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Oh the dreadful "over the hill". Somedays I feel like I am already buried in the hill but here is a list of just a few things that remind me I have reached the age of 40 something.
- When riding in the car and you turn the station to "Hair Nation" ((don't judge me)) and your kids look at you like you have just turned on a foreign language. Along with your husband who is five years younger can't stop making fun of you for listening to such a station.
- When you wake up but it takes you 30 minutes for the "overnight kinks" to get the hell out of your body.
- When the first cup of coffee is only for the flavor….it takes 3 or 4 more to actually wake you up.
- Your nipples are just about headed south for the winter…well actually for the rest of your life unless you get a boob job.
- Your menstrual cycle is no longer referred to as a period, it's now more like a huge freudian ink blot.
- You can no longer be friends with hard liquor. The hangovers that used to take a day to recover from now take no less then a week.
- You walk into rooms forgetting what the fuck you came in there for…oh wait that's been something I've done most of my life…I blamed pot before…now I just blame it on being over 40.
- A "wild" night consists of being out until midnight.
- The "little black dress" now goes past the knees and half way to the ankles.
- Your hair brush looks like a small furry animal.
- It's time for the dreadful squashing of the boobs in which is referred to as a mammogram…is someone sending my boobs a note?
- You've replaced movies like "91/2 Weeks" with watching "The Food Network".
- It's time to start worrying about retirement money that doesn't exist.
- You value your sleep. Sleep has suddenly become the most prized possession.
- In high school you could eat a salad and work out to lose 10 pounds…now you would literally have to go on an episode of "Naked And Afraid" to lose any substantial amount of weight.
- You purchase alcohol, and you break into your rendition of "the happy dance", if the cashier asks you for your ID.
- Every time you look in the mirror you notice another patch of gray hair not just a single hair here and there.
- Your mood swings have become more like large capsules of time.
- You squint at everything forgetting that your glasses are sitting on top of your head.
I am sure there are many more but at 40 something I can't remember.
I am linking this post with the following fab linkys:


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Pass the Quick-Eze. Food TV bloat has set in, thanks to the fourth season of Masterchef New Zealand (Sundays, 7.30pm, TV One) and the return of the fourth series of the Aussie reality show, My Kitchen Rules (Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 7.30pm, TV2.) If you're a fan of the latter, you may find your MySky getting a little constipated. As Dan, one of the new contestants, put it as he walked on to the set, "It's like a massive reality hit." Sure is. Three hours of MKR a week, if you're so inclined to watch, as a gazillion Aussie pairs compete for the title to be best dinner-party-putter-onner. And despite the narrator telling us, in his best Armageddon voice, that this year the contestants will be "serving up" (wait for it) "their own food", the show is made from the same recipe as last time.
As if putting on a dinner party wasn't stressful enough, the judges and contestants rate their competitors' cooking and hospitality skills. This means setting up their own "instant restaurant" - generally a tackily themed eatery in their living rooms. Childhood sweethearts Kerrie and Craig from Victoria opened the competition with Circa 75, named in honour of the year they started dating. I groaned when they pulled out the mirror balls but actually it turned out kind of cool in a kitsch way, the menu featuring wallaby presented on LPs, and not an apricot flan or fondue in sight.
The worst thing about MKR is you don't get to do what everyone else is doing and taste the food. Isn't it odd, and a bit icky, that much of the show involves watching people masticating? Mostly we get to see the judges doing just that. Nicky Watson's man Pete Evans is back, looking like he's lost the weight he may have put on tasting all those fancy meals last year. So is Frenchman Manu Feildel, only this time he's not the only one with the European accent. Italian contestant Stefano has a little trouble translating everything on the menu. He couldn't wait to try the goat, which is a shame, as it was goat's cheese.
Naturally, being a cooking show in which the hosts are just as harshly judged as the food, it brings out the worst in me, too. Feeling ripped off that I didn't get to try Mick and Matt's abalone patties or Josh and Andi's chocolate jaffa cake, I resort to nit-picking. Kerrie and Craig served up "caramalized beetroot" [sic] and tarte tartin with "capsicun", followed by a dessert with, according to Kerrie, "really crumbilly" pastry. This season's villains are best friends Jessie and Biswa, who don't much like vegetables, chocolate or anything that could be considered edible.
"All's fair in war, love and game or whatever," said one of the self-proclaimed Spice Girls. Jake, the camp know-it-all who told the cameras he and sister Elle are "quite cultured", later undid all that: "We'll see who sinks or floats." Depends who eats the most, I guess.
In the second episode, salt-of-the-earth Tasmanian dad-and-son team Mick and Matt showed there's more to them than meets the eye by heading straight to the top of the leader board with their seafood menu. And in last night's episode, "dating hipsters" (their official description), saw supposedly practical Josh - who we were told repeatedly works at Perth's "biggest law firm" and yet still managed to lose half the ingredients - and dippy yet "intuitive" Andi do well on all the hard bits but stuff up the couscous.
The producers have cleverly saved the most anticipated dinner party until next week, when viewers will see if Jessie and Biswa really can cook. Or float.
- TimeOut

subset: commoncrawl


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HOUSTON - The start of the holiday travel season will start soon and according to priceline.com, the average national airfare is trending about 3 percent higher than last year.
Consumer expert Amy Davis found several online travel sites that can help travelers save money on airfare if you take the time to shop for the best ticket deals.
Airfarewatchdog.com does a great job sorting through deals and sending out alerts. According to Kiplinger the online site actually has people lurking on airline web sites to watch for fare sales and then alerts users. Many airline sales start on Tuesday and those who watch ticket prices recommend travelers check for deals on Wednesday.
The Bing Travel online site is popular for a price predictor that can advise you whether fares are rising, holding steady, dropping and whether you should buy now or wait.
According to its website, Bing Travel gets results directly from multiple sites, suppliers, and agencies. When you find the flight you want, Bing Travel sends the buyer to book it on the supplier's site.
If your travel plans are flexible, Kayak is a good tool for finding the cheapest airfare available. The site will search for the best deals three days before and three days after your ideal travel date. Kayak recommends finding low fares by booking 21 days in advance, searching their site with the flexible dates option to find the best prices, and shopping for flights at alternative airports.
For overseas travel, whichbudget.com searches flights from 203 countries and 1,704 airports, according to its website. You can enter a start and end point and the website will suggest deals on regional airlines to lower the cost of long distance flights.
Yapta e-mail alerts let you know when prices drop and when to buy to save money on airfare. Also according to its website, if the price of your flight drops below what you paid. Yapta helps you get a refund for the difference.
Most travel websites also offer apps you can download to send real time alerts to your phone about ticket deals.
Travel Websites:
- http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/
- http://onlinehelp.microsoft.com/en-us/bing/gg429801.aspx
- http://www.kayak.com/
- http://www.whichbudget.com/
- http://www.yapta.com/
Copyright 2012 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Los Angeles is the only place I've ever been invited to someone's house for a meal and been served a glass of juice, period. That morning, I sat on my host's patio, sipping a small, bright glassful of antioxidant-rich juice, listening to the gentle crash of waves, and thinking that surely the plate of bagels must be coming. It never did.
I moved here for film school. During my first week, I saw a classmate sitting on the floor eating what appeared to be lawn clippings. At a dinner party I hosted for friends, one arrived with her own dinner and explained she was only eating "foods that were sprouting." Then there was the friend whose spirit guide told him he should only eat lettuce, and the friend whose healer prescribed a diet of only yellow and orange foods.
Still, 95 percent of diets fail. Only the juicers seem to soldier on when their comrades fall.
The first true juice regimen I heard about was the Hot Lemonade cleanse. For several days, you're supposed to drink hot water with lemon and cayenne and a drop of maple syrup. I was informed that it neutralizes acids and releases toxins from the body.
I admit I had some questions — and still do. Will lemon juice and cayenne really conquer the contaminants in my body? Even if they will, I will still live in a polluted big city. I will bathe in its treated water and breathe its air. Besides, isn't getting rid of toxins kind of what our kidneys and liver are supposed to be doing?
Despite my questions, I have attempted two juice cleanses. The first time, when I was on the much-hyped Master Cleanse, I lasted eight hours, maybe nine, before reviving at Starbucks with a latte and snickerdoodle. The second time, my juice cleanse included green tea, which at least lessened the caffeine withdrawal headache. That attempt lasted a full 24 hours.
So why do people like me, who know better, do this to ourselves?
I suspect part of it is just where we live. Sure, telling people what to eat goes beyond California; diet industry revenue nationally was $61.6 billion in 2012. But Los Angeles was the first place where immovable foreheads became normal. Thousands of people move out here to be a part of the "industry." You work to see yourself captured forever in time, forever young and healthy. No wonder we're attracted to juicing and its promises of cleansing away the decaying, the "toxic" and the old.
But there's also a darker side to it. Sixty-five percent of American women between the ages of 25 and 45 report having disordered eating behaviors, according to the University of North Carolina. I've wrestled with food issues myself. Juicers speak of the "euphoria" they experience as they leave food behind — a sentiment eerily reminiscent of the "pro-ana," starvation-promoting underground — and the purge of toxins, all too reminiscent of the celebratory side of bulimia.
"I'm getting ready to introduce solids," my juicing friends announce. The last time we talked about "introducing solids," we were talking about our infants. One theory about anorexia is that it is a rejection of womanhood, that the adolescent anorexic is seeking to nullify her emerging body, her adult body — her hips, her growing breasts. Perhaps the youth quest leads naturally to eating disorders.
Every year, I make resolutions on New Year's Day that I write down in my date book. So far, since Jan. 1, I have driven my children to school 15 times without muttering obscenities about other drivers. Also on my list is another juice cleanse. I haven't done it yet. But if you see a small blond woman desperately trying to cut the line at Starbucks late some afternoon before the end of this year, it might be me. Please, have mercy.
Claudia Grazioso is a screenwriter whose credits include "Are We There Yet?" and "Bring It On Again" and the upcoming "Christmas Bounty." She teaches writing at UCLA. She wrote this for Zocalo Public Square.


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Near Manassas. Va
Dec 10th /61
Dear Sister
I am now in no 1 at our new encampment writing according to promis but have very little news of importanse. I arrived friday as I informed you in my note by Mr. Stils in good health & still enjoy very good I had on my way quite an interesting time found several acquaintances that were interresting to us as several traveled with us some time in Willmington NC Mr. Oglesby met with several of his school mates & we had to ly over their some time & had quite a nice time with them also an inglis vessel run the


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The Polisario has benefited from the strong support of the Algerian government since its inception decades ago, most importantly through the welcoming of the Saharawis as refugees and the provision of a safe haven for the Polisario leadership. The Saharawi camps outside of Tindouf, Algeria, defy the western vision of refugee camps. Rather than disorganized rows of haphazard tents and long lines for food and medical treatment, Tindouf is home to six well-organized camps – Ausserd, Dakhla, February 27th, Laayoune, Rabuni, and Smara – inhabited by well-organized people. The camps are run entirely by the SADR government, the Polisario Front, and a number of Saharawi civil society organizations. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR] and the World Food Program [WFP] provide tents – which most Saharawis set up next to their more permanent homes of sand bricks – and food, but have little presence in the camps.
Upon visiting the camps, international visitors are surprised to find taxis, buses, satellite television, DVD players, barber shops, grocers, electronics stores, gas stations, restaurants, Internet cafes, hospitals, clinics, schools, a Turkish bath, day care centers, farms, gardens, and local radio and television stations. Some argue that life in the camps is becoming too normal – thus creating the appearance of acceptability for the status quo – and that the international community is thus at risk of abandoning the case altogether.
Since 1975, when the first Saharawi refugees crossed over into Algeria, the Polisario and the SADR have been modernizing and developing the camps with two goals in mind. First, a degree of livability is necessary to sustain the independence movement in such inhospitable conditions in the Saharan Desert, where summer temperatures reach up to 130°. Secondly, the Saharawis have developed and administered the camps to such a degree to prove that they are ready for self-rule – a practice-run for statehood.
For administrative purposes, each camp [called a wilaya in Hassaniya] is divided into five to six regions [or dairas], which are further broken down into neighborhoods. These divisions are used for electoral and health processes, as food and vaccines are distributed on the local level by the Saharawis themselves. Each daira has at least one primary school. Because of the primacy given to education by the Polisario's leaders, even before houses were built in the refugee camps, Saharawi teachers set up outdoor "classrooms" to ensure that the children were well-educated. Today, primary school is mandatory for all refugee children.
As in the Polisario Front organization, women play a very important role in administering the refugee camps. Partly out of necessity - as the men were off fighting in the Saharawi army - women were the first directors of the camps, and they maintain their important positions today. The Saharawis boast that they are one example in the Arab world of a population that truly promotes women's equality.
The camps are not without their problems, however. While crime has been largely absent over the decades, the continuation of a situation of "neither war nor peace" has increased frustration among the refugee population. This frustration, combined with the flow of new commodities and the birth of an independent economy in the camps, has increased illegal activity.
Finally, health risks created by adverse conditions lower the Saharawi refugees' quality of life in Algeria. Because of the Saharawi Ministry of Health's intensive campaign to monitor the health of both humans and animals in the camps, the Saharawis have survived for 35 years in exile without a serious pandemic spreading through the close quarters. Nonetheless, malnutrition, diarrhea, and high blood pressure are prevalent throughout the camps, and water shortages are frequent. In the winter, isolated thunderstorms wash away houses and threaten to destroy entire camps. In summer, the heat and sun are so intense that many children are temporarily "adopted" by families in Spain and other European countries to spend the season abroad. While the Saharawis are a strong people, and have proven their ability to withstand great hardship, the status quo is not sustainable indefinitely.
Coryright 2010, Organization For Statehood & Freedom


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Energy secretary nominee supports fracking, nuclear energy
WASHINGTON -- It's tempting to think that President Barack Obama picked Ernest Moniz on Monday to be his next energy secretary because Moniz's long wavy mop of mostly-white hair might distract people who have been obsessed with Michelle Obama's bangs.
But Moniz, a physicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, also lends Obama's Cabinet scientific heft and brings prior Washington experience. At MIT, he has directed the school's Energy Initiative, where he oversaw reports on almost every aspect of energy. And he has been a member of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
Moniz, who served as associate director of the White House office of science and technology policy and as undersecretary of energy under President Bill Clinton, is also devoted to the "all-of-the-above" strategy for energy that Obama has embraced. In a voluminous written and spoken record, Moniz has come out in favor of nuclear power, research into carbon capture and storage for coal, renewable energy and shale gas produced by hydraulic fracturing.
Like outgoing Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Moniz is alarmed about climate change and devoted to funding scientific research into low-carbon alternatives to fossil fuel.
"He brings expertise, experience in a prior administration and real science credibility," said Ian Bowles, former Massachusetts secretary of energy and environmental affairs and now a managing director of venture firm WindSail Capital. "You can argue about whether you want to have a scientist, but within that food group he's an excellent choice."
But over the past couple of weeks, many environmentalists and some prominent renewable energy experts have tried to block the nomination of Moniz because of an MIT report supporting "fracking" -- as hydraulic fracturing is commonly known -- and because major oil and gas companies, including BP, Shell, ENI and Saudi Aramco, provided as much as $25 million each to the MIT Energy Initiative. Other research money came from a foundation bankrolled by shale gas giant Chesapeake Energy.
"We would stress to Mr. Moniz that an 'all of the above' energy policy only means 'more of the same,' and we urge him to leave dangerous nuclear energy and toxic fracking behind while focusing on safe, clean energy sources like wind and solar," Sierra Club executive director Michael Brune said in a statement Monday.
Ironically, the Energy Department has no jurisdiction over fracking policy. The Environmental Protection Agency is weighing whether to impose new regulations under the Clean Water and Clean Air acts. The Interior Department owns many of the lands that oil companies want to exploit and is devising standards for fracking in those areas. State governments currently handle most regulation.
But the Energy Department issues licenses for terminals exporting liquefied natural gas, which some industries would rather keep at home to keep prices low. Moniz was co-chair of an MIT study that recommended that "the U.S. should not erect barriers to natural gas imports or exports."
"I think the good news is he can hit the ground running," said Carol Browner, formerly Obama's climate and energy czar. "He knows the function of the agency, the power of the agency and its tools."
"In some ways you could not find a more perfect guy than Ernie," said Sue Tierney, an energy consultant at The Analysis Group. "He knows a lot about a very wide range of things within the DOE mission, almost more than any person on earth."
But, she added, his challenge would lie "more with the almost inherently impossible nature of the job."
More than 60 percent of the Energy Department's budget is devoted to maintaining the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile and managing cleanup efforts at sites such as the decommissioned plant in Hanford, Wash., that earlier produced material for nuclear weapons. The department also funds national laboratories, sets appliance standards and aids state-level energy efficiency programs.
"Think of DOE as a holding company with very disparate pieces of business," said Tierney.
While Chu had tens of billions of dollars in grants and loan guarantees to sprinkle over different energy technology firms under the economic recovery act, Moniz will have fewer resources. Unless that changes, the secretary's job will be largely a bully pulpit.
The grandparents of Moniz, who would be the third consecutive scientist or engineer to head the Energy Department, came to the United States from the Azores, and Moniz grew up speaking a little Portuguese, he told a local newspaper in the 1990s. After graduating from Boston College, he earned a doctorate in theoretical physics from Stanford University. He joined the MIT faculty in 1973 and ran its nuclear accelerator and later its physics department.
In 1995, he joined the Clinton administration, then returned to MIT, whose president, Susan Hockfield, was trying to make energy research one of the university's principal endeavors. Moniz became director of the MIT Energy Initiative. In that role, Moniz has commented on almost everything.
He warned Chilean leaders recently that mushrooming electricity demand could lead to a "catastrophic increase in the temperature" of the planet.
Driven by concerns about climate, Moniz favors nuclear power despite the catastrophe that Japan's 2011 earthquake and tsunami inflicted on that country, in part by destroying its Fukushima nuclear power plant.
"It would be a mistake . . . to let Fukushima cause governments to abandon nuclear power and its benefits," he wrote in a Foreign Affairs article in late 2011. "As greenhouse gases accumulate in the atmosphere, finding ways to generate power cleanly, affordably, and reliably is becoming an even more pressing imperative. Nuclear power is not a silver bullet, but it is a partial solution that has proved workable on a large scale."
He has said that he favors federal assistance to build several new nuclear power plants this decade to give industry a better idea of economic costs.
Moniz also served as a member of Chu's Blue Ribbon Commission, tasked to figure out what to do with nuclear reactor waste after the Obama administration ended work on the Yucca Mountain repository in Nevada. Moniz said that moving spent nuclear fuel from pools to dry casks provided a relatively safe, compact solution that "buys time" to figure out something longer-lasting.
In a video interview posted on the Switch Energy Project website, Moniz said it was important to figure out a way to put a price on carbon emissions, making sure it addressed equity issues. "If you take one simple thing, that's the direction I think we need to go in," he said.
"What I believe is if we squeeze down on carbon, we squeeze up on cost, and it brings along a push toward efficiency; it brings along with it a push toward clean technology; it brings along with it a push toward security," he said.
Energy efficiency is also a priority, Moniz said. "The most important thing is lowering your use of energy in ways that actually save you money," he said. "It sounds trivial, but putting out lights really does matter."
Moniz said that "I will admit to being very bullish on solar in the long term. It just has so many features, including the fact that even though it's intermittent, at least it tends to be on when you want it."
But for the foreseeable future, Moniz said, oil and gas will remain dominant features of the world energy picture.
In the introduction to a report on shale gas, Moniz wrote that "natural gas truly is a bridge to a low-carbon future."
Moniz added: "In the very long run, very tight carbon constraints will likely phase out natural gas power generation in favor of zero-carbon or extremely low-carbon energy sources such as renewables, nuclear power or natural gas and coal with carbon capture and storage. For the next several decades, however, natural gas will play a crucial role in enabling very substantial reductions in carbon emissions."
That report came out shortly after one by Robert Howarth, a Cornell professor of ecology and environmental biology, who wrote that methane leaks made emissions from shale gas operations so high that they offset the climate benefits of replacing coal with gas.
Experts from MIT, where Howarth received his doctorate, criticized his report. Howarth said last week that the energy institute was "way too cozy with industry, and I think that's affected their scholarship, and I'm worried about what that would mean."
More broadly, Howarth said that Moniz is "clearly a believer that our strategy should be all of the above. I just think that's the wrong policy." Howarth predicted: "That's going to lead to climate disaster. Shale gas is probably the worst of the fuels to use if you're worried about climate change. It's the wrong policy for a president concerned about climate change."
Other renewable-energy advocates fault Moniz for stressing research instead of infrastructure and financing. In a posting on the website GreentechMedia, Jigar Shah, former chief executive at a solar installation firm and now a consultant, wrote: "With the likely nomination of Ernest Moniz as the Secretary of Energy, President Obama has chosen invention over deployment -- and R&D over job creation and carbon reduction."
But other energy experts said that Moniz was well suited for the job.
Bowles said, "He knows the department, which is a big plus because it's complicated and involves a lot of nuclear issues, and he's an expert on those issues."
"Outside maybe Secretary Chu, probably nobody who knows more about various aspects of energy than Ernie does. He is a policy guy," said Charles Ebinger, an energy security expert at the Brookings Institution. "He might be a little too academic for what we need as energy secretary right now. If the president really decided to really embrace the unconventional oil and gas revolution, he will need someone who can go out and sell this to the American people."


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On Wednesday evening, September 25, an amazing event was held on the campus of Columbia University, "The Manhattan Declaration Returns Home".
The Manhattan Declaration is the ecumenical statement of conscience by Christian leaders, dedicating themselves to defending life, marriage, and religious liberty. It was signed in 2009 by numerous leading figures of every Christian denomination and church. The Declaration has since been signed by over 550,000 other people, who have committed themselves to its core principles. It is a vitally important rallying point for people of faith who are engaged in the struggle to defend and restore a true civilization of life and love in our nation. If you haven't signed it yet, I strongly encourage you to sign it right away.
This event at Columbia was co-sponsored by the Archdiocese, Alliance Defending Freedom (who have been heroic leaders in their defense of the Declaration's core principles), the New York State Knights of Columbus, and DeSales Media from our neighboring Diocese of Brooklyn (who livestreamed the event over the internet). The event was a landmark, because it represented not only a return of the Declaration to the borough where it was signed, but because of the power of the presentations and the uplifting spirit that they gave the audience.
The speakers were a powerhouse lineup of experts and activists: Eric Teetsel (the director of the Manhattan Declaration); Alan Sears (head of the Alliance Defending Freedom); Ryan Anderson (The Heritage Foundation, and co-author of the seminal book, What is Marriage? Man and Woman: A Defense), Sherif Girgis (Ph.D. Candidate at Princeton University, J.D. Candidate at Yale University, and co-author of What is Marriage?); Marjorie Dannenfelser (Susan B. Anthony List), Eric Metaxas (Bestselling Author and Radio Commentator), and Jennifer Marshall (The Heritage Foundation). The evening kicked off with an ecumenical prayer service featuring Cardinal Dolan, who got the program started off on just the right note of prayer and dedication to God's mission among us.
I served as the emcee of the event, and I made just one small point in my introduction. In spite of the conditions of our society, and the challenges we face, people of faith remain convinced that it is our duty, our privilege, and our honor to bring God's light into the public square, into the marketplace of ideas. We believe that the eternal truths have something important to off our secularized world. And we are certain that God's light and truth will enrich the lives of every single human person, and society as a whole.
"The Manhattan Declaration Returns Home" event was important on several levels. It offered people an outstanding panel of speakers who are actively working to defend life, marriage, and religious liberty. Their work and expertise offered a sobering view of where we are in America on these issues, but also hope and encouragement for the struggle ahead. The event was also significant because of where it took place — Columbia University, which was founded as a religious school but now is completely secularized and largely inhospitable to Christian values. Having this event, at this location, is a microcosm of the work people of faith are doing in the public square — bringing timeless principles of our faith to a society that has largely lost those values, and challenging them to recapture the truth and beauty that they are still yearning for in their hearts.
This struggle is difficult, and the challenges are many. The world is working very heard to discourage us, and to convince us that the battle is over, and lost. But we know better. As Ryan Anderson reminded us, and as the Manhattan Declaration proclaims, the battle is never lost as long as we have truth on our side. Truth always wins in the end, over any alluring lie.
Tags: Manhattan Declaration


text: Opinion 13.7: Cosmos And Culture Crowd-Sourcing Science: What Is Animal Love? January 19, 2012 What is animal love and how do we know it when we see it? Commentator Barbara J. King invites crowd-sourcing on this question, applying her own ideas to romanticized storks and home-living bunnies. If you've closely observed animals, jump right in.


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Shared Inspiration: The Muriel K. and David R. Pokross Collection
March 2–July 29, 2012
Shared Inspiration: The Muriel K. and David R. Pokross Collection celebrates a generous gift from the family of Muriel Kohn Pokross, class of 1934, and David R. Pokross. Muriel and David were tireless philanthropists, committed to social justice in Boston and beyond. David was a prominent attorney and community leader. After their children were grown, Muriel became the social worker for the Boston Guild for the Hard of Hearing. Collecting brought together Muriel and David's shared enthusiasm for art and community: they visited galleries and artist studios everywhere they traveled, advised by an expanding circle of artists, collectors, curators and museum directors. "I buy works of art that I love," David remarked in his memoir, "I have never approached a work of art in terms of whether it would be more valuable ten years from now."
The Pokross Collection is comprised mainly of paintings, drawings, and prints by major artists of the post-World War II period. The collection displays a strong inclination towards figuration – even many of the abstract works subtly engage the figure – and emotional connection. But the unifying threads are primarily personal. Their family connection to Northern California is reflected in works by Bay Area artists Richard Diebenkorn and David Park, as well as by William T. Wiley, who became a friend the Pokrosses frequently visited. When they acquired Gregory Gillespie's painting Trees and Figures, the purchase spurred a warm decade-and-a-half friendship that lasted until the artist's death in 2000. These and other works in the Pokross Collection exemplify the interests Muriel and David shared in making meaningful connections with works of art and with people. "They were a great team," recalled their daughter, Joan Pokross Curhan.
The works in the installation, on view in the Ketcham Gallery on the third floor of the Museum, are a gift of The Pokross Art Collection, donated in accordance with the wishes of Muriel Kohn Pokross, class of 1934, by her children, Joan Pokross Curhan, class of 1959, William R. Pokross and David R. Pokross, Jr. in loving memory of their parents, Muriel Kohn Pokross and David R. Pokross.
This installation is supported by the Suzannah J. Fabing Programs Fund for the Smith College Museum of Art
Image Credit: Gregory Joseph Gillespie. American, 1936 – 2000. Greg and Peg. 1991. Oil on wood
Gift of The Pokross Art Collection, donated in accordance with the wishes of Muriel Kohn Pokross, class of 1934 by her children, Joan Pokross Curhan, class of 1959, William R. Pokross and David R. Pokross Jr. in loving memory of their parents, Muriel Kohn Pokross, class of 1934 and David R. Pokross. Photograph by Petegorsky/Gipe ©The Estate of Gregory Gillespie


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Are Reverse Mortgages Helpful or Hazardous?
Marketed to older adults, the loans both provide and deplete needed income
En español | In one slick TV spot after another, reverse mortgages are touted as an easy means to a carefree lifestyle. Actor Robert Wagner, Henry "the Fonz" Winkler and even former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson assure older homeowners that they can "live a better retirement" with a reverse mortgage.
But what the ads don't show is the heartbreak that these complex loans — which allow homeowners to convert part of the equity in their homes into cash — have brought to a number of homeowners. Many took out loans too soon and depleted their home equity early on in retirement, leaving them unable to pay their annual property taxes and insurance. Others now risk losing their homes after aggressive mortgage brokers failed to disclose the terms of the loans.
Ikon Images/Getty Images
"Many seniors are suffering financially because the economy tanked. They have no chance of finding a job, they haven't saved enough for retirement and they're living longer," says Gladys Gerson, a supervising attorney at Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida, which provides legal assistance to people age 60 and older. "They're hit with unplanned expenses or their medical bills skyrocket, so they take out a reverse mortgage and live on the proceeds. That's where they get into trouble."
Reverse mortgages are often considered a loan of last resort for older retirees who worry about outliving their savings or who want to finance a comfortable lifestyle. They tap what is likely their biggest asset — equity in their home — even as they continue to live there.
To qualify, borrowers have to be at least 62, own their home outright or carry a mortgage small enough to be paid off by the proceeds. There are no income or credit qualifications, although homeowners are responsible for paying the annual taxes, property insurance and maintenance. No loans have to be repaid until the owners move or die, in which case the bank takes its share and anything left goes to the heirs. However, if the owner fails to pay insurance and property taxes, the reverse mortgage is deemed in default and the owner is in danger of foreclosure.
Success, and failure
For many retirees, such as 73-year-old Robert Lee White of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., a reverse mortgage can be nothing short of a lifeline. He couldn't afford his refinanced mortgage and was about to lose his home of 45 years. Then he sought help from Gerson's legal aid team.
Gerson says her staff persuaded White's lender to do a new mortgage for about $47,000, to pay off his existing mortgage — although it resulted in a loss to the lender. "It's a matter of negotiating and negotiating, and hoping you can convince them they're not going to do better," she says.
White says he was grateful. "Believe me, this has really turned my life around."
Not everyone has been so fortunate. As of late last year, about 58,000 reverse mortgages — nearly 1 in 10 — were in default.
Even the Federal Housing Administration, which insures most of these mortgages, has taken a hit, to the tune of $2.8 billion in projected losses on reverse mortgages over the next 30 years. Some of the deficit stems from defaults, some from homes underwater.
Running out of money
The sharp rise of troubled loans underscores the economic challenges many of today's retirees face.
In a report to Congress in June, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warned that borrowers were increasingly using reverse mortgages at younger ages to pay off debt, even before they retire. It also said reverse mortgages "have the potential to become a much more prominent part of the financial landscape in the coming decades," as older workers brace for a shaky financial future.
Despite mandatory financial counseling as part of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program, the majority of borrowers in default took proceeds in a lump sum, rather than in monthly installments over a number of years. They did precisely what experts warn against: They relied on the loan to meet basic living expenses, then used up their equity and had nothing left for their remaining years.
"A lot of people thought they had enough socked away, including proceeds from the reverse mortgage," says Sue Hunt, director of reverse mortgage counseling at CredAbility, a nonprofit credit-counseling service based in Atlanta. "But they didn't count on how long they were going to live and they ran out of money."
Annette Richard, 69, was frantically trying to avoid that trauma. She paid north of $18,000 in fees for her reverse mortgage in 2009. She used the proceeds to fix up her home and to supplement her $800-a-month Social Security income. Soon after, she suffered a series of health problems that drained her bank account and left her unable to pay property taxes and insurance.
Now she has put her Fort Lauderdale home on the market and hopes it sells before the original lender forecloses on it. Yet she is among the lucky few. Her home is worth more than her mortgage balance. "I paid off bills, did repairs in the house. I used that money to keep going," Richard says.
Widowed and booted out
Some widowed spouses are also finding themselves in dire situations after taking out reverse mortgages without being told of the risks. Linda McMahon, 66, says she was pressured by her broker to take her name off the deed and process a reverse mortgage in her husband's name only — she was 58 at the time, too young to qualify. Besides, she was told by the broker, she could add her name at a later time.
Her husband died at age 86 in 2009, just as she turned 62. She was never put back on the deed. Worse, the broker failed to disclose that she'd be forced to leave in a year if she didn't pay off the loan balance of $196,000, the total for the equity she borrowed plus fees and interest. After a 2-1/2-year battle with the lender, McMahon lost her St. Croix Falls, Wis., home.
"It was my dream house," she says. "I thought I was going to live there for the rest of my life." McMahon now lives in a small apartment just down the street. "I walk by the house every day."
Betty Cobb fears that she will suffer a similar fate. Like McMahon, she and her husband, Bernese, took out a reverse mortgage on their Florida home of 33 years — solely in his name — without being informed of the risks. At age 80, Bernese is frail and recovering from surgery.
"If something happens to him, what's going to happen to me?" Cobb says. "I'm 64 and disabled. If my husband passes, I can't pay off the reverse mortgage."
HUD gets tough
Some groups are challenging the legality of evicting surviving spouses if the house isn't paid for, outright, one year after the borrower has died. AARP Foundation and the Washington law firm of Mehri & Skalet have filed suit against HUD, which regulates these loans. The 2011 suit accuses the agency of failing to recognize that the law does indeed protect surviving spouses not listed on these mortgages.
Since then, "dozens of people" in similar situations have called, says Jean Constantine-Davis, a senior lawyer with AARP Foundation.
The matter is pending but HUD hasn't let up. The agency recently instituted guidelines that could result in another wave of troubled borrowers. HUD has directed lenders and loan servicers to get tough with borrowers who haven't kept up with their annual real estate taxes and property insurance. HUD says these borrowers should not be permitted to remain in default indefinitely.
What's next
Shoring up the reverse mortgage program is no easy task. As the federal government faces a steep deficit, and as more borrowers find themselves in trouble with these loans, HUD is implementing reforms — and one in particular may make reverse mortgages less appealing. Borrowers in most cases will no longer be allowed to take lump sums upfront that equal the home's entire equity. Instead, they'll be required to set aside a portion of those proceeds for future use, such as covering property taxes and insurance for years to come.
The agency is also considering requiring prospective borrowers to undergo a comprehensive financial assessment to try to make sure that the loan is suitable for them.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which has stepped up its oversight of deceptive reverse mortgage advertising practices, is also seeking public input to help shape rules and policies in the future. The consumer watchdog agency says it has heard from older people who say ads make reverse mortgages look easy and risk-free.
CredAbility's Sue Hunt, for one, welcomes tighter rules because she expects reverse mortgages to gain in popularity in the coming years as people live longer and seek ways to supplement their savings, such as the 102-year-old woman who recently called her office.
"She said, 'I guess neither God nor the devil want me, so I'll have to do a reverse mortgage,' " Hunt says. "A reverse mortgage can be a good tool. But it needs to be part of an overall retirement plan, not a reaction to an immediate crisis."
Also of Interest
- 7 loans you should never cosign
- Are you an indispensable employee?
- AARP is working to protect reverse mortgage borrowers
Visit the AARP home page for great deals and savings tips
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The Results
If you missed out on the voting, or are just wanting a reminder as to what the SONM Summer Awards exactly are, then read on. From celebrating the best signatures and avatars your fellow forumites have on display to deciding on the board's biggest rivalry or picking your favourite forum game from the last year, there are plenty of award categories and a diverse selection to hopefully cover all corners of the community. Of course SONM is not exactly like ONM, so there are a few new awards amongst the old, including an award dedicated to the SONM Network community youtube channel. Also new this summer are the profile badges that the winners will receive. There are badges up for grabs for 1st, 2nd are 3rd place in all the categories, and these will be given out as the results are announced, so hopefully they will add a little more excitement and prominence to SONM's first summer awards!
winners badges
Here is the full list of awards - we'll fill these in with the winners as they are announced!
Example To Us All (Best overall member)
1) OrangeRakoon
3) Quarg Ranger
Model Mod (Best moderator)
1) OrangeRakoon
2) Chocolate-Milk
Wii <3 U (Best GNC member)
1) Liberal
2) SupaWaluigi
3) Sabrofa
Player One (Best General Gaming member)
1) Kesskuron
2) OrangeRakoon
3) Garf, Highlight, JenovaPX
In Another Castle (Best Retro member)
1) kerr9000
2) Ploiper
3) Highlight
The Very Best (Best Pokéforum member)
1) Nintendoofus
2) Rik, Dix
3) Sabrofra, JenovaPX
Metal Killed The Radio Star (Best M/T/F/B member)
1) Rachel
2) Jimbob555
3) Masa
M.V.P (Best Sports member)
1) Ash
2) Ape
3) DJ, Highlight, Spilskinanka
No.1 Playa (Best FG&Q member)
1) Garf
2) Aren142
3) Euan707
Video Games Breed Art (Best Artist/Photographer/Videographer)
1) Beansontoast
3) Bort, Rachel
Mightier Than The Sword! (Best Writer)
1) Liberal
2) Rik
3) ChaosControl
OTT (Best Off Topic member)
1) Edd, Met
2) JenovaPX
3) Cribs, Mr. EE
Five And A Half Hearts (Nicest/kindest overall member)
1) ChaosControl
2) Pineapple
NERRRRD (Most thought-provoking member)
1) JenovaPX
2) Highlight
3) RichardUK
Notorious B.I.G. (Most infamous member)
1) RichardUK
2) Cruizer
3) Fabong
We Love This Thread (Best thread)
2) Met-Tropolis
3) Date Thread
FGOTY (FG&Q game of the year)
1) Dimensional Renegades/Hunters
2) Futurama Mafia
3) Scenes we'd like to see, Transcendence, SONM Emblem, SONM's Name That Video Game Tune
Networked (Best SONM Network contributor)
1) Samus_Killer
2) Nintendonator3000
3) Mr. Kattykat
We Want Image Sigs! (Best signature)
1) Nintendoofus
2) Chocolate-Milk, Liberal
The Andymck Avatar Award (Best avatar)
1) Sabrofra
2) OrangeRakoon
3) Nintendoofus, WithLoveAndSqualor
Member Most Likely To Be A Future Politician (Best debater)
1) JenovaPX
2) Wrathy
3) Pokemaniac212
Love To Hate (Biggest rivalry between two members)
1) Edd/Mr EE
2) Ghost/Wrathy, RichardUK/Everyone
3) Mr EE/OrangeRakoon
Together Forever (Biggest friendship between two members)
1) Edd/Mr EE
2) Casplen/LFF, Fabong/Crisps
3) Edd/Met


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MIAMI - It's one of the oldest churches in South Florida and a staple in the Coconut Grove community.
And Greater Saint Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church on Thomas Avenue just celebrated its 116th anniversary.
The church was originally built for about 300 people; it now serves more than 3,000.
Elyce Jennings has been a member for more than 85 years.
She said the church has been in three different buildings. The most recent one was built more than a decade ago.
"The church has always been the center of everything in the community," said Jennings. "One like this, we did not have the shopping malls, movie house, things like that we had to distract us."
The church serves as a second home to many, giving them a place to build relationships.
"We all one. Everyone looked out for everybody," said Jennings.
Jimmie Imgraham has also been a member since birth. He remembers the long Sunday services.
"We had three different services. After each service, they would feed you cake and homemade ice cream. It was a fun thing," he said.
Elyce said she'll be there serving as long as she can.
"I just love my church and I do whatever I can do or not. I will be there if it is the will of the maker," she said.
The church focuses on its outreach program that provides clothes and food for the homeless in the community.
Copyright 2012 by Post Newsweek. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Use the form on the right to contact us.
You can edit the text in this area, and change where the contact form on the right submits to, by entering edit mode using the modes on the bottom right.
457 South 4th Avenue
Brighton, CO, 80601
United States
We are driven by the loss and love for our son and ambition to craft a better world than the one we inherited. We do this work with the hope of comforting, supporting and providing affordable grief counseling and support to families in need of healing, following the loss of a loved one.


text:
* House to meet Sunday; Senate leader doesn't see deal
* Consumer confidence hits four-month low on cliff fears
* Expedia leads S&P; 500's gainers, stock doubles in 2012
* Dow, S&P; 500 and Nasdaq all slip 0.1 percent
By Ryan Vlastelica
NEW YORK, Dec 27 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell for a fourth
day on Thursday, but recovered most of their losses after the
House of Representatives, in the barest sign of progress, said
it would come back to work on avoiding the "fiscal cliff" this
It was a jittery session for stocks, with shares falling
more than 1 percent after Senate Majority Harry Reid warned a
deal was unlikely before the deadline, only to rebound merely on
the news that the House would reconvene Sunday, a day before the
Dec. 31 "cliff" deadline.
"There's no conviction in the move or the overall market,
based on the across-the-board reduction we've seen in volume ...
but there will be continued weakness until there's sustained
positive direction coming from our leaders," said Joseph
Cangemi, managing director at ConvergEx Group, in New York.
The market has been prone to quick reactions to headlines
and those moves have sometimes seemed more dramatic because of
reduced trading volume. About 5.12 billion shares changed hands
on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and the NYSE MKT,
well below the daily average so far this year of about 6.48
billion shares.
Investors are looking for any hint that lawmakers will avert
the $600 billion in tax hikes and spending cuts that will start
to take effect next week and could push the U.S. economy into
"Markets turned around in a heartbeat, as the House session
is the first announcement of anything getting done," said Randy
Bateman, chief investment officer of Huntington Asset
Management, in Columbus, Ohio, which oversees $14.5 billion in
assets. "I'm not convinced it will result in a deal, but you
could get enough concessions by both parties to at least avoid
the immediacy of going over the cliff."
In a sign of the anxiety, the CBOE Volatility Index,
or VIX, rose above 20 for the first time since July, suggesting
rising worries, but ended up finishing the day down 0.4 percent
as the stock market rebounded.
Stocks in the materials and the financial sectors, which are
more vulnerable to the economy's performance, bore the brunt of
the selling before recovering. Shares of Bank of America
fell 0.6 percent to $11.47 while Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold
fell 0.7 percent to $33.68.
Some of 2012's biggest gainers bucked the broader trend and
rallied, a sign of year-end "window dressing." Expedia Inc
was the S&P; 500's top percentage gainer, climbing 4.1
percent to $60.30. The price of the online travel agency's stock
has doubled this year.
The Dow Jones industrial average slipped 18.28
points, or 0.14 percent, to 13,096.31 at the close. The Standard
& Poor's 500 Index declined 1.74 points, or 0.12 percent,
to 1,418.09. The Nasdaq Composite Index dropped 4.25
points, or 0.14 percent, to close at 2,985.91.
Marvell Technology Group fell 3.5 percent to $7.14
after it said it would seek to overturn a jury's finding of
patent infringement. The stock had fallen more than 10 percent
in the previous session after a jury found the company infringed
on patents held by Carnegie Mellon University and ordered the
chipmaker to pay $1.17 billion in damages.
The four-day decline marked the S&P; 500's longest losing
streak in three months. The index has lost 1.8 percent over the
period as investors grapple with the possibility that a deal may
not be reached until next year.
President Barack Obama arrived back in Washington from
Hawaii to restart stalled negotiations with Congress. House
Speaker John Boehner and other Republican leaders were to hold a
conference call with Republican lawmakers. The expectation was
that lawmakers would be told to get back to Washington quickly
if the Senate passed a bill.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner announced the first of a
series of measures that should push back the date when the U.S.
government will hit its legal borrowing authority - a limit
known as the debt ceiling - by about two months.
Economic data seemed to confirm worries about the impact of
the fiscal cliff on the economy.
The Conference Board, an industry group, said its index of
consumer confidence in December fell to 65.1 as the budget
crisis dented growing optimism about the economy. The gauge fell
more than expected from 71.5 in November.
However, the job market continues to mend. Initial claims
for unemployment benefits dropped 12,000 to a seasonally
adjusted 350,000 last week and the four-week moving average fell
to the lowest since March 2008.
Decliners outnumbered advancers on the New York Stock
Exchange by a ratio of about 8 to 7, while on the Nasdaq, about
14 stocks fell for every 11 that rose.


text:
Whether you need help with growing your business or advice on optimising your personal or family finances, we are here to help you get the best results.
Businesses and customers hit by bank failure backlog
Millions of RBS, NatWest and Ulster Bank customers, including businesses, are facing continuing disruption following last week's computer failure.
The technical issue left many businesses affected, with some unable to pay suppliers or meet payroll - in some instances the knock on effect meant that employees could not pay bills in time. Customers continue to face difficulties in accessing their money or moving money between accounts.
The RBS Group, which includes three banks, has now fixed the initial technical problem but is continuing to deal with a back log of payments as a result. Around 1,200 branches opened on Sunday to help customers deal with the build-up, with many of them continuing to stay open later than usual this week.
According to the Telegraph, the disruption is estimated to have caused problems for around 17.5 million business and personal customer accounts. The overall cost to customers and businesses as a result of the disruption is yet to be valued, although one banking industry source for the Reuters news agency estimated it would cost up to £100 million.
RBS Group Chief Executive Stephen Hester apologised to RBS customers and those affected from other banks for the disruption and inconvenience.
RBS said: "We will ensure that no customers will be out of pocket as a result of these issues."
"We can confirm that any fees and charges incurred by customers will be fully refunded. This includes charges levied by a third party; for example, if you were late paying a non-RBS credit card or mortgage because your account wrongly showed there wasn't sufficient cash."
"For our current account customers, we will automatically waive overdraft fees and charges."
RBS has also said there should be no adverse impact to individual credit ratings, if for instance, the bank failed to make a credit card payment on time.
RBS will launch an investigation into the causes of the glitch and is urging customers affected to either contact the bank or visit their local branch.


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REIMS, France — Andre Greipel of Germany won the sixth stage of the Tour de France in a sprint as the pack entered Champagne country, and Vincenzo Nibali of Italy retained the yellow jersey on Thursday.
The German champion collected his sixth career Tour stage victory by outpacing Norway's Alexander Kristoff in second and France's Samuel Dumoulin in third at the end of the 194-kilometer (120-mile) ride from Arras to Reims.
The Lotto Belisol rider burst out of the pack with less than 300 meters left, and clenched his fists, shouting, at the finish. His job was made a bit easier because Marcel Kittel, a fellow German who has won three stages and dominated the sprint finishes, got a flat tire right before the end.
"I had really good punch today, I am really happy," said Greipel, who turns 32 next Wednesday. "Of course I'm not looking at Kittel. I don't need to hide. I am still one of the fastest in the bunch.
"There was a lot of pressure on us, on my shoulders," for a win, he added. "It's a big relief for us."
The peloton faced intermittent drizzle over the mostly flat course, which was well suited for sprinters.
The top standings didn't change, as most of the contenders for victory in the three-week race trailed close behind the muscular Greipel. He was not a challenger for the overall title; like many sprinters, he does not fare well on the climbs that are crucial to winning in Paris. He's nearly 35 minutes behind Nibali.
Overall, Nibali has a two-second lead over teammate Jakob Fuglsang of Denmark. Peter Sagan of Slovakia was third, 44 seconds back.
Two-time Tour champion Alberto Contador, a day after losing about 2 1/2 minutes to Nibali, was dealt another setback on Thursday: His Saxo-Tinkoff teammate Jesus Hernandez dropped out after a crash.
Among other possible contenders, Richie Porte of Australia who inherited the role of Team Sky leader after the withdrawal of injured defending champion Chris Froome on Wednesday was 1 minute, 54 seconds back in eighth place. American Andrew Talansky, winner of the Criterium du Dauphine last month, was ninth 2:05 back. Spaniard Alejandro Valverde was 10th, 2:11 back, and compatriot Contador was in 18th, 2:37 behind.
The Tour has another mostly flat Stage 7, a 146-mile trek from Epernay to Nancy, the second-longest stage.


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Kim Kardashian has done it again.
After publicly second guessing her decision to appear nude in Playboy, Kardashian has posed in the buff for the fashion mag W.
The E! reality TV star and businesswoman will highlight her curves on the cover of W's annual art issue in November and appear inside clad in nothing but silver body paint , People.com reported.
Kardashian appears to leave little to the imagination, judging by the revealing NSFW images leaked online. And she's ok with that.
"I used to think, I have to be this or that or skinny, and now, because of the show, everyone is embracing just me, which has given me such a confidence," she tells W, according to excerpts posted by E! Online. "Now, I'm like, 'Why did I ever give that feeling the time of day?' "
Earlier this year, Kardashian also stripped for a more modest Harper's Bazaar photo as part of series featuring un-retouched images of celebrities.
While she's known for wearing revealing outfits, Kardashian told Harper's it was her mom who had pushed her to appear nude in Playboy in 2007.
"I'm sorry I did Playboy. I was uncomfortable," Kardashian said of the cover spread.
The Los Angeles and Miami-based "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" star recently jumped ship to Manhattan as part of her new spin-off show "Kourtney and Kim take New York."
Selected Reading: People, E!, Harper's Bazaar


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Weekend Picks - August 27, 2009
Lei Chic's guide to the weekend's best events.
Fro Yo For Free
What: Red Mango's new location at Kahala Mall is handing out free small original flavor yogurts with one topping.
When: Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Red Mango, Kahala Mall (mauka side of center stage)
Details: One free yogurt per person. Call the store at 808.734.8039 for more details.
Secondhand News
What: Head to Cloth Vintage boutique's Thrift event to sip free cocktails while you browse reconstructed-from-vintage clothes and bags from local line Genuine Guava. Plus, bring your old clothes and trade them for new-to-you items at the swap party.
When: Saturday, 6 to 9 p.m.
Where: Cloth Vintage boutique, 909 Kapi'olani Blvd.
Details: Free. Call 808.597.9007 for more info.
Fashion Flashback
What: Last chance to check out the dresses from decades past at the Hawai'i Fashion Incubator's Fifty Years of Fashion exhibit at Ala Moana Center. Garments from the UH costume collection show how trends have come and gone, and come back again. Plus, old fashion ads and magazine covers will take you down nostalgia lane.
When: Through Monday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Where: Ala Moana Center, gallery space adjacent to Nordstrom on level 3.
Details: Free. More details here.
Big, Fat Greek Party
What: The annual Greek Festival means gyros, souvlaki, baklava, and of course, Ouzo. All that's Greek to you? Browse the booths and get familiar with Mediterranean food, arts and crafts.
When: Saturday, noon to 9 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 8 p.m.
Where: Mc Coy Pavilion at Ala Moana Beach Park
Details: Free. More info at www.greekfestivalhawaii.com
Don't Touch That Dial
What: Download the iPhone app Bad Decision Blocker to temporarily delete contacts from your phone so you can't make late night drunk dials you'll regret in the morning.
When: Before you head to happy hour.
Where: Online at www.baddecisionblocker.com


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WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate on Monday overwhelmingly approved a bill that lets states require online merchants to collect sales taxes on out-of-state purchases made by their residents.
The 69-27 Senate vote marks a major victory for traditional retailers such as Minnesota-based Target and Best Buy, both of which have spent millions of dollars over the past decade trying to remove what they consider an unfair advantage for online sellers.
However, some experts believe House approval of online sales tax legislation will be far more difficult because of no-tax pledges signed by many House Republicans. A House version of the Marketplace Fairness Act has 65 co-sponsors but is stuck in a subcommittee.
"If it gets to an up-and-down vote on the floor, it would pass," said Democratic Rep. Betty McCollum of St. Paul, who is a co-sponsor of the House version of the bill. But McCollum says many Republicans who would vote for the bill refuse to take a stand before it gets to the floor.
Minnesota's two senators, Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, both Democrats, co-sponsored the Senate's so-called Marketplace Fairness Act and voted for it.
The legislation allows states to require online and mail-order vendors to collect sales taxes at the time of sale and send it to the purchaser's home state. Right now, businesses without a physical presence in a state cannot be compelled to collect sales taxes.
Legally, online buyers are responsible for paying sales taxes, but most do not. Minnesota officials say the state loses $400 million a year in revenue as a result.
Republicans in Minnesota's House delegation have remained silent on the matter.
A memo on Friday from House Majority Leader Eric Cantor to members of his party outlining the May legislative agenda and highlights of the summer agenda makes no mention of online sales tax legislation.
Democratic Rep. Collin Peterson of Minnesota's Seventh District said that if House Republicans who took a no-tax pledge can't vote for a bill backed by mom-and-pop businesses as well as big businesses, "I don't know what they can vote for."
"We'll find out just how crazy some of these Republicans are," Peterson said.
A strong vote to end Senate debate on the bill in late April presaged Monday's easy Senate passage.
"This bipartisan bill is about leveling the playing field for Minnesota's Main Street businesses so they can compete with giants like eBay and Amazon," Franken said Monday.
Klobuchar added: "Unfortunately, too many Minnesota businesses are put at a disadvantage because of a loophole in our tax code. Today's action marks an important step in helping to ensure that all businesses are playing by the same rules."
Target, Best Buy and other retailers praised the vote.
"This legislation does not represent a new tax, rather it simply helps to ensure fair competition that ultimately benefits consumers and our communities," Best Buy said in a statement. "The current laws were put in place before the Internet or e-commerce even existed."
Online giant eBay had provided the major opposition to the bill, saying it would force small online retailers out of business. Anti-tax groups say it improperly lets elected officials in one state tax businesses in another. After years of lobbying, Amazon.com, the country's other huge online selling platform, has changed its position and supports the sales tax collection bill.
The legislation passed by the Senate and proposed in the House will not apply to online and mail order companies with less than $1 million in yearly gross out-of-state sales.


text:
Technologies are made by humans and used by humans. We are very much aware of the truth of this statement at DESIGNA. Ultimately, it must be made possible for every user today and in the future to truly understand and master a system, no matter how elaborate it may be.
That's why we give you the precise instructions and support that you need in every phase of the project cycle - from CONSULTING to PLANNING, INSTALLATION and SUPPORT with our worldwide customer service network, speedy supply of replacement parts and consumables, and targeted training in our own training centre - to ensure that you can always understand and fully exploit the PM ABACUS system's potential.
© 2009 DESIGNA Verkehrsleittechnik GmbH


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Food & Drink
Nasty beef: World's best worst food sites celebrate kitchen disasters
By Chuck Thompson, CNN • Updated 17th October 2014
View Gallery
12 Pictures
Is it possible to vomit while laughing?
This appears to be the question behind a pair of websites that lampoon the popular practice of people taking pictures of their food and posting the results on social media.
Someone Ate This
Cook Suck
(websites contain obscenities), which celebrate the botched efforts of would-be foodies, are simultaneously tasteless and hilarious.
Both have earned robust worldwide followings.
"The site came out two or so years ago at the height of the global food photography crisis, when absolutely everyone was taking pictures of their food, and not one of them had any idea why," says the blogger behind Cook Suck. "It was an epidemic, an absolute epidemic. I simply could not stand aside and let the 'om-nom-nom baked beans on toast #bestcookever' continue."
Based in Sydney, Australia, Cook Suck's founder and sole operator identifies him- or herself via email only as being "in my late twenties."
Balut: The Filipino delicacy that makes the world squirm
As their predominantly pictures-and-salty-insults approach to ugly food indicates, the duo behind Los Angeles-based Someone Ate This (SAT) are somewhat less strident about their mission.
Cook Suck is one blogger's backlash to the "global food photography crisis." That's a joke, right?
Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images
"Someone Ate This is a food blog that celebrates the hilarity of cooking mishaps, bad food photography and the grossest things people shove down their throats," says co-founder Jeffrey Max, a 30-year-old originally from Dallas. "The message is if you do a bad job at cooking, we're going to make fun of you."
Along with friend Ren Ariel Sano, Max launched SAT in May 2012 by posting a picture of a typically limp TV dinner covered in a gelatinous brown sauce.
Since then the pair have posted hundreds of gut-busting (literally, figuratively) pictures, including a mysterious melange described as "several cans of cat food in a sauce pan," a pizza misfire glossed as "a dermatologist's nightmare" and not one but two separate and utterly mad spaghetti tacos -- they look exactly how you think they would -- that earned the tags "serving your kids food on the floor" and "high on weed."
Scrolling through the SAT archive is like sitting down in a comfortable chair with a full bag of potato chips -- it's almost impossible to pull yourself away from the treacherous pleasure.
8 tourist traps we love
Tips on bad food photography
The sites are labors of love.
"I've been collecting pictures of gross food for a really long time," says Sano.
"We really just try to make each other laugh," says the co-founder of Someone Ate This. "It's nice that other people are laughing, too."
Courtesy Ren Ariel Sano
Though separated by the vastness of the Pacific, these connoisseurs of culinary miscarriages are engaged in the same quest, constantly foraging for just the right combination of dismal ingredients.
"The perfect terrible meal needs poor photography, terrible plate aesthetics, irritating captioning ... poor ingredients and, and this is the most important part, a delusion of grandeur, a false belief that what has been cooked is simply fantastic ... that your photographed meal is a gift to us all on Facebook/Instagram," says Cook Suck.
"The most important thing you can do to make your food look disgusting is use the flash," advises Sano. "If you wanna throw a whole hardboiled egg on top, too, it can only help."
"Get super-close to the food, maybe just past the minimal focus distance of your camera," adds Max.
Cook Suck says its site generates enough traffic "to ensure I can afford food that won't appear on my site."
Sano says SAT has about 15,000 followers and gets about 150,000 page views from 50,000 unique visitors a day.
"Which is bananarama," she adds helpfully.
Japan's puffer fish capital: delicious and deadly
Touchy subjects
Not everyone is pleased to find their pictures or pictures of foods they cherish plated up for online ridicule.
A series of hollowed-out pumpkins woefully stuffed with things that make you go blergh consistently raises the ire of sentimental diners on SAT.
What do you get when you cross Indian tradition with a hungry Canadian? Butter chicken poutine!
Courtesy Karla Cripps
"More than anything else, people come to the defense of this food-like item," says Sano. "They like to say it's a family favorite and they eat it at holiday meals and it's actually really good for you, blah blah blah. It strikes a nerve with a lot of people."
"It seems like a pain ... to eat out of a pumpkin," says Max. "Like, there's a reason bowls don't hold four gallons and have a small opening at the top. I don't get it at all."
Both sites mine comedy pewter out of go-to genres and ingredients.
Canned corn, black beans, eggs and American cheese are common thematic elements in the images they feature.
While Sano and Max note that all-American potluck casseroles typically yield a high rate of repulsive return, Cook Suck believes it's sitting atop of the mother lode of culinary ineptitude.
"Australians cooking anything Asian," says Cook Suck. "Australians cooking anything, actually.
"We're very very poor cooks in Australia, yet due to our culture we think we are the best. Ninety-nine percent of the country believes they're BBQ masters and yet this couldn't be further from the truth."
All by my selfie: Blogger takes travel photos with imaginary girlfriend
Price of Internet infam
is steep
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Cook Suck impresario admits to not yet parlaying the site's popularity into an elevated social position.
"Australians are terrified of me and I don't get invited to any dinner parties anymore, or no one ever suggests places to eat if I'm invited."
The menu description sounded delicious.
Chuck Thompson/CNN
Despite suffering the slings of critics -- to say nothing of the mountains of unidentifiable glop on their screens -- the pundits of heinous helpings say they'll keep soldiering on, providing much needed perspective to the foodie world.
"Our message is, 'We love it, don't stop, never stop,'" says Sano. "Eat so many hotdogs."
Just don't expect to see any of their vacation food pictures posted online.
"I don't take pics of what I eat," says Max. "I know better."
Doh! 20 biggest travel mistakes
Originally published May 2014.
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In case you needed somebody to actually tell you what's wrong with Oscar darling 'Les Miserables,' here's this handy guide from Cinema Sins.
It's a little daunting — they only needed four minutes to get through everything that's wrong with 'Prometheus,' and it takes six minutes to get through this musical movie everyone loves to hate. We haven't had coffee yet, so math isn't happening, but that is definitely a pretty big percentage longer — 50% maybe? That sounds right. If you didn't see 'Prometheus,' good for you. If you did see 'Prometheus,' imagine a movie that is 50% more wrong. Yikes.
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text: ACSP-2630 Biased Coaxial Schottky Detector Data Sheet Revision Date: 12/22/2015 The most important thing we build is trust DESCRIPTION: The ACSP- series of high sensitivity detectors exhibit superior electrical and environmental reliability characteristics. They contain hermetically sealed modules, internal RF matching, DC return, and RF bypass capacitor. In addition, the video port is protected from static or transient voltages. This feature prevents damage due to handling (usually static) or system video transients. Models may be chosen for broadband RF performance or for optimized narrow bands. SPECIFICATIONS: Parameter Specification Unit of Measure Frequency Range (min) 1–4 GHz Sensitivity (min) 2000 mV/mW Flatness vs. Frequency (max) 0.3 ±dB Typical TSS -53 dBm Nominal Video Capacitance 39 pF OUTLINE DRAWING: SMA MALE (INPUT) FEATURES: SMA FEMALE (OUTPUT) 0.312 • Contains hermetically sealed modules, internal RF matching, DC return, and RF bypass capacitor • The video port is protected from static or transient charges • Input impedance matching • Models may be chosen for broadband RF performance of for optimized narrow bands 1.32±.02 STANDARD CASE STYLE C3 (Optional Case Styles – C8, C15) Revised Date: 12/22/2015 (732) 460-0212 www.cobham.com/CSCS 1 ACSP-2630 Biased Coaxial Schottky Detector NOTES: ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIFICATIONS*: Maximum input power: +20dBm MIL-E-5400, MIL-STD-202, MIL-E-16400 Sensitivity is measured into an open circuit load (>10k ohm). Operating Temp: -55°C to +125°C VSWR is measured at or below -20dBm input power level. Humidity: MIL-STD-202F, M103, Cond B Standard bias is 100uA. Video capacitance is used for RF bypass. This value can be changed if required for video response time. Contact the factory for more information. This part number is also available with a zero bias schottky diode. Storage Temp: -65°C to +150°C Shock: MIL-STD-202F, M213, Cond B Altitude: MIL-STD-202F, M105, Cond B Vibration: MIL-STD-202F, M204, Cond B Thermal Shock: MIL-STD-202F, M107, Cond A * Compliant by design, verification optional Due to higher impedance, the zero bias schottky will exhibit less sensitive TSS (typically a 3dB reduction) The temperature performance of the zero bias schottky is poor when operating at low input power levels. SCREENING: Internal Visual per MIL-STD-883, Method 2017 Temperature Cycle: -65°C to +100°C, 10 cycles OPTIONAL HIGH-REL SCREENING (Ref MIL-PRF-38534): Stabilization Bake per MIL-STD-883, Method 1008 Temperature Cycle per MIL-STD-883, Method 1010 Constant Acceleration per MIL-STD-883, Method 2001 Burn-in per MIL-STD-883, Method 1015 Leak Test per MIL-STD-883, Method 1014 External Visual per MIL-STD-883, Method 2009 PART NUMBER ORDERING INFORMATION: Add desired polarity suffix: "N" for Negative, "P" for Positive (Ex: ACSP-2630N) Add "Z" for zero biased schottky option (Ex: ACSP-2630NZ) Add desired case style suffix: "C3" (Ex: ACSP-2630NZC3) Add "R" suffix: Reverse Connector Configuration (Ex: ACSP-2630NZC3R) (SMA Female Input/SMA Male Output) Add "-RC" suffix: RoHS-compliant (Ex: ACSP-2630NZC3R-RC) ISO 9001:2008 and AS9100 certified For further information please contact: Aeroflex Control Components, DBA Cobham Signal & Control Solutions (CSCS) reserves the right to make changes to any products and services herein at any time without notice. Consult CSCS or an authorized sales representative to verify that the information in this data sheet is current before using this product. CSCS does not assume any responsibility or liability arising out of the application or use of any product or service described herein, except as expressly agreed to in writing by CSCS; nor does the purchase, lease, or use of a product or service from CSCS convey a license under any patent rights, copyrights, trademark rights, or any other of the intellectual rights of CSCS or of third parties. Cobham Signal & Control Solutions 40 Industrial Way East Eatontown , NJ 07724 [USA] Phone: (732) 460-0212 Fax: (732) 460-0214 [email protected] Copyright 2015, Cobham Signal & Control Solutions. All rights reserved. Revised Date: 12/22/2015 (732) 460-0212 www.cobham.com/CSCS 2


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Rock and Roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll or rock 'n' roll) is a genre of popular musicthat originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, from a combination of African-American genres such as blues, boogie woogie, jump blues, jazz, and gospel music, together with Western swing and country music. Though elements of rock and roll can be heard in blues records from the 1920s and in country records of the 1930s, the genre did not acquire its name until the 1950s.
Rock and roll arrived at a time of considerable technological change, soon after the development of the electric guitar, amplifier and microphone, and the 45 rpm record. There were also changes in the record industry, with the rise of independent labels like Atlantic, Sun and Chess servicing niche audiences and a similar rise of radio stations that played their music. It was the realization that relatively affluent white teenagers were listening to this music that led to the development of what was to be defined as rock and roll as a distinct genre.
In terms of its wide cultural impact across society in the US and elsewhere, Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock", recorded in April 1954 but not a commercial success until the following year, is generally recognized as an important milestone, but it was preceded by many recordings from earlier decades in which elements of rock and roll can be clearly discerned.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_and_rollRock and Roll bands starting with '0-9': 1 band in database
|15-60-75 (United States)
© Boar 2011 - 2019


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On this day — E-mails from the UT System raise new questions about the controversial hiring of Rick O'Donnell; the trust fund from the tobacco settlement may be liquidated; the Doggett amendment is no more; Wentworth warns Senators to stay by the floor; and the House will move on eminent domain.
***New Questions About O'Donnell's Hire
A new round of e-mails obtained by the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News raise new questions about the hiring of controversial UT System advisor Rick O'Donnell.
The e-mails indicate that Rick O'Donnell and the Regents attorney met to discuss a position on the board before they had even crafted the job description and that the job seemed to be O'Donnell's from the get go — he was personally asked to apply for the job almost as soon as the online application process opened up and was hired only thirteen days into the process. The e-mails also indicate that UT Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa was kept out of the loop when it came to O'Donnell's hiring.
The Houston Chronicle's Patti Hart and Joe Holley report:
State Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, who last month questioned the need for O'Donnell's $200,000 position, called the email revelations "very disappointing."
"It is mind-boggling. I'm not sure if it is just a breach of protocol or if it is illegal. At a minimum, it wasn't fair," Zaffirini said. "It is also dishonest to the other applicants, allowing people to apply while the choice was predetermined."
On Feb. 11, Frederick emails O'Donnell that "we have just posted a new position and I encourage you to apply for it electronically." The posting remained online until Feb. 23, the day that Powell gave Frederick approval to offer O'Donnell a job. Eight people applied; only O'Donnell was interviewed.
On Feb. 24, O'Donnell was offered the job and accepted. That same day, Frederick tells Powell, "I know you will alert the Board first, but we should also do a communication to Chancellor and others." Four days later, she assured Powell "that Chancellor is now up to date on the hiring of Rick O'Donnell."
The Senate Finance Committee voted to liquidate the endowment that was created with part of the state's massive settlement with the tobacco companies. Chronicle/Express-News Austin Bureau Chief Peggy Fikac reports the vote was 10-5 and that the money will go to health related institutions that already received payouts from the trust.
Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, headed the Finance subcommittee that looked at the idea, and she was among those against the move.
Zaffirini said all but one of the institutions (Texas Tech) agreed not to oppose liquidation of the Permanent Health Fund for Higher Education. But she said the rest emphasized that they didn't request the move, and that it didn't make up for a proposed budget cut to the institutions in the next two-year budget period compared to current funding.
Four Republicans joined Zaffirini in voting against the liquidation: Sens. Bob Deuell of Greenville, Kevin Eltife of Tyler, Jane Nelson of Flower Mound and Kel Seliger of Amarillo.
The fund, overseen by UTIMCO, currently spins off $45 million every two years to the institutions.
***Dogged By Amendment No More
The Houston Chronicle's Washington Bureau Chief Richard Duhnam reports that the Doggett amendment, which required Gov. Rick Perry certify that state funding to education wouldn't be cut before Texas could qualify for federal aid, is no more; thanks to the budget deal negotiated between the White House and Republican House leadership late Friday night.
After a behind-the-scenes lobbying campaign spearheaded by Perry, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Dallas, and U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Lewisville, the provision was quietly inserted into the late-night deal that prevented the federal government from shutting down.
For Texas, which faces a budget shortfall of between $15 billion and $27 billion, the repeal of the measure authored by U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, officially known as the Save Our Schools Amendment, gives the Legislature a large pot of unexpected money to help plug its own deficit. Texas legislators can either use the money to reduce the size of proposed budget cuts to education in Texas or they can effectively divert the money to other uses.
"You couldn't have gotten $832 million at a better time," said Texas state Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, who has advocated spending $6 billion more on education than the budget passed by the Texas House. "The timing is perfect."
***Wentworth Warns He's Waiting
The AP's Jim Vertuno reports that Sen. Jeff Wentworth warned his fellow Senators yesterday that he might bring up his 'guns on campus' bill when not everyone is on the floor. Why? You only need support from two-thirds of the present Senators, not two-thirds of the Senate.
So a bill that most everyone left for dead just two days ago, has the potential to come roaring back to life as if it were reanimated by Dr. Frankenstein and his trusty hunchbacked assistant Igor (pronounced EEEE-gore). No word yet on whether his bill will be 'Puttin' on the Ritz.'
***Legislature In Drive
Over in the House, they're starting at 9 a.m. to get a jump on the Senate's eminent domain reform package; passage is expected.
– The San Antonio Express-News' Vianna Davila reports from Fort Davis on the fires racing across West Texas.
– The Houston Chronicle's Ericka Mellon reports that Houston Independent School District will lay off 730 teachers before the start of the next school year — 567 of those layoffs are because of state related budget cuts.
– The Houston Chronicle's Eric Berger reports that none of the now-retired space shuttles will be calling Houston home.
– The San Antonio Express-News' Scott Huddleston reports on the committee hearing showdown between an attorney for the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio.
– The New York Times reports that Republicans are scrambling for votes to pass the budget compromise they negotiated with the White House last Friday night. Conservative Republicans are rebelling against the leadership's push and claim that the $38 billion in cuts simply isn't enough.
– The New York Times also has a fascinating piece about how higher crop prices could lead to a return of soil erosion.
– The Los Angeles Times reports on the risk that Republicans in Congress will face as they vote on a proposal backed by Rep. Paul Ryan that would transform Medicare into a voucher system and would remove coverage req