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This was an action of ejectment brought by Aquila H. Pickering against John A. Lomax and William Kolze to recover possession of two parcels of land in Cook county, Ill., which had originally been granted by the United States to certain Indians, under the treaty of Prairie du Chien, of July 29, 1829.
This case was before this court upon a former hearing (Pickering v. Lomax, 145 U.S. 310 , 12 Sup. Ct. 860), the report of which contains a full statement of the facts, which need not be here repeated. Upon that hearing the judgment of the supreme court of Illinois was reversed, and the case remanded for a new trial, which resulted in a judgment for Pickering, the plaintiff, and in an affirmance of that judgment by the supreme court of Illinois. Lomax v. Pickering, 165 Ill. 431, 46 N. E. 238. To review this judgment a second writ of error was sued out from this court.
J. M. H. Burgett, for plaintiff in error.
John P. Ahrens, for defendant in error. [173 U.S. 26, 27]
Mr. Justice BROWN delivered the opinion of the court.
The common source of title in this case was Alexander Robinson, an Indian, to whom the lands were patented by President Tyler, December 28, 1843, under the provisions of article 4 of the treaty of Prairie du Chien ( 7 Stat. 320), subject to the following proviso: 'But never to be leased or conveyed by him [the grantee], them, his or their heirs, to any person whatever, without the permission of the president of the United States.' The lands were subsequently allotted and set off to Joseph Robinson, one of the patentee's children, by a decree in partition of the Cook county court of common pleas.
Pickering claimed title through a deed from Joseph Robinson and wife to John F. Horton, dated August 3, 1858, recorded July 16, 1861, but without the approval of the president indorsed thereon. The dee was, however, submitted to and approved by the president January 21, 1871, and a certified copy of the deed, with such approval, recorded March 12, 1873.
Lomax's title was by deed from Joseph Robinson to Alexander McClure, dated November 22, 1870, submitted to an approved by the president February 24, 1871, and recorded March 11, 1871, in Cook county.
Upon the first trial, plaintiff's chain of title being proved, the defendant Lomax introduced no evidence, but at the close of plaintiff's testimony moved that the case be dismissed upon the ground that the deed of August 3, 1858, from Joseph Robinson and wife to Horton, was made in direct violation of the terms of the patent, which required the approval of the president to the conveyance. This motion was granted; the court being of opinion that Robinson had no authority to convey without obtaining prior permission of the president, and that the subsequent approval of the deed was invalid. Thereupon judgment was rendered for the defendant, which was affirmed by the supreme court of Illinois. 120 Ill. 293, 11 N. E. 175.
The case was reversed by this court upon the ground that [173 U.S. 26, 28] the approval subsequently given by the president to the conveyance was retroactive, and was equivalent to permission before execution and delivery. The case went back for a new trial, when Lomax put in evidence the title above stated; relying upon a sentence in the opinion of this court to the effect that 'if, after executing this deed, Robinson had given another to another person with the permission of the president, a wholly different question would have arisen.' Judgment having been rendered for the plaintiff, the case was again taken to the supreme court of the state, which was of opinion that the defendant did not stand in the relation of a bona fide purchaser to the property.
It will be observed that the deed to Horton of August 3, 1858, antedated the deed to McClure of February 22, 1870, by more than 12 years, and was recorded July 16, 1861, while the deed to McClure was recorded March 11, 1871, nearly 10 years thereafter. The deed to Horton also antedated the deed to McClure in the approval of the president by about a month, viz.: Horton, January 21, 1871; McClure, February 24, 1871.
Defendant, however, relies upon the fact that the McClure deed was recorded, with the approval of the president indorsed thereon, March 11, 1871, while plaintiff's deed, with such approval, was no recorded until March 12, 1873. The real question, then, is whether the recording of the Horton deed of July 16, 1861, without the approval of the president indorsed thereon, was notice of plaintiff's title to subsequent purchasers.
By section 30 of the conveyancing act of Illinois it is provided that 'all deeds, mortgages and other instruments in writing which are authorized to be recorded shall take effect and be in force from and after the time of filing the same for record, and not before, as to all creditors and subsequent purchasers, without notice, and all such deeds and title papers shall be adjudged void as to all such creditors and subsequent purchasers without notice until the same shall be filed for record.'
The supreme court of Illinois was of opinion that the deed to Horton was entitled to record, although it had not received [173 U.S. 26, 29] the approval of the president. In delivering the opinion of the court, Mr. Justice Craig observed: 'As respects the approval of the president, required by the treaty and the provision in the patent to render the deed effectual, we do not think the recording laws have any bearing upon it. There was a record of the approval of the president in the department at Washington, and that record was notice to all concerned from the time it was made, and we do not think the recording laws of the state require a copy of that record to be recorded in the recorder's office where the land is located. A record of that character is similar to a patent issued by the president for lands that belong to the government, which is not required to be recorded in the county where the land is located.'
Even if this be not a construction of the state statute binding upon us, and decisive of the case, we regard it as a correct exposition of the law.
The deed is an ordinary warranty deed upon its face, signed by the parties, and regularly acknowledged before a justice of the peace. There was nothing to apprise the recorder of any want of authority to convey, or to justify him in refusing to put the deed on record. Whether the grantors had authority to make the deed, as between themselves and the grantees, or subsequent purchasers, is a matter which did not concern him. Though the deed might be impeached by showing that the grantors had no such authority, the record was notice to subsequent purchasers that they had at least attempted to convey their interests.
A deed may be void by reason of the infancy or coverture of the grantors, and yet may be, under the laws of the state, entitled to record, and notice to subsequent purchasers. While the record of a void deed is of no greater effect than the deed itself, and is not such notice as will give protection to a bona fide purchaser, yet it may, under certain circumstances, be a notice to intending purchasers, or third persons, that the grantor has intended and undertaken to convey his title. Thus, in Morrison v. Brown, 83 Ill. 562, a deed of trust executed by a married woman,-her her husband not uniting therein,- [173 U.S. 26, 30] to secure the purchase money of the property, though void as a conveyance, was nevertheless held to be an instrument in writing relating to real estate, within the statute of Illinois, and, when recorded, constructive notice to all subsequent purchasers of the lien of the original vendor upon the same for the unpaid price. The court took the ground that, while married women had no force of power to create a lien, subsequent purchasers occupied the same position as they would have done had the instrument been read to them before they became interested in the question.
So, in Tefft v. Munson, 57 N. Y. 97, the record of a mortgage prior to the acquisition of title by the grantor was held to be constructive notice to a subsequent purchaser in good faith, and, under the recording act, giving it priority to the title. See, also, Insurance Co. v. Shriver, 3 Md. Ch. 381; Alderson v. Ames, 6 Md. 52; Stevens v. Hampton, 46 Mo. 404.
In this case, however, it appears from McClure's own statement that when Robinson came to him, in 1870, to sell him his right to the land, he told him that he had already sold the premises, but without the approval of the president, and that McClure sent his own attorneys to examine the record. He thus had not only constructive, but actual, notice of the Horton deed.
The approval of the president was no proper part of the deed. The language of the restriction in the original patent was, 'but never to be leased or conveyed by him [the grantee], them, his or their heirs, to any person whatever, without the permission of the president of the United States.' How that permission should be obtained or expressed is left undetermined by the proviso. We see no reason why it might not have been by a memorandum at the foot of the petition for approval, or even by a letter to that effect. The essential fact was that permission should be obtained and expressed in some form, of which, in all probability, a record was kept in the department.
Indeed, we think it sufficiently appears that at the time the deed to McClure was approved by the president, February 24, [173 U.S. 26, 31] 1871, there was on file in Washington the approval of the president of the prior deed to Horton. There was put in evidence a certificate of the commissioner of Indian affairs, signed March 7, 1896, to a certified copy of the Horton deed, with an affidavit as to the loss of the original, a further affidavit that the sale was an advantageous one for Robinson, and the approval of the president, dated January 21, 1871. It does not directly appear when the approval of he president was put on file in the office of the commissioner, but we think the presumption is that it was filed as of its date. There was nothing requiring that this approval should be filed in the recorder's office in Cook county, and when McClure took his deed, of November 22, 1870, and obtained the approval of the president, of February 24, 1871, he took it with the chance that the Horton deed had already been approved, and that the power of the president had been exhausted. The approval by the president of his deed was doubtless an inadvertence, and, in view of the fact that he had already approved the Horton deed, a nullity. By his approval of the first deed the title of Robinson was wholly devested, and there was nothing left upon which a subsequent approval could operate, unless we are to assume that such subsequent approval in some way revested the title in Robinson and passed it to McClure. No new delivery was necessary to pass the title to Horton. U. S. v. Schurtz, 102 U.S. 378 ; Bicknell v. Comstock, 113 U.S. 149 , 5 Sup. Ct. 399; Gilmore v. Sapp, 100 Ill. 297; Bruner v. Manlove, 1 Scam. 156. No injustice was done to McClure, since he already had notice, both by the record and by Robinson's statement, that he had conveyed the land, and an examination of the record in Washington would doubtless have shown that the prior deed had received the approval of the president. The two deeds stand in the relation of two patents for the same land, the second of which is uniformly held to be void,
There is nothing in the fact that the partition proceedings under which Robinson obtained title to the land in dispute were not approved by the president. Not only were these partition proceedings set forth as a part of the record of the case at the time he approved the Horton deed, but, as already [173 U.S. 26, 32] held in the prior case (page 316, 145 U. S., and page 860, 12 Sup. Ct.), such approval was retroactive, and operated as if it had been indorsed upon the deed when originally given, and inured to the benefit of Horton and his grantee, 'not as a new title acquired by a warrantor subsequent to his deed inures to the benefit of the grantee, but as a deed, imperfect when executed, may be made perfect as of the date when it was delivered.'
The judgment of the supreme court of Illinois is therefore affirmed.
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In Hyperpartisan America, There's No Room For Compassion
A hypothetical scenario:
Your little boy lies in a hospital bed, stricken by a mysterious, potentially fatal disease. You are frightened and in despair.
But your community rallies around you. Soon, the whole town is talking about your ordeal. Neighbors you've never spoken to send cards. Co-workers you've never socialized with send encouraging text messages.
None of it changes the objective fact of your son's condition, doesn't kill a virus, lessen a fever or ease his pain. All it does is tell you that you and your child are being thought of, that you are not alone.
So: Is that "pathetic"?
Rush Limbaugh would say it was. The National Review would find it "simple-minded." George F. Will would regard it as "an exercise in self-esteem."
Or at least, that is what they have said about a roughly analogous situation.
You probably know the story. A terrorist group in Nigeria kidnaps nearly 300 schoolgirls. The reason is found in the abhorrent ideology from which it derives its name: Boko Haram — Western Education Is Forbidden. The families of the girls turn to their government for help and it shrugs. The story is likewise ignored in America by "news" media too busy handicapping the chances of Hillary Clinton's grandchild in the 2054 midterms to bother with anything so picayune as a mass kidnapping.
So supporters take to Twitter with a hashtag: #BringBackOurGirls. It spreads like fire. Michelle Obama, Ellen DeGeneres, Malala Yousafzai, Jesse Jackson, Amy Poehler and millions of lesser-known names all join the campaign.
Does it "solve" the problem? Of course not. Who would be so naive as to think it would? Is it the only thing we should be doing in response? Again, no.
But does the international attention spur Nigeria's lackadaisical government to take the abduction more seriously and to accept international help — including from the United States — it has previously spurned? Yes. Does the hashtag campaign force media to pay attention to a tragedy that was being ignored? Again, yes. Moreover, it delivers to the parents of these girls the same simple, sustaining message as the cards and texts in the hypothetical above: We are with you.
It's hard to see how anyone — anyone — could regard that as a bad thing. But at least some political conservatives do. As noted, Limbaugh, Will and the National Review have all pronounced themselves unimpressed. Donald Trump, Ann Coulter and Fox's Steve Doocy have also made attempts at ridicule.
There is something more than usually saddening about that.
It is a truth curdling into cliché that American politics is riven by a partisan gap, left wing and right wing estranged from each other like the husband and wife in some long, bad marriage. But in its behavior here, the right does not so much seem estranged from a competing ideology as from its own humanity.
How is this a thing? How is an expression of caring, concern and outrage deemed worthy of mockery and condemnation? Are these people truly that corroded with cynicism and bile? Is their criticism now just a tic, a reflex bypassing thought? Is every damn thing to be reduced to politics?
Apparently, yes.
Once upon a time, we put politics to the side when tragedy came. Nowadays, that's something we seem less and less able — or willing — to do. That's a tragedy in itself.
Nearly 300 innocent girls were taken by madmen. Celebrities, political figures and everyday people wrote the social media equivalent of a petition to express their concern. That simple gesture begat a controversy — and gave us a sobering new measurement of that partisan gap.
Apparently, it's so wide even compassion cannot get across.
(Leonard Pitts is a columnist for The Miami Herald, 1 Herald Plaza, Miami, Fla., 33132. Readers may contact him via email at email@example.com.)
Photo: Twitter/@FLOTUS

subset: commoncrawl


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INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA says football and men's basketball players are becoming more productive in the classroom.
A one-year measurement, released Thursday, showed that 70 percent or more of Division I athletes who were freshmen in 2005-06 in those sports earned their diplomas -- the first time that has happened since the governing body started collecting data 11 years ago for the annual Graduation Success Rate.
Athletes in men's basketball graduated at a rate of 74 percent, a 6 percentage-point jump over the 2004-05 freshman class. Football Bowl Subdivision athletes improved their scores by 1 percentage point over the previous year, hitting 70 percent.
The records aren't confined to football and basketball.
Numbers compiled over four years, from the freshmen classes of 2002-03 through 2005-06, matched last year's record-high of 80 percent. The federal graduation rate also remained steady, matching the one-year record-high of 65 percent last year. That was also 2 percentage points above the overall student body, the same disparity the government reported last year.
Critics sometimes contend the NCAA's numbers are skewed because it uses a different calculation from the federal government. While both measure graduation over a six-year period, the feds do not count the performance of transfer students regardless of whether they earn a diploma.
NCAA president Mark Emmert believes the improvements can be explained by the NCAA's push for tougher academic standards over the past decade.
Back in 2003, the NCAA strengthened the eligibility requirements for incoming freshmen and college upperclassmen. It required high school seniors to complete 16 core courses and upperclassmen to finish a higher percentage of course work toward a degree to remain eligible.
Last year, Emmert pushed for -- and got -- the board of directors to approve tougher penalties including postseason bans for teams that don't make the grade on the annual Academic Progress Report, which is released in the spring. The Connecticut men's basketball team is the first major school in one of the two big sports to miss the cutline and will be ineligible for postseason play this season.
Not all of the numbers were better.
The overall grad rate for the 2005-06 freshman class was 81 percent, down one percentage point from the previous one-year total.
But the most notable numbers came in the two sports that traditionally lag behind the other sports.
The NCAA has seen an 18 percentage-point increase in men's basketball, a 21 percentage-point increase among black basketball players and a 7-percentage point increase in FBS players over the past 11 years.
Every sub-group measured by the government, with the exception of white men, shows athletes graduate at a higher rate than their peers. White male athletes trail their non-athletic peers by 1 percentage point.


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Spending by consumers picked up in August, although people dipped into their savings to buy things, as growth in their paychecks did not keep pace.
Spending increased 0.5% in the month, according to the Commerce Department report, up from a 0.4% increase in July. Spending by consumers accounts for nearly three-quarters of the nation's economic activity, so growth in spending an important driver of economic growth.
But for the second straight month personal income grew by only 0.1%, as the continued weakness in the jobs market has kept wages in check.
Some of the spending was paid for by a drop in the average amount saved by consumers. The savings rate fell to 3.7% of after-tax income, which means the typical worker saved only $3.70 out of every $100 of take-home pay.
Some of the increase in spending may have been driven by higher gasoline prices in the period, since non-durable goods accounted for the majority of the increase in spending. Gas prices jumped 9% in the month, according to a previous government reading. Excluding the rise in gas prices, spending by consumers crept up only 0.1% in the month.


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In physics, a wave is a method of energy transportation.
Mechanical waves require an environment to travel through - called a medium. The medium's density, elasticity and temperature determine velocity. Matter with the most elasticity, least density and highest temperature would create the fastest wave.[1]
Transverse waves travel perpendicular to the disturbance.[2] For example, if the end of a slinky is moved up and down, a transverse wave will be created, because although the disturbance is vertical, the wave will travel horizontally across the slinky. Transverse waves have crests (each parabola's tip in the slinky if the parabola is above where the slinky would usually be) and troughs (each parabola's low point in the slinky if the parabola is below where the slinky would usually be). A full transverse wave consist of one crest and one trough.
Longitudinal waves travel parallel to the disturbance - for example, sound waves.[2] Compressions and rarefactions are to longitudinal waves as crests and troughs are to transverse waves, thus a full longitudinal wave consist of one Compression and one rarefaction. Compressions are areas of high pressure, and rarefactions are areas of low.
Surface waves are transverse waves and longitudinal waves mixed into one medium.[1]
Electromagnetic waves are waves that do not require a medium.
Matter waves are produced by electrons.
Wave Collisions
When two or more waves collide, the result determines the type of collision. If the amplitudes of each wave are in the same direction (i.e. two crest or two troughs) - a larger amplitude will result, called constructive interference. If the amplitudes are in opposite directions, then a smaller amplitude will result, called destructive interference.[1]
Key Terms
The amplitude of a wave is the height of the displacement.[2]
The velocity of a wave is how quickly the wave travels.
The frequency of a wave is how many waves pass in one second, and conversely, the period of a wave is how many seconds it takes for one wave to show up. The period is the inverse of the frequency and vice versa.
The wavelength (represented by the Greek symbol lambda - λ) is the length of one wave in meters.
and all variations. This includes the formulas:


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When You Need Cash in a Hurry...
Sometimes you just want some extra cash to get by. Maybe an unexpected bill arrives in the mail or an appliance fails. Whatever the reason, it is important to know that you have access to fast loan options. If you rely on a traditional bank, it might take weeks or even months to get a secured advance, assuming you make it through the stringent qualification process. Furthermore, you may be required to supply collateral and go through an extensive credit check to obtain the money you require. Few can argue that these bank services are a fast option compared to short-term borrowing.
Don't spend anymore time worrying about how you are going get money in an emergency - You have plenty of options when it comes to lending. To make the process even quicker, we have streamlined the application form so it can be completed in minutes.
What Determines the Speed of the Service?
There are several variables that come into play when attempting to determine how long it will take for you to get the money you need. The first is whether you choose to go through a brick and mortar store or an online source. If you choose the latter, you may have to deal with long lines and paperwork to receive funding. You also should consider your proximity to the retail store and the operating hours. Those who choose the online method don't have to worry about these two aspects. It doesn't matter where you live in the country when applying because the entire process is completed electronically. That said, different states impose certain regulations which may require additional information or processing.
Additionally, the accuracy in which a form application is completed plays a major role in the speed of the process. If there are any mistakes or errors, these must be addressed before the funds are dispersed, which could add to the length it takes to process the request. If you apply through a retail store, you may be able to get funds quicker but have to factor in travel time and potential lines. If you apply over the phone, you will most likely have to fax supporting documentation to the lender which adds to the processing period. Online loans are considered a quick option in that most amounts can be delivered without additional faxing. Funds are directly deposited in the customer's specified checking or savings account which adds to the convenience.
Expediting the Request
If you needed money yesterday, it is important to follow these steps to take care of your situation in a quick manner. First, determine the amount of cash you desire. Our lenders specialize in amounts ranging from $100 to $1,500. Next, be sure to accurately fill out the application form to ensure there is no need for subsequent revisions to correct any errors. If you follow these two important steps, the odds are great you can get relief within hours! This translates into less stress because you can be confident you will have the funds in your bank account to cover expenses.
If you choose to visit a lender in-person, take into consideration the time in which you visit. Earlier in the week is typically a slower period for these businesses which could translate into shorter wait times for you. Conversely, if you visit closer to the weekend, you will typically have to deal with larger crowds.
What is Instant Approval?
Perhaps you have seen an advertisement touting "instant approval." If you look closer at the terms and conditions, you will often notice contradictory language and restrictions. The truth is lenders have the final say when it comes to approving and administering their services. It is unethical and irresponsible to guarantee instant approval if the lender's policy states differently. We partner with industry leading lenders who are committed to getting you money securely deposited directly into your checking or savings account.


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Drought Feed Options for FeedlotsDan Loy, Iowa Beef Centre director looks at drought feed options for feedlots.
Drought silage for growing cattle. Drought silage can be an excellent feed. After testing to assure that the product is safe for feeding relative to nitrate content, diets of predominantly silage can produce daily gains of 2.0-2.5+ pounds per day. The product will require supplementation for protein and minerals. Backgrounding could continue for as few as 60-70 days, or up to 1,000 pounds or more depending on the amount to feed and the need to ration corn in the feeding programme.
A minimum of 70-80 days on a high-energy ration will be required for cattle to produce acceptable carcass quality in normal market channels. This new fact sheet from IBC provides information on how to use drought silage in your growing cattle diets www.iowabeefcenter.org/information/droughtsilageuse.pdf
Off-quality corn. Early indications are that grain quality may be quite variable with the corn crop across the Midwest this year. Aflatoxin and low test weights can become an issue in drought years. These anti-quality factors and be a curse for grain marketers, but an opportunity for cattle feeders. Aflatoxin is caused by the fungus Aspergillus which tends to thrive in drought stress.
The effects on animals vary from liver damage, reproductive effects, reduced growth and immunity to death. Generally, finishing beef cattle are more tolerant of high levels of aflatoxin than other species. Research is somewhat variable on production effects of levels of aflatoxin. The FDA has established action limits of aflatoxin in grain for commerce. These levels should be considered quite safe feeding levels as well.
The FDA action level for feed is 20 ppb. The exceptions are corn for breeding cattle, breeding swine and mature poultry (100 ppb), corn for finishing swine (200 ppb) and finishing beef cattle (300 ppb). Milking dairy cows cannot be fed feed greater than 20 ppb as aflatoxin can be transferred to milk, and the action level for fluid milk is .5 ppb.
Low test weight corn, if purchased at a discount, can represent an opportunity for feedlots to lower their feed costs. Corn with test weights as low as 45 lb. was either similar to, slightly better or slightly poorer than normal (55-58 lb./bu.) corn in three feeding trials. However corn under 40 pound test weights did show a reduction in efficiency of 9 per cent when fed at 80 per cent of the diet in a North Dakota State Study, when compared to normal corn.
Alternative grains. Feed grains other than corn also can be used for finishing cattle if the opportunity arises. Sorghum, wheat, barley, oats -- all can substitute for a significant portion of corn if priced competitively. Wheat is similar to corn in energy value and higher in protein. Wheat is rapidly fermented in the rumen and can be an acidosis risk if not properly managed.
It is recommended to limit wheat to 30-40 per cent of the ration because of this. Barley is excellent feed grain that can replace corn. It is also higher in protein and contains 90-95 per cent of the energy of corn. Barley is the feed grain of choice in Western Canada. Sorghum grain (milo) contains approximately 90 per cent of the energy of corn grain.
Sorghum responds well to processing including fine grinding and steam flaking, which both improve its feeding value relative to corn. Oats are lower in energy (85 per cent of corn), which will limit their use in finishing rations. Oats can be the primary grain in a backgrounding ration if available at a competitive cost.
Commodity feeds. Soy hulls, wheat midds, hominy feed, whole cottonseed, oat byproduct, bakery byproducts all can be sources of energy for beef cattle.
These commodity feeds quickly adjust in price due to market demands but occasionally can be priced competitively into beef rations. Corn processing co-products such as distillers dried grains; modified distillers grains, wet distillers grains, condensed distillers solubles and both wet and dry corn gluten feed have become among the lowest cost feedstuffs available to Iowa cattle producers over the past 5 years.
Many are concerned about the availability and price of these feeds as ethanol plants reduce their production. It should be noted that given the size of the ethanol industry even at half production these feeds are still among the most abundant commodity feeds available. That does not mean that spot shortages or unfavorable pricing may not exist, however. The best advice relative to these feeds is to stay alert for opportunities and take advantage of them when they occur.
Protein sources. If distillers grains and other corn co-products become priced such that they are no longer the lowest cost energy source compared to grains or other byproducts, then they will become sources of protein for beef cattle.
Rather than feedlot rations that are 30 or 40 per cent distillers grains, levels of 15-20 per cent would likely meet this requirement. It is possible that the traditional sources of protein, soybean meal and urea will once again be lower in cost per unit of protein than distillers grains. Soybean based 32-36 per cent protein supplements will be the likely source of complete supplements that utilize soybean meal.
Urea based supplement will be non-protein nitrogen containing commercial supplements or liquid supplements, typically. Be sure and balance rations using metabolizable protein with incorporating urea into rations. The Beef Ration and Nutrition Decision Software (BRANDS) form the Iowa Beef Center can account for this.
Cattle are adaptable animals and there are many feed choices that can work. Producers are encouraged to evaluate all opportunities. Unfortunately when prices are high for corn and hay, prices are also high for most other feeds. The best program for any one producer will be very individualized and depend on local opportunities.


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Petersburg artist wins Rasmuson Project Award
The Rasmuson Foundation named Petersburg artist, Ashley DuRoss an Individual Artist Award winner of a $5,000, Project Award. DuRoss is also the art teacher at Petersburg High School.
DuRoss is a visual artist whose work explores the relationship between light and shadow on physical structures. For her project award, she will ship work and travel to upcoming solo shows in Fairbanks and Anchorage.
The Rasmuson Foundation also named a Distinguished Artist Award worth $25,000, 10 Artist Fellowships of $12,000 and 26 project grants of $5,000. These winners were chosen from a total of 305 applicants, whose applications were judged by a national panel of artists and art leaders.
The Distiguished Artist Award went to Kessler Woodward a visual artist of Fairbanks. The Artist Fellowships were awarded to Laura Bliss-Spaan a media artist of Anchorage; Jack Dalton a presentation/interpretation artist of Anchorage; Brendan Harrington a visual artist of Kodiak; Tommy Joseph a visual artist of Sitka; Da-ka-xeen Mehner a visual artist of Fairbanks; Karina Moeller a music compositionist of Anchorage; Phillip Munger a music compositionist of Wasilla; Kat Tomka a visual artist of Anchorage; Sonya Kelliher-Combs a visual artist of Anchorage and Morris Palter a presentation/interpretation artist of Fairbanks.
The Individual Project Awards were earned by Karrie Pavish Anderson a presentation/interpretation artist of Galena; Beth Blankenship a crafts artist of Anchorage; Slavik Boyechko a media artist of Anchorage; Melina Draper a literary arts scriptworker of Fairbanks; David Gerard a folk and traditional artist of Homer; Ronald Klien a visual artist of Juneau; George Kuhar a media artist of Juneau; Kristen Elizabeth Link a visual artist of McCarthy; Enzina Marrari a visual artist of Anchorage; Andrew Michael a visual artist of Anchorage; Maria Nicolai a visual artist of Bethel; Tracy Opeim a folk and traditional artist of Kodiak; Cinthia Ritchie a literary arts scriptworker of Anchorage; Timothy Robb a music compositionist of Tenderfoot Hill(Fairbanks); Mattox Roesch a literary arts scriptworker of Unalakleet; Lucas Rowley a literary arts scriptworker of Anchorage; Mark Tepton a crafts artist of Anchorage; David Walker a crafts artist of Juneau; Allison Warden a performance artist of Anchorage; Teague Whalen a music compositionist of Ketchikan; Theresa Woldstad a folk and traditional artist of North Pole; Roblin Davis a performance artist of Juneau, Meagan Mackey a music compositionist of Anchorage; Adam Ottavi Schiesl a visual artist of Ester and Richard Eissler a visual artist of Soldotna.
This is the ninth year the Individual Artist Awards program, and as of today, the program has awarded 267 grants, totaling $1.9 million, directly to Alaska artists.
The purpose of these awards is to allow artist to seek a variety of creative opportunities, including providing them with the time necessary to focus on creative work.
The Rasmuson Foundation was created in May 1955 by Jenny Rasmuson to honor her late husband, E.A. Rasmuson. The Foundation is a catalyst to promote a better life for all Alaskans.


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Tradeshow Warriors
I am beginning to think that maybe Steve and I should create our own reality show with the above title. Just back from 9 days on the road with two back-to-back tradeshows. Driving down our street late yesterday afternoon, I swear the theme music from "Rocky" was playing.
We had a great trip to TNNA. Meetings, yarn, meetings, more yarn, food, yarn, meeting yarn. . .. .Columbus was a whirlwind. As always, I did a lousy job taking pictures. I do not have one yarny picture to share. I know, I know, I disappoint you once again. *Sigh*. I can tell you about yarn though!
Now, I must preface this by saying that Steve & I do the majority of our buying before TNNA. We see all of the major lines and many of the mid-tier companies as well. So just because I don't mention them here is not a sign that I didn't like their yarn or that they don't have super cool stuff coming. These are show treasures only.
I have to say one of my personal faves was the new Spud & Chloe line debuted by Blue Sky Alpacas. A collection of three lovely yarns that are machine wash & try. Fashion meets function with this collection. There are three weights – fine, sweater and outer and a limited, but succinct palette for each. Terrific pattern support for each is a delight as well. I think what I like most about this line is that it's complete – yarn, design, packaging – everything is put together, integrated and ready to go. I love this as a marketer who can appreciate what it takes to make this happen, but also as a shop owner who has been provided with everything I need to be excited about the brand. The Blue Sky folks have created a wonderful story in Spud & Chloe and were smart enough to give the voice of the brand to the super-talented Susan Anderson. It all rocks and we'll have it in the store and on-line shortly.
Steve & I also got to meet the lovely Ron of Buffalo Gold. We've never carried his yarns, but I got to *know* him in the on-line world over the past few months. I was looking forward to meeting in person at TNNA and we had a great talk. I've admired his yarns from afar for awhile, but my buddy Guido gave me the nudge I needed to really give the yarns serious consideration. I thought this was one I was going to have to drag Steve through kicking and screaming and was pleasantly surprised when he willingly and with no pressure, not wifely glares that said "I"m buying this yarn with or without your support". We even brought in a brand new yarn he debuted at the show which has been hand-dyed by the fine folks at Lornas Laces. If you click through to her blog and scroll down, you'll see the lurvely colors.
We bought some cool new bags & accessories from Namaste, Della Q and Lantern Moon.
We hung with some old friends and made new ones.
We stayed up past our bedtime, ate too much good food but a great time.
We left Columbus and headed to Beantown for a conference of another nature. We went from TNNA where "everyone knows your name" to an intense business conference where people wonder if anyone can actually make a living selling yarn. Even one of the speakers, who also spoke at the Yarn Market News Conference in March, mentioned her experience at the conference and found it rather unnerving to see an audience knitting rather than typing on their Blackberrys. As always, we learned a lot, had some fun along the way but boy oh boy, did Dorothy get it right. "There's no place like home".
Remember – our Berroco giveaway wraps up tonight at midnight. Go to the previous blog post for the details, read all about the Berroco Fall line and get yourself in on a great giveaway!
- Top 20 Finalist in the "This Is Retail" Video Contest! - April 3, 2012
- Knitter's Pride Needles & More - September 12, 2011
- Pilgrimage to Portland - July 27, 2011
Tags: Berroco, TNNA Columbus


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Upload your own photo – White Cover!
Portrait sized card – 148mm x 210mm – inclusive of 1 brown envelope.
All of our cards are printed in full colour on our heavy stock 300 – 350 GSM A4 card folded to A5.
We provide a brown craft paper 120gsm envelope embossed with our Habeebee logo.
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Volume 21, Number 4 - Fall 2003; December 21, 2003
Copyright 2003 by Ithaca College Quarterly. All rights reserved. The Ithaca College Quarterly (USPS 695-880) is published four times a year, in winter, spring, summer, and fall, by the Ithaca College Office of Marketing Communications for alumni, employees, parents of currently enrolled students, and other friends of the College.
It is the policy of Ithaca College that discrimination on the grounds of age, color, disability or handicap, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or Vietnam veteran status will not exist in any activity, area, or operation of the College.
A. Ozolins, Ithaca College Office of Publications, 10 March, 2004


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Want to see some more type love - click here to follow my pinterest board for type design and signage.
Today is
loving. living. small. | live small with style
6/07/2011 | Filed Under SMALL SPACE ACCENTS | 5 Comments
5 Responses
to "small space style
letter love"
Letters are one of my favorite ways to personalize a space! I have E's all over my apartment- hanging in collages, sitting on shelves, and even on a wreath on my front door. Of course, being Southern, I monogram everything that will sit still long enough, too :)
Looooooveeeee letters and typography!!! I'm redoing my bedroom and just yesterday decided that I needed a B somewhere in the room!!
I would love to get my hands on some of those big industrial letters! So much fun!
I adore the use of typography in home decor. So cool and pretty!
Camila F.
Hi, living in Norway in a tiny flat, I have to look out in the world for inspiration for my home. I went to pride of place- blog, amy`s. And there you were on a list of interesting blogs. And here I am, to read and look at your pictures.. Have put my name in as follower.
Have a nice day :)


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Welcome to Texas
After a long, six-month process, my parents and sister have moved from Missouri to a sweet neighborhood in Georgetown, Texas. Their house is a 40 minute drive from mine, which is a big improvement from 13 hours.
I hope they will enjoy living Deep in the Heart of Texas. Of course, one of the first things we must do is plant a yellow rose in their garden. I love my miniature. It bloomed all summer and most of the fall.
My mother loves to garden and feed the birds. She gave the cat bird house to me that you see below. I've seen wrens try it out, but none have moved in permanently yet. My goal is to train the coral honeysuckle around the cat's face.
To the right of the bird house is one of two planter baskets.
The six potted moss rose did not seem to mind the heat this year.
By far my favorite garden activity -- besides buying new plants -- is watching the birds and butterflies. This swallowtail hung around for hours on my variegated lantana.
Happy Autumn!
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~Minnie Aumonier


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Onzie Leggings – Jamaica
$95.99Free shipping on Canadian orders over $50.
Similar to the Capri Pant, these Onzie Long Leggings also have a low-rise waist band and are designed to be form-fitted and will stretch and move with your body. For our petite customers, these pants may have an extra inch or two of fabric at the ankles. In this case, we love to wear them either like yogis wrapped around the heel of the foot, rolled up, bunched, or whatever your petite style is!
Inseam on size S/M (in inches): 28.5
80% nylon / 20% spandex
Hand or machine wash cold
Tumble or hang dry
Made in USA
**Please note that this is a generic size guide. ***If you are between sizes, we suggest trying the smaller size as the fabric is quite stretchy and will form to fit your body as you move and sweat in them.


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Disaster in Japan exposes supply chain flaw
About 40 miles west of the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, another kind of crisis may be unfolding — this one striking at the heart of the world's multibillion-dollar market for smartphones, portable music players and other cutting-edge electronics.
The powerful earthquake that rocked Japan last month knocked out a hillside factory owned by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Little known outside industry circles, Shin-Etsu is the world's biggest producer of advanced silicon wafers, a key material needed for the manufacturing of semiconductors. Its Shirakawa plant represented 20% of the globe's capacity to produce the building blocks on which some key high-technology products depend.
The disaster could prove to be a major concern for chip makers, including Intel Corp. and Toshiba Corp., that buy wafers from Shin-Etsu, analysts said.
But it also has turned the spotlight on a much broader problem in the global economy: Companies around the world often rely on small networks of suppliers that may be thousands of miles away. A good number of those suppliers are in Japan.
Already, quake-related shortages of automotive electronic sensors made by Hitachi's Automotive Systems business have been blamed for halting or cutting production of vehicles in Germany, Spain, France and Shreveport, La.
The crisis also is expected to slash the supply of some vehicles such as Toyota's Prius and contribute to higher passenger car prices in the U.S., where temporary worker layoffs already have hit Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp. and some Japanese auto firms.
Chinese computer maker Lenovo Group was among the latest to warn that a shortage of components from Japan could crimp supplies of finished products, in its case the LePad tablet computer. Another Chinese firm, ZTE Corp., a major producer of cellphones, said it could face shortages of batteries and LCD screens for months.
The likelihood of more disruptions to come has touched off a scramble for alternative suppliers. It has sparked a run-up in the price of memory chips and some parts. And it is almost certain to lead to a rethinking of a global production and logistics system in which a natural disaster in a small part of Japan's industrial base could have such broad effects around the world.
"There should have been fail-safe measures taken, if one [plant] goes offline it doesn't throw your whole production schedule off," said Kenneth Grossberg, a business professor at Waseda University in Tokyo. "How could you make yourself so vulnerable?"
The unusually large concentration of production at a single site such as Shin-Etsu's Shirakawa campus, he said, may reflect a wider tendency, especially in Japanese society, to centralize operations, whether it's government or private organizations.
What's more, the disaster and its aftermath revealed just how far some companies had pushed the just-in-time supply system. The practice, pioneered by Toyota Motor Co., allows companies to reduce inventories, thus freeing up cash for more profitable use elsewhere. But in managing supplies ever so tightly, companies also narrowed their vendors, sometimes to just one or two, leaving little margin for adjusting if something went wrong.
France's PSA Peugeot-Citroen, for example, usually keeps just a 10-day supply of Hitachi air-flow sensors on hand. With Hitachi controlling more than half of the world's production of this obscure, $90-retail-priced component, Peugeot and General Motors, among others, had little choice but to cut production when those parts began to flow more slowly.
Just-in-time "is a good plan for normal times, not for emergencies," said Tetsuji Morino, a managing director at Dai Nippon Printing Co., a $19-billion enterprise based in Tokyo.
He said that only about three of his company's 50 factories sustained damage. But the actual effect is likely to be bigger as rolling blackouts, transport problems and fuel shortages in Japan hamper production and delivery of supplies for many companies, possibly for months to come.
Koriyama Central Industrial Park in Fukushima prefecture is a case in point. Plants operated in the park by Panasonic Corp., Hitachi, Shin-Etsu and other leading Japanese companies are mostly up and running now, but only at about 50% capacity combined, said Endou Katsuei, executive director of Shinwa Planning Co., which is managing the zone.
He said these factories depend on the delivery of other components, which has been anything but stable. The town's train station has yet to reopen, roadways have been cracked by the earthquake and many gas stations remain closed, more than three weeks after the disaster.
It's much the same along the 125-mile stretch of Tohoku Expressway, from Utsunomiya, about 60 miles north of Tokyo, to Sendai, a city in Miyagi prefecture that was ravaged by the tsunami and where many homes remain without gas and hot water.
On the outskirts of Sendai, mangled cars thrown by the massive waves still litter the roads and are jammed against trees and fences, including those outside Sony's flood-impaired chemical and information devices plant.
Sendai is also home to Tohoku University, one of Japan's premier institutions and a leading center for semiconductor and related research.
"For some period, we cannot have research activity in some departments," said Masayoshi Esashi, an engineering professor, describing how the magnitude 9 temblor had damaged three of his research center's buildings. He was wearing long white boots, and his fingers were bandaged, after days of moving boxes into temporary quarters. "We cannot collaborate with companies because of this problem."
Esashi also worries about the future of the region's tech companies. Even if they return to full production soon, he said, they still will probably lose market share — and jobs.
That's clearly at stake at Shin-Etsu in Shirakawa, about 100 miles north of Tokyo.
Company officials declined to comment beyond their statement Friday that said they're still assessing the damage. It gave no timetable for when production was likely to restart.
While there's no visible sign of damage on the buildings' gray exterior, local residents and business owners said the plant couldn't have escaped the violent sideways shaking March 11 that they said lasted for three minutes.
In the neighborhood around the plant, the quake knocked down home antennas and roof tiles. In some cases, entire structures collapsed.
"Shin-Etsu had huge damage inside; machines and equipment fell with a crash," said Toshiaki Ishi, 49, a lifelong resident of the area, as he relayed what friends who work at the plant told him. Employees were asked to stay home.
Making silicon ingots and slicing them into wafers takes weeks and is a precise and delicate process. Analysts said it's possible that ingot furnaces, typically 12 to 15 feet tall, may have toppled or shaken so hard that ingots dropped inside the machines, breaking internal equipment parts. There also could be issues of poison gas leaks, and persistent aftershocks have complicated the recovery work.
It's hard to know the extent of Shin-Etsu's problems and the looming capacity crunch because the company has disclosed little information about the damage and the overall supply situation, said Joel Scheiman, a Tokyo analyst for MF Global Holdings who has followed Japan's chemical industry for 25 years.
For now, he and other analysts said, there appears to be enough 300-millimeter wafers to go around through May.
Akira Minamikawa, vice president of ISuppli's Japan research, doesn't see Shin-Etsu's Shirakawa plant returning to full strength until October. That means the company will most likely be supplying first-tier customers first, such as Toshiba, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and Elpida Memory Inc.
Intel spokesman Chuck Malloy wouldn't comment about Shin-Etsu but said it's rare for the Santa Clara, Calif.-based chip maker to rely on a single supplier. Given the extent of the disaster in Japan, he said, Intel is in "fairly good shape."
But that won't stop wafer material prices from rising, analysts said. Nor will it provide much comfort to smaller users of silicon wafers.
Grace Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp., a foundry in Shanghai with 1,600 employees, has been reassuring its clients that it will be able to deliver the goods, despite the potential supply constraints. But that's easier said than done.
"Japan is our main vendor," said Sarah Cheng, a Grace spokeswoman. "Two out of three silicon wafers we use are from Japan."
Times staff writer Nathan Olivarez-Giles in Los Angeles contributed to this report.


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Mathews' late 3 sends Lipscomb past Wichita St in NIT semis
NEW YORK (AP) — Garrison Mathews is the kind of player only the most die-hard basketball fans would know, his prolific scoring seldom on any sports highlight clips. With the college basketball spotlight blasted on Madison Square Garden, Mathews put the sport on notice and buried a shot in the clutch that sparked madness for tiny Lipscomb.
Mathews swished his ninth 3-pointer of the game in front of an exuberant Lipscomb bench for the lead with 1:10 left in the game to send the Bisons on their way to the NIT championship in a 71-64 win over Wichita State on Tuesday night.
"It was good to just do it for the team and kind of give us a lift," he said.
He carried them to the NIT final. Lipscomb will face Texas, a 58-44 semifinal winner over TCU, Thursday for the NIT title.
Mathews had been buried in obscurity for the ASUN Conference Bisons (29-7), but put on a show on national television in crunch time at Madison Square Garden. He yelled as the shot fell from beyond NBA 3-point range and the Bisons rose from the bench in jubilation. Mathews sealed the win with free throws and finished with 34 points, setting the stage for Lipscomb to play for its first NIT championship.
"People should know about us by now," forward Rob Marberry said. "I think people can finally see Lipscomb's a basketball school now."
Wichita State's Samajae Haynes-Jones stole the ball near the 3-point line and the 6-foot guard exploded for a fast break dunk that turned MSG yellow and gave the Shockers a late double-digit lead. But they faded down the stretch and one of the hottest second-half teams in basketball missed their final 10 shots and over the final 8-plus minutes to head home empty-handed.
Dexter Dennis scored 13 points and Markis McDuffie had 12 for the Shockers.
The Shockers had a solid season under coach Gregg Marshall, six years after he led the program to the Final Four. Marshall led the Shockers to the 2011 NIT championship, a springboard for the most successful era in program history. The Shockers (22-15) made their own sensational run in the NIT, beating the No. 1, 2 and 3 seeds, all on the road, just to make it to New York.
"This was a year we could have taken a big dip. I mean, a big dip," Marshall said. "But we're in Madison Square Garden playing in April."
The Shockers had their hands full against the fifth-seeded Bisons.
A year after NIT champion Penn State drew big, rowdy crowds to Madison Square Garden, the arena was nearly empty for the matchup between teams from Kansas and Tennessee. New Yorkers wasted their chance to watch Mathews, named to The Associated Press All-America honorable mention team. Mathews was named ASUN player of the year and averaged 26.3 points in the NIT. He entered with a whopping 2,429 career points and scored 44 points in an NIT quarterfinal win over North Carolina State.
He created open looks by moving without the ball and was a burst of energy in Lipscomb's first ever game against the Shockers.
Mathews hit three 3s and scored 18 points in the first half to give Lipscomb a 35-30 lead at the break. The Bisons, who lost the ASUN Tournament championship game to Liberty, looked to Mathews every chance they got. He buried a 3 on a fast break off a turnover to bring the Bisons within one, and even his misses worked in their favor. He missed on a long 3, but Ahsan Asadullah scored on an uncontested tip for a five-point lead.
The NIT was a bit of a mad scientist in the college basketball lab. The 3-point line was extended to the same distance used by FIBA (22 feet, 1.75 inches). The free throw lane matched the NBA and was widened from 12 to 16 feet. The shot clock also reset to 20 seconds after an offensive rebound instead of the full 30 seconds, as well as other minor changes.
The experimental rules will help the NCAA determine if a marginally more difficult 3-point shot will be effective for college basketball and if widening the lane will reduce physicality and create more driving opportunities.
"The style of play in men's college basketball is healthy and appealing, but the leadership governing the game is interested in keeping the playing rules contemporary and trending favorably," said Dan Gavitt, NCAA senior vice president of basketball.
Lipscomb: Faces Texas for the NIT title Thursday night at MSG.
More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/MarchMadness and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.
Truth and Accuracy
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At the risk of alienating and even antagonizing a large portion of my audience, I must make a confession: I am not a cat person. This is a personal thing that one day I plan to write about on my memoir blog Wrote By Rote. For now I'll just let it be known that I am not particularly fond of cats.
For this reason, it was with some reservations that I agreed to read Dulcy and Dee Ready's Twelve Habits of Highly Successful Cats & Their Humans when the author offered to send it to me to see if I would be willing to review it. Since Dee was responsible for one of the more popular guest spots at Wrote By Rote, her story of her first book A Cat's Life; and since I have always enjoyed the writing at her blog Coming Home to Myself, I felt like I should at least give her book a chance. Besides she asked so nicely and wasn't holding me to any obligations of a review that I couldn't turn down her offer.
In all honesty, I had low expectations of this book. I anticipated some cloyingly annoying animal story with all kinds of cutesy-isms and boring pet talk. Instead what I found in this short book was an enthralling story of love and devotion and a philosophical study of what it means to be truly alive.
Presented in a format similar to a self-help book, there are twelve sections corresponding to each of the twelve habits related to topics such as uniqueness, constancy, listening, acceptance, grieving, and others. Each habit is first explained by the superior being, a cat named Dulcy. Then the cat's human relates the life lessons she has learned from Dulcy.
This back and forth approach is done in a charming and very effective manner. Both cat and human provide exemplary anecdotes and observations that clarify each topic for the reader. Dee has done a commendable job of creating the distinctive voices of the cat and the human, filling each with enough humor and pathos to provide a well-rounded presentation that will entertain and enlighten.
With only seventy pages, this is a quick read that many will be able to do in one sitting. However the beauty of a book like this is that you can pick it up and open to any page and start reading and gain pleasure. It's the kind of a book you will probably be tempted to keep nearby to just read a snippet here or a habit there for inspiration. There is much wisdom in these pages and Dee has written it well.
If you are a cat lover I can almost guarantee that you will love this book. Anyone who enjoys animals will undoubtedly like this book. Even non-pet people like me who enjoy good writing will highly appreciate this book. Twelve Habits is as much about people and their relationships with other people as it is about cats and the people they choose to be with. The book can be read in an allegorical sense that can be helpful as much as it can be a fun read.
My recommendation is that you buy a copy of Twelve Habits of Highly Successful Cats & Their Humans for yourself and extra copies for the cat lovers that you know. This book would make a wonderful gift and it's inexpensive enough that it won't break you.
If you read Twelve Habits of Highly Successful Cats & Their Humans, I'd love to hear what you have to say about it. As for me this book almost made me wish I liked cats. Heck, it actually made me wish I were a cat who had a nice human to keep me company.
Do you yearn for joy? Do you dream of a welcoming lap and gentle words? Do you wish to know the deep delight of a life filled with tangy tuna and abiding love? Then follow my twelve habits for highly effective cats and their humans.
In this inspirational self-help book, an enterprising feline named Dulcy mews twelve stories that, if applied by other cats, can help them find nirvana with their humans. In an accompanying meditation, Dee helps human readers apply the habit to their own lives so they, too, can find the peace and contentment of a life well lived.
Available at Amazon.
The author provided me a free copy of Twelve Habits of Highly Successful Cats & Their Humans for my honest review. The above is my true opinion about this book.
This Is Me--2019 A to Z Theme
My A to Z Theme for 2022 was My Vinyl Record Collection. For the 2023 Challenge I'll be doing something similar with my home book collection. Lots of book stuff from A to Z
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Monday, May 28, 2012
Happy Thank You Day
A young patriot salutes heroes at the 2009 National Memorial Day Concert on the West Lawn of the United States Capitol. See more at Army.mil (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Reprinted from the May 27th post at my blog A Few Words:
In the United States Memorial Day is a day when we give honor to those who have helped keep our nation free and to preserve our way of life. Many have died and made tremendous sacrifices fighting for the ideals upon which this great country was founded.
This week-end we give thanks to all the men and women who died for our freedom. We should also remember to thank the founding fathers who set the course for our nation. Thanks could also be offered for the inventors and creators who made our country an innovator that contributed to the betterment of our lives and made the U.S. an economic leader. And let us not forget the teachers, medical personnel, clergy, and all of those in the public and private sector who make our country run smoothly and provide for a safe, secure, and comfortable living environment.
Then we should remember all of the responsible and dedicated parents, grandparents, family members, and neighbors who give us support and sense of community. Perhaps we need to thank everyone in this great country for what good they have done or what they are capable of doing one day. And a thanks to all of our friends in other nations who stand behind us.
Thank God for the freedom and prosperity we have in the United States of America.
Have I forgotten to thank anyone? Who do you think deserves a deep expression of gratitude?
Related articles
- Thanking Those Who Keep Us Free (psalmsunday.blogspot.com)
- Remembering what Memorial Day is all about (wnd.com)
- Memorial Day Considerations (breathelighter.wordpress.com)
- Memorial Day (loopyloo305.com)
- Susan Collins: The Gratitude of a Nation (themainewire.com)
- Memorial Day Gratitude; Words are not enough... (dailymuse.spiritlightinsight.com)
Posted by Arlee Bird at 2:00 AM 25 comments
Labels: Memorial Day, saying thank you
Friday, May 25, 2012
A Debut and Some Questions for You
Today I am pleased to share the debut of the cover art from Ciara Knight's upcoming novelette Weighted.
Weighted is a young adult post-apocalyptic with paranormal elements. It is a prequel novelette toThe Neumarian Chronicles, and will be released August 2012. Book I, Escapement, will be released in 2013.
The Great War of 2185 is over, but my nightmare has just begun. I am being held captive in the Queen's ship awaiting interrogation. My only possible ally is the princess, but I'm unsure if she is really my friend or a trap set by the Queen to fool me into sharing the secret of my gift. A gift I keep hidden even from myself. It swirls inside my body begging for release, but it is the one thing the Queen can never discover. Will I have the strength to keep the secret? I'll know the answer soon. If the stories are true about the interrogators, I'll either be dead or a traitor to my people by morning.
Link to add Weighted to Goodreads shelf: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13647847-weighted
The synopsis sounds intriguing and the artwork is stunning. I wish Ciara great success with this release and the series to come.
And Now Some Questions For You:
It's Memorial Day week-end! I've got no plans. I'll be staying home and continuing to catch up with my blogging activities. What about you? Do you have any special plans for this week-end? How about this summer? Are you doing anything special for the summer?
Posted by Arlee Bird at 2:00 AM 28 comments
Labels: Ciara Knight, Memorial Day
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
GUANGZHOU, CHINA - a plastic toy exhibition booth during the 110th China Import And Export Fair . (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)
The other day I heard a report on the radio that said that the biggest U.S. export to China is--are you ready for this?--the biggest export to China is garbage. That's as in literal trash. Waste products.
We ship tons of our waste to China. They recycle it back into new products and ship those products back to us for us to turn those into more trash to ship back to them. The upside is that at least less of our trash is going into landfills. But what does this say about us as far as our productivity?
In my research on this topic I found a correlation between the United States and the Roman Empire. According to Economy In Crisis, as the Roman Empire reached its fall Rome was importing everything and its only export was garbage. The U.S. still produces a lot of goods to keep it self-sustaining, but we seem to be heading toward the day when we are totally dependent on other countries. Would this be a wise thing to allow to happen?
In all fairness, my research also showed that the United States still exports plenty of goods such as aircraft, automobiles, agricultural products, and many other goods. We are not a non-productive country by any means, but we are becoming less productive. The high unemployment figures are probably a good indicator of this.
Then there is the market anomaly of our largest export on the worldwide scale--fuel and petroleum products. And our largest import? Fuel and petroleum products. Here we Americans sit burdened with high fuel prices in hard economic times and the corporations in control of it all are playing a shell game with the commodities.
I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation to all of this back and forth chicanery and I'm certain that it all has to do with money. But it's money that will mostly not end up in most of our pockets and most of us will never see the benefit of those profits.
Don't get me wrong. I'm all for capitalism, but I'm not sure this system should be synonymous with greed. I can understand the need for businesses to cut operating costs, but at what cost to society? I think of all of the textile and furniture companies that used to be in North Carolina and other places. Many of those products are now being produced overseas and the American factories are shuttered. I look at the "made in" labels and stamps that appear on so many products in the stores. Not many of those say "Made in the U.S.A."
My rant could continue for many more thousand words, but since I try to keep my posts relatively short I need to stop. And like I've said before, there's a lot I don't understand and I'm no economic expert. I don't know that any one person out there can adequately address all of my concerns to appease me totally, and I might not believe them anyway. Besides this is not the biggest thing that is disturbing me at the moment.
Let me get back to the Facebook issue that I was talking about on Monday. One of the sources of income for Facebook and other such companies is the sale of virtual goods. These virtual goods include clothing and accessories for avatars and assets such as tractors and equipment for Farmville or other such games or virtual worlds.
Okay, fun is fun, but escaping into a virtual world might be inclining toward something more scary than we might normally think. If we start letting China make our real tractors while some U.S. internet company is making imaginary tractors that we buy and sell to work imaginary fields on an imaginary farm with---well you get the picture. In fact, you can go to Facebook and get on Farmville and you can see the picture. And if you want, you can become your avatar and do imaginary work.
Whew! That opens a whole can of worms that I won't even get into here. It all just makes me wonder where we are heading. We have been reduced to data, trends, and demographics.
What industries have disappeared in the area where you live? How is your local job market? What is your favorite virtual world? Or do you avoid virtual play? What is your favorite form of escapism? What do you think the economic future is of the United States or where you are located?
Related articles
- Behind the Strong U.S. Export Numbers (businessweek.com)
- Selling Into China: The New Wave (chinalawblog.com)
- ORBIS - Google Maps For The Roman Empire (eoghann.com)
- We Are All Greeks (adamcollyer.wordpress.com)
- How did Rome last so long? (oup.com)
- Following Garbage's Long Journey Around The Earth (wnyc.org)
- This Family Hasn't Thrown Out A Garbage Bag In 20 Years (businessinsider.com)
- Garbology: How our everyday trash eventually becomes our food (mnn.com)
- The Zero Waste Trash Challenge: The 5 Step Program for Better Recycling (ecosalon.com)
- Chart: Chinese export by destination (businessinsider.com)
Posted by Arlee Bird at 2:00 AM 45 comments
Labels: economy, Export, Facebook, Farmville, North Carolina, Roman Empire, virtual goods
Monday, May 21, 2012
About Face!....book
facebook (Photo credit: sitmonkeysupreme)
I started to write this post last Thursday to post today (Monday), but then decided it would make more sense to wait until after the big Facebook IPO had actually happened. This is coming from one who knows very little about stock market issues or finances period. In fact, I am a financial nincompoop which probably explains why I'm not rolling in dough.
For the past couple weeks or more we've been hearing all sorts of hype about the Facebook stock going on sale to the public and the billions of dollars that would be raised and that would be falling into the bank accounts of those who already had stock or who would be trading in it. If I had made my prediction on Thursday that the opening day would not be as big of a boom as some were expecting, I would have been right.
Now, I certainly don't have any well-founded knowledge about this whole IPO thing. As I stated at the beginning I'm a big know-nothing about this sort of thing, but the hype was getting to be a bit too much to not make me a bit suspicious. My own intuitive sense--which is just my silly opinion--makes me wonder about how long Facebook can hold its value.
Google and some others are certainly holding their own, but there are probably many more tech and internet related companies that are dying slow deaths or being absorbed into larger conglomerations. What can Facebook do to grow in the future?
Supposedly they have potential for selling advertising--this said right after GM withdrew a ten million dollar advertising deal because they weren't seeing the anticipated results. And who looks at Facebook advertising anyway? It was a long time before I realized there was advertising.
Then also I'm hearing this thing about portals, which is something to do with people using Facebook to go to other places on the web and then FB gets some kind of commission. Supposedly this will be a huge source of income. Also there could be the possibility of charging for premium services like photo storage. Those guys at FB are smart--a lot smarter than I am--and I'm sure they can come up with ingenious ways to make money. At least until the next smart guys come along to do something similar in a better way.
Don't get me wrong--if anyone has some extra stock they want to turn over to me, I'll take it off your hands if you want to give it to me. And if I had money to play with I would probably be tempted to invest. I'm just feeling pessimistic.
There's something bigger to this whole thing that kind of bothers me and I'll be telling you about that in my next post. Come back on Wednesday for ANOTHER THING I DON'T UNDERSTAND AND WHAT I FIND DISTURBING ABOUT IT.
Did you invest in any Facebook stock? Would you? Where do you think Facebook will be going in the future? Do you use Facebook and if so, to what extent? If there were a charge to be on Facebook would you be willing to pay it? Is anybody still on MySpace?
Related articles
- Five Lessons From The Facebook IPO (yelnick.typepad.com)
- Facebook Shares Fall Flat on IPO (newsy.com)
- What Does the FaceBook IPO Mean for Social Business? (web2.sys-con.com)
- "Facebook IPO Disappoints As Markets Cap Worst Week of 2012″ (marketsnacks.com)
- Facebook: The Long Haul (sisitheo.wordpress.com)
- Facebook Soars to a Resounding Thud (ireport.cnn.com)
- Sorry, Facebook haters: It's not going anywhere (neowin.net)
- Facebook: How (NOT) to Price and Trade and IPO. Thoughts from a Capital ... - Forbes (forbes.com)
- The Facebook Hype... Save Our Money (ryocentral.info)
- Facebook's $16bn IPO means nothing today (slashgear.com)
- GM "unfriends" Facebook! (adscam.typepad.com)
Posted by Arlee Bird at 2:00 AM 37 comments
Labels: Facebook, Finance, Initial public offering, Stock market
Friday, May 18, 2012
A Writing Experiment: Part 2
I'll admit that sometimes I get fixated on things, but I feel like when I do I have good reason to do so--then again I'm biased. On my Wednesday post I presented two versions of the same story. You may wish to go back to read these very short pieces before continuing with today's explanation of the origin of the story.
One of my latest fixations came about while putting together a post for the Sad Songs Blogfest hosted by L. Diane Wolf at Spunk on a Stick. Anyone who knows my blogs well knows that I enjoy writing about music. This Sad Songs Blogfest was something I liked so much that I put together lists for all four of my blogs.
One song in particular stuck with me well after the blogfest was over and I decided I wanted to make sure more of my readers had an opportunity to listen to this song. I included this song on my Sad Songs entry at A Faraway View. When I first heard Steve Forbert's "Make It All So Real" back in the early 1980s it impacted me immediately not only with the quality of the song and melody, but I found the story rather powerful.
It's a simple tale that consists of snapshots taken from a few different perspectives. We don't get much detail, just enough to show us that we don't always know a complete story. Our perceptions of others can be very deceptive when we don't know all of the facts.
In my Wednesday post I first presented my hastily slapped together version of a prose narrative that is essentially a summary of what is depicted in the song. The second version is the actual Steve Forbert song written in a narrative fashion, although I think it was probably pretty obvious to most readers that this was a song or a poem. You may want to read through the comments to Wednesday's post to see some of the reactions to my two story examples.
If you had read the two versions prior to reading this explanation did you guess that the second version was a song or poem? What are your thoughts on this song and the songwriter's approach to telling a story? Have you ever written a story based on a story told in a song? Can you think of an example of a story you have read that was based on a song? Am I being overly obsessive about this song? If you'd like to listen for yourself here it is:
Here are the lyrics to "Make It All So Real" by Steve Forbert:
Take your seat in the table
watch the cabaret fill
Ted came down for the singer
He saw the name on the bill
how the minutes were draggin'as the audience grew
Ted was growing impatient as he swallowed his brew
" It's time to welcome the artist " he heard somebody say
saw a face in the floodlight an' ev'rything
was ok....
Singer man do your work. Sing your song. Make it hurt.
Sing the tears. Sing the pain. Make it all so real.
Then the singer was singing all his serious songs
and his Band wa a-playing ; Ted was hummin' along.
Meanwhile back in a corner there was a table
for two.
Where sat the singer's cute lover snd she was
drinkin' a few,
all snuggled up with a stranger who had his hand on her tigh,
she was receivin' his message an' gazing into his eyes...
So the sound came a-rollin',tumblin' into the night
an' all the people were ravin', sayin' " Man our singer's allright ! "
An' " Such a burnin' performer ! " " What a fabulous show ! "
Little lover was stirrin'. She was ready to go.
An' while the singer was wailing she got up to depart.
The crowd was stompin' an' cheering. She was breakin' his heart...
Ted was feelin' terrific as the crowd filtered out
ravin' on 'bout the hero, there were whistles an' shouts
There was a guy with his sweetheart.
Ted came walkin' on past.
he could hear what was spoken. He could hear what she asked.
( She said ) " Don't you envy the hero ? "
An' the fella answered his girl
" Yes. He's the ultimate singer. He's on top of the world ! "
Related articles
- Sad Songs Blogfest (psalmsunday.blogspot.com)
- Sad Songs Blogfest: Places I Remember (wrotebyrote.blogspot.com)
- 'Sad Songs Blogfest' Addendum (xtremelyun-pcandunrepentant.blogspot.com)
- Sad Songs Blogfest (tossingitout.blogspot.com)
Posted by Arlee Bird at 2:00 AM 29 comments
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
The Singer Man: A Storytelling Comparison
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I hope you won't mind indulging me in this little experiment. Today I'm going to present two different versions of the same very short story. I'd like for you to tell me which one you prefer and why. On Friday I will explain a bit more about this.
The Singer
Ted settled back at his table in the night club nursing his beer while he watched the crowd filter in to fill the seats around him. The poster outside the door had made him smile with the anticipation of seeing the singer he'd long admired. Ted had made this special trip into the city to experience this performance.
Drumming his fingers on the table, Ted's impatience grew. Finally the lights dimmed. From some unseen place he could hear the announcer introducing the singer. Then after the voice said, "Now it's time to welcome the artist", the crowd roared its approval.
A spotlight illuminated the singer, who Ted immediately recognized. Ted's excitement swelled and his face beamed as he broke into applause along with the rest of the audience. Soon Ted was humming along to favorite songs he knew so well. The singer ran through his playlist of popular songs while his top notch band punched life into each one of them.
Unseen by anyone in the audience was the singer's attractive girlfriend who was sitting at in a booth at the back of the room. She'd had a few too many drinks and was snuggled up with some guy she didn't even know. He was putting some smooth moves on the lady while her true lover sang his songs for his adoring audience.
Appreciative comments could be heard throughout the audience. "Man, our singer's alright" and "He's such a burning performer" and "What a fabulous show!" The singer was "knocking 'em dead" as the old show biz adage goes.
Amid the stomping and cheering, the movement of the singer's lover and the stranger was unnoticed as they got up to succumb to their passions. Only the singer could see the pair leave the room while he poured out his deepest emotions, his saddest heartbreak, into these songs that his fans loved so well. His heartbreak was real to him, but only songs to those who heard them sung on that night.
After the show Ted felt terrific as he headed toward the exit. He could overhear the raves and excited appreciative buzz of the departing crowd. In particular he overheard the exchange between one young man and his girlfriend as they discussed the evening's performance.
"Don't you envy that guy?" she said.
"He's the ultimate singer," her boyfriend replied. "He's on top of the world."
Now for version two:
Make It All So Real
Take your seat at the table. Watch the cabaret fill. Ted came down for the singer. He saw the name on the bill. How the minutes were dragging as the audience grew. Ted was growing impatient as he swallowed his brew
"It's time to welcome the artist," he heard somebody say. He saw a face in the floodlight and everything was okay.
Then the singer was singing all his serious songs and his band was a-playing. Ted was humming along.
"Singer man do your work.
Sing your song. Make it hurt.
Sing the tears. Sing the pain.
Make it all so real."
Meanwhile back in a corner there was a table for two where sat the singer's cute lover and she was drinking a few, all snuggled up with a stranger who had his hand on her thigh. She was receiving his message and gazing into his eyes...
So the sound came a-rolling, tumbling into the night. And all the people were raving, saying "Man our singer's all right ! " And "Such a burning performer!" "What a fabulous show!"
Little lover was stirring. She was ready to go. And while the singer was wailing she got up to depart. The crowd was stomping and cheering. She was breaking his heart...
Ted was feeling terrific as the crowd filtered out raving on about the hero, there were whistles and shouts.
There was a guy with his sweetheart. Ted came walking on past. He could hear what was spoken. He could hear what she asked.
She said, " Don't you envy the hero ? "
And the fella answered his girl, "Yes. He's the ultimate singer. He's on top of the world!
So the sound came a-rolling, tumbling into the night. And all the people were raving, saying "Man our singer's all right ! " And "Such a burning performer!" "What a fabulous show!"
Little lover was stirring. She was ready to go. And while the singer was wailing she got up to depart. The crowd was stomping and cheering. She was breaking his heart...
Ted was feeling terrific as the crowd filtered out raving on about the hero, there were whistles and shouts.
There was a guy with his sweetheart. Ted came walking on past. He could hear what was spoken. He could hear what she asked.
She said, " Don't you envy the hero ? "
And the fella answered his girl, "Yes. He's the ultimate singer. He's on top of the world!
Please come back on Friday for my explanation and some further comments about this story. What version do you like the best and why? What particular impressions do you have about either version? Honest critiques please.
Posted by Arlee Bird at 2:00 AM 31 comments
Labels: Flash fiction
Monday, May 14, 2012
First Love
First Loves Blogfest - on May 14, post your first loves – first movie, first song/band, first book, and first person. Four loves, one blogfest! Alex Cavanaugh does it again! How could I resist?
First loves? I think Alex has listed them in the right order. Love is a complex subject. I'll keep it simple so as not to delve into philosophical interpretations of what love is. Maybe these are merely infatuations or perhaps passions, but I'll call them loves.
Annette was a bug-eyed frail little girl with dusty brown curly hair. In fourth grade she was about the cutest thing I'd ever seen. She was quiet and shy. I don't think we ever said a word to each other, but my imagination often ran away with her. I'd had little crushes before, but I began thinking about Annette more than any girl I had ever known before then. I don't ever recall her last name--for some reason I thought it was Italian, but it may have been Spanish. She and her family used to drive the thousand miles from San Diego to La Paz, Baja California in a jeep. Our teacher Ms. Kingston had her tell about the trip once and it sounded like an adventure worthy of the pioneers in their Conestoga wagons. The story made Annette seem all the more interesting to me. I don't remember Annette after fifth grade. I wonder what happened to her?
There they are. Four first loves. Memories of long ago. Parts of who I am now.
For more First Loves visit Alex Cavanaugh's site for the list.
Friday, May 11, 2012
When Is A Blog Post Too Long?
P question (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In deference to this week's A to Z Challenge Reflections, I will keep my posts here very short today and Friday. Be sure to enter your Challenge Reflections on the Linky list and please visit those who are listed there already. There are some excellent posts.
When you come upon a long blog post, do you tend to read it, skim through it, or skip it?
If you leave a comment on a long post, does your comment tend to elaborate upon the points presented in the post or is it mostly an acknowledgement that you were there?
What would be your advice to the blogger who often writes long. long blog posts?
Related articles
- How to Write a Good Blog Post (theresabloginmysoup.com)
- What Prompts You To Blog? (emergingtraceur.wordpress.com)
- Learn The Best Ways to Compose Super Effective Blog Posts (theresabloginmysoup.com)
Posted by Arlee Bird at 5:51 AM 56 comments
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
May I Ask A Question?
Question mark (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In deference to this week's A to Z Challenge Reflections, I will keep my posts here very short today and Friday. Be sure to enter your Challenge Reflections on the Linky list and please visit those who are listed there already. There are some excellent posts.
Today I have two questions for you:
1) Do you enjoy blog posts that only have a question for you to answer in the comment section?
2) Do you prefer deep questions that require a thoughtful answer or lighter questions that ask something about you, your experiences, or your preferences?
Posted by Arlee Bird at 2:00 AM 58 comments
Monday, May 7, 2012
A to Z Reflections 2012
|A to Z Badge Artwork by Ada Zdanowicz from CollagePodge.com
What a wonderful successful A to Z Challenge we had this year. Third year--bigger and better than ever. As it should be. There were so many amazing posts by tremendously talented bloggers that it was not possible to keep up with them. But some of the ones I did manage to make it to absolutely floored me at times. A hearty congratulations to everyone of you who participated in the Challenge and a special thanks to those who weren't posting from A to Z, but following faithfully and providing support to those who were.
In the weeks to come I will be saying more about the good and the bad and my thoughts about the next Challenge. You will be able to find these posts on the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge Blog. The posts will primarily appear on Mondays starting May 21st but may be elaborated upon on other days as seen fit.
And just a word about that A to Z Blog. It was good to have the focus of the Challenge drawn away from my Tossing It Out blog so a greater focus could be given on this blog devoted to the Challenge itself. We had some outstanding guest posts from too many of you to mention here. We thank all of you for your help in keeping content on this blog that one blogger referred to as our "water cooler site" where bloggers could gather to ask questions, make suggestions, and just talk about the Challenge or whatever else was on their minds.
The A to Z Blog site will continue to stay active for the rest of the year with the Post Challenge Challenge and other happenings. Just how active will depend on you bloggers. We are accepting guest posts, so if you have an idea of something you'd like to post, please contact us at one of the emails listed on the "Contact Us" page at the A to Z Blog.
I would be remiss to not mention my biggest source of support and creativity--the incredible A to Z Team of 2012. I couldn't have done on my own anywhere near what we accomplished as a team. These are some of the greatest bloggers around. If you haven't visited all of them you need to get over and make friends with the ones you've missed. These are good people to have in your corner.
Here is our 2012 A to Z Team:
Amlokiblogs (Damyanti Biswas) -- Despite some personal challenges she was dealing with, Damyanti kept a strong presence throughout the A to Z Challenge. She was our Twitter maven who injected vitality into the Twitter activity and put together our Twitter news that you might have noticed on some of our sidebars. She wrote some very effective material on her blog as well.
Alex J. Cavanaugh (Alex J. Cavanaugh) --The famed Ninja Captain Alex, who probably needs no introduction. He's been a presence since the very first Challenge and a mighty presence in keeping up with visiting, commenting, and giving recognition to other bloggers on his own blog.
Life is Good (Tina Downey) -- Tina set up and managed our A to Z email account and has corresponded directly with many of you with help and advice. She kept the A to Z Blog schedule organized to make sure daily content was delivered to you readers. You will be seeing much more of Tina when the Post Challenge Challenge begins next Monday May 14th.
Cruising Altitude 2.0 (DL Hammons) -- DL's influence reaches a wide range of bloggers and he did a tremendous job of drawing many to the Challenge and leaving his encouraging comments with many of you. He was a huge asset in adding his much loved personality to the Challenge.
Retro-Zombie (Jeremy Hawkins)-- This guy is a boundless creative source. He is the one responsible for nearly all of the graphics, banners, and animations that dressed up many of your blogs. His blog added a quirky touch to our collection of host blogs. Jeremy's behind the scenes availability made him a go to guy when we needed special assistance. He had so many ideas that we never even got around to using most of them. Next year.
The Warrior Muse (Shannon Lawrence)-- Shannon was rock steady in keeping things going from her corner. She had a fascinating series on her blog during the Challenge that I'll have to get back to when things slow down some. At the same time she made sure she visited plenty of your blogs. Shannon along with Lisa will be a major force in the weeks to come as they take over with the Post Challenge Challenge. More about that next Monday on the A to Z Blog.
The QQQE (Matthew MacNish)-- Adding literary integrity to the Team, Matthew was another one who was all over the place during the Challenge. He was always on call and ready to go when he was needed and an integral cog in the well-tuned A to Z machine.
Author Elizabeth Mueller(Elizabeth Mueller) -- With grace and charm, Elizabeth was a welcomed addition to our team. She is full of ideas and artistic vision. We were thrilled to have Elizabeth by our sides.
Pearson Report (Jenny Pearson)-- Jenny provided one of the biggest surprises to me. She approached me last year about being a co-host and assured me she would give it her all. She not only gave it her all, but her energy was incredible. Jenny was a huge motivating force leading up to the A to Z sign up day and she was there to encourage all who needed it once sign ups started. What a great addition she turned out to be.
No Thought 2 Small (Konstanz Silverbow) --I didn't know about Konstanz until Elizabeth recommended her and what a coup it was to land Konstanz on our Team. She is a creative visionary who is filled with great ideas. I thank Konstanz for getting us on track with the A to Z Blog Facebook page. This became such a great tool for communications. The great many of you who were using the Facebook page to publicize your blog posts can thank Konstanz for that idea.
Breakthrough Blogs (Stephen Tremp) -- The Beatles may have sung about "Nowhere Man", but they didn't know about Stephen Tremp who is like "everywhere man". I couldn't keep track of this guy a lot of the time, but I knew I didn't need to worry about him. This was Stephen's second year as an A to Z co-host so he knew what was going on. Great job, Stephen, for the things I knew about and those I didn't.
Coming Down The Mountain(Karen Jones Gowen) --- Karen is an experienced professional who knows what she's doing. I was grateful to have a cool collected individual like her to step in and do what needed to be done. She also had a very informative and practical series on her blog that I will have to visit later on.
In addition to the above mentioned team members I have a few unofficial team members who provided me with support and assistance. My thanks go out to the following:
Yvonne Lewis at Welcome to My World of Poetry not only commented on every one of my posts on all of my blogs, she mentioned me in a few of her posts and commented on many of your posts. Yvonne is like our A to Z Goodwill Ambassador. She is also the first person who took me up on my original Challenge in 2010.
Nicole at The Madlab Post provided us with several informative posts on the A to Z Blog, assisted in putting together the A to Z Video Challenge, offered a number of helpful suggestions, and left many substantive comments on many blogs. You will be seeing more from Nicole at the A to Z Blog in the weeks to come.
Ada Zdanowicz is the artist behind the official A to Z Badge that you see at the top of this post. I'm not sure how closely you've looked at this artwork, but there is an intricacy there that may be lost in the casual passing of this badge on the sidebar. Ada worked with me many hours back in October to come up with something that would be unique and aptly fit the spirit of the Challenge. The serendipity of her name escaped me for a good while before I noticed that she was signing her emails to me as Ada Z--Ada Z? Could a better name be found for the official A to Z artist. Thank you Ada. She doesn't have a blog, but you can find more information about her work at CollagePodge.com.
Well I hear the music playing as they try to get me off the stage. Thanks again to everyone. Now be sure to visit some of the others on the list.
For Reflections Linky list go Here.
Posted by Arlee Bird at 12:01 AM 46 comments
Friday, May 4, 2012
Fires Burning
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Once when I was fourteen, I was awakened by an orange glow in my bedroom that cast shifting patterns of light on the walls. Frightened, I quickly sat up in my bed and looked out the window. Behind our house, a very large old barn that had stood on the the remainder of the farmstead that was now being turned into a vast subdivision was in flames. I watched with eyes wide as the flames raged with loud crackles and hisses, sending glowing embers and smoke high into the air.
There was no great concern that our house was threatened by the fire. The barn was at least 300 yards away and none of the embers were falling near to us. Yet I couldn't help but think about the possibility of losing our home to a fire--losing everything I owned, my parents owned, and our refuge of security and comfort.
My mother used to tell the story of when her family's house burned down when she was still a young girl. She was at school on the playground. The children could see the smoke from the fire in the distance. One of the boys teased her that it was her family's house burning Later my mother was informed that it was the house where she lived that had burned. When she got to the home site she saw that there was little left of the place.
Later, a man who was known about town as a drunk and who had sunken into an errant life came to my mother's family with his story of change. After the house fire, he had looked among the ruins and found on the fireplace mantle a small Bible, lightly singed but otherwise intact. This discovery caused him to evaluate his life and decide to change. He had given up alcohol, and now reconciled with his family was intent on living a useful life. He thanked my mother's father and returned the Bible which eventually ended up in my mother's possession.
Another artifact of fire that I recall seeing when I was a kid was something that one of my friends showed me. My friend's father had a rectangular mass of nails that had been melted together. His father had found them after a fire at a business place. The nails had apparently been inside of a box which had acted as a mold to keep the contents intact after the box itself had burned away. The individual nails could still be seen, but they had been fused into the permanent shape they now held.
I would never want to experience the loss of my home or any of my possessions through a fire. Losing everything I own seems so devastating. Yet people survive these losses and start over. Perhaps there is a certain sense of being unshackled from the binding nature that possessions can hold upon us.
A fire can purge, fuse, or free us. Fire can give us light to help us see, give us heat to make us warm, or unleash energy to provide us a comfortable lifestyle. The flames might be controlled or might be a destructive force gone wild. Fire can be many things but hopefully we are never burned by it.
Do you have a fire in your life that is threatening to go out of control? How do you control the fires that are burning in your life? Is there a fire smoldering within you that you need to let burn?
Be here Monday May 7th for my A to Z Reflections for Tossing It Out. Watch for the Linky list at the A to Z Blog so you can add the link to your Reflections post.
Posted by Arlee Bird at 2:00 AM 29 comments
Labels: Fire, inner conflict, loss
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