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look at this *facepalm*
this is absolutely outrageous....
You've probably heard the news about the recently-enacted Tennessee law allowing public school teachers to deny human evolution, global warming, and also apparently whatever aspects of biology offend religious sensibilities. So, basically, not only will teachers be permitted to not teach anything about these scientific subjects, but will be permitted to lie to their students about them and/or teach religion in place of science. In other words, they've mandated statewide, taxpayer-funded child abuse in their schools. But you may not have heard of some of the other scientific facts Tennessee's children are no longer permitted to know about...
10. Procreating with siblings is a bad idea
The TN legislature thought general knowledge of this fact would unfairly stigmatize the majority of its members whose parents are siblings, and also limit families' options for making babies - something the Pro-Life community has decried as "stealth abortion." Focus on the Family TN spokesman Richard Puller had this to say: "There is ample biblical precedent for having children with siblings. How else did the children of Adam and Eve have children of their own?" The Tennessee Medical Association could not be reached for comment due to its physicians having been burned as witches.
9. Smoking causes cancer
The sponsor of the legislation in the TN House, Bill Dunn (R - Under Some Rock), opined on the lesser-known clause challenging anti-smoking education: "As the Good Book tells us in Numbers 29:36, a burnt offering has an aroma pleasing to the Lord - so how can it be that smoke, which is a product of burning something (until we in the TN legislature say otherwise), could possibly cause cancer?" Dunn went on to also question the existence of cancer, and support alternative theories to explain deaths associated with it. "We can't just dismiss demon possession as a possible cause. It's about time doctors and hospitals took that into account."
8. The human brain
Science has identified the brain as the seat of consciousness, but that theory has recently been challenged by cutting-edge research among Tennessee pastors and spiritual mediums. "We feel that the location of the human soul is in the descending colon," said Richard Smalls, spokesman for Fanatics and Fantasists Against Reality Tolerance - a trade association of preachers, haruspices, dowsers, and TV psychics. "This is the view that should be taught in schools, so FFART applauds this legislation as a crucial first step." However, opinion among the bill's supporters was not uniform on the question of what should be taught in place of scientific fact. Prominent Memphis evangelical leader Richard Payne has promoted the inner rectum as the location of the human soul, and insists both viewpoints should be taught. "But decent folk of both perspectives can agree: Thank God we have banished the brain from Tennessee education."
7. Temperature
Scientists alarmed by the anti-climate science provisions of the bill inundated legislators with data showing consistent increases in average global temperatures since the Industrial Revolution. In response, the bill was amended to include temperature as a concept that would not be taught in Tennessee public schools. "They talk about increasing temperatures, but what is temperature? No one knows," said Richard Richard Richardson III, spokesman for the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce. When told that temperature is a measure proportional to the average kinetic energy of matter particles, Richardson forcefully reiterated "I said No one knows," and had reporters escorted from the conference room by armed security personnel. Champions of the addendum noted that it would save health insurance companies millions by refusing care to those with fevers, since there is no longer any legal basis to say they are sick.
6. The periodic table of elements
Few are aware of the recent controversy between chemists and Creationists over the question of how many elements there are, and what comprises them. Chemists contend that there are currently 118 known elements composed of atoms - nuclei of protons and neutrons surrounded by electrons - and theorize that many more probably exist under conditions that are difficult to reproduce. Some in religious conservative circles, however, favor a return to "traditional" chemistry with four elements - Earth, air, fire, and water - composed of four distinct types of aethers that represent the Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost, and the Republican Party. In the words of TN Senate co-sponsor Bo Watson (R - Primordial Ooze), "Students of our great state will now be taught the cutting-edge in Byzantine alchemy."
5. Electricity
A recent power outage in Nashville has sparked discussion among prominent Tennesseeans about what kind of sinfulness the Lord was punishing by shutting off the city's electricity for 3 hours. Initial speculation held that it was the presence of Jews in the city, but eventually a consensus developed around a more basic problem: The very concept of electricity is blasphemous, and the Lord Our God was telling the people of Tennessee to stop attributing their ability to have light in the darkness to secular physics. "We have strayed, O Lord!" cried Pastor William William Williams III of the local Holy Hosannah Hallelujah Faith Ministries Incorporated, All Rights Reserved church. "We have given credit for our lamps and our TVs to a false idol! Let not our children be deceived as we have been deceived by Satan's minions Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison!"
The TN state legislature was swift to act in the aftermath of the outage, replacing education in electricity with lectures on the Light of God, and mandating that all secular power plants be replaced with Power of Prayer engines by the end of the decade - a date the legislature insisted was necessary, as the Day of Judgment is currently scheduled for 2020. However, at the insistence of oil and coal industry representatives, the date was pushed back to 2030. "We can expect that Christ would be delayed at Customs upon his return, so pushing back the date is reasonable," said Thomas Thomas Thomson III, spokesman for the Heartland Institute.
The religious community, meanwhile, has largely been accepting of the delay. "The Lord Our God is not a Communist, and does not go around making demands of private enterprise," said churchgoer Cletus Cletus McCletus III. "Santorum 2012!" he added.
4. Mathematics
A recent Heritage Foundation study found widespread opposition among true Americans to teaching mathematics in public schools. Spokesman Evan Evan Evanson III described the study: "What we found is that 100% of true American parents resented having their children coming home with all this secular brainwashing about 2 + 2 = 4. Well, excuse me Comrade, but 2 + 2 equals whatever the Lord Our God wishes it to equal at any given time. It may be that he wishes it to equal 3, or 5, or the color orange, and saying otherwise is rebellion against God. Parents want Satanic arithmetic kept out of schools."
The Tennessee legislature apparently agrees, as mathematics will no longer be taught in public schools in the state. Instead, math curricula will consist exclusively of reciting, reflecting upon, and learning how to practically apply the equation God + God = God. On state standardized tests, one third of a student's grade will based upon their answering every math-related question with suitably humble deference to God. Find x in the equation 2x - 3 = 5. The answer is: x = God. "Frankly, it's about time we did something like this," said Clark Clark Clarkson III, president of the Tennessee Evangelical Conference. "Math was invented by a lot of Greek faggots and dirty Arabs, and I just don't think it belongs in an American public school being taught to decent white Christian children."
3. Gravity
Have you ever stumbled, dropped something, or felt the weight of something on aching muscles? Tennessee wants you to know that it feels your pain, and is finally doing something about it! "Last year I drunk-drove off a cliff and fractured a rib," said TN Republican Party Chair Eustace P. Poltypont, "And ever since then, I've been agonizing over what could possibly have caused such a catastrophe. It obviously wasn't my drinking - I'm drunk every day, but I've only ever driven off the road a few dozen times this year. And then it hit me: Gravity."
Following the completely unavoidable accident, Poltypont started an activist group seeking to end the ravages of gravity - Southern Patriots Against Newtonian Kruelty - that has blamed the phenomenon for countless deaths, equipment failures, and economic losses that have been incurred ever since it began being taught in schools. "Did you ever hear about people falling off ladders before Isaac Newton came along? Of course you haven't - no, no, shut up, I'm talking - no one has ever heard of such thing. So I've called together a diverse panel of experts from all the various Pentecostal churches of Tennessee, and we've come up with an explanation: Gravity is actually a demonic curse inflicted on the world by Isaac Newton himself, and perpetuated by people believing in it."
Upon receiving copies of the panel's report, the TN legislature convened an emergency session to discuss what to do about it and promptly banned gravity from public education, judicial proceedings, and aircraft maneuvers over Tennessee airspace. "No longer will this state be enslaved to an invisible force other than God - especially one as heathenous as to prove its own existence empirically," said state Senator Something Somethingson (R - Up His Own Ass). "I hereby declare Tennessee gravity-free!" The Senator then attempted to walk straight off the podium without using the stairs, and screamed in shock and outrage as the floor came rushing toward his face. Several prominent physicists have been arrested on suspicion of casting the gravitic hex on the Senator.
2. Earth is round
As an addendum to the clause banning gravity, the bill also stated that since a round Earth could no longer be theoretically justified, the planet was henceforth declared flat. Observers have noted that the legislation leaves open the possibility of investigating what shape the flat Earth takes - a square, a circle, an octagon, or something more complicated - but most expect an official ruling on the matter to declare in favor of a cross with a dollar sign at its center. The addendum makes it a capital offense to arrive in any location in Tennessee by having taken a route in the opposite direction.
1. Earth revolves around the Sun
As Lucifer means "Light Bearer," and the Sun is the brightest source of light in the sky, many Tennesseans are uneasy with the idea of a heliocentric solar system. They are also highly suspicious about the motives of Nicolaus Copernicus in having first advanced the idea - a man whom many highly-educated conservative scholars suspect was not even an American. Tennessee's academic community has been at a loss trying to come up with a theory explaining how the flat, cross-shaped Earth could move around a Sun made of burning coals without resorting to the banned theories of gravity or atomic elements. As a result, education officials have instead come to support the model advanced by both prominent religious activists and business associations - that the Sun moves around the flat Earth, and is a big lamp held up by non-union angels paid market wages: A sign from God as to what He considers the proper approach to economic policy.
Views: 2526
Wait, are they seriously going to outlaw the teaching of these things in Tennessee?
I think Jessica is indulging in a bit of POE here. My problem is that I'd swear that SOME fundamentalists are so off the rails that they would actually consider taking the above seriously ... and I have a real difficult problem finding that funny in any way, shape or form.
I'm not familiar witht he term POE. I think it stands for "Power over Ethernet" but I don't see what that has to do with this. Anyway, I wasn't trying to make a joke about this, I was wondering if it was true out of concern for the children attending Tennessee Public Schools.
I was referring to Poe's Law, a phenomenon I am seeing more and more as regards some atheists' approach to mocking religion and believers. My problem with such humor is simple: it ain't funny to me when it's THAT close to the stupid truth.
Term POE.
In blogging and other online commentary,
Poe's Law states:
"Without a winking, smiley, or other blatant display of humor, it is impossible to create a parody of Fundamentalism that SOMEONE won't mistake for the real thing.
I'm just sharing this you know. Someone posted this on FB on a page I liked, and when I read it I was pretty shocked. It might be a joke, but I don't know.
This came from the Daily Kos, April 11 this year. Byline Troubadour. One of his humor blogs. He writes serious blogs too, but alot of humorous ones also. This was one of the latter.
LOL Shouldn't this be in the POE group instead serious "Politics"?
Oops, I replied before reading the comments. Sorry for redundancy.
this is how bad things have become - Jessica saw this on FB and thought it was REAL. Chris saw it here and thought it was real. Loren is right, it's not funny when it's so close to the truth.
I was half way through before I even realized it was a joke. It doesn't sound too far fetched.
i definitely think one side will win the culture wars, i just really hope that it's us (non crazy religious zealots). i try have faith in young people to correct the mistakes of previous generations while doing my part in the meantime. for now all we can do is try to keep the scales balanced.
I've actually discussed this with my father on several occasions. He just can't accept that the American sense of fair play doesn't extend beyond the realms of politics and civil rights. It doesn't extend to education. And when I'm actually very close to making my point, he just says we need to drop the subject. This is a guy who does believe in evolution and refutes creationism and he's OK with it being taught in our public schools because it "respects people's sacred beliefs". He says "Who are teachers to tell people that their beliefs are wrong?" They're teachers, that's who they are.
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Morpheus Is Dead
Posted by Charles Leake Categories: PC, Role Playing Games,
Monolith Productions, keeping it promise to make it worthwhile to play The Matrix Online, has gone and done the unthinkable. They went and killed off Morpheus, the main sage in the Matrix and the captain of the human hovership Nebuchadnezzar. Not only is Morpheus dead in The Matrix Online, but he is also now dead in all the future works set in the Matrix Universe after the trilogy. This is because anything that happens in Matrix Online is canon and automatically becomes part of the Matrix universe.
Click to continue reading Morpheus Is Dead
MSN South Korea Website Booby Trapped
Posted by Kristin Wenzel Categories: Internet,
Microsoft had to scramble to clean their South Korean portal recently and admitted the site had been hacked and booby-trapped to capture unknowing users passwords. The site has been declared safe and clean once again, but they are unsure how many users may have been affected. As always, Microsoft is at the forefront of the security scene!
Read More | Wired News
Xbox Keyboard and Mouse Adapter
Posted by Edwin Soto Categories: Accessories, Video Games,
Who says the Xbox is a computer in a box disguised at a video game system? Apparently, Brando's shop does. So go ahead, and buy this: unplug the keyboard in front of you, unplug your mouse, plug this adapter in, plug your keyboard, then plug in your mouse. Now get to fragging.
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The iPod photo update, rumored to be version 1.2 for now, will likely include Tetris and other games. Also, they will update the software with a few more add-ons like slideshows for your images and even games for your photos. The slideshows will likely include several visual effects such as fades, wipes, mosaic, and cube effects. No word yet when apple intends to release the update.
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Xbox Keyboard and Mouse Adapter
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I can't tell you how many times I've encountered whiners that say they can't play Halo against me because they lack a keyboard and mouse. Complain no more my newbies: Brando's shop is offering this gem for you to take 'em to school for a reasonably priced $25. It even comes pre-configured for the most popular best selling games out right now. Time to look like a complete dork at the next Xbox LAN party, so bring it on.
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Granny To Attempt Q*Bert World Record
Posted by Charles Leake Categories: Retro, Strategy,
Doris Self, of Fort Lauderdale, may be a grandmother in her 80's, but she is not giving up on her quest to regain the world highest score in Q*Bert. In fact, she is trying to regain her throne, which she held until 1985. Her quest to regain the world highest score started when champion video game player Billy Mitchell called her up and offered to loan her a Q*Bert video game machine to break the record. Doris jumped at the chance to regain her titles and has given up bridge and poker to practice day and night to claim her place in history. "I was sad when I lost the title I had held for twenty years," laments Doris. "Then I got a call from gaming legend Billy Mitchell, who offered to loan me a Q*bert machine to practice on and win back my title. Billy made me promise that I would give up poker and practice Q*bert everyday." With Mitchell support, Doris plans to break the Q*Bert record by June 5, during an annual gathering of classic gamers at Funspot in Weirs Beach, NH.
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DVD Kids Remote Control
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What we appreciate about this particular piece of gadgetry is the simplicity by which the target market can use it. Not all younglings are as tech-minded as mine (he is 17 months old, and can turn on anything, unlock any cell phone, and hates all "toy versions" of expensive electronics), which is why the DVD Kids Remote Control is a winner. Just the shape alone pretty much guarantees that the child will point it in the right direction, saving hours of frustration and tantrum throwing. DVD Kids will be putting out special DVD's for use with the remote that will allow children to interact with the characters on the screen.
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Vestax Portable Turntable
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A Little Inspiration
Posted by Andru Edwards - Categories: Planning,
While this isn't directly related to online business, I think it's always good to have goals to work towards, even if it's an outlandishly priced yacht or home. Forbs has compiled several lists of 2005's most expensive statements of success and a few other things to blow your hard earned money on:
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Mind Control Spray
Posted by Troy Categories: Misc. Tech,
To the best of our knowledge this doesn't actually exist yet, but it seems scientists are getting closer every day. Researchers at the University of Zurich had volunteers inhale the peptide oxytocin before investing in a faux transaction. The group that took the oxytocin turned out to trust the fake investment bankers more than the group with a placebo, proving oxytocin's ability to enhance trust in human relationships.
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Welcome to my "on-line office". It is my hope that this site will keep you informed and up-to-date on state issues and pending legislation.
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Kingdom of Faq
- 1 Proposed Canon
- 2 Speculation
- 3 Real World References
Proposed Canon
The Kingdom of Faq is a Capital Side in Erfworld. It was destroyed, but has been restored with Queen Jillian as its Ruler.Erf-b1.5-p037 It is now a member of the Royal Crown Coalition II. Count Vinny Doombats is the liaison between Faq and Transylvito, and Jillian's lover. Jillian has formed a secret alliance with Charlie. Since the fall of Unaroyal, Don King has been sending substantial resources to Faq over the objections of his Chief Warlord Caesar Borgata.
Faq consists of a Capital of the same name and two subordinate cities. It is surrounded with mountains on all sides and accessible only by air and tunnel.Erf-b1-p082 This Terrain makes it much easier to defend Faq against a numerically superior army.
King Banhammer was the last Ruler of Faq prior to its fall. Jillian Zamussels was his daughter and a heir to the throne.
Known Characters
- King Banhammer -- Royal Ruler, Deceased
- Queen Jillian Zamussels -- former Royal Warlord and Heir, former Barbarian mercenary, current Ruler
- Lady Wanda Firebaugh -- Croakamancer, currently employed by Lord Stanley the Tool
- Jack Snipe -- Foolamancer, currently employed by Stanley the Tool
- Duncan Scone Level 6 Warlord, Formerly Jitterati
- Vanna, Turnamancer Formerly employed by Unaroyal
- Five newly created Warlords, two of which are level 2, one of which is possibly named Danny or Dave.
- Royal Heir likely to be popped at some point after Turn 84 After BoGK.
(In Turn 18 After BoGK)
- Faq -- Level 4, Capital. The city of Faq has unusual defenses, which seem specifically designed to defend against Dwagon attacks.
- Otoh -- Level 2, farming
- Kibo -- Level 2, farming
City of Faq
Description of the Capital City of Faq from Erf-b1.5-p037:
- "It was circular, sharp, and shining.
- The outer "walls" were useless against siege, even worse than Transylvito's. They consisted of a ring of stone teeth with a reflective coating of tin, inward-curving towers that terminated in spoon-like roosts for gwiffons and megalogwiffs. There was no gate. Vinny simply flew between these pillars and entered the city. A horn somewhere announced him as an arriving allied unit.
- The garrison was a set of six more teeth, much taller, fortified with solid walls that joined them like webbing. Three of these walls had gated archways, adorned with Gothic patterns in wrought iron and stone.
- At the center of the garrison rose a tower constructed with all the ferocity of Jillian's imagination. It was shaped something like a white marble palm tree. The trunk was a twist of six massive columns, tapering slightly as they reached straight upward. The top of the tower was a miniature fortress, a bristle of glass and hard spikes, with ledges and platforms where many dozens of flyers could land, or hundreds of defenders could lurk."
The Peaceful Kingdom
King Banhammer sought a peaceful, non-violent existence for his Kingdom, and so avoided combat that put his nation at risk. He relied heavily on the use of magic and had multiple Casters, including a PredictamancerErf-b1-p082, a Croakamancer (Wanda Firebaugh), and a Foolamancer (Jack Snipe)Erf-b1-p107.
When enemy units appeared nearby (usually passing through his territory unaware a nation existed there), the Predictamancer was able to lay out the route the force would follow, allowing Jack to Veil one City at a time; thus, he managed to keep the location of Faq hidden until Wanda revealed the existence of Faq to Stanley.
Mercenary Work
Although the kingdom had mines and farms, King Banhammer found it necessary to send its units to do mercenary work, in order to supplement the treasury.Erf-b1-p082 Jillian assumed command over these mercenaries after she had problems with King Banhammer. Her employment as a mercenary provided her with combat experience that helped her reach a relatively high level. This left her in the field when Wanda conspired with Stanley to attack Faq, and subsequently left her with all the mercenaries as a Barbarian force. Jillian remains the only known former Faq Unit that is not working for Stanley the Tool.
Fall of Faq
The Predictamancer foretold the eventual fall of the kingdom of Faq. This led King Banhammer to order an heir popped: that Unit was Jillian Zamussels. The two failed to get along, and so Jillian took service leading Faq's mercenaries far from the Kingdom.
Wanda had been given a second Prediction: she would one day attune to an Arkentool. This would lead her to desperate measures in finding her destiny. She eventually learned of Stanley the Plaid, a Warlord in the service of King Saline IV at the time, who had attuned to the Arkenhammer. Thinking to take this Arkentool from him, she conspired with Stanley to bring him to Faq. Her intent was to see Stanley die in the attack on her side. She had over-estimated Faq's defenses, and so Stanley succeeded in destroying and pillaging Faq, ending the side.
The mercenaries, including Jillian, became Barbarians as a result of the loss of their side and continued their lives as they had been living, but seeking information on their homeland whenever possible. Jillian is the only human unit known to survive this lifestyle, but she is not yet aware of Wanda's part in the destruction of Faq. Jillian is the only known Faq unit that is not working for Stanley the Tool.
Faq is located in the vicinity of the Kingdom of Transylvito. Transylvito units passed by Faq (although not seeing it) periodically.Erf-b1-p138 It is located deep within the High Mountains, nearly impassible except for fliers and tunnelers.Erf-b1-p099
It is northeast of Carport of the Carpudlians side.
Transylvito is to the south of Faq, with Jitterati to the northwest and Gobwin Knob to the east.
Under Banhammer, the livery of Faq was green, Far Eastern styled clothing.
Under Jillian, the livery is now silver and white.
Natural Allies
Faq acquired the mountain capable Western Giants as natural allies after the Giants betrayed their former allies Jitterati.
At the time of this writing (Summer Update 38), it appears that Don King does not expect Jillian to participate in the war for at least 60 turns. He has ordered Jillian to pop a Royal Heir, which means Faq's armies will grow much more slowly than they would otherwise have done. Because Faq's isolation and terrain makes it well suited for defense, it may be that Don envisions Faq becoming a defensive fortress where he or his Royal Heir can survive, even if Stanley destroys Transylvito. Jillian and Don are still unaware that Stanley the Tool has a growing army of fliers that includes Dwagons and Archons that could threaten Transylvito. But since Stanley has attacked Transylvito in the past, Don King may believe he will attack again soon. If he decides that Transylvito is about to fall to Stanley, Don could conceivably adopt Stanley's escape plan, and send his Heir, with the remaining flying Vampires, Goyles, and Doombats to Faq. Once there, they would become Mercenaries, whom Jillian could hire.
Faqian Philosophy
Under King Banhammer, Faq was devoted to the study of philosophy. There may have been a correlation between the names of the towns and the style of philosophy practiced there. Philosophers in the capital sought to answer Frequently Asked Questions. Philosophers in Kibo were very critical of other philosopher's reasoning, deriding it as Knowledge In, Boop Out. Philosophers in Otoh, On The Other Hand, saw value on the arguments of both Faq and Kibo.
In the future, Faqian philosophy may develop in directions pleasing to Queen Jillian. For example, both the institution of Royalty and the Arkentools were created by the Titans. This suggests they may both have a role to play in the Titan's Plan. According to this line of reasoning, Stanley's great crime is to attempt to use one aspect of the Titan's Plan, the Arkentools, to destroy another aspect, Royalty. The rejection of the Arkentools by the members of the Royal Crown Coalition is equally objectionable. Jillian's efforts to combine the powers of Royalty and the Arkentools, by allying with Charlie, and possibly by attempting to persuade Wanda to return to Faq with the Arkenpliers, represents the true will of the Titans.
Natural Allies
Western Giants
Given their willingness to change sides, Western Giants may be Free Agents. This could cause problems for Jillian later, since Parson could offer them a new contract. Given that they are Heavy Units, which probably can't move through tunnels, and that Faq is only accessible by air or through tunnels, it seems likely that the only way they can enter or leave Faq is if they are carried by a powerful Flyer like a megalogwiffs. This could give them a long term reason to remain friendly with Jillian. It seems likely they can attack dwagons and other flying Units by hitting some sort of round object with their long, thin clubs, causing the objects to fly through the air with great speed before hitting their targets.
Tunnel Fighters
Faq's only avenue of attack for ground units are a system of Tunnels. They would benefit from a force of tunnel fighters. Two possible types of unit which could fill these roles are Marbits and Gobwins. Given the problems Stanley is having finding Gobwins, it's possible that Charlie has helped Jillian forge an alliance with the Gobwins.
Real World References
The name is a pun on FAQ. There are a lot of Frequently Asked Questions about Erfworld; fortunately, there have been many answers, or the name wouldn't work out too well.
Faq is also a pun on "The Eternal Questions," such as 'Who am I?', 'What do I want?', 'What is my purpose for being?', 'Is there an afterlife?', 'What is my role in society?', etc.


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By Rev. Kelly Demo, CFCA preacher
Upon my return from a mission awareness trip to El Salvador, my children were greatly interested in the details of the trip. I told them about our day spent on a volcano, showed them a jar of sand from the beach and pictures of all the beautiful people I met. And, I kept wistfully talking about pupusas, calling them ìSalvadoran comfort food.î
We decided to make pupusas, and we had the most fun! They are so simple to make and so wonderful to eat. The best part, however, was how making dinner together easily fell into a lesson about solidarity. For instance: at first, our dough was too dry. As I went to the sink for more water, I started talking about how hard it often is for the women to get water and how easy it is for us. The kids asked questions about where the water comes from for the Salvadorans and began to understand how a simple faucet is a luxury.
As we pulled the cheese from the refrigerator, my daughter asked me how they keep things cold with no electricity. So, we talked about how they have to go to market every day to buy food since people in developing countries generally donít have a refrigerator. (My kids hate going to the grocery store, so the idea of going to market every day really hit home!)
Below is the recipe for pupusas (they are super easy for kids to make), but we encourage you to do a little research to find kid-friendly recipes from the country where your sponsored friend lives. As you cook with your children or grandchildren, talk with them about what it must be like for their friend to cook. How is it the same? How is it different? Tell them what an indescribable luxury meat is in most countries, but how easily we have access to it here. Have them picture walking up to a mile to fetch water for cooking (this is often the job of children in a family).
(Please supervise children closely during the cooking.)
2 c. Masa harina (this is a corn flour that can be found in most grocery stores)
1 c. Water
Filling can be grated cheese, refried beans, veggies, whatever!
1. In a bowl mix the Masa harina and water. Knead it well. If you need to, add a teaspoon of water at a time to get a consistency similar to play dough. Set the dough aside to rest for 10 minutes.
2. Roll a ball of dough a little smaller than the size of a baseball and, with your thumb, press a hole in the middle. Pinch the sides a bit to make the hole bigger. Put some of the filling in the hole and pinch it shut. Now comes the fun part. Slap the dough from hand to hand, pressing it out flat. But make sure none of the filling leaks out. They should end up about º – Ω inch thick.
3. Heat an ungreased skillet over medium heat. Cook each pupusa for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown on each side. Serve with salsa.
Related links
Serious fun, part 1
Serious fun: Creative play
Make Filipino oatmeal soup
CFCA food benefits in Kenya


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Noel S. Webb 8/31/2006 6:48:53 AMWow what a great shot! #513746
KV Day 9/23/2006 8:14:06 AMThis is just too darn cute! What a great capture!! #3349751
Kay E. Mahoney 9/26/2006 4:52:33 PMCongratulations on your adorable finalist. Good luck in the next round. #3365830
KV Day 9/26/2006 6:55:50 PMCongrats on your finalist, Stephen! #3367458
She-She Killough 9/26/2006 10:54:46 PMAWWWWW..... I LOVE THIS!!!!! Congrats Stephen on this awesome finalist!! #3369654
Alison Greenwood 9/27/2006 2:20:04 AMWhat a sweet shot Stephen! I LOVE IT! Congrats on your finalist :o) #3370490
Stephen R. Laughlin 9/27/2006 5:19:29 AMThank you for all of your compliments. All I can say is, "right place, right time". Oh, and my little man is the best model Fruit Loops can buy. #3371398
Alana Ibe 9/27/2006 7:16:52 AMFABULOUS!!!!! Congratulations!!!! A great slice of life!!!!! #3372277
Donna La Mattino Pagakis 9/27/2006 11:26:48 PMReally cute, congratulations! #3377172
Daniella Puente 9/28/2006 2:06:24 PMThis is just...EXCELLENT! so wonderful capture...I could see it for hours :o) #3381265
Michelle Lea Guinn 9/28/2006 3:59:56 PMWay too CUTE!!! Congratulations on your finalist!!! mlg~ #3381651
Kerby Pfrangle 9/28/2006 11:49:45 PMCongratulations on your first place winner. Darling image. #3382876
Janine Russell 9/29/2006 12:14:28 AMStephen, cute capture; congratulations on your First Place win. #3382983
KV Day 9/29/2006 4:31:45 AMCongrats on your win! Well deserved #3384260
Helen N. McHugh 9/29/2006 4:39:45 AMSo cute!! Congratulations Stephen!!!! #3384298
Ross Throndson 9/29/2006 5:38:06 AMVery Cute Shot, Stephen....FANTASTIC... Congratulations!! :^) #3384622
Viveca Venegas 9/29/2006 5:39:31 AMI love this photo, it is wonderful! Bravo for this lovely win #3384629
Stephen R. Laughlin 9/29/2006 5:44:44 AMWow! I'm truly honored to be the winner in this category. This is a huge surprise, especially after viewing the competition this month. Congratulations to all of the finalists and winners! #3384659
Kay E. Mahoney 9/29/2006 6:36:11 AMCongratulations on your adorable 1st place winner. #3384979
Wendy Stevenson 9/29/2006 7:57:33 AMThis is soooo adorable. What a wonderful wonderful image Stephen! Congratulations on this most deserved FIRST PLACE WIN!!! #3385557
She-She Killough 9/29/2006 8:01:21 AMThis is SOOOO ONE of my all time favorites! So Deserving of a FIRST PLACE WIN!!! WTG!!! #3385575
Alana Ibe 9/29/2006 8:52:21 AMSO totally incredibly precious!!!! I agree, VERY deserving!!!! Congratulations!!!!!!! #3385873
Terry L. Ellis 9/29/2006 10:09:18 AMStephen, congratulations on this superb First Place win! So adorably charming! #3386265
Michelle Lea Guinn 9/29/2006 10:32:12 AMCongratulations on your first place win!!! mlg~ #3386405
Colette M. Metcalf 9/29/2006 12:04:54 PMCongratulations on this adorable capture!! #3386728
Melissa G. Meiselman 9/29/2006 12:32:57 PMCongratulations on your first place win, Stephen!!!! #3386854
Mary Clarke 9/29/2006 4:35:45 PMCongratulations Stephen, lovely image #3387727
RC Fritz 9/29/2006 5:18:12 PMCongratulations Stephen. Wonderful image! #3387831
Kay Beausoleil 9/29/2006 5:49:58 PMCongratulations, Stephen, on your first place win for this sweet image! #3387961
Evy Johansen 9/29/2006 6:48:14 PMWow... this is an awesome capture, Stephen! Big congratulatins on your well deserved win!! #3388194
Susana Ms Heide 9/29/2006 8:01:24 PMCute, cute, cute!!! Made me smile! Congrats on your WIN!! #3388573
Sherry S. Boles 9/29/2006 11:46:12 PMCongrats on your win, Stephen...This is adorable!! #3388942
Nan Fischer 9/30/2006 6:19:40 AMWhat a sweet shot! And I love the b&w. Congratulations on your win! #3389849
Alison Greenwood 9/30/2006 11:29:22 AMI know a winner when I see one! Shame I can't take one lol. Many many congrats on your winner Stephen! :o) #3390719
Donna La Mattino Pagakis 9/30/2006 2:55:16 PMReally wonderful first place winning image! Congratulations!!! #3391263
Cora Miller 10/1/2006 2:51:22 PMSo adorable! Congratulations on your win. #3394874
Crystal Zacharias 10/2/2006 6:34:46 PMAdorable photo. Love it! Looks like a shot that I would have enjoyed getting. Congrats on your win! (One day I might get one too) #3400116
Tonya Shackelford 10/3/2006 8:47:30 AMCongrats on your win!! What a cute image!!! #3402545
Nobu Nagase 10/8/2006 1:21:44 PMCongrats on your great win!!! #3423124
Cathy M. Gromball 10/13/2006 9:33:21 AMCongratulations on your First Place win, Stephen! Absolutely adorable!
Cathy :) #3444749
ronda chatelle 10/25/2006 4:07:12 PMSENSATIONAL Stephen! Excellent composition, clarity and emotional depth. Love your choice to use black and white. VERY DESERVING 1st place win!!!! #3498418
Glenda H. Travis 10/28/2006 6:54:12 PMDon't know how I missed this one! Love it...love it...love it! Congrats!
Debbie Ealer 9/9/2007 12:11:37 PMabsolutely adorable!!! incredible photo!! #4768468
Exif: FNumber: 14, ExposureBiasValue: 0/3, ExposureTime: 0.002, Flash: flash did not fire, ISO: 800, WhiteBalance:
Uploaded on 8/30/2006 7:17:26 PM
Camera: Canon EOS 30D Digital SLR Camera
Copyright for this gallery photo belongs solely to Stephen R. Laughlin. Images may not be copied, downloaded, or used in any way without the expressed, written permission of the photographer.
Log in to follow or message this photographer or report this photo.


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Why did Tommy exit the theater? He just need more drama. OMG PLEASE BILL AND CATHI SURVIVEEEEE
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Great collections of Cheating Quotes, Sayings about Cheaters and Liars Messages and Pictures. Cheating Quotes There's Nothing Wrong with Material things as Long as You don't Lie, Cheat and Steal. – Bikram Choudhury Cheaters Never Win and Winners Never Cheat. Don't Cheat if You are not Happy Just Leave. Cheating is Easy. Try Something Different Like Being Faithful. …Read More »
Home » Cheating Quotes


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Linked by Thom Holwerda on Wed 27th Jan 2010 15:14 UTC, submitted by historyb
For the longest time, the default search provider in Ubuntu Linux has been Google, but this is going to change in the next release, Lucid Lynx, scheduled to release April 29. The change comes after Canonical has signed a revenue sharing deal with Yahoo!, so you can imagine who the new default search provider will be.
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RE[3]: Lame
by jyoungxxxx on Wed 27th Jan 2010 19:33 UTC in reply to "RE[2]: Lame"
RE[4]: Lame
by Slambert666 on Thu 28th Jan 2010 10:56 in reply to "RE[3]: Lame"
The community will never be bought off.
What community are you talking about?
The developers paid to work on linux by commercial companies?
The users, using Google and/or Ubuntu?
These users has already been enslaved by the imperialistic multinational capital a long time ago.
You must either be talking about some "community" that I have never heard about or you are naive to the point of being ridiculous.
So what is it? please enlighten me....


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El Monte RV Exec Meets Legendary Jerry West
November 28, 2010 by RVBusiness · Comments Off on El Monte RV Exec Meets Legendary Jerry West
In a first-time meeting Ken Schork, president of El Monte RV, met Jerry West at the 2010 Southern California Golf Association Foundation dinner promoting education and character development of Southern California Youth through golf.
One of West's nicknames throughout his amazing basketball career was "Clutch." He was a star athlete at West Virginia University in the late 1950s at the same time Schork was attending West Virginia Wesleyan University.
"He was the biggest thing in West Virginia," said Schork of West. "We both graduated from West Virginia universities in 1960. I've followed him all of my adult life and finally had the opportunity to meet him."
In 1959 Jerry West led the West Virginia Mountaineers to the NCAA championship game where he was awarded Most Valuable Player. In 1960 he led the U.S. men's Olympic basketball team to a gold medal as co-captain. His NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers included 14 all-star teams and 14 all-NBA teams and an NBA championship. Later he went into executive management in the NBA. West graduated from West Virginia University in 1960
Headquartered in Los Angeles, El Monte RV is one of America's leading motorhome and RV rental and sales companies, catering to both international and domestic travelers. The company has experienced rapid growth throughout the United States. El Monte RV is the only nationwide motorhome rental company to offer the larger Class A luxury vehicles for rent.


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19th February 2013
Alicante Spring Festival: indie, house & electronic music on March 23rd
On Saturday 23rd March, the fifth edition of Alicante Spring Festival , a great electronic, indie and house music festival, will bring us virtuous music artists. It will start at 12 noon, and they will be offering paella to the first attendees, and the festival itself will last about 16-18 hours. Like on the previous edition, there will be 2 individualized stages: the 'Tribute to Ibiza' one, with Electronic and House music; and CAFÉ POP, with live indie and indietronic music. Who: Artists The Institución Ferial Alicantina (IFA – the Alicante Trade Fair) will vibrate with the music of 26 […]


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As a global climate conference enters the home stretch, it's likely that the 194 nations represented will reach some consensus on how to respond to the emissions that are warming the planet. But details on how tough those measures will be remain buried under a sea of competing national interests and economic worries.
The talks, due to wrap up Friday or early Saturday, are likely to finalize a massive fund to help poor countries cope with climate change. And indications are strong the conference could end with an agreement to begin the next phase in a battle to control heat-trapping greenhouse gases.
But Durban could also be the place where the only treaty that has governed carbon emissions from the industrial world, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, breaks down, several years before anything is likely to replace it.
The slow pace of dealing with the core problem of rising temperatures is dispiriting delegates from small islands on the edge of survival, and from activists impatient with the familiar posturing of climate negotiations.
"Waiting is going to be a disaster for us," said Samuela Alivereti Saumatua, Fiji's environment minister, who said the Pacific island this month relocated its first coastal village because of climate-related flooding and unseasonable cyclones.
"We have cyclones now at any time of the year. We have flash floods in the coastal areas. Water supply is being salinated. Food security is going to be a problem. We are desperately looking at how we will deal with the situation," he told reporters.
The conference in this coastal city along the Indian Ocean began Nov. 28. It is the latest meeting to seek incremental steps after attempts were abandoned two years ago to reach a global agreement on reducing carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
Much of the debate centered on a demand by industrial countries, led by the European Union, to revise the 20-year-old division of the world into rich and poor nations with two levels of responsibility: Rich countries are legally bound to reduce carbon emissions while developing countries take voluntary actions.
"This is the main issue. I don't know how it's going to be resolved," said Argentine Ambassador Sylvia Merega, who leads the 132-nation group known as G77 and China.
The EU won an endorsement from an alliance of small islands and the world's poorest countries — about 120 nations altogether — for its proposal to start negotiations now on a deal to take effect after 2020. Under the EU proposal, all countries would be equally accountable for their global-warming actions. The EU later announced that Brazil — a major power in the developing world — also was lining up with its proposal.
The European Union has said it will not renew its emissions reduction pledges, which expire in one year, unless all countries agree to launch negotiations on a new treaty that would equally oblige all countries — including the world's two largest polluters the United States and China — to control their emissions. The U.S. never ratified the Kyoto Protocol, though it has made voluntary efforts to reduce emissions.
The EU's failure to commit to another five-year reduction period would leave the landmark agreement in place, but gutted of its most important element, and would surely lead to Durban being branded as the protocol's burial ground.
Both China and the U.S. said they would be amenable to the EU proposal, but each attached riders that appeared to hobble its prospects for unanimous acceptance.
The United States, with its eye on Congress that is generally seen as hostile on the climate issue, is concerned about conceding any competitive business advantage to China. Beijing, too, is resisting the notion that it has become a developed country on a par with the U.S. or Europe, saying it still has hundreds of millions of impoverished people.
Activists in Durban have expressed their anger at the U.S. and other countries in many ways.
An American college student was ejected from the conference Thursday after disrupting a speech by U.S. delegate Todd Stern. Police escorted the student, Abigail Borah, 21, from the cavernous plenary of the conference as delegates applauded her removal.
Before she was seized, Borah began reading a speech accusing the U.S. of stonewalling an agreement, but Stern denied that.
"I've heard this from everywhere from ministers to press reports to the very sincere and passionate young woman who was in the hall when I was giving my remarks. I just wanted to be on the record as saying that, that's just a mistake. It is not true," he told reporters later.
A day earlier, six Canadians were thrown out for a similar protest against Canada's Environment Minister Peter Kent.
At a separate meeting Thursday attended by South African President Jacob Zuma, scuffles broke out between his supporters and environmentalists holding up posters reading, "Zuma stand with Africa, not with USA," and "Zuma don't let Africa fry."
Negotiations to provide climate aid for poor countries are less sensitive than talks over mandatory emissions reductions, but even they have proved difficult thanks to the global financial crisis. Some nations are concerned that the envisioned aid, scaling up from $10 billion a year now to $100 billion annually in 2020, will have trouble raising donations from wealthier governments.
"In a time of constraints, in a time of crisis, in a time of tough budgets, people are saying that charity starts at home, that we cannot deal with something noble but medium and long-term like the environment," said Angel Gurria, head of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, an organization of 34 Western countries.
Critical progress has been made on the structure and governance of the Green Climate Fund, which will handle most of the money.
"It's an area actually which is among the most advanced in the negotiations," said Stern, the chief U.S. negotiator. "I don't have any reason to think that that's not going to conclude."


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Obama plan to cut US troops in Afghanistan invites comparisons to Iraq
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WASHINGTON – As the U.S. looks to reduce American and Afghan forces in Afghanistan after 2014, Congress members are making comparisons to Iraq and predicting a sharp decline in troops will quickly lead to increased violence and instability.
At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Thursday, lawmakers pressed the Army general expected to become the top U.S. commander in the Middle East for his assessment of the reduced force.
Army Gen. Lloyd Austin — who oversaw the final U.S. drawdown in Iraq — agreed that plans to sharply decrease the number of Afghan security forces after 2014 could open the door to more Taliban violence. And he said that keeping a larger Afghan force would give the Afghanistan government time to mature and reassure allies of America's commitment to the region.
Under the agreement reached at the NATO summit in Chicago last year, allies would fund an Afghan force of 230,000 after 2014, down from the planned peak of 352,000. It would cost the allies about $4.1 billion annually.
Austin's presence at the hearing, which was convened to consider his nomination to head U.S. Central Command, gave senators the chance to grill him on how many troops he had recommended to remain in Iraq after combat forces were removed. Senators said he recommended between 15,000 and 18,000.
The Obama administration was considering leaving as few as 3,500 after the end of combat operations, but ultimately all were withdrawn because the U.S. could not reach an agreement with the Iraq government on legal protections for American troops.
Austin acknowledged that he had recommended a higher number than the 3,500, but declined to say publicly what it was. He agreed that ongoing violence in Iraq is troubling and that the situation there may not be getting better. He said that if the U.S. military had been able to continue to advise and assist the Iraqi security forces, it would have helped them improve.
Austin declined, however, to give his assessment of the Obama administration's decision to pull 34,000 U.S. troops out of Afghanistan by next year. He said he has not been part of the deliberations but would look into it if he gets the job.
Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., said she's worried that the U.S. will not leave a large enough force in Afghanistan after 2014 to protect the U.S. troops that are there.
The Obama administration has not said how many U.S. troops will remain after 2014, largely because the number depends on ongoing negotiations with the Afghan government. Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., said U.S. commanders in Afghanistan insist that the Afghan security forces are improving and steadily taking the lead on more operations, thus enabling America to reduce its presence there.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said if the Obama administration does not leave at least 9,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan after 2014 he will not support continued funding for the war operation.


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This course provides the student with the necessary skills to handle all sorts of administrative tasks on WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment version 8.0. The course material is practical and "hands-on" and covers a wide range of topics derived from industry experience. We have designed this course to include all the necessary instructions to install the product, try out various administrative tasks and can be used easily to refresh your knowledge after the course has been attended. The course also contains over 850 pages of "How To" guides and more than 300 Power Point slides along with Labs, resources and questions and answers
The course has been written by Steve Robinson who is a well known WebSphere product specialist and the author of several published WebSphere related books.
Duration: 5-10 Days Self Study
- JEE Developers and Administrators having little or some experience with Java Application Servers.
- People looking to upgrade their skills to the Latest version of WebSphere Application Server.
Basic knowledge of JEE concepts & Unix commands is expected. Prior experience in administering any JEE application servers will speed up the learning process and allow you to enjoy the course more, but is not mandatory.
Get it here >>


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Scientists on Friday blamed contaminated vegetable sprouts for the E. coli outbreak that began in northern Germany and that public health officials say has killed 31 people and sickened nearly 3,100 others throughout Europe.
The deadly outbreak prompts this question in America: How safe is our own farm food?
Congress passed the Food Safety Modernization Act late last year after a series of similar, though less severe, outbreaks of food-borne illness in the US. The law, which President Obama signed in January, allows for greatly expanded regulation of domestic and imported fruits and vegetables.
While the law's scope is unprecedented, some gaps remain, as do questions about funding and enforcement.
"It's an important and historic advance in how food will be protected in the United States," says Erik Olson, director of food programs for the Pew Health Group in Washington, D.C.
But, Mr. Olson adds, if the new law is not fully financed and implemented, "We are worried that the kinds of things that are happening in Europe right now could come to our shores at any time."
The Food Safety Modernization Act gives broad new regulatory powers to the Food and Drug Administration, the federal agency responsible for the safety of the processed food, dairy products, and produce that Americans eat. The law, which passed with bipartisan support, authorizes the FDA to inspect food imports, order recalls of tainted food, and regulate safety practices on produce farms.
"The most important thing that it does is give us a focus on prevention," says FDA spokeswoman Siobhan DeLancey. "Instead of being in a position where we have to respond to outbreaks, it puts a responsibility on producers to put into place preventive controls to make sure their food is safe."
When it comes to produce safety, the goal is to keep pathogens away from crops.
Bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella – the most frequently reported sources of food-borne illness – live in animal intestines and travel in feces. To prevent crop contamination, experts say, farmers should focus on the four W's: water, waste, wildlife, and workers.
Still, when fruits and vegetables are eaten raw, there can be no guarantee that the produce is pathogen-free.
"There's no zero-risk in fresh fruits or vegetables," says Betsy Bihn, coordinator of a farm safety training program operated out of Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., and funded in part by the FDA and the US Department of Agriculture. "The best we can do is reduce risk and do the things that make the most sense."
Reducing risk is the foundation of the new food safety law, which for the first time empowers the FDA to regulate the safety practices of produce farmers. Though the FDA won't propose its new regulations until next year, the law requires the rules to focus on soil treatment, worker hygiene, packaging, temperature controls, animals in the growing area, and water.
Though the Germany-based E. coli outbreak is the latest reminder of the high cost of food contamination, a series of outbreaks in the US led to the Food Safety Modernization Act.
In recent years, salmonella outbreaks in the US were linked to cantaloupe, alfalfa sprouts, and jalapeño peppers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. In 2006, 199 people were sickened and at least three died after eating spinach contaminated with E. coli.
The FDA released a detailed farm safety manual in 1998. But because the agency lacked regulatory powers, the safety measures were simply recommendations, not requirements. Many retailers – from Wal-Mart to local farmers markets – filled this regulatory void by requiring the growers they buy from to submit to third-party safety audits.
Some food safety advocates say that system – which will remain in place until the FDA's new regulations take effect in the coming years – isn't enough.
"From a consumer perspective, the protections are shoddy," says Caroline Smith DeWaal of the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington, D.C. "In some stores you may have a very strong system of protections, but in others there may be no protections."
While the new law grants the FDA power to regulate produce farmers, it doesn't require the agency to inspect farms to ensure compliance with the new rules.
Not that it necessarily could: There are about 1,000 FDA inspection agents to cover more than 2 million American farms, according to FDA spokesman Doug Karas.
"A lot of things will depend on state and local cooperation," says Mr. Karas. "We're going to try to build an integrated national food safety system."
Karas adds that besides farm and food facility inspections, the FDA collects food samples, monitors recalls, and audits safety records.
Another possible gap in the new food safety law is an exemption for farmers who sell most of their goods locally and earn less than $500,000 in annual sales. According to a 2010 report by the USDA, nearly 30 percent of all US agricultural output comes from family farms that earn less than $500,000 annually.
"It's a fairly big chunk," says Robert Buchanan, director of the Center for Food Safety and Security Systems at the University of Maryland. "That's going to put a wrinkle into what the FDA is going to do."
Most troubling to many food safety advocates is the possibility the FDA won't have enough resources to carry out its new mandate.
Mr. Obama called for spending $955 million on the FDA's food safety program during the next fiscal year. But the Republican-chaired House subcommittee that monitors the FDA has proposed reducing that amount to $750 million. That would represent a decrease of $87 million from the agency's current food safety funding, which does not include implementation of the new law.
An FDA document dated May 23, 2011, was recently leaked to the press. The document says that, without adequate funding, the FDA will be unable to develop preventive measures for small growers or train "FDA, state and local food safety field staff to ensure proper, practical implementation of new standards."
The document concludes: "2012 is a crucial year for [Food Safety Modernization Act] implementation. Lack of funding at this stage will stall essential foundation-laying efforts that are key to long-term success."
Dr. Buchanan agrees that the agency needs full funding to carry out the new law.
Otherwise, Buchanan says, "It will raise consumers' expectations – but it won't be able to deliver."


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CHICAGO – Powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan said Thursday he asked senior staff at Metra to consider a pay raise for an associate who was employed at the commuter rail agency, but withdrew the recommendation after Metra's then-CEO expressed discomfort over it.
Madigan addressed the matter in a one-page statement he prepared for a House committee investigating a costly severance deal for Metra's former CEO Alex Clifford, who resigned last month. Clifford has alleged he was pushed out for resisting political pressure in decisions about hiring and contracts.
The link to Madigan, one of Illinois' most powerful politicians, was an unexpected turn in hearings that are unearthing details of Clifford's eye-popping severance package, under which he could reap up to $718,000.
In Thursday's statement, Madigan said that in March 2012, he weighed in on a proposed salary increase for Patrick Ward, who worked as a labor relations specialist at Metra. Madigan said he has worked with Ward for more than 15 years on "a variety of projects," but did not go into detail on their relationship.
"Mr. Ward informed my office that in spite of being asked to assume expanded tasks with additional responsibilities in his position, his $57,000 salary had not increased in more than three years," Madigan wrote. "Given the information presented to my office, we forwarded a recommendation to Metra senior staff that Mr. Ward be considered for a salary adjustment."
He said his office's recommendation for a salary increase was meant to supplement an endorsement from Ward's supervisor.
The Democrat said he withdrew his endorsement after learning that Clifford had concerns about it. Clifford ultimately rejected the recommendation, and Ward later quit, Madigan said.
Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said the speaker issued the statement for members of the House Mass Transit Committee after learning the matter would come up Thursday at their hearing into the former Metra CEO's severance deal.
"All Mr. Madigan did was endorse a recommendation made by the employee's supervisor," Brown said. "... It's the exact opposite of any kind of impropriety."
Clifford, who says Metra has used a confidentiality clause to keep him from talking, said he could not immediately comment but that he would try to have a response later Thursday.
A Metra attorney did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
The large severance package for Clifford angered state lawmakers who decried the blow to taxpayers.
Describing their falling out, Metra Chairman Brad O'Halloran said Clifford bristled at efforts by the agency's board of directors to assert greater oversight of major infrastructure projects and hiring decisions, and that there were major areas of disagreement with Clifford on the agency's direction and the pace of improvements.


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You are here
Orangutan, Borneo (USNM 142169)
Orangutans are great apes and one of our closest living relatives. The Smithsonian Institution's Division of Mammals (http://vertebrates.si.edu/mammals/) houses many orangutans in its scientific collections.
This specimen, USNM 142169 (http://collections.mnh.si.edu/search/mammals/?irn=7250995), is a female orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) from the island of Borneo, Indonesia. This individual was collected by W.L. Abbott on June 18th, 1905 near Sungai Suma. The female weighed 70 lbs with a hind tarsus length of 1065 mm. The head to body length is 720 mm long.
This is a CT scan of the cranium of USNM 142169. These three-dimensional scans are made publicly available through the generous support of the Smithsonian 2.0 Fund, provided from the annual gifts of the Smithsonian National Board to the Secretary to use at his discretion (http://smithsonian20.si.edu/fund.html).
The main goal of this joint initiative between the Human Origins Program and the Division of Mammals is to make the NMNH's scientific collections of our closest living relatives, the apes, available in 3D for education and research.


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Phi has given you a ton of info on excess lipase and what do do about it. I just want to make sure the issue IS excess lipase. Besides the bottle refusal, why else do you think it is lipase? does your defrosted milk taste/smell soapy?
oh i was going to suggest this as well:Is your baby drinking the unfrozen milk consistently? If so, you may be able to just leave milk that you pump the day before. I had 48 hour before lipase began to turn my milk, so I only needed to scald the milk I pumped on Fridays. Have you tried giving freshly expressed milk (not from work, pump and immediately offer the milk) in a bottle to make sure that the issue is not the bottle?


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A BlankTV Premiere Presentation:
The Jukebox Romantics - "Living With Sin"
Artist Bio:
The Jukebox Romantics are in your face, fun, soulful punk in the vein of bands like The Bouncing Souls, One Man Army, and Alkaline Trio. They hail from downstate New York, just in the shadows of NYC.
The band's Jailhouse Records debut will come in the form of a 7″ entitled Plot Points set for release June 2015. A full-length release later in the summer will follow their debut. Produced by Bouncing Souls guitarist Pete Steinkopf.
The Jukebox Romantics will tour throughout the U.S during Spring, Summer, and Fall of 2015. Also, hitting Canada for Pouzza Fest & Durham, NC for Death To False Hope Fest. The band plans to announce future Canadian and European tour dates for Fall of 2015 and early 2016.
About The Video: "Living With Sin" dives into the idea of what our country has become and how much a part of the system you/we want to be. Spending money on US products, working insane hours and supporting yourself and the country while at the same time political and police corruption are as high as ever. So the question(s) being asked are, how much do I need to contribute? Is it worth it? Am I good enough? Is this place just falling apart and should we just leave? Questioning the government and validating ones hard work.
The video was shot in 2 locations in the Bronx, NY. The boardroom scenes were fun to make. We destroyed our guitars banging into the table. Luckily the table was ok cause we weren't going to pay to fix it. Terry's beard transformation was fun too. We hadn't seen his face in over a year so it was quite drastic. The 2nd location was at our NYHC, buddies, Enziguri's practice space. We shot a bunch of different green screen stuff but much of it was unusable other then Bob looking cute. Director Name: Robert Vornkahl
"Living With Sin" is a song off the upcoming Plot Points 7inch/Transmissions Down LP out Spring/Summer 2015 on Jailhouse Records.
>> Get music by The Jukebox Romantics from Big Cartel, Amazon, and Jailhouse Records NOW! <<
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Point on Point
Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Swiss, 1889 - 1943
Made in France, Europe
Oil on canvasDimensions:
25 1/2 x 21 1/4inches (64.8 x 54cm) Framed: 33 1/4 x 29 x 2 3/4 inches (84.5 x 73.7 x 7 cm)Curatorial Department:
European Painting
1952-61-120Credit Line:
A. E. Gallatin Collection, 1952
Made in France, Europe
Oil on canvasDimensions:
25 1/2 x 21 1/4inches (64.8 x 54cm) Framed: 33 1/4 x 29 x 2 3/4 inches (84.5 x 73.7 x 7 cm)Curatorial Department:
European Painting
* Gallery 180, Modern and Contemporary Art, first floorAccession Number:
1952-61-120Credit Line:
A. E. Gallatin Collection, 1952
Social Tags [?]neo-plasticism [x]
[Add Your Own Tags]
Much of Sophie Taeuber-Arp's work is characterized by a severity and symmetry of color and design. As an active participant in the Zurich Dada movement of the late 1910s, she broke with traditions that privileged painting over other art forms, producing collages, embroideries, and weavings in predominantly abstract styles. By the 1930s—then living in Paris with her husband, artist Jean Arp—she became increasingly dedicated to pure abstraction. Point on Point, made during that period, demonstrates the geometric composition and reduced, primary palette that together show the influence of De Stijl artists Theo van Doesburg and Piet Mondrian.
Explore the Collections
ProvenanceGift to the Philadelphia Museum of Art as part of the A. E. Gallatin Collection, by Jean (Hans) Arp, husband of the artist, 1949 [1]; bequest to PMA, 1952. 1. See Gail Stavitsky, The Development, Institutionalization, and Impact of the A. E. Gallatin Collection of Modern Art [Ph. D. dissertation, New York University], 1990, v. 9, p. 278, citing Arp's letter of April 6 and August 28, 1948 to Gallatin, and Gallatin's letter of May 24, 1949 to Fiske Kimball, director of the PMA.
* Works in the collection are moved off view for many different reasons. Although gallery locations on the website are updated regularly, there is no guarantee that this object will be on display on the day of your visit.


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Cody Ross: Being a Part of History
Radford University junior Cody Ross was in the sixth grade on Sept. 11, 2001. "I remember when I heard about it. We got out of school early, but I didn't know why," he recalled. "I've been a huge history fan all my life. I knew about Pearl Harbor. When 9-11 happened, I knew what was going to happen next. History does repeat itself in many ways."
A decade later, as a reservist in the National Guard, Ross was very much a part of what happened next. The RU history major was deployed to the southern province of Zabul in Afghanistan shortly after the storming of Osama Bin Laden's compound in Pakistan. "I gathered intelligence to give to units as they did their missions," he said.
"I knew I wouldn't be in Afghanistan without a purpose. I knew that was where I needed to be," he said. "I was there right after Osama was killed and was there when the conflict started between Afghanistan, the U.S. and Pakistan."
He was deployed not far from where the border conflicts were the most intense, yet he does not recall feeling fearful. "We had to stay focused. We had fear in the back of our minds but were too busy with what was at hand to really worry," he said. "There was a bond of brotherhood there. We worked closely with other guys, and we were there serving our country together."
Ross's chose to join the National Guard as a way to serve his community and his country at the same time while following a family tradition. His grandfather was in the military in World War II, and his father retired from the U.S. Coast Guard.
He chose Radford University in part because he wanted to stay close to his home in Blacksburg. "I've always been a family-oriented man. I like staying close to my family. I like the environment here. Radford is not huge, and it has a great education program."
Ross is the first in his family to attend college, and he said he wondered at times if he wanted to return to school after his military deployment. His decision was influenced by History Professor Matt Oyos. "He always was pushing me to do the best thing and not to procrastinate. He taught me to always give it my best."
Ross is humble about his military experience. "I share stories with family and friends, but I don't go out and tell people I'm a veteran. That's not necessary. I don't feel bigger than anyone because I did this," he said.
He recognizes that his experience makes him a role model for younger students, including his brother, who is still in high school. "He doesn't say it, but he lets me know in other ways, 'I am proud of what you're doing. I thank you, and I want to be like you.' "
Outside the classroom, Ross is active in RU's Veterans Affairs Learning Opportunity Residency program, known as VALOR, which provides students with experiential learning in health care for military veterans, including social work issues. He also shares his military experience by working with ROTC.
Wars inevitably generate conflicting views of a nation's involvement, and Ross defends everyone's right to voice an opinion.
"They have their rights, too. I may not agree with them, but I'm not going to argue with them. We were over there doing our duty."


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Oil on canvas, 5ft x 7ft, 2015
Friday, November 13, 2015
Posted by Wong Shih Yaw, Abraham at 7:45 AM
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"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of His glory." (Ephesians 1:13,14)


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A Cheap Fix: DIY Concrete-Finish Floors, Walls & Countertops
Have you heard of Ardex Feather Finish? I hadn't either until we featured this floor about a month ago. But I couldn't ignore the fact it this DIY concrete finish kept popping up in my blog feed over and over again, used to remake and refinish some high-cost areas around the home—we're talking floors, walls and kitchen counter tops—for cheap. Really cheap.
All the projects I've found made it sound incredibly easy too. Use the powered mix to make a concrete paste, then spread it onto your (pre-sanded) surface like icing on a cake. With some time and a good sealant, you're left with a counter or fireplace — or even a floor — that looks like poured concrete for a fraction of the price. Here are just a few folks who've tried it:
- A Beautiful Mess' Studio Kitchen Countertop
- Design Mom's DIY Concrete Floor (featured before)
- Designer Trapped in a Lawyer's Body's Concrete Fireplace (and Laundry Room Counters, too)
- Oh So Lovely's Dark-Stained Concrete Counter
- Better Remade's Kitchen Counter
Bear in mind: it's not a miracle, just a cheap fix. Even with plenty of sealant, a Feather Finish counter top will stain and discolor over time. Emily of Better Remade used Feather Finish in her kitchen in September last year, and just posted an update in January. Gently-used areas are still looking great, but the counter next to the stove is forever accessorized with some lovely ring stains and grease splatter from a fry night.
However, if you hate the counter tops in your home now, but need to hold off on replacing them, an afternoon with $100 worth of concrete powder might help you live with your look for a little bit longer. It does make a huge improvement for little cost, especially where renovations would otherwise cost a fortune.


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I was looking back at some of my images on CNP. Found the above, comments from Adithya Biloor relevant even now !
"Just because a shape begins to form, does it become an abstract. so are you suggesting that you are looking at this image to create a degree of binding and not a degree of freedom ?"
For those who have joined CNP recently, we do have interesting conversations, we do have created a knowledge base (really?), they are worth looking at it. Well in this particular example of my image, image may not be relevant, but the text is
You will have to dig in deep in CNP to find such interesting conversations.


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Charcoal Self-Portrait in a Cement Garden, 1964
Signed and dated on back of canvas in yellow felt tip marker: Jim Dine / 1964 1
Charcoal and oil on canvas with five cement objects
108 x 48 x 27 in. (274.3 x 121.9 x 68.5 cm), installed dimensions
Ruth C. Roush Fund for Contemporary Art, 1965
With its deep, decisive lines, candid pentimenti, and large-scale rendering of volume on canvas, Jim Dine's Charcoal Self-Portrait in a Cement Garden is at once a drawing and a painting. Sculpture appears not only in the five cement garden ornaments, but also in their fictive work as "pedestals" for the rigid, vertical belt-tie, and for the rhyming vertical on the right. The Oberlin Self-Portrait is an image of great figural potency, despite (or because of) the absence of the artist's body.
The Oberlin work is an early example of Dine's use of the bathrobe (always empty, volumetric, with hands on hips) as a "friendly signifier" of common, vernacular use and personal possession. 2 Dine began working on the bathrobe works in the summer of 1964 in Easthampton, Long Island. Most of these works are titled "self-portrait," all are larger than life-size, and many include collage or three-dimensional elements. 3 Discussing one of the earliest of the bathrobes, Red Robe with Hatchet (Self-Portrait) (Sydney and Francis Lewis Collection), Dine stated, "I probably visualized the axe, the log, and the bathrobe as an extension of myself--a self portrait." 4 The bathrobe works were first exhibited in the fall of 1964 at the Sidney Janis Gallery, New York.
As the bathrobe is the most ubiquitous of Dine's constantly reappearing "personal" icons, it is worth noting that Dine did not own a bathrobe. The idea for the bathrobe works was inspired by an advertisement in The New York Times Magazine Section. In 1964, Dine stated that he "was going to use it arbitrarily but suddenly it looked as though it had me in it." 5 Of Oberlin's Charcoal Portrait in a Cement Garden, Dine writes that the broken cement objects--which the artist had purchased at the local garden supply store--refer to the canonic forms and ambitious intentions of the art of the past: "I have always been attracted to so-called vanitas objects because they relate to the Academy and to Chardin. I always seem to make references through paint or objects to an older art. It's a link to my past." 6
It was not until 1979 that that Dine worked from a real bathrobe--or more precisely, a photograph of himself in a bathrobe (headless and with hands on hips, of course). 7
Dine's early bathrobe works, such as the Oberlin canvas, share many features with the works of Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, and Roy Lichtenstein--who at this same time were also bringing banal, everyday images or actual objects into the work of art. Charcoal Self-Portrait also belongs to the cluster of artistic rejections of the Abstract Expressionist cult of the heroic, expressive self. The deliberate rigidity of the drawing (including the strangely schematic pentimenti) represents an ironic response to the AbEx deification of the artist's gesture (represented in this catalogue by De Kooning's Two Women). These strategies continued to develop throughout the 1960s in Conceptural Art and Minimalist art.
A. Kurlander
Jim Dine studied art at the Cincinnati Arts Academy (1951-53), and later at the Boston Museum School and at Ohio University. He moved to New York in 1958, where his first involvement with the art world occurred during the Happenings staged by Allan Kaprow (b. 1927)in 1959-60. During the same period, Dine also created assemblages of found materials, and developed his distinctive formal approach to the depiction and interpretation of common images and objects in paintings, drawings, prints, and sculpture. Clothing and domestic objects (a tie, a bathrobe, a toothbrush), the painter's tools, and other household implements were elevated to almost iconic stature. Dine repeated selected themes over and over, often in a variety of media; through repetition the motif became detached from its normal public context and identified with the artist and his personal iconography. The central themes of Dine's art have remained fairly consistent, but technical experimentation and changes in expressive intent have resulted in dramatic stylistic transformations throughout his career.
M. E. Wieseman
General References
Gordon, John. Jim Dine. Exh. cat., Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, 1970.
Beal, Graham William John, et al. Jim Dine: Five Themes. Exh. cat., Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, 1984.
With Sidney Janis Gallery, New York, from whom purchased in 1965
New York, Sidney Janis Gallery, 1964. Jim Dine. 27 October - 21 November. Cat. no. 22.
Akron Art Institute, 1968-69. Ohio Painters, a Brief History. 28 November - 14 January. No cat.
New York, Whitney Museum of American Art, 1970. Jim Dine. 27 February - 19 April. Cat. no. 61.
Oberlin, Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin College, 1980. From Reinhardt to Christo: Works Acquired through the Benefaction of the Late Ruth C. Roush. 20 February - 19 March. Cat. no. 5.
Minneapolis, Walker Art Center, 1984. Jim Dine: Five Themes. 12 February - 8 April (also shown at Phoenix Art Museum; The Saint Louis Art Museum; Akron Art Museum; Buffalo, Albright-Knox Art Gallery; Washington D.C., Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution). Unnumbered cat.
Jim Dine. Exh. cat., Sidney Janis Gallery, New York, 1964. Cat. no. 22.
Alloway, Lawrence. "Apropos of Jim Dine (part one)." Allen Memorial Art Museum Bulletin 23, no. 1 (Fall 1965), pp. 21-27.
Alloway, Lawrence. "Apropos of Jim Dine (part two)." Allen Memorial Art Museum Bulletin 23, no. 3 (Spring 1966), p. 134.
Stechow, Wolfgang. Catalogue of European and American Paintings and Sculpture in the Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin College. Oberlin, 1967, p. 247, fig. 209.
Johnson, Ellen H. "Modern Americans at Oberlin." The Burlington Magazine 110, no. 783 (June 1968), pp. 354-57.
James, Bruce. "Line through Jim Dine." Master's thesis, Oberlin College, 1969, pp. 103ff.
Gordon, John. In Jim Dine. Exh. cat., Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, 1970, cat. no. 61.
Johnson, Ellen H. "American Art of the Twentieth Century." Apollo 103, no. 168 (February 1976), p. 50, fig. 3.
Mellow, James R. Jim Dine. Exh. cat., Pace Gallery, New York, 1979. Not paginated.
Beal, Graham William John. In Jim Dine: Five Themes. Exh. cat., Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, 1984, pp. 74-75.
Johnson, Ellen H. Fragments Recalled at Eighty: The Art Memoirs of Ellen H. Johnson. Edited by Athena Tacha. North Vancouver, 1993, pp. 81-83.
Technical Data
The canvas was preprimed with a thinly rolled white ground. The design was drawn in charcoal with light smudging and deliberate removal of medium. Thin layers of oil paint were then applied to certain areas, adding gloss to the surface. Where thickest, the glossy wash has a distinct yellow appearance.
The five cement objects include the two halves of a broken column, and a column with a broken edge. The cement is mixed with smooth pebbles that range in color from white to grey to red-brown.
The work is in good condition. There is no grime apparent on the exposed ground of the canvas; the stains and smudges in the image area occurred in the artist's studio. There are old losses along the edges, exposing bare canvas, and stains and light smudges approximately one-half inch inward from the tacking margin. The medium appears stable and integral throughout.
1. Also inscribed in red-black ink on stretcher: SELF PORTRAIT IN A CEMENT GARDEN / 1964.
2. Constance Glenn, Jim Dine, Drawings (New York, 1985), p. 13.
3. See, for example, Self-Portrait Next to a Colored Window (charcoal on canvas, oil on glass and wood, 182.6 x 20.3 x 252.7 cm, Dallas Museum of Fine Arts); Palette (Self-Portrait No. 1) (oil and collage on canvas, 214.6 x 152.4 cm, Newport Beach, Calif., Newport Harbor Art Museum); Seventeen-Colored Self-Portrait (oil on canvas and collage, 175.3 x 94 cm, estate of Myron Orlofsky); Double Red Self-Portrait (The Green Lines) (oil on canvas and collage, 213.4 x 304.8 cm, Chicago, private collection); Double Isometric Self-Portrait (Serape) (oil with objects on canvas, 144.5 x 214.6 cm, New York, Whitney Museum of American Art); and Red Robe #2 (oil and collage on canvas, 213.4 x 152.4 cm, New Haven, Yale University Art Gallery). All are dated 1964 and reproduced in David Shapiro, Jim Dine: Painting What One Is (New York, 1981), nos. 92, 93, 95, 96, 97, and 98, respectively.
4. Quoted in Graham W. J. Beal et al. Jim Dine: Five Themes (exh. cat., Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, 1984), p. 72.
5. "Discredited Merchandise," Newsweek (9 November 1964), p. 96. Cited in Bruce James, Line Through Jim Dine (master's thesis, Oberlin College, 1969), p. 102. The advertisement is reproduced as pl. XXVIA.
6. Quoted in Graham W.J. Beal et.al., Jim Dine: Five Themes (exh. cat., Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, 1984), p. 74.
7. Graham W.J. Beal et. al., Jim Dine: Five Themes (exh. cat., Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, 1984), p. 72. A reproduction of the photograph, taken by Dine's wife in Jerusalem, appears on the cover of the exhibition catalogue Jim Dine, Pace Gallery, New York (1979).


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Give 'Em Hell Malone (2009)
Directed by Russell MulcahyGenres - Crime | Sub-Genres - Action Thriller, Post-Noir (Modern Noir) | Run Time - 90 min. | Countries - USA | MPAA Rating - R
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Synopsis by Jason Buchanan
A legendary gunman discovers why sometimes the simplest-sounding missions can also be the most dangerous when he attempts to recover a briefcase containing "the meaning of love" from a five-star hotel. Even the worst criminals tremble with fear upon hearing the name Malone (Thomas Jane). If only half of the rumors surrounding the tough-as-nails triggerman are true, then he's still the meanest guy ever to walk these unforgiving streets. Some say that Malone picked up his first gun after gangsters killed his entire family, and those are the most optimistic rumors concerning his shady background. Contacted by his point man, Murph, and asked to retrieve a briefcase from a haughty local hotel, Malone makes quick work of the thugs and hitmen who've been awaiting his arrival. But Malone didn't expect to walk into a shoot-out, and after pressing Murph for more information, he discovers that the man who contracted him for the perilous assignment was none other than powerful local mob boss Whitmore. Now that he has the briefcase, Malone is supposed to give it to blonde bombshell Evelyn (Elsa Pataky), who will in turn deliver it to Whitmore in exchange for her brother Sammy. Should the briefcase fail to materialize, Sammy will pay the ultimate price. Meanwhile, suspecting that the case contains work visas for a group of immigrant girls he wants to put to work as prostitutes, Whitmore recruits hulking giant Boulder (Ving Rhames) and blade-wielding psycho Mauler (Chris Yen) to get the briefcase back from Malone. Should they fail in achieving this simple task, deranged pyromaniac Matchstick (Doug Hutchison) will almost certainly succeed. Later, at the drop-off, Mauler kills Sammy, sparking an intense shoot-out during which Malone and Evelyn are separated. With nowhere to run and the three thugs fast gaining ground, Malone vows to protect the contents of the case and take down Whitmore once and for all.
briefcase, crime-lord, pyromaniac, mob-boss, shoot-out


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By Peggy Aulisio
By Peggy Aulisio
FAIRHAVEN — Barbara Green, media liaison for the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, said last week there are no scheduled public hearings for their investigation into allegations by Conservation Commission member Cora Peirce against Wayne Fostin, the town's conservation agent.
Ms. Peirce said she was notified of a meeting in Boston at the beginning of January but Ms. Green was unable to confirm it.
Ms. Peirce alleges that Mr. Fostin referred to owners of Bella Vista Island as "towel heads." Mr. Fostin denies the allegations.
Ms. Green said the investigatory process takes many months even in cases like this. She attributed the time lag to a shortage of staff at the agency. She said the investigation would continue even if Mr. Fostin were to retire from his position or leave the town's employment.
Mr. Fostin went into executive session with selectmen on Dec. 17. The board met with him in executive session on Oct. 15 to discuss litigation.
Last week, Conservation Commission Chairman Joseph Taylor said he'd met with Mr. Fostin to tell him he must attend commission meetings from now on. Mr. Fostin has not been attending them in recent months. Mr. Taylor said he needs Mr. Fostin to handle paperwork as a follow-up to the commission's decisions.
Mr. Fostin is also the town's building commissioner and zoning enforcement officer. During an open portion of the selectmen's meeting in October, before going into executive session, he said he didn't attend the Conservation Commission meetings because he only works for the Conservation Commission 10 hours a week and that going to the meetings is not the best use of his time.
Mr. Fostin said he is rarely asked questions at the Conservation Commission meetings and mostly does filings for it with the state Department of Environmental Protection. He does do onsite inspections related to wetlands issues.
Mr. Fostin told selectmen he does attend meetings of the Zoning Board of Appeals, which he said does ask him questions.
Mr. Taylor is on the selectmen's agenda Dec. 27 for a meeting in executive session.


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Hello Everyone,
After waiting for about twenty years, I can finally say that I own a Flying Brick.
I am just now getting back into bikes and am looking forward to many years on my '95 K75 Standard.
If any of you are planning a ride to Northern California, try to make it in the fall. Touring through Napa Valley on a BMW in the fall is not to be missed.
The wine seems to be decent, for those of you that like to drink. If you want to learn about wines or become a wine snob, this is the place to be.


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Beef & Beet Carpaccio
|Vegetables, Meat
|Day Part
|Menu Part
|Side Dish
|Cuisine Type
Thin slices of trimmed raw beef tenderloin are the centerpiece of this Italian starter, accompanied by crisp, golden beets, mushrooms and fennel.Olive oil and lemon juice are drizzled on top, with a dill and crème fraîche garnish.
8 oz. trimmed beef tenderloin
3 oz. golden beets, cooked tender-crisp
1 oz. mushrooms, very thinly sliced
1 oz. fennel bulb, thinly sliced
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. lemon juice
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Crème fraîche
Dill sprigs
1. Freeze beef until firm but not solid. Cut beef across the grain into very thin slices; wrap in plastic and chill 1-3 hr.
2. For service, arrange about 2 oz. beef in a single layer on a plate. Peel beets and slice thinly; arrange one-fourth the beets, fennel, and mushrooms on the side.
3. Whisk olive oil and lemon juice; drizzle over beef and vegetables. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with a dollop of crème fraîche and a dill sprig.