text:
Courage is a highly admired virtue. Most often we associate the word with physical prowess or bravery. But there's another form of valor that's much more important because it comes up more often. It's called moral courage – the willingness to face not physical danger but emotional pain, disapproval, financial insecurity, or uncertainty rather than compromise an ethical principle.
Moral courage is essential not only for a virtuous life, but a happy one. Without courage, we have no control over our lives. Our fears corrode our spirit and confine us like a barbed wire fence. That's why they say a coward dies a thousand deaths, a brave man but one.
Integrity is essential to self-esteem and the admiration of others. It requires us to put our comforts, possessions, friendships, and even jobs at risk in the defense of deeply held principles.
It takes moral fortitude to be honest at the risk of ridicule, rejection, or retaliation or when doing so may jeopardize our income or career. It takes boldness to be accountable and own up to mistakes when doing so may get us in trouble. It takes backbone to stand tough with our kids when doing so may cost us their affection.
Mark Twain said, 'Courage is not the absence of fear but the resistance of fear, the mastery of fear.' To paraphrase President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the enemy is not what we fear; it is fear itself. If our insecurities and anxieties cause us to lose confidence in the power of virtue, we will lose something very precious.
People with moral courage rarely get medals, but it is the best marker of true character and a virtue others can be proud of.
The Jungle Bed
Smoke free tepee?! How to dig an air tunnel underneath!
My Thanks and support to Corporal Kelly@ Corporal's Corner and Lilly@ SurvivalLilly


text:
The Auxiliary to Windham Hospital is seeking applications from area high school seniors for the Anne L. Card Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship, named in honor of the late Anne L. Card who was a 50-plus year member of the Auxiliary and a dedicated volunteer at the hospital, awards two $1,000 scholarships to students planning to enter a full-time course of study in medical related fields.
To be eligible, students must reside in one of the following towns served by the hospital: Andover, Ashford, Brooklyn, Canterbury, Chaplin, Colchester, Columbia, Coventry, Eastford, Franklin, Hampton, Hebron, Lebanon, Mansfield, Scotland, Sprague, Tolland, Willington, or Windham/Willimantic.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Adding and Subtracting Like Fractions (9)
This Adding and Subtracting Like Fractions (9) worksheet also includes:
- Answer Key
- Join to access all included materials
In this like fractions worksheet, 5th graders enhance their fraction addition and subtraction skills by solving the 10 like fraction equations.
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text:
Ahh..Mark Twain is helping me along with my writing.
His style is no doubt - loose -spontaneous and free .
Thus how true write must be??
Reading, No - writing - eating- drinking coffee endlessly-
checking my watch repeatedly so as not be late for something
Tho' I don't know what-
It's cold gray dreary outside today-
This city's a wild place -
No wonder I'm so tired and bored - all the freaks (the fun freaks ) come out at night-
don't get me wrong we've got hustlers and freaks and junkies all day long-
I just had a talk with man I've met before, a while ago- he's a businessman, a REAL businessman- he's either on the net , on the phones ,or on the move-
when all is said and done, he's waiting for ''the call''.. chilling with his newspaper and Budweiser in his hand - he seems alright- but you see he still wants to be a part of the fun and freaks at night in the city - I don't ..I want to be left alone -
Will I ever publish some writing?
Sell enough drawings or painting to never have to work a bullshit job again?
What is it to be a real arteest !?!?
To be in the presents of one ..hmmm..will I ever know..
That businessman I spoke to, he knows-
He just spent three days with an ''atreest'' who does it all - exhibits everywhere-
now in Italy - but you know , it was just then that something occurred to me-
I wish to write, just to write -
Who cares if anybody reads it! write and let it out! If anyone reads it , let em'
if not , no matter to me..Write about the people I meet- about my
mood snaps and punchin' walls bleeding knuckles, Say what I wish to say
Fuck everything
Fuck the pointing finger of sin- ooh.. you bad girl
I just write about it- that's all
The best thing is to just let it all out -
and go with the flow...been wobbling and out of and off balance , off the beam
Fuck it !!!
Go buy some incense
Fuck everyone's nonsense
Fuck Jack ! no , not THEE JACK KEROUAC , but the guy who goes by that name,
who at this moment in time works in the park
Fuck my weak bladder , you know how many times I almost piss myself !
Fuck true art, no such thing exist !
Fuck the sandwich I had for lunch, it sucked so bad i began to cry
Fuck my therapist
Fuck the pharmacist , that bitch !
the one who lied to me
take away the pharma' and yer left is 'cist'
This cyst , this laceration wound and it's growing poisoning minds
with ghetto ass pants wearing saggin' kids, yelling nigger this ,nigger that
leaving gaping footprints in the earth and snow ..chased the Indians away
and the ghost and spirits are disturbed and waking to this Times Square Madness-
Copyright ©2012 by Avabunny


text:
As a rule of thumb, if it looks right on the computer screen, it's probably too small. If it looks big, it's still too small. Aim for outrageously large. Here are a few hints on estimating appropriate sizes during the design phase . . .
That, by the way is another good reason to plan ahead. If the visuals are done before you actually need them, you can try them out for size and re-do them if necessary.
RETURN to the 4 concepts page.


text:
Source: Flatmattersonline
URL of the article: http://www.flatmattersonline.com/must-watch-back-wheel-jam-mmfilms
Every so often an edit comes in, where all boxes are ticked! Editing, filming, titles, music, riding, and concept, are all on point! Watanabe Naoki, Matsumoto Takumi, and Itani Masashi all drop buttery smooth original back wheel lines from all three riders, love the last line at 5:12 from Matsumoto! I've hit the rewind already a few times to take this in! Don't miss this edit!
More from the same site:


text:
Printer - System Utilities programs
Printer - System Utilities Programs from 1 to 50 listed after downloads number (from 125 category titles)
Order programs after
(currently are listed after popularity)
DOS2USB is a small utility to extend the life of MS-DOS program by providing printing support on Windows only printer (including USB).
DOSPRN allows to print reports from your favorite DOS program on the modern printers independently of their types. USB, PDF, network printers supported.
PosterPrint 2.0
Print a document any size you wish on any printer! Desktop printing system to create multipage posters and banners.
Print2PDF 8.0.10.0125
Easy Adobe PDF conversion and PDF/A archiving from any application. Batch convert documents from Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), AutoCAD and plain-text into PDF. Supports PDF merging and digital signing from the Windows Certificate store.
Printer Activity Monitor 3.7
Printer Activity Monitor is software for monitoring your company printers. Using this product you can easily find out who, when and how many pages have been printed.
PrintDeskTop 1.05
PrintDeskTop lets you print your screen with the click of a mouse or the shortcut key of your choice. Best of all, PrintDeskTop is free! New in version 1.05: 1) Default printer detection; the user is prompted for target printer if default not found.
Brooks RPM 9X LPD Print Server 126.96.36.199
SCS to ASCII translation & EBCDIC to ASCII translation, Remove PCL codes & convert LF to CRLF, ASA carriage control & code page support, the ability to insert and append bytes, Character translations and extensive form printing controls.
ProPoster 2.02.13
ProPoster is software for printing banners, signs or posters from any picture, image, digital photo, Microsoft Word, Excel, or from a scanner. It can print standard format (A0, A1 A2) poster or custom big poster. Make a great poster yourself!
Remote Queue Manager Professional 5.20.173
Remote Queue Manager is a professional tool to manage print jobs. There is no need to install any drivers to control a remote printer. Remote Queue Manager allows you to visually preview documents in the spool.
PrintGhost 1.1
Looking for a way to save money on ink and paper? Need a poster printing feature? PrintGhost is a virtual printer with extended features, like watermark stamping, poster printing, real printer preview and much more. 100% FREE to download and try.
ChequePRO Cheque Printing Writing System 1.0
The ChequePRO (Cheque Printing writing Software) program helps you to print on any bank cheque, and manage your customer and bank information pro actively.
A+ PrinterMonitor 2.3
A+ Printer Monitor is an easy to use application that monitors the activity of all printers connected to a machine. The application provides information on user, time when a printing job occurred and also the cost associated to printing
O&K Printer Viewer 1.00
O&K Printer Viewer spool file viewer. View spool file, print it out again or save it as a graphic file, such as bmp, gif, jpg or tiff.
Bersoft HTML Print 4.20
This programmer utility for printing HTML pages in an invisible way can be called from your application, passing the page to print as a parameter.
CZ Print Deleter 1.0
CZ Print Deleter 1.0 is a powerful tool that allows centralized, automatic deleting of print jobs for the local and network printers. It is an easy to use print management software that allows you to eliminate wasted paper and reduce support time.
Ultra Image Printer 2.0.2010.508
Convert any document to image file(s) using virtual printer technology Auto name file with macro variables Convert any document to high quality True Color, Palette, Grayscale Support JPG, PNG, TIFF, PNG, GIF Multiple pages supported
PrintFleet Suite 2.1.31
PrintFleet™ Auditor: Quickly discover directly networked printing devices and collect useful information such as IP Address, Device Description, Color/Monochrome Identification, Device Status, LCD Reading, Serial Number, Life Page Count, etc.....
HSLAB Print Logger SE 5.4.11
Decrease your printing disbursement by setting quota for printing! The HSLAB Print Logger software is intended for auditing and control of printer activity. The Print Logger logs the print tasks on the server where Print Logger is installed.
PrintCtl 2.0.2
The small console utility for management NT/2000/XP/2003 and Samba printers. Program Futures: Viewing printers on print server. Commands: PAUSE, RESUME, PURGE, STATUS, DEFAULT.
Phishing Sweeper Enterprise 184.108.40.206
Phishing Sweeper Enterprise™ gives you a total enterprise solution for managing phishing threats throughout your company using a client/server architecture. Phishing Sweeper is on the front lines of the fight against phishing.
XFS 2D Barcode 1.0
2D, WYSIWYG and Database support barcode editor and printer. Can support any paper of sales on the market.
Solid Print PDF 1.0
Easily create PDF files from any Windows program. Solid Print PDF is a low-cost solution for creating PDF documents that can be password-protected and displayed on the Web. You also gain more control over your print output, saving paper and costs.
Alagus Print Admin Standard Edition 2.0(build 1103)
Reduce printer related expenses. See who, where from, how many pages and what is printing. Manage the printers and the documents. View the events generated by your printers. Set a priority for printing a document.
Image Printer - Professional by Blaiz Enterprises 2.00.772
WYSIWYG picture (graphic) printer. Print graphical letterheads, custom envelopes, fliers, cards, photos, pictures...Custom positioning, 6 Image Scales, 6 Image Positions, Page Orientation, Overall/Close Up view, Auto Close/Auto Print, Flip/Mirror/Rot
pdfMachine 11.05.6
Print your document simply through our pdfMachine (printer driver) and your email program will open automatically with your text in PDF Format in attachment
Print2PDF Server Edition 7.0.07.0723
Shareable print driver that provides network users with the ability to create an Adobe PDF or ISO 19005-1 PDF/A file from any application that can print. Centralize PDF creation with Windows Terminal Services or Citrix MetaFrame Presentation Server.
Remote Queue Manager Personal 4.0.153
Remote Queue Manager is a professional tool to manage print jobs. There is no need to install any drivers to control a remote printer. Remote Queue Manager allows you to visually preview documents in the spool.
BookPrintXP 2.2
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Miraplacid Publisher SDK 6.3
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Free Printer Info 1.82
This utility lets you know the paper size, printable area size and all margins in pixels, millimeters and inches for any of your printers. Those may be very important parameters if you want to get the most out of your printer!
FotoReplica(Model0.8M) 5.0
FotoReplica is a software for instant printing of digital photos using a PC. With its very simple user interface and the unique DPI independent printing technique, FotoReplica makes printing of digital photos a child's play.
Printer Peer 5.0
Printer Peer is a professional tool that allows IT administrators to quota and track user and printer usage.
Print Logger Pro 3.0.3
Print Logger - program for the accounting of use of the printer for a Windows NT platform. Represents native Windows NT service with the remote management program.
doPDF free PDF converter 7.1.332
doPDF allows you to freely convert documents to PDF files. It installs as a printer driver, enabling you to print from any Windows application. Features include: customizable resolution, quality settings, predefined page size and more.
Document Printer (docPrint) 3.2
Document Printer converts Word to TIFF, Word to JPG, Word to JPEG, DOC to TIFF, DOC to JPG, DOC to JPEG, PDF to TIFF, PDF to JPG, PDF to JPEG, DWG to TIFF,DWG to JPG,DWG to JPEG,DXF to TIFF,DXF to JPG,DXF to JPEG, PPT to TIFF,PPT to JPG,Word to PDF
Remote Printer Manager 2.0.2
Remote Printer Manager gives your company's technical support staff the ability to remotely install, modify and delete printers from computers potentially on the other side of the globe.
Image Printer - Basic by Blaiz Enterprises 2.00.772
WYSIWYG picture (graphic) printer. Print graphical letterheads, custom envelopes, fliers, cards, photos, pictures...Custom positioning, 6 Image Scales, 6 Image Positions, Page Orientation, Overall/Close Up view. Multiple Image Formats: BMP, DIB, RLE,
PrintPictures 1.0
Very simple picture viewer and printer for unexperienced users.
Miraplacid Text Driver Terminal Edition 5.4
Miraplacid Text Driver extracts text from documents. Format text output as plain or formatted text, preview and save to a file, copy to Clipboard, upload to a server or email. Use it for importing text from unsupported document formats.
Print Censor Professional 5.0.158
Control how, what and who can print on your shared printers. Calculate printing cost on-the-fly. Restrict printing depending on the calculated cost, paper size, print quality or volume, use of color or black ink or toner, or password.
O&K Printer Viewer Pro 1.01
O&K Printer Viewer printer file viewer. View PCL file and save it to image.
DVDCover+ 2.0
DVDCover+ lets the user load cover art and print it to standard-size or user-defined specifications. This is one easy way for the users to create their covers with this totally FREE software.
Alagus Printer Installer 1.0
Alagus Printer Installer is a free tool for remote installing/uninstalling network printers. Runs in Microsoft Widows Networks. The program is determined to help the system administrators. It Makes the process of installing and uninstalling easy.
@SwIt Printfil 5.10
Print from DOS-Windows-Unix-Linux to Windows printers: USB, GDI, PDF, e-mail, network, fax, virtual. Capture from LPT1: to LPT9: and redirect the jobs, even to a printer physically connected to the captured port and w/out physical LPT ports installed
xtReport 1.0.1
xtReport is a report engine for WIN32. xtReport uses an XML based report template file (which can be created by hand ) and data file (also in XML format) to create reports.
Print Management - CZ Print Job Tracker 188.8.131.52
1. Print Authentication / Client Billing. 2. Print Tracking / Print Auditing / Print Quotas / Printer Monitor for Print Server / Direct IP Printer / Workstation Connected Printer
ALL Symbols Label Generator 1.0
Powerful, WYSIWYG and Database support barcode editor and printer. Can support any paper of sales on the market.
PrintDirect utility 1.6
Bypasses Windows printer drivers and prints like from DOS. Includes scheduler for unattended printing. It also print bitmaps, Word documents and RTF files.
novaPDF Pro 7.0
novaPDF Pro allows you to easily create PDF files from any Windows application. Features include: customizable resolution, PDF security, PDF links, PDF bookmarks, text/image compression, profiles and more. Visit http://www.novapdf.com for information
Miraplacid Publisher Terminal Edition 6.3
Miraplacid Publisher converts any printable documents to images (TIFF, JPEG, TGA, BMP, PNG, GIF). All the documents printed to this "printer" will be converted to images, saved, emailed, uploaded to server, or redirected to a printer. Free SDK.
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text:
We had a great time visiting with our friends from Colorado yesterday. Bill is one of Richards' Fraternity Brothers. They reconnected through Facebook and LinkedIn, after MANY (many...many...) years.
Bill and Cathie live in Golden Colorado, which is home to Colorado School of Mines - Bill & Richards' Alma Mater. They enjoyed visiting Oregon and are headed a bit further north to the Orcas Islands. They love Indian food - so I made a feast for their enjoyment.
One of our local sites that they enjoyed was Silver Falls State Park. Unfortunately I was still at work when Richard drove them up there. The three of them had a lovely afternoon, including a short hike around the falls.
We hope to visit them in Colorado sometime next year. It's always fun to visit with friends - and even more sweet when the years apart simply melt away - and it feels like yesterday when you visited last.


text:
1. Kamel Senni (FRA) -- Toreador Triple-ACongratulations to Kamel for winning the French National VtES Championship 2011. You can find a tournament report (in french) in the VEKN France forum.
2. Vincent Ripoll (FRA) -- Weenie Dominate/Fortitude
2. Medhi Mazni (FRA) -- Toreador Antitribu Palla Grande
2. Romain Ledur (FRA) -- Toreador Antitribu Palla Grande
2. Romain Ben Amar (FRA) -- Reversal Of Fortunes
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Results French National VtES Championship 2011
On August 28th, 2011 the French National VtES Championship 2011 was held in Angers, France with 38 players attending the final tournament. The final standings after 3 rounds and final were as follows:
Posted by extrala at 11:00:00 PM
Labels: National Championship, Tournament, VtES
7 comments:
Actually, Romain B. was playing the Reversal of Fortunes whereas I was playing the Palla Grande.
- August 31, 2011 at 2:18 PM
- extrala said...
Thanks for the correction. Hopefully I got it right this time.
- August 31, 2011 at 2:46 PM
aWow, so many weenie bleed-decks.
- August 31, 2011 at 5:43 PM
- Ankha said...
It's Vincent, not Vicent ;)
- August 31, 2011 at 6:27 PM
Congrats Kamel!
Does the Triple-A in the deck name mean ack-ack (guns), baseball( bats), ambulances or something else?
Heh, seems like a finals where one could've really put Cloak of the Abalone to good use :)
- September 2, 2011 at 10:33 AM
- extrala said...
Triple-A usually only indicates the presence of Anson, Anneke and Alexandra.
Sometimes Quadruple-A or Quintuple is used for Alastor or Alastor-Assault Rifle .. but I don't know about the exact contents of Kamel's deck.
- September 2, 2011 at 10:45 AM
- Dr.Mafrune said...
Any chance to see played decks posted ?
Thank you.
- September 5, 2011 at 10:54 PM
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text:
Irvin Wasn't Lying...
Remember how Michael Irvin blew off his interviewing duties with me to film a TV commercial for a church? Well, thanks to Deadspin, I think I found that church.
How does God get the attention of a three-time Super Bowl winner? Join us as
Michael Irvin, now an ESPN host, shares his story of God's amazing game plan in
his life – from life's tackles to interceptions and finally to victory in
I still have yet to find a copy of the commercial, but it better be good. Regardless of commercial quality, tho, you can live at the Henderson Campus February 24th and 25th.
Read more!


text:
Friday, November 23, 2012
BOLD TYPE-Casting
Poor Dwight, as an oddball was typed
Cast as nightmarish clods, the guy griped
But the fact's undisputed
Frye to "cracked" was well-suited
Looked just right when dead bodies were swiped.
Dwight Frye in Bride of Frankenstein. Here's Frye in the early 1930s on his typecasting in Hollywood: "If God is good, I will be able to play comedy, in which I was featured on Broadway for eight seasons and in which no producer of motion pictures will give me a chance! And please God, may it be before I go screwy playing idiots, half-wits and lunatics on the talking screen!"
Posted by surly hack at 2:00 AM
Labels: Actors and Acting, Dwight Frye, Frankenstein
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text:
A place to share what I am making and learning about with papercrafting, digital scrapbooking and life!
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Final Fall friendship....farewell....
Time flies so fast and today was our final class for this semester at Friendship International.
The My Crush Multi Media books were a challenge this semester and I think I learned more than anyone as I pushed myself out of my comfort zone in crafting.
Today we did sponge stencil technique and painting stencils with white gesso (plus a bit of rock candy sparkles). We made little pockets for the binder front page to hold a gift tag or special journal jot to finish our books off.
Today I wanted to publish pictures of this last class but photo shop keeps closing down tonight and I am not sure why, so I will post the pics when I have time to this weekend.
Have a wonderful holiday season as we celebrate Christ's birthday this month. I will try to keep in touch a little but probably will do more in January after all our family celebrations are over.
Remember there is an open house in my Kentucky Home December 13th at 9:30 am. If you rsvp
there will be a free Artfully Sent cricut card prepared for you.
Always, Alayne
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text:
I'll admit, though, I'm going to miss her little bald head. So soft and smooth and perfectly round.
When The Princess was born that was the very first piece of information my sister passed on to me, before I even saw her.
"Don't worry Sarah, she doesn't have any hair!"
"Oh, thank goodness!" I said.
Yes, the nurse gave us a weird look.
But I really, really, really wanted a bald baby.
My list was: healthy, girl, bald.
I got them all, twice.
I am so, so blessed.


text:
Currently accepting Applications for Bus Driver Positions:
Commercial Drivers License (CDL) Class B is
required by the Arkansas Department of Transportation. If you do not
have a CDL Class B license, FPS Transportation Department will assist
you in attaining one. This job is a grade 26 (beginning pay is $13.86
per hour), and pay will increase according to experience. Drivers may be
credited with up to 10 years verifiable bus driving experience.
Call the FPS Transportation Department at (479) 444-3095 for details.
Click here to apply
Get to Know Us
If you want to get to
know Fayetteville Public Schools, try substituting in our Transportation
Department. Substitutes have the opportunity to work several different
routes and learn what FPS Transportation Department is all about.
For more information about substituting in the Transportation Department please contact us.
Bus Driver Requirements
Commercial Drivers License (CDL) Class B with Passenger & School Bus Endorsement (you may obtain a Study Manual and pay the fee at any Revenue Office)
Written Exam (4 Part):
Driving Exam:
Exam Information:


text:
Yet Another Controversy for Brunei Citizenship Unanswered
Again and again, another repeated unanswered coming from the Home Affairs Minister handling the Brunei citizenship issue at LegCo sessions (news). Well, it's now official we no longer matter to the country. I read the voices in the BT article today and I agree. The minister should have just give us a yes or no answer if we are qualified for citizenship. Lets us know we fail in the exam and require retaking. That way, no one will continue to question and pressing for answer every years. At least we know what the next steps to take, even the Government employees no longer get to annoyed by us.
But these never happen for so many years. The issue continue to dance. They can't fool us an exam papers require more than three years to review. Background check needed for so long? Get real. Either way, they may have some sort of grudge against us or thinking us as a threat in the country. Not like its hard to imagine. Before the global oil prices crisis started, many local and PR business already start suffering two years ago. Who's fault? Well....secret!
If they truly think this is the good way damaging the livelihood on other race, majority of us will continue to move on despite the terrible outcome ahead. Don't be fool by nonsense becoming a Muslim will grant you citizenship too. It won't. So stop wasting time and start moving on. Money is now the highest priority in life and everyone need backup plan during difficulty time this year. I myself have to worry how to deal with my fucking car exhaust pipe broken few days.


text:
I'll admit, I'm addicted to ideas. Adrenaline-laced epiphanies. It just took one, and I was hooked. I want more.
It's not just the idea itself, it's the whole process.
The inception of an idea. The rush you get when you make an idea better. The contagiousness of a good idea on the loose.
Work backed by a powerful idea, is no longer work. It's a mission.
You can't help yourself. You're obsessed with it. The project seems to almost effortlessly manifest itself. (Though you've no doubt lost hours in it.) You want it to be good, with all your being. It's part of you and your team. It's like Christmas morning when it all comes together, and you can't wait for the world to open it.
Making the decision to work for better ideas is not an easy road.
But, if you seek them, the work down the line will also be better. And often easier. If the idea is big enough, it becomes a master plan. Executed in many ways. Schedules struggle to account for the upfront ambiguity better ideas require. The cycles between engaging and disengaging from the project. Better ideas usually happen somewhere in between. Push past adequate or even good. That's where better lives.
Do you dare put yourself out there? No strings, spotters, or nets.
You have to think like an entrepreneur. Along the way, you might fail. Maybe a lot. But then again, you might succeed. In a much bigger, more meaningful way.
"In bold projects, it's a fine line between a big win and a total crash and burn. Reason? Success happens at the bleeding edge." – Scott BelskySally Hogshead has a great post on whether it's better to broadly appeal to the masses or truly engage a smaller audience… really, really well. Vanilla versus pistachio. Safe and effective or bold and adventurous? Both have their place, but yeah, I'd rather go with pistachio.
Will everyone get the idea? Does it matter if the ones who get it, really get it? And come back for more. Because they're hooked. And they can't help themselves.


text:
Hop on the band wagon and join Chantal on the Fat Mum Slim's Photo A Day Challenge for September.
2. My name begins with: Choose something that begins with the same letter as your name, or find the letter your name starts with and shoot it.
3. Lines: Find lines in your travels today and shoot them. It could be stripes or power lines, or other lines.
4. Alone: Choose something that's a little bit solo. Or perhaps it's what you like to do when you're alone?
5. Here forever: You should find something today that isn't going anywhere. What's here for always?
6. Getting ready: Is it a plane about to take off? You getting ready for the day?
7. White: Take a photo of something white. This is our charity prompt {details below}.
8. Made by me: Did you make dinner/lunch/breakfast? A craft? Art? Handywork? Anything?
9. On the wall: It could be artwork, a spider, a poster… anything!
10. Sweet: What a great excuse to indulge in a treat. Or take photos of kittens or cute kids.
11. What you did today: What did you do today? We want to see it.
12. Shadow: You know what a shadow is. Shoot it.
13. Unexpected: This one might be a bit tricky… but what's unexpected? A little bit of graffiti? A letter in the mail? A sun shower on the perfect day?
14. Liquid: It could be the ocean, a drink, rain or something else.
15. Season: What season is it where you are right now? How can you show that in a photo?
16. Frame: You can take this as taking a photo of a frame {art, spectacles or otherwise} or you framing a photo in the photographic sense.
17. In front of me: What's ahead of you? A person? A huge task? A great life?
18. Vintage: Find something with a little bit of history in it today. Or just visit your Nana and take a photo.
19. What is this?: This can be a cracker prompt. Why not take a photo of something and make it a mystery. Perhaps shoot something really close up so it's not identifiable and then the community can guess what it is?
20. In the morning: Self-explanatory really. If you sleep in, you're in trouble!
21. Rule of thirds: This is our photography lesson prompt. Keep an eye on my blog for a post teaching you how to achieve this.
22. Made me smile: What made you smile today? Shoot it and share it.
23. From my childhood: Find something from your childhood and share it.
24. Space: You could explore negative space, take a trip to the moon {kidding!} or shoot another interpretation of space.
25. H is for…: What starts with H that you see in your travels today?
26. Curve: Look for curves today, you might see them in buildings, on people… keep an eye out.
27. WTF?: What the f*&k? This prompt was suggested a few times. Interpret as you please. It could be something that makes you mad, makes you laugh or just makes you question life and ask, "What on earth?"
28. 10 o'clock: What are you doing at 10am or 10pm. Share it in a photo.
29. Gold: Shoot something gold today.
30. Found: What can you stumble across today? A stray coin? A feather floating by. Keep an eye out for something found.


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Tuesday, November 30, 2010
mid-life crisis
I hate to use the word "Mid- Life", but technically speaking I guess that is approximately where I am headed this coming Friday.
Assuming I live until I'm 80.
Yup, I officially turn the big 4.0. on December the 3rd.
Not entirely sure how I feel about this.
On one hand I feel better than I ever have before.
I'm feeling fit, healthy & happy for the most part.
I'm also feeling extremely fortunate to be healthy- especially after receiving some sad news about a friend who was just diagnosed with cancer- she's only 33 years old..
Appreciate every day that's for sure.
Especially where your health is concerned.
I finally feel relatively confident and secure in my almost 40 year old skin.
Regardless of the stretch marks.
I'm trying to think of them as badges of honor rather than imperfections.
Lulu just had to be two weeks over-due....not a line in sight until 3 days before she was born!....argh.
Ah well, she was most definitely worth them.
But for the record, they're not even that horrible, and like I mentioned, there are much more important things to focus on in life than a few unsightly marks on my midsection.
Then again don't expect me to be sporting a bikini anytime soon. ;
Either way, I'm not as hung up as I used to be about physical changes on my body.
If I was, then I have a long unhappy road ahead of me.
Because let's face it girls, you can't fight the aging process no matter how much eye cream you invest in.
Instead, I'm investing in things that really matter.
Like relationships, my family, exercise and my inner health.
At least these are things I have some control over.
So what does turning forty really mean to me?
Well I guess I can finally say I know who I am.
I like where I am headed.
I love surrounding myself with positive & upbeat people.
But most of all I'm just grateful to be here.
ish... at least most days...
I'm not sure what the next decade has in store for me.
I only hope it's as good as the last one has been.
Posted by petite gourmand at 11:44 AM 4 comments:
Thursday, November 18, 2010
trimming the tree
I almost forgot to post about the latest issue of Canadian Family Magazine.
We shot it several months ago- Christmas in August....
Anyhow I think it's a really sweet story.
I have to say how much I love Lulu's hairdo in the first shot.
I only wish I could get it like that.
Aside from me gushing over my uber cute daughter (if I do say so myself)
There's some really clever decorating ideas that my good friend Arren Williams came up with.
I especially loved the red spray painted christmas tree.
Now that is dedication!
I think we are going to do the recycled painted can lids on our tree this year and maybe even the pasta garland.
Lots of other great ideas in this issue, so if you don't already have a copy be sure and pick one up.
A behind the scenes shot of Lulu.
why is it she never sits this still for me when I'm doing her hair?
Posted by petite gourmand at 10:07 AM 3 comments:
The shopping gods have been listening
I knew this day would eventually come.
"Popular U.S. clothing retailer J. Crew coming to Canada"
next up- Target??
"Popular U.S. clothing retailer J. Crew coming to Canada"
next up- Target??
Posted by petite gourmand at 9:47 AM 3 comments:
Friday, November 12, 2010
allergic to snack time
The other day I was chatting with a friend in the school yard who's daughter is in a different kindergarten class than Lulu.
She was telling me how frustrated she is when it comes to packing her daughter's snacks for school.
Not to mention how discouraged she was when trying to plan a class party with baked goods and food for the class.
She had just been reprimanded when she packed a banana in her daughter's lunch that day.
A Banana!
Apparently there's a kid in the class that's allergic to bananas- therefor no one is allowed to bring bananas for a snack any longer.
There is also a child in the class that is allergic to eggs, dairy and wheat.
Which basically eliminates a ton of available options for snack time.
Not to sound insensitive, but man, am I glad that kid isn't in Lulu's class.
Of course there's a few kids with peanut allergies in the class as well.
Not much of a shocker there.
We have several good friends who have kids with peanut allergies (though none in Lulu's class this year)
so we are totally used to avoiding anything with peanuts (or any nuts for that matter) when packing her snacks or lunches.
I think most parents are aware of peanut allergies these days.
I'm pretty sure it's a basic policy of most schools to avoid bringing them to school or other kids programs.
I can't imagine how frustrating it must be for the parents, not to mention the poor kids.
I mean to never enjoy a peanut butter & jelly sandwich on fresh bread washed down with an ice cold glass of milk is truly unfortunate.
So my heart really does go out to kids with food allergies.
That being said, at what point do we make the kids responsible for making sure they just don't touch or go near other kids snacks?
Our friends who have kids with allergies know that eating something with nuts can literally kill them so they just don't go near other kids food.
simple as that.
I know in Lulu's class they are very strict about not sharing snacks and washing hands before and after eating.
But they are still pretty young, so things can slip by the teacher's attention I'm sure.
So I totally get it when it comes to avoiding bringing "potentially dangerous" foods into the class.
But where do we stop when it comes to banning certain foods?
I mean eggs, dairy & wheat are pretty hard to avoid if you technically don't have an allergy to them.
And bananas??
Try planning a class party with that child in your class.
Cookies. nope.
Cupcakes. nope.
Sandwiches. nope.
Pizza. nope.
fruit plate. yes. oh wait...nope- well not if it has bananas on it.
Like I said, I feel terrible that all these food allergies exist- and more importantly, why are kids from this generation becoming so allergic to so many foods?
A very scary situation.
But honestly what food options are left for this mom friend of mine to pack in her daughter's snack each day?
That's a bit scary too.
Posted by petite gourmand at 10:34 AM 5 comments:
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text:
EGFR-mutant lung cancers eventually become resistant to treatment with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). The combination of EGFR-TKI afatinib and anti-EGFR antibody cetuximab can overcome acquired resistance in mouse models and human patients. Since afatinib is also a potent HER2 inhibitor, we investigated the role of HER2 in EGFR-mutant tumor cells. We show in vitro and in vivo that afatinib plus cetuximab significantly inhibits HER2 phosphorylation. HER2 overexpression or knockdown confers resistance or sensitivity, respectively, in all studied cell line models. Fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis revealed that HER2 was amplified in 12% of tumors with acquired resistance versus only 1% of untreated lung adenocarcinomas. Notably, HER2 amplification and EGFR T790M were mutually exclusive. Collectively, these results reveal a previously unrecognized mechanism of resistance to EGFR TKIs and provide a rationale to assess the status and possibly target HER2 in EGFR mutant tumors with acquired resistance to EGFR TKIs.
- Received March 12, 2012.
- Revision received July 31, 2012.
- Accepted August 7, 2012.
- Copyright © 2012, American Association for Cancer Research.


text: Those who reserved are aware of the current wait and I am sure much rather have a polished vehicle than a rushed one to appease those who are towards the back of the reservation queue. It will mean less quality control, and more vehicles out the door with possible early issues. The charging network and service networks won't be ready in time for the increased amount of vehicles.


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Wednesday, November 21, 2012
One Word Wednesday
48 comments:
Oh, YES! Yes, he is VERY handsome indeed!ReplyDelete
I love grey kitties. :)
Handsome and mysterious!!!ReplyDelete
He looks like he could be Audrey's daddy.ReplyDelete
He truly is...Stinky is drooling. Well, Stinky has no teeth so she drools generally but you get my meaning.ReplyDelete
Oh yes, with a definite air of mancat superiority and mystery.ReplyDelete
If the word fits, Rupert...ReplyDelete
One word response:ReplyDelete
Whaaaat? I'm supposed to get all worked up about sweet handsome Rupert?? Again I say: Pffft.
Bring on the LadyCats!
Indeed handsome! Purrs!ReplyDelete
Another one word response .....ReplyDelete
Purtabulous .....
The Staff's gone a bit fainty!!!!????ReplyDelete
Dontcha love it when you catch them in just the most purrfect light?!
oh la la, Rupert =)ReplyDelete
Happy day to you too. What great pictures your humans take!ReplyDelete
Mummy is singing "I want to kiss you all over"...she's SOOOOOOO embarrassing.ReplyDelete
The Maple Syrup Mob
Great photos.ReplyDelete
Two words....Oh Yeah!ReplyDelete
no argument here.ReplyDelete
We agree with that.ReplyDelete
Luv Hannah and Lucy xx xx
Absolutely dashing !!ReplyDelete
*squeee and faints!
(Kat, Yasmin, Faith ... )
Are those photos by Mommy? You did an excellent job letting her capture your handsome self! Bet that sunpuddle felt great too!ReplyDelete
Oh yes, you are indeed handsome Rupert.ReplyDelete
We agree :)ReplyDelete
Pip, Smidgen, Minnie, Hollie
Yes, you are!! You are such a handsome, cool looking kitty! Wishing you wonderful Wednesday and happy Thanksgiving!ReplyDelete
Really really handsome!ReplyDelete
My goodness, YES! Purrs...from the crew at Colehauscats.comReplyDelete
M says you are one handsome dude! She just gave your forehead a smooch too.ReplyDelete
You are indeed handsome in these pictures Rupert !ReplyDelete
Oh, I thought you were talking about me, sorry Rupert, youz nearly az handsome az me..MOL Happy Thanksgiving :) xx00xxReplyDelete
Mollie and Alfie
We're grateful for all handsome cats. n case we don't time to pop by tomorrow may you have much to purr about this Thanksgiving :-)ReplyDelete
Absolutely Rupert, you look so good!ReplyDelete
Handsome and dashing!!!!ReplyDelete
I'll go along with handsome. Seems to fit. Happy Turkey Day to you and yours.ReplyDelete
most definitely! Happy Wednesday to you too!ReplyDelete
Be still my heart!!!ReplyDelete
xo, Katie
I just joined the legions of swooning fans. Oh my, HANDSOME!!!!ReplyDelete
{{swoon}} Yes!ReplyDelete
Happy Thanksgiving sweet furriends! We wish you a fab day with a REALLY, REALLY BIG turkey, and a side dish of deaded Georges. Purrs!
You are certainly very handsome Rupert!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 25, 2012 at 5:05 PM
exotic and dignifried. like a feline Yul Brener.ReplyDelete
mee. yow.
- AnonymousNovember 29, 2012 at 6:26 PM
Rupert...you kind'a look a bit like me...course I am a ladycat and you are a mancat...but I sort of have that same 'stare' and my gray furrs look like yours...think we are like related????ReplyDelete


text:
Fishing the Laurel Fork Wilderness Area involves hiking in and out and the weather forecast for Sunday was full of rain so we opted to do the hiking on Saturday.
Andy had the day off so he made his way leisurely westward, stopping to sample the waters of the Bull Pasture River before arriving at the Locust Springs campground on the WV/VA border west of Staunton.
David and I met in Richmond at 8 pm, got jacked up on coffee, and blazed westward. We wanted to stop along the "Brew Ridge Trail" - at one of the craft breweries that populate the mountainous regions of western VA. We found our way to the Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton VA, entering at the stroke of 10pm. With the kitchen already closed and the employees sharing a well deserved capper, we implored the barkeep to serve us just one as I hastily purchased a 6-pack of their Full Nelson beer for streamside cheer. A nice tip loosened up the bartender's demeanor and we had a nice time talking with him while also planning our final leg of the trip into the deep woods of WV and the the Locust Spring primitive campground.
Back on the road, once we got past Monterey VA, the country roads were dark and full of deer so we slowed and picked our way carefully. We were concerned for Andy, alone in the middle of nowhere, as the hours ticked by - 11, 12, 1... We didn't arrive until about 2 am. I guess we made enough noise to wake him up because Andy crawled out of his warm tent to great us. We set up a second tent and quickly bedded down for the night.
Got up Saturday morning and it was cold and grey. Definitely looked like rain was in the forecast. We struck the camp. Andy made a big pot of coffee (THANK YOU!), and we each prepared a little something for breakfast and made or packed a lunch.
Our campsite at Locust Spring
Based on intel from the Warm Springs Ranger Station of the George Washington National Forest, we decided to hike down on the Locust Spring Run trail, fish the day, and then return on the Buck Run trail. We like the idea of checking out the fishing opportunity on Locust Spring Run early and then using the better (wide, even grade) Buck Run trail for our escape since it might be getting dark, raining, or otherwise dicey.
Getting ready
The Locust Spring Run trailhead was at the far end of the meadow where we had set up our tents. We decided to hike the trail in our waders and hit the trail at around 8 am.
At the trailhead...
The Locust Spring Run Trail
The Locust Spring Run is beautiful and it parallels the small creek all the way down to the Laurel Fork. The water level was down, but there was still plenty of small pocket pools that we thought would hold native brookies. I spotted fish in one and asked David to give it a go with his Tenkara rod. It was a beautiful thing - one cast, one fish!
David's Native Brookie from the Locust Spring Run
A beautiful, wild brookie
Andy applying stealth to his approach
Very different to our homes in the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area, the leaves on the trees seemed to be in peak color and there was lots of leaf litter underfoot and in the stream. Trout were hiding under the floating leaves and you had to accurately deliver small flies to the opening in the leaf clutter to hope to get a strike. It was pretty fun.
The beautiful Locust Spring Run
Because we could not pass up any likely holding water on the Locust Spring Run, I think it took us 3 hours to make it down the ~ 3 miles to the Laurel Fork.
The intersection of the Locust Spring trail and the Laurel Fork
What a beautiful River! David could not resist fishing the very first pool at the intersection.
David picking the pocket with the Tenkara rod.
While David fished, Andy and I got down to business finding an appropriately swift section of the river for which to stash our end-of-the-day celebratory libation.
These new Orvis packs come with a very handy pocket for essential supplies - a six-pack of Blue Mountain Brewery's Full Nelson beer.
Based on fishing reports we found we decided to head upstream towards the Slab Camp Run. We hop-scotched pools and runs as we worked upstream marveling at the scenery as we went. Most of the brookies were wild and palm-sized. We didn't care so much about the size. We were just happy to be fishing in such a beautiful area. Around each turn, we just went "Wow, look at that!"
David demonstrating the bow-and-arrow technique with the Tenkara rod
I was catching all my fish on a size 16 parachute Adams. (Note to self - next time tie the posts in some color other than white! White posts get lost in the white bubbles and foam) Moving above Slab Camp Run, I came across a nice pool, cast the fly in the seam, and a bigger brookie took the bait. As I got him close, the colors were incredible - the yellow and red spots, the brilliant orange of the belly, the in-your-face red/orange color and the distinct yellowish white epilets on the pectoral fins. Spectacular!
Many sections of the stream are bordered by rhododendron bushes. It's hard to imagine the Laurel Fork looking any prettier, but I'd like to go back in spring when they are in bloom.
Rhododendrons flank the Laurel Fork in many places
We rendezvoused back at the beer cache around 4 pm to give us plenty of time to hike out before dark. We shared a brew with some fellow trout fishermen and traded stories - the best way to end a good day on the stream.
Streamside chillin'
David passing on Tenkara know-how
It was a pleasant 2 hour ride to meet up with our TU bretheren at Gene's cabin on the banks of the Jackson River. Gene, Bill, Gordon and CJ were waiting for us and Bill guided us through a Get Smart series of cattle gates, and past barking guard dogs, and mooing cows before the car could go no further. Inside we were treated to Gene's excellent barbecue, fruit salad and mini Butterfingers - Halloween candy came early! We talked story well into the night until the weight of our eyelids demanded penance. Sleep came quickly and easily.
Gene's cabin on the Jackson River
Gene was up first and made coffee. I was up at 6:30 and the rest soon followed. We sipped coffee, ate delicious apple doughnuts and talked somemore. After pleasantries, we got down to business planning our next day on the river. The temperature had dropped down to the mid-fifties and it had been raining all morning with promises of the same for the rest of the day. We decided to fish around the Poor Farm Road intersection with the Jackson River. The area had been recently stocked and the ability to drive right up to the river gave us a quick escape route if we got drowned out.
CJ lead us past Warm and Hot Springs to the stream access point.
Andy, David, and CJ on the Upper Jackson River
The scene that awaited us
The rain was only a sprinkle when we suited up. At this location, the Jackson was big and beautiful, with an abundance of falls, DEEP pools, long still runs, and complicated seams. It offered lots of possible tactical approaches. There were some large reddish brown caddis flying around - a "fall caddis" we were told. So instead of the Adams that worked so well on the Laurel Fork, I tied on a 14 tan caddis.
Andy working the seam
David couldn't pass up this section
With my tan caddis, I became the Chub King. Don't get me wrong, they were fun to catch and all, but we were looking for their trout cousins.
One of my loyal subjects
CJ guided me downstream and showed me a nice pice of the river where he'd spied a couple of big trout. I had cut my leader back and switched to a "slumpbuster" streamer dragging it through some head-high pools going for broke. I stripped it through CJ's pool and after a couple tries got a solid hook set. Boy was I surprised when I landed this smallmouth bass!
I guess the water was warmer than I had thought! Still, I ventured on in search of Salmo sp. enjoying the beauty of the river as I went.
My path crossed with David's and he hipped me to his success fishing a nymph as a dropper off a medium-sized Kaufman's stimulator. Shortly thereafter I did find a trout lair, and hooked 2 nice rainbows.
Several more chubs sacrificed themselves to the King, but I didn't care. I was fishing on a beautiful stream, rain or no.
I hooked one monster in a deep pool and his flash made my heart skip. I got him on the reel, he surged, and my 6X tippet went "blink". Damn! I know where he lives though, and I'll be back.
Thanks to the Bill Wills, Southeast VA Chapter of TU for putting on this trip for the members. I learned new waters, made new friends, had a great time, and can't wait to do it again.
April/May 2013 anyone?


text:
Could you go for a month without booze? If you've spent December with a glass of wine permanently clutched in one hand or are simply feeling the after effects of one too many nights out, pick up some tips for a healthy, alcohol free January.
Don't be boring
You could find yourself tearfully staring at yet another glass of water if you don't stock up on non-alcoholic drinks before you start your detox. Don't give in to the craving for a glass of red - try mixing fruit juice with sparkling water, experiment with hot and cold herbal teas, or make your own smoothies.
Treat yourself
If you're giving up booze, don't be too hard on yourself. Unless you're a hardcore detox expert, trying to cut out alcohol, sugar and caffeine for a whole month could lead to desperate binges on leftover boxes of Quality Street. Not drinking can help you to lose weight, as you won't be consuming the empty calories you usually do, so eat a normal, healthy diet to ensure you stick to it.
Go out
Don't let your social life suffer as a result of your alcohol detox. Arrange a gentle night out with friends, such as going out for a meal and a cinema trip, and prove to yourself that you can still have fun drinking cranberry juice minus the vodka. Heading out clubbing or for a dinner cooked by your wine buff buddy is best avoided until February.
Save your skin
If you normally spend £5 on a bottle of wine and drink three bottles a week, you could save £60 a month. Use the money to have a massage or facial during the last week, as a reward for saying no to the demon drink. Giving up alcohol can often have a dramatic effect on your complexion and you may notice you have softer, clearer skin by the end of the month.
Sweat it out
If you're more used to sitting in front of a DVD with a bottle of wine, your normal pleasures might lack their usual sparkle. Introduce something new to your routine, such as taking up a dance class or starting a walk/jog programme. The endorphin rush you feel after exercise will keep you motivated to continue your detox.
Write about it
Keep a record of how your alcohol detox makes you feel. If you use those few glasses of wine or a night out as a way to escape from stress, writing about your feelings every day can offer a less destructive way of dealing with them. At the end of the month, re-read your diary and think about ways of changing what you're not happy about.
Keep going
If you're a regular drinker, experts recommend you have at least two or three alcohol free days a week to help your system recover. When January ends, your month without booze should help you to abstain for a few days each week without too much of a problem.


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Kinky in Winnipeg - "Whip me! Whip me! Whip me! ..... ohhhhh that feels sooooo good .....!"
Now that The Notice of Allegations against Manitoba's Associate Chief Justice Lori Douglas has finally been released, along with her Defence, we wondered what "kinkydom" is like in Winnipeg. After reading the following article are you suitably titillated ..... well are you? So what's your favourite perversion? That Wheel of Fortune looks pretty cool! Go ahead make our day try it!
Remember the good old days when you'd simply tie your partner to the bed posts and go at it like a couple of shmingies?
Shortly, we will be posting both these documents But first .....
Clare L Pieuk
No pain no gain: BDSM club sane, safe and consexual
By Caroline Vesely
October 29, 2011
The Wheel of Fortune at Prairie BDSM. (John Wood/Winnipeg Free Press)
Membership has its privileges, and here are just a few that come with belonging to one of Winnipeg's newest members-only clubs:
- Access to a cosy and inviting 1,500-square-foot meeting space located in the city's historic Exchange District.
- Separate, "well-appointed" lounge with armchairs and couches and food and beverages facilities
- A year-round calendar of educational and social events, including discussions, demonstrations, workshops and theme parties
- Use of a fully equipped dungeon
A person in a submissive position at Prairie BDSM - Prairie Alternative Life Style Support (PALS) in Winnipeg. (John Woods/Winnipeg Free Press)
It has a dress code that forbids jeans, tank tops and "scruffy attire," and a protocol to ensure that everyone plays by the rules.
What sets this club apart is its application of the word "play."
If it's not yet clear that we're talking about pursuits other than chess or role-playing games with "dragon" in the title, consider that Prairie BDSM's dress code does allow leather, latex and rubber, as well as military, prison and school uniforms. And while gratuitous nudity is frowned upon, "nudity with appropriate leather cuffs, collar, leash, hood, harness, etc. is encouraged."
For Winnipeggers exploring or living alternative lifestyles, collectively known as BDSM (bondage/discipline, domination/submission and sadomasochism) — research suggests up to 10 per cent of the general population do to some extent — this fourth-floor space is both clubhouse and playground.
And it's fittingly located in the Exchange District. Because although BDSM is an umbrella term for a wide array of consensual behaviours and activities, at its core, kink involves some sort of power exchange.
Tools/toys/weapons at Prairie BDSM. (John Woods)
Not necessarily or strictly sexual.
"A lot of our BDSM lifestyle is not about sex," says Descartes (his "scene" name), co-founder of Prairie Alternative Lifestyle Support (PALS), which opened the club in February.
The stout, friendly man, who is in his early 60s and uses a cane due to bad knees, is a longtime dominant with "a penchant for humiliation, sharp and pointy things, blood and other pleasant activities." He looks more like Burl Ives than the Marquis de Sade. (The club did hold a birthday party for the infamous French libertine in June).
The dozen or so middle-aged people sitting in the lounge on this Friday night certainly don't look like they're about to break into a big orgy anytime soon. One woman is curled up on the couch with a mystery novel.
In fact, if it weren't for the rack of corsets and sexy lingerie, and the display case of floggers and paddles, this crowd could probably pass for a book club.
Except for the occasional yelp of pain coming from the other room — which could probably pass for a yoga studio except the eyebolts on the wall aren't for doing upside down back bends or hanging downward dog.
There is a dog crate in there, along with two spanking benches, two medical tables, a St. Andrew's Cross, a two-way spread-eagle station, and the Rack.
Club co-owner Brackus, who like his old pal Descartes is a longtime "protocol-oriented dominant" with a live-in submissive, says the real excitement and satisfaction in a dom-sub relationship comes from the power dynamic enacted by the partners reinforcing their complementary but unequal roles.
Simply put, Brackus gets pleasure from knowing he's pleasing his partner, Tranika — by totally controlling her.
"She gives me power over everything and I agree to accept that power and to bear the responsibility of taking care of her," says the late-50ish gent, who is also heavyset and walks with a cane.
"In many ways, our relationship is no different from other people's. She still has the ability to think for herself, but when she's with me, she's my submissive.
Tranika, who is in her 40s, addresses him as "sir," even in public. When they go to a restaurant, she doesn't sit down or eat until he tells her to. Both work in the financial industry.
Before she took up the lifestyle about two years ago, Tranika says she was too insecure about her body and her sexuality to even wear a tank top. She also thought that The Ball, Winnipeg's bi-monthly, pansexual fetish social gathering, was a big orgy populated by sexual deviants.
Today Tranika wears a collar — the BDSM equivalent of a wedding ring — with a D-ring so Brackus can "clip her to things."
As ironic as it sounds, she says being a submissive has actually liberated her. "It gives you a chance to explore yourself, to step outside your comfort zone and still feel safe," Tranika says.
"You have to trust your partner and know that even if they push your boundaries, they wouldn't do anything to harm you."
While they're aware their lifestyle choices can send shockwaves through the "vanilla world," especially among feminists, kinky folks insist it's the subs who hold the bulk of the power in any BDSM relationship.
"It's not that I'm superior to my wife, it's just that I'm the one to make the decisions — and she wants me to," says Everett, 52, a retail manager who's been in the scene for 12 years. He and his wife are into "percussion" or "impact" play — any activity involving striking or hitting, such as flogging, spanking or whipping — as well as fire play. (Picture a flaming flogger lightly brushing the skin).
"It's how we live as a couple," he says. "The devotion, the love, the protection, that's all there, too."
Everett, chairman of the Winnipeg Kink Educational Committee, was instrumental in setting up two of Winnipeg's previous dungeons: Club O 2002 operated in St. Boniface for eight months of that year, and The Playroom Group, also located in the Exchange District, ran from 2006 until the building was sold in 2010.
Prior to that, "We found ourselves renting hotel rooms to play in, which got very expensive," says Everett, who is usually decked out in head-to-toe leather when he plays. His wife also wears leather — even a hood on occasion — or PVC, and a collar with an "E" pendant hanging from it. Try doing that at home with two young kids in the house.
According to Cheeky Blue, a 47-year-old bank employee and former submissive of Descartes, "good available doms are hard to come by," especially if you're into "needle play" like she is.
Tonight, she's only getting three 18-gauge needles inserted into each breast — in a symmetrical pattern, two across and one underneath those, called a button — but has had dozens put in at once.
"The first time I had this done, I only had four needles and I had an out-of-body experience," Cheeky Blue, who has her eyes closed, says. "I haven't had it since, but you're always striving for that."
The euphoric state of which she speaks, a rush of endorphins released during intense pain play, is referred to as "subspace."
Descartes cautions against entering it without an experienced and caring guide.
"If you don't know how to do this stuff, you're playing with fire" (and not in the way Everett meant, although that can be dangerous, too), he says.
The credo in the kink community is "safe, sane and consensual." Boundaries may get pushed, especially in sadomasochism, but it's the submissive partner who decides whether they get crossed. Anything else is abuse.
Healthy sadism and clinical sadism sometimes resemble each other, but only on the surface, says Dr. James Cantor, a psychologist and sex researcher at the University of Toronto.
"Healthy sadists — or doms — want their partners to experience pleasure. The amounts and kinds of pain they inflict is done with careful, even meticulous, exploration with the masochist (or sub)," Cantor writes in an email.
"Clinical sadists, however, inflict pain and humiliation without or despite any awareness of the effect it has on the victim."


text:
Saturday, December 13, 2008
I'm Making a List, and Checking it Twice . . . .
11 comments:
- Gran said...
Well, you are off and running.
Best wishes on accomplishing what you want to/need to this weekend.
- December 13, 2008 at 1:05 AM
- Eileen said...
YIKS, you make me tired this morning thinking about what I have to do. One week from today and DS comes for several days before Christmas. DD also for overnight. Think she has to go back to school for a couple days.
Good Luck on getting your DH to do all the hard things.
- December 13, 2008 at 4:44 AM
- Lady of the Cloth said...
I like your way of thinking. You do the fun stuff, he does the rest. I wish this would work in our house!
Have a great Christmas.
- December 13, 2008 at 6:58 AM
- Candace said...
Don't you just love it when they ask "What's the game plan?" I've got to be more clever like you, Kim, rather than just look back at him cross-eyed!
Thanks for keeping our spirits high with your terrific humour (BTW - I still don't know what to think about that Santa yesterday - ROFLOL!!!)
- December 13, 2008 at 8:27 AM
- Judy said...
Well the last of hubby's stuff for me was picked up this morning...I sent him to the quilt shop and the girls there knew what I needed. SO we are done for gifts...but what we are eating?? Who knows! Maybe turkey this time, which means I do have to cook it, oh yea and buy one...oh, does it count that I threw in a box of stuffing in the cart yesterday during regular shopping???
Surely that means I'm all ready, right? LOL!!!
- December 13, 2008 at 9:02 AM
- Quilt Nut said...
your husband sounds an awful lot like mine lol! i haven't even started thinking of what needs done yet-ack!
- December 13, 2008 at 10:12 AM
- Barbie Jo said...
Well gosh Kim, you are making my head spin! No, I'm not ready and not sure what my plans are to a point either. I trust it will get done as it always somehow does.I would like to say I am going to relax and enjoy a little bit, I hope we all get to!!
- December 13, 2008 at 12:42 PM
- Pat said...
I'm in denial!
I went thrift shop hopping today after our guilds Christmas party.
I'm waiting for everything to fall together at the last minute like it always does :-)
- December 13, 2008 at 1:09 PM
- quiltmom said...
Well Kim did you plan work out? He did do all the hard stuff and you had all the fun- seemed like a pretty good plan to me:D) You do make me laugh....
I can see he is a pretty good sort who enjoys having fun too-
Hope you got some of the things done that help you to enjoy the Christmas season..
- December 13, 2008 at 9:24 PM
- Amanda said...
Tomorrow I have having a little Christmas party with my grand kids. I made them Christmas pillowcases for little door prizes and I have them Christmas coloring books, much to their mother's dismay (one of them colors everything!). I still have a quilt top to finish, and I have another one to start. The Christmas letter is written, the photo cards have been ordered, but I haven't even started writing the 100 plus addresses! Gifts aren't wrapped. Our Christmas is this coming Saturday, so I better get busy!
- December 13, 2008 at 9:50 PM
- mamaspark said...
I laughed out loud when I read the conversation between you and hubs. I *really* need to have that conversation with my own hubby. Thanks for the morning laugh!!
- December 14, 2008 at 6:02 AM


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It is about having lots of fun, laughter, amusement, getting as many jokes as possible, getting free desktop assistant & electronics assistant
Here are some videos you may....or may not enjoy.http://joburgtraffic.blogspot.com/
i think you will add funny video admin
Popeye used to be one of my favorite cartoons when I was a kid. Thank you for showing that one. :)


text:
There's a drastic difference when comparing the experiences of attending a college football game and an NFL game. For the college fan, a trip to a college campus not only offers the opportunity to tailgate and watch some football, it often provides a nostalgic trip down memory lane. For many alumni, a trip back to the campus to watch football is about as good as it gets with regards to recreational activity.
With every fan in the country having an HDTV and with the introduction of television products like DirecTV's Red Zone channel, the NFL is struggling to fill their stadiums. As the television product increases in quality, you could argue that the NFL in-stadium product has deteriorated. The crowds seem more rowdy, drunk and violent, meanwhile it will cost you hundreds of dollars to attend a game. As such, NFL attendance has been in decline since 2007.
The NFL is taking action to attempt to slow the decline by offering additional in-game features like free wifi, smartphone apps that allow you to watch instant replay on your phone and more. Call me skeptical, but I don't think many of the NFL fans care about these features, but I guess it's worth a shot. The NFL has also relaxed "black out" rules which prevent local fans from watching the game on television if certain attendance levels aren't reached.
Meanwhile, college football is setting records in attendance. The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame has said that college football set a record for live attendance during the 2011season , with a total of 4.7 million fans attending games at all NCAA levels. This attendance record has been set five of the last six years. College football attendance has increased 32 percent since 1998.
It's quite a pickle for the NFL in that despite building bigger and more sophisticated stadiums (subsidized by taxpayers), attendance is falling. The two recent stadiums to be built: MetLife Stadium (Giants) and Cowboy Stadium (Cowboys) each had a price tag of over $1 billion. Amazingly, Gillette stadium (which is a great stadium) only cost $325 million ten years ago. While new stadium construction has slowed compared to the previous decade, the Vikings and 49ers have both been given approval for new stadiums in the coming years.
I think it's obvious that new stadiums, despite providing a short-term boost in fan excitement, don't fix the problem of declining attendance for the NFL.
While television is a big part of attendance decline, it doesn't tell the whole story since college football television numbers are holding up well (though down slightly last year). 2011 was an unusual year in that the focus of the entire SEC and much of the country was on just two teams. In fact, I would argue that 2011 was a down year in terms of overall fan interest – it definitely was in the SEC.
One area of college football not performing well is the bowls. Even the BCS bowls have had declining attendance numbers. Bowl season is a different animal from the regular season for a number of reasons. First, there isn't the emotional tie to a city hosting a bowl game as there is to a college campus. Second, fans typically travel further for a bowl game which means it's a larger allocation of cash to attend. Traveling to a bowl game is a larger trip more than just a day excursion to a college campus. As such, bowl attendance like all forms of leisure travel has been impacted by a weak economy.
Interestingly, this could be the main reason we don't see a 4-team playoff expanded into an 8-team playoff. Even BCS bowls today find it hard to sell all their tickets with participating schools often left holding the bag on unused tickets (the biggest example being UConn with the Fiesta Bowl). Of course a national semi-final game and subsequent national championship game will be exciting and involve fan bases energized by the potential to win it all, but traveling across country twice in two weeks in January is not something that even the most die-hard fan is likely to do considering the economics of it. Imagine a three round playoff with 8 teams? The first round games would have terrible attendance. The solution of course is to put first round games on college campuses, but we're getting ahead of ourselves.
College football is very healthy, but that doesn't mean it isn't changing. Obviously the BCS is nearing its end, and the postseason is moving towards a playoff. This is just the tip of the iceberg, however. It's likely that the bowl system itself goes through massive change in the years ahead. As the bowls involved in the playoff grab more of our attention, the remainder of the bowls could easily be given a de facto NIT-like status.
If the decline continues for the majority of the bowls, we're likely to see a number of them go away as they won't be feasible for cash strapped athletic departments and uninterested fans. It's a part of the continuous "contraction" trend we talk about frequently here on this site in that college football is strong at the top (let's say the top 40 programs), but becoming increasingly unsustainable for the middle-tier programs on the outside looking in. Conference realignment and bowl changes are a reflection of this trend.
Regardless of the high level structural changes, the allure of returning year-after-year to your former college campus remains strong. Spending a day with your family on campus, tailgating with other fans, and experiencing the pageantry of a college football game in person is still very attractive even in a weaker economy. Iconic venues like The Grove at Ole Miss are a bit more appealing than the concrete jungles surrounding the NFL cathedrals.
Like the NFL, television options are becoming more abundant for the college football fan. As technology continues to penetrate the sports space, we will be able to consume football in ever increasing new ways. Unlike the NFL, however, college football fans – especially SEC fans – still work hard to supplement a Saturday on the couch with a Saturday on campus. This won't change anytime soon.


text:
There are a ton of babies due around here, so I went and got stocked up on baby gifts. Of course that means that I need some cards, too. I made 3 girl cards and one boy card. I couldn't get the boy one to photograph nicely, so I only am showing you the girl ones. I used Jen's June SFYTT. I always check it out when I am short on time, but need to get a lot done. It really does minimize the guess work and I get on with the fun part....stamping and embellishing!
It really is straightforward. I don't have many tricks up my sleeve lately, but I had fun. I was literally going "stir (craft) crazy" if you know what I mean. I am really, really, really, really (there aren't enough really's to explain) how much I miss my craft space. Creating is part of who I am and I don't feel like me lately! Making these cards was helpful, but not enough. Anyway, thanks for fluttering by!
P.S. Emma is going to see the new Disney Pixar film "Brave" tonight with her Grandma and Grandpa. It is the Utah premier and she is so excited. We went to the Utah Highland Games and Scottish Festival on Saturday, so she probably still has bagpipe music ringing in her ears! LOL! Rowan was helping his Grandpa hold the flag! Such a good helper. He is currently obsessed with flags and balloons.


text:
Viewing the huge crouching dark spider out there on the green lawn with the bay and blue sky beyond beyond was disconcerting. I felt like I was in one of the scarier science fiction movies of the last decade and almost expected to see tons more spiders crawl out of the water and invade SF.
Initially lent for eight months by the artist, courtesy of Gallery Paule Anglim, San Francisco and Cheim & Read, New York, the sculpture's stay was extended due to popular support. On Friday, April 24, Crouching Spider will be disassembled with the greatest of care into ten pieces and transported to a private collection in Houston, Texas.
"Crouching Spider set a new precedent for public art in San Francisco. It has been truly wonderful to have such a magnificent sculpture by a world-class artist placed at the entrance of the City were it was viewed and enjoyed by thousands of people," stated Luis R. Cancel, Director of Cultural Affairs. "We thank Mayor Newsom for his enthusiasm and support for the public art program. His support reflects his belief that the arts are a vital part of the life of the city, and we look forward to continuing to enrich the community by bringing new works by leading local and national artists to the Bay Area."
Ms. Bourgeois' spider sculptures pay homage to her mother, who like a spider, was a weaver and spinner, working in the family business of tapestry repair. For Ms. Bourgeois the spider represents an ideal mother because it is a creature that protects its children while weaving for them a beautiful home. The immense scale of the spider sculptures corresponds to the monumental importance of the artists' mother to her daughter.
link: http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/bourgeois/index.html
Interesting article plus comments here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/beltran/detail?entry_id=38843


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Suppose you are a bike rider but your favorite bike not presently in your country what happened when this good news came in your ears that your dreams comes true your favorite bike in your country . Yes DUCATI has decided open its store in India. Company will open 6 showrooms it may increase according to demand of bikes. First store also opened in Mumbai next month it will open in Delhi. Company said that India will one of the top market of bikes that's why they had decided, Ducati will rock on Indian road because of some specific facts. In last year there are many super bikes launched in India. Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, Harley and now it is time for Ducati.
Bikes price range will vary between approx 18 to 65 lacs. Almost 15 models may launch in Indian road. Now a day super bikes sold approx 500 per year in India. Ducati planed to sell 100 bikes per year at starting time.


text:
The Immediate Window in Visual Studio can be a great help if you're trying to grok a particular API, or do a quick spike/prototype to understand behavior of a class, method, or property. The Immediate Window lets you make API calls, check values of variables, and even do assignments. It's a handy way to explore how your program's behaving and how things might work if you alter data or calls.
For example, the documentation for the bits and pieces of the highly useful Uri and VirtualPathUtility classes often don't include examples of what's returned from various calls. This is a hinderance as I'm trying to get formatting of file-based resource URIs correct to play with the WebBrowser control I'm using. I need to do two things: 1) ensure the format of the URI is correct when I assemble it in the actual <link> element in the content source, and 2) extract a complete absolute path to the resource without the protocol part when I am doing my navigation.
I can write a prototype app with a class full of a bunch of crappy Console.Writeln statements to see the before/after bits. This isn't much fun, even if I use Snippet Compiler. On the other hand, I can start my existing project in VS in debug mode with a breakpoint set appropriately, then play around in the Immediate Window to discover the exact format of the URI and which API call I need to make.
For example, say my input Uri is a variable called "resource" which will point to a file-based resource. My starting content for that might be "file://Temp/Test.pdf".
I flip to the Immediate window and enter
which results in
Not what I wanted since it's missing the Temp directory. Maybe I can look at Uri.LocalPath:
Still not right, since the Temp folder is showing up as location component. Let me alter the actual Uri variable "resource":
resource = new Uri("file://c:/Temp/Test.pdf")
You'll see a whole bunch of stuff fly by as all the new Uri's properties are displayed. Now let's check the LocalPath property again:
All this is pretty simplistic use of the Immediate Window, but it shows a different aspect than it's normally used for.


text:
Today my layout share has been inspired by the Color Combos Galore Challenge #183.
This is the inspiration board
And this is my interpretation of Challenge 183
Once in awhile, right in the middle of a ordinary life, LOVE gives us a fairytale. The adorable sentiment that I have included is one of the new Kaisercraft rubons - this one is 'childhood'.
And a closer look
The first thing I have to say that these are colours that I generally do not scrap with. But with saying this, I absolutely love how this turned out in the end.
The palette screamed Graphic 45 and I have combined a bit of Steampunk Debunte 'Fantasy Floral' with Le' Romantique 'Loves Labyrith'. I have also used Fancy Pants Road Show for my base and a touch of Echo Park which covers the 'winged white' colour element of the palette.
The overlapping, elongated vertical layers of the dress in the photo inspired me to include layers of elements and the design of my page runs vertically from top to bottom to simulate the fall of the dress.
Most of my layouts will feature some element of chipboard. Here I have included an A2Z chippie title which worked perfectly to satisfy the other 'butterfly' element of the challenge. The circle element is a 'Retro Circle Frame' and is available from Scrapping Outback. This element also represents the butterfly 'eyes' which are seen on their wings.
I love butterflies and find that they are quite magical in the way they flight so gracefully. This magical quality was the essence for my title. It always amazes me the wonder and joy that our little girl finds in even the simplest things in life. Oh the joys of being a child and finding everything unique and wonderous.
Thanks ever so much for dropping by and for your lovely comments - they really do mean so much to me.


text:
Name as it appears on the ballot: Joal Hall Broun
Full legal name, if different
Date of birth: February 20, 1961
Home address: 107 Creekview Circle, Carrboro, North Carolina
Mailing address, if different from home:
Campaign website: http://uniqueorn.com/joalbroun/
Occupation & employer: Attorney, Director, Lobbying Compliance Division, N.C. Department of the Secretary of State
Spouse's name: Jonathan E. Broun
Spouse's occupation & employer: Staff Attorney & Training Director, Center for Death Penalty Litigation
Years lived in Orange County: 17 years and four months
Home phone:919-933-7725
Work phone: 919-807-2172
Cell phone:919-357-3647
Email: email@example.com
1, What are the three most important issues facing Orange County? If elected, what are your top three priorities in addressing those issues?
1. Sustainable Economic Development
2. Making sure our community is affordable for all
3. Adequate public facilities, including libraries, quality schools, and recreation facilities for all of county residents
The three top priorities in addressing the sustainable economic development are:
1. Creating a welcoming economic development and entrepreneurial climate that attracts a diversity of size and type of retail and commercial businesses that create jobs;
2. Providing technical business assistance services for new and existing businesses, maintaining a robust revolving loan fund, and providing the physical infrastructure such as water, sewer, and fiber optics so that current businesses can flourish or expand and new businesses will want to relocate to Orange County;
3. Identifying areas where Orange County government can collaborate with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to capture the spin-offs from the university and Carolina North, and other public-private partnerships to create businesses and jobs;
The three top priorities in making sure our community is affordable for all are:
1. Reduce the reliance on the residential property tax by increasing the commercial tax base and creating more jobs located in the county.
2. Examine county government to determine if there exist any inefficiency and where the County can reduce expenditures.
3. Create new policies that produce affordable housing for all income levels.
The three top priorities in making sure there are adequate public facilities, including quality schools, libraries, and recreation facilities for all county residents are:
1. A robust and healthy economic development program that provides the commercial tax base to pay for libraries, quality schools, and recreation facilities in all of Orange County.
2. The maintenance of the library and school funds to pay for the construction of a southwest branch of the Orange County library and for future repairs to older schools and construction of new schools.
3. A plan to maintain the existing recreation facilities and to identify the areas that need either new construction or renovation of old facilities.
2. What in your record as a public official or other experience demonstrates your ability to be effective on the Orange County Board of Commissioners? This might include career or community service; be specific about its relevance to this office.
I consider myself a public servant, not a politician. My service to the community has been wide-ranging and diverse. I have acquired a unique set of skills and experiences that demonstrate my effective public service.
Member of the Carrboro Town Board for almost eleven years
Assistant public defender for Orange and Chatham counties
Assistant general counsel, Self-Help, a community development bank
Former Chair of the local NAACP chapter Education committee
Board member, Orange County Water and Sewer Authority ("OWASA")
These positions have provided me with the experience of working with people of different socioeconomic and educational backgrounds. Those working and community experiences have also given me the experience of resolving disputes and assisting in the operation of large organizations and be able to determine what has been successful in the past in the area of human services.
Additionally, the position at Self-Help gave me exposure to what it takes for businesses to succeed and as an OWASA board member I have knowledge with regards to the provision of a critical part of sustainable economic development, water and sewer. Such experiences make me uniquely qualified to help County navigate the challenges of increasing the commercial tax base by promoting sustainable economic development and to support our current businesses, including agriculture; maintaining our environmental stewardship; and to insure that the County maintains quality education.
3. How do you define yourself politically and how does your political philosophy show itself in your past achievements and present campaign platform?
I define myself politically as a progressive.
My past political achievements include insuring that the Town of Carrboro has a workable capitol improvements policy that resulted in the building of the new fire station and the purchase of two parks: Martin Luther King Park and the Adams Tract property.
I believe in practical solutions to real problems as illustrated by advocacy of and the passage of the changes in the downtown zoning to help Carrboro develop both commercial and retail space. For example, the 301 West Main Street project and other downtown developments are direct result of the policy of doubling the commercial square footage in Carrboro so that we can alleviate the burden on the residential taxpayer. Additionally, I have led the Board in scrutinizing the budget to keep tax increases to a minimum, holding the line on tax rates in these difficult times; and to be aware of those least able to pay while ensuring essential services.
Government should provide an equal opportunity to everyone so that they can thrive, not just survive in the county. I believe in setting high goals and measuring where an organization or individual is so that goals can be met. I promote the gathering of citizen input to insure that everyone has the opportunity to present their point of view to decision makers. I support the idea that government should be able to provide for the needs of those who cannot help themselves. I believe that education is one of the four most important functions that government performs. I believe that government should provide access to quality education to all citizens, including access for adults for retraining to obtain higher paying and higher quality jobs.
4. Provide a candid assessment of the county's waste transfer site location process, what went well, what didn't and what can be learned from the debate? Do you agree with shipping trash to Durham? How ultimately should Orange County dispose of its trash?
I acknowledge that dealing with solid waste is a difficult problem that the county has struggled with for years. Locating a waste transfer station is only the most recent manifestation. The county has done a good job on reducing some materials going to the landfill with the highest recycling rate in the state. It has, however, badly bungled the search for solutions for the rest. From promises made and broken about the current landfill, the search for a new landfill, and the search for a waste transfer site, the county has been too little, too late, and too indecisive.
The best thing about the most recent process is that, it finally eliminated sites near the Eubanks Road facility and Rogers/Eubanks community. The worst thing is that it has been reactive and has not produced a clear vision or practical solutions. The commissioners adopted a process and set criteria, and then they could not decide whether to abandon them or not in the midst of the existing, landfill fast approaching the closure date.
We need a serious commitment to further waste reduction and a plan for what to do with the remainder. Discussions regarding a waste transfer station were disjointed because there was no clear determination of the community will other than not locating a transfer station in particular areas.
What Orange County learns from the debate is if we portray ourselves to be environmentally progressive, then we are going to need another solution to waste disposal. We need a community discussion for both short term and long-term decisions. First, for the short term, how feasible is it to continue to send the waste to Durham or some other facility given the increase in transportation costs. Second, I think the County should seriously investigate are there any existing technologies or policies that will reduce the amount of waste that is generated by food disposal, packaging and construction waste materials. Similarly, the County should explore whether it is feasible to use current or future technologies to transform the County's waste to energy.
For the long term, we need to determine whether it is feasible or desirable to site a transfer station in the county or if we are going to export our waste. In either case, is the community willing to adopt policies and practices that would substantially reduce the amount of waste that is going to landfills and transfer stations? Such policies could include the separation of food from the waste stream for composting and limiting certain packaging to that which is recyclable. If we decide to keep all waste within the county, then where is it going to go and how do you compensate a community that becomes the new landfill neighbor? These kinds of decisions can only be made if the County embarks on a structured gathering of input and then comes to a final decision. If the community decides to send its waste out of county or if it remains in the county, it should avoid at all costs that, our garbage arrives and remains in an area with a substantial minority population or less affluent community.
I have considerable experience in helping with such conversations, gathering and sorting information, and forging consensus.
5. The county is culling, combining, and eliminating some of its advisory boards and commissions because of overlap and inaction. What types of advisory boards and committees are productive and useful to the board? Which boards should be eliminated? How will you work with these groups in office?
First, the Board needs to retain those Boards that are statutorily required, such as the Planning Board. Second, the Commissioners should determine that there are some subject matter boards where the issues and need for attention are ongoing, for example Economic Development Board, JOCCA, Parks and Recreation, and the Commission on the Environment,
The criteria for eliminating an advisory board should be whether or not the advisory board meets the needs of the citizens and if it has been effective. Then, the Board should determine what the priorities are for the County, communicate with clarity those goals to the remaining advisory boards and communicate the expectations for each advisory board.
6. What is your position on library services in Orange County? To what extent should the county pay for the Chapel Hill Public Library and how much money can the county reasonably afford to commit to this effort?
First, I think that the County should increase its support for all library services. The funding for library services over the past 20 years has been inadequate. In the long term there needs to be a unified system; in the short term, the Board should: 1) increase support to the Chapel Hill Public Library; 2)maintain the set aside funds for the construction and operation of a Southwest branch of the Orange County Library 3) increase operating hours at the Main Branch located in Hillsborough, the Cedar Grove branch, and the Carrboro branch of the Orange County Library system, particularly Sunday and evening hours.
7. Do you support the half cent regional rail tax? How do you envision regional rail working for Orange County. Where will it connect? When and how?
I do support the half cent regional rail tax; however, I think we should wait to hold that referendum when the economy has improved. I envision regional rail working for Orange County in the following manner: 1) first, that there is a connection from the southern portion of the county to both Durham and connections and to Raleigh. Ideally, it should connect near the greatest population or work centers, i.e. UNC-Chapel Hill and Carolina North. There also should be a connection from Hillsborough to Durham given the number of northern Orange county residents who work in Durham. Finally, there should be a connection from Hillsborough to Chapel Hill. All of these routes would alleviate the number of vehicle miles driven and thus improve air quality and reduce pollution.
8. As a commissioner, how will you provide effective oversight of the many county departments, sheriff's office, etc. while in office?
First, the Board of Commissioners instruct the county manager to examine each budget and operations to determine if there exist any inefficiencies and if more than one department is currently offering the same service. Then, when reviewing any budget during the budget season, commissioners must examine whether the expenditures match the priorities and missions previously identified by the community and the Board. Once, Commissioners with the assistance of the community have identified the greatest priorities, and then the funding is allocated in that fashion.
9. The Independent's mission is to help build a just community in the Triangle. How would your election to office help further that goal?
My election to office would mean that the citizens of Orange County would know exactly why certain decisions were made and how the Board came to those decisions. There would be transparency not just in word, but also in action. There would be an emphasis on insuring that everyone had several opportunities to provide input on an issue. Finally, there would be an emphasis on taking the initiative to obtain that input in various forms such as forums, surveys, and community meetings.
10. Identify a principled stand you would be willing to take if elected, even if it cost you popularity points with voters.
During these constrained economic times, I would be willing to postpone some other funding priorities, such as land purchases to insure that education and human services needs are met.
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