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8:00 pm
Born Free Legacy Joy Adamson's book Born Free caused a sensation when it was first published in March 1960. As well as topping the New York Times bestseller list, the book and its later film adaptation made a massive impact on conservation and science. The programme marks the 50th anniversary of Born Free's publication by revisiting the inspirational story of Joy and her husband George, a game warden turned wildlife observationist and author. D
9:00 pm
Natural World: Wild Indonesia "Magical Forest" Strung out along 5,000 kilometres of the Equator, between Asia and Australia, Indonesia's 17,000 islands make up the largest and most varied archipelago on Earth. From freezing glaciers to coral reefs, orangutans to Komodo dragons, the sheer diversity of landscapes and life defies the imagination. This series tells the story of one of the world's most fascinating regions and its magical wildlife. D
10:00 pm
Nature "Survivors of the Firestorm" The wildfires that tore through the Australian state of Victoria in February 2009 incinerated more than a million acres, leaving death and destruction in their wake. Volunteers nurse burned and traumatized wildlife - even fish - back to health at wildlife hospitals and private facilities. Meanwhile in the forest, renewal is taking place too. One year later, the natural world is well on its way back to health.G
11:00 pm
Wild! "The Great Elephant Gathering" This film captures the stunning natural phenomenon of wild Sri Lankan elephants assembling in large numbers every year, a behavior found in very few places around the world. But with a dwindling elephant population and the encroachment of their natural habitat and food by an expanding human population, the gathering could be under threat.G


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Maryland Senate Approves Gay Marriage Bill
On Thursday, the Maryland Senate approved a gay marriage bill that puts it on tap to become the eighth US state to permit same-sex couples to wed.
Gov. Martin O'Malley is expected to sign the legislation into law. Shortly after the Senate passed the measure, he tweeted, "Maryland will now be able to protect individual civil marriage rights & religious freedom equally."
Opponents have already said they'll try to gather the 56,000 signatures needed to put the measure up for a November vote with Maryland citizens. One-third of those signatures would need to be submitted by May 31, with the rest turned in by June 30.
But not everyone hopes that's successful. Maya Deane-Polyak, 15, said she wants her two mothers to have the right to legally wed after 30 years together, adding, "I think my moms should be married. It provides a lot of dignity and respect for my family as a whole."
Currently, same-sex couples can marry in the District of Columbia and in Massachusetts, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut and New York. Washington state will be added in June unless opponents stop it ahead of a possible ballot initiative. The New Jersey legislature passed a gay marriage bill through both houses but it was vetoed by Gov. Chris Christie, who said the measure should be decided by the state's voters.


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|Hey Mom! Learn more about the Gerber Life Insurance Grow-Up Plan!
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Breastfeeding Theories Chat Thread
*I'm not personally concerned for my own breastfeeding success.... I know it'll be okay one way or another. So I'm not looking for tips exactly. I'm more looking for ideas surrounding supply that are either out of the box or -old idea presented in a new way.*
So I have this theory about supply issues. I think *sometimes* a woman's milk supply tanks, or seems to tank or the baby is having a growth spurt and mom just feels empty, so we freak out about our supply and start mentally and vocally saying, "I don't have enough milk, I don't have enough milk." I know this has happened to me. I feel like the more I stress out about my milk supply the lower it gets. (I'm not currently nursing anybody.... I'm trying to set myself up for smooth breastfeeding this go around.)
So I'm pregnant and I am trying to mentally tell myself everyday "My breasts are filling with milk. I'm going to have a great milk supply this time." Once the baby is here I'm going to tell myself that I have a great supply multiple times a day. (I obviously wouldn't ignore things like low output or weight loss, but I usually do pretty great in the beginning anyway.) I got this idea because I was avidly searching the internet about male lactation a few years ago (because I think male lactation is so interesting, lol) and some of the stories talking about a man who merely continuously mentally suggested to himself that he was lactating right after his child was born and after a few days some milk came in. It made me think (okay so maybe its not true) but..... we might have so much mental power over our bodies. Maybe some woman like myself create our own supply problems because we are worried and stressed and actually interfering with our own success.
I also read a whole web site devoted to the use of Reglan for increased breast milk production and how placebos seemed to be just as effective (this was just the one website, I'm not saying Reglan is absolutely a placebo). Which could mean that because women think its going to work it does!
Anyway I have been thinking about a lot of things like this for a while and I would love some conversation and comments on my theory and would love to read ideas that others may have.
Mae- Mama to Gustavo 10/07, Joey 12/10 and Henry 5/13
No matter how big the lie; repeat it often enough and the masses will regard it as the truth. ― John F. Kennedy
Last edited by gingerpeachee; 03-13-2013 at 07:58 PM.
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I think we underestimate the power of our minds. I find it helpful to watch the milk while I pump. It gives me confidence and I get so proud of my body mind over matter can't contribute to all the low supply problems I have had. Breast reduction and a tongue/lip tied baby. I take brewers yeast and pump after every feeding to increase supply. Mind over matter was essential for my natural births too! (Sorry OT) but something else that has solidified how powerful our minds are
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Re: Breastfeeding theories- chat with me
Positive self talk is real. Trust me, I'm a shrink Seriously, I teach my clients about the power of positive thinking and tell them to do exactly what you are doing. Repeat a positive mantra to themselves daily. I do it too, especially when pumping at work. I tell myself "I am a great mother and my milk is making Jake big and strong" and then I take deep breaths to relax while visualizing my milk flowing like a river. It helps so much!!
WOHM and to Jon (6/2006). Mamma to daughter Elli (12/2009) and Jacob (11/2012) Crazy Florida Gator fan , beach bum, and outdoor enthusiast!
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Re: Breastfeeding theories- chat with me
Absolutely believe in the placebo effect and the ability of our minds to work over our bodies.
However, I think low supply, like most problems with our bodies, is a complicated thing. I think that our hormone levels are all over the place after we have a baby and it would be silly to assume that prolactin levels can't get messed up just like any other hormone.
I also think that the normal rhythms of our society today can play a factor. Sleep for example. Maybe one mom needs a particular amount of sleep to help maintain her supply but because she has moved away from her family she doesn't have enough people to take the baby for her to be able to get enough sleep. Another mom needs to go back to work and discovers that she isn't responding to the pump well. Or whatever. I think our bodies are all different and that what works for one body might not work for another. I think tha concept applies to dealing with illnesses, working out to lose weight, diets and allergies, and of course to childbirthing and BFing too. I think it's just way too complex to just say hat if you wear baby enough and nurse often enough and Hershey's with baby close enough that anyone should be able to nurse exclusively and successfully for months and years.
I think there are more women who struggle with supply issues than most LCs and lactivists are willing to admit. I also think that that is one of the factors limiting research into the real reasons why low supply happens, beyond the standard lines of "supply and demand, just nurse more" and "don't give bottles or pacifiers, they cause nipple confusion." There are pills to help guys 'perform' and pills to help prevent pregnancy and pills to replace thyroid hormones, but there is very little to improve breastmilk supply. IMO that is really where the focus should be. Discovering and working the medical side of it needs more focus.
I often wonder how many societies actually do exclusively nurse foe an extended period of time-meaning up to and beyond the recommended 4-6month timescale for starting solids.
Kim-married to Dan
Mama to Caiti (17), Rae Rae (4), Dani Lee(2), and CJ, born 10/12/12.
Stuff From Kim's Kloset That Special Moment Photography Also come check out Swagbucks with me!
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Try to sleep when baby sleep for the first month or 2. Sleep helped my supply. Stay positive and believe in yourself. u can do it!!
I don't know about the power of positive thinking, but I absolutely believe that stress is bad for us. Stress triggers the fight or flight reflex. It draws blood away from the organs and into the limbs so you can either fight or run. It can mess with so many of our normal systems, so it completely stands to reason that it would affect milk supply. If positive thinking and visualization help reduce your stress I could see that positively affecting your supply.
Registered Users
Re: Breastfeeding theories- chat with me
I like this idea about sleep. I never considered the effects sleep could possibly have on our hormones. This baby will be born in the summer so I may try to spend more time skin to skin as well- some moms report better milk supply this way.
I'm not personally concerned for my own breastfeeding success.... I know it'll be okay one way or another. I'm more looking for ideas surrounding supply that are either out of the box or -old idea presented in a new way.
There was another thread with a link about hands on pumping that I thought was soooo helpful. I remember thinking with my first, "I have to express into the pump to get any milk.... this thing isn't working." When in reality hand expression and pumping work together to get the best effect. If you change the way you look at things the things you look at will change.... youknow?
Mae- Mama to Gustavo 10/07, Joey 12/10 and Henry 5/13
No matter how big the lie; repeat it often enough and the masses will regard it as the truth. ― John F. Kennedy
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Re: Breastfeeding theories- chat with me
I think there are a lot of factors that play into a sucsessful breastfeeding experience. Stress, lack of sleep, being a working mom all work against a moms ability to breastfeed. I think this forum is made up of way more SAHM than WOH moms and being a WOH mom who is breast feeding is completely different.
I WOH, with my first and 2nd babies I had a pretty good supply at first, pumping enough for the next days bottles but not really any extra for the freezer. That lasted till about 5 months when I wasn't able to pump even 1/2 of what I needed. By 6 months there was nothing left. I was getting maybe 2oz total for my pumping sessions. We went to formula. Those two babies were very much, nurse and be done. They did not comfort nurse and both STTN early. I don't wake a healthy sleeping baby. I think both of those factors played a roll in the end of my supply. I was actually fine with it to be honest. WOH, pumping, stressing over having enough milk was causing me more stress. I was sleeping less with trying to get up in the middle of the night to pump and it wasn't working.
Now with baby #3, she is a completely different baby and I have learned some new things about supply and ways to help. She is a big comfort nurser and still wakes 2 times during the night. My supply is different too. I also am eating differently. I eat a big bowl of oatmeal w/flax everymorning. I can tell the difference when I don't eat my oatmeal for a few days. My pumping amounts are down. We have hit 6 months with no supply issues and not having to dip into my freezer stock.
wife and mom-- no other special labels. Just trying to do the best I can.
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Re: Breastfeeding theories- chat with me
Last edited by sunnyllama; 03-13-2013 at 07:06 AM.
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Bodegas Ramon Roqueta is the story of a winery very much in touch with its origins and its region, the Bages.
The family has been dedicated to both viticulture and viniculture for generations but it was in 1898 when Ramon Roqueta Torrentó first opened an establishment in Manresa to sell his products. This became the driving force for the family's wine business in Manresa and, as from this date, the winery's history and future started to be written.
Today, Bodegas Ramon Roqueta is a great example of a company renovating and adapting to the new times while maintaining the tradition and expertise garnered over the centuries.


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... BID is one of my most frequently used programs. -sajman99 (April 10, 2010, 02:26 PM)
Disclaimer- I'm not affiliated with BID, just a satisfied customer -sajman99 (April 16, 2010, 01:51 PM)
...Does Bulk Image Downloader get the full-size images from galleries where only thumbnails are shown and you have to click on each to see the full image?-J-Mac (April 26, 2010, 03:29 PM)
Can you give a few examples of where/how you are using this program?-cthorpe (April 27, 2010, 10:36 PM)
If you go yourself and download photos from Flickr's, they will be named like "4462087835_dbcfe775b5_o.jpg". But with BID they will all be auto-named with their proper "photo title" by "photographer's name" names!
Note that some web sites go to extreme lengths to block the use of automated image downloaders such as BID. Because of this it may not always be possible to configure BID to download from such sites. However, if you come across such a problem site please contact us and send us the details. If there's enough demand we can investigate supporting the site as a "special case" in a future release of BID.
Include List If BID finds no images when scanning a web gallery page, you can force it to detect the images by adding regular expressions that match the full sized image links.Suppose all the full sized image links look like this:http://trickywebsite.com/pics/largesize/<random nunber>/To force BID to detect these as valid full sized image links you would add the following regular expression to the "Include list":<trickywebsite.com/pics/largesize/>This would match any link that contains "trickywebsite.com/pics/largesize".Some full sized image pages only display "medium sized" images and have links to pages containing larger or original sized images. To force BID to follow such links add a regular expression matching this link to the include list prefixed with an asterisk (*). This also works for cases where BID does not find the the correct full sized image on the page.For example, suppose our "full page" link contains a link to the original sized image that looks like:http://example.com/i...ized/(imagename).jpgWe would add the following line to the include list:*<example.com/images/fullsized/>Some web sites use non standard methods to generate thumbnails. To help find these thumbnails on a web page add a matching regular expressions prefixed by 2 asterisks (**). For example:**<thumbnailgenerator.php?id=>
1. When logging into the web site from your browser, always enable the "remember me" (or equivalent) option. This causes the login information to be written to a cookie.2. Always launch BID from your browser's right click context menu (right click inside the web page to access it). This allows BID to receive the current cookie information directly from the browser. 3) For best results with such sites we recommend FireFox 3.5 or better with the BID FireFox extension installed. The reason for recommending FireFox is that when combined with the BID FireFox extension, it's possible for BID to load all current cookie information. Depending on the way a web site is set up, other browsers may not make all of the relevant cookie information available, causing BID to fail to download correctly.
Page created in 0.034 seconds with 65 queries.


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|Attention: DocWiki has reached EOL and will be decommissioned January 25, 2019.
FACT Scanning
From DocWiki
m (Scanning (SVBU) moved to FACT Scanning: Make title reflect product, not BU)
Revision as of 23:12, 1 April 2008
FACT scans an entire subnet at the same time. It connects to each managed Cisco switch and optionally to each port.
FACT has four types of scans:
- fabric scan
- tech-support scans
- port-counters scans
- incomplete scans
Fabric scan--Finds the static configuration of the network. After collecting a fabric scan, FACT can answer queries about the network components and determine how they are connected.
Tech-support scan--Collects information that can be forwarded to a customer-support organization. A tech-support scan includes a fabric scan, which FACT can use, although FACT does not use the additional information. FACT saves that information for an expert to inspect.
Port-counters scan--Collects port counters from the Performance Manager, in addition to the data collected in a fabric scan. See the Port Counters section for more information.
Incomplete scan--A scan that has failed, either because of misconfiguration or because devices are not responding. The most common reason for an incomplete scan is either because the configuration does not include the device that is running the master Subnet Manager or because it includes two master Subnet Managers. In either case, change your configuration so that it includes exactly one master Subnet Manager. Alternately, you can force FACT to use the correct master Subnet Manager by setting subnet-manager: in the .fact.conf file or with the subnet-manager hostname command option.
Note: If you are using the High-Performance Subnet Manager, then you must allow FACT to scan the hosts running HSM.
You can use the trace option to show FACT communication with each managed node as it scans.
The following list contains FACT scanning commands:
- scan fabric
- scan tech-support
- scan port-counters raw
- scan port-counters monitored
- scan port-counters monitored threshold
- reset port-counters


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This is a lesson about the kinds of stars that are suitable for supporting human life. Learners will characterize stars on a HR diagram and identify the characteristics of those most suitable for supporting human life. They then explore the... (View More) interaction of star types and orbital distance in determining the temperature of a planet by modeling this interaction. The lesson models scientific inquiry using the 5E instructional model and includes teacher notes, prerequisite concepts, common misconceptions, student journal and reading. This is lesson 9 in the Astro-Venture Astronomy Unit. The lessons are designed for educators to use in conjunction with the Astro-Venture multimedia modules. (View Less)
Audience: Middle school


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Evening classes canceled Feb. 7, 2018. Learn more.
Home | Academics | Our Schools | School of Arts and Sciences | Arts and Sciences News and Features
Job Title: Third Grade ELA Teacher and Clinical Resident InstructorEmployer: Pittsburgh King Pre K-8, The Teaching Institute Degrees earned: Master of Education in teaching and leadership and Bachelor of Arts in elementary education, Point Park University; Associate of Arts in Teacher Education/Liberal Arts, Community College of Allegheny CountyGraduation years: 2011, 2009 and 2007Hometown: North Huntingdon, Pa. Now living in: North Side of Pittsburgh, Pa.Hobbies/interests: Sports (particularly football, boxing, soccer and swimming) reading, and traveling
This is always an interesting question for me to answer because I did not actively pursue a career in education. Instead, I feel that education actually chose me. I spent years as an office manager at a local grocery store, and when my children started kindergarten, I began volunteering regularly at their school. It started out being once or twice a week, but very quickly turned into every single day…and I still couldn't get enough! At that point, I realized I was finally doing something I enjoyed and knew that education was my calling.
I chose Point Park for many reasons. I considered numerous other options, but Point Park's reputation vastly outweighed other local universities so it was an easy decision. I spoke with the most effective teachers that I had worked with, and found that the majority of them had graduated from Point Park. They talked so highly of the program and professors that there simply was no other option to consider after that. The rigor of my bachelor's experience and relevance to 21st century teaching brought me immediately back for my master's degree.
First, I love teaching in an urban setting and Pittsburgh King allows me that opportunity. The personal relationships I am able to create with my students are utterly irreplaceable as I work with some of the city's less fortunate students. Also, I love the ability to work as a teacher-leader within the district. Our leadership work at the Teaching Institute puts Pittsburgh Public Schools prominently ahead of most schools throughout the nation when it comes to teacher effectiveness. In addition, I really enjoy the equity work we are involved in at Pittsburgh King. Through this work, we have come to understand the impact of race on student learning and are investigating the role that institutionalized racism plays in perpetuating academic achievement disparities.
Point Park's education professors are skilled, knowledgeable, experienced, amiable and extremely responsive to student needs. They know what skills are necessary for 21st century educators and mold each student individually to ensure they have attained those skills. All of my professors were always open to suggestions, allowed room for multiple perspectives and made sure they were available to meet students' needs — even if that meant long hours before and after class.
Go into education with an open mindset, energy, positivity, and a lot of patience. I can honestly say that my views, strategies, and skills change each and every school year and have come directly from all of my various experiences. I know I would not be as effective had I not spent so much time in different locations and positions. I suggest getting into a school as soon as possible, even if it is just to observe or volunteer. This will help you to mold your own views and expertise. Also, don't let the current state of education push you away from the field. Be patient and proactive. We need more teachers with the passion and drive needed to help change policy.
Point Park holds a special place in my heart outside of my degree experiences. During my first year of graduate classes, I met my future husband who was in several classes with me. Our "first date" was actually on a field trip with Dr. Vincenne Revilla-Beltrán's human diversity class. We are scheduled to be married on New Year's Eve, 2012. I can't thank you enough for everything, Point Park!
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Half-Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was looking for some light-hearted stuff to read after a huge dose of books with lots of serial killers and blood. From Eoin Colfer's other books I have read (love the Artemis Fowl series), I knew I wasn't going to get disappointed. And boy, did this book deliver or what.
This is a story of 12-year old detective, who thinks he has seen all the cases a school playground can throw at him. But then, his own boasts about being a detective get him involved in a case against the biggest criminals in the school. And before he knows it, the case has developed into something huge, and he is a fugitive from the law he has helped uphold so many times before. And soon, he is not the only person who is getting injured.
Femme fatale, a huge conspiracy, a scary criminal family and a hardboiled, world-weary protagonist… what more does a detective story need?
If you want a one line review: Why exactly hasn't this been made into a crime noire film yet? I mean, you can almost hear the saxophone in the background while reading, and it's not that hard to imagine all the characters wearing hats either.


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|View Poll Results: Critique of Episode 49
|10 out of 10: Near Perfect...
|9 out of 10: Excellent...
|8 out of 10: Very Good...
|7 out of 10: Good...
|6 out of 10: Average...
|5 out of 10: Below Average...
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|2012-09-23, 04:17
|Link #21
Where's the monoeye?
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Hargenteen
Age: 29
Well, we knew the ending would be like this, those of us who follwed the PSP game's release. It doesn't come as a surprise to me. Except the Zeera thing, I really did think they would kill him off, being the final bad, but there ya have it.
|2012-09-23, 04:19
|Link #22
Join Date: Mar 2003
|2012-09-23, 04:20
|Link #23
Praise the sun!
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Sweden
Age: 29
|2012-09-23, 04:34
|Link #25
White Unicorn
Join Date: Jan 2012
Amuro wakes up; he just had a horrible nightmare.
He goes out in the good old RX-78 to kick some ZEON ass.
That is the only possible good movie to come out of this series, and I was a person that gave it a fair chance and didn't mind anything about the original setup; hell i quite liked it up until Kio went into space
|2012-09-23, 05:06
|Link #27
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
What a mess.
Considering the build-up they did for these final episodes, they really botched this finale. The only consolation was the fantastic boss, mobile suit and fleet battle scenes. Strangely, I do like the xenomorph looking Vegan Gear SID.
IMO, grandson (and now supporting character) Kio didn't even convince Flit entirely; it took Yurin and the rest of earlier vegan victims for him to eventually reevaluate his saviour belief and spare the vegan hypocrites who do follow Ezelcant. The one that started the war even have the nerve to absolve himself to Kio...he DOES NOT deserve to die peacefully like that.
With that kind of epilogue 37 years later, any potential Age movie should focus on Captain Ash's adventures instead.
|2012-09-23, 06:54
|Link #33
Licensed Hunter-a-holic
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 30
A while back, I ended up going back through the older discussion on this sub forum back before AGE had began to air, and seeing the reactions all the way to the first few episodes.
I ended up noticing something I wrote a year ago
Looking back at what I wrote, in the 1st Episode and the General AGE threads, I don't think my opinion changed about Level 5 or of Akihiro Hino. They will always remain top notch game makers who create and bring out some wonderful and fun games that I greatly enjoy, and from the praise the AGE game had been getting in regards to it's gameplay, I think there is every reason that is to remain true.
I have not changed my opinion on their stories either, unfortunately. It is sad to say, but Gundam AGE had proved beyond a shadow of a doubt to me that while they can think of interesting and fun concepts and premises, they are incapable of writing not only a compelling story, but even a decent one. This can be excused in games where the plot normally isn't important as long as the game play and mechanics are great, but when it's the thing holding everything together, then that weakness starts to become too noticeable to excuse.
I sympathize greatly with Hino-san. I can not begin to imagine what it was like for him to feel like the entire world was against him, being placed under insane pressure and criticism thrown at him at every turn, whether unjust or otherwise. That said, I can understand it was difficult, and when he mentioned that this was a painful experience, I believe him and my heart goes to him regardless of what I felt about this show. I have never been nor will I ever be part of the hate group that had attacked Hino-san and never gave him a chance to prove himself, and despite what I think of his writing, I hope he and his company can bounce back from this and have better luck in the future. Level 5 is still rising upwards, and despite any set backs now, I still think they have a bright future ahead of them.
This might have been better to go in the Overall series thread, but I wanted to add this before I talked about the final episode of AGE, and some of my unsorted general thoughts about the show. I apologize in advance for the length, but much like the episode title said, it's been a long journey so naturally I had a lot of things to say at this point.
For better or for worse, I think that this is the best possible outcome we could have gotten from this anime, due to how the writing hadn't left much room for anything else other than the outright annihilation of Vegan and all of it's population, and we couldn't have had that sort of conclusion to this story. No, the only way to achieve a happy ending is to have Kio get across to his Grandfather, to show him the light and have him forgive the Vegan's for what they had done, no matter how illogical it is for that to happen in the first place, or that there were many points were it might have been better to set up this ''Eureka moment'', to have their earlier conversations be grounds for showing the changing mindset in Flit, rather than being a dumbed down showing of 2 people taking ''positions'' on how to deal with this topic of external forces trying to destroy them.
It wasn't done in a bad manner, certainly a whole lot better than the game for sure, where only Yurin had shown up and gave the unfortunate implication about Flit and Emily's marriage, where in here the people Flit cared most about and who had lost the most to Vegan came and helped him come to accept that if he truly wants to be a savior, he must not black out and entire segment of mankind. A true savior does not cherry pick who to save, he is someone who defends mankind from all evil, even from itself. It was a potent moment, and seeing Marina, Yurin, Godrick, Woolf, Don Boyage and Bruzark was really nostalgic and I could believe that they could let Flit let go of his hatred, even if it made little sense going by what we had come to see from X-rounder powers in the long stretch since episodes 14 and 15 and the show tried to paint them as being more feral than having Newtype like abilities. But we will ignore that since the show does.
Of course, this development isn't without it's share of issues, much like everything in this show at this point. Kio proves himself to be unlikable to the highest degree by only coming at this point to try and convert his own Grandfather, the man who cared for him and raised him, to see his point of view when all this time he had been trying to talk with Vegan soldiers who had been proven to be insanely fanatic and had no issue with killing civilians and noncombatants, and even went as far as not talking to Flit a few episodes ago and not even bothering to try and reason with him properly instead of telling him to see his way without trying to put himself in his Grandfathers own shoes and giving him some things to think about.
Of course, Kio is a child so it is a given he wouldn't be able to argue on even grounds with an accomplished man such as Flit, but that makes it all the more clear the farce that is allowing him to remain in the battlefield when the show never put in the effort to justify the reason for doing so other than him being one of the 3 main protagonists, flying in the face of reason and logic every time we see him on screen and wondering why the hell is Flit and Romary allowing him to risk his life in such a careless manner, but like everything in this show we have to take the good with the bad and just let it roll.
Despite how the show had made a strong case for them deserving one, I do not support Flit in what he wanted to do, and even then I find myself siding more with Seric than I ever did with any of these 2 as he was the voice of reason in this show. Alas he died and along with the last shards of what might resemble a decent reasonable human being in the cast, with us being treated by three people of varying character taking center stage in Space Opera clusterfuck, one a genocidal old man who had been shown to be a good human being otherwise and someone who is a father to his men on the battle field, who will defend everyone on earth as if they are his own family, another who is a deserter who abandoned his country and family to become a pirate only for him to now stand with them again for some unspecified reason, and the last a child who has no idea what he is doing.
Good with the bad.
On the whole, not much else to say. The battle was okay, certainly nothing mind blowing in either animation or situation, since the central villain was nothing more than a no face evil entity tragic figure who to the very end attempted to save mankind from it's own stupidity only to be defeated ironically by everyone teaming up to destroy it (Thanks for ReddyRedWolf for pointing out how much of a tragic figure SID truly was. That AI died for our sins.). The music was the best thing about is as usual, but like I had said in my OST1 review and as webkid94 had mentioned now on the few of points I agreed with him on, it is not on the same memorable level I had come to expect form a Gundam series.
The voice work was of varying degrees on this episode, from decent to excellent. Hearing Toyonaga Toshiyuki one last time was a treat and seeing the younger Flit again brought back some nice moments to the front, Inoue Kazuhiko continued with his veteran work giving the older Flit a kinder yet tired voice. Saori Hayami being back for one last time was also great, and I think we can all say who one in that race for Flit's heart once and for all, going by the soft and mesmeric talk they had shared.
In general, yeah, this is the best that we could have gotten. That's not saying much since it was only a notch above a complete FUBAR ending, but I wont be picky.
I honestly feel awful writing anything about this show at this point. I don't want to add in more to the negativity, but at the same time I can't say this was anything approaching good which I have just witnessed. I suppose that in conclusion, much like it's show, the final episode of AGE had it's touching moments, was technically well made, but overall it was illogical in a lot of places, didn't make sense in the context of it's own series, and left much to be desired by the end. I could think of a more fitting final episode for this anime.
Final thoughts later.
Last edited by Arabesque; 2012-09-23 at 07:06.
|2012-09-23, 06:58
|Link #34
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
I actually feel sorry for Zera Gins and Sid.
Zera Gins is nothing more than human robot that got the infamous tag as the final boss.
Sid is an AI gone crapshoot but with good reason. It guards the EXA-DB from being used unwisely. Ezelcant steals a portion of the data and creates weapons of death. From then on its objective is to destroy anybody getting near it.
Then its asteroid gets blown barely saving the EXA-DB.
Goes to Earth to find what is the fuzz is all about with the Federation and Vegans fighting over it. Finds a huge-ass death ray.
That was the final straw for Sid. Proceeds to destroy the death ray and the idiots who built it. Hijacking the Vegan Gears fighting everybody and ripped to pieces by Kio.
|2012-09-23, 07:02
|Link #35
Licensed Hunter-a-holic
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 30
I demand a golden statue.
|2012-09-23, 07:19
|Link #37
Licensed Hunter-a-holic
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 30
It's a highly advance AI, so I think it has some degree of independent thought, though in the end it does not really matter, since it doesn't take from the tragedy, merely adds to it.
SID was created to safeguard the EXA DB, to protect humanity from destroying itself. We created it to be the perfect guardian, and it had fulfilled it's role to the very end, regardless of how humanity, it's creator, attempted to gain back that destructive knowledge.
To the very end, SID lived to fulfill it's role of being mankind's protector, no matter how many times it got beat up by two butthurt high school lovers, no matter how hopeless the situation was, it still got around to try and and do it's duty, to protect us from our own stupidity. Hell, it it was sentient, I bet it was in it's plan to show up then to help rally everyone together against it so they'd stop killing each other.
SID is a true Bro.
Also, this
Spoiler for The strongest Gundam:
|2012-09-23, 08:52
|Link #38
Join Date: May 2007
Location: gs series
Age: 29
i told you so this series is abomination yet i was right on the point yet rushed it last boss only 1ep oh boy indeed PG-age ruined it all to watch from lack of characters develop, too much long time-skips, & mis-used of women in gundam.
thank goodness i never plan to see & seeing mention on pics & blogs hurray ding dong PG-age is over hurray now focus next series by making a lead a FEMALE.
|2012-09-23, 08:58
|Link #39
Join Date: Jan 2011
|2012-09-23, 09:09
|Link #40
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Edinburgh
Age: 36
The last two episodes in combination are a pain to watch. The final episode killed the build up from the last one.
Everyone should have died in the final!
I don't know, the last two episodes just doesn't feel right. Not sure if the series was cut or the ending rewritten, but everything felt rushed.
However AGE is still one of the better alternative universe series.
|weekly episode discussion
|Thread Tools


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Full Movie Two Night Stand Online StreamingWatch Movie Two Night Stand Full Streaming with duration 86 Min and released on 2014-08-28 and MPAA rating is 25.
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Release date of movie : 2014-08-28
Companies of movie : Flynn Picture Company, Demarest Films,
Countries of movie :
Language of movie : English,
Durationof movie : 86 Min
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Cast of movie :
- Analeigh Tipton ( Megan )
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I've got both the Spot and the XP2. Very similar performance. Both provide plenty of light for glacier or trail navigation. Both have a decent battery life.
I use the XP2 more often because I have the rechargeable battery kit for it. Nice option - for night time trail running I can run it at full brightness regulated w/o worrying about burning up $$$ on batteries. I use it unregulated on alpine stuff and have had plenty for multi-day trips.
I'd be happy with owning either one on their own.


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The Trescott Historical
Society is a private membership organization and is open to the
public. We are dedicated to the study and publication of the history
of the Township of Trescott, Maine. The now-unincorporated town of
Trescott is nestled between the towns of Whiting & Cutler to the
west, and Lubec to the east. To the north are the shores of Whiting
Bay and Straight Bay, and to the south is Grand Manan Channel in the
mouth of the Bay of Fundy.
Formerly known as Plantation No. 9, it was incorporated in 1827, named after Major Lemuel Trescott (1751-1826), a patriot from the American Revolution, who had moved to the area in 1784, and had become a prominent citizen. During those early days, the town of Trescott was busy with lumbering, farming and fishing.
Contents Copyright 2019 by Trescott Historical Society, but please feel free to use and link.


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Skip Left Navigation
County Home
Public Works Home
Frequently Asked Questions
Who do I
call to fix burned out street lights?
Locate pole number on pole (located 7
feet from bottom of pole).
If pole is in the Cobblestone/Plumas Lake area and
the pole number starts with YC call (530)
749-5420 with pole number and location. Any
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2:00 pm
Quilting Arts "Quilter's Mishmash" We finish up this season with a quilter's mish mash, our "technical term" for some very unusual and different techniques to round out this season. Favorite stitcher Libby Lehman is back with expert tips to change your satin stitching from mediocre to magnificent. Then, celebrate the season with some festive fabric flags. D
2:30 pm
Hometime "Built-In Gas Grill" The HOMETIME crew resets an outdoor natural stone island, covering it with granite and setting a new built-in gas grill. D
3:00 pm
Woodsmith Shop "Workbench Basics" Join the editors from Woodsmith magazine as they show you the must-have features you need when choosing the right workbench. D
3:30 pm
This Old House "Essex 2012/13, A Cottage in the Wood" Kevin and Norm tour scenic Essex, Massachusetts, and roll up to the new project: a 1935 English-style cottage in the woods that homeowners John and Julie Corcoran hope to turn into an accessible in-law residence for aging parents. Architect Sally DeGan and Tom use a 3-D model to preview the plan for aging in place, and work begins. D
4:00 pm
Ask This Old House "Hanging a Flat Panel TV/Controlling Insects Without Pesticides" Master electrician Scott Caron helps a homeowner hang a flat panel television on the wall and conceal all the wiring. Back in the workshop, Scott shows host Kevin O'Connor examples of different types of electrical outlets. Then, Kevin, along with landscape contractor Roger Cook, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey and general contractor Tom Silva, asks, "What Is It?" Afterward, Roger heads to Miami to help a homeowner control the insect pests in her yard without the use of pesticides. D
4:30 pm
P. Allen Smith's Garden Home "Nature for the Soul" P. Allen Smith visits The Bell Garden Community Garden in St. Louis, Missouri, where a unique garden therapy program has made a difference in people's lives. D
5:00 pm
Dialogue "World Court Judge Joan Donoghue" The judge is the first female American to sit on the court, which is in The Hague, Netherlands. Donoghue discusses the role of the court and her work on it with host Marcia Franklin.G
5:30 pm
Charlie Rose - The Week This weekly special features highlights of conversations with the week's guests on Rose's nightly program.G
5:59 pm
History of Science "What Is The Secret of Life?" Michael Mosley presents the story of how the secret of life has been examined through the prism of the most complex organism known - the human body. It begins with attempts to save the lives of gladiators in Ancient Rome and unfolds to the microscopic world of cells and DNA. Part 5 of 6G
7:00 pm
Outdoor Idaho "Idaho Fairways" OUTDOOR IDAHO cameras visit some of the state's golf courses that cater primarily to locals and are gathering places for the community. Some are on naturally challenging terrains, others are designed and created; some are built by farmers, others by a more formal process. From hillsides to canyons, from sharing space with an airport to links behind protective woods, Idaho's small courses offer unique experiences.G
7:29 pm
Oregon Field Guide "Photographer Bill Wallauer" The wildlife photographer has some "home movies" to share from his time as Jane Goodall's director of photography and his recent work on Disney's "Chimpanzees."G
8:00 pm
Call The Midwife "S2 E2" The Nonnatus community is rocked when the Kelly family's newborn son dies in unexplained circumstances. Cynthia, who had attended the birth, comes under intense scrutiny from the police and the pregnant women of Poplar. Despite reassurances from her friends and colleagues, Cynthia questions her own abilities and the strain takes its toll on her work and health.G
9:00 pm
Masterpiece Mystery! "Endeavour, Series I: Rocket" A royal visit to a family-owned munitions factory begins as a proud occasion for the people of Oxford but the joy ends when an unpopular fitter is murdered during the visit. Thursday and DS Peter Jakes lead the investigation while Morse is given routine tasks. Chief Superintendent Bright frets that he needs the case to be solved quickly. Morse meanwhile delves into the family's murky past, as well as his own.G
10:30 pm
New Tricks "Lost In Translation" New DNA tests are conducted on charred remains of an unidentified male corpse discovered in a forest in 1996. The results reveal a family link to a Home Office fingerprint analyst who is an Albanian refugee. Team members are drawn into a world of immigration loopholes, Albanian gangs and family feuds.G
11:30 pm
British Antiques Roadshow "Dartmouth 1" Fiona Bruce and team weigh anchor at the Britannia Royal Naval College for a day of evaluations. Some special finds include a relic from HMS Victory, a mystery device once used to make explosions, and perhaps the largest piece made by Faberg? seen on the show.G


text:
Dubai Holding was created in order to lead Dubai's large-scale infrastructure and investment projects. It manages and controls 20 companies, which operate in real estate, hospitality, finance, healthcare, energy, research, education, entertainment, media, internet, tourism, and biotechnology.
Contact Information:
Emirates Towers
49th Floor
Sheikh Zayed Road
PO Box 66000
Dubai, United Arab Emirates


text:
Leaked TPP Proposal Reveals That US Wants To Give Multinational Companies Tremendous Power
from the regulatory-capture dept
Still, you can't keep things secret forever, and it appears that more TPP proposals have been leaked. It's important to note that TPP covers a lot more than just intellectual property. We've mainly been focused on the IP chapter, but this leak covers other parts of the agreement. That doesn't make it any less troubling. As is being reported, the proposals appears to completely contradict President Obama's campaign promises, while also giving tremendous power to international companies.
It's been clear from the beginning that Kirk is in bed with corporate special interests. The fact that copyright maximalist companies have had regular access to information on the IP chapter of TPP has already been quite troubling, but this leak -- while not focusing on the intellectual property issues that we're most interested in -- seems to confirm that the USTR believes its main purpose is to make life easier for companies it already likes, while making things worse for everyone else.


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Oksana Grigorieva – best known for her bitter court battle with her ex-boyfriend Mel Gibson – has filed for bankruptcy.
The Russian singer, who has a daughter, Lucia, 4, with the Oscar winner, claims she is more than $400,000 in debt and only has $10 cash to her name, PEOPLE confirms.
The 43-year-old, who claimed Gibson physically assaulted her when they split in 2010, agreed to joint custody of their daughter in a settlement in 2011. Gibson also agreed to pay her $750,000 in installments over the next five years and allow her to live in a house he owns in L.A. until Lucia turns 18.
According to the court documents, Gibson pays Grigorieva $20,000 a month in child support for Lucia, while former James Bond actor Timothy Dalton pays her $2,500 a month for their son, Alexander.
Grigorieva claims most of her debts are from legal bills from her court battle with Gibson and that she owes five lawyers $250,000. In 2013, she sued her lawyers for giving her bad advice regarding her settlement with Gibson.
TMZ was first to report the news.


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Jean-Christophe Maillot's "Cinderella," at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in February, was filled with revelatory twists and delights, including dystopian sets and costumes. The story was told via its barefoot heroine (no glass slipper for her) as well as a shift in focus onto the fairy godmother character, who in this version was Cinderella's dead mother. A musical choreographer, Maillot is artistic director of Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, which was making its West Coast debut with an international cast that displayed a crisply energetic style.
Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times
Copyright © 2019, Los Angeles Times


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How Games Can Influence Learning
By Nathan Maton
What do games have anything to do with learning? We spoke to nationally recognized researchers, teachers, game-based schools and companies that develop educational games and asked how they see games fitting into the education landscape.
IT'S ABOUT INTERACTION, NOT ISOLATION. "At the end of the day, a game is successful only if each individual gamer has an interaction with it that makes him or her want to come back for more," says Nt Etuk, CEO of Dimension U, an educational games company. "Even the massively multi-player games [such as World of Warcaft] are successful only because they have tapped into a million individual need to interact, or to compete, or to form groups."
GAMES CAN HELP STRUGGLING STUDENTS. "[Games] don't cause behavior problems but eliminate them," Ananth Pai says. Pai teaches students from second to fifth grade in Parkview/Center Point Elementary school in Maplewood, Minnesota. Pai took the time to develop a game-based curricula, and says he's seen the rewards of his efforts.
In his gamified classroom, students who performed below proficiency contributed the most to the double-digit growth in achievement. "These are the students that make up the whole education reform debate. Gamification helps them from falling through the ever widening achievement gap as they move forward from third grade," he said.
Sponsored By
IT'S HIGHLY PERSONALIZED. With the best games, the player is challenged at exactly the right level and in the right way to keep the player playing. "Maybe the question we need to ask is what about games causes youth to engage that our traditional approach to education lacks," says Brian Alspach, Executive Vice President of E-Line Media, an educational games publisher well known for their game Gamestar Mechanic. "Perhaps applying games to classes is hard because they work on a different educational philosophy than our current education system. Classes are designed to get the lowest common denominator engaged, while games are an interactive, 'lean-forward' medium in which players can progress at their own pace while trying and failing in a safe environment. A well-designed game offers an intricate balance of challenges and rewards that continually pushes players to, and then beyond, the limits of their knowledge and skill."
GAMES ARE NOT ALWAYS THE MAIN POINT. Quest To Learn, a school led by renowned game designer Katie Salen that integrates games across all classes and subjects, is one of the leading examples of how games fit into schools. Yet even there, according to Rebecca Rufo-Tepper, Director of Integrated Learning, none of their teachers teach exclusively through games. Even when they do use games, they're frequently not what you'd imagine.
"Games are very flexible and can be used in different ways," Rufo-Tepper says. "It's not like they're in the classroom playing a video game or playing cards everyday but there is this larger contextual experience that is game like. We use the word 'game-like' a lot instead of 'game.'"
She gives an example of how the school's seventh-grade literacy class, in which they read a book called Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson, about New York City during the American Revolution. Students are asked to write about the different types of power represented in the book, to give literary examples, and to write a literary essay with multiple drafts. Sounds like a typical English class, except the small twist here is that Oprah Winfrey has "visited" them in a video created by game designers and the teacher, and asked them to join her book club. "There's a fictionalized game-like experience and the kids know that it isn't really Oprah but it is all couched in this game like experience," she said.
GOOD EDUCATIONAL GAMES ARE DIFFICULT TO DEVELOP. "The fact is, many of the games out there suck," said Ralph Vacca, a doctoral student at New York University's Educational Communications and Technology Program. "They don't tackle genuine learning needs as teachers see them, they don't address practical limitations, as teachers see them, and they don't live up to the hype around them, as teachers see them." Those who design games need to recognize the "logistical, organizational, and cultural obstacles teachers have to deal with that underlie lots of perceived 'resistance' to innovations in the classroom." For busy teachers, spending days or weeks prepping to use a game in just one or two classes is not the best use of time, he said.
Even Quest To Learn, which hopes to be a leading example in implementing games in schools in game design, admits to the challenge of developing useful games. They've pulled together the best and brightest of both the teaching and game-design worlds and carefully thought through their plan. Even so, some of their games, particularly in their first year, were frequently over-designed and over-complicated.
"We'll have designed a board game where we realize that it has taken 45 minutes of class for the kids just to understand how to play it," Rebecca says. "And we'll have said we'll take 15 minutes to explain it and then they'll play around and then we're in a classroom. Forty-five minutes have gone by and the kids are still trying to figure out how to play it." Add to that the fact that it was a Friday, by the time student return on Monday, "they've forgotten everything that you've talked about."
Sponsored By
Read more about games in education:
- Can Gamification Boost Independent Learning?
- Ten Surprising Truths About Video Games
- Why Video Games Power Up Learning
- MindShift series on Games
Nathan Maton is an educational games designer and the community manager on Jane McGonigal's website Gameful.org.


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The Brood
A mother wood duck and her brood take a break on the Silver River, Florida.
Giddy Up!
As has been said, "It's turtles all the way down."
I still submit that turtles are great subjects for photography — they don't move around very much; they have features that are unique one from another; and the various postures they assume while sunning themselves leads to interesting compositions.
Such was the case with this pair on the Silver River in Florida. I had to spin the kayak around and work back upstream to catch this team. I caught several frames before they decided they had had enough. Actually, the big guy on the bottom had enough, and took the little one into the water with him.
Wood. Duck.
From his log perch on the Silver River in Florida, a male Wood Duck keeps a close eye on his mate and their brood of baby ducklings.
"No. YOU Pull His Tail"
A bale of turtles contemplates their next prank at Silver River, Florida
The Tortoise and the Heron
While paddling kayaks along the Silver River near Ocala, Florida, one can see a wide range of wildlife, often in interesting combinations. Here, a Great Blue Heron, taking a break from wading, shares a bit of dry space with the turtle.
Shelter from the Storm
Wild monkeys at the Silver River, Florida
Sleeping Beauty
"Family Snapshot"
The wild ponies of Shackleford Banks, Cape Lookout, NC
"You... Will... Give... Me... Carrot..."
Gator, Resting
An American alligator rests in the Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia.
A Mother's Kiss
"He's So Shy"
'Gator on a Rope
On the Silver River in Florida
"My Leaf - My Rules"
A Great Horned Owl nesting in a nearby pine tree.
A mother moose and her young yearling browse the foliage at Dolly Copp Campground near Gorham, NH
So I'll Follow the Sun
A procession of turtles leaves the water seeking the warmth of the sun. Silver River, Florida
"Bad Hair Day"
"When You Smile for the Camera, I Know They're Gonna Love It"
A grouchy looking baby turtle, Silver River, Florida
Before entering the garden for dinner, it's a good idea to say grace.
"Mom Told Me to Freeze"
"Assateague Pony"
"I Gotta Right to Sing the Greens"
REALLY Angry Bird"
"Busted! My Position Has Been Compromised"
The Guardian
An adult male wild monkey guards his loved ones on the Silver River, Florida
Cormorant, Silver River, Florida
Cormorant, Silver River, Florida
"Air Brakes!"
Fine Dining at Anhinga's Cafe
Silver River at Silver Springs State Park, Florida
"Another Way To Hide If You're A Moose"
A moose plays hard-to-get near Eustis, Maine.
"How To Hide If You're a Moose"
Frankly, I don't think he's fooling anyone. But I suppose if you're this big, it's hard to hide effectively.
"Guess What Happens Next?"
"Intruder Alert!"
"When Pelicans Drink Red Bull"
"Reflections: Creativity and Certainty"
Two alligators in the Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia
"I Just Loves Me Some Log"
A large alligator resting in the Okefenokee Swamp, near Fargo, Georgia. Taken from our kayaks.
beeflowergardeninsectplantRob HansonRob Hanson Photography.comlavenderbeanblack beanbumblebeeanimalbokehmacro


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Titanfall released yesterday in North America for PC and Xbox One. As usual, there was no way that an exclusive game, especially a third-party one, could release without angering some overly sensitive gamers.
Titanfall looks like a good game for a specific type of gamer, but it also has many shortcomings that prevent it from hitting a larger audience
Things like bland graphics, no SP, bots, low player count in MP could be things, unstable frame-rates and screen-tearing that drive gamers away
The biggest problem is the overhyp, that actually hurt the game, because to push the momentum further it would need to be above the psychological barrier of "9", but the "8" scores waterd down the average to around 8.5, that will lead to some thinking the game doesn't live up to expectations, that is a reason for why things became a bit quite after the release. It doesn't help that Dark Souls2 is getting better reception, that will take a chunk of gamers mind-share
Another thing is the beta, the lack of depth to the game means their is little left to surprise us and keep us talking.
I have a pc thats more than capable of playing titanfall it just does not impress me in the slightest and I would rather play bf4 since the cod style fps got boring awhile ago for me!
I don't really want it because I am not fan of shooters, I can play them occasionally but that's all.
That said I really think TF will come to PS4 eventually.
I never say " I didn't want it anyways". I always tell myself "you can get it for cheaper if you wait a bit". Goes for consoles as well as games.
I seriously don't get all the jealousy. Sony has better exclusives all around, in my opinion but that doesn't mean that Titanfall sucks. In fact, I wish like HELL the game was on Playstation. I really want to play it.


text:
Selecting your vehicle's make, model, and year allows us to display only parts and items specific to your car's model and year.
Part# BR00094
Be the First to Review
OPGI Price: $202.99
Part Type: (A) Aftermarket product, usually an enhancement product
Years: 1968
Sold As: PAIR
2018 Riviera Catalog Page: 81
These reproduction coil springs are identical to original equipment and designed to provide the proper ride height as well as a smooth comfortable driving experience. Springs are available for both front and rear applications depending on your needs. Sold per pair, specify application.


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Brand Label: Tomasini
ITEM MOVED TO ARCHIVE: On April 14, 2018 10:37 am, Fashion Stylist Online noted this item may be out of stock at Barneys New York because it was not referenced in their latest online catalog. If this item is out of stock at Barneys New York, you may be able to find similar fashions sold there or elsewhere on our Tomasini Designer Brand Directory.
Available for Purchase Online at Barneys New York for $1140.00Pin It
Tomasini's yellow suede Lucile mini bucket bag showcases polished silvertone square studs. Inspired by the disco era of the 1970s, this style features a detachable chain-link strap with a custom square construction unique to the brand. Metal logo square at baseline. Polished silvertone hardware. Lined with black suede. Detachable chain-link strap. Dual drawcord closure. 7" height x 6" width x 6" depth (approximately). 24" strap drop (approximately). Available in Yellow. Made in Italy.
Shop other brand label items from Tomasini on FashionStylist.com.
This item was published for sale online by Barneys New York on April 14, 2018 8:57 am and last updated by us April 14, 2018 10:37 am.
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*Women to Watch
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on Hip-hop**
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To distract yourself, and to avoid the glares of other shoppers who have already deemed you the worst mother in America, you leaf through People magazine. Inside, Uma Thurman gushes, "Motherhood is sexy." Moving on to Good Housekeeping, Vanna White says of her child, "When I hear his cry at 6:30 in the morning, I have a smile on my face, and I'm not an early riser." Brought back to reality by stereophonic wailing, you feel about as sexy and euphoric as Rush Limbaugh in a thong.
Meanwhile, Newsweek, also at the check-out line, offers a different view of motherhood. In one of the many stories about welfare mothers that proliferated until "welfare reform" was passed in 1996, you meet Valerie, 27, and "the three children she has by different absentee fathers." She used to live with her mother, "who, at 42, has six grandchildren." But now Valerie resides with other families, all of whom "live side-by-side in open trash-filled apartments." Hey, maybe you're not such a failure after all.
Motherhood has been one of the biggest media fixations of the past two decades. And this is what so many of us have been pulled between when we see accounts of motherhood in the media: celebrity moms who are perfect, most of them white, always rich, happy, and in control, the role models we should emulate, versus welfare mothers who are irresponsible, unmarried, usually black or Latina--as if there were no white single mothers on the dole--poor, miserable, and out of control, the bad examples we should scorn.
Beginning in the late 1970s, with the founding of People and Us, and exploding with a vengeance in the '90s with InStyle, the celebrity-mom profile has spread like head lice through popular magazines, especially women's. "For me, happiness is having a baby," gushed Marie Osmond on a 1983 cover of Good Housekeeping, and Linda Evans added in Ladies' Home Journal, "All I want is a husband and baby." These celeb biographies, increasingly presented as instruction manuals for how the rest of us should live our lives, began to proliferate just as there was a dramatic rise in the number of women who worked outside the home while raising small children. Pulled between established wisdom--if you worked outside the home before your child entered kindergarten you were bound to raise an ax murderer--and the economic and psychic need to work, many of these mothers were searching for guidance. And celebrity mom magazine articles seemed to provide it.
Celebrity moms were perfect for the times. They epitomized two ideals that sat in uneasy but fruitful alliance. On the one hand, they exemplified the unbridled materialism and elitism the Reagan era had spawned. On the other, they represented the feminist dream of women being able to have a family and a job outside the home without being branded traitors to true womanhood. Magazine editors apparently figured they could use stars to sell magazines and to serve as role models.
But now, in the year 2000, things have gotten out of control. Celebrity moms are everywhere, beaming from the comfy serenity and perfection of their lives as they give multiple interviews about their "miracle babies," what an unadulterated joy motherhood is, and all the things they do with their kids to ensure they will be perfectly normal Nobel laureates by the age of 12. These stories are hardly reassuring. They make the rest of us feel that our own lives are, as the great seventeenth century philosopher Thomas Hobbes put it, nasty, brutish, and short. So why should we care about something so banal as the celebrity mom juggernaut? One answer is that it bulldozed through so much of American popular culture just when working mothers, single mothers, and welfare mothers were identified, especially by conservative male pundits, as the cause of everything bad, from the epidemic of drug use to the national debt to rising crime rates. Remember all the hand-wringing by George Will, William Bennett, and Allan Bloom about America's "moral decay"? The biggest culprit, of course, was the single welfare mother. These guys attacked celebrity single mothers now and then, but the mud never stuck--not even, heaven help us, on that fictional celebrity single mother Murphy Brown.
As the push "to end welfare as we know it" gained momentum and reached its climax in the welfare reform of 1996, the canonized celebrity mom and the demonized welfare mother became ever more potent symbols, working in powerful opposition to each other. We rarely saw these very different mothers in the same publication, or even considered them in the same breath. Celebrity moms graced the covers of magazines designed for self-realization and escape; welfare mothers were the object of endless stories in newspapers and newsmagazines and on the nightly news that focused on public policy and its relation to the tenuous state of morality in America.
But what if we put these portrayals side by side and compare what these different mothers were made to stand for? Could it be that the tsunami of celebrity-mom profiles helped, however inadvertently, to justify punitive policies toward welfare mothers and their children? While the "you can have it all" ethos of these pieces made the rest of us feel like failures as mothers, and upped the ante in the eyes of employers and coworkers about how much working mothers can handle, a little side-by-side reading also exposes some rather daunting hypocrisy. Often, one group is glamorized and the other castigated for precisely the same behavior.
Let's take a look at a celebrity mom first. Kirstie Alley, for example. It's 1994. The star of Cheers and the Look Who's Talking movies graces the cover of InStyle, a magazine that pays fawning tribute to the charming idiosyncrasies and lifestyle choices of our nation's most glamorous. Among Kirstie's recent choices is the purchase of her third house. InStyle advises us respectfully that "as with all of her houses, Kirstie paid cash." On a tour of her new Bangor, Maine, retreat (the renovation of which was paid for by a quick voice-over job she did for Subaru), we discover that both Kirstie and her house are "at once down-to-earth and whimsical."
Kirstie must be down-to-earth, of course, because now, at long last, she is a mother. Her "playful sense of style" is made evident by the decoupage grapes that grace her son True's high chair. "It was painted and cracked to make it look old," InStyle informs us. (Why not simply rely on natural toddler effluvia to give the chair that petroglyph look?) True has just turned one; his whimsical high chair faces an equally whimsical ceramic pig holding a blackboard on which a new word appears each day to encourage his reading.
In our tour through Kirstie's hideaway, we encounter an entourage--decorators, a nanny, a cook, and various personal assistants. Kirstie spends True's two-hour nap time working out with her personal trainer and then being served a healthful, fat-free lunch by the cook. Lounging in her living room (painted to "echo" the surrounding firs and elms), reflecting on the challenges of motherhood, Kirstie gushes, "Being a mother has given me a whole new purpose. Every day when I wake up it's like Christmas morning to me, and seeing life through True's eyes gives me a whole new way of looking at the world." Perfect house. Perfect husband. Perfect child. Perfect career. Perfect life. Kirstie is a perfect mother. InStyle invites you to curl up on the sofa with Kirstie, but then implies that you'd probably just spill your tea on it.
Forward to 1997. There's Kirstie again, now the star of the television series Veronica's Closet, beaming at us once more from InStyle. "A new man, a new show, a brand-new life," proclaims the cover. Since 1994, her island mansion has "become a place to play." Each of the 15 bedrooms is decorated with Kirstie's "eclectic and playful eye." According to InStyle, most people would have found decorating this 16,000-square-foot house daunting, but not Kirstie. "I'm very fast," she explains. "I don't shop. I just point: boom, boom, boom." Having outgrown his high chair, True now has his own miniature lobster boat. In addition, he and his new sister, Lillie, can frolic in their personal nursery-rhyme garden, complete with Mother Goose figures especially commissioned by "fun-loving" Kirstie because, as she puts it, "I hope I give my children a spirit of play."
Kirstie swears by the facial treatment she receives every morning on her terrace as the fog burns off Penobscot Bay. It involves "blasting her face with oxygen and enzymes . . . through a plastic hose hooked up to two pressurized tanks." Though her life was perfect in 1994, she has since set aside her husband, Parker Stevenson, in favor of her "soul mate," James Wilder, who "is a cross between Houdini, Errol Flynn, and Marlon Brando." Apparently Kirstie uses the same technique for choosing her lovers as she does for choosing sofa fabrics. With James, "it was like comet to comet. Boom . . ."
Not that we ought to single out Kirstie (although such self-serving bilge makes it irresistible). Celebrity-mom profiles are almost all alike and haven't changed much over the years, except that the houses and toys are more lavish. Celebrity moms are shown embracing motherhood after years of sweating under klieg lights, which apparently brings them in touch with their true, essential, feminine natures. Most important, motherhood is a powerfully transforming experience, akin to seeing God. It always changes these women, and always for the better. "I feel more enriched and compassionate toward others since having my son," says Elle McPherson.
Ladies' Home Journal tells us that Christie Brinkley's third child, daughter Sailor (her father, Brinkley's fourth husband, is a descendant of Captain Cook), "barely tipping the scale at eight pounds . . . has become Brinkley's anchor, a midlife miracle well worth waiting for." Of her second child, Jack (from her third marriage, which lasted only a few months), Christie was equally lyrical: "It's like I went to hell and came back with this angel." We assume that most (but not all) of these celebrity moms are not trying to gloat, or to rub our noses in our own poor lifestyle choices (which invariably include the failure to choose being thin, white, gorgeous, and rich). And we've all said mushy things about how much our kids mean to us, especially in the immediate aftermath of birth, before the months of sleep deprivation and projectile vomiting produce a slightly more jaundiced view of the joys of motherhood.
Ah, but you could be worse. What about media motherhood on the other side of the tracks? Celebrity mom profiles place us on the outside looking in; stories about welfare mothers invite us to look down from on high. Welfare mothers have not been the subject of honey-hued profiles in glossy magazines. They are not the subjects of their own lives, but objects of journalistic scrutiny. We don't hear about these women's maternal practices--what they do with their kids to nurture them, educate them, soothe them, or keep them happy. It is simply assumed that these women don't have inner lives. Emotions are not ascribed to them; we don't hear them laugh or see their eyes well up with tears. One of the most frequent verbs used to describe them is "complain," as when they complain about losing health care for their kids when they go off welfare. When they are quoted, it is not their feelings about the transformative powers of motherhood to which we are made privy. Rather, we hear their relentless complaints about "the system." In many articles about welfare, we don't hear from the mothers at all, but instead from academic experts who study them, or from politicians whose careers are devoted to bashing them. The iconography of the welfare mother is completely different, too--she's not photographed holding her child up in the air, whizzing her about. In fact, she's rarely, if ever, shown smiling at all. It's as if the photographer yelled "scowl" just before clicking the shutter.
These mothers are shown as sphinx-like, monolithic, part of a pathetic historical pattern known, familiarly, as "the cycle of dependency." In a major article in Newsweek in August 1993 titled "The Endangered Family," we learned that "For many African Americans, marriage and childbearing do not go together." Not to mention the 25 percent of white women for whom they don't go together either, or the celebrity single mothers like Jodie Foster, Madonna, and Farah Fawcett.
It isn't just that the conservative right has succeeded in stereotyping welfare mothers as lazy, promiscuous parasites; the media in which these mothers appear provide no point of identification with them. At best, these mothers are pitiable. At worst, they are reprehensible opposites of the other mothers we see so much of, the new standard-bearers of ideal motherhood--the doting, conscientious celebrities for whom motherhood is a gateway to heaven. During the height of welfare bashing in the Reagan, Bush, and Clinton administrations, the stereotype of the "welfare queen" gained mythological status. But there were other, less obvious, journalistic devices that served equally well to dehumanize poor mothers and their children. Unsavory designations proliferated with a vengeance: "chronic dependents," "the chronically jobless," "welfare mothers in training," "hardcore welfare recipients," "never-married mothers," "welfare careerists," and "welfare recidivists" became characters in a distinctly American political melodrama. Poor women weren't individuals; instead their life stories became case-studies of moral decay, giving substance to the inevitable barrage of statistics peppering the media's presentation of "Life on the Dole." In publications everywhere, we met the poster mother for welfare reform. She only had a first name, she lived in the urban decay of New York, Chicago, or Detroit, she was not married, she had a pile of kids each with a different absent father, and she spent her day painting her nails, smoking cigarettes, and feeding Pepsi to her baby.
As sociologists have pointed out, even though there consistently have been more white people than black on welfare, the news media began, in the mid-1960s, to rely almost exclusively on pictures of African Americans to illustrate stories about welfare, reinforcing the stereotype that most welfare recipients are black. Occasionally readers are introduced to the runner-up in the poster competition: the white welfare mother, whose story varies only in that she lives in a trailer in some godforsaken place we have never heard of and is really, really fat.
For example, in a 1995 edition of CBS's 48 Hours, titled "The Rage Over Welfare," we met two overweight white women who live on welfare in New Hampshire. The very first shots--just to let us know the kind of lazy, selfish mothers we are in for--are close-ups of hands shuffling a deck of playing cards and, next, a mom lighting a cigarette. The white male journalist badgers one of the women, who says she can't work because she has epilepsy and arthritis in both knees. "People with epilepsy work. People with bad knees work. People do," he scolds. As she answers, "I don't know what kind of a job I could find," the camera again cuts to her hands shuffling the cards, suggesting, perhaps, a bright future in the casino industry if she'd only apply herself.
Or there's Denise B., one of the "True Faces of Welfare," age 29, with five daughters, from ages one to 13. "All, after the first, were conceived on welfare--conceived perhaps deliberately," Reader's Digest sniffs, conjuring up the image of Denise doing some quick math calculations, saying to herself, Oh boy, an extra 60 bucks a month, and then running out to find someone to get her pregnant. The other thing we learn about Denise is that she's a leech. Why not get a job, even though she has toddlers? Because she's lazy. "To get a good job, she would first have to go to school, then earn her way up to a high salary," Reader's Digest reminds us, and then lets the ingrate, Denise, speak. "'That's going to take time,' she says, 'It's a lot of work and I ain't guaranteed to get nothing.'" What we learn of Denise's inner life is that she's a calculating cynic. Her kids don't make her feel like every day is Christmas; no, we're supposed to think she uses her kids to get something for nothing.
Even the New York Times' Jason De Parle, one of the more sympathetic white male journalists to cover welfare, gets blinded by class privilege. Roslyn Hale, he wrote in 1994, who had been trying to get off welfare, had a succession of jobs that "alternatively invite and discourage public sympathy." She had worked as a maid and as a clerk in a convenience store during the overnight shift when drunks came in and threatened her with a knife. Hale "blames economics for her problems," De Parle reports, since these were crappy jobs that paid only minimum wage. "And sometimes she blames herself. 'I have an attitude,' she admitted." Hello? What middle-class woman would not have "an attitude" after having been threatened at knifepoint or being expected to be grateful for such jobs? In the Boston Globe's "Welfare Reform Through a Child's Eyes" we see little Alicia, who now has a room of her own, Barbies, four kittens, and a ferret because her mother got a job. But although this story appears to be through the child's eyes (never the mother's), it's actually through the judgmental eyes of the press. Sure, the mom has quit drinking, quit crack, and is now working at a nursing center. But the apartment is "suffused with the aroma of animal droppings and her mother's cigarette smoke." Presumably everyone but welfare mothers and former welfare mothers knows how to make their litter boxes smell like gardenias. One of the sentences most commonly used to characterize the welfare mother is "Tanya, who has ____ children by ____ different men . . ." (you fill in the blanks). Their lives are reduced to the number of successful impregnations by multiple partners--like zoo animals, but unlike Christie Brinkley, although she has exactly the same reproductive M.O. And while the celebrity magazines gush that Christie, Kirstie, and Cindy are sexier than ever, a welfare mother's sexuality is depicted as her downfall.
In the last three years, we've seen the dismantling of the nation's welfare system. Meanwhile, the resentment over the ridiculous standards we're supposed to meet is rising. Sure, many of us ridicule these preposterous portraits of celebrity mom-dom, and we gloated when the monumentally self-righteous "I read the Bible to Cody" Kathie Lee Gifford got her various comeuppances. But the problem is bigger than that: the standards set by celebrity motherhood as touted by the media, with their powerful emphasis on individual will, choice, and responsibility, severely undercut sympathy for poor mothers and their children. Both media characterizations have made it easier for middle-class and upper-middle-class women--especially working women facing speed-ups at work and a decline in leisure time--to resent welfare mothers instead of identifying with them and their struggles.
Why does the media offer us this vision? Not surprising, many reporters bought into the myths that began in the Reagan era, with its dogma of trickle-down economics, its attacks on the poor and people of color, and its antifeminist backlash, through which patriarchy got a new name--family values. Becoming rich and famous came to be the ultimate personal achievement. Reagan's message was simple--the outlandish accumulation of wealth by the few is the basis of a strong economy.
In that context, celebrity-mom profiles haven't been just harmless dreck that help sell magazines. They have encouraged self-loathing, rather than reassurance, in those of us financially comfortable enough not to have to worry about where our kids' next meals are coming from. And they play a subtle but important role in encouraging so many of us to think about motherhood as an individual achievement and a test of individual will and self-discipline. That mind-set--the one that promotes individual responsibility over community and societal obligations--justifies letting poor women and their children fend for themselves until mom makes the right lifestyle choices.
These stories suggest that we, too, can make it to the summit if we just get up earlier, laugh more, and buy the right products. These stories are about leaving others behind, down below. Phony images of joyful, ever-nurturing celebrity moms sitting side-by-side in the newsstands next to humorless, scowling welfare mothers naturalize a pecking order in which some kids deserve to eat well, have access to a doctor, or go to Disney World, and others do not. Under the glossy veneer of maternal joy, generosity, and love lurks the worst sort of narcissism that insists it's every woman for herself. Paying lip service to a collagen-injected feminism, celebrity momism trivializes the struggles and hopes of real women, and kisses off sisterhood as hopelessly out of style.
Susan Douglas teaches communication studies at the University of Michigan and is the author of "Where the Girls Are: Growing Up Female with the Mass Media" (Times Books). Meredith Michaels teaches philosophy at Smith College. Her most recent book (with Lynn Marie Morgan) is "Fetal Subjects, Feminist Positions" (University of Pennsylvania Press). Douglas and Michaels are working on a book about media representations of motherhood.


text:
March 7, 2006
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The MIT women's tennis team was defeated by Bates College, 5-4, in a hard-fought battle on Saturday. With the loss, the Engineers' record dropped to 8-4 on the year.
The No. 3 doubles tandem of Jusleen Karve and Jill Konowich notched the first decision of the day with an 8-3 loss. Serena Lin and Mariah Hoover fell to a very hard-hitting duo, 8-4, in the top spot. Joanna MacKay and Elaine Ni earned Tech's first point of the match with an 8-5 win. They established a 6-1 lead, and despite a small lapse, the No. 2 team put together a strong finish for the victory.
In singles, Hoover evened the contest at two by taking a 6-2, 6-3 win in the No. 3 slot. In the next position, Yi Wang fell to a formidable foe, 7-5, 6-3. At first singles, Lin could not convert on multiple set points in the first set and lost 7-6 (6), 6-1. Ni was engaged in the longest battle of the day in the No. 2 spot, but could not pull out the win as she lost 4-6, 7-6, 7-6. The Bobcats clinched the match at this point as they went up 5-2. MIT continued to attack as Konowich disposed of her No. 6 opponent, 6-3, 6-4. Emily Chen captured the final point for the Engineers by winning a very tight match, 7-5, 3-6, 11-9.
In exhibition play, Lisa Shank and Yi Wang collaborated for an 8-2 victory. Shank went on to pick up a 6-2, 4-6, 10-6 singles win while Karina Pikhart fell, 8-4.
MIT vs. Bates College
Final Team Score: Bates 5, MIT 4
1. Cecilia Grissa/Laura Harris (B) def. Serena Lin/Mariah Hoover (M), 8-4
2. Joanna MacKay/Elaine Ni (M) def. Liz Currie/Caryn Bemisch (B), 8-5
3. Mallika Raghavan/Liz Fleming (B) def. Jusleen Karve/Jill Konowich (M), 8-3
4. Lisa Shank/Yi Wang (M) def. J. Brown/K. Bautista (B), 8-2
1. Cecilia Grissa (B) def. Serena Lin (M), 7-6 (6), 6-1
2. Liz Currie (B) def. Elaine Ni (M), 4-6, 7-6, 7-6 (2)
3. Mariah Hoover (M) def. Caryn Bemisch (B), 6-2, 6-3
4. Laura Harris (B) def. Yi Wang (M), 7-5, 6-3
5. Emily Chen (M) def. Mallika Raghavan (B), 7-5, 3-6, 11-9
6. Jill Konowich (M) def. K. Bautista (B), 6-3, 6-4
7. Lisa Shank (M) def. Liz Fleming (B), 6-2, 4-6, 10-6
8. J. Brown (B) def. Karina Pikhart (M), 8-4


text:
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Sacramento Municipal Utility District offers low-interest loans to help commercial customers finance energy efficient equipment in eligible facilities. Generally, loans are extended to vested owners of a property. The applicable interest rate is currently at 6.99%; however this may be subject to change. Customers have up to ten years to repay the loan. Call 916-732-5472 to verify interest rate offer. A loan application fee of $200 will be charged for all applications. SMUD will return this fee if they decline the application. SMUD will prepare loan documents for signature immediately upon approval of the financing. Upon SMUD's approval, the loan commitment is valid for 180 days. Within this 180-day period, the product(s) must be installed and SMUD notified of the installation's completion.
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text:
By Tami Winfrey-Harris, Co-editor of Love Isn't Enough
My hair is remarkable.
This weekend, I went home to the Chicagoland area for a party. My hostess had welcomed old friends and family into her home to celebrate the life of her sister. Folks crowded into the basement and hugged and laughed and hollered and drank, while a soundtrack of classic R&B and jazz pumped from the stereo. Our host was Kentucky born and bred. Armed with his family's secret barbecue sauce recipe, he laid out a soul food feast: rib tips, collard greens, baked spaghetti…Another "down home" cook brought to-die-for red velvet and coconut cakes. It was a great time. I hear a Cha-Cha Slide line broke out after I left.
But I find it curious that amidst all those black folk, on a night steeped in African American culture, my natural African American hair was a topic of discussion. My longtime friend, whose sister and brother-in-law hosted the party, kept introducing me to new people as "my bohemian, Earth Mother friend…see, she has natural hair." Now, there is nothing wrong with being bohemian or an Earth Mother, but I am hardly Erykah Badu. And it is telling that, though we've known each other for more than 15 years, my friend never found me hippiefied until I began wearing my hair unstraightened. It is as if now my appearance bears an explanation–that my hair is the most salient thing about me.
Spurred by my friend's introduction, people peered at my hair—a three-day-old twist out, turned chunky 'fro by the humid, packed house. How do you get it to do that? It's not doing anything, I tried to explain. Or rather, "it do what it do." It's just my hair. It's just our hair. Even the two women at the party who also wore their hair natural were perplexed. Both kept their kinks hidden—one under weave, the other, on this night, under a hat. I'm going to wear my hair like yours when I am brave enough.
I am always saddened by evidence of how far removed my black brothers and sisters are from this part of our physicality. It is not that I begrudge people the ability to wear their hair however they wish. But long, natural hair, left coily and kinky and loose on a black woman should not be an anomaly—unrecognizable to even other black people.
Because we are so divorced from our natural hair, our children are, too. Last night, my nine-year-old niece asked me how I get my hair to "stay like that."
"Like what?" I asked.
"You know…like…down…most black people don't have hair like that…just…I don't know…like that."
I understood. One of my nephews had asked a similar question less than a week before. "You weren't born with your hair like that were you? What do you do to it?" The unstraightened black hair my niece and nephew see is worn by men, who keep their hair cut close. Most people in our predominately-white town have straight (or straightish) hair that reflects their European ancestry. Most adult black women they meet are permed or weaved or otherwise straightened. At nine, my niece has "grown out of" natural hair and now gets her hair "pressed" as many of us did as we grew into our pre-teen years. She experiences her own natural hair only as long as it takes to get from shampoo bowl to flat iron. My hair must seem odd.
I explained to them both that my hair is like theirs. I pointed out a picture of my niece as a toddler with a big, curly 'fro that looked a lot like my hair. I explained that most black people have some version of hair like mine–some curlier, some kinkier. They simply straighten it, but they don't have to. It's just one choice. Our hair can do cool things in its natural state.
It is one thing to explain this to children, but disappointing to have to give similar speeches to adults. How can we say we love our black selves if we don't know a basic part of our bodies? Not knowing what black natural hair does is sort of like not knowing you have five toes on one foot.
This weekend, my mom asked me to show Sesame Street's much-talked-about "I love my hair" segment to both of my nieces. We watched together. While my eldest niece was ambivalent, her four-year-old sister was captivated. Play it again! She gasped when one of the brown muppet's hairdos seemed to match her own twin afro puffs. Her hair is curly like ours! (My youngest niece notices that our hair is alike, because I tell her so. Your hair is in twists like mine…neat! Your hair is so pretty in those cornrows! I try to compliment her on her natural styles, because I know, too often, adults will only coo when it is straightened to its full length and flowing.)
My niece asked me to sing along with the new muppet character and then announced that "every time, when I come to your house, we're going to watch the video and learn the words to we can sing it." And we have. Last night, I called the video up on my iPhone and we sung together:
Don't need a trip to the beauty shop
'Cause I love what I've got on top
It's curly and it's brown and it's right up there…
My niece kept singing the song like a mantra for half the evening: I love my hair…I love my hair…I love my hair…
I don't know how my little niece will wear her hair when she comes of age. She is free to make any choice: straightened, kinky, short, long, bald…whatever. I hope, though, that growing up with an aunt who is proudly natural will have some effect (I cut all my permed hair off shortly after she was born.). Whatever style choices she makes, I hope she will make them with full knowledge of what her natural black hair looks like and can do. I wish for her that she will continue to truly love her hair.
Originally posted at What Tami Said on October 27, 2010. Cross-posted with permission.
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