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NEW SMYRNA BEACH ? Whether the historic Delta Queen riverboat will chug its way to this city as a floating hotel could be decided as early as Sept. 11.
That's when the City Commission is set to hear a presentation from local hotelier Wayne Heller about his plans to dock the 85-year old, 285-foot-long vessel off the North Causeway as an 88-room hotel. Heller, along with his wife, Judy, owns the Riverview Hotel and the Spa at Riverview on Flagler Avenue.
In preparation for that date, Heller will be asked to answer about 40 questions regarding his plans ? ranging from what effect the boat would have on Intracoastal Waterway traffic and navigation to where the vessel would be docked during a hurricane.
The city in April sent out a request for proposal to lease and develop the 5-acre property at 160 N. Causeway. The Hellers last month submitted the only bid for the site. It mirrored results last year when city officials solicited bids for the site and also received one response ? from an Orlando restaurateur who wanted to build a waterfront grill on the property called Chicken Island.
A task force appointed by the City Commission voted down that proposal.
This time, the fate of the Delta Queen proposal will likely rest solely with commissioners, Assistant City Manager Khalid Resheidat said Thursday.
"At this point, there is no task force," he said. "I think the City Commission is the one who is going to decide."
Built in 1927, the Delta Queen carried passengers up and down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers for decades. The vessel received an exemption from the federal Safety at Sea Act, which prohibits wooden boats from carrying more than 50 overnight passengers. However, that exemption expired in 2008 and the boat was taken out of passenger service. Since 2009, it has been moored in Chattanooga, Tenn., as a floating hotel. The Delta Queen is a National Historic Landmark.
Xanterra Parks and Resorts currently owns the riverboat. Heller said last month he was in the process of finalizing a purchase agreement for the vessel. Heller could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Heller also said last month he would renovate a building on the Causeway site that was formerly used to house offices for the city's wastewater treatment officials. He plans to install a spa.
The city's queries will be in the form of a letter that will be sent to Heller, pending City Commission approval of the draft on Wednesday. One question in the draft concerns parking. City Manager Pam Brangaccio wrote that according to Heller's proposed development plan the project would require a total of 161 parking spaces. That's 61 more spaces than Heller proposed in his bid to the city.
Brangaccio said in the letter the amount of parking spaces are based on the 88 hotel rooms, 100 employees slated to work at the hotel and the size of the spa building.
City officials also want to know whether the boat will be painted and cleaned on an established schedule. They will also ask whether Heller would agree to pay the city a cash deposit ? equal to the cost of removing the boat from the site ? if the hotel operation ceases within the terms of a lease between the two parties.
Some city commissioners have said they need to see approvals for the Delta Queen from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Florida Inland Navigation District and the U.S. Coast Guard among other agencies before they could ultimately consider the project.
Heller has said in the past that he's confident he can meet all the regulatory requirements needed for the project. The Corps would have to rule on whether the Delta Queen would stick out in the channel and interfere with the barges and other vessels that regularly travel the waterway.
Nancy Sticht, spokeswoman for the Corps of Engineers, said in an email that officials had a "pre-application" meeting with Heller to advise him about the agency's procedures and requirements. They also discussed with him the potential environmental issues that would have to be addressed before in order for a permit to be issued for the project, she said.
"We have not yet received an application relative to this proposal so have no further information to share at this time," she said in the email.


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Inventory Optimization: Show Me the Money
Minimizing inventory investment and carrying costs while maintaining high service levels can be a tough balancing act. But best-practice companies have shown that it can be done - profitably.
in the NewsU.S. Port Update Part 1: Infrastructure Shortfalls Driving Innovation Oregon Rep. Blumenauer makes move for permanent short-line railroad tax credit UPS is in line to sue EU over failed attempt to acquire TNT Express following court ruling Free seminars on ProMat show floors share materials handling, supply chain knowledge ProMat 2019 International Visitors Center greets, assists attendees from 110 countries More News
Marisa Brown, Director, Knowledge Center, APQC
Companies today face an ongoing balancing act as they try to:
• carry enough inventory to respond quickly to customer demand and minimize transportation costs; and
• minimize investment in inventory, facilities, and equipment to reduce warehousing and storage costs.
How big is this inventory optimization challenge?
Organizations participating in APQC's Open Standards Benchmarking in logistics report that 59 percent of their logistics labor is allocated to operating warehouses (Exhibit 1). Keeping the optimal amount of inventory on hand could make a difference in this time- and resource-intensive process.
In addition to the time and resource requirements, inventory carrying costs can be significant for organizations juggling the asset vs. service tradeoff. Exhibit 2 shows APQC data for inventory carrying costs.
|WEBCAST: 10 Proven Ways to Cut Your Inventory Costs
|Wednesday August 31, 2011 at 2:00 PM EDT
For supply chain professionals looking for practical tips to lower their inventory costs, this is a "must-attend" event. Ralph Cox from Tompkins Associates will discuss proven procedures, policies, strategies and technology enablers for cutting inventory costs - and improving the bottom line.
Click Here for more Information
At the midpoint (median), organizations spend 10 percent of the annual value of their inventory to carry it. Bottom performers spend more than twice what top performers spend to carry their inventory (16.4 percent compared to 7.3 percent of annual inventory value).
The cost to carry inventory translates to a dollar impact on the organization. Exhibit 3 demonstrates the effect on the bottom line for a sample company with $5 billion in revenue. According to APQC's Open Standards data, the median inventory value as a percentage of revenue is 10.6 percent, so for a company with $5 billion in revenue that would amount to $530,709,500. Using the median inventory value, the gap in inventory carrying cost between top and bottom performers would be more than $48 million.
How can your organization optimize inventory to avoid excessive carrying costs and still satisfy demand? APQC's best practices report Inventory Optimization: Balancing the Asset vs. Service Tradeoff reveals that the solution lies in creating an inventory optimization program focused on good design, effective processes, appropriate technology, and regular assessment. The discussion below addresses these key elements.
Key Components of Inventory Optimization
How do you determine the needs and objectives of each process area integrated across functions and of your suppliers and customers? Our best practices report points to sharing collaborative demand and supply information among supply chain partners, and using the information to optimize your global network to find the best balance between inventory levels and customer service. A well-designed strategy should incorporate senior management support, periodic evaluations, managing service levels, and partnering with suppliers.
Senior management support. Senior leadership should define, support, and enforce any new inventory optimization effort because it is interdisciplinary and will touch every aspect of the organization—from logistics and procurement to HR, sales, and marketing. The involvement of senior management ensures full organizational alignment. Make sure that your senior management team reinforces inventory optimization as a strategic initiative by committing budget and resources to the effort.
Periodic evaluation. A periodic evaluation of the supply chain design addresses inefficiencies in the physical network and ensures sufficient capacity to support business requirements. In supply chain design, the aim is to remove waste caused by or contained in the supply chain network itself. Identifying these inefficiencies can lead to opportunities for consolidation or realignment. Additionally, reevaluating the design at regular intervals helps position the physical network to support the changing marketplace. Drivers include demand growth and shifts, increased customer service requirements, and globalization of suppliers. These tend to require an organization to shift or expand its supply chain footprint.
Managing service levels. Because improvement of customer service is a primary objective of inventory optimization, it is imperative to maintain and improve service levels during the transformation process to ensure stakeholder buy-in and momentum for the initiative. Once leadership has defined the organization's service policy, determine the sufficient target inventory levels based not only on the service policy, but also on the effectiveness of the supporting processes and technology.
|WEBCAST: 10 Proven Ways to Cut Your Inventory Costs
|Wednesday August 31, 2011 at 2:00 PM EDT
For supply chain professionals looking for practical tips to lower their inventory costs, this is a "must-attend" event. Ralph Cox from Tompkins Associates will discuss proven procedures, policies, strategies and technology enablers for cutting inventory costs - and improving the bottom line.
Click Here for more Information
Partnering with suppliers. Inventory optimization requires the organization to partner with internal and external suppliers to improve replenishment speed and efficiency. This applies to all goods, whether internally produced or purchased from the outside. Two components are essential here: communication and accountability. Effective communication involves teamwork, collaboration, and visibility. Accountability encompasses making decisions with respect to the organization as a whole, not simply optimizing one function or sub-process. Accountability is critical when opposing forces meet within the same supply chain: consider the situation where manufacturing receives incentives for high utilization and productivity without regard to the space needed or cost to store those items. Use a planning process that determines the best course of action for the business as a whole. Make the appropriate combination of supplier upstream programs, supplier performance management programs, and supplier relationship management a foundation of your inventory optimization initiative.
Implementing Inventory Processes and Procedures
How do you determine appropriate procedural steps and relationships to manage efficient and integrated inventory practices? Start by realigning roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities, both internally and within supplier organizations. Defining and mapping processes and integrating supplier processes are two keys to achieving better alignment.
Assigning process ownership focuses accountability and helps drive execution of the strategy. Process mapping allows you to target areas for improvement and establish standardized, cross-functional processes with common goals among stakeholders. Establish sales and operations planning and forecasting schedules and maintain purchasing levels and policies to maximize improvement opportunities. By doing so, you set the stage for obtaining the best inventory optimization results.
To achieve lower inventory levels while maintaining or improving customer service, you also need to look beyond your corporate walls. Reach out and set up programs with your supply chain partners to help suppliers streamline their processes and integrate them into your organization's processes and goals.
Technology as an Enabler of Optimization
How do you use technology to enable your inventory optimization processes? Our best practices study suggests that you start by determining the features and functionality needed to minimize inventory investment and improve customer service. Then, assess how you can implement the technology effectively. By using tools and training wisely, you lay a foundation to get the most out of your inventory technology investment.
Organizations should add incremental technology to stable planning processes where measurement and testing have pointed to functional gaps. You cannot expect technology outside the context of a well-defined and executed process to drive performance on its own. The process—not the technology—is the key as it provides the basis to evaluate needs and define and prioritize objectives. Once you know what you want to achieve, you can determine which technology best supports those objectives. Ideally, the organization should select new technology to support the redesigned processes, rather than redesigning processes around new technology.
|WEBCAST: 10 Proven Ways to Cut Your Inventory Costs
|Wednesday August 31, 2011 at 2:00 PM EDT
For supply chain professionals looking for practical tips to lower their inventory costs, this is a "must-attend" event. Ralph Cox from Tompkins Associates will discuss proven procedures, policies, strategies and technology enablers for cutting inventory costs - and improving the bottom line.
Click Here for more Information
Automating inventory optimization and embedding technology into the planning process enables organizations to maintain an optimal inventory mix. Although inventory optimization has a strategic component, the dynamic nature of the marketplace requires tying effective inventory optimization technology to an organization's operational processes and systems. Events that will quickly render obsolete a strategic view of inventory optimization include new product introductions, changing demand patterns, and evolving sourcing alternatives. Ensure that these technological exercises are not done only once, but instead are continual and evolve over time.
Finally, to maximize the effectiveness of inventory optimization technology, successful organizations implement training and education programs, set expectations, and provide context to those using the results. The aim of training here is to maximize the effective use of technology and avoid or delay additional IT investments, if possible. You can also use training to provide the foundation necessary to identify functional gaps and seek incremental performance enhancement. By informing the stakeholders, you pave the path for buy-in and confidence in the technology.
Measurement and Continuous Improvement
How do you measure the success of your inventory optimization strategy and continuously improve? Establish key performance indicators to enforce the processes, measure and benchmark progress, and raise expectations to improve capabilities and performance. Use adaptable metrics, and remember the importance of people throughout the program.
Successful organizations monitor inventory optimization via adaptable metrics on supplier performance, customer service, and internal assets. As your organization reaches desired goals or when performance falls short of its potential, you can develop programs with associated metrics to improve performance. The key is to adopt a flexible strategy and metrics that can be adjusted as the environment changes.
Over and above the appropriate metrics, the success of inventory optimization is primarily determined by the quality of the people involved in the process. Make every attempt to acquire, retain, and enhance talent, while driving performance and process improvement down to individual incentives. Engage people and set individual and team goals to achieve optimal performance levels.
The challenge of determining the optimum quantity and positioning of inventory to meet demand is a daunting one. To successfully meet this challenge, organizations must obtain credible demand information and use it to make intelligent, data-driven decisions about their supply chains. Best practices in inventory optimization can help improve service, reduce inventory levels, and meet organization-wide goals. Doing so will drive improvement throughout the entire supply chain and in all process areas in the business.
About Marisa Brown: Marisa Brown leads APQC's Knowledge Center, a newly established group charged with creating and publishing relevant, meaningful content to APQC members and other clients. In this role, she oversees APQC's content publishing and synchronizes it with all research deliverables created through APQC's Research and Advisory Services. In addition, she oversees APQC research agendas for upcoming Collaborative Best Practice studies.
About APQC: A member-based nonprofit founded in 1977, APQC is the leading resource for performance analytics, best practices, process improvement, and knowledge management. For more information, visit apqc.org or call 713-681-4020.
|WEBCAST: 10 Proven Ways to Cut Your Inventory Costs
|Wednesday August 31, 2011 at 2:00 PM EDT
For supply chain professionals looking for practical tips to lower their inventory costs, this is a "must-attend" event. Ralph Cox from Tompkins Associates will discuss proven procedures, policies, strategies and technology enablers for cutting inventory costs - and improving the bottom line.
Click Here for more Information
More "Must Read" related articles on "Inventory Management"
25 Ways to Lower Inventory Costs
How Inventory Optimization Opens Pathways to Profitability
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Article TopicsInventory Management · Inventory Optimization · Procurement · Purchasing · Supply Chain · Warehousing ·
Truck Driver Shortage: No one behind the wheel Intermodal to the rescue View More From this Issue

subset: commoncrawl


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Note: There seems to be something weird going on over at Feministe as regards links to these posts. I'll try to fix the links as things over there settle down. Sorry!
They're all great reads, infused with insight that comes with non-self-conscious analysis of one's own experiences, and I think kudos are in order for Jaclyn for speaking on this topic, one that there is a lot of silence about.
Silence About Intimacy
In fact, I think none of us talk enough about what it means for men and women to find some intimacy with each other while doing the work of feminism, whether that intimacy be framed as friendship, love, sex or various combinations of all of these. Once you jettison hetero norms and the like, and you've got an even more complex situation that a lot of people seem to want to oversimplify to fit their world views (i.e. people who stereotype bi-identified people as all in the closet or 'confused'). In some ways it is understandable that this stuff doesn't get talked about as much as I would like it to be--personal intimacy issues seem to pale in comparison with, say, the glass ceiling or violence against women, as far as things that need to change go.
And yet, intimacy is one of the great joys of life--an for those of us who identify as hetero or bi (and for some of us who identify as queer), intimacy with those of the opposite sex, of various forms, can be a kind of joy that we may think is worth all of the trouble. Certainly, when Jaclyn talks about hoping for long-term-ish-ness in her current relationship with a guy, we hear (in part) that she thinks the joy she's getting from this intimacy is worth the crap that has to be waded through involving people's reactions to her "sleeping with the enemy".
But I didn't mean this post to be about intimacy in general. What I intend is to paint a bit of a picture of what it's like to be the 'enemy' in a similar situation. In particular, I'm going to talk a bit about the complexities that have revolved around dating feminists, dating bi- and queer-identified women, and the ways in which I've attempted to deal with, from time to time in important ways, being intimate while being construed as the enemy.
On Avoiding the Bullshit Altogether
Jaclyn points out that being a woman who is only intimate with other women can give one the option of opting out of a lot of the bs that comes along with being a woman who is intimate with men:
I had dropped out of the world of men for complicated reasons. You can read more here if you like, or else suffice it to say that once I discovered that I was attracted to women, I immediately realized that I had no reason to deal with male bullshit at all anymore.
It's important to not play down how freeing this can feel for people. I've talked with bi- and gay-identified women in my life who feel pretty deeply the ways in which not being intimate with men (to the point of cutting off family ties with a parent or siblings, even) can be liberating to the extreme. Which is not to say that intimacy between women is without baggage of its own, of course--but arguments have been made to me that, given a choice, finding love and friendship without having to deal with "male bullshit at all" could be the way to go.
But what does the "male bullshit" mean to men, who sometimes are the enemy, who sometimes become the enemy?
Next: Part Two: Becoming the Enemy


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Illinois CNST Annual Nanotechnology Workshop 2010 Lecture 5: Nanoparticles against B–lineage Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
11 Mar 2011 | Online Presentations | Contributor(s): Fatih Uckun
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Flags (American)
From Consumer Wiki
If consumers need a source for a donated flag, they may try contacting the Veterans of Foreign Wars office, various branches of the military forces, or their legislator at the federal level. In addition, California and United States flags may be ordered (with prepayment) from the California Legislature State Senate Publications Office listed below.
California and United States flags are available in 4 different sizes; pre- payment required on all flag orders. Call for information on methods of payment and delivery.
Senate Publications
State Capitol, Room 3044
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 651-4171
(916) 651-4181
Information about Flag code and etiquette:
American Legion
Consumer Resource & Referral Guide
Directory of State Agencies
Directory of Federal Agencies
Return to DCA Home Page


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November 18, 2004
After 12 years of marriage, Ed revealed to Kandi that he'd been having an affair and his mistress is now pregnant. Dr. Phil continues his in-depth look at the anatomy of an affair.
Catch up on what you've missed.
Saving a Marriage
Ed and Kandi were both making an effort to plug back into their marriage. Then Ed ran into the other woman and learned she's having a girl.
"I've always wanted to have a girl," says Ed.
Dealing With the Affair
Kandi lives in constant fear that Ed is going back to the other woman. Is it even possible to rebuild trust in this marriage?
"You need to kick his ass to the curb."
What the Mistress Has to Say
The other woman speaks up about her affair with Ed and what the future holds for their baby. Kandi can't believe her ears.
"This won't be his last affair."
Caught in the Crossfire
Ed and Kandi vowed to never fight in front of their children again. What do cameras in the home reveal?
The children know too much.
Formula for Success
Dr. Phil gives Ed and Kandi his formula for salvaging their relationship after an affair.
"You cannot continue to work with that woman and save your marriage."
DrPhil.com Exclusive
Dr. Phil returns to the stage for some additional words with Ed and Kandi.
What you didn't see on TV.


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HILLSDALE � Charles Duane Bailey will serve 11 months in the Hillsdale County jail for possession of methamphetamines.
Bailey, 28, from Hudson was sentenced Monday morning in Hillsdale County Circuit Court by Judge Michael Smith after he pleaded guilty to the charge last month as part of a plea bargain. He was also placed on three years probation and ordered to pay close to $1,000 in costs and fines.
Bailey was arrested on March 9 by Hillsdale County Sheriff�s deputies�during a routine traffic stop. During the stop, officers found various components used in the making of meth. After searching�Bailey's home, officers found more items, including tubes that had methamphetamine residue on them.
During his arraignment last month, Bailey admitted to Smith that he was making meth in his home, but said that he was not selling it ��he was simply making the drug for his own personal use.
Smith pressed Bailey about how many times he had made the drug and sold it to others. Bailey denied doing so at first, but Smith reminded him that he was under oath.
�Do you want to go to prison?� Smith asked.
Bailey then admitted to making meth at least 10 times and giving some to the mother of one of the people helping him get the ingredients for the drug.
As part of his sentencing, Bailey is not allowed to have contact with his brother-in-law Joseph Hartzell, who was also arrested during the traffic stop. Bailey told the court on Monday that Hartzell was buying pseudoephedrine pills and crushing them for him, but was unaware why he was doing it.
Three other charges, including operating/maintaining a meth lab, were dropped as part of�Bailey's plea bargain.
Bailey faced up to 10 years in prison. He was remanded to the Hillsdale County Jail to complete his sentence and was given credit for 13 days served.
Bailey to serve 11 months in jail


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donghat needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 97 designs submitted by 28 freelance designers.
MakeMeMobi is a website that offers its users free historical data storage for GPS co-ordinates. This will allow its users to then plot via google maps where they've been/where they currently are.
It is targeted at family and businesses who need to locate someone quickly.
MakeMeMobi will cater for anyone wanting to track someone/thing. It will be free for individuals with a possibility of enterprises paying subscription fees.
A friendly logo that focuses on the tracking aspect of the business. People will be the primary thing tracked.
-Something family friendly
-Focuses on tracking
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text: Genetically engineered corn has provided a number of benefits to producers, including stronger stalks that stand up to higher winds. Those stalks have also led to increased complaints about more flats and damage to tires. Titan Tire manufacturing personnel discussed what their company is doing to address the issue during a company media briefing in Des Moines, Iowa. Titan's Scott Sloan has been one of the leaders of that effort.


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Europe's fear of Islam (Part 2)
Date created : Latest update :
As the German president touches down in Turkey this evening for a 5-day visit, the stakes are clear. 3-and-a-half million Turks or people of Turkish origin live in Germany and Berlin is Ankara's top trade partner. It should have been an innocuous trip, but not after weekend comments by the Chancellor in which Angela Merkel said the multiculturalism has utterly failed. Is Merkel stoking xenophobia, and more precisely "Islamophobia"?
- Alfio CERAMI, Research Associate, Centre for European Studies, Sciences Po Paris
- Author of Migration and welfare in the 'new' Europe
- Fabrice POZZOLI, Business Editor, Paris-Berlin magazine
- Fouad Al OBAID, Columnist, Kuweit Times
- Nadja HIRSCH, MEP, Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
Program prepared by Perrine Desplats and Yi Song.


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NFL Draft: Ranking top 10 available players for Chiefs
NFL Draft: Ranking top 10 available players for Chiefs
February 4
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
As the Chiefs prepare to make the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft for the first time in franchise history, were making our own draft board. Each week leading up to the April 25 draft, The Star will rank the top 10 prospects at key positions of need for the Chiefs. Not all are worthy of the No. 1 pick the Chiefs may decide to trade down but all are worth keeping an eye on before the draft starts April 25.
1. Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama. The Chiefs need a cornerback to pair with Brandon Flowers, and Milliner is the best one available.
2. Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah. Fans might be weary of the Chiefs drafting at this position, but they will need some help here, particularly if Glenn Dorsey departs as a free agent.
3. Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas. The Chiefs need to draft Wilson or any player they believe can become a franchise quarterback.
4. Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M. He makes sense only if Branden Albert leaves as a free agent.
5. Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia. The Chiefs are loaded at his position, but top pass rushers are difficult to pass up.
6. Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee. Hes not worth the top pick, but the playoffs were more proof the Chiefs need plenty of help at wide receiver.
7. Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia. The Chiefs have to solve their quarterback problem one way or another.
8. Damontre Moore, OLB, Texas A&M. Hes probably better off as an end in the 4-3 defense, but can play outside linebacker in the 3-4 and is a strong pass rusher.
9. Chance Warmack, G, Alabama. It doesnt make a lot of sense for the Chiefs to take a guard with the top pick, but Warmack isnt just any guard.
10. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson. Like Patterson, the Chiefs would be reaching to get him. But hes another top receiving prospect.
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/02/04...#storylink=cpy
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Milliner is one of the best available at the CB position, but in my opinion he doesn't stand out as "shutdown" at the next level and I don't see him as the best player in this draft. He has one season as a starter and played well. Little too much hype for me though.
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The moral hand is a metaphor of five basic ethical principles, one for each finger, summarizing coherent ethic. It is the result of a ten year study of ethics and it captures my complete ethical system. Each principle generates a principle of equality. To start a discussion on e.g. animal rights and veganism, I will apply the five principles to our consumption of animal products.
-The thumb: the principle of universalism. You must (may) do what everyone who is capable must (may) do in all morally similar situations towards all morally equal individuals. Prejudicial discrimination is immoral. We should give the good example, even if others don't. Just like we have to place the thumb against the other fingers in order to grasp an object, we have to apply the principle of universalism to the other four basic principles.
-The forefinger: justice and the value of lifetime well-being. Increase the well-being (over a complete life) of all sentient beings alive in the present and the future, whereby improvements of the worst-off positions (the worst sufferers, the beings who have the worst lives) have a strong priority. Lifetime well-being is the value you would ascribe when you would live the complete life of a sentient being, and is a function of all positive (and negative) feelings that are the result of (dis)satisfaction of preferences: of of everything (not) wanted by the being.
-The middle finger: the mere means principle and the basic right to bodily autonomy. Never use the body of a sentient being as merely a means to someone else's ends, because that violates the right to bodily autonomy. The two words "mere means" refer to two conditions, respectively: 1) if in order to reach and end (e.g. saving someone) you push a sentient being to do or undergo something that the being does not want, and 2) if the body of that sentient being is necessary as a means for that end, then you are not allowed to treat that being in that way. A sentient being is a being who has developed the capacity to want something by having positive and negative feelings, and who has not yet permanently lost this capacity. The middle finger is a bit longer than the forefinger, and so the basic right is a bit stronger than the lifetime well-being (e.g. the right to live). The basic right can only be violated when the forefinger principle of well-being is seriously threatened.
-The ring finger: naturalness and the value of biodiversity. If a behavior violates the forefinger or middle finger principles, the behavior is still allowed (but not obligatory) only if that behavior is both natural (a direct consequence of spontaneous evolution), normal (frequent) and necessary (important for the survival of sentient beings). As a consequence predators are allowed to hunt. Just as lifetime well-being is the value of a sentient being, biodiversity is the value of an ecosystem and is a function of the variation of life forms and processes that are a direct consequence of natural evolution. The valuable biodiversity would drastically decrease if a behavior that is natural, normal and necessary would be universally prohibited (universally, because you have to put the thumb against the ring finger).
-The little finger: tolerated partiality and the value of personal relationships. Just as the little finger can deviate a little bit from the other fingers, a small level of partiality is allowed. When helping others, you are allowed to be a bit partial in favor of your loved ones, as long as you are prepared to tolerate similar levels of partiality of everyone else (everyone, because you have to put the thumb against the little finger).
-The palm: universal love and solidarity. Do not hate or despise anyone. Love all living beings with respect and compassion. The palm holds the moral fingers together.
The forefinger, middle finger, ring finger and little finger correspond with resp. a welfare ethic, a rights ethic, an environmental ethic and an ethic of care.
These five fingers produce five principles of equality.
-The thumb: the formal principle of impartiality and antidiscrimination. We should treat all equals equally in all equal situations. We should not look at arbitrary characteristics linked to individuals. This is a formal principle, because it does not say how we should treat someone. The other four principles are material principles of equality. They have specific content and are generated when the thumb is applied to the four fingers.
-The forefinger: the principle of priority for the worst-off. As a result of this priority, we have an egalitarian principle of well-being: if total lifetime well-being is constant between different situations, then the situation which has the most equal distribution of well-being is the best.
-The middle finger: basic right equality. All sentient beings with equal levels of morally relevant mental capacities get an equal claim to the basic right not to be used as merely a means to someone else's ends.
-The ring finger: behavioral fairness. All natural beings have an equal right to a behavior that is both natural, normal and necessary (i.e. a behavior that contributes to biodiversity). E.g. if a prey is allowed to eat in order to survive, a predator is allowed to do so as well (even if it means eating the prey).
-The little finger: tolerated choice equality. Everyone is allowed to be partial to an equal degree that we can tolerate. If you choose to help individual X instead of individual Y, and if you tolerate that someone else would choose to help Y instead of X, then X and Y have a tolerated choice equality (even if X is emotionally more important for you than Y).
The five moral fingers can be applied to the production and consumption of animal products (meat, fish, eggs, dairy, leather, fur,…):
-The forefinger: compared to humans, livestock animals are in the worst-off position due to suffering and early death. The loss of lifetime well-being of the livestock animals is worse than the loss of well-being that humans would experience when they are no longer allowed to consume animal products. Livestock and fisheries violate the forefinger principle of well-being.
-The middle finger: the consumption of animal products almost always involves the use of animals as merely means, hence violating the mere means principle of the middle finger.
-The ring finger: animal products are not necessary for humans, because a well-planned vegan diet is not unhealthy (according to the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics). Biodiversity will not decrease when we would stop consuming animal products (on the contrary, according to UN FAO the livestock sector is likely the most important cause of biodiversity loss). Hence, the value of biodiversity cannot be invoked to justify the consumption of animal products.
-The little finger: we would never tolerate the degree of partiality that is required to justify livestock farming and fishing. Hence, tolerated partiality cannot be invoked to justify the consumption of animal products.
It follows that veganism is ethically consistent, and the production and consumption of animal products are ethically inconsistent.
-The thumb: give the good example, even when other people continue consuming animal products. From this principle, it follows that veganism is a moral duty.
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Just about all of the pro-vegetarian/vegan apologetics start out with the same fallacy: that animals have inherent rights, just like people. The fallacy, though, is that even humans don't have inherent rights. I suppose if you're religious you can talk about God-given rights, but absent God, even people only have the rights they get legislatively.
If you want animals to have the right not to be on humanity's dining table, try to get a law passed. If you want some sort of worldwide law passed, go to the U.N.
Without that legislation, there's nothing to prove.
found this question on a vegan forum
I'm vegan and I try never to kill bugs. But if my home was invaded by ants or termites and they were crawling over everything all the time and taking over my house, I would HAVE to call an exterminator eventually. Don't you agree? Is that hypocritical of me?
Here is one reply
You are a hypocrite masquerading as a moral superior. You rely on capitalism and modes of production and industry that cause suffering to countless humans around the world, yet all you care about are these mindless insects.
We lost the moral high ground when we rendered smallpox extinct.
So, the issue is the person tries never to kill bugs. I am not sure what the rationale is for this. Is it based on sentience? General non-harm? It seems without further knowledge about the justification for not trying to kill bugs, we cannot adequately answer the questions asked.
As far as the reply, it avoids the issue (but does raise others). I think one might be able to successfully argue that trying not to harm bugs is better than not caring or trying to harm bugs. It is not about "moral superiority."
I believe the Dalai Lama discusses something similar to this in light of Jainism in Beyond Religion (as have others - this was just the most recent thing I could think of).
We have largely eradicated malaria in much of the world how? By killing bugs. We're going to Hell!
You have expanded the issue - malaria. Malaria is a harmful microorganism and can reasonably be considered a different issue than insects which may or may not be as harmful as malaria.
Did you read the paper?
Yeah, all 900 pages. I'm a fucking speedreader. Let's start with have YOU read it?
If so, go ahead and change my mind.
Yes, I have read it.
Read it if you like - if not, no biggie. It just isn't based on the fallacy you mentioned.
We (almost everyone of us) give intrinsic (non-instrumental) rights to others. I want us to do so consistently. God is not needed; consistency is.
yipie, he compares meat with rape :-) (at least that is what some of us here would say)


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5 Desktop Accessory Sets in Unique Materials
We like when desktop accessories and organizers come in sets because they're really a one-two punch. For one, they help you organize your space by creating homes for all the crap a desk can attract. And two, they're a cheap and easy way to add some extra style to your desktop space thanks to their cohesive look. After the jump we selected a round up of some of our favorite desktop accessory sets made from unique materials that are sure to catch the eye and keep your office space tidy and smart.
1. West Elm Felt Office Storage ($6-$24)
Felt is simply not a material you often see around an office. But this is an excellent way to infuse an unexpected element into your space. And felt is a great material because it is thick, hardwearing, and holds a shape. This is a fairly comprehensive desktop set with everything from your standard pencil holders to even an iPad case.
2. Moo Flat-Pack Desktop Accessory Line ($9.99-$14.99)
Primarily a printing company, Moo surprised everyone when they came out with this fun little accessory set. They're made of wood veneer and would likely go well in a mid-century style room. They come flat-packed and allow you to assemble them yourself. Think of it as IKEA for desktop accessories. It could be fun... right!?
3. CB2 Chalkboard Office Accessories ($4.50-$39.95)
Ever forget what crap you shoved into your unmarked boxes? Not anymore. These suckers feature a chalkboard surface on all sides so you can draw, annotate, do whatever you'd like to the things. We imagine they'd start to look even better than this stock image once they've gotten some wear and aren't so pristine looking.
4. Semikolon Multimedia Boxes ($19.99 - $24.99)
Semikolon produces a variety of beautifully colored boxes that really make them a playful (and adaptive) addition to many styles. They have a wide range of box shapes which look great when stacked and are of a great quality. We linked you above to the Container Store's selection (which is currently on sale) but more places to buy can be found online easily.
5. DWR's Stainless Steel Desk Set ($180)
If you're looking for a be-all end-all desktop accessory set this could be it. Although it lands in the pricey side, this modern set is made from a very substantial stainless steel. It has a nice weight to the pieces and due to their quality and simplicity, they feel like they could be around for ages.


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A young Jewish mother walks her son to the school bus corner on his first day of kindergarten.
"Behave, my bubaleh," she says.
"Take good care of yourself and think about your mother, tataleh!"
"And come right back home on the bus, schein kindaleh."
"Your Mommy loves you a lot, my ketsaleh!"
At the end of the school day the bus comes back and she runs to her son and hugs him.
"So what did my pupaleh learn on his first day of school?"
The boy answers, "I learned that my name is David."
Featured at Aish.com


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Comcast: We Won't Terminate Your Account Under Six Strikes; We'll Just Block Every Single Website
from the well,-there's-that dept
"If a consumer fails to respond to several Copyright Alerts, Comcast will place a persistent alert in any web browser under that account until the account holder contacts Comcast's Customer Security Assurance professionals to discuss and help resolve the matter,"No information is given on what it means to "resolve the matter." It's hardly a surprise that Comcast would choose the most extreme option, considering that it owns NBC Universal, whose execs supposedly drove much of the discussion around the CAS system. In the meantime, are we still supposed to believe, as per the cheery video that the Center for Copyright Information put out, that this is all for the benefit of ISP users?


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Posted on August 21, 2013 | | Categories: GoAnywhere News, High Availability, Product Release
In response to customer requests, especially from larger organizations, Linoma Software [now HelpSystems] has released new enhancements such as clustering and disk quotas for GoAnywhere Director and GoAnywhere Services. These updates to the GoAnywhere Managed File Transfer suite provide even more robust administrative control, and add automatic failover protection in the event of a server failure.
The new release of GoAnywhere Director 4.5.0 got a big boost when developers added clustering, a feature they added to GoAnywhere Services earlier this year. Clustering, also know as "active-active" high availability, means that multiple installations of GoAnywhere Director can be in operation simultaneously, communicating with each other at all times.
There are several advantages to clustering. It provides assurance for users and trading partners that if something were to go wrong with one of the servers, the additional installations would automatically take over so availability would not be affected. It also allows for load balancing, which is especially helpful for organizations with high volumes of file transfers. Finally, it makes it easy for organizations to manage growth because they can easily incorporate additional servers to their managed file transfer environment.
GoAnywhere Services 3.3.0 offers administrators even greater control over how users interact with their secure FTP servers.
One key enhancement is the addition of disk quotas, which allows admins to determine how much storage space to give to each trading partner and user to better manage storage device resources.
Bandwidth throttling, also new to GoAnywhere Services 3.3.0, lets administrators put limits on the amount of network resources a user can consume when transferring files. With this feature, controls can be enforced on file uploads, downloads and even on which days or times of day are available to specific users.
With more than 50 updates in this round of enhancements, GoAnywhere continues to respond to the needs of its ever-growing consumer base. GoAnywhere customers will be notified within their product screens that an update is available, and those who are not yet customers can contact us to get a free demo, or can download a fully-functional free trial.
For more information about the features included in the new releases, check out our news page.


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The Business Case for Automating Document Driven Business Processes
Timeline Trending today
- 18JanHSBC settles $250bn of FX transactions using distributed ledger technology
- 18JanSquare launches new Mastercard-powered business debit card
- 17JanBitGo launches partnership with Genesis Global Trading
Follow this news. Don't miss an update.
Guided tour Trending today
See how this news is changing by browsing the timeline.


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Lyrikkal (10-Year-Old Girl From H-Town) - Come On Young (Over Dj Khaled's "On One")
"10 yr old little girl from H-Town goin in on DJ Khaled's "On One" track"
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A music theme that takes the listener to a deep thinking trip from the very first moment it starts. Using hypnotic guitar melodies and a meticulous baseline, this audio loop is perfect for projects that want to show paranoia, hypnosis, something sinister or something traveling to the unknown.
You get extra loops when you download this : 1) 0:29 – 0:44 2) 1:54 – 2:04


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#motel 66
History of the Rialto, CA Wigwam No. 7
"California Here I Come!" Disney's Pixar film Cars brings a new storyline for all ages by touching on the past, historic Route 66. The director has done a fantastic job of itegrating Route 66 icons into the animation, ones that you'll find our your 66 trip! The Wigwam Motels will be one of them, shown as the Cozy Cone Motel in the animation, which is a blend of the Wigwam Motel, Blue Swallow Inn and Roy's Cafe. The Movie is also a definite eye-opener to the current Route 66 issues that include of preservation, rehabilitation and tourism topics.
The California Wigwam Motel was built within the city limits of San Bernardino in 1949, a period when citrus groves flourished. The motel would later acquire a Rialto postal address, creating confusions as the property actually sits in San Bernardino. This Route 66 Motel is fun for all, located only minutes from Colton, Grand Terrace, Redlands, Big Bear, Highland, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, and Bloomington, CA. This location would mark the final of 7 Wigwam Motels that were constructed. The motel's village-style arrangement of nineteen 30-foot-tall tepees made from wood framing, concrete and stuco draws much admiration from all generations. Each individual wigwam is carefully equipped with all the traveler's essentials with grounds that includes of grass area, an outdoor barbecue grill and kidney-shaped swimming pool.
The mastermind behind this retro motel was a clever man by the name of Frank Redford, who was heavily influenced by the native Indian culture. He would bring his imagination to a reality in the early 1930s explained in the following section.
A total of only seven Wigwam Motels were built throughout the nation, of which three managed to remain preserved. Two of the last three remaining rest along historic Route 66 in the states of Arizona and California, while the other rests in Redford's home state of Kentucky. View our favorite links page to learn of the other 2 remaining Wigwam Motels.
The remodeled classic motel continues to live on going on its 59th anniversary through the support of car enthusiasts, families, foreigners, historians, preservationists, roadies, tourists, travelers and many others for generations to come. Share a piece of history with your friends and family by suprising them to a stay in a Wigwam!
The Wigwam: Concept to Reality
The coming of the automobile broadened the concepts of recreation and leisure. Unlike travel by train – for decades the most common means of long-distance transportation used by Americans – motoring could be, itself, part of a vacation, not just the means of reaching a destination. In the early 1920s, "autocamping" became the rage, and campgrounds sprang up all over the country. By the end of the decade, however, the camps' latrines and common showers, and the increasing patronage by itinerants brought about by the onset of the Depression, made these facilities less desirable for many motorists. The next step was the cabin or cottage camp, or the proto-motel. The tiny individual tourist cabins usually emphasized the attractions of the region; for example, mock colonial houses in New England, adobe huts in the Southwest, and the wigwam in Kentucky.
Frank Redford turned his interest in Native American history into a business in 1933 when he built a teepee-shaped building near Horse City, Kentucky, to display his collection of relics. The following year he added a group of teepee-shaped cabins to entice visitors to stay the night and named it "Wigwam Village." Redford obtained a patent for his innovative building design in 1937, and that same year he constructed a second village in the northern outskirts of Cave City, Kentucky, near Mammoth Cave National Park. By the early 1950s, seven wigwam villages had been built in the south and southwestern United States.
The typical wigwam village consisted of individual teepee cabins placed around a larger teepee which served as an office and lobby. The 18 steel-and-concrete tepees of Cave City's Wigwam Village No. 2 vary only in size and number of windows. At 52 feet tall and approximately 35 feet in diameter, the gift shop and office is the largest. Each of the 15 sleeping units is approximately 25 feet in diameter and has two windows. The exterior walls are painted white accented with a bright red jagged lower edge at the top of the cone, a bold zig-zag band encircling the building halfway up the wall, and a narrow zig-zag band with small triangles along the inner edge of the window openings and marks similar to exclamation points at the corners. In the narrow bathrooms created by a partition at the rear of the sleeping units, the floor is covered with red-and-white tiles and the walls and stall shower repeat the zig-zag motif. Four slender metal poles project from the top in imitation of branches of wood.
In its fanciful emulation of an Indian encampment, Wigwam Village No. 2 exemplifies a unique type of architecture created for automobile travelers along the American roadside. It is one of the most historic forerunners of a practice that has been referred to as place-product-packaging – the commercial use of architectural imagery denoting product or regional design characteristics by service-oriented establishments along the American roadside. The motel placed items in the room that patrons could take home as souvenirs. These items, including ashtrays embossed with images of teepees, served as advertisements as well. The gift shop sold t-shirts and miniature plastic teepees. In addition, teepee-shaped signs along Kentucky's highways advertised Wigwam Village.
The golden age examples of roadside Americana began to disappear in the 1960s and 1970s as a result of the burgeoning Interstate system. Superhighways took most of the tourist traffic away from the smaller U.S. roads like Rt. 66 and Rt. 31, and the motels along these routes began to go out of business. The Wigwam Villages were no exception: Today, only three the of the original motels remain: Cave City, Kentucky; Holbrook, Arizona; and Rialto, California.


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Digby Wolfe, an Emmy Award-winning comedy writer who helped producer George Schlatter develop "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In," a landmark TV series that became an overnight sensation in the late 1960s, has died. He was 82.
Wolfe, who later became a professor of writing at the University of New Mexico, died of lung cancer Wednesday at his home in Albuquerque, said his wife, Patricia Mannion-Wolfe.
The British-born Wolfe — an actor, writer, singer and comedian whose early career included writing for the BBC's satirical "That Was the Week That Was" and hosting an Australian TV variety show — moved to Los Angeles in the mid-'60s.
He joined Schlatter in...


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School of the Osage has graduated some of the brightest minds in the state over the years, and one of those success stories will make international history Wedn when he rockets into space.
School of the Osage has graduated some of the brightest minds in the state over the years, and one of those success stories will make international history Wedn when he rockets into space.
Mike Hopkins, a 1987 OHS graduate, will join two Russian cosmonauts as they blast off from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, aboard a Soyuz spacecraft for the International Space Station some 220 miles above Earth.
The Russian spacecraft is scheduled to lift off at 3:58 p.m. with Oleg Kotov and Sergey Ryazanskiy of the Russian Federal Space Agency. Hopkins and his crewmates will live aboard the ISS for six months, returning to earth in late March 2014. Hopkins will serve as flight engineer for ISS Expedition 38. He will oversee several physical and scientific experiments, maintain the facility and work out to remain fit.
School of the Osage High School will be celebrating the launch with several activities.
OHS will be hosting an assembly with fellow NASA astronaut Scott Tingle, Captain - US Navy, on the launch date. Tingle will be visiting the campus of OHS where he will present a lecture to students on current NASA information and will take part in a question and answer session for students. He will provide a personal narrative during the launch.
Hopkins is a colonel in the U.S. Air Force and a member of the 2009 astronaut class.
OHS Principal Mike Williams has taken a special interest in the ISS and Hopkin's role as he texts and speaks regularly with crewmembers on the ISS.
About Hopkins
Hopkins was born in Lebanon, and grew up on a farm outside of Richland. He and his wife, Julie, of Peoria, Ill., have two sons.
His mother and stepfather, Barbara and Dennis Duffy, live in Camdenton, Barbara is a former School of the Osage teacher. His father, Ogle Hopkins, is deceased and his stepmother, Paula Hertwig Hopkins, lives in Warrensburg.
After graduating from OHS, Hopkins went on to receive a bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Illinois where he became captain of the 1991 Illini football team. He also received a master of science degree in engineering from Stanford (California) University, which has an acceptance rate of only 6.6 percent of the applicants.
Hopkins was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force in January 1992. In April 1993, he was assigned to Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, N.M., where he worked on advanced space system technologies. In 1996, he attended the flight test engineering course at the USAF Test Pilot School, Edwards Air Force Base, California.
In 2008, Hopkins was selected as a special assistant to the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, where he worked until he commenced astronaut training.
Hopkins was selected in July 2009 as one of 14 members of the 20th NASA astronaut class. He recently graduated from Astronaut Candidate Training, which included scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in International Space Station (ISS) systems, Extravehicular Activity (EVA), robotics, physiological training, T-38 flight training and water and wilderness survival training.


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Ligue 1 Preview: Monaco bid to salvage pride
Monaco must beat Sochaux on Saturday to keep the Ligue 1 title race competitive, even if coach Claudio Ranieri has already conceded defeat.
Ranieri reacted to Monaco's 2-0 defeat at Saint-Etienne last Saturday – the side's first reverse of 2014 – by stating that defending champions Paris Saint-Germain were always going to regain the title this season.
PSG then beat Marseille 24 hours later to go eight points clear with 11 games remaining.
While Ranieri has given up on overhauling Laurent Blanc's men, the Italian will be keen to finish the campaign strongly and will be confident of returning to winning ways against a Sochaux side that are second bottom.
A five-game unbeaten run at home against Sochaux will also give Monaco plenty of confidence heading into the weekend.
In Sochaux, though, Monaco face a resurgent side. After winning just two of their first 22 league fixtures, Sochaux have now won three of the last five to go within five points of climbing out of the drop zone.
PSG, meanwhile, travel to Bastia looking to strengthen their stranglehold on top spot.
Confidence in Blanc's squad will be sky high after securing their fourth consecutive win in all competitions last Sunday.
Frederic Hantz's Bastia are ninth after a three-match winless run in which they have scored just once.
The fixture will no doubt bring painful reminders of the encounter between the two sides earlier this season, which saw PSG triumph 4-0 thanks to a brace apiece from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani.
Indeed, Bastia's recent record against the Parisians is woeful, with their last win coming in February 2003 in a 1-0 victory.
Since then, the two have met eight times - with PSG winning seven of them.
Cavani made a scoring return off the bench in last weekend's win and will be pushing to start. The home side could be without up to six players, but will be boosted by the return of Sambou Yatabare from suspension.
Lille and Saint-Etienne lie seven and eight points behind Monaco in third and fourth respectively and will be looking to pounce on any slip up.
Lille, the 2010-11 champions, face the team that succeeded them as the country's best - Montpellier, who currently reside closer to the relegation spots than the European places.
Saint-Etienne could move into the UEFA Champions League spots with victory against Lorient.
Elsewhere, Bordeaux host Lyon with both teams still in with a shout of snatching a European place, while a win for Marseille over Nice on Friday could put them within two points of fourth.
Valenciennes tackle Rennes and Evian travel to Guingamp, who have won two on the spin.
Nantes face rock-bottom Ajaccio, who are 13 points adrift of safety, and a win for Reims at Toulouse will put them into the European reckoning.


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I am so excited to be featuring Jill from Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons here today! Have you seen her blog? I am amazed each and every week at the fun and creative ideas that come out of her kitchen. I am expecting her to announce a book any day, which I am sure would be a huge success (nudge, nudge). Stop by her blog and see what fabulous ways she is making meal-time fun!
Some of my personal favorites over at
Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons...
1) Bert & Ernie Fruit Snack 2) Angry Bird Lunch
3) Charlie Brown Breakfast 4) Oh No! The Turtle Turned Over!
Some of my personal favorites over at
Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons...
1) Bert & Ernie Fruit Snack 2) Angry Bird Lunch
3) Charlie Brown Breakfast 4) Oh No! The Turtle Turned Over!
Hello, I am Jill from Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons, a blog I created with my little boys and we make fun and silly snacks, breakfast, lunches, dinners, and treats mostly for kids. We have goofed off in the kitchen for a long time and thought it would be fun to share our silly kids food ideas with others. I work part time and have a million things going on with my 3 little boys so everything you see will be pretty easy to make. We would love for you to stop by our blog and let us know what you think about all of our fun creations!
We are so excited to be guest posting here on Sun Scholars! This is such a awesome blog and we feel honored that Rachel has asked us to share one of our silly snacks with all of you!
We have been making a lot of sweet treats lately so my 7 year old suggested that we make something healthy to share. I am always trying to find fun and interesting ways to get my kids to eat healthy snacks and making things like this definitely does the trick for us! We came up with this cute Frankenstein apple using 1 green apple, 1 mini marshmallow, 2 square marshmallows, peanut butter, 2 mini chocolate chips, and a hand full of raisins.
We started out cutting a big hand full of raisins in half. You will use these for the hair and mouth. Start with the zig zag edge of the hair and work up from that by pressing the sticky side of the raisin on the top of the apple. Do the same for the stitch mouth.
Cut the mini marshmallow in half and press them on for eyes. Attach mini chocolate chips (or raisins) on the marshmallows with peanut butter for pupils. Press more raisins on for the eyebrows.
Take the 2 square marshmallows and cut Frank's electrodes out with kitchen scissors.
Scoot them on the bottom sides of the apple and then you are done!
We hope that you have fun making this fun Halloween snack. Here are my little boys with their spooky monster creation!
I LOVE it!!!
Stop by Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons and say "HI" from Sun Scholars!


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About Syrah
Very dark, rich, powerful wines with great aging potential (as long as 50 years), yet still can be drunk relatively young. Distinct pepper, spice, cherry and leather flavors, with smooth, supple texture. Embodied in majestic wines from France, Australia and, increasingly, California.More About Syrah
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20 recipes match for this wine.
Pork Chops With Blueberry Sauce This recipe makes 4 servings, and matches wonderfully with Syrah/Shiraz, Zinfandel, Sangiovese, Merlot and red blends... Get The RecipeBroccoli Sweet Onion And Pecan Salad A flavorful salad that matches with both white and red wines - particularly Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and Shiraz - this recipe makes 6 servings as a side dish,about 3 as a main dish. Get The RecipeButternut And Bacon Risotto This versatile dish matches well with Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, and this recipe makes 6 main course servings... Get The RecipeGarlic Grilled Chicken The following recipe, which serves 4, transforms a classic white wine dish -chicken - into a perfect partner for red wines such as Merlot and Syrah. The secret? The generous use of garlic. Get The RecipeBeef Rib Eye With Sweet Onion Topping This dish pairs beautifully with Syrah a.k.a. Shiraz, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and red blends. This recipe makes 4 servings Get The Recipe
Tomato Pesto Pasta A wonderful match with Cabernet Sauvignon, this recipe helps bring out the fruitful quality of the wine. It also matches nicely with other red wines, and serves 4. Get The RecipeRoast Rack Of Pork With Carmelized Maple Onions During a recent visit to Spago restaurant in Chicago, a member of the ACWC Tasting Panel enjoyed this fabulous dish with a glass of Syrah. We're happy to share the recipe with you, courtesy of Spago-Chicago's chef. It serves 4. Get The RecipeTurkey Empanadas These tasty turnovershot pockets match well with Syrah, Italian red wines,white wines that have not been over-exposed to oak. This recipe makes 10 empanadas. Get The RecipeSmoked Duck A La Orange Just in case this year's California wildfires impart a smoky flavor to vintage 2008 wines, here's a recipe that will match up nicely. Otherwise, try this dish - developed by Garre Winery Executive Chef Ty Turner -- with naturally smoky wines such as Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Pinot Noir, Syrah. Get The RecipeSmoked Salmon Penne Pasta In a world of anything-goes-food-and-wine pairing, we're on the lookout for recipes that match well with red OR white wines. This is one such recipe, and it makes two servings... Get The Recipe
Pork Tenderloin With Tart Cherry Port And Caraway Sauce This delicious recipe from Sonoma County's J. Fritz Winery matches beautifully with almost any red wine. It makes 4 to 6 servings. Get The RecipeMoroccan Lamb Tangine Try this tasty recipe, which makes 6 servings, with Shiraza red blend. MOROCCAN LAMB TANGINE Ingredients... Get The RecipeTuscan Style Roasted Game Hens If you're looking for a change from turkey, ham this holiday season, try this easy-to-prepare dish that matches well with both white and red wines. It serves 6... Get The RecipeBalsamic Maple Glazed Salmon Try this recipe, which makes 4 servings, with Pinot Noir, Syrah. Get The RecipeButternut Squash Soup From Executive Chef Linda Kittler of Sonoma County's Valley of the Moon Winery comes this delicious recipe that pairs perfectly with Syrah/Shiraz, as well as various red blends. It serves 10. Get The Recipe
Sausage Jambalaya This recipe makes a great meal, especially on a cold day. Try it with Syrah, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon. And if you'd like to save a few fat grams, substitute turkey sausage for the beef. This recipe makes 8 servings. Get The RecipeGarden Tomato Pasta With Wine And Basil Try this tasty recipe with either featured red wine selection with Syrah/Shiraz, Zinfandel,or red blends. It makes 8 servings. Get The RecipePan Fried Lamb Chops This recipe, which makes 4 servings, features flavors that can be enjoyed with virtually any red wine. Turn it into a complete meal with a side dish jasmine rice. Get The RecipeMustard Crusted Rack Of Lamb Try this tasty recipe, which serves 4more, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, a red blend containing any of the aforementioned varieties... Get The RecipeBoneless Leg Of Lamb This recipe, developed by the late James Beard, matches beautifully with Shiraz a.k.a. Syrah, Shiraz/Cabernet blends and Merlot. It serves 6-8... Get The Recipe


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Step 4
Sew the blanket...Now, if you have made a rag quilt before, the directions below will be familiar. If not... don't worry. This is nothing too complicated. Promise!
Cut your batting into 8" squares. You will need 48 squares in total.
Next, I like to draw an 'X' on my fabric squares for the quilt. You will only need to mark half of the squares, since you will be sewing to squares together (I recommend sewing two matching fabric squares). I used a washable marker here. You might have a fabric pen you'd prefer.
For each "set" of squares, center one square of batting in-between. Right-sides of the fabric will be facing out, with the batting in the middle. Each of these will create a square for your quilt (totaling 48 squares).
Sew the "X" drawn on each square, securing the batting inside.
A quilter's trick...
Sew one square, then lift the foot and begin sewing the next square. You can snip the squares apart when you are done, then start again for the second stitch on each.
Note: No need to back stitch on these blocks, as you'll later be sewing another seam to secure this stitches.
You should now have 48 squares ready to lay in place.
Here are my squares, all arranged.
Make sure your prints are all facing the same direction (as I had to with my stripes and monster prints).
IMPORTANT: You will want 6 squares along the top and 8 rows down.
Ok.... did you notice the circles in the center of some of my orange squares? Well, let's just ignore those here. I added those for fun. For our purposes, they will help you keep track of what side of the quilt you are seeing (as they are only on one side).
Once you are happy with your layout, you can begin sewing the squares together.
I recommend sewing the rows together, one at a time. I keep my squares laid out on the floor next to me, so I can be sure that I'm not confusing them. You might prefer to pin them while on the floor so you don't mix them up.
Yes... I did have to rip a few seams out.
It happens even to those of us who are perfect (ha ha... ok, that was totally a joke).
Sew a 1" seam, attaching each block together in your rows.
Above, you will see my blocks with the right-sides up, seams up, sewn into the rows.
Notice that I have sewn the top 6 rows together.
The bottom two rows, I have sewn in twos.
My dots are now on the backside... I meant for them to be on the front... see what I mean about keeping track of your blocks! ha ha...
Next, you will sew your rows together as I have done above.
Again, note that the bottom two rows are left in three sections, and not sewn together.
When you sew the rows together, place the back-sides of your fabric together. Match the seams, and fold the seams in opposite directions. This will help you to "lock" your seams together as you sew them.
Again, you are sewing a 1" seam.
Now you will add your backpack pocket.
Fold the backpack pocket in half, and lay it right-side up, below the center square at the bottom of your quilt (as shown above). You will be matching the sides and bottom edge of the backpack pocket to the quilt square.
I pinned these together to ensure that they stayed in place.
Next, sew the three chunks together, securing the backpack pocket in place behind the center blocks.
Now you need to put your straps in place.
I have laid them on top so you can get the idea. However... please notice that I have flipped the bottom section upside down here (notice the seams are not visible on this side, and you see the backpack pocket).
What appears to be the "bottom" of this section is the edge that will be sewn to the remaining 6 rows already pieced together.
I tucked the straps in-between the layers and pinned them in place on each end.
Now, as the quilt is shown above... I slid the top 6 section down and over the bottom section with the backpack pocket, with back-sides together, and stitched a 1" seam to secure them together.
Note: You see how my straps are over extended on each end above? Once complete, I wished that I had made them a little longer. I would recommend bunching up the excess length of your straps inside the pocket, and pulling each end of the strap to match the edges of your fabric.
This is me stitching the bottom section to the rest of the quilt. I am trying to show you here that I am pulling the backpack pocket down and out of the way (it is hard to tell the difference between the polka-dot block and the polka-dot pocket fabric... sorry about that).
You don't want the top of the pocket to get caught in your seam, or it won't be a pocket ;)
When you come to the straps, back-stitch once or twice to give them some extra reinforcement.
And here is some of the excess strap that I am cutting off...
that I wish I had pulled down further (to give me more strap length) and not needed to cut off!!!
And here are all of the pieces sewn together!
This is the back-side... notice you do not see the seams....
And here are the bottom end of the straps, still needing to be secured into place.
Notice on the left, I have pulled the strap up closer to the quilts edge.
You can see the excess strap at the top of the pocket in the photo above. Do the same with the right strap as well. Pin them in place.
Again... next time I will pull it even more, so the edges match as nicely as I can get them to give myself a little extra strap length.
Sew around the entire perimeter of your quilt with a 1" seam.
At this point... you might find it easier to sew the seams open.
However, this is not necessary, and entirely up to you.
When you get to the straps, again, back-stitch once or twice to give them some extra reinforcement.
Step 5
Finish your quilt...
Did I seriously fail to get a picture of the next step? I think the hours of snipping made my brain a little delirious. ha ha.
Ok... well, back when I made my first REAL rag quilt, I used this awesome tutorial at Green Apple Orchard. She has some great instructions and photos of this step. You can find it HERE.
To finish your quilt you will need to snip all of your seams to make a nice fringe. I cut my fringe about 1/8". The thinner, the nicer it looks, I think. But it does take FOR-EV-ER! So make yourself comfy... and take some breaks so your thumb doesn't fall off!
Next, throw your blanket in the wash... and your Blanket to Backpack is finished!
Step 6
Now... fold your blanket up into your blanket! Not sure how?
You will find the instructions on my original post HERE.
Now, if could only find the time to whip up a couple more of these!
Happy Sewing!


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|System: X360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PC, PSP
|Review Rating Legend
|Dev: Konami
|1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid
|4.0 - 4.4 = Great
|Pub: Konami
|2.0 - 2.4 = Poor
|4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
|Release: Nov. 11, 2008
|2.5 - 2.9 = Average
|5.0 = The Best
|Players: 1-2
|3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
|ESRB Rating: Everyone
|3.5 - 3.9 = Good
by Pete Richards
Often criticized for not offering enough new features, gameplay functions, and recycling animations and graphics, the Pro Evolution series boasts several improvements in 09 to catch the attention of casual soccer fans. Though the soccer fan base in North America is undoubtedly not what it is in other parts of the world, the Pro Evolution series has had some success in the shadow of the more popular FIFA series by EA. While 09 sees some new features, it may not be enough to sway less enthusiastic fans of the sport.
One of the first things you will notice is the change in the menu setups, which gives the game a nicer appeal compared to blander looking PES presentations in the past. In a game, you may notice there has been more attention paid to crowd detail as well as capturing the likenesses of athletes on the field with facial features and expressions. Essentially, playing PES 09 is fundamentally the same as you would expect from the series without any real button changes or drastic animation improvements, which leaves the question as to how purchase-worthy the title actually is.
Among the most notable highlights of PES 09 is the new Become a Legend mode, which capitalizes on a style of play highly popularized in 2008, similar to EA's newly introduced Be a Pro modes in various sports titles. Become a Legend shifts your focus from controlling all players on a team to one player, as you will have to hone your skills at any position of your choice. Be a Pro certainly offers a lot more variety to the PES style of gameplay, with a completely different view of the soccer field as the camera zooms specifically on your player. In Become a Legend, you will take on the role of your favorite pro soccer player or create your own (presumably yourself), customizing physical characteristics and facial features, choosing your name, jersey number, position, and even the way you celebrate scored goals. You'll begin the Become a Legend mode starting off in the minor leagues, building stats and earning your way to a professional team. From there, your continued success will lead you to representing your country on an international team - an honor most people will only actually receive by playing a video game.
At most, Become a Legend is a welcome addition to the series for offering a much needed new mode to the franchise. While it certainly adds variety to the ways you can play PES, it isn't without its faults in its debut, and many gamers will quickly prefer the more traditional full-team controls to the focus on a single athlete. Playing an entire game in one position on the field, you will rely heavily on you're A.I.'s capabilities to score goals and make plays. Depending on which position you choose, much of the game is spent watching your teammates run around and make mistakes you yourself would never make if you were playing. While the A.I. isn't bad, it's not without its flaws, and you will often feel the urge to play out of position and make plays on your own. Thus, the game becomes less about playing a traditional soccer match and more about building your own personal stats to progress. Fans of Pro Evolution Soccer may enjoy the addition of Become a Legend at first, but the novelty quickly wears thin once the realization sets in that the traditional game style is much more enjoyable. The same could also be said for other sports games offering similar one-player game styles, though, and at least PES 2009 is trying to offer something new for longtime fans of the series as well as any casual fan of Konami's soccer game.
Also new in 2009 is the inclusion of the Champion's League mode, which brings UEFA spirit to PES, with official teams and licensed sponsors to bring a bigger level of realism to the series. Thirteen teams from this year's competition are included in the tournament, which has more of a broadcast feel, featuring video clips from actual television broadcasts while starting up and shots of some of the sport's premier athletes in their most recent shining moments. For a game series that has long lacked any feel of official licensing compared to FIFA titles, hopefully this will be the beginning of a more genuine soccer feel reflective of what's actually happening in the sport for the PES franchise.


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It often feels like you never have enough money to buy everything you want. Whether you make $150,000 a year or you make $35,000 a year, you can still be just as hard up for cash. In fact, those with the higher incomes may be even more in need of money to meet their expenses.
What does the interest rate hike mean for consumers?
Consumers have enjoyed years of record-low interest rates that provided borrowers with low repayment options on everything from cars to homes, but the Federal Reserve's rate hike in December caused some investors to wonder how the rate increase will affect their financial portfolios.
Additionally, the central bank has indicated more rate hikes could be coming as soon as this year. If these hikes happen, rates would begin to move out of the historically low range they have been in for the past decade.
What does this mean for consumers? How will higher interest rates impact investors and consumers who have become accustomed to a low rate environment?
Consumers who have savings accounts, or who invest in certificates of deposit or money market accounts, will earn more on their cash savings. For people dependent upon investment income from these low-risk options, even a modest increase in the rate of return can make an impact.
"Many older Americans, in particular, draw income from Social Security and from the interest they earn on their retirement savings," said Clay Nickel, director of investment strategy for Arvest Wealth Management. "As long as inflation stays in check, the possibility of a higher rate environment may be welcome news to these people.
"However, rates are likely to increase more slowly than past interest rate hiking cycles by the Federal Reserve. This means it may still be difficult to achieve longer-term financial goals through bank deposits, many of which still yield less than the inflation rate. Savers may need to look to investing in financial markets to meet longer-run objectives."
Investors who will likely see the biggest negative effect on their money are those who have longer-dated bond holdings such as 30-year and fixed-rate bonds. Ironically, as rates go higher, the value of existing contracts decreases. While investors may not lose money per se, they will see a decline in the value of their bonds compared to what they could have earned prior to rate adjustments.
"Every portfolio is different and there are several factors to consider," said Scott Phillips, chief investment officer for Arvest Bank. "In a rising interest rate environment, you want the maturity date of the bond to be short. The longer the maturity term, the more its value will fall."
Phillips said selling longer-term bonds and reinvesting in shorter-term bonds puts investors in more of an offensive position and can help minimize loss for investors who may be considering selling their bonds. Investors who purchase a bond and hold it until maturity may be able to avoid any depreciation in the bond's value, depending on where interest rates stand when the bond matures.
Stocks, meanwhile, traditionally gain value during times of rising interest rates.
"Initially, people are fearful that rising interest rates will result in slower economic activity and that it's not a good idea to invest in the stock market," said Christopher Magee, senior trust investment officer for Arvest Bank. "Historically, stocks have reacted quite well after a jump in interest rates, but it's still important for investors to be selective when purchasing stocks, as some sectors will perform better than others.
"Ultimately, every investor is unique with their own goals, timeframes, portfolio mix and risk profile. The important thing for them to know is that after 10 years in an historically low interest rate environment, the Federal Reserve has announced its belief that we will likely see rates slowly moving upward in the next year, so investors need to get with a trusted financial advisor, review their current plan and see what, if any, adjustments they need to make."
If a honeymoon is in your plans, you should consider the financial aspects along with all the details of your trip. Those issues are how much the honeymoon is going to cost and how to pay it.
Balancing saving for retirement and saving for your child's college can be tricky. Here are some tips to help you manage both at the same time.
LOWELL, Ark. – Two of the largest savings plans consumers need to fund and manage in their lifetime are saving for their child's college and for their personal retirement. These are plans that take time to adequately build, but one doesn't have to negate the other. Both can be managed successfully and simultaneously through early planning.
"Above all, start saving for both as soon as possible," said Donny Rogers, President of Arvest Bank Trust. "From the moment you get your first job to the moment you learn you're going to be a parent, set aside money and let it grow."
Rogers says the balancing act begins with determining how much of the college expense parents want to fund and what other big-ticket expenses they may also cover for their children.
"It's smart to focus on saving for college, but the reality is that there are a few other large expenses that require long-term budgeting," Rogers said. "If you plan on buying your teenager their first car or paying for a daughter's wedding, you need to factor those expenses into your budget so you segment your savings plans across the board. I always tell parents that it's fair to require some 'sweat equity' from their kids so they contribute to the expense of paying for a car or shouldering a portion of any student loans. There's no expectation that parents pay 100 percent of all of those expenses."
A 529 Plan offers a tax-free savings option for college that is specifically earmarked for post-secondary education. These state-specific plans have different rules of engagement but typically can be used to fund expenses from tuition to housing to other necessary items for school. Significant supplemental funding is also available in the form of academic, athletic and arts scholarships.
While you can borrow for college expenses, you can't do the same for retirement savings. Therefore, it's critical to begin saving early for your retirement nest egg and to budget in parallel with other savings priorities. Maximizing an employer's 401(k) matching option puts "free money" in your account. In the event you need to adjust your savings more heavily toward college, be sure not to reduce your retirement savings below the level of employer matching. It's recommended that 10 percent of your income be allocated toward retirement every year.
"Regardless of how well you plan, there will inevitably be change and the need for adjustments along the way, and that's perfectly normal," Rogers said. "Consistency will reward your efforts when you need to utilize those funds."
The so-called "catch-up plan" that allows individuals age 50 and over to make extra contributions can help consumers make up for lost ground during the saving process, once college and major expenses have been paid for, but Rogers advises customers not to lean too heavily on that option. He says the number of variables involved in retirement planning can sometimes cause consumers to miss significant savings. Those may include the length of time one plans to work, or is able to work; the kind of lifestyle one wants to lead after retirement; the security of their career and other potential factors or risks.
In addition, the rate of inflation and the rising cost of college tuition will affect how much of an impact savings for college and retirement have on the larger family budget, making that early foundation and steady savings plan even more important in the long run.
Submitted questions will be answered by an Arvest banker and may appear on the Arvest Blog.
All Arvest banks are Equal Housing Lenders and Member FDIC.
Investment products and services are provided by Arvest Investments, Inc., doing business as Arvest Asset Management, member FINRA/SIPC, an SEC registered investment adviser and a subsidiary of Arvest Bank. Trust services are provided by Arvest Bank. Insurance products are made available through Arvest Insurance, Inc., which is registered as an insurance agency. Insurance products are marketed through Arvest Insurance, Inc., but are underwritten by insurance companies.
Securities and Insurance Products: Not Insured by FDIC or any Federal Government Agency, May Lose Value, Not a Deposit of or Guaranteed by a Bank or any Bank Affiliate.


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A 30-year-old man died in a collision between a motorcycle and a car in Palatine, authorities said.
Husham Hussain, of the 200 block of North Wilke Road in Palatine, was pronounced dead around 10:35 p.m. Wednesday at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office said.
The accident occurred near Wilke and Rand roads. It wasn't clear if Hussain was on the motorcycle or in the car.
No details were available from police.