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Traffic expands to fill the space available. This is known as Down's Law of Peak-Hour Traffic Congestion, and has been known since 1962; new research shows that it's true even more generally than previously suspected.
Increasing lane kilometers for one type of road diverts little traffic from other types of road. We find no evidence that the provision of public transportation affects VKT. We conclude that increased provision of roads or public transit is unlikely to relieve congestion.
Eric Jaffe draws a simple conclusion from all this:
Whenever a driver shifts onto public transportation, another one quickly grabs the open lane. That leaves just one solution to the traffic problem plaguing American cities: congestion pricing.
"We cannot think of any other solution," says Gilles Duranton, the paper's co-author. "As soon as you manage to create space on the road, by whatever means, people are going to use that space. Except when people have to pay for it, of course."
I'm a fan of congestion pricing. But I'm also realistic about it, and the fact is that for all Jaffe's enthusiasm, congestion pricing has its own Down's-like characteristics. Jaffe raves about the "success" of congestion pricing in London and Stockholm, but the only chart he provides gives numbers for the trial period in Stockholm. If you go looking for recent data on traffic in London, Stockholm, or other cities with congestion charges, it can prove surprisingly difficult to find.
Here's Jaffe, again, quoting Duranton:
"My feeling is, yes, people tend to be against it before they see it at work," says Duranton. "They think it's going to cost them more money, which directly it will, but they're all very unclear about the benefits; i.e. traffic is way more fluid, way faster, and pollution is going down."
There's another way to look at this phenomenon, though. When congestion pricing is first introduced, people recoil against it — they expend quite a lot of effort to avoid the charge, and traffic goes down. Over time, however, it becomes just another part of the cost of driving, along with gas and insurance and parking tickets. As that happens, traffic goes back up again. Congestion-charge revenues go up too, of course, and those can be reinvested into public transport.
But traffic is like water — it wants to find its own level, which tends, in cities, to be maximum capacity. If you want to implement a system which keeps traffic below maximum capacity, then you need to apply significant pressure on drivers to keep them away from the roads. And that means not just implementing a congestion charge, but also regularly increasing the amount of the charge over time.
This is how the Singaporean congestion-charging system works. Think of a shutter-priority camera: you set the shutter speed, and then dial the aperture so that the exposure is correct. In Singapore, they set the amount of traffic they want, and then dial up the congestion charge until they get it. It's much the same idea as the one behind SFPark: you set the number of empty parking spaces you want, and then dial up the parking-meter pricing until you get there.
But the point in all of these cases is that the charge has to be variable over time — specifically, it has to increase over time. Without those steady increases, drivers become inured to the congestion charge, and traffic will go back up to its former level.
As a result, drivers are pretty much never happy with congestion pricing. Either it's painfully expensive and going up in price — expensive enough to keep them from driving — or else it doesn't have much effect.
That doesn't mean that congestion pricing isn't good public policy. It is. But it's always going to be unpopular with a powerful constituency. (Drivers, in nearly any city you care to mention, tend to have a disproportional amount of political clout.) Local politicians looking for a popular platform will run on reducing or abolishing the charge, or at the very least not increasing it. And so the old fight keeps on being fought over and over again: while increasing a charge isn't as politically difficult as introducing one, it's still tough.
This is something worth remembering when urbanists start waxing utopian on the subject of congestion pricing: once it's introduced, the fight isn't over. It's never over. And if you leave a system long enough without increasing its price, its efficacy starts declining dramatically.


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Galloway Family Homes Team Awards:
Galloway Family Homes is a Certified Master Builder recognized by the Home Builder Association of South Carolina for Building and Customer Service excellence.
Galloway Family Homes received the Builder of Integrity Award from Quality Builders Warranty. QBW carefully screens Builder for technical knowledge, craftsmanship, and financial stability. Only the builders who hold the highest standards of quality construction and customer service have chance to win the Builder of Integrity Award. Galloway Family Homes are proud to have won the Builder of Integrity Award!
Galloway Family Homes is a proud accredited Business with the Better Business Bureau scoring an A+ Rating. The A+ Rating is the highest score you can receive from the Better Business Bureau.

subset: commoncrawl


text: SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Shares of Phillips 66 PSX, +0.18% shot to the top of the heap on Wednesday after the refiner announced a 25% increase in quarterly dividend, to 39 cents a share. Stock of Phillips 66 rose the most among energy companies in the S&P 500 Index SPX, -0.49%, up 1.8% on a day most energy stocks were in the red. The dividend is payable by Dec. 2 to shareholders on the books by Nov. 14. "Our objective is to consistently increase shareholder distributions, while also capturing attractive opportunities to reinvest in our business and grow future returns," Phillips 66 Chairman and Chief Executive Greg Garland said in a statement.


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Hey guys! I've been waiting for this moment for a long time. 2 years actually. In fact, I've actually been saving my 1000'th GMC post for this game. I hope you'll have as much fun playing this game as I had making it!
This is a fast paced space TDS much alike asteroids or geometry wars. It features multiple modes of play, a customizable ship, online highscores, a big ol' store, many different enemy types, and lots of other goodies! It also features really psychedelic and smooth visuals, fluid gameplay and controls, and a rockin original soundtrack by flashygoodness. To grab the game, click one of the download links at the bottom of this post or visit http://www.nfyre.com...ddefender2.html
Genre : Arcade TDS
Fullscreen : Optional
Changes resolution : Optional
Production time : 2 Years
Multiplayer : No
Modes : Arcade Mode, Asteroid Defender.
WASD to move
Left and right click to use secondary weapons and to navigate the menu.
Escape to return to the main menu, access the pause menu, or exit the game
Screenshots: [1][2][3]
Gameplay videos (Courtsey of PixelProspector): [Arcade][Asteroid]
Trailer (old): http://www.youtube.c...h?v=M9J4SwbfhSM
Online highscores : http://www.sigmanine.net/gd2/
Download Links:
Edited by Necromian, 10 January 2010 - 04:04 AM.


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Wednesday, June 18, 2008
It's spring and a new tree has arrived!!
Editor Bill Mac Donald has birthed Number 46 of the Lounsbury Tree. It's a strapping one, coming in at 28 pages. It is linked at the right. Enjoy!
Posted by Bob at 1:41 PM No comments:
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The decision to homeschool was the hardest decision I've ever made in my adult life. I don't know why. I consider myself a pretty decisive person, but I agonized and agonized and agonized. Sure, I had the usual reservations: Do I have what it takes? How do I homeschool two girls with very different personalities and interests? Did I have room and time in my work-at-home schedule for homeschooling? Would I mess up my kids for life? But I also had some unique-to-me challenges. A husband who works from home. A then 9-year-old who seemed reluctant. Family doubts and reservations. My lack of organizational skills. And patience. And math skills. I filled out my notice of intent to homeschool weeks before I ever sent it in. It was one of the toughest summers of my life.
And then a friend from our church group reminded me: "Nothing is permanent. You can always change your mind."
I sent my notice in and received confirmation on August 4. I was officially a homeschooler. With help from friends, the internet, the homeschool conference I had halfheartedly attended, and a used curriculum sale, I hobbled together a curriculum and prayed for the best.
It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.
August 24, the first day of public school, and the day I planned to begin homeschooling, arrived, and I found myself sitting at the kitchen table with my girls. On the outside, I seemed organized and ready to hit the ground running. On the inside, I was a little panicked. "I can't believe my girls are not in school!!!!" But I put one foot in front of the other and took it day by day. I made many missteps, dropped some goals and started others, shifted gears a few times, lost my patience more than I care to admit, and learned a lot. Most importantly, my girls learned a lot.
So, for the mom about to start homeschooling, or to the one who is agonizing over that decision, this is for you. The hard-won lessons I learned in my first year.
Go Back to Basics
A few weeks into our school year, I confided to my WRC partner, Jean, that I was feeling overwhelmed. One look at my daily checklist of approximately 92 items and she immediately knew why. I had taken on way more than we could handle. Recently I read that you should spend the first homeschooling year unschooling, and while am not an unschooler, and definitely don't have the bravery to drop my entire to-do list, I did learn quickly that I needed to scale back, for my sanity and the girls.' I wanted them to enjoy homeschooling, and to enjoy being with me, and to do that, I would have to lighten up. So I pared back to the basics: language arts, math, science and history. A little French. Once I got through the core subjects every day, anything we added felt like a bonus.
2. You Think You Know Your Kids Now…
Just wait. I learned so much about my girls this year. I worried that I would struggle with my 4th graders attentiveness, but instead, it was my 3nd grader who challenged me. I learned that my older daughter, Lola, is imaginative and creative and artistic and a little bit of a perfectionist. She loves art and music and performing and is interested in baking, sewing and grown up life skills. I learned that Eva is quick witted and curious and project oriented and easily distracted. I also learned, much to my surprise, that she hates to use scissors and to take notes, and that she is an indifferent artist. She has an amazing memory, is very tech-savvy and shows a real interest in foreign languages. I knew little bits of this before I started homeschooling, but now I have a much clearer picture of their strengths and challenges.
3. The Kitchen Is Never Closed
Ah, the luxuries – and distractions – of home. My girls, who typically have tiny appetites, suddenly seemed ravenous all day long, and I found myself adding short order cook to my already long list of jobs. I found myself serving 3-course-breakfasts, elaborate snacks and 2 different, time-consuming lunches. This detracted from schoolwork and was, frankly, a real pain. This year, I'm going to experiment with solutions to this, including planning the next day's meals in advance, freezing our own "convenience" meals for lunch, and getting the girls involved in meal prep (home ec!).
4. Don't be a Slave to a Curriculum
The curriculum that you choose is there to serve you, not the other way around. I discovered that Eva does not love notebooking, and so this year, I am dropping the notebooking component of Apologia science for her, and focusing on single page exercises, experiments and projects. Same with Mystery of History. I am going to take advantage of her love of technology by supplementing with Quizlet, Always Ice Cream and Skrafty. Lola seems to prefer notebooking, lapbooking and presentations even more than experiments or projects, so I will do more of that with her. Especially with science and social studies, you can pick and choose which parts to focus on and which to skim, or to skip entirely. It's up to you. (I do think, with Math and, to a lesser degree, Language Arts, it's more important to go in order as concepts build on each other). Also, don't be afraid to switch gears if you discover that a curriculum just isn't working for you or your child. While you don't want to do this repeatedly, it's okay to admit when something isn't working. We started the year with Bob Jones Math for Eva, and quickly switched to Redbird Math, on GiftedandTalented, when I realized she despised workbooks. The technology and real-world applications were much more appealing to her. On the other hand, Lola isn't as much a man of technology, and we struggled to finish Teaching Textbooks. I love it, but she did not.
5. Your Schedule is Your Own
There are some days when your kids can't seem to stand the sight of each other. Or you. Or when the sound of their own breathing seems to annoy them. I woke up one day and was so tired and run-down, that I promptly went back to bed. I was sick, and the girls lollygagged while I recovered. Other mornings, my younger daughter woke up in a whiny, contrary mood, and it would derail our entire day. Finally, I stopped fighting her on it, and instead let her go outside (her favorite place) to commune with nature, instructing her to stay out until her mood changed. It worked like a charm. One strategy I am considering this year is starting the day with one of our more fun electives, like baking or art, instead of math or language arts. Sometimes, all you need is to start the day on a high note to set the right tone for the rest of the school day. Also, somewhat unintentionally, I found that we did school only 3 days a week, Monday through Wednesday. Thursdays were taken up with tennis lessons, music lessons, band and 4H. Fridays were co-op day, when we would do literature circle and some Mystery of History timeline work. The only right schedule is the one that works for you.
6. Make it Fun
One of the things kids can miss about school is the recognition of milestones (reading levels, times tables mastered, etc.) and the celebration of every holiday, big and little. One of the things I did, somewhat halfheartedly last year, and plan to do better at this year, is make sure that we commemorated all of the holidays. Our coop skipped Valentine's Day (we all forgot!) but we had Halloween and Easter celebrations. Big colorful sticker charts, contests (for your coop or among your own kids) and holiday crafts can help keep things fun!
7. Make it Personal
One of the things I am learning about homeschooling, and one of the aspects that I love, is how personal you can make it. My older daughter loves baking, for example, so I found a baking mini-curriculum that incorporates math, science and language arts. For my younger daughter, I am incorporating more hand-on activities and STEM projects. A quick search on any topic that interests your child will turn up tons of results. I adore checking out online resources like CurrClick, Educents, TeachersPayTeachers, HomeschoolShare, Journey Into Learning and Homeschool Buyer's Coop for unique curriculum supplements, and TedEd, YouTube and Netflix for videos that correspond with lessons.
8. You Will Have Those Days
And weeks. And months. There will be times when the kid(s) don't cooperate and you are frazzled and life is pulling you in a million different directions. On those days, you may not feel like you are getting much accomplished. Try to relax. You can make it up the next week, or the week after that. The homeschooling police aren't coming to get you. When tracking your progress, look at the big picture and not at the day-to-day or a specific week or month.
9. Take Field Trips
You will find oodles of opportunities to reinforce what you are learning in school with a well-timed field trip. This year, we went to see A Christmas Carol as we were reading the book, visited St. Augustine for some regional history, and even ventured farther away to Boston. But fun, frivolous field trips are equally important, whether you take spontaneous days off for the beach or the park or visit theme parks on slow weekdays, take full advantage of your ability to set your family's schedule.
10. Go Your Own Way
While the advice of a homeschool veteran (or newbie), your mom or a teacher may be valuable, you are unique and so is your child. Pick something that works for you, whether or not it is everyone else's first pick, and then approach that curriculum your own way. Invest some time into figuring out how your child learns best, and then modify school accordingly, whenever possible. In my opinion, kids still need to learn to read, to write, and to do math, but it doesn't matter if they learn those skills standing up or hanging upside down or sitting in a patch of grass.
I know that embarking on homeschooling can be an exciting and scary thing, and I hope that my experience has helped! I not only survived my first year of homeschooling, but I liked it enough to do it again, and I believe you will, too!


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Mario Profaca isn't your everyday sort of guy. He's done a lot. Seen a lot. Been around a lot. Some people might think his word is the truth. Others might think of him as a keyboard guerrilla.Born in Croatia, in 1940, Profaca is actually a professional journalist. He has been one since the age of 20, has covered nine wars, was wounded in the battle for Paxe Bridge, Bangladesh, and received the Medal of Merits for Nation (1963) from the then Yugoslavian President Tito for being one of first journalists to arrive in Skopje after an earthquake (he carried five boxes of blood plasma). It's not what he does in the real world that attracts us though. It's his virtual stuff -- Mario's CyberspaceĀStationĀ(The Global Intelligence News Portal) -- that does.
His site goes against conventionality. It concentrates on under-reported news, forgotten scams, spy stories, guerrilla warfare and what not. In its creator's words, "It is about the dissimulation, falseness, double-dealing, political and journalist prostitution and propaganda." That would explain why The New York Times declared: 'Yes, the world is a sick place, and Mario Profaca is its Webmaster.' In an exclusive interview, Mario Profaca reveals why he doesn't like to force "the truth" upon his readers:
What prompted you to set up Mario's Cyberspace?
I started it in 1995, during the war in Croatia caused by the so-called 'Yugoslav Peoples' Army' aggression on my homeland, Croatia. While surfing online, I realised that even mainstream media journalists weren't aware of that factĀ-- or, what was even worseĀ-- didn't want to accept it, that the former Yugoslavia didn't exist any more.
Even five years after Croatia was already internationally recognised as the Republic of Croatia some of them were "reporting from former Yugoslav republic Croatia". It was also the time when western diplomats and journalists, sympathising with Slobodan Milosevic, invented "ethnic cleansing" as a euphemism for war crimes in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Look who is talking! I said to myself remembering Pearl Harbor. So one of my first web pages that had nothing to do with Croatia was on Pearl Harbor, and related to the US concentration camps, or "detention camps".
On February 19, 1942, at the height of the US involvement in World War II, President Roosevelt authorised the War Department to place all Japanese Americans residing on the West Coast in detention camps. The following months witnessed the relocation of some 120,000 Japanese Americans, including 77,000 American citizens. But, for the Americans, it was neither a war crime nor "ethnic cleansing". In fact, they were so proud of it: "During the spring and summer of 1942, the United States Government carried out, in remarkably short time and without serious incident, one of the largest controlled migrations in history." (Relocation of Japanese-Americans, War Relocation Authority (WRA), Washington D.C., May 1942)
"Largest controlled migrations in history" That's what my web site is all about. It is about the dissimulation, falseness, double-dealing, political and journalist prostitution and propaganda. Of course, it's all related to intelligence and counterintelligence. So, I named it The Global Intelligence News Portal and started searching and researching open sources, usually unknown facts and documents or under-reported news, to share with visitors.
Is the site truly a one-man effort?
Yes, this is really a one-man site. I use WYSWIM -- What You See Is What I Made, down to every line of code. I know there are excellent content editors, but I prefer being a sort of Internet Sinatra, doing things 'My Way'. No help needed. I even cook my coffee by myself.
What draws you to the world of spies, wars and guerrilla warfare?
You could ask the same question to millions of my visitors, too. Almost all of them come by submitting the key word 'intelligence' to their search engines.
It is said that the CIA drops by frequently. Does that scare you?
There are thousands of visitors from intelligence communities of many countries worldwide. I don't see anything scary about it. What's more, according to feedback, they all appreciate my work and consider it a great help.
What kind of feedback do you get? Any threats?
No threats at all. Though, at times, I think that isn't a good sign.
Are you happy you made the switch from a reporter on the frontline to the man behind Mario's Cyberspace?
There was neither a transformation nor a switch, and that is what I am happy about. I was always the same: a journalist who knew how to use all means of communication and media. While reporting from the frontlines, I used phone, telex, fax, email and even amateur ham radio. I now have a DSL connection to the Internet and, by 2040 (when I will be only a hundred years old), I hope to have a satellite videophone! I think that's what makes one a good journalist, if I may flatter myself that way. I don't know why some journalists are calling themselves 'investigative reporters'. What is journalism without investigative research anyway? Particularly today, with all sources and resources just a click away...
How does online journalism compare with traditional journalism?
It is not comparable, first of all, because it should be the same. So-called online journalism is, or should be, simply journalism using new information technology. There is no good or bad journalism; there are only good and bad journalists.
In the 1950s when some journalists switched from newspapers and radio to TV it didn't make them better journalists. It only made a wider public audience aware whether they were good or bad journalists. What is best about online journalism is that one can be one's own publisher. But freedom of the press online is just a temporary sweet illusion. The freedom of the press is in the hands of the owner of the media.
Each time has its primary source of information. Today it is the television, but I think the next one will be TV combined with the Internet, and not the Internet alone.
Online journalism suffers from a crisis of credibility. How can this be overcome?
Media credibility was always a matter of its audience's judgment. And that is the only freedom and credibility one can count on. I would say that it is not 'online journalism' that is in crisis. In fact, thanks to online journalism, it is traditional media (newspapers, radio and TV) that should take more care than ever before putting out what they consider to be verified 'truth'. They know that average Internet users can compare it with other sources in a matter of seconds and draw their own conclusions.
And, what is verified news or "fact" anyway? How many times have you heard CNN quote Al Jazeera news as "not verified by independent sources"? Well, then, who the heck is "independently verifying" CNN news?
What do you think of the recent trend towards embedding journalists?
There were always journalists who would agree to serve as propaganda tool or as undercover intelligence agents sincerely believing they are honourably serving their homeland in need. Somebody called it "patriotic journalism", but I think it is not journalism.
Promotion of "embedded journalism" means just the institutionalisation of their work for Pentagon or CIA, whatever, in public, what some of them maybe willing to do in secret. (Take a look at my web pages CIA: Use of journalists.) But, I don't blame them. I can imagine what would happen to their career if some of them declined the assignment. All wars have their heroes but you can't blame anybody for not being one. That is just what makes human beings and their characters so different from each other. That is what makes the difference between journalists killed in Hotel Palestine in Baghdad and those who will, thank God and Pentagon, safely return to their families back in USA together with the US army units they were embedded with. But I think those second ones should be saluted as brave soldiers, not journalists.
Does your site have a political agenda? Or do you try and represent all views through the links you provide?
I am not sure whether one could call it a political agenda or not. I am just trying to help visitors get usually under-reported news and sources so that they can go for a news coverage comparison. But I would never suggest what "the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth" is. I do believe the average visitor is capable of drawing his or her own conclusions. I hope I'm helping them create their own criteria for judging who is who or what really happened.
Why don't you accept advertisements on your site?
My opinion about online advertisements is that too many of them could suffocate a Web site and scatter visitors. The main reason why I don't have advertising is because my Web hosts gave me a lot of space on their servers free, for my home site in Croatia and mirrors in Holland and the US, so I can't use it for commercial purposes. I hope somebody may grant me 60 MB ad-free space somewhere in Asia too, as I have a lot of visitors from your part of the world. But I'm afraid I'm just the last Web romantic in cyberspace.
How do you manage to populate your site with so many links?
It's a result of many sleepless nights and days of surfing, but I'm also a subscriber to many Internet lists, newsletters and forums. Visitors suggest certain sources too.
How does it feel to be one of the biggest one-man shows online?
I know you are referring to my note that my site is 'the biggest one-man handmade Web site in Cyberspace with more than a thousand Web pages'. The accent is on 'handmade' (including graphics), but I think it's the content that my visitors appreciate. And I hope it makes my Web site a big one. When I started out, I wanted to be different. I did my best doing that. And, yes, I knew I was going to achieve this success. More than 1.4 million hits so far, and counting.


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I am interested in sound and video because of how we are active participants in its life. Sound is lonely, it reaches out for another so it can live. Without a receiver of the sound it will only continue to bounce from wall to wall, filling the room with an emptiness. There is an intimacy between the sound/voice and the viewer because of this entrance into their physical body. The work I create is concerned with breaking that immortality of sound and the role of the audience in that break; creating intimacy between audience and object.
The objects I create needs one to engage rather then the sound engaging them, a longing for that intimacy rather then forcing this intimacy. There is a double life to the work because the way an inanimate object is brought to life. When the viewer engages with the work the sound lives through them, given life by their listening. These audio recordings fill in and represent myself, they make me present in the room without my physical body.
The sound and the object that is animated cannot be separated. The object changes the sound, muffles it, and when the viewer interacts with the objects, the sound is changed again, becoming amplified and absorbed.
The majority of the sound work is recorded through analog technology. Analog has a different presence; you can physically hold the sound in your hand. Digital audio cannot be held in your hand and it only exists in the computer trapped in its perfection. When it is erased it as if it never existed, there is no proof of its life. When cassette tapes are erased there is evidence, visual and auditory, that a death has occurred.
I use my voice in the audio to fill in for myself. I fear miscommunication and fear that I will be just like the sound, drifting in a room waiting for someone to listen. I fear that I will always fail to translate the true weight my past. This failure is what makes the work succeed; it needs to fail because the intimate relationship the work expects from the viewer needs to be fair. It allows an entrance, space for the viewer. If the trauma were to be fully communicated that potency would make the work like the sun, to bright to see, and forcing the viewer to look away.


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Australian and Overseas Group Travel by Kings Tours
Travelling in a group is fun. It adds to the overall experience where you can explore landmarks with others and discuss your adventure, as well as get together for food and drinks. Group tours are popular for all of these reasons and many more.
At Kings Tours, we have been organising group holidays for over 30 years (since 1986 to be exact!)
We pride ourselves on offering great value on our all-inclusive getaways. Whether you are interested in exploring Australia, having an adventure in Asia, taking a safari in Africa, relaxing in Europe or joining a cruise to Alaska, we have a tour for you.
Our experienced Tour Managers and local guides are here to make your holiday the trip of a lifetime. Our guides have been hand-selected based on their knowledge, experience, and friendly personality. Most of the meals and sightseeing fees will be included so you won't even have to worry about the tips or gratuities.
This allows you to focus on having a good time and enjoying yourself. You will feel safe and secure when you travel on a Kings Escorted Holiday.
Travelling with like-minded people of a similar age makes group tours a good social experience. Many of our travellers even form lifelong friendships and stay in touch long after the tour is over.
We pick you up from your home and drop you back off safe and sound on your return. Our clients love our unique approach, which is why they often recommend us to their friends and family. Our company has been built on repeat business and word of mouth. As a family owned and operated business, we have the flexibility to tailor our trips to suit the needs of each and every traveller.
Why Travel with A Group:
Travelling in a group has a wide range of benefits:
- Travelling in a Group is nice safe way to travel. In case of any emergency help is there with you in the form of people in your group and your Tour Manager.
- Travelling is a lot of fun, ideal opportunity to meet new friends and socialise within your group and fellow travellers over meals, in the coach etc.
For more information about how Kings Tours can help make your holiday an unforgettable social experience, contact us today.
We can also tailor an itinerary that fits your budget and lifestyle.
For further information please contact us.


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Men's designer sneakers are now an accepted staple for both business and leisure. From luxury trainers to bold hi-tops, street style meets classic fashion, combining flexibility with the elegance defining the new sports luxe rules of dressing.
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text: I think most would agree with me when I say that when it comes to a dining experience the most important factor, second only to food and taste, is atmosphere. It has been a while since I stepped into an establishment that gave me such a good natural feeling, even before my first bite. That's the experience you get when you step into Begin. You are greeted with soft soulful music like that of a lounge singer. As you are greeted by the friendly hostess you bask in the cool interior inspired by the very name of the restaurant. As you appreciate the artwork of dandelions blowing in the wind it's easy to appreciate Begins theme of starting something anew. While the food is amazing, I highly recommend dinning in to get the full experience. Sit down, have an iced coffee, look over the menu, listen to the music, and just reflect. As they say "Every… dream fulfilled begins with a simple wish…" https://plus.google.com/112022077981993958927/photos?hl=en


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Tonya Marie Hoffman, MD
My Intention in medical practice is to connect with patients mindfully, meet them at their level of readiness for improvement, and to provide motivation and insight for their health goals. By incorporating holistic integrative models with western medicine, the connection of psychosocial wellness and physical health becomes seamless, and most importantly, patient-directed.
Scope of Practice
Dr. Hoffman blends both traditional allopathic and integrative Medicine into her practice, with a strong belief in the tenets of functional medicine. Depending on patient preference, she explores herbal/mineral supplementation, and yoga therapeutics. As a Family Physician by training, she is comfortable seeing patients of all ages, and walks of life. She enjoys Women's Health & gynecology, Pediatrics, musculoskeletal challenges, and seeks to optimize wellness in all those she works with.
Benefits of Functional Medicine
Since functional medicine addresses the body and its complex systems as a whole network, the approach Dr. Hoffman takes in addressing your health is very thorough. Dr. Hoffman spends more time than your average physician in getting to know you better by exploring your detailed health history of failures and successes, and discussing your current health challenges.
Often times, she has encountered those who have been dissatisfied with their current medical care, or who are seeking a better understanding of chronic or generalized symptoms that continue to exist, despite treatment.
She enjoys discussing adjunctive treatments for Autoimmune phenomena such as diabetes, thyroid disorders, and multiple sclerosis. She addresses chronic dermatologic issues, chronic gastrointestinal discomforts, hormonal imbalances, "nervous" minds/hearts/stomachs, and dispirited folks simply looking for relief. Or perhaps you are already quite healthy in mind and body, but have specific goals to discuss? She is most inspired by those who seek to heal themselves, and sees herself as a facilitator and partner in your wellness.
Education and Training
- Residency 2006 – 2009 Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency Program primarily housed at Sutter Hospital, with some experience at Kaiser Permanente & St. Joseph's Memorial hospitals, & Southwest Community Health Centers in Santa Rosa.
- Doctor of Medicine 2002 – 2006 University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
- Applying Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice 2014 Scottsdale, AZ.
Licensure, Certifications & Memberships
- American Board of Family Medicine Board Certified
- American Board of Integrative and Holistic Medicine Certified Licensed Physician in State of California
- Sonoma County Medical Association Member
- California Academy of Family Physicians Member
- American Academy of Family Physicians Member
- International Association of Yoga Therapists Member
- Institute for Functional Medicine Member
Non-Professional Interests
Playing Pirates with my toddler, Beekeeping, Wine-making, Raising Chickens, Sailing, collecting LP Vinyls, Garage Sales, camping & hiking, Tango, baking/bread-making, experimenting with Herbs & Spices.
Tonya Hoffman is an independent practitioner and sole proprietor of Hoffman Health & Holistics, Inc. You may download Tonya's Bio as a printable PDF here.


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Yesterday was Lauren's playdate birthday party! I had so much fun planning this birthday party. She has been in love with Elmo and Abby from Sesame Street the past couple of months, so the party theme was pretty easy to come up with. :)
I found the cutest invitations on Etsy by andersruff:
Some pics of the setup:
PrellyPartyPapers, another fabulous Etsy store! And the cupcakes...oh I made those, can you tell. ;)
Shawn helped me make the Lauren "Sesame Street" sign. I think it turned out pretty darn cute!!!
Opening presents was the cutest thing ever. All the kids gathered around to watch. Then they got closer. And closer. And closer! Ha! It was really cute and nobody could blame them! We're talking presents people. Never been opened or played with presents. All wrapped up. In shiny packaging.
Once all the presents were opened...it was time to bust them out!!!
Desire! He was the best baby ever. And look at that adorable little outfit. Almost makes me want one of my own. The outfit. ;)
Lauren enjoyed her cupcake on an Abby plate. She was very specific about which one she wanted! Love it.
Kelly and Ryan stayed after everyone left to help me clean up a bit! Thanks, Kelly!!!
And then Lauren sang me a song on her new microphone from Isabelle. Girl has talent. ;)
Friday, July 23, 2010
Can You Tell Me How to Get to Lauren's Party?
Posted by Jen on Friday, July 23, 2010
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How to Radically Improve Your Sex Life with This Mindset Change (via Huffington Post)/
Featured as How to Radically Improve Your Sex Life with This One Mindset Change in the Huffington Post
Do you want to add more richness and fire to your sex life?
Here is the thing. It's not about toys or positions. And it's not about getting to know each other better.
Quite the opposite.
It's about getting curious about yourself and your partner as if you've never met.
You're probably thinking that it's the opposite of all the advice you've ever heard.
The reality is that we're constantly changing and evolving, moment to moment. At the cell level and beyond, our bodies are changing every second, our emotions and feelings too. A mere momentary "aha" or an emotional jolt can catapult you into a completely different state of consciousness, making reality of the last moment unrecognizable.
Our desires are constantly shifting too. What felt good yesterday may not feel good today. What you wanted yesterday may feel foreign today.
When we assume that we know ourselves and each other, we stop listening and getting curious. We get rigid. And we get hurt when things don't go as planned.
We end up applying something that's static (a sex routine) on top of something that's changing and evolving in every moment (our bodies, desires and connection), effectively stifling the thing that creates magic.
So what if you approach sex with a beginner's mindset?
Imagine, a radically different way of having sex that's about connection with each other, moment to moment.
It's radically different because you cannot a priori figure out what you want or what your partner wants. There are no scripts.
You have to feel your way into it. You have to do it with beginner's eyes.
This is connection sex.
Imagine, instead of entering the bedroom with an idea of what sex looks like and a goal, you allow the connection between you and your partner to dictate what's next.
You let go of preconceived ideas and expectations. Strip away the goal. Forget everything you know.
Slow down. Get naked. And feel into what's there.
Let your body lead. Let your mind quiet down.
Let desire dictate your moves. Let the sensation in your body and your partner's turn you on. Let the attention and curiosity for each other fuel the connection.
Get curious: What's here now? And now? And now? What's wanting to emerge? What sensations is my body feeling? What's my body wanting? What's my partner feeling? What's arising between us?
Surrender to your own inner guidance and flow. Feel what's created between.
Sometimes it's hot and heavy. Other times subtle. Electric. Soft and tender. Undulating. Still.
There are peaks and valleys. Hot and cold. Loss of control. Taking control. Stop. Flow. Play.
There is no order, no scripted path.
When there is no goal, variety naturally emerges. When you get curious, things become new.
Sex does not need to look a certain way. Let the connection create it anew in every moment.
Sometimes all it takes is a make-out. Other times penetration feels right. Other times, you lay in each other's arms, in total stillness, intertwined in a wild embrace .... until you can no longer tolerate the heat arising between you and it shifts. Or you fall asleep, tender, connected, still.
Whereas goal-oriented sex is about arriving, completing, achieving, connection sex is about flowing, shifting, becoming, evolving - with no end in sight. No repetition. No expectations.
Whereas goal-oriented sex often creates pressure to perform, connection sex is about presence, attention, desire - whatever it looks like.
Whereas goal-oriented sex opens room for hurt feelings and disappointments from failed expectations, connection sex is about including all that arises and enjoying the thrill of what you create together - whatever it looks like.
Like a river, connection sex evolves, creating and recreating itself, moment to moment, touch after touch, sensation after sensation.
Connection sex is not about what sex looks like. Or even having sex. And it's certainly not about the path to get off.
It is the path. It is about what sex feels like when you have nowhere to go.
What does it take to have connection sex?
Truth be told, this kind of sex is an advanced practice. Advanced, because it takes a crazy amount of self awareness, vulnerability and trust to risk getting off for connection.
It takes exquisite attention to yourself and your partner, underscored by surrender and love.
And it takes trust. That when you strip away the moves and the scripts, leaving yourself naked in your emotions, body and energy, you have to trust that you are enough.
When you have nothing else but connection, there's a richness of experience that you cannot get by getting off with each other and a satisfaction of having created rather than merely achieved.
Image via Shutterstock


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ZEBRA MU - flexi loop tape (tape loop / 4 sec.) : a really amazing and challenging collection of tape loops by UK sound artist Michael Ridge; nasty snatch-and-scrape bruitism on modified flexi vinyls is the original source for all the loops recorded.
Black recycled tapes, every tape is put into an handmade letter set which includes also an insert and a flier of the label.
Edition of 20 copies.


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The New England climate has four seasons. There is a cold snowy winter, hot summer, and lots of precipitation all year long.
Geographic Features
New England has many geographical features! There are rocky coastlines along the Atlantic, harbors, coastal lowlands, and uplands. The many capes, bays, lakes, wetlands, and rivers support the fishing industry. New England also boasts the Appalachian Mountains and Connecticut River Valley!
Soil in the New England region is quite rocky, hilly, and shallow. There is also a lot of erosion in this area because of high precipitation rates and nearness to the coast. This makes farming challenging in New England colonies.
The New England colonies specialized in producing wheat, corn, rye, beans, and potatoes!
Natural Resources
Because New England is so close to the ocean and the forests of the Appalachian Mountains there is a natural supply of fish, lumber, and fur. This helps the colonists trade.
Purpose of Founding
The New England colonies were founded so settlers could have religious freedom.
The settlers that fled religious persecution in Europe to settle in New England were mostly Puritans.
National Origin of Settlers
Most settlers of the New England region were English.
The economy of the New England colonies relied on fishing and shipbuilding because these colonies were located close to the Atlantic Ocean and did not have good soil for farming.
The settlers in the New England colonies had public education


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N.Y. politics turns nasty -- so what's the news?
Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani looks like he's having a great time lately, stumping for successor Michael Bloomberg's who-cares-about-term-limits third term. Just Sunday, Giuliani got a standing ovation from an audience of orthodox Jews in Brooklyn when he predicted that if Bloomberg doesn't win, crime in New York could soar, turning the city into another Detroit.
"Detroit went from a great city with lots of good-paying jobs to a city that's basically holding on for dear life," Giuliani told the Boro Park Jewish Community at a Bloomberg rally. If William Thompson, an African American, is elected, Giuliani intoned, crime will escalate to levels not seen since the early 1990s. "You know exactly what I'm talking about," he said.
No worries on that front apparently. With one week to go before the election, the Quinnipiac Poll reports that Bloomberg leads his rival by 18 points. "It's been shaping up all along, and now the new numbers say it looks like a Bloomberg blowout," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
A popular former mayor who was dubbed "America's mayor" for his handling of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Giuliani has long eyed a race for higher office. He almost ran for the Senate against Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2000, but, diagnosed with prostate cancer, elected to wait. Last year, he ran for the Republican presidential nomination, dropping out early and throwing his support to John McCain.
Now, with Gov. David Paterson far behind in the polls and President Obama signaling that he does not support the governor, all bets are off. Giuliani is said to be weighing a bid for the job. But so is ambitious state Atty. Gen. Andrew Cuomo, son of a former governor, who is so eager not to run against Giuliani that he reportedly sent a secret emissary to warn Rudy off the race.
"Rudy doesn't want to run against Andrew, and he has been told Andrew is running," one Democrat told the New York Post. The news was described as a brass-knuckles message between "friends."
Hey, it's New York.
-- Johanna Neuman
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Sourced by Rick, Marcie & Nick Hubbard from El Salvador, Colombia, Honduras & Guatemala. These coffees will be sure to please so stay tuned for different selections to come
our sacheted teas are now available in 50 count bags for online purchase
Sacheted right here in the Hoosier state, these premium teas are perfect hot or iced. Read the descriptions below to choose your favorite then click this link to direct you to our shop site. Selections include… Citron Green – Sencha tea flavored with Meyer... READ MORE


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This week, while the world was finally given an in-depth look at the Tesla Model X, I spent time driving the Kia Soul EV. It got me thinking the electric SUV might be the segment that saves the electric vehicle market in the United States.
Why's that? Because electric SUVs allow Americans to be practical, drive a big vehicle, and feel themselves green enough to deserve praise (at least their own).
Sure, you may have seen the gull-wing doors of the Model X, which Tesla calls "falcon doors," and thought, "Wow!" But this vehicle is going to be known for so much more than its looks. Consider the fact that it's going to have enough room in the rear to hold a sheet of plywood. It also has front cargo space where a traditional gas engine would go.
There's also the matter of it having 3 usable rows of seats. (I'm discounting the Model S and its rearward-facing third row, which apparently is suitable only for short jaunts with short children.) This instantly makes the Model X appealing to soccer moms.
Sure, there are vehicles like the Toyota Highlander Hybrid and the Infiniti QX60 Hybrid on the market. They're not electric, though. The Highlander gets a combined 28 mpg, and the QX60 gets 26. The Tesla Model X is supposedly rated at 92 mpge and has a 257-mile range.
The Model X is the first electric vehicle with a 5,000-pound towing capacity. No real-world figures are available yet, though, on what towing does to range. Doubling the weight of the vehicle has to make a significant impact, as it would with an internal combustion engine, too.
Okay, so Kia recommends you don't tow with the Kia Soul EV, but that's probably the only flaw in this vehicle. After a week, I'm sold. As someone casually researching the purchase of an EV (they fit my family's lifestyle), it's at the top of my list.
One reason would be its cost to operate, as well as its cost. It starts at $31,195 before the $7,500 tax credit. Plus a man much smarter than I tells me it gets more miles per kilowatt hour than the much smaller and much worse Mitsubishi i-MiEV, a truly unspectacular EV I can recommend under no conditions whatsoever (except if you were to win one at church bingo).
The Kia Soul EV is rated at 101 miles on a full charge, and that was what I observed over a mix of highway and city driving. Plus, I was able to charge it overnight off a standard household plug. Sure, the Soul EV's range doesn't match the Model X's, but it's also one-quarter the cost.
Toyota used to make the RAV4 EV, but unfortunately discontinued it. You might be able to find a used one on the West Coast where it was originally leased. It had a range similar to the Kia Soul EV's, which is available in much wider distribution across the United States.
One concern from the launch of the Model X: What will its reliability be like? Elon Musk, Tesla's founder, in explaining why the SUV took so long to come to market, said he would have made the X less complicated. Its complicated nature made it harder to engineer and build. Things that are hard to engineer and build can sometimes have trouble in the real world. It will be interesting to see what happens.
-Keith Griffin
Find Certified Pre-Owned Cars and Used Cars in your area at CarGurus.
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Bring along CarGurus' mobile app to help check prices, find good deals, and research cars on your smartphone.
Used Kia Soul EV
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Used Infiniti QX60 Hybrid
Used Mitsubishi i-MiEV
Used Toyota RAV4


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Friday, January 3, 2014
BUSHKILL, PA (January 2014) – Fernwood Resort has teamed up with the Crossings Premium Outlets to create Shopper Packages that celebrate the holidays and the after holiday winter sales. Gina Bertucci, spokesperson for Fernwood Resort, comments, "As we enter the President's Week holiday, we have put together shop and stay packages that include a studio villa and a $100 shopping spree at The Crossings Premium Outlets starting from just $147 a night midweek." She continues, "You receive a $50 dollar shopping spree for each night stayed. Stay the two nights and get $100 to spend."
The Crossings Premium Outlets are located just off I-80 in Tannersville, PA. The outlet center lists more than 100 designer shops with great outlet savings every day. "Shop early before the holiday rush or even midweek after the holidays when you can take advantage of great sales with less people in the stores." She continues, "After a day at the Outlets, return to Fernwood to relax, swim in the indoor pool, and have dinner where you can also listen to live entertainment. Winter is a beautiful time to be in the Poconos. Shop, ski or snowtube – you create the perfect getaway plan with the bonus of a shopping spree at The Crossings."
The Pocono Mountains offer lots to do in the winter months with horseback riding, sleigh rides, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, winter hiking, theater performances, live entertainment, a variety of fine dining options, casino gaming, and is a mecca for snowsports. Bertucci continues, "Throughout the winter, we offer packages that include shopping, snowtubing at White Lightning Snowtubing, aerial ropes adventure at Pocono TreeVentures, dual racing 1,000 ft zip lines at Pocono Zip Racer, and skiing at nearby Shawnee Mountain and Camelback Ski Areas. Shop in February to take advantage of the Presidents' holiday sales. Our reservation specialists are ready to tailor a package to fit your definition of a great getaway whether it is midweek or weekends before, during or after the holidays."
To reserve a Crossings Shoppers package, call 888-FERNWOOD (888-337-6966) or go to FernwoodResortPoconos.com to see all the packages available throughout the winter. Fernwood is located on Route 209 in Bushkill, PA adjacent to the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Its White Lightning tube park offers snowtubing plus a Tiny Tot snowtubing and is open to the public Thursdays through Mondays and all holidays. Bertucci concludes, "Our packages make it easy and affordable to reserve a fully appointed villa for that much needed winter escape. As an added bonus, you can find lots of special deals when you do."
- See more at: http://fernwoodresortpoconos.com/index.cfm?e=event&eventId=7596&itemcategory=47970#sthash.hLW4pvo5.dpuf


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The eight 2013 regionals and sites:
- Central: Swanson Stadium/Brunner Field; Moline, Ill. (Augustana, host)
- Mid-Atlantic: PNC Field; Moosic, Pa. (Misericordia, host)
- Mideast: Art Nehf Field; Terre Haute, Ind. (Rose-Hulman, host)
- Midwest: Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium; Whitewater, Wis. (UW-Whitewater, host)
- New England: Whitehouse Field; Harwich, Mass. (ECAC, host)
- New York: Falcon Park; Auburn, N.Y. (Ithaca, host)
- South: USA Stadium; Millington, Tenn. (Rhodes, host)
- West: Tornado Field; Austin, Texas (Concordia, Texas, host)
The eight regionals will be held May 15-19 with each regional champion booking a ticket to Appleton, Wis., for the championship round that will be held May 24-28.
Who's in the tournament? The playoff field consists of 56 teams. Thirty-eight (38) Pool A bids will be awarded to conference automatic qualifiers through May 12. On May 12, the national selection committee decides who gets the four Pool B and 14 Pool C at-large bids. and is scheduled to release the playoff seedings at 10 am on Monday May 13, 2013.
Who's in the tournament? The playoff field consists of 56 teams. Thirty-eight (38) Pool A bids will be awarded to conference automatic qualifiers through May 12. On May 12, the national selection committee decides who gets the four Pool B and 14 Pool C at-large bids. and is scheduled to release the
In the three weeks before the playoff field is announced, regional rankings are announced each Thursday.
The conferences with Pool A (38 bids) in 2013
Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference: Penn State Behrend
Regular season champion: Penn State Behrend
American Southwest Conference: Texas-Tyler
Regular season East division champion: Texas-Tyler
Regular season West division champion: Texas Lutheran
Capital Athletic Conference: Salisbury
Regular season champion: Salisbury
Centennial Conference: Franklin and Marshall
Regular season champion: Johns Hopkins
College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin: Augustana
Regular season champion: Illinios Wesleyan
Colonial States Athletic Conference: Keystone
Regular season champion: Keystone
Commonwealth Conference: Alvernia
Regular season champion: Alvernia
Commonwealth Coast Conference: Endicott
Regular season champion: Western New England
Freedom Conference: Misericordia
Regular season champion: Misericordia
Great Northeast Athletic Conference: St. Joseph's (Maine)
Regular season champion: Johnson and Wales
Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference: Manchester
Regular season champion: Manchester
Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference: Wartburg
Regular season champion: Wartburg
Landmark Conference: Moravian
Regular season champion: Catholic
Liberty League: RPI
Regular season champion: Union
Little East Conference: Southern Maine
Regular season champion: Southern Maine
Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference: Salem State
Regular season champion: Salem State
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association: Adrian
Regular season champion: Hope
Midwest Conference: Ripon
Regular season North division champion: Ripon
Regular season South division champion: Knox
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference: St. Thomas
Regular season champion: St. Thomas
New England Collegiate Conference: Daniel Webster
Regular season champion: Daniel Webster
New England Small College Athletic Conference: Amherst
Regular season East division champion: Trinity (Conn.)
Regular season West division champion: Wesleyan
New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference: Wheaton (Mass.)
Regular season champion: Wheaton (Mass.)
New Jersey Athletic Conference: Rowan
Regular season champion: Kean
North Coast Athletic Conference: Wooster
Regular season East division champion: Wooster
Regular season West division champion: Denison
North Eastern Athletic Conference: Penn State Harrisburg
Regular season champion: Gallaudet
Northern Athletics Conference: Concordia (Ill.)
Regular season champion: Concordia (Ill.)
Northwest Conference: Linfield
Regular season champion: Linfield
Ohio Athletic Conference: Mount Union
Regular season champion: Marietta
Old Dominion Athletic Conference: Randolph-Macon
Regular season champion: Bridgewater (Va.)
Presidents' Athletic Conference: Washington and Jefferson
Regular season champion: Washington and Jefferson
Skyline Conference: Farmingdale State
Regular season champion: Farmingdale State
St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference: Webster
Regular season champion: Webster
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference: Cal Lutheran
Regular season champion: Cal Lutheran
Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference: Trinity (Texas)
Regular season champion: Centenary (La.)
State University of New York Athletic Conference: Cortland State
Regular season champion: Cortland State
USA South Athletic Conference: Methodist
Regular season champion: Christopher Newport
Upper Midwest Athletic Conference: St. Scholastica
Regular season champion: St. Scholastica
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference: UW-Stevens Point
Regular season champion: UW-Whitewater
The teams that qualified from Pool B (4 bids) in
Case Western Reserve
The teams that qualified from Pool C (14 bids) in
Bridgewater (Va.)
Illinois Wesleyan
Johns Hopkins
Texas Lutheran
Thomas More


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The United States of America core values are founded in the Constitution. Laws that keep this country prosperous along with a pursuit of happiness that any American can dream and make happen. These values at one time were taught in school. But now, after a President who was clearly against American values, they are almost forgotten by many schools and universities. It's probably one of the reasons why we have so many problems in society, even to the point of being able to safely express free speech in public.
Liberal progressivism has taken over colleges. Riots are a regular occurrence at colleges. The most recent example was the riot at Berkeley. This past weekend was supposed to be a a pro-Trump rally at Berkeley University. Anti-Trump protesters crashed the rally and clashes between supporters of President Trump and ant-Trump protesters began. The riot resulted in 21 arrests (so far!)
This is not an isolated incident. Riots have been going on since President Trump took office. Liberal anti-Trump protestors have crashed rallies, parades, and anything else that could be pro President Trump. They jump at the chance to shut down free speech. Apparently, they "feel" that free speech only applies to their cause or agenda. And when patriots decide to stand up to the fascist Left, riots begin.
There is a way to solve this. A huge part of the problem is their lack of understanding what the United States Constitution is truly all about.
The United States Constitution should be a required class, not only in all American colleges and universities, but also in the high school curriculum. It should be taught by specialized constitutionalists who have no covert agendas except making sure Americans understand what the Constitution is and why it is important. Any hidden agenda will obviously distort the true essence of the principles of the Constitution.
By adding American core values which separate us from most countries, we can revive the American spirit. With proper education, it will be a snowball effect that will have all Americans working to make America great again.
Young Americans need to realize that the United States Constitution is not just some written essay or something piled up to look nice and pretty at a museum. It is so much more than that. It is the principles on which America was founded. It is a way of life publically stating that all men are created equal. It is a system of laws that give people the power to make their own choices in life. Laws that, if followed correctly, would keep Americans safe from enemies foreign and domestic.
Imagine if American students understood the true meaning of what freedom of speech is, or what freedom of religion is. There would be a clear understanding of the American way of life. Now I am not saying that everyone needs to be conservative or even Republican. What I hope would happen is that it would facilitate an even platform for both sets of values. One where we can learn from each other on both sides of the spectrum and can have platforms and public rallies without fear of repercussions.


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« In Which We Read From Tao Lin's Shoplifting From American Apparel »
Excerpt: Tao Lin's
Shoplifting from American Apparel
introduction by WILL HUBBARD
Of the many rumors I have heard about Tao Lin, I am most impressed by the idea that Tao Lin writes a great deal every day — at his apartment, at the NYU Bobst Library, at places that sell relatively inexpensive iced coffee. I admire diligence in writers because I know that writing all the time requires the quasi-mystical ability to make note of what happens inside and outside the mind whether or not it coheres or makes a story. Even the act of writing "We are fucked" over and over again — as Lin's narrator does quite often — belies its own melancholy by affirming both the writer's company and the continued ability to observe that gives him life.
Lin's characters tend always to lament that they are alone and hurting, but the sharing of self-pity allows them to heal at least as much as they decay. In Shoplifting From American Apparel, even the whims of Luis' "shit" internet connection cannot isolate these friends for long. Literature, for this writer, is talking: to the people that come closest to understanding you as a person, to the people who probably do understand you as a person. The result, for the reader, is a perverse voyeuristic pleasure muddled with self-pity for having been excluded from Lin's circle of communication.
from Shoplifting from American Apparel
by TAO LIN
"You seem strange," said Luis on Gmail chat. "I'm pretty sure you have Asperger's. People with Asperger's and schizoid personality disorder usually make good friends."
"Schizoid," said Sam. "Luis. What are we."
"Fucked," said Luis. "Was that like a cheer. What are we! Fucked. Our shit can be studied by an anthropologist 1,000 years from now to know what we ate."
"Indian food," said Sam.
"They will say 'Sam had a vegan diet of good food and wine and Indian food. Luis ingested Waffle House.'"
"I want to change my novel to present tense," said Sam. "Is there some Microsoft Word thing to do that."
"I don't think so. I think you have to do it manually."
"Manually," said Sam.
"By hand," said Luis. "Get an interview on Suicide Girls, that should be your next step. Do you think in five years the national media will create a stupid term like 'blogniks' to describe us."
"Yes," said Sam. "Remember we had hope like 4 months ago."
"Can you cite that day," said Luis. "The day of hope."
"I remember one night particularly," said Sam. "Your book was at 30,000 sales rank. I was alone in the library. My fingers lay illuminated on the keyboard. Likewise my face was bathed in the soft blue light of Internet Explorer."
Sam stared at what he typed with a neutral facial expression.
"I just peed outside and hurt my foot," said Luis.
"You pee outside," said Sam. "Is it because of laziness. Or variety. I got arrested today, when I was stealing. I am okay. I just need to go to court on 9/11 and get community service."
"Just now," said Luis. "For what."
"Today around 4. A shirt. I was going to get a new shirt for my reading."
"Are you serious," said Luis. "9/11. Why didn't you tell me."
"I don't know. I wasn't thinking about it until you peed outside and I thought about variety." Sam emailed Luis around eight hundred words he had typed earlier about the holding cell. "The Asian guy got his ass beat for no reason and lost $100 and spent the day in jail," he said on Gmail chat.
"What did you do in there," said Luis.
"I sat there," said Sam.
"Were you scared. What did you do."
"We sat there," said Sam. "I felt the same sort of."
"What did your brain do," said Luis.
"I was trying not to laugh at the drunk guy. The Asian guy was like in Kafka. He didn't steal anything and got his ass beat and will probably be deported to Canada."
"Who beat his ass," said Luis.
"Kmart. I think they chose him because he looks like he doesn't care if he gets his ass beat for no reason. I think Kmart saw that in him."
"Kmart beat his ass," said Luis. "Are you worried. Have you told your parents."
"I'm not telling them," said Sam. "Unless they ask."
Sam talked about his parents having moved to Taiwan.
"Your parents have returned to their native land to die?" said Luis. "Are they like living there now, like that is their life?"
"Yes," said Sam. "I think."
"Are you okay, my friend," said Luis.
"I don't know," said Sam. "Are you."
"I haven't been arrested and my parents haven't left the country I'm residing in. I don't speak to my parents but I'm already over that. So it is different with you. You didn't tell me that. I feel like petting your head."
"My mom emails me," said Sam. "I am okay."
"Don't steal shit for a while," said Luis. "And try to make yourself happy in some way."
"Okay," said Sam. "I'll buy a new emo CD."
"Do you have a lawyer," said Luis. "Do you have connections. When I went to court I told them I was a Hersado and the charges were dropped magically. My grandfather owns a grocery store."
"I have no lawyer," said Sam. "I might get a job."
"You have good rankings on Amazon," said Luis. "Soon you will be making money to write and be weird, and not have to steal."
Sam said he was going to eat Chinese food.
"Go eat," said Luis. "It is a beautiful night."
Tao Lin's novella Shoplifting From American Apparel can be purchased here. Tao twitters here. You can visit his website here. Tao will be making public appearances in California from September 26th to October 3rd.
More About Shoplifting From American Apparel
9/19 Profile, The Daily Beast
9/18 Review, The Boston Phoenix
9/18 Review, The Quietus
9/17 Review, The Faster Times
9/17 Review, Bust Magazine
9/16 Interview, FREEwiliamsburg
9/15 Excerpt, Hipster Runoff
9/13 Review, Autostraddle
9/11 Interview, Impose Magazine
9/10 Gchat, HTMLGIANT
9/08 Interview, Three Thousand
9/08 Review, Village Voice
9/08 Review, Anthem
9/08 Review, Bookslut
9/05 Review, It's Nice That
9/02 Review, Time Out New York
9/02 Review, 3:AM Magazine
8/24 Tweet, Lesley Arfin
7/17 Blog Post, Bookslut


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We are SO excited you are interested in joining the Marielle family!
We look forward to receiving your inquiry form and hearing more about your upcoming event! Filling out this form is the first step in our "get to know you" process! Please allow 48-72 business hours for correspondence in order for us to review your vision, look at your inspiration images and confirm availability on our calendar for your event date. Please allow additional time if later in the week because we are probably off executing gorgeous events for our current clients! But don't worry, we will commit to the same focus when your big day comes!
Please do not worry about not having any answers to some of these questions! If you haven't finalised your venue or bridal party that is completely fine, just let us know.


text:
Yoshie Sano's Research Human Development
Yoshie Sano, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
of Human Development
Human Development
Phone: (360) 546-9124
Fax: (360) 546-9076
Office VMCB 219
Family well-being of low-income households including parenting in the context of family relationships, the economic well-being of low-income families, and family health issues. My current research projects include a multi-state longitudinal research project, Rural Families Speak about Health, which examines interactions of individual, family, community, and policy contexts on the mental, physical, and dental health of diverse rural, low-income families.
- Families in Poverty
- Rural Families
- Co-pareting
- Health issues
- Ph.D. 2005 Human Development and Family Sciences at Oregon State University
- M.A. 1997 Psychology University of Oregon


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The Cliff Jumper Brew
Getting out There
Brewhouse and Vessel setup
Construction is coming along
CBC article on The Big Winter Classic
It was an awesome opportunity to serve some of our beer at the Big Winter Classic. An event that was designed to showcase the collaborative nature of the brewing scene in Calgary. For this Event we were paired with our buds over at Tool Shed brewing and made a super juicy IPA that we dry hopped with generously Citra, Simcoe, Mangoes, and Passion fruit.
Calgary Buzz article on banded peak Brewing
The popular spinoff from Vancity Buzz, Calgary buzz, has written an article about our up and coming opening.
The Daily Beer writes article on Banded Peak Brewing
The Daily Beer gave us an awesome little write up the other month about our up and coming opening. These guys run an awesome blog about all things local beer in Calgary.


text: This South Bay mini-chain is a go-to for bros and beach goers alike for its sports bar-meets-Mexican restaurant vibes. The loaded menu features hearty tacos and burritos with an emphasis on seafood, plus burgers, tortas, and fajitas. A drinking hub above all, Baja Sharkeez doles out party buckets and pitchers of tropical drinks, margaritas, and mojitos, and naturally, has a killer weekday happy hour. The beach is within walking distance, so if you load up on one too many super-sized margaritas, you can walk it off as the sun sets over the Pacific.


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Lifelong Learning and Growth: UU Essentials Part 3
Lifelong Learning and Growth: UU Essentials Part 3
Rev. Anthony Makar
January 12, 2014
Life is a journey of continual learning and growth: it's a widely shared insight, across time and
culture. But, can you affirm it while standing completely within the stream of your religion?
Or does your religion go one way—does it safeguard and police and coerce—while your life
goes a different way and demands a greater openness?
What I will explore today, in this third installment of my Unitarian Universalist Essentials
sermon series, is how deeply this insight about the journey goes to the core of who we are as
a religious people, and exactly what it means for us.
To help me in this, I'm going to draw on the story you heard from a moment ago, from one of
the best selling books in history. It even set the Guinness World Record for being the most
translated book by a living author. The Alchemist. I use it because it's just a good story, first
of all; the lifelong learning and growth journey is absolutely a journey towards happiness. But
I also use it because, at times, the story has a distinctly Unitarian Universalist feel to it—as if
the author, Paulo Coehlo, is a Unitarian Universalist and just doesn't know it.
Thus the reason for sermons like this one. Less Unitarian Universalists who don't know it and
more who do!
So we begin. "A certain shopkeeper sent his son to learn about the secret of happiness from
the wisest man in the world." Now that phrase, "secret of happiness," can mean so many
different things, and the story gives it a memorable meaning, which we'll look at in a bit. But
here, let's consider another possibility. The "secret of life" can mean answers, or it can mean
the way to finding answers. Very different. Which one would you choose?
An old Chinese proverb puts it like this: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach
a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." Do you want the fish, or do you want to learn
how to fish? What's your focus: a day, or a lifetime?
Unitarian Univeralism's focus is helping people find answers for themselves, for a lifetime.
Teaching people how to fish. Or, more specifically, teaching people how to tell the difference
between truth and falsehood. Jesus once said, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set
you free." That's the secret of happiness, from a Unitarian Universalist perspective. Being set
free, by living into the truth.
So how does a Unitarian Universalist do that? By applying this general truth test: truth is not
so much about where an idea or practice comes from, or who said it, so much as about its
impact. Don't tell me that the Bible says so; tell me what life according to the scripture does to
people. Not origins, but consequences. Sometimes we are talking theoretical consequences,
as in, does the idea or practice extend existing knowledge? Does it help us connect the
dots more simply, or more comprehensively? But all the time, we are talking practical
consequences, lifestyle consequences. Truth allows life to flourish and brings people and
planet together in harmony; whereas falsehood denigrates life, violates our relationships,
destroys our world.
We are a purpose-driven people. We seek truth wherever truth is to be found. And this is the
context within which the most famous of all Unitarian Universalist denominational statements
is best understood: the Seven Principles. The Seven Principles statement (from the UUA
Bylaws, Article II, Section C-2.1 [trying to dazzle you with official-ese]) goes like this:
We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm
and promote
• The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
• Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
• Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our
• A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
• The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our
congregations and in society at large;
• The goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all;
• Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
Ultimately, what we have here is a truth test. We can know we are standing in the truth—we
can know we are in possession of the secret of happiness—only to the degree that we are
affirming and promoting the Seven Principles. Only to the degree that we are experiencing
people's inherent worth and dignity; only to the degree we are experiencing acceptance of
one another in our congregations; only to the degree that democracy is working; and on and
on. Only to that degree….
The Seven Principles is what living into the truth looks like, for us. Not necessarily the fish so
much as how to fish, over the course of a lifetime. And note some interesting patterns. One
has to do with how it all starts with the individual ("inherent worth and dignity") but moves
steadily outward to embrace all of creation ("interdependent web of all existence"). It means
you won't be in the truth if you ignore yourself and focus on everyone else; but you will be
equally lost if you make everything all about you. There has to be a balance, for Unitarian
Universalists. Self AND other; self is never isolated from other.
This answers a question some people have about the First Principle. If a person has inherent
worth and dignity, shouldn't they be able to express themselves however they like, even if
it causes hurt to others? Again, we can't lose sight of how the theme of balance is repeated
over and over in the Seven Principles. Yes, the individual has inherent worth and dignity; but
a significant part of that inherent worth and dignity is an ability to take responsibility for the
times when we fail to act justly, fairly, and compassionately. It's just one of the many ways
THINGS are different from PEOPLE. THINGS can't take responsibility, but PEOPLE can. I
mention this because some people confuse the First Principle as a license to do whatever the
heck they please, in the name of authenticity. Not so. Self AND other; self is never isolated
from other. There has to be a balance.
The Seven Principles is Unitarian Universalism's truth test. It is demanding and exacting and
deep. It is for a lifetime. Conservatives think that because we have freedom of choice and
open minds, we are a superficial and undisciplined people, we can just walk away whenever it
gets difficult. They are completely wrong.
But now, on to the second insight about the journey of life as Unitarian Universalists
experience it. Paolo Coehlo's story tells us that it took the shopkeeper's son forty days of
wandering through the desert to find the castle where the wise man lived. He enters, he
comes face-to-face with a "hive of activity," and the wise man is so much a part of it that he
has no time for the young seeker just yet. "I don't have time for you just now," he says. "Why
don't you wander around my castle while I finish up my business?"
Now this is interesting. Not what the shopkeeper's son expected, and not what we might
expect when we enter a congregation. I mean, usually it's like this: You enter the castle, and
almost immediately you are anxiously met with faith statements that everyone says and you
are to say them too. You are handed a list of answers to the Big Five questions in American
religious culture:
1. Does God exist? (YES)
2. Is Jesus God? (YES)
3. Is the Bible the infallible word of the Lord? (YES)
4. Is there an afterlife? (YOU BET)
5. Is belief in Jesus the one and only ticket to salvation? (YES, YES, and YES!) (Or as
a bumper sticker puts it, which my Dad used to have on his car, which trades on the
difference between two similar sounding words, "no" and "know": NO JESUS, NO
This religion is like the kind of parent who hovers, helicopter-like. The parent gets anxious
when you ask the wrong kinds of questions. The parent gets anxious when you push a little
too hard.
But Unitarian Universalism? Not that kind of parent. Not a helicopter parent. You come into
Unitarian Universalism's castle, and naturally you have questions. Let's say you've heard
about the Seven Principles, and you've thought about them, and you want to know:
Just HOW do we "affirm and promote" any of the Principles? What does it look like in
concrete specifics?
And what exactly do all the abstract words mean? Take, for example, "justice." Are we
defining "justice" as "fairness in the distribution of social goods"? "Fairness" in what sense?
Or are we defining justice more in terms of "receiving what you deserve as a result of your
efforts"? (The two are very different, by the way. One will make you a political liberal, the
other makes you a political conservative. At least in America.)
Point is, the Seven Principles in themselves don't say! Unitarian Universalism doesn't hand
us any up front answers. Not about this and definitely not about the Big Five questions.
So what does this mean? Is this evidence of absentee parenting? Neglect?
Absolutely not. The rationale is simply this: no one can take the journey for us. Parents can't
live their children's lives for them, and Unitarian Universalism doesn't want to live our spiritual
lives for us either. Our religion holds itself back from defining everything or dictating specific
theological conclusions because it knows that all such specifics are way too important to be
answered for us by someone else or something else. We must come into our own detailed
answers, in our own good time. The most meaningful beliefs are the hard-won ones. The
ones that last are hard-won.
Consider the huge difference between two assignments: one is to copy an existing painting,
another is to create your own. Conservative religion basically gives a person a full painting
and says that your job is to copy that painting down to the details. Repeat, recreate, echo.
Make THAT your spiritual life. Liberal religion, by contrast, gives you just enough ideas,
images, and tools to face down the blank canvass of your world and paint the picture that is
true to your experience. Not orthodoxy, but flexidoxy. Don't merely repeat, recreate, echo.
Create something new! Build your own theology!
For some people who aren't Unitarian Universalist, the challenge is believing stuff you know
ain't true. For us, in our religion, the challenge is trusting the journey of one's experience,
conscience, reason, etc, even as you try to keep an open mind for future insights that may
alter what you know; the challenge is dwelling in ambiguity without being overwhelmed or
paralyzed by it; the challenge is maintaining deep commitments but never allowing yourself to
get closed-minded. Unitarian Universalism is not for the faint-hearted! But we believe that this
makes for a healthier spiritual life for people who are ready for it.
But now, on to some final insights about the spiritual journey as Unitarian Universalists
understand it. The wise man in the story gives the shopkeeper's son an assignment: "Wander
around, get to know the castle." And then he hands the boy a teaspoon that holds two drops
of oil, says, "As you wander around, carry this spoon with you without allowing the oil to spill."
So what happens? Of course, the boy ends up observing nothing, because his only concern
was not to spill the oil. He's afraid to make a mistake.
Now let me ask you this. How many of you know people for whom religion is a fear-based
thing? One mistake, and you're going to Hell? Conversations around the kitchen table with
relatives who love you and are concerned for the state of your soul. Conversations in the
playground between your kid and other kids. "Are you saved? No? Uh oh…."
Talking about parents, it's almost as if the God here behind the scenes is a cruel parent God
just waiting for an excuse to pounce. One wrong move, and WHAM! It is said that "Violence
is what happens when we don't know what else to do with our suffering" (Parker Palmer). It
must be that the cruel parent God who lingers behind the scenes is suffering mightily, and
doesn't know what else to do with it but inflict violence on His error-prone children who are
but the children of Adam and Eve.
Compared to this, Unitarian Universalists live in a completely different universe. Our God, if
we happen to believe (and some of us do not), is a completely different God who evidently
DOES know what to do with His suffering. In the journey of life, we have permission to make
mistakes, and God says AMEN. In the journey of life, we know that things change, and what
we might have fully embraced at one time later turns out to ring false for us. We also know
that the journey is surprising and takes us down roads we never could have anticipated. We
don't take the journey; the journey takes us.
And everything is grist for the mill. From everything, we can learn. "The useless days will
add up to something," says the amazing Cheryl Strayed. "The [crappy] waitressing jobs. The
hours writing in your journal. The long meandering walks. The hours reading poetry and story
collections and novels and dead people's diaries and wondering about sex and God and
whether you should shave under your arms or not. These things are your becoming." The
journey of life is messy, and there must be a willingness to tolerate confusion, a willingness
to be imperfect and evolving. Unitarian Universalism is willing. Its spirituality of the journey is
fall and then get back up again and then fall again and then get back up again. Just keep on
getting back up. Keep walking. Keep on keeping on. Your life has inherent worth and dignity.
Is does.
So don't be so afraid of making mistakes that you miss out on living. Let not fear, but
forgiveness and trust and gratitude be the foundation. The spiritual journey is safe.
On the other hand, let's not forget about the drops of oil, either. 'The secret of happiness,"
says the wise man in the story, "is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the
drops of oil on the spoon." See the whole, but don't lose touch with yourself and your inherent
worth and dignity, your inherent right to exist exactly as you are even if you are not feeling
particularly marvelous. Explore the castle, observe all the works of art on the ceilings and the
walls. See the gardens, the mountains all around, the beauty of the flowers. But as you do
this, be sure to stay centered in yourself and stay connected to the still, small voice inside.
Remember that the most profound journey of all is the journey within.
That is what Unitarian Universalism gives us. That's what it says. The lifelong learning and
growth journey is a journey towards truth, a journey without and within. We are supported
in this journey by the Seven Principles, which is our yardstick for measuring truth. We are
encouraged to build our own theology and not simply copy someone else's work. We are
going to make a lot of mistakes and at moments feel like we are wasting time but that is ok:
the journey is safe, and from everything we can learn.
The secret of happiness: right here.


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Update On Closed End Fund Basket Strategy As Of 7/28/15 - South Gent | Seeking Alpha
I have increased my topic list to 5 categories.
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Friday, July 17, 2015
SA Instablog:
After losing some focus since I quit writing SA Instablogs, I have decided to return for awhile to publish Instablogs focusing only on five general topics.
1. Regional Banks
2. Equity REITs
3. CEF Portfolio
4. Bonds and Equity Preferred Stocks
4. Bonds and Equity Preferred Stocks
5. Portfolio positioning and management
The discussions will be more general and thematic than previous blogs. In other words, details will be more suitable for the Twitter Generation who are frequent critics of my writing style.
I will not respond to any comment that is off topic. I will delete comments from the trolls. I will not be leaving comments elsewhere at SA.
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


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StyleNique Presents:Purple and Red Lace
I wanted to be more consistent and post more often and there has diffidently been an improvement. It's been said that those who quit don't know how close they are to their goal. Enjoy this post the details and websites where they can be purchased will appear at the bottom of the page. Thanks for stopping by, ttyl.
Bottom: Zara Skirt


text:
We allow 14 days for returns or exchanges. Items returned (opened) are subject to a 15% restocking fee.
There are no returns or refunds on the following: Special orders, custom orders or configurations, printers, products marked as "No Returns", open software, open earbud headphones, media, ink, toner, batteries or other consumables, As Is, Sale, EOL (End of Life) or Clearance items, iTunes Cards, or Gift Cards. Exchange only on non-Apple defective items.
Core 1 will not be responsible for damage due to improper installation.
No returns without receipt. All items must be returned in the condition in which they were originally purchased.
As per Apple's policy, defective computers are repaired rather than replaced.


text:
Photo from my Instagram feed [@allie_thatsme]
It's one of the questions I get asked among all the other common ones...
"How far apart are they?"
"You sure have your hands full, don't you?"
"Do you stay home or work?"
And when my answer to that last one comes with a smile and personal pride, "I stay home with them", I get the same response nearly every time.
"You are so lucky."
It's not that this response bothers me necessarily, but there's something about it that just doesn't sit right with me.
Why lucky? I'm not one of those people that's adamant about people using the word blessed instead... it isn't that. I thought about this a lot the other day as I drove home from a kid's birthday party where the above conversation had taken place yet again. Am I lucky to stay home with my children?
I am not lucky at all. Five years ago, my husband and I sat down and made a choice after I heard from God Himself the call to be home. I tucked away my fresh real estate license and pencil skirts and traded them in for sweat pants and Veggietales.
Staying home was a choice we made, and it comes with sacrifices not everyone is willing to make.
We are following a leading of the Holy Spirit- a calling on our lives and the lives of our children- to live this one life I get at home with them- being there for every step, breath, boo boo, and giggle.
Sometimes there are just a few dollars in the bank, seriously. That's because of a choice we felt led to make, and it's a big leap of faith and a sacrifice. It means we are saying "no" to credit cards and debt, "no" to more money and better things and worldly stability. It means we are saying "yes" to a one-income lifestyle so that our children will always remember their mom being there for every little thing, having no work to take up any of her days. It means less of everything material in exchange for more of everything emotional and spiritual. It means making difficult decisions based around a small budget and doing what is best for our family- which is for me to be at home with our kids.
I know people mean well and aren't thinking their comments all the way through, and I mean no rudeness to them, but I am not lucky to stay home. I am a Spirit-led parent who made a hard choice, and continues to make that hard choice every week when there is less where there could be more. But you know... the exchange is a pretty sweet deal- less in my wallet than others but a thousand times more tiny moments and memories in my heart.


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Get Folked 'Travel fund' donation page
It would be easy to just choose hosts from our backyard here in New England, but The Get Folked Tour is committed to serving this incredible community of listeners no matter where they live in the country. It's important to us that the opportunity to host is something we can offer to everyone, even if they can't afford to put Adam on a plane and fly him into their neck of the woods.
There are also numerous costs involved in sending Adam on this tour. Although it's not required, we appreciate when hosts contribute to the Get Folked Travel Fund, that helps cover the costs of hotels, gasoline, flights and other travel expenses.
Click the "donate" button below and we will spend it on getting Adam safe n' sound to all 40 living rooms, no matter where they may be tucked away... (please make sure to mark it as "Travel Fund" when processing through PayPal.)


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Source: Injury sidelines Fournette for LSU game at Texas A&M
LSU running back Leonard Fournette did not travel with the team to Texas A&M, a source told The Advocate on Wednesday afternoon, a bitter end to an injury-plagued regular season for the draft-eligible junior.
Fournette, a New Orleans native who began this season as a favorite for the Heisman Trophy, is battling through a lingering left ankle injury that will now sideline him for a fourth game this year. He suffered a high and low ankle sprain to his left ankle during preseason camp, injuries that have never completely healed.
On at least three occasions, he's re-injured the ankle while attempting to play. He was not expected to play in a 16-10 loss to Florida last week, but he changed his mind after a pregame scuffle, asking interim coach Ed Orgeron if he could suit up. He ran for 40 yards on 12 carries and did not play in the fourth quarter.
His status this week has been listed as "day to day" and a "game-time decision," according to Orgeron. He re-injured the ankle in the season opener against Wisconsin, again in a game at Auburn and then last week.
"It's been hard on him," Orgeron said earlier Wednesday on the Southeastern Conference teleconference. "It's been tough, and he's done everything he can. It's just a reoccurring injury that enables him to run."
The 25th-ranked Tigers (6-4, 4-3 Southeastern) meet the 22nd-ranked Aggies (8-3, 4-3) on Thursday night in a game crucial for any hopes of Orgeron remaining the team's full-time leader. The team was scheduled to depart on a flight to Houston at 2:25 p.m. Wednesday.
LSU is already without middle linebacker Kendell Beckwith. He suffered a knee injury against Florida.
Fournette is expected to leave after this season for the NFL draft. He's projected as a top-10 selection. Many scouts feel his ankle issue will not affect his status.
"He's among the handful of blue-chip prospects. He's my personal top-rated offensive player," said Rob Rang, draft analyst for CBSSports.com. "He possesses the combo of size, speed and power that the NFL hasn't seen in a draft since Adrian Peterson."
Fournette has run for 843 yards and scored eight touchdowns in the seven games he's played, averaging 6.5 yards a carry. Sophomore running back Derrius Guice leads the team with 964 yards rushing. Guice is averaging 8 yards a carry. Junior Darrel Williams could see more action than usual. He's got 183 yards on 36 carries.
Guice in a 19-7 win over A&M last season ran for 75 yards on a kickoff return and had a 50-yard touchdown scamper.
"We found out who Guice was last year when he took off on us," A&M coach Kevin Sumlin said. "Guice got us last year with a couple of explosive runs."
For Fournette, it's a sour end to a highly anticipated final year. He broke the single-season rushing record (1,953) and touchdown record (22) last year and was the first SEC running back to lead the nation in rushing since 1949.
He ran for a single-game rushing mark this season against Ole Miss (284) before Alabama, for a second straight season, held him to under 40 yards. He missed games against Jacksonville State, Missouri and Southern Miss.
This is believed to be the first time Fournette has missed an LSU road trip in his three seasons with the program.
Game plan
Who: LSU at Texas A&M
Time: 6:30 p.m.


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BBC's Stephen Sackur, host of HardTalk, interviewed Saeb Erekat, PLO Secretary General and veteran chief negotiator on November 4. The 24 minute-long interview gives a rare glimpse into the gravity of the situation in Israel and Palestine.
Once you take the hope outside the mind of people, what do you expect?
I really could care less about what you want to call them or not call them, Stephen…The question is why such people do such things? Who took the hope from their minds? Who's telling them in Israel that you have no hope and no future whatsoever?…We have tried for 20 years to achieve peace, and restore hope in the minds of Palestinians and Israelis, and then came this Israeli government, Stephen, and destroyed the possibility of the two-state solution, destroyed hope in the minds of Palestinians…What if your sons were under Israeli occupation, what if they were deprived of their right to live, to have jobs, to have dignity, to have a future like you and your sons. What would you do, what would they do? This is the question is that this occupation is the source of evil, the source of desperation.
I challenge any Palestinian, any political party, to say that we're organizing what's happening outside…I've never seen such developments before. All I'm telling you that Palestinians are giving up on me, on people like me, on people who promised them 20 years ago, who told them we stop violence, we don't use any act of violence, we recognize the State of Israel, we gonna get independence through negotiations, and they believed us, they gave us all the time in the world, for 23 years. What they're telling me now, 'we had 200,000 settlers in the year 1993, today Dr. Erekat, we have 600,000 settlers, that's the result of your peace process, that's the result of your negotiations.' The only way to begin a deescalation and deconfliction program is by restoring hope in the minds of the Palestinians.
It aches my heart to say yes…What have I delivered 22 years later? Yes, [Netanyahu] won over us, he defeated us.
Mr. Netanyahu, I hope that you are listening to me. Look in my eyes, walk me through the day after. You managed to destroy the two-state solution, you managed to destroy hope. Does this bring you security or peace? What have you done? Where have you taken us? And to those in Europe and the United States, stop treating Netanyahu as a Prime Minister above the laws of man.
I think we have a new leadership called the Israeli occupation. Mr. Netanyahu restarted, and reestablished his occupying forces…It's time to invite Mr. Netanyahu to take over, because he's destroying the Palestinian Authority…He destroyed everything.
I cannot get a Security Council resolution reiterating your right to statehood or to freedom, I cannot get you an investigation committee from the international Human Right Council to investigate what takes place on the ground. I cannot get you any hope whatsoever.