text:
Last week nearly 500 religious communities around the country screened the movie Ghosts of Abu Ghraib, a film that raises such questions as: how did torture become an accepted practice at Abu Ghraib and what governmental policies allowed it to happen? Here on the Island, it was shown at the Hebrew Center on Oct. 24 in a jointly sponsored, interfaith program by local religious communities. Why screen a film about the torture of political prisoners perpetrated three years ago, in prisons halfway around the globe, and for which several of the perpetrators have already been tried? Because torture is still happening. Prisoners in American custody today are being tortured, and with even less accountability required by their tormentors than when the acts at Abu Ghraib were committed.
And this torture is made legitimate by the American government. How is it possible that the United States of America, which at one time was the advocate of human rights for all, everywhere on this planet, is now not only perpetrating torture but making it legitimate as well?
Here is a capsulated review of our government's actions since Abu Ghraib. The passage of the Military Commissions Act of 2006 allows our government to forego the globally agreed upon rules of the Geneva Conventions. It allows for the retroactive application of more narrow criminal sanctions than those in place before 2001, thus allowing crimes committed between September 2001 and September 2006 to go unpunished. It disallows the hearing of detainees' claims of Geneva Conventions violations in our federal courts. Perhaps most grievously, it allows the President to identify detainees as enemy combatants, thereby denying them their right to habeas corpus or the right to challenge the legality of their detention in an impartial court. In the summer of 2007, the President issued an executive order reaffirming the CIA's right to use undefined alternative interrogation techniques.
Indeed, secret memos leaked to the press two weeks ago revealed that the CIA continues to operate secret prisons where "tough interrogation methods," quoting President Bush, are authorized for use. The administration continues to deny that waterboarding, which is simulated drowning, is torture, and it is clear that the CIA uses a variety of techniques, which, when applied together, can drive a prisoner insane. Causing severe psychological or physical pain for the purpose of information extraction is considered, by international law to which the United States is a signatory, to be torture. Yet when asked last week whether he thought waterboarding was torture, Michael Mukasey, nominee for attorney general, said he wasn't sure what waterboarding was.
How is it that those at the highest levels of our government are able to issue executive orders that authorize "tough interrogation methods"? And why should we care? We should care because we are human beings and because torture is one of the most universally accepted moral "nevers," as abhorrent as slavery and racism, that human beings do to each other. It's really that simple.
The National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT), which spearheaded last week's showing of Ghosts of Abu Ghraib, is made up of over 130 religious organizations including representatives from the Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox Christian, Evangelical Christian, Quaker, Unitarian, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh communities. Religious groups care about torture because torture violates the humanity of victims, perpetrators, and policy makers. What is common among these groups is the belief in our common humanity. For many of us, the belief that we were all created in God's image, even those whom we identify as enemies, has made us speak out and join together to end torture. Torture contradicts our deepest religious beliefs and it violates our nation's most cherished values. Nearly 20,000 Americans have signed NRCAT's statement of conscience, which concludes with the following statement: "Nothing less is at stake in the torture abuse crisis than the soul of our nation. Let America abolish torture now — without exception."
Rabbi Brian Walt is the executive director of Rabbis for Human Rights-North America, an education an advocacy organization of rabbis, located in West Tisbury.


text:
Monday night on Dancing With The Stars brought us the semi-finals competition. The four remaining contestants had to perform two new dances in addition to a winner-takes-all cha-cha for 15 bonus points.
Following a pretty scary neck injury days ago, pro dancer Kym Johnson and her partner Hines Ward managed to give two perfect performances.
During rehearsals late last week, Kym took a nasty fall and landed on her head. She was rushed to the hospital before doctors ultimately cleared her to practice with the help of a neck brace. This all makes Kym's feat on Monday night all the more impressive as she and Hines earned a perfect score for their first dance of the night – the Argentine tango. "It was like something from the Kama Sutra," said judge Len Goodman. "That is a tango!" The duo also earned another 30 for their salsa.
Leading the leaderboard last night, thanks to their bonus 15 points from the cha-cha dance contest, Chelsea Kane and Mark Ballas also received a perfect score of 30 for their sexy rumba! Add in the 28 points they received for their earlier tango, and the pair scored a total of 73 points for the night. It's safe to assume Chelsea and Mark will not be getting the boot tonight.
Falling to the bottom for the second week in a row was Ralph Macchio and pro partner Karina Smirnoff. It is however a comment by judge Bruno Tonioli that is making headlines today. See following their sexy salsa performance, Bruno made a racy remark in reference to Karina when he stated Ralph was "too rough" with his p–sy. He later clarified he was referring to Karina's pussycat costume. This led to some boos from the audience.
Karina spoke to UsWeekly after the live show, stating she felt "dirty" following Bruno's critique. "Today was just inappropriate and rude and uncalled for," she said, adding that Bruno "wouldn't make eye contact" with her after the incident.
Below are the full scores from last night –
Chelsea & Mark: 73 (28, 30, 15)
Hines & Kym: 60 (30, 30)
Kirstie & Maksim: 54 (27, 27)
Ralph & Karina: 48 (25, 23)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
/* 可另下載 TXT 文件, tubro c 2.0 < readme > TXT 格式文件 */
This README file contains important, last minute information
about Turbo C 2.0. The HELPME!.DOC file on the COMMAND LINE/UTILITIES
disk also answers many common Technical Support questions.
1. How to Get Help
2. Installation
3. Important Notes
4. Corrections to the Manuals
5. Additional Notes
6. Notes for Turbo Prolog Users
7. Files on the Disks
If you have any problems, please read this file, the
HELPME!.DOC file, and the Turbo C manuals first. If you still
have a question and need assistance, help is available from
the following sources:
1. Type GO BOR on the CompuServe bulletin board system for
instant access to the Borland forums with their libraries of
technical information and answers to common questions.
If you are not a member of CompuServe, see the enclosed special
offer, and write for full details on how to receive a free
IntroPak containing a $15 credit toward your first month's on-
line charges.
2. Check with your local software dealer or users' group.
3. Write to us at the following address:
Borland International
Turbo C Technical Support
1800 Green Hills Road
P.O. Box 660001
Scotts Valley, CA 95066-0001
Please remember to include your serial number or we will be
unable to process your letter.
4. If you have an urgent problem that cannot wait and you have sent
in the license agreement from the front of your manual, you may
call the Borland Technical Support Department at (408) 438-5300.
Please have the following information ready before calling:
a. Product name and serial number on your original distribution
disk. Please have your serial number ready or we will be
unable to process your call.
b. Product version number. The version number for Turbo C is
displayed when you first load the program and before you
press any keys.
c. Computer brand, model, and the brands and model numbers of
any additional hardware.
d. Operating system and version number. (The version number can
be determined by typing VER at the MSDOS prompt.)
e. Contents of your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
f. Contents of your CONFIG.SYS file.
The INSTALL/HELP disk contains a program called INSTALL.EXE that
will assist you with the installation of Turbo C 2.0. There are
three options for installation:
1. Hard Disk - This option allows you to pick the subdirectories
where the files will be loaded. It will create a TURBOC.CFG
file based on those directories.
2. Update from TC 1.5 - This allows for an easy update from version
1.5. After the files are copied, all the installed options
from your current TC.EXE will be transferred to the new one.
This is especially useful if you have modified the colors or
editor keys.
3. Floppy Disk - This option will build either a command line or
Integrated Development Environment version for a two drive
system. Be sure to have three formatted disks ready before
you start.
To start the installation, change your current drive to the one
that has the install program on it and type INSTALL. You will
be given instructions in a box at the bottom of the screen for
each prompt. For example, if you will be installing from drive
A:, type:
You should read the rest of this README file to get further
information about this release before you do the installation.
o The file HELPME!.DOC contains discussions of common questions
and answers concerning Turbo C 2.0. You should consult it for
answers to problems that aren't covered in this file or in
the manuals.
o If you are running INSTALL or TCINST on a laptop or any other
system that uses an LCD or composite display, you should set
your system to black and white mode before running INSTALL
or TCINST. You can do this from DOS with the following command
mode bw80
or, you can force INSTALL or TCINST to come up in black and
white mode by using the /b switch:
tcinst /b
o /P PARAMETER FOR TC.EXE. A new command-line switch controls
palette swapping on EGA video adapters. Using this switch
tc /p hello
is recommended only when the user program modifies the EGA
palette registers. When /P is specified, the EGA palette will be
restored each time the screen is swapped. In general, you don't
need to use this switch unless your program modifies the EGA
palette registers, or unless your program uses BGI to change
the palette.
o A program that takes over interrupt 9 cannot be debugged
with the integrated debugger. Use the standalone Turbo Debugger
o exec() WITH NOVELL NETWORK. Versions of the Novell network
system software earlier than 2.01-2 do not support a DOS
call used by exec(), spawn(), and system(). If you are using
the Integrated Development Environment to run a program that
uses any of these functions and you have early Novell system
software, run the program from DOS. To do this from the
Integrated Development Environment you can use Alt-F/O.
o If you used the INSTALL program to upgrade from version 1.5,
or if you used CINSTXFR to transfer options from an
installation of version 1.5, check the setting of the
standard stack frame option in the Integrated Development
Environment (Alt-O/C/C/S). If you are going to use the
integrated debugger this option should be turned ON.
o If you are having problems with the call stack or qualified
names, make sure you have compiled with the standard stack
frame option turned on.
o The ANSI draft has changed the syntax of labels. A label now
must always be followed by a statement. This means that code
like this is no longer accepted:
If you have code like this, change it to look like this:
; /* need a statement here! */
o TCC has a switch to specify which assembler to look for. By
default, it will look for TASM.EXE. If you want to use a
different assembler, use -E<filename>, as described in the
Reference Guide.
o When using THELP on an AT&T 6300, be sure to use the /L25
command-line option, as described in the file THELP.DOC.
o When you use qualified variable names as described on page
57 of the User's Guide you don't need to use the module
name to access a variable that is local to a global
function. The module name is only needed when you access a
static variable or a variable that is local to a static
o Because of the limited memory available in the Tiny model,
it no longer supports graphics functions.
o The Version 1.5 graphics drivers (*.BGI) are not compatible
with the Version 2.0 graphics library. Use the graphics drivers
distributed with Version 2.0.
o When used with a Zenith Z-449 card, the BGI autodetection code
will always select the 640X480 enhanced EGA mode. If you are
using the Z-449 with a monitor that is not compatible with
this mode, it will be necessary to override the GraphDriver
and GraphMode parameters used in the BGI initgraph() call.
159 The prototype for the function getdefaultpallette() is
incorrect. It should be
struct palettetype * far _Cdecl getdefaultpalette( void );
57 In the section entitled "Qualifying Variable Names," the
last sentence should read "...need to type only myfunc.myvar."
66 The directions for compiling the WORDCNT program are
incorrect. There is no WORDCNT.PRJ file; all you need to do
is load the file WORDCNT.C into the editor. Once you have
done that, the rest of the instructions are correct.
o You must use the Version 2.0 libraries with the 2.0 compilers.
o The Integrated Development Environment no longer displays the
message "Press any key to return to Turbo C..." when your
program terminates. Instead, at the end of your program the
User screen is replaced by the Integrated Development
Environment. To view the User screen, press Alt-F5 or
select Alt-R/S. When you are viewing the User screen,
pressing any key will return you to the Integrated
Development Environment.
o A new pseudo-variable has been added. _FLAGS now contains the
value of the flags register so you can test the flags at any
point in your program.
o The ssignal() and gsignal() functions are no longer
supported. See the section in this README on how to convert
programs that use them.
o The cprintf() function now works as documented. It does not
translate line-feeds into CR/LF combinations.
o Some compatibles had a problem under Version 1.5 because it
used interrupt 18H. Version 2.0 does not use this interrupt,
so you shouldn't encounter this problem anymore.
o The program TCINST.COM in Version 1.0 has been changed to an
.EXE file. You should delete the TCINST.COM program before
trying to run the new TCINST.EXE. Otherwise, MS-DOS will actually
run the old one.
o The FILE structure for streams in Version 1.0 (but not 1.5) has
been changed, so that the function tmpfile() could be implemented.
You should recompile any modules that use stream I/O.
THELP is a memory-resident utility program that gives you
access to the Turbo C context-sensitive help system from any
program. You don't need to use THELP if you're in the
Integrated Development Environment, but it is especially useful
if you use the command line compiler and your own text editor,
or if you are debugging with the standalone Turbo Debugger. To
use THELP, load THELP.COM into memory by typing at the DOS
command line:
You activate ("pop-up") THELP by typing its hot key -- by
default numeric keypad <5>. All Turbo C help commands apply
(F1, Ctrl-F1, Alt-F1). For a complete description of THELP,
refer to THELP.DOC in the Documentation Subdirectory.
Your Turbo C 2.0 package contains a program named CINSTXFR.EXE,
which can be used to transfer the configuration of the
Integrated Development Environment from your copy of Turbo C
1.5 (not for 1.0) to your new installation of Turbo C 2.0. This
program is run automatically by INSTALL.EXE if you select the
option to "Update Hard Drive Copy of Turbo C 1.5 to Turbo C 2.0."
If you prefer to do this yourself, you can run CINSTXFR.EXE from
the DOS command line.
CINSTXFR.EXE takes two arguments: the first is the name of your
Turbo C 1.5 Integrated Development Environment file (usually
TC.EXE), and the second is the name of your Turbo C 2.0
Integrated Development Environment file (also usually TC.EXE).
Either one of these names can also include a path name.
For example, if your copy of the Turbo C 1.5 Integrated
Development Environment file is named TC.EXE and is in a
directory named \TURBOC and your copy of the Turbo C 2.0
Integrated Development Environment file is also named TC.EXE
but is located in a directory named \TC2, the command line to
copy the configuration from 1.5 to 2.0 would look like this:
This will transfer all the options that you installed in
your copy of Turbo C 1.5 to your copy of Turbo C 2.0.
CINSTXFR.EXE does not work with Turbo C 1.0. If you are
upgrading from Turbo C 1.0, you will have to install the
options yourself.
OBJXREF is an object module cross reference utility and is
described on page 528 of the Turbo C Reference Guide.
The /O option (object files directory) has been changed to the
/D (directories) option. The switch now allows for multiple
search directories to be specified. The new syntax is:
OBJXREF /Ddir1[;dir2[;dir3]]
OBJXREF /Ddir1 [/Ddir2] [/Ddir3]
OBJXREF will search each of the directories in the specified
order for all object and library files. If no /D option is
used, only the current directory will be searched. However,
if a /D option is used, the current directory will NOT be
searched unless it is included in the directory list. For
example, to first search the BORLAND directory for files and
then search the current directory, you would type
OBJXREF /Dborland;.
If multiple search directories are specified and a file
matching the file specification is found, OBJXREF will include
the file as part of the cross-reference. OBJXREF will only
continue to search the other directories for the same file
specification if the file specification contains wildcards.
A new option has been added to allow you to specify an output
file where OBJXREF will send any reports generated. The new
option is the /O option, and has the following syntax:
OBJXREF myfile.obj /RU /Ofilename.ext
By default, all output is sent to the console.
5.5 CONVERSION INFORMATION FOR ssignal() AND gsignal()
Note: The C library and SIGNAL.H no longer support the ssignal()
and gsignal() functions.
ssignal() and gsignal() were from the old UNIX System III
days. The ANSI standard no longer supports them nor does the
current UNIX System V Interface Definition specification. To
ease portation problems for people moving older code to Turbo
C, we supply the source for the functions that came with TC
1.0 and TC 1.5. Also, the following discussion describes how
code can be converted to do the same sort of things that
ssignal() and gsignal() do without actually using them.
NOTE: The constants defined in SIGNAL.H for SIG_IGN and
SIG_DFL are different from the constants that were in
TC 1.0 and TC 1.5.
By using a globally declared array of function pointers, you
can simulate the actions of ssignal() and gsignal() by using
the following macros. Notice how the global table entry [0] is
used as a temporary variable in the ssignal macro allowing the
macro to swap the values and still return the original one.
int (*_sigTable[16]) =
#define ssignal(num, action) \
( \
(((num) < 1) || ((num) > 15)) ? SIG_DFL : \
( \
(_sigTable[0] = _sigTable[(num)]), /* List of actions */ \
_sigTable[(num)] = (action), /* The last expression */ \
_sigTable[0] /* is the return value */ \
) \
) \
#define gsignal(num) \
( \
(((num) < 1) || ((num) > 15)) ? 0 : \
( \
(_sigTable[(num)] == SIG_IGN) ? 1 : \
( \
(_sigTable[(num)] == SIG_DFL) ? 0 : (*_sigTable[(num)])() \
) \
) \
) \
o If you are linking C code with programs generated by Turbo
Prolog 2.0, use the file INIT.OBJ provided on the
EXAMPLES/BGI/MISC disk of the Turbo C 2.0 package instead of
the file provided with Turbo Prolog 2.0. There have been some
changes made in Turbo C 2.0 that require the use of this new file.
o If your C code uses floating point math and you link with the
emulator library, Prolog will not automatically detect a math
coprocessor chip. If you want to force the program to use the
coprocessor, link it with FP87.LIB instead of EMU.LIB.
INSTALL EXE - Installation program
README COM - Reads this README
TCHELP TCH - Help file for Turbo C
THELP COM - Pop-up utility to access TCHELP.TCH
THELP DOC - Documentation for THELP.COM
README - This file
TC EXE - Turbo C Compiler
TCCONFIG EXE - Program to convert configuration files
MAKE EXE - Program for managing projects
GREP COM - Turbo GREP program
TOUCH COM - Program that updates a file's date and time
TCC EXE - Command-line version of Turbo C Compiler
CPP EXE - Turbo C preprocessor
TCINST EXE - Installation program for TC.EXE
TLINK EXE - Borland Turbo Linker
HELPME! DOC - Common questions and answers
C0S OBJ - Small model startup code
C0T OBJ - Tiny model startup code
C0L OBJ - Large model startup code
MATHS LIB - Small model math library
MATHL LIB - Large model math library
CS LIB - Small model run-time library
CL LIB - Large model run-time library
EMU LIB - 8087 emulator library
GRAPHICS LIB - Graphics library
FP87 LIB - 8087 library
TLIB EXE - Borland Turbo Librarian
???????? H - Turbo C header files
<SYS> - Subdirectory with SYS\*.H header files
C0C OBJ - Compact model startup code
C0M OBJ - Medium model startup code
MATHC LIB - Compact model math library
MATHM LIB - Medium model math library
CC LIB - Compact model run-time library
CM LIB - Medium model run-time library
UNPACK COM - Program to unpack the .ARC files
OBJXREF COM - Object file cross-reference utility
C0H OBJ - Huge model startup code
MATHH LIB - Huge model math library
CH LIB - Huge model run-time library
GETOPT C - Parses options in command line
HELLO C - Example Turbo C program
MATHERR C - Source code for handling math library exceptions
SSIGNAL C - Source code for ssignal and gsignal functions
CINSTXFR EXE - Program to copy TC 1.5 installation to TC 2.0
INIT OBJ - Initialization code for use when linking with Prolog
BGI ARC - BGI drivers and fonts
BGIOBJ EXE - Conversion program for fonts and drivers
ATT BGI - Graphics driver for ATT400 graphics card
CGA BGI - Graphics driver for CGA
EGAVGA BGI - Graphics driver for EGA and VGA
HERC BGI - Graphics driver for Hercules
IBM8514 BGI - Graphics driver for IBM 8514 graphics card
PC3270 BGI - Graphics driver for PC3270
GOTH CHR - Font for gothic character set
LITT CHR - Font for small character set
SANS CHR - Font for sans serif character set
TRIP CHR - Font for triplex character set
BGIDEMO C - Graphics demonstration program
STARTUP ARC - ARC file with startup source code and related files
RULES ASI - Assembler include file for interfacing with Turbo C
C0 ASM - Assembler source for startup code
SETARGV ASM - Assembler source code for parsing the command line
SETENVP ASM - Assembler source code for preparing the environment
BUILD-C0 BAT - Batch file for building the startup code modules
MAIN C - Alternative, stripped-down C main file
EMUVARS ASI - Assembler variable declarations for emulator
WILDARGS OBJ - Object code for module to expand wildcard arguments
EXAMPLES ARC - Various C examples code
CPASDEMO PAS - Pascal program that demonstrates Turbo Pascal 4.0 -
Turbo C interface
CPASDEMO C - C example module for the Turbo Pascal 4.0 - Turbo C
interface demonstration
CTOPAS TC - Configuration file for use with TC.EXE that
creates Turbo C modules in the correct format
for linking with Turbo Pascal 4.0 programs
CBAR C - Example function to be used with PBAR.PRO
PBAR PRO - Example Turbo Prolog program demonstrating interface
with Turbo C
WORDCNT C - Example program demonstrating source level debugging.
WORDCNT DAT - Data file for use by WORDCNT.C
MCALC ARC - Mcalc sources and doc
MCALC DOC - MicroCalc documentation
MCALC C - MicroCalc main program source code
MCINPUT C - MicroCalc input routines source code
MCOMMAND C - MicroCalc commands source code
MCPARSER C - MicroCalc input parser source code
MCUTIL C - MicroCalc utilities source code
MCDISPLY C - MicroCalc screen display source code
MCALC H - The header file for MicroCalc
MCALC PRJ - The MicroCalc project file


text:
Less Is More for the Timely Wendy and Lucy
- Annabelle Robertson Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer
- 2009 28 May
DVD Release Date: May 19, 2009
Theatrical Release Date: December 10, 2008 (limited)
Rating: R (for language)
Genre: Drama
Run Time: 80 min.
Director: Kelly Reichardt
Actors: Michelle Williams, Walter Dalton, Will Oldham
Think you've got it tough? Well, meet Wendy Carroll (Michelle Williams).
She's traveling from Indiana to Alaska in her beat-up old Honda, counting every penny. Wendy stops one day in a small Oregon town to walk her dog, Lucy. After the sun sets, she comes across a group of homeless people of her age. Their teeth are decaying and their clothes are filthy and tattered, but they're friendly. One tells Wendy that he worked at the fish cannery where she hopes to find work, and gives her the name of the boss along with a few tips.
She thanks him, heads into town and beds down for the night in her car, which she parks on the lot of a Wal-Mart style store. The next morning, she is awoken by a security guard (Walter Dalton) who is tapping on the window. He informs Wendy that she can't stay on the lot. Sorry, it's the rules. She nods and sleepily inserts her key into the ignition, but the car won't start. The security guard helps her push it onto the street then directs Wendy to a nearby garage—which is closed—and a grocery store.
That's when she makes her big mistake. She steals a can of dog food and is caught by a zealous teenage stock boy. He turns Wendy into the store manager and insists that she be an example. "But I'm not from here," Wendy says. "I can't be an example to anyone." The rules are the rules, insists the teen (who just happens to be wearing a cross around his neck). After a long hesitation, the manager agrees and allows the kid to call the cops, who cart Wendy off.
Later that day, after paying a $50 fine, Wendy races back to the store, where Lucy was tied up. Her dog is gone, nowhere to be found. The security guard gives her directions to the pound—down to the far end of the street, turn left, go three miles. She begins walking. Unfortunately, Lucy isn't there. As she fills out the paperwork and is forced to admit that she has no address or telephone number. She'll have to keep coming back.
Wendy spends another night in her car. When the garage opens the next morning, she heads over to talk to the owner (Will Oldham). He gives her a mechanic song-and-dance, which includes ominous warnings and a $50 towing fee—even though the car is just 50 feet away. He then "generously" reduces it to $30.
While waiting for the mechanic to examine her car, Lucy asks for change from the security guard, to call the pound. He loans her his cell phone, and offers to let her use his number for a contact, should they find Lucy. It's the lone act of kindness that we've seen so far in the very cold world that this film inhabits. Unfortunately, Lucy still hasn't turned up.
Back at the garage, Wendy learns that her car is irreparable. She tries to sleep in the woods that night, but is terrified when a man hovers over her and screams, as Wendy cowers under her blanket. When the man finally leaves, Wendy grabs her sparse belongings and races into the bathroom of the nearest gas station, where she finally breaks down.
Later that morning—just when she needs it most—she learns that someone has found Lucy.
Director and co-writer Kelly Reichardt won critical acclaim for her most recent independent film, Old Joy, which explored a relationship between two men, and this should be no different. This story is extremely timely in these recessionary times, as well, and her message is one of compassion. Wendy's plight is largely a result of those nagging little problems that life throws in our direction. Without money, transportation or friends to help, desperation can easily set in.
The challenge with this sort of film is to not lapse into maudlin sentimentality, but Reichardt never does. Much of this is due to her narrative which has been pared down to the bone. We don't know anything about Wendy's past—except that she has a sister who can't even be bothered to talk with her. We don't know why she's going to Alaska, and we don't know what has made her so stoic. Fortunately, however, it doesn't really matter. We can still appreciate the story, however minimal it may be. In some ways, it's even more powerful for its simplicity.
Williams is outstanding in her role. She gives us a Wendy who, though perhaps less industrious than many, just takes her blows and keeps on standing. Incredibly, she also manages to avoid melodrama while still showing us a variety of emotions. It's her subtle expressions, along with a hint of emotion in her voice, that are so devastating.
This is no Marley & Me. It's a thoughtful film that, as early as last summer, would have been dismissed as "artsy." Now, with tent cities sprouting up around the country, many of which are housing twenty-somethings, it may be more relevant than ever.
- Showcase of five short films by Director Kelly Reichardt's colleagues at Bard College
- Drugs/Alcohol: Characters are seen smoking and drinking in a couple of scenes. In one, a character prepares to roll a joint.
- Language/Profanity: A handful of profanities and/or obscenities, some strong.
- Sexual Content/Nudity: Mild to none. One vague, off-color reference.
- Violence: Mild to none. In one scene, a female character fears for her life while sleeping in the woods, after encountering a man; but the fear proves unfounded.


text:
Mo Ibrahim: The 'Bill Gates Of Africa'
I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. Now it's time for our Wisdom Watch conversation. That's where we learn from people who've made a difference through their work.
Today, we hear from a man who, having made his own fortune, is now trying to lift the fortunes of others by improving the quality of governance in Africa. We're talking about Mohamed - or Mo - Ibrahim. Born in Sudan, he founded a company that brought cell phone service to tens of millions of people across the African continent. After selling the company and becoming a billionaire, he decided to turn his attention to philanthropic pursuits focused especially on trying to raise the quality of leadership in Africa, most famously with the Ibrahim Prize, which is awarded to African heads of state or government who governed well, raised the standard of living and voluntarily left office.
For those efforts, he was recently honored with a prize of his own by Africare. That's the African-American-led nonprofit dedicated to development in Africa. We caught up with him recently at their dinner in Washington.
Mo Ibrahim, welcome to the program. Thank you so much for joining us.
MO IBRAHIM: Thank you for having me.
MARTIN: When we first spoke with you, you had just awarded the first of the Mo Ibrahim Prize. It's considered the most valuable individual prize in the world. It recognizes good governance, leaders who have raised living standards, governed well and then stepped aside under the law.
Since that time, there have been a couple of years - in fact, most recently in 2012 - when you haven't awarded the prize. Are you disappointed? In fact, three years, you have not, 2009, 2010 and 2012. You've chosen not to award the prize. Are you disappointed?
IBRAHIM: (Unintelligible) I don't offer the prize. The prize is offered by the prize committee and so we have to observe good governance ourself. It is a very credible committee and this is a prize for excellence, Michel. It's not a pension, so what we're looking for is excellence and excellent leadership is something rare.
I was in Europe the other day and I was having a press conference and a man from the BBC asked me and said, oh, are you saying that there's no good African president? My answer was simple. I said, look, I'm happy to offer this prize to a European leader. Give me the name of a European leader who retired recently who you think really moved things forward and deserves the prize. And the room just erupted in laughter and no European journalist ever raised that question again. So don't raise that question again, Michel.
MARTIN: Do you think that the prize is having its intended effect?
IBRAHIM: I think so. What we wanted out of the prize, really, is raw attention to the issue of governance and leadership. The week before we announce the winner or the week after, this is the main subject of conversation in every dinner table in Africa. People say, oh, well, why my president didn't get it? Why this guy got it? Why? Once people start to talk about governance and leadership, that all what we wanted. Once a civil society gets hold of this issue, then our job is done.
MARTIN: What - of the major forces that we are now seeing in Africa - we're seeing a drive toward entrepreneurship, the roots of which have always been there. We're seeing a very young population. We are seeing a reverse migration in many ways, so many people who've been educated in the west in a previous generation would have stayed in the west are now returning home. We're also seeing investment, like from China and a number of other countries, but China being the one that gets the most attention. Of all those factors, what do you think is going to be the most transformative?
IBRAHIM: I think the rise of the African civil society is very important and this new generation of young people - and, by the way, half the African people is below 19 years old. We have the most young population anywhere on the planet and this young generation is much better educated than us, than our generation. It's much better connected to each other, but in our times, many years ago, there was only one newspaper in the country run by the government, one TV station, one radio station, both run by the government. And just to acquire a photocopier, you needed permission from the police.
Now, it is different, so the flow of information - this connected young people who receive better education than us who are not afraid. They are asking the questions. Why is that our standard of living? You know, Africa is rich as a continent. Why are we poor? That's the question. And when people start to ask that question certain conclusions will be reached and that is very important. So I'm really quite optimistic about the future of Africa, given this vibrant, young generation of people.
MARTIN: What do think you...
IBRAHIM: African women also are very important.
MARTIN: Mm-hmm.
IBRAHIM: Women in Africa are really the pillar of the society, are the most productive segment of society, actually. They do agriculture. Agriculture, 70 percent of our people live on rural areas and agriculture, that is a major activity in Africa, and agriculture is done by women - not by men. So women do agriculture. Women do kids. Women do cooking. Women doing everything. And yet, their position in society is totally unacceptable. And the way African men treat African women is total unacceptable. Fortunately, we see things changing. I mean we publish index every year, we measure like 88 parameters in every country, and this is one area where Africa saw the biggest and the highest percentage of progress, women's rights. But, we're coming from a very low place so we are moving forward, but that is a hopeful sign. Women and young people, this is the future of Africa.
MARTIN: If you're just joining us, I'm speaking with Mo Ibrahim. He is the founder of one of Africa's most successful companies. He's also the founder of one of the world's most valuable individual prizes; it's the Mo Ibrahim Prize. It's awarded for good governance by an African leader.
I'm wondering, your idea of kind of rewarding good governance is something that, it's still controversial in some quarters, but it's brilliant in its simplicity. I'm just wondering why you and no one else. I mean there are other parts of the world sort of crying out for this. I mean, you know, Russia immediately comes to mind. I mean, and I'm just wondering why do you think you had this idea and no one else did?
IBRAHIM: I don't know. I mean I was...
MARTIN: I hope you aren't insulted by the question.
IBRAHIM: No, not at all. I was a businessman and the last phase of my career I built mobile communications in Africa, whatever, and made money. I wanted to give it back to Africa but I wanted to give it back in a meaningful way. Yeah, I mean I had the option of, you know, getting cartons of milk and blankets and take it to refugee camps, etcetera, but as a businessman I'm looking for return. I see this as an investment and I feed hundreds of starving people today and tomorrow. What about next year? Who is going to feed them? And actually, why those people are hungry anyway? So I really want to do something which deals with the root of the problem of hunger, of disease, of, you know, ills we have in our society and the answer to me was governance, we need really good governance. That's why I decided to do this and I'm in a good position to do this because, first, I'm an African.
If a European guy came to Africa and said hey guys, you don't have good - people could tell him to go to hell. You are an imperialist. You are a colonialist. Who are the hell are you to come and tell us what to do? I'm an African. Whatever I say nobody in Africa tell me well, it's not of your business. It is my business, OK? That's now one thing. Secondly, I'm giving my money to support this because our foundation don't accept grants from anybody so we are free. And nobody can accuse us of being stooges of United States, or Britain or imperialist, or we don't take money from Shell or from BP or anybody. So it's pure African money going back to do something African. And I'm unemployed and unemployable.
IBRAHIM: I'm not looking for a job. I'm not standing for an office. I don't have a boss. I'm not looking for a medal. I'm not looking for anything. So I'm free to speak out my mind so that's a wonderful position to be in, you are in enabled because you made your money, so I'm not looking for anything from anybody. So if I don't speak the truth, if I don't say what is need to be said, then what kind of person am I?
MARTIN: Before we let you go, I did want to ask if you had - and I know you said that, you know, you're an African and you feel free to speak your mind about Africa, but while you are in the United States, I am interested if you have some thoughts about governance in this country. In our last election there was a lot of conversation about - and in fact it's ongoing - about whether this country is indeed governable at the moment. Many people are - as you know, the public opinion polls in the United States - are quite critical of our national leaders at the moment, feeling like that they do not seem to have the ability or the, I don't know whether it's the ability or the will, to work together for the common good. Do you have some thoughts about this?
IBRAHIM: Well, we are, of course, very concerned. The United States is very important for us. You have a model of democracy which we're trying to emulate. So when you have seen your system almost grinding to a halt because of severe partisanship where people say no to each other without even listening to what is being said, it's sad. I mean I could not believe that an attempt to carry out background checks on people buying arms is being defeated in Congress. And, of course, I thought this - that all what we wanted is to check whether crazy people, sick people or criminals are buying serious weapons. What's wrong in that? So why some senators in this country to convince themselves to pick up a fight in behalf of criminals and drug, gangs, etcetera? I mean what - why anybody should be bothered about background checks? I don't understand. So there are things which from a distance we just don't understand. Is it because just the other party proposing this and the people are opposing it? Or is it because of the power of certain lobbies or whatever? So this unfortunately, poses a problem for us when we promote the American model and the American democracy because people say look, it doesn't work. In China, things happen. Now I don't subscribe to that.
MARTIN: I was going to ask, you don't...
IBRAHIM: No, I don't subscribe to that. And the - you see Churchill once said something a bit controversial, but his mother was American so he could say that, so I'm only going to quote him. He said, you know, trust the Americans. They'll always do the right thing after they tried everything else. So I trust your Congress one day is going to come up with the right decision and it's going to work sometime in the future.
MARTIN: One more question, if you would. And I think it's reasonable to say that a number of people hoped that President Obama would engage more with the continent in his first term, although he did visit, albeit briefly. What about the second term? Do you have particular priorities you would hope that he would address in his second term and his final term?
IBRAHIM: Yeah. We, again, I'll be frank with you because, you know, I think well, as friends we must be frank with each other. And we are very disappointed frankly, because you guys in America think Obama is your president. We in Africa think he is our president and we're very disappointed. People say where is he? We know he's busy with a lot of fights and budgets and gun control and all these massacres taking place somewhere here like in young children and there's a lot of issues being to deal with, but we just hope for more engagement from the president. And we maybe a little bit too demanding because but look, we believe he's an African. I mean, you know, he's also our guy and so we did some love for him. And there's no question of money for Africa, it's really a question of involvement and engagement.
America has always, the United States has always been very close to Africa and it's very sad now to see that Africa has a lot more friends - a lot more engagements with the Chinese, with the Indians, with the Brazilians as the United States retreats. Actually, Africa is a wonderful place to do business and American business is missing a big opportunity by really overlooking Africa. So we're waiting for you guys in Africa. Can we see you sometime there?
MARTIN: We'll do our best.
IBRAHIM: Thank you.
MARTIN: Entrepreneur and philanthropist Mo Ibrahim is the founder and former chairman of mobile communications company Celtel International. We spoke with him on his recent stop in Washington, D.C.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


text:
Case Studies
Handling Die Castings In A Harsh Environment
Handling Die Castings In A Harsh Environment
(Posted 04/30/2004)
AMCAN (Hamilton, Ontario) was founded in 1936 and has grown to include four additional, ancillary companies, both in Canada and Latin America. Today, the AMCAN group of companies is a highly regarded Tier 1 full service supplier of large scale, high pressure aluminum castings to the automotive industry. This includes a complete design engineering staff, machining and QC departments in addition to the die castings themselves. ''AMCAN has a wide spectrum of capabilities for the production of oil pans, transmission cases, differential cases, four-wheel drive transfer cases and gear housings,'' stated Mike Kowaleski, AMCAN Plant Manager, ''as well as being able to produce specially engineered, complex castings.''
''The majority of the die casting operations are done internally at AMCAN,'' continued Kowaleski, ''and with the variety of components manufactured, efficient parts handling is a major concern for us.'' One particular challenge is the heat treating of a chain case cover for a series of FORD vehicles that is manufactured in two similar part numbers with a slight variation to their overall size. ''We initially used fixture grippers mounted to swing cylinders. The problem we were having with them, is that in dye capping, you're always doing flow analysis so you're changing overflows, changing gating and you're constantly having to move everything around. I figured there's got to be a better way of doing this'', said Kowaleski, '' so lets go directly to the casting.''
The problem that AMCAN encountered in parts handling was the extreme temperature range of the operation. The heat treat hits 1200° F to 1250° F and as the casting emerges from this operation the grippers send it to a room temperature quench bath. Kowaleski started with installing commercially available grippers, but found continual seizing problems once they left heat treat and hit the quench. ''The basic design left something to be desired,'' continued Kowaleski, ''and basically the cost of repair was more than the up time, so I knew we had to try and do something different.''
Kowaleski saw an advertisement for SCHUNK grippers and immediately contacted Brent McCurdy at Sempress (Mississauga, ON) who represents SCHUNK products in Ontario.
McCurdy met with Kowaleski and reviewed the part. The casting of a three cavity die weighing in at about 40 lbs. ''We recommended installing models PSH long stroke gripper and DPG three finger grippers,'' stated McCurdy. ''With the SCHUNK products being sealed, I was pretty sure we'd eliminate the seizing issue right off,'' he continued. ''We've worked with Mike on an ongoing basis and knew he is pretty good at calculating what he needs,'' continued McCurdy.
Kowaleski added, ''I went with the two (different grippers) for balance and to accommodate the slight differences in part size. There are two designs on that part, and each one of them is a little bit different. The gripping location is off a little bit, so when we machined it there is a rotation of three that can be still held by the grippers. The square piece where the two jaw is gripping is always in the same location.'' McCurdy continued. ''The parts are unusual shapes, they're not symmetrical, they're always off balance or they're heavy on one side not on others. The SCHUNK grippers help accommodate this discrepancy.''
AMCAN produces about 65-70 heat treated castings an hour. ''Being able to accommodate the two different part sizes without having to reset the grippers is great,'' concluded Kowaleski, ''but with the spray, temperature variations and generally harsh conditions in here, the parts handling has been the least of our problems. We're able to concentrate on the other aspects of our operation without the headaches of the downtime we had experienced.''
AMCAN found the SCHUNK grippers to be incredibly reliable as well. Installed in the early part of 2000, this operation is basically unattended and runs 24/7. ''AMCAN's business has been built on providing high quality castings, coupled with responsive customer service,'' concluded Kowaleski. ''We have learned that even something as simple as a gripper can make a significant impact on our entire business.''


text:
Easter's Over: "Were You There?"
- Lucy Neeley Adams
- 2007 11 Apr
Classes had been slightly boring this Friday at school, and I was ready for a long weekend. The books in my arms were heavy so I hurried home. As I plopped them into a chair, my Bible fell to the floor. I picked it up to place it on top of the stack of textbooks. Before I set it down, I lamented over the bad grade I had made in my Bible class the day before. It was a sad surprise, but all of my studies were taking second place these days.
My life was exciting and school was only a necessity. I almost finished my four years of college before my wedding so I promised my parents, "Just a few more courses after I marry, and then I will graduate." But studying for those classes was not my priority. My new husband, Woody, and our deep love for one another was uppermost in my thoughts and dreams.
He was preparing to be a minister and I was majoring in Christian Education. My knowledge of Scripture was essential, since my attendance at Sunday school and church all my life had not helped in my understanding of the Christian faith. I heard the words, but they never entered my heart. I even failed a Bible exam when I was a freshman in college. In tears, I told my roommate (who was an excellent student), "But Nancy, I don't even know the difference between Moses and Paul!"
Attending church on Sundays with my mother was routine... until I listened to adults singing hymns. I did not yet understand why my heart was stirred when I heard the people sing about Jesus. No one ever talked to me about him, but when they sang, it was wonderful. One of my favorites was, "Were You There?" One day when I was not in church I heard it sung, and that definitely got my attention.
That moment had a great impact on my young life, and I wrote about it in my book, 52 Hymn Story Devotions. "When I was a child our family had a housekeeper. Lurline Argo was a blessing to my life. Before I knew there was racial prejudice, I loved this woman whose skin was much darker than mine. She loved me too, and was one of the foundations of my childhood. One morning I heard her singing in the kitchen. The plaintive notes of 'Were You There?' drew me to her side. I could feel the love and reverence with which she sang even though I was too young to understand the depth of the message."
I am blessed to have come to know the Person and the message of that great song. Several years after my marriage (and graduation from college), I asked Jesus into my heart. That dramatic moment when I was thirty two years old was a turning point. The Bible took on life and breath in my total being. My study became a privilege, and teaching His Word became a great joy.
The hymns we Christians sing are only extensions of God's powerful presence in the Body of Christ. My feelings run high when I sing the spirituals written by African-Americans. Generations ago, they came to this country as slaves and their work was seldom easy. Throughout the ordeal of pleasing the slave owner, a temporary escape was to sing of faith in the Lord and an eternal Home much different than this earthly one.
Many books describe the development of spirituals. Two were written by professors at Fisk University in Nashville, Tn. In New Jubilee Songs (1901) and Folks Songs of the American Negro (1907), John W. Work, Jr. and his brother Frederick J. Work were pioneers in the development of these great hymns of faith.
John Work says: "Many of them were passed down from generation to generation, and after much singing, the texts and melodies varied from place to place. But the gospel message was always proclaimed."
Yes, I can heartily sing "Were You There?" and I "tremble, tremble, tremble," when I think of the events in the last week of Jesus' life on earth. But I quickly rejoice as I experience the power of his resurrection. God raised him from the dead and I eagerly quote the words that Jesus said to Martha, who was in grief about her brother Lazarus: "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he die, he shall live" (John 11:25).
God's Word helps me to remember that I was there. And I am still there as I walk through this life with the living Jesus in my heart! I proclaim that his promises are true, his love is authentic, his power is available and his peace is overwhelming.
Dear God, hear my prayer of thanksgiving for the glory of Easter. Hear my prayer of repentance that at times I rob myself of its glory. I can get caught in the trappings of the world and the way Easter is portrayed in stores. But when I feed on your Word and deepen the relationship with my living Lord, I am restored. I pray in Jesus name, Amen.
Lucy Neeley Adams has always loved music. She began telling the story of hymns on Christian radio WWGM in Nashville, TN, in the '80s. She then wrote a newspaper column titled "Song Stories" for five years. During that time Lucy's book, 52 Hymn Story Devotions, was published by Abingdon Press in Nashville. Each of the 52 stories contained in the book is written in a devotional format, with the words of the hymn concluding each devotion.
Lucy, dubbed "The hymn lady," can be heard on the first Thursday of each month when she discusses hymn stories during a telephone interview with Michelle Mendoza of "Living Christian." The program is aired on station KCIS in Seattle, WA.
Lucy lives at Lake Junaluska, NC, with her minister husband, Woody. They have four children and fourteen grandchildren. She may be reached for comment at firstname.lastname@example.com. Visit her at 52hymns.com


text:
- Home
- About Us
- Products
- Fluorescent Fixtures
- Decorative Lighting
- Garden Lamp
- Highbay / Lowbay
- Downlight
- Decorative Street Light
- Spotlight
- Emergency Lights
- Exit Sign
- Flood Lights
- Roadway Lighting
- Underwater and Pool Light
- Bulbs
- Outdoor/Indoor Lighting
- Family items
- Ask for Quot
Decorative Street Lights (HALO-SLYM054)
Technical Data:
A Decorative Street Lights is a raised source of light on the edge of a road or walkway, which is turned on or lit at a certain time every night. Modern lamps may also have light-sensitive photocells to turn them on at dusk, off at dawn, or activate automatically in dark weather.
Product Description
- Protction grade : IP65
- Power supply parameter : 220V+10v/50Hz-60Hz
- Head type : E27
- Recommended height (M) : 3.5-4.5 meters
- Characteristics of lamps : die-cast aluminum alloy body
- Diapharous PMMA - textures lampshade of good quality, the diffusing rays
- Without dazzling lights
- The surface is coated with outdoor powder, smooth, acid and alkali resistant
- High-pure aluminum reflector
- Optimized design of rain proof groove and silicone rubber gasket
- Patent base design
- Unique prism reflector and sophisticated optical design
- Integrative control gear design
- Active up cober is easy for maintenance
Application : Squares, parks, residential areas, pedestrian precincts, etc.


text:
Blog. It's a weird word with a lot of meaning. Historically, blogs have been perceived as a digital journal for an individual to voice opinions, thoughts, or stories, and this definition holds true today, for some blogs. For example, I have three personal blogs that I update regularly and they are just that, an online journal of my life.
But, I also have a professional blog designed solely to display my skills and services to the internet. I use it to market my skills and display my knowledge. This concept of the professional blog is becoming a regular occurrence for many businesses with an online presence.
But why? Does it behoove your business to add a blog page to your website? What content should you include, and how often should you update it?
First, ABSOLUTELY, you should have a blog on your website. Groomers, caterers, graphic designers, even hosting companies (like this one) can benefit from a blog. There are several reasons the blog page will benefit your business.
1. Traffic: You can increase traffic to your site by posting relevant or interesting content to your site's blog. Short posts full of interesting material, graphics, and media will draw more people to visit your site and see what's going on. If they are interested in what you have in your blog, they will explore the rest of your site to get to know your company.
2. Social Media: Posts that are widely viewed are often shared on social media. You can cheaply and easily promote your site, or an upcoming event, or your brand simply by having a post go viral.
Twitter and Facebook are two of the most prominent social media outlets, but if you use videos, YouTube is a great addition to your social media repertoire and if you use a lot of images, Pinterest is one of the fastest growing sites on the web.
However, don't stop there, use social media to your advantage, Google+, Reddit, Tumblr, and StumbleUpon are other options to broadcast fun and interesting information about your business to a seemingly endless variety of demographics you wouldn't be able to reach anywhere else.
3. Search Engine Optimization: The big SEO. The reason we put our sites online is to be viewed, and strong search engine optimization is a way to introduce your website to like-minded people.
Your strongest asset to both increase your rankings and the frequency of being crawled by search engine bots? Content. Simple as that. There are other factors in optimizing your site for search engines, but number one, focus on your content. Interesting, keyword rich, relevant content will increase your rankings in your field.
However, there are some aspects of SEO worthy content that are best given by having a blog. First, regular and frequent updates. The more you update your site, the more it will be crawled. Because you are continually updating your content you are showing search engines that this site is active and regularly monitored, thus increasing your ranking.
Next, linkability. Remember when I mentioned a post going viral or driving traffic to your site? This means your content is interesting and something people will read and share. It's linkable. It's easy to find, and interesting to read. This will help increase backlinks and simultaneously improve your search engine ranking. We call this a win-win.
Finally, a blog gives you more space to talk about a wide variety of topics that relate to your business. Through this, you can also have a variety of keywords that you may not have been able to fit on your static pages. This will introduce different aspects of your business to people who may not have searched for you previously.
Now that you have a blog, what content should you use? Well, anything will work. Give a short tutorial, maybe an image of one of your recent projects, or introduce some of your employees. Let people get to know you and your business. Open up the personal aspects of what you do. This will give your readers someone to connect with. It's a blog, so there is more freedom and range in your topics.
Have a restaurant? Give some cooking tips, recipes, or video tutorials. Work in finance? Have some of your experts offer budgeting tips, savings advice, or opinions on the current economy. Work in construction? Review the brands you use, show images of projects as they start, are in development, and the when completed. Any of these topics will bring interested parties to your site, and better than that, if they find something interesting they are likely to pass it on and keep coming back to see your updates.
So, how often should you update your blog. Ideally, you should update with a new post as frequently as possible. Weekly or daily is best, but monthly will work as well. Also, try to keep your updates on a regular schedule. Don't forget, every time you update your blog you should submit your site to search engines to be crawled!
Go out, add a blog page to your site and introduce yourself to the world. Show the personal side of your company or show off all that knowledge you have on your field. Open your site to the online community and draw new customers to your business!


text:
Middle-earth Minstrel
From Tolkien Gateway
|Middle-earth Minstrel:
Essays on Music in Tolkien
|Bradford Lee Eden (ed.)
|McFarland & Company
|21 April 2010
Middle-earth Minstrel: Essays on Music in Tolkien is a collection of essays about music in Middle-earth, edited by Bradford Lee Eden.
Contents[edit | edit source]
- Bradford Lee Eden: "Introduction"
- Jason Fisher: "Horns of Dawn: The Tradition of Alliterative Verse in Rohan"
- John R. Holmes: "'Inside a Song': Tolkien's Phonaesthetics"
- Peter Wilkin: "Ǽfre me strongode longað: Songs of Exile in the Mortal Realms"
- Danielle Richards: "J.R.R. Tolkien: A Fortunate Rhythm"
- Deanna Delmar Evans: "Tolkien's Unfinished 'Lay of Lúthien' and the Middle English Sir Orfeo"
- Bradford Lee Eden: "Strains of Elvish Song and Voices: Victorian Medievalism, Music, and Tolkien"
- Keith W. Jensen: "Dissonance in the Divine Theme: The Issue of Free Will in Tolkien's Silmarillion"
- Amy M. Amendt-Raduege: "'Worthy of a Song': Memory, Mortality and Music"
- Amy H. Sturgis: "'Tolkien is the Wind and the Way': The Educational Value of Tolkien-Inspired World Music"
- David Bratman: "Liquid Tolkien: Music, Tolkien, Middle-earth, and More Music"
- Anthony S. Burdge: "Performance Art in a Tunnel: A Musical Sub-Creator in the Tradition of Tolkien"


text:
Rand Paul for president? Why else is he in Iowa?
US Sen. Rand Paul is making a splash in Iowa this weekend, and he'll soon visit New Hampshire and South Carolina. Can the libertarian-tinged maverick Republican successfully run for president?
He hasn't announced it as such, but Sen. Rand Paul is taking major steps to launch a 2016 presidential bid.
This weekend he's in Iowa, to be followed by trips to New Hampshire and South Carolina – early and important states in the Republican race to choose a nominee.
Like his father before him – retired US Rep. Ron Paul (R) of Texas, who ran for the White House three times – Sen. Paul of Kentucky leans libertarian, which raises two important questions about his future:
Can he generate the enthusiastic, loyal following his father did over the years – mostly younger idealists geared to flood the primary/caucus season?
And will more traditional Republicans – however you want to define a "traditional" GOP these days – come to accept his position on things like immigration, gay marriage, and national security?
"He's the most fascinating guy in politics today in America," David Carney, a New Hampshire-based Republican strategist, told nky.com, a Gannett online news site for northern Kentucky. "But on widespread appeal, I think the jury's out."
The way Paul sees it, "People are looking for something different."
"You might accuse me of being not exactly the traditional cookie-cutter Republican," he told reporters Friday during a string of political events in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. "I do know the GOP needs to grow and I want to be part of growing the GOP."
"We need to have a Republican Party that looks like the rest of America. We need a more inclusive, diverse party," he said. "We cannot compete unless we are going to go out and say to African-Americans, we want you in our party."
For instance, Paul favors relaxing federal sentencing laws for drug crimes, which disproportionately penalize racial minorities.
He's also against a federal ban on same-sex marriage. Personally, he thinks "marriage" means one man and one woman. But he'd leave it up to the states to set their own laws and regulations – which does not sit well with many social conservatives in the Republican Party.
"He's tried too hard to please too many people on too many issues," Cary Gordon, an evangelical conservative minister in Sioux City, Iowa, told the Gannett online news site. "I can't support him. He's got too many contradictions for me."
One way to judge a potential candidate's seriousness is to look at who he attacks – in this case the Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.
At the Iowa GOP's annual Lincoln dinner Friday night, Paul continued his theme that then-Secretary of State Clinton was "absolutely responsible" for not preventing or at least adequately responding to last year's terrorist attack on the US diplomatic facility in Benghazi, Libya, in which Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed.
"It was inexcusable, it was a dereliction of duty, and it should preclude her from holding higher office," he told a crowd of about 500 prominent Republicans.
It may be 1,276 days until the 2016 election, but at some point Paul – if he's to make a serious run for the White House – will have to put together a professional campaign organization.
"For all Paul's success as a media brand and a mobilizer of the conservative grassroots, the Kentucky senator has done relatively little since 2010 [when he won his first Senate primary] to assemble a political machine around his own personality," notes Politico's Alexander Burns. "For now, the Rand Paul project is a high-wire act that works largely without a net."
In a recent survey of registered Republican voters in Iowa, Paul won 39 percent of the vote with Marco Rubio next in line at just 20 percent. (Among Democrats, Hillary Clinton won 43 percent with Vice President Joe Biden winning 27 percent.) Earlier this year, Paul won a straw poll vote at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
At a Monitor-sponsored press gathering last month, Paul said he would not decide whether to run before 2014. Meanwhile, he's just unique enough among the GOP field – and just different enough from his father – to keep drawing attention.
"Rand is going to try to thread that needle between social conservatives and the liberty grassroots part of the party," Bob Vander Plaats, a former candidate for Iowa governor and the president of the Family Leader, an Iowa-based coalition that opposes abortion rights and gay marriage, told Bloomberg News. "If he's able to do that, he'll be very formidable. There's a lot of intrigue about him right now."
This report includes material from the Associated Press.


text:
Jacob O. Sewall and Lisa Cirbus Sloan. "Disappearing Arctic sea ice reduces available water in the American west." GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH
In the climate science community, long-distance connections like the one described by Sewall and Sloan, above, are called "teleconnections" and there's plenty of need for more wake-up calls about them. So remember the Sewall and Sloan article when reading the University of Washington news release below.
University of Washington      Public release date: 12-Dec-2007
Contact: Sandra Hines
Without its insulating ice cap, Arctic surface waters warm to as much as 5 C above average
Record-breaking amounts of ice-free water have deprived the Arctic of more of its natural "sunscreen" than ever in recent summers. The effect is so pronounced that sea surface temperatures rose to 5 C above average in one place this year, a high never before observed, says the oceanographer who has compiled the first-ever look at average sea surface temperatures for the region.
Such superwarming of surface waters can affect how thick ice grows back in the winter, as well as its ability to withstand melting the next summer, according to Michael Steele, an oceanographer with the University of Washington's Applied Physics Laboratory. Indeed, since September, the end of summer in the Arctic, winter freeze-up in some areas is two months later than usual.
The extra ocean warming also might be contributing to some changes on land, such as previously unseen plant growth in the coastal Arctic tundra, if heat coming off the ocean during freeze-up is making its way over land, says Steele, who is speaking Wednesday at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco.
He is lead author of "Arctic Ocean surface warming trends over the past 100 years," accepted for publication in AGU's Geophysical Research Letters. Co-authors are physicist Wendy Ermold and research scientist Jinlun Zhang, both of the UW Applied Physics Laboratory. The work is funded by the National Science Foundation.
"Warming is particularly pronounced since 1995, and especially since 2000," the authors write. The spot where waters were 5 C above average was in the region just north of the Chakchi Sea. The historical average temperature there is -1 C – remember that the salt in ocean water keeps it liquid at temperatures that would cause fresh water to freeze. This year water in that area warmed to 4 C, for a 5-degree change from the average.
That general area, the part of the ocean north of Alaska and Eastern Siberia that includes the Bering Strait and Chukchi Sea, experienced the greatest summer warming. Temperatures for that region were generally 3.5 C warmer than historical averages and 1.5 C warmer than the historical maximum.
Such widespread warming in those areas and elsewhere in the Arctic is probably the result of having increasing amounts of open water in the summer that readily absorb the sun's rays, Steele says. Hard, white ice, on the other hand, can work as a kind of sunscreen for the waters below, reflecting rather than absorbing sunlight. The warming also may be partly caused by increasing amounts of warmer water coming from the Pacific Ocean, something scientists have noted in recent years.
The Arctic was primed for more open water since the early 1990s as the sea-ice cover has thinned, due to a warming atmosphere and more frequent strong winds sweeping ice out of the Arctic Ocean via Fram Strait into the Atlantic Ocean where the ice melts. The wind effect was particularly strong in the summer of 2007.
Now the situation could be self-perpetuating, Steele says. For example, he calculates that having more heat in surface waters in recent years means 23 to 30 inches less ice will grow in the winter than formed in 1965. Since sea ice typically grows about 80 inches in a winter, that is a significant fraction of ice that's going missing, he says.
Then too, higher sea surface temperatures can delay the start of freeze-up because the extra heat must be discharged from the upper ocean before ice can form. "The effect on net winter growth would probably be negligible for a delay of several weeks, but could be substantial for delays of several months," the authors write.


text:
I was at the Rotunda at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, June 3, for the dedication of the statue to President Ronald Reagan. I was there because Bill Clark was there. Judge Clark, as readers of my material know, was Reagan's closest and most important adviser.
Clark is 77 years old. His wife, Joan, died a few weeks ago. He was invited to the ceremony by the good folks at the Reagan Presidential Foundation. He made a rare trip to Washington, flying from San Francisco late the previous night, in a wheelchair.
Clark sat in the front row, where he was a magnet for current political luminaries and old Reaganites. They all came over to shake his hand: Peggy Noonan, Bob Michel, Denny Hastert, Michael Steele, John McCain, Chas Fagan—the sculptor of the statue. McCain made a beeline for Clark, with cameras clicking upon the two.
The ceremony began with a wonderful invocation by Rev. Barry Black, Senate chaplain, who hit the prayerful themes Reagan himself fondly invoked when waxing eloquent about America—about that Shining City on a Hill. Among those providing remarks, Congressman John Boehner and Senator Mitch McConnell—the Republican leaders in Congress—were excellent. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, aside from a foolish statement on "stem cell research," was gracious in her "respect, esteem, and admiration" of President Reagan.
It was a moving event, especially with Nancy Reagan's presence. Frail, small in size but large in stature, she was no longer the walking dartboard that "journalists" once joyously harpooned. They now treated her like an elder stateswoman, a kind of political royalty—America's preeminent former first lady. The loudest applause was directed at Nancy.
For me, however, the crowning touch came before Nancy spoke, and before the statue unveiling. It was the sole musical selection for the program: the U.S. Army Chorus singing, a cappella, "America, the Beautiful."
This love-song for the nation captivated the room. It was beautiful. I caught a camerawoman struggling to hold up her long-lens as she wiped tears flowing down her face.
But what struck me was the perfect choice of that patriotic hymn, unwittingly tying together not only the thoughts of Rev. Black and others, but the origins, ends, and legacy that was Ronald Reagan's career. Indeed, lost to the innumerable books, articles, documentaries and recollections of Reagan is the significance of this particular anthem.
Specifically, it was way back in the summer of 1952 that Ronald Reagan, an actor transitioning from Democrat to Republican, effectively launched his crusade with a commencement speech at a tiny women's college in the Midwest. The place was William Woods College, in Fulton, Missouri—the same town where Winston Churchill had warned that a Soviet "iron curtain" was closing across Europe.
It was June 2, 1952. Reagan eagerly arrived with a vibrant, pregnant Nancy. The ceremony opened with a rendition of "America, the Beautiful."
At 10:00 AM, the movie star addressed the 100 soon-to-be graduates. He told them that America is "less of a place than an idea." It is an idea, he said, that resided deep in the souls of men. Reagan cast this idea against the darkness of the atheistic, murderous communist menace that resided in Moscow, which, sadly, was really nothing new. Said Reagan:
[The idea of America] is nothing but the inherent love of freedom in each one of us, and the great ideological struggle that we find ourselves engaged in today is not a new struggle. It's the same old battle. We met it under the name of Hitlerism; we met it under the name of Kaiserism; and we have met it back through the ages in the name of every conqueror that has ever set upon a course of establishing his rule over mankind. It is simply the idea, the basis of this country and of our religion, the idea of the dignity of man, the idea that deep within the heart of each one of us is something so God-like and precious that no individual or group has a right to impose his or its will upon the people.
Then came what I believe was Reagan's first public foray in openly speaking of America as a divinely chosen nation:
I, in my own mind, have thought of America as a place in the divine scheme of things that was set aside as a promised land…. I believe that God in shedding his grace on this country has always in this divine scheme of things kept an eye on our land and guided it as a promised land.
This Reagan thought became a theme—and a call—for five decades. He closed by issuing a challenge to the young women—to join him in the epic "battle" against "totalitarian darkness" that confronted their nation. He asked that each of them "contribute a little light," that each "strike a match," to "help push back the darkness" facing humanity.
"[W]ith your help," the future president urged, "I am sure we can come much closer to realizing that this land of ours is the last best hope of man on earth. God bless you."
Thirty years later, in the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan ignited the match that would burn down the Iron Curtain.
The title of Reagan's talk in Fulton, Missouri that day in June 1952?
"America, the Beautiful."
That was how Ronald Reagan saw America, its place in the world and in history. Its rendezvous with destiny now rests with those in that Rotunda and all across the fruited plain. It is their challenge today to pick up the torch, strike a match, and ensure America shines amid the darkness of humanity, that it remains a Shining City on a Hill.


text:
Longtime Portland architect Phil Rude has worked in Portland for over 50 years and has helped design such projects as the Standard Plaza and One Main Place buildings in downtown Portland. Rude still works one day a week as an associate at FFA Architecture and Interiors.
Developer Brian McCarl is planning to renovate and expand a 117-year-old vacant building at Northwest Fifth Avenue and Flanders Street in Old Town Chinatown.
Nile Wheeler, a laborer with Building Blocks LLC, removes a wall stud while working on the Society Hotel renovation project in Old Town Chinatown.
The 134-year-old former Seaman's Bethel building is being converted into the Society Hotel, a hostel with a lobby, cafe, and bunk room on the ground floor and 36 private rooms on the upper floors.
Concrete is poured for an elevator shaft footing. Support columns are suspended from the ceiling and the building is being shored up by wood blocks after a portion of the ground floor was excavated for the footing.
Cut outs have been made for a shear walls that will seismically brace the unreinforced masonry walls.
Jet Boggess removes wainscoting from a second-floor stairway.
Lath and plaster walls on the building's upper floors are being stripped down to their studs.
Nile Wheeler removes a wall stud while performing demolition work on the building's second floor.
A restaurant planned for the Smith Block building on Southwest Naito Parkway will feature two aquariums - a 1,200-gallon coral reef tank and a 500-gallon jellyfish tank.
NWR Construction employee Chad Case chips out old pieces of masonry in preparation for reframing a window.
A large light well on the Erickson Building, as well as three smaller ones on the Fritz Building, have been punched down to the ground floor. Concrete shear walls are being poured in the wells to provide seismic support, and the resulting atrium areas will provide residents with outdoor space and bring light into interior units.
Light wells are being installed to provide daylight for interior units and allow for installation of concrete shear walls, which will seismically stabilize the unreinforced masonry buildings.
Ethan Soelberg, a welder with Madden Fabrication, builds a skylight frame atop the Fritz building.
Skylight-covered light wells are extended down to the ground floor to create atrium spaces that provide interior units with natural illumination.
Robbie Guillory, a welder with Madden Fabrication, works on a skylight frame atop the Fritz Building.
One of four light wells is being built along the wall in which the buildings abut. A first-floor corridor will connect the structures.
The Erickson Building on Northwest 2nd Avenue was once the home of Erickson's Saloon, which had a 684-foot bar, card rooms, and a brothel.
The three-story Fritz Building on Northwest 3rd Avenue will be connected to the adjacent Erickson Building via a ground-floor walkway.
A shift toward more knowledge-based industries operating in Portland's Central Eastside Industrial District has brought an increase in pedestrians, cyclists, and cars to the area's traditionally freight-dominated streets, sparking debates on how to balance the transportation needs of both light and heavy industry.
Michael Graves, right, speaks during a Design Week event hosted by Yeon Center director Randy Gragg, left, about the famed architect's career and the future of the Portland Building.
Collective Agency, a cooperative workplace in Portland's Old Town/Chinatown neighborhood, was started in 2011 by Alex Linsker, left. An increase in small startups and tech firms in the city has led to higher demand for short term leases and flexible office space.
Hon Walker works in the office of copy writing firm Thread, which expanded its leased space within Beam Development's Eastbank Commerce Center. Beam offers flexible leases which allow startups to expand their space as the companies grow.
Architect Stuart Emmons is co-chairman of Friends of Memorial Coliseum, a group advocating for the preservation of the 54-year-old building. Portland officials recently hired private consultants to look into redevelopment options of the building.
Kenneth Gooding trims a glue laminated beam into sections to allow it to be transported offsite.
Kyle Berens chips pieces of concrete off of a wall brace.
Jeff Wagner measures a downed beam in preparation for transporting it offsite.
Josh Edinger signals to operator Jeff Wagner (not pictured) while moving a glue laminated beam.
A former retirement home for German immigrants was converted last summer to an administration building at Portland Community College's Southeast Center.
Jessica Howard, president of Portland Community College's Southeast Campus, stands in a hallway at the campus' newly-renovated administration building.
Footprint Investments, a Snohomish, Wash.-based micro-apartment developer, is building a 54-unit project in Northwest Portland.
A 168-square-footapartment at The Arthur, a former hotel in downtown Portland that was converted to micro-studio and studio apartments last summer, features built-in storage and a wall bed to maximize space. (DJC File Photo)
A pair of apartment projects under construction on adjacent bloacks in the Pearl District - the Overton Apartments, foreground, and Block 17, background - will have a combined total of 566 units.
The Mason Williams, a 76-unit apartment project by Ruben J. Menashe Inc., is one of several multifamily projects under way on a 7-block stretch of the North Williams Avenue/Vancouver Avenue corridor that will combine to total over 600 units.
Jeff Niemiec, a heavy equipment operator with Gregory Pacific Corporation, backfills around a footing at the Wardin Building in Southwest Portland.
The 7,000-square-foot will contain four commercial units, two of which will be occupied by OnPoint Community Credit Union. A third will be leased by a wood-fired pizza restaurant, and the fourth has yet to be leased.
Hi-Mark Concrete employee Rolland Seppala vibrates recently-poured concrete in a pillar form.
Gregory Pacific Corporation laborer Dan Cresap compacts chip rock while backfilling around the building's footing.
Crews with Hi-Mark Concrete pour a shear wall.


text:
Get random within the range of a collection
To get the random document i just call count() at the collection.
After that I used skip() within the find to skip a number of documents. The skip is based on Math.random() and the previous estimated max range. Moreover I added a limit(1) to retrieve just one document. In a nutshell: My way to get random documents is by skipping documents based on a random number and limit the size to one. If you have some better and more efficient ways to do, please let me know.
Get random within a custom scope
Furthermore I had the idea to reduce the number on documents by adding a specific user defined condition. I passed in a max value that has been chosen by a user. Based on that max value I count how much elements are in the db.coll.correct array and retrieve only documents where the number of containing elements is lower than the max value. Cheers, Frank


text:
The Brittany is a breed of gun dog bred primarily for bird hunting. Although it is often referred to as a spaniel, the breed's working characteristics are more akin to those of a pointer or setter. Brittanys were developed in the Brittany province of France between the 17th and 19th centuries, becoming officially recognized early in the 20th.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Brittany Spaniel", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.


text:
Adult Day Programs - Continuing Care
Continuing Care
Adult Day programs provide personal assistance, supervision, and health, social, and recreational activities in a supportive group setting. The programs can also be used to provide respite care, training, and informal support to family caregivers. Adult Day programs are run by independent organizations, and there may be a daily fee charged by the provider.
For more information about Adult Day programs, visit the Caregivers Nova Scotia website, call Caregivers Nova Scotia at 902-421-7390 or call 211.


text:
ARTIST: Orianna Milne
MEDIUM: Oil on canvas
MEASUREMENTS: 36 x 36"
All works are copyrighted and all rights are reserved by the artist.
Please note that every computer monitor displays colors differently; monitor color, contrast, and brightness settings of individual computers vary. The true color of the artwork you receive may vary slightly from the color on your computer monitor.
Ready to hang. Edges of paintings are thoughtfully completed.
Every painting is one of a kind.


text:
Comcast Rumored To Take Full Ownership of Universal Orlando
The sale is reported to come in somewhere between $1 and $1.5 billion, and remember, that's really only for half of the resort. Premier purchased the Six Flags parks for $1.8 billion in 1998, and Cedar Fair the Paramount Parks for $1.2 billion in 2006, for comparison purposes.
And how's this for appreciation? Blackstone purchased their half of the resort in 2000, paying $275 million - and now selling for somewhere between a billion and a billion and a half!


text:
Our lives are in a constant state of change. So are our bodies, and as a result, our sexual satisfaction and enjoyment may vary as well. There are some times when sex is better and times when it is not. Here is important information all women should know, since all women may experience highs and lows in their sexual enjoyment. Rest assured these changes are totally natural.
During our 20's and 30's, the height of our reproductive potency, our bodies produce hormones that help us become aroused and to respond during sexual activity. Estrogens help keep the vaginal tissues healthy, and androgens drive desire and arousal.
During the immediate weeks after childbirth, the ovaries are quiet and both estrogens and androgens are low. Many women experience less interest in sex and slower, less intense feelings of excitement, as well as a decrease in vaginal lubrication. Many women are just not interested at all. This can cause frustration especially if you don't expect it. On average, sex hormones rev up again within three months, but the timing depends on a lot of factors like breast feeding, fatigue, caesarean delivery, other children at home, and social support.
Isn't it ironic that the hormones women take to prevent pregnancy can decrease the desire to have sex. While this is a transient phase in some women, for others this blunting of sexual feelings continues to be a problem. These women may need to change to a different oral contraceptive or to an entirely different method of birth control.
In the years leading up to menopause, hormone levels become unpredictable. Some months estrogen is higher, some months lower, and some months just right. As a woman approaches that final menstrual period, other hormones change too. Progesterone secretion drops off and then stops. Androgens also begin to decline. All these shifts during the menopausal transition can wreak havoc on many aspects of a women's life: sleep, mood, and sex.
After menopause, the loss of estrogen and androgen can lead to a real drop off in sexual responsiveness. This estrogen loss leads to a decrease in vaginal lubrication and vaginal elasticity, and the decline in androgens may affect interest and enjoyment. These changes, while entirely natural, can be very frustrating. Understanding the process may help us to be better prepared to deal with these changes.
With all the natural ebbs and flows, it helps to take ownership of your sensuality. It's important to discover what works for you – how you can keep that spark, hold onto that vitality and continue to experience sexual pleasure. Because sexual satisfaction is something that all women deserve, at any age and at every stage in life.


text:
© Copyright 2010 FarmgirlFare.com, the so close and yet so far foodie farm blog where our dear Daisy dog is in luck, because Ava and her twins have been let loose from their bonding suite (a small pen where mamas spend a few quiet days bonding with their babies), so she is now able to sniff and kiss them to her heart's content—when they let her, that is. Of course Audrey and her little spotted lambs have since moved into the suite and out of guard dog reach. The disappointment never ends.
Sunday, March 21
Sunday Dose of Cute: One Very Disappointed Onlooker
© Copyright 2010 FarmgirlFare.com, the so close and yet so far foodie farm blog where our dear Daisy dog is in luck, because Ava and her twins have been let loose from their bonding suite (a small pen where mamas spend a few quiet days bonding with their babies), so she is now able to sniff and kiss them to her heart's content—when they let her, that is. Of course Audrey and her little spotted lambs have since moved into the suite and out of guard dog reach. The disappointment never ends.
25 comments:
Why the disappointment?ReplyDelete
So sweet! I used to have a Great Pyreness, Maggie Mae, I do miss her! I had a small farm with a large mixture of animals, but she loved the goats, they were inseparable!ReplyDelete
Hi Anne,ReplyDelete
Daisy is disappointed because she really wants to be in that bonding suite snuggling up with those babies, rather than outside staring in. Of course the mama sheep wouldn't be all too thrilled with that little too cozy for comfort configuration : )
Just checking - maybe you didn't see all four photos? I've started a new thing to help the homepage load faster and allow people to more easily scroll past posts that aren't of interest - on longer posts, you'll now see a little 'read more' link after a photo or two (and/or the first bit of text) that will take you to the rest of the post when you click on it.
Hi Penny,
Isn't it just too sweet how these dogs bond with and show affection for their animals? I never get tired of watching them.
Poor baby she does look soooo wistful :)ReplyDelete
I guess you didn't get the five inches of snow down there? KC got a first-day-of-spring present from mother nature.ReplyDelete
Who can blame Daisy? If I were there ... I would want to be "on the inside" too. That little brown guy/girl ... there just aren't the words to describe my love for him/her. And Daisy's not so bad either!!ReplyDelete
- EngineerChic3/22/2010 9:48 AM
Aww, she looks so sad in the 3rd photo. It's great that she loves the little lambs just like Bear does. I wonder if they'll pick out favorites?ReplyDelete
- Anonymous3/22/2010 9:50 AM
I raised sheep for 13 years in Oregon on the dry side of Mt. Hood. I had 25 ewes and 2 rams, mostly Suffolks, a few crossbreds. My lambing percentage was pretty good, mostly twin births, a few sets of triplets and sometimes a set of quads (not good). I had a donkey who passed away at the ripe old age of 40 and had a good dog. Your management style seems similar to what mine was. Your farm is beautiful, your animals look healthy and well-cared for. I visit your site every day. Good job!ReplyDelete
That's so sweet! I love the last picture, you can really tell she wants to be in there. :)ReplyDelete
I love your blog! Being a city girl w/ only short visits to farms under my belt I love these glimpses into farm life. Thanks for capturing and sharing all of this!!
- Anonymous3/22/2010 10:37 AM
Best Food Blog? I used to visit this site for the recipes, but it seems to have morphed into photos of farm animals with the rare recipe added as an aside. Sorry, but I have to remove this blog from my RSS feed.ReplyDelete
Hi Everybody,ReplyDelete
I'm so glad you're enjoying these photos, and I always appreciate the feedback.
Yikes - five inches of snow? We were expecting snow but it turned into rain instead, which is fine with me - the sun is out and you can practically see the grass growing!
Anonymous former farmgirl,
Oh my gosh, your donkey lived to be 40?! I can only hope ours survive that long - and that I do, too, LOL.
Anonymous former Farmgirl Fare reader,
Sorry to hear you're leaving us. Since there are tens of thousands of recipe-only food blogs out there, I'm sure you'll be able to find some you enjoy more than this food and farm blog.
In case you see this comment, I would like to offer this reply:
As for the 'best food blog' award I received three years running (the competition stopped after 2008), that was for the RURAL category - and I try to make a point of showing how everything I do on the farm is in some way related to food, whether it's caring for lambs that will some day grace someone's table (and which I'm thrilled to have been told by numerous customers that ours is the best lamb they've ever eaten) or spreading sheep manure on the organic kitchen garden or even petting one of the farm cats that helps keep down the mice population, which helps keeps down the snake population, which helps keep snakes from eating eggs in the henhouses or biting and killing a lamb.
As for all the cute farm animal photos, the only way I know what people enjoy seeing and reading on this site is from reader feedback, and apparently the animals and farm life stories are even more of a draw than the recipes - probably because, as I mentioned, you can get recipes anywhere.
I'm happy to be able to share my farm life with people whose lives are so different than mine - like Mortava, who commented right before you, saying:
I love your blog! Being a city girl w/ only short visits to farms under my belt I love these glimpses into farm life. Thanks for capturing and sharing all of this!!
Sometimes all you want when you're stuck in a cubicle at work is to see a beautiful landscape or an adoroable bouncing baby lamb (I totally understand, having been there myself for years), and it thrills me to no end to learn that I'm providing that for so many people.
That said, my life revolves around good food, and nobody loves a delicious recipe that works more than I do. My goal with this site isn't to share a recipe for every single thing I cook or bake - rather, I prefer to share only the ones that I consider really good and want to make over and over.
Right now I probably have 20 recipes in line for posting, but unfortunately my recipe posts usually take about 5 or 6 hours (or longer) to complete, and I often don't have that kind of time to spend on them - or I plan to put one up and 10 different farm things take me away from the computer instead. (Case in point, this weekend I'd really hoped to post a recipe for a wonderful Leek and Potato Soup with Arugula.)
Rather than going four or five days without any posts because I'm busy working on a recipe post, I put up a daily dose of cute instead - which has become my most popular feature. Thus, the ratio of animal pictures to recipes is very high. But I figured that's better than much fewer posts overall - and the readers who comment seem to think so, too.
In fact, the last cookbook deal I was offered (but sadly had to turn down - that whole time constraint thing again!) was actually as much about farm life stuff as recipes.
I do appreciate your feedback, and I hope that if there are more of you reading this who are much more interested in my recipes than animals and farm life, you'll speak up and let me know, so I know! : )
I'm here for the whole package. The food recipes are just a bonus. Don't stop with the photos - PLEASE!ReplyDelete
Todays photo were so adorable. I feel just as left out as Daisy.
Thanks, FG. Just came back and saw the "read more" link before I came back to comments. Must have been sleepy when I skipped over that one - ha.ReplyDelete
That Daisy seems like my kind of dog.
FG - great response to "Annonymous". All I can think is that he (or she) must have had a rotten day to leave such a jerky comment and not have the nerve to put their own name (even without a link). I love your mix of farm and food! Thank you for providing me with a great distraction from everyday hum drums!ReplyDelete
- Anonymous3/22/2010 1:48 PM
That is so sweet. The little brown and white twins are adorable. Can't wait for more lamb photos.ReplyDelete
- Edmonton Fan3/22/2010 3:45 PM
Ya can't please everyone. Please keep up the good work. =)ReplyDelete
This is my first lambing season reading your blog. Fascinating stuff for someone living in a city with a million other people, about 1.5 million cars, but not one sheep. =(
Aww, so sweet. That dose of cute is almost an overdose. ;)ReplyDelete
Phht. Anonymous can go suck eggs. We love you, and your blog, Susan. :)ReplyDelete
Perfect response to Anonymous.ReplyDelete
You forgot to mention that you are in the middle of lambing season!!
Forget the recipes, you gotta tend to your mamas!
I can't cook to save my life, but love good photos of good food. I am one of those people that really DOES belong in a barn--it is THERE that I do my best work. And its calving season here!
Take a look:
Also like that your home page now loads faster for me. Thank you.
oh they are so lovely!!!!ReplyDelete
- Anonymous3/22/2010 11:11 PM
I love the pictures and the recipes! More posts is definitely preferable to fewer posts, at least for me. Thanks for sharing!ReplyDelete
What a cute site! Thanks for your comment on my lettuces -- in the Texas climate, I had very little to do with my own success. The biggest challenge is thinning out the crop to let the healthiest ones grow. But we had salad from them tonight -- yum!ReplyDelete
- Anonymous3/23/2010 3:19 PM
I love everything on your blog. My favorite posts are the super cute animal pictures, but I also love your simple and delicious recipes, especially the soups. While I would enjoy more recipes, I appreciate everything you post.ReplyDelete
- Chjris Huff3/25/2010 6:18 AM
I love your blog. I was born and raised on a farm, lived on a farm for the first 15 years of married life and would give anything to be back there now. It's a lot of work but what isn't that is done well. Keep up the great blog! I've gone to far as to send your link to many others that I think would enjoy your pictures and posts and have subscribed to your blog.ReplyDelete
I love the recipes, but the photos of all the animals and your wonderful tales of farm life put it all in perspective for me. Keep up the lovely work! Your big fan...jrhReplyDelete
December 2015 update: Hi! For some reason I can't figure out, Blogger hasn't been letting me leave comments on my own blog (!) for the last several months, so I've been unable to respond to your comments and questions. My apologies for any inconvenience! You're always welcome to email me: farmgirlfare AT gmail DOT com.
Hi! Thanks for visiting Farmgirl Fare and taking the time to write. While I'm not always able to reply to every comment, I receive and enjoy reading them all.
Your feedback is greatly appreciated, and I especially love hearing about your experiences with my recipes. Comments on older posts are always welcome!
Please note that I moderate comments, so if I'm away from the computer it may be a while before yours appears.
I try my best to answer all questions, though sometimes it takes me a few days. And sometimes, I'm sorry to say, they fall through the cracks, and for that I sincerely apologize.
I look forward to hearing from you and hope you enjoy your e-visits to our farm!


text:
|» Summary
|» License
|Generates a sound clip saying the contents of a string of characters.
|PHP License
|» Current Release
|» Bug Summary
|0.1.0 (alpha) was released on 2007-10-27 by jausions (Changelog)
No open bugs
Report a new bug to Text_Spell_Audio
|» Description
|Joins up multiple wav file sound clips of letters/numbers being spoken, optionally adding distortion and echo. This could be use to compliment an image-based CAPTCHA to enable people who are unable to read the security image hear it read out instead.
|» Maintainers
|» More Information