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Calendar |
Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau of
Logan County
The year in Illinois history
Lincoln hits the silver screen;
technology makes history more accessible; ancient Indian mounds
Send a link to a friend
[December 28, 2012]
SPRINGFIELD -- People around the
world shared in Illinois' rich history in 2012, thanks to Steven
Spielberg's movie "Lincoln" and new technology that provides digital
access to records and artifacts.
Sadly, two historic
sites were damaged in 2012; and preservationists warned of more
one-of-a-kind buildings in danger of being lost forever.
Here's a look back at 2012 and Illinois history:
Silver screen
"Lincoln" was a hit with audiences and critics. Thanks to Daniel
Day-Lewis' performance, it showed a very human Lincoln balancing his
ideals against the nitty-gritty of Washington politics as he
attempted to pass an amendment ending slavery. It may be a cliché,
but this is one movie that really did bring history to life.
The 16th president also appeared in a decidedly nonhistoric
movie: "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter." This version of Lincoln
battled slave-devouring vampires with his silver-bladed axe.
New technology
Want a detailed look at the blood-stained gloves Lincoln carried
on the night of his assassination? How about a 360-degree
examination of his famous stovepipe hat? You can get both, and more,
at www.UnderHisHat.org.
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library made it easier to look
up historical and genealogical information, from newspapers to
obituaries to military records. Just go to
click on "Library" and start looking around.
The presidential library's Papers of Abraham Lincoln project also
got a grant to begin using computers to analyze anonymous political
comments in Illinois newspapers to determine which ones were written
by Lincoln.
History damaged
Kincaid Mounds, an official National Historic Landmark, was
damaged by someone driving on the historic site and digging for
artifacts or human remains. The mounds in deep southern Illinois
mark a major political center for Native Americans during the
Mississippian period (roughly A.D. 1000-1400).
Fire destroyed a historic picnic pavilion at the Fort Kaskaskia
State Historic Site. The pavilion stood atop a bluff with an amazing
view of the Mississippi River, and people from the area have fond
memories of picnics, reunions and weddings at the pavilion, which
was built in 1942. Two local nonprofit organizations quickly
launched efforts to raise money for a replacement.
[to top of second column]
Documents discovered
The Papers of Abraham Lincoln project located several fascinating
documents in its quest to record everything ever written by or to
the 16th president. The discoveries include the earliest account of
Lincoln's death by the doctor who treated him, Lincoln's pay and
travel records from his two years serving in Congress, and a
previously unknown, signed copy of his second annual message to
Mary Lincoln
The 16th president's wife had a big year in 2012. The Abraham
Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum sponsored two mock trials on
the question of whether her son Robert was right to have her
committed in 1875. Juries in Chicago and Springfield found that Mary
Lincoln, though troubled, was not insane.
The museum also held two events looking at the fashions Mary
Lincoln wore through the years as she changed from young wife to
first lady to grieving widow.
It also came to light that a painting of Mary Lincoln in the
Illinois governor's mansion was not a painting of her at all. A
portrait of an unknown woman had been doctored to resemble Mary
Lincoln, complete with a locket showing her husband, to defraud the
president's descendants.
History endangered
Landmarks Illinois released its annual list of endangered
historic sites, including Chicago's former Prentice Women's
Hospital, the Freeport City Hall and neighborhood schools across the
state. Gov. Pat Quinn later signed a new law making it clear that
school districts could renovate old buildings instead of replacing
New leaders
Amy Martin was named director of the Illinois Historic
Preservation Agency in May. Formerly state coordinator of the
Illinois Main Street Program, Martin has set out to encourage
tourism at historic sites as a way of helping the state economy.
One of the most popular sites for history buffs is the Abraham
Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, which has welcomed more
than 3 million visitors since opening seven years ago. David
Blanchette, head of communications for the Historic Preservation
Agency, was promoted to deputy director of the library and museum in
[Text from file received from the
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency]
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to the Editor


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Bed check: couple ticked by $2,300 mattress
"I didn't pay almost $2,300," Ruby Keffer declared, "to have the springs popping." Keffer is describing the Kingsdown Body System 3 mattress set she and her husband Randy bought from Mattress Gallery in April 2002. "It's defective, and they need to replace it." It may be defective, but replace it? Kingsdown says no– because of a 3/8"-inch blood stain.
About two months after they got their new mattress and box springs, the Keffers began hearing a popping sound in the mattress's springs. This was especially annoying because Randy works nights and Ruby works days, and the noise made it hard for one to get in and out of bed without disturbing the other. "It was awful," Ruby says.
She claims that it took several months to get Mattress Gallery to address the situation; either she would be put on hold and then cut off– which, she alleges, was blamed on problems with the phone– or her messages would be ignored. Eventually she did get through, however, and claims she was told she would have to deal with Kingsdown directly.
Kingsdown customer service dispatched an inspector from Bed Chek, the independent company they (and other mattress manufacturers) use to evaluate customer complaints. The inspector's report, which is dated January 6, 2003, lists two findings: a "3/8" dark stain near [the] end of one surface" and "coil unit noise, from border toward sleep area."
"Border rod is bent along that border," the report continues. "All other border rods are straight. Customer said that mattress has been turned, but appearance seems to indicate that it has not been turned." Under "Remarks," the inspector wrote, "There is coil noise along one edge of mattress only, where get in/out of bed. Border rod bent along this edge. I believe noise is a result of this area and as a result of Mr. Keffer being above average weight, in my opinion."
Two factors come into play here; one goes against the couple, and the other is in their favor. Randy does indeed weigh more than average, and his weight could have bent the rods– which, according to Kingsdown marketing associate Amy Brannigan, are not covered by the warranty. On the other hand, if the Keffers turned the mattress, as they claim they did, his weight would not be the culprit (because he would have used both sides of the bed).
Any chance of a judgment call on that issue, however, was wiped out by Finding #1: that 3/8" blood stain. Mattress warranties, I now know, are voided by stains, burns, or soiling, and this is true throughout the industry. According to the letter the Kingsdown Warranty Committee wrote the Keffers on January 15, "Stained mattresses are not eligible for replacement. We apologize that your Kingsdown bed set has proved to be uncomfortable for you and you are not satisfied; however, we are unable to replace your bed or offer any recourse."
"We hope you continue to look kindly upon Kingsdown," the letter concludes.
I went to Mattress Gallery and spoke with manager Zeke Cox, who was surprised to hear that the Keffers claim to have had so much trouble communicating with the store. "There shouldn't have been" such a situation, he said, and added that customer service is important to him.
We discussed the issue of stains and mattress warranties, and although Kingsdown's Brannigan had told me that "health regulations" are to blame for the ban on replacing mattresses with stains, no matter how small, Cox said that the real reason is that whatever caused the stain can also cause coil deterioration. I can understand that a certain volume of liquid could indeed cause mattress springs to rust. But a 3/8" blood stain?
So what's a consumer to do? Cox stated that the store carries a line of mattress pads guaranteed to prevent mattress staining. The Keffers bought their bed set, however, before Mattress Gallery started selling them.
I stretched out on a Kingsdown Body System 3 while we talked, and boy, is it ever comfortable. Ruby Keffer agrees: "I love my mattress, but I want them to replace it."
Cox said he'd be willing to arrange for a second inspection. If the verdict gets overturned, I'll let you know.
Do you have a consumer problem or question? Email the Fearless Consumer, write her at 100 Second Street NW, 22902, or call 295-8700 ext. 406.

subset: commoncrawl


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Appraisal: Larson Bros. Symphonic Harp Mandolin, ca. 1910
Clip: Season 23 Episode 14 | 3m 36s
Watch Larry Cavalieri's appraisal of a Larson Bros. Symphonic Harp Mandolin, ca. 1910, in Churchill Downs, Hour 2.
Aired: 05/13/19Video has closed captioning.
Problems Playing Video?
Funding for ANTIQUES ROADSHOW is provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance, Ancestry, and Consumer Cellular. Additional funding is provided by public television viewers.


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While his teammates lounged around the hotel early Friday morning, Chris Wondolowski navigated his way through a New York City Media Tour that included stops at CNN International, Sports Illustrated, the Wall Street Journal and MLS Headquarters.
The Budweiser Golden Boot winner began his tour at Major League Soccer's offices for a taping of The Daily with Jackie Pickering and Jason Saghini. Afterward, Wondo fielded questions for the Wall Street Journal and then took a trip to the Sports illustrated office next to Radio City Music Hall.
Wondo capped his day with an interview at the Time Warner Building for CNN International.
The San Jose Earthquakes will face the New York Red Bulls on Thursday at 5 p.m. PT. The Quakes trail 1-0 entering the second leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinal. Fans can tune in on ESPN2, ESPN3 or ESPN Deportes.


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Friday, January 1, 2010
San Juan Cemetery, Puerto Rico
For the past two weeks we've been on vacation visiting Puerto Rico. It's the perfect place to explore early American Colonial History. San Juan was founded in 1521, and the explorer Ponce de Leon was one of it's early governors. You can visit the walled city, its half dozen fortresses, and even Ponce de Leon's house. The narrow streets of Old San Juan are perfect for exploring by foot, and there is even a "Duck Tour" so you can have a guided trip inside the city and view the walls from the harbor.
This photo is in San Juan, Puerto Rico, at the little cemetery outside the walls of the El Morro fortress, part of the U.S. National Park system. At the left you can see the walls of the fortress, and the guy in the blue shirt is a tourist exploring El Morro. The cemetery is outside the walls of the city, and the National Park service did not advice visitors to explore it, and the gates were locked anyways. The guys in green shirts were a cleaning crew raking the grounds.
El Morro is a Spanish Colonial era fortress built between 1539 and the mid 19th century. The Santa Barbara Bastion (an old tower) was first built in 1539, and the rest followed. There is also a gun turret on top that dates from the Spanish American War, and a lookout from WWI or WWII added by the Americans. A lighthouse was also added to the top of El Morro in 1908, so it is very much a working fortress, and part of lots of Puerto Rican History.
I noticed that most of the cemeteries in greater San Juan seemed to be locked, which is unusual for me. Here in New England the only cemetery I can recall being locked from visitors is the Hawes Burial Ground in South Boston. I would have loved to explore the headstones and the area. You can see the ocean just beyond the walls of the city. Most cruise tourists don't notice this cemetery as they pass the El Morro fortress at the entrance to San Juan Harbor.
You can see a few graves from this cemetery at www.findagrave under "Cementerio Antiguo de San Juan" It seems that quite a few heroes and popular Puerto Rican figures are buried here.
Copyright 2010, Heather Wilkinson Rojo
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Authors and Artists :: Susan Polis Schutz
Susan Polis Schutz is an accomplished writer, poet, committed feminist, and documentary filmmaker. She began her writing career at the age of seven, producing a neighborhood newspaper for her friends in the small country town of Peekskill, New York, where she was raised. Upon entering her teen years, she began writing poetry as a means of understanding her feelings. She continued her writing while attending Rider University, where she majored in English and biology and later received an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree. Following her graduation from Rider, she entered a graduate program in physiology, while at the same time teaching elementary school in Harlem and contributing freelance articles to newspapers and magazines. Today, she is the author of many best-selling books of poetry illustrated by her husband, Stephen Schutz, including To My Daughter with Love on the Important Things in Life, which has sold over 1.8 million copies. Her poems have been published on over 450,000,000 books and greeting cards worldwide.
Susan's latest undertaking is creating documentary films that make a difference in people's lives with her production company, IronZeal Films™. Her very first film, released by IronZeal Films™ in 2007, for which she was both executive producer and director, featured the coming-out stories of gay sons and daughters and their parents. It was, in part, inspired by Susan's own son, Jared Polis, a Colorado member of the United States House of Representatives and the first openly gay member in Congress. From there, Susan has gone on to explore a number of other important topics in such films as Seeds of Resiliency, Following Dreams, Over 90 & Loving It, The Misunderstood Epidemic: Depression, and her 2017 release, It's "Just" Anxiety. Her latest documentary, The Homeless Chorus Speaks, (March 2018) tells the stories of homeless members of the Voices of Our City Choir in San Diego, a chorus that welcomes homeless people in the community to sing, dance, perform, and feel part of a family. Susan interviews fourteen members of the chorus who open up about their dreams and backgrounds as well as their ideas to end homelessness. They each share their own very personal stories which include enduring physical and sexual abuse, losing jobs due to disabilities and being unable to afford housing, battling addictions, needing urgent medical care and having nowhere to turn… and how they have found joy, hope, and renewed purpose by joining together in harmony.
All of Susan's films have been broadcast to great acclaim on PBS stations throughout the country. As a thriving poet, entrepreneur, activist, and bestselling author, Susan is not only a teacher but also a student of life… who seeks the truth and shares the lessons with the world.
Stephen Schutz is an avid conservationist as well as an accomplished artist, photographer, and calligrapher. A native New Yorker, he spent his early years studying drawing and lettering as a student at the High School of Music and Art in New York City. He went on to attend M.I.T., where he received his undergraduate degree in physics. During this time, he continued to pursue his great interest in art by taking classes at the Boston Museum of Fine Art. He later entered Princeton University where he earned his PhD in theoretical physics. In addition to designing and illustrating all of Susan's books, Stephen is the genius behind bluemountain.com—the Internet greeting card service he created and cofounded with the help of his and Susan's elder son, Jared — which became one of the most popular and widely visited websites in the world. He holds a patent for his 5-D™ Stereograms, which are innovative, computer-generated illustrations and photographs containing hidden, multidimensional images that seem to "come alive."
Stephen also founded Starfall.com, an interactive website where children have fun learning to read and do math. Starfall is used by millions of students in almost every school in the United States and other countries, and each year they complete over a billion educational activities. In 2015, the Polis-Schutz family donated Starfall to the Starfall Education Foundation, a nonprofit organization, after supporting the project as a social enterprise for fifteen years.
Together, Susan and Stephen are the cofounders of Blue Mountain Arts, the internationally renowned publisher known for its distinctive greeting cards, gifts, and poetry books. In her 2004 autobiography, Blue Mountain: Turning Dreams Into Reality, Susan recounts how she and Stephen met in 1965 at a social event at Princeton. Together, they participated in peace movements and anti-war demonstrations to voice their strong feelings against war and destruction of any kind. They motorcycled around the farmlands of New Jersey and spent many hours outdoors with each other enjoying their deep love and appreciation of nature. They daydreamed of how life should be.
In 1969, Susan and Stephen married and moved to Colorado to begin life together in the mountains where Susan did freelance writing at home and Stephen researched solar energy in a laboratory. On the weekends, they experimented with printing Susan's poems, paired with Stephen's paintings, on posters that they silk-screened in their basement. They loved being together so much that it did not take long for them to begin disliking the 9-to-5 weekday separation that resulted from their pursuing different careers. They decided that their being together all the time was more important than anything else. So Stephen left his research position in the physics laboratory, and he and Susan set out in their pickup-truck camper to spend a year traveling across the country and selling their silk-screened posters in towns and cities along the way. Their love of life and each other, which they so warmly communicate, touched people everywhere they went, and in response to incredible public demand for more of the couple's unique and inspiring creations, their first book, Come Into the Mountains, Dear Friend, was published in 1972.
Of all their tremendous accomplishments, Susan and Stephen agree that their most fulfilling life experience has been being parents to their three children and grandparents to their two grandchildren. After forty-nine years of marriage, they are are more committed than ever to each other, to their family, and to inspiring people to greater heights through film, art, poetry, and education. Theirs is an atmosphere of joy, love, and spontaneous creativity as they continue to produce the words, the poems, the rhythm, and the art that have reached around the world, opening the hearts and enriching the lives of more than 500 million people in every country, in every language, in every culture. Truly, our world is a happier place because of this perfectly matched and beautifully blended couple, Susan Polis Schutz and Stephen Schutz.
Susan Polis Schutz Facebook page
Examples of Blue Mountain Arts products by Susan Polis Schutz
Little Keepsake Books
Magnetic Notepads
Sculpted Paper Collection
Wallet Cards
|Home | Cards | Books | Gifts | Shop | Locations | Authors & Artists | About Us | Poetry Contest | Sitemap | Contact Us
|Copyright © 2020 Blue Mountain Arts. All rights reserved.
Blue Mountain, Blue Mountain Arts, and the Blue Mountain logo are
service marks or registered service marks of BMA Holdings, LLC
in the United States and other countries.


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Silent Hill: Downpour
Silent Hill: Downpour PlayStation 3 patch deployed
Silent Hill: Downpour was patched for Xbox 360 in
Silent Hill: Downpour headlines
Silent Hill: Downpour Xbox 360 patched, PS3 version inbound
Konami has issued a patch for the Xbox 360 version of Silent Hill: Downpour, with a PlayStation 3 version in the works.
Silent Hill: Downpour to release in Japan on November 8 for PS3 only
Silent Hill: Downpour will be released in Japan on November 8, Konami has announced. The Vatra title was a multiplatform release in the west, but will only be released on PS3 in Japan. Thanks, Siliconera.
Konami to patch Silent Hill HD Collection and Downpour
Konami has announced it will release patches for both Silent Hill Downpour and Silent Hill HD Collection. Both patches are currently in development and will be "released soon." The firm made special note that frame rate issues, the audio-synching in Silent Hill HD Collection, and the Auto-Save issues in Silent Hill Downpour will be fixed. […]
Silent Hill: Downpour producer urges horror to move past "shoddy gameplay"
Games can be scary without counter-intuitive controls and dodgy graphics, according to Tomm Hulett of Silent Hill: Downpour developer Vatra Games.
Silent Hill: Downpour cover features Spanish typo
Gathered around a campfire, publishers whisper scary stories to each other, and none is more frightening than The Curse of the Survival Horror Typo.
Silent Hill: Downpour reviews go live with mixed results
The first reviews for Silent Hill: Downpour have made their way online. Is this a return to form for the series from Czech studio Vatra? Get it below the break. If you have any links to add, chuck them in below.
Silent Hill March: Downpour, HD, Book of Memories
Definitive dates for Silent Hill HD, Downpour, and Book of Memories have been handed out by Konami, and all are coming in March.
Quick quotes: Akria missing from Silent Hill: Downpour's soundtrack due to "Japanese business politics"
"I'd love for [Akira Yamaoka] to be involved. Unfortunately, he left Konami, and can't do the music for the new games [which is] a Japanese business politics sort of thing. We'd like for him to be there, but he's not. So we took seriously finding a replacement, because you can't throw in just any old […]
Silent Hill: Downpour developers discuss going back to the series' psychological-horror roots
Silent Hill: Downpour producer Devin Shatsky has said when designing the game, Vatra decided to add more realistic weapons and combat to the game, making it stand out from the last entry in the series, Homecoming.
Brian Gomez exits Silent Hill: Downpour studio Vatra Games
Brian Gomez, the design director for Silent Hill: Downpour, has announced his departure from Vatra Games.
Konami dates three Silent Hill games for Q1 2012
Untroubled by piling all its eggs in one basket, Konami has scheduled three new Silent Hill games in close succession.
Silent Hill: Downpour pulled into Q2 2012 by Konami
Konami's confirmed to Beefjack that Silent Hill: Downpour has been pushed into next year, given a release of Q2 2012 following recent date changes on retailers, including Amazon Germany. The horror, due to come from Czech-based developer Vatra Games, was meant to release this coming winter on PS3 and 360. Read this for our interview […]
New Silent Hill Downpour trailer debuts at TGS
A new trailer for the latest installment in Konami's long-running Silent Hill series debuted at TGS this week.
Quick Shots: Silent Hill: Downpour, HD Collection screens get out of TGS
Konami has released screeshots for Silent Hill: Downpour and Silent Hill HD Collection out of TGS. Both are slated for release in October, and Japan will see the HD Collection released in 2012.
Amazon posts Silent Hill: Downpour release date, cover art
Amazon UK has Silent Hill: Downpour down for a November 4 release, ahead of any official confirmation from Konami. The survival horror had previously been expected at the end of October, on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The retailer also posted a cover image which fits the series aesthetic so far. Head through the break […]
Silent Hill Downpour director says they're doing fine without composer Yamaoka
Silent Hill fans were worried when the latest project lost its long-time, greatly respected composer Akira Yamaoka, but the game's design director says that they're getting along just fine without him.
Quick Shots: Silent Hill: Downpour screens are dreary
Konami has released some new screenshots from Vatra's Silent Hill: Downpour, and each is unsurprisingly dreary. Not like any of the Silent Hill games are full of unicorn and rainbows or anything, just an observation is all. The game is slated for a winter release on PS3 and Xbox 360, and it is also expected for […]
Konami announces gamescom line-up - Silent Hill, MGS, PES2012
Barely a month after E3, Konami's the first company to announce its line-up for gamescom. The starting gun for Cologne has gone off.
Konami to bring Silent Hill: Downpour, PES 2012 to EG Expo
EG's announced that Konami will support this year's Eurogamer Expo in Earls Court. The Japanese publisher, which now joins the likes of EA and Namco Bandai in attending the show, will have Silent Hill: Downpour and PES 2012 on the showfloor. Eurogamer Expo takes place from September 22-25 at Earls Court, London.
Page 1
Silent Hill: Downpour latest
Silent Hill: Downpour to release in Japan on November 8 for PS3 only
Silent Hill: Downpour producer urges horror to move past "shoddy gameplay"
Quick quotes: Akria missing from Silent Hill: Downpour's soundtrack due to "Japanese business politics"
Silent Hill: Downpour developers discuss going back to the series' psychological-horror roots
Quick Shots: Silent Hill: Downpour, HD Collection screens get out of TGS
Silent Hill Downpour director says they're doing fine without composer Yamaoka
Konami announces gamescom line-up – Silent Hill, MGS, PES2012
Quick Shots – Silent Hill: Downpour shots show more gloom and doom
Quick Shots – Silent Hill: Downpour screens are suitably gloomy
GDC Europe 2011: Bulletstorm, The Settlers, Silent Hill and Zynga added to line-up
Vatra provides a sneak peek at its E3 demo for Silent Hill: Downpour
Quick Shots: Atmospheric Silent Hill Downpour screens released


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Daffy over ducks: They are all the rage in China
- Craze began in May%2C when a 50-foot duck made by Dutch artist floated in Hong Kong
- Copycat versions of the work made in China began appearing all over
- Government is OK with the original duck that went on display at Beijing Garden Expo Park
BEIJING - Peking duck is no longer a dish in China, it's a craze.
Rubber ducks have been appearing on lakes, some used to commemorate the outlawed democracy movement, some to promote businesses and others just set out for fun.
Armed with a duck-themed umbrella, Zhang Yuanyuan, who has several duck toys at home, was among people taking photos of themselves Friday in front of a 50-feet tall yellow duck at the new Beijing Garden Expo Park.
"I love the big yellow duck, and want these pictures as memories for my daughter," said Zhang, 29, a lawyer who is seven months pregnant.
The craze began in May, when a 54-foot duck made by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman was floated in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor.
Copycat versions of the work made in China began appearing all over. The ducks showed up in at least 16 cities, used mostly to advertise real estate.
Rather than delight, the ducks irked China's Communist Party. The People's Daily, the party's primary newspaper, ran an editorial in June condemning the ducks and criticized what it called their lack of originality.
But the party appears to be fine with a Hofman original duck, a 59-foot version of which went on display Friday at Beijing Garden Expo Park in the city's southwest suburbs. The work is a gift from the city of Amsterdam to event organizer Beijing Design Week.
"I'm proud this duck is bigger than the one in Hong Kong, as it's the first time to come to mainland China, and we are the capital after all," Hua Ling, 50, a retired factory worker, said as she posed for photographs.
Zhang's husband, Sun He, 30, an electric power company employee, said he was not surprised by the craze.
"Chinese people like foreign things, and want to copy them to gain economic benefits," he said.
The image was also being used as a political statement.
A singular image of the 1989 democracy movement -- which ended with hundreds of protesters being machine-gunned to death in Tiananmen Square -- was a photo taken of a man facing a column of tanks in the street, refusing to let them pass.
To mark the anniversary of the suppression of the movement, Internet users were enjoying a version of the famous "Tank Man" photograph in which four rubber ducks appeared in place of the tanks. Censors responded by blocking all searches for "big yellow duck" on Sina Weibo, China's Twitter equivalent.
Others are using the yellow duck craze to promote an environmental message.
In Beijing's lake-filled Yuyuantan Park on Friday, a huge rubber duck in a green waistcoat headed a line of seven giant eggs bearing the message "Yellow duck also has a green dream." The installation was sponsored by Greendream Welfare, a Beijing environmental nonprofit.
"It's still a fake, but it's quite creative, as it references green issues, and the "China Dream'" of President Xi Jinping," said bank clerk Zhang Yu, 31.
Claimed by Xi Jinping as his governing slogan, the "China Dream" is described as a vision of collective prosperity and "national rejuvenation for the Chinese people," an apparent counter to the "American Dream" of freedom, individualism and prosperity.
Despite the party's best efforts, media coverage of the original duck may spur the appearance of even more fakes in a nation where businessmen have faked entire Apple stores and government officials are renowned for falsifying economic statistics.
And ducks are money-makers, which ensures they will be churned out by those looking to score a quick yuan.
"Sales are surging this year, after the rubber duck arrived in Hong Kong," said Seven Kuang, saleswoman at KK Inflatable, a toy-maker in southern Guangzhou city. "I think everyone in China loves this rubber duck and in such a big size, it's very attractive."
KK sold three giant ducks last month, at more than 60 feet tall to domestic companies including a distillery in northeast China.
"We didn't know the original manufacturing techniques, so we researched our own, and now they're better than the originals," she said. "So far nobody is looking for us or blaming us for intellectual property rights problems."
But for visitors at Beijing Garden Expo Park, who shelled out a $16 entrance fee to see the Hofman bird, the ducks serve best as photographic backdrops.
"It's very cute, but it won't change our eating habits," said Sun He. "I think we might have roast duck tonight," he laughed.
Contributing: Sunny Yang


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MALDEF staff members are at the forefront of efforts to protect Latinos against divisive and unconstitutional anti-immigrant measures in legislatures, the U.S. Congress and the courts. Nationally, MALDEF is involved in monitoring and raising awareness of anti-immigrant local ordinances and state laws in places as varied as Cherokee County, Georgia; Valley Park, Missouri; Farmers Branch, Texas; Phoenix Arizona; Prince William County, Virginia; Cobb County, Georgia; and Carpentersville, Illinois.
These misguided state and local efforts at "immigration reform" pose some of the greatest threats to a comprehensive solution to nation's broken immigration system. Contrary to the assumptions of many, studies show that immigration enforcement at the local level does not produce safer communities. Instead, it makes it less likely that crimes will be reported or that police will get the cooperation they need to keep the peace. Furthermore, local ordinances increase racial profiling and discrimination against those that appear to be foreign or have an accent, building distrust in these communities. They also complicate local-federal relations by defying the longstanding principle that the federal government regulates immigration. Courts have repeatedly found that local "immigration reform" initiatives conflict with federal law and violate the U.S. Constitution, including the First Amendment, the Fourteenth Amendment, and the Supremacy Clause.
Our litigation, advocacy and leadership development programs converge as we galvanize and organize Latino communities around the country to educate them on the implications of the latest wave of local anti-immigrant ordinances and state laws so that they become stakeholders in the debate and help defeat these ordinances.
As a result of these anti-immigrant ordinances, MALDEF has created an advocacy and litigation Tool Kit for use by community leaders to understand the implications of the ordinances and challenge them.


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Next Hereford Horse & Pony Sale - Monday 2nd March 2020
Entries invited for our next Leisure Auction. For more information click HERE
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Becoming a Pony Club Coach
Coach Membership
Find a Coach
PCA NCAS Training & Assessment
Accreditation Courses
Updating Accreditation
Pony Club Basics Workshop
Coaching Calendar
Grading Guidelines
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Certificates and Procedures
Coaches play a vital role in the success of Pony Club.
The Pony Club Rally is considered the backbone of Pony Club, where all learning begins and Coaches play an integral role in creating rallies that are informative, challenging and fun for riders. Coaches need to be able to provide a safe and fun environment for riders to develop skills, confidence, a sense of belonging and a love of horses and horse riding.
Coaching provides senior members with a great way to keep involved with Pony Club after they have moved onto other riding opportunities, or give another avenue to assist their Club whilst continuing to ride. It also provides parents/guardians/adult supporters with an opportunity to get involved on a different level with their Club, to further develop their knowledge of horses and riding; and gives greater confidence in their abilities with horse management, horse ownership or helping their children master their skills in these areas.
Any person coaching with Pony Club Victoria must become a member of the State Body. Coach Membership | REGISTER NOW!
Pony Club Victoria is committed to providing education, development and resources for coaches at all levels to increase their knowledge and understanding of teaching at Pony Club. It is also important that coaches are valued for their role and enjoy a fun and rewarding experience along their coaching pathway.
Workshops, training and assessment days are conducted throughout the year and across the state to provide support to those looking to improve their coaching skills.
Pony Club Victoria formally develop and recognise coaching skills through the National Coaching Accreditation Scheme (PCA NCAS) process. The NCAS program progression is currently:
PCAV Assessors must have a PCA NCAS Level 1 Accreditation. If you are interested in getting involved in developing Coaches accross the State by becoming an Assessor contact Kate Wilson, our Coaching Director


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This question comes from watching the keynote at msteched europe. In which the presenter, I dont remember the exact works, says, that sql server wouldnt need to be physical anymore or something like that.
IN technet and many whitepapers, its recommended to use sqlserver as a standalone physical server and not virtualized, this changes the entire game when designing sharepoint solutions
I would like to read some opiniions regarding this.


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Tooling Article
Create a Die-Change Standard, and Never Stop Improving
That quote, from the book, Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota , smartly implies that developing a process (the standard) is the key to attaining repeatable results. In a lean-manufacturing environment, a standardized process is critical to achieving continuous improvement. With a standard developed, a manufacturer can undertake incremental changes to further improve performance. The improvement process often used: plan, do, check and act (PDCA). We review the current standard, or a portion thereof, and envision an improvement (plan). We then implement the improvement (do), and then measure the results (check). If successful, we formalize and implement a new standard (act).
Die-Change Procedures Cry Out for a PDCA Cycle
Unfortunately, too many stampers still use poorly developed processes to perform die changes. They utilize fork lifts or other crude methods to exchange dies in their presses. Much skill is needed to insert a die, block it up to allow fork removal, tip the corner to pull out blocking, and then pull the forks out completely. This procedure drops the die on the bolster, and then the diesetter bumps and pries the die into final position.
At this point, a hodge-podge of clamps and tools are used to fasten the die into the correct location in the press. Setups for material feed, part handling and scrap removal follow a similarly crude process with a majority of the how-to knowledge in the head of the setup operator. Shops often fail to document much if any of this procedural information for future reference, eliminating any chance of repeatable results.
By contrast, TWB Co., Monroe, MI, provides a good example of a company with a well-developed standard procedure for changing dies. To develop an optimum die-change system for its application, Warren Kile, project manager for TWB, a manufacturer of tailor-welded blanks, worked with engineers at Green Valley Manufacturing, Inc., Mt. Zion, Inc. Together, Kile and Green Valley engineers used the PDCA cycle several times throughout the development process to address a unique application that required dies to be loaded via the press window. Also, very little floor space was available at TWB for staging of dies. And, improving die-change time was not TWB's only goal. Other areas of focus included improving safety, consistency and reliability.
A solution came thanks to implementation of a customized single-station die-change table, after reviewing the following factors:
• Staging dies near the press. Specially designed die-staging racks are located near the die-change area so that the forklift operator can quickly and efficiently drop off and retrieve dies during a changeover. The racks were designed to place the die's fork pockets in optimal view for the forklift operator during loading and unloading.
• Standardized common plates. Dies may vary in length and width but all dies must feature runners that align with die-change rollers on the table and in the press. The runners, mounted at a standard distance from the center of the die, allow the die to travel smoothly on the rollers.
• Die loading on the change table via forklift. Side guides flip up above the roller surface to help align and guide the die to the centered position on the table deck during forklift loading. Guides retract to allow powered transfer to and from the press.
• Die mobility to and from the press. Die-lift rollers in the press and rollers on the table provide minimal resistance to motion and avoid die and press damage.
• Die-transfer method. A powered rigid-chain push-pull system mounts to the opposite side of the press from the die table. The push-pull mechanism pushes the previously used die onto the die-change table. Then the mechanism attaches to the new die to pull it into the press.
• Push-pull attachment to die. A common grab hook mounts to each die used with the system.
• Die guiding. A central die feature mates with a channel on the table deck and bolster to keep the die centered as it travels in and out of the press.
• Die positioning in the press. Die position, front-to-back, is controlled by a guide-channel feature in the press. Removable hard stops, which move to a specific color-coded position depending on the die, locate the die left-to-right.
• Material feed and part handling. Material transfers through the press via six-axis robots.
• Scrap removal. A pneumatic shaker conveyor installed in each die minimizes setup time during changeover.
Reducing the Footprint
Another component of lean manufacturing and continuous improvement to consider is the environment. An innovative feature of the die-change table at TWB is the use of folding extensions at the rear of the die table. These extensions minimize the overall footprint of the structure while the table is not in use. When needed, the extensions lock into a die-change position, extended into an aisle. After die change, the extensions fold back against the table frame to free up valuable plant space.
At TWB, the standard for die changes is set. From now on, this standard will be periodically reviewed and improved.
Try applying the PDCA cycle throughout your lean-manufacturing journey to improve die-change performance. If you use forklifts and pry bars to changeout dies, establish that as the current standard and then begin to improve on that standard. Consider the following opportunities for improvement:
• Add die lifters for ease of transfer of dies to and from the press.
• Bolster extensions along with die lifters are a great to keep the forks out of the press. Share a lift-off pair between several presses to minimize expense.
• Adding features to the die base to mimic a common plate offers an economical around standard-sized common plates. For example, shops can install a pair of V-blocks to mate with press-mounted pins for accurate locating. Also, standard clamping lugs can be added to the dies to allow the use of uniform clamping systems.
• Acquire all of the required clamps, wrenches, etc., and identify storage locations for them to avoid wasting time looking for tools.
• Staging dies near the press with die-storage racks or staging tables minimizes wasted travel time during die exchange.
Little by little, review and improve the standard. Since perfection never quite comes, the continuous-improvement cycle never ends. MF
See also: Green Valley Manufacturing, Inc.
Related Enterprise Zones: Tool & Die


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The BFI has launched a new Film Festival Fund that aims to help boost the film choices available across the UK and support both regional and national festivals with global reach.
For up to four years, the BFI will allocate £1m ($1.57m) annually to the Film Festival Fund.
It will offer varying levels of support depending on the scope and scale of the event, ranging from £5,000 ($7,860) for smaller festivals to £300,000 ($470,000) for major festivals that can demonstrate substantial international significance.
BFI deputy chief executive Tim Cagney said the move formed "part of our strategic priority to enhance opportunities for UK audiences".
He added that it was hoped the fund would enable audiences to "access a wide range of British and international stories which celebrate and reflect the rich diversity of life in the UK and beyond".
Through the fund, the BFI will contribute between 20% and 50% of the costs of the festival. Applicants will be required to demonstrate the amount of partnership funding they are able to secure.
The BFI will support two categories of festivals.
Strand 1 (£500,000 per year) will include regional festivals catering mainly to local and regional audiences.
Strand 2 (£500,000 per year) will support UK festivals with an international or UK-wide reach.
Festivals in the UK range in size, ambition and focus, all of which make a contribution to the cultural and economic environment. These events also have potential to help push forward the BFI's priorities for developing UK audiences and film talent.
BFI's own festivals - the London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival - will not be supported through this fund, but through BFI and other resources.
Through their five-year plan, Film Forever, BFI wants to encourage people to build lifelong relationships with film, help build audiences for broad ranges across all platforms, and ensure that film culture can be accessed and enjoyed by everyone across the UK.
The BFI Film Festival Fund is now open for applications from UK-based festivals taking place on or after April 1, 2013. More information can be found on their website, www.bfi.org.uk/filmfestivalfund.


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Amarilla, as I have written, came from a rather large family. Her father Daniel married twice, first to Elizabeth Keller who was Amarilla's mother. The first marriage produced four children: Henry, Oliver, Mary and Amarilla. Henry was killed in an accident in Davenport, Iowa in 1893. Oliver and Mary died young.
After Elizabeth's death in 1859 he remarried to Sarah Blacketer Allgood in Iowa in 1863 in Iowa.
Sarah, Daniel's second wife, brought to the marriage one daughter Emily. There had been four born to Sarah and Charles Edward Allgood but they did not survive. The other children were: John G., James H., and Phoebe.
From Sarah and Daniel's marriage Amarilla gained seven other siblings:
1. Lydia Marie Spracklin
2. Virda Huston Spracklin
3. Reed Andrews Spracklin
4. Daniel Goss Spracklin
5. Peter George Spracklin
6. Charles Edward Spracklin
7. Alfred Spracklin who died young and is buried with his parents in Iowa.
I have written about the first 4 children from the first marriage, some about Daniel and his migration from Ohio to Iowa on this blog. I have posted about his marriage to Elizabeth Keller and her heritage on my other blog Solomon Goss of Fearing Twp., in Ohio. See sidebar for a link.
In every family there always seems to be the one person that handles the family business. In the second family of Daniel and Sarah that was the third child and second son Reed Andrews Spracklin.
About 1905 Reed and Daniel made an agreement that Reed would help out on the farm in Dayton Twp., Iowa Co., Iowa. So Reed moved in with his parents bringing his family with him. Daniel was 75 years old in 1900 and Sarah was 69 years old. The parents were definitely aged.
Reed had made Calhoun County, Iowa his home and it is where he married and started raising his family. His sister Lydia and brothers Virda and Daniel also had ties to Calhoun County, Iowa. Brother Peter was living up in Emmett Co., Iowa.
We do see that in 1905 Charles Edward was living with the parents and Reed.
This Special Iowa State Census for 1905 reads:
R. A. Spracklin, PO Deep River.
Julia Spracklin, Deep River
Oliver Spracklin, Deep River
D.D. Spracklin, Deep River
C. E. Spracklin, Deep River
Sarah Spracklin, Deep River
This state census is only a list of people with no other information provided. This does place Reed and his family with D.D. around 1905.
Source: 1905 Iowa State Census, Dayton Twp., Iowa County, Iowa, Lines 424 to 430, #1026383, Iowa County Genealogical Society, Marengo, Iowa.
Reed and his family would stay with his parents until Daniel died and inherit 2/3's of the family farm and estate of his father. The remaining 1/3 would be divided among the rest of the siblings including Amarilla. So Reed would take on the role of the Administrator of his father's estate in 1915. Daniel did not have a will.
There will be more about the Daniel's second family in future posts.


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Wednesday, 10 February 2010
Rouge Bunny Rouge Perfume of his Gaze sheer lipstick
The lipstick in the look, 'Perfume of his Gaze' (£21), appeared as a tan beige, had this been any other brand I think I would have stayed clear as this sort of colour usually washes me out and looks off, but I have had so much success with RBR that I figured it would be wearable.
I am glad to say it is, whilst it is a true tan beige (there is no overly peach or pink hues in this) it somehow manages to look extremely natural on, giving me a sheer glossy beige lip. I have always wanted to be able to wear this type of colour so am really pleased to have finally found something that works for me.
RBR lipsticks are hydrating and very comfortable on, the formula is very nourishing and when my lips are showing any signs of dryness I always reach for a RBR as not only does it not show up any flaky bits but at the end of the day my lips feel softer so there is definitely a skincare benefit with these as well.
Here is a picture of it with my other two sheer lipsticks (Tongue tickles and Dark Juices) so that you can see the colour against other shades.
For a picture of all my other RBR lipsticks please see here:
I buy all my RBR from Zuneta.com, they are a UK based company but do international shipping as well.
4 comments:
Hello my dear Replica, I've been absent for a while, sorry! Ah, I'm still holding back on a new RBR order, but I don't think it's going to be for much longer...this looks delicious, like honey-glaze, I wonder if it would show on my lips, though. What do you think?? xxReplyDelete
Hi Replica, thanks for the post. I can hardly wait to order some RBR products. I think the shipping to Canada is a little pricey but I have read nothing but good things about Zuneta and their service. I love their packaging.ReplyDelete
Thanks for posting these. I've been dying to try this line but can't justify the shipping price to the US. I will live vicariously through my UK friends. Thanks for the lovely pics and review :)ReplyDelete
Hi Anna,ReplyDelete
I wondered where you were ;)I think it will show up on you but will be quite sheer, maynot be enough colour for you, thats not very helpful is it! I've already got my next RBR order planned!
Hello Anna,
I think you should try RBR if you can, shipping can be an issue, although I paid $25 for an Edward Bess one so probably not one to talk :)
Hi Sabrina,
Glad you like, I think you would really like RBR going by the other brands that work for you, hopefully they will expand their outlets soon so that you can get them.


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TIRExB: call for candidates
1 November 2006
The TIR Executive Board (TIRExB), a subsidiary body of the TIR Administrative Committee (AC.2), supervises and provides support in the application of the TIR procedure at the national and international levels. It is composed of 9 members, each from different Contracting Parties to the TIR Convention, who are elected for a two year term of office.
The next TIRExB election will take place at the forty-fourth session of the TIR Administrative Committee (Geneva, 1 February 2007). The UNECE secretariat should appreciate receiving nominations of candidates who wish to stand for election as members of the TIRExB. Nominations should be received by the UNECE TIR secretariat no later than on 8 December 2006. For details, please refer to Informal document No. 1 (2007) (English, French and Russian).


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Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Galaxy S10 128GB. Next level tech is here. Flawless infinity display on a 6.2 inch screen, power sharing with other devices and your best ever pics. Watch a product video
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Requires a 36 month credit agreement at 0% APR and a rolling monthly usage contract, both with Tesco Mobile Limited. Subject to availability and your status. You will need to pay off any outstanding credit agreement charges on your phone if you terminate your usage agreement early. You can change your tariff down as well as up once per month only. Tesco Mobile Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for its credit offering; No. 723698. Registered in England No. 4780736. Registered Office: Tesco House, Shire Park, Kestrel Way, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL7 1GA. VAT No. 815384524 tescomobile.com/terms
When periodically travelling in our Home From Home Destinations across Europe and beyond (HFH), calls and texts to standard UK landlines, UK mobile numbers, HFH landlines, HFH mobiles as well as data usage, will be charged as in the UK. Usage beyond a Fair Usage Policy may attract other charges. Full details, current list of HFH Destinations, charges, and terms are available at tescomobile.com/terms


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The NPR article is a good one, but does not fully explore the implications of whether the federal land over which the AT passes is to be treated as arickb 02-23-2020, 08:11
Try to keep it AT related and definitely leave general political talk out of the thread.Alligator 02-22-2020, 23:18
Link to NPR article from yesterday with good summary below.
"One factor the conservancy considered was that the pipeline would cross
Not saying I pro or con on these new pipelines.
I do know that many if not most of the pipelines where laid 30 or 40 years ago, with some in use


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For help changing your diet, ask your doctor or a
Other Works ConsultedKrummel DA (2008). Medical nutrition therapy for
cardiovascular disease. In LK Mahan, S Escott-Stump, eds., Krause's Food and Nutrition Therapy, 12th ed., pp. 833–864.
St. Louis: Saunders Elsevier.
Last Revised:
June 18, 2012
Healthwise Staff
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Distributed Energy in Puerto Rico
Clip: Season 45 | 7m 15s
Puerto Ricans are innovating to find new energy solutions after the storm revealed extreme weaknesses in the island's electrical grid.
Aired: 09/19/18Video has closed captioning.
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Welcome to the new Women's Center at Brandon Regional Hospital. The goal of The Center is to provide the highest level of care for you, your baby and family in a compassionate environment.
Brandon Regional Hospital recently expanded and remodeled The Women's Center to accommodate the growing needs of the community and enhance our Baby Suites, Labor & Delivery Suites and Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
We have a beautiful new entrance, expanded the registration and waiting areas, moved ultrasound services to the first floor of The Women's Center, and opened a newly expanded and renovated gynecology and antepartum unit, all with private rooms.
For more information on the Women's Center at Brandon Regional Hospital, please contact us.


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Lean Hog futures posted $2.025 to $2.70 gains in most contracts on Thursday. The CME Lean Hog Index was up 74 cents from the previous day @ $53.12 on March 12. The USDA pork carcass cutout value was up 95 cents on Thursday afternoon at an average weighted price of $68.80. The national base hog carcass value was up $1.08 in the PM report at an average weighted price of $51.52. USDA estimated the weekly FI hog slaughter was at 1.864 million head through Thursday, down 25,000 from last week but 16,000 head above last year. USDA reported 50,288 MT in all pork export sales (largest single week since 2016) during the week of 3/7, with 23,846 MT sold to China, and 8,900 MT purchased by Mexico.
Apr 19 Hogs closed at $65.800, up $2.325,
May 19 Hogs closed at $74.900, up $2.625
Jun 19 Hogs closed at $83.525, up $2.700
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The screen after the Academic Honesty Statement is your exam writing space. You should note that there is a clock and time bars to let you know how much time you have remaining, a space with the prompts, and writing space.
There will be two prompts to choose from, and you should read both prompts carefully before making your selection.
Something to consider is that Writing Proficiency Exam essays should be expressing a judgment; therefore, your answer to the prompt's question—i.e. your thesis idea—will be a version of one of the following:
The rest of your essay will present your reasoning for this judgment—i.e. the reasons why you believe your statement to be true, and these should be arranged in a logical way.
To work out exactly what you want to say in the essay, consider doing some of the following:
Working with the prompt:
Organizing your thoughts:
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The discovery of an previously unknown wooden structure at the Buddha's birthplace suggests the sage might have lived in the 6th century BC, two centuries earlier than thought, archeologists said on Monday.
Traces of what appears to have been an ancient timber shrine were found under a brick temple that is itself within Buddhism's sacred Maya Devi Temple at Lumbini in southern Nepal near the Indian border.
In design it resembles the Asokan temple erected on top of it. Significantly, however, it features an open area, unprotected from the elements, from which it seems a tree once grew — possibly the tree where the Buddha was born.
"This sheds light on a very, very long debate" over when the Buddha was born and, in turn, when the faith that grew out of his teachings took root, archeologist Robin Coningham said in a conference call.
It is widely accepted that the Buddha was born beneath a hardwood sal tree at Lumbini as his mother, Queen Maya Devi, the wife of a clan chief, was traveling to her father's kingdom to give birth.
However, much of what is known about his life and time has its origins in oral tradition — with little scientific evidence to sort out fact from myth.
Many academics contend that the Buddha — who renounced material wealth to embrace and preach a life of enlightenment — lived and taught in the 4th century BC, dying at about the age of 80.
"What our work has demonstrated is that we have this shrine [at Buddha's birthplace] established in the 6th century BC" that supports the hypothesis that the Buddha might have lived and taught in that earlier era, Coningham said.
Radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence techniques were used to date fragments of charcoal and grains of sand found at the site.
Geoarcheological research meanwhile confirmed the existence of tree roots within the temple's central open area.
Coningham codirected an international team of archeologists at Lumbini that was funded in part by the Washington-based National Geographic Society, which plans to telecast a documentary, Buried Secrets of the Buddha, worldwide in February.
The team's peer-reviewed findings appear in next month's issue of the journal Antiquity, ahead of the 17th congress of the International Association of Buddhist Studies in Vienna in August next year.
Lumbini — overgrown by jungle before its rediscovery in 1896 — is today a UNESCO world heritage site, visited by millions of pilgrims every year.
Worldwide, Buddhism counts 500 million followers.
In a statement, UNESCO director-general Irina Bokova called for "more archeological research, intensified conservation work and strengthened site management" at Lumbini as it attracts growing numbers of visitors.
UNESCO and the Nepalese government had invited Coningham, Britain's leading South Asian archeologist, to join Kosh Prasad Acharya of the Pashupati Area Development Trust, to steer the Lumbini effort.
Since it is a working temple, the archeologists found themselves digging in the midst of meditating monks, nuns and pilgrims.
It is not unusual in history for adherents of one faith to have built a place of worship atop the ruins of a venue connected with another religion.
"But what makes Lumbini special is how the design of the wooden shrine resembles that of the multiple structures built over it over time," Coningham said.


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Okay, you guys know that I totally love Victorian houses and antique auctions, right? Well put those two together and I am the happiest little clam you ever did see, especially when I get to buy some of those original furnishings! So back in August of 2009 I went to this auction in historic Boonville, Mo., the house and the original furnishings were all up for auction.
Below is a photo of the house. (I took it a month or so ago and just realized when comparing the photo to the auction flyer from 2009 that the new owner has removed the front porch columns and its large round top! That leads me to believe that the guy was not a Victorian wanna be! )
At some point the turret roof was also removed...that's too bad. The front porch cover was round, matching the white part of the turret. I hate it when original architectural elements are removed from old houses.
I did not get a photo on auction day with all the wonderful stuff in the front yard. If I had you would have seen the 3 piece Victorian walnut bedroom suite that I bought. And you would have seen the sorry state that it was in. Unfortunately I didn't take those "before" photos and wished I would have.
So now, back to my son's bedroom...
here is the bed, it is 7'4" tall. The large panel on the headboard and several pieces on the footboard were off but luckily still there. So I added them back on. On the bed rail hardware it has Norris and Co. Patented Sep 10 1878 on it.
Below is the washstand...
The drawer pulls are not original and are way too large for it and the dresser. Some day maybe I will find a set of 10 pulls more like the originals. The pulls had been replaced prior to 1962, when the second owner bought the house and its furnishings. How lucky they were! At the auction she told me that she was a little girl when her family bought the house and most of the contents were then moved up to the attic! Including this bedroom set that they never used. So I'm not sure how it got to the sad state that it was in when I bought it.
Here is the dresser, it had some pieces off as well and the mirror was broken and had to be replaced.
Here is a close up of the detail on the crowns... and my hands and camera reflection in the mirror. Oops!
I like this picture with the reflection of the bed and washstand in the dresser mirror. I had always wanted a 3 piece bedroom set and actually went to this auction for the washstand but when I got there saw that it was actually part of a set and knew that this could be my chance! And because all the pieces needed some work I figured I could get it for a great price and I did! Yay! Need I say, hubby was NOT happy with me!
Also at the auction was this incomplete washset. It has beautiful hand painted scenes on it. It is kind of funny how I acquired it for I did not get it at the auction because it went higher then I wanted to pay for it in the condition that it was in and plus I knew I had to save my money for the bed set.
So, here's the story...a dealer bought it and had it at a local antique mall for $175. I still loved it but definitely wouldn't pay that for it either. So about two years later it was moved to a different mall and marked down to $100. Well that's when I decided to make my move and offer $60 for it and because she had had it for so long accepted my offer!! So I ended up paying less then what she paid for it at the auction! All's well that ends well!
I keep the set boxed up in my closet for now and some day when the room is vacant (boo!hoo!) I will have it here, like this.
Below is the chamber pot, minus the lid! Darn! And the set is missing the slop jar.
Notice the beautiful hand painted scenes. I especially like the gold bow on all the pieces.
And look at this scene. I love the rock bridge.
Also at the auction I bought a vase full of parasols for $15. The original owner, William Mittlebach (1856-1930) had two daughters, Leola born 1884 and Lenora born 1886. After the parents death they lived there together until Lenora married and moved to NY, so Leola remained in the house, a widow, until her death in 1960. So I would imagine these parasols belonged to the sisters. Isn't that cool?
This parasol is my very favorite, because I love fancy and I love lace. But look at it! The lace has not withheld the test of time. Unfortunately! So it stays in a bag in the closet while the other 5 have their place in the hallstand in the foyer. To see it click here.
Well that is it for this post. Thankyou for visiting, have a great week and I hope to see you next time.
I am joining the following parties...
SHOW AND TELL FRIDAY with Cindy


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Season 5 Episode 28 | 12m 23s
It's not easy being the new kid in a small Icelandic fishing village. Eirikur manages to befriend a local girl but their new friendship quickly takes an unexpected turn in this haunting short film.
Aired: 01/16/18Video has closed captioning.
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SAINT JOHN, N.B. - Patrick Chan battled some old demons Saturday night, the negative feelings that had crept into his competitions last season.
But you would never have known it, as the three-time world champion from Toronto landed two huge quad jumps en route to claiming his fourth Skate Canada International title.
"I was nervous, honestly," Chan said. "I started having the (negative) feelings I had last season. . . It was really challenging even before I got on the ice to stay positive, and remember the things that I wanted to repeat that I had in the short program — looking forward to going out there, to look forward to doing the quad, but not looking too far ahead, doing one quad at a time and then moving on."
Chan scored 262.03 points, bringing the Harbour Station crowd — dotted with dozens of Canadian flags — to its feet with his new program debut to Antonio Vivaldi's "Four Seasons."
Yuzuru Hanyu won the silver with 234.8, while Japanese teammate Nobunari Oda claimed the bronze (233.0).
The victory capped an up-and-down day that saw Canadian teammates Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir capture their fifth Skate Canada ice dance title to kick off what will likely be their final season competing. Canadians Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje won silver.
Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford were third in pairs, a disappointment for the Canadians who were leaders after the short program.
And Kaetlyn Osmond, last year's Skate Canada champion, withdrew from women's singles with a hamstring injury.
Julia Lipnitskaia, a 15-year-old phenom from Russia, won the women's singles title.
The 22-year-old Chan was plagued by negative feelings last season, and it showed in his shaky performances. He managed to pull out his third world victory in March, a couple of weeks after he unexpectedly moved from Colorado Springs to Detroit, saying he hadn't been happy in Colorado.
As the world's most dominant skater for three seasons, he's easily the man to beat in Sochi. He boasts the physical tools to take him to the top of the podium, but says this season is all about the mental game.
"It's not about physically being prepared but mostly being mentally prepared, because I think that's the only thing that held me back (last season)," Chan said. "When I think of being aggressive and being really focused, I get too serious and I start to stress too much, and think of the little things."
Neither Hanyu nor Oda landed clean quads Saturday night, Hanyu falling on his quad Salchow, then putting a hand down on a quad toe loop, and Oda tripling both his quad attempts.
Virtue, from London, Ont., and Moir, from Ilderton, Ont., scored 181.03 points with their elegant free dance to music by Russian composer Alexander Glazunov.
"Tessa and I, it was really about creating a moment with this program, and we were able to do that for ourselves, and hopefully fans felt it as well," Moir said.
Weaver and Poje, both from Waterloo, Ont., scored 175.23 to take second, while Americans Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue won bronze with 153.20.
In pairs, Duhamel and Radford went from elated to frustrated in the span of a few minutes.
Uncharacteristically low technical marks dropped Duhamel, from Lively, Ont., and Radford, from Balmertown, Ont., to bronze, and left the Canadians puzzled about exactly what went wrong after a performance that brought the crowd to its feet.
"Despite the mistakes, we did feel the energy in the building ... We still gave a standing ovation performance," Radford said.
"I think that's what we'll concentrate on, the potential of that program. I think the potential is huge, I think that it's podium potential at the Olympics when we skate technically the way that we can, and hit our levels the way we normally do."
Stefania Berton and Ondrej Hotarek won gold with 193.92 points, while China's Sui Wenjing and Han Cong claimed the silver (193.77).
Paige Lawrence of Kennedy, Sask., and Rudi Swiegers of Kipling, Sask., were fourth.
Skating to music from "Alice in Wonderland," Duhamel, in a purple dress, and Radford, clad in purple suit as the Mad Hatter — minus the hat — scored 190.62 points and had the Canadian fans on their feet cheering before the last few rotations of their final spin.
A groan went up moments later after their marks were displayed, which included zero points for a bungled lift where Duhamel slipped down Radford's back before he barely had her up in the air.
Radford, from Balmertown, Ont., believed a shoulder injury Duhamel suffered when she fell three weeks ago might have been partly to blame.
"Through rehab we had to change the technique on the lift a little bit," Radford said. "It's hard to put your finger on it."
Duhamel, a native of Lively, Ont., said the lift just "went up in a funny spot."
"When it's in the middle of the program toward the end and something goes up a little bit funny, it become a little bit more difficult to save something like that," she said.
More worrisome than the lift is the fact the world bronze medallists had low marks on almost all of their elements.
"We're a little bit confused right now, so that's what we need to look at," Duhamel said. "We're not used to getting a really high artistic score and a really low technical score, this is different for us."
The tiny Lipnitskaia, who may be 15 but could pass for 12, scored 198.23 points after a virtually flawless long program.
"I'm never really thinking about winning, when I have won something," said Lipnitskaia. "For me, you have to go on, you have to continue to work, you can not remain in the same place, you have to move forward all the time."
Akiko Suzuki claimed the silver with 193.75, while American Gracie Gold won bronze (186.65).
Amelie Lacoste of Delson, Que., was fifth.
Osmond, a 17-year-old from Marystown, N.L., withdrew with a hamstring injury. She was fifth in Friday's short program and then woke up Saturday with pain in her leg. She tried to practice but said it was painful even putting weight on the leg.
Follow Lori Ewing on Twitter at @ewingsports