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Armed with a notebook, a camera, a video camera, and an insatiable hunger to learn even more about some of America's most beloved Christmas carols, Ronald Clancy set out in October 2008 to visit their widely scattered places of origin.
Author of the 2006 "Best-Loved Christmas Carols: The Stories Behind Twenty-five Yuletide Favorites," Mr. Clancy has spent a lifetime tracking down their back stories. "When you get a sense of who the composer is...," he says, "it makes [the carol] so much more personal."
From his home state of New Jersey he traveled as far south as Georgia, westward to Pennsylvania and Michigan, and northeast to New York and Massachusetts.
Several weeks and some 4,000 miles later, after visiting numerous churches, graveyards, a town square, and crisscrossing Harvard University's campus in Cambridge, Mass., Clancy added greatly to his collection of fascinating facts about traditional Christmas songs. He found one with ties to a famous American poet, one with a connection to President Lincoln, and another inspired by the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Here are nine back stories from a series of videos he has begun to post on christmasclassics.com.
In the Deep South, of all places, Clancy visited a site tightly hitched to the legendary carol verse:
Dashing through the snow
In a one-horse open sleigh.
The composer of the carol, James Pierpont, was serving as an organist and music teacher at Savannah's Unitarian Church in Georgia, now known as the Jingle Bells Church, when in 1857 he copyrighted the song "One Horse Open Sleigh." But it's not clear when the New England-born Pierpont wrote the song. His hometown of Medford, Mass., also lays claim to the carol. What is clear, however, is that Pierpont made little money from the classic carol and died impoverished, despite the fact that he was the uncle of the wealthy financier J.P. Morgan. [Editor's note: The original misidentified the Jingle Bells church.]
Before visiting the Concord, Mass., grave of Katherine Davis, a Wellesley-educated music teacher, Clancy read the transcript of an interview in which Davis spoke about a tune she had running through her head "that practically wrote itself" in 1941 and that she titled "The Carol of the Drum." Eighteen years later, Davis was as surprised as the friend of hers who called to say:
"Kay, your carol is on the air, all the time, everywhere on radio!"
"What carol?" asked the surprised Davis.
"The Little Drummer Boy."
Davis's carol was becoming a hit, with a new title, some minor changes, and no mention of her as composer and lyricist. Able to prove authorship, she secured both credit and royalties, and, of course, a place in the pantheon of American Christmas carol creators.
Harvard University and the town of Cambridge are home to several carols. For example, the Rev. Edmund Hamilton Sears, a graduate of Harvard Divinity School, wrote the words to "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear."
John Sullivan Dwight, cofounder of the Harvard Musical Society, translated the 19th-century French carol, "Cantique de Noël," known in English as "O Holy Night." Harvard was also home to the famous poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who taught there, and on Christmas Day 1863, while still grieving his wife's death in a home fire in 1861 and his son's injury in the Civil War, he wrote a poem he called "Christmas Bells."
Clancy says: "Longfellow heard church bells pealing with the good news of Christmas, causing his demeanor to change." Indeed, Longfellow's poem concludes famously: "With peace on earth, good-will to men!" Set to music, we know it today as "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day."
The folk carol "I Wonder as I Wander" brought Clancy to the town square in Murphy, N.C., where in July 1933, a young girl had sung without accompaniment at her father's revivalist meeting. In the audience that day was John Jacob Niles, a folk singer and collector of folk songs. Niles paid the girl to sing the song for him and captured several lines of verse, to which he soon added additional lyrics and music.
In 1934 Niles published "I Wonder as I Wander" in his volume "Songs of the Hill-Folk." Three-quarters of a century later, Clancy's video camera captured the words of longtime Murphy Mayor William Hughes: "It's a beautiful melody.... You can hear the voice of Appalachia."
In Philadelphia, at the Church of the Holy Trinity overlooking Rittenhouse Square, there's a triptych behind the altar commemorating the church's connection to "O Little Town of Bethlehem." The words to this classic American carol were completed in 1868 by Trinity's young rector Phillips Brooks (later the Episcopal bishop of Massachusetts) and the music by the church's organist, Lewis Redner.
Further digging into the life of Brooks revealed that he greatly admired Abraham Lincoln, and when the slain president's body lay in state inside Independence Hall during the Philadelphia train stop en route to Springfield, Ill., the rector delivered a sermon at his church on the life and death of America's Civil War president. Months later, still grief-stricken by the assassination and the horrors of the Civil War, Brooks took solace in a trip to the Holy Land.
"Brooks was impressed by Christmas Eve services at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, and as he sat on a hill looking back at the village of Bethlehem, while shepherds still watched their flocks at night, he felt at peace," Clancy notes. "He later told friends, 'That experience was so overpowering that forever there will be a singing in my soul.' "
That singing became first the poem "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and then the famous carol.
"Do You Hear What I Hear?" took Clancy to New York City, to the corner of East 50th Street and Lexington Avenue inside what is now the Benjamin Hotel. In the early 1950s, when the hotel was called The Beverly, a classically trained composer named Noël Regney was smitten with the pianist in the hotel's dining room and married her several months later. According to Clancy's research, Regney and pianist Gloria Shayne wrote "Do You Hear What I Hear?" as a hymn of peace borne out of a sense of desperation and fear of war during the looming Cuban Missile Crisis. Thus the added resonance of the song's words: "Pray for peace, people everywhere!"
Another stop in New York landed Clancy at 17 Beekman Place in Greenwich Village, now the mission of Luxembourg to the United Nations but for decades the home of Irving Berlin, one of America's greatest composers. Berlin wrote such classics as "God Bless America," "Easter Parade," "Alexander's Ragtime Band," and "Puttin' on the Ritz," but he believed his best song was the holiday song "White Christmas." Ironically, Dec. 25 was always tinged with sadness for Berlin. He lost an infant son on Christmas Day in 1928. Late in life he became more and more reclusive. Six years before his death in 1989, carolers gathered outside Berlin's home. "A group was singing 'White Christmas' and other songs in front of his townhouse," Clancy says. "His maid invited the entire group into the home, and Berlin greeted them all and admitted how touched he was."
Almost certainly, however, the carolers did not sing the entire song. For while some may know that it's the only Christmas carol to win an Oscar (Best Music in an Original Song, sung by Bing Crosby in the 1942 movie "Holiday Inn"), almost no one knows that "White Christmas" actually has a first, rarely sung stanza that Berlin wrote as a lead-in to the now famous "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas." The forgotten words are these:
The sun is shining, the grass is green.
The orange and palm trees sway.
There's never been such a day in Beverly Hills, L.A.
But it's December the twenty- fourth
And I'm longing to be up north.


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Rye and Dianne Nielson were also honored for their community service. Monticello Citizen of the Year Robin Garner was honored, as were the Miss San Juan and Blue Mountain Roundup Rodeo royalties.
The Daughters of the Utah Pioneers sponsored a float, as did a number of local businesses and LDS wards. The theme of the parade and celebration was "I Ride for the Brand".
A large number of vaguely familiar people manned the floats of the Monticello High School graduating classes, which held reunions over the weekend. Alumni from near and far enjoyed the reunions, which featured many stories of questionable veracity. One of the best comments heard was, "Well… at least their hair is thinning."
Speaking of antiques, an impressive display of antique farm equipment made its way down Main Street, beginning with John Johnson on a restored antique combine followed closely by a massive new John Deere combine.
A score or more of antique tractors led the way for the restored Big 4 tractor to rumble down the street. The tractor pull later in the day was attended by a large crowd of tractor aficionados.
The festival in Veterans Memorial Park was crowded with more than 40 vendors and hundreds of celebrants. Highlights included dozens of food choices, clothes and accessory booths.
A dunking tank raised more than $600 for the Monticello Beautification Committee to plant and water the pesky petunias that grace Main and Center streets.
Pioneer Day started early on July 21, with celebrants given a choice. Nearly 100 people participated in the 5K race, while many more chose the Lions Club breakfast. The race was dominated by the MHS cross country team, while the bacon eating was dominated by MHS alumni.
The talent show featured a host of talent, including the singing voice and ukulele of winner Shylee Allen. One highlight was the previously underappreciated guitar skills of Dave Moore. Van Lady Love performed a concert on Friday evening in beautiful conditions.
The fast pitch softball tournament was one of the most competitive events in many years, as 14 teams fought for the top title. Three nationally ranked teams finished at the top of the standings.
A mud bog at the county fair grounds brought a new form of celebration to Pioneer Days.
At the end of the evening, a large fireworks celebration under the darkening skies of an approaching monsoon storm brought an end to the Pioneer Day celebration.
Pioneer Day is made possible through the volunteer efforts of dozens of local residents, led by the Monticello Chamber of Commerce and its executive director, Bayley Rogers.

subset: commoncrawl


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|By Jeremy Geelan
Article Rating:
|February 14, 2013 07:00 AM EST
Today it is exactly two years since the weirdest Valentine's Day I have ever experienced, or indeed hope ever to experience again.
February 14, 2011, in short, is etched into my diary and my brain as the day when I was diagnosed – out of the blue – with pancreatic cancer.
They say one should always be grateful for what one has. Accordingly, the appropriate emotion ought perhaps to have been a feeling that I was incredibly and wonderfully lucky, because I was not dead. After all, St. Valentine died on the the 14th of February, on the Via Flaminia in the north of Rome. Hence Valentine's Day. Whereas there was I, alive and well, being told by a doctor in Sarajevo's famous Koševo Hospital – a huge complex of buildings on a hill in north Sarajevo – that a malignant tumor on the head of my pancreas was what had caused me to turn, from head to toe, yellow.
Many people, so late are they diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, are dead within three months: my good fortune (for that is truly what it was) was to be told something on Valentine's Day that, had I not found it out till Christmas Day, might have had a very different outcome.
I have written briefly elsewhere about how very soon afterwards I was wheeled in to an OR at the Copenhagen University Hospital for Whipple surgery, the radical procedure in which, as one fellow pancreatic survivor recently expressed it, "Everything around the pancreas that can be removed, cut, whacked, chopped, is." That operation, simply put, saved my life. It involved the removal of parts of four organs and the reconstruction of my digestive tract and was followed up by chemotherapy that lasted seven looooooong months.
But two years on, here I am. I have out-lived Steve Jobs, may he rest in peace, who had the exact same surgery – though the pathology of his pancreatic cancer was somewhat different.
Unlike Jobs, but in common with Patrick Swayze, Joan Crawford, Margaret Mead and Luciano Pavarotti, who all sadly lost their lives to it, my Valentine's Day diagnosis was that I was suffering from the more common form of pancreatic cancer called adenocarcinoma. The bad news about exocrine tumors like pancreatic adenocarcinoma is that they tend to be more aggressive than neuroendocrine tumors, the kind that Jobs had. The good news though is that if caught early enough they can be treated effectively with surgery. In other words, they can be resected, cut out. "All" that the patient needs is the good fortune to be diagnosed before the cancer has spread beyond such organs as can safely be resected.
I had just such good fortune, and the rest is history – as is half of my pancreas, all of my gall bladder, all of my duodenum (the first section of the small intestine), a goodly portion of my common bile duct, and the distal or lowest third of my stomach.
Since the overall five-year survival rate for pancreatic adenocarcinoma is less than 5%, being one of the lucky few who can have it operated into oblivion is an incredible gift. Whipple surgery is reckoned, by the Copenhagen University Hospital (
After the Whipple surgery, being told that your tumor has been successfully removed, and that all of the many surrounding lymph nodes also removed during the operation have tested negative for any spread of cancer, is a deeply uplifting experience. Having to undergo the physically brutal elective self-poisoning we call chemotherapy was somewhat less uplifting, but "belt and suspenders" was the approach of my team of Danish oncologists. With four children, a wife, two cats and a dog, why run the risk of the surgeons having missed a few sub-microsocopic cancer cells?
Cytotoxins are nothing if not effective: besides, "what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger" – right?
That is all I am willing to say about chemotherapy. Fast forward thirteen months beyond the end of that chemo, and you get to today. Pancreatic cancer survivors aren't especially numerous, for reasons that CNN spells out quite succinctly here, but that only makes it more important that we lucky ones speak out and, hopefully, embolden others to do the same.
As well as saving it, Whipple surgery also changes your life, since is rearranges your innards in ways that boggle the mind when you see it spelt out in words. Digestion of entire meals is no longer an option, but a world of snacks is better than no world at all. Because my pancreas was my digestive system's main enzyme-producing organ, my aim in "Year Three" must be once and for all to master the nutritional and digestive complications of no longer having sufficient enzymes. I've not quite figured it out, not yet.
This two-year milestone seems as good a time as any to share one or two images – do please let me know if you think it's true what they say about a picture being worth a thousand words.
(Flashback to March 11, 2011)
Read the original blog entry...
- Java Developer's Journal Exclusive: 2006 "JDJ Editors' Choice" Awards
- Eclipse Special: Remote Debugging Tomcat & JBoss Apps with Eclipse
- Creating Web Applications with the Eclipse Web Tools Project
- What's New in Eclipse?
- Configuring Eclipse for Remote Debugging a WebLogic Java Application
- JDJ Archives: Eclipse vs NetBeans - "Point/Counterpoint" Special
- Java Feature — Bringing Together Eclipse,WTP, Struts, and Hibernate
- SYS-CON Webcast: Eclipse IDE for Students, Useful Eclipse Tips & Tricks
- Eclipse: The Story of Web Tools Platform 0.7
- Developing an Application Using the Eclipse BIRT Report Engine API


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Lt. Frank McConnell Park
94 Ave., Atlantic Ave. bet. Leffers Blvd. and 120 St.
Directions via Google Maps
This park honors the memory of Lieutenant Frank McConnell (1896-1918), the first Richmond Hill resident killed in World War I.
A star member of the Princeton crew team (Class of 1919), McConnell lost his life on July 26, 1918, in northern France during the Second Battle of the Marne. This battle marked a turning point of the war. The Germans succeeded in crossing the Marne River, but made little subsequent progress. On July 18, 1918, the Allied commander, General Ferdinand Foch, counterattacked with forces that included McConnell's division. One of the fiercest centers of combat was at Château-Thierry, where the American troops won their first decisive victory of the war. The German troops were forced back across the Marne in what was one of the first large-scale retreats by the German army. In addition to this park, a Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post is named in McConnell's honor.


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Pint-Sized Projects Paint Activity Set
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Previous media releases
Twenty institutions now access CLS through UBS
Saxo Bank has become the 20th institution to sign up with UBS as an active CLS third-party client. By entering into this partnership, Saxo will be able to execute and settle its cross-border foreign exchange transactions through the CLS global settlement system.
Against a background of rising fixed costs and shrinking margins, CLS helps to reduce costs and settlement risks. To date, 36 banks have chosen UBS as their partner for CLS third-party services. Of these, 20 institutions are now live third-party clients, accounting for one-fifth of the total number of live third-party CLS users worldwide. Since last September, nine new CLS third parties have reached live client status using UBS Third-Party Services, including:
B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co., Germany
Bank für Kärnten und Steiermark, Austria
Bank von Ernst & Cie, Switzerland
Banque Privée Edmond de Rothschild, Switzerland
Oberbank AG, Austria
Saxo Bank, Denmark
Union Bancaire Privée, Switzerland
Unipol Banca SpA, Italy
Saxo Bank's CFO Robin Patel comments, The uptick in business demands that we identify and engage with the most suitable partner and for us, UBS meets and exceeds our requirements. Their capability as a technology and risk management partner is exceptional. We are privileged to join with UBS. We anticipate significant efficiencies and economies as we move ahead, as well as overall volume expansion."
CLS third-party services are a part of "UBS. The Bank for Banks". This programme offers banks and financial institutions a wide range of modular services enabling them to concentrate on their core competencies and deploy their resources more effectively. At the same time, it enables UBS to make optimum use of its own capacities and expertise in serving its partner institutions. For more information see: www.ubs.com/b4b
Zurich / Basel, 8 January 2003


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If you're struggling to get hold of a Google Nexus 4 this might be the reason – there are only around 400,000 of the devices at the moment.
According to a group of Android enthusiasts and lucky Nexus 4 owners very few handsets were made available in 2012 – leading to a frenzied rush when it went on sale.
The group calculated its figure by using the IMEI number on Nexus 4 handsets and an LG mobile site to roughly work out how many handsets were in circulation.
Sell out
The world went a bit crazy for the Nexus 4 when it went on sale in November, with the first batch selling out in less than half an hour.
A second load of stock in December took a little longer to shift, but 24 hours later and yep, you've guessed it, it was sold out AGAIN – and the Nexus 4 still remains unavailable on Google's site for now.
While this calculation would explain why the Nexus 4 is so darn tricky to get hold of, we can't be sure it's accurate and neither Google nor LG are willing to release any solid sales figures.
From XDA-Developers


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Tidewater Plantation
RE/MAX Southern Shores sells homes at Tidewater Plantation
Tidewater Plantation is a subdivision in North Myrtle Beach between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Cherry Grove Inlet to the Atlantic Ocean. This is a gated community nestled on an elevated peninsula of live oaks and southern pines on a world class golf course with close proximity to the most beautiful beaches of South Carolina and nearby North Carolina.
Tidewater has architectural diversity in the neighborhood home sites and offers single family homes and condominiums. These properties offer a wide variety of designs and floor plans. There are properties and styles to satisfy the housing requirements of any prospective resident.
As a subdivision in the city of North Myrtle Beach, Tidewater Plantations has access to public water, sewer, trash collection and public police, fire, and rescue services. Property owners, full time residents as well as seasonal, have health services in the immediate areas as well as local theater presentations, concerts, several museums and performances by top rated recording artists in a variety of venues. Life-long learners can register for classes at UNC/Wilmington and Coastal Carolina University. The minor-league baseball team, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, as well as college and high school athletics offer sports fans plenty to cheer about!
Tidewater Plantation is built around Tidewater Golf Course which received accolades since its inception from Golf Magazine and Golf Digest. As an owner at Tidewater, you are offered annual usage fee programs or special day-of-play rates.
RE/MAX Southern Shores sells property at Tidewater Plantation
RE/MAX Southern Shores, the #1 selling real estate agency along the Grand Strand, invites you to access listings for Tidewater Plantation properties by using the search features on the left of this website. Then call a RE/MAX Southern Shores agent at 843-839-0200 for personal attention to find the housing option that is just right for YOU!
It is no wonder that so many buyers choose Tidewater Plantation in North Myrtle Beach as the location of their new condo or home. RE/MAX Southern Shores real estate agents are very familiar with North Myrtle Beach real estate market, and would be delighted to take you on a tour of Tidewater Plantation offerings as well as other North Myrtle Beach housing options. Simply give us a call at 843-839-0200 to schedule some time to make your real estate dreams come true! After seeing Tidewater Plantation it may not only be a place that you visit but also a place for you to call HOME!
Search Tidewater Plantation Homes for Sale
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Digital Millennium Copyright Act
Today's Market Trends for Tidewater Plantation *
* All data pertains to single-family homes


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U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission
Meeting of November 20, 2008 – Employment Discrimination Faced by Individuals with Arrest and Conviction Records
Madam Chair, Commissioners Ishimaru, Griffin, Barker and colleagues: On behalf of the Equal Employment Advisory Council (EEAC), I appreciate the opportunity to appear before the Commission to share EEAC's perspectives regarding the use of arrest and conviction records in the employee selection process. A growing number of businesses now are required by federal law to perform criminal background checks on prospective employees. Many other employers regularly conduct routine criminal background investigations for legitimate business-related reasons, such as avoiding hiring decisions that could pose safety risks to employees or customers, or otherwise harm business operations.
While the use of criminal arrest and/or conviction records to filter job applicants may be appropriate in many circumstances, EEAC member companies recognize the danger in applying rules that arbitrarily exclude from employment anyone who has ever been convicted of a crime, regardless of its seriousness, the length of time that has passed since the offense, or its relationship to successful job performance. EEAC thus commends the Commission on its efforts to raise public awareness regarding the potentially discriminatory effects associated with the misuse of such information in the employment context.
EEAC is a nationwide association of employers organized in 1976 to promote sound approaches to the elimination of employment discrimination. Its membership comprises a broad segment of the business community and includes over 300 of the nation's largest private sector corporations. EEAC's directors and officers include many of the industry's leading experts in the field of equal employment opportunity. EEAC's members are firmly committed to the principles of nondiscrimination and equal employment opportunity.
All of EEAC's members are subject to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq., as well as other state and federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Because the use of arrest and/or conviction records in the employment context may adversely impact certain protected groups, EEAC member companies are careful to ensure their use of such information is job-related and consistent with business necessity.
EEAC's testimony today will focus on why employers conduct criminal background investigations on prospective employees, and what procedures can be used to ensure that the legitimate needs of the employee selection process are served in a way that minimizes adverse impact on protected groups, and is consistent with applicable law. In particular, our testimony will center on the use of criminal conviction records as an employment selection procedure. Because the vast majority of EEAC member companies do not routinely rely on records of arrests that do not lead to convictions in making employment selections, that issue will not be covered in detail.
EEAC's testimony will conclude by offering a number of recommendations for clarifying the Commission's existing enforcement guidance on the use of conviction records so as to address the various competing interests and legal obligations employers often must weigh in conducting criminal background investigations and relying on their results in making employment decisions.
Many EEAC member companies are subject to federal laws requiring that (1) criminal background investigations be performed as part of the selection process and that (2) individuals with certain criminal convictions be disqualified from employment. For instance, Section 19 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (FDIA), 12 U.S.C. § 1829, prohibits financial institutions from employing, without the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's prior consent, any person who has been convicted of any criminal offense involving dishonesty, breach of trust or money laundering. Penalties for violation of this provision include fines of up to $1,000,000 per day. 12 U.S.C. § 1833a.
The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, 18 U.S.C. § 1033(e)(1), also makes it unlawful for an insurance company willfully to permit any person who has been convicted of insurance fraud or similar crimes involving dishonesty to participate in the business, unless that person has obtained a letter of consent from the appropriate regulatory agency permitting him or her to engage in the business of insurance. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) broadly construes the term "engaged in the business of insurance," and thus many insurers consider most, if not all, jobs as falling within the requirements of the Act.
Under the U.S. Patriot Act of 2001, 49 U.S.C. § 5103a, truck drivers with commercial driver's licenses must undergo criminal background investigations in order to be eligible for a hazardous materials endorsement, a necessary requirement for many commercial trucking jobs. Similarly, the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 (MTSA), 46 U.S.C. § 70105, requires stringent background checks of any worker seeking unaccompanied access to secure areas within the maritime sector. The law also mandates these workers submit to personal and biometric information for tamper-resistant, biometric ID cards, which would be used to verify their identity and eligibility to enter secured or restricted areas of maritime facilities and vessels.
Implementing regulations of the U.S. Transportation Security Administration require covered workers to obtain a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) that will be used to verify their identify and to ensure they do not pose a national security risk. Before being issued a TWIC, a worker must undergo a security threat assessment, including a review of his or her criminal history records and immigration status, any recent criminal charges or outstanding warrants, and inclusion on terrorist watch lists. Being convicted of certain crimes such as treason, espionage, sedition, acts of terrorism or conspiracy to commit any such crime would permanently disqualify an applicant from obtaining a TWIC.
Many EEAC member companies indicate that they increasingly are being required to perform rigorous criminal background checks in accordance with these federal laws. Even the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), in a 2006 report, recommended that Congress enact federal legislation that would allow private employers access to FBI criminal records databases for the purpose of verifying whether information that an employee or applicant provides is "truthful and complete." While employer access to such databases is not likely to occur in the near future, the discussion illustrates the security-conscious environment in which employers — particularly federal government contractors — now are operating, which often are in tension with their good faith efforts to minimize the potential adverse impact often associated with use of criminal conviction records.
For those companies that are not specifically required by law to conduct criminal background investigations, many nevertheless routinely do so for legitimate business reasons. In conducting such investigations, however, employers must comply with state laws limiting public access to arrest and conviction records, except under specific circumstances, such as, for instance, where the job involves working with children. Many states that limit public access to information permit consideration of criminal conviction records where job-related and consistent with business necessity, but prohibit the use of records of arrests that do not lead to criminal convictions.
What would motivate employers to conduct criminal background investigations when not statutorily required to do so? Among other things, reviewing criminal conviction history can be critical in determining an applicant's suitability to perform a specific job, minimizing workplace safety issues, and avoiding legal liability. Employers, for example, can be held liable for "negligent hiring" in instances where someone is injured by an employee who would not have been hired had an adequate background check been conducted. While records of arrests that do not result in conviction ordinarily are not used to disqualify applicants from employment, some federal government contractors advise that they are required to perform more rigorous criminal background investigations for any applicant or employee being considered for a national security clearance, and that the more detailed review may include a review of arrest history.
In the case of criminal convictions, most employers will evaluate that information against the specific job requirements, taking into account whether or not the conviction falls within a specific statutory or regulatory hiring prohibition or otherwise renders the applicant unqualified for the position in question. That determination typically will depend on a number of factors, including the number, type and date(s) of conviction, as well as other unique or mitigating considerations. Some companies have developed matrices or other tools to assist its decision makers or third-party vendors in making employment eligibility determinations.
Some have lists of automatically disqualifying reasons, such as very recent convictions for specific felonies, such as theft, drug distribution, weapons possession and/or violence, and others "carve out" certain offenses that are unrelated to performance of the job in question, such as DUI or domestic violence convictions. Other companies, based on the specific job being performed, may include additional or different convictions on an "ineligible" list. Many of these procedures contain processes by which an applicant deemed ineligible for hire can appeal that determination, or may apply for another position for which the criminal conviction would not be a disqualifying factor.
A few companies do impose blanket, categorical bars on the employment of individuals convicted of very serious crimes where it is determined, based on the nature of the offense, that their employment would pose unacceptable safety or security risks. Disqualification of an employment applicant on those grounds, we believe, would be justified by business necessity in most instances, and thus should insulate the employer from liability for discrimination if adverse impact is shown.
It should be noted that many companies will rescind an employment offer, or terminate a current employee's employment, if it learns the applicant or employee failed to disclose a criminal conviction on an employment application. In that case, the employment decision is based on falsification of the application, not on the existence of a criminal record itself.
EEAC recognizes the importance of ensuring that criminal conviction records not inappropriately exclude qualified candidates from consideration for employment. On the other hand, the Commission needs to recognize that many employers — especially federal government contractors and those in heavily regulated industries, such as insurance, healthcare, and financial services — are now required to perform detailed criminal background investigations and to automatically disqualify applicants with certain criminal offenses.
Because of its interest in and commitment to ensuring that its members' employment practices comply with both the letter and the spirit of the law, EEAC encourages the Commission to update its enforcement guidance on the use of criminal conviction records in the employee selection process to take into account a new statutory and regulatory landscape driven by 21st century issues such as terrorism, workplace violence, identity theft and bank fraud, among others.
Any such guidance should make clear that a number of federal laws and regulations (some of which were discussed above) place strict requirements on employers to conduct criminal background investigations and to disqualify from employment certain offenders, and that an employer's reliance on those laws will be sufficient to demonstrate business necessity in cases where adverse impact is shown. The Commission should also emphasize that categorical bars on the employment of persons who have been convicted of serious, violent crimes will not violate Title VII, as long the prohibition is job-related and consistent with business necessity.
In addition, while many employment tests and other selection procedures may be well-suited to systemic treatment, we would urge the Commission to treat the use of criminal conviction records differently, because with limited exception, most determinations are made on a case-by-case basis and thus are not likely to affect an entire class of persons in the same manner.
EEAC commends the Commission on its efforts to address potential discrimination associated with the use of criminal arrest and conviction records in the employment selection process. We appreciate the opportunity to provide the agency with our thoughts, which we hope it will consider earnestly as it moves forward in this important endeavor. Thank you.


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Welcome to Watch List, where we identify five things on TV to watch while you stay at home and burn the candle at both ends. What does that even mean? Do you know of any candles that have wicks you can burn at both ends? What would you do with said candle? Would you brandish it like Death Maul's double light-saber? Wouldn't it drip over everything? I have so many problems with this dopey metaphor. LET'S GO!
HOUSE – 8:00PM (FOX) We got House rapping at the beginning of the year, and so it only makes sense to bookend this season with him doing drunken karaoke with Foreman and Chase. But I'm warning you "House" writers one final time. I have let you get away with an awful lot on this show. The rapping. Thirteen's entire character. The episode where John Larroquette has been in a coma for years and can IMMEDIATELY FREAKIN' WALK when he wakes up… you are running out of freebies. There's no need for such goofiness. Just make with the seizures and insults and I don't have to come and get you. Tonight, a groom falls ill. And what the team discovers will SHOCK and HORRIFY you. Or so I've been told by pushy FOX voiceover guy. ANTICIPATION: KARAOKE SCENES ARE FOR BAD J-LO MOVIES
ROMANTICALLY CHALLENGED – 9:32PM (ABC) I didn't even realize this show existed until yesterday when I looked at the ratings chart and it was way up there and I was like, "What is THAT?" I assumed it was some "Bachelor" spinoff in which the 10th girl booted is followed around with cameras as she's rejected from other reality shows, like "Sex Decoy". But no! It's a comedy, and it stars Alyssa Milano, and it's killing in the ratings since it airs right after "Dancing." Aw yeah, coattail ridin'! ANTICIPATION: TEEN STEAMY!
CSI: MIAMI – 10:00PM (CBS) A jewelry heist ends in murder. Looks like this diamond was a little too far… in the rough. YEAHHHHHHHH! ANTICIPATION: SUNGLASSES!
REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NEW JERSEY – 10:00PM (Bravo – an NBC/Universal network) It's the season premiere of that show about rich women who don't like each other. Tonight, Snooki throws a fundraiser… and then The Situation punches her right in the face! What's that? That's not this show? This is that same show, only with 15 years tacked on to the characters? Oh, I get it. ANTICIPATION: BON JOVISH!
WOMEN ON DEATH ROW – 10:00PM (WE) And add ANOTHER fifteen years to the above show… and this is what you get. ANTICIPATION: NOT AS SEXY AS I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE!


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Another day passes by in Kingston, and the Bangladesh team is back at square one again. After a monumental show from the West Indies bunch, our batsmen proved yet again that they have not learned a thing or two as we hang on for 66/3 at the end of the 3rd day's play. What was more disturbing than to see Hannan Sarker?s record-busting failure, was the aggressive attitude of the Bangladesh captain Bashar as he came out slogging while his team was over the cliff hanger hanging on for dear life.
The Tao of Cricket ? Overcoming Tigers? Mental Blocks
by Ahmad A. Iqbal
Published: 7th June, 2004
Bangladesh, despite its poverty and panache for bureaucracy, went all out, in my opinion, to train its players. I never thought I would live the day to see Bangladesh?s money-no-object attitude when it came to a topic other than ?buying? vote for local elections. It even hired psychologists to teach the players how to overcome the defeatist mentality.
Mental blocks?
While the bowling improved tremendously, Bangladeshi batsmen remained loyal to their old merry way of practicing cricket. The result, more or less, remains painfully the same. There had been, of course, moment of brilliance, like that of the first test against West Indies, where it looked as if the team has finally came to terms with its potential. They prevailed despite the dismal performance from the top order batsmen.
Not unlike most fans of Bangladesh Cricket, I too have been agonizing over the team's consistent inconsistencies. From their performance and fighting spirit shown in the first test, we know that this team is capable of overcoming odds, imposing its will on the opponents. It has talented batsmen who are capable of turning it on, and have energetic bowlers.
As a student of Martial Arts, I had been exposed to various facets of what is described as the art of ?mind games? ? where one is not limited or dependent on to his/her physical abilities alone. I have experienced the benefits of having these fighting attitudes employed both in the confinement of school mat as well as out in real life.
Most traditional martial artists who are not practicing their arts as sports, will agree that when it comes to overcoming the opponent, it is never the physical but the mental and spiritual abilities that get things done.
There had been numerous examples where the principles taught in traditional martial arts had been juxtaposed in sports world to overcome mental blocks, to cultivate the fighting attitudes in teams and in individual athletes.
As a L.A. native, I have been aware of the Zen1 Master, Phil Jackson employing these age old techniques to build a championship attitude in Los Angeles Lakers team ? a team had long been a depository for mega stars with egos matching the Hollywood sign. The pre and post Jackson era Lakers are testament- that talent alone is not enough to be champions.
Jackson is known to have his players read different books from the likes of great masters of martial arts, to have them connect to their inner selves and overcoming the egos and learn to work as a unit instead of a disjointed bunch.
Dav Whatmore, in my opinion, needs to steal a page from L.A. Lakers playbook and make it compulsory for his team to read the works of legendary authors like the great Miyamoto Musashi?s The Book of Five Rings (Go Rin No Sho) and Sun Tzu?s The Art of War etc.
As an ordinary fan, I truly believe that BD Tigers can benefit tremendously if they use some of the basic mental strategies taught in traditional martial arts. A lot of these mental and especially spiritual strategies remain behind the curtain of vow of secrecy- shared only amongst students who spent some time in pursuing that knowledge and in some way proved themselves to be worthy of having those secrets revealed.
While these nebulous ideas ascribed to Tao2, can be construed as mere heresy or snake oil to some, I can testify that even someone like myself whose martial arts knowledge is extremely rudimentary, had benefited in employing some of the mental/spiritual techniques in every aspects of my life.
I would never dare nor pretend to have any answer to our team?s problem with mental blocks. Rather, I will share some of my own experience in overcoming inhibition, fear and bad habits in and out of mat and will try to draw a parallel to the experience in a cricket field.
?The man and the sword are one. Fight with the spirit and the sword will follow?? -written across the back wall, was the first thing I noticed as I walked into the dojo3 for the first time.
It would take me another five years to begin to understand that quote by the founder of our traditional Karate-do4 school. Soon, I realized that sword and fight were just metaphors ? not limited to the confinement of a karate mat.
When a karateka5 is standing in front of an opponent in preparation for kumate6, his/her sword is the body- representing the physical skills, the techniques drilled after years of practice. The better the skills are, the sharper the sword is. Yet, having the best physical skills is not enough to win the fight, for there will always be an opponent with superior skills set.
Interesting body language
In Cricket, the bat (or the ball) is the sword in the battle. For a battle to continue, the cricketer must have a sharpened sword, by having his techniques mastered to a point that they come naturally without ever having to put much thinking behind it while ball is in flight. But just like in any battle, having the best of the weapons, sharpest skills will not win an opponent if one lacks the necessary will and spirit behind it.
Unlike the three-dimensional body, growth in spiritual realm is infinite. In traditional martial arts (vs. competition or sport oriented ones) the goal always has been to discover, walk and operate in this spiritual domain. Most of us, however, are either not aware of our mental/spiritual power or remain skeptical of any such ability(ies).
To have an idea of the presence of spiritual energy, all we need is to look at the animal kingdom. We have seen the tapes of two animals confronting each other in the wild for territorial claim, seizing each other out. Most of the time one of them will back down yielding the fortress to the other without ever getting into a physical fight.
Unlike us human beings, animals are more in tuned with the spiritual sides and can win or lose a battle based on the size and strength of their spiritual energy.
It was not until I learned how to unshackle myself from my physical limitation in a fight, did I realized the potential of the abilities of one's mind and spirit. Coming up through the ranks, I remember being always worried, nervous and hoping that the teacher would not call me for kumite6 or uncooperative sparring. In our discipline where, no tagging or point system was present, it was as real as it could get in a real fight. Only an immense control ability of the students was the difference between a bruised chest muscle and broken vertebrae. Yes, I did have to have my sword polished for those fights but I did not have the luxury to pick and choose my weapons. Thanks to tenacious practice, my weapon and defensive blocks were already programmed and my body was expected to know what to do in a defensive or offensive situation. Once the fight began, the urgency and sheer speed were too overwhelming to think about any physical move or technique.
When a batsman faces his opponent in the cricket battle, his bat should be but an extension of his limb. As the ball is rocketing down the path, his weapons, be it a defensive technique or and offensive stroke play, should come as if it was exactly how he wanted. Nothing more, nothing less. The sword will follow the spirit.
?He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks? said great Sun Tzu. Fighting spirit as such needs to be imbued in both batting and bowling lineup.
Another one of the most profound spiritual techniques used in fight is called ?End Result? factor. A true martial artist knows how the fight will end. It is he, not his opponent who dictates the outcome. When he enters the battle, it is only because it was the last resort and for a virtuous and noble cause. His ethos, fighting ethics separate him from his opponent. He stands for what is right and right must prevail. When the Samurais7 face each other for the first time, the result is decided before the Katana7 is drawn, for it is only a breath and blink that would be the difference between the victor and his opponent.
In the cricket ground, battle begins before the ball is delivered to the batsman. As the batsman walks in, he glances his surrounding, internalize the field position and decides the end result for the next six deliveries. A smart fighter is aware of the changing variables and constants of his environment, he makes adjustments accordingly but remains resolute to his ?End Result?. Even in defense, he doesn?t retreat or succumbs to the opponent. Fight continues between two spiritual entities with the same spirit and energy level as that of an offensive strike.
The very last spiritual phenomenon I will discuss here is known as the ?Cause and Effect? factor. This is probably the technique that people can relate to the most. Every one of us in our daily lives is subjected to this phenomenon. In life, we either are source of any event hence causing its occurrence; or are effected/influenced by that very incident. For example, if one gets into fight with his/her boss and let it ruin his/her whole day, he/she is said to be, being ?at effect? (while the fight itself was the Cause). One the other hand, if he/she can overcome that setback and goes on with the rest of the day without being clouded by the incident, he/she is described as being ?Causative? over the incident/situation.
In fight, despite one?s best effort, a lot of things may not go according to the plan. An opponent may be of significantly higher talent and may land a solid strike. They are all can be the root of the ?cause? of the incident, the fighter with higher spiritual might will never allow himself to be at effect of the incident or any negative situation and heed to the opponent and be derailed from his strategy. The goal, in fight, is to put your opponent ?at effect?, make him angry and deviate from his strategy. Anger and ego are two of the biggest vices in winning a fight for they blind a fighter from his goal and strategy and drive him for instant goal in favor of long-term success.
I remember always being admonished for getting sucked into the energy of the fight and loosing my strategy, forgetting my very basic defensive techniques etc., as I would spar higher ranking brown belts. Not till I myself passed that threshold and realized that I was completely at effect in those fights. Those guys with higher mental and spiritual energy, independent of their age and physical agilities were winning every time against us lower belts with no exposure to those special techniques in our arsenal.
The opponent will do everything to sway the fighter from his plan and put him 'at effect'. Even now, I have to remind myself: ?Do not fight his fight, let him fight yours?.
Sabina Park, or any other cricket ground is the battlefield. Our players need to be always causative. Lara and company has imposed their will upon us by declaring with that huge total. The Tigers are completely at effect. By being at effect, they are not playing their own game but those of Best, Lara etc. When one is at effect, his/her otherwise natural abilities escape through the window. Nervous energy takes over and he/she is at the total mercy of the opponent.
In the Tigers team, I cannot think of any better example of someone being at effect than those of Hannan and Kapali (not specific to this test). Hannan from his consecutive ducks and Kapali from the pressure from ?high? received from success in Pakistan tour. Collectively as a team, Tigers went into the game being at effect from the euphoria of imposing our will on WI in first test.
West Indies, on the other hand went into the game being totally causative, especially after smacking a thunderstorm of 113 without any lose on the last session of the first test. As a team they took up Lara?s challenge and became the cause of BD?s grief.
Day Four will be the time for a realistic look at team make-up, strength of the character of the Tigers team. While the hope of winning may be long over for this test, the game remains very much a mental one. Tigers need to fight for their pride, for their earned spot to in the big boys playground.
A Samurai is not expected to win every battle but his spirit is never beatable. He makes the ultimate sacrifice without blinking while defending his honor, pride and creed.
Tiger is one of the five animals of nature whose spirit in its natural self is imbued by martial artists ? samurais and warrior sages alike for generations. Its time for Bangladesh Tigers, to call upon the fighting spirit of the Royal Bengal Tigers and start the real fight.
A Samurai, fallen in a battle, is honored by his opponent for his fighting spirit and revered for his skill. Win or lose, the Tigers need to keep on fighting instead of succumbing to will of their opponent.
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Allen entangled as war toughens
Since President Barack Obama has been running the war in Afghanistan, it has not been kind to its generals.
In 2009, then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates fired its top commander, Army Gen. David McKiernan, after Gates and other top Pentagon leaders felt he was too disengaged from the fight.
Story Continued Below
In 2010, Obama fired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal following the publication of a magazine profile in which McChrystal and his camp appeared to mock senior officials in the government.
On Friday, CIA Director David Petraeus — who succeeded McChrystal as the top commander in Kabul and was still intimately involved in the campaign against Al Qaeda as the nation's top spy — resigned after acknowledging an extramarital affair with a woman he met during his time on active duty.
( Also on POLITICO: Petraeus affair timeline of events)
And on Tuesday, defense officials revealed that the FBI investigation into Petraeus's connection with two other women had cast a shadow over the current U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. John Allen.
The war's incoming commander, Assistant Marine Commandant Gen. Joe Dunford, was already under a lot of pressure — as Obama's nominee to replace Allen before Tuesday's revelations, he was always going to face a tough job as the man charged with completing the "transition" there by 2014. But this week's Petraeus-Allen scandal only turns the volume up higher.
( Also on POLITICO: Allen could face court-martial)
Dunford, a highly respected senior four-star who now serves as the Marine Corps's no. 2 leader, is a career infantryman and the latest Marine general officer to step up into a critical role in the Obama administration. Although the Marine Corps is the smallest of the Defense Department's military services and has the fewest four-star generals, it has punched above its weight in recent years, with Allen in command of Afghanistan; Gen. James Mattis in charge of Central Command; and Gen. James Cartwright serving until last year as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Dunford is set to appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee by himself on Thursday for the hearing about whether to confirm him to replace Allen. Originally Allen was supposed to appear as well, but Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Tuesday he had asked Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) the committee chairman, to postpone Allen's appearance amid the Pentagon's investigation.
( Also on POLITICO: Gen. John Allen ensnared in Petraeus drama)
Defense officials acknowledged Allen exchanged "flirtatious" emails with Jill Kelley, a MacDill AFB socialite who complained about harassing emails the FBI discovered were from Paula Broadwell, an Army Reserve officer that investigators learned had an extramarital affair with Petraeus.
Military sources in the Pentagon told POLITICO they were shocked by the allegations about Allen, and senior aides began to speak up on Tuesday morning to defend him. Panetta himself also defended Allen — he chose to keep him on duty as the commander of the International Security Assistance Force, as opposed to suspending him — and called for waiting until all the facts are in.
( Also on POLITICO: Carney: Obama backs Gen. Allen)
"While the matter is under investigation and before the facts are determined, Gen. Allen will remain commander of ISAF," Panetta said in a statement. "His leadership has been instrumental in achieving the significant progress that ISAF, working alongside our Afghan partners, has made in bringing greater security to the Afghan people and in ensuring that Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for terrorists. He is entitled to due process in this matter."


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For 2014, the Horizon Organic / Einstein Bros Bagels Cycling Team will work to connect an experienced base of riders with younger talent, thanks to the support of Colorado, national, and international businesses. Former professionals and Olympians will provide a framework of guidance foryoung riders, teaching them to become better athletes and better people as they compete in National Racing Calendar events across the US and regionally around the Rocky Mountain Region.
The team maintains its strong roster of up-and-coming riders bolstered by some great new additions including Fabio Calabria of Team Novo Nordisk and Emerson Oronte of Team Jelly Belly p/b Kenda. With over 20 victories and 35 podium appearances last season, the team willhave a greater focus on NRC stage races in 2014 in addition to major events in the Rocky Mountain region


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More posts
- Great white. Had w Geoff and wendy may 16, 2015.
- Amazing white Burgundy served by Germain and Diane. 2007 vintage.
- Puligny-Montrachet; vol vet heerlijk Veel vr relatief weinig 13 euro
- Rich and lean with pineapple bursting in the finish. Great white Burgundy!
- Delicious White Burgundy $32 @ El Vino Happy Engagement dinner at Laudadio's


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How to Make Kimbap Recipe
You Will Need
- 1/3 carrot, julienned
- 4 cups spinach
- Soy sauce
- 6 inch long half-log of takuan (pickled daikon radish)
- 1/2 log of odeng (steamed fish cake)
- 1 cup bulgogi
- 4 cups cooked short-grain white rice
- 4 sheets of kim
- Sesame oil
- Salt
- Bamboo rolling mat (Helps to have, but is still doable without.)
Makes 4 servings
Whenever I went on a school field trip as a wee lass in Long Island, my mom would send me off with the quintessential Korean packed lunch: kimbap (pronounced keem-bahp). Many of you might know this as "Korean sushi," but I was actually kind of surprised when I first heard the term. Although I love and eat both, I would never have thought to describe kimbap that way.
What's Inside Kimbap?
Essentially, kimbap is made from white rice and various other yummies of your choice, which are then all rolled up in some kim (pronounced kheem), or roasted seaweed. You can use nori as well.
In the kimbap-making session at Serious Eats World HQ, I included bulgogi, takuan, spinach, carrots, and odeng, but this is just one possible combination out of the millions that exist. Possible additions include:
- Egg
- Cucumber
- Spam
- Kimchi
- Chinese sausage
- Spicy canned tuna
- Fish surimi (artificial/imitation crab meat)
Kimbap-making is a bit of a process in that you have to get all your ingredients prepped and ready before you're ready to do the whole shebang. Using the photo above, I'll go over the ingredients--starting with the rice, and moving clockwise. To make four rolls (enough for four people, unless you're a monster), have four cups of cooked white short-grain rice at the ready. Ideally, it will be warm (not hot or cold!), because you want it to be easy to spread out on the kim.
Next, the spinach. I used adult spinach, leaving the leaves whole and only trimming the stems by a few inches. Blanch or gently sauté the spinach in a little bit of sesame oil. The spinach should be fully wilted after cooking. Mix in sesame seeds if you like.
Take the julienned carrots and sauté those in sesame oil as well. You could blanch these, too, but I think it's easier to sauté them. The goal is to take out a bit of the carrots' raw crunch, so a couple of minutes on medium heat should do the job.
The odeng is easy peasy. It comes ready to eat and packaged as a halved log. Just slice them an 1/8 inch thick (go thicker if you like) to produce thin half moon pieces, then slice those in half lengthwise. You could also prepare the takuan that way, but the more traditional preparation is what seems to be, in terms of French technique, the allumette cut. Basically, it's a thicker julienne cut, and if you're not in a rush, I suggest taking the time to do it; the kimbap will look better and be easier to roll.
Finally, the bulgogi! I bought some from a local Korean place, right around the corner from the office, but for those that want to make their own, you can try this beef bulgogi recipe.
Kimbap Assembly
Lay out a piece of kim in front of you on the bamboo mat. Take approximately 1 cup of rice and spread evenly over the bottom 2/3 of the sheet, leaving a 3/4 inch border of rice-less space. If you have a rice paddle, this is the time to use it. If you don't, no worries—just use your fingers or a plain old spoon. Your kim now has a rice blanket ready to be seasoned. Sparingly brush sesame oil over the rice blanket. (Be careful, because too much sesame oil can be overpowering.) Sprinkle some salt over that and you're ready to fill.
With about an inch of empty rice space at the bottom, place the filling ingredients on top of and next to each other. They want to be close together, but since it is logistically impossible to have a Jenga tower of kimbap filling,"on top of and next to each other" is the next best thing. See, Mr. Odeng is sad he is not closer to the bulgogi!
Now that you have all your fillings set and ready to go, get ready to roll. Your palms may sweat and your stomach may feel queasy, but it's okay—we can do this! Slowly and gently roll over the bamboo mat end that is closest to you, and keep rolling while pulling back that same bamboo mat edge. Once you've started the roll, the roll shape should be maintained. After fully encircling the kimbap filling (visual confirmation is suggested), give a couple of extra squeezes with your hands to firm up the roll. At this point, you can check to see if the edges of the kim are sticking together. If the bond is too loose and your kimbap are about to erupt, use a couple of grains of rice as glue.
Remove the bamboo mat, and get ready to slice up the kimbap. Keep a paper towel soaked with some sesame oil nearby to wipe your knife. You'll need to wipe it every so often to keep the knife from getting too sticky. And that's it! Let the kimbap feast commence!
Kimbap is so versatile. Its packing-friendly shape and easy deliciousness make it ready for picnics in the park, beach excursions, road trips, and any transportation situation. So try your hand at making some and let me know how it goes, especially if you have any tips for the other newbies out there. Have a kimboperiffic day!


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Planters peanuts memorabilia is collected. Planters Nut and Chocolate Company was started in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, in 1906. The Mr. Peanut figure was adopted as a trademark in 1916. National advertising for Planters Peanuts started in 1918. The company was acquired by Standard Brands, Inc., in 1961. Standard Brands merged with Nabisco in 1981. Nabisco was bought by Kraft Foods in 2000. Kraft merged with H.J. Heinz Company in 2015. Planters brand is now owned by Kraft Heinz. Mr. Peanut earned a star on Madison Avenue's Advertising Walk of Fame in 2004. Some of the Mr. Peanut jars and other memorabilia have been reproduced and new items are being made.
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This 62" floor model pew-end Candlestick features gleaming brass parts, making it ideal for weddings and candlelight services. Designed to be attached to the pew, it comes with a durable glass globe and a decorative brass holder, along with a dark hardwood pole, solid brass fittings, and a permanent brass bracket; includes brass floor plate. Packed in pairs with glass globes.
If no stock is available, please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. To check stock availability, please contact our Custom Sales Team at 1-800-237-7511.
You can order this candlestick with unfinished wood poles. This allows for you to customize them to your pews or wood trim. If you would like to have this customization, please note it cannot be ordered online at this time. Please call Custom Sales Department, 1-800-237-7511, and one of our representatives will be more than happy to help you order your candlesticks.
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Black Mesa
Black Mesa gets "Xen Engine" update and Steam sale
Black Mesa's Xen Engine update is all about preparing for incoming Xen content.
Black Mesa headlines
Black Mesa pushes its Xen launch date back yet again
Thankfully, there will still be a major December update.
Black Mesa can now be acquired through Steam Early Access
Black Mesa, the re-imagining of Half-Life 1 from Crowbar Collective, has entered Steam Early Access.
Black Mesa countdown probably points to Half-life remake release date
Half-life remake Black Mesa may have a release date at last.
Get caught up on everything Black Mesa with this video
Black Mesa has been available since summer 2012 and if you haven't played around with the Half-Life remake mod in a while, the video below should catch you up.
The Chuckle Brothers are in Half-Life mod Black Mesa
UK comedy heroes Paul and Barry Chuckle are in Half-Life mod Black Mesa.
Black Mesa will be available on Steam soon for a "relatively low price"
Black Mesa will be available on Steam soon for a "relatively low price," according to the developers.
IndieDB announces top 100 indie games: voting for ultimate winner now open
Hotline Miami, Chivalry and FTL are just some of the highlighted gems in IndieDB's third annual top 100 indie game list. The shortlist champions the cream of the independent scene and public voting is now open to determine this year's ultimate winner. Get involved now below.
Black Mesa, others chosen for Steam Greenlight distribution
Black Mesa, and nine other titles are the first Steam Greenlight games to earn "critical mass," and have been picked up for worldwide distribution, Valve has announced.
Black Mesa gets a release date, minus Xen section
Black Mesa, a fan conversion of Half-Life using the Source engine's bells and whistles, will be all yours in as little as two weeks. And it only took eight years.
Catch up now - Brenna and Pat quick-chat this morning's headlines
Let's try this again. You're turning on the internet and you just want to know what you missed overnight very quickly. This, hopefully, is the solution. Listen to Brenna and Pat talk for a few minutes about what happened while you were asleep.
Black Mesa Source gameplay footage turns up everywhere
Half-Life mod Black Mesa Source has sprung not one but two leaks, in a glorious rain of gameplay footage.
Creators of Half-Life remake "Black Mesa" promise new media soon
After a lengthy period of silence, the development team behind the fan-made Half-Life remake "Black Mesa" has promised some "exciting new media" when the Black Mesa Facebook fan page reaches 20,000 'Likes'.
Half-Life 2 Black Mesa mod will not be released in 2009
The Black Mesa mod for Half-Life 2 will not make it's projected 2009 release, according to a post on the mod's official forums. "Unfortunately, to our great disappointment, Black Mesa will not make a 2009 release," wrote the mod's project lead. "Cynics may now rejoice, bets may be collected, and I think a mod team […]
Black Mesa trailer is cool
An official trailer of Black Mesa's been released, showing off the Half-Life 2 mod in stunning light. There'll be every reason to go back. Watch it after the break. No date as yet. Get more info from the project's official site.
Black Mesa latest
Black Mesa countdown probably points to Half-life remake release date
Black Mesa will be available on Steam soon for a "relatively low price"
IndieDB announces top 100 indie games: voting for ultimate winner now open
Catch up now – Brenna and Pat quick-chat this morning's headlines
Creators of Half-Life remake "Black Mesa" promise new media soon


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"Fujitsu's Dynamic Infrastructure Solution provided us with a futuristic operating environment where change management and upgrades are possible on the fly. After deploying Fujitsu FlexFrameTM for SAP®, our system uptime has improved to 100% and application turnaround time has improved dramatically."
Vineet Kumar Chawla Head of IT, Hindustan Times
CS_HT_Media_en_1312.pdf (1 MB)


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Thursday, 17 April 2014
So excited to announce POP Bakery is now making wedding cakes! Tiered beautiful cakes full of amazing POPs, what's better than that?! Also this one was a new chocolate recipe with salt caramel icing and was DIVINE, couldn't stop eating it all week, YUMSCRUM!
Posted by Pop Bakery at 03:26 3 comments:
Posted by Pop Bakery at 01:59 No comments:
Posted by Pop Bakery at 01:58 No comments:
4 Years down, many more to come!
4 years ago today I made my first cake POPs, and here they are! I thought they were beautiful, and Joely, our first official taster thought they were delicious, that's all I needed to launch POP Bakery. Proud at how far we've come and how many lovely designs we now have and all the wonderful parties our little beauties have been at!
Posted by Pop Bakery at 01:55 No comments:
Thursday, 3 April 2014
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A quick list of things I did in Austin in December 2012 during my 12 waking hours in the city proper, after finishing a work-related meeting at the Travaasa Austin (FYI, had a nice quail appetizer there).
- Checked into the Hotel San Jose.
- Grabbed a Frito pie for lunch at Jo's next door.
- Enjoyed a tasty michelada in the hotel courtyard (thanks to my former colleague Erika for tipping me off to this).
- An hour later, enjoyed another tasty michelada in the company of my college classmate Grover, as we conferred about the night's plans.* We hit up the following places:**
- East Side Showroom
- Donn's Depot - I LOVE this place. Can I live here?
- Deep Eddy Cabaret
- Texas Chili Parlour
- The Continental Club
- Hmm. I didn't have dinner. I realize this when I wake up very hungry and woozy about 5 hours later. Thankfully, the South Congress Cafe is just a few blocks away. (H/t to another former colleague, Cristin, for this recommendation.) I get coffee, another michelada (just can't resist, need to try as many versions as possible), and a delectable smoked brisket hash with nice runny eggs.
As I eat very, very slowly and carefully, I try not to stare at the guy in the booth in front of me. I think he looks like Elmore Leonard, but then I'm not sure I know what Elmore Leonard actually looks like.
- I walk back to the hotel very, very slowly and pack up reluctantly.
* I also have Grover to thank for this itinerary on my 2011 visit - Icenhauer's, Clive Bar, Deep Eddy Cabaret, Ginny's Little Longhorn Saloon, and the Gallery at the Continental Club. I see why people love Austin.
** Oops, I forgot to add this item - checking out the Christmas tree at Zilker Park. The backstory of Austin's moonlight towers made this extra interesting.


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Jose Mesa Jr.
Flanagan senior
Position: Pitcher
Statistics: 9-2, 1.13 ERA, 134 strikeouts, 5 complete games, .450 BA, 25 RBI, 2 HR, 8 runs
Season highlights: A two-year varsity starter, Mesa pitched two no-hitters against district foe West Broward this season. In the regional tournament, he nearly did it again, holding Douglas to just two hits and striking out 12 to help the Falcons earn a 6-1 regional quarterfinal win.
Comment: Coming into the season, Mesa's biggest individual goals were to improve on last year's numbers. He did that and emerged as one of the most dominant arms in Broward County. The son of former major leaguer Jose Mesa, Mesa Jr. pitched in front of countless scouts all season and is expected to be picked up in this year's June draft. If he chooses not to play professionally, Mesa has signed with Seminole State College. "He was our big-time pitcher, our workhorse and he knew that from the get-go. He wanted the big games and he put the team on his shoulders. He broke the school record in strikeouts and was really a bright spot on our team," said Flanagan coach Ray Evans.
Athlete's quote: "I wanted our team to get farther than last year, but even though we fell short, it was a great run overall and I'm happy with what we accomplished. Now I want to keep improving and keep my velocity up, constantly. I want to improve my control on my breaking pitches and grow as an overall player and person. I just want to help my team do well."


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Saturday December 14, 2019; 06:21 am EST
Fireflies' luminescence is 100% efficient
Tiny golden-yellow lights flicker on, off, on, off.
Watching them brings memories of childhood.
Back in the days when I'd play outside from summer sun-up to after sundown, fireflies kept me company at night.
Reading kept me company, too.
P.D. Eastman's Sam and the Firefly was a favorite.
I'd pretend I was Sam the owl, helping Gus the firefly. I'd catch the flickering lights in mid-air, and put them in a pickle jar — with holes poked in the lid for air — then release them back into the warm summer sky.
I imagined that fireflies talk to each other with light, and I was right. They emit light to attract mates, to defend territory and to warn away predators.
These creatures are the world's most efficient lights. One hundred percent of their energy is emitted as light. Compare that to an incandescent bulb, which emits 10 percent of its energy as light and the rest as heat, or a fluorescent bulb, which emits 90 percent of its energy as light but still 10 percent as heat. Because it produces no heat, firefly light is known as cold light.
Inside the firefly's tail are two chemicals — luciferase and luciferin. Luciferin is heat resistant, and under the right conditions it glows. Luciferase is an enzyme that triggers light emission. ATP, a chemical within the firefly's body, converts to energy and initiates the glow.
Every animal has ATP in its cells in amounts that are more or less constant, or should be. In diseased cells, the amount of ATP may be abnormal. The chemicals from fireflies are injected into diseased cells to detect cellular changes resulting from diseases from cancer to muscular dystrophy.
Electronic detectors containing these chemicals have been fitted into spacecraft to detect life in outer space. On earth, the chemicals also mark food spoilage and bacterial contamination.
Fireflies love warm, humid areas. They thrive in forests, fields and marshes near lakes, rivers, ponds, streams and vernal pools. They live only long enough to mate and lay eggs.
So they'll be back next summer, in Maryland and in every continent except Antarctica.


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October 11, 2011
Achieving excellence: Two programs awarded for dedication to diverse education
Submitted by Communications and Marketing
Two College of Education centers at Kansas State University have received large federal grants for their work surrounding diversity-related issues in education.
The Center for Intercultural and Multilingual Advocacy, or CIMA, received $2 million, which will be given as $400,000 annually for five years. The Midwest Equity Assistance Center, or MEAC, also received $2 million, which will be awarded as $680,000 over three years.
"Most impressively, these awards bring the total competitive funding received to $30 million for each of these centers," said Michael Holen, dean of the College of Education.
The Center for Intercultural and Multilingual Advocacy, under the direction of Socorro Herrera, professor of curriculum and instruction, has received more than $30 million in competitive funding during the last 12 years.
The center focuses on issues related to culture and language by offering a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs in the study of English as a second language. The center helps prepare graduates to leverage the assets of students from various cultural and linguistic backgrounds in order to promote their language development and academic achievement.
"The center is all about bringing everyone toward a common goal to support multilingual students and their families," Herrera said. "The state of Kansas is ahead in working with students of multiple cultures, and this funding will continue to put us ahead."
The most recent award comes from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of English Language Acquisition, and will help to fund Project KORE, which stands for Kansans Organized for Results-based and Effective Instruction. Herrera is the principal investigator of Project KORE, which is a collaboration with other organizations, including the University of Kansas, the Kansas State Department of Education and the Jones Institute for Educational Excellence at Emporia State University.
The goal of Project KORE is to use the existing network of educators implementing the Kansas Multi-Tiered Systems of Support to create a statewide system that also helps current educators work with students who are English language learners. The center will hold meetings with collaborators; prepare training materials to distribute to school districts; provide professional development with teachers, administrators and counselors; and perform community work with multilingual families.
"This project will provide the state of Kansas with a sustainable system of support for districts that are struggling to provide research-based professional development for their culturally and linguistically diverse students and families," Herrera said. "Collaboration among the various institutions of higher education will enable us to expand upon our individual Institution of Higher Education strengths and capacities, identify what can be implemented statewide and conduct groundbreaking research in the field of effective teaching that is inclusive of all students."
The center has endorsed more than 2,500 teachers and administrators in English as a second language. During the past 12 years, it has involved more than 38 faculty members who have come from more than 17 different countries.
"Kansas State University has the passion and commitment to do what is right for all students, including the culturally and linguistically diverse students," Herrera said. "This is a research-based project that will help further the 2025 vision."
That vision is for the university to become a top 50 public research university by 2025.
The Midwest Equity Assistance Center received its recent three-year award by winning a regional U.S. Department of Education competition that included other nonprofit organizations in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. The center has been winning the regional competition since 1978, which has earned the program more than $35 million throughout the years.
The money will help provide local and state agencies with technical assistance, professional development and information dissemination to public schools within the four-state region. The center focuses on issues related to race, gender or national origin.
"With this funding, school districts can keep requesting our help in these areas and we can continue to be able to help them," said Charles Rankin, executive director of the center and professor of educational leadership.
The center currently works with 1,463 schools and reaches more than 2.1 million students.
"As a member of the College of Education, the center has access to students who are preparing to become teachers," Rankin said. "These students are already exposed to our services, which they take with them when they go to work at schools across the area. As a result, our students will be highly sought after and they will be well-trained for educating others."


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[UPDATE: We posted this a few weeks back, but with a new full-length Avengers trailer hitting the Web, it's only fair we give superhero fans a second round of consideration. Let the fanboy debates begin (again)!]
This week has brought us two big superhero movie trailers, with The Avengers Super Bowl trailer sending fans into frenzy, followed by the new Amazing Spider-Man trailer - which has come out of the gate (literally) swinging, and managed to overcome some of the negative opinion that the reboot was initially facing.
In fact, The Amazing Spider-Man has impressed so much that we've begun to hear whispers here and there that the Spider-Man trailer did a better job than The Avengers Super Bowl trailer, and ultimately made the Spider-Man reboot look like the better movie.
We know fightin' words when we hear them, so we thought we'd open up the debate to you, the readers, and let you hash out which Marvel Superhero film looks like the better bet at this point.
Of course, before we can debate anything we have to have a recap of both The Avengers and Amazing Spider-Man trailers, to get an accurate sense of what directors Joss Whedon (Serenity) and Marc Webb ((500) Days of Summer) are going for with their respective films.
Oddly enough, neither Whedon nor Webb is what you'd initially expect in a big-budget superhero movie director; and yet, both of these films look to be successful and exciting interpretations of the comic book source material. But while both have their merits (and, inevitably, their weaknesses), we're not here to offer universal praise - the question is: Which film looks BETTER to you?
The easy answer is, of course, The Avengers. After all, it's not just a film, it's an event - the culmination of years of fan loyalty and Marvel Studios movies. Did you see the rotating shot of of Captain American, Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye? How about when Hulk caught a falling Iron Man out of the air? What can beat that? It's pure epicness.
Then again, we still know very little about what kind of story The Avengers is going to offer. With a recycled villain in the form of Loki (Tom Hiddleston), and alien hordes possibly landing on Earth's doorstep... so far, the film seems to be hinging on witty character banter and visual iconography. Beyond that much, we haven't seen much.
Amazing Spider-Man, on the other hand, seems to be hinging on character and story - but this new trailer proves that it is not lacking in the action department, either. Still, some of the effects (read: The Lizard) aren't 100% stellar, and the film is going to be a different approach to the character for those moviegoers who didn't read Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley's Ultimate Spider-Man comics in the early 2000s. That new flavor might not go down well with everyone.
Then again, the richer storyline, more complex characters - brought to life by some gifted performers - and some surprisingly sweet Spider-Man action... Suffice to say, as a standalone film, ASM has potential (not proven, but suggested) to be just as fulfilling a movie experience as The Avengers.
[poll id="265"]
The Avengers will be in theaters on May 4, 2012.
The Amazing Spider-Man will be in theaters on July 3, 2012.


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Weekly Fraser Valley Sport fishing column; Jan 6 to 13, 2014
a lot of people would say, Vern you ought to be in radio. That didnt mean a thing to me for a couple of reasons. One was these werent radio people. The other was I didnt feel my show was suited for radio A man doesnt watch radio, he listens to it
One day I bumped into a radio man from WGY
Im a tackle salesman, I said. The other is just a hobby.
From what I hear its a pretty good hobby, he said. Ever thought of radio?
I said no and gave him my reasons.
Lets go to the station and talk about it, he said
Talking never hurt anybody, so I went along, and before I knew it, that boy had me lined up to do a show once a week.
Words from the late
Fly Fishingmedia icon; R.V. Gadabout Gaddis.
All day long I have been hearing talk about Blue Monday. This may well be the day and week that many people around find the most depressing. I could say you have a reason to feel that way, if you lived on the east coast, where they are stuck indoors while being pounded by wave after wave of record winter storms. We here on the west coast have no such excuse, since we, on most days have been experiencing record warm temperatures and an unseasonal amount of sunshine. This weather we have been experiencing for late fall and the beginning of winter is conducive to good fishing. No, it is not as productive as a summer evening, but on a winter to winter comparison, this year is AAA. Why just this past Saturday, a competent colleague of mine marked a 100 fish (rainbow trout) afternoon. Where else in Canada do you do that on January 4th? No-one ever caught a fish, or accomplished anything of any consequence moping on the couch; so turn that frown upside down, dress for the weather, and go catch yourself a good day.
The Report
Fishing on our lower mainland lakes is fair to good. Focus on the warmest parts of the day, in and around the north east sections of your favorite lake. Try a slow troll or retrieve with: Wooly Bugger, Big Black, Micro Leach, Baggy Shrimp, Dragonfly Nymph, or Halfback Nymph.
The Fraser River is fishing fair to good for Dolly Varden and cutthroat. For Cutthroat try: Professor, Anderson Stone, American Coachman, Rolled Muddler, Black Gnat, Griffith Gnat, Zulu, Hares Ear, Renegade, or Irresistible. For Dolly Varden try: Zonker, Flat Black, Big Black, Eggo, Clouser's Deep Minnow, Bucktail, and Lefty's Deceiver.
The Vedder River is good for Dolly Varden, rainbow, and steelhead. For rainbow try: Czech nymph, Kaufmann Stone, Hares Ear, Big Black, Wooly Bugger, Eggo, Zulu, Soubou, Irresistible, Elk Hair Caddis, Tom Thumb, Black Gnat, or Renegade.
Keep your fly in the water
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