only were the Spaniards lost, but they had made the questionable decision to hike in their flip flops.)
Once we finally reached what we determined to be the top, we thought we would just have a picture of the clouds to post on the blog, much like our visit to the Grand Canyon. However, as we waited, the ocean surrounding us on four sides gradually became visible. We were finally certain that we had reached the highest point on the island.
Hiking to Rapa Nui's highest "peak" was simply preparation for our second hike, tackling the remote northwest corner of Easter Island. Armed with an imprecise map and some comments from a TripAdvisor forum, we set off just prior to sunrise from Anakena Beach for what would be an almost fifteen mile expedition.
For the next several hours, we felt like the only people on the island as we followed the rock strewn "path" along the coast. (Fun fact: Rocks cover the surface of Easter Island, primarily because they were once used for lithic mulching, a form of farming in nutrient-poor soil such as that of Easter Island.) Along the way, we encountered several wild horses and various unexpectedly menacing cows.
We were also constantly on the lookout for archaeological artifacts. We're sure there were several objects we overlooked given that Easter Island's archaeological wonders tend to blend in with the plethora of regular rocks dotting the landscape. Regardless, we found remains of villages, toppled moai, and petroglyphs.
For the better part of the day, we followed horse and cow paths along the coast, diverging from the path only to avoid the most menacing bulls guarding their territory. We climbed over or under various sections of barbed wire, although it was not clear what was being fenced in (or out) in the desolate landscape. We were glad that we had started our day early since there is limited shade on Easter Island (an unsurprising result of deforestation). We even welcomed the occasional rain shower and brisk gust of wind, as well as multiple stops for peanut butter and jelly and Daim bars.
The hike offered a magnificent sense of solitude as well as gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean. The lack of a clearly marked path brought an added sense of adventure, particularly when we suddenly found ourselves at the edge of the island staring down a vertigo-inducing precipice. Fifteen miles was a bit farther than we had imagined and we were definitely happy to see the roof of our bungalow in the distance as we approached the end of the day.
If you're interested in completing these hikes yourself, here's our advice.
Maunga Terevaka: Park your car at Ahu Akivi and head up the trail. Although there's a sign at the beginning of the trail, there won't be any further directions for the rest of the hike. Whenever the trail splits, pick the side that looks like a walking path and ignore the paths that look like they have been made by tires.
Northwest Coast: Have a taxi drop you off at Anakena and follow the dirt road that dwindles to a path to the left/west of the beach. Keep following this path, such as it is, all along the northwest coast. It's practically impossible to get lost with the ocean constantly on your right. You'll eventually reach signs of civilization at Te Peu, an archaeological site on the west coast north of Hanga Roa. From there, you can take the dirt road to Ahu Akivi to catch a taxi back to town or keep hiking south toward Hanga Roa. Many guides and books tell you to do the hike the other way around (starting at Haga Roan and ending at Anakena) so you can end the day with a swim at the beach. We opted to do the hike the other way around so we could have the sun on our backs instead of up front. Also, doing the opposite of what most travel books recommend tends to result in a more solitary experience rather a hike full of other tourists.
Hiking is a great way to explore Rapa Nui. And regardless of the route, we can guarantee you will find a moment when you will get to appreciate exactly how in the middle of nowhere you are, with nothing but the Pacific Ocean in every direction.


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Content Management Assistant – Medical Library
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center is the world's oldest and largest private institution devoted to prevention, patient care, research and education in cancer. We are currently looking for a Part Time Content Management Assistant to join Medical Library.
As a Content Management Assistant you are responsible for collecting, analyzing and generating usage statistics, as well as ensuring a valid return on investment for content purchased. In addition, you are accountable for establishing systems for managing paper-based and electronic resources, including journal check-in and claiming, invoice processing, ordering books, copy cataloging, and routine eResource maintenance. Crucial to your success will be your ability to provide support for library technical services, acquisitions, classification and circulation. This is an essential role and required for effective content management.
Master's Degree in Library Science (MLS degree) or current enrollment as a MLS student required. 1-2 years of administrative support experience in a related field, knowledge of computers and information retrieval systems a must. 1-2 years of specialized experience in library content management activities and experience with library systems such as Innovative Millennium, and online research databases such as PubMed, WorldCat, etc. preferred. Additionally, an understanding of Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (AACR), intermediate experience with MS Excel/Access, familiarity with Science/Technology/Medicine (STM) Information resources and experience working in a medical library setting are a plus.
MSKCC offers an excellent salary and comprehensive benefits, including tuition reimbursement.
MSKCC is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to diversity and inclusion in all aspects of recruiting and employment. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply online at www.mskcc.org/jobs, Job ID 2127 or at: http://mskcc.hodesiq.com/careers/job-details.asp?JobID=2922255


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Texas State grad receives two awards
from Southern Texas PGA
By Britney Munguia
The Southern Texas Section of the Professional Golfers Association of America recently honored Texas State University-San Marcos graduate Lonny Alexander with two awards: 2010 Player of the Year and the Harvey Penick Teacher of the Year.
The player of the year award recognizes Alexander's region-leading point total, which qualified him to participate in the PGA Tour's Shell Houston Open this spring. This will be his fourth time to participate in the tour event.
The Harvey Penick award honors Alexander's dedication and teaching style as a golf pro. The award is named for longtime Texas golf pro and teacher Harvey Penick.
Both awards were presented to Alexander at the 43rd annual STPGA Awards banquet, which was held in Marble Falls earlier this month.
Alexander, who lives in New Braunfels, graduated from Texas State in 1996 and became a professional golfer that same year. Alexander serves as the instructor for all beginning-level golf classes at Texas State. He is also the director of instruction at the Onion Creek Club in Austin.


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Friday, March 13, 2015
March 2015
March 2015~
Some great things happening this month. We have been so lucky with a pretty mild winter this year.
Plus 14 right now- Good Bye snow!! :)
Wanted to share that I have entered a contest for the most funny wedding photo. This is what I entered....
Still 2 days to vote for your favourite entries at: http://stalbertgazette.upickem.net/engine/Welcome.aspx?contestid=165472
I will be at the Castle Downs Farmers' Market
Castle Downs Recreation Centre 11520 – 153 Avenue, Edmonton
Year Round. Wednesdays. 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
March 25th I will be taking photos with bunnies. Easter theme- offering 4x6 and Art panels for keepsakes. Come down and join us as there will be different fun things taking place!!
Also, offering private portrait sessions on March 28th & 29th; will include indoor and outdoor images. Please contact for more information at: www.Illuminationfotography.ca OR https://www.facebook.com/amanda.yakem?ref=br_tf
Other than that I am looking forward to SPRING and will be exploring the Waterton National Park next month!!
Have a great weekend!!! :)
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Indian forces end Mumbai siege
While it was happening I prayed for those involved, the victims and the forces fighting the terrorists. Now that it's over I pray for the families of the victims and I pray for those injured. Now it's going to be finger pointing and a lot of posturing. What exactly am I talking about? The attack on the Taj Mahal hotel in India. Here are a few links for a rundown of the events.


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A Sensation of Independence: A Political Biography by Chan Heng Chee
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book is a critical analysis of Marshall's political career, and excels in the descriptions of parliamentary exchanges, legislative negotiations, and the broad political forces of the time.
Some parts were especially incisive, such as her comparison of Marshall's and Lee Kuan Yew's characters on p. 126. I also like that she's sensitive to quotes — there's a deliciously ambiguous one by Lee on p. 274 — and for behavioural details. Other sections however read a bit dry, and more perhaps could be done to ease the layman into the thicket of legislation names, reports and papers.
Overall one wishes the book had a far better editor that could do its subject and author justice.
While appreciative of Marshall's positive abilities, the author seems a bit too quick to write Marshall off. The concluding summary in particular seems too reductive.
Of note are the sketches of Marshall, Lee and other personalities. But it's a shame that the artist is not credited anywhere. Equally upsetting are the ubiquitous typos – very odd of publisher Marshall Cavendish.


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Hi and welcome to my site. Here you can find a whole lot about me and the things that I've been doing, along with occasional thoughts on news on the games industry. Have a look around and feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Cocos 2D
Today I'd like to show a quick example of some of the basic work that I'm doing at the moment and show off what I've learnt so far. Allow me to introduce you to Cocos2D (http://www.cocos2d-x.org/) . It's essentially an easy way of getting started with event driven programs and games in C++. Up until … More Cocos 2D


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Hey everyone! First I just wanted to apologize for only posting like twice this week. I had exams and so I had to do a lot of studying for that and didn't get to go on here a lot. But my new semester and classes are starting up next week, so hopefully it'll give me more free time!
I'm also going on a ski trip (for the first time!) with my church youth group until Monday. So you won't be hearing from me for a couple of days. Just wanted to give a heads up! :)
I'll be out for the weekend!
- Friday, January 22, 2010
5 comments:
- Book Crazy Jenn said...
HAVE FUN! And dont be scared, you CANT fall in the water - LOL - sorry long story! :) Just have a great time!
- January 22, 2010 at 10:52 AM
- Shantal said...
Have fun !! :D
- January 22, 2010 at 11:02 AM
- Kirthi said...
Sounds like great fun! :)
- January 22, 2010 at 2:29 PM
- PallasAthena said...
Hi! I love the City of Bones' cover, book that you're reading. Waiting for your review.
Have a great fun!
- January 23, 2010 at 3:21 PM
- That Blond Guy said...
Cool blog!
- January 23, 2010 at 3:37 PM
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WASHINGTON. — THE ALBATROSS known as the space station has scraped through another cycle of congressional skepticism, but only because of Washington's aversion to killing even misbegotten high-tech ventures. Congress is on the way to pruning the budget for the project, but the main effect is to render the space station anemic while it remains extremely expensive.
The misfortune is that the costs of even a spartan space station hobble NASA's ability to pursue more promising ventures. In the grand tradition of elastic space accountancy, estimates of the ultimate price range from $7 billion to $37 billion. The latter figure would make the space station the costliest government venture now on the books.
Fiscal folly is compounded by a remarkable dearth of purpose for the space station. There's talk of manufacturing exotic materials in zero gravity, but industry has shown only token interest. The space station has been touted as a way station for the manned trip to Mars endorsed by the president. But the unknown hundreds of billions that venture would cost are unavailable. If it got started, the Mars project would survive on pork-barrel momentum; rather than risk that, Congress has nipped it in the bud.


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"Don't you find it hard, cooking for one?" people ask. Not really. I've cooked for one and two and six, and really it is all the same. Putting a meal together doesn't have to be a lot of work, especially if you are an obsessive menu planner.
Not that I would know anything about that.
When I waxed enthusiastically about a meal I'd made -- creamy white beans with leeks and creme fraiche topped with sirloin, and a salad with avocado and blood orange -- someone asked, "Just for you?" I ate that meal for three days and it tasted equally delicious every time, chilling me down to the tips of my toes.
I do have a few rules. I hold to a two pot maximum. I stick to recipes that serve four or less unless it freezes well, because that's my tolerance level for leftovers. If I will be eating the leftovers at home, they must re-heat well in a pot or in the oven, because I (gasp) live without a microwave; this one is practical. It must be the kind of thing that I can start and leave midway to fetch my laundry from the basement or to read a section of the newspaper, because these are things that invariably happen because I'm an easily distracted sort of person. I know they say to never leave the kitchen while you are cooking, but I do, unapologetically. It helps to develop a sixth sense where you just know when a pot of pasta is finished cooking or when a butternut squash has finished roasting, because you can smell it, or it occurs to you, or a little of each plus tasting.
This entry wouldn't be complete if I didn't confess the following: sometimes I wish I were cooking for more than one. Dinner parties are fun and intimate in their own way; cooking for two is pleasant because it means as you cook you will never risk an empty wine glass. You can keep conversation with this person as you stir a pot of tomatoes into a simple marinara sauce, or keep an eye out on your arborio rice, which will stubbornly stick to the bottom if not coerced otherwise. But the fortunate news is that the more often you cook and eat alone, the more you might not mind it, and sometimes, at least in my life, when the days fill up with the responsibilities beholden in a 9 to 5 or with volunteer work or with catering work or with writing or with classes or who knows what, it is welcome.
And then most nights do not involve a recipe at all. Some nights are eggs, slow poached and served with a bit of smashed avocado and lime and coarse sea salt, perhaps with some roasted sweet potatoes or a salad or sauteed, slick garlicky rapini. Many nights are a piece of fish served over a salad, or some leftover lentils tossed with who-knows-what, or a can of chickpeas dressed liberally with red wine vinegar and a bit of parmesan and maybe some arugula if there is any. Some nights are a tub of hummus and a head of broccoli, especially during the summer months when it is too humid to turn on the gas or I am too tired or I accidentally sat down for a snack and made it my meal. And sometimes the night goes like this, where there's a spaghetti squash that you roast, whole, in a 400 degree oven, because slicing it would mean your knife would get stuck in the middle of the squash as it is wont to do, and one of your deepest fears is stabbing yourself in the eye by accident with the tip of your knife.
You dress the cooked squash with some basil pesto and toss in some fresh basil, sliced ala chiffonade, a few ovendried tomatoes left from August's beautiful, sweet bounty and some greenhouse Romas whipped into submission, blistered and oozing olive oil and balsamic as they emerge, glowing like rubies, from the hot oven. You serve this over a modest amount of organic arugula and top it with plump, just-pink shrimp that have been cooked simply in butter and salt, and you take your microplane and zest a flurry of parmesan over the whole thing. Drizzle it with a nice olive oil and sprinkle chili flakes, and there you have it, a meal good enough for one that requires so little effort. Guzzle -- I've stolen that word from Avis DeVoto, who uses it when informing Julia Child how to eat lobsters -- voraciously, like your life depends on it, and savour each morsel by devoting each minute exclusively to eating and tasting.
I don't know what the secret is to living well, but this is the loveliest base I know.


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When looking to get the best or most unique pumpkin to celebrate Halloween, or more importantly, get the best Halloween photographs to put in your scrapbook, the best spot for pictures and pumpkin selection is the Pumpkin Patch at St John Lutheran Church in Winter Park.
St John Pumpkin Patch
The St John Pumpkin Patch has several hundred pumpkins to choose from at the beginning of the Halloween season in early October leading up to Halloween on October 31st. Pumpkin prices range from 75 cents for mini-pumpkins up to $35 for pumpkins a few feet tall. There is a picnic table dressed with multiple-types of pumpkins, squash, and hay to get your halloween photographs and a pumpkin bean-bag game that your kids can also stick their heads through.
Pumpkin Patch Party
On Sunday, October 19th, 2014, head out St John Lutheran Church for their annual pumpkin patch party that is open to the public from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM that includes their Spookies & Cookies Concert at 2:00 pm in the sanctuary.
Outside of the St John Pumpkin Patch, another great spot to get pictures in a pumpkin patch is at the Green Meadows Petting Farm in Kissimmee.
Orlando Halloween Guide
Click here to read about all of the events going on around Orlando for Halloween.
St John Pumpkin Patch
St John Lutheran Church Map


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Some Odd Girl is having a challenge to add BLING to your SOG projects!
I made this growth chart for a friend who just had her second child a few months ago. I am constantly in awe of how her first has grown SO much in the last 2 years! It's been 35 years since I had the joy of measuring my own little ones and seeing how tall they've gotten!
Sorry about the shine on his eyes. I had used Glossy Accents to make them look more real and the camera caught it. I even "planted" a little garden with silk vines and moss.
The top of the crackle painted board needed something to finish it off.
The puffy cloud makes the perfect topper.
It will look so cute on the hallway wall at their house!
Thanks for reading my blog today!


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Hello everyone! This is Tamara Dozier and I've rejoined the Design team. I'm trying something new ... Videos! This first one covers the sculpting process to create your own Winter Snowman picture frame. Hope you enjoy!
Supplies for Winter Snowman picture frame
Dollar store picture frame
Xacto knife
Various sculpting tools
paint brushes
Rolling pin
white glue
Acrylic paints in your choice of colors


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First day of the next 3 years….
Today is the first day of the next three years – PhD starts today. So far I've been ploughing the web for things relevant to my doctorate, and checking out my ever growing list of weblogs that I've bookmarked. I've heard a lot about using RSS browsers to quickly check new posts on weblogs – need to investigate this – may save me some time in the long term!
I found a link via one of those weblogs (can't remember which one now) to an MSc. thesis about "managing representation in a digital world" (by Danah Boyd) which sounds almost identical to my proposal – will give it a read and feedback on it later. Not sure if it's good or bad news tho – good news in that it's a useful resource and the fact that someone else is looking into goes towards verifying its academic merits, but bad news in that it may cover completely what I want to study. Time will tell…
Oh, I also read about the london bloggers tube map in last week's Guardian Online supplement, so I've added myself to it – check out Worcester Park. Although I don't actually live in Worcester Park, that's where I did most of my growing up (still got a lot of do!) and it's where my family live.


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My son's fifth birthday party was today, and as usual, I can't remember much of what I said to anyone. I probably sounded silly and distracted, and I have a habit of stopping mid-sentence and just sort of trailing off. I used to stay awake at night going over everything I said and cringing, but now I realize that I'm not so important that people are obsessing over what I say...I hope.
I've stayed up too late. Again. I go upstairs to bed, and my husband and son are lying next to each other, in mirror image poses with arms above their heads, which makes me laugh. My husband, still wearing his clothes from the party, and obviously exhausted, doesn't move. My son whispers in his sleep, the only time he's quiet, and moves toward me, laying his head on my hip. As much as it exasperates me during the times I'm busy, I love how my children don't seem to see me as separate from their own bodies, and climb over me, press into me, and rub their lips and faces on my clothing. My son's most precious possession is a black stuffed bear toy made from my favorite sweater that he took from a laundry basket and nuzzled and burrowed into until he put a hole in it. Sometimes, he'll surreptitiously take a shirt I've worn into his room, and I'll find it later in his bed.
Now, at the start of his sixth year, he is balancing his adoration with separation. He sometimes covers his body with his hands, and no longer wants or needs my help in the bathroom. When he cried last week, he told me he wanted to be alone. I look at him, his sweet face asleep, and I sit up, leaning forward to more easily type, and he makes a soft kitten noise, moves with me and presses his cheek against my back, eyes closed and still dreaming. I know it won't last, and it shouldn't, I want him to push away from me and grow and be strong and have adventures and everything else a mother wants for her son, but just for right now, instead of carrying him to his bed, I'm going to hold my son tightly and sleep.


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Energy, environment and political news and opinion for New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Delaware.
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Will Gov. Christie sign or pocket-veto energy, enviro bills?
The clock is ticking on today's deadline for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to decide whether to sign any of the scores of bills sent to his desk in the last days of the 216th Legislative Session which ended on Jan. 6.
Because his action will take place after the session had ended, the law allows him to sign all of the bills--or some of the bills--or 'pocket veto' bills simply by taking no action on them.
In choosing the latter course, the governor need not explain in a veto message the reason for his decision.
We are watching closely and will report later today on the energy and environment bills that may win his signature and those that never make it out of his pocket.
Posted by Frank Brill at 12:45 PM
Labels: bills, energy, environment, Gov Chris Christie, legislation, New Jersey
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Time is supposed to heal all wounds, but for Topaz every passing hour just makes the ache all the worse. She blames herself, of course. Casey wouldn't have died if not for her. She should have paid more attention to the deal, made sure her future family would have been safe as well. And she'd been so careful not to make any friends!
The only one in the household with a similar level of guilt right now would be Winter.
"I should have given myself up." She sighs to her husband. "If I died once it was because I was meant to. But I was given another chance, had a family with you and we had a life not many are lucky enough to even imagine. I should have helped her sister have that same kind of chance for happiness. We owed her."
"I know we owed her." Nalin answers, pulling her in for a hug so she won't see his tears. "But when Topaz realized what was happening she told me to grab you and hide. She never told us what she had to give up because she knew we'd want to change her mind. I think we owe it to her to be thankful and not live in regrets. I'm not happy Casey's gone... but I am very happy that I still have you."
It's a terrible thing to say really, seeing as someone had to give up their life so they could have their happiness, but Winter can't really argue with him.
"To be honest, I'm happy I'm here too."
Despite the heartbreak of losing her father on her birthday, Zahara has been handling the entire situation very well. Almost too well. Unlike her mother, she hadn't even shed a tear over the incident.
She did however spend almost all of her free time in her new room.
She rarely goes out, and hasn't even started school yet because Topaz wanted to give her time to grieve. But her introversion was beginning to worry the adults, so one evening Topaz enters her daughter's room to talk to with her.
"Hey Z..." As soon as Zahara turns around to face her mother, Topaz's rehearsed speech is forgotten. "How... have you been doing? I mean, are you okay? You've been so quiet and I'm really worried about you. Do you want to... uh... talk about what happened?"
"We don't need to talk if you don't want to." Zahara assures her mother. "Mister Neptune told me what happened and why daddy had to go away. I miss him, but I'm not going to cry. Mister Neptune said he sacrificed himself for me and you and that makes him a hero. I'm really happy he saved me! So please don't worry about me, mommy. I'm okay. Really."
Topaz doesn't believe her daughter for a second, but if Neptune got involved and talked to her daughter then she'll have to have a serious talk with him. Which means leaving her daughter to her silence once again.
"Okay Z... but if you ever want to talk about things just say so. I'm here for you... I'm your mom."
Its harder to find the right place this time when Topaz goes looking for her ancestor. Obviously, he doesn't want to see her, but eventually he gives in and leads her to his island and the shack it contains.
He turns around away from the fire and gives her a friendly smile, as if he'd been hoping she would drop by. "Hello, my dear! How have you been?"
"Cut the crap, Neptune. I don't want you near my daughter. One of you creatures already tried taking her, and I'm not going to let your influence ever hurt her."
Naptune sighs and finally straightens up. "I'm really not supposed to tell you this but Epsilon was never going to take your daughter's soul. She changed both your fate and Casey's, and gave you a daughter that she never meant to steal. It was already planned for Casey to give himself up."
"She... why would she have changed our fate then? How did she know Casey'd give himself up for Zahara?"
"Because that was his payment for falling in love with you."
Topaz's face falls. "Why would she do something so cruel? Casey and I were happy."
"Casey and you were never supposed to meet." He explains. "His fate was to remain with Eve and die a week from today in a car accident in Bridgeport. You were to have a fleeting relationship with a man named Kanoa Parrot that would pull you from your family and leave you alone and sad. But when you chose to give your life for your brother's happiness Epsilon couldn't let you be hurt like that. So she... changed fate. She shortened Casey's life span but gave you both a few days of happiness with a true love."
"Did you have anything to do with that?" She asks.
He shakes his head. "No. But... I did convince her to let you have a child. And when she was sad after Casey's death I visited her in a dream with Casey's soul so he could say goodbye to her like he did to you."
Topaz smiles, finally understanding that her daughter was telling the truth before. "Thank you, grandpa."
Neptune laughs as he pulls away from her hug. "I haven't had someone call me that in ages. Now get back home, you have a busy day ahead of you."
When Topaz opens her eyes, the morning sun is just beginning to peak out of the horizon. It's early morning, and she began her meditation quite early in the night, after tucking Zahara into bed.
She's sore, and wouldn't mind a lot more sleep. But Neptune was right about today being a busy day.
The day after Casey's death, Topaz received a letter in the mail from his parents asking if they could come visit and meet their daughter. Casey had told them so much about the love of his life and their daughter, even sending photos but hadn't ever invited them to visit. So with him gone, they took the initiative themselves and Topaz couldn't dream of denying them.
Anne Cassidy was a young, single mother working two jobs to raise her little boy. She was lucky enough to meet the love of her life when Casey was still young and her husband's money gave them an easy life. She promises to help Topaz in anyway she needs.
Zahara inherited her grandma's dark hair, but otherwise they don't even share the same nose. Casey got that from his dad probably.
Being social = Not Zahara's favourite thing in the world. But she'll be friendly.
Anne herself is pretty introverted, so she doesn't push her granddaughter too hard. It's a miracle just being able to meet her. She was beginning to think she'd never be able to meet any grandchildren she had thanks to all of her son's nameless one-night stands.
Her son. Who is dead. Her dead son. Yeah, that hasn't sunk in yet.
Julian has been a vampire for a while, a few generations at the least when he met Anne and married her. Casey was like a son to him, but he's seen death many many times. Casey's death hasn't affected him nearly as much as it has Anne or Topaz.
Speaking of Topaz... "How have you been handling Casey's death, my dear? Casey spoke of you often to us, and would send photos but even now I don't know how much he told you of us. I can't quite read your mind."
"I'm handling things better than I was earlier this week." She assures him. "And he spoke very kindly of you and his mother. And I'm sorry for the mental block, my grandfather taught me to protect myself when I was a teenager and I grew comfortable with just keeping myself blocked off all the time."
"That's a smart idea."
For a moment, he seems conflicted about something, but at last he decides to just say it anyway. "You say your grandfather taught you to protect your mind... how?"
"He was a vampire." She informs him. "Nicolas Sari-Dracule."
The name brings a smile to Julian's face. "Oh good. I knew your hair looked familiar, but I was beginning to worry I had the wrong girl."
Topaz has no idea what he's talking about now.
With Topaz and Zahara entertaining the Cassidys, Nalin focuses on handling the daily chores and paying the bills. It's more than a small shock for him when he turns around the familiar face staring back at him stops him dead in his tracks.
"... Grandpa?"
"Hello Nalin." Nico responds with a nod. "Shall we go inside?"
My guess is Nico's been looking for the kids since the day they disappeared. : )


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SKOPJE (Reuters) - Lawmakers in Macedonia voted to dissolve parliament on Wednesday, clearing the way for a snap election expected in April after the multi-ethnic ruling coalition failed to agree on a candidate for president.
Parliamentary elections had been due next year.
The speaker of parliament must now set a date for an early poll, which local media said would likely coincide with the second round of a presidential election. The first round of the presidential vote is scheduled for April 13.
"Today we allowed the people to check the legitimacy of all parties on the political scene," said Silvana Boneva, a deputy of the center-right VMRO-DPMNE party, a senior partner in the ruling coalition.
The deadlock within Macedonia's multi-ethnic coalition started after ethnic Albanian Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), a junior ruling party, was angered by VMRO-DPMNE's decision to nominate incumbent Gjorge Ivanov as its presidential candidate.
DUI argued Ivanov, who would run for a second term, was not a "consensual" candidate acceptable to both Albanians and Macedonians, who are ethnic Slavs.
Ethnic Albanians represent a third of Macedonia's 2 million population, and relations with Macedonians have been tense since 2001, when an ethnic conflict almost plunged the country into civil war.
(Reporting by Kole Casule; Writing by Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Jon Boyle)


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Well, she is coming home – ready or not, here we go.
Nervous, afraid, excited, lots of emotions flowing for all the family. We've done this before, in / out. Hoping that the skills for coping work for her this time to ride out the tougher times that always seem to come.
Hope – for the joy of togetherness again as a complete family making memories and enjoying laughter as well that heals our souls.
While she was gone, she had picked out some paint colors in the fall and we hadn't had the time with our schedules to re-paint her room. Then the crisis hit. So, after Christmas, with the time she was gone we could move all the furniture in and paint like she'd wanted. We "refreshed" her room with décor as well.
A new spread, shams/pillows, curtains, floor rug, arrangement, wall art with positive encouraging words…..
I'm excited for her to love this and be in this space again…prayers for this ongoing journey.
Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in afflication and faithful in prayer.


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I read Rilla of Ingleside again last week...
and cried again.
Few books can make me cry - even fewer can make me cry twice.
But thinking of all those who have died for what they believe in... Those who have given their all that others might live... Those who are fighting overseas now, in a crazy kind of war where you never know when a random person might turn out to be a suicide bomber... I cried.
Then I wondered, why do I love this book and what makes me re-read it?
Besides Rilla's "Yeth", I think it is Walter.
The reason we love the stories of those who die for others, who sacrifice themselves that those they love might have peace, is because they are a picture of that Other, who died that we might have eternal peace.
Jesus Christ died so that we could still have goodness, beauty, and right. That evil would not triumph over them.
He loves us. He did not want us to be separated from Him, and He is Goodness, Beauty, and Righteousness.
Because of His sacrifice, we can have those things.
He died so that we might live - with Him.
Evil cannot triumph.


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Ever since I was young I have been fascinated with angels. As I grew older I found myself drawn to the wonderful stone angels in cemetaries. I am always looking up images on the web and since Etsy started I have been lucky enough to purchase many wonderful photos. As I was looking on Etsy today I found the most amazing images I have yet to see and am going to start saving up to add these to my collection. They are by cavemanphotography and I thought I would share them with you. I am especially drawn to the ones featuring child angels or cherubs and these 3 just touched me so much. I wonder who's graves these little ones look over.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Little Angels
Posted by cheryl kuhn at 5:22 PM
4 comments:
- Lori said...
those are lovely...i really like the last one best of all...the child's face is so sweet...
- January 21, 2009 at 5:16 AM
- Theresa said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- January 21, 2009 at 7:45 AM
- Theresa said...
All three of the photos are lovely Cheryl... but I agree with Lori the last photo is my favorite too.
- January 21, 2009 at 7:48 AM
- Flor Larios Art said...
I love angels too. I enjoyed looking at your blog. This is my first time here and I will come back. I invite you to visit my blog to see the angels that I paint.
- January 24, 2009 at 7:40 AM
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I made two lengths of this felt bunting (no-fray => less stitching required) to decorate the church hall for the kids' party. I printed the letters onto paper, then cut the paper and felt together and stitched them on with a straight stitch. Reasonably quick, and we'll use it for years to come.
Next on the agenda are some class Christmas cards (as shown here), and finishing off some Christmas presents. I have a hankering for new clothes for myself though, and Darn Cheap Fabrics has a sale on, so a diversion may be on the cards. In the meantime, I'm going to settle for heading over to Village Voices for more crafty ideas (it's where I first saw the cards too).


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Well, Halo 3 is coming out in just under nine hours, and well, Josh doesnt have a 360 and hasnt pre ordered the game, due to lack of money(due to lack of job), guttered…
maybe I should make a quick app called give josh a dollar and then get 800 people to give me a dollar… (things start ticking over in head….)
still, damnit!
technorati tags:Xbox, Xbox360, Halo, Halo3
Blogged with Flock


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It's been a controversial week or two for academic libraries–at least in the American blogosphere. Here in Oregon, Mount Hood Community College just pink-slipped all three of its full-time faculty librarians, in the midst of a budget crisis and possible faculty strike. Elsewhere, McMaster University's chief librarian, Jeff Trzeciak, gave a presentation at Penn State that suggested he won't be hiring many librarians in future. Instead, he'll be looking for people with subject PhDs and technology training–and will be taking librarians out of undergraduate classrooms and supervisory positions, to focus their attention on faculty research consultations. This has ruffled some feathers in lots of places.
These two things raise important issues with immediate implications for our profession (and in some cases, our livelihoods.) They bear your consideration–you librarians, you library students. This is our shared corner of the world, and there's no question that it's changing around us.
I think we can agree that we aren't served by nostalgizing our bygone professional past — maintaining that because once we learned library penmanship and catalog card stitching and print index consultation, that we must continue to learn and teach and do those things Of course not, right? No one would suggest such a thing. The world has changed. We don't have any of that stuff anymore.
But neither is it useful to nostalgize our immediate professional past — to maintain that because academic librarians have for many years served at reference desks, that we must continue to do so in the same way. Or that because we've taught one-shot research methods classes for years, that we should continue to do so, absent a demonstrated need. That might be a little harder to swallow, because those things are closer to where we live now. Many of us started out in jobs that included those kinds of responsibilities, and many of our jobs still do include them.
That's fine if our institutions work that way–if we have a busy reference desk and instructors asking for us to teach. In many places, we do. In those places, the model of the immediate professional past is still working fine. It's the model of the professional present, and probably the model of the future, at least for a while.
In other places that model is faltering, because the traffic at our reference desk is slowing down or instructors aren't asking for our help, or some other factor is affecting how we do our business. Those are the places where our future is really starting to blossom. That's where we need our leaders to think carefully and humanely about the best disbursement of the vast financial, social, and intellectual investment we've made in our libraries over the last hundred years or so.
I respect Jeff Trzeciak's spirit of innovation, and his willingness to dig in and do the hard work of changing academic libraries. I don't entirely share his vision — at least, what I know of it. I don't know what to say about the situation at Mount Hood Community College, because I don't know the behind-the-scenes, but I can hardly imagine a scenario that justifies the sudden firing of an entire professional library staff.
I do think we're becoming a more digital institution, in a more digital society. I don't think we should cut people loose (students, staff, or faculty) on the way to getting there. I think major upheavals take their toll on organizations–on morale, productivity, even direction. I think sometimes, in some ways, they're still warranted. I think they should be balanced with a plan for more gradual change that takes into account human nature and the persistence of habits and ideas — our own and our patrons'. I think that's what we might call wisdom, and it balances what we might call energy.
I think change will look different in every library, and that's a good thing. A diverse ecosystem is a healthy, resilient ecosystem. I think the future of our profession, and of the informed and responsible citizenry it supports, is literally in our hands. I think we should be paying attention and talking to each other, across all barriers and divides. What do you think?
Crossposted at Re: Generation.


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Special number 1 Buy three packs of Designer Series Paper including Speciality Designer Series paper or 12x12 textured card stock and get one FREE.
Special number 2 Become a demonstrator for only $75 with a limited time scrapbooking Starter Kit.
Special number 3 Buy the new Jumble Alphabet stamp set, a sneak peek from the upcoming 2009-2010 Idea Book and Catalog at 20% off. This is a set of 52 double mounted upper and lower case alphabet stamps. Item #115199 Regular price $43.95 Sale price $35.16


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The specific design of the wrap allows it to be used for the knee by fastening the Velcro straps around the knee.
Once in activated state the wrap can be ready for use as a hot pack by placing in the microwave for approximately 1 minute or as an Ice pack by placing in the freezer for 20 – 30 minutes.
For those not tolerant to ice, the wrap can be used as a cold pack by placing in the fridge for approximately 20 minutes.
The wrap is lightweight and can be worn under clothing during normal activity.


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Compensation claim on behalf of football shirt consumers
Clyde & Co article reporting the firm's appointment as advisers to Which? (the Consumers' Association) to pursue the organisation representative claim under Section 19 of the Enterprise Act 2002 against JJB Sports on behalf of consumers who bought England or Manchester United football shirts in 2000 and 2001. The claim was launched on 8 February 2007 once the House of Lords refused JJB leave to appeal against the Court of Appeal judgment confirming the OFT's 2003 finding of competition law infringement (price fixing with Sports Soccer and other retailers facilitated by the manufacturer Umbro).
Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:59:59 +0000
Monday 12 February 2007Go to document
For further information or advice please contact Franck Latrémolière.
Filed under Article 81.