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They told no one about the dresses. Not their friends, or neighbors, or even their children. Not that anyone would have believed that an ordinary suburban hausfrau has more dresses than Imelda Marcos had shoes — much less that it's her husband, a retired contractor, a man's man, who insisted on buying them. In the past 56 years, Paul Brockmann somehow accumulated 55,000 cocktail dresses.
The first 10 he got for free, as a young man back in Bremen, Germany. Brockmann worked at a seaport there, and when the bales were opened, the workers were allowed to pick out what they liked. Paul selected 10 dresses. He gave them to his then-girlfriend, Margot.
"I was fascinated by the dresses from the '50s. The petticoats and the wide skirts made a woman look real feminine. And that is what I really liked. When I seen a gal with a dress like that," he says, "I wanted to get her on the dance floor."
When the Brockmanns married and moved to America, those 10 frocks emigrated as well. The couple moved from Germany to Ohio to Arizona to California. "And I kept collecting dresses," Paul says. "With my wife in mind that she's gonna wear 'em. We went ballroom dancing every week, and I wanted her to have a different dress for every dance."
By the time they got to Los Angeles in 1988, they had quite a few dresses. "Probably around 25?" he estimates, meaning, of course, "25,000 to 26,000."
He is 78 now, and Margot is 76. They have two kids, five decades of marriage behind them, and more dresses than they humanly know what to do with.
See also: More photos from the Brockmanns' amazing collection.
He was born at a terrible time to be born in Germany. War began when Paul was 4. His father became a fanatical Nazi and left the family to fight for Hitler. Paul's mother went to work in a cigarette factory.
When the bombing started, Bremen, home to Germany's second largest port and its main U-boat bunker, was hit hard. Some days, the bombs fell two or three hours apart. You didn't know if you would live or die or be buried alive.
With the country's entire manufacturing sector geared toward the war effort, stores went empty. At age 8, Paul carved wooden clogs to sell on the street. At age 11, he traded the family's tools for food. Rations were meager, and people starved.
If food was scarce, fabric was scarcer. You wore clothes until they fell apart, and when they did, you scavenged the parts. In this way, two threadbare dresses could be recycled to make one slightly less threadbare. Margot Brockmann recalls that when her brother fell and cut his knee, their mother said, "Never mind the knee, it will heal. Thank God the pants are OK."
At 15, as Germany struggled to its feet, Paul quit school and took on odd jobs. He repaired roofs and built cabinets and chicken coops until finally, he found employment at a seaport.
There, great bales of clothes came in from the United States. And there, for the first time, Paul saw the dresses that would become his life's quiet obsession.
A Parisian designer named Christian Dior had just released his debut collection, and the American dresses bore his influence. Dior's "New Look" featured fitted bodices, cinched waists and voluminous skirts. A sea change from the lean cotton dresses and other sartorial privations of the war years, these clothes were luxurious. They were unabashedly feminine, dreamy and romantic.
They left a powerful impression on Paul.
To him, the sleeves, hems and necklines of a dress don't matter. Just the skirt. It has to flare out from a tiny, fitted waist. The fabric has to be taffeta, for the crisp, scratchy, elegant swishing sound it makes when a woman walks by in it.
They are ballgowns, technically. "After 5" dresses, he calls them: dresses to sip Champagne and cocktails in. Dresses to waltz and tango and foxtrot and laugh the night away in.
No one danced during the war. For years afterward, Bremen was in ruins, and with the postwar inflation, you needed a wheelbarrow of money just to buy a loaf of bread. But at least people could dance again.
Paul was 20 when he met Margot on the dance floor. She had short brown hair, blue eyes and a contrary spirit. She was no great beauty, but she knew how to move. She kept the beat better than anyone else, Paul recalls.
"We started to go steady," he says.
Margot's father became Paul's role model. But the elder man was done with Germany. Yes, Paul could marry Margot, he declared, but only if they moved to America.
So in 1955, the young couple arrived in the land of plenty. The land where a person could buy whatever he wanted, as long as he had the money.
Paul made money. No stranger to hard labor, he built up a construction business.
And he shopped.
At some point, for reasons even he can't fully explain, he lost his mind about the dresses, one of the many abundant resources in America.
Irony of ironies: His wife is not a shopper. She hates shopping. She'd rather clean an entire house. She considers shopping for Christmas gifts a punishment. The crappy workmanship in contemporary, mass-produced goods irritates her no end.
In Germany, Margot wanted to be a seamstress, but when she came to America, she had kids — a daughter, Louise, who works as a property manager in Beverly Hills, and a son, who now lives in Michigan. Paul became a general contractor and was gone 20 hours a day and "that was the end of all that stuff." Sewing fell by the wayside.
So Paul shopped by himself. He'd buy the dresses before work, after work, sometimes during work. "I keep my eyes open and I go shopping." It's not that he'd go out looking for the dresses, exactly. Not unless there were end-of-season sales at department stores, in which case he'd visit Sears and JC Penney, where he'd befriended the sales clerks. "And they showed me the dresses. For reasonable prices. That I couldn't let go." He'd bring home 30 dresses at a time.
Otherwise, yard and estate sale signs were like catnip. He could not resist. "I was happy-go-lucky," he says. "I did it not on inspiration ... " He struggles to describe the thrill of driving by a yard sale and glimpsing a wisp of shiny taffeta hanging on a garage door.
He bought regardless of size. He didn't even check. He was, in other words, completely impractical. "If there was a dress that I liked, I could visualize what she would look like in it. And I had to have it," he says. "Even if it was the wrong size." It is a notion both romantic and impertinent.
Margot's size changed over the years, he notes. She shoots him a look that says, "You are treading dangerous waters now, buddy." She wore a size 6 when they met but today wears a 14. "You know, it's a crazy idea, but I kept thinking maybe my wife grows into them," he says, laughing at his own ridiculousness. "Whether losing weight or gaining."
Occasionally, she would alter a dress if he came home with one he seemed especially smitten with. But for the most part, they remained unworn.
Paul did not set out with a budget. "I spent whatever I had in my pocket. If I was broke, I'd wait until next week." Sometimes he bought 15 dresses, sometimes one. "Depends what I came across."
The most he ever spent was $300. "Let me show it to you," he says, and fetches a plastic Nordstrom bag. Inside is a black gown with gold lace ruffles. Margot has never worn it. She has never seen it. "I guess it went straight to the garage," she says.
The garage is where the dresses went when Margot's walk-in closet eventually, inevitably, maxed out.
"Would you quit?" Margot would say, when Paul came home with a dress, or two, or 10. And, "You've been shopping again?!" And, "I don't need all those dresses!" And, "You're crazy!"
At what point does a collector become an insane person? Paul is by all other accounts a steady, reasonable man. A hardworking man. A businessman. Yet Margot's protests fell on deaf ears. "It was not going to stop me. I was gonna buy dresses no matter what," Paul says. "I never thought of having enough. It didn't matter how many I already had. I didn't care. I had to have that one, because it was not in my collection yet."
Eventually, he took to hiding them from her. He'd sneak the shopping bags in, whisking them directly from his truck into the two-car garage.
"A lot of times he wouldn't tell me," Margot says.
"There's a new bag in the garage. Where'd that come from?" she'd ask, though she knew perfectly well.
Paul: "That's been here for quite some time."
Margot: "Oh no, it's not. The garage is getting fuller and fuller. I'm not blind."
Stop, she'd beg. Please. But he couldn't. "It just got to be a habit," Margot says.
When the garage of their house in Lomita filled up, Paul rented shipping containers, six total. He kept them secret. Imagine what people would say. What kind of man collects dresses? "They maybe think there's something wrong. Who's this idiot? They maybe think that I was wearing the dresses, or off the wall, or that I didn't have the right mind."
Out dancing, friends would remark on Margot never wearing the same dress twice. Where do you get them, they'd ask?
"And little bit I lied," Paul admits. She sews them, he'd say.
"Most men, they don't care what their wife puts on," he says. "I'm different. I like my wife to look good at any time."
If Paul had his way, Margot would change clothes three times a day.
Yet at some point, Margot, once the collection's ostensible raison d'être, had become an afterthought in his obsession.
"It was always in the back of my mind, we're going to have to do something," she says. "We couldn't keep on keeping them."
Things went on this way "until last year," Paul says, "when my daughter walked into my garage and said, 'What's all this?' "
What Louise actually said was, "What the HELL is all of this?"
The garage door was open. The space was crammed floor to ceiling with black trash bags.
"What do you mean?" Paul said.
"What do you mean, 'What do I mean'? What is all this stuff?"
So Paul opened one of the bags and pulled out the garments neatly folded inside. "They're filled with dresses?" Louise said. "You've got to be kidding me."
"He'd built, like, little partitions, and a second level," she recalls.
"What are you going to do with them?" Louise asked.
"I'm gonna leave them to you," Paul said.
"Oh no, you're not."
Louise, who has her mom's unsentimental practicality and her dad's bullheadedness, is 55 years old. When she was growing up, her dad was interested in hunting, fishing, golf, hammers and nails. She had absolutely no idea he was collecting dresses.
"Well," she reconsiders, "I guess that's not quite the most truthful statement." For a while, when her father was thinking about moving from Arizona to Los Angeles and he'd visit Louise in Santa Monica, he'd want to go to vintage clothing stores. It struck her as odd, "but you don't really second-guess your parent."
Earlier still, when she was a kid, she remembers him helping her mother design dresses to sew. They'd lay the patterns out on the dining room floor. "I never thought that was weird. My dad's a good mathematician. I didn't realize he was that interested in clothing."
True, he'd always had a thing about dresses. Margot was a stay-at-home mom. Every day, she made her kids sit down at 4 p.m. for cake and coffee, a German tradition, after which they were allowed to go out and play. Margot may have worn shorts during the day, Louise says, but "when my dad came home, mom always had stockings on, heels and a dress."
To this day, Louise wears dresses during the holidays to please her dad. "It's better not to deal with the aftermath. He gives me a hard time if I wear pants."
His household remains old-fashioned, formal and patriarchal. Louise bristles at the thought of her mom always in a dress. "That kind of pisses me off. Why do you have to tell her what to wear? Really? If we go to a baseball game and it's freezing outside, she'll wear stockings and a skirt."
In Ohio, Paul hid the dresses in his workshop. In Arizona, he and Margot lived in a huge, unfinished house with 2,000 square feet of storage. There the dresses hung until the Brockmanns decamped to Los Angeles, where the dresses took over the closet, then the garage, then the shipping containers and now a warehouse in Gardena.
"I walk around here and I still can't believe it," Louise says. She's at the warehouse, and as she takes in the double-decker garment racks her father installed, the pile of unopened plastic bags underneath a tarp in the corner, a small mountain of yet more dresses, her voice becomes clipped and insistent. "Honestly, I don't think he had any idea what was gonna happen with these in the future. It's like, what are you saving them for? What?"
Paul never had an answer.
"We've got to sell," Louise decided.
They argued about selling — whether to sell, how to sell, how much to sell for: "My father and I are two peas from the same pod. We're both hardheaded. He has his ideas and they're antiquated in some respects, and I have mine."
Mainly they argued about whether the dresses were worth anything at all. Louise thought they were probably ruined. Sitting in railroad cars out in the middle of a field, how could they not be? Some had been out there for 25 years. "They're probably moldy," she told him. "You're probably paying for clothes that are just rotten."
"No," he insisted. "They're not."
They picked the oldest container and brought it home. "When I saw the way he packed them," Louise says, "it looks like somebody's closet in there." He'd built closet rods inside the shipping containers, carefully placed the dresses in plastic dry cleaning bags and hung them. The floor, he layered with more bags of dresses.
Some were indeed ruined. The purples and dark blues had bled into the neighboring fabrics. But otherwise, the colors were vibrant. The whites were still bright. The dresses, amazingly, were in great shape.
"The more I saw these clothes," Louise recalls, "the more I thought, 'Dad, you have something here.' "
At first she took the dresses to swap meets. Then to the Vintage Fashion Expo in Santa Monica, where she met buyers and other people in the fashion industry.
On the advice of local designer Yotam Solomon, she hung the dresses by color, to make them more soothing to the eye. Her fingers cramped and turned black from gripping thousands of hangers. There were dresses in pale blues and seafoam greens and pinks and reds and yellows. There were wedding gowns with trains and bustles straight out of Gone With the Wind. There were cute ones and garish ones and massively puffy ones with pearls and bows and ribbons as far as the eye could see.
Don't look at them, she learned. Otherwise it will take forever.
In the end, it still took a month, working nights and weekends. Paul built dressing rooms and welcomed the public into the warehouse. He has monthly sales now — three so far — with music and food and a social media presence managed by an outgoing young FIDM graduate.
Slowly, the dresses moved.
They sold to vintage-store owners like the lady from Salem, Mass., who bought $17,000 worth. They sold to companies like Urban Outfitters and ModCloth, who re-create retro styles with modern materials; they chop the dresses up and deconstruct the patterns. They sold to textile designers and to high school girls, for prom.
Unfortunately for the Brockmanns, however, they have not sold fast enough. At least not fast enough to keep up with the $2,200 a month it costs to lease the warehouse. The place looks as packed as it ever did.
Paul hopes to sell them en masse, in one fell swoop, ideally to a fellow connoisseur. Until such a buyer comes along, the idea of the dresses slowly trickling back out into the world, "being activated" again after their long hibernation, is small consolation.
Can Paul afford to keep paying to store them? "Not my call," says Louise, sifting through paperwork in the warehouse office one Saturday. "I would imagine at some point you have to ask yourself that question. What are you gonna do, put them back in a container? What are they gonna do for you there?" She sighs. "When we started hanging them up, I thought, how are we gonna get rid of all this? I don't know what I was thinking, either." She raps one finger on the desk. "So here we are."
In a minute, her father pops in unannounced. "What are you doing here?" Louise asks, startled.
"I need to go to the mailbox."
Paul offers that he did not buy any dresses this week.
"Are you sure?" Louise says.
A pause and then, "What do you mean, am I sure?" Paul leaves the room, then returns holding an envelope: the rent statement. "I shouldn't have come," he says, sadly.
Her mother, Louise admits, is a patient woman. "To have put up with all of this. I don't know if I would have been that supportive. If he bought 10 to 15 dresses every weekend for the past 50 years?"
Including storage costs, Louise estimates that the dresses represent a $1.5 million investment. Paul was a successful contractor. He did huge jobs, building university buildings, churches and custom homes. These days, though he's well past retirement age, he still works for Louise's company, doing tenant improvements. He cannot afford to stop. "And that hurts my heart," she says.
She does not understand why the dresses are so important to him, although she supposes pride is a factor. "My mom gets compliments every time she goes out," she says. "That must have fueled his constant search. Because what she wore was really a reflection on what he picked out."
The collective weight of 55,000 dresses is a heavy load. It feels almost like responsibilities have switched, Louise confesses. "That I'm a parent and they're my children." But she can't imagine not being there for them.
On a different day, Paul is walking around the warehouse, pointing out which dresses he loves. He might as well close his eyes and point. He loves them all. He picks one up and rustles its taffeta skirt. "You hear the swish?" he asks. "To me, that's about as elegant as it gets. You can't beat it."
Margot shakes her head and walks away from yet another dress she has never worn nor wanted to wear.
As Paul watches her disappear into the racks, a conspiratorial gleam enters his eye. "Listen to this," he whispers. Then in a louder voice, "You know, I could alter it. I could make it fit."
A small commotion erupts from among the dresses, followed by Margot's muffled shout: "We are not altering nothing!"
Paul laughs. "I love this type," he says, pointing to another dress at random. "This one right here. That is class."
The next monthly sale, on Aug. 24, is right around the corner. "None of it feels good," Paul says. "It's a lot harder to sell them one by one than to sell all of them. You sell all of them, you go through that one time. Here, 10 or 15? It repeats itself."
He regrets nothing. And so he must keep reminding himself to think financially, to let them go. "It's best to turn them loose. Much as I hate to."
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It has been two months since he bought a dress, the longest he's gone in 56 years. Good timing perhaps. It had been getting harder to find his garment of choice. These days, a ballgown at a yard sale is a rarity rather than the norm.
In the future, if he buys, he swears it will be only one or two. And only if it is a truly outstanding specimen. Any more than that, Louise says, "I think my mother would shoot him."
See also: More photos from the Brockmanns' amazing collection.


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Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison… Hebrews 13:3a
As we see in Hebrews chapter twelve, once we "keep our eyes fixed on Jesus," we will be aware of how we should then live. The writer now turns to the issue of remembering those in prison.
Matta Boush, an outspoken evangelist in South Sudan was arrested on political charges under questionable circumstances. He was given a sentence of thirty years at a local military prison. Many people around the world prayed for him, and for his family at home.
He asked prison authorities for permission to hold prayer meetings. At first they declined, saying, "We already have a mosque; you should go there." But Boush persisted and eventually the authorities relented. For the first prayer meeting, only six people showed up. In a few weeks, more people were going to the prayer meeting than the mosque.
A few years later, he was transferred to another city prison. As he had in the first prison, he asked for, and received permission to conduct prayer meetings. Again he was told to limit his work to non-Muslims, yet as he continued to minister to non-Muslims, they, in turn would talk to Muslims. The result was that during his five years of ministry in that prison, he helped lead between 150 and 200 people to Christ.
Transferred again to another prison, he was able to help build a prison chapel there. After several months, prison officials told him that he did not really belong in prison, so he was given the freedom to leave the prison by day and return by night. Boush was glad to get out and meet with friends he had in Khartoum, but soon he realized that he could not effectively witness to his fellow prisoners if he had freedoms they were denied. He told the prison officials he would no longer go out. He knew it was not God's time.
Later, he was offered private air-cooled sleeping quarters (summer temperatures exceed 100º F). But Bousch's most productive time for witnessing was at night, so he declined the offer. He saw fruit for denying his own comfort to do what he felt God was calling him to do. In ten months, 200 more people came to the Lord in the prison.
Without warning, he was one day released early and returned to his family. Matta Boush's enemies had hoped to steal his life from him by throwing him into prison, but God had given him a true "life" sentence: to share the hope of eternal life that comes through Jesus Christ.
RESPONSE: Today I will keep my eyes fixed on Jesus remembering to identify with my brothers and sisters in prison for their faith.
PRAYER: Lord, meet the needs today of Christians around the world in prison for their faith in You. Help them to glorify You in their situation. Bless their family members waiting patiently at home.
Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.


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Beatrice Swartz, 82
Beatrice E. Swartz, 82 of Wapakoneta, died at 5:40 p.m. Tuesday, March 27, 2012, at Auglaize Acres Nursing Home in Wapakoneta.
She was born Feb. 28, 1930, in Lima, the daughter of the late Beola Estella (Long) and Emmitt Cloyd Stotts. She married Leon J. Swartz, who preceded her in death.
Surviving are three sons, David Leon (Bessie) Swartz, of Pueblo West, Colo., Ronny Lee (Marty) Swartz, of San Diego, and Carl Edward (Amy) Swartz, of Lima; three daughters, Eileen K. Zink, of St. Marys, Barbara L. (Ken) Burden, of Wapakoneta, Debra A. (Joe) Koenig, of Wapakoneta; 10 grandchildren, Scott Koenig, Eric Koenig, Toby Koenig, Stacy Amstutz, Shannon Fittro, Jacob Swartz, Ashley Swartz, Greg Winegardner, Julie Winegardner, and Larry Winegradner; and numerous great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by two grandchildren, Douglas Koenig and Terry L. Morris; a brother, Rolland Long; and a sister, Barbara L. Malcolm.
Mrs. Swartz was a retired bookkeeper with the city of Lima. She also had worked at Timmerman Ford in Lima for 27 years and had also worked at Bixel Ford in Bluffton.
She was a very loving woman; having great affection for her family whom she cherished. She had an appreciation for the outdoors. She loved fishing and it was a treat to fish with the grand boys. One of her passions was NASCAR and she enjoyed football rooting on the Denver Broncos. She loved watching her kids and grandkids playing sports.
Services are set for 10 a.m. Saturday at Bayliff & Son Funeral Home in Cridersville, with the Rev. Dottie Kaiser officiating. Burial will follow in Allentown Cemetery.
Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m., Friday at the funeral home.
Contributions may be made to the donor's choice.
Condolences may be shared at BayliffAndSon.com.


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JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (March 16, 2009) - After having a little over a week to think about possible opponents and destination sites for its trip to the 2009 NCAA Tournament, the ETSU women's basketball team finally learned its fate on Monday night.
The No. 13-seed Lady Bucs learned they will play No. 4-seed
When ETSU saw its name appear on the screen, the Lady Bucs celebrated with their fans, cheerleaders and band members inside Fanatics, located inside the Doubletree Hotel.
"We were hoping to be a 13 seed and to get that respect from the selection committee means a lot," said head coach Karen Kemp, who is guiding her Lady Bucs to a second straight NCAA Tournament appearance. "I am also glad we were able to stay close to home, because I think this will give our fans an opportunity to travel and support the Lady Bucs."
ETSU (20-10) was the first team to punch its ticket to the Big Dance back on Saturday, March 7, after the Lady Bucs knocked off
Meanwhile, ETSU is one of 25 programs to have both its men's and women's teams play in the NCAA Tournament - which also marks the first time in program history this feat has been accomplished. Ironically, a potential second round matchup with
This will be the first time these two teams have met, and the second straight year the Lady Bucs will be playing a Big 12 foe in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. ETSU fell to third-seeded
The winner of ETSU/Iowa State will play the winner of
For more information on Lady Buccaneer basketball, visit www.ETSUBucs.com.


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A harmonious blend of Eastern and Western acrobatic prowess.
Dralion by Cirque du Soleil- Official video from YouTube
About the show Dralion
Dralion is the fusion of ancient Chinese circus tradition and the avant-garde approach of Cirque du Soleil. The show's name is drawn from its two main symbols: the dragon, representing the East, and the lion, representing the West. Dralion derives much of its inspiration from Eastern philosophy with its perpetual quest for harmony between humankind and nature.
Suspended in time between the past and the future, Dralion is a celebration of life and the four elements that maintain the natural order: air, water, fire and earth. Innovation soars to new heights as it defies the laws of nature. Dralion is a dynamic performance that transcends the boundaries of the imagination and leads us into a dreamscape with a new and sparkling perspective.
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Cirque du Soleil has been part of Las Vegas for more than 20 years. Our 90-minute shows run all year long, and have everything from music to illusion and from acrobatics to artistry. Choose the show that's right for you, then book your tickets for the thrill of a lifetime!


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What's fall without apples and cider? Add them to chicken with a hint of rosemary for a real treat.
What�s fall without apples and cider? Add them to chicken with a hint of rosemary for a real treat.
Of the many varieties of apples available, Red Rome and Golden Delicious are among the best for cooking, as they hold their shape.
Makes 2 servings
3/4 pound chicken tenders
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup apple cider
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 medium Red Rome apple or Golden Delicious, cored and sliced
1/2 multigrain baguette
Heat oil in a skillet just big enough to fit the chicken snuggly over medium-high heat. Brown chicken on both sides, about 2 minutes. Add the cider and rosemary and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cover with a lid. Cook 5 minutes.
A meat thermometer should read 165 degrees.
Remove chicken to plate and add the apple slices to the pan. Raise the heat to high and reduce the liquid by half. Spoon the sauce and apples on top of the chicken. Serve with multigrain baguette.
PER SERVING: 455 calories, 43 g protein, 44 g carbohydrates, 6 g fiber, 11 g fat (2 g saturated), 108 mg cholesterol, 422 mg sodium


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Zero stars (out of four)
Without referencing early 1990s rappers Kris Kross, I see no way to write a less-menacing tagline than the one on the poster for "Alex Cross": "Don't ever cross Alex Cross."
This thriller plays like the copy of a copy of a '90s flick, so that what was once gripping becomes vague and unintentionally funny. As detective Dr. Alex Cross—that's really what people call him, due to his psych degree—Tyler Perry appears uninformed that movie cops usually deliver some measure of coolness or toughness. His energy level generally falls somewhere between "banker" and "banking student." Perry accidentally gets laughs when an angry Cross calls everyone he doesn't like "maggot." The actor's simply unable to play anything other than broad comedy or melodrama.
Meanwhile, Matthew Fox ("Lost"), playing the nameless assassin referred to as Picasso, makes a lot of crazy faces so we know he's crazy.
Co-written by someone who co-wrote 2001's "Along Came a Spider" (the second and final time Morgan Freeman played the character created by James Patterson) and someone who helped out on the Schwarzenegger flick "Collateral Damage," "Alex Cross" suggests that no one involved knows how thrillers are supposed to unfold. (Cross receives cop advice from his mother, for example.) Director Rob Cohen ("The Fast and the Furious") includes sadistic violence against women while simultaneously objectifying them; a female character that at once seems important is half-heartedly disposed of as if she wouldn't be missed.
Part of Picasso's opportunity to strike occurs because Cross opts to take his pregnant wife (Carmen Ejogo of "Sparkle") out for dinner even though he knows there's a killer on the loose. He's no smarter as a father; Cross needs a reminder from his mom (Cicely Tyson) to console his daughter when tragedy strikes their family. He doesn't even talk to his son. Cross also suffers no guilt or consequences for compromising his integrity in the name of revenge.
Incompetent on every level, "Alex Cross" features motion sickness-inducing camera shaking that makes it impossible to see a climactic battle clearly. Ultimately it seems writers scrawled into the script, "Someone concocts a conspiracy or something," but forgot to iron out the details.
The movie contains zero intensity and a rapport between Cross and his best friend/partner (Edward Burns) that reminded me of when Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg) and Reed Rothchild (John C. Reilly) play fictional cops Brock Landers and Chest Rockwell in "Boogie Nights." Obviously, all the best modern-day, Detroit-set thrillers recall campy, L.A.-set '70s B-movies made by porn stars.
Watch Matt on "You & Me This Morning," Friday at 6:55 a.m. on WCIU, the U
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Looking for JARDEN of Christchurch
I am writing a family history of the Jarden family.Alexander Jordean was married to Catherine Matthews at the First Presbyterian Church in Lurgan Northern Ireland on 19 Nov 1858.The spelling of the surname I believe is incorrect as their 2 children born in Ireland ( William Matthews and Isabella) have Jarden as the surname.Alexander had a brother James who went to Australia and a sister Bess. Alexander and Catherine came to NZ in 1862 on the Zealandia with Isabella. William came 20 years later. They had 2 children in Christchurch: James b. 1864 ( my great great grandfather) and Alexander b. 13 Oct 1865.
Alexander drowned in the Waimakariri River while delivering beer to the Courtney Arms hotel on 31 May 1867 and was buried in Christchurch. The family were living in Gloucester Street. Catherine died 24 July 1187 and is buried at Addington Cemetery.
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Apple-Cranberry Omelette
This is a wonderful breakfast for the day after Thanksgiving or any day when you want to use up leftover cranberry sauce (try it with Cranberry Sauce with...
Cheddar Tomato Oven Omelette
This is something my mother makes for Christmas brunch every year. Everyone loves it, even the kids. I made her give me the recipe so that I could have...
flour, +bacon, +cheddar cheese, +tomato, +eggs, +green onion, +milk, +salt
Ital Omelette --- A Caribbean Dish Recipe
this is a caribbean side dish .....very different indeed.....but tasty...... Prep:10m
flour, +onions, +green bananas, +water, +vegetable oil, +nutmeg
www.grouprecipes.com - Similiar recipes
Korean-style Omelette
flour, +eggs, +shrimp, +water, +green chilies, +red pepper, +black pepper, +onions, +green onion, +salt, +olive oil
www.nibbledish.com - Similiar recipes
Banana Omelette
A different way to make kids eat fruits or should I say eggs?
www.bestrecipes.com.au - Similiar recipes
Breakfast Baked Omelette
flour, +butter, +eggs, +cottage cheese, +cheddar cheese, +salt, +baking powder
www.cooks.com - Similiar recipes
Garden Vegetable Omelette Braid(Pampered Chef Copycat)
Flaky crescent rolls, filled with a veggies make a great breakfast or dinner! Great for weeknight, or splendid for company or a holiday, even great to...
flour, +asparagus, +black pepper, +butter, +cheddar cheese, +cream cheese, +dill weed, +eggs, +milk, +red pepper, +red onions, +sandwich rolls, +salt
Oven Omelette
www.cooks.com - Similiar recipes
Chocolate Omelette
Found this recipe and its so delicious I just had to share.
flour, +eggs, +caster sugar, +cream, +chocolate, +butter, +raspberries, +sugar
www.bestrecipes.com.au - Similiar recipes
Omelette Aux Champignons
flour, +white mushroom, +eggs, +butter, +salt, +black pepper, +nutmeg, +tbsp of
recipe.aol.com - Similiar recipes
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|192 High Street (1st Floor)
West Drayton, Middlesex
United Kingdom UB7 7BE
The next edition of ITF Intercontinental Cup will be held in Moscow on the weekend of March 26. It will feature teams from Europe and Asia.
Any European competitors wishing to apply for selection should contact Master Don Dalton at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Any Asian competitors should contact Master Rudolf Kang at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Master Don Dalton
ITF Expansion Committee
Added: 10th February 2010
[Views: 5919]
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...Keith & abbi
The ...Keith & abbi meme was created with the Futurama Fry meme generator.
Like This Image? Share it with family and friends on Facebook, Google+, and Twitter! Discover more Futurama Fry memes, or create a new meme!
Total Views:426 views Views Today: 2 views Last Viewed: 2018-12-18 17:55:49


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If you are working on your rig and want to host a party to get some help... post here!
Use this control to limit the display of threads to those newer than the specified time frame.
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Order threads in...
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Located in the heart of Mexico's Riviera Maya, the Hard Rock Hotel has created a truly unique all-inclusive destination. In keeping with the Hard Rock tradition "to spread the spirit of rock 'n' roll by creating authentic experiences that rock," Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya delivers. Upon entering the property you are immediately immersed in a musical experience relevant to all generations. Hard Rock has the world's greatest collection of music memorabilia, which now includes 77,000+ legendary items worldwide. At the HRH Riviera Maya, we spotted items from the rock royalty including: Santana, Shakira, Stevie Nicks and Sir Elton John.
With something for everyone, the resort itself has two parts: Hacienda — a family friendly resort for all ages; and Heaven — an adults-only expanse with stunning pools, lavish spa treatment rooms, dining and more.
Rock Star Amenities
One of the most unique amenities is 'The Sound of Your Stay' - a brand-wide music amenity program designed to provide business and leisure travelers with an all-encompassing experience in the comfort of their hotel room at any of the 17 Hotels & Casinos around the globe. Whether setting the mood with one of three 15-song playlists, nailing power chords on a Fender guitar during an impromptu jam session or marching beats and remixing like a DJ heavyweight, this program allow guests to channel their inner rock star. Not inclined to make music? You can check out 'tracks,' Hard Rock's complimentary music download program providing guests with the chance to download playlists exclusively curated by celebrities and the biggest names in the music industry.
Room Service
Amp up your stay in one of the 1,264 ultra-posh and lavishly appointed guestrooms that boast balcony, terrace views or new, expansive sky terrace options with picturesque views, hydro tubs in each room.
Step into Heaven and discover the next level of extravagance. Home to iconic style, Heaven features ultra-posh accommodations, lavish service, the finest amenities and superior indulgence in one of the 577 rooms. We suggest the Deluxe Platinum Sky Terrace to enjoy amenities like: Your own a private sky terrace, lounge chairs, and hot tub, a private balcony with a hammock, personal premium liquor dispenser.
Looking For Relaxation?
Visit the Rock Spa and experience the new Rhythm and Motion services. The motto is "Live Hard, Purify Harder." This spa is like no other, with a lounge area inspired by 'Game of Thrones' and 75 treatment rooms. "Hard Rock is the only brand bold enough to develop a spa experience more Zeppelin than Zen," said Dale Hipsh, senior director of operations development at Hard Rock International. "We looked to amp up the traditional spa menu to leave our guests energized and pumped up… the way a concert-goer feels after seeing a mind-blowing show." Turning up the volume on the traditional Swedish massage practices, the massage therapist synchronizes movements with an expertly curated playlist as guests embark on a journey of the senses. Utilizing Hard Rock's differentiator – music – each treatment connects the healing power of music with the artistry of message therapy.
Treatments that get top billing include:
· Synchronicity- a pulsating massage featuring a masterfully blended soundtrack.
· Smooth Operator- designed to retune skin and rock the soul with a two-part treatment, featuring a sweetgrass-inspired dry brushing followed by a soothing detox wrap for hydration.
· Face the Music -combines the therapeutic benefits of sound vibration and clinically proven organic products for a star-worthy glow.
· Wrap Remix –the ultimate healing experience, combing multiple elements of the treatments above in one service.
50 Shades of Blue!
Whether you are planning a beautiful destination wedding, epic Quinceañera, romantic honeymoon or the best vacation ever the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya can make it happen. Complete with expansive outdoor pools and private beach, this all-inclusive escape offers nine world-class restaurants, eight bars and lounges, in addition to 88,915 square feet of state-of-the-art meeting and event space ideal for elegant banquets, themed parties, weddings, concerts and more.
For the under-18 crowd, there several youth-friendly components including HIT Entertainment's Little Big Club, Teens Lounge & Club, snorkeling and kayaking for an unparalleled adventure. Need to explore? Riviera Maya's best attractions are nearby, including Tulum where you can visit Mayan ruins and jumping into beautiful cenotes, fresh water sink holes, tours can be arranged (fees apply).
The adults-only section Heaven, includes four restaurants and three sophisticated bars and lounges, including a premium service nightclub.
Simply put, the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya is nothing short of the ultimate crowd-pleaser.
For more info visit www.hrhrivieramaya.com or call 888-680-7625.


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Terrible, dreadful, rubbish, dull, boring, etc.
A dismal song
Do you think what "dismal" means here?
Terrible, dreadful, rubbish, dull, boring, etc.
Oh God! How could you figure out that?
(That is me who posted the thread. Because I forgot to log in.) :)
'Dismal' is often used for songs that are dreadful, but especially if they are sad songs that fail to work.
Did you mean that, though it is a sad song, but it is so crappy in its skills (writing skill or singing skill)?
a dismal song may be a total disaster in all the respects mentioned above.... lyrics, artistic values - or lack of, it can be a mess of noise and terrible vocals, it could be an awful punk rock band that makes your ears shrivel up and the hair on the back of your neck stands right up ....brrrOriginally Posted by NewHope
all in all it could be dismal becuase of the lack of artistic merit
( = crappy) or it has very gloomy and depressing overtones.
Hahaha! Thanks Natalie27 for replying.


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we are strong
2:56 125bpm
Filled to the brim with classic styles and sounds, "We Are Strong" is a powerful and anthemic tune that will add punch and sparkle to your production. heavy use of pianos, guitars, and ethereal choral sections along with thumping drums and electric bass give this tune its drive, but what gives it the haunting "X" factor is the use of an Ebow (Electric Bow) used on a stratocaster guitar, to capture the classic and all too familiar hair-raising sound. great feel-good tune with lots of dynamics and tension – excellent for all kinds of production, promotion, video, tv, film, advert, presentstion, corporate, etc


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Despite his 95 years, Dr. Norman Borlaug still keeps an audience spellbound, hanging on every word, amazed at the wisdom and humility of a man who has devoted his life to feeding hungry people around the world.
Those attending his recent birthday celebration in Dallas seemed awed, inspired and moved by the brief comments Dr. Borlaug made in response to an announcement by Monsanto that a new scholarship program will honor him and revered rice breeder Dr. Henry Beachell.
Monsanto is investing $10 million in the Beachell-Borlaug International Scholars Program, which will identify and support young scientists interested in improving research and production in rice and wheat. The program, established for five years, will be administered by Texas A&M AgriLife Research.
Dr. Borlaug said agricultural scientists must emphasize "the importance of integrating animal science in the broadest context and integrating plant science in the broadest context to meet the (world's) food requirements over the next 25 years. It will demand more integration across disciplines than ever before.
"We strive to improve the standard of living for the people of the world. That's why the World Food Prize was established. We have the science and technology to solve the world's food problems and I am pleased to receive this support from Monsanto to teach young people to solve these problems."
He said agriculture must broaden its approach. "Monsanto, in recent years, has brought to the world's attention the need to produce food for a large population and (population) grows by 84 million every year. It's not a simple undertaking."
The International Scholars Program is designed to meet that growing demand, said Ted Crosbie, vice president, Global Plant Breeding, Monsanto Co. "As the world celebrates the birthday of Dr. Borlaug, Monsanto is pleased to mark the accomplishments of two great men in agriculture by establishing this Scholars Program," Crosbie said. "Drs. Beachell and Borlaug devoted their lives to ensuring farmers have access to the best rice and wheat varieties and to the advancement of science through education. This award seeks to continue their work to enable future generations of farmers to feed our growing population."
"Young scientists who receive this scholarship will have the opportunity to come to us to further their training and work with world renowned rice experts on projects that make a real difference to people's lives," said Dr. Robert Zeigler, director general, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). "Public sector support for graduate education in agricultural science education in developing countries has plummeted over the last couple of decades. Support for private scholarships like this will help build the next generation of rice scientists to ensure we can solve the problems that face rice production now and in the future."
Dr. Thomas A. Lumpkin, director general of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), concurs. "This is a welcome investment by the private sector, in an era of increasing food insecurity and decreasing numbers of graduate students in plant breeding," he said. "We hope others will follow suit with additional funding and look forward to hosting scholars funded by the program at our center."
"We're looking for students interested in working on significant restraints to wheat and rice production," Crosbie said.
One overall goal of the scholars program is to attract students interested in working in developing countries. Crosbie said Monsanto hopes the international scholars will work in both the United States and developing countries. "It's remarkable that we are going to invest $10 million in people we will not hire," he said. "We hope people selected will dedicate their careers to wheat and rice research in the public arena and not for commercial companies."
He said he hopes to see students who strive to reach as high as Dr. Beachell and Dr. Borlaug.
Their impact can be significant. Dr. Borlaug's work in the 1960s and 1970s is credited with saving more than 1 billion lives. Beachell's work may have saved more than a million.
Crosbie quoted Borlaug as saying once: "Hunger and poverty do more than plant the seeds of despair. They also plant the seeds of anarchy and terrorism."
"Hunger and misery have been part of human existence for thousands of years," Dr. Borlaug said. "There are references in both the Bible and the Koran. But all in this room today and thousands of others are dedicated to producing more food and doing it without destroying the environment.
He said predictions of disaster and food shortages from the past never materialized. "We have survived." He attributed some success to the "generosity of affluent nations to put more and more support behind international programs."
He said a commitment to improve all basic food crops and animal products will be necessary. "We have to fight, fight, fight," he said. "You don't win by being afraid of change and change we must have. We are going in the right direction."
Crosbie said the first class of scholars will be announced in conjunction with the World Food Prize in Des Moines, Iowa, on Oct. 15, 2009. Students interested in applying to the program can find more information at www.monsanto.com/mbbischolars.
Applications will be accepted until May 31.
Dr. Ed Runge, professor and Billie B. Turner Chair in Production Agronomy (emeritus) will chair the independent panel of international judges who will select the scholars.
"We are honored to administer this program and work with students around the world to bring new ideas and research techniques to rice and wheat breeding," Runge said. "Research in these two staple crops has fallen behind others, and it is my hope this program will help jump-start additional investment in two of the world's most important grains."
Yields of rice and wheat have grown on a compound annual growth rate of approximately 0.8 percent over the past decade while the population has grown on a compound annual growth rate of approximately 1.25 percent. Higher yields will improve the fight against hunger by producing more food on the same number of acres.
Dr. Borlaug was awarded the Noble Peace Prize in 1970. He also was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor in 2006. He also received the Medal of Freedom and is one of only five people to receive all three of these awards. Others are: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela and Elie Wiesel.
Dr. Beachell received the World food Prize in 1996, along with Dr. Gurdev Singh Khush.
The result of Dr. Borlaug and Dr. Beachell's work is considered "The Green Revolution."
email: [email protected]


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eVGA X58 3X SLI Review
With Intel moving to a brand new platform comes a whole bunch of new motherboards, but this time they are all built around the same chipset. Due to licensing and most likely other undisclosed reasons, nVidia has not yet produced a chipset to pair with the new i7 processors. Therefore, it might sound like choice should be rather limited when it comes to chipsets, although manufacturers have managed to come up with a wide array of more or less different products. However, companies like eVGA, XFX and BFG are close nVidia partners and they're now left with nothing but video cards. That has led XFX and eVGA to go ahead and jump ship so we have new players in the ATI and Intel arenas, respectively. Obviously the engineers over at eVGA already have experience in designing boards as they have done so for a long time anywhere between entry level and top end enthusiast markets. Since performance between various X58 boards is pretty close, it can be hard for a brand to distinguish itself and even harder for a first timer.
So on the test bench sits eVGA's first motherboard equipped with an Intel chipset, while still keeping relatively tight links with nVidia. The board is marketed around its ability to handle Tri-SLI configuration and the whole color theme is interestingly similar to what we saw on 790i boards. It comes with the usual features found on its fellow X58 competitors - support for triple channel DDR3, 10 SATA ports, FireWire, dual Gigabit LAN and more. Of course, it can also run CrossFireX since it is royalty-free and doesn't require an extra chip or anything. Without any further ado, let's see what eVGA has to offer.
Closer Look:
First impressions are all that matters and eVGA did pretty good in this department. The box comes shrink wrapped in a black and silver theme which is definitely attractive. With the X58 name taking the whole width of the box, it's pretty easy to figure out at first sight what the board consists of. Right under that is the other main feature - 3X SLI. At the bottom are the usual Intel logos stating the board supports both vanilla and extreme i7 processors. Finally, it is really nice to finally see those last two logos lined up together - Intel X58 chipset and nVidia SLI technology. The back of the box highlights most of the important features, accessories and warranty information.
Inside the box are all the accessories lying loosely in no particular order. The motherboard itself is safely and tightly held into a plastic shell, common with higher end motherboards. A good thing considering the price tag, you wouldn't want it to arrive damaged due to shipping. The shell folds wide open to reveal eVGA's X58 true colors, which actually look pretty good and you just can't deny the similarities with eVGA's nVidia boards.
Let's take a closer look at eVGA's X58 motherboard bundle.


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Naturally, if you've been a patient reader and already went through the preceding articles of the series, I'm certain that at this point you'll have a solid background in using the filter extension for checking common data types, including email and IP addresses, integers and float numbers, and so forth. In those tutorials I explained how to accomplish all of these tasks with a decent variety of code samples.
Regardless of the features mentioned before, one of the most robust aspects of the filter library is its ability to sanitize strings, something that was covered in depth in the previous chapter. However, the library is also capable of cleaning up strings in arrays, as well in data coming from GET and POST requests and cookies. Therefore, this final article of the series will demonstrate how to do this with a few understandable examples, in this manner concluding this quick introduction to working with the PHP 5 filter library.
So, are you ready to tackle the last episode of this educational journey? Then don't waste more time; start reading now!
{mospagebreak title=Review: the FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING filter}
Just in case you haven't read the previous article of this series, where I demonstrated how to use the filter extension for sanitizing different types of strings, below I reintroduced the code samples developed in that article. This way, you can quickly learn how to perform this task with minor hassles.
That being said, here's how the aforementioned examples were created originally:
// example on sanitizing strings in a basic way
$string = '<script>alert('hello');</script>';
echo filter_var($string, FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING); // quotes are encoded
// example on sanitizing strings using the FILTER_FLAG_NO_ENCODE_QUOTES argument
$string = '<script>alert('hello');</script>';
echo filter_var($string, FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING, FILTER_FLAG_NO_ENCODE_QUOTES); // quotes are not encoded
// example on sanitizing strings using the FILTER_FLAG_STRIP_LOW argument
$string = '<script>#$%^&!*</script>';
echo filter_var($string, FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING, FILTER_FLAG_STRIP_LOW); // strips low characters
// example on sanitizing strings using the FILTER_FLAG_STRIP_HIGH argument
$string = '<script>This is a string#$%^&!*</script>';
echo filter_var($string, FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING, FILTER_FLAG_STRIP_HIGH); // strips high characters
// example on sanitizing strings using the FILTER_FLAG_ENCODE_LOW argument
$string = '<script>This is a string#$%^&!*</script>';
echo filter_var($string, FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING, FILTER_FLAG_ENCODE_LOW); // encodes low characters
// example on sanitizing strings using the FILTER_FLAG_ENCODE_HIGH argument
$string = '<script>This is a string#$%^&!*</script>';
echo filter_var($string, FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING, FILTER_FLAG_ENCODE_HIGH); // encodes high characters
// example sanitizing an email address using the FILTER_SANITIZE_EMAIL filter
$email = 'alejandro(&)email@example.com';
echo filter_var($email, FILTER_SANITIZE_EMAIL); // sanitizes email address
// example sanitizing a URL using the FILTER_SANITIZE_URL filter
$email = 'http://www.devshed.c!m';
echo filter_var($email, FILTER_SANITIZE_URL); // removes invalid characters from a URL
// example sanitizing an integer using the FILTER_SANITIZE_NUMBER_INT filter
$value = '12abc345@';
echo filter_var($value, FILTER_SANITIZE_NUMBER_INT); // sanitizes an integer
// example sanitizing a float number using the FILTER_SANITIZE_NUMBER_FLOAT filter
$value = '12.abc345@';
echo filter_var($value, FILTER_SANITIZE_NUMBER_FLOAT); // sanitizes a float number and converts it to an integer
// example sanitizing a float number using the FILTER_SANITIZE_NUMBER_FLOAT filter and the FILTER_FLAG_ALLOW_FRACTION argument
$value = '12.abc345@';
echo filter_var($value, FILTER_SANITIZE_NUMBER_FLOAT, FILTER_FLAG_ALLOW_FRACTION); // sanitizes a float number
// example sanitizing a float number using the FILTER_SANITIZE_NUMBER_FLOAT filter and the FILTER_FLAG_ALLOW_THOUSAND
$value = '12.,abc345@';
echo filter_var($value, FILTER_SANITIZE_NUMBER_FLOAT, FILTER_FLAG_ALLOW_THOUSAND); // sanitizes a float number
// example sanitizing magic quotes using the FILTER_SANITIZE_MAGIC_QUOTES filter
$value = "I'm Alejandro Gervasio";
echo filter_var($value, FILTER_SANITIZE_MAGIC_QUOTES);
As you no doubt realized when examining the above sample codes, it's extremely simple to sanitize distinct kinds of data by using the FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING filter in conjunction with several constants, which are passed to the familiar "filter_var()" function. In doing so, it's possible to remove unwanted characters from email addresses and numeric values, as well as encode quotes, only to cite some illustrative examples that can be recreated in real world environments.
Now that you hopefully recalled the basic concepts that surround the implementation of the FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING filter for sanitizing strings in all sorts of clever ways, it's time to explore a few more features provided by the filter extension, which also can be helpful for cleaning up literals.
With this idea in mind, in the course of the following section I'm going to explain how to use the FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING filter for cleaning up data coming from GET and POST HTTP requests and from cookies as well.
If you wish to learn the full details of this topic, click on the link that appears below and read the upcoming segment.
{mospagebreak title=Sanitizing strings from GET and Post requests, cookies and sessions}
As I expressed in the section that you just read, the filter library also has the ability to directly sanitize data that comes from GET and POST requests and from cookies and sessions as well. These options can be pretty useful alternatives to the validation filters covered in previous articles of the series. They can be implemented with a brand new function called "filter_input()."
To demonstrate how this function can be utilized, below I created some basic examples that show how to filter variables coming from GET and POST requests, and from sessions and cookies as well. Here they are:
// example on using the INPUT_GET filter
echo filter_input(INPUT_GET, "age", FILTER_SANITIZE_NUMBER_INT);
// example on using the INPUT_POST filter
echo filter_input(INPUT_POST, "age", FILTER_SANITIZE_NUMBER_INT);
// example on using the INPUT_REQUEST filter
echo filter_input(INPUT_REQUEST, "age", FILTER_SANITIZE_NUMBER_INT);
// example on using the INPUT_COOKIE filter
echo filter_input(INPUT_COOKIE, "age", FILTER_SANITIZE_NUMBER_INT);
// example on using the INPUT_SESSION filter
echo filter_input(INPUT_SESSION, "age", FILTER_SANITIZE_NUMBER_INT);
Definitely, you should be able to quickly grasp how the "filter_input()" function does its business, since its usage is extremely intuitive. In the first three examples shown above, the function has been used for filtering a fictional "age" variable inputted via a GET and POST web form (or an eventual hyperlink, too), while the remaining code samples illustrate how to sanitize data stored in a session variable and a cookie. Simple to code and read, isn't it?
Well, at this stage I'm sure that you're familiar with using the "filter_input()" function for validating GET, POST and COOKIE data in a truly painless fashion. Therefore, the last topics that I'm going to discuss in this article will be focused on showing how to utilize the filter library with callback functions, and how to create an array of filters.
As usual, to see how these tasks will be accomplished, please read the following section. We're almost finished.
{mospagebreak title=Using callback functions and building arrays of filters}
Any introduction to working with the PHP 5 filter extension wouldn't be complete if it didn't mention the capabilities for using filters in conjunction with callback functions and for building arrays of filters. Yes, the filter library permits you to do this in a simple manner, as you'll see from the couple of examples listed below. Pay close attention to them:
// example on using the FILTER_CALLBACK filter with user defined function
function nl2par($str)
return str_replace("n",'<p>', $str);
$string = "This is a linenThis is another line";
echo filter_var($string, FILTER_CALLBACK, array('options' => 'nl2par'));
// example on using the FILTER_CALLBACK filter with PHP function
$string = "This is a linenThis is another line";
echo filter_var($string, FILTER_CALLBACK, array('options' => 'nl2br'));
// example on using an array of filters
$_POST = array('name' => 'Alejandro Gervasio', 'email' => 'firstname.lastname@example.com');
// build an array of filters
$filters = array('name' => FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING, 'email' => FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL);
// run filters
$filteredValues = filter_var_array($_POST, $filters);
// display filtered values
foreach($filteredValues as $key => $value)
echo $key . ' — ' . $value .'<br />';
As you can see above, it's perfectly feasible to bind different callback functions to a specific filter using the "filter_var()" function. In the first example, this process is performed by using a custom function called "nl2par()," while in the second case this same task is carried out by means of a native PHP function like "nl2br()."
Finally, there's an additional code sample that shows how to build an array of filters, which can be applied later on to elements of another input array, such as the superglobal $_POST, $_GET, etc.
And with these examples, I'm concluding this introductory overview on using the filter extension that comes bundled with PHP 5. Of course, you're completely free to edit and enhance all of the code samples developed in this article series, thus arming yourself with a strong background in working with this powerful validation library.
Final thoughts
Sad but true, we've come to the end of this series. Hopefully this long journey has been instructive for you, since you learned how to take advantage of the impressive functionality provided by the PHP 5 filter library. So, now that you're aware of its existence, the next time that you need to validate incoming data within your PHP applications, you should consider using this extension as a good alternative to coding custom checking functions.
See you in the next PHP tutorial!


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At 1/8" thick, Ghent's Unframed Premium Natural Cork Board is guaranteed to withstand years of use, even in schools. The smooth, fine-grain cork surface is self healing, so puncture marks from push pins, tacks and staples aren't noticeable. Holding qualities of the cork aren't affected so pins won't slide out. The affordable board is laminated to a 3/8" thick sealed fiberboard back for extra durability. Ghent's 5'W x 4'H Unframed Premium Natural Cork Board is backed by a 10-year warranty.
Please Note: Ghent's Unframed Premium Natural Cork Boards are non-returnable.
Key Features
- Self-healing fine-grain natural cork
- 1/8" thick, laminated to a sealed fiberboard back
- Backed by a 10-year warranty
- Cork Thickness: 1/8"
- Material: Self-healing , fine-grain natural cork
- Backing Material: 3/8" thick sealed fiberboard
- Height: 4'
- Width: 5'
- Warranty: 10 years


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I'm not doing much radio today as Olga and I celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary.
Some of you might like to see a picture of us taken today in our present to each other - a new kitchen!
Thank you, Olga, for a wonderful ten years. I hope the next ten will be even better!


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"A compelling commentary on how media affects history, culture, and values. Mr. McHugh's ideas are fresh, lively, and accessible, and he provides librarians with a unique language for dealing with the competing forces in media today."
~ Connie Williams, past president, California School Library Association
"Crisply written, creative, and filled with lessons that can be applied to daily life. A great read!"
~ Alan Burke, superintendent K-12 education, Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction
In Slaying the Gorgon, Joe McHugh reminds us that it is only the softer, more human voice that allows us to make sense of it all. In this book of great wisdom and deep humanity, we are able to see the world both as it is, and as we wish it to be."
~ Jeffery Dvorkin, director, Journalism Program, University of Toronto, and former vice-president and head of news for National Public Radio.


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XFX 9800GX2 Review
What can two graphics processing units in one card do for you? First off, there is the ability to run SLI (Scalable Link Interface) using just one 16x PCI-E slot on your motherboard. Great if you only have one slot or if you have all the rest of the expansion slots filled up and just can't stand to get rid of one device to gain additional graphics performance. What about the opposite side of the fence where you want to use that X-Fi sound card instead of the onboard sound, but just don't have the available slots open because your graphics cards use dual slot cooling solutions. What do you do?
The XFX 9800GX2 can help in all of these situations. It features Dual DVI, SlI capability, HDMI output with HDMI certification for Hi-Definition gaming, 600MHz core clock speed, one gigabyte of 1000MHz (2000) GDDR3 memory and so much more. Will one card be able to handle the load imposed on a graphics card by many of today's hottest Direct X 10 games or is it just a pipe dream gone terribly wrong? Let's find out.
Closer Look:
The XFX 9800GX2 comes in a sinister looking black box. The Borg-like 9 denotes that something special is inside the package. The front highlights some of the attributes of the GX2. The rear panel gives a full size view of the card that is hidden inside, as well as giving information about the Hi-Definition gaming capabilities that the 9800GX2 possesses.
The 9800GX2 is housed inside the inner container colored in the traditional XFX green. Popping open the box, the documentation for the 9800GX2 is front and center. Under this sits a foam block that houses the video card. The balance of the bundle of accessories are in a side cardboard compartment.
The bundled accessories for the XFX 9800GX2 include a quick start guide, a tip and troubleshooting guide, a warning flyer reminding the user about the 8-pin and 6-pin power needs, the driver disk, a "Do Not Disturb" Tag, a full version of Company of Hereos including the DX10 patch, a dual 4-pin molex to 6-pin PCI-E adapter, two DVI to D-Sub adapters and an HDMI sound cable to connect to the motherboard. At last, someone puts the cable in the box!
Let's take a look at this beast up close and personal!


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A Christian apologetics ministry dedicated to demonstrating the historical reliability of the Bible through archaeological and biblical research.
The present in-depth work examines the trustworthiness of Biblical history by using the Hebrew exodus from Egypt as a test case. More specifically, an examination of the exodus-pharaoh's life will reveal whether Biblical history can be harmonized and synchronized with Egyptian history, and whether Biblical chronology is clear and trustworthy when relevant passages are interpreted literally. The need for evaluating the former premise is that many Egyptologists are leading the charge to deny the veracity of the exodus, attempting to persuade Biblical scholars and the Christian populace at large that the exodus never actually occurred...
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text:
AllThingsD reports the HTC One will be launching on Verizon, but it will "trail the other U.S. carriers by a month or two as it winds its way through the testing process." HTC already announced their flagship One device would arrive on AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile, but Verizon was mysteriously absent from the launch event.
We have yet to receive any US launch dates for the HTC One, but it appears the device could hit retail stores by April or May. If this Verizon report turns out to be true, they could offer the HTC One by June or July.
Another possible scenario is that Verizon might launch the HTC One under their Droid brand. Kellen Barranger of Droid-Life reports that a device with the model number HTC6445LVW and codename DLXPLUS could launch as the Droid DNA+ or Droid One.
Whatever happens, it does appear likely that Verizon will carry some version of HTC's flagship device. There is no telling what the final product name might be, but we should expect to see all the highlight features of the HTC One including the Ultrapixel camera, Boomsound speakers, and Blinkfeed home screen.
If you are on Verizon and want to grab HTC's upcoming device, let us know what you think. Would you rather purchase the same HTC One that every other carrier is getting or would you prefer a Droid DNA+?


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posted by Thom Holwerda on Fri 23rd Apr 2010 18:16 UTC, submitted by martini
"After a long delay, eComStation 2.0 GA will finally become reality. It will be released in time to be presented at the Warpstock Europe 2010 event which is held in Trier, Germany, from May 14 to 16. We consider eComStation 2.0 to be the biggest overhaul of OS/2 so far. Together with a team of both hired and volunteer developers, we have extended the functionality, removed limitations, updated hardware support as far as possible, and resolved close to 1000 issues that had been reported since the release of eComStation 1.2R. The new eComStation 2.0 GA is the result of several years of combined efforts and investments."


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February 15th, 2017
South African Banks are often key funders of a number of mining companies. Questions abound on the nature of these deals and the lack of transparency that surrounds them.
July 06th, 2015
Resource-rich countries are said to be more prone to negative outcomes ranging from slow economic growth, underinvestment in human capital, and environmental degradation to corruption, authoritarian rule, and violent conflict.
October 20th, 2014
Congo's Golden web: The people, companies and countries that profit from the illegal trade in Congolese Gold
This report completes the ground breaking series by describing all aspects of the commercialization of Congolese gold.
August 08th, 2014
Global and regional mechanisms for natural resource governance such as PWYP, EITI, KCP, Frank-Dodd Act, and the AMV have evolved against the backdrop of ideas and practices undergirding the resource curse.
August 06th, 2014
35 persons, mainly trade unionists, CSO activists and journalists from Southern Africa took part in the 2 day constituency building workshop
June 19th, 2014
History teaches us that Britain was the world's largest empire and pre-eminent superpower during the 19th century. During this period, Britain built thriving global companies that cemented its economic dominance by exploiting the resources of its colonies and other countries.
February 26th, 2014
There are two economic realities on the African continent today.
October 30th, 2013
Contains the most compelling arguments why the KP must adapt or lose its relevance.
October 29th, 2013
Barometer is a set of clear principles for measuring transparency, accountability and equity in the exploitation of the region's vast natural resources
September 02nd, 2013
In its first ground breaking research report into artisanal gold mining in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Southern Africa Resource Watch (SARW) demonstrated how the industr
August 29th, 2013
The Southern Africa Resource Watch (SARW) organised a major consultative conference in Kinshasa on 2-3 May, 2013 to discuss the impact of key peace agreements and the trade in conflict minerals in
April 16th, 2013
Gold miners in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) no longer fear homicidal warlords and militias but they are still being ruthlessly exploited – by a plague of corrupt government of
October 04th, 2012
On 21st May 2012, the first regional conference for southern and East Africa on the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) was held in Cape Town.
August 14th, 2012
People's Republic of China (PRC) has prioritised Africa as a strategic partner at both the political and economic levels, while seeking to link African commodity and consumer markets to China's growing economy
April 25th, 2012
The Tenke Fungurume Mining (TFM) company controls a 1,600 square kilometre mining concession in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
January 27th, 2012
Mozambique has attracted two of the world's largest mining companies – Brazil's Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (Vale) and the Anglo-Australian multinational Rio Tinto – to extract coal from the huge fi
July 04th, 2011
Southern Africa Resource watch and the Centre for Policy Studies organized a conference on the nationalization of mines which was attended by all political parties with the exception of the rulin
September 29th, 2010
Since the discovery of copper deposits in Zambia during the 1930s, copper has spelled both doom and boom for the country's social, political and economic activities.
September 02nd, 2010
Increased demands for resources around the world have attracted significant new investment in Africa's extractive industries, covering mining, oil and gas, timber and fishing.
August 24th, 2010
Africa is a poor continent, rich in resources.
July 31st, 2009
Through out the history of copper mining in Zambia, the mining companies have been the major source of revenue to the government.
June 30th, 2009
It is projected that if the economy does not improve within the next two years, more than half a million mineworkers in the region will lose their jobs.
June 17th, 2009
The proponents of the KPCS argue that it has played a key role in ending wars in the region.
May 29th, 2009
The Forestry Department in Malawi, which is responsible for all forestry matters, was established in 1942.
March 11th, 2009
This report has been compiled by a group of African and international civil society organisations concerned about the lack of transparency in mining contracts, as well as the revenue that national
June 17th, 2008
These guidelines provide a framework, which the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) government can use to ensure that the revision of contracts is fair, just and transparent.
June 17th, 2008
Malawi is not known historically to be well endowed with mineral wealth.
June 17th, 2008
Zambia was the first country on the African continent to produce copper and its economy has historically been heavily dependent on the mining of copper and cobalt. Once a middle-income country, Zambia began to slide into poverty in the 1970s when copper prices declined on the world market.


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yEnc - a raw encoding/decoding module for Python
This a fairly simple module, it provide only raw yEnc encoding/decoding with
builitin crc32 calculation.
Header parsing, checkings and yenc formatting are left to you (see examples
directory for possible implementations). The interface was originally intended
to be similar to the uu module from Python standard library.
Maintained by: powtrix
Keywords: yenc,usenet,sabnzbd,encoder,decoder
ChangeLog: python-yenc
Download SlackBuild:
python-yenc.tar.gz.asc (FAQ)
(the SlackBuild does not include the source)
|Individual Files:
| python-yenc.SlackBuild
| python-yenc.info
| slack-desc
© 2006-2018 SlackBuilds.org Project. All rights reserved.
Slackware® is a registered trademark of Patrick Volkerding
Linux® is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds
Web Design by WebSight Designs | Managed Hosting by OnyxLight Communications


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The new University Center is located in the heart of campus and features spaces for meetings, socializing, studying and relaxing. It also includes a variety of food, entertainment and retail venues. The renovated facility replaces the former Rankin Student Center. The University Center is available to host conferences, meetings, receptions and banquets. Faculty, staff and registered student organizations can schedule their events on-line through the MyFSU portal. For specific events, please contact Shana Beisiegel at 231-591-5917 or via email at [email protected]
The renovation project has added 500 new parking spaces that were built as part of the overall access to the building.
"It's been a dream of the campus for about 20 years and it became a priority when President (David) Eisler came to campus," said Mike Hughes, Associate Vice President for Physical Plant.
"The concept of the building is really to be like a living room for the campus – a place for students to hang out, a place for the students and the community to eat and meet," Hughes added.
The project included input from every segment of the university: faculty, staff, students and community members.
A highlight of the building is the unique dining area called the Quad Café, which includes an all-you-can-eat cafeteria-style section and a food court section with a diverse section of food options including, but not limited to, burgers, Asian food, Mexican food and frozen yogurt, all brought together in a 6,000-square-foot area.
"We want any visitor to campus to have a great taste in their mouth about Ferris," said Lori Helmer, Director of Dining Services.
Several open-floor cooking areas allow students to watch as their food is prepared. Plus, a new seating layout, which includes both family-style seating and small individual areas, will encourage student interactions and provide areas to study.
The finished building also includes several fireplaces. Above the main fireplace is repurposed limestone off of the Masselink residence halls and the clock is a replica of the original.
"It was repurposed to keep some of our history in the facility," said Mark Schuelke, Director of the University Center.
"This facility was set up to be a University Center, so that doesn't just mean Ferris. The facility is accessible to the greater Big Rapids community. For example, you have the dining area, the Barnes and Nobles bookstore and Starbucks," Schuelke noted.
Quick Links
Facility Rental Rates & Policies


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Cuyahoga County
Cuyahoga is a county in Northeast Ohio. The City of Cleveland is its County Seat and the hub a 13-county region with 4.5 million people.
Big City
Get in
By plane
By car
The State of Ohio is served by the following interstate highways:
By train
Cleveland is served by Amtrak with a station located on the north end of downtown (near Cleveland Browns Stadium). Unforturnately, most Amtrak routes serving Cleveland arrive and depart in the wee hours of the morning (like in the 1:00 to 4:00 a.m. time frame).
By boat
Many boaters utilize the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway and their connection points as a travel route. There are many marinas and public boat ramps available for this purpose. Also, the Great Lakes Cruising Company and the American Canadian Caribbean Line provide cruises that include Cleveland on the itineria.
Get around
A wide variety of activities await you in Northeast Ohio. Whether you are looking for outdoor fun, culture, the fine arts, history, sports, shopping, clubbing and dining - Cleveland ROCKS!
Enjoy your visit, but you'll probably want to stay. Greater Cleveland today is a global corporate center where national and international corporations grow and develop from the area's strong, diversified economy. Poised as the leading center of commerce between New York City and Chicago, Greater Cleveland has been ranked by Fortune magazine as the sixth best location in North America to conduct business. Five major industries have evolved to become the economic strength of the region: Health & Medicine, Science & Engineering, Biotechnology & Biomedical, Manufacturing and Education.
Eleven companies headquartered in Greater Cleveland are on Fortune magazine's 2003 list of the top 500 U.S. corporations. Greater Cleveland ranked eleventh among the nation's leading markets in number of Fortune 500 headquarters, with combined revenues totaling nearly $100 billion. In fact, more than 37% of the Fortune 500 companies are present in Greater Cleveland through corporate headquarters, major divisions, subsidiaries and sales offices. Cleveland is headquarters to 113 companies with revenues of $100 million or more, including the 11 Fortune 500 firms headquartered in Greater Cleveland. In addition, more than 150 international companies have a presence here.
Cuyahoga County alone serves as home to the following Fortune 500 Corporations:
Downtown Cleveland is home to Tower City Center, a large urban complex, a retail mall, hotels and the Terminal Tower. The Galleria at Erieview is another complex that includes a popular lunchtime foodcourt.
Shoppers have been flocking to Northeast Ohio since the development of several lifestyle centers have attracted upscale retailers. On the East Side, Legacy Village (in Lyndhurst) has been added to Cleveland's fashion district along Cedar Road (which includes Beachwood Place and La Place in Beachwood). Nearby, Eton Collection (on Chagrin Boulevard in Woodmere) provides even more upscale options for shopping and dining. On the West Side, Crocker Park (in Westlake) provides a mixed-use "new town" environment with upscale shopping.
Cleveland's active art community has galleries throughout the area with larger concentrations in Tremont and Ohio City (just across the Cuyahoga River from downtown). Unique boutiques abound in the inner ring suburbs of Cleveland Heights, Shaker Heights and Lakewood. New England charm and "mom-and-pop" shops can be found along the public squares of Western Reserve towns (settled as the Connecticut [[4] Western Reserve), including Chagrin Falls, Hudson, Olmsted Falls, Willoughby, Medina, Chardon and Painesville.
Stay safe
Get out


text: Do you want to see your favorite cartoon from other point of view? You can see how girls uncover their gigantic sausages and use them to penetrate those tiny buttholes of Fry or Hermes. You will see our heroes fucking, licking, blowjob each other at home or in the yard. Huge cocks and tiny holes will drive you crazy. You will be the first to see the shemale paradise of our Toons. You will understand the moment you see it.


text:
FAQs - By Product
[Question] Tips on bokeh photography.
Here are general tips to take a picture with great bokeh in the background. (Availability of the functions below will vary depending on the camera model.)
- 1 Capture the subject with zooming
- 2 Come as close to the subject as you can
- 3 Use Macro mode + zooming
- 4 Open aperture (A: aperture priority mode)
1. Capture the subject with zooming
Turn the zoom lever to the tele side. The more telephoto, the more bokeh in the background. Note that zooming may cause camera shake. Hold the camera steady. If the camera has the image stabilizer function, please enable it.
2. Come as close to the subject as you can
Moving toward the subject will make the focus position closer, and allow the background bokeh. If you get too close to the subject, it will be better using the macro mode (if available).
3. Use Macro mode + zooming
Set the macro mode, and determine the subject you want to capture, and then zoom to the tele side. The subject will standout with great bokeh in the background.
4. Open aperture ([A] : aperture priority mode)
[A] mode allows you to adjust the aperture value manually. When you select a low f-number (open aperture) this will serve to emphasize the main subject by blurring background. Available f-number varies depending on the camera (or the camera unit with the GXR).
See each FAQ site, or consult the manual for the camera operations.
Date created: May 27, 2011
Date modified: March 2, 2012
Product: GXR, GR DIGITAL III, GR DIGITAL II, GR DIGITAL, GX200, Caplio GX100
Operating system: --
Category: Hardware operations
Useful LINKs:
Do you need other information? Please click any link you want from the following.
Related Links
Quick Links


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SHS teams to visit Colo. City
Sweetwater High School begins its final week of bas-ketball action before the Christmas break by sending its teams to Colorado City, and several area teams will see action today as well.Sweetwater's 5-0 boys are one of two unbeaten teams from Nolan County after edging Bangs 48-47 on Friday. Also unbeaten are the Highland's girls, 54-44 winners over Greenwood on Saturday. Sierra Allen and Madison Moseley had 14 points for the 11-0 Lady Hornets, who led 11-8, 26-15 and 41-26 at the breaks and held on for the victory.Also scoring points for Highland were Beth Richburg (eight), Schyler Kimbrell (seven), Hannah Allen (five), Kaylee Martin (four) and Sydny Helbert (two). Highland is the top-ranked team in Class 1A, D-II. But Highland's boys (5-1) fell from the unbeaten ranks, losing to Coleman 67-45 on Saturday. Ethan Wilson and Jacob Richburg (11) shared the high point honors while Michael Hyde finished with 10 points. Also scoring for Highland were Seth Wood with seven points, Brandon Stevens with four and Isaac Rios with two.The Roscoe boys will take a 1-6 record into today's game after reaching the consolation finals of their own tournament which ended Saturday. On Friday, Ros-coe defeated Rotan 46-34, but it then lost to Hawley in Saturday's consolation final 52-45. Jesus Leanos scored 24 points vs. Rotan and also had 14 points vs. Hawley, while Javier Leanos had 10 points against Rotan and 13 points against Hawley. Also for Roscoe, Kevin Lavalais had 11 against Hawley and four against Rotan; Cutter Davila had four vs. Rotan and three against Hawley; Anthony Ortegon had two points against Rotan and one point vs. Hawley; Luis Villa had two vs. Rotan and one against Hawley; and Chase Cathey and Dillon Freeman each scored one point against Hawley for the Plowboys.


text:
Discussion of " Longitudinals vs. Cross-Ties for Railway Tracks by E. E. Russell Tratman"
See related content
by Thomas C. Clarke,
Serial Information: Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers, 1891, Vol. XXV, Issue 2, Pg. 624-624
Document Type: Discussion & Closure
Services: Buy this book/Buy this article
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text:
EMINIMA also includes minimalist, cross-platform set of tools for delivering content, so when used, the implications are:
(1) Any entity (school, LGU or NGO) with Pentium I (the oldest PC nowadays) and 64 MB memory will be able to enjoy uptodate content.
(2) Any entity will be able to develop content, too, and put the new content in a new CD (but if there is no CD-burner, they just copy the new content to the hard disk).
(3) A national entity (e.g., CICT or DepEd) can foster competition for content creation so that schools, for example, can enjoy multiple content offerings and deploy all those contents in its PC. Such offerings will be low-cost (say, P100 per CD, deployable in the whole school).
(4) When there are many CD-loads of alternative content, virtual internet will be achieved in the most far-flung school and the school's interconnection to the Internet core will not anymore be a precondition to using elearning (or egovernance, for that matter).
(5) Teachers will regain prominence as the facilitators of learning, as they will assume the role of leading/mediating both the creation and exchange of content, using EMINIMA tools.
(6) To propagate EMINIMA, training of trainors is now being done, with program site at coweb.org.


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Choir musical Sunday at Little River Baptist
Little River Baptist Church on Crab Creek Road in Penrose will host an adult choir musical, "Birthday of a King," at 11 a.m. Sunday during the morning worship service.
The Joy Singers will perform the musical "Memories of a Merry Christmas" at the 6 p.m. service, with refreshments to follow.
Also, church members will go caroling at 5 p.m. Wednesday and return to the church for a soup supper.
Call 828-877-4471 for more information.
Longest Night service at First Methodist
Hendersonville First United Methodist Church at the corner of Church Street and Sixth Avenue, will host a Longest Night Service at 5 p.m. Friday in the sanctuary.
The holidays can be a time of loneliness, alienation and sadness for many people. This service will acknowledge the struggles that people face and remind them of the light that shines even in darkness.
Call Christy Sharp at 828-693-4275, Ext. 103, or visit www.fumchvlnc.org or email firstname.lastname@example.com for more information.
Christmas Eve services announced
First Presbyterian Church at the corner of Seventh Avenue and Grove Street will host Christmas Eve worship services at 5 and 6 p.m. Dec. 24.
The family-oriented 5 p.m. service will include carols, the Christmas story and special music. Children are encouraged to bring a wrapped gift to be placed at the manger during the offertory. These gifts will be given to the Black Mountain Home for Children.
At 6 p.m., there will be a candlelight service with Holy Communion and a homily by the pastor. Special music will include the adult choir singing "Coventry Carol" by Mark Hayes, and an offertory solo by Cathey Ridings with piano accompaniment by Mary Lib McLeod. Refreshments will be served in Fellowship Hall between the services.
Michaela Campbell will accompany three of the congregational hymns on the flute, and another hymn will be accompanied by selected handbells played by Marguerite Martin and Karen Grady. Child care will be provided for all services.
Parking for the disabled and elevator access are available near the rear entrance to the church. Call 828-692-3211 for more information.
Christmas Eve services planned
Christmas Eve services at Grace Lutheran Church at the corner of Blythe Street and Sixth Avenue West will be at 5, 7 and 9 p.m. Dec. 24.
At 5 p.m., the combined English and Spanish service will be oriented to children and families. The Children's Christmas Eve Service shares the Nativity story from the book of Luke, with familiar Christmas carols led by the Grace Praise Band. All children and children-at-heart are invited.
Those who are able should have their child dress as a wise man, angel, shepherd, animal or star. Costumes will be available at the church for children who attend and do not have a costume so that every child can participate in the Nativity play. Children are encouraged to arrive early to be fitted with a costume. Holy Communion will be offered. To celebrate Jesus' birthday, families are encouraged to bring a gift for the women's shelter (diapers, baby clothes, toddler things, etc.).
At 7 and 9 p.m., the worship services will celebrate the birth of Christ in word, music and sacrament of Holy Communion. These will be traditional services of hearing the Christmas story, singing familiar carols and listening to special music by the Adult Choir. The worship message will be delivered by Pastor Ken Langsdorf.
At 10 a.m. Dec. 25, Grace will celebrate the birth of Christ with a carol-fest service. Pastor Greg Williams will preach. Those gathered will hear the Christmas Scripture readings, a brief message and join in singing favorite carols. Infants and children are always welcome at this service, and Holy Communion will be served.
The public is invited to attend all services. Call 828-693-4890 for more information.
Since early June, the Episcopal Church of St. John in the Wilderness in Flat Rock has been under extensive renovations both inside and out. The building is 160 years old and, prior to the recent restoration, had very little work done on it since it was built. Contractor for the work is Sally Lindsay-Madrid, owner of Opulent Wall Designs. In November, church services were held in the Parish House located across Rutledge Road from the church parking lot. On Dec. 2, services were held in the church again, along with a concert by Marc Yaxley and Friends was held there that afternoon.
Religion Notes: Dec. 15
Choir musical Sunday at Little River Baptist


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1. This guy was not "waiting for" the parking space. Thinking back on the situation, he was roughly two or three seconds ahead of me and had driven his car past the empty space.
2. Because of this "citation", I believe he had driven past the empty space he wished to park in because he planned on backing up into the space.
2a. Backing up into parking spaces is a strange phenomenon I have found quite common in Canada, though since I lived in New York City for 17 years prior to moving here in 2005 -- and there are not many parking lots in Manhattan and we did not have a car -- maybe this is a fairly common practice since the mid-1980s.
2b. Why do people do this? I will sometimes drive through an empty space to park in the empty space that adjacent to it, so I can drive out of the space when I leave. However, I see no point in backing carefully into a space so I can drive directly out later on. What's the benefit? You either drive in and then back out -- or you back in and then drive out?
3. Regardless, this guy had not yet put his car into reverse when I pulled into the empty space. There were no white taillights. He was not "waiting for" the space. No spot was stolen.
4. I pulled in and got out of my car. He could have upbraided me right then and there. I think he was pulling into a space maybe four or five spaces away from where I was parked -- Oh, what a much longer walk he had to make! -- when I got out of my car. Why not say something then?
4a. Canadians are not big on direct one-on-one confrontations. That's a generalization -- and Laura touched on an aspect of it here -- but this webpage of the Council of Ministers of Education backs me up:
Canadians, in general, avoid conflict and confrontation and thus it is not common for people to intervene directly.4b. This theory goes right out the fucking window, though, once you get on the highway. If you want or need to change lanes, the driver that you will be pulling in ahead of will speed up to deny you the opportunity to change lanes. Also, if you are on an on-ramp and about to enter highway traffic and someone else is about to get off the highway via an the off-ramp that is a bit ahead of where the on-ramp is letting you in, rather than slow down -- which he has to do anyway to go down the off-ramp -- and pull in behind you -- which makes common sense since at the time he is slowing down, you are accelerating to get up to highway speed, he will stomp on his accelerator like a goddamn maniac, cut directly in front of you, meaning you have to suddenly brake and slow down, THEN he'll get off the highway and slow down.
4c. Though being in a car is not a direct confrontation.
4d. This guy didn't even bother to honk his horn when he saw me pulling into what he believed was his rightful spot in the parking lot.
5. He saw these "citations" in a store, thought "This is what I need in my non-confrontational crusade to 'make the world a better place to park'! Look at all these possible instances I can use then in." and bought them.
6. He keeps them in his car, with a pen.
7. He fucking USES them!
8. After feeling seriously aggrieved, this guy grabs his pad of citations (are they in his glove box? does he keep them on the passenger seat?) and his pen, fills the thing out, gets out of his car, walks over to the car and leaves the citation under a wiper blade -- but only after he has clearly seen the other person go into the store and knows damn well he or she will not be coming right out.
8a. I am 100% sure this was a guy.
8b. And I'm not expecting any confrontation to be necessarily loud or obnoxious or laced with profanity. He could make his case clearly and in a normal tone of voice. He could not bring himself to do even that.
9. He filled in the name of the store (Canadian Tire) -- AND the date! Beautiful!
9a. Checking the appropriate box was not enough. He also circled the "infraction" and added some editorial comment. It also looks like he traced over the X to emphasis his disapproval.


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MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – In a battle of ranked men's tennis teams, No. 28 MIT fell at No. 7 Middlebury College by a final of 6-3 in the regular season finale for the Engineers. The difference in the match came in doubles, where the Panthers were able to win all three matches, accounting for their final margin of victory.
MIT (13-4), which saw its eight-match win streak snapped, came close to picking up a point in the doubles competition in the No. 1 match. There the Engineers' team of junior Matthew Skalak (Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.) and sophomore Edwin Zhang (Falls Church, Va.) battled the Middlebury (12-4) duo of Branter Jones and Spencer Lunghino in a closely contested match that went to the Panthers' duo by a 9-8 score.
Zhang and Jones battled it out in the No. 1 match in singles play, and this time it was Zhang that came out the winner, holding off his opponent in the first set on his way to a 7-6, 6-2 win. Sophomore Curtis Wu (Yorba Linda, Calif.) turned in a fine performance for MIT in the No. 4 match, turning in a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Lunghino. Also taking home a win for the Engineers was junior Tymor Hamamasy (New York, N.Y.), who scored a 6-3, 4-6, 1-0 decision over Peter Heidrich.
A split of the singles matches was the best MIT could do, however, as Middlebury won the Nos. 2, 3, and 5 matches in straight sets to clinch the team victory.
MIT, which earned the #1 seed in this weekend's New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference championship by finishing with a perfect 5-0 league record, will host the event on Saturday and Sunday. The Engineers will take on #4 seed Springfield College at Noon on Saturday.