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NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Federal investigators raided the offices of Lumber Liquidators on Thursday, the company and authorities said.
Stocks of the hardwood flooring retailer fell sharply on Friday as the news emerged, dropping just over 10% at midday.
No arrests were made and the search warrants remain sealed, said Brandon Montgomery, a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security. He said the search involved special agents from the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of Justice.
Lumber Liquidators (LL) suggested the investigation involved its importation of wood products, which come from "approximately 110 domestic and international mills around the world."
Related: Woody Harrelson: Natural-born paper salesman
"Due to the scale of its international and domestic operations, Lumber Liquidators has policies and procedures in place for the sourcing, harvesting and manufacturing of its products designed to comply with federal and other regulations related to the importation of wood flooring products," the company said. "The Company has more than 60 professionals around the world who perform and monitor those processes."
It said it "takes its sourcing and compliance very seriously, and is cooperating with authorities."
CNN affiliate WWBT reported authorities suspected wood the company said originated in Russia came from elsewhere. It said investigators were searching for emails and other documents. CNN was not able to confirm this report and Lumber Liquidators did not immediately respond to a request for additional information.
Montgomery said the searches took place at the company's Toano, Virginia headquarters, as well as a Richmond location, where the company's products are sold.


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Showing Collections: 1 - 2 of 2
William M. Colmer Papers
Identifier: M24
Scope and Contents The vast majority of the William M. Colmer Papers encompass his forty-year career as a United States Congressman from Mississippi (1933-1972). However, it also contains a significant amount of material regarding his activities prior to his election to Congress, and a limited amount of materials generated after his retirement in 1972. The original arrangement of the materials has been preserved as closely as possible. Inclusive dates are approximately 1906–1980. The collection divided...
Dates: 1933-1973
Found in: Historical Manuscripts and Photographs
William Arthur Winstead Papers
Identifier: M564
Form of Material
The William Arthur Winstead Papers include scrapbooks, newspaper reports, proposed legislation, and other miscellaneous records concerning Rep. William Arthur Winstead, who served in the United States' House of Representatives from 1943-1965. This collection would be of particular interest to researchers studying twentieth-century political history, Mississippi politicians, University of Southern Mississippi alumnae, and the Civil Rights Movement.
Dates: 1935-1990
Found in: Historical Manuscripts and Photographs
Filter Results
Additional filters:
- Subject
- African Americans -- Civil rights. 1
- Agriculture. 1
- Biographies. 1
- Books. 1
- Brochures. 1
- Camp Shelby (Miss.). 1
- Certificates. 1
- Civil rights -- United States. 1 + ∧ less
- Names
- Bilbo, Theodore Gilmore, Governor, 1877-1947 1
- Stennis, John C., Senator (John Cornelius), 1901-1995 1
- Winstead, W. Arthur, Mississippi Congressman, U.S. House of Representatives (William Arthur), 1904-1995 1
∨ more

subset: commoncrawl


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Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Hangzhou Braised Pork
The Last Chinese Chef, by Nicole Mones, was the most recent selection for Cook the Books. If you want plot information, take a look at the CtB blog, or stop by Natashya's or Suzie's blogs.
I had trials and tribulations with this book. Our library system doesn't own the book, so I went through Interlibrary Loan to get a copy. When the copy arrived, I checked it out, then I must have set it down, because someone immediately picked it up, checked it back in, and returned it to the host library. I was not a happy camper/reader.
So, once again, I placed an ILL order, hoping that it would arrive in time. Yay. It did!
This is an awesome love story in every sense: love of country, love of food, love of history, and love between two people. I never wanted this story to end. It was inspiring.
I started a search for a recipe that would engage the senses and related to the setting of the story. After perusing several cookbooks on Chinese cuisine, I chose Hangzhou Braised Pork from The Shun Lee Cookbook by Michael Tong. I did adapt it to the ingredients I had on hand.
This led to my second 'trial and tribulation': the cooking liquid is supposed to be boiled down to make a syrupy sauce. Even though I boiled 3 times as long as the recipe stated, it never became syrupy. I decided I would try again when I reheated the leftover pork, but I was once again thwarted. My daughter beat me to it, eating all of the remaining meat and rice, without spinach and without sauce. She declared it was delicious and I should make it again. All that's left now is a container of sauce, waiting to be reduced. Guess I'll have to make it again.
My adaptation of Hangzhou Braised Pork
2 pounds boneless pork roast, cut into 2" squares 2 scallions, trimmed and cut into thirds 1 cup white wine
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons soy sauce
one 1" piece of peeled fresh ginger, cut into 5 slices
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
3 whole star anise
one 1 1/2" piece of cinnamon stick
5 small dried hot chilies
1 pound fresh spinach
Place the scallions on the bottom of a flameproof casserole and top with the pork. Add 3 cups water, the wine, the 1/3 cup sugar, the 1/4 cup soy sauce, ginger, white pepper, star anise, cinnamon stick, and dried chilies. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently until the pork is very tender, about 2 hours.
Remove meat from cooking liquid. Remove and discard all the remaining solids. Increase the heat to high and boil the sauce, uncovered, until it becomes syrupy.
While the sauce is reducing, fill a saucepan with water, bring it to a boil, then add the fresh spinach and cook until it is just wilted, about 1 minute. Drain well.
Once the sauce is reduced, add the cooked pork and the remaining sugar and soy sauce. Return to a boil.
Serve the cooked pork with syrupy sauce on top of the spinach.
The sauce has great flavor -- spicy and picante. I will certainly make this again.
Tune into the Cook the Books Club and see what the other readers created, and what our next book will be.
8 comments:
- Suzie said...
I'm so glad you enjoyed the novel after your problems getting it. (My copy of The Language of Baklava only just turned up, so I know how frustrating that can be.) It sounds like your pork was wonderful regardless of the thickness of the sauce.
- August 27, 2009 at 4:37 AM
- NKP said...
The flavours sound fantastic. I have trouble reducing too. I was just starting to think the other night that I should probably use a wider, more shallow pot for more surface to air ratio.. as I boiled for 3x longer than the recipe stated. I wonder why they don't mention that in the recipes.
- August 27, 2009 at 5:32 AM
- Megan said...
Ha! Your daughter beat you to the leftovers - too funny.
I like the looks and sound of it, I'll bet my family would love it as much as yours did.
- August 28, 2009 at 10:38 AM
- Alicia Foodycat said...
It looks really good! The sauce freezes well - I have a pot of red braising stock in my freezer that comes out a couple of times a year and adds more and more flavour to the dish each time.
- August 30, 2009 at 5:39 AM
- Arlene Delloro said...
This sounds delicious, reduced sauce notwithstanding. The Chinese really know how to do chicken. The texture is like no other cuisine.
- August 30, 2009 at 7:02 AM
- Maria Verivaki said...
reduced sauces are also an important part of mediterranean cooking - it's amazing how rustic cusisines from all over the world are so similar - well done
- August 30, 2009 at 9:34 AM
- Simona Carini said...
My dish also did not turn out as I expected, but it was good and was appreciated and I think that's the important think. I am sure the sauce will come out all right, next time you try.
- August 30, 2009 at 12:58 PM
- Claudia said...
We don't eat much pork, but your dish sounds really good. That's why your daughter ate all those left-overs! I don't know why it wouldn't reduce, but now I want to give it a try.
- September 1, 2009 at 4:23 PM


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Convert North Korean won (KPW) to another currencyWith the help of Ex-Rate you can convert North Korean won to any currency of any country in the world. To convert a sum in KPW to another currency and find out the current exchange rate – use the form below please.
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Let us consider a 1d Brownian motion. Displacements in space will be positive or negative and this is a random variable $U(t)$ that characterizes a random process and that can take just the values $\pm 1$. The question I am looking for an answer is: What is the probability distribution for $U$?
Of course, the problem can be generalized to $\mathbb{R}^d$ and, in this case, one should look for a distribution of directions. It would be nice to get an answer also in this case.


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1 After these things the word of Jehovah came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram; I am thy shield, thy exceeding great reward.
2 And Abram said, Lord Jehovah, what wilt thou give me? seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus.
3 And Abram said, Lo, to me thou hast given no seed, and behold, a son of my house will be mine heir.
4 And behold, the word of Jehovah [came] to him, saying, This shall not be thine heir, but he that will come forth out of thy body shall be thine heir.
5 And he led him out, and said, Look now toward the heavens, and number the stars, if thou be able to number them. And he said to him, So shall thy seed be!
6 And he believed Jehovah; and he reckoned it to him [as] righteousness.
7 And he said to him, I am Jehovah who brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give thee this land to possess it.
8 And he said, Lord Jehovah, how shall I know that I shall possess it?
9 And he said to him, Take me a heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon.
10 And he took all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid the half of each opposite its fellow; but the birds he did not divide.
11 And the birds of prey came down on the carcases; and Abram scared them away.
12 And as the sun was just going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, a horror, a great darkness, fell upon him.
13 And he said to Abram, Know assuredly that thy seed will be a sojourner in a land [that is] not theirs, and they shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years.
14 But also that nation which they shall serve I will judge; and afterwards they shall come out with great property.
15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
16 And [in the] fourth generation they shall come hither again; for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.
17 And it came to pass when the sun had gone down, and it was dark, that behold, there was a smoking furnace, and a flame of fire which passed between those pieces.
18 On the same day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates;
19 the Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,
20 and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaim,
21 and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.


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Mary Greig writes:
The story of Jazz In London started in 1971, forty years ago . . . at a time when contemporary Jazz was even more of a minority music than it is today. At that time, there were only two major clubs ( Ronnie Scott's and the 100 Club ) although, interestingly, the jazz audience could support three specialist Jazz record shops within walking distance of each other (Dobell's, Asman's and Collet's). It was a very intimate, small sub-culture in Soho in those days, and it would be no surprise to find yourself drinking alongside the great American musicians who were performing at Ronnie Scott's at the time, or alongside luminaries of the art world like Francis Bacon.
Jazz in London was started by John Jack, a record producer and champion of the contemporary end of Jazz music. He lived, as he does now, in Charing Cross Road, and ranthe jazz sessions at Ronnie's Old Place in Gerrard Street, which provided a showcase for many of the young players who have since gained international recognition:- John Surman, Mike Osborne, Mike Westbrook and many others.
This was pre Time Out London, and information on where to hear Jazz was mainly word of mouth and posters, so John started to produce a folded A4 sheet called Jazz in London, with a strapline of "Mainly The Newer Trends In The Music". The early editions listed around a dozen venues, two of which were weekly venues run by Jazz Centre Society, the forerunner to Jazz Services.
In 1973 John took on the full-time commitment of Cadillac Records, so Jazz In London was passed over to me. I was very involved in the jazz scene and was active in running clubs for Jazz Centre Society, and working in Collet's Jazz Record Shop. I knew a lot about the Jazz scene, but nothing about how to produce a publication. In this pre-technology era, I learned to use cut-and-paste typed text and Letraset to compose the layout, pasting it all out on boards and taking the boards to the printer. Some of the early issues look extremely clunky now, but nobody seemed to mind at the time.
I've continued to produce Jazz In London single-handedly since then, and over that time it hasgrown from a single A4 sheet to the multi-page publication that it is today. Although a bit of a technophobe, I've managed to get to grips with the fundamentals of desk-top publishing, so these days it gets sent to the printer down the phone line, rather than on bits of card! In recent years I've been immensely aided by Mick Sexton, who since 2003 has been the person who puts the publication online, (LINK) and also helps me with the distribution.
I think the extraordinary longevity of Jazz in London is essentially down to it having been a one-person operation, and being very pro-active about getting information. Also, I've always kept to the simple format of providing information, rather than branching into editorial content. And by keeping it simple, costs are contained and therefore advertising is very affordable to small promoters. It reflects a genuine network of promoters, performers, punters etc. who all contribute in their separate ways to a healthy scene. So that now, something that started as a labour of love seems to have become an important underpinning of the London Jazz community, and I suppose I'm rather proud of that.
The Jazz scene has, of course, now changed beyond recognition, with the huge expansion ofwonderful young talent and the recognition of the music conservatoires that jazz is a music worthy of their curriculum. These days I find myself typing the names of many musicians that I've never even heard, whereas 35 years ago, they were all my mates!
Steve Rubie, 606 Club:
Jazz In London has been an essential part of the London jazz scene for as long as I can remember. Tirelessly put together every month, without a break for the last 40 years or so, by the indefatigable and immensely knowledgeable Mary Greig it is a major resource on the UK jazz scene. Although now available on-line Mary still produces this unique free guide in it's original printed version and it says something about how important it is that here at the Club we regularly distribute quite literally hundreds of them every month. As a leading UK venue we consider being in JiL a core part of our promotional strategy and greatly value its effectiveness in getting knowledge of our gigs to the listening public. Long may it continue…
Simon Carter, Boaters Jazz:
I don't know where we'd all be without Mary! I've known her for almost 20 years, and yet we've never met! However, we talk regularly on the phone and she has always shown a great interest in the gig at Boaters and been incredibly supportive over the years. The London jazz scene owes Mary a huge debt of gratitutde as without her tireless efforts to produce accurate and informative listings there would be no platform for the small jazz gig to survive and thrive. She deserves a medal for her incredible work.
Paul Pace, Ronnie Scotts , Spicejazz at the Spice of Life:
Mary, you have been steadfast and totally reliable in providing the best unbiased, accurate and most comprehensive listings publication of the contemporary jazz scene in London. It also rivals the jazz listings of other major world cities including New York, and to have single-handedly produced a publication at this level over an impressive 40 years deserves the utmost respect of the jazz community, from both punters and performers alike. You and JiL have been an integral part of the scene for as long as I can remember and you have been very much a friend of the music and its practitioners, a consistent supporter of 'grassroots' venues, Ronnie's and for a while, a welcoming sight behind the counter at Ray's Jazz Shop during your earlier years in London. I raise a glass or two in your honour, and look forward to seeing you soon – A big thanks Mary, and I am sure, from many others too!
Simon Cooke, Ronnie Scott's:
We at Ronnie's are grateful and fully appreciate the not inconsiderable effort that goes into compiling the best jazz listings publication that London has to offer. Thanks for your unflagging support through the years. May we congratulate you on your anniversary and the singularly high quality of 'Jazz in London'!
Norma Winstone:
Like many other musicians, I know how much Mary's painstaking work over four decades has contributed to bring audiences to gigs in London, week in week out. Thank you for keeping all of us in touch!
Categories: miscellaneous


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by Anthony Sizemore, Student Sportswriter & M. B. Miller
The Alice Lloyd Lady Eagles struggled on Thursday night in an 82-72 loss against Asbury University. The game was played at Asbury's Luce Center in Wilmore, Kentucky.
Playing without long-range specialist JJ Hickson and low post presence Hayley Smith, ALC would have their work cut out for them. The game started off as a low-scoring affair with the two teams only managing 10 points combined in the first five minutes. ALC was the steadier team in the game's first half, though, relying on the 3-point shooting of Lacinda Hack and Ariel Nickell to keep their nose out in front. Eventually, the pace of the game would pick up and the teams traded leads multiple times before Asbury took a 41-36 lead into the locker room.
In the second half, Alice Lloyd scored first to start their comeback bid. However, the Lady Eagles had no answer for Asbury's excellent guard Laura Carroll who had a career night. Asbury's defense disrupted ALC's offensive rhythm, and, unfortunately, they could not put together any scoring runs. The Lady Eagles would get to within 6 of Asbury, but poor transition defense and an inability to contain Carroll would prove to be their undoing. Asbury continued a steady offensive barrage to push the lead back to double digits and claimed the victory.
For Alice Lloyd (13-8, 7-3), Ariel Nickell once again provided a major boost. She recorded a double-double with 24 points and 16 rebounds. Carla Booth tallied 22 points for the Lady Eagles to go with 5 assists.
Asbury (16-7, 5-3) was led by Laura Carroll with 32 points.
With under two minutes to play, ALC's Ariel Nickell and Asbury's Trenia Barbee (the reigning KIAC Player of the Week) were ejected for fighting. Both players were suspended for their team's next two scheduled games.
January 26th
ALC versus the Brescia Lady Bearcats
On Saturday the Alice Lloyd Lady Eagles traveled to Brescia to face the Lady Bearcats. In a high-scoring contest, the hosts prevailed 96-83.
In their first game without Nickell, ALC saw BU take advantage of the Lady Eagles' vulnerability, pouring on the points while the Eagles struggled to find the hoop. Brescia led at intermission 46-29.
In the second half, Eagle guard Carla Booth got hot from the floor to help the visitors reduce the deficit to single digits. ALC cut mightily into the lead, but they were unable to complete the comeback.
For ALC (13-9; 7-4 KIAC) Booth clearly knew that much was being asked of her, pumping in a career-high 42 points. She added 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Chelsea Brown chipped in with 12 points.
Brescia (13-7; 6-3 KIAC) was led by Julie Whitfill with 24 points.
ALC will be on the road yet again to face the Lady Mountaineers of Berea College. In what will be another game without Nickell, Hickson, and Smith, the Lady Eagles will be under-manned and will need all of its players to step up and play big minutes. The ALC versus Berea game tips at 5:30 PM Tuesday, January 29th.


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The lads and possibly lasses (in this politically correct world we live in) of the Oldham road sign erection crew have struck again, but this time you have to go to Leeds to see this marvellous example of the sort of careful workmanship and workwomanship (in this politically correct world we live in).
Their work is a fine example of the type of British craftsmanship and craftswomanship (of course) that David Cameron and all of the other deluded British politicians believe is going to make the UK a world power once again, to say nothing of ensuring that everyone has nice shiny shoes and all the trains not only run on time but are clean! Isn't it great to 'believe?'
If you don't remember the fine example of Oldham's road sign erection crew's work from my previous blog here is an example as published by the Cat who writes Blogs i.e. me just before my birthday on November 14th.
Of course if you missed my birthday you will be pleased to hear that I have no problem with presents, cards and cash arriving late, in fact I have said on any number of occasions that I am just like a politician in this respect – open to 'presents' at any time during the year!
Of course if you don't remember when Oldham's sign erection crew last struck just click here, aren't they clever?
Don't forget that the holidays are upon us, Thanksgiving in just a day or so away and Christmas as usual is lurking around the corner which means that you may well be stumped for what to get the children, the Dog, the family and all of the others that you have to buy presents for, my advice is don't panic just go to either my www-wickedly wonderful website www.thecatsdiary.com or indeed good old Amazon.com and order dozens of copies of my books. May I helpfully suggest that for people you really like you give both of my books to and for people you aren't so keen on just the one!
Here are a few useful links to save you time and cut out the hours of concentrated thought that you would normally devote to choosing the right present for everyone.
Technorati Tags:
Book Store, British, ebook, Oldham, Politicians, The Cat, The Cat who writes blogs, The Cat's Travelogue, The Cats Travelogue, www – wickedly wonderful website, www.amazon.com, www.blog.thecatsdiary.com, www.thecatsdiary.com, David cameron, Birthday, Getting Out – Excerpts from a Cat's Diary, Buy My Book


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July 30, 2006
Sunday Papers
Francona says Manny Delcarmen has a sore thumb that makes it difficult to throw his curve. Tito: "I think giving him a day or two is just what he needs." ... Matt Clement threw off a mound for the first time in nearly a month and will have another side session on Monday. Tito: "He threw about 60 to 75 percent. Again, no twinges, no apprehension."... Angels centerfielder Chone Figgins had 11 putouts, all in the first six innings, yesterday. The major league record is 12.
Jonathan Papelbon says that in the early months of this season, he "was just trying to get my feet wet and get command of the zone. Now that I've got my grasp, I can throw a slider a little bit more, give them another pitch to look for." ... So look for him to start pitching a bit better.
Gordon Edes has more from the preliminary 2007 schedule: All three Yankees series at Fenway Park are scheduled for weekends: April 20-22, June 1-3, and September 14-16. The New York series are April 27-29, August 3-5 and August 28-30 (mid-week). ... Boston opens the season with a two-city trip to Minneapolis and Seattle. ... The home opener is scheduled for April 10 against the Devil Rays. ... They will make four West Coast trips, three before the All-Star break. ... The Sox will not finish the regular season against an East opponent, ending the season against the Athletics and Twins.
The Globe asked three general managers, one special assignment scout, and one manager to "list the teams they wouldn't want to face in the playoffs in each league, in order of toughness. All five ranked the Twins as the toughest AL team. The Red Sox got most of the second-place votes, followed by the Tigers, Angels and White Sox. In the NL: Cardinals, Mets, Giants, Reds, Padres.
Julian Tavarez: "It kinda sucks. We're in first place and they boo me. They say 'You suck.' During batting practice. Out in the street. I heard it was tough to play here. I didn't believe it until I got here. ... [The fans] got all the right to boo me. I'd boo me too."
On July 30, 1991, before an afternoon game against the Rangers, Red Sox pitcher Jeff Gray suddenly "became light-headed, his speech slurred, and he realized he couldn't move his right arm, his pitching arm. His right side paralyzed, Gray slumped to the floor. He was just 28 years old." ... The Herald talks with Gray about his recovery.
2 comments:
- laura k said...
So look for him to start pitching a bit better.
- July 30, 2006 at 1:20 PM
MLB.com just reported the Bobby Abreu deal with NYY is done, with the MFY getting Abreu and Cory Lidle and PHI getting four prospects headed by former first-round draft pick C.J. Henry.
"Henry, 20, the Yankees' No. 1 pick in 2005, comes to PHI with 27-year-old left-handed reliever Matt Smith, catcher Jesus Sanchez and right-hander Carlos Monasterios.
The Yankees will assume Abreu and Lidle's contracts. Abreu alone is due close to $37 million over the next 2 1/2 seasons, while Lidle is in the final season of a two-year, $6.3 million contract he signed in November 2004."
Barring a 2006 return from his wrist injury, this deal virtually assures that we've seen the last of Gary Sheffield in a NYY uniform, as there's no way the club picks up his option now with the money they'll be paying Abreu.
Theo, you're on the clock.
- July 30, 2006 at 1:38 PM


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Once Mackenzie Phillips revealed the shocking details of an alleged 10-year incestuous relationship with her father, Mamas & the Papas' co-founder John Phillips, other members of the Phillips family were quick to respond. The release of the embattled actress' memoir, "High on Arrival," and her tell-all talk with Oprah Winfrey left opinions divided.
"John was a bad parent, and a drug addict," John Phillips' ex-wife and bandmate, Michelle Phillips, admitted in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "But (have sex with) his daughter? If she thinks it's true, why isn't she with a good psychiatrist on a couch? I think it's unconscionable that Oprah would let her do her show. I have every reason to believe it's untrue. Oprah should be more judicious about who she has on her show."
Michelle Phillips insisted the story has its roots in addiction and jealousy and possibly profit but not reality.
"Mackenzie has a lot of mental illness," the singer continued. "She's had a needle stuck up her arm for 35 years. She was arrested for heroin and coke just recently. She did 'Celebrity Rehab' and now she writes a book. The whole thing is timed. Mackenzie is jealous of her siblings, who have accomplished a lot and did not become drug addicts."
But one half-sibling, Michelle Phillips' own daughter Chynna Phillips, disagrees her mother's strong words of denial.
"After long nights of heroin use, (Mackenzie is) claiming that she once woke up and that my father was on top of her having sex with her," the former member of Wilson Phillips recounted to Us Weekly. "Was he actually raping her? I don't know. Do I believe that they had an incestuous relationship and that it went on for 10 years? Yes."
Mel Gibson misses the life he left behind The thought of welcoming his eighth child into the world while ending his 29-year marriage has left Mel Gibson questioning the choices he's made. The actor-director is said to be in a panic as he thinks back to his relationship with Robyn Gibson but faces a future with girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva.
Slideshow 25 photos
Mel Gibson
"Mel says he thought that he knew what he wanted, but now he's not so sure," a friend of the star told the National Enquirer.
According to the insider, Gibson's uncertainty comes from a sense of nostalgia for his time with the mother of his seven children and a fear of what lies ahead.
"Mel's life with Robyn was easy for him, and it pains him that his kids are pulling away from him because of Oksana," the insider said. "Mel still loves Oksana, but he's definitely gotten a case of cold feet. He's afraid he's made a series of wrong decisions, and he's terrified that his dreams for a great new life with Oksana could turn into a nightmare."
Renee Zellweger to fake the fat for 'Bridget Jones 3' Preparation for the third installment in the "Bridget Jones" film franchise won't involve the usual round of rapid yo-yo dieting for actress Renee Zellweger. According to a report in Reveal, the health-conscious screen star plans to fake the fat rather than run the risk.
Slideshow 26 photos
Celebrity Sightings
"Renee will be wearing a fat suit in the third film, as it took her a while to lose the weight last time," a source told the magazine. "She's also thinking about the effect quickly putting on and then losing 30 pounds has on her body."
Zellweger once explained that her fear of the "Bridget" bulge came after she watched Morgan Spurlock's 2004 documentary, "Super Size Me."
"I had a panic attack with all the specialists talking about how bad this is for you, long term, putting on that much weight in short periods of time and they're all saying, 'You must stop this now or you're going to die,'" Zellweger said.
Dish on the fly If getting dumped by boyfriend Tony Romo the day before her 29th birthday wasn't enough to leave Jessica Simpson depressed and distraught, the added loss of her beloved dog Daisy to a roaming coyote certainly finished the job. "Daisy was her baby," a source told Us Weekly. "She isn't sleeping, barely eating, and is crying her eyes out." The singer-and-sometimes-actress can't make sense of her recent run of bad luck, as the source explained, "She feels like she's being punished for something. Jessica is very spiritual and relates things back to God." … Despite a fresh round of romance denials, Page Six reported that "Dancing With the Stars" pro dancer Derek Hough and his past ballroom and real-life partner Shannon Elizabeth are together again. An onlooker who spotted the cozy couple at L.A. nightspot Playhouse Hollywood said, "They were dancing together and making out all night."
Tabloid Tidbits is compiled by Ree Hines.


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Unbox your phone
Galaxy S8 and S8+ break down the boundaries in your world. They've broken out of their confines so you can do business when and where you need to. Experience the new way to do business.
Infinity Display · 10nm AP · Water and Dust Resistance · Hybrid SIM
Big display
for superior multitasking
Write emails while referring to spreadsheets, or have a document open while you discuss it via text. Multitasking is easy with the adjustable split screen because you can see more of a presentation or article if needed. The spacious Infinity Display on the Galaxy S8 and S8+ is more useful for working on your phone.
*Infinity Display : a bezel-less, full-frontal, edge-to-edge screen
*Infinity Display : a bezel-less, full-frontal, edge-to-edge screen
10nm AP
Work with a fast, energy-efficient engine
When you're working on large-scale projects, you can be sure your Galaxy S8 or S8+ will be fast with the 10nm AP. It's powerful and lets you effortlessly manage multiple tasks with ease. It also doesn't use a lot of energy so that increases battery efficiency.
*Compared to Galaxy S7 and S7 edge.
*Based on independent testing. Actual results may vary depending on usage.
Mobile AP
more powerful CPU
more capable GPU
Business goes on rain or shine
Whether you're out in the field or in the rain, you'll still need your Galaxy S8 or S8+ to work. Thankfully with its water and dust resistance, you can carry on with business in spite of the conditions.
*IP68 rating: Water resistant up to 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes and protected from dust, dirt, and sand. Rinse off residue and dry after exposure to water.
Expandable options
for business
The Hybrid SIM tray on the Galaxy S8 and S8+ allows you to use an additional local SIM card during business trips overseas or keep your business and private numbers separately. If storage expansion is what you need, swap out one of the SIM cards for a microSD card. The Galaxy S8 and S8+ can handle up to 256GB of expandable memory so you can keep all your work files on you.
*MicroSD card sold separately. Availability of dual SIM services may vary by country.
Iris · Samsung Pass · Knox 2.8
Iris scan means speed and security
Keep important work data on your Galaxy S8 or S8+. The iris scanning option is an enhanced security measure for the device and the apps on it. The patterns in your irises are virtually impossible to replicate, making iris authentication one of the safest ways to keep and access your business data from prying eyes.
Easy and secure access
to your corporate accounts
Access mobile services in a secure and simple manner using biometric authentication, such as iris scan, fingerprint scan, and face recognition, as well as e-Signature to verify your identity. Since Samsung Pass is protected by Samsung Knox and uses a public key cryptography-based protocol, you get unmatched security. As a biometric authentication platform, Samsung Pass simplifies your life across a wide range of services in multiple industries.
*Availability of Samsung Pass may vary by country.
*e-Signature verification provided by select Samsung Pass partners.
Accessing your corporate accounts is easy and safe
Samsung Pass lets you access mobile services in a secure and simple manner by scanning either your iris or fingerprint to verify your identity. Since it's protected by Samsung Knox and uses a public key cryptography-based protocol, Samsung Pass gives you unmatched security. As a biometric authentication platform, Samsung Pass is able to simplify your life across services in multiple industries.
*Availability of Samsung Pass may vary by country.
Safeguard your business with real-time protection
Your work is safe on your Galaxy S8 or S8+ because the newly updated Knox 2.8 platform protects it from malicious snooping and malware attacks. Security measures are built in from the chip up and throughout several layers of hardware and software. It protects against the latest mobile security exploit techniques and ensures all apps running inside TrustZone are up-to-date. It works around the clock—and it's been trusted by many governments around the world.
*Knox Container is optional.
**TIMA is TrustZone-based Integrity Measurement Architecture.
Samsung DeX · Bixby (Vision) · Bixby (Home)
The phone that becomes a PC experience
The convenience of a desktop is in your hand with Samsung DeX—all you need is access to a big screen, keyboard, and mouse. Samsung DeX allows you to see more content with an expanded interface, and easily access emails, photos, and files from your phone. Whether you're in the business lounge or a client's office, just place your phone in the DeX Station to get to work.
*DeX Station and accessories sold separately.
A new way to search and work
When you need language help to keep your business trip or meeting running smoothly, turn on Bixby to get translations of documents. Open the camera and put a business card in the frame to have it added to your contacts. Meeting clients and making connections gets easier with the convenience of Bixby. It's the new way to search and work.
Bixby (Vision)
Translate documents easily
Aim the camera at the words on a document to get the translation on the spot
* Bixby Vision does not support scanning of Arabic text. However, it can translate to Arabic from over 50 languages.
Save contact
Hold a business card in front of the camera to have the details added to your contacts.
Information tailored to you
Access Bixby (Home) any time by pressing the Bixby key or swiping right from the home screen. Bixby (Home) is a personalised dashboard with pertinent information and direct access to the apps you need throughout the workday.
* The Bixby service is currently only available in English, more languages will be added in the future.


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Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition (3rd Edition)
Healing with Whole Foods
Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition (3rd Edition)
Paul Pitchford
نبذة عن الكتاب:
"Healing with Whole Foods contains a wealth of information on health, diet, alternative medicine, natural food presentation, and recipes, researched by an expert in the field. Readers will learn how to apply Chinese medicine and the five-element theory to a contemporary diet; treat illness and nervous disorders through diet; and make the transition to whole vegetable foods. The most detailed source book yet published on preparing food and eating consciously, Healing with Whole Foods includes complete sections on Ayurvedic principles of food-combining; the treatment of disease conditions through meals; transition from animal products to whole vegetable foods; micro-algae; selection of waters and salts; the extremely complex varieties of oils, sugars, and condiments; vitamins and minerals; fasting and purification; food for children, food presentation and proportions; vibrational cooking; the physiology of nourishment; color diagnosis and therapy; consciousness in diet changes; plus descriptions of the nature and uses of various grains, legumes, miso, tempeh, tofu, seaweeds, nuts and seeds, sprouts, and fruits. Also featured are sections on chutneys, relishes, pickles, different milks, rejuvelac, yogurt, salads, and desserts."—Midwest Book Review
لغة الكتاب:


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Jobless Claims Fell More Than Expected, Down by 25,000 to 370,000
I haven't written much this week because I haven't seen much to write about.
Still looks like both the economy and the markets are discounting the cliff. And still looks to me like ex cliff GDP would be growing at about 4% this quarter, with the Sandy-cliff related cutbacks keeping that down to maybe 2.5%. And going over the full cliff is taking off maybe 2% more, leaving GDP modestly positive.
Which is what stocks and bonds seem to be fully discounting.
As previously discussed, the housing cycle seems to have turned up, which looks to be an extended, multi year upturn with a massive 'housing output gap' to be filled. And employment is modestly improving as well, also with a large output gap to fill. Car sales are back over 15 million, and also with a large output gap to fill.
The way I see the politics unfolding, the full cliff will be avoided, if not in advance shortly afterwards, as fully discussed to a fault by the media. That means GDP growth head back towards 4% (and maybe more)
Nor do I see anything catastrophic happening in the euro zone. They continue to 'do what it takes' to keep everyone funded and away from default. And conditionality means continued weakness. Q3 GDP was down .1%, a modest improvement from down .2% in Q2, and a flat Q4 wouldn't surprise me. The rising deficits from 'automatic fiscal stabilizers' (rising transfer payments and falling revenues) have increased deficits to the point where they can sustain what's left of demand. And the recent report of German exports to the euro zone rising at 3.5% maybe indicating that the overall support for GDP will continue to come disproportionately from Germany. And rising net exports from the euro zone will continue to cause the euro to firm to the point of 'rebalance' which should mean a much firmer euro. And as part of that story, Japan may be buying euro to support it's exports to the euro zone, as per the prior 'Trojan Horse' discussions, and as evidenced by the yen weakening vs the euro, also as previously discussed.
And you'd think with every forecaster telling the politicians that tax hikes and spending cuts- deficit reduction- causing GDP to be revised down and unemployment up, and the reverse- tax cuts and spending hikes causing upward GDP revisions and lower unemployment- they'd finally figure this thing out and act accordingly?
Probably not…


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I think we all have that one specific familiarity and constant attraction to some food that is bad for you. Like Reeses butter cups. I'm not going to preach about how bad they are for you because it's simply obvious. But regardless of that, those little cups are incredibly delicious and whenever I think of them or see someone enjoying I begin to feel an eye twitching spasm coming on. I think it's mainly because I loved them so much as a kid and they are incredibly memorable and familiar to me.
At the same time if you begin to really think about it, one thought arises. What if you just use wholesome ingredients to make the same thing? All they are really composed of is chocolate stuffed with nut butter. With that taken into consideration you can actually make one yourself pretty easily with so much more flavor and decadence without the health repercussions. I would imagine most foodies, health conscious or not, would probably prefer to make their own simply for the pure bliss of flavor.
The use of real ingredients in anything is obviously going to allow it's quality of taste to really shine which brings a different yet better and beautiful flavor change to my childhood favorite treat. The more gourmand version of them that is. Now, I could have just went with the standard dark chocolate and nut butter but sometimes you have to be a little fancy and add some sea salt.
In this case I had found the perfect use for some smoked sea salt that I had recently picked up at the store due to curiosity. If you have ever dealt with smoked sea salt you probably know that the smell of it is incredibly pungent and will make your countertop smell like it for all eternity if you spill any on it. That is just a fair warning to those of you who have never used it, so you can't say I didn't warn you about the glue-like properties of the scent of smoked sea salt.
I'm interested to see what else that smoked sea salt can do with sweets and desserts. Maybe it will develop into the "next level" salted treat. Whether it does or not I think it matches this decadent and satisfying chocolate perfectly. If you don't know where to find smoked sea salt try checking one of your local grocery stores, I was surprised to finding the array of smoked sea salts when I asked for it. I tried both the hickory and the alderwood smoked sea salts on these and they were both great but the hickory smoked had the hierarchy in flavor for me. There is no rule for it though, the only rule is to try not to eat them all. Which not to mention is also my second warning.
- 7-8 ounces high quality dark chocolate (70 percent or higher) or unsweetened baking chocolate sweetened with 5 packets of stevia
- ½ cup almond butter
- 1 packet additive free stevia or 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 2½ teaspoons arrowroot powder
- smoked sea salt for sprinkling (I tested with hickory smoked sea salt and alderwood smoked sea salt and preferred the hickory smoked)
- Line a mini muffin tin with mini muffin cups.
- In a small bowl add almond butter, honey or stevia, coconut flour and arrowroot powder and stir until well combined and place to the side.
- Chop or break the chocolate into pieces and melt it in a double boiler or place it in a bowl and microwave at 10 second intervals stirring in between each interval until melted.
- Once melted drizzle about a teaspoon or so of melted chocolate into mini muffin cups then carefully and slowly rotate the cups to line the sides with the melted chocolate but not all the way to the top.
- Once all of the mini muffin cups are filled and lined spoon in 2 teaspoons to a tablespoon of almond butter mixture into each chocolate filled and lined cup. (If you used honey the mixture might be thick enough for you to be able to roll it into balls, if it is then simply roll the mixture into balls and place the balls into the mini muffin cups and slightly press down a little)
- Drizzle melted chocolate over almond butter filled molds with just enough chocolate to cover completely.
- Sprinkle smoked sea salt over each finished chocolate and place in the fridge until hard. (at least 20 minutes)


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Find Your Legislators
This application allows you to find your Senators and Representatives for both the S.C. State Legislature and U.S. Congress who are currently serving.
To use the search, first enter your address information into the form provided below. Next click the button labeled 'Find Legislators' to submit the search.
While every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy of this public service, the Legislative Services Agency makes no warranties or representations regarding its accuracy or completeness, and each user of this product understands that LSA disclaims any liability for any damages in connection with its use. Data provided by Aristotle International, Inc. Zip code information provided by the U.S. Postal Service.


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That upset stomach creates ambergris, a rare substance that has been highly valued for thousands of years as an ingredient in perfume and pharmaceuticals. Ambergris originates in the intestines of male sperm whales after they dine on squid, whose hard, pointy beaks abrade the whales' innards. Scientists believe that the whales protect themselves by secreting a fatty substance in their intestines to surround the beaks. Eventually the animals cast out a huge lump, up to hundreds of pounds at a time.
But don't refer to it as "whale vomit"; scientists postulate that whales do not expel ambergris through their mouths. No one has ever seen a sperm whale excrete ambergris, although sperm whale expert Hal Whitehead of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, admits that it is assumed the voiding takes place as fecal excretion, because when first cast out, he says, "Well, it smells more like the back end than the front."
Viscous, black, stinky blocks of freshly expelled ambergris float on the ocean's surface. Sun, air and salt water oxidize the mass, and water continually evaporates. It hardens, breaks into smaller chunks and eventually becomes grey and waxy, embedded with small black squid beaks. The weathered chunks exude a sweet, earthy aroma likened to tobacco, pine or mulch. The quality—and value—of any given chunk depend on how much time it had spent floating or otherwise aging, says expert ambergris broker Bernard Perrin, because "it ages like fine wine."
For thousands of years this sea treasure has been highly prized. Middle Easterners historically powdered and ingested it to increase strength and virility, combat heart and brain ailments, or to spice food and drink. The Chinese called it "dragon's spittle fragrance." Ancient Egyptians burned it as incense. A British medical treatise from the Middle Ages informs readers that ambergris can banish headaches, colds and epilepsy, among other ailments. And the Portuguese took over the Maldives in the sixteenth century in part to gain access to the island's rich bounty of the redolent stuff.
The Arabic anbar refers to this very whale-based substance and is the root of the word amber. Centuries ago the French employed amber gris and amber jaune (gray amber and yellow amber) to distinguish between animal-based ambergris and what today has become the standard meaning: the golden-hued vegetal resin.
Like other animal-based perfume components (such as musk) ambergris has a scent all its own—derived from its chemical component ambrein—that it imparts to popular perfumes such as Chanel No. 5. It also enriches the other olfactory notes of a perfume, much as salt enhances flavors and spices, and, most importantly, it prolongs a perfume's other scents. As odor chemist George Preti of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia explains, ambergris molecules are lipophilic (fat-loving), as are perfume molecules, but the ambergris molecules are larger and heavier. "The odor molecules have a high affinity for the other lipophilic molecules, so they stay associated with the ambergris molecules and don't go into the vapor phase all at once," Preti says.
American perfume companies no longer mix ambergris into their fragrances, most likely because of confusing legalities surrounding its sale here. Internationally, however, the trade is legal and Perrin has no problem finding French perfume companies to buy his stock. "We also sell it to a royal family in the Middle East and they use it as an aphrodisiac. Apparently they take some milk, some honey, and grind up small quantities of the amber and put that in as well," he says.
Many aspects of ambergris remain a mystery. Why is ambergris more commonly found in the southern hemisphere, though sperm whales range all the world's seas? Why is it only sperm whales—and particularly male sperm whales—that create it? How did ancient Middle Easterners decide to start using it for medicine, or decide that "eau de whale" would be a compelling fragrance?
Some, but not all, scent qualities of ambergris have been synthesized, so the original remains valuable. With sperm whale numbers down from the 1.1 million estimated prior to whaling to approximately 350,000 today, less ambergris floats on the seas. Still, Whitehead says the population is slowly recovering, and even though most findings turn out to be rocks or wax or other ocean detritus, beachcombers and fishermen continue to scour the sands and waves in hope of stumbling across a weathered chunk of this sea gold.


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DIAL—for DIscovery And Launch—is a simple protocol that second-screen devices can use to discover and launch apps on first-screen devices.
Tablet, Phone etc. TV, Set-top box, Blu-ray etc.
For consumers, DIAL removes the pain of having to launch the required app on the first-screen before interacting with it from their second-screen. DIAL does not have any significant impact on the second-screen's battery life and the only requirement is that both first and second-screens are connected to the same home network.
For device manufacturers, DIAL increases usage of applications on their first-screen products (TV, set-top, Blu-ray, etc.).
For app developers, DIAL helps link their second-screen app to their first-screen app without requiring a manual launch or pairing process by the user.
See the DIAL Protocol Specification for more discussion of typical use cases.


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Every four years we bemoan record campaign spending and every four years we are wrong. For all the fistfuls of dollars super PACs have thrown into this post-Citizens United election, the reality is the 2012 campaign isn't even in the same vicinity of the most expensive ever.
That would be the campaign of 1896, by almost a factor of five. The chart below, courtesy of Dave Gilson of Mother Jones and Seth Masket, puts our campaign finance system in historical perspective. It looks at presidential spending as a share of GDP, rather than in nominal dollars, over the past century and a half. There was remarkably more campaign spending in 1896 than in the next four priciest elections combined.
With apologies to Franklin Roosevelt, this is what it looks like when business is united against a single candidate as they never have been before or since. What inspired such historic hatred back in 1896? In a word, silver. Democratic nominee William Jennings Bryan famously wanted to stop crucifying mankind, or at least the economy, on a cross of gold—that is, he wanted a bimetallic money standard. The economics were on his side. The 1890s were the heyday of the gold standard, but also the heyday of deflation and depression. The economy was in recession more often than not between 1873 and 1896 for a painfully simple reason—there wasn't enough money. Look at what happened to prices in the decades following the Panic of 1873; by 1896 prices were 30 percent lower than 24 years earlier.
A stronger dollar, which is just another way of saying falling prices, was good news for creditors and bad news for debtors. Lenders got paid back with dollars that were worth more than when they made their loans, and vice versa for borrowers. Now, if falling prices sent too many debtors into default, falling prices would be painful for creditors too, which is what happened during the Great Depression. But whether it's the 1930s or the 1890s, bankers tend to fear inflation more than they do bankruptcies—as Matt Yglesias pointed out, businessmen don't always know what's good for business when it comes to macroeconomics. This inflation-phobia is why Wall Street threw such unprecedented and since unmatched sums into defeating Bryan and his pro-silver platform. (Coincidentally, we still got inflation even without Bryan thanks to major gold finds in South Africa in 1896 and the Yukon in 1898).
As much as Wall Street hates Dodd-Frank in 2012 or hated Glass-Steagall in 1936, it hated silver with a singular passion in 1896. It's hard to understand now, but business back then couldn't conceive of civilization without the gold standard. They thought silver was an existential threat to the world as they knew it, and they treated it as such.
Our gilded age has nothing on that one—yet.
This originally appeared on The Atlantic. Also on our sister site:
The next US president won't solve the middle class crisis in the
Mitt Romney could be better for the economy than Barack Obama


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I "stole" this recipe from a local health food store. It would be perfect for a BBQ! Just double or triple this recipe:
1 can black beans
1 – 1 1/2 cup(s) corn
1 medium red (purple) onion, diced
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes (red, cherry, yellow, etc.)
2 medium chopped peppers (orange, yellow, green, whatever just to give the salad color)
chopped cilantro to taste (probably 3 tablespoons fresh, one tablespoon dried)
2 – 3 tablespoons lemon juice (to taste)
1 – 3 teaspoons lime juice (to taste)
1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon cumin (or to taste)
salt and pepper (to taste)
Mix all the ingredients together at the same time.
Posted by Mel to VegList


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I'm always on the lookout for some nice accoutrements to make my working day a bit more delightful, and as an Apple fan, the better something looks and works, the more I want it.
Take these sweet Macbook lap desks and iMac risers–made of walnut and oak with a birch core–from Danish design firm Nordic Appeal: they're light, super functional and as elegant looking as I've ever seen.
Ergonomically, it's useful to bring your Mac screen to about eye level, and having these little risers and wedges will certainly help you do that, no matter what desk, coffee shop table or lap you ultimately do your work on.


text: We found 0 , 5 letter words that start with qg and end with a. The list provided above will come handy to solve word puzzle games such as Scrabble, Jumble, or Words with Friends. If you are looking for the meaning of a word then search for the relevant word on any search engine and you will find it's meaning. This page contains a comprehensive list of words containing 5 letters starting with qg ending in a . Use the list of words above to solve puzzles in games like Scrabble, Words with Friends, and Text Twist or the Daily Jumble. If the list of words ending with A is too big then narrow down to the list of words by eliminating the words that can't fit the pattern.


text:
Inside Banners
Starting at
- Multiple Sizes to Choose
- Printed on Vinyl Scrim
- Print Full Color One Side
- Grommets Available
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Design Templates
Design your inside banners right the first time by using a template. Our templates are setup accurately assuring your print job is produced properly. To download, click the download template button below:
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Step 1. Choose Product
- If you can not find the product you are looking for submit a custom quote here
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Mary Pride
Carole Adams
Ray Andree
Karen Andreola
Frank Armbruster
Dr. David Ayers
Larry Bailey
Lawrence Bangs
Johanna Banham
Lisa and Rhonda Barfield
Peggy Barker
Dr. Kuni Beasley
Jonathan Bechtle
Russ Beck
Alisyn Bennett
Vicki Bentley
Betty Berring
Mary Biever
George Bigham
Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn
Sam Blumenfeld
Lydia Guy Burchett
Charles and Betty Burger
Linda Burklin
Wes Callihan
Holly Capeda
Heather Chapman
Harry Cheney
Clay and Sally Clarkson
Marian Kester Coombs
Deborah Copelin
Lois Corcoran
Cheryl Costello
Martin Cothran
Jim Couch
Lorraine Curry
Michelle Dalrymple
Chris Davis
Ellyn Davis
Kandie Demarest
Tom DeWeese
Joan Donaldson
Richard Driggers
Cathy Duffy
Jonathan English
Carolyn Flanagan
Samuel Francis
Amanda Freitag
Marshall Fritz
Lisa Gard
John Taylor Gatto
Brittany Glenny
Tricia Goyer
Pat Graves
Steve Hake
Ken Ham
Kristin Lee Hamerski
Gregg Harris
Joshua Harris
Laura Harris
Lori Harris
Bob Hazen
Barbara Henderson
Sarah Hensley
Laura Hinely
Fritz Hinrichs
Regina Hogsten
Mercy Howell
Jessica Hulcy
D. Russell Humphries
Nicole Johnson
Elizabeth Kays
Diane Flynn Keith
Stephen Kemp
Rebecca Kenney
Andrew Kern
Chris Klicka
Antony Kolenc
Dr. Jim Kramer
Michele Lee
Steve Leer
Lenora Levia
Ann Lloyd
Diane Lockman
Isabel Lyman
Christina Magnaghi
Michael Maloney
Jason Makansi
Paula Mann
David Marks
Rodney Marshall
Shelly Mathiot
Renee Mathis
Pam Maxey
Theresa May
Kristen West McGuire
Joyce McPherson
Geneva Miller
Katie Michelli
Melissa Morgan
Sarah Morgan
Gretchen Mork
Natalie Muus
Edwin Myers
Naomi Nattress
John Nixdorf
Shelley Noonan
June Oberlander
Joy Pavelski
Mary Pecci
Dennis Peterson
Nikki Pheneger
Dr. Michael Platt
Drue Porter
Bill Pride
Franklin Pride
Joseph Pride
Madeleine Pride
Magda Pride
Mary Pride
Sarah Pride
Theodore Pride
Bob Reith
Michael Reitz
Howard and Susan Richman
Elizabeth Roberts
Dr. Arthur Robinson
Penny Ross
Teresa Schultz-Jones
Rebecca Sealfon
Rob and Cyndy Shearer
Scott Somerville
Bruce Shortt
Gail Small
Elisabeth Snell
Barry Stebbing
Andrew Stone
Alexandra Swann
Benjamin Swann
Joyce Swann
Janis Tatum
Jennifer Thieme
Heather Thompson
Christopher Thorne
Rita Tubbs
Dale Turner
Jamie Turner
Maryann Turner
Janice VanCleave
Brad Voeller
Kathy von Duyke
Steve Wagner
Eric Wallace
Austin Webb
Jeannette Webb
Brenda Weatherly
Natalie Webb
Pat Wesolowski
Carol Wickwire
Peter Williams
Douglas Wilson
Kym Wright
Lisa Yoder
Vivian Young
By Joy Pavelski
Printed in Practical Homeschooling #77, 2007.
Some people's lives are overwhelmed by their own difficulties. Other people quietly fight battles for future generations. Never is this more true than for America's military homeschooling families. Not only do these soldiers give up comfort, security, and sometimes life itself to defend the United States and the world, they have also chosen the demanding task of educating their children at home.
"Before my children were born, we decided to homeschool," says Katie Githens, an Air Force Reserve senior airman. "My husband and I were from public schools in Miami. It was easy to excel because the curve was so low. You had to challenge yourself to get any kind of academic growth."
Born in Germany to a military family, Githens has also lived in Florida, Oklahoma, Virginia, Colorado, Texas, and Alabama, with other temporary moves in between. This type of displacement is common for military families. It is only one of the unique challenges and opportunities they find in life and homeschooling.
"A lot of folks here have never been in the military," Githens says. "They stress about having to move across town. That's not different, it's still the same drive to your same church, co-op, support group. We're a little more detached than local residents because we have to not get so embedded in our community."
Githens, whose husband is an active duty Air Force captain, is the president of HEARTS, a military homeschool support group in Colorado Springs. Groups like this help members with their special needs. Many civilians do not know what these needs are, nor how to help the men and women serving them in the military.
Homeschooling: A Perfect Fit
"I've spoken at military bases in this country, in Japan, and Germany," says Chris Klicka, senior counsel for the Home School Legal Defense Association. "They just love homeschooling because when they move they don't have to have their education uprooted and interrupted. It's a perfect fit for military families."
Military publications report that the number of homeschoolers is as high as 10 percent of military families. Dr. Brian Ray of the National Home Education Research Institute says that few studies have been conducted on this topic.
But military families don't need peer studies to enjoy the benefits of homeschooling. Kimberly Green now homeschools her two children in Belgium. Her husband, Tim, is an Air Force lieutenant colonel stationed there at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe.
"We went to Versailles to see where Marie Antoinette played in the grass with her children, and have visited Greece and Venice," she says. "We can do fairly well in a marketplace speaking French. We've learned to read menus in many languages so we can pick out different things for our pizza. It's really opened our children's eyes to all the different western European cultures. I'm fairly certain they're going to be well prepared for college because they've learned to adapt."
Frequent Relocation
A military homeschooler may live anywhere from Charleston, SC, or Fort McPherson, GA, to Sicily or Okinawa. A tighter defense budget in recent years has slowed PCSing. ("PCS" is a military acronym often used as a verb by soldiers. It stands for "Permanent Change of Station." That's ironic, because the change is rarely permanent.)
"We're moving less, rather than more," said Lt. Col. Karen Finn, a spokeswoman for the Department of Defense. "That's not related to the War on Terror, but for fiscal reasons. We have less money than we used to."
Even so, less relocation for a military family effectively means once every three or four years instead of every other year. Soldiers move. It's part of their job.
However, military families often find that homeschooling cushions the jolts of repeated relocation. Homeschooling strengthens bonds between children and parents, providing another anchor for mind and emotions in oceans of change. The children also have academic continuity between homes.
"Frequent moving is a challenge," Githens says. "But it's also a benefit when you think of the ability to homeschool through it. Your child isn't ahead or behind of his supposed peer group because of the move."
Constant migration can lead to a sense of isolation for military families. People will often spend less time befriending the family when they know the relationship may be short. Green's homeschool support group had 17 member families when her family first arrived. This May, there were seven. Now, there are four families, but three more will soon arrive.
"Most of us are there for three years at a time," Green says. "I've never been in such a fluid group as this."
Community members can help military families conquer these disruptions by connecting with them immediately. When Green first moved to Belgium, another military mother she had never met before offered to watch her two children so Green could house hunt, get four required IDs, and take European driving lessons.
Regulations and Testing
Military families who homeschool inside the U.S. must follow their state's homeschooling laws. According to Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), these families do not need to seek additional approval from any military authority. If living abroad, a military family is not bound by the foreign country's education laws or by Department of Defense (DOD) regulations. They may simply begin homeschooling.
Military officials are creating increasingly flexible policies towards homeschooling families. Once, in Turkey, an Air Force base commander tried to require homeschooling parents to pass a national teacher's exam and their students to pass placement tests before beginning a home education program. HSLDA contacted the base and explained that the law didn't grant military officials authority to implement these requirements. The base families were then allowed to homeschool in peace.
"Those are the kinds of issues we deal with," Klicka says. "As time goes on, there's a lot less. We have friends at the DOD now and in the presidential administration. We can usually get things resolved pretty fast or even prevent them from happening."
Military homeschoolers have also been granted equal access to the educational resources of base schools. This means that a homeschooling child may take band, chemistry, or soccer at a DOD school without having to register or enroll.
Standardized testing is strictly voluntary. Many military homeschoolers test their children regularly because they do not know if they will soon move to a state where such testing is mandatory.
Deployment Overseas
Moving overseas means one of two things to a military family: living on a U.S. military base together, or sending a parent away to war.
"One of the women in my support group says her husband has been deployed more than he's been home in the past three years," Githens says. "That's typical."
American families living abroad because of a DOD assignment find both joys and challenges. It is stressful to uproot yourself from family, friends, and your home culture. On the plus side, homeschooling families on foreign soil can actually see the beaches of Normandy, eat authentic sauerkraut, and even visit the Louvre. But they also live among people who do not speak their native language, they have fewer close friends, and they may not be able to play football American style or join a local orchestra.
It can also be troublesome for families overseas to buy curriculum. They cannot easily visit homeschool conventions or find bargains. Many sellers will not ship to APO addresses (even though it costs the same as shipping to, say, New York) and do not offer a drop-down listing for "overseas" on their online order forms.
Sending a parent to Iraq, Afghanistan, or another deployment invites another set of complications. Besides worrying constantly about the absent parent's safety, the family is left to patch holes in the family fabric. That's when they need extra support and attention from friends and family.
"We're doing more deployments," DOD spokeswoman Finn says. She continues, with typical soldier modesty, "All of us are making our trip to Iraq, because that's just what we need to do."
Friends and family can support military families when a parent is sent overseas by emailing and telephoning often, sending care packages with fun items like silly string and water balloons to break up the day, taking the family out to dinner, and helping the mother get out of the house.
"Those mom's nights out are crucial," military mom Kimberly Green says.
When her husband was deployed to active combat, Green found herself assuming the role of both parents. Her children felt fragmented because their father was suddenly gone.
"When my husband was deployed, it was hard to go to sleep at night," Green says. "You don't want to go to bed because you're going alone. You spend a lot of time on email. It's like you live to hear from your husband."
Like many other things connected with the U.S. military, Kimberly Green's story is one of many that fly below the radar. In this case, it is simply because she and her husband find nothing extraordinary about the fact that they have made the hard decisions to fight in the armed forces and homeschool their children.
"Sometimes people who aren't in the military think, 'You're only going to be here another year,' and they aren't anxious to be friends with you," Green said. "We think, 'Oh, I only have a year to get to know you!' Jump in with both feet and get to know military families fast. They need your support and friendship."
Resources for Military Homeschoolers
Advanced Math: Trig, PreCalc, and more!
Start a Nature Notebook
How to "Bee" a Spelling Success
Discover Your Child's Learning Style
Bears in the House
Getting Organized Part 1 - Tips & Tricks
Montessori Math
I Was an Accelerated Child
Combining Work and Homeschool
How to Win the Geography Bee
The History of Public Education
Art Appreciation the Charlotte Mason Way
The Benefits of Debate
AP Courses At Home
Teaching Blends
Critical Thinking and Logic
What Does My Preschooler Need to Know?
The Charlotte Mason Method
Narration Beats Tests
Getting Started in Homeschooling: The First Ten Steps
Why the Internet will Never Replace Books
Give Yourself a "CLEP Scholarship"
Columbus and the Flat Earth...
Whole-Language Boondoggle
Interview with John Taylor Gatto
Don't Give Up on Your Late Bloomers
Shakespeare Camp
Character Matters for Kids
The Gift of a Mentor
Myth of the Teenager
Who Needs the Prom?
What We Can Learn from the Homeschooled 2002 National Geography Bee Winners
Teach Your Children to Work
The Benefits of Cursive Writing
Joyce Swann's Homeschool Tips
Getting Organized Part 3
Laptop Homeschool
A Homeschooler Wins the Heisman
Can Homeschoolers Participate In Public School Programs?
Patriarchy, Meet Matriarchy
University Model Schools
The Equal Sign - Symbol, Name, Meaning
The Charlotte Mason Approach to Poetry
Top Tips for Teaching Toddlers
Montessori Language Arts at Home, Part 1
Saxon Math: Facts vs. Rumors
Top Jobs for the College Graduate
Classical Education
A Reason for Reading
Phonics the Montessori Way


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Struggling Tim Tebow hits first Triple-A home run
Six weeks into his latest baseball adventure, Tim Tebow had been struggling to find his stroke with the Syracuse Mets at the top rung of minor league ball.
The former NFL quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner with the Florida Gators finally hit his first home run for the team, which came in Sunday's 8-2 loss to the Columbus Clippers.
"I think I'm improving. I'm working, developing," Tebow said in an interview last week. "I think I'm getting better, adapting to some really good players, and I think that's important."
Tebow is on a first-place team in the International League that's thrived on its pitching, and Tebow's offensive contributions have been minimal. In Syracuse's first 23 games, Tebow had just 10 hits and was batting .130 with 32 strikeouts. A recent surge of hits in six of seven games that included a game-winning, pinch-hit double boosted the average to .158, still last in the league and well below the dreaded Mendoza Line, but encouraging nonetheless.
"It definitely helps with confidence," said Tebow, who turns 32 in mid-August. "More than just confidence, getting into a rhythm. I think sometimes if you're not in rhythm you can press a little bit, swing at pitches you don't want to swing at. But when you're in a rhythm, it just flows a little bit better. I think that's important."
Since giving baseball a shot three years ago after playing in the NFL for three seasons, at midweek Tebow had these career numbers: a .230 batting average (197 hits in 856 at-bats), 46 doubles, three triples, 14 home runs, and 99 RBIs in 258 games. He also had struck out 287 times and walked 81 times and had an on-base percentage of .307, a slugging mark of .340, and an OPS of .647 (OPS is the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging average, a measure of an ability to get on base and hit for power).
Tebow displayed solid improvement in Double-A last year, batting .273 with six home runs, 108 total bases, and 36 RBIs in 271 at-bats over 84 games for Binghamton of the Eastern League before an injury to his right hand ended his season. The step up to Triple-A has been imposing.
"Double-A pitching is a lot of younger guys that have good velocity on the fastball but no secondary pitches," Syracuse Mets manager Tony DeFrancesco said. "Here, Tim is seeing everything coming at him but the kitchen sink. They're throwing fastballs hard in on him, they're breaking balls, they're elevating. He just hasn't seen enough of that right now - and they're throwing strikes."
Perhaps the one number that sticks out most for the chiseled, 6-foot-3, 245-pound Tebow is that he's still homerless. That's a far cry from his Double-A debut last year , not to mention his first professional at-bat .
"I think he's feeling more confident of late. I'm sure he thinks about he hasn't hit a home run yet or driving the ball," Syracuse hitting coach Joel Chimelis said. "If you play the game long enough at this level, confidence is a very big thing, knowing that you're going to go up there and you're going to hit the ball hard."
"It's a good sign for anybody to get a hitting streak, a couple of big hits, driving the ball better," added DeFrancesco. "Now, you're hoping that the power comes. He's playing a corner position in baseball, which is offensive production, so he's going to definitely need to drive some home runs soon. Getting into June you've got to be able to put up the numbers."
Tebow's struggles at the plate have brought out plenty of skeptics who think playing some day in the major leagues for the parent New York Mets is a pipe dream at best, that maybe it's time to do something else. He just smiles and remains focused on the task at hand, moments like being relegated to batting ninth as the team's designated hitter in one game an afterthought at best.
"I don't necessarily set goals," Tebow said. "For me, it's just being able to really go back and look every day at the film and know that I'm improving and constantly stay kind on that progression plan where I feel like every day, every week, every month, I'm improving. I feel like I've done that so far."
Chimelis has worked hard of late to correct Tebow's swing, which he called "real late" and something that's easily exploited at this level.
"Here in Triple-A the pitching is pretty good," Chimelis said. "They've had a lot of experience, and if they see something in a hitter they're going to expose it. But within the last week or so, he's improved. He hit about four balls hard and had nothing to show for it. It's baseball. It's so frustrating. You hit the ball right, but you don't get rewarded."
Just part of the journey.
"He's going to try to beat the odds for sure. It won't be for lack of effort, I can tell you that," DeFrancesco said. "One thing to put in perspective, he's only been playing pro ball three years. He's climbed very quick. He's at a level that maybe he's not ready for at the current time, but the at-bats are going to tell.
"It's just going to take maybe a little more time. He's not the first guy, if it doesn't work this year, come back to Triple-A again. There's been numerous players that have two, three years of Triple-A. Just look at my baseball card, I've got three or four at Triple-A. It's not that easy, and I played my whole life. So give the kid some time and some credit. It's definitely a work in progress."
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports


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- running 110-metre hurdles
hurdling, sport in athletics (track and field) in which a runner races over a series of obstacles called hurdles, which are set a fixed distance apart. Runners must remain in assigned lanes throughout a race, and, although they may knock hurdles down while running over them, a runner who trails a foot or leg alongside a hurdle or knocks it down with a hand is disqualified. The first hurdler to complete the course is the winner.
Hurdling probably originated in England in the early 19th century, where such races were held at Eton College about 1837. In those days hurdlers merely ran at and jumped over each hurdle in turn, landing on both feet and checking their forward motion. Experimentation with numbers of steps between hurdles led to a conventional step pattern for hurdlers—3 steps between each high hurdle, 7 between each low hurdle, and usually 15 between each intermediate hurdle. Further refinements were made by A.C.M. Croome of Oxford University about 1885, when he went over the hurdle with one leg extended straight ahead at the same time giving a forward lunge of the trunk, the basis of modern hurdling technique.
A major improvement in hurdle design was the invention in 1935 of the L-shaped hurdle, replacing the heavier, inverted-T design. In the L-shaped design and its refinement, the curved-L, or rocker hurdle, the base-leg of the L points toward the approaching hurdler. When upset, the hurdle tips down, out of the athlete's path, instead of tipping up and over as did the inverted-T design.
Modern hurdlers use a sprinting style between hurdles and a double-arm forward thrust and exaggerated forward lean while clearing the hurdle. They then bring the trailing leg through at nearly a right angle to the body, which enables them to continue forward without breaking stride after clearing the hurdle.
Under rules of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), the world governing body of track-and-field athletics, the standard hurdling distances for men are 110, 200, and 400 metres (120, 220, and 440 yards, respectively). Men's Olympic distances are 110 metres and 400 metres; the 200-metre race was held only at the 1900 and 1904 Games. The 110-metre race includes 10 high hurdles (1.067 metres [42 inches] high), spaced 9.14 metres (10 yards) apart. The 400-metre race is over 10 intermediate hurdles (91.4 cm [36 inches] high) spaced 35 metres (38.3 yards) apart. The 200-metre race, run occasionally, has 10 low hurdles (76.2 cm [30 inches] high) spaced 18.29 metres (20 yards) apart. Distances and specifications vary somewhat for indoor and scholastic events.
The women's international distance formerly was 80 metres over 8 hurdles 76.2 cm high. In 1966 the IAAF approved two new hurdle races for women: 100 metres over 10 hurdles 84 cm (33.1 inches) high, to replace the 80-metre event in the 1972 Olympics; and 200 metres (supplanted in 1976 by 400 metres) over 10 hurdles 76.2 cm high.


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From Abracadabra to Zombies | View All
experimenter effect
The experimenter effect is a term used to describe any of a number of subtle cues or signals from an experimenter that affect the performance or response of subjects in the experiment. The cues may be unconscious nonverbal cues, such as muscular tension or gestures. They may be vocal cues, such as tone of voice. Research has demonstrated that the expectations and biases of an experimenter can be communicated to experimental subjects in subtle, unintentional ways, and that these cues can significantly affect the outcome of the experiment (Rosenthal 1998).
Robert Rosenthal has found that even slight differences in instructions given to control and experimental groups can affect the outcome of an experiment. Different vocal intonations, subtle gestures, even slight changes in posture, might influence the subjects.
Double-blind experiments can reduce experimenter effects. For example, an experimenter who works for a drug company that is trying to produce a new drug for depression would be wise to have another experimenter randomize the participants into the group getting the new drug and the group getting a placebo. The subjects should not be told what group they are in; their expectations might affect the outcome. The experimenter who does the randomization should keep to himself any information regarding who is in which group and should not be the one to distribute the pills to the subjects. The one who hands out the pills and keeps records of the effects of the participants should not know what group any of the participants is in. In this way, any bias on the part of the experimenter is minimized. Only after the experiment is concluded should the members of the groups be unblinded. (There should be an exception, of course, if something bizarre began happening, such as several patients dying of heart attacks or going on manic shopping binges. In such cases, the experiment might be halted and the participants unblinded to see if the new drug might be killing people or triggering manic episodes.)
The experimenter effect may explain why many experiments can be conducted successfully only by one person or one group of persons, while others repeatedly fail in their attempts to replicate the results. Of course, there are other reasons why studies cannot be replicated. The original experimenter may have committed errors in design, controls, or calculations. Or he may have committed fraud.
One area of research that has failed to be able to consistently produce replicable results, though its advocates have been trying to do so for more than one hundred years, is parapsychology. Fraud, incompetence, and error are common charges made by skeptics against parapsychologists. However, fraud, incompetence, and error do not seem to be restricted to parapsychologists and examples of such things can be found in all of the sciences (Smith 2003: 72; Broad and Wade). Why, then, the consistent failure at replication in psi studies? Some researchers have tried to explain the inability to replicate psi experiments by claiming that the results of experiments depend on the beliefs of the experimenters. They divide psi experimenters into two groups: the psi-conducive and the psi-inhibitory. The former are those who tend to get favorable results for psi. The latter are those who consistently do not find evidence for psi. Studies on these two types of experimenters have found that psi-conducive experimenters "come across as more enthusiastic, warmer and less egoistic than do their less successful counterparts" (Smith 2003: 77). This difference in experimenter beliefs and traits, even if true, doesn't do much to justify belief in psi. What if we found out that all of the cheery researchers believed in Zeus and none of the skeptics did? Would that justify belief in Zeus? Or, as psychologist James Alcock (2003) puts it
I could posit that Zeus exists and likes to torment parapsychologists, and thereby gives them significant outcomes from time to time, but does not allow replication outside parapsychology. The significant outcomes would provide as much support for my hypothesis that Zeus exists as it does for the Psi hypothesis....(p. 43)
It may seem to some skeptics that the notion that only true believers can get positive results in psi research is an insurmountable barrier to ever establishing psi research on par with any other type of scientific endeavor. There is, however, an even more problematic proposal made by many parapsychologists: The psychic abilities of the experimenter may directly affect the psychic abilities of the subjects in the study. In 1976, Kennedy and Taddonio introduced the expression "experimenter psi effect" to refer to "unintentional psi which affects an experimental outcome in ways that are directly related to the experimenter's needs, wishes, expectancies, moods, etc." (Smith: 79).
Alcock (2003: 35) notes that the appeal to an experimenter psi effect to explain irregularities in attempts at replicating psi experiments is simply begging the question.
When there has been a failure to replicate, it is not appropriate to engage in the circularity of assigning to this failure a label (psi-experimenter effect), and then implicitly suggesting the label as its explanation. Since there is no other way of defining or identifying the psi-experimenter effect, it has no explanatory value. Using it as a possible explanation only leads to a tautology: By substituting the definition of the psi-experimenter effect, one gets: 'The failure to replicate may be a manifestation of "one researcher failing to replicate a finding that another researcher had made".' This circular reasoning excludes from the debate a possibly fruitful aspect of research, in terms of coming to understand the reasons, other than psi, that might account for the fact that different experimenters have obtained different results.
Alcock does not think it bodes well for psi as a scientific subject if only psi-conducive researchers can replicate studies.
...what a risky adventure it would be to yield to special pleading and relax the very rules of scientific methodology that help to weed out error, self-delusion and fraud in order to admit claims that violate the basic tenets of science as we know it (2003, p. 35).
Or, as Matthew D. Smith (2003) puts it: "if sceptical researchers wishing to attempt replication cannot be expected to be successful due to their a priori beliefs about psi....then parapsychology cannot be treated as a truly scientific discipline (p.82).
See also control group experiment and hypersensory perception in the SD and the Unnatural Acts blog entry for the experimenter effect.
further reading
Alcock, James. 2003. "Give the Null Hypothesis a Chance," in Psi Wars - Getting To Grips With the Paranormal. ed. James Alcock, Jean Burns and Anthony Freeman. Imprint Academic, pp. 29-50.
Broad, William and Nicholas Wade. Betrayers of the Truth: Fraud and Deceit in the Halls of Science (Century 1982). Reprint edition: Simon & Schuster 1983.
Rosenthal, Robert. 1998. "Covert Communication in Classrooms, Clinics, and Courtrooms," Eye on Psi Chi. Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 18-22.
Schick, Jr., Theodore and Lewis Vaughn, How to Think About Weird Things 2nd ed. (Mountain View, California: Mayfield Publishing Company, 1998),
Smith, Matthew D. 2003. "The Role of the Experimenter in Parapsychological Research,." Psi Wars - Getting To Grips With the Paranormal. ed. James Alcock, Jean Burns and Anthony Freeman. Imprint Academic, pp. 69-84.