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Over at The Verge wub wub wub skztch wubwubwub Joe Flatley Flatley wub wub wub pzzzzt wub WUBB wub Flatley wub wub wub shares the history wub wub wub wub wub wub fwizzort WUBWUBWUB of dubstep here comes the drop
For our purposes, we can begin the story of dubstep at the turn of the 21st century, and with UK garage and two-step; weird, hybrid music that features elements of house music (popcorn snares, glittering high-hats) and a lyrical style that is almost a parody of American hip-hop glamor and excess. "Champagne, Versace and Moschino," as Zed Bias once put it.
Recently I talked to Damian "Dieselboy" Higgins, the Brooklyn-based drum and bass DJ, producer, and head of the record label Human (and its dubstep and electro imprint Subhuman). Higgins has been on the front lines as long as America has had a rave scene. "Drum and bass kept spawning these micro-cultures, or micro-genres," he explained. "[There was] two-step, and then grime, and dubstep was the next one. For me, I felt like it came from drum and bass. There are a lot of drum and bass guys who jumped ship and went to it."
Drum and bass is one of those primarily English forms of dance music that, even today, still sounds alien - the fast tempos (generally well over 150 beats per minute), the intricate syncopation, and the full-on synthetic sound has never been fully accepted by mainstream American ears. Two-step garage took house music and added the foreignness of drum and bass. Or, perhaps conversely, it took drum and bass and added enough elements from house music as to not alienate the ladies in the clubs. It was a form of dance music that was indigenous to London, and for a moment in the late 1990s it was arguably the underground sound of the UK.
Wub wub wub. Wub.


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Oh, how I wish I could go. I'm counting on you Portland readers to represent for me! Have a wonderful time and please report back.
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How neat. I wish I could go, too!ReplyDelete
Thanks, Gertie. I'm Nicole, and I own Union Rose. You're ALL welcome to come, you know... :)ReplyDelete
Thanks Gertie! I love your blog and your support of Alyson!
Melanie (the model)
woo-hoo! Union Rose is right down the street from me...can't wait.ReplyDelete
The husband and I didn't even know that the Montavilla neighborhood was doing a First Friday! If I can get home in time, we're going to check it out, and I'll definitely stop in at the Union Rose.ReplyDelete
Drats! Working at the fabric store that night. Thanks for letting us know!ReplyDelete
it was fun, and Clair's new stuff is gorgeous. I especially love the bow-print chiffon top, and I am totally going back tomorrow to try some stuff on when it's less crowded.ReplyDelete
Fabulous artist of posters and approved guests Alyson Clair will accept a block appearance for its admirable vintage-inspired line. This apperceive about like Alyson column about bed-making with knit.ReplyDelete
It 'was fun and new stuff is fantastic Clair. I especially like the bow-print chiffon top, and I am fully back tomorrow to try things out, when it is less crowded.ReplyDelete
New Yorker Claire Danes is the youngest daughter of Carla, a day-care provider and artist and Christopher, a computer consultant and photographer.
Xbox 360 deals

subset: commoncrawl


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Whether you're maneuvering through winding rivers, cruising over rolling waves in the ocean or just calmly paddling in a still lake, kayaking is a fun way to spend the day. Not only do you get to enjoy the great outdoors, but you'll also be getting some good exercise too.
Suppose you wanted to pick up the hobby but were concerned that the cost of entry would be too high, not to worry. Many inexpensive but high-quality kayaks can have you out and paddling in no time.
The Lifetime Tioga is one such example. This sit-on-top kayak won't break the bank yet has all the features you need for a relaxing day on the water, including footrests and back support. It also has plenty of room to bring along a cooler or perhaps your four-legged buddy and a dry storage compartment for valuables.
Kayaks come in sit-on-top and sit-in options. Both sit-on-top and sit-in kayaks are suitable for ocean, lake and calm river paddling, while only sit-in kayaks are for whitewater applications.
Sit-on-top kayaks leave you fully exposed to the elements but allow you to climb in and out of the vessel easily. They are also easy to re-enter from the water. Conversely, sit-in kayaks protect the lower half of your body from cold wind and water spray but are very difficult to reboard from the water.
Another benefit of sit-on-top kayaks is that they usually offer more storage space, often with both dry compartments and open storage wells. Sit-in kayaks may have a dry compartment, which is sometimes larger than that found on sit-on-top kayaks, but lack space for open storage wells.
Beginners are often more comfortable on sit-on-top kayaks, as you don't have to worry about extracting your legs from inside the hull if the kayak somehow tips over. Most feature scupper holes so they cannot fill with water and potentially submerge.
If you have limited storage space or a small vehicle that cannot transport a hardshell kayak, it may be worth considering an inflatable option. These are just as stable as hardshell options if adequately inflated, and they can be surprisingly durable, too. That said, inexpensive inflatable models won't last as long as hardshell kayaks.
Back support is critical if kayaking for more than an hour or so, as they allow you to relax the muscles in the lower back periodically. This will help prevent pain or soreness from forming. However, not all models include back support, so it is essential to consider when choosing your kayak. Ideally, the back support should be well-cushioned and adjustable.
As with back support, footrests contribute to a more comfortable ride. They also provide you with a way to stabilize your body when paddling, which allows you to put more power into each stroke. Footrests can be molds in the boat or adjustable attachments.
Most people bring along some essentials and supplies when kayaking. To accommodate these items, look for a kayak that includes both dry storage compartments and open storage wells. The dry storage compartment is useful for keys, wallets, phones or cameras and other items that shouldn't get wet. Open storage wells are for carrying coolers or other large items that the water is damage. They can also be a good place for a dog to sit if you bring your canine along on the adventure.
Though not a necessity, built-in drink holders are a nice-to-have convenience. They provide you with a dedicated place to keep a cup or water bottle where it is readily accessible when needed.
Kayaks are available with a variety of holders and mounts for accessories. These include things like rod holders, GPS mounts and paddle cradles. Consider the activities you want to do on your kayak and look for a model with holders and mounts that accommodate them.
Most people don't keep their kayaks in the water. This means you'll regularly be carrying them to and from the launch point and potentially from your garage or another storage area to your vehicle. Comfortable carrying handles make this easier.
Though many kayaks are reasonably lightweight and easy to carry, most people still wind up dragging theirs periodically. This most often happens when launching the kayak or pulling it back out of the water. Skid plates protect the hull from being damaged when this happens. Ideally, they should be replaceable as they wear out.
If purchasing an inflatable kayak, it is vital to look for one that has multi-chamber construction. This ensures that it won't sink if a single chamber is punctured.
The most affordable kayaks start around $150, but these are often of very questionable quality. A more reasonable price to spend for a cheap kayak that you can expect to last through several seasons of use, if not longer, is from $250-$500.
A. Kayaks are fun, and they require almost no maintenance. If you take yours out in saltwater, simply rinse it off after each use to reduce the chances of corrosion. Other than that, make sure to check the integrity of the hull and the riggings periodically.
A. Though adults are not required to wear a lifejacket when kayaking in most states, it is recommended for safety purposes, doubly so if whitewater kayaking. Some jurisdictions do have laws that state paddlers of a minimum age must wear a lifejacket or dictate how many lifejackets need to be kept on board and readily accessible at all times.
Lifetime Tioga Sit-On-Top Kayak
What you need to know: This kayak is well-equipped for a budget-friendly option, with many features that contribute to a comfortable ride.
What you'll love: There are large storage wells on the front and back with bungee cords to secure your gear, and it even comes with a paddle, so there is one less thing for you to purchase.
What you should consider: The scupper holes in the seat are a poor design choice.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Pelican Maxim 100X Sit-in Kayak
What you need to know: With a padded seat and backrests and a small cockpit table with a built-in cupholder, this sit-in kayak lets you travel in relative luxury.
What you'll love: It is easy to maneuver in most water conditions and has a large dry storage compartment for your essentials. Plus, at only 39 pounds, you won't have too much trouble carrying it to and from your launch points.
What you should consider: Beginners may find it too unstable.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
What you need to know: If you are looking for an affordable way to head out on the water with a friend and don't have space to store a hardshell kayak, the Intex Excursion Pro inflatable kayak is just what you need.
What you'll love: Both its footrests and backrests are adjustable for comfort. Also, it is equipped with fishing rod holders, making it a smart choice for anglers.
What you should consider: It won't last as long as a hardshell kayak.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Brett Dvoretz writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.


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SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Traveling across Georgia to tout his candidacy for the U.S. Senate, Republican Rep. Paul Broun said Friday that he sees $100 billion in automatic budget cuts as Washington's only realistic option for trimming spending. Even with the Pentagon warning that the cuts would devastate the military, Broun said: "I want to see it go into place."
"It's the only way that we're going to get any positive spending cuts, and I'm in favor of the sequester going into place," Broun said in an interview Friday as he stopped in Savannah. "We've got to reel in the spending with Congress as well as the president. Both parties are guilty."
Broun, of Athens, officially announced his campaign to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Saxby Chambliss on Wednesday, making him the first and so far only candidate to do so for the 2014 race. He wasted no time in making a lap of the state's major cities, sitting for interviews and meeting with tea party leaders and other supporters. Broun swung through Augusta on Thursday before heading Friday to Savannah and Macon. Stops in Columbus and Albany were planned over the weekend before the congressman returns to Washington.
The automatic budget cuts are scheduled to kick in March 1 if Democrats and Republicans can't reach an agreement to trim $1.2 trillion from the deficit over the next decade. Sequestration would trigger $42.7 billion in cuts to the military over seven months. Domestic programs would face equal cuts.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, trying to head off cutbacks that would shrink the Pentagon budget by 7 percent, said Thursday that the measure was "designed to be so nuts that everybody would do everything possible to make sure it didn't happen."
Broun is courting tea party supporters and other fiscal hawks as he calls for slashing government spending. He served in the Marines and is still in the Navy Reserve. Broun said he's confident much of the funding the Pentagon would lose in the automatic cuts would be restored down the road, though it would likely take several years.
"We can plus-up the military as soon as we make those cuts that are necessary," Broun said. "If we have a financial meltdown in America as we're doing today, we won't have the money to support our defense."
With plenty of time left to join the 2014 Senate race, several of Broun's fellow GOP congressmen are being mentioned as possible contenders for the Republican nomination, such as Reps. Paul Gingrey of Marietta, Jack Kingston of Savannah and Tom Price of Roswell. National Democrats say they plan to wage a fierce challenge for the Georgia seat.
So far, Broun is sticking to a message that he'd be the only candidate willing to stop runaway spending in Washington. But since winning his House seat in 2007, the physician has widely been known outside his northeast Georgia district for ultraconservative statements on social issues.
Last year Broun grabbed national headlines when he told a Baptist church group that evolution, embryology and the Big Bang theory were "lies straight from the pit of hell." On Friday he brushed aside questions about whether such statements might turn off voters in a statewide general election.
"It's well known that I'm a Bible-believing Christian, and I understand that other people have different beliefs and I respect those beliefs," Broun said. "But what everybody in this state — whether they're black or white, Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative — can understand very clearly is we have to stop the out-of-control spending in Washington."


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News and Views
Remarks by the First Lady at the Launch of the Partnership of the U.S.-Afghan Women's Council and Georgetown University
White House, Office of the First Lady
MRS. BUSH: Thank you, President DeGioia. Thank you for that very kind introduction. I'm so happy to have this chance to be here. Thank you all for hosting this event of the U.S.-Afghan Women's Council. It's two of my favorite groups -- the Afghan American Women's Council that I've been involved with and paid a lot of attention to, ever since it was founded, and, in fact, had the chance to accompany women who -- on my one trip to Afghanistan, the first time I got to go to Afghanistan, I went with our Afghan American Women's Council, and that was really great fun to have the opportunity to be with them.
I want to recognize also Secretary Elaine Chao, who is here. Thank you so much, Madam Secretary, for being a part of it. Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs, Dr. Paula Dobrianski -- Paula has been absolutely vital to this partnership between the United States government and the government of Afghanistan, and the women of both the United States and Afghanistan. Thank you for that important work.
And of course, Ambassador Jawad, thank you very, very much for the service to your country and for your friendship that you promote between our country and your country. And to Shamim Jawad, who is here on the front row, I want to recognize you, too. Thank you for everything that you do.
I think out in the crowd, although I really can't see because I'm sort of blinded by the lights, but I want to recognize the Georgetown faculty, the administrators, and the students who have joined us today, and the members of the U.S.-Afghan Women's Council. Thank you all, each one of you, for coming.
I'm delighted to be with you today as we begin a new chapter for the U.S.-Afghan Women's Council, and a new phase of the partnership between the United States and Afghanistan.
Since 2001, our countries have joined to help the Afghan people recover from decades of conflict and oppression. Over the last five years, the American people, through the United States government, have contributed more than $10.3 billion to help Afghanistan's reconstruction. In Afghanistan, courageous men and women are working every single day to build a stable and a democratic society for themselves. More than seven million Afghans now have access to health care. Almost six million children -- including two million girls -- are in school now in Afghanistan. Millions of Afghans have voted in two peaceful and democratic elections.
Through the cooperation between our countries, fields have been replanted, roads and homes have been rebuilt, and hopes for a peaceful, prosperous, free Afghanistan have been restored.
Especially impressive are the strides made by the women of Afghanistan. Afghan women now serve as government ministers and lead as provincial governors. Eighty-five women have been elected or appointed to the National Assembly. Afghan women work as entrepreneurs and educators, as farmers and freedom activists. They're lawyers and literacy advocates, college graduates and community health workers. Women are now reclaiming their place with men at the center of Afghan society.
American women care deeply about their sisters, the women of Afghanistan. One way we're helping is through the U.S.-Afghan Women's Council, which President Bush and President Karzai launched in January 2002. The Council brings together the governments of Afghanistan and the United States -- and organizations from across the private sector -- to ensure that Afghan women can participate in the political, economic, and civil life of their country.
Council initiatives benefit citizens throughout Afghanistan. Women judges and lawyers are being educated about Afghanistan's new constitution and civil rights. Hundreds of midwives are being trained to help reduce the country's high maternal mortality rate.
Council initiatives improve economic opportunities for Afghan women. Microcredit loans have been extended to Afghan entrepreneurs, and Afghan women have attended graduate-level business seminars in the United States. One Council program, Arzu, Inc., sells traditional rugs woven by Afghan women, giving them a job so they can support themselves and their families. Arzu rugs can now be seen in homes around the world, including mine -- that's the White House.
We all know, though, that the success of all peoples begins with education. By investing in education, Afghanistan can help its citizens enjoy greater opportunity, prosperity, and better health.
The United States-Afghan Women's Council is committed to improving education for all the people of Afghanistan. Last year, I visited the Women's Teacher Training Institute in Kabul, established by the Council in partnership with the government of Afghanistan and USAID. At the institute, women and men can come to study to be teachers, and women have a safe dorm to stay in while they're being trained. Then they go back home and train more teachers in a cascading effect, with the goal of getting many, many trained teachers into schools all over Afghanistan, and opening and staffing schools as fast as possible.
The Council also supports a program at the University of Nebraska, Omaha, that brings Afghan teachers to the United States, to the University of Nebraska. They come, they stay with families, Omaha families, and they study there at the Afghanistan Teacher Education Project, which helps these teachers develop their English language and computer skills. And, at the same time, these educators learn how to train more people when they return home to become teachers. By the end of this year, more than 100 alumni of the program will have trained hundreds of local teachers at workshops throughout Afghanistan.
Just last week, I met with the most recent class of the Teacher Education Project of the White House. I've met with every class, I think, and I really love the opportunity to talk with them. Usually this is on their way home, after they've spent a semester in Omaha. I love to hear about the families that they stay with. You can imagine the solid character of these people in Nebraska who offer their homes to women from Afghanistan.
When I just met last week with the women who were returning home, they spoke with excitement about their opportunity to go back home to Afghanistan and share with their colleagues the lessons they've learned here in the United States.
From its home at the State Department, the U.S.-Afghan Women's council has accomplished a lot over the last four years. But even more work remains. For the Council to succeed in the long term, it must become a sustainable institution independent from the federal government. Council members have much to offer Afghanistan, in both ideas, expertise and resources. And it's important that they can continue this work over the long term.
Today I'm delighted to announce that the U.S.-Afghan Women's Council will partner with Georgetown University to establish a permanent home for the Council. While the U.S. State Department and the Afghan government will still support Council initiatives, today begins a two-year transition that will fully integrate the Council into the Georgetown community.
The Council can benefit from the University's strong commitment to Afghanistan. Georgetown has already hosted conferences in Kabul, London, and Washington, gathering leaders from around the world to address the challenges of reconstruction. The University has created fellowship programs for Afghan students, so that they can study in the United States and return to Afghanistan prepared to be the new leaders of their country. Georgetown has long supported the U.S.-Afghan Women's Council, and now will contribute even more through the expertise that is offered by its distinguished scholars and academic centers.
This new partnership will expand and improve the U.S.-Afghan Women's Council. It will increase the ties between America's private sector institutions and the people of Afghanistan. And it will strengthen the friendship between our two countries. With the support of Georgetown, the Council will work to improve the lives of even more women in Afghanistan -- women like Hasina Mojadidi.
I met Hasina in New York this September at the White House Conference on Global Literacy, which I hosted with UNESCO. At the conference, panelists from around the world spoke about the difference literacy instruction and education is making in their countries.
One of these panelists was Hasina. Hasina was a university student in Kabul when she was forced to abandon her education. For years she was house-bound, prohibited from reading even the most simple newspaper articles or books. Hasina says that during those long years, she missed reading so much that she would collect whatever scraps of newspaper or package-wrapping came into her home, just so she could look at the words printed across them.
When the prohibition was lifted against women's education, Hasina reenrolled in the university. She earned a degree in literature. Today she's a director of Afghanistan's "Learning for Life" program, an initiative supported by the U.S.-Afghan Women's Council as part of the Women's Teacher Training Institute. Through "Learning for Life," Hasina is helping rebuild her country by teaching other women how to read.
Thank you all very, very much. Thank you to the government of Afghanistan and to the United States State Department for creating and supporting the U.S.-Afghan Women's Council. Thank you to the member of the private sector for building the Council into the organization that it is today. And thank you to the entire Georgetown community for opening your doors, opening your school to the Council, and for your commitment to the people of Afghanistan.


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Evernote prioritizes the health, happiness, and wellness of employees. We offer generous benefits and great perks, all while working on a product that makes us proud:
Work in the place that works best for you: remote, onsite, or hybrid. Your talent is welcome whether or not there's a physical office nearby.
We offer a range of health plans with full benefits to fit your unique needs, including medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D and disability insurance.
Recharge your batteries! We offer flexible time off and encourage our employees to use it by paying an annual vacation stipend of $1,000 for breaks of 5 days or longer
US employees can save up for retirement with an employer-matched 401(k) plan, and set aside money for health expenses with a Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA).
Stay grounded: Look after your mind and body with $1,200 in reimbursement each year for exercise equipment, gym membership, or other wellness expenses.
Care for your well-being with Modern Health, a resource to help you navigate challenges that may impact your mental health — whether at work, at home, or in your personal relationships.
Find your voice and get peer support in an Employee Resource Group (ERG) like our Notable Women, Black at Evernote, Elefantes, LGBT+, AAPI or other employee-led groups.
We're always learning! From professional development coaching and speaker programs to arts & crafts with your peers, you'll grow your career and your creativity.


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First, 7 things to remind yourself of every day:
- Your passion: Only do what you're deeply passionate about. There will not only be bumps in the road, but trenches that look like they have no bottom. If you're not doing what you love, there will be too many opportunities to give up.
- Your mission: the change you want to see in the world that your business will impact – and make sure you can measure your progress.
- Your vision: Protect your vision by maintaining control. Money always comes with strings attached – make sure you know what they are.
- Your partners: Find the partners and collaborators who know how to do all the things you don't know how to do.
- Never give up.
- Never give up!
- Never give up!!
The Essential Guide to Successful Social Entrepreneurship in 10 Steps:
- Business as a System of Nature. Systems thinking is an essential framework based on the belief that the individual parts of anything can only be fully understood in the context of the relationships they have with other parts of the system of which they are a part.
- Find and hire the right people. It's the best investment you can make. Always hire people who are smarter than you are. Make sure they are committed to the success of the business, and not participating for their own success.
- Choose your investors with greater care than your friends: once you take their money, it's almost impossible to get rid of them – but, they like to make sure they can get rid of you. At an absolute minimum interview three other CEOs who have taken money from the potential investor. They should tell you what the experience has been like.
- Radical transparency is the key to authenticity, and authenticity is the Holy Grail of good business. Be honest till it hurts. Be honest all the time. Share the good, the bad and the ugly.
- Measuring what really matters. Measure what matters to your stakeholders, not just what matters to you? Make the measurements meaningful. Make measurements against predetermined goals.
- Get out of your own way. Leadership is an art. Ask questions, don't always provide answers. Invest in your own growth. Stay humble and get humbler.
- Ownership Matters. Business must stem the dangerous concentration of wealth that emanates from a world of employees who have little or no stake in the companies for whom they work. Owners perform better than employees. Every employee should be an owner.
- Corporate Governance. Boring, but critical. Your by-laws should include sustainability standards, diversity commitments, how you will report on corporate responsibility, equity in compensation and what type of open dialogue you will have with your stakeholders.
- There's no such thing as a free market – Make sure that you understand who has the deck stacked in their favor. At Seventh Generation, we sold tissue paper made from recycled fiber. The US government provides more than $1 billion annually to subsidize the virgin fiber industry making recycled fiber appear artificially expensive. For more details, check out the Friends of the Earth Green Scissors Report for a complete rundown of "bad" government subsidies.
- Good vs. less bad. We've come to confuse "good" with less bad. Paper towels made with recycled, non-chlorine bleached fiber aren't good, they're less bad. So are organic vegetables grown in China and flown to the US, hybrid cars, even a bicycle if it's made with the wrong materials. There are "good" products, but they are few and far between. Locally grown, organic, grass-fed beef that builds up the soil and sequesters CO2 qualifies. Buying used clothing at Goodwill, or taking a course at your local community college, as long as you get there on public transportation. Make sure that your enterprise introduces something good – not just less bad.


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April 03, 2020
Claire Dennis
June 22, 2018
Elemental Green
March 02, 2018
Michelle Jeresek, Houzz
October 27, 2017
Falon Mihalic, Houzz
March 17, 2017
Heather Benjamin
July 01, 2016
Nora Knox
April 18, 2016
Julia Pergolini
April 13, 2016
Ashley Katz
September 04, 2009
Green Home Guide Staff
Readers who have evaluated, installed and lived with green countertops share their advice about selecting a countertop material that works with your lifestyle.
This buyer's guide will help you compare the environmental attributes of stone and tile materials. Use this summary chart to choose the best stone or tile material for your specific project. Links to... Read more


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by David Crane [email protected] If your 1911 pistol doesn't incorporate an integral rail, you might want to give this product some serious consideration. The Strike Plate Rail System (S.P.R.S.) is a combination tactical light rail/strike plate, and it's pretty trick. Urban Advantage Tactical Systems just introduced it at TREXPO West 2004. A strike plate like the S.P.R.S. prevents the slide …Read More »
Tag Archives: beretta
DuraCoat Firearms Finish for Tactical Weapons. By Lauer Custom Weaponry.
by David Crane [email protected] Lauer Custom Weaponry has come out with an interesting hard-use black firearms finish for tactical weapons. It's called DuraCoat. DefRev hasn't tried this finish out yet. To date, the only high-tech black finish the DefRev team has experience with so far is Birdsong's Black-T, and we've all been very satisfied with it. I've had Black-T applied …Read More »
The True Story of the Beretta M9 Pistol.
by Tim Chandler "You're not a S.E.A.L. 'till you have eaten Italian steel…" Anonymous Thus begins the sordid tale of the M9 that is oft repeated in gun shops and firearms related web-boards the nation over. Anyone who asks questions about the Beretta M9/92 pistol long enough will inevitably hear about how a bunch of S.E.A.L. team members were killed/maimed/deformed …Read More »
Blackwater Training Center. Tactical Training For Professionals and Civilians.
by Tim Chandler So you have the perfect AR15 with a properly tweaked extractor and equipment setup… And you have the perfectly reliable handgun on your hip for daily concealed carry… But do you really know how to use either of those tools well enough to save your life? Unfortunately, the answer to this question for many out there is …Read More »
Beretta CX4 Storm Carbine. Sleek, Futuristic, and Modular.
by David Crane The Beretta CX4 "Storm" carbine is a pistol caliber carbine that will eventually come in 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP. Right now, it only comes in 9mm Parabellum. The CX4 Storm carbine is a a modular design. Both upper and lower receivers are primarily made of polymer. The main selling point of the Beretta CX4 Storm …Read More »
Tactical Firearms Academy Offers Submachine Gun Class.
Well, if you've ever wanted to learn how to handle and shoot a subgun properly, and have never had the chance, you might want to give Dave Sanders and the boys at Tactical Firearms Academy a call, particularly if you live in Florida. I'm seriously considering calling these guys and signing up myself. Just from the description, it looks like …Read More »
Is Beretta Making Politically Correct Handguns?
by David Crane No, I'm not talking about guns like that ridiculous "Smartgun" Smith & Wesson has been working on to satisfy the anti-gun fringe extremists. I'm talking about what could very well become a disturbing trend that, unfortunately, could also end up growing very quickly. It seems that gunmakers, in an attempt to cater to, how shall I say …Read More »
The Pistol Beretta Should Make: Beretta Elite III?
While I was at Shot Show last week, I spoke with one of the Beretta guys at the company's booth. This is what I told him: Very simply, DefRev would like to see a Beretta 9mm/.40 cal that looks like the Beretta Elite series(w/flush barrel and original style grip), and also incorporates the single action operation(w/ frame mounted safety) of …Read More »
Vertec Pistol by Beretta
Called the "Evolution" internally by Beretta during its development, the new Vertec pistol is basically just that, a model 92/96 updated with the latest features, like an accessory mounting rail on the dustcover, removable front sight, , flush-fitting 4.7" stainless barrel ala the "Elite" series, beveled magazine well, and dual-textured thin polymer grips. The standard version of the Vertec will …Read More »
Taser International's New M26 Really Shuts the Badguys Down.
Formerly "Air Taser", Taser International's premier product is their "Advanced Taser" M26. The M26 is a 26 Watt Electro-Muscular Disruption (EMD) device that was designed to takedown the toughest and meanest individuals in the world, no matter how big, drugged up, or pissed off, without killing or permanently injuring them, a feat that no other less-lethal device can supposedly currently …Read More »


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There is a pleasing symmetry to President Obama's nomination of federal appeals court judge Sonia Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court.
The first African-American president has appointed the first Hispanic justice, who, if confirmed, would become only the third woman to serve on the high court. In the process, Obama has not only enabled history, he has aligned himself with the nation's fastest-growing bloc of new voters, thus increasing the peril of Republican opposition.
Sotomayor's nomination, considered in tandem with the appointment of Obama's onetime arch rival, Hillary Clinton, to secretary of state, speaks volumes to how Democrats view the role of women in public life. Compared with the Republican vice-presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, Sotomayor represents solid Democratic substance versus hollow Republican symbolism.
With the Democrats controlling the Senate by a seemingly filibuster-proof margin, Sotomayor should be confirmed — if not by the end of this legislative season, then certainly by October in time for the court's next session.
That is not to say that her confirmation will be a walk in the park. Anti-choice partisans will undoubtedly oppose her nomination, and yet be stymied by the fact that, in her 17 years on the federal bench, few abortion-related cases came her way.
Some on the left may roast her for upholding President George W. Bush's ban on federal funds to overseas agencies promoting choice. That Obama has reversed Bush's shortsighted policy will take some of the sting out of such attacks.
In most spheres, Sotomayor's reliance on precedent should serve to reassure all but the most ideological of the crazies.
It will be interesting to see if the Catholic card gets played, since, if confirmed, she will become the sixth member of that faith to join the current nine-member panel. Compared with the ultramontane views of Justices Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia, and the more typically right-wing views of Justices Samuel Alito and John Roberts, however, Sotomayor will be a breath of fresh air.
That said, this appointment will expose at least one of the cultural contradictions of Obamaism.
During the campaign, Obama reassured moderates when he said that, while he favored affirmative action, he did not favor it for children, such as his own, from privileged backgrounds. This bit of common sense telegraphed that Obama was capable of seeing the shades of gray in an issue that is usually portrayed in black and white.
As a member of a three-judge federal appeals court, Sotomayor upheld the city of New Haven, Connecticut's decision to invalidate a fire department promotion test because no African-Americans qualified. A group of high-scoring white firefighters and a Hispanic were, as a result, denied promotion. The case is currently pending before the Supreme Court. Complicating the already charged atmosphere surrounding this case is the fact that one of the white firefighters, Frank Ricci, is dyslexic and undertook almost heroic preparations to attain a qualifying high score.
This case is one in which the shades of gray are intensely painful. It promises to provide the high drama and conflict that has come to characterize recent Supreme Court confirmation hearings.
Sotomayor has twice been cleared by the Senate, first when Republican George H.W. Bush appointed her to the federal trial bench and later when Democrat Bill Clinton elevated her to the appeals court. Unless something unexpected surfaces, she deserves prompt approval.
A child of New York's public housing projects, raised — as was the president — by a single mother, Sotomayor excelled at Princeton and Yale Law School, and worked as a prosecutor and a corporate lawyer before ascending to the bench. Her life story is admirable, her credentials impeccable. Her ethnicity and gender only enhance her undeniable competency. In Sotomayor, a still-new president appears to have made a laudable choice for a still-new century.
Meanwhile in CaliforniaIf anyone wants to turn back the clock and deny women the right to vote, or to reinstate slavery, he or she should hightail it to California. There, the state's Supreme Court effectively reversed itself by upholding a referendum that negated the court's earlier ruling granting same-sex couples the right to marry. In all, it was a shameful performance. It indeed would have taken courage for the California court to defy popular opinion. But even in a democracy — especially in a democracy — what should be a basic human right should not be denied to a minority of citizens by the intolerance of the majority.
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Of course, I didn't come to such knowledge until, like, the day before my boys were over a stomach virus (plague) that hung around for over two weeks.
Isn't that always the way it goes?
As cool as this recipe is to have in my back pocket, I'm SO hoping we don't get to be close chums any time soon.
Wretched stomach bugs. There are just some things I never envisioned myself doing at 3 AM pre-motherhood and we'll just leave it at that.
Oh, I can't be a grump when my little sickie is so cute and happy-go-lucky.
PS: Lizards L-O-V-E this stuff.
Homemade Pedialyte
Heat 2 quarts of water in a large pot. Whisk in 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 7 tab lespoons sugar (or honey for kids over a year old), and 2 tablespoons flavored gelatin (optional, but my 4-year-old was unlikely to drink it otherwise). When everything is dissolved, refrigerate and serve cold (your kids might like it warm, but we didn't try it).


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A Guyana court has imposed the maximum sentence on a couple for luring four girls to a remote jungle area and forcing them to work as prostitutes in a mining camp.
Wesley Hart and common-law wife Candace Anderson were each sentenced to five years for taking the girls to Guyanas Cuyuni region to work as prostitutes. The childrens exact ages were not immediately available.
The girls were rescued by an association for women miners. Simona Broomes heads the association that travels to Guyanas mining camps to rescue underage girls working as prostitutes.
Broomes said Sunday that her groups members were at court every day to give evidence in the case.
The U.S. State Department this year honored Broomes for her work in fighting human trafficking in the South American country.
Source: abcNews (published on 18th August, 2013)


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Address: 5/171, Sunder Vihar, New Delhi-41 , Delhi
Locality: Sunder Vihar (Find more Sunder Vihar schools)
Phone: 011-25587120
English Medium
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Industry Veteran Closely Involved in the Libor Process Says that the Rate Has Been Manipulated for 15 Years
We've previously noted that Libor manipulation has been going on since at least 2005 … and continued long after the manipulation was first reported.
The Financial Times started reporting on the manipulation in 2007, and the Wall Street Journal in 2008 (see this, this, this, this and this).
But as the Economist reports today, the manipulation probably goes back a lot further:
The FSA has identified price-rigging dating back to 2005, yet some current and former traders say that problems go back much further than that. "Fifteen years ago the word was that LIBOR was being rigged," says one industry veteran closely involved in the LIBOR process. "It was one of those well kept secrets, but the regulator was asleep, the Bank of England didn't care and…[the banks participating were] happy with the reference prices." Says another: "Going back to the late 1980s, when I was a trader, you saw some pretty odd fixings…With traders, if you don't actually nail it down, they'll steal it."
Given that homeowners, students, credit card holders, and other borrowers pay more when rates are higher, the banks appear to have fleeced consumers for 10 years during the entire bull run leading up to the financial crisis.
We predict that lawyers can prevail in huge class action lawsuits based on that theory alone.
As Yves Smith writes:
I expect the firms involved to face a locust swarm of litigation. Lawyers may accomplish what regulators and politicians refused to do: strip the banks of ill gotten gains and bring their preening CEOs and "producers" down a few notches. A day of reckoning may finally be coming.


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Avaline Hoy and Henry Sing on their wedding day, with bridesmaids Laura Sing , Beatrice Keen and Anne Hoy, in the living room of the Hoy's home; July 1937.
- CA Barkerville Historic Town BARK_1990.0003.0951
- Item
The wedding of Henry Sing and Evelyn Hoy. There is a framed Chinese print on the wall and a piano to the left. See also P 1755. Left to right: ?, ?, Henry Sing, Avaline Hoy, Laura Sing, Beatrice Keen, Anne Hoy.
Hoy, C. D.


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Export 69 results:Author Title [ Type] Year
Filters: Author is Enric Cervera [Clear All Filters]
Is 3D useful in stereo visual control?. 2002, pp. 1630-1635.,
Agent Standard Protocols for Building Multi-Robot Applications. 2008, pp. 1-5.,
Agents at Play: Off-the-shelf Software for Practical Multi-robot Applications. 2008, pp. 2719-2722.,
Cooperative Navigation using the Optical Flow and Time-to-Contact Techniques. 2008, pp. 1736-1741.,
A cross-platform network-ready visual servo simulator. 2006, pp. 2314-2319.,
Dealing with uncertainty in fine motion: A neural approach. 1995, pp. 119-126.,
Distributed visual servoing: A cross-platform agent-based implementation. 2005, pp. 3676-3681.,
Error Regulation Strategies for Model Based Visual Servoing Tasks Application to Autonomous Object Grasping with Nao Robot. 2012, pp. 1311-1316.,
Experiences in HRI: Design of an Interface for a Team of Multiple Heterogeneous Robots. 2009, pp. 281-284.,
An Experiment on Squad Navigation of Human and Robots. 2008, pp. 1212-1218.,
A framework for the development of cooperative robotic applications. 2005, pp. 901-906.,
Hybrid Visual Servoing by Boosting IBVS and PBVS. 2008, pp. 1153-1158.,
Integrating computer vision libraries in networked robotic systems. 2005, pp. 267-272.,
Learning strategies for sensor-based manipulation tasks. 1997, pp. 54-59.,
Optical flow navigation over Acromovi architecture. 2006, pp. 500-503.,
Optimizing image and camera trajectories in robot vision control using on-line boosting. 2007, pp. 358-363.,
Practical Multi-Robot Applications with Player and JADE. 2008, pp. 2004-2009.,
SELF-LOCALIZATION OF A TEAM OF MOBILE ROBOTS BY MEANS OF COMMON COLORED TARGETS. 2009, pp. 274-279.,
Self-organizing maps for supervision in robot pick-and-place operations. 1995, pp. 372-375.,
A SOM-based sensing approach to robotic manipulation tasks. 1999, pp. 207-217.,
Stereo visual servoing with oriented blobs. 2003, pp. 977-982.,
USE OF SENSORS TO DEAL WITH UNCERTAINTY IN REALISTIC ROBOTIC ENVIRONMENTS, vol. 2492. 1995, pp. 740-747.,
Book Chapter
"Agent-based application framework for multiple mobile robots cooperation", in 2005 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2005, pp. 1509-1514.,
"Agent-based software integration for a mobile manipulator", in 2004 Ieee International Conference on Systems, Man & Cybernetics, Vols 1-7, 2004, pp. 6167-6172.,
"Agents for cooperative heterogeneous mobile robotics: a case study", in 2003 Ieee International Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics, Vols 1-5, Conference Proceedings, 2003, pp. 557-562.,


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I like video games. I like turntables. I like DJ Shadow, I like the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, the Scratch Perverts. Yet I've thought DJ Hero was a stupid idea from the moment the series was first announced.
Not only did its lumping together of hip-hop, dance and electronica dilute the series' focus, but being a DJ adhering to something with scores and failures just seemed...faintly ridiculous. Maybe that's why the series didn't sell so well! That's certainly what Activision boss Bobby Kotick thinks, at any rate.
"...we should have said, 'Well, how many people really want to unleash their inner DJ?'", Kotick tells Forbes in an interview. "And then out of the people who do want to unleash their inner DJ, how many want to do it in the context of a game where you earn points, versus just taking a DJ deck or tools on their Macintosh and actually being a DJ? And it turns out it's a very small market."
Kotick even goes so far as to lay part of the blame for Guitar Hero's demise at the feet of DJ Hero, saying "going down this new direction with DJ Hero, I think we abandoned a bit of the innovation that was required in the Guitar Hero franchise."
Kotick may not have addressed all the reasons for the sharp decline in music game sales - the fact there were just too many games released too quickly was surely the main catalyst - but genuinely fessing up to any mistakes in a public forum is always appreciated from a gaming executive.
Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick: How To Be An Innovator [Forbes]


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PRESCOTT, Ariz. – In his book, "Young Men and Fire," Norman Maclean attempted to convey what a crew experiences in the chaos of a mountain firestorm.
"It is really not possible to see the center of a blowup because the smoke only occasionally lifts," the late Montana author wrote, "and when it does all that can be seen are pieces, pieces of death flying around looking for you — burning cones, branches circling on wings, a log in flight without a propeller."
In American culture, the firefighter is almost a mythic being. Immortalized in movies such as "Hellfighters," ''Backdraft" and "Ladder 49," they do things that most people could never conceive of doing. They are, as we see time and again, the first ones into a disaster and the last ones out.
It is no different in the wildland firefighting community, where men and women armed with little more than axes, shovels and chain saws face mountainsides engulfed in flames and, somehow, hope to bring that force of nature to heel.
"You ask yourself: Why are these people willing to put their lives on the line? For people they don't even know?" retired teacher Sharon Owsley asked last week as she stood on the courthouse square in this town north of Phoenix. "Why do they even do this kind of work that's so highly dangerous? Every day it might not be. But then there's that one day that you may not come home."
For 19 members of Prescott's Granite Mountain Hotshots, that day came June 30, when they were overrun while battling a blaze on a ridge in nearby Yarnell. On Tuesday, firefighters from across the nation will join with the men's families, Vice President Joe Biden and other dignitaries to honor the men.
The elite Hotshot community is a small one — there are some 110 crews of 20 nationwide, the vast majority of them west of the Mississippi River. So veteran wildland firefighter Patrick Moore was not surprised to see the names of several friends on the list of the dead.
Moore understands why some might wonder: Why do this? Surely no amount of money or adrenaline rush could be worth the risk of marching up a slope into the maw of death. He said an old joke helps him to keep things in perspective.
"How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time," said Moore, superintendent of the Pleasant Valley Interagency Hotshot Crew out of Mesa. "You just chink off a little bit and chink off a little more. And when you get 20 people all firing with some synergy, those 20 bites at a time add up. And before you know it, you're around the fire."
For many, like the three Prescott crew members who were following in their fathers' footsteps, firefighting is literally in their blood. Others, like Brandon Hess, are drawn by a sense of duty.
"I love the outdoors and I love feeling that I have a part in protecting the public lands out there," Hess, superintendent of the Tatanka Interagency Hotshot Crew out of Custer, S.D., said last week from the front lines of a wildfire in Colorado.
To Moore, the Hotshots' motto says it all: "Safety, Teamwork, Professionalism."
"When you become a Hotshot, it becomes a part of you," the 40-year-old former logger said. "It isn't just a job."
And there is nothing romantic about it.
For a Hotshot crew, a typical day begins before dawn. Wearing hard hats, long-sleeve shirts and pants, and thick boots in triple-digit temperatures, the teams cut through swaths of land for hours on end, said Eric Neitzel, a veteran firefighter with U.S. Forest Service.
"It's the worst yard work you've ever done, all day, times a thousand," said Neitzel. "They sleep outside on the line sometimes. No showers for weeks, very little change of clothes. ... You've got dirt in your nails, dirt in your ears, down your shirt, down your neck."
"Hottest, deepest, nastiest," said Moore, who's been with the Pleasant Valley crew 16 years. "That's where we go."
The fare is often a military-style MRE — meals ready to eat. Even downtime is spent sharpening tools, restocking backpacks and replenishing water supplies, Neitzel said.
And, if they're lucky, these crews may never even see the flames.
"There are times where you might only see smoke, you're so far away from the fire," said Hess, who became a firefighter right out of high school and is in his 15th year as a Hotshot. "And then there's days when you're right on the edge of the fire. It just depends on the complexity."
As an engine man with the Prescott National Forest, Ryan Phillips worked alongside Hotshots on several occasions. He compares them with the military's special forces.
"They're the first ones in, and they're usually the last ones out," said Phillips, who now works for a telecommunications company. "You're either going to love it or you're going to hate it, the first day you are on a fire. And the ones that love it aren't there for the adrenaline. They're there for what it means to them — to help somebody else in some way."
The pay is nice, around $25 an hour with a lot of overtime and hazardous duty pay, said Neitzel. Some work almost nonstop through the summer, then vacation overseas come winter, he said.
But many — like some of those who died fighting the lightning-sparked Yarnell Hill Fire — have families.
Hess fell in love with the outdoors at 4, when his father began taking him into the woods to hunt, fish and dig for arrowheads. When a cousin told him stories about life on the Hotshot crews, he was hooked.
Now 35, Hess has five children under the age of 12 and another due in October. The time away takes its toll.
"I haven't had a summer with them yet, aside from when we get days off. ... They know what I do," he said of his family. "And they respect that."
Moore said his fiancee, a federal wildlife biologist, knew what she was in for when she started dating a Hotshot. Despite the hardships, Moore said there is an esprit de corps that you can't find in any other job.
"I could never create ... as colorful and diverse characters as what you work with in the wildland fire service," said Moore, who once studied fiction writing. "I can't think of a finer bunch of people to do what we do with."
At a community meeting last week at Prescott High School, displaced residents from Yarnell and Peeples Valley gave the fallen men a standing ovation. Peeples Valley resident Shirley Prentice recalled her youngest son once talking about trying out for the Hotshots. Fearing for his safety, she talked him out of it.
"These guys, they're the best of the best, is what they are," said Prentice, her eyes welling with tears. "We still have a home because they were out there."
Those who live in the expanse of pine, juniper and scrub oak around Yarnell know that fire is a constant threat. Every few miles, highway signs warn drivers of crosswinds and caution smokers, "Wildfire Danger — Use Ashtray."
Stan Kephart, vice president of the Yarnell Water Board, knows how inhospitable the area can be. But he said the men who died knew the risks. And while no house is worth even one life, he's grateful there are people willing to put themselves between the fire and everything he's worked for.
"I was asked the other day, 'Do you plan on going back?'" he said. "If I was to not go back and live there, I'd be doing them a disservice. Just like if a service person goes overseas and defends our country, they don't do it for just themselves.
"They do it for us."
The investigation into what happened at Yarnell is only beginning. What officials do know is that the situation deteriorated rapidly, and that the 19 men had deployed their reflective safety shelters.
Although the Granite Mountain deaths have cast a pall over the firefighting community, Hess said those in the field "can't carry that stuff" with them.
But firefighters do.
Each year, the U.S. Forest Service marks the anniversary of the Aug. 5, 1949, Mann Gulch fire, in which 13 firefighters died when they were trapped in a blowup on a mountainside in Montana's Helena National Forest. It was that mishap that Maclean wrote about.
Three men survived, including foreman Wagner Dodge, who lit an escape fire and tried in vain to get the crew to join him. Maclean recounted Dodge's exasperation at trying to explain the inexplicable to a bunch of people who couldn't possibly imagine what he'd experienced — a place "where no organ of the body had consciousness but the lungs."
"When asked by the Board of Review if he had explained to the men the danger they were in, (Dodge) looked at the Board in amazement, as if the Board had never been outside the city limits and wouldn't know sawdust if they saw it in a pile," Maclean wrote. "What could anybody hear? It roared from behind, below, and across, and the crew, inside it, was shut out from all but a small piece of the outside world."
Last week, as firefighters worked to contain the blaze that had killed their brothers, Jim Whittington, a veteran firefighter and member of the incident command team, invoked the memory of those losses of 64 years ago.
"One of the things that defines the entire wildland firefighting community is we don't forget," he said. "We make it a point of remembering things like Mann Gulch. ... And we will remember this one."
Associated Press reporters Amanda Lee Myers and Felicia Fonseca contributed to this report.
Allen G. Breed is a national writer, based in Raleigh, N.C. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/AllenGBreed .


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Year in review: Official White House photos from 2012
President Barack Obama was a busy man in 2012… but that's to expect when you're the Leader of the Free World.
Look back at photos taken by official White House photographers in 2012. Commentary and photography by Pete Souza. Additional photos by David Lienemann, Chuck Kennedy, Lawrence Jackson and Sonya N. Hebert.


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CODEPINK Speaks
|Behind the Egyptian Juntas Iron Curtain
The Internal Crackdown is Getting Worse, by MEDEA BENJAMIN and KATE CHANDLEY, CounterPunch
|Paying for America's War Machine Is a Terrible Waste of Tax Money
Alternet, By Lisa Savage
|Killer Drones in a Downward Spiral?
April 7th, 2014
PinkTank Blog, By Medea Benjamin and Kate Chandley
|10 Good Things about the Year 2013
By Medea Benjamin
|Medea Benjamin Interview: 2500+ Killed by Drones in Pakistan, Names of Victims Now Available
The Real News
|10 Reasons Why Americans Opposed Bombing Syria
By Janet Weil, AlterNet
|Live Event: The Changing Face of War
July 4th, 2013
Audio Discussion with retired Navy Commander Leah Bolger, Jodie Evans, and author Christian Parenti
|Leaving Truth Outside at Bradley Manning's Trial
by Medea Benjamin and Ann Wright, Common Dreams
|Yemenis Have Moms Too
May 10th, 2013
By By Jodie Evans and Charles Davis, Huffington Post
|Why I Am on a Hunger Strike to Shut Down Guantanamo Bay Prison
by Diane Wilson, Common Dreams
|Bush's Legacy of Atricities Is Nowhere to Be Seen at His New Library--and the Local Paper Won't Even Run One Ad That Tells the Truth
May 5th, 2013
|DRONE WARS: How White Privilege Obscures Real Dialogue
April 24th, 2013
By Noor Mir and Rooj Alwazir
|Challenges of Arab Uprisings Reflected at World Social Forum
April 2nd, 2013
by Medea Benjamin
|CSPAN Q & A: Medea Benjamin talks about her book, Drone Warfare: Killing by Remote Control
April 1st, 2013
|Playing Golf as the Planet Burns: Obama Meets With Oil-Man as Protesters Call for Halt to Keystone Pipeline
By Medea Benjamin, Alternet
|Remembering the Build-up to the Iraq Invasion 10 Years Ago ... and Trying to Stop the Drone War in Pakistan Now
February 8th, 2013
By Jodie Evans, AlterNet
|Israels Lesson to Palestinians: Build More Rockets?
December 5th, 2012
By Medea Benjamin, Alternet
|A Day in the Sun for Gaza, or More of the Same?
December 4th, 2012
By Pam Bailey, TruthOut
|PINK Peace Anniversary
November 18th, 2012
By Anne G. Woodhead
|Video: Cong. Kucinich Congressional Briefing on Drones
November 16th, 2012
Featuring Medea Benjamin's testimony
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sarahsparks79 has not received any gifts yet
My name is Missy and I am also a member of the Mom Bloggers Club. I have a blog,www.luxurybeautyproducts.blogspot.com and I also run the blog hop network.
I wanted to let you know that I am following you, and hoping when you get a chance you can follow me back. I also want to invite you to join my groups, The Blog Hop Network, Beauty Bloggers, and Children's businesses. Also, I would love to place a link to your site on my blog if you want to do the same with my blog on yours. Please let me know by sending me an email regarding this and it has been nice meeting you via the web.
Welcome to the Mom Bloggers Club! I hope you enjoy your time here! I write a blog called The Adventures of J-Man and MillerBug. I wanted to let you know about a few special events that are going on there that I would love for you to particiate in! First, come join up for our weekend blog hop! It's a great way to find new followers and meet some new friends. You can find more information on that HERE.
Also, I am having a fantastic celebration since I reached 1,000 followers with a grand prize worth more than $550! I would love for you to join in! You can enter to win by clicking HERE. Below is a little sneak peak of all the goodies you could be winning!
While you are there, be sure to check out my other giveaways! I have some fabulous baby items up for grabs right now! They are a don't miss!
I hope to see you at my blog! And be sure when you visit to leave a comment with your blog URL so that I can be sure to follow you back!
Hi, just wanted to welcome you.
Just added new items, chek them out at:
Just wanted to share my blog with you :)
Little Boys are Made of Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails
I'm also a Scentsy consultant and looking for other moms to share this experience with: Kick the Wick
If you've never heard of Scentsy, you should definitely check it out! Being a part of this awesome company has changed my life! Wickless candles are safe for people with kids & pets!
It's a great company to be a part of and I will mentor you to help grow your business!
I host a blog hop for moms every Tuesday! Come link up with us...it's a great way to get new followers!
You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter
I'm looking forward to reading your blog!
Hello, welcome to Mom Bloggers Club. MBC is one of the largest social network for mom bloggers. It is a place where moms who blog converge to talk about the latest trends in blogging and support each other in their blogging endeavors and a place to make new friends. I review, blog and sell children's books & gifts. My blog link is http://mymcbooks.wordpress.com. I will be stopping by your blog.
Have a great week.
Become a Fan on facebook
Welcome to Mom Bloggers Club. You are in the midst of a wonderful community! If you have trouble helping your kids with math homework, please check out my website and blog.
To your success,
Wanda McDowell
"When we believe students achieve"


text: This paper sculpture by Liberty artist Martha Piscuskas assumes the form of a two-legged creature but, like her other exhibit pieces, is meant to elicit different responses. It is on display at the Ivan O. Davis Library in Liberty, ME and is part of her interactive paper sculpture project "Dearly Kept." The exhibit pieces are interspersed at various locations in Liberty. (BDN photo by John Clarke Russ) John Clarke Russ | BDN


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Microsoft has offered free protection with Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) for some time, and it recently expanded the availability of the antivirus protection for small businesses. A recent move to push out Microsoft Security Essentials to Windows systems that don't have any antivirus protection, however, has some rival security vendors up in arms. From Microsoft's perspective, though, it's a little "damned if you do, damned if you don't".
Security vendors like Trend Micro and Panda Security take exception to Microsoft pushing its free AV on Windows users. Trend Micro's complaint seems focused simply on the anti-competitive aspects, while Panda Security takes a slightly higher road with a more pragmatic assessment of the situation.
Panda Security's Pedro Bustamente explains in a blog post, "We agree with Microsoft; it's better to have some protection than not having any at all. However the way the guys in Redmond are executing the idea is risky from a security perspective and could very well make the malware situation much worse for Internet users."
Bustamente then goes on to detail his arguments–not crying that Microsoft is using its operating system monopoly to squash competition, but making the case for why Microsoft's approach might cause more harm than good.
I have worked with Pedro, and I respect his opinion, but I must differ on a few points. First, Bustamente points out that MSE is only pushed to Windows systems that are validated as authentic licensed copies. However, an estimated 40 percent of the Windows systems out there are not legally licensed, and malware infections are more prevalent on the pirated systems, so Microsoft is leaving a major segment of the Windows culture unprotected.
That is true, but so what? Even if Microsoft offered MSE for unlicensed copies of Windows, many would reject it out of fear that Microsoft would use to it detect and hunt down the illegal Windows systems–possibly disabling them remotely. Panda and other third-party security vendors already offer free solutions that would work for that 40 percent. The very fact that those 40 percent aren't using the free tools that are available suggests they're simply not interested.
Pedro then explains how Microsoft pushing MSE to all unprotected systems creates an AV monoculture where all systems are running the same AV protection, and any attack that can exploit or circumvent that protection will spread–unchallenged–and cripple the entire Internet.
There are some valid points to the monoculture argument, but as a whole it is simply a myth. Take any two systems running Windows 7 and protected with MSE. There are still a thousand variables that make these systems different–the software installed, the peripherals and drivers in place, the browser used, the existence (or not) of additional protection such as personal firewall software, or a network firewall.
The list goes on, and the fact is that even if Microsoft protected every Windows system not currently running a competing AV solution, there are still millions upon millions of Windows systems running the various other AV products available–and vendors such as Symantec and McAfee may very well present a larger security monoculture environment than Microsoft.
Ultimately, Microsoft is in a catch-22. It is caught between those who feel that Microsoft is responsible for developing flawed software and should take responsibility for providing the protection it needs, and those who feel that any attempt on the part of Microsoft to implement new tools or security controls is somehow monopolistic and anti-competitive.
Bustamente asserts that Microsoft should save the time and effort dedicated to pushing free MSE to unprotected systems, and instead focus all of its resources on just developing more secure software in the first place so there wouldn't be a be a need for security software. However, if that Utopian vision were actually possible, security vendors like Panda and Trend Micro would be out of business.
Microsoft is routinely crucified by the media, and by rival companies for the weaknesses in its software, and the perception–however misguided–that Microsoft software is less secure than other products. Microsoft is in a position that makes it the most attractive target for malware developers, and it has the burden of protecting Windows users, and its own reputation.
Is MSE the best security protection available? Probably not. Is it adequate? Yes. Is it better than nothing? Without a doubt.
Microsoft should constantly be working on simply making more secure products in the first place. However, it is hard to fault Microsoft for also providing the protection that today's Windows systems need, and proactively pushing it to Windows users too naïve or ignorant to implement baseline security measures on their own.


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The Works Art & Design Festival
Tuesday, July 05
Tuesday, July 05
The Works International Visual Arts Society produces The Works Art & Design Festival which attracts artists and patrons from around the world, boosting the energy and imagination of Downtown Edmonton at the start of every summer. The Works is a free event that draws an audience representing all ages and interests, offering over 200 exciting exhibits and special events to the public.
More Information
Ticket Information
Event Location
Various Locations
Edmonton, Alberta


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Dysphoria Attack
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4 comments
Share Image To Social Media!
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May 02, 2018 at 11:00 am
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Apr 20, 2018 at 3:58 pm


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We did it! We won the best award any festival has to offer–the Audience Award. At 8:30 PM last night, me and my producer Lauren Versel and my editor David Leonard mounted a small stage at a Union Square boite upon hearing that "City Island"–the movie that many of you dear readers have investested much of the last year in reading about and following the progress of–was the winner of the coveted Heineken Audience Award. Out of the eighty-five movies that Tribeca selected to show this year, we were chosen by the public as the favorite.
Click here to read the official announcement. Damn I'm happy.
I'm going to bed. It's the middle of the night and I'm still fielding congratulatory e-mails. But before I disappear, may I share with you an article from Indiewire, published just two days ago? It discusses the probable Audience Award winner and manages to name a remarkable number of potential winners…none of which are "City Island". Does the phrase "Dewey Defeats Truman" come to mind? Am I allowed this moment of bitchiness? Of course I am. We won!
Thank you, Heineken, for sponsoring this prize. And congratulations to the runner-up films. Oh, and thank you Indiewire for your valient reporting efforts…


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This restaurant Profile Page is brought to you courtesy of the DiningGuide.com service. Korea House Restuarant is located in Eugene.
|1306 Hilyard Street
Eugene, OR 97401
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Not Very Traditional, But Still Good. - Member, Eugene
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Solstice Shadows
He certainly looks unstoppable. The NBA All-Star weighs 315 lbs and stands 7 feet 1 inch tall. But later today, around lunchtime, Shaq's shadow will measure barely 1 foot 4 inches. It's been shrinking all week.
Good news for the rest of the league?
No. It's just the summer solstice.
On June 21st--the first day of northern summer, a.k.a. "the summer solstice"--the noontime Sun soars high in the sky. Observers north of the tropics will see it reach its highest elevation of the year. Everyone's shadows will be short--not just Shaq's.
This happens because our planet's spin axis is tilted 23.5 degrees. On June 21st, the north pole is tipped toward the Sun, and mid-day shadows north of the tropics are short. The situation is reversed in the southern hemisphere. The south pole is tipped away from the Sun, so mid-day shadows south of the tropics are longer than usual. If Shaq flew to Buenos Aires for lunch today, his shadow would stretch an impressive 11 feet 4 inches--16 inches taller than a regulation basketball hoop.
Above: The ratio between your height and the length of your shadow in selected cities at mid-day on the two solstices: June 21st and Dec. 22nd. For example, if you want to know how long your shadow would be on the first day of summer in New York, multiply your height by 0.31 -- the ratio listed for New York under June 21.
The tilt of Earth's spin axis not only causes shadows to expand and shrink. It's also the reason for seasons. In June, the Sun is high in the sky. Days are long, it gets hot, and we call it summer. In December, the Sun hangs low. Days are brief and cold, and we call that winter. (Seasons are reversed south of the equator.)
No one knows why Earth's axis is tipped by 23.5 degrees. Probably it's just good luck. Some astronomers believe that, about 5 billion years ago when Earth was very young, our planet was struck by a Mars-sized protoworld. The collision created the Moon and, perhaps, knocked Earth a bit on its side.
If Earth had no tilt we would experience no seasons: no crisp winter days, no autumn leaves, no spring cleaning, no summer vacation. Too much tilt would cause seasons to be extreme. The planet Uranus, for example, is tilted 97 degrees. If Earth were like that, most of our planet would experience nights lasting weeks or months (depending on latitude). The north pole would be hotter than the Sahara desert during summer, while tropical oceans would freeze. And, incidentally, Shaq's shadow in Los Angeles on June 21st would be 10 feet 6 inches long--all day long!
Mild seasons, 24 hour days, and short summers--it's much better this way.
So step outside today around lunchtime. Feel the warmth. Glance around. Most northerners won't notice many shadows at all. They are hiding underneath cars, beneath trees and underfoot. If you can find a tree-lined road, look down it. The asphalt, normally criss-crossed with the shadows of trees, will be bare and hot--all sunlight and no shade.
Look again in six months and you'll see a big difference, something like this: Shaq's summer shadow: 1 foot 4 inches. Shaq's winter shadow: 11 feet 4 inches. That's unstoppable proof that our planet is tilted.
Seasons: The Movie -- (NASAKids.com) a too-cool movie explaining the seasons.
The Seasonal Merry-Go-Round -- (Windows to the Universe) the basic geometry of seasons.
Earth's Seasons -- (US Naval Observatory) dates and times of equinoxes, solstices, perihelia, and aphelia
Seasons of the Year -- (NASA/GSFC) a nice introduction to terrestrial seasons.
Join our growing list of subscribers - sign up for our express news delivery and you will receive a mail message every time we post a new story!!!


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"Teachings for Our Time," Ensign, Nov. 2013, 128
Teachings for Our Time
From October 2013 through March 2014, Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society lessons on fourth Sundays should be prepared from one or more talks given in the October 2013 general conference. In April 2014, talks may be selected from either the October 2013 or the April 2014 conference. Stake and district presidents should choose which talks will be used in their areas, or they may delegate this responsibility to bishops and branch presidents.
Learn more by reviewing the "Teachings for Our Time" article in the May 2013 Liahona or Ensign.


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VATICAN CITY—Following Pope Francis' tolerant remarks Sunday about homosexuals and the Catholic Church, Vatican officials reportedly went into crisis mode, announcing that the Pope's thoughtful message of understanding was clearly taken out of context. "It is not the official stance of the Pope or the Catholic Church that all people of good will who seek the Lord, especially gay people, should be accepted by Christ," a visibly nervous Vatican spokesman told reporters, adding that the Holy Father was clearly tired after his long trip to Brazil and never meant for his comments to sound caring or realistic. "Homosexuality is a disorder. And this in no way means that, going forward, the Catholic Church will be an open-minded, more sensible organization. I assure you we are just as prejudiced and backward today as we were yesterday. Thank you." According to an anonymous source close to the Vatican, the Pope is currently being yelled at by Church officials, who are telling him, "You don't just go off script like that. Who the fuck do you think you are?"
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This Week's Most Viral News: September 29, 2023


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Accounting software specialists.
Integrated systems to maximise efficiency.
Natsoft have been writing software products since the early 1980s, specialising in accounting products ranging from Cashbook to Point-of-Sale to Job Costing. Our systems are designed to integrate with one another minimising double-handling of input and maximising efficiency.
Accounting software specialists.
Integrated systems to maximise efficiency.
Natsoft have been writing software products since the early 1980s, specialising in accounting products ranging from Cashbook to Point-of-Sale to Job Costing. Our systems are designed to integrate with one another minimising double-handling of input and maximising efficiency.
The Natsoft Accounting Solution.
Feature Box Title
Full and easy control of your suppliers information and outstanding accounts.
Feature Box Title
Includes the ability to generate compulsory reports to Government agencies.
Feature Box Title
Generate the maximum profit from your inventory investment.
Feature Box Title
Keep track of workshop jobs and job history of customer equipment.
Demo Screenshots.
We supply accounting software for the small to medium business market. With clean and clear layouts, our accounting software is easy to navigate and understand.
Natsoft Online Live Race Time Results.
Apart from being a leader in Accountancy Software, Natsoft is also the developer and supplier of race timing computer software used by race tracks throughout the world. The Natsoft Race Results is a service developed by Natsoft that enables the easy collection and archiving of race results.
Our Clients.
- Begents has been using Natsoft in our business for over 20 years. We feel that the system works in and for our business better than any other program on the market, and it allows great flexibility to tailor the system to our personal needs which has been invaluable. The staff at Natsoft are always available and happy to assist with any queries we may have, no matter how small. It is great to have that face to face contact, and a personal relationship with someone who knows both you and your business. I would highly recommend using this locally owned and operated company. Begents – Debra, Chief Executive Officer
- We have been using the Natsoft system for over 30 years now. Being a business that sells a lot of diverse products, we have found that the system has always met our needs and if it did not the Natsoft staff have been only too willing to custom write something to meet our requirements. The system is very user-friendly with our 14+ staff all being able to adapt to any changes that have been made. We are fully computerized from our administration to our workshop to our spare parts. Reporting is straight forward and easy to execute. The staff at Natsoft is friendly and very accommodating. They available on the telephone at any time and problems that they cannot resolve immediately are usually resolved within 24 hours. We have no hesitation in recommending Natsoft as a product for any business and for a helpful friendly company to deal with. Australian Chainsaw Products – Karen, Director
- Since changing to Natsoft Accounting System in 2013 the direct time involved in account processes has significantly decreased due to the tailored modules for once complicated activities. Collaboration between plant & equipment and depreciation schedule means they work in perfect harmony relegating any need for reconciliation whilst creating all required journals and balances Fresh Freight – Tim
- We have been using the Natsoft range of software for many years and have enjoyed the high level of customer support provided. Since implementing the new Natsoft package we have taken advantage of new features to increase efficiencies in our business. We appreciate the opportunity to work with Natsoft to develop features and implement technologies that will help us grow Total Air Supplies – Arthur, Director
- Glass Supplies has been a client of National Software for over 30 years. In that time we have found Craig & Simon extremely professional & helpful in understanding our business needs. They have provided software solutions specific to our evolving industry and continue to provide valuable ongoing support. Glass Supplies – Lyn, Admin Manager


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New ropes' arrival
The rhythmic gymnastics' performmance is usually made with the usage of different apparatuses. One of the most favorite apparatuses is a rope. The gymnasts can make lots of unbelievable exercises with it. We fully understand it and, as a result, we are ready to please our dear customers with a wonderful news.
Just in 2 weeks a great amount of new, bright ropes will be delievered to our office! You will enjoy the variety and we hope each gymnast will find the rope she needs.
- Follow gymnastics competitions in our blog.
14 Jun 2015 at 07:00
28 Nov 2014 at 07:00
07 Nov 2014 at 07:00
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So Why Is Their Budget Drive Always So Successful? – Part II
In Part I, we began answering the question of what makes for successful resource campaigns. We discussed the following:
- Stewardship is ministry.
- The best stewardship campaigns are continuous, yearlong open discussions and references to resourcing our values.
- Most people do not give "to keep the lights on". They give to actualize their values.
- Successful congregations celebrate their donors just as they do their volunteers.
- Leadership sets the example in financial commitments and in working the campaign.
- It's "The 3 T's" (time, talent, and treasure), not "pick 2 out of 3 T's." We contribute in all 3 categories as best we can.
- Don't conduct a budget drive like it's a new requirement every year. Have a plan.
Let's look at some additional criteria for success:
- The Stewardship Committee organizes and leads the stewardship effort, but they do not do it alone. Once campaign planning begins, Membership, LSG, Social Justice, the Board, and others should be part of the Stewardship Team. The committee cannot and should not do it alone; we all own this.
- The mechanical guidelines for good campaigns are well known. You likely have copies of Wayne Clark's Beyond Fundraising – read it and use it – it works. Plan on about 10- 12 key people to run a first rate effort.
- A good, simple theme and visuals help people connect to stewardship. Relate to and put texture to your Mission and Vision statements. Similarly, well-selected and prepared testimonials are powerful. Use them and capture them for reuse.
- This is about community. If, at the end, people feel part of something, energized, proud of the results, and the amount needed was raised – it's a great campaign. If they are frustrated, exhausted, and short funds – we failed the community.
- Data counts, and so does knowing the congregation. Look at people from several perspectives (what quintile of giving are they in, how long have they been here, how active are they, what moves them, income changes, etc.?). Pair them with the right visiting steward. This helps people connect to the larger purpose of the effort.
- We need not be shy about asking – this is important to us all, so let's ask. People often need help framing their contribution, especially new members. Make full use of the Fair Share guide. If people want to know the mean and median contribution from last year and the size of our budget, they should have that information, but at best they match their decisions to the Fair Share guide and do not focus so much on what others do. This is their commitment to make.
- Two things can be helpful. One, have a commitment Sunday wherein the Visiting Stewards and the Congregation exchanges pledges. It's very powerful to see those stewards standing up front. Two, recognize that many members on fixed income have limited potential to increase. No one should be overlooked or assumed unable to make an increase, but if they cite fixed income, it's an ideal time to talk about legacy giving. You should have a Legacy Society to recognize and honor those who have put the congregation in their will or estate plans.
- Encourage people to set up auto pay, making contributions more predictable, with less processing.
Good luck!