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Email, we get email! Oy! I love to get emails from readers with leads on stories and pictures of houses they either live in, know, or saw somewhere. Recently two readers sent in pictures of cute houses they saw in real estate online listings. One is from Dallas, which is pretty fair game for this blog. But the other house is in Tennessee! A first here! It's located in Franklin, Tennessee to be exact and I have NO idea where that is! But, the house is really cute as you will see. So, here are two from readers, and one from me and one from the WTH department. Enjoy!!!
The house in Franklin, Tennessee has a really cute exterior with a picket fence. It looks like this might be some kind of planned community. The house was recently reduced to $389,000. and is 2,030 sq. ft. Built in 2006, it was renovated in 2008 with new hardwoods. It's 3 bedrooms and 2 1/2 bathrooms. One thing that is great about new planned communities is that a lot of them have rear loading garages (garages on back alleys.) This keeps the street free of unsightly garage doors. I have no idea why America gave up on alleys because our streets are so much more charming without all the driveways, garages, and cars everywhere. At least the planned communities are bringing alleys back into favor.
The stairs are right up front, living room to the left. Hardwoods on stairs really make a difference over carpeting. It just always looks so crisp and nice.
Cute Mora clock! What room doesn't look great with a Mora clock in it? Slipcovered sofa, textured area rug, and window seats flank the fireplace. This room looks monochromatic, right? Well…….
Here, you can the room is NOT monochromatic at all! Don't the curtains make a huge difference? I've gotten to where I really like pattern fabrics mostly on curtains and pillows. These curtains change a room that seemed to be monochromatic into something very bright and cheery.
It looks like they used the same fabric in the breakfast room, but I can't be 100% for sure. This is so cute with the linen slipcovered benches and French chairs for the host and hostess. I keep seeing slipped benches instead of chairs and I really do like this look. Not sure how practical or comfortable this is though! Great antique piece on the right.
Looking the other way, pretty light fixture and dining room table. This must be the dining room too. I would probably paint the cabinets if I lived here.
The powder room is wallpapered in a cheery red and white pattern which picks up the reds found in the curtain fabric in the living room. If you like wallpaper but are scared of using it, the powder room is a small enough space to try it out.
The master bedroom with touches of blue. I keep seeing rooms with just touches of blue and I really love that color combination (although the walls are too creamy – should be painted a little more white than yellow with the blue.) The hardwoods were a great investment. They look so pretty.
The master bathroom replaced the big plate glass mirrors with two small round shell mirrors – which makes such a huge difference. Also, it looks like they fauxed the cabinets – again, a big difference. The blue walls in the bathroom pick up the blue curtain fabric in the bedroom.
Cute, cute fabrics in the guest room – all grays and blacks and white. And blue! The new accent color. Really cute. Love the long dust ruffle.
The link to the listing for this house is HERE.
The second house that a reader found is located in Dallas, Texas and is at the opposite end of the spectrum. It goes for $3,995,000.00 and is 5 bedrooms and 5 1/2 baths! It was built in 1917 which really surprised me – houses that old are very rare in Texas.
Mixed wood floor and a center table in the entry hall.
Of course I like the living room with the white furniture and seagrass rug. The big bumped out front window is so interesting. And I love the botanical set over the enfilade.
In the living room, there is an antique French bench in front of the fireplace. Notice the mixed wood stain on the stairway treads. Unusual.
This small area next to the staircase is so cute! Love the sofa and the zebra rug. I still love zebra rugs – I don't think I'll ever tire of them even if they are so trendy now.
And off that stair landing room is the dining room, with the trendy Italian chandelier that seems to be everywhere today. Again – yes it's trendy, but I still love this kind of fixture.
An added study space in a greenhouse type room. Pretty antique accessories and furniture. I love that ottoman.
The breakfast room is very dressy and could double as a dining room! Slipcovered chairs in two fabrics and an antelope area rug. Love the oversized mirror and the chandelier. Doesn't it look pretty next to the stair landing room with the view to the front living room?
And, a second staircase off the breakfast room. Remember, the house is from 1917 – so there are a lot of changes in the original floorplan I'm sure. I would guess this whole back section is an add on. I like what she put on the buffet – a concrete statue and two planters. Nothing expensive, but it looks like a million.
The kitchen is all new – I love the three plates hanging above the sink.
The family room, off the kitchen.
Blue, again! Pretty linens. Thanks to the reader for sending this house in! The listing is HERE.
And, my listing from Houston, is a small house in Briargrove, a neighborhood filled with young families just starting out who buy these houses from older empty nesters. Built in 1961, it has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths and is $600,000 – high for the house, but you are paying for the close in location.
This particular house caught my eye because of the updates that have been done – like these beautiful wood French doors that replaced small aluminum windows. They make such a difference. The doors open to a front porch. And to those who think all Houston homes are white slipcovers, here you can see they aren't! I love those toile covered chairs and ottoman – the furniture is overscaled and really fills up the room nicely – makes it warm and cozy. In new houses, the rooms are always so large and there is never enough furniture in them – making the rooms seem cold and empty. Always try to fill up your rooms with furniture if you want that cozy environment.
The adjoining dining room is painted darker for effect. Restoration Hardware lamps.
The paneled family room was painted light – which is a great way to update dated paneling from the 60s. Notice how much the curtains add to this room. They really brighten up the space and provide warmth and interest.
Looking the other way – I love how they painted the bookcases the persimmon color, which comes from the chair fabric. I do think they should have removed the baby proofing from the coffee table for these pictures! hehe!!!! And notice the wood doors here – this one small change adds so much to the space, creating architectural interest where there really isn't any. Great idea! Great family room.
More checks. The use of checks in each room is another nice way to visually tie the house together – creating a flow of a design element. The owner has checks and plaids in the living room, the family room and the master bedroom. Cute headboard.
Nursery – more curtains which soften the room. Again, the room might have seemed bare with just the shades and no curtains. Always go for curtains if possible.
And a redone 1960s bathroom with new countertop and sink. I like the window treatment – good idea for an awkward shaped window. To see the listing go HERE.
I found this screened in porch from a HAR listing in West University. I would LOVE to have a porch like this!!
And looking the other way. Houston has so many mosquitos that screen porches are almost a necessity if you want to sit outside.
Kudos to HAR.com for coming online with these new super large images. So great!!!
And finally, in the WTH is this department???????
I found this living room in a house for sale in Dallas. It took me a while to figure out exactly what the heck it was. Is this a two story living room with double windows???? No! If you look closely, you can see that the ceiling is mirrored tiles! OMG – this would give me such headaches. I suppose this was done to make the low ceiling appear taller – which it certainly does, but at the same time, it makes it look like there is a chair and sofa hanging upside down in the room. Crazy!!!!
Thank you to the readers for sending in these houses today. If you see a listing you think we would like to see here, please, please send it in!!!!!
SOOOO Exciting!!!!!! Come see Bunny Williams at Greenwood King's for a Discussion at the Lobby!!!
Readers Picks: Two Houses
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Try our original St. Patrick's Day creation. A yummy and healthy green wrap fashioned into a ShamWich ... a shamrock shaped sandwich. Kids will love helping to make their own.
Items needed:
- Green Spinach or Veggie Wraps
- Celery for Stems
- Cheese Slices
- Tomato Slices
- Other Ingredients as desired
The outer part of the sandwich is created from healthy wraps, that are spinach-based or veggie-based. Just use a round cookie cutter to 3 inch circles. Or you can just use a glass, setting the top rim on the wrap and, carefully, cutting around it to get your circles.
The insides of your ShamWich can be most any favorite sandwich ingredient, but here we used slices of cheese, cut into circles, and slices of tomato. You can choose to serve this cold or heat in the microwave, on a paper towel, for 25 seconds.
Arrange three completed circle sandwiches on a plate and then garnish.
Use a piece of celery for you garnish of the Shamrock stem. Wallah ... a fun ShamWich to serve on St. Patrick's Day. And what an easy fun food to serve the kids ... they will even have fun helping to make these.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Cooperative advertising (co-op advertising) is an arrangement between a manufacturer and a retailer to reimburse the retailer in full or in part for local placement of manufacturer brand/product advertising. With funding based on purchase levels, this advertising focuses on the manufacturer's brand-name product for sale in the local marketplace and includes the retailer's local information.
Your Southern Oregon Media Group marketing consultant can help bring customers through your door with national brand advertising that could be partially or completely reimbursed by the manufacturer. To get started, look around your business for name brand items and use this CoOp Intake Form to record products that could qualify, then contact your representative to take it from there.
To learn more, visit Getting Started.


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ATHENS, Ga. (Sept. 21, 2009) - After a third straight day of rain contiuned to inflict disorder at the 49th annual Southern Intercollegiate, the ETSU men's tennis team overcome both a tough field and the weather for mulitple victories Sunday inside the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.
"What a weekend," said head coach Yaser Zaatini. "Going into this tournament we expected to play a lot of our guys multiple times and over the last three days the weather just wouldn't stay away. That being said I'm extremely proud of each player's effort and toughness. Some of the matches didn't even start to 11 p.m., or later and for our players to pull through says a lot about their character."
Overall, with a field of participants from 32 schools including notable ranked programs Duke, Florida, Georgia Tech, Middle Tennessee, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest and host Georgia, ETSU picked up seven wins.
Leading the way for the Buc was junior Grega Teraz (Mojstrana, Slovenia), who advanted to the Round of 16 after picking up his second victory in Division I Flight action. The ETSU upperclassman reventaged a pair of 2009 losses to No. 16-seeded Matteo Fago, dropping the Tennessee junior 7-5, 6-2.
With the win, Teraz advanced to Monday's quarterfinal contest against ITA ranked No. 5 Guillermo Gomez of Georgia Tech, however due to the push backed schedule the match was cancelled.
"Grega had a productive tournament," said Zaatini. "I would have loved to see him play one of the best players in the country Monday, however with the weather situation we simply didn't have the time. I think his match Sunday against Fago was one that should build his confidence even further. Grega stepped-up at the right time and I'm extremely stasified with his ability to get a win against top-ranked program player in Fago."
Also in action for the Bucs Sunday was sophomore Sander Gille (Kuringen, Belguim). After his initial outdoor start time of 9:00 a.m., was pushed back to 1:30 p.m., inside the Magill Tennis Complex, Gille dropped a tough two-set contest to Tennessee's Boris Conkic - ITA No. 20 - 6-2, 7-6 (3).
Meanwhile, after taking care of A-Sun rival Victor Dias of Mercer, junior Charles Bottoni (Bois Guillaume, France) advanced to the Division II Flight Round of 16, where he would have taken on South Alabama's Dauw Kruger. However like his Buccaneer teammates, Bottoni's match was cancelled due to the weather delay.
"Charley has played some of his best tennis at ETSU this fall," Zaatini said. "In each of his matches I've been exceptionally pleased with how he's got better and better each time he's taken the court. I've always known he's been a player with great ability, but in tennis you have to be able to stay in matches mentally. Now it seems like he's settled down and regained that confidence back."
Closing out the scores for ETSU was senior Daniel Isaza (Medellin, Colombia). After picking up a long three-set victory over Austin Roebuck of Georgia Tech, 7-6 (3), 4-6, 1-0 (12), the Buccaneer captain's quarterfinal match with Matt Poleon of Mercer was rescinded.
After two tournaments the Bucs will hope for better weather as they return to action October 2nd at the UTC Invitational in Chattanooga.
Attached above is the final results and draws of the nation's oldest fall collegiate tournament.
For more information on the three-time defending A-Sun champion men's tennis team please visit ETSUBucs.com.


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|2011-12-01, 08:50
|Link #201
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Lock-Down
Age: 30
But you're right, I misread 'Seikai-kei' as something else my bad... But the gist is "a weak, powerless boy and a strong-willed girl with powers/talents/abilities." right?
Evangelion doesn't count because no matter how much of a wuss Shinji was, he's still fighting on the front lines... With arguably the strongest mecha -_-
This fits Haruhi perfectly.
As for Shana... I wouldn't call the male protagonist powerless. Earlier on I classified those kinds of protagonists as "Ace-in-the-hole". They're not frontline materials, but use correctly and they can turn the tide of battle. Though as the story of Shana progresses...
Last edited by Brimstone; 2011-12-01 at 09:00. Reason: My mistake
|2011-12-01, 08:53
|Link #202
Toji Affairs Secretary
Join Date: May 2009
Location: the Philippines
|2011-12-01, 09:10
|Link #203
Labda Prakarsa Nirwikara
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Pekanbaru (UTC+07:00)
Age: 32
Hmm, now that I think about it, I think my description got a bit muddled back there. What I was trying to say is that recent animes seems to lack "professional" heroes (I might be using the wrong word here, so feel free to give an alternative), as in those who becomes the best at their field because of training and experience, not because of some random plot item of awesome.
For example, Noa Izumi from Patlabor--her ride is not exceptionally powerful or anything, but she's a hardworking pilot. Same with Hikaru from Macross--he spent half of the story using the same fighter as anyone else, and while he never become as good as Max he's still one of the most reliable pilot in the setting. Or maybe Isamu from Macross Plus--he gets a spiffy mech, true, but that's because he's proven his worth when using ordinary war machines in the first place. Sagara Sousuke is a borderline case due to the Lambda driver, but considering the skilful way he used a previous generation mech he qualifies.
Earned, not given.
Badass normal? Partially, I guess. When everybody else can use say, cybernetics or magic, the meaning of normal could shift. Hei from Darker than Black could use that electricity thingy, for instance, but he's already feared without it. And I forgot whether Spike for Cowboy Bebop has cybernetic augmentations (it's been a while), but that stuff is common anyway, and yet he's one of the best.
But it's quite true that it is easier to support the underdog. Problem is, the current trend is less David vs Goliath and more machine-gunner David versus musketeer Goliath.
Then again...
But still, it's pretty hard for me to name even one "professional" as I've described before from animes 2009 and forwards. Emiya Kiritsugu counts as one I guess, but IIRC the novel was made before 2009
|2011-12-01, 09:12
|Link #204
Part-Time TTK & Master
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Iwakawa base and Chaldea
Age: 38
Let's not fool ourselves here, Madhouse is not quite in a good shape, and the economic conditions are not favorable to them at all. The glorious days from Cyber City Oedo 808 to Black Lagoon in its prime are behind them now. It's not helped by the fact that, unlike Sunrise who can always count on Gundam, Madhouse never had any enduring intellectual property to safely fall back on when the need arises.
|2011-12-01, 09:24
|Link #205
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Lock-Down
Age: 30
I get what you mean, but in my experience most characters that do get their powers from destiny or from luck or from blood, don't automatically make them the best of the best. It gives them an edge and makes them special, but they don't go straight to the top- there's always some training arc or something... Or they just remain at that level.
(Though mecha is probably the obvious exception)
Or that the power they get is only useful for special case and doesn't really help them in the frontline battles eg. Lelouch's Geass.
|2011-12-01, 09:59
|Link #206
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
What matters most is the relationship between two individuals which decides the outcome of events. Everything else comes second. The main character is weaker (emotional and/or physical), more ordinary as it were, but is pivotal to events and the "other" is the overall stronger, more proactive character but in some way is dependent on the main character.
Evangelion is the most famous example, as Shinji is a weaker person than Rei, Asuka or Misato (although they are all pretty messed up). However he is the key to the outcome of the instrumentality project and his decision on the ultimate fate of humanity has been formed in his interaction with the "other" (Rei, Asuka or Misato). In essence the interaction between ""me" and "you" determines the "world". Outside influences don't matter. The Angels, the Evas, the military, Nerv etc. are all irrelevant.
Another example is Eureka 7 where the future of coexistence between mankind and Coralians is judged solely on the relationship between Renton and Eureka. Again both characters have a mutual dependency with Eureka (for the most part) being the far more capable character.
|2011-12-01, 12:58
|Link #207
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
However, given that NTV is a TV station, I'd be surprised if Madhouse merely stuck to theatrical works. The current output reflects decisions from a couple years back, so we can expect to see the results of the buyout in another year or two.
|2011-12-02, 06:51
|Link #209
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Age: 29
it is perhaps like you said of "Stories are now being written by fans of fans of fans of actual authors, who simply lack outside perspective" and these fans try to take most of the elements from the author they like and just make a few changes to the story and characters. it is like they don't even bother trying to read other literature works to get a different perspective of how to write an even better story.
|2011-12-02, 10:38
|Link #210
Part-Time TTK & Master
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Iwakawa base and Chaldea
Age: 38
It's not so different from the Lord of the Rings or Eragon cheap knockoffs that regularly find their way to the shelves through self-publishing or vanity press. Not like I am defending those. Like Kuroneko in OreImo episode 8, I feel something between anger and contempt toward those authors who gets their way while I struggle to make my story stand out and maturate.
|2011-12-02, 14:35
|Link #211
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
I'm not sure how anyone can argue that anime hasn't changed a lot over the years. However, I think that this change is more on the level of decades rather than over a few years. Other than a small shift in the kinds of shows that are popular, the changes from about 2000-present are incremental. However, compare this to the shows made in 1990 or 1980, and the amount of change becomes a huge gulf.
What's really key to this archetype is that it's far more prevalent now than it ever has been. And I think that's one of the key trends in the industry. The awkward everyman is a favorite of Japanese otaku, and Japanes otaku are the ones sustaining the industry. As a result, we see a lot more of him.
It's a bit hard to blame them seeing how Madhouse die because they tried to do something different.
|2011-12-02, 19:27
|Link #212
Join Date: Dec 2006
Age: 32
And you guessed it, it was Evangelion with its introduction of moe-kei and sekai-kei. Evangelion was more like a proto fictional version of sekai-kei, so it's usually referenced only to illustrate that sekai-kei deals with self-reflectivity and retreats to one's own world. In other works, "she" is there only as a vessel of motherly love--someone who will unconditionally love the protagonist. This has been the biggest point of criticism of sekai-kei, that it's too self-conscious, that sekai-kei works have given up on real life and the narrative outside of "the two."
Whenever I say the word moe, I usually mean Azuma Hiroki's database definition, and I think it makes sense to discuss moe under his terms. What's broken with discussions such as this thread is that these terms are not very well known and even far less correctly understood. Sekai-kei, for example, has been pretty much ignored by western critics. All they've been touching up on were the semantics of moe-kei at best, which is like a decade behind Japan, and the west seriously needs to play catch up, because authors like Shinkai Makoto--the otaku's Major Anime Director heartthrob--have already graduated from sekai-kei (I watched Hoshi o Ou Kodomo today, brilliant meta). Madoka has also graduated from it, I don't believe it's sekai-kei at all.
I think we had this discussion far too early. Let me explain.
The last time that a major shift in anime had occured, it was when Japan was facing tough economic times and the terrorist events of Aum Shinrikyou. What kind of role plays a religious cult in all of this? Well, they had enough stock of biological weapons that they could potentially kill 4 million people. Their sole mission was to bring about the armageddon, and when those terrorist attacks happened, the terror of Aum had already been going on for some time. It was a very shocking event. Evangelion was lucky with the way it played out in all of this with its story. Japan hasn't had much groundbreaking events ever since, except if you count earthquake in Kobe.
I think Tohoku is the real deal. So we'll be seeing major, conscious content shifts in the next year or two, I think.
|2011-12-02, 19:29
|Link #213
Pretentious moe scholar
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Age: 31
(There's also a certain irony in that this comes from a series that gave me one of the most annoying cases of trope driven character derailment I care to think of - the yanderification of Ayase.)
|2011-12-02, 20:27
|Link #214
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: U.S.
But if they are writing to express themselves, then why get hung on with its popularity since you are not writing to appeal to the mass anyway.
Kuroneko realizes that Kirino was right and that's why she stated that her pride was shattered but later with renown focus and ultimately made the decision (at least more clearly in LN) to stick with her current, self expressive way over mass appeal.
|2011-12-03, 08:11
|Link #215
Part-Time TTK & Master
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Iwakawa base and Chaldea
Age: 38
@ Undertaken
Just to clarify my position here. I attempted to get moving on my story not to appeal to the crowd but to get the story that finally get me satisfied with the result. I have in mind Kurt Vonnegut's "Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.". In the long run, I found out that "Bring/Find the MacGuffin to defeat the Evil Overlord" just did not cut it anymore with me. Maybe when I was 14, but no more when I was past 25 already. Finally, it is the history nerd inside me, with an interest for the Sengoku period, the Thirty Years War and the American Civil War, and the reading of War and Peace that gave me the "tick" and a sight of what I really wanted to do, a piece of fictional history.
My prob with those Tolkien wannabe is that they rushed to copy it without understanding what made it tick in the first place, and often did not try to find inspiration from elsewhere, it could be vanilla History, legends from places such as Egypt or Ancient Greece, or more obscure places, anything else .
I think it is the same problem that plagues the Light Novel industry as pointed out by Cyth, if I understood him right, when he said "incestuous". Those fans of fans of fans of authors just recycles tropes seen a thousand of times in many works, often taking inspiration from anime, manga and video games. While, those are not bad sources of inspiration, but they should not be the end-all be-all sources, when there are matter outside this sphere that is as rich if not more. I think that an aspiring author could gain a lot from a trip to the library or zapping to Discovery/History Channel. Which might be how I reached that "Eureka!" phase as one while I struggled to find the playstage for my characters.
|2011-12-07, 10:55
|Link #217
Anime Cynic
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: USA
Age: 30
|moe, trends
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text: Farm Bill Headway August 24, 2012 07:14 PM Tweet Package clears Senate, full House action yet to come As the most severe drought since the mid-1950s grips more states than not, the legislative process to formulate the next farm bill has been all too familiar. The rain clouds roll in, anticipation builds, a few raindrops fall...and that's it. Just enough action to be a tease. The Senate Agriculture Committee kicked off the process of developing a new farm bill but ran into trouble just as momentum began to build. Eventually, the committee got back on track and produced a bill. In the end, the markup session took just 4½ hours to go through a nearly 1,000-page bill that spends nearly $1 trillion. Like pulling weeds. When the bill made its way out of committee and to the full Senate, it received the same kind of divided attention. While the vote to achieve cloture—to proceed to consider the bill—cleared, work on the actual package was held up until an agreement on amendments between Democratic and Republican Senate leaders was hammered out. Of the more than 300 amendments filed, the Senate agreed to move forward with 70. Despite the number of amendments, the chamber made only a few changes to the bill. The Senate bill as approved saves $23.1 billion during a 10-year period, with reductions of $19.1 billion in commodity programs, $6.4 billion in conservation programs and $4 billion in nutrition programs. The latter was one of the more contentious issues, as dueling efforts to expand the reductions and to scale them back both failed on the Senate floor. "This is the only bill that passed the Senate this year that cuts the deficit—and it got bipartisan support," said Senate Ag Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.). "No other congressional committee has put forward plans to cut spending in their jurisdiction like we have. We went through each and every program, evaluated what was working and what wasn't, and eliminated more than 100 programs and authorizations. Like farmers pulling weeds in the field, we were able to get rid of waste while strengthening the things that make the most difference." On the House side, a similar scenario unfolded. The House Agriculture Committee, unlike the Senate committee, embarked on a markup session that included a painstaking process of considering a host of amendments. The panel worked into the wee hours of July 11 before the gavel fell on the proceedings, sending the bill out of committee with a 35-11 vote. The House Ag Committee's bill would trim spending by more than $35 billion over 10 years, with more than $23 billion in cuts to commodity programs and a $16 billion reduction in nutrition programs. As in the Senate, efforts at the committee level in the House to increase and reduce the nutrition cuts were brushed aside. Given the strong bipartisan support that the bill enjoyed in committee, many predicted there would be House action on the package prior to lawmakers' departure for the August congressional recess. That obviously didn't happen, as the politics of a severe drought came into play. House Ag Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Ohio), ranking member Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) and other lawmakers kept pushing for the bill to get to the floor before the recess. But each week that passed beyond the committee's July 11 completion of the bill yielded nothing. Disaster aid fix-up. Just prior to lawmakers exit, an effort to tie a one-year farm bill extension to disaster aid surfaced in the House. When it became clear that the extension wouldn't pass the House, it was shelved and the disaster aid package approved. The disaster aid effort had roots in the 2008 farm bill, Lucas noted. "I heard people call this extending disaster assistance for a year. No—what we're doing is fixing a problem," he said. "We're back-filling a hole and fixing inefficiency. We're going to help a group of producers who, when the old farm bill passed, thought they had something they could depend on, but because of budget issues the fifth year was not funded. We need to help them by fulfilling our commitment that what we said would be there, will be there." The Senate won't be taking up the disaster aid, though, as Stabenow said it was "too narrow" in terms of the producers it would benefit. As of now, it's likely lawmakers will address disaster aid—or at least extensions of the expired livestock disaster programs (the Livestock Forage Disaster Assistance Program; the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program; and the Livestock Indemnity Program)—prior to the November election. A partisan year. The farm bill as a whole remains an uncertainty. Based on reports from Republicans and Democrats, the bill in the House has become ensnared in a battle of politics—something that is unusual for a piece of legislation that often is one of Congress' most bipartisan efforts. The fact that 2012 is an election year has certainly played a role in the pace of the process. In regard to the split, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said: "I've made pretty clear that the House is pretty well divided. You've got the left concerned about reductions in the food stamp program. You've got the right, who don't think the cuts go far enough in the food stamp program to bring it into…compliance with what the law has been. And frankly, I haven't seen 218 votes in the middle to pass the farm bill." In the waning hours of the pre-recess action, Peterson countered: "Members will now have to explain to their constituents why the House did not even try to consider a new five-year farm bill. Frankly, we're in this position because the House leadership has refused to bring a five-year farm bill to the floor." Chairman Lucas hasn't given up. "I believe in the legislative process," he said. "I believe in letting the House work its will. We did it in the House Agriculture Committee and we can do it here, too." So what will happen? If a conference with the House and Senate on the bill does take place, nutrition cuts loom as a point of friction. Odds still favor the farm bill being finalized in the post-election lame-duck session with the following issues top of mind: expiring 2001 and 2003 tax cuts; expiring estate tax provisions; and several other tax and spending matters, such as the across-the-board cuts that are slated to take effect in January 2013. The farm bill, with its $28 billion in potential savings, could come in handy for lawmakers seeking to offset other pricey packages. Of course, all of this could drag out depending on which party wins the White House and control of Congress in November. There will likely be more storm clouds that thwart the farm bill process and produce little rain. Just as with the drought, though, rain will eventually come and farmers will finally know what the new farm bill entails. The Upshot of an Extension While farm-state lawmakers want to wrap up a new farm bill by Sept. 30 to avoid an extension of the 2008 bill, proponents say they have several months before problems would result without a new farm bill in place. For example, during the 2008 farm bill debate, it was late December 2007 before lawmakers started approving what turned out to be several extensions of the 2002 farm bill. When today's lawmakers stress the need to get a farm bill together by Sept. 30, it is primarily because they want to have the bill over and done with—not because failure to do so will have serious ramifications. Should an extension begin to seem inevitable, the question then becomes for how long and what will be included. If it's a full one-year extension that covers 2013 crops, conservative lawmakers will likely want to eliminate direct payments for that crop year, or at least cut a big chunk out of direct payments to serve as a "down payment" on agriculture's share of deficit reduction. Back to news


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Dear visitor, welcome to SPRINKLER TALK FORUM - You Got Questions, We've Got Answers. If this is your first visit here, please read the Help. It explains how this page works. You must be registered before you can use all the page's features. Please use the registration form, to register here or read more information about the registration process. If you are already registered, please login here.
Saturday, August 6th 2011, 5:59pm
Saturday, August 6th 2011, 6:46pm
But, theres some kind of metal collar around the outside of the faucets outside the house. Stuck my finger in there, and theres a rubber nipple extending down from the faucet??? and the water is pretty aerated...so I dont know what the hell that is, and if thats restricting the flow, and giving me the horrible GPM estimate that Im getting which is like 8.5 GPM.
Saturday, August 6th 2011, 9:24pm
Saturday, August 6th 2011, 9:48pm
Saturday, August 6th 2011, 10:24pm
Supreme Member
Location: Central Minnesota
Sunday, August 7th 2011, 11:19am
Monday, August 8th 2011, 12:10am
Supreme Member
Location: Central Minnesota
Monday, August 8th 2011, 6:20pm
Monday, August 8th 2011, 7:14pm
Wednesday, August 10th 2011, 8:48am


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Elderon wrote:I don't mind at all actually. And since I saw what Koffiemoc said about him not really wanting that much responsibility and just wanting to build I think I'll vote for you. No offence Koffiemoc, but I didn't really look in to the players and I think that Teherean would make a better FO. I would also like to nominate myself for FL and aid Teherean in the first two weeks or so. Since I already finished my first MOC's I think I could spend a little more time on the forum instead of on my building table. And it would also be nice if some other Lenfel joined in here... Holy melon farmer where is everybody?
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The Tuacahn Saturday Market is one more way to experience Tuacahn. Come enjoy its wonderful surroundings at our outdoor market in the canyon featuring local artwork, crafts, food and entertainment.
The market hours are from 9:00am to 1:00pm. Admission and live entertainment is free. Patrons stroll along a tree-lined walkway next to a beautiful running water feature while browsing displays created by local painters, artists and crafters.
Food is available for purchase. From 9:00am to 11:00am stop and purchase a pancake breakfast with bacon and juice at the Tuacahn concession stand, or from 11:00am to 1:00pm, pick up a hot dog and picnic with the whole family. There are an abundance of tables nearby or bring a blanket and relax on the cool grass. We have many vendors who offer a variety of food for purchase all during the market hours to accommodate hungry shoppers.
Saturday Market is a great place to find souvenirs created by local artists and crafters, and gifts for you or the special people in your life. Artists, crafters, and occasionally farmers find the weekly market a wonderful place to display and earn additional income in the current economic climate.
Come see why Tuacahn Saturday Market is quickly becoming a fun St. George tradition for locals and visitors alike.


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Launched by the Governing Council of the European Central Bank in 2006, TARGET2-Securities (T2S) is the most transformational initiative to affect capital markets infrastructure in the past several decades. T2S seeks to overcome Europe's fragmented post-trade landscape by breaking down cross-border settlement barriers between member states.
With T2S rollout well underway, Accenture surveyed senior-level representatives from Europe-based banks of all sizes to find out how they are preparing. Leveraging the survey findings, Accenture completed a report together with Clearstream, learning which access models they are choosing, why asset servicing has become such an important decision and what the emerging landscape could look like.
The survey revealed that banks believe they are operationally prepared for T2S. Ninety percent of survey respondents have a T2S readiness strategy in place and began working on implementation in 2014 or earlier. The remaining 10 percent feel that their organizations are sufficiently flexible to manage new regulations.
Most banks have adopted a "wait-and-see" approach, focusing on mandatory changes first and leaving broader strategic shifts for future consideration. Others are still assessing what T2S means for their organizations from a business strategy perspective. A few are taking this opportunity to completely rethink their European infrastructure.
T2S is accelerating bank strategy, forcing organizations to take a closer look at their business and technology operating models—particularly in markets facing significant reforms. Beyond network rationalization, liquidity management, settlement efficiency and collateral management are expected to be the top three areas most positively affected when the dust settles.
Sixty percent of survey respondents plan to mix TARGET2-Securities access paths while they wait to see which operating model becomes standard practice. On the securities side, 90 percent of survey respondents will include some form of central securities depository (CSD) access. On the cash side, 75 percent of respondents said they will settle in central bank money using one or multiple Dedicated Cash Accounts (DCAs) opened in their own name at a T2S central bank.
Banks may be choosing different paths now, but there are signs that industry players will leverage T2S to concentrate network infrastructure.
Forty percent of survey respondents showed a strategic preference for consolidating their T2S access through one or a few investor central securities depositories (CSDs). The use of a single platform provides banks with the opportunity to rationalize their settlement networks, simplify network management and reduce costs.
Of the 75 percent of survey respondents who indicated that they would settle in central bank money using DCAs in their own name, 67 percent are seeking to use a single DCA. For them, this approach presents an opportunity to optimize cash and liquidity management.
Figure 2: Respondents favor the use of a single Dedicated Cash Account (DCA) in their own name
In the new TARGET2-Securities world, settlement will be handled via T2S, while asset servicing will remain with central securities depositories (CSDs). The choice of asset servicing solution will therefore be a critical part of any bank's T2S strategy. It is no surprise, then, that asset servicing scored an average eight out of 10 in terms of importance among survey respondents, with nearly 50 percent rating it nine or 10.
Banks can opt to use in-house custody capabilities or leverage the services of an external custody service provider. If the latter, they must choose between a traditional local agent or the bundled services of a CSD. Although a majority of survey respondents were leaning toward self-production or the use of a specialized provider, no clear industry-favored approach has emerged.


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Mingle Media TV was invited to cover the first major North American Auto Show of the season, the 2010 LA Auto Show will host approximately 50 World and North American debuts. We were accompanied by Michelle from the popular blog and talk show: MissMotormouth. Follow Michelle's webshow and find out more about Michelle at http://www.missmotormouth.com Press Days, Nov. 17 and 18, will feature more than 25 press conferences from manufacturers around the globe. To receive the latest show news and information visit LAautoshow.com. The LA Auto Show is open to the public starting tomorrow through the 28th. Join the LA Auto Show conversation by following the Show on Twitter twitter.com/LAAutoShow For more event coverage – visit Mingle Media TVhttp://www.minglemediatv.com
For more info on Microsoft's Surface click here: http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en/u…
Microsoft Surface represents a fundamental change in the way we interact with digital content. Leave the mouse and keyboard behind. Surface lets you grab digital content with your hands and move information with simple gestures and touches. Surface also sees and interacts with objects placed on the screen, allowing you to move information between devices like mobile phones or cameras.


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This lesson is an introduction to the use of a magnetic compass. At a specific location, learners will locate an object using a compass, identify its bearing, and others will attempt to locate the object by only knowing the bearing reading and the... (View More) corresponding location where the bearing was obtained. Next, learners will develop a method for determining if a magnetic storm is occurring, and they will test this method using online information and a compass. This activity requires compasses and access to the Internet. This is Activity 5 in the Exploring Magnetism on Earth teachers guide. (View Less)
Materials Cost: $5 - $10 per group of students
This is an activity about the effect of solar storm events on Earth's magnetic field. Learners will construct a soda bottle magnetometer, take it home, collect data over the course of three days, and analyze the results from several of these data... (View More) collection sessions to detect magnetic storm events. This is the eighth activity in the Exploring the Earth's Magnetic Field: An IMAGE Satellite Guide to the Magnetosphere educators guide. (View Less)


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Tuesday, March 30, 2010
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Stocks kicked off the week with sharp losses, with all three major averages posting their worst one-day performance this year, amid renewed worries over Europe and as investors took a pause after the Dow topped 14,000 for the first time since October 2007 last week.
Stocks kicked off the week with sharp losses, with all three major averages posting their worst one-day performance this year, amid renewed worries over Europe and as investors took a pause after the Dow topped 14,000 for the first time since October 2007 last week.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 129.71 points, or 0.93 percent, to close at 13,880.08, dragged by Travelers and Merck, after finishing above the psychologically-important 14,000 level for the first time since October 2007 last Friday.
The S&P 500 slumped 17.46 points, or 1.15 percent, to finish at 1,495.71. The Nasdaq tumbled 47.93 points, or 1.51 percent, to end at 3,131.17. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, surged near 15.
All key S&P sectors finished in negative territory, led by financials and techs.
(Read More:
What Could Trip Up the Stock Market Bulls?
"It still feels to me like we could trade marginally higher towards the State of the Union [address on Feb. 12], which I think will represent a point of letdown for the market and we'll finally get a 5 to 7 percent pullback and how we come off that reaction will tell us a lot about the future direction over the next few months," said Jeffrey Saut, chief investment strategist at Raymond James.
(Read More: Stocks Best Bet Over Decade: Bogle )
European shares finished near session lows as investors worried over the brewing political uncertainty in Spain and Italy.
Investors will also be watching Thursday's ECB interest rate announcement and press conference later this week.
Among earnings, Clorox rose after the household-products maker topped estimates and raised its full-year revenue forecast. Meanwhile, Gannett tumbled even after the newspaper chain posted a gain in quarterly revenue, thanks to robust ad sales at its TV stations.
So far, 256 S&P 500 companies have posted quarterly results this quarter, with 68 percent of firms topping earnings expectations, while 64 percent have exceeded revenue estimates, according to Thomson Reuters. If the remaining companies report earnings in line with estimates, earnings will be up 4.4 percent from last year's fourth quarter.
McGraw-Hill slumped to lead the S&P 500 laggards after federal prosecutors plan to file civil charges against ratings agency Standard & Poor's for wrongdoing in its rating of mortgage bonds prior to the 2008 financial crisis. Moody's also traded sharply lower.
McDonald's announced it is offering 'Fish McBites,' a new Happy Meal entree starting this week through March, to coincide with Lent. The latest children's set meal is the fast-food giant's first new entree in nearly a decade. However, shares traded lower along with the broader market.
Oracle agreed to acquire network-gear manufacturer Acme Packet for $29.25 a share, or $1.7 billion, in cash.
Herbalife plunged more than 10 percent after the New York Post reported that the nutrition and weight-loss products company is being investigated by law enforcement officials. The newspaper said the FTC did not say whether the action was civil or criminal. Meanwhile, Herbalife demanded a correction from the New York Post, saying other than voluntary dialogue with regulators, the company is unaware of any regulatory interest or investigation.
Research In Motion has changed its company name to BlackBerry and will now trade under the ticker symbol 'BBRY', though formal approval won't come until the smartphone maker's annual meeting this summer. Bernstein upgraded its rating on the company to "outperform" from "market perform" and lifted its price target to $22 from $12 amid enthusiasm over the BlackBerry 10 debut.
Facebook fell to lead the Nasdaq 100 laggards, extending a decline that started last week, after shares hit their highest level since July.
Yum Brands, Gilead Sciences and Baidu are among companies scheduled to post earnings after the closing bell.
On the economic front, factory orders rose 1.8 percent in December, according to the Commerce Department, which was lower than the 2.2 percent gain economists expected, according to a Reuters poll.
—By CNBC's JeeYeon Park (Follow JeeYeon on Twitter: @JeeYeonParkCNBC)
Coming Up This Week:
TUESDAY: ISM non-mfg index, Blackberry Z10 available in Canada, new Apple 128 GB iPads available; Earnings from Toyota, UBS, Estee Lauder, Kellogg, NYSE Euronext, Sirius XM Radio, Disney, Aflac, Chipotle, Panera Bread, Shutterfly, Take Two Interactive, Zynga
WEDNESDAY: Weekly mortgage apps, oil inventories; Earnings from Arcelor Mittal, GlaxoSmithKline, CVS Caremark, IntercontinentalExchange, Marathon Oil, Ralph Lauren, Time Warner, News Corp, Visa, Akamai, Allstate, Green Mountain Coffee, Yelp
THURSDAY: Bank of England announcement, ECB announcement, jobless claims, productivity and costs, consumer credit, Fed balance sheet/money supply, chain-store sales; Earnings from Credit Suisse, Philip Morris, Sony, Cigna, Noble Energy, Sprint, NYTimes, Activision Blizzard, Hasbro, LinkedIn, Coinstar, Opentable
FRIDAY: International trade, wholesale trade, monthly crop report; Earnings from Nissan, Moody's
More From CNBC.com:


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Seal went nuclear on the paps last night -- calling them "scum," "cockroaches" and blaming them for "ruining people's lives."
It all started as Seal and Heidi Klum left Madeo restaurant last night, when a pap told Seal he liked his music. Who's out of line? Watch the video and vote. Don't be shy -- we know you won't.
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Hmm, I guess you could say I'm a loner...
Most people dont really understand me, well at least where I live U__U
So I tend to have buddies, but not like best friends.
I dont really trust people for some reason....
I hate talking on the phone so, I hardly ever answer it...
I like being alone though....I dunno why...
I can't believe I'm in love like a mom?
I've been a loner....untill today...but i do have a few friends whom i can trust...but they got other friends to tend to so they rarely ever with me only a few times....sometimes i just got excited if people just talk to me...People just come to me if they got no one to talk to...and to use me...make fun of me....thingy thingy....sigh...because i am a rich kid and people just use me for my money....i can't said it any more...
i love being a loner..nobody bothers you and you have time for yourself..to reflect on everything about your life..
(rarely online)
hmm i don't no how long as soon as i could read i guess. I wouldn't say that i dislike people i just rather be doing something else then talking to them. I would honestly rather be left alone to read and do other stuff. I do have a couple a friends that i would talk to over reading but, everyone else i don't connect with well. When talking with others it feels like i force my self to talk. Usually-always-it's the other person that talks first-I'm reading. I don't like being rude and ignoring people so i talk back-I have to put down my book. Why they talk to me i don't know-They see me reading. Mabey it's because i answer them-dam if only i wasn't polite.
Entertain me with your madness and confusion.
I like my solitude sometimes, but I like my friends too. When I was younger, I had little friends, basically because I didn't talk much and they thought I was a snob ( I was just shy). Then I changed schools and people liked me even less, which was worst and I didn't even want to talk to anybody. But I made friends eventually and I didn't bother to make new ones.
*sayoa smiles* ^.^
I kinda use to be a loner when i started high school, and it was alright. I was always that kid waiting at the classroom door 5 minutes early, his nose in his book, ignoring the world around him. I had nothing to worry about, gave a lot of time for me to think about who i was, where i wanted to go, what i wanted to be, but loneliness just caught up with me. I remember looking all around me envious of everyone else at one point, and thats when i decided to stop being so stand-offish to my fellow students. Slowly, i made friends, and now I'm going into my last year of high school never feeling better. Always thought if i kept to myself, life would be easier since i didn't depend on others, but it just harder. At least now i have friends to count own as go through my final year of high school life...
id rather be a loner than to spend time with people who are a bunch of nonsense.
i really dont need a lot of friends. i only need a few who can make my life a better place to enjoy. that's one of my standards in life.
I used to be a loner, and ....still am. People hate me for some damn reason!
/gets taken to mental hospital
nothing we say will save us from the fallout.
^ Awwwww...You dont seem very hateable ^___^
I can't believe I'm in love like a mom?
people dont have to be a loner, they choose to be one.
blacksun0918 wrote:
id rather be a loner than to spend time with people who are a bunch of nonsense.
i really dont need a lot of friends. i only need a few who can make my life a better place to enjoy. that's one of my standards in life.
My standards are pretty much the same!
I have always been a very independant person and I spend alot of my time alone..
As a child I was very quiet and extremly shy.
I am satisfied with the few friends I have, and dont feel any need to expand my social circle!
One thing I truly hate is still to be forced into groups of people with whom I got nothing in common, like my coworkers!!
for mi gazemen
hum, i'd pretty much say i'm a loner i've come to be one i guess. when i was young i was out going and didn't have a care in the world what others thought of me. but growing up made me re think my thinking. i was just different. if you did something cool that i also did i would be like YAY very loudly and have eyes...which i never liked. i also hate being wrong because there are people out there you give you "the treatmemt" after a wong answer, they would talk back to me and laugh. going to high school was a big change, i felt i had lost people close to me, i was too quite to talk anymore, to be heard, to shy to raise my hand, i just cared about everyone and how they thought of me, because i worried about people disliking me because of who i am or what i look like. i didn't want anyone to talk band about me, i just wanted to leave good memories...but i don't know how to accept the fact that it is true that people do talk behind others...it's funny though, being a loner keeps you thinking in depth alot...
College takes up your life =(
I'm a loner because the people who end getting as friends are just very annoying well none in Crunchyroll yet plus i get bothered by a lot of people parents and friends you name it i got it.
It depends what mood I'm in...
If I'm in a bad mood, I often talk cold and want to be alone...
i prefer solitude wen i wanna do certain stuff w/o getting distracted. solitude helps sometimes.


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Notice: All courts will be closed on Monday, January 21, 2019 in observance of MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY, except Municipal Court's Arraignment Court, Bail Acceptance and the filing of Emergency Protection from Abuse Petitions at the Stout Center for Criminal Justice, 1301 Filbert St.
Notice: As part of our ongoing effort to provide our visitors with the best experience possible, we're preparing to launch the next generation of our website. Please note this site (http://www.philacourts.us) is a Beta version of the new Philadelphia Courts website that is still undergoing final testing before its official release.
The Civil Section has jurisdiction over actions at law and equity along with appeals from Municipal Court and certain administrative agencies and boards. The Trial Division Civil Section has jurisdiction over civil claims involving amounts in excess of $10,000. The variety of civil actions that may be brought in the Trial Division Civil Section includes Negligence, Contract and Equity Action.
1880 JFK Boulevard, 5TH Floor
Telephone: (215) 686-9590
Fax: (215) 686-9594
All civil actions filed in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County with an amount in controversy of $50,000 or less, excluding equitable actions and claims to real estate, must first proceed to a compulsory arbitration hearing before a panel of three attorneys who have been court certified to serve as arbitrators.
Major Jury Program encompasses all Major Civil Jury cases except Commerce and Mass Tort cases. Major Jury Case Management is the system that has been created to coordinate and schedule these cases for trial. To manage these cases more effectively, judges assigned to this program are divided into teams. Each team is assigned a Court Administrative Officer who acts as the liaison to the Team Leader.
The Dispute Resolution Center of the Court of Common Pleas provides a centralized location for mandatory settlement conferences. In so doing, it encourages uniform procedures for these conferences while offering litigants comfortable modernized facilities for the disposition of civil cases within historic City Hall. Peter J. Divon is the Manager of the Dispute Resolution Center, which is located on the Sixth Floor of City Hall, in Room 691 (215-686-7914 email@example.com). The Center operates Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Fax number: 215-686-7915, Nora Gallagher, Legal Clerk, 215-686-7974, firstname.lastname@example.com.
Mandatory Settlement Conferences are conducted in every major jury case. The conferences are presided over by a Judge Pro Tempore and are scheduled in accordance with the Case Management Order that is issued in all cases approximately ninety (90) days after commencement of suit. The court provides notice to all counsel of record and unrepresented parties approximately thirty (30) days before the scheduled conference advising them of the date, time, and place of their settlement conference. This information may also be obtained from the first page of the civil docket.
Judges Pro Tempore (Judge(s) Pro Tem) are recruited from the Philadelphia Bar Association to preside over the settlement conferences. Judicial Team Leaders are frequently available to participate in the conference, if necessary and appropriate.
In preparation for the conference, the Judge Pro Tem reviews the case file in order to effectively discuss all issues with the parties. In the event a case does not settle at the conference, the Judge Pro Tem is available by telephone or for follow-up conferences and/or to assist the parties as requested. However, these follow-up conferences and calls will not delay the court's schedule for this case. At the conclusion of each settlement conference, the Judge Pro Tem must complete a settlement conference report. The report should include the range settlement value of the case and references to salient issues. This report is provided to the Judicial Team Leader along with the case file in preparation for the next scheduled event, the final Pretrial Conference.
Counsel and unrepresented parties must file a settlement memorandum at least ten (10) days before the conference, appear at the settlement conference, on time and with settlement authority from their clients. The parties and claim representatives are not required to appear with counsel, but must be available by telephone during the conference. Failure of counsel to file a memorandum, appear, and/or failure of a party or claim representative to be available by telephone during the conference may result in the issuance of a Rule to Show Cause before the appropriate Judicial Team Leader. Should the case settle before or after the conference, counsel shall notify the court immediately in writing.
Phone Directory, Manuals, Forms and Schedules


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COLUMBIA - Despite ruling against the desires of a Sun City couple, their attorney said a S.C. Court of Appeals decision is good news for those claiming defective stucco construction.
In September 2008, Roger and Mary Jo Carlson brought an action against Del Webb Communities and Pulte Homes, alleging construction flaws in their home's stucco siding.
The Carlsons' case is among nearly 140 pending against Del Webb and Pulte involving stucco-homes in Sun City. The Sun City Hilton Head Community Association calls it "the largest, active adult community in the South Carolina Lowcountry," and claims 13,000 residents.
According to the court decision, the couple had argued they weren't bound by the arbitration clause in their 2002 purchase agreement. The court last week disagreed.
The result is that Del Webb and Pulte may compel the case to go the arbitration route, an alternative process outside the court.
Efforts to reach attorneys for the S.C. State Plastering, Del Webb and Pulte last week were unsuccessful.
Although the decision seemed to side against them, the Carlsons' attorney welcomed the development.
"It means the case is moving and will move now relatively quickly," said the couple's attorney, Michael Seekings.
"That is good news for everybody."
So why did they initially fight arbitration?
"We opposed it because the case had already been pending for many years, and we hoped Pulte would end their tactic of procedural delay and address the merits of the Sun City homeowners' claims," he said.
Seekings said the decision should help the pending 140 cases, provided those property owners had an arbitration clause in their contract. On top of that, another 4,200 could be affected, if they ultimately move forward as a class action.
In 2010, the state Supreme Court overturned a lower court to say a lawsuit filed by Anthony and Barbara Grazia in 2007 could be a class action suit. That opened the door to possible redress for hundreds of other Sun City homeowners who might have faulty stucco.
The Grazia action referred to 2,673 homes, while others have estimated it to exceed 4,000.
The couple's allegation, according to records, is that "the stucco exteriors had common and typical problems inherent to their design and installation that would require identical remediation across the class, namely, stripping the homes of the existing stucco and recladding with a properly installed stucco system."
Attorneys for the Carlsons were expecting the case would go along with the parallel case brought by the Grazias, since the latter had advanced over the years.
But Seekings emphasized the benefits of the latest court decision.
"This is momentum," he said.


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The sleek black tubes have a colored strip near the bottom to indicate the shade.
The shade name is also printed on the sticker at one end but in tiny font that is not the easiest to read. These contain 7g each, same as the Eye Fantasists of yore. Six shades are swatched in this MakeupAlley post, along with several other Addiction products.
The slanted doe-foot sponge applicator is pretty easy to control and pulls out of the tube well-coated with the liquid eyeshadow.
The Eye Lacquers turned out to be fabulously well-pigmented, much more so than Eye Fantasists. A tiny dab goes a lot way and so it's best to dot just a tiny bit on the eyelids, blend and then work up to your desired intensity. There is sufficient time for blending before these dry down completely.
The pic above shows the swatches as freshly applied from just the tip of the sponge applicator while the pics below show the swatches progressively blended out. Both Swimming Pool and Black Swan contain silver shimmer, with Swimming Pool being more intensely shimmery than Black Swan. Under direct sunlight, these have a lively starry sparkle. Black Swan looks like liquid black tar when first applied, but when sheered out, it becomes more of a greyed charcoal .
Worn without any primer underneath, the Eye Lacquers last well through more than eight hours of wear, although there is some minor creasing. I've been using my fingertip to smudge and blend the Eye Lacquers, but a brush is probably better for achieving a more precise application at the inner and outer corners, as well as for the lower eyelid.
My usual way of wearing these is to apply the Eye Lacquer from the upper lashline to the crease, and apply a pearly white powder eyeshadow over the browbone area and lower lashline, plus a medium tone shade in the crease.
Below is the look done with Swimming Pool. The lacquers are truly waterproof and did not budge at all when I ran the swatches on my arm under water and then rubbed them with my finger. Nevertheless, they are easy to remove with eye makeup remover or cleansing oil.
While I do like the two Eye Lacquers that I purchased, I probably won't buy any more as I'm saving up for the new powder eyeshadows, eyeliners and brushes coming out in the fall. Hope this review has been helpful!


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- Brakes
- Chassis
- Clutch & Drivetrain
- Engine & Tuning
- Exhaust
- Exterior
- Interior
- Service Parts
- Wheels & Tyres
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Rear Strut Brace for Misubishi Lancer Evo 6
The Estimated time for delivery is 24 hours with in UK and varies which service you prefer also depending on the item in stock but we always prefer next day delivery for UK customers. Please notify that we are not responsible for the delaying in
international deliveriesdue to customs or any unforeseen reasons but we will try our level best to provide best of services.
Please Also notify that if you order before 12pm (monday to friday) working days ,depending on the item in stock , we will dispatch it the same day but will not be held responsible for any delays caused by any of the above mentioned selected courier
services. If there is any sort of problem at our end then we will try to rectify as soon as possible and will inform you either through email or either by phone and if you still need to confirmthat your order has been delivered or not , we can provide you trackingorder number for the selected courier service.
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Condition Used Car Manufacturer Mitsubishi Car Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4 5 6
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JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (May 4, 2004) - The NCAA announced today that the East Tennessee State men's tennis team will travel to Knoxville, Tenn. to face in state rival No. 14 Tennessee in the first round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament. The match will be played on Saturday, May 14 at 10:00 a.m.
This season ETSU (20-3 overall, 10-0 SoCon) repeated its performance from 2004 winning the SoCon regular season title and going on to win the Southern Conference Men's Tournament in 2005 to earn one of 30 automatic bids to the NCAA tournament. This will be the second consecutive NCAA appearance for ETSU and fourth overall NCAA appearance in Buccaneer Tennis History (1999, 2002, 2004).
Their opponent the Tennessee Volunteers (14-8 overall, 9-6 SEC) earned one of the tournament's 33 at-large bids after missing an automatic selection in the SEC Championship. UT lost fell to No. 3 the University of Florida in a 4-2 decision during the final round of the tournament. This year's appearance will be UT's 17th overall NCAA appearance.
"While it's disappointing that we don't get an opportunity to go some place new and challenge new opponents, it's great that we know who we are going up against and that is a great advantage heading into the NCAAs," stated Head Coach Yaser Zaatini.
The match history between the Bucs and the Volunteers stands at 16-0 in favor of UT with the most recent match between the two teams being played at the start of the 2005 season in which the Bucs fell in a tough 6-1 decision.
The winner of the ETSU/UT match will face the winner of the Brown and Ohio St. on May 15 in Knoxville at 1:00 p.m. The regional section winner will then travel to College Station, Texas for the final four rounds of the team championship, which will take place from May 21-30 at the Texas A&M Tennis Center.
The singles and doubles participants for the individual championships will be released Thursday, May 5. The singles and doubles tournaments take place over May 25-30 also at the Texas A&M Tennis Center.


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Graduate Awards - Commencement
Page Hero - Commencement
graduate awards
Graduate Awards
A variety of graduate awards are presented during the annual Awards Convocation to recognize outstanding achievement. While some awards are school-specific, others are open to eligible graduates throughout the College. Many of the awards require that you meet one or more criteria to be considered, and awardees are drawn from a pool of eligible individuals. Others allow you to nominate yourself.
Commencement Awards
All Graduates
Student Support Award
This award is presented to a person (or persons) whose assistance and encouragement played a significant role in helping a graduate earn an Excelsior College degree.
Charles W. Laffin Jr. Memorial Award
In recognition of Charles W. Laffin Jr., whose vision and leadership gave momentum to a fledgling community college movement and left a legacy of opportunity to millions of adult learners, and in gratitude for his invaluable service to Excelsior College, the faculty of the College presents this award for academic excellence and outstanding achievement.
Ewald B. Nyquist Memorial Award
In recognition of the leadership of Ewald B. Nyquist, founder of the College, who was determined to extend the quality of educational opportunity from kindergarten through college to learners everywhere, the Trustees of Excelsior College present this award for academic excellence and outstanding achievement in earning a degree through independent study.
LeRoy V. Good Memorial Award
In recognition of LeRoy V. Good's vigorous efforts on behalf of community colleges throughout the country and of his distinguished tenures as the founding president of four such institutions, and in gratitude for his commitment and service to the College, the faculty of Excelsior College presents this award for academic excellence and outstanding achievement in earning an associate degree through independent study.
Robert Kinsinger Memorial Award
This self-nominated award recognizes the leadership and vision of founding trustee Dr. Robert E. Kinsinger. As the first chair of the College's Board of Overseers, Dr. Kinsinger built upon his earlier relationship with the College as a vice president of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. While at the Foundation, Dr. Kinsinger encouraged and supported the development of the Regents College nursing degree programs, an interest that he carried forward into his work as an overseer and later as a trustee. The award is presented to a student who demonstrated outstanding academic achievement and who is involved with the nonprofit sector as either an employee or volunteer.
School of Business & Technology
Dr. Robert L. Long Award for Academic Excellence in Nuclear Engineering Technology
The Dr. Robert L. Long award of Academic Excellence in Nuclear Engineering Technology (aka, the Bob Long Award) was created in recognition of Dr. Long's service and contribution to Excelsior College. He was regarded as an expert in nuclear education and a proponent of the link between treating and education and the safe operation of nuclear facilities. Students selected for this award must work in the Nuclear Power industry, be a member of the America Nuclear Society, and are nominated by faculty in the Nuclear Engineering Program.
Jean M. Smith Award (Business)
This award recognizes the leadership and vision of Founding Trustee Jean M. Smith. Ms. Smith's career in banking has been characterized by a deep commitment to institutions that are devoted to improving society. Her passion for social justice shaped her work with the college, first as an overseer and later as a trustee, as she worked to support students. The award is presented to a student who demonstrated outstanding academic and professional achievement in the world of business.
Marvin Curling Memorial Award (Technology)
This award is given in memory and recognition of the vision and contribution of Marvin Curling to the development of collaboration between industry and education through the integration of corporate-sponsored training and college-level learning. A New York Power Authority (NYPA) training superintendent, Mr. Curling motivated employees at NYPA to persist in educational advancement. He helped establish degrees in technology at Excelsior (then Regents) College. In honor of the superior model of collaboration which he helped established, the New York Power Authority contributed the endowment to maintain this annual award which is presented to a graduate who achieved outstanding academic achievement while pursuing a degree in a nuclear technology program.
School of Health Sciences
Michael J. Cooley Memorial Award
The Michael J. Cooley Memorial Award is presented to a health science student in memory and recognition of the contributions of Michael Cooley to the School of Health Sciences, as a beloved and dedicated adjunct faculty member. The recipient of the award is a graduate of the School of Health Sciences who embodies exemplary academic achievement and exceptional perseverance. This graduate accepts the challenges that befall an adult learner and embraces the opportunity to grow academically, professionally and personally within the health sciences discipline.
School of Liberal Arts
Joshua L. Smith Award
This award recognizes the leadership and vision of founding trustee Joshua L. Smith. During his three years as chair of the Excelsior College Board of Trustees, he encouraged the College to expand graduate degree programs. Smith, a retired professor and director of the Program in Higher Education and Center for Urban Community College Leadership, New York University, School of Education, dedicated his career to education. Thus, this award is presented to a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies graduate who demonstrated outstanding achievement and has a career focused on education.
Robert P. Mahoney Award
In recognition of Dr. Mahoney's outstanding contributions to liberal arts education at this College and his devotion to serving his community, this award is presented to a liberal arts graduate who completed a degree in the face of significant challenges and demonstrated a dedication to community and volunteer service.
School of Nursing
Mildred L. Montag Memorial Award
The Mildred L. Montag Memorial Award is given in recognition of Dr. Montag's national leadership in nursing and nursing education and her distinguished contribution to the development of the nursing programs offered by Excelsior College. The graduate selected to receive this award has completed the Excelsior College Master of Science program in nursing and has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement and excellence in all of the nursing courses, including the capstone course.
Ruth V. Matheney Memorial Award
The Ruth V. Matheney Memorial Award is presented in memory and recognition of the distinguished contributions of Ruth V. Matheney to nursing education, her nationally acclaimed leadership toward progressive, patient-centered practices in the classroom and at the bedside, and her wise and willing counsel to the Excelsior College nursing programs. The recipient of this award has completed an undergraduate degree at Excelsior College and has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement and excellence on the nursing theory examinations or nursing courses and the nursing capstone requirement.
School of Public Service
Dwayn Hanford Award
This award is presented in recognition of Excelsior College alumnus Dwayn Hanford. As current president of the Excelsior College Alumni Association, a past C. Wayne Williams Award recipient,and adjunct instructor for the School of Public Service, Mr. Hanford is a strong advocate and ally to the school and the mission to educate 21st century public sector leaders and citizens. The recipient of the Dwayn Hanford Award has completed a degree from the School of Public Service with academic excellence and significant community involvement.
Arthur Gregg Award
This award recognizes the leadership and vision of founding trustee Lt. General Arthur J. Gregg (USA Retired). General Gregg chaired the College's Board of Overseers and guided the transition to independence as a private institution, becoming the first chair of the Board of Trustees. With a distinguished career in the U.S. Army, General Gregg has contributed greatly to the College's service to the U.S. military. The award is presented to a student who is on active duty in the U.S. Military and who demonstrates outstanding academic and career or professional achievement. Read more about this award.
Catherine Craig-Erhardt Memorial Award
This award is given in memory of Catherine Craig-Erhardt, a member of the College staff beginning in 1980. From 1984 until her untimely death in 1986, she served as the College's liaison to the military. The award recognizes and commemorates her commitment to helping military servicemembers attain their educational goals and is presented for service to others, commitment to education, and for academic, professional, and personal achievement. Read more about this award.


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US stocks end higher, helped by gold miners
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market is closing at a record high despite a disappointing quarterly performance from McDonald's.
A big week for corporate results began Monday with second-quarter earnings for the hamburger chain falling short of Wall Street's expectations.
But the price of gold broke above the $1,300 mark for the first time in a month, and gave mining stocks a lift. Gold rose $43.10, or 3 percent, to $1,336 an ounce.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose three points to 1,695, a record high. The Dow Jones industrial average closed up one point to 15,545. The Nasdaq composite was up 12 points at 3,600.
McDonald's says economic uncertainty for its customers weighed on results and it warned of a tough year ahead. The company's stock price was down 2.7 percent.


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What most interested me was not the choices, but the reasons. People respond to films (and all forms of art) in diverse and unpredictable ways. Marti Noxon, for instance, lists The Blair Witch Project as one of only two movies (along with The Exorcist) "that have kept me awake as an adult"; on the other hand, I found Blair Witch to be a useful remedy for insomnia.
Many of the responses hark back to childhood reactions, and this is understandable -- children are generally easier to scare than adults, and our early experiences, before we have been numbed and carapaced by life, tend to be the most vivid and visceral. (In 1985, I thought Terror at London Bridge was unbearably frightening. Now? Not so much.)
I first started thinking about how we respond to horror movies in '86 or '87 when I saw what soon became one of my all-time favorite works of nonfiction film, Scream Greats vol. 1: Tom Savini. Early on, George Romero says,
Everyone says why do you laugh, how can you laugh at this stuff, here's somebody being torn in half and people are laughing. And I guess you can't understand that unless you're into it, you know? It's like, why do people laugh on a rollercoaster ride? Some people don't. In fact, probably most people get sick on rollercoaster rides, and get headaches and throw up and everything else, but the people that love 'em, love 'em, and they get in there and laugh and scream, because the experience makes you exuberant.My critical understanding of affect and audience response at that point in my life was probably not much more advanced than, "Boys like horror movies, girls don't," and so Romero's words got me thinking in a way I never had before. Because I hate rollercoasters and similar rides -- really, any ride involving height, since I am cripplingly acrophobic; adding motion to height is for me a recipe not for vomiting (although maybe that), but for utter and irrational panic. (Scariest movie I've ever seen: Man on Wire.)
Horror movies actually can produce a variety of types of laughter for aficionados. There is the sort of euphoric laughter Romero speaks of, certainly, but there's also the laughter produced by something like Blood Feast, which is hilarious and revolting, or hilariously revolting -- it makes complete sense that John Waters loves Blood Feast, a film that would make a great double feature with Pink Flamingos.
Anyway, we could go on and on about the various ways of appreciating horror movies (which, I later learned, girls are also capable of doing), but what I want to pose here is just one undeveloped idea: Is "scared" the best word for what we're talking about?
In my House Next Door piece about Maximum Overdrive, I wrote:
Whether a movie can "scare the hell outta you" depends very much on the you watching the movie. Myself, I don't remember being scared by a film since I was a child. Revolted, yes. Startled, certainly. Disturbed, definitely. But scared? Of what?I could have thrown in a few other words there, too -- unsettled is a useful one -- but proliferation is not the point. The NYT piece is illuminating because it allows a few people to talk about that exact "Of what?" Or, at least, it shows that scared is, indeed, sometimes exactly the right word. Marti Noxon, for example, seems really to have been scared by The Exorcist and Blair Witch.
I wonder if some of the capacity to be scared by a movie (or book) has to do with how immersive we are in our experience. I'm not a particularly immersive view of films (or reader of anything). Last year, I wrote a post that bounced off of some statements by Ron Silliman about non-immersive reading, and though I experience films in a vastly different way from how I experience text (and, indeed, one of the pleasures of film for me is that it does what my brain doesn't do well with text: exploit mise-en-scene), I don't usually just lose myself in a film. There are exceptions, but they're rare, and plenty of movies I cherish are not ones I have immersive experiences with.
I can think of a few people I know who simply cannot watch any violent or horrific movies because they watch films immersively and empathetically. Their physical reaction to violence on film is pretty much the same physical reaction I have on rollercoasters. And it's no fun.
It's not even as simple as immersive/nonimmersive, though, because there are types of violence I really struggle to watch on screen. I'm not much of a torture porn fan, for instance. But the thing that inevitably and consistently will cause me to turn away from the screen or skip ahead is any portrayal of an animal suffering.
Does this mean I value animal life over human life, since I can easily watch representations of people getting sliced and diced, but any representation of an animal suffering is unbearable? I don't think so -- in real life, the sight of any sort of blood or pain, human or animal, is extremely difficult for me (I would make a terrible EMT, trauma nurse, etc.). Movies affect me differently from life. Were I to publish a collection of film essays, I'd be tempted to steal a title from Marvin Mudrick and call it Movies Are Not Life -- But Then What Is?
I haven't yet come up with enough understanding of my own reactions to these things to be able to offer much of a theory about their causes or roots. Certainly, part of my joy in the types of horror movies I enjoy is technical or aesthetic -- Blood Feast is euphoric because it is so unhinged, so excessively, blazingly uninterested in anything other than being gross; Texas Chainsaw Massacre is euphoric because it is so consistently raw and unblinking, so committed to its tone; The Shining is euphoric because it is total cinema, a dance of sound and sight.
In the video essay that accompanies the NYT article, Zinoman says that Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer so terrified him when he was young that he never wants to see the film again. That's an interesting criterion for me, and I definitely have a few such movies, though not because of being scared. (And I find Henry a fascinating and powerful portrayal of sociopathy, so am happy to watch it every now and then.) The two movies that immediately come to mind as ones I'm in no hurry to see again are Last House on the Left (original, not remake) and Boys Don't Cry. I think Last House is brilliant and necessary -- the most effective attack by a film on its own audience that I've ever seen -- but there is nothing even remotely pleasurable about watching it, and so while I would perhaps watch it again to be able to write about it at some point, I'm not rushing to do so. I may watch Boys Don't Cry again someday, too, but even the thought of doing so makes my innards clench, because the one time I watched it, soon after it was released on videotape, was an overwhelmingly emotional experience, and not one I much enjoyed, because it seemed to me then just about the most relentlessly depressing and unfulfillingly sad movie I'd ever encountered.
Being scared, though, is entirely different. Documentaries like Manufacturing Consent and Taxi to the Dark Side are far more frightening than any horror movies I've ever seen. Those are the sorts of movies that can keep me me up at night.


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DUBLIN, Ireland — There are no people on Earth as romantic as the French. No one is punctual like the Swiss. The Germans have defined a sense of order. The Italians know how to eat. And no one, I mean no one, does misery like the Irish.
Ireland's well-chronicled story of rags to riches to rags again is a cautionary tale of the early 21st century. A country reared on hardship, famine and oppression has, after a brief turn in the economic sun, been cast back into the misty gloom of struggle.
Ireland: In the Sept. 30 Travel section, an information box accompanying an article about Ireland said that prices for a double room at Ashford Castle range from $114. That rate is per person. The article also said that the $486 airfare to Dublin, Ireland, included taxes and fees. It did not. The correct airfare, including taxes and fees, is about $1,000. —
But lately I've begun to notice that a mischievous quality has sneaked in under the cloak of misery the Irish have put back on with disarming ease after the good times ended. There is still plenty of suffering to go around, but the place has begun to get a buzz about it again — one that reminds me of the country I knew and loved so well.
I first landed in Ireland 25 years ago, and as it is today, The Misery was on the land. The '80s were a dreary time of inflation, double-digit interest rates and a stagnant economy.
Yet the very direness of the situation swung doors wide to me that might never have opened had the people's necessity not dictated. I paid strangers just a few pounds to sleep in their spare rooms. I ate breakfast at the family table and in the evening watched the Rose of Tralee beauty contest on a black-and-white television beside a mother and father with a vested interest.
Of course, I drank too much in smoky and welcoming pubs, and I played bad golf on wild, spectacular and deserted courses. For a few hundred dollars I joined one such club in Lahinch, and to this day I receive my annual bag tag, one of my most prized possessions.
I returned to Ireland every year — until I missed a year, and then another, and then nearly a decade had passed. When I finally returned, the economic upturn known as the Celtic Tiger had begun its voracious assault on the land — a change that seemed at first as miraculous as it did unlikely.
Changing fortunes
Within a few years at the turn of this century, Ireland began to transform from a charming bog to the poster child of European Union dreams. Farmers put down their beloved Guinness and picked up Pinot Grigio. Dublin morphed from a dank backwater into a sophisticated metropolis. Helicopters were chartered to fly across the country for a lunch of fresh Galway oysters at Moran's, and then back to the posh suburb of Dalkey in time for dinner. Property prices soared, and credit was easy. The going was good.
I too succumbed to the fever that was gripping the land and bought a home. Yet from my outsider's perspective, something in the auld sod was being lost along the way to prosperity. The pubs banned smoking, but the warm welcome also seemed to go up in smoke. The playful twinkle in the eye and the friendly slag were replaced by an aloof disinterest. The good-natured blarney had become boasting bluster.
Neither people nor countries get rich quick gracefully, I concluded. I was glad the Irish were finally having their moment in the sun, but for me, the place had begun to lose its magic.
And then it all went to hell. Seemingly overnight, housing prices plummeted (and are down 55% from their height in 2007). Unemployment recently hit 14.9%. Many of the Eastern European laborers who had flooded the land have gone home.
The Irish have been left alone to nurse a vicious hangover.
Yet in the midst of all this hardship something strange has begun to happen: The restaurants appear packed again, pubs are overflowing onto the street, there's laughter around town. Could the Irish really be rising up and dusting themselves off?
Is this just wishful thinking on my part — a desire to recapture an earlier time of innocence? I decide to head to the one place in Ireland a man goes when looking for answers to life's bigger questions.
At the bustling bar in Kehoe's Pub on South Anne Street in Dublin, the Guinness is flowing and the chat is in full swing. On first glance, not much has changed since the gold rush days of 2004.
Dubliner Jim Lyng sets me straight. "We completely lost the run of ourselves during the boom," he tells me. Then, sounding like the psychologist he is, Lyng continues: "No one trusted it could last, and in a certain way it was a relief when it finally burst. And what's happening now, with the struggle again, in a certain way we love it — I'm not talking about the people who paid too much for a home and can't afford their mortgage — but there's something in who we are as a people; we're comfortable with struggle.
"We've come home to ourselves."
Perhaps that feeling of regaining something lost during those heady days is what I had begun to notice. I hear that sentiment echoed again and again around town.
"There's a sense now that we're all in this together," Dublin native Louise Horgan says as she strolls past the small Victorian row houses in the now trendy Portobello section of town. Beside a shuttered church, Horgan points to a thriving community garden planted beneath the "For sale" sign. "This garden is a direct result of the downfall," she says. "It didn't exist before. There's a palpable sense of community now."
There's also a sensation around town that people are doing more than just making the best of a bad situation. The city center seems alive in a way that feels almost counterintuitive. New businesses are opening; an entrepreneurial spirit appears to be taking hold.
"I never could have done what I'm doing during the boom," John Farrell says. "The bust gave me the opportunity." Reared in the poverty-riddled Ballymun council flats of north Dublin, the brown-eyed 38-year-old recently opened his third restaurant in the last four years.
"I bought my first place when it was in receivership in 2009," he says. "It would have been eight times that cost during the boom — I'd still be clearing tables. Back in the Celtic Tiger days, it was the same people opening the same kinds of places. But now, there's a whole new generation; it's very exciting. You can feel it."
Farrell's latest venture, a Mexican restaurant named 777 on South Great Georges Street, is testament to that spirit. It's funky glitz 'n' kitsch in design, consistently packed — and with the Margarita Especial made with organic tequila priced at 12 euros (about $15), it's not cheap.
"People are still willing to pay for the small pleasures," salon owner Noel McCarthy explains. "We put our foot in the water of prosperity and decided we liked it. People don't want to give everything up. If you're in the housing or the car business, forget it, but the small-ticket items are booming again." In what is perhaps a barometer of the times, McCarthy owns two hair salons, down from five during the height of the boom, but he plans to reopen a third in the next few months.
"You still got your taxi drivers moanin' and groanin', but they were complaining during the good times too. It was all a little unreal before, but now we're back to the graft, and we're good at that. An hour's pay for an hour's work. We're in a better place now."
A walk down a swarming Grafton Street — the pedestrian mall and hub of Dublin's shopping center — past Trinity College, across the River Liffey and up bustling O'Connell Street, seems to bear out what I'm hearing. I begin to wonder if this new optimism is restricted to the big city or if they are feeling a similar sense of resurgence in the country.
Reality check
I head west on the M6 motorway, covering ground at a rate that would have been impossible just a decade ago, before EU money established a network of highways throughout the country, making obsolete many of the notorious meandering Irish lanes.
My first stop — just outside the postcard village of Cong in County Mayo — is at one of the favorite playgrounds of the Celtic Tigers. Inside the wrought-iron gates I glide past the golf course and sweep over the gentle rise until the view of Ashford Castle stops me in my tracks. Dating to 1228, later owned by the Guinness family, the soaring gray stone turrets and formal gardens, home to Ireland's oldest falconry, Ashford became a symbol of Ireland's excessive success. And to look at the manicured lawns and full parking lot, the genteel life at Ashford continues.
"At the high-end level, there is huge demand," general manager Niall Rochford says. "If I had more suites, I'd be filling them every night." Yet the once-bustling heliport sits empty. "We used to need air traffic control out there; choppers were circling and hovering. But I can't remember the last time an Irishman got out of a helicopter. We've all come back to a level of reality."
Rochford shrugs and then leans toward me. "We lost some of the caring that the Irish are famous for," he says. "It's back to basics, and that's a good thing."
After a quiet stroll through the lush gardens and down along the misty shore of Lough Corrib, Ireland's second-largest lake, I find it difficult to imagine that anything could be amiss on the Emerald Isle.
But the rising tide of the boom did not raise all boats equally. Hardship in the west is keen. I head down the road to the university town of Galway. With close to 80,000 residents, it is the west's largest city.
Yet here too, the pedestrian mall along Shop Street is — like Grafton Street in Dublin — swarming. A few more street musicians than I remember have their hats out, but the students that give this town its perpetual feeling of optimism are dictating the mood.
An hour farther down the coast, around Galway Bay, past some of the "ghost estates" that litter much of the Irish landscape and into County Clare, beyond Ballyvaughan and along the fringes of the rocky Burren, past whitewashed houses with thatch roofs that preside over sheep grazing in green fields encased by dry stone walls — this is the Ireland of postcards — the village of Doolin is strung along one narrow road that fizzles out down by the sea, where ferries ply the route to the Aran Islands. This is the epicenter of Irish traditional music. I've come to see whether they still have a song to sing.
Street life is humming, but Doolin native Declan O'Callaghan sums up what I hear more than once: "At least we've got the Americans coming in for the music; otherwise, it's pretty bad out here." Yet when the sun goes down, the music starts and the Guinness begins to flow, troubles seem forgotten — at least while the fiddles burn.
Eventually I make my way back to Dublin and ease onto my familiar stool in Kehoe's Pub, still trying to reconcile the feeling of struggle I know exists with the consistent laughter I've heard around the country. Then I remember something my psychologist friend Jim Lyng pointed out at the beginning of my unscientific experiment to take the temperature of the land.
"What you have to understand is that for the Irish our joy is not something that's subsequent to misery, the way it might be in other nationalities who go through great hardship or tragedy. Our misery and relationship to suffering is so ingrained, so long-standing, so imbued in who we are that it coexists with everything else. Consequently, we can laugh at anything, including ourselves." Like the good psychologist, Lyng is silent as I consider this. Then he continues.
"There is certainly no promise that things are going to turn around, but on a good day, when the sun is shining and a fair wind blows, I would take a chance and go out on a limb to suggest that there is the potential for hope."
For a people who love their misery as much as the Irish, it sounds almost like a guarantee.
Actor and travel writer Andrew McCarthy's memoir, "The Longest Way Home: One Man's Quest for the Courage to Settle Down," has just been published by Free Press.


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My Letter to HIV: A Video From Aaron Laxton
A Video Blog
May 2, 2012
My Journey: My Letter to HIV
This article was provided by "Write a Letter to HIV" Campaign at TheBody.com.
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