text:
When your grandfather is a bootlegger and your family runs an illegal small-town roadhouse, you must have a lot of stories to tell. Cam Penner does, and he tells them in his music. The Canadian singer-songwriter's latest album is titled Gypsy Summer.
Penner grew up in a small Mennonite community in Manitoba. When he was 18, he followed a group of friends down to Chicago and ended up staying for a year, living on a local commune. It was there that he first started working in shelters for the homeless, a habit he would maintain for years to come. He says the experience gave him much-needed focus and perspective.
"[Shelters offer] raw honesty, which is sometimes the most beautiful thing," Penner tells NPR's Scott Simon. "I never saw it as 'working' with the homeless. I thought of it just as hanging out with these people who had something to say, and they lived it out. It brought direction to my life."
Though the album was released on CD, the jacket for Gypsy Summer separates the tracks into two "sides," as if it were a vinyl record. Penner says it's his way of reminding listeners of the bigger picture.
"I don't want it to be just a collection of songs. It was an album to me. It was an experience: the way we recorded it, how those songs came to me that summer," he says. "It's a celebration of hot summer nights, tequila, dancing on the porch, letting the floorboards creak."
When your grandfather is a bootlegger and your family runs an illegal small town roadhouse, you must have a lot of stories to tell. Cam Penner does, and tells them in his music.
CAM PENNER: (Singing) It's gonna get worse before it gets better. I wrote it down in a love letter. Sang it for you. And all that love is only between us, everything else is just made for leavers, everything else...
SIMON: That's the opening track, "Driftwood," off of Cam Penner's latest CD. It's called "Gypsy Summer." And Cam Penner joins us now from the studios of the CBC in Calgary, Alberta. Thanks very much for being with us.
PENNER: Well, enjoying it already.
SIMON: Well, you're just on the surface of it. Any one paragraph description of your life is so fascinating. I almost have to take it phrase by phrase. Do you mind?
PENNER: No, go ahead.
SIMON: We already - grandfather, a bootlegger, right?
PENNER: Um-hum. Absolutely, yeah.
SIMON: I read you grew up in a small Mennonite community in Manitoba.
PENNER: True.
SIMON: So, I'm told you hit the road at 18, wound up in Chicago, right? Well, go ahead.
PENNER: Absolutely. No, when I was 18, my friends were going down to Chicago to check out this Jesus hippie commune, and I thought, wow, I can go to Chicago and catch a Cubs game at Wrigley Field, maybe catch some music. So I went down there with them. And - so, anyways, yeah, I went down there for a year. And then I got to start working with homeless people there. So, it was an amazing experience and it kind of formed a direction for me.
SIMON: Tell us about working in homeless shelters.
PENNER: Well, the thing about it is it's raw honesty, which is sometimes the most beautiful thing. And I never saw it as working with the homeless. I just I was just hanging out with these people who had something to say and they lived it out. And it brought me direction to my life listening to these people. And I think that's what it was for me - you were listening and you responded. And it's like I have 10,000 stories inside me 'cause I've met so many people that got these ghosts living inside me. And now it comes out in my songs and my lyrics.
SIMON: Let's listen to your almost title cut, "Gypsy Women."
PENNER: (Singing) Gypsy women, gypsy hearts, dark brown eyes, tattooed arms. You may find them in the taverns and the bars, with long hair down, shaking all around, getting lost...
SIMON: How'd this song come in your mind?
PENNER: You know what, I got such a sweetheart of a woman and she's great. And I started touring really hard about six years ago, and I said, Jenny, why don't you come back from London - she was out in the U.K. And I said we're going to go out on this tour, a six-month tour. So, we toured six months across North America living in a van and playing shows and stealing from hotel buffets and sleeping at road stops. And it was fierce and it was great and it was romantic. And she's a gypsy like me and I wanted to celebrate that. And part of it is ode to my folks as well who kind of lived that way too, and with their roadhouses and with their dances.
SIMON: Listen to a bit of another one of your songs if we could, "Flesh and Bone."
PENNER: (Singing) Row, row your boat ashore. Don't you say it anymore, no need to start a war, just go build yourself a home. You don't need to be alone, not even on your own and lone. We're only flesh and bone. Just water through the stone, we came upon our own.
You always be awake to the world. You have to be mindful of it. And things happen out of compassion and love, the great things in life, and I wanted to express that in that song. And we're such a wayward group of people that, you know, just to dress things, and you do it out of goodness.
SIMON: This is your fourth CD, but I gather it's the first that you produced on your own.
PENNER: Yes, it is.
SIMON: How does that change things?
PENNER: You know, I spent so much time in my studio writing, you know. I was writing them. I had the ideas and I wanted to make sure that that happened. And when we went to record the album, we didn't rehearse the songs, and I didn't want them to be rehearsed. I wanted to get it live off the floor and do that. But I also had my own ideas. And, you know, I felt confident in my ability to direct and to allow things to happen naturally.
SIMON: I am curious about this: CD lists songs one through six as being Side A and seven to eleven as Side B. And I tried flipping it over.
PENNER: Nothing there.
SIMON: I believed in your songs, so I believed in the instructions on the jacket cover too, right? Nothing there, yeah.
PENNER: No, no. I want it to be an album, and I don't want it to just be a collection of songs. It was an album to me. It was an experience the way we recorded it, how those songs came to me that summer, and I believe in albums. I believe in a work of art. And it's a photo of that summer and spring and fall.
PENNER: (Singing) She got love and a phone, fire in her hips, she shake it to the right, then to the left. I want to hold her, to get to know her, lips taste like gems, skin like summer. I feel (unintelligible), I see the light, I need you honey, wanna buzz around your hives. She lets me smile, she's all obscene. She turns around and backs off then leaves. Throw your hands up, let your dress fall...
SIMON: This is quite a song, clearly the product of the travel in you. Tell us about this.
PENNER: Well, I rarely listen to the music that I play. I don't really listen to a lot of that. And I was listening to a lot of Al Green and Gladys Knight, a lot of soul music, but lots of underground hip-hop. And I didn't want to be afraid of throwing beats down on that album. And, again, it's a celebration of hot summer nights, tequila, dancing on the porch, letting the floorboards creak.
PENNER: (Singing) We close our eyes shut and start to drift off. Our dreams, they carry us, into the night.
SIMON: I got to tell you, Mr. Penner, you're doing a lot for Mennonites by emphasizing the fun you have.
SIMON: One more song we'd like to listen to if we could, "Ghost Car."
PENNER: (Singing) Ghost car waiting on the side of the road, underneath the lights of a city's glow. Black tar rolling out miles and miles, lead me up to the mountain land, sugar pine, sugar pine. We're the land of the brave and the home of the free...
SIMON: You write a song every day?
PENNER: Yeah, I think I do. Like, not necessarily that I write a song from start to end. But, you know, I got this great job when I'm back at home. And, you know, I'm a janitor but it's a nice - it's kind of very meditative and I do the left to right with the broom, with the mop. I'm thinking, I'm walking, I'm thinking of things and a beat's in my head and my keys are dangling off my belt clip and they're hitting my leg and I'm finding a rhythm. And then I'm thinking about things that happen or that I see and it's great. So, you find things in that and I'm always writing, I think.
SIMON: Joining us from the CBC in Calgary, Cam Penner. His new album, "Gypsy Summer." Thanks so much.
PENNER: Thank you.
SIMON: And there's more of Cam Penner's new album to be found at NPRMusic.org. This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


text:
The Michigan Department of Transportation has updated information on the safety of 4,422 state highway bridges on the MDOT website at www.michigan.gov/highwaybridgereport.
Of the 4,422 bridges included in the Aug. 30 report, 269 are classified with the engineering term of "structurally deficient," meaning they may require rehabilitation or replacement at some time in the future; and 828 are classified as "functionally obsolete," meaning their design is outdated and may require modernization at some time in the future. Five bridges were removed and four were added.
The last highway bridge report covered bridge inspections through April 24. The new report lists 77 fewer functionally obsolete bridges and 20 more structurally deficient bridges than the April 24 report.
National Bridge Inspection Standards require MDOT to inspect bridges every two years. The Mackinac, International, and Blue Water bridges are inspected annually, exceeding federal requirements. These three bridges are managed by bridge authorities, and their ratings are not included in the list MDOT has posted to its website.
MDOT has posted bridge safety reports online since August 2007. State bridge information can be downloaded by route number and/or county, and are current as of Aug. 30. Only highway bridges greater than 20 feet in length are included; ratings for pedestrian, railroad and locally owned bridges are not included.
MDOT updates bridge condition information on the website four times a year.
"While limited funding remains a challenge, MDOT is committed to monitoring highway bridges and maintaining the safety of highway bridges and overpasses," said State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle. "We've been putting this information online for six years now, because transparency and accountability are important to us and the citizens we serve."
MDOT employs more than 20 bridge inspectors who have specialized training and work in teams of two. Bridge inspectors use a variety of tools to assess bridge safety and structural integrity. The types of inspection performed include bridge safety inspections, fracture critical inspections, fatigue-sensitive inspections and underwater inspections.
Non-destructive evaluation and bridge monitoring also is done as needed. Techniques used include calipers to measure the thickness of steel, ultrasonic testing to check for defects in steel, sounding to detect concrete separation, and monitoring bridge deflections and response to load.
MDOT posts new data on highway bridge safety
The Michigan Department of Transportation has updated information on the safety of 4,422 state highway bridges on the MDOT website at www.michigan.gov/highwaybridgereport.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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We always put wish kids first.
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text:
|Glen Head, N.Y.
|High School:
2010-11 Season (Freshman): Posted 7-3 record in singles in the fall, winning consolation match at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Women's College Invitational … Advanced to round of 16 at USTA/ITA Division I Northeast Regional Championships … Went 6-4 in doubles in the fall, advancing to the round of 16 at USTA/ITA Division I Northeast Regional Championships with Elizabeth Epstein.
Before Yale: No. 8 Blue Chip recruit for Class of 2010 by Tennisrecruiting.net … 2009 New York State High School Singles Champion … 2009 Nassau County Singles Champion … Sixth place at G18s Super National Winter Championships … Finalist at 2 G18s National Opens … Fourth place at G16s Super National Clay Court Championships … G16s National Open Champion … 2010 Champion of Singles and Doubles at ITA Summer Circuit tournament hosted by Dartmouth … Ranked as high as No. 7 in G18s USTA National rankings and No. 1 in USTA Eastern Section … National High School All American 2010 … Captain of Jericho High School Tennis Team in senior year and had an 54-0 singles record throughout all three seasons at No. 1 singles … All Division … All County … All Long Island … All State … Newsday Long Island Tennis Player of the Year 2009 … Member of National Honor Society … Spanish Honor Society … AP Scholar … Only official recruiting visit was to Yale, also unofficially visited Harvard, Northwestern and Virginia.


text:
$10,000 in copper wire stolen from PA. turbines
$10,000 in copper wire stolen from PA. turbines
State police say $10,000 worth of copper wire has been stolen from two disassembled wind turbines being stored on property in southwestern Pennsylvania.
Troopers from the Somerset barracks say 150 feet of one-inch thick coated wire was cut from the turbines, which are owned by AES Wind Generation of Dallas.
Police say the thefts occurred sometime between May 29 and June 11 in a parking lot where the turbines were being stored in Somerset Township. That's about 60 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.
Police say whoever stole the wire dragged it through some woods and loaded it into a vehicle in the nearby Happy Valley Baptist Church parking lot before hauling it away.


text:
Revision history of "Ntop - who is generating traffic?"
From NAS-Central Buffalo - The Linkstation Wiki
Diff selection: Mark the radio boxes of the revisions to compare and hit enter or the button at the bottom.
Legend: (cur) = difference with latest revision, (prev) = difference with preceding revision, m = minor edit.


text:
Monetize Your UK and Canada Traffic with OneLink
The Amazon Associates Program is excited to announce OneLink, a new way to help publishers monetize international traffic from the United Kingdom (UK) and Canada (CA).
Get Ready for Prime Day 2017
The third annual Prime Day will be Tuesday, July 11, 2017 with hundreds of thousands of deals exclusively for Prime members around the world. New this year, members can enjoy 30 hours of shopping starting early at 6pm PT /...
Display highly relevant and dynamic product recommendations in a stylishly designed, responsive and mobile-optimized ad unit.
It's easy. Refer and earn fixed advertising fees when visitors try and/or sign-up for valuable services and programs.
Get Links and Banners


text:
DrFannin needed a new banner ad design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 4 designs submitted by 1 freelance designers.
Dr. Jeffrey L. Fannin
Doctor of neurotherapy, writing books and speaking
General audience
Need three book covers: (1) stacked books in hard cover format, center book larger than the others; (2) individual book covers in hard cover format, one standing straight and one version tilted at an angle for all three covers; (3) need highest resolution possible.


text:
We are back with a new selection of videos to tickle your fancy. These videos are not all from this week, but they all made us laugh or caused our jaws to drop recently. Enjoy!
Beatboxing Dog
What would a viral video countdown be without some adorable animal doing something adorably adorable. Don't answer that. A star is born, as this dog's 2 million plus hits on YouTube alone prove that you don't need much to make a catchy tune. A fact Justin Beiber has proven countless times over (zing!).
Dude, You Have No Quran (Remix)
Apparently it is all the rage these days to burn the Quran, whether it be in Florida, or in a park in Amarillo, TX. Not if this dude has anything to say about it. The video sells itself pretty well, so enjoy.
High School QB play Tecmo Bowl for Real
Like a scene out of Tecmo Bowl, Craig Billington, the quarterback for the Genoa-Kingston High School in Illinois avoids not one, not two, but 11 tackles to score the game winning touchdown and keep his team a perfect 4 and 0. If you know football, then you know that it means that he literally avoided the entire defense. Every single one of them. Billington then went on to date the hottest cheerleader, win prom king, and was named the valedictorian.
The Luckiest People in the World
Sometimes it is better to be lucky than smart, as is evidenced by the people that decided to play chicken with trains, or walk across the track during the middle of a race. Alternatively, some of these people should head immediately to Vegas, because many of them are lucky to be alive. Video compilations like this have been floating around for awhile, and yet they still can amaze every time.
Never Say No to Panda. Or Else…
This Egyptian commercial for a cheese that uses a panda as a mascot has taken the internet by storm. Some say that the ad is actually a cleaver jab at American global politics and the U.S.'s tendency to bully people into doing things by pushing over the little guy, and that the depictions of the office and supermarket are in part there to show Americans that life in Egypt is not so different from our own. Others claim that it is a political jab at the rising influence of China in the global market who are forcing their way into new markets every day. Perhaps we have been on the internet too long, but it just looks like a dude in a panda suit hilariously knocking stuff over. To each their own!


text:
Converting from older versions of Kith and Kin
Using Kith and KinPro with TreeDraw
Tutorial - Using the Tree Area
Tutorial - Working with person and family data forms
Tutorial - Searching using queries
Tutorial - Adding extra fields to people and families
Tutorial - Starting your own family tree
Tutorial - Importing a GEDCOM file
Database maintenance
Changing the name of a database
Adding and maintaining user-defined fields
Data maintenance
Adding and maintaining aliases
Adding and maintaining sources
Adding and maintaining source documents
Adding and maintaining source document repositories
Re-using an old person or family code
Searching / querying
Displaying a relationship between two people
Searching for date errors / inconsistencies
Searching for events on a particular day
Searching for people who are not on the Tree Area
Selecting families using the mouse
Selecting families by relationship
Closing all open forms at once
Choosing the selection's layer
Removing families from a layer
Creating a new layer from selection
Turning the Tree Area on and off
Turning the Button Bar on and off
Turning the Status Bar on and off
Turning the Tree Area Control on and off
Printing an indented descendant tree
Printing a missing data report
Printing source document details
Printing document repository details
Previewing a report on the screen
Copying printed pages to the clipboard
Importing / exporting
Exporting data to a delimited text file
Importing a text file into notes
Exporting a text file from notes
Exporting a report to a PDF file
Setting current database options
Choosing a family to move to when the tree is opened
Choosing the current database language
Setting regional / language options
Selecting / defining a database name
Kith and Kin Pro will automatically connect to the SpanSoft Web site and check if there is a later version of the program available. If there is, you will be asked if you want to download and install the latest version. Note that Kith and Kin Pro will be closed down automatically during the installation of a new version.
Kith and Kin Pro also makes occasional checks for program updates automatically.
Copyright © SpanSoft 1998-2017. All rights reserved.


text:
I've been bombarded with political ads showing Baltimore's mayor threatening to send former Ravens left tackle Jonathan Ogden to West Virginia to "straighten" out the folks there who are arguing against Question 7 ("Bullying, gambling and that Ogden ad," Nov. 1).
The referendum on expanded gambling aside, doesn't the mayor's office or anyone else realize that such ads promote bullying? What does that ad say to kids who are victims of bullying — or to their tormentors?
I think it's disgraceful for the mayor to be in such a commercial. Is Maryland so corrupt now that, in addition to suspecting our leaders will rob any new revenues the casinos might produce, we fear they'll resort to bullying in order to win?
It's disgusting that the mayor of Baltimore, with the help of a particularly large "big guy," has now publicly proclaimed that it's OK to threaten and bully in order to get one's way.
Douglas B. Hermann, Parkville


text:
CHICAGO – Brandon Saad scored in the fifth round of the shootout after Jonathan Toews tied the score late in regulation, and the Blackhawks clinched the Central Division title with a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Friday night.
With St. Louis losing to Columbus earlier Friday, the Hawks wrapped up the Central race for the first time since 2010 when they won the Stanley Cup.
The Hawks also increased their lead over Anaheim for the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs to six points.
The shootout was tied 1-1 when Saad beat Jimmy Howard with a backhand shot. Corey Crawford then stopped Johan Franzen, sealing the win and giving the Hawks a four-game season sweep over Detroit.
The Hawks were trailing 2-1 when Howard made a big pad save on Michael Frolik in the closing minutes. The puck ended up at the left point, and Johnny Oduya's shot hit traffic in front. Toews then fired in the loose puck for his 20th goal, tying it with 2:57 left in regulation.
The Hawks then had a 2-on-1 rush, but Bryan Bickell's shot with about 50 seconds left hit the left post.
The Hawks had a chance late in overtime when Viktor Stalberg sprinted down the right wing and tried to center the puck to Patrick Kane. The puck appeared to hit a Detroit defender, and Howard swept it aside.
Stalberg beat Howard with a wraparound shot early in the second period. Two quick goals by Franzen and Cory Emmerton late in the period gave Detroit a 2-1 lead, but the Hawks answered down the stretch, winning their final game against the Red Wings as division foes.
The teams have played 725 times, more than any other two NHL teams, but the rivalry between the Original Six franchises will have a different look next season because Detroit is headed to the Eastern Conference. The teams will go from playing six times a season to just twice.
Notes: Hawks defenseman Duncan Keith played in his 600th game, and defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson played in his 300th. ... Hawks forward Dave Bolland has been practicing but remained sidelined by a lower body injury. ... Forward Drew LeBlanc of St. Cloud State agreed to a one-year contract with the Hawks on the same day he won the Hobey Baker Award as the nation's top college player. ... The Red Wings were without forwards Darren Helm (back) and Mikael Samuelsson (upper body).


text:
Tale of Despereaux, The (US - BD)
Gabe enjoys the big eared mouse's adventures more than most, it seems...
These days DreamWorks, Pixar, Fox (Blue Sky) and Disney kind of own the animation genre, which actually makes for a better landscape than the one that prevailed was when I was a kid and Disney was pretty much the only choice. Other studios haven't had much luck breaking into mainstream success, but they all seem to try at least once a year, including Universal Studios, who gave it a shot in late 2008 with The Tale of Despereaux, a charming tale of a tiny hero (Matthew Broderick) who fights to restore balance to a small town that once shared a mutual love of soup. Along the way Despereaux must overcome the fearful nature of his fellow mice, the terrifying nature of the underground dwelling rats, and the distrustful nature of humanity.
The animation here is noticeable cheaper than the supreme budget stuff out of the genre ruling studios, but it's not 'cheap', and it's not flat. The problems come out of some stiff character movements and expression (think Star Wars: The Clone Wars), along with a few items that don't appear to interact perfectly together. Otherwise Despereaux is a very handsome film, a painterly representation that isn't common among CG animation. There aren't many pastel colours used, rather the palette is aimed to highlight certain elements and characters, such as Despereaux's hat. Despereaux's reading fantasies are another world all together, lower in detail, and stylized somewhat like a 3D version of a Peter Chung cartoon.
The story is a traditional one, so it doesn't feature a lot of surprises, but its firm in its morals, and is told in a surprisingly adult fashion. I'm sure the film's paltry box office receipts had more to do with short attention spans than actual quality. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, and the plot is so fluttery it's difficult to get a grasp on the narrative, which has more to do with the style of modern storytelling than the skill of this story's tellers. Many of the morals are universal, but some of the themes have specific allegorical ties to modern times, including obvious questions about blind trust of authority, blind loyalty to tradition, and blind trust in unnecessary fear. There's a respectable leftist streak to the story, with similarities to Lang's Metropolis mixed into the traditional 'hero's journey' themes.
I haven't read the book, but some major differences are pointed out in a Wikipedia article, and the adaptation does appear to account for some of the film's pacing issues. It also seems that the book is even darker than the film, which is saying something (I'm unclear on how the film didn't get a PG rating). But even the problems are unique enough to modern children's entertainment that they become an integral part of the film's success. The super star studded cast also adds to a lot to the film's classy nature, but most of them act with a sort of abandonment that makes for a more dream-like production. Again, though, this shortcoming oddly adds to the appeal of such a strange and unexpected little film.
The animation budget is noticeably lower than stuff like Wall-E, assuming you know what to look for, but it's still a very beautiful film, and it's classily framed in 2.35:1, a rarity for animation. In high definition the details are easy to enjoy, but do show more of their limitations, including fur and hair, which don't move in an entirely realistic manner. Textures are still very impressive, and are nicely juxtaposed against the super smooth human faces. Colours are a bit muted, but in an artistically appeasing fashion, and the colours that are most outwardly represented are solid and natural, without any noticeable compression noise or edge enhancement. The transfer's major hole is a lack of deep blacks, which seem to be a victim of the overall palette's greying.
Despereaux's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is somewhat flat and empty for a studio animated film. Besides music, the rear and stereo channels get the majority of their work-out from echoing vocals (apparently the kingdom is quite spacious). The dialogue itself isn't entirely consistent, and sometimes suffers a tinny quality. This may be because the directors' insistence on recording the cast sessions in the same room. Sound effects are minimal and sparse, but work for the production in a sense of woebegone. William Ross' score is an effective mix of traditional hero's themes, and almost overwhelmingly melancholy. It's a little low on the track, and is slightly lacking in low end representation, but the score is mostly warm and detailed.
Like many Universal disc's Despereaux's extras begin with U-Control option. This time around the audience has the option of either watching the entire film in animatic form with PiP, or watching a selection of PiP interviews with the filmmakers and cast. The interviews can mostly be found in the various making-of extras.
There are two deleted songs, 'It's Great to Be a Rat' and 'Soup'. I'm guessing the film was originally set to be a musical and that these were the only two songs that made it past the early editing phases, but I'm really just spitballing. 'It's Great to Be a Rat' is a strangely modern tune with genuinely revolting lyrics, while 'Soup' is more of a marching theme. Both songs feature black and white animatic footage, rough sound effects, and what I'm assuming is demo version audio. They run four and a half minutes together.
'The Tale of Despereaux: A Mostly Non-Fictional Making-of' covers the process of writing the book and making the movie, from the mouths of many of the writers, filmmakers, and actors. It's really another fluff piece EPK, but it gives us less than knowledgeable folks a bit of genuine behind the scenes information. Included in the mess are some of the filmed cast readings, which were made with props, story boards, the process of creating textures, and some of the specific classical art used as inspiration. The featurette runs about twelve minutes including credits.
The disc also houses six scene progression examples, which move from illustrated script, to story boards, rough digital layout, animation, and final lighting (all with final audio). These run a total of about thirty-five minutes and are followed by a silly little featurette called 'The Top Ten Uses for Oversized Ears', a 'Make Your Own Soup' game, a greeting card creator, and a sneak peek at Curious George 2: Follow that Monkey.
The Tale of Despereaux is a dark little fairytale, with some pretty strong allegories that some parents might not like, and the pacing might not enthral the littlest viewers, but it's a pretty solid stepping stone to more adult fair. It's not a perfect film, but it's quite memorable in its unique approach to mainstream CG animation. The disc is light on intensive extras, and the A/V quality is pretty average, but I still strongly recommend at least a rent for curious parents.
* Note: The images on this page are not representative of the Blu-ray release.
Review by Gabriel Powers
JackJackMN Member Join Date: January 2006 Location: United States Posts: 629
Good review, I wasn't sure if I anted to see this or not. I may pick it up or at least try and rent it.
lee09 Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: United States Posts: 954
I agree with the above poster. The best thing about DVDactive reviews is that their always broken down properly and better analyzed. Not c**ppy amateur reviews from sites (i wont mentioned) that carry the word 'Blu' on them. It shouldnt come to as a surprise to them. :cough: Blu-news.com :cough: Blu-ray.com :cough:
I love DVDActive!
I love DVDActive!
Fabricio De Zuasnabar Member Join Date: July 2005 Location: United States Posts: 1,350
im not a parent... im 22 and i love animation... but on my personal opinion i think this was very weak compared to other movies... i found it boring at some points... and i was hoping it'll be over soon or else i would eject the disc... =(
All ages admitted
Disc Details
Release Date: 7th April 2009
Discs: 1
Disc Type: Blu-ray Disc
RCE: No
Video: 1080p
Aspect: 2.35:1
Anamorphic: No
Colour: Yes
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English, DTS 5.1 Spanish
Subtitles: English SDH, French, and Spanish
Extras: U-Control, Deleted Songs, 'The Tale of Despereaux: A Mostly Non-Fictional Making-Of', Scene Progessions, 'The Top Ten Uses for Oversized Ears', 'Make Your Own Soup' Game, Greeting Card Creator, Sneak Peek of Curious George 2: Follow that Monkey
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Sam Fell, Rob Stevenhagen
Cast: Matthew Broderick, Sigourney Weaver, Robbie Coltrane, Dustin Hoffman, Richard Jenkins
Genre: Adventure and Animation
Length: 94 minutes
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text:
FORT VALLEY, Ga. - A last minute Georgia Southwestern rally wasn't enough for the Blue and Gold as the Lady Hurricanes couldn't overcome a balanced Fort Valley State offensive attack Saturday afternoon, eventually falling to the Wildcats, 60-54.
Junior guard Shaniece Sheffield tallied a career high 14 points on the afternoon for Georgia Southwestern (0-3) and senior forward Briana Walker chipped in 10 points and seven rebounds but a balanced FVSU scoring attack proved to be too much for the cold shooting Hurricanes to overcome.
Fort Valley was led by three double figure scorers on the afternoon. Americus native Jayme Gilbert tallied 12 points for the Wildcats (1-1). In addition, forward Dominique Collier tallied 12 points and eight rebounds while 5'9 forward Carmenonique Dawson accounted for 12 points and five boards.
With five minutes to play in the second half, the Hurricanes rallied to cut a 14 point deficit to five points but late FVSU free throws iced the game for the Wildcats.
Overall, it was a cold shooting night for the Lady 'Canes as they were 17-57 from the field and 2-11 from three. Freshman sensation Jasmine McSwain was limited offensively by the Wildcats but finished with eight points and four rebounds on 1-8 shooting.
GSW returns to the court Sunday afternoon to take on Albany State at 2 p.m. in the second and final game of the SIAC/PBC Challenge.


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I would like to hire an Arabic Translator
Budżet $30-250 USD
I have about 100 pages of topics pertaining to islam, politics, american muslim, and us senate. I would like them to be translated within three days. Please let me know whats your budget and time frame. Thanks
32 freelancerów złożyło ofertę na kwotę $175 do tego projektu
I am a professional English-Arabic translator and I am an Arabic native speaker. Please contact me to discuss the details . please note that I need to check the file to offer an accurate price. Thanks
I am an excellent professional translator and you can check my clients feedback on my profile . I am a native speaker for Arabic,and excellent English speaker. I possess native fluency in reading writing and speaking. Więcej
I'm a native Egyptian , my mother tongue is Arabic and I have perfect command of English , I also did other translation projects , I can finish the task in 3 days (+ or - 12 hrs , in case I had any urgent business to t Więcej
Previous exp , native speaker , ready to start now
100 page ! need lots of work and concentrating >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
arabic speaker, studied english translation, lived in united states and currently living in dubai, fluent english speaker.
I am an Al-azher university graduate. I'm excellent with Islamic translation.
I am a native Arabic speaker and an English teacher, thus I can use my fluency in both languages to translate any Islamic or Arabic text to English or vice versa.
I am a native arabic speaker that also took many courses in english and have a score Of 8/10 in the IELTS exam. So I think I can be of use
Hello there, I'm a professional Translator with over 4 years of work experience. I have been (or still) working with several remarkable NGOs and firms including MercyCorps - USA ([login to view URL] Project Translat Więcej
HI, I am a freelance translator into Arabic and into English. I am a native Arabic speaker. I use no Machine translation. I am professional in CAT to speed up and unify translation. I can handle the mentioned topic wi Więcej
I'm a Muslim, and i'm interested in politics, so i can relate to the topics you've posted. and of course is speak Arabic and English fluently :)


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Minnesota Wild Goalie Josh Harding Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Minnesota Wild goalie Josh Harding has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
The Wild confirmed Thursday that Harding is undergoing treatment for the disease, which attacks the body's immune system and affects the central nervous system. The Star Tribune first reported the news.
General manager Chuck Fletcher said he knows the "competitive fire" Harding has used in his hockey career will help him fight this challenge.
MS symptoms can include problems with balance, vision and fatigue. The 28-year-old Harding told the Star Tribune he plans to keep playing. Diagnosed two months ago, Harding resumed on-ice workouts two weeks ago without trouble.
Harding signed a three-year, $5.7 million contract this summer. He played in a career-high 34 games last season.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Material may not be redistributed.


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Answers to your questions related to how to contract with NCTE for Consulting Services, what to expect when you have booked an onsite workshop, and consultant qualifications can be found here.
To Request NCTE Professional Development Services, complete the Online Request Form, call 800-369-6283 or email us today!
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Q: What happens after we decide to book an onsite workshop through NCTE's Consulting Services?A: After a school decides to move forward with booking an onsite workshop on a particular topic, NCTE staff will send a contract outlining the agreed-upon services and costs. If a school has a contract they prefer to use for professional learning services, we are happy to review your contract and determine if we can use that instead. If requested, travel costs can be estimated and included in the contract as well. Once both parties have signed the agreed-upon contract, NCTE will provide the school with contact information for the consultant who will be working with them so the consultant and school representative can communicate and begin to plan the content and logistics related to the onsite workshop. Consultants make their own travel arrangements.
Q: When will we be required to pay the consulting and travel fees? A. Within two weeks of the onsite workshop NCTE will collect travel receipts from the consultant and an invoice will be sent at that time for the consulting fees and documented travel costs. The invoice is payable within 30-days of receipt.
Q: How do I communicate with the consultant? A. We recommend you communicate via e-mail and/or phone with the consultant to further explain your needs and expected outcomes for the onsite workshop. Once a contract is signed, we will provide you with the consultant's preferred contact information. Q. Does NCTE offer anything to make sure the visit is more than a "sit and get" professional development experience?A. We will help you consider resources ideal for meeting your professional learning needs and goals. These resources might include books, online learning investigations or courses, Web seminars, NCTE journal issues or subscriptions, and membership into our organization.
Q: Can the consultant be available for a follow-up visit? A. If possible, we recommend you consider holding multiple onsite workshops to allow for a more extended learning experience as part of best practices in professional development. You might schedule a multi-day workshop or hold several one-day workshops throughout the year. NCTE Consultants can also be available in an online forum before and/or after an onsite workshop to answer questions, give feedback, and facilitate any discussions (for an additional fee).
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U.S. Army Trains for 21st Century Warfare
At Fort Irwin's National Training Center in Calif., the most combat-hardened forces in the history of the U.S. Army are relearning how to wage war. The goal? To prepare for complex-hybrid wars in the future. WSJ's Julian Barnes reports.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... in the middle of the California desert the most combat hardened forces history U S Army re learn ... to wage war ... as for lower with National training Center Army brigades are going to a new more intense training called decisive action ... officers say it's the toughest raining ever devised ... most of the soldiers ... and officers of commission officers ... within this brigade have not experienced anything like this ... D ... D environment is entirely new ... one ... for the last decade the military's been fighting a grinding counterinsurgency in Iraq and Afghanistan ... here in California army is re learning to use its tanks again ... the goal ... to prepare the servers for a complex hybrid wars could face the future ... decisive action training isn't just about the big guns ... it's a hodgepodge of different kinds of war ... in addition to any takes the soldiers here must fight insurgents ... and criminal gains ... while trading partner security forces in keeping the local population happy ... I ... I ... it's gorgeously Woodlands area that we face what to what we try to do is create data ... a scenario that the data ... what's in them ... so the conditions that are reaching changes ... one part of the trimmings and our soldiers must clear a city of insurgents ... shooting the bad guys is the easy part ... the hard part is due in a way that is dawning of a local ... and tempers flared up to the commander on the ground to try to calm the situation ... the fighting those challenges with the tocsin counterattack used in paints and Bradley's ... will enable soldiers to preserve recently acquired combat skills ... and revival ... fighting ... the cases reviewed cover and concealment while talking on the radio and reading ... imported cars it's as hard as this ... critics say the decisive action training looks too much like the Army's cold war training ... when tanks commerce across the desert ... preparing for war in Europe that never came ... with offices to run the training center Porter when believe the precise Sanaa Rio is less important than the overall experience ... they say they are teaching soldiers what to think that they wanna teach them ... how to ... for The Wall Street Journal ... this is Julian Barnes at the National training center ... for one hell ...


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Perhaps I'm getting old... Oh, yes, there's no doubt about it. What I'm saying is that my food preference IS changing. I used to dislike this type of soupy curry dish. Now it's my favorite. :)
This restaurant, Kaido is not the place I always go to enjoy this particular dish. But today I felt like trying their soup curry, and I found it pretty good -- just a little too spicy for me, though. I liked the buttered toast soaked in the curry. The soft and somewhat sweet bread made the soup milder on my tongue.


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Old Cat Losing Hair? And Psychotic Mama Cat
Okay, so I have had my cat Luna for nearly 10-11 years and she has, within the last 4 years, lost most of the fur on the backs of her legs and her stomach. Within that time, however, we moved to a new house, brought a dog in and were forced to have him put down (he had bitten my father), brought in another cat, and had four kittens born from the newer cat and two of them got to stay. Even through all this, Luna is extremely relaxed-acting and gets along fine with all three of the other cats. We also had her checked out by a vet (for worms, but they did a few other tests), and they didn't mention anything about her fur loss being a bad thing. Could this just be stress caused by all the changes happening in the last few years? Maybe over-obsessive grooming?
Now, onto mama cat Baby. When her kittens Tigger and Sky and their two brothers were born, she was a wonderful mother. Always by their side, always looking out for them; one of them couldn't even mewl without her being there to check on them.
Now that the kittens are older (roughly between 6 and 8 months), she has turned into a royal snot. The kittens used to be the ones instigating, but now they can't even approach Baby without her yowling at or hissing at them. The other day, all Sky (her black and grey tabby son) did was walk over to her, purring and such, when she hissed at him. I don't know what the problem is. We think that it's all just based on the fact that the kittens are still trying to nurse (mostly on our older cat because she lets them do whatever), but they haven't tried to do a thing to Baby in a long while. I'd really like to know what's wrong with her and if it's anything that can easily be fixed.
Thank you for your time!
We also had her checked out by a vet (for worms, but they did a few other tests), and they didn't mention anything about her fur loss being a bad thing.
stress, diet allergies are probably the first things to look at especially with changes in environment
as far as baby in her mind they are grown up and should get a life already!
mama meow ,an out side cat i assumed used to swat at her litter as soon as she introduced them to me and the food
I would have Mama cat checked again and let the vet know about her behaviour and hair loss.
Can you give Mama cat some breathing room? any space where she can have some quiet time away from the rambuncious kids?
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I agree - a vet visit would be best for the hair thing.
Spaying and Neutering is also recommended to avoid these issues in the future and to keep the pet population down.
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What does Luna eat? While stress may indeed be playing a role (or it may be an OCD behaviour leftover from a previously stressful period), diet can also be a significant factor in skin-related issues. You could certainly ask the vet about what might be going on but it doesn't sound like he's been particularly helpful in the past. Most conventional vets also tend to just throw various medications (ie antibiotics and/or steroids) at the symptoms without really trying to figure out the cause. Consulting with a holistic vet might be a better option.
In the meantime, you could try a Feliway diffuser or 2 to see if that helps with any anxiety issues. Make sure she gets lots of playtime and has an engaging environment (like some cat trees and window perches so she can watch the birds outside, etc.) so that she isn't over-grooming because of boredom. Changing her diet to a quality meat-based wet food (if she isn't already eating one) would be my other recommendation.
As for Baby, has she been spayed? Are Tigger and Sky neutered?
"To close your eyes will not ease another's pain." ~ Chinese Proverb
We must not refuse to see with our eyes what they must endure with their bodies. ~ Gretchen Wyler
As far as Luna and her eating habits, she mostly eats dry food, but she prefers to eat wet food and treats. We did have her looked at about the fur problem and the vet said there didn't seem to be anything terribly wrong with her, though they did suggest the Feliway. When it comes to playtime, she has no drive to do anything at all. The vet suggested that she should get more exercise and lose a few pounds because she is slightly overweight, but being over 10 years old she lays around a lot, and when the kittens try to play with her at all she kinda shrugs them off. I've tried to get her to play with strings and cat toys like she used to but she just ignores them We give her plenty of attention and she never seems to be anything but a happy old cat.
As for the other issue, Baby is spayed, but we haven't gotten Tigger or Sky neutered yet. They aren't showing any signs of aggression or trying to mate with our two females (both spayed), so we haven't done it yet, especially since we are very short on money at the moment. The two kittens do seem to want to nurse a lot still, even though they are older and happily eating solid food. Even though they are still trying to nurse on both older cats, they don't have to do anything but walk up to Baby and it seems like she's trying to attack them
Actually, we had a period where we kept her constantly in a room away from the kittens so she could relax, but when we let her interact with them again, nothing changed.
P.S. Mama cat isn't the one having the fur loss problems. It's all my 11 year old cat
If she prefers wet food, I'd suggest switching her to that. Best if it's a good quality wet food with little to no grains and no by-products (Wellness, Nature's Variety, Weruva, Precise, ZiwiPeak, are some decent brands). It will probably help her lose weight as well since you'll be feeding her scheduled meals. Once she loses some weight, she may want to play more!
It would also be better for your boys to eat wet food instead of dry since kibble is the number one cause of lower urinary tract disease and life-threatening blockages.
Here is a good website that discusses what cats should be eating: http://www.catinfo.org/
"To close your eyes will not ease another's pain." ~ Chinese Proverb
We must not refuse to see with our eyes what they must endure with their bodies. ~ Gretchen Wyler
You said the kittens are now 6-8 months old? Although mama cats usually wean their kittens long before the 6 month stage, up to that point they are usually still teaching them to hunt and partially hunting for them. If your cats were feral and on their own, this is the point that mama decides they know enough to feed themselves and chases the babies away to go make their own lives.
6 months is the time my cat decided her kitten was now grown up enough to go and started a campaign to make him leave that included growling, hisssing, and swatting him so hard you could hear the thunk from across the room. She mostly desisted once he completely stopped trying to nurse and gave up bugging her to play with him, but still reserves the right to box his ears if he does anything she considers wrong. (Like looking at her funny, sitting in the spot she wants,washing her ears,etc.)
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Sadly, we can't afford to give them wet food as their main meal. We've never had any problems with dry food before and I don't think I'd be able to convince my family to spend extra money switching from dry Meow-Mix to wet. We usually only give the wet food as a treat once a day.
And the vet we go to isn't the cheapest or the priciest, but we really have no other choice but to go to them since all of our cats have anxiety about leaving the house and there aren't any other places nearby that we know of.
an inexpensive way to feed them a little better dry food Usally the extra price is negated by the fact you have to feed them less hair loss may be a food allergy esp if they have been eating the same thing all thier lives
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Generations of Italian families have savored this crispy sweet pepper. This family heirloom variety is used in salads or sauted, with the extras pickled or dried. Large 3' plants bear large crops of 3-4" long tapered fruits that turn bright red when ripe. Ready to harvest about 70 days from transplant
Plants grow to about 3 feet tall and are extremely prolific


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Teacher pay is getting a lot of attention lately with the issue looming large for the legislative session starting in May. Across the political spectrum, people agree that we need good teachers. Good teachers need to be well prepared for the classroom. And they need support once they are in the classroom. But the issue is more complicated than raising pay alone, calling for us as a state to wrestle with our regard for the teaching profession and to think about how we can lift up the status of teachers.
As we consider how much to pay teachers, we need to be less concerned about what other states are paying and more concerned about what level of pay it will take to get our best and brightest to teach in our schools. The cost of living in New York, for example, makes raw comparisons of teacher salaries there and in North Carolina less relevant. It is more important to think about the other jobs the bright young people we want in our classrooms are considering instead and what those jobs pay. Gov. Pat McCrory�s office is currently working on a teacher pay plan that will consider master�s degree pay and pay raises.
According to a report by the National Education Association released in December 2012, the average salary for public school teachers in 2011-12 was $45,947, ranking North Carolina 46th in the country. More important is the NEA�s finding that North Carolina leads the nation in the decline of average salaries at 15.7 percent between 2002-12. Across the country, the average decline was 2.8 percent. It wasn�t too long ago, in 2000-01, that North Carolina ranked 21st in the country.
The annual starting salary for teachers with a bachelor�s degree is $30,800. In a family of four with only one parent working as a teacher, the children would qualify for reduced price lunches. Compounding the problem is that $30,800 is the annual salary not only for entry-level teachers but also for teachers with up to five years of experience. Imagine taking a job with the expectation that your starting salary will not increase until you have six years of experience regardless of performance. The salary increase, once you get it, is only $42 a month.
Local supplements paid to teachers also need to be part of the debate on teacher pay. These supplements range from $0 to $6,441, with eight counties not offering supplements.
As points of reference, the average per capita personal income in North Carolina was $37,049 in 2012. The median household income is $46,291 � keep in mind that number is a five-year average from 2007-11 and household income.
We need to get teacher pay right, or we may be headed to a place where teaching is less a profession and more a stepping stone to other careers. Dr. Trip Stallings, a former teacher and now at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation, believes the day of the career teacher may be over. He asks, �Does this state want it to be OK for teachers to teach five or 10 years and then move on?� Almost 50 percent of the teachers who left in 2012-13 had career status.
Teacher turnover over the past 10 years has consistently hovered around 12 percent, between a low of 11.1 percent in 2010 and a high of 13.85 percent in 2008. In 2012-13, according to the Department of Public Instruction�s Teacher Turnover Report released last week, of the 95,028 teachers employed by the public school system in North Carolina, 13,616 teachers left their jobs, for a total system turnover rate of 14.33 percent. This increase is cause for concern.
In 2011-12, 19 school districts experienced turnover at rates higher than 15 percent. In 2012-13, that number rose to 45 districts, and two of those had turnover rates higher than 30 percent � Northampton (35.09 percent) and Halifax (31.27 percent).
But the real problem is not captured in these numbers. Helen McLeod, a teacher at the Durham School of the Arts, has been teaching in public schools in North Carolina for more than 40 years. She says, �I truly loved teaching for a long time, and my life as a teacher, regardless of pay. I am completely discouraged and saddened by the state of my profession, but it is only in part about salary.�
�Because of testing, there is no risk taking, there is no curiosity - only timetables and monotony, all day, every day. Teaching as I knew it for so long is gone.�
�I work with young teachers who would be great, but they won�t last, and not because of pay. Teacher pay has never been good, but teaching was, at one time, fulfilling, and it just simply isn�t anymore.�
Since 2004, the N.C. Center for Public Policy Research has recommended that the state require teacher retention improvement plans for all local school districts where turnover exceeds 15 percent. Through the state�s Race to the Top grant, 12 districts received support for recruitment and retention plans. Statewide, thirty-three more plans are still needed.
The legislature will need to grapple with more than pay issues if we want teachers to find this profession fulfilling again. Teachers educate our work force. As the guardians of the future of this state, the issues of pay, turnover, performance, and job satisfaction deserve to be addressed collectively and completely, instead of separately and with lingering uncertainty.
Mebane Rash is the Director of Law and Policy with the nonpartisan N.C. Center for Public Policy Research in Raleigh.


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Getting paid to be funny is great work if you can get it. And comedian Patti Vasquez knows she's fortunate to be busy.
"I'm in Iowa next week and then South Carolina after that," Vasquez said recently. "I mean, it took us two weeks just to coordinate this lunch. How nuts is that?!"
Vasquez grew up on the Northwest Side, the working-class daughter of an Irish dad and Mexican mother (Vasquez is the surname of her mom, Dora). She says she has been "obsessed" with stand-up comedy since her teen years.
"I'd always been addicted to comics," she said. "If you got in my car in high school, I didn't have music, I'd have George Carlin...


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Related Posts: October 2010: VAMPS at Roseland Ballroom, NYC and Experience of SPX 2014.
Out of the blue, my childhood friend Kristen's mother Carla invited me to come with them to a Jack White concert! They had an extra ticket since Kristen's husband Matt had no idea who White is and wasn't particularly interested in going. I, on the other hand, was freaking out! I've been a White Stripes/Jack White fan since 2001 and have always wanted to see them/him live. At first, I wasn't sure if I could go since I was busy with SPX, but my mom agreed to cover my table for a few hours so I could (Thanks again, mom!).
Even though I don't own a record player, I've been coveting White's Lazaretto Ultra LP — a unique vinyl with everything from hidden tracks to something called dual-groove technology, to amazingly a hand-etched hologram (more information here)!!! So I was very excited to pick up a copy of my own at the concert venue (even though the people selling them had no idea what they were).
To my surprise, the opening act was Olivia Jean, lead singer of The Black Belles who's starting her solo career. I guess I should have known she would be there since she's under White's record label Third Man Records, but it was a pleasant surprise nonetheless. She played mostly songs from her upcoming album Bathtub Love Killings, which comes out October 14th. I was ecstatic because the one and only song from The Black Belles's self-titled album she played was my favorite entailed "Not Tonight":
Nursing the lies that make you bold
By deterring everything you're told
And now you're using mercy as bait
To catch a chance to compensate
Well I'm not going down like this
Not here, not now, not tonight
Treated my troubles as your own
Walked right into my burning home
And as you watch the flames arise
I sweep up ashes you expect a prize
Well I'm not going down like this
Not here, not now, not tonight
And now you realize you've threatened
All the sympathy you ain't getting
Cover you tracks and leave no trace
Strap a mask on your face
Cause I'm not going down like this
Not here, not now, not tonight
Jack White's performance was absolutely inspiring! He's the kind of artist who needs to be seen live. He had such amazing energy and was flying all over the stage. You could also tell he had immense respect for the talented musicians in his band. He was sporting his new haircut (Kristen and Carla barely recognized him at first) and a dapper suit that he sweated through almost immediately. He had some issues coordinating with one of the roadies, which provided some unintentional comedic relief. The concert took place in a surprisingly intimate setting (I didn't know the Merriweather Post Pavillion is relatively small) and featured a wonderful balance of old and new songs.
1. "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground": I was delighted to hear this White Stripes classic as the opening of the show! I always think of Michel Gondry's music video with footage eerily projected across the walls as White wanders through the various rooms of a house in London. "If you can hear a piano fall / you can hear me coming down the hall…"
2. "High Ball Stepper": This is a very fun song live and the audience seemed really into it. 🙂
3. "Lazaretto": This very funky single was great to hear live. "And like the dough I don't fall down / I'm so Detroit, I make it rise from the ashes…"
4. "Alone in My Home": One of my favorite non-single songs from Lazaretto! An upbeat song about a haunted house, or maybe its the singer who's haunted? "Lost feelings of love / Lost feelings of love / That hover above me…"
5. "Hotel Yorba": This was the first White Stripes song I ever heard. Personally, I'm not at all into country and/or folk music, but I can almost stand it when it's Jack White.
6. "Temporary Ground": My other favorite non-single song from Lazaretto!
On a floating lily island
Moving over slowly sideways
Rested temper and the creatures
Spending all of their days
Praying for the floor to
Buckle down below their belts
Crashing into yet another
Drifting continental shelf
Moving without motion
Screaming without sound
Across an open ocean
Flying there on temporary ground
The old explorers had it easy
They discovered nothing new
But returned on home with answers
Of sad existent clues
All the creatures have it hard now
Nothing but god is left to know
And while he left us all here hanging
We're barely losing off our home
Moving without motion
Screaming without sound
Across an open ocean
Flying there on temporary ground
7. "Cannon": This is the intro for "Another Way To Die," the song White wrote for the James Bond movie Quantum of Solace. I always forget about that song…
8. "I Think I Smell a Rat": This was a great treat since my mom and I occasionally sing this to each other.
9. "I Cut Like a Buffalo": I'm not particularly familiar with The Dead Weather, but I plan on fixing that when I have a chance.
10. "Blunderbuss": I'm honestly not that familiar with this song. Clearly, I need to go out and buy a copy of White's first solo album Blunderbuss.
11. "Three Women": This is the catchy opening song of Lazaretto. "Lordy Lord / Lordy Lord / Lordy Lord / Lordy Lord / Lordy Lord / Lordy Lord / Lordy lordy lordy Lord…"
12. "Missing Pieces": Another reason to buy Blunderbuss. "I woke up and my hands were gone, yeah / I looked down and my / legs were long gone / I felt for her with my shoulder / But there was nobody there…"
13. "I'm Slowly Turning Into You" (first half of the song): Somehow I do not own the Icky Thump album either. I think I own all The White Stripes albums except for that one.
14. "Top Yourself": I'm also not particularly familiar with The Raconteurs, but I plan on also fixing that when I have a chance.
15. "I'm Slowly Turning Into You" (second half of the song)
16. "Icky Thump": "White Americans, what? / Nothing better to do? / Why don't you kick yourself out? / You're an immigrant too?"
17. "Sixteen Saltines": I admit, I was screaming and jumping up and down when this song started. "I'm hungry and the hunger will linger / I eat sixteen saltine crackers then I lick my fingers…"
18. "Love Interruption": This is such a brilliant song. "I want love to: walk right up and bite me, / Grab a hold of me and fight me, leave me dying on the ground."
19. "We're Going to Be Friends": Another classics from The White Stripes. It always makes me think of Napoleon Dynamite.
20. "Would You Fight for My Love?": This is by far my favorite Jack White single and it was absolutely amazing live!!!
It's not enough that I love you
There's all these things I have to prove to you
You use the sun to erase the past
But you think it only raises for you
Well I'm afraid of being hurt that's true
But not afraid of any physical pain
Just as I am always scared of water
But not afraid of standing out in the rain
The last person in the room she hugged
Was the person that she loved the most
Nobody noticed that I was down on the rug
I'm getting better at becoming a ghost
I know that you want more
But would you fight for
My love
And I've hurt you before
But can you ignore
My love
You're walking out my back door
Looking back for
My love
I know that you want more
But would you fight for
My love
People do their best to not let passion begin
It's dead before it has a chance to start
And so then there I am, the caretaker of sin
To your abandoned and malignant heart
It's such a pleasure, to sing with you together
Making love when there is nobody home
But I can't kiss you 'til you lift up your chin
You have to want to stop being alone
I want you to fight for
My love
I want you to fight for
My love
I want you to fight for
My love
21. "Just One Drink": Another fun song, upbeat with a tinge of classic Jack White melancholy. 🙂 "You drink water, I drink gasoline / One of us is happy, one of us is mean / I love you, honey, why don't you love me?"
22. "I Fought Piranhas": "Well you know what it's like/ i don't got to tell you / who puts up a fight / walking out of hell now / when you fought piranhas / and you fought the cold / there's nobody with you / and you're all alone…"
23. "Seven Nation Army": The real crowd pleaser! I was over the moon! Such an iconic song! The perfect way to end an exceptional concert!
Please visit my store: thepoetandtheflea.storenvy.com!
For more updates, follow me on facebook, tumblr and twitter.
Copyright 2014 by G. E. Gallas


text:
Daughter...or Dog?
Everyone's all lathered up today because apparently, when Catherine Cambridge was in Grimsby yesterday, she may have revealed that the future monarch is female. US Weekly reports that:
During the engagement, the expectant Duchess of Cambridge, 31, was given a white teddy bear by a local, Diane Burton. "Thank you, I'll take that for my d--" Prince William's wife replied, tellingly cutting herself off mid-sentence.
When a well-wisher asked the royal if she was about to say "daughter," Middleton smiled and replied coyly, "We're not telling." Another witness, Sandra Cook, overheard the exchange and told reporters: "I said to her: 'You were going to say daughter weren't you?' and she said, 'No, we don't know.'" Remarked Cook, 67, to the Duchess: "I said, 'Oh, I think you do', to which she said: 'We're not telling.'" Middleton, meanwhile, happily clutched the teddy bear gift.
I know you're all preoccupied now about the sex of the child but can we please, for a minute, talk about the f-cking balls, borderline rudeness, of these people?
"Oh I think you do"...
Someone tells you once that they don't know the gender of their baby and even if you don't believe them, do you call them out on it? "Oh I think you do..." Yes. Apparently, if you're British, and talking to a pregnant royal, you do. And she can't complain. Because she knows they own her ass. Take note, Hollywood celebrities.
As for whether or not Kate's giving birth to the future Queen...
I say it was D for Dog and not Daughter. There's a Lupo at home. And if Lupo is anything like other dogs, including mine, a stuffed toy is always a great victim. Also, even though my experience with this is limited to my friends, do women already start referring to it as "daughter" or "son" when it's still in the womb? To me, it seems like something that would roll out of your mouth only after, like, the little person becomes...tangible. When you've seen it. No? Shut the f-ck up Lainey you childless c-nt? Ok.
One more observation though -- have you actually seen the clip of the alleged "slip"? We've been playing it back in the control room and...I dunno...I'm not hearing a D.


text:
This came up in another discussion thread, but I really thought it deserved a separate thread all it's own.
Why would Gays exist in a Darwinian universe?
Obviously, you can't say it was through some form of genetic mutation and adaptation. Gays are, in their own terminology, not 'breeders.'
If Gayness...I prefer the term 'Gayiety'...exists, as it undeniably does, then what evolutionary need do these 'non-breeders' add to the human genome?
Views: 409
There is no obvious mechanism for gays as a product of natural selection (probably the attempts to do so: 'providing additional support for the group' etc seem to be pretty much a case of reaching--and are a form of appealing to group selection, which has been pretty much discredited as a significant evolutionary mechanism).
However many attributes develop not as direct selection, but as by products of something else, I suspect in this case by products of our highly tuned 'always on' sexuality (which is different from most mammals). This mechanism is highly effective, but also through natural variation produces some members that wind up not directly contributing to reproduction.
It should be noted that while it IS true that we occasionally see same sex behavior in animals, it tends to be far more rare (if it weren't anyone who works in any kind of animal husbandry would have seen it countless times) and is often not permanent (i.e. animals may do it for a time but not always). Human sexuality has a far stronger bonding component than most animals (with good evolutionary reason) so it is not surprising to find that our behavior in this area is a bit different as well.
I would rather stay away fron the 'it's found in nature argument' to defend gay rights, certainly our definition of rights should not be based on what non-human animals do or don't do.
Are there chromosomal or genetic syndromes that result in nonbreeding individuals? Why do they persist?
there are some... here, also:
cystic fibrosis, sickle-cell disease, Tay-Sachs disease, Niemann-Pick disease, spinal muscular atrophy, and Roberts syndrome.
LGBT people DO breed. A lot of them have genetic children. Historically, probably more did, until 20th century social fluidity and ostracism resulted in reduced fecundity. So it's not as dead end as people think.
There are also eusocial species - mainly insects - in which the vast majority of colony members are sterile. Honey bees, thousands of sterile workers to one queen and a handful of drones. Quite a number of other species as well.
Human sexuality is unhinged from estrus - we are an unusual species in that regard, and highly prolific. That unhinging may be connected to a lot of our tendencies.
The eusocial insects are often cited by those trying to support the group fitness model of natural selection. Most evolutionary biologists don't buy group fitness as a significant mechanism because it simply does not stand up to mathematical analysis.
The huge difference between eusocial insects and other animals is that the whole hive is one single genome. For natural selection purposes, individual ants are merely parts of a single organism, no individual is at all important. It makes no difference which particular ant reproduces.
'Group selection' in other animals is quite different because the non-reproducing individuals are NOT part of the same genome even though they may be related. They benefit very little by being non reproductive.
Sentient, why do you start with a list of diseases? Is there any indication of correlation between diseases of parents and non breeding individuals?
Now I am really confused. Several of my family and friends who are homosexual, male and female have chosen to have children, either by adoptions, or a surrogate mother, or artificial insemination. As to parenting, the ones I know make outstanding parents and the kids are well adjusted if the parents accept themselves as they are.
I also know non-breeding pairs who don't want children and they make wonderful family members and neighbors.
So, why, "Why are there Gays in a Darwinian Universe?" seems irrelevant to a flourishing individual or couple. Isn't that question tied to the religious belief that the purpose of life is reproduction? Maybe Gays in a Darwinian Universe are what we need on a planet that is getting worn out from all the human made pollution.
Not all cultures perceive homosexuality as bad thing. I ran across this rather interesting, and new to me, concept.
What do different cultures tell us about homosexuality?
There is a Greek Model, The Melanesian Model, The Western Model,
These three coincident homosexual streams, each very different from the other, in a context in which humankind shares more than 99% of its genes, means homosexuality does not conform to any genetically prescribed model. In a genetic model, homosexual behaviours would be practically identical. Not only are there quite different models—the Greek, Melanesian, and Western—co-existing today, but there are a myriad of other homosexual customs and practices, not the behavioural uniformity associated with a genetically dictated homosexuality.
There is a Greek Model
Not one to follow, basically child molestation.
I think Sentient's point is that things that are disadvantageous to individuals may still be advantageous on a species level. And this is a valid point. While certainly gay people CAN choose to reproduce, and many do, it takes a conscious action outside one's inclinations to do so.
But in this discussion (and the quoted article), some of the things that are included in homosexuality are intentionally not included in the modern definition context. A person who engages in a sex act as part of ritual, or as an opportunistic action, is not considered homosexual in the modern sense any more than a person who engages in heterosexuality because of social pressure or to become pregnant is actually straight.
Hm-mm, how do I state the question in a way that discourages a knee-jerk denial?
I guess it's not possible. I'll ask anyway.
Are you assuming that adult behavior is, or should be, motivated by a desire to reproduce?
This is typical of academic research, where leftover Victorian values don't allow orgasm as a motivation.
The question is different depending on what level you ask. Natural selection rewards sexual reproduction, and 'nature' does not give a whit what motivation we humans (or other animals) have for the act.
On the individual level, sex, like food, induces us to follow nature's 'directives'. I am sure that when dogs mate, building the next generation is NOT what's on their minds.
Jay, I agree; Ma and Pa Nature don't care. Nor do any gods.
I provided for and trained a couple of German Shepherds but didn't think to ask them.
The several cats who let me feed them didn't give me the time of day.
If a culture is motivated by religious values, at least in Abrahamic faiths, the purpose of copulation is reproduction. Susan, correct me on this if I am wrong about this for Jewish couples.
For a modern, enlightened couple, the purpose of copulation is pleasure, whether hero- or homo- sexual.
Wrong question! Why is there not acceptance of those who don't fit the perfect person profile? We have come a long way with accepting cerebral palsy and Down's Syndrome. We have a lot more maturing to do before we get out of the Dark Ages.
They offer diversity! Not all genitalia and hormones develop the same way.
We want ticky-tacky people living in ticky-tacky houses doing ticky-tacky work with a tricky- tacky education. Don't let anything be different than ticky-tacky.
Little Boxes by Malvina Reynolds with lyrics
Ticky Tacky Houses, Levittown, PA
From what studying I have done on the matter it could be that homosexual males benefited the clan/tribe by helping seeing their nieces and nephews survive to adulthood to be able to mate with other members and, in so doing the gay brother or cousin or son contributes to the survival of the family genes. Not only that but they most likely had a hand in teaching the children to hunt and how to survive, and kept them in line when they got unruly.
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|2006-09-12, 12:15
|Link #1
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl
-The Pokédex now allows one to input their own weight and height to be compared to that of a Pokémon.
-Diamond and Pearl will utilize five different time periods, a concept originally introduced in Pokémon Gold and Silver; the scale of the system has grown substantially and now features: morning, daytime, afternoon, evening and night.
-Pokémon Contests, which first appeared in Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald, will return as "Super Contests", with a few similarities and a few differences. Super Contests consist of three rounds. In the Visual Judgement round, players utilize the DS's stylus to place objects on their Pokémon in order to receive points. In the Dance Judgement round, a player's Pokémon competes with its opponents in a test of rhythm and balance. The final round, Performance Judgement, is identical to the original premise of Pokémon Contests; Pokémon use their attacks to score points.
-Assuming the same role as Pokéblocks, Pofin, or Pokébread can be made through use of the touchscreen and fed to Pokémon in order to increase certain traits and the likelihood of success in a Contest.
-Aesthetic differences between male and female Pokémon of a given species will be implemented, including aspects such as differently sized or absent distinctive physical features. In the example provided by CoroCoro, a female Wooper has smaller antennae than its male counterpart.
-Diamond and Pearl will feature new abilities, a feature introduced in the previous generation of games, Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald.
-A completely new device known as the Pokétchi, resembling a wristwatch, can be obtained and will play host to a variety of features, including a time management system, a calculator, a method for monitoring Pokémon in the breeding center, and a type chart.
-The Battle Tower will return in Diamond and Pearl.
-The three starter Pokémon will continue the theme from all other Pokémon games, giving the player a choice of a Grass, Fire, or Water-type.
-Pokémon will make animated entrances into battle, as revealed in a Japanese commercial.
-Diamond and Pearl will feature new Pokémon natures, such as "Meticulous", "Frivolous".
-The Safari Zone is set to return.
-Diamond and Pearl will feature two new Pokéballs, the "Health Ball" and the "Dark Ball", the Health Balls heals the pokemon when it is captured and the Dark Ball makes it easier to capture pokemon in dark places, such as caves or at night
Last edited by I love waffles!; 2006-09-12 at 19:44. Reason: Spaces between thumbnails and fixed IMG links, take more care when posting!
|2006-09-12, 13:23
|Link #3
Considering I've been playing pokemon games since the days of red and blue and am now a few days short of 19, I should reeeally have grown out of this by now... but screw that, I'll import it anyway. One does not simply grow out of pokemon.
Bit meh about some of the new designs though, but the in-game sprites are loads better than the official artwork for those we have so hopefully that'll apply to most of the ones announced today too. Wish Mukkuru was a tiger... the name makes me think of Utawarerumono every time.
|2006-09-12, 13:32
|Link #4
The Mage of Ice
Agree. I've been playing Pokemon since Red and Blue too.
I don't mind the Safari Zone coming back but it's harder than hell to capture what you want.
Still, you can't grow out of Pokemon. Pokemon is love.
|2006-09-12, 13:43
|Link #5
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
|2006-09-12, 14:02
|Link #7
Just Married, Oct. 28th!
Join Date: May 2003
Age: 40
You know, I saw the screenshots and was like, "Crap. Same old crappy graphics, with little to no improvement." But, curious, I checked out a video on YouTube.com and was very pleasantly surprised. There's a lot of 3D touches you simply do not see in the still frames. The entire world map appears to be done in 3D, and it looks gorgeous.
Plus they'e added an evolution for my favourite, previously non-evolving, Pokemon, Sneasel. I still think Sneasel should evolve into Cefca, though.
|2006-09-12, 14:11
|Link #8
Pretty sure I'll go water this time (went Squirtle in RB, Cyndaquil in GS, and Mudkip in RS) cus I've always liked penguins, but if the evolution pics come out and Naetoru's look cooler than Pochama's I may change my mind. Not much chance of me choosing Hikozaru though, fire monkies just do nothing for me.
And fail at posting in a topic just to point out a typo. Geez...
|2006-09-14, 20:48
|Link #10
"Removed by mod"
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Arizona western collage dorms
|2006-09-25, 16:16
|Link #12
Join Date: Sep 2006
Age: 24
Heh it is just a myth from what i heard in japan three years ago from one of my friends this is weird.really now the rumors I heard is that the main character swears and the pokemon are way cooler.is this truehuh looks true now kupo.
|2006-09-26, 15:48
|Link #17
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Here is the opening to the game
|2006-09-26, 21:27
|Link #18
Gundam Boobs and Boom FTW
Join Date: Dec 2005
I grew outta pokemon when I was 14 >.<. Wasn't going to let that crap follow me around high school.
People would be wise to learn that pokemon is a money scheme. When there are so many that you can't remember for the life of you the name of each and every individual one, you know the game's gone to shit.
The original blue/red/yellow were good. Everything past that just started to milk it.
|Thread Tools


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Know the Risks of Vasectomy
Concerns Regarding Vasectomy
A vasectomy is surgery to cut the vas deferens, the tubes that carry a man's sperm from his scrotum to testicles. A man who has had a successful vasectomy cannot make a woman pregnant. A potential concern with vasectomy is that you may later change your mind about wanting to father a child. Although it may be possible to reverse your vasectomy, there's no guarantee it will work. Image Courtesy: Getty ImagesLoading...
Side Effects Right after Vasectomy
Mayo Clinic lists the following- bleeding or a blood clot (hematoma) inside the scrotum, blood in your semen, bruising of your scrotum, infection of the surgery site, mild pain or discomfort, and swelling. Image Courtesy: Getty Images
Delayed Complications after Vasectomy
You may experience- rare chronic pain, fluid buildup in the testicle (which can cause a dull ache that gets worse with ejaculation), inflammation caused by leaking sperm, and rarely pregnancy (in the event that your vasectomy fails). Image Courtesy: Getty Images
Unsupported Concerns of Vasectomy
For most men, a vasectomy doesn't cause any noticeable side effects, and serious complications are rare. Many men worry that a vasectomy could cause serious problems — but these fears are unfounded. Image Courtesy: Getty Images
Affected Sexual Performance
A vasectomy won't affect your sex drive or your masculinity in any way other than preventing you from fathering a child. Image Courtesy: Getty Images
Damaged Sexual Organs
There's very little risk that your testicles, penis or other parts of your reproductive system will be injured during surgery. Image Courtesy: Getty Images
Risk of Cancer
Although there have been some concerns about a possible link between vasectomy and prostate and testicular cancer in the past, there's no proven link. Image Courtesy: Getty Images
Heart Disease
Same as cancer fears, there doesn't appear to be any link between vasectomy and heart problems either. Image Courtesy: Getty Images
You may feel minor pain and pulling or tugging during surgery, but severe pain is rare. Likewise, after surgery you may have some pain, but for most men it's minor and goes away after a few days. Image Courtesy: Getty Images
Prognosis of Vasectomy
Vasectomy does not affect a man's ability to have an erection or orgasm, or ejaculate semen. Remember, a vasectomy does not prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Image Courtesy: Getty Images
After the Surgery
Your sperm count gradually decreases after a vasectomy. After about 3 months, sperm are no longer present in the semen. You must continue to use birth control to prevent pregnancy until your semen sample is totally free of sperm. Image Courtesy: Getty Images


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Your baby is crying uncontrollably, not sleeping and spitting up (lots!). The cause could be gastroesophageal reflux disease, a long name for a well-known condition: heartburn. Referred to in the medical world as GERD and reflux, the condition is super-common in babies, and, luckily, the solutions are usually super-easy.
One-third of babies spit up without it being a medical problem. But for scores of others, it can be painful and interfere with feeding, sleeping, growth and development. When babies don't spit up, it can make the condition hard to diagnose. Reflux occurs when contents of the stomach make their way up the esophagus and irritate its lining. How much pain this causes baby depends upon the severity of the reflux. If the stomach contents come up just a little, baby may feel pain but not spit up. But if the reflux is severe enough that the stomach contents come all the way up, baby may spit up a lot, especially when lying flat. On the following pages, find out how to spot the signs of GERD and give your baby some instant relief.
Soothe Your Infant Now
Listen and react Babies with GERD cry because they hurt, and uncomfortable crying increases pressure inside the abdomen and aggravates reflux. Crying also increases air swallowing and trapped stomach bubbles, which also aggravates the condition. Respond to baby's cries as promptly and sensitively as you can.
Provide frequent, small feedings The less food in the stomach at one time, the lower the degree of reflux and the faster the food empties from the stomach; so small, frequent meals are best. Also, the more often baby eats, the more saliva is produced, and that helps neutralize stomach acid. Saliva also contains a substance that heals the damaged lining of the esophagus. A good rule of thumb is to feed baby twice as often, but half as much.
Keep nursing Breast milk is digested twice as fast as formula and contains enzymes that aid digestion. In fact, it's like a natural antacid.
Switch formulas Babies with reflux may also suffer from food and milk allergies. Your pediatrician may advise a "hypoallergenic" formula in which the proteins and/or lactose are better tolerated by sensitive intestines and digested more easily.
Create a jostle-free zone No tossing, bouncing or jostling baby for about half an hour after feeding. Too much movement can cause stomach contents to move around and up into the esophagus.
Gravity is your friend Keep baby upright for about 30 minutes after a feeding. (If holding her in your arms wears you down, try wearing your baby in a carrier.)
Burp baby well If you're nursing, burp him when you switch breasts. If bottle-feeding, burp baby after every 3 to 4 ounces.
Let 'em be a sucker A pacifier might be helpful to a baby with severe reflux. Frequent sucking stimulates soothing saliva.
Loosen up Tight diapers and waistbands can increase intra-abdominal pressure and aggravate reflux.
Know the Signs
A baby may have reflux if he:
- Is colicky (experiences length crying episodes).
- Frequently wakes in apparent pain.
- Sleeps restlessly.
- Arches his back and squirms as if he's hurting.
- Seems in pain right after feeding.
- Refuses to eat or doesn't feed long enough (baby may arch his back and withdraw from feeding or want to nurse frequently—nursing is comforting, and breast milk can act as an antacid).
- Has frequent wet, sour burps.
- Makes throaty nooises—gagging, choking and raspy breathing.
- Has breathing difficulties—frequent respiratory infections, wheezing, stop-breathing episodes.
- May be thought to have "baby asthma".
Keep a Diary
Before seeing your pediatrician, record your baby's experiences per episode, including:
- Signs and symptoms you've noticed and how long they lasted
- How severe you believe the episode was.
- If symptoms are improving or worsening.
- Home treatments you've tried and their results.
- The time of day baby has the most severe symptoms, such as crying jags.
Be down with Elevation
Babies with reflux often suffer from painful night waking because, when lying flat, they don't have the benefit of gravity to help keep food down. If baby is a restless sleeper, elevate the head of his crib about 30 degrees using blocks and books. You can also help baby avoid reflux during diaper changes by using a reflux wedge to elevate him off a flat back.
What Your Doctor Can Do
When you have exhausted the above advice, your doctor may recommend medicines that lessen stomach acid production. In some babies, reflux is due to a suck-swallow problem, causing them to swallow too much air while feeding. A therapist who specializes in suck training may be able to provide support.


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First up, I would say that 75% of what I've eaten in the past two days has been this Corn Chowder from Vegan with a Vengeance. It's sweet, it's spicy, it's a pleasant color, offers the surprise bite of rosemary (and bonus roasted garlic from my fridge), and was made with local ingredients. Sorta funny story, while at the market last weekend, I learned that I must look like a tough sell for corn, or it's simply become passé – because the farmer selling it told me, assuredly, "This is really good corn. You'll like it." That may have been a bit odd, and I almost wanted to consider it a threat because that's more exciting of a story and I had no doubt about my purchase – but he was right. It was really good corn.
And now, The Epic Vegan MoFo Survey from The Post Punk Kitchen forums:
The original is here.
What's your favorite spice or spice blend? Saigon Cinnamon. When I first visited Penzey's a few years ago and learned that there were different varieties, my mind was blown.
You have $20 to spend on fresh groceries and produce for the whole week (with a fairly well stocked pantry of dry goods, legumes, grains, and spices). What do you buy? I hit the farmers market with $10, Foxfire or Limbo with $6 for loose leaf tea, bake some seitan, a block of bulk tofu from the coop or Ota, and make a huge pot of soup with beans.
What's your favorite way to make tofu? As for cooking, tofu ricotta and straight up baked with BBQ sauce have been high on my list for years.
Vegan guilty pleasure? Tator tots with Vegenaise and Sriracha.
If you could make anyone vegan, who would it be? I would say Ronald McDonald, but I really don't want to see the insane effect of that – so I'll go with the Obama Family and hope they're not criticized too much for this decision.
If you could only read one other vegan blog, what would it be? http://www.theppk.com/blog/ PPK cult, represent.
Were you always interested in cooking, or did veganism change the way you saw and interacted with food? I had a light interest growing up and remember entering kids' bake offs at the local library with sloppy layer cakes. I never won, but I liked combing my mom's baking books and making whipped cream and chocolate chip cookies . Years later, I worked at a bakery/café in high school where I didn't do much more in the kitchen than fill cannolis and butter rolls, but I picked up names and flavor combinations. Fortunately, though it was a rocky road, I started living on my own at the same time I was going vegan, so I had to learn how to cook.
Excluding analogues, what new things have you tried that you probably wouldn't have as an omni? A wide assortment of vegetables – especially since moving to Portland with the year round markets. I was very much a grilled cheese-and-little-else eating vegetarian for years.
What is the one vegan staple that everyone seems to love, but you can't get behind? I appreciate it, scientifically, and have warmed to its impressive goo – but, Daiya. I'm not on the love train.
What was your first "wow, I'm such a stereotypical vegan" moment? I don't know what the very first was – maybe living on 123s & Chreese for a year during college?, but [insert creaking voice] back in my day, we'd smuggle Follow Your Heart in insulated bags from Lifethyme in NYC via Fung Wah bus rides back to Boston.
First recipe you veganized? Lasagna or stuffed mushrooms.
What would you like to veganize, but haven't yet? What wouldn't I? I've yet to pull together a traditional, kickass white pizza. It'll happen.
Favorite kitchen utensil/appliance? I really like my Vita-Mix and Magic Bullet blenders.
Most disastrous kitchen failure? Sometimes I really suck at crepes and pancakes. I'm about to place an order for a new pancake pan, so hopefully, that will help. I'm great one day, and then it's awful, and I take a year off and forget these things exist.
First vegan cookbook? My best friend from high school gave me How it All Vegan as a gift when I first went vegan. I still have it.
What question about being vegan do you HATE answering? Anything that makes me roll my eyes. For example. I went vegetarian at a young age and grew up with family members teasing me about not eating turkey. It came as a shock when an omnivore asked me what I eat for Thanksgiving a few months ago. Like, what year is this? What bizarre world do you live in? Tofu turkey jokes are so last decade (in my life). However, I answered nicely, fully knowing that I live in the Portland bubble and hang out on the vegan internet. A lot.
If you could tell the world one thing about vegans, what would it be? That maybe we're weird to you, but we're really just making smart, ethical, healthy, compassionate decisions (and still weird)! To quote the Food Fight! button, "Being Vegan Means I'm trying to Suck Less".
Funniest vegetable? When eggplants grow dongs.
What is a family recipe you have veganized? My mom's Sweet Potato Pie Casserole (warning: old blog link) and my grandma's Italian Struffoli. Unfortunately, the veganization of the second is MIA. I don't recall what the egg replacer was, but I recall using light agave with orange zest in place of honey.
Weirdest food combination? I don't think I pair anything too crazy, but I do have a soft spot for toasted tempeh bacon, peanut butter & tart apple sandwiches.
Is there something you wish you could veganize, but can't/couldn't? I have a strong Italian background, and I've never had vegan cheesecake or sweet ricotta-filled cannoli with quite the consistency I would have enjoyed in my earlier years. I've had excellent vegan versions of both, but nothing that's quite what I want, and I feel like something the creators try too hard and shouldn't go in that direction. Those, and the simple, meringe-coated wonder that is Baked Alaska. I do feel confident that I will try an amazing vegan version of that one day. There's been a lot of progress in the field of vegan meringue.
Favorite ways to prepare tofu, seitan, tempeh, any other vegan proteins? I like breading seitan cutlets in even more savoury bread(crumbs) and baking. My go-to way for tempeh is either tempeh bacon, or marinated, baked, and served in a bowl with grains/sauce/greens or over pasta.
Are your pets vegan? if so, what do you feed them? My two cats are not vegan, but one does have an obsession with leafy greens and microbrews.
Favorite non-dairy milk? It was almond until an allergy arose recently – therefore, I'll go with coconut. Besides packaged and fresh coconut milk, So Delicious Coconut Beverages & Creamers are so fantastic!!
What's one "vegan myth" you'd like to squash? That vegan food is boring. Creative vegan dishes can be so impressive and artistic! And I don't just mean plating style – I love that exploration that can happen in a kitchen – with new flavors, fresh ingredients, etc. It's a big reason why I'm involved with with putting on Vegan Iron Chef events and wanting to show off Portland's local chefs!