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Sharon Salomon ENVIRONMENTAL NUTRITION NEWSLETTER
The food choices you make every day can impact your frame of mind. Research shows that there are many variables associated with diet and mood, including the way in which dietary patterns, specific foods, and nutrients can impact your brain and mood.There's plenty of evidence to suggest that the typical American diet of salty, sugary and fatty foods may be partly responsible for depressive disorders afflicting an estimated 9 percent of the U.S. population, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Food-mood connection A growing body of evidence links eating patterns with an increased risk for depression. Boost your mood with these food choices: 1. Whole foods versus processed foods dietary pattern. Researchers reported in the British Journal of Psychiatry in 2009 that a processed foods dietary pattern -- one that's rich in processed meat, chocolates, sweet desserts, fried food, refined cereals and high-fat dairy -- is a risk factor for depression in middle-aged people, compared with a whole foods pattern rich in fruits, vegetables and fish. These results match those from a 2010 study also published in British Journal of Psychiatry, which concluded that a dietary pattern characterized by vegetables, fruit, meat, fish and whole grains was associated with lower odds for major depression than the typical Western diet of processed or fried foods, refined grains and sugary products. 2. Anti-inflammatory eating. We already know that diets high in processed foods and low in plant foods, which promote chronic, low grade inflammation, are implicated as a contributing factor in heart disease. Now, researchers are exploring how this diet also impacts depression. Scientists from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center reported in the November 2011 Journal of Rheumatology that compelling evidence suggests inflammation contributes to the development of depression. Many depressed people have higher levels of inflammation in their bodies, which appears to promote depression through many biological pathways. In a 2004 study published in Archives of Internal Medicine, scientists concluded that major depression is strongly associated with c-reactive protein (CRP), a biomarker of levels of inflammation in the body that is linked to promotion of chronic disease, such as heart disease. This could help to explain the association between cardiovascular disease and depression. However, any dietary pattern that includes fruits, vegetables and omega-3 fatty acids could protect against both heart disease, depression, and even obesity, cancer, diabetes and other health problems related to inflammation. Adherence to a traditional Mediterranean diet, which includes fruits, vegetables, nuts, cereals, legumes, fish, and olive oil, has also been shown to be protective against depression. This diet provides abundant phytochemicals, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, B vitamins and antioxidants -- all of which are considered to be anti- inflammatory. 3. "Feel good" brain chemicals boosted with balanced diet. Research has shown that people who are depressed may have low levels of positive neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) like serotonin and dopamine, which are often referred to as "feel good" brain chemicals. In fact, many medications used to treat depression specifically target raising serotonin. "Serotonin is the neurotransmitter most directly linked to depression, although other neurotransmitters, like dopamine, can make people feel good. Serotonin is the relaxing and calming neurotransmitter, whereas dopamine is the energetic 'feel good' neurotransmitter," says Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D., author of "Food and Mood: The Complete Guide to Eating Well and Feeling Your Best." It follows that maximizing serotonin levels is a good thing to do. The brain uses the amino acid tryptophan to make serotonin. Although tryptophan is widely distributed in protein-rich foods, such as meat, poultry and fish, other amino acids in those foods interfere with the entry of tryptophan into the brain which results in the brain's inability to make adequate serotonin. That's where eating a balanced diet comes in. However, eating carbohydrate foods such as grains, fruits, legumes and starchy vegetables along with protein foods, enables tryptophan to get into the brain. When you eat carbohydrates, your body digests and absorbs them and blood glucose levels rise. In response, insulin levels rise, which ushers glucose from your blood into your body's tissues, and also moves some of the competing amino acids from the blood into muscle tissue. This mechanism helps open a passage for tryptophan to enter the brain and be converted to serotonin. As with so many other disease states, it's not about focusing on specific nutrients, it's about focusing on a well-balanced diet of nourishing, whole foods. Drew Ramsey, M.D., co-author of "The Happiness Diet," says, "You don't have to eat just to boost serotonin. A well-nourished brain will usually take care of itself." Susan Kleiner, Ph.D., R.D., author of "The Good Mood Diet," says, "The links between what we don't eat and what we do eat are very strong for depression; nurturing your body with the right fuel can help to heal it. People who never eat well think that's as good as they can feel, until they make the necessary dietary changes and realize how good they can feel." Foods to beat depression Which foods should you eat every day to boost your mood? EN spoke with leading nutrition and psychology experts to get the scoop on important brain-fuel foods: Wild salmon, oatmeal, edamame, lentils, chickpeas, spinach, skim milk, ground flaxseeds and blackberries -- Joy Bauer, M.S., R.D., author and Health and Wellness expert for the "Today" show. Shrimp, cherry tomatoes, watermelon, chile peppers, beets, garlic and eggs -- Drew Ramsey, M.D., practicing psychiatrist and coauthor of "The Happiness Diet." Green leafy vegetables, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds -- Susan Biali, M.D., B.Sc., author of "Live the Life You Love." Fat-free milk, eggs, bananas, beans, broccoli, cocoa powder and olive oil -- Susan Kleiner, Ph.D., R.D., author of "The Good Mood Diet." Whole foods, lots of fruits and vegetables, keep caffeine and alcohol to a minimum, and fish at least three times a week -- Hyla Cass, M.D., co-author of "Natural High."
© 2012 Buffalo News. via ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved


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Henrietta Davis Hall was my paternal Great Great Grandmother. She has been the one ancestor who continues to call to me and seems to insist on my learning her story. I have felt compelled to do that since the first day I started to research my family history.
|Memorial Congregational Church
Sudbury, MA
The day with Rick, however, opened up a way for me to discover family history, something I had always had a thirst for. I loved the stories my Grandmother Hall told me about her upbringing in New York City and about her father, the NYC policeman who died young and her larger than life flapper-era sisters, some of whom I knew. I so loved their visits from the big city when I was little.
My Grandmother Waters' told stories about her mother, widowed in her 30s raising 4 children alone and the emotional and financial setbacks the family endured. My Grandfather Waters talked about his ancestral connection to Bonnie Prince Charlie and his Scottish heritage. My Grandfather Hall talked about his Derby Line, VT ancestors and that we were related to the Ames families and the Goodnow families of Sudbury, MA, both old names in that town where I grew up.
I had all these bits of information and I wanted to know more and to confirm what I had been told. You can't grow up in a town settled 150 years before the American Revolution and not want to know more about your roots. It's all around. My Grandfather, for a time, was the town historian and I just loved the stories about the town's history. They all seemed so personal to me. I felt as if I knew the people in those stories. And, some of them may well have been my ancestors and I wanted to get to know them.
So, Rick and I went in to Boston one chilly winter day on the T from Franklin. I had a little bit of information about several people from all of my lines, but no dates earlier than grandparents, really.
Some information was just written on the back of a piece of office stationery in my Grandfather's hand, but it gave us some helpful clues.
|Click on the photos to enlarge
Rick and I talked on the train ride into town about what information I did have and he came up with a plan to get started. The library, just a short walk from the T Station, is an eight story stone building. Although not in this particular building at first, the library first began in 1845 and is the oldest genealogical library in the country. Many US Presidents and other noted Americans like Daniel Webster and David McCulloch, Henry Gates and Charlton Heston have been elected to its board. But you can read all about that if you go to their link. NEHGS Click here to go there.
So, Rick brought me to an upper floor where the census records were kept. He taught me a little about the Soundex, a way to abbreviate the millions of names out there, the first step in narrowing our search. In this large room there were probably twenty or so microfilm viewing machines in carrels and large volumes of books and file drawers everywhere. People were scattered sitting around tables, in the carrels or standing at the file cabinets or bookshelves. Most of the items now online hadn't been digitized yet back then, so paper or microfilm was the way the records were stored.
As I looked around at the people all engrossed in their work, I felt this surge of adrenalin, this sense of urgency. It was similar to the way I sometimes feel when I arrive at the movies and there's a long line. I feel this weird competitiveness welling up in me, fearing that someone getting in sooner will get the better seat, or maybe the last ticket. Seeing these people dig through these books and files and microfilm made me feel like I better get in there and find something out because time was running out! I just wanted to push everyone out of the way and FIND MY ANCESTORS!
During that first day at the library with Rick, although we were there for at least 8 hours, and only broke for lunch because we promised to meet our friend Kitty at a nearby restaurant, the time flew by. We were very successful, though.
|1900 Census Jessie Willett
|Leslie C. Hall, my Grandfather
And also in the 1900 census we found Jessie's husband-to-be and my Grandfather Leslie C. Hall, in his home on 88th Street in Manhattan, 7 months old, living with his mother, whom I knew as Lady May and his father Leslie J. Hall. Seeing my Grandparents names and ages was an emotional discovery and I was hooked.
Lady May Budd and Leslie J Hall
My Great Grandparents
|Samuel Atkinson Budd
In a document I have in my files that was written in 1915 by my Great Grandmother's brother in law, my Great Great Grandfather Samuel Atkinson Budd ( Lady May's father) when he asked about his service during the Civil War, responded that he "prefers the quick dash of the cavalry over the plodding of the infantry." Like Great Great Grampa Samuel, I would prefer it if researching was a flurry of discoveries one after the other. In truth, I soon learned that researching one's family history requires patience, perseverance and hours and hours of plodding through records to get the job done.
Fortunately, I was blessed with a lot of patience and perseverance, at least for research. The "hunt" has become as exciting as the discovery, in some ways. I think it's the accountant in me. I love the detective work to find that error, sometimes just one penny, that will make things balance at the end. Finding that one little fact, which could be brand new or it could either confirm or disprove something I suspected can lead to all sorts of interesting discoveries.
Albert's wife was Henrietta and she was 31 years old and born in Massachusetts and in the home we find Albert's mother at age 70, my Great Grandfather Leslie J age 7, his sister Lillian age 9 and Hattie, the youngest daughter at just 4 months old. We then went looking for Albert in the 1900 census. We found him but no longer in Vermont. During that 20 year period, he had moved from the sloping hills and fertile farmlands of Vermont to New York City. Little Hattie was there with him but he had a new wife named Jennie, who he had just married a year earlier in 1899. What happened to Henrietta?
And so began the hunt. I felt as if I had no choice but to find the answer to that question. I had developed some sort of affinity for this young woman, my grandfather's grandmother, who nobody had ever mentioned to me. That's another part of the mystery: Why hadn't I ever heard her name before? And where did she come from? So many questions, but the most burning one for me was 'where was she in 1900'?
I will leave the story here for now. I hope you come back to find out more.

subset: commoncrawl


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by Len Lear
10 Arts Bistro & Lounge by Eric Ripert at The Ritz-Carlton in Philadelphia has announced that Jennifer Carroll will leave her position as Chef de Cuisine in October, possibly as early as next week.
"After several highly successful years as Chef de Cuisine at The Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia, Jennifer Carroll has decided to leave the hotel effective Oct. 6, to explore a variety of exciting options open to her," said Olivia C. Brown, general manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia, in a prepared statement.
"Not only has Chef Carroll presided over our very successful 10 Arts restaurant, she has made two appearances on Bravo's Top Chef and developed a popular following among customers and the media. She will participate in the Celebrity Chef Tour Dinner Series, one of only 20 such dinners throughout the country in 2011, on Oct. 5 along with Chef Eric Ripert.
"The Ritz-Carlton has launched a nationwide search for Jen's successor, and we expect the new chef to be on board by early November. We want to thank chef Carroll for the wonderful culinary contribution she has made to The Ritz-Carlton, and we wish her the very best as she pursues the next step in her career."
All of the attention Carroll has received from her appearances on national TV have made her a magnet for investors who see her as a can't-miss chef-owner of a modest-sized restaurant. So far there is apparently no deal in place for such a restaurant, although Jennifer has said it will offer a "middle-of-the-road menu" with no entrees over $26.
Although Jennifer, now in her mid-30s, looks extremely modest and girl-next-doorish in real life, her image is obviously getting an injection of sex appeal. A website called quarrylandfarms.com, of all things, features Jennifer in a bikini, and the Philadelphia Daily News on Tuesday of this week featured her in a "Sexy Singles" feature.
Jennifer grew up in the Somerton section of Northeast Philadelphia but attended Mount St. Joseph High School in Flourtown from 1989 to 1993 along with her sisters (one of whom, Jessica, also graduated from Chestnut Hill College in 1995). Small and thin, she could pass for a college student, but despite her diminutive, seemingly delicate stature, Jennifer is a powerhouse in the highly competitive, macho local restaurant industry.
The deceptively demure and soft-spoken Ms. Carroll, who hardly looks like a drill sergeant, has been the chef in charge of running 10 Arts, the posh restaurant in the palatial lobby of the Ritz Carlton Hotel. This is a job that in the not-too-distant past would have always gone to a man, probably one from western Europe. Professional kitchens have long been a bastion of sexist, intimidating behavior towards women.
"There's certainly still some sexism you face in this job," said Jennifer, who appears to weigh not much more than 100 pounds, in an interview with me before her TV appearances, "but I'm strong, and I stand up for myself. I'm sarcastic. Some women (in this business) do let the boys push them around, but I don't. Sexism doesn't bother me; I can deal with it. I have to work harder and faster to get the job done. If there is something heavy to lift or some other (physically demanding) task, I always say I'll do it."
The lobby of the Ritz Carlton Hotel (right across the street from City Hall), where the new 10 Arts restaurant is situated, is extraordinarily impressive to all but the most jaded observer. (The name of the new restaurant comes from the hotel's address, which is 10 Avenue of the Arts.) Its 16 huge marble columns, made of white-gray marble from the same Tuscan quarries that were used by Michelangelo and other Renaissance sculptors, surround a rotunda which support a 100-foot wide dome that was designed to look like the Pantheon in Rome.
"I realize I am very lucky to work here," said Jennifer. "In fact, it's unbelievable. I know that I will never work in a place like this again in my lifetime."
Although Jennifer grew up in Northeast Philly, her parents insisted that she and her sisters, Jessica and Sunny, attend Mount St. Joseph because "they said that education was very, very important and that Mount St. Joseph had a great reputation."
Jennifer earned top grades at every school she attended, but when she was at "the Mount" in Flourtown, no one could have predicted she would wind up running a restaurant in the Ritz Carlton. "My dad was a steak-and-potatoes guy," she said. "My mom took cooking classes and wanted to be more adventurous, but my dad would have none of it, so our meals were pretty basic — protein, starch and Del Monte canned vegetables."
In addition to her scholastic excellence, Jennifer played on the soccer and lacrosse teams at Mount St. Joseph. "My sisters swam," said Jen, "and we all played piano and tap-danced and did other activities. Our mom (Joan, now 61), was awesome. She was at every one of our sporting events, and she was also a softball coach and soccer coach. She is very proud of me now, and she still calls me every day, and she visits us all a lot."
Jennifer originally planned to go to law school, but after one year at Catholic University and two years at St. Joseph's University-, she realized that her destiny would not be found in law libraries or courtrooms. She informed her mom that she would be dropping out of St. Joe's and enrolling in the Restaurant School of Philadelphia. "She said, 'You're crazy, but you have to follow your heart.'"
"I think that (being a chef) is either in you, or it's not," said Jennifer. "I always loved cooking and experimenting in the kitchen, even when I was a kid, and I worked in a restaurant in Ocean City as a teenager. I always felt I had to be different from anybody else I knew, and I guess now I am."
After graduating from the Restaurant School, Carroll became the first female sous chef at Sonoma in Manayunk. She subsequently worked in other restaurants in Philadelphia and San Francisco before landing at New York City's ultra-chic Le Bernardin. "Everyone starts at the bottom at Le Bernardin," said Jen, "no matter how much experience you may have."
Le Bernardin, run by famed French chef Eric Ripert, is the only restaurant ever to earn the New York Times' highest rating of four stars 10 years in a row. When the Ritz Carlton in Philly asked Ripert to open a restaurant in their spectacular lobby, he selected Jennifer Carroll to run it.
"She has been so good and so energetic," said Michael Walsh, the hotel's general manager. "Thanks to the way Jennifer is running the kitchen, we're getting a great reputation as one of the best restaurants in the city."


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I could only browse through (most of) the posts but no luck commenting, the internet stops working when I try to do that and I have to restart the browser to bring it back in. Highly distressing!! I'm hoping to find the solution to the problem by tomorrow... wish me luck!
Anyway, please put our hands together to this week's winning artists!
Our winner for CSC54 is Betty from her Stamping To The Wright!!
This card is a definition of lusciousness, it's so vibrant it seems to be radiating its own light. On top of that, there's a perfect colouring and shading on the image panel, and the lovely accents like the lush embellished bow and the flourish frame, make it even more special. Thank you for sharing this beauty, Betty!
Our Top 3 winners are:
Jo @ We Don't Do Duvets
Laurie @ Soapbox Creations
Karen @ her 2 Peas gallery
Congratulations, ladies!
Winners, feel free to grab your badges (right click & save onto your computer), and wear them proudly :)
Thank you for having joined us in this very special month! We all had a blast and I'm already looking forward to doing it next year :) We're jumping right into our regular scheduling tomorrow, and with it comes a new talented Muse! I'll see you then ~


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MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – The Georgia College softball team (34-14) enters the 2013 Peach Belt Conference (PBC) Tournament with the highest seed for the program since 2009. The single elimination tournament is hosted by Flagler College in St. Augustine, Fla. and pits the top eight softball teams in the PBC against each other.
The No. 2-seed Bobcats will begin play taking on No. 7-seed Francis Marion University in the first round with the winner facing the winner of the No. 3-seed University of North Georgia and No. 6-seed USC Aiken.
The Bobcats split against Francis Marion at the Peeler Complex earlier this season March 3. GC softball also split against North Georgia March 21. The Bobcats swept Aiken recently, April 10.
The Bobcats have made it to the championship game in the tournament three times, winning in 2008, when they defeated North Georgia 4-3 in nine innings.
As a team, the Bobcats have scored the fifth most runs in the PBC and given up the seventh least.
Freshman Abi LeRoy (Dublin, Ga.) has helped drive the Bobcat offense all season, placing in the top-20 for the PBC in runs, stolen bases, RBI and slugging percentage. She's also been successful in the circle, finishing top-30 in numerous pitching categories, including wins, strikeouts and ERA.
The Bobcats have two freshman and three sophomores in the top-six in at-bats on the year.
Dani Gallucci (Orlando, Fla.) has been a force in the circle, as the senior ranks in the top-15 for the PBC in wins, saves, complete games, innings pitched, strikeouts, ERA and batting average against.
The Bobcats return to the field Saturday, April 20 at 6:300 p.m. when they take on the Patriots of Francis Marion.
The Georgia College Department of Athletics, two-time winners of the PBC Commissioner's Cup, sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' multiple appearances in post-season competition as well as documented academic success and community-service involvement. Sign up at www.twitter.com/BobcatSports and www.facebook.com/gcbobcats for up-to-the-minute reports, and visit www.GCBobcats.com for more information, and to nominate your favorite former Bobcats and Colonials to the GC Athletics Hall of Fame.


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Minor League Baseball Report: July 12
Summer intern Chad Lindskog checking in with a look at how guys with local ties are doing in Minor League Baseball (All stats through July 10) Hitting Cody Stanley (UNCW), C, Cardinals, Springfield Cardinals, Class-AA Texas League: .309 batting average, .363 on-base percentage, .491 slugging percentage, 10 home runs, 27 RBI. Jake Stone (Topsail), 1B, Cardinals, State College Spikes, Class-A Short Season New York-Penn League: .280/.333/.288, 12 RBI, 12 BB, 16 K in 15 games. Saquan Johnson (East Bladen), OF,… Read More »


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It's been a strange week for former Notre Dame football players. From the ridiculously gullible Manti Te'o to the incredibly cynical Tim Brown, a pair of Golden Domers have bookended the spectrum of human trust.
Former Notre Dame football player Justin Tuck addressed one of the situations on Tuesday night.
"Crazy," Tuck said of the Te'o case during a charity event at Madison Square Garden, via ESPNNewYork.com. "You want to reserve your judgment on anything until all the facts are out but it's just a crazy, crazy, crazy thing."
Tuck believes Te'o was duped by the hoax involving a fake dead girlfriend, and it doesn't sound as if Tuck would take a dim view of Te'o for falling for it. "I know Te'o, I helped recruit him and I know that he's one of the nicest guys I ever met in a football uniform," Tuck said. "So I believe him when he says he doesn't have anything do with it. He was just that gullible. And I think he's embarrassed with the fact that he's just that gullible. That lets you know how nice of a guy he is and how genuinely real of a guy he is."
The only problem is his girlfriend wasn't. And while Tuck is willing to regard the cup as half full when it comes to Te'o, other NFL players may be inclined to view him as half fool. Or as a complete one.


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Texas Conduct Surety Bond | Surety Bond
Type of BondTexas Conduct Surety Bond is required by The State Of Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission to comply with the State licensing requirements. Each state has drafted their own Conduct Surety Bond Form, so you will need a different Conduct Surety bond for each state you will be transacting business in.
This may be a problem for other agencies, but not ours. Our Agency is licensed in all 50 States and can handle all Surety Bonds.
Program: Our agency currently has several specialty programs that can help you place your 5000 Texas Conduct Surety Bond.
Texas Conduct Surety bonds are an extension of credit, like a loan your rate will be based upon your credit situation. Most surety agencies will decline your bond submission if you don't have a 700 credit score, but our company is different. We can help you in almost any credit or financial situation. Our rates start at 1% to 3% for most surety bonds. If your credit has taken a beating the rates start at 4% to 25% .
Always check with the State Of Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission "Obligee" for details
Our application process for a 5000 Conduct Surety bond is easy. You can either apply online or fill out a pdf application at your leisure.
The Texas Conduct Surety Bond amount is currently set at 5000.
Obligee InformationAn obligee is the entity that is requiring you to have the Conduct Surety bond.
For your convenience you can view a sample copy of the Texas Conduct Surety Bond Form
Obligee address:Obligee: State Of Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission Street: Po Box 13127 State: TX Zip: 78711
|Surety Bond
|Bond Amount
|Bond Form
|More info
|Conduct Surety Bond
|State Of Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission
|Texas Conduct Surety Bond Form
|Texas Conduct Surety Bond


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Category: Gardening
85 Posts
85 Posts
All about my garden and garden related things
For plant lovers
Connecting People to Nature, Empowering People to Live Sustainably
The trials and tribulations of a professional plant propagator.
Using gardening to manage major depression
The sensory pleasures and earthy delights of gardening.
When finding your dream house isn't just happy ever after
Pesticide free plants grown in Boyle
a new garden in progress
Propagating plants from cuttings, divisions, seed, and whatever else. Occasionally featuring gardening and permaculture oriented landscaping.
Mark and Abbie Jury
Writer, gardener, TV presenter
My plant obsession
News and views from a Gloucestershire gardener.
Pottering around my Devon Cottage Garden
Because a community is more than just people
Gardens, Nature, Pictures, ... discover, learn and share


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How we did it:
For any feedback, any questions, any notes or just for chat - feel free to follow us on social networks
Jon Duckett
Presents information on using HTML and CSS to create Web pages, covering such topics as lists, links, images, tables, forms, color, layout, and video and audio.
Brad Broulik
You need to build an app, and you need it to run everywhere. And you need it now! jQuery Mobile gives you the ability to write once and run everywhere using jQuery and jQuery UI. Pro jQuery Mobile will teach you how to create themable, responsive, native-looking applications for iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Blackberry, and more. Discover what sets jQuery Mobile apart from other mobile web development platforms Walk through practical examples of jQuery Mobile features, including design elements and event handling Dig into the jQuery API, integrate web services, and learn how to publish to app stores with Phone Gap jQuery Mobile is a framework for delivering cross-platform mobile web applications with a unified interface. jQuery Mobile combines responsive layouts with progressive enhancement to render the best possible user experience from a single code base. With Pro jQuery Mobile, you'll be creating amazing mobile apps in no time. What you'll learn Unique features of jQuery Mobile jQuery Mobile core features, including page structure, navigation, and form elements The entire jQuery Mobile API, including data attributes, methods, and events How to apply jQuery Mobile to specific cases, including iOS and Android apps How to publish your apps to app stores via PhoneGap Integrating web services and Google Maps into your jQuery Mobile apps Who this book is for Mobile developers who want to master jQuery Mobile and build cross-platform mobile web applications from a single code base. Table of Contents Why jQuery Mobile? Getting Started with jQuery Mobile Navigating with Toolbars Form Elements and Buttons Presenting Lists of Information Formatting Content with Grids and CSS Creating Themable Designs jQuery Mobile API Working Effectively with Services Distributing jQuery Mobile Natively with PhoneGap Finding Your Way with Google Maps


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With the backdrop of yet another Republican Governor – this time New Jersey's Chris Christie – announcing this afternoon that yet another GOP-led state would take the federal money available under Obamacare to extend health coverage to more poor people under Medicaid, I watched our NC Senate and House soundly reject that same federal money this afternoon.
I imagine our own new Republican Governor, Pat McCrory, is going to be staring morosely into his cereal bowl tomorrow morning while wishing his fellow Republican chief executives weren't making him look quite so bad. After all, if eight states led by Republicans can manage to figure out how to accept billions of dollars from the federal government to expand health coverage for poor people, it is a question as to why North Carolina can't seem to get its act together. Every week North Carolina appears to be joining a smaller and seedier club, a group of states so craven as willing to sacrifice the health of millions of their own poorest citizens on the twin altars of political ambition and just plain contempt for people who make under $15,000 a year.
Really, how much more will it take? It seems likely to me that Tennessee will take the federal dollars for Medicaid too. That would leave us sandwiched in proudly with Georgia and, gulp, South Carolina, a state we used to point to as a poor second fiddle to the forward-thinking Tarheel state, but to whom we seem to be rushing to resemble as quickly as possible.
Every day, every new Republican Governor that accepts the federal money, every new media story with whatever new incomprehensible reason our political leaders can come up with to leave our poor without health coverage – these all just make me more and more convinced that Governor McCrory, Speaker Thom Tillis and Senate leader Phil Berger have tickled the alligator just one scratch too far. Sure, Berger is already trying to raise money off his opposition to Obamacare, and McCrory just seems to be trying to make the best out of a decision he was forced by Tillis and Berger to make, but not expanding coverage in the current environment just makes NC Republicans look pretty extreme.
I got a sense of this in the debates in the NC House and Senate this afternoon. Democrats like Senator Josh Stein dominated the discussion. Republicans left their craziest and most disproven arguments at home and most were very, very quiet. I didn't interpret this as strategy on a final vote, but rather as dread. They knew they were too far committed to vote against this crazy train, but as more and more of their fellow Republicans in other states are making the opposite decision before their very eyes, the thought of having to justify rejection of all these billions of dollars and, fundamentally, life itself to the folks back home was no doubt a sobering thought.


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Due to hit Android and iOS October 3
It's been some time since we heard any talk about Puzzle Quest, the "match-3" game with RPG mechanics, but a new edition of the game is suddenly upon us. Marvel Puzzle Quest: Dark Reign will release Thursday, October 3 for Android and iOS devices.
The product description, as found on the game's newly minted Facebook page, is a bit sparse. Players will be able to build a roster of Marvel Universe characters and the gameplay is described as "tag-team" in nature. It seems safe to assume this would mean something along the lines of producing combos using the special abilities of Marvel Heroes.
There is an interesting twist in the development of the game, however. While the series has always been published by D3 Publisher, Infinity Interactive (developer behind all prior installments of the Puzzle Quest franchise) has been replaced by Boston-based Demiurge Studios (Shoot Many Robots). That's enough to pique my curiosity enough to give it a try, as a change of developer could breathe some fresh air into a series which hasn't captured my heart since the original.
About Marvel Puzzle Quest [Facebook]
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Justin Timberlake Drinks a Whole Lotta Tequila + Plays Mini-Golf on 'Jonathan Ross' [VIDEO]
To further advance his plans for world domination, Justin Timberlake appeared on the British talk show 'The Jonathan Ross Show.' And when talk turned to 901, JT's new brand of tequila (yeah, he has one of those now, named after the area code in his hometown of Memphis), Ross opened the bottle and they downed two shots.
Then he challenged the singer to three rounds of mini-golf. And the drinking didn't stop there.
Let's just say that Justin can certainly handle his liquor, but five shots in a 10-minute period is enough for any one person, even one who's besties with Jay-Z and owns his own tequileria.
No, we didn't match JT shot-for-shot and make up words -- tequilerias are real things. In Mexico.
Check out the whole video to see Justin's attempts at imitating Michael Caine, trying not to blink, making ridiculous toasts and completely failing at mini-golf.


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padrelife necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 438 diseños de 116 diseñadores freelance.
Cure Couture
We are a clothing company who's not only the cure to common fashion, we also give 50% of our net profits to finding cures for terminal diseases. when you buy our products you can officially wear your heart on your sleeve. Styles and Fads grow old, but saving lives will always be in style.
Anyone and everyone who cares for more than themselves. The colors need to appeal to men AND women. many of the pastels aren't exactly things would wear in fashion and it limits the scope of the brand. The mark should be able to look good in black and white.
Marks I like:
Go for extremely luxurious form a high-end fashion designer.
We want a simple design that will be immediately recognized as the symbol for a clothing line, but more importantly, a movement to support.
The logo will most often appear on the sleeve. We feel it is important to have it more horizontal than vertical.
We would like it to stand alone without a tagline, as well as, having a variant with the tagline, "Fashion for Heroes."
This is also something that will need to be able to appear over different color backgrounds.
I'm a fan of minimalistic design with a touch of sophistication and class. When it come to fashion, my favorite designer is Louis Vuitton.
This brand will go on classy clothing. Imagine it on golf polos, and screen printed on the inside of the shirt where the tag goes.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Science Friday® is produced by the Science Friday Initiative, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Science Friday® and SciFri® are registered service marks of Science Friday, Inc. Site design by Pentagram; engineering by Mediapolis.
A day at the shore can leave beachgoers with more than a sunburn—a gulp of seawater can expose swimmers to disease-causing microbes like norovirus, salmonella, and adenovirus. Marine scientist Rachel Noble and environmental medicine researcher Samuel Dorevitch discuss the risk, and what's being done to limit swimmers' exposure.


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Bruce Springsteen Rocks 'Late Night With Jimmy Fallon'
"Bruce Springsteen Week" on NBC's 'Late Night with Jimmy Fallon' concluded on Friday (March 2) with Springsteen performing three songs, two from his upcoming album, 'Wrecking Ball,' and a third from deep in the Springsteen archives that turned Studio 6B at 30 Rock into a joyous house party.
When Springsteen appeared on 'Late Night' in 2010 to promote the 'Darkness on the Edge of Town' box set, Fallon, as Neil Young, and Springsteen, dressed as a mid-1970s version of himself. The duo reprised the act in the show's opening, but with a few variations. This time Springsteen appeared in full 'Born in the U.S.A.'-era regalia, complete sleeveless denim vest, red bandana and shades. And instead of Willow Smith's 'Whip My Hair,' the pair sang LMFAO's 'Sexy and I Know it.'
After the first commercial break, Fallon brought out Springsteen for a chat. They began with a look at Bruce's outfits over the years, with Springsteen admitting, "There was a time when the entire band dressed as pimps" and telling a story about how he and guitarist Steve Van Zandt were kicked out of Disneyland because they refused to remove their bandanas.
Following the second segment, in which Springsteen discussed his legendary concerts and the story of how the crowd singing the first verse of 'Hungry Heart' became tradition, Springsteen stopped talking and began singing. We got our first look at the new incarnation of the E Street Band, complete with a 5-piece horn section, with a blistering rendition of 'Death to My Hometown,' tearing through the Celtic-influenced rocker with a passion the Dropkick Murphys could only envy.
Guitarist Tom Morello, of Rage Against The Machine and formerly of Audioslave, who played guitar on two songs on 'Wrecking Ball,' sat in with the band all night and contributed searing leads 'Death to My Hometown' and the second song, the gorgeous 'Jack of All Trades.'
As if the E Street Band wasn't already looking to become the third-most populous city in New Jersey, for the closer the Roots joined in for a roof-raising take on 'The E Street Shuffle' the opening cut off Springsteen's 1974 album, 'The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle.' Fallon was seen banging away on a cowbell, clearly having the time of his life, and bringing the total number of musicians onstage to 24, including – seriously – 2 tubas. The coda has to be seen to be believed. Fortunately, we have the video below.
Hang on for Dear Life as Bruce Springsteen, the E Street Band, Tom Morello, the Roots and Jimmy Fallon Perform 'The E Street Shuffle'
Watch Jimmy Fallon as Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen as Bruce Springsteen (circa 1984)
Sing LMFAO's 'Sexy and I Know It'
Watch Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Perform 'Death to My Hometown'
Watch Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Sing 'Jack of All Trades'


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When is the last day to drop a class?
Last day to drop a course and receive a full refund is the 18th day of the semester. The last day to drop a course (no refund) with no grade reported is the middle of the semester. The specific dates can be found on the MSU Schedule of Courses (click on the section number).


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College of Bible & Ministry
Lipscomb was founded in 1891 as a place where students could grow their knowledge and their faith. That remains just as true today. And the College of Bible & Ministry is one of our most important guides as we explore, understand, and express our commitment to God every day.


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If you are anxious to get off the couch and take to the outdoors to ski, snowboard or ice skate, there is certainly no shortage of opportunities to do so in Pennsylvania. For those with disabilities, there also are a variety of local venues where children and adults can learn a new winter sport.
Are you already missing the excitement of the Winter Olympic Games? There's more action to come, as the Paralympic Games get underway in Sochi on March 7.
If you have seen South Africa's Oscar Pistorius, a double amputee, run at the Olympics, you know that people with disabilities are among the world's best athletes. Those athletes will take center stage in London when the Paralympics begin on August 29. We're not sure Queen Elizabeth II will parachute from the skies, but she will attend the opening ceremony.
This is a great time of year for all people, including those with disabilities, to enjoy the great outdoors or to participate in indoor sports.
Recently, I had the honor of serving as chief classifer for adaptive rowing at the World Rowing Championships, held on beautiful Lake Bled in Slovenia. The competition included five adaptive rowing events, four of which were qualification events for the Paralympics. One of the great things about most rowing competitions is that the adaptive rowing events are included with the "able-bodied" events. Most other sports hold separate adaptive and able-bodied world championship competitions.
Imagine feeling the spray of water in your face as you kayak down a roaring river, or feeling the wind whip against your skin as you ski down a snow-covered mountain. Sports, such as kayaking, skiing, basketball or cycling, bring great joy to many people's lives. People living with disabilities, such as paralysis or amputation, are no different.


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Wedding Season: What You'll Spend to Attend
Wedding Season: What You'll Spend to Attend
69 Million Americans to attend at least one wedding this year; Expect to spend $539 per wedding, up 59% from 2012
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Sixty-nine million Americans will attend one or more weddings this year, and they expect to spend 59% more than last year, according to the latest American Express Spending & Saving Tracker. Guests are anticipating a cost of $539 per wedding, and most of that budget will go towards travel ($167), treating themselves to some new apparel and accessories ($161), and the couple's wedding gift ($108).
Infographic:Average Cost of a Wedding
Gifting: Registry vs. Cash
Wedding guests say they'll spend an average of $108 on gifts, up 15% from 2012. Not all gifts are created equal, however, and consumers will weigh factors like relationship to the bride or groom (45%) and budget at the time of the wedding (33%) before deciding how much to spend. For close family members, the average cost for a gift shoots up to $179, while co-workers will only reap $66 on average.
Thirty-five percent of guests prefer to purchase gifts from the couple's registry, while another 32% will give cash, and 14% will give gift cards. Although most Americans prefer to choose a gift from the registry, the majority of consumers(52%) say they'd actually prefer to receive cash (52%) if receiving a wedding gift.
Shorten it and Wear it Again?
Following "will you marry me?," couples pop another important question - "will you be a bridesmaid/groomsmen?" For those who answer yes, they can expect to spend an average of $577, up from $377 in 2012, on everything from pre-wedding festivities to gifts and wedding party attire.
But what really happens to the bridesmaid gowns post-nuptials? Only about a third (34%)of former bridesmaids have or plan to wear the dress a second time. Slightly more (38%) have or plan to give away their dresses, either to a second hand store (31%) or to a friend or family member (7%).
Brides Simplify and DIY
When it comes to prioritizing the wedding budget, 67% of Americans agree the food, followed by the reception venue (56%), cake (55%), wedding dress (55%) and entertainment (55%) are most important to invest in to create the ultimate wedding experience.
With budgets in mind, 36% of married couples say they opted to pare down or even eliminate the reception itself. Others cut costs by foregoing a wedding planner (32%), selecting a less expensive venue (27%), cutting down the guest list (24%), selecting less expensive stationery (23%) or downgrading the décor (19%).
Seventy percent of married couples said they got crafty and opted for a DIY approach to save on wedding costs:
- 24% assembled their own guest favors
- 19% created their own centerpieces
- 18% designed and printed their own invitations or save the date cards
- 17% opted for a homemade wedding album
- 12% ditched the DJ in favor of a homemade playlist
A few brave brides made their own wedding dress (6%) or baked and decorated their own cake (6%).
The American Express Spending & Saving Tracker research on the average cost of a wedding was completed online among a random sample of 1,518 adults, including the general U.S. population, an affluent demographic, defined by a minimum annual household income of $100,000, and homeowners . Interviewing was conducted by Echo Research between February 27 and March 1, 2013. These findings have a margin of error of ± 2.5 (total respondents) percentage points at the 95% level of confidence.
About American Express
American Express is a global services company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at americanexpress.com and connect with us on facebook.com/americanexpress, foursquare.com/americanexpress, linkedin.com/companies/american-express, twitter.com/americanexpress, and youtube.com/americanexpress.
Key links to products and services: charge and credit cards, business credit cards, travel services, gift cards, prepaid cards, merchant services, business travel, and corporate card.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available:http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20130429006235/en/
American Express
Melanie Backs, 212-640-2164
KEYWORDS: United States North America New York
The article Wedding Season: What You'll Spend to Attend originally appeared on Fool.com.Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright © 1995 - 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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AS45634 10 Science Park Road
Whois Details
inetnum: 22.214.171.124 - 188.8.131.52 netname: SPARKSTATION-AS-AP descr: Sparkstation Pte Ltd descr: 10 Science Park Road descr: #02-09, The Alpha descr: Singapore Science Park 2 country: SG org: ORG-SPL22-AP admin-c: SPL4-AP tech-c: SPL4-AP mnt-by: APNIC-HM mnt-lower: MAINT-SPARKSTATION-SG mnt-routes: MAINT-SPARKSTATION-SG status: ALLOCATED PORTABLE remarks: -------------------------------------------------------- remarks: To report network abuse, please contact mnt-irt remarks: For troubleshooting, please contact tech-c and admin-c remarks: Report invalid contact via www.apnic.net/invalidcontact remarks: -------------------------------------------------------- last-modified: 2017-10-11T13:05:35Z source: APNIC mnt-irt: IRT-SPARKSTATION-SG
IP address subranges within this IP range
IP address ranges, or netblocks, are groups of related IP addresses. They are usually represented as a base IP address, followed by a slash, and then a netmask which represents how many IP addresses are contained within the netblock. This format is known as CIDR. You'll also sometimes see netblocks given as a start ip address, and an end ip address, or an ip address range.
Traffic works its way around the internet based on the routing table, which contains a list of networks and their associated netblocks.


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North Eastern Hill University Engineering Exam Results 2019, North Eastern Hill University NEHU Latest Results Engineering, NEHU Engineering Exam Results 2019: Students,North Eastern Hill University conducted its examination for various courses of Undergraduate (UG) and Postgraduate (PG) like BE, BA, BCom, BSc, Engineering, MA, Mcom, MSc, MBA, MCA, BBA, LLB, Law and Other. North Eastern Hill University Conducting its exams regularly for both sessions, This time university published its 2019 Result. Students who appear for the exam of North Eastern Hill University will get there result here.Other important details like Score card, Cut off marks, Syllabus, Time Table, Question Papers, University Admissions and education news are also mentioned in this web page and university main website (http://www.nehu.ac.in/) regularly.
North Eastern Hill University Results for Engineering Course:-
|Result Status/News
|Declared by the university see links below for updates
About University:- North-Eastern Hill University was set up by an Act of Parliament and notified on 19th July 1973. The objectives of the University, as laid down in the act, are "to disseminate and advance knowledge by providing instructional and research facilities in such branches of learning as it may deem fit; to pay special attention to the improvement of the social and economic conditions and welfare of the people of the hill areas of the North-eastern region, and in particular, the intellectual, academic and cultural advancement".
How to Check Your Results
- Step 1: Go to North Eastern Hill University Main website from search or directly at URL (http://www.nehu.ac.in/).
- Step 2: Search for result tab in university main website or search in notifications.
- Step 3: After that you need to enter your roll number or search your roll number in PDF to get your result.
- Step 4: If you did not get result from this method don't be afraid we have provided easy link for results here Below.
University Contact Details:
|Umshing Mawkynroh, Shillong, Meghalaya 793022
|0364 255 0101
|July 19, 1973
Important (Easy) Links to view results:
|Result Easy Link North Eastern Hill University View Here
|Result link for Engineering View Here
|Main Link


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Miranda Lambert Takes Time Off Due to Death of Blake Shelton's Dad
As expected, Miranda Lambert has announced that her shows scheduled for the rest of this week, through the weekend, have been rescheduled due to the death of Blake Shelton's dad.
Lambert's show in Charlotte, N.C. has been moved from Jan. 19 to Jan. 25, her Lexington, Ky. performance has been moved from Jan. 20 to Feb. 26, and her appearance in Greensboro, N.C. on Jan. 21 will now take place on Feb. 19.
"Thank you to the fans for all the support and prayers," Lambert said in a statement following her father-in-law's passing. "This is a really difficult time for our family, and the most important thing is being together. Tell your loved ones you love them. See you next week."
Dick Shelton passed away Tuesday (Jan. 17) with his family and loved ones by his side in their home state of Oklahoma after months of declining health.
Shelton has also rescheduled his shows for the remainder of the week to spend time at home with his family. Shelton released the following statement late Tuesday night: "I appreciate your understanding during this difficult time and thank you for all your prayers. Your support means the world to me. I love you guys."
Lambert's On Fire Tour, featuring Jerrod Niemann and Chris Young, is set to pick back up next week.


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Fix Contact Form 7 plugin on wordpress-based website
Budget $10-30 USD
I have a Contact Form 7 plugin running here:
[login to view URL]
and here
[login to view URL]
But the forms are not sending e-mails upon form submit. I need help to fix that.
Tildelt til:
Freelance Professional! Let me fix your form issue, ready to start now and have it done for you...thanks!
15 freelancere byder i gennemsnit $22 på dette job
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Hello I can start work on it from for the Contact Form Email issue. Please check your PMB to proceed further. I can complete this task ASAP. Thanks Regards Sanjay
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Halo 4 pulls in $220 million in 24 hours, takes entertainment record
Halo 4 has done what only Call of Duty has managed over the past few years: taken out this year's entertainment launch sales records.
Halo 4 made $220 million worldwide in its first 24 hours. This grants it the title of biggest entertainment launch of the year to date.In the US alone, it's out-performed both 2012's biggest movie opening – The Avengers – and the all-time record holder – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
GameStop confirmed Halo's day one sales were even greater than anticipated to become the retailer's biggest Halo launch, and the biggest game launch of the year to date. Microsoft claims the shooter is on track to reach $300 million in its first week, which will make it the most lucrative launch in the franchise's history. Lifetime franchise sales have topped $3.38 billion.
Additionally, Halo 4 has pulled in more launch players than any previous entry with 4 million in the first five days spending 31.4 million hours on the game. Look, my napkin maths isn't all that great, but that certainly seems to be over 3,500 years' worth. The Halo franchise has produced over 5 billion hours of play time to date.
On top of all that, the Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn series has accumulated over 46 million views.
The latest Call of Duty has taken out entertainment launch records in the UK and US for the past three years running, but has not been challenged by the Microsoft-exclusive Halo series; Black Ops 2 launches today, so we'll soon see if this is the year Activision takes home the wooden spoon.


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Don Giovanni
Metropolitan Opera
Hear an ensemble of superb Mozart singers, including Angela Meade and Simon Keenlyside, take on the classic and much beloved opera Don Giovanni at the Metropolitan Opera.
Don Giovanni is based on the legends of Don Juan, a fictional libertine and seducer. We follow the title character and his earthy comic sidekick, Leporello, through a series of encounters and romantical blunders that moves back and forth between the humorous and the sentimental.
The opera is in two acts with an interval in between and it is sung in the original language Italian. Metropolitans own translation system "Met titles" makes sure translations are available in English, German, Italian, and Spanish.
How do I get my tickets?
- Shortly after your booking is complete, you will receive an e-ticket by email. Please print out your ticket and bring it with you to the Metropolitan Opera.


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PR's WGB 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Loaf
This is a sourdough version of Peter Reinhart's 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Loaf from his book: Whole grain breads. I spiked it by 2.25 Teaspoons of instant yeast.
The crust was soft due to the presence of Milk, and butter, but the crumb was light soft, and even textured.
I used only Waitrose Organic Strong bread flour with 13.9g of protein. I also baked this bread under a pyrex cover in a grill oven, 30 min. covered, and 15 minutes uncovered.
The taste, well, it was somewhat salty (I HAVE TO STOP USEING SEA SALT! i can't figure out how much is enough in a formula(in this bread it was somewhat salty coz i doubled the amount of salt, knowing that sea salt isn't as efficient as refined salt.) It had a faint acidic taste from the levain (50% of the total dough weight), but was pleasant overall.
I learned something very important here: Always increase hydration with PR's wholegrain breads recipes, from 70% to 75%, as peter apparently prefers tighter crumbed wholegrain breads.
Another thing: Never take shortcuts with wholegrains, as this will adversely effect the resulting flavor. I didn't prepare a soaker with a pinch of salt (spong), so no sweetness to there to counteract the excess salt or the sourdough acid.
Here is the bread:


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Servicemembers' Civil Relief Act
The Servicemembers' Civil Relief Act (SCRA) postpones or suspends certain civil obligations to enable service members to devote their full attention to duty and to relieve stress on their families. The act covers
The SCRA covers all active duty service members, reservists, and members of the National Guard while on active duty. Visit Military.com or the U.S. Department of Justice for more information.


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However, things are about to pick up. I've decided to actively work on obtaining my DAR [Daughters of the American Revolution] membership. Why? Several reasons.
Unbeknownst to me last Saturday at my local genealogical society's meeting I sat by the Regent-Elect of one of the local DAR chapters, and as any good Texan does, she talked me up over Shipley's donut holes and coffee. [*snort* They say alcohol loosens people up. Please. It's donuts and coffee. And pie. Cherry pie. *clears throat*]
Anywho. She got to talking about their next DAR meeting and how it was the following Thursday night, and that they'd be inducting new members and installing new officers. I mentioned then that I had a few prospects [Read alleged 'misfits'.] to work on for DAR membership, but hadn't worked on it for a while. So next thing I knew I was handing over my business card and she was saying she was gonna call me to get some information on Monday.
And as promised, then today, Monday, she called. Now I'll be attending that Thursday meeting/dinner, and I can't wait!
Why? Cuz I'm not from where I currently live, and I've no family here. And other than Amy Coffin from the WeTree Genealogy Blog, I've no one locally who is interested in genealogy and history. I love being around people, yet I rarely socialize. I enjoy the fact that it'd been several months since I'd been to my genealogy society's meeting and our president came over and gave me a hug and said she'd missed me. Then everyone made sure I was going be at lunch after the meeting with them where we talked about genealogy, local history, and how we were moving our genealogy society and our library to a nearby small town for reasons I cannot disclose. But? Dude. Why wouldn't I want MORE of that? I'd be crazy not too.
Secondly, I need some proper motivation to break through this horribly stubborn brick wall involving my Davis, Smith, and Blacketer lines. Once this wall is outta my way, many of the lines are much simpler, and will open up several DAR prospects, 3 Winthrop Society prospects, & some other colonial society prospects. Not to mention will open up my research for my relationship to the Roosevelts.[Yes. Those Roosevelts.] And while I'm not enamored with the thought of the title of being in these society's and relationships, I am damn proud of my ancestors. And they make good stories. And this is the way I'm choosing to express it. And I like the idea of someone from my local DAR helping me out and being supportive and encouraging with research I already need to do.
Besides, this particular brick wall, involves some alleged hanky panky, and we need a good alleged hanky panky family story on this blog right now that DOES NOT involve Big Paw Paw in any way whatsoever. His ego ~wherever he is~ is already big enough.
Anywho. I've been secretly in touch with a distant Davis cousin, and she's given me some sourced information that's guaranteed to help me out. And actually we're double cousins cuz the Davis's and the Blacketers liked each other a lot.
No. I'm not scared about researching my Smith and Davis lines. It does irritate me that they had the audacity to marry one another in between the 1860 and 1870 census with their daughter ~Martha Jane [at least she's not Mary]~ being born in 1869, and the Baby Daddy Smith is not listed on the 1870 census, but Martha Smith is with her mama Estella Cordelia Davis, my 2nd great grandma.] and they're living with Estella's daddy.
No I'm not scared that Martha Jane Smith when she was older married her step-daddy [Harrison Blacketer], and it's not clear whether he married her mother before that. [But it sure looks that way.]
No. I'm not scared that all the Davis researchers that I could find really believe that Andrew Jackson Davis is the youngest son of Jacob and Eunice (Dixon) Davis, but no one has proof other than the fact that there aren't any other Davis families around where good ol' Andy [or should I say my 3rd great grand papa] was born.
I've not looked under every rock that there is to look under. Not by a long shot. Frankly, I was too stunned at the time that Harrison married his step-daughter. [And don't look at me like that. You would've been too.] I do have a lead on another Blacketer cousin who may have some family stories handed down about Harrison Blacketer, Martha Jane Smith, and Estella Cordelia Davis. And Andy had a Civil War pension. [Did I mention he was in the Civil War for Iowa?] In fact, I know what I've done, and I know what I need to do. I'm better off than most.
So. Yeah. I'm gonna take the DAR plunge and see where it leads. I'm fully aware that the toppling down of my brick wall may take me elsewhere. [I mean, if they were misfits, they're hardly DAR-worthy. Me-worthy. Story-worthy. Just not DAR-worthy. *snort*] That's cool. Just more family stories to tell. And if it does lead to DAR or some other lineage societies, then I will have redeemed all this alleged hanky panky that's been going on in the family tree by my alleged misfit ancestors. [And think of all the Davis, Smith, and Blacketer researchers who will be excited.]
But I'm looking forward to adding another local meeting to my calendar and having a chance to connect with some local folks with common interests.
And then there's the donuts and coffee, of course. [Duh.]
Then, not to be outdone by my misfit ancestors, I thought I'd work on my United Empire Loyalists [UEL] application at the same time I'm working on my DAR application. [My work on that is MUCH easier. They weren't as much of alleged misfits as the other lines, which is really, really funny if you think about it.] They are ALL who I am ~ misfit, loyal to someone or something, and patriotic. And, as my Gran used to say, "God love 'em!"
Therefore, I'll be chronicling everything here in my usual sarcastic fashion. [How else do you handle alleged hanky panky of the likes I've mentioned above?] I've a feeling these folks are gonna leave us saying, "Big Paw Paw who?"


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Jerry Tarkanian, 82, was in Atlanta for the official announcement, needing a walker to get to the podium and struggling to climb a few stairs before sitting on stage in a chair. Guy Lewis, 91, was sort of there, unable to travel from his Houston home but joining in via phone call a speaker to share his thoughts with the entire ballroom of the skyscraper hotel.
Rick Pitino was in Atlanta on Monday too, although the Louisville coach would have been anyway. Something about a work commitment later in the night.
The wave of coaches going into the Hall of Fame, now officially headed for enshrinement as members of the Class of 2013 with Gary Payton and Bernard King from the North American committee that handles most candidates with NBA ties, was impossible to miss. Not just that Tarkanian and Lewis had made it to Springfield, Mass., after long waits. It's that more coaches were elected than players.
This is a change – one coach made it through the two-stage voting process last year (Don Nelson), two did in 2011 (Tex Winter, Herb Magee), one in 2010 (Bob Hurley Sr. from the high school ranks), one in 2009 (Jerry Sloan) and one in 2008 (Pat Riley). Maybe it's just how the process played out this year, with no particular deeper meaning other than a lot of room for enshrinement with Payton as the only mortal lock on the ballot and voters sticking to the recent emphasis from the Hall to reconsider past omissions. So, Lewis was elected after retiring in 1986 and Tarkanian after retiring in 2002, and Tark had been up for consideration so many times that he was removed for a lack of support before becoming eligible again this cycle.
But if this is a hint of a new direction from the process kept secret to the point that vote totals are not even released, the possibilities just became endless from the NBA side alone.
If Tom Heinsohn (427-263, two titles with the Celtics) made it through the first round of balloting before falling short of receiving at least 18 of 24 votes for enshrinement, the case for Rudy Tomjanovich (527-416, two titles with the Rockets, plus an Olympic gold) got a lot better. John Bach, Bill Fitch, Cotton Fitzsimmons and Dick Motta were also nominated this year through the North American committee, while Bob (Slick) Leonard was a candidate in the ABA category and Al Attles, Del Harris and Gene Shue were considered via the Contributor field.
The future options are the most intriguing of all. Gregg Popovich has yet to be nominated, by his preference, just as Sloan for years asked people not to put him on the ballot. Similar to Sloan finally relenting when he could be inducted with John Stockton, maybe Popovich starts to make Springfield once Tim Duncan retires in eight or 10 years. Then Pop can enter the Hall while hoping no one notices him.
George Karl has not been nominated, not by his choice. He would have to receive strong support. Rick Adelman has not been nominated, an especially relevant detail days after he became the eighth coach to win 1,000 games and everyone except Karl who has reached the milestone is in the Hall. A potential Adelman candidacy might be hurt as one of the most non-networking guys in the league, when being clubby appears to help the process for some, but getting to a grand would be difficult to overlook. (It didn't help Nelson for years, though.) John Calipari, now at Kentucky but formerly a head coach with the Nets and an assistant with the 76ers, is not on the ballot either.
For now, the only certainty is that Tarkanian, Pitino and Lewis will be inducted with Payton and King, after his own long wait, Sept. 8, along with the two enshrinees from the Women's committee revealed Monday, North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell and former star guard Dawn Staley. They will all join the five people whose elections were announced in February: Roger Brown (ABA), Edwin B. Henderson (Early African American Pioneers), Oscar Schmidt (International), Richard Guerin (Veterans) and Russ Granik (Contributor).
What happens in the next Hall voting cycle, though, just became a trend to watch.


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La Liga: Real Sociedad secure Champions League place, Deportivo relegated
Real Sociedad pipped Valencia to the final Champions League berth in La Liga, while Deportivo La Coruna were relegated.
Last Updated: 01/06/13 11:13pm
Valencia held a two-point advantage heading into the last day but they saw that overturned after being beaten 4-3 at Sevilla - Alvaro Negredo netting all four goals for the home side - while Sociedad won 1-0 at Deportivo La Coruna.
Antoine Griezmann scored the only goal of the game in the 22nd minute as Sociedad, who lost Markel Bergara to an 84th-minute red card, secured a top-four finish in the top flight for the first time since 2003.
The result also consigned Depor to relegation.
Valencia, meanwhile, have to content themselves with Europa League football next season after losing a seven-goal thriller at the hands of Sevilla.
Negredo, who this week was omitted from Spain's provisional squad for this summer's Confederations Cup, struck in the 41st, 44th (pen), 57th and 61st minutes for Sevilla, with Valencia responding through Ever Banega (12) and Roberto Soldado (56 and 86).
In the fight against relegation, Real Zaragoza and Real Mallorca joined Depor in dropping out of the division as Celta Vigo came out top in the four-way battle to avoid the drop.
Celta secured their status as a 15th-minute Natxo Insa goal earned them a 1-0 win over Espanyol, who had Juan Forlin sent off late on.
Mallorca finished on a winning note after beating Real Valladolid 4-2 but it was not enough for them to extend their 16-year stay in the Primera Division.
Mallorca's goals came from Alejandro Alfaro (17), Jose Luis Marti (43), Giovani Dos Santos (58) and Javi Marquez (68) with Alberto Bueno (30) and Omar Ramos (72) replying for Valladolid.
Zaragoza also bade farewell to the top flight after losing 3-1 at home to third-placed Atletico Madrid in a match where all four goals were scored in the final six minutes.
Diego Costa struck twice in injury time for Atletico after Helder Postiga's 89th-minute goal had cancelled out Arda Turan's late opener for the Copa del Rey winners.
Real Betis finished seventh after drawing 1-1 at Levante, Jorge Molina's 67th-minute equaliser for the visitors levelling up Pedro Rios' strike just after half-time.
Granada beat Getafe 2-0 with goals from Manuel Agudo Nolito and Youssef El Arabi.
Rayo Vallecano were forced to settle for eighth after being held 2-2 at home by an Athletic Bilbao side who played almost the entire match with a man less.
Rayo must now wait to see if they will be able to play Europa League football next season after the Spanish Football Federation denied them the UEFA licence they need to compete in Europe because of outstanding debts.
The club have declared their intention to take their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport if they qualify for Europe and if they had finished seventh they would in theory have been entitled to an automatic place in the Europa League. Eighth place could yet see them qualify for Europe if Malaga's UEFA ban is upheld, and Rayo's is lifted.


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By KATHRYN FLAGG
BRISTOL — During his recent six-month tour in Afghanistan, Vermont Air National Guard Technical Sergeant Steve Heffernan, 43, braved blistering heat, guerilla warfare and a bevy of improvised explosive devices.
And as an Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) specialist, Heffernan faced the especially perilous task of uncovering and dismantling the explosive devices littered through the countryside by the Taliban and terrorist cells.
But most harrowing of all, according to Heffernan, were the roads.
"The roads, if you could call them roads, were the worst," he said. "The best way to describe the roads would be 'mud season, dried up.' That was a good road."
For Heffernan, the long road home — which included a 30-hour trip from the Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan to Baltimore — drew to a close just a week and a half ago, when the EOD team leader returned home to Bristol after six months at war.
His service in Afghanistan came after nearly 17 years in the Air National Guard.
"I'd always wanted to join the military," Heffernan said. But after marrying his wife, Erin, when he was 21, Heffernan put his plans on the backburner.
A few years later, though, jobs dried up — and Heffernan started looking again at the military. He joined the Air National Guard, and given his blasting experience, he was a natural fit for the EOD unit.
"I joined to serve my country, believe it or not, as corny as that can sound to some people," Heffernan said. "I joined to serve my country because I enjoy the freedoms that we all have."
By ANDY KIRKALDY
MIDDLEBURY — On July 16, like any number of summer vacationers, Swift House Inn co-owner Dan Brown and his longtime friend Jim Mower dipped their toes into the Atlantic Ocean in Hampton, N.H., not far from Mower's home.
But Brown and Mower were not typical bathers: Getting their feet wet was the last step of a 3,173-mile, 48-day bicycle trip that began in Everett, Wash., on the shore of the Pacific Ocean.
And the journey truly began 20 years ago, when the idea of a two-wheel cross-country odyssey first struck Brown, a retired U.S. Navy pilot who is now 59.
Back then, before 13 years of innkeeping began to demand his full attention, Brown was a cycling enthusiast, and trans-continental bike races were making headlines.
"I just thought it was a great thing," he said. "It was just something so big that when I first started talking about it, it was like talking smack, 'OK, I'm going to do this.' And then eventually talking smack it was like, 'OK, you're going to have to do this if you're going to keep talking smack about doing this.'"
The Ithaca, N.Y., native and U.S. Naval Academy graduate kept that dream alive when he retired from the military 10 years ago. At that time he and his wife, Michele, sold their Annapolis, Md., bed and breakfast and bought a small inn in Maine, which they sold in 2004 to buy the Swift House in Middlebury.
But the moves and the rigors of the hospitality business kept postponing the trip, until finally everything lined up for this year — the Browns felt they had done enough at their Stewart Lane inn to allow him the time off.
If anything, Brown's motivation had grown stronger in the interim.
By JOHN FLOWERS
MIDDLEBURY — Middlebury's junk ordinance received its first test in Addison County District Court last week, when an Addison County jury found Rogers Road resident Terry Morris guilty on two violations of the two-year-old law.
It was in May of 2006 that Middlebury selectmen approved the municipal junk ordinance, a move triggered by neighborhood complaints about Morris's property. Morris, during the past several years, has accumulated on his lawn a large collection of items, including skis, bathtubs, toilets, wheelchairs, Jell-O molds, wooden pallets, sleds and bowling balls.
Morris has argued his possessions are not junk, but valued items he collects and enjoys. But neighbors have said Morris's yard has become an eyesore, to the extent that it is affecting their property values. Town listers have agreed, in some cases lowering the assessments on some neighboring properties. Rogers Road residents Bernard and Ruth Stewart — who testified at the July 23 trial — saw their property valuation reduced by $15,000 as a result of the condition of Morris's lawn.
Ruth Stewart said she was pleased with the jury's verdict in the case.
"We're glad that something is being done," she said. "I hope (authorities) will follow through until there is a cleanup."
Morris, reached on Wednesday, declined to comment pending his sentencing hearing, tentatively scheduled for Aug. 11.
Morris acted as his own attorney during the trial.
It was a trial that saw the Stewarts testify that they had erected a fence along the property line when Morris's yard became a problem.
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Welcome to the Online Receptionist for Skate World Evansville! We're pleased to offer our busy customers this easy to use online convenience! Now you can reserve birthday parties, group events and more online!
Ready to book now? Look under "Choose an Option". Everything listed here is ready for online booking. Planning an event or have questions? Look under Customer Service to let us know how we can help.
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- Publish date:
- Updated on
- Year
- 1950
Flash floods in Nebraska kill 23
In Nebraska on this day in 1950, a flood caused by 14 inches of rain kills 23 people. Most of the victims drowned after being trapped in their vehicles by flash flooding.
In southeastern Nebraska, cornfields dominate the landscape. It is the rainiest region of the state, getting approximately 35 inches annually. The spring and summer of 1950 far exceeded that total. The deadly flash flooding was part of a series of floods to hit the area near Lincoln, Nebraska, where the Big Blue River feeds into the Kansas River, between May and July of that year because of a spate of thunderstorm activity.
Despite the deadly floods, the rain totals in Nebraska that day did not approach national or world records for most rainfall in one day. The 14 inches that fell in southeastern Nebraska on May 8 paled next to the 43 inches that fell in Alvin, Texas, on a single day in 1979, the United States record, and the 73 inches received by Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean in 1952. Reunion Island is the notorious owner of several rain records, including getting doused by a whopping 155 inches in only 5 days in 1980.
The world record for most yearly rainfall was set in 1986 by the town of Lloro, Colombia, where rainfall exceeded 1,000 inches. However, it is intense short-term rain—like that which fell in southeastern Nebraska—that is more deadly, especially in areas that are ordinarily arid. Hard, dry ground cannot absorb water quickly, allowing a sudden and heavy storm to easily cause flash flooding. The vast majority of deaths from flooding are from flash floods—most of the fatalities are among people who become trapped in their vehicles and drown.


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I've been housekeeping for the last few weeks, tweaking my website, blog, and various online billboards.
An "online billboard" is a place on the Internet where you have a little bit of property people pass through.
I've been collecting online intersections lately, and have found I own a few beyond the obvious blog and website:
Joe on MySpace: www.myspace.com/jakonrath
Joe on Facebook: www.facebook.com/people/JA_Konrath/679343992
Joe on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._A._Konrath
Joe's Amazon blog: http://www.amazon.com/gp/blog/A1EF5ODLYYMZIU/ref=cm_blog_dp_artist_blog
Joe on Shelfari: http://www.shelfari.com/jakonrath
Joe on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/137270.J_A_Konrath
Joe on CrimeSpace: http://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Konrath
Are writers really expected to keep up with all of these online billboards? Has it become part of our job description to maintain and stay active in all of these social networking forums?
Well, no. Unless you want to attract more readers.
As writers, we have to go where the readers are. That's why we have websites in the first place, because a lot of people have computers and Internet access.
But when writers try to figure out how to maximize their Internet access, laziness seems to kick in. There are a hundred other things they could be doing other than strengthening their online billboards, and there's no real tangible evidence that a Facebook pages helps sell books in the first place.
Or is there?
Let's take a step back and consider the history of the old-fashioned billboard.
Billboards, for the uninitiated, are those large advertising signs posted along highways. They're usually target specific, announcing an upcoming store or attraction several miles ahead. Unlike TV and radio commercials or print ads, billboards actually lead you to the item they're promoting.
Being a Chicagoan, we often vacationed in Wisconsin, and driving up I-94 was billboard mania, announcing dozens of attractions at the resort town the Dells. Some of those Tommy Bartlett Watershow boards still exist 30 years later, and I can't help but wonder if Tommy is now doing his ski jumps with the aid of a walker.
The point is, unlike other forms of advertising that suggest a product or service and then require you to make the effort to seek out that product or service, billboards require little effort. All you had to do was take the proper exit.
As a result, roadside billboards continue to be a powerful source of revenue.
You see where I'm going with this.
Your MySpace page, your Shelfari profile, even your blog and website, are all billboards, pointing directly to links where your books can be purchased.
The more billboards pointing to your books, the more roads they're on, the more people you'll lure in.
So, yes, you should take a few minutes every few days to check to make sure your billboard is still up, attracting people. You should perform some basic maintenance, just as replying to questions and updating information. You might even make the billboard larger by participating to a greater degree. And naturally, your billboard isn't about what you're trying to sell. It's about what you're offering: information and entertainment.
Don't want to do that work? No one says you have to. But I never would have seen Tommy Bartlett if he hadn't made a similar effort. Me and 20 million others. Pretty good traffic for the cost and maintenance of a few dozen billboards.
If you're a regular visitor of this blog, you'll notice the Blogs I Read sidebar has gotten smaller. That's because, in the course of housekeeping, I got rid of the dead links.
Over thirty of them.
Those billboards were dead. No longer luring anyone to anything. Worthless, even though they may still be linked to by many search engines and places on the world wide web.
Blogging isn't for everyone. Social networking sites aren't for everyone.
But why put up a billboard and then leave it to fall apart and whither away?
When was the last time you updated your blog or website? When was the last time you visited that forum, or networking page, or any other billboards you took the time to build?
Anything worth doing is worth doing right. If you don't see the value to billboards, that's fine. But to fully understand the value of something requires you to try your best and give it a fair shot.
Are your billboards all they can be?
Sunday, August 17, 2008
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SALT LAKE CITY — It remains to be seen whether embattled Utah Attorney General John Swallow will face criminal charges as a result of his dealings with indicted businessman Jeremy Johnson.
But his ethics and judgment have been called into question since Johnson accused him last month of helping broker a deal to bribe a U.S. senator in an effort to derail a federal investigation into Johnson's Internet marketing company.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for Utah acknowledged last month that it, along with the FBI, is investigating the allegations.
Regardless of the outcome, having the state's top law enforcement officer under investigation creates a cloud of suspicion that could diminish his effectiveness. It also opens his recent decisions and statements to more scrutiny and has members of his own party questioning whether he can survive in office.
Campaign finance reports, two secret recordings, court documents and interviews with associates and others provide insight into how Swallow has moved through political circles, shows his willingness to advise characters whose dealings are in question, and puts in focus the role money plays in gaining access to decision makers.
Swallow's dealings include:
• Accepting a campaign donation from a St. George financial adviser who sued the state and who might refile a complaint that could end up before him.
• Meeting Johnson in an Orem doughnut shop where the arrangement to head off the Federal Trade Commission investigation into Johnson's iWorks enterprise was discussed.
• Accepting a campaign donation from a company the FTC later charged with consumer fraud.
• Using Johnson's luxury houseboat on Lake Powell in 2010 and then wondering if it could hurt him politically, or worse.
• Quietly telling a telemarketer during his election campaign that the attorney general's office should take over the state Division of Consumer Protection, an agency that has butted heads with the office regarding whom or whom not to investigate.
In addition, some of Swallow's largest campaign donations — some as high as $25,000 — came from Internet companies offering programs to get rich or coaching services for online businesses, sites that frequently draw attention from state and federal regulators.
Others such as the Provo-based home security firm Vivint, which was recently sold for $2 billion, have run into problems over their sales practices with attorneys general in other states.
Swallow did not make himself available for an interview to discuss these specific dealings. But other than Swallow's own previous denials of wrongdoing, few have stood up to defend the Republican attorney general against Johnson's claims. State GOP Chairman Thomas Wright said Swallow made mistakes and called for ethics reform to prevent such a situation from happening again.
Swallow's longtime friend Brad Pelo describes him as guileless person prone to giving others the benefit of the doubt.
"John is by nature someone who trusts people," he said. But it is that trust that is now being questioned as poor judgment.
Political ambitions
Holding public office has been a dream of Swallow's since he was a teenager working on his family farm in eastern Nevada. He won three terms in the Utah Legislature before seeking higher office. He twice challenged Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson for Congress, losing in 2002 and 2004.
Swallow had his own law practice involving business, real estate, financial, government and corporate matters before getting into politics. He and Pelo once launched a company called On Technology aimed at making a more efficient light bulb.
"I just never, ever saw an ounce of poor judgment on his part in that setting," said Pelo, who founded companies such as Ancestry.com and Nextpage and who has produced several movies and the annual Stadium of Fire celebration.
Swallow took a break from politics after the second loss to Matheson. He worked as a lawyer and lobbyist for the payday loan firm Check City and did legal work for a dietary supplement company — industries that were among his predecessor's most prolific campaign donors.
Former Attorney General Mark Shurtleff brought Swallow on as lead fundraiser for his 2008 re-election campaign. He then named Swallow chief deputy attorney general for civil cases in October 2009. After Shurtleff decided to not seek a fourth term, Swallow ran and won the office last November.
'Curious' contribution
Swallow's financial disclosure reports from his 2012 campaign — in which he raised nearly $1.3 million — show contributions that could create ethical dilemmas as the state's chief law enforcer.
Swallow received $5,000 from a company called Mutual Benefits International Group based in Mesquite, Nev. According to the report, the donation came in on Nov. 27, 2012 — three weeks after Swallow was elected attorney general.
Hank Brock, a former St. George financial adviser, is listed as the firm's CEO. Brock once served on the Utah Thrift Panel established by the Legislature in 1989 to arbitrate claims against failed thrift institutions.
Brock and former business partner Jay Rice sued Utah for $357 million in December 2009. They claim the Utah Division of Securities engaged in extortion, bribery and witness tampering while investigating them from 2000 to 2005. The lawsuit lists Shurtleff among the defendants.
The suit came after the state securities division revoked their securities licenses. Brock settled with the division in 2006, but his license was not reinstated.
A federal judge in Salt Lake City dismissed Brock's lawsuit in July 2010, but the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals kicked it back a year later, saying some aspects of the case should be reconsidered. It was again dismissed last March, but Brock and Rice filed an objection to the decision. The court didn't act on that filing.
The Swallow campaign sees no problem with the contribution because the court lists the case as closed.
Swallow campaign strategist Jason Powers said in an email that "in adhering to the highest ethical standards, it is the policy of the campaign to not accept contributions from any individual or company currently in litigation with the state."
Brock said he has never talked to Swallow or his campaign. He said he considers himself a constitutionalist and made the donation because he sees Swallow as a defender of the Constitution.
As for the lawsuit, Brock said he and his attorney have talked about it in the past few weeks and he understands he has a year from the March 26, 2012, dismissal date to refile the case. Asked if he intended to do that, Brock said, "Regarding that question, I better answer no comment."
Should that happen, it would put Swallow in the position of having to defend the state against a lawsuit filed by someone who contributed to his campaign.
"I think it's dang curious," said Utah Department of Commerce Executive Director Francine Giani, when asked about the potential conflict. She oversees the securities and consumer protection divisions.
Ethical box
Kirk Jowers, who heads the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah, said some political contributions can be problematic for the attorney general.
Individuals and companies most likely to donate are those concerned with investigations from the state's top law enforcement office or other consumer protection and business regulators, he said.
"I think anyone running for attorney general under Utah's current system is being put in a very difficult ethical box because Utah is one of the only states that allow unlimited campaign contributions," Jowers said. "I think the incentives and pressures are not aligned right for that office."
The Governor's Commission on Strengthening Utah's Democracy, for which Jowers served as chairman, advocates that the governor appoint the attorney general along with the offices of state treasurer and state auditor. Seven states currently appoint rather than elect the attorney general.
Short of that, Jowers said, the state should impose campaign contribution limits.
Johnson relationship
Swallow first met Johnson while working as Shurtleff's chief fundraiser in 2008.
Johnson didn't contribute to Swallow's campaign but gave more than $200,000 to Shurtleff. Shurtleff, through his Utah's Prosperity Foundation PAC, donated $130,000 to Swallow.
Shurtleff did not respond to a request for an interview.
Johnson's allegations against Swallow have raised both criminal and ethical questions about his actions. The U.S. Attorney's Office for Utah said it is conducting an investigation, something Swallow himself requested while vehemently proclaiming his innocence.
The Federal Trade Commission alleges Johnson's online company, iWorks, scammed customers out of $300 million by billing their credit cards for services and products they didn't order. Johnson also faces criminal fraud charges in connection with the business.
Swallow maintains the $250,000 Johnson and a business associate paid to a friend of Swallow's was intended to lobby the FTC on Johnson's behalf. Johnson claims it was part of a payoff for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., to thwart the agency's investigation. Reid has disavowed any knowledge of Johnson's case.
Johnson secretly recorded a conversation he and Swallow had about the deal in a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop in Orem last April. Swallow says the recording shows he did nothing illegal.
Holding on
Most observers are taking a wait-and-see attitude as the federal investigation runs its course. Simmering rumors of a federal grand jury continue to dog the office.
Former state Republican Party Chairman Dave Hansen, who managed Swallow's unsuccessful 2002 bid for Congress, said he told Swallow to hang in there if he hasn't done anything wrong.
"This is the time to have ice water in your veins to withstand what some people are going to say about you," he said he told Swallow.
Hansen said Swallow has what it takes to weather the storm.
"If nothing new comes out, he'll be fine. He's going to be scarred, there's no question about it, but he has three and half years to get over that. Then he just has to be a damn good attorney general," Hansen said.
Jowers, however, said public perception might leave Swallow clinging to the job in a weakened position for what would likely be his only term.
Republican insiders say Swallow's position is tenuous. Names of possible replacements have already been circulating. Even the governor's office has quietly sought out candidates to replace him.
Regardless of the outcome of the investigation, the party's central committee could consider reprimanding Swallow this month.
Swallow has said he has no plans to step down.
Pelo, Swallow's friend from their college days at BYU, said an attorney general who stands up for what he believes is more important than having perfect judgment.
"This is someone who just saw John coming," Pelo says of Johnson.
Pelo doesn't believe Swallow would be involved in bribing a U.S. senator, even for someone he considered a friend as Swallow did Johnson.
"Absolutely not," Pelo said. "He wouldn't do that for me."
Hansen said Swallow has a trusting nature and a desire to help people "without necessarily always looking down the road and saying, 'If I have that meeting with that person, this could come out or it could look like this.'"
More questions
Some of Swallow's campaign contributions and other political encounters last year could also cause observers to question his judgment.
On April 7, 2012 — three weeks before Johnson secretly recorded Swallow in the Orem doughnut shop — Swallow was surreptitiously recorded talking to a Utah telemarketer.
"When I'm attorney general, this is kind of confidential, I'm going to try to restructure it so that consumer protection is under the A.G. and the A.G. has more authority over those investigations, in fact, complete authority over that," Swallow told Aaron Christner in a recording posted on the City Weekly website.
Christner had run-ins with the state Division of Consumer Protection and appeared on its "Buyer Beware List" linked to three companies fined for soliciting customers without being registered.
Swallow also said in the recording that "Utah is so dysfunctional right now — the client is the Department of Commerce and Consumer Protection and that is not someone we can control or even influence greatly. It's because they work for the governor's office right now."
City Weekly reported that Christner mentioned an upcoming fundraising event for Swallow in their conversation, but that exchange was not part of the posted recording.
Campaign finance records don't show a contribution from Christner.
Swallow said during the campaign that he would explore moving the Consumer Protection Division to the attorney general's office. But attorney general's office spokesman Paul Murphy said that is a dead issue since Gov. Gary Herbert made it clear that consumer protection should remain in the commerce department.
"I hope lessons have been learned," Giani said. The department, she added, will continue to conduct investigations as it has in the past "regardless of who's giving money to our attorneys."
Swallow did receive campaign funds from a telemarketing company founded in Utah that the FTC charged in January with bilking more than $200 million from consumers.
Federal regulators allege The Tax Club deceived customers into believing its services would help their Internet or home-based businesses succeed. The company sold products and services such as tax return preparation, business plans and credit development services, most of which the FTC says were boilerplate documents.
The Tax Club began in Utah in 2008 and expanded to comprise at least 12 entities doing business under a dozen names. It operated out the 60th floor of the Empire State Building in New York City.
The company and its affiliates were generous donors to Shurtleff, giving at least $104,000 to his campaign fund since 2008, state financial disclosure reports show. They contributed at least $7,500 to Swallow last year.
In the secretly recorded conversation with Johnson, Swallow worried whether investigators were aware of his using Johnson's houseboat on Lake Powell.
"Do they know about the houseboat?" Swallow asks in the April 30, 2012, meeting. "Is there any paper trail on that?"
"There's no paper trail on the houseboat. Nobody knows about it," Johnson assures him.
"No emails on the thing, and, no, my wife doesn't even know you were on there," Johnson said. "You went down there for a weekend and that's it."
Swallow has acknowledged using Peps I, a 75-foot-long houseboat with several cabins, a home theater and a helipad. The government has since seized the boat and put it up for sale.
Johnson said he doesn't know why Swallow brought that up during the meeting or why he sounded nervous about using it. Johnson said he let many people use his houseboat.
"Nothing was expected from letting him use it. It was no special deal," Johnson said.
Swallow, who turned 50 last November, was scheduled to go on a cruise with Pelo, another friend and their wives last month to celebrate their 50th birthdays together. But Swallow stayed behind, Pelo said, to "remain attentive to the affairs of the day."
E-mail: [email protected]
Twitter: dennisromboy