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Monday, April 25, 2011
Crackers and a sandwich
Oil on canvas, 20" x 16"
I had to fool around with this one, eliminating a lot of clutter in the background- chairs, blankets, towels, people. I decided to just keep the towel on the ground, the little cooler and the seagull in the top left. Together they make kind of a "Z" that brings your eye down and then back up.
7 comments:
- Thomas Haskett said...
Love it! Did you have to get in the water to get the view?
- April 25, 2011 at 12:39 PM
- Kathy Weber said...
Thanks Thomas. It's actually a little stream that goes from a marsh to the ocean, so I was just on the other side.
- April 25, 2011 at 1:00 PM
- mike rooney studios said...
just thought i'd pop in and say "wassup"
youre busy gettin ready for that show arent you?
- April 25, 2011 at 6:46 PM
- Fay Terry said...
What a great painting! I love the way you did the edge of the water in front of the children.
- April 25, 2011 at 8:21 PM
- Thomas Haskett said...
Ah, I wondered if that might have been the case, but I do like the idea of going to great lengths to get the composition just right!
- April 26, 2011 at 3:09 AM
- Kathy Weber said...
Yes, Mike, I work every day to get ready for that show!
- April 26, 2011 at 7:18 AM
- Mary Sheehan Winn said...
it's excellent! Beautifully done.
- May 24, 2011 at 9:08 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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If you've been on Facebook recently, you have likely noticed some new reaction emoticons. Now, instead of just "liking" something on Facebook, users can also click emotions to express love, laughter, sadness, and anger. They can even click a "wow" emoticon if something surprises them.
You need to understand these emoticons so you can enjoy the benefits. At the same time, understanding them will help you avoid some problems that can come with negative reactions.
Reactions Provide Insight
Whenever you put marketing content on social networks like Facebook, you want to know what people think. While "likes" certainly give you an idea of how engaged your users are, these new emoticons provide a much clearer picture of what they think about each piece of content you put out there.
These new emoticons

subset: commoncrawl


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Saturday May 29, 2010, we had our Seminary Graduation. We have now completed the Book of Mormon year in the islands of Chuuk.
On the way to Graduation, we picked up the bakery cinnamon rolls, chocolate chip and coconut cookies at Truk Stop; enough to feed 110 people. At the new Mwan Chapel, we set up for the meeting.
We talked to Sam Roby and found out that one of the students we have been carrying on his roll all year long was only 11 years old. He, of course, could not receive a Certificate of Completion. We asked the Seminary students to set in the center. The adults sat on the sides. Brother Freddie Nicerio had made up 50 copies of the program, so we gave each of the Seminary Students one as they came in the door. At start time, Romanum had not arrived yet, so we waited a bit, but as they did not arrive, we started. We had them sing to the organ which plays the songs like a player piano. But it plays them fast like they are sung in the states. Many of the Seminary students had never sung the songs that fast. In Chuuk, they sing them slow and with a lot of pauses in them.
We did have to make some adjustments in the program. The girl from Romanum who was to give the Opening Prayer wasn't there. So President Wainis asked the young man who was to give the Closing Prayer to give the Opening Prayer instead.
We handed out a special Recognition Certificate to each of the teachers and I read a short positive statement about each of them. I had President Wainis translate it. TM Mailo was there in his wheel chair, but when Sister Duncan wheeled him over to receive his, he wanted to stand to receive it. So he did. Mostly on his right leg, but he could use his left a bit. It was a very touching scene. Then his Branch President wheeled him back.
Ricksita Ichin from Mwan introduced the theme from 1 Nephi 3:7. She gave a well prepared talk. For a musical number, all the Seminary students sang "The Books in the Book of Mormon". Then both our 4-year graduates, Bryleen Rotuk and Osimichy Yomichy Kata from Sapuk spoke. Both talks were very well done.
We handed out the Book of Mormon Certificates of Completion. Sister Duncan called their name and they came up one at a time and received the Certificate from President Wainis and shook his hand, then shook mine. We had their Branch President stand in line with us and shake their hand also. We skipped Romanum since they still had not arrived, and started to recognize those that received the Certificate of Achievement and Graduation. We had them all standing when Romanum arrived. So we had them set back down. We recognized Tasiana Wolbert for teaching this year and we handed out the Certificates of Completion to the Romanum Students.
Then we had those receiving the Certificate of Achievement and Graduation stand again. Sister Duncan reminded me to give the required statement of presentation, and President accepted the students. We had each student come up and receive their Certificate of Achievement. Then we called the two graduates up and gave them special recognition for their four years of hard work.
It was a bit out of sync because of Romanum coming in late, but everything got covered and we handed out 81 awards to 50 students and 11 teachers. It was a very rewarding day.
President Wainis announced we wanted to take pictures of all the students, and also asked them not to eat in the chapel. We had our Closing Song. He called on President Masauo from Tonoas to give the Closing Prayer because the Romanum girl had not come on the boat.
I went to the breeze way and directed the students into the cultural hall. It went better than expected. Some of the kids didn't come to get their awards and some wouldn't come in to get their picture taken. But we got most of them; 56 students in the picture.
Then we had the ones that received awards stay and let the rest go out to eat. We only got 32 of the 51 students plus 11 teachers in that picture. That was disappointing to me. But some just would not come in and be a part of it and some had not come at all.
Then we got shots of the 2 4-year graduates with their Branch President, Elder Tuaitanu who is also their seminary teacher, and us.
We helped with the handing out of the refreshments. Sue had asked Marsine Joseph, Herael Sowas and Sandra Matisima to help hand out the refreshments. It worked quite well. We ran out of goodies so got our pan of brownies and 2 dozen cookies from the truck for them.
As people left, we helped with the clean up and then Sister Matisima had a meal of bread fruit in a green sauce, reef fish, chicken leg, and rice for the teachers. We ate some with them. It was a great day for us and we felt it was a very successful year.
Getting Settled
5 years ago


text: With all the demands on the US Navy it does not seem to make sense to reduce the size of the carrier force. Will this mean longer deployments for the remaining 11 carriers? I realize that the JFK is older and not nuke powered, but its aircraft were nevertheless a formidable force. The JFK reconditioning and repair cost of $335 million pales in comparison to the $4 billion dollar cost of a new nuke carrier. I hope these guys are not just seeking to save cash by mothballing the JFK.


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Adamawa Massif
Adamawa Massif ädämäwä´, ăd˝əmä´wə [key], plateau, c.26,000 sq mi (67,300 sq km), N central Cameroon and E Nigeria, W central Africa. It is sparsely populated, and chiefly used for grazing. Tin is mined there and bauxite mining began in 1976. The Benue River rises on the plateau.
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Odisha targets to provide Aadhar cards to all by December
Bhubaneswar: Setting a target to provide Aadhar cards to all people living in the state by December, the Odisha government today asked District Collectors to adopt the method of Gram Panchayatwari saturation model for enrolment.
"Very soon we will deploy more number of kits in Odisha. The district administrations in the state are taking proactive steps and the enrolment has been expedited. We hope to complete 100 per cent enrolment within four months which is by end of December," said Deputy Director General UIDAI M V S Rami Reddy, who attended a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary A P Padhi.
Aadhar enrolment in Odisha has picked up with around 78 per cent of achievement in the last couple of months, he said.
While reviewing the progress, Padhi directed the DCs to adopt the method of Gram Panchayatwari saturation model for enrolment. He directed the DCs to give special focus on Anganwadi centres, schools and hostels for Aadhar enrolment of the students left out so far.
"The Collectors were further advised to make use of the house to house SSA survey data available in schools and mass education department," IT secretary P K Jena said.
Of the targeted enrolment of around 4.43 crore people keeping in view the population of 2015, 3.45 crore Aadhar numbers have been generated by August 31, 2016.
Similarly, Aadhar seeding of the beneficiaries of public distribution system has gone up to around 69 per cent against the national seeding average of around 61 per cent.
The seeding in MGNREGA has also gone up to 61 per cent, Jena said.
"Now district wise work plans have been put in place for enrolment of the balance 99.36 lakh people. The majority of this population is in the age group of 0-17 years," he said.
A total of 24 enrolment agencies of six non-state registering bodies, NSDL along with ECIL have been engaged in the work of enrolment.
The state government have requested the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to enhance deployment of kits and operators along with necessary equipments and staff.


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We ate our usual Friday night Mexican. My husband can not get enough Mexican food, haha. It's his favorite. Then out of the blue he mentioned shopping. This is VERY rare. He even said we could go to Hobby Lobby or Jo Ann's...shocker! :) But we decided on Bass Pro Shops because he had a gift certificate + we could take Vera (our soft coated wheaten terrier). We ended up not buying anything. We ended the night with ice cream from Baskin-Robbins to cool us off in this HOT weather.
I went to the farmer's market on Saturday + got so much local produce I could barely carry it all to the car. How pretty are those flowers?
I'm so proud of our tomato growing!!! I hope it keeps growing + we actually get to eat it. I swear I found another tiny one growing, but now I can't find it. We have lots of blooms. I can't wait to see how many tomatoes we get to harvest (I hope at least one). I really never thought this plant would make it; It had a rough start.
I'm also growing basil + mint :) I have been putting the mint in my tea + it is so yummy!
I made a peach cobbler to take to a friend's house for dinner that night. It was delicious!!!
I also made a tomato "salad" with goat cheese + basil from my "garden".
On Sunday my niece came over to swim. It's the first time I've been to our pool all year. She wore me out, haha. We played colors (where you guess the other person's favorite color + if you are wrong you get dunked)...She stood on my shoulders + jumped off over + over again...We had a race to the deep end...
Zac + I ate watermelon.
It was the perfect weekend.
P.S. I hope everyone has a happy Independence Day! I'm just happy I get a day off work. We have no plans :) What about you?
A few Memphis Grizzlies games.
Getting my tattoo colored in.
Started a new painting.
I've decided to do the May photo a day challenge. I didn't do it in April + I sort of missed it. I think it was good to take a break for a while though. Are you going to participate?
//follow me @dailydoily//
I can't believe it's already almost May!
I finally got the tattoo I've always wanted (well, I've had the idea for about 5 years)!!! I wasn't exactly sure about what I was getting myself into. I luckily couldn't remember the pain that is involved, but I was extremely nervous to say the least! I made myself sick the whole day. Zac even told me at one point if it makes you that sick why are you doing it?!?! I told him he should have seen me the day we had our first date, haha and look where that turned out. :) I was more excited than anything.
I had hoped I could get it done earlier so I wouldn't have to wait any longer, but to my horror we (Zac + I) had to wait another agonizing 30 minutes because he was doing another tattoo. Haha. I'm overdramatic aren't I?
I made Zac hold my hand for most of it :) He was also in charge of the picture taking. Such a sweetie :*
When he first started I thought OUCH, this hurts worse than I remembered!!! I have to sit here for an hour and a half of this? Some parts were worse than others, but it gets easier the longer you sit. I wished he had the time to knock it all out, but we just did all of the outlining + the lettering. I get to go back in 2 weeks to finish it. I can't wait to see it all finished. I'm already in love with it.
I found the phrase in this book when I was in college. It is translated as "Life in Rosy Hues" or "Life Through Rose-Colored Glasses"; the literal meaning is "Life in Pink". I love the color pink + most of my paintings all have that color in them. I had skin cancer in 2005 + ever since then I've tried to live my life like I may not have a tomorrow (to a certain degree). It may sound morbid, but it's not to me. I need a constant reminder to lighten up + enjoy life (that's one of the many reasons I fell in love with Zac, because he has such a positive outlook on things). I also wanted the tattoo to represent life + death.
Most of the imagery came from Audrey Kawasaki's paintings, with the exception of the flower. The flower (Scabiosa) came from this book + was in my wedding bouquet. I'm so happy with how David (we became friends while getting our BFAs at the U of M together) at Underground Art put it all together!!!
I'll do another post when it's all finished :)
*I can mark 24. Get another tattoo (the one I've always wanted) off my 28 before 29 list.
(lyrics by MONSTERS OF FOLK...gotta check them out if u haven't [i ♥ jim james])
I've been so busy I haven't had a chance to blog in 4-EVER!
Sept. 18th (Friday) I met with David Evans @ Underground Art + got to see the drawing of my tattoo. It looked so good! He put the stencil on + I knew I wanted it...It already felt like a part of me:
Sept. 19th (Sat.) Zac, Cox + I went to the Cooper Young Festival...It started to rain so we watched the UT vs. FL game @ Celtic Crossing. Kristen, Dan, Shannon, Sam + Jared met up with us + then we all walked around some more after the game. We went to Celtic again!!! haha. This guy came up to us + told us we were retardedly cute. Haha. I LOVE it!!! Michael met up with us for a bit before we left. I bought 3 beers to get the super cool Ghost River glass :]
I love their Hefeweizen... "is a German style of wheat beer in which the yeast is not filtered, giving it a cloudy appearane. The Hefeweizen style is particularly noted for its low hop bitterness and relatively high carbonation, considered important to balance the beer's relatively malty sweetness." It's so good!
We went home to Zac's + changed to go to the Memphis vs. UT Martin game. Go Tigers!!!:
I ♥ my nerdy boys ;] They make me smile:
Sept. 24th (Wed) Zac + I went to the Silversun Pickups show @ Minglewood Hall. I had class that night so we were a little late. We missed Cage the Elephant, but we saw Machester Orchestra + they were awesome (I haven't stopped listening to their cd since). The lead singer was just hanging outside his tour bus before + after the show. Walked by him twice :] Silversun was really good too.
Sept. 26th (Sat.) I got my tattoo!!! I was so nervous/excited. When I first got there I kept saying "David? Really? Am I doing this?". Haha. I tried to act tough before saying pain doesn't bother me, but when it got close I got scared of it. What was it going to be like? David said it would "feel like nothing I've ever felt before." I was thinking ok...great...haha. He told me to lay down on the cot + my hands started to sweat. I couldn't believe I was doing it. Then the machine started...ahh...He told me to relax + he would start slow + gentle. Zac was so sweet holding my hand + giving me the look that I could do it + it was going to be ok. Parts were really painful + parts were ok. It was a rush + kinda fun. It took a lil over an hour. I really love it!!! It's a girl button + a boy button (for Zac). We both picked out the same 2 exact buttons. Cute huh? Here's some pics:
Sunday Mom, Kacey, Vera + I drove to the country + took some pics:
(more here).


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Health & Beauty/Salons-Spas
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Certified in Microdermabrasion, Microneedling and Chemical Peels Wax Specialist and Microblading Artist.
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We guarantee professional and affordable therapeutic services in an upscale environment. And by becoming a Massage Heights member, you can enjoy the same benefits on a regular basis.
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Des Moines, IA 50310
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New nail salon and spa, located on Meredith. Offering manicures, pedicures, shellac, gift certificates, and more. Appointments and walk-ins welcome. Ask us about our grand opening specials!
12721 Meredith Drive
Urbandale, IA 50323
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Our review of the Dropbox for Business Cloud and Backup services will tell you everything you need to know as a prospective client of this service. You will learn how the service works, what is offered for each fee plan, if users are satisfied and what they say, and so on. Feel free to skip through the review to the points you're most interested in, by clicking their titles in the content list below.
1. Overall Service Rating
What we like: Dropbox for Business is very user-friendly. It offers great syncing and easy sharing.
What we don't like: It has limited features, and it does not offer branding capabilities.
- Cloud/Backup Features ****
- Extra Features ***
- Usability & User Friendliness ****
- Pricing ****
- Support ***
Who should use Dropbox for Business?
Dropbox only offers two subscription plans:
- The first one is Dropbox Basic, which is free and provides any subscriber with 2 GB of storage space for free.
- The second plan, Dropbox Pro, costs $9.99 per month and offers 1000 GB of storage space.
However, companies and businesses wishing to set up multiple licenses and accounts can do so by using Dropbox Business, which requires a minimum of 5 licenses to start a business package. It is ideal for businesses of smaller size that require a simple and cost-efficient cloud storage service with accessible features, file sharing, and synchronization.
For bigger companies there is a Dropbox enterprise option that employs advanced security measures and controls for file sharing and uploads.
2. Quick Dropbox Business Service Overview
Dropbox Business and Dropbox Personal offer a simple cloud storage service that can provide users with easy-to-use file synchronization and 3rd party integrations. Perfecting easy file sharing and a user-friendly interface, Dropbox is a straight forward cloud storage service that is accessible to the less tech-savvy users but accommodates the syncing and 3rd party integration requirements that larger quantities of data may require.
When it comes to companies and businesses, larger, more comprehensive subscriptions are available: Dropbox Business and Dropbox Enterprise are cloud storage service plans designed to cater to companies and their employees.
"Upgrade to Dropbox Business and get the solution that employees love, with the controls that IT admins need."
3. Dropbox for Business Cloud Storage Features
|Storage Allotment
|Security & Encryption
|Speed & Performance
|Restoring Files
|Dropbox Basic- Free
|265 bit server side encryption
|Very Good
|30 days
|Dropbox Pro- $9.99/ month
|265 bit server side encryption
|Very Good
|30 days
|Dropbox Business – $15/ user/ month
Minimum of 5 users required
|265 bit server side encryption
|Very Good
The Dropbox Business service is designed to cater to team needs, so the minimum number of licenses you can sign up for is 5. Many Dropbox reviews you can find online will highlight the great file sharing options and efficient synchronization the cloud storage service provides.
Another praise you'll find in almost every Dropbox review is the simplicity of the service: it has a user-friendly interface that anyone can quickly understand and work with. It's easy to see why it is a great cloud storage service for companies simply because employees can easily share files, access important documents, and learn how to use the program quickly.
Dropbox Business is focused on catering to enterprise and company needs and offers some extra features that Dropbox Basic and Dropbox Pro accounts do not have. The Dropbox Business pricing is only slightly higher and offers some added perks: managers can remotely wipe files, manage employee accounts remotely, set folder access for each user, and recover files any time.
4. Dropbox Company information
Dropbox is one of the most commonly used cloud storage services on the market and has grown significantly since its inception. It currently has over 275 million clients and continuously works on improving the functionality of its cloud backup service.
5. Dropbox for Business Restore Features and Retrieving Files
For individual Dropbox accounts the file recovery time is 30 days which can be problematic for users. Dropbox for Business provides unlimited file recovery meaning that you can retrieve files at any time, regardless of when they were lost. This is a significant improvement companies can benefit from and a vital one at that.
6. Dropbox Business Security Risk. Is it safe?
The Dropbox Business service has military grade data encryption in place, but you can't choose your own encryption key. Third-party encryption can be used on Dropbox data.
7. Dropbox Business Pricing Information
Dropbox Business pricing depends on the number of licenses you use, but costs average $15 per month per user at a starting package of 5 users – the minimum number required for a Business package. The Pro package Dropbox price is $9.99/ month so companies are encouraged to switch to Dropbox for Business as they can access more features for a relatively small cost increase.
8. Dropbox for Business Support and Additional information
Dropbox for Business has a support page online and the support system is simple and efficient. Team Admins and Team Members are redirected to different pages in order to fill in a trouble ticket. They then receive a response to the inquiry online or via email.
9. Dropbox for Business Alternatives
An equally simplistic and affordable cloud backup service is Backblaze: it offers private encryption and secure backup at a low price. However, it has significantly fewer features than Dropbox and restoring files takes longer.
10. Dropbox for Business Reviews and Complaints
Dropbox for Business is very popular with companies, teams and businesses because of its simplicity. The lack of certain features may discourage some users from choosing Dropbox, so it is a common issue for customers with more advanced cloud storage needs.
11. Conclusion
Dropbox for Business is a reliable, secure cloud storage service that is constantly developing its functionality. Its design is simplistic and it has a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to understand and use. It is a cost-efficient cloud storage service that caters to the specific needs of businesses.


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Turkey Super lig new entrants Rizespor FC will resign Nigeria forward Uche Kalu, his agent Hayat Sen has told MTNFootball.com.
Rizespor will now campaign in the Turkish Super Lig next season after they gained automatic promotion from the second-tier league.
Hayat said Uche Kalu, who was an instant hit for the Turkish team before injury halted his progress, will feature for Rizespor in the Super Lig next season and that negotiation will soon open with the striker's club Enyimba.
"Uche Kalu will play for Rizespor next season all things being equal. He was doing well with the team before injury set in. He is loved by the team and they want him to play for them in the Super Lig. I am sure he will be resigned when the transfer opens in the summer. He was signed from Enyimba on loan and talks will soon open with Enyimba on a deal to return," Hayat Sen told MTNFootball.com.
Uche Kalu scored nine goals for Rizespor before a nagging injury put paid to his season and contract at the club.
The injury also stopped him from featuring at the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa earlier this year.


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Thank you in making this day of learning and collaboration so successful! With special appreciation to all our volunteers and sponsors. One of the most common feedback observations concerned the diversity and complexity of our watershed, not only environmentally but also the diversity of communities. We encourage you to continue to reach out and forge new relationships across the watershed.
Thank you to our sponsors whose support was critical in the success of the symposium.
We are grateful for their commitment to our Green-Duwamish Watershed's health.
Presentation power point slides can be found on the Revisit the 2018 symposium page. The video of the morning's presentation will be included as soon as it is available.


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Leave it to our young readers to help define the essence of fatherhood — something that has less to do with actual paternity and more to do with patience, love, time and sacrifice.
As 10-year-old Brittney Norman of Williamsburg wrote in an open letter to her dad, heroism is what happens on a rainy day: "When we left the restaurant it was raining. You had nice clothes and you only had one umbrella. You gave it to me."
We heard from readers from Connecticut to California — a stunning majority of them from Brooklyn: Where father figures are concerned, Kings County rules!
Let the following letters here inspire you to thank the important men in your life on Sunday, Father's Day and every day.
A prince of a role model
Dear Uncle Prince,
If I had a dollar for every time you cared for me and taught me how to treat women, I would be rich . . . I will always appreciate what you have done and how you handle being my role model. If I have kids, I want you to explain life lessons to them just as you did for me. No one could do it better, teaching me how to be a man.
— Elijah Dumont, 10, Brooklyn
13 lucky years
I only wish I could still celebrate Father's Day with my dad. He died almost four years ago, but the lessons he taught me, and the love he gave me, will never die. Ever since I was old enough to understand, I remember my dad telling me I was his "Father's Day gift" because I was born right after Father's Day on June 17, 1997. The truth is, he is the one who gave me the real "present." He taught me to be present and not take any moment for granted. At age 49, he died of brain cancer. But in the 13 years I was lucky enough to have him, I learned to always be true to yourself, to strive to do your best, to be charitable and to remember that every day is a gift.
— Alison Wasserman, 16, Manhattan
Love's thicker than blood
My stepdad! He might not be my real dad, but he's perfect. His name is Carlos — the C is for Caring, the A for Artist, R is Reliable, L is Loving, O means outgoing, S means Serious. He's done so much for my family. Last year, when I was in 6th grade, we were in a homeless shelter. He was with us through all of it. He gave me two wonderful sisters and I love them very much. He is the best!
— Arianna Basdeo, 12, Brooklyn
Like dad, like daughter
Since the day I was born, my father has been there every step of my life. He tells me to be better than him and to strive to be my greatest. Without my dad, I wouldn't be the self-respecting, well-mannered, hard-working and athletic person I'm made out to be. Everyone says I resemble my father and I'm very proud to say I do look a lot like him. He is the king of our "palace," and I'm the princess.
—Jacklyn Cuomo, 12, Staten Island
The toast of Vermont
My Pappa is not only patient and adventurous — he drives us cross country anywhere from five to six-and-a-half weeks at a time — but I also admire him because he moved back to the town in which he grew up and became a police officer at age 42.
He is not only my mentor, but my ski coach, my tennis coach and my biggest fan. He helps me when I feel frustrated and makes me laugh when it counts the most. And he makes the best butter toast!
— Cristo Buckley, 8, Bellows Falls, Vt.
'A heart of love'
I love my dad. When I'm having problems with things, he comforts me. He plays games with me. When we have arguments, he works it out with me and I feel much better. His love for me, my love for him, our family is a heart of love.
— Jesse Gross, 7, Brooklyn
Two sports fans, one Post
I like to play Monopoly with my dad. I always win. My dad takes me to all kinds of sporting events. He even took me to Charlotte for the day to see the Giants play. My dad and I read the NY Post together. We always go straight to the back for the sports.
— Jordan Klatsky, 6, Baltimore, Md.
A little yelling, many cookies
My dad is a loving dad. He yells when I don't listen to him [but] he doesn't yell very loud. My dad is a big Yankees fan and he loves to play baseball with me. My dad stands up for me if I fall or do anything wrong. At dinner time he's not strict. For dessert he lets me eat cookies and cake and cupcakes and all that stuff.
— Jared Birman, 8, Mamaroneck, NY
The L-word
My father stays by me through thick and thin, through hate and love, through pain and joy. In this story, it's through pain. Four months ago, I was in the hospital. My pancreas was inflating and if it didn't stop, they would have to take it out. I couldn't eat and was on an IV. I had a lot of visitors during my time there, but the one who came every day was my father. He tried to feed me but the doctor told him I couldn't eat. One day he tried to put my hair up and failed horribly — the nurse did it for me.
Normally, when I say "I love you" to my dad, he says only, "Me too." He finds [love] a strong word that's hard for him to say. But on my second to last day in the hospital, I said "I love you" and he said it back. It was the first time he ever said the L-word to me.
My father is the best father I could ever ask for.
— Angelica Lopez, 12, Brooklyn
A mani-pedi for grandpa
My grandfather is amazing in every way (except his hearing). I get my love of basketball and Boston sports teams from him, even though I live in NYC. He has always done the things that my sister and I want to do, even if he really doesn't want to do them. Like, when I was little, he would play dolls and dress-up with me and, when I was a little older, he let me give him mani-pedis. One time I gave him a complete makeover and painted his nails bright red.
He reads to us every time he comes to visit or when we visit him. The only complaining he ever does is, "OK, just let me take a five-minute nap on the couch."
— Lily Wilensky Hohn, 10, Manhattan
My best friend
My dad reminds me every day that I'm his best friend. And every day I remind him that I am better looking. I am lucky to have a daddy like mine because when I want ice cream for dinner, I use the best friend card.
—Jaxson Young, 5 ¹/₂, Great Meadows, NJ
No. 1 father of 3
My dad is the greatest of them all
(Trying) to help me with my homework
Helping to coach me with softball . . .
He may not be a superhero
But in my eyes he is
Cause I'm his little girl, the very first one of his
I have a little sister, a little brother, too
But I think he's the biggest kid
Everyone knows it's true
Father of 3, husband to 1
Happy Father's Day
To the man who's the most fun!!!
— Ava Goldman, 13, Manhattan
Leading by example
My dad is great because he tells me to do things that make me a better person. He leads by example. He helps out a World War II veteran by taking him shopping and to doctor appointments and sometimes lets me come along. He always sets goals for me and encourages me to try new things. Right now I am training for a duathalon with his help. He also got me a bow and arrow last year as a reward for being able to finally master the monkey bars, and he takes me to the archery range. My favorite time with him is when we go fishing. My dad is the best dad in the world!
— Alexandra Martin, 7, Darien, Conn.
Always up for Legos
My papa is kind and nice and also very good to play with. He likes to build Legos with my brother and I. He is friendly, fun, exciting and really the best. My papa is awesome and super!
— Henry Hedaya, 6, Millburn, NJ
Go, Rangers!
My dad's name is Mike. He loves me and my brother Max. He is a gym teacher and works in Brooklyn. He plays hockey and scores a goal for me. He loves the Rangers and screams so loud when they lose!
— Madison Adelstein, 8, Long Island
All tucked in
My dad is great. He runs with me. He plays tennis with me. He takes care of me when I'm sick and tucks me in every night.
— Jacob Freilich, 6, Long Island
He makes us laugh!
My dad is perfect! First of all, he is hilarious! He always makes me, my brother and my friends laugh until we cry. When he has special alone time with me, he takes me out to breakfast and we hang out like best friends. I also love when he chases me and plays monster with me. He helps with my homework when I can't do it by myself. He is so patient. . . . He is the best daddy in the whole entire world!
— Sophia Tarasenko, 7, Brookville, NY
One man's long sacrifice
My dad, Fabian Encalada, has been working at the same Manhattan restaurant for 21 years. He started as a busboy, then a dishwasher. Through hectic 12-hour workdays, he's sacrificed his body in ways that are now catching up to him. More than that, he sacrificed time with his family. He missed out on all the parent-teacher nights, award ceremonies and other seemingly meaningless but memorable events that make up a kid's life.
He's worked tirelessly so that I can have more opportunities and more chances at a better life than he has had, and for that I am beyond grateful. I may never be able to pay back the thousands of dollars he spent on my college education, but getting my bachelor's degree has brought me one step closer. I could only hope that he is as proud of me as I am of him.
— Debbie Encalada, 21, West New York, NJ


text:
Say: kor-nee-uh
It's part of your eye, but you've probably never noticed it before. The cornea is thin, clear and covers your eye. It's important because it helps you see by focusing light as it enters the eye. So take a good look at your eye the next time you look in the mirror, and try to spot your cornea!
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
© 1995-
Images provided by The Nemours Foundation, iStock, Getty Images, Veer, Shutterstock, and Clipart.com.


text:
Bonuses and taxation
You may notice from the handy M's contract chart that the team paid a ton of money to Beltre and Sexson this year that more or less with their 2005 salaries equals what they're paid in other years. Why do this, you ask? The answer conveniently is clearly explained in an ESPN article today:
For the rest of the American public, signing bonuses count as wages earned, with both the employer and employee having to pay taxes under FICA (the Federal Insurance Contribution Act). But in 1958, baseball players — the exclusion for other athletes later became understood — were exempt from FICA taxes on their signing bonuses because it was determined that no service was technically rendered for the player's bonus.
But in November, the U.S. Treasury Department modified the loophole so that FICA taxes had to be paid on signing bonuses signed after Jan. 11.
The article's about how different taxation schemes affect the actual value of contracts. It's wrong in one important respect: players in all states pay income taxes when they play in states with income taxes, and in many states, they pay double tax from their state of residence. Sammy Sosa attempted to sue Illinois over this, but Illinois cowardly weaseled out of the suit (which was entirely reasonable: Sosa said "how come you're taxing me on income I made in another state and was taxed for there?" and Illinois' response was "Uhhhhhhhh… you'll have to take that up with that other state.")
So there's kind of a… an automatic tax burden for every player that can be made substantially worse if they live in the wrong state, or if they play for a team in a state with particularly aggressive residency requirements (81 days a year? taxable!).
This is one oft-overlooked advantage that Washington (and Texas, and others), with our regressive sales taxes, have in attracting free agents: there's no additional tax burden on free agents.
34 Responses to "Bonuses and taxation"
Jim Thomsen on
January 5th, 2005 1:50 pm
To add a bit of detail to DMZ's prescient observation: Just nine of the 50 states have no income tax — Washington, Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Texas, Tennessee and Wyoming.
Taken to its logical extreme, this means that if free agents use this rationale as a primary consideration in their search for a new home, the Mariners may only have to worry about competing offers from the Marlins, the Devil Rays, the Rangers and the Astros.
Obviously, it'll never be that easy … but wouldn't it be a hell of an interesting world if it was?
DMZ on
January 5th, 2005 1:56 pm
As a sort of interesting side point, I'm really shocked that this problem hasn't been reformed. Double taxation is obviously, grossly unfair to anyone who has to earn an income working in many states, but it's particularly enforced and so disproportionally hard on people who are rich and well-connected (CEOs, people who earn their money doing public speaking, successful musicians and comedians, and so on) because it's easy for local tax agents to look up who played at Key Arena and then send them a demand letter. And because it hurts the players (and doesn't help teams), franchises in locations affected by this should be applying pressure to (at least) get an exemption passed, if not reform the whole process. But it hasn't happened and as far as I know, hasn't really been attempted.
Alex Sasser on
January 5th, 2005 2:07 pm
While I think that double taxation may be a hardship, I'm not sure the policy behind it is unsound. After all, baseball players (and others who work in one state while living in another) do take advantage of the benefits of the state, from transportation (freeways, airports, etc.), protection from the police force and fire departments of the state, to residing in the state while away from their home (whether it be in an apartment or even a hotel). I would respectfully submit that this is a somewhat rational reason for states to justify taxing those who live and access resources available in a state for more than a few days or weeks of a year.
ajp on
January 5th, 2005 2:09 pm
Washington taxes aren't regressive.
DMZ on
January 5th, 2005 2:15 pm
There's no policy behind it, though. There's no way that, say, California can justify a policy that taxes the income of residents made outside their state and the income of people who pass through California and make money while they're there.
If the philosophy is that the income tax is for goods and services the taxee uses while in the state, then residents shouldn't pay tax on money they earn while in Texas.
If the philosophy is that the income tax is for the intangible benefits that residents enjoy, including the larger things like education that benefit the state but not visitors, than you can't tax non-residents.
Or even if you want to make the argument that even in Texas, California residents enjoy California police protection, etc, or the reverse argument that visitors benefit, however briefly, from the larger goods provided by the state, you can't argue that they're consuming a full share in those circumstances, and should be taxed during that time at the full rate.
DMZ on
January 5th, 2005 2:18 pm
As for sales taxes not being regressive: look, it's certainly not progressive, increasing as you go up the scale, and sales taxes consume a larger proportionate chunk of income the lower you go on the income-o-meter, so I'm calling it regressive. You can skip the word if you think it's loaded. At least we don't have a sales tax that goes after food purchases (shudder).
Jim Thomsen on
January 5th, 2005 2:27 pm
I saw this firsthand a lot in the mid-nineties, when I took a time-out from my career and worked with my dad, who did income taxes for Americans weho worked overseas. He and I would go to Papua New Guinea or Indonesia or the United Arab Emirates, at some engineering or mining site out in the mountains or desert, and help these guys troubleshoot their tax issues. For the most part, more often than not, they got triple-dipped: They had to not only pay income taxes to their host country, but to the United States (unless they spent more than 330 days abroad during the tax year) and to their home state if it was one of the illustrious 41.
It makes you wonder if a lot of foreign-born ballplayers have to pay a chunk of tax to the Dominican Republic or Venezuela or Japan if they maintain residences there and are at least part-year residents — in addition to Uncle Sam and the New York Tax Revenue Board or wherever it is they play.
I think it would be EXTREMELY interesting to look at a professional athlete's tax return.
Ralph Malph on
January 5th, 2005 2:39 pm
Aren't FICA taxes capped at $87,000 of income — well below the major league minimum? Meaning that FICA can't be a factor in the signing bonus issue?
Brad on
January 5th, 2005 2:41 pm
This may be going into a bit too much detail concerning state and local taxation, but the threat of double taxation of income at the state level actually is not that great. It's not trivial, but it does not happen often.
The state of residence has the authority to tax the income of a state resident in full, wherever earned, on the theory that this is the jurisdiction in which the individual gets to enjoy all of her income. The state in which services are performed has the authority to tax that income earned in that state (so-called "source-based" jurisdiction). This state has provided the economic environment and market which the indivdual has used to earn the income in question.
Clearly, this combination COULD often lead to multiple taxation of the same income, but it usually does not. The reason is that every state that taxes personal income affords a credit to residents for taxes paid to other states on income earned in those other states. These credits generally ensure that the income is only taxed once.
Granted, states can adopt inconsistent defnitions of residency, and they can come up with different ways of determining where income is earned. (For instance, one state might treat 1/162 of a player's salary as earned in that state for each game played there, while another might factor spring training into the denominator, or even leave the denominator at 365.) And these differences can lead to the same increments of income being taxed bt two states.
But this is rare. Scott Radinsky actually challenged the Illinois scheme (which ensnared Sosa as well) and he prevailed. It is not that it does not happen, but it is really an exception and not the rule.
Jim on
January 5th, 2005 2:41 pm
The ESPN article is almost Pocket-Lintesque in its irrelevance to reality. Must have been a slow day in Bristol. Income taxes take over a third of these bonuses – do you really think anyone even notices the extra 1.45 percent for medicare? If you want to give me $20M and take away $290k, I'm game.
The last paragraph at least shed some interesting light on the Yankee situation. Not that that will stop George….
More interesting is DMZ's point about income earned in certain states. The reality is, the revenooers go after the big bucks (which leads to athletes, entertainers, high-paid speakers, etc). I spend several days "working" in other states as a normal course of my job. It would be possible for, say, California to audit my travel reports, figure out how many days/hours I worked in, California, and attempt to collect taxes. But the effort wouldn't justify the few bucks, and in the extreme it would bring interstate commerce to a grinding halt. Don't most states have partial-year residency considerations in their tax codes? If a player on the Cubs spends his off-season in California, isn't he basically in CA 5 months and IL 7(simplifying – he's reported for duty with the Cubs who are headquartered in Illinois – they may send him to Florida or Arizona for a month, then on various road trips, but he's fundamentally employed in Illinois for 7 months (since post-season appearances by the Cubs are so rare….)
Seriously – a few players have grumbled about playing in Canada because of the higher taxes and possibly double-taxation with the US, but when has this ever even been a factor for any professional athlete? Sammy Sosa didn't wake up one day, log onto TurboTax, and figure out that he's been getting taken – his accountant's flunky thought he had a good idea, and his attorney's flunky went along….
DMZ on
January 5th, 2005 2:46 pm
Aren't FICA taxes capped at $87,000 of income – well below the major league minimum? Meaning that FICA can't be a factor in the signing bonus issue?
FICA is, but that may not be what they want to say — Medicare contributions are not capped, so that's a big hit they don't mention.
DMZ on
January 5th, 2005 2:48 pm
We're about at the limit of my knowledge on double-taxation specifics, so at this point I'm going to say "it exists and it sucks" and leave the realllly detailed arguments about credits versus methodology of calculation to more familiar minds.
David J Corcoran on
January 5th, 2005 3:02 pm
So why would any player sign to play in California? The whole cost of living is ridiculously high.
Shoeless Jose on
January 5th, 2005 3:06 pm
With regard to teams in Canada (I guess we're down to the Blue Jays and the Raptors, until whatever decade the NHL starts up again or the Exponationals find yet another new home) there's a tax treaty between the two countries and taxes taken in one country can generally be written off the taxes paid in the other, so aside from higher rates at pro athlete paygrades in Canada it's a wash. The bigger issue for the team has been that they have to pay their players in american dollar equivalent salaries while collecting gate and local TV revenue in canadian dollars. However, with the recent fall in the greenback against the loonie, this is less of an issue for teams (while bringing Canadian "nearshore" TV and movie production to a virtual standstill for inverse reasons). Which leads to an interesting question: will the Blue Jays now feel richer and make more moves to rebuild?
Evan on
January 5th, 2005 3:21 pm
We all know California has a crippling tax burden. Jurisdictions with pleasant weather often levy excessive taxes as the climate encourages residence as much as the taxes discourage residence.
That said, I know of a programmer who voluntarily moved from Los Angeles to Edmonton (a very chilly city) to avoid California's taxes.
Though, Canada's federal sales tax DOES apply to some food.
Evan on
January 5th, 2005 3:29 pm
Which means, of course, that Toronto has the greatest problem attracting free agents due to taxes. They have federal income taxes, provincial income taxes, federal sales taxes, and provincial sales taxes.
Be happy you live in Seattle and not T.O.
Jon on
January 5th, 2005 3:42 pm
Generally speaking, there is no double taxation, due to interstate tax compacts. Players do not pay taxes to two different states on the same income. Players pay income taxes on income earned in a particular state (where the game is played)if that state has an income tax. So players on teams from states with no state income taxes still have to pay state income taxes for games played in states that do have income taxes. Make sense?
David J Corcoran on
January 5th, 2005 4:33 pm
But the Canadians get more with their money. Free health care, for one.
Westfried on
January 5th, 2005 4:37 pm
Brad and Jon have it right. If you live in NJ and work in NY, for instance, you have to pay NY state tax for the portion of time you worked there. But, you then report that tax to NJ, and that counts as a credit on your NJ taxes. If you work in Seattle, then you pay no Washington State income tax, so you have to pay NJ income tax.
The only "double-taxation" that really exists is state and federal, and even there you get to deduct some of your state tax from your federal income. (Which is why the 9 non-income-tax states pushed for a new deduction based on sales tax – as of 2004, you can deduct either state income tax OR state sales tax from your federal income)
Theoretically, you could say the people living or working in non-income-tax states are getting double-taxed. For instance, if you live in Florida (as many players do), you do not have an income tax, but you make up for it in a high sales tax. Then, you work in NY, and have to pay NY tax on that portion. But, unlike living in NJ, where you can deduct that NY tax from your state income tax, Florida residents have no income tax from which to deduct. So, you pay the NY income tax, plus the Florida sales-instead-of-income tax. Same if you live in Oregon, and work in Washington – you pay income tax in Oregon, and also sales-instead-of-income tax in Washington.
Internationally, there is the whole cockamaimy VAT tax, which allows Canadians to not pay sales tax (I think). Or, Americans returnig from abroad can apply to the countries they visited for a refund or somesuch – I'm not very familiar with the international stuff, but it's there.
Several conclusions:
1) it's complicated, but the system DOES try to be "fair" from a double-jeopardy standpoint.
2) most mlb'ers have enough money to hire someone to best take advantage of this
3) most mlb'ers have enough money that a little tax here and there won't hurt, although the Florida pseudo-double-tax situation is minor enough that manymany players live there expressly for tax purposes.
Matt Staples on
January 5th, 2005 4:57 pm
David, I'm not so sure that they "get more for their money" as much as they simply give more of their money, and (arguably) receive more in return, much of which may not be of any use to that particular person. The government could tax us all 85% and provide free housing for every man, woman, and child in America, and by your definition we would be getting "more for our money." Those of us who aren't homeless (or in a very crappy housing situation) would actually be paying a lot more of our money to the government, and we personally would be getting _less_ in return. The only exception to this might be if you considered the "benefit" someone with a house would get by having homeless people placed in a home, and this would be spurious even if not more than overcome by the downgrade in going from a decent house to whatever the government might put you up in (not to mention incentive effects, etc.).
That turned into a mini-diatribe. I hope you see my point, no matter what one's feelings are toward taxes, increased government regulation, etc.
Evan on
January 5th, 2005 5:29 pm
This almost certainly isn't the place to discuss this, but Canada's healthcare system is pretty clearly the least efficient and comprehensive of all universal systems offered in OECD countries. Here's a published study of exactly that:
Jordan on
January 5th, 2005 5:41 pm
Double taxation unfair?
How about single taxation?
Shrike on
January 5th, 2005 5:50 pm
A Fraser Institute study. Urk. Not that they don't have some cogent points, but . . . urk.
John in L.A. on
January 5th, 2005 5:51 pm
#3 – By that logic you should be taxed by every state that you vacation in.
#4 – A sales tax is inherently regressive. it's not a value judgement, it's a defintion.
#21 – You're right. It doesn't seem like the right place. I just hope no one takes that link seriously.
Evan on
January 5th, 2005 6:00 pm
I'd dispute that all sales taxes are regressive. Sales taxes on necessary goods or services are regressive, but a sales tax applied only to items people can reasonably choose not to buy at all would be flat.
Matt Staples on
January 5th, 2005 7:15 pm
#24 — it appears you didn't read the "for more than a few days or few weeks per year" qualifier in #3's comment. Otherwise, I agree with your comments as pertinent to #3.
As for your dismissal of the analysis of the Canadian health care system, this would be the place to discuss its merits just as much as this would be the place to discuss all sorts of off-topic things. If, on the other hand, you simply don't agree with the viewpoints espoused in the study, you may as well say so (which you may have done; I can't tell). People will take seriously that which they desire to, and I doubt your hopes have much to do with it, at least as expressed in your comment above.
G-Man on
January 5th, 2005 10:45 pm
I think some athletes may look at the tax issue, but others are more enamored with the gross contract amount. It's more about respect or ego than what they end up with. Those guys who make eight-figure salaries can squeak by with the net of taxes.
I do suppose that the likes of Scott Boras use the tax issue to leverage a few more bucks out of teams in high-tax locales.
paul mocker on
January 6th, 2005 8:47 am
You pointed out in #2 that double taxation is unfair, "particularly enforced" and disproportionate. Do you have evidence that local tax agents are auditing athletes disproportionately in comparison to others?
DMZ on
January 6th, 2005 10:10 am
I don't have a study handy, but I know that it's true: as noted up-thread, it's easy and lucrative for states to look up team schedules and tax players that way. Tracking someone like me, who may travel to those states but doesn't make that much money while I'm there, isn't a good use of enforcement dollars.
So wait, I'll do a quick study.
Everyone I know who travels a ton and doesn't make much money: not taxed in other states
Every baseball player: taxed in other states
Take that for what you will. That's not a representative sample of people who travel, of course, and so on and so forth.
paul mocker on
January 6th, 2005 4:05 pm
Since it isn't a representative sample and the IRS and state taxation audit numbers are difficult if not impossible to access, I am skeptical of your claims that athletes are unfairly targeted.
DMZ on
January 6th, 2005 4:27 pm
I don't know what else you want from me, really. When Portland was going to build their stadium, their funding mechanism relied on taxing the income of the players and of visiting players. I, and nobody else I know, gets taxed when they work on business that assigns them to Portland. Now if you want to argue that Oregon suddenly would have taxed every Seattle person who went down to work with Intel for a week if they'd built a stadium, that's fine, but the fact remains — players all get taxed income when they play in income tax sites. People in normal industries do not.
I don't have access to state taxation data from California, so I can't prove that they taxed Pujols when he was in town, but they did. They didn't tax me when I worked in San Jose for a week.
Evan on
January 6th, 2005 5:23 pm
The province of Alberta imposed a tax like this that only applied to visiting NHL players (so those AAA players on the Edmonton Trappers were okay). Such taxes do exist.
Kevin on
January 7th, 2005 3:27 pm
I'm late to this thread but have a contribution…I travel extensively as a consultant and taxation issues are currently a small concern. There are only a few states (most notably MA and CA)which aggressively pursue out-of-state wage earners who pass through their borders while working. My firm pays a small amount of taxes in these states, and as an owner I receive a small w-2 (or equivalent) from a few extra states each year, like one from MA for a couple hundred bucks. Sure we'd rather have the money than send it to fund art work for the big dig, but our bigger concern is the administative burden of tracking dozens of consultants across a hundred projects and forty-one states.
paul mocker on
January 10th, 2005 6:58 pm
I simply want you to back up your assertion that athletes are disproportionately audited.
I admire your mind, among other things, but you didn't use it when you said "it exists and it sucks." Jon and Westfried have provided ample evidence that there is no double taxation.


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Stories proving to be the strong suit for 2013 GOTY contenders
NOTE: This article will touch on some of the details found within the stories of several games, and thus, will contain some spoilers. Among the games discussed will be some of the best that 2013 has offered so far, and they include the following: Ni no Kuni, Tomb Raider, Bioshock Infinite, Metro: Last Light, and The Last Of Us. If you haven't finished these games yet, you may want to do so before reading further. So go. Finish them. They're all great games. Finished? Good. Then you may proceed. Remember, you've been warned, but in case you missed this-
Now that that's out of the way….. Let's proceed.
We're just over halfway through 2013, and we've seen some very strong contenders emerge for GOTY. These contenders vary in content and tone. A young boy is accompanied by his stuffed toy come to life through a magical land. A young woman endures dangerous trials on a remote island. A man frees a girl in a city in the clouds. Underground tunnels infested with monsters and hostile factions threaten the remnants of humanity. An embittered man escorts a young girl on a journey across post apocalyptic America. All of these games are tied together by one thing- a strong story. Even in some not so successful titles released this year (Remember Me and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance come to mind), story has been a driving force to help push players through the game.
Strong stories in games are not new, but they are a growing and ever evolving trend. Much as the comic book heroes that once only existed in the art on the printed page have made the jump to the silver screen due to advances in visual effects, so too have games become a growing medium for telling a tale. The industry has come a long way from just shooting pixellated enemies in the arcades. Role-playing games were among the first to tackle different themes by employing story telling methods. Among these were the Final Fantasy games, and many still look to Final Fantasy VII as a great example of the use of story in a videogame that stirs emotions. This was especially true in the death of Aerith, one of the game's main characters. And this wasn't just limited to RPGs- other series appeared on the scene, each with their own mythologies. Some of these were developed with intricate plotting, while others were more akin to a B-movie, but regardless what form it took, gamers were increasingly treated to rich stories to enhance their gaming experience. As gaming entered the 21st century, story really began to take hold, becoming just as important as pretty graphics or tight controls.
Games in the last generation continued to expand the role of story, making them even more intricately plotted, and placing a greater emphasis on characters and character development. Long running franchises, like Resident Evil and Metal Gear Solid, expanded their mythologies. Others had thinner stories, but no one could doubt the growing influence of story as a whole, even making games like those in the Grand Theft Auto series richer despite their overall thin plot lines. While these stories were more loosely told, and served as a device to propel the main characters forward in an open sandbox ruled by mayhem, they still caught us up in the characters' exploits. This made characters like Tommy Vercetti and CJ all the more memorable, while affording players a freedom in well constructed gameworlds to do as they wished, making places like Vice City or San Andreas enticing playgrounds. Others, like Silent Hill 2 and Fatal Frame, explored psychological horror on a scale not seen on consoles before, giving us characters to be frightened for as we encountered horrific images and bizarre plot twists. The trend continued into this current generation, spawning detailed universes and well defined characters. These varied settings and situations served to give us some of gaming's more memorable characters, like Nathan Drake (the Uncharted series), Master Chief (Halo), John Marston (Red Dead Redemption), and the computer GLaDOS (Portal and Portal 2). Games like L.A. Noire and Heavy Rain began to explore more mature subject matter, and they did so in a mature fashion.
Which brings us to this year. So far, 2013 has produced some excellent games, among them Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, from Studio Ghibli and Level 5, Tomb Raider (Square-Enix), Bioshock Infinite (Irrational Games), Metro: Last Light (4A Games), and The Last Of Us (Naughty Dog), and more are on their way (GTA V, Beyond: Two Souls, Watch Dogs) as well as the next generation of consoles from Microsoft and Sony. The five games I've mentioned could all be considered to be contenders for GOTY, and all of them are tied together by the rich and relatable stories that they tell and the strong characters they develop. All have rich, detailed backdrops: the parallel magical world in Ni no Kuni, the island of Yamatai in Tomb Raider, the city in the clouds, Columbia, in Bioshock Infinite, the dark tunnels and blasted swamps of a nuclear ravaged Russia circa 2035 in Metro: Last Light, and the post apocalyptic vision of America in The Last Of Us. In addition to these well designed settings, each of these games has at its core very human stories, stories that many of us can relate to. Among others, one common theme that runs through each of these titles is that of loss. In Ni no Kuni, Oliver must cope with the loss of his mother. Lara Croft loses both her innocence and some of her friends while trying to survive bands of pirates and cultists on the dangerous island of Yamatai. Booker has previously lost a child, and his self respect has fallen by the wayside as he sinks into debt brought on by gambling, a debt that he can only clear by traveling to the city of Columbia. Artyom is haunted by the loss of his mother when the bombs fell on Moscow. Joel, after losing his daughter, has also lost hope as a deadly disease transforms the United States and society fails.
But negative emotions aren't the only ones explored in these games. Oliver has a sense of wonder as he explores the magical parallel land with Drippy, King of the Fairies. His good heart aids those who he comes in contact with, helping them regain what they have lost, be it their courage or their determination. By aiding these people, his own heart is healed as he overcomes the devastating loss of his mother. Lara Croft revels in the discovery of tombs and artifacts long hidden on Yamatai. These quieter moments kindle her passion for archaeology, giving her spirits a boost as she finds the courage to tackle the dangers that are never far off. Elizabeth is frightened at first, but soon takes delight in being free from her tower, and we can feel Booker's heart lift as he watches her dance to music on a pier and when she feels joy viewing little shows in an arcade. Artyom even gets a break from the oppressive dangers of the Metro, as he watches a lengthy variety show at the Bolshoi, which entertains us as well, and he gets to show a softer side by returning a child's lost teddy bear in Venice. Ellie whistles and hums as Joel escorts her across a ravaged countryside. She muses on how things were as she reads a diary. She delights in finding comics, and looks forward to learning how to swim. In one especially touching scene, she gazes in awe at a herd of giraffes who have been set free from the zoo in Salt Lake City.
Each game runs us through a gamut of emotions, which, at least to me, provides testimony as to the strength of their stories. We experience sadness when Oliver loses his mother to a freak accident, or when Joel's daughter Sarah is fatally shot by a soldier. We experience fear as Lara is stalked by pirates and Artyom confronts skittering creatures in the dark. We experience joy as we watch Elizabeth dance, and smile as Ellie tells her bad jokes. Our hearts lift up as we watch Oliver redeem a villain, and empathize with Booker and Joel as they struggle to keep their young charges safe. And we also experience the thrills and revel in the action that inevitably explodes in these games, using strategy to help Oliver and his companions fight off monsters, stealth to help Lara and Joel through tense encounters, and resort to all out firefights to aid Booker and Artyom in dispatching groups of foes. Each game offers us a rich and diverse experience, along with giving us characters that we grow to care deeply about.
The stories in all of these GOTY contenders are well written, create richly detailed game worlds and give us memorable casts of characters that extend beyond the main roles. Each has their share of villains, yet even these villains are more rounded than your stereotypical bad guys. In some cases we get to see redemption for some of these villains, like when Oliver restores Shadar's heart, or Elizabeth grants a release to Songbird in the bowels of Rapture. All in all, it's been a strong year for story driven games. And we're only halfway, with more stories to come.
I'm sure I may have missed some points, but feel free to bring them up in the comments section. Let us know what your favorite stories are for 2013 so far, and if you think the games mentioned are truly worthy contenders for GOTY, or if you have another title in mind. It's been a great year for gaming so far, and it's not over yet, so here's hoping you enjoy the stories we have and those yet to come.
Thomas Juretus
Latest posts by Thomas Juretus (see all)
- New Releases for the Week of October 9, 2017- Shadow of War - October 8, 2017
- New Releases for the Week of October 2, 2017- Forza Motorsport 7 - October 1, 2017
- New Releases for the Week of September 25, 2017- FIFA 18 - September 24, 2017


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Sunday, May 15, 2011
The Mom Pledge
From the website: "The Mom Pledge is about bloggers standing up, speaking out, and coming together to eradicate online bullying of moms by other moms. The time has come for us to take the power back and own this issue."
Because this is something that I believe in very strongly, I am taking The Mom Pledge. Bullying in any form - whether it be amongst children, teens, young adults, or adults - is unacceptable. I have been fortunate so far in that I haven't personally witnessed it on the blogs that I visit regularly, but I know it's out there. How can we expect our children to grow up to be respectful of others if we as their parents can't even model how to do it?
So, to all of my other moms who blog - please, go visit The Mom Pledge and take the pledge yourself. Join the community!
5 comments:
Great idea! I so agree...I have one main rule on my own blog...and that is: "play nice" :)ReplyDelete
I agree 100%! I have dealt with so much drama in my life over the past few years, and I just don't need it anymore. People can disagree, but they can do it respectfully and act like adults.ReplyDelete
I don't see how anyone could *not* play nice on your blog - it's such a safe, refreshing place to be! I love it!
Thank you so much for taking The Pledge! You're right; we have to set the example for our children. So happy to have you join our community!ReplyDelete
I just read a blog post about a woman (not a mother) who takes pictures of children in strollers. She finds kids that she thinks are too big to be ridding, takes their pictures and posts them on her blog with the faces blurred. While she's not showing the parents, this is a form of bullying that I find a bit disgusting.ReplyDelete
"I'm not a parent and know nothing about what it's like to be a parent, but I will publicly judge you and your parenting."
- AnonymousJune 2, 2011 at 7:47:00 PM CDT
I DISLIKE BULLIES BIG TIME. THE ONE TIME I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A BULLY IS WHEN I'D BE OUT SHOPPING AND A CHILD WOULD BE CRYING BECAUSE THEY WERE TIRED OR HUNGRY AND THE MOTHER IS DRAGGING THE CHILD WALKING VERY FAST NOT REALIZING THEIR LEGS ARE NOT AS LONG AS THE MOTHER. THE CHILD HAS TO DO DOUBLE TIME TO KEEP UP AND ALL THE TIME THE MOTHER IS YELLING AT THE CHILD AND TELLING HIM TO SHUT UP. TO ME THAT'S BEING A BULLY. I SO WANT TO BULLY THE MOM AND MAKE HER SLOW DOWN OR GO HOME.ReplyDelete
I have only two rules - don't reveal anyone's personal information, and be respectful. It's not difficult, honest. Now, go on and play.


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Here i am studying media and developing my own charitable campaign i will be researching existing websites and analyzing their layout, colour scheme, context ext. I will also be looking into who funds these websites and how the domains are hosted.I will be keeping note of my progress in the form of a diary so that you can follow me. this will be backed with print screens, photos and detailed explanations as my project develops.
Thursday, 7 April 2011
Since the start of designing my website, Sex And You, there have been many developments mainly in the field of information and layout of my website, i have spent hours researching sexual health information and gathering typical trends in terms of layouts for Sexual health websites, i have applied this on my website.
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Ethics Case Studies
Ethics Cases Online
This set of cases has been created for teachers, researchers, professional journalists and consumers of news to help them explore ethical issues in journalism.The cases raise a variety of ethical problems faced by journalists, including such issues as privacy, conflict of interest, reporter- source relationships, and the role of journalists in their communities.
The initial core of this database comes from a series of cases developed by Barry Bingham, Jr., and published in his newsletter, FineLine. The school is grateful to Bingham for his permission to make these cases available to a wider audience.
You may download cases for classes, research or personal use. Permission is granted for academic use of these cases, including inclusion in course readers for specific college courses. This permission does not extend to the republication of the cases in books, journals or electronic form.
Note: We are indebted to Professor Emeritus David Boeyink, who developed this project several years ago.
"Ad"mission of guilt: Court-ordered ads raise ethical questions
"Do I stop him?": Reporter's arresting question is news
Fairness: A casualty of the anti-drug crusade
Newspaper joins war against drugs: Standard-Times publishes photos of all suspected drug offenders
Have I got a deal for you!: The line between cooperation and collusion
Identifying what's right: Photographer's ID used in hostage release
Is "Enough!" too much?: Editors split on anti-drug coupons
Issues of bench and bar: In this case, a TV reporter is the judge
Knowing when to say "when!": Drawing the line at cooperating with authorities
Stop! This is a warning . . . : Suppressing news at police request
Is it news, ad or infomercial?: The line between news and advertising is going, going . . .
Games publishers play: Allowing an advertiser to call the shots
An offer you can refuse: The selling of Cybill to the Enquirer
An oily gift horse: saying "No!" to Exxon
Public service. . .or "news-mercials": The blending of television news and advertising
As life passes by: A journalist's role: watch and wait
Bringing death close: Publishing photographs of human tragedy
A careless step, a rash of calls: "Unusual" photo of AIDS walkathon raises hackles"
Distortion of reality?: "Punk for Peace" photograph draws fire
Of life and death: Photos capture woman's last moments
"A photo that had to be used": Anatomy of a newspaper's decision
A picture of controversy: Pulitzer photos show diverse editorial standards
Freedom of political expression: Do journalists forfeit their right?
Brother, can you spare some time?: TV stations give candidates air time
Columnist's crusade OK with Seattle Times
Kiss and tell: Publishing details of a mayor's personal life
The making of a governor: How media fantasy swayed an election
Past but not over: When history collides with the Present
Of publishers and politics: Byline protest threatened at Star Tribune
To tell the truth: Why I didn't; why I regret it
Truth & Consequences: The public's right to know . . . at what cost?
"Truth boxes": Media monitoring of TV campaign ads
When journalists become flacks: Two views on what to do and when to do it
A book for all journalists who believe: Accuracy is our highest ethical debate
The Billboard Bandit: Did the newspaper get graffiti on its reputation
Food for thought: You are what you eat . . . and do
Grand jury probe: TV journalists indicted for illegal dogfight
Judgment on journalists: Do they defiantly put themselves "above the law?"
Lessons from an ancient spirit: Why I participated in a peyote ritual
Lying for the story . . . :Or things they don't teach in journalism school
Newspaper nabs Atlanta's Dahmer: Another predator who should've been stopped: Was it homophobia?
One way to a good end: Reporter cuts corners to test capital drug program
Over the fence: A case of crossing the line for a story
"Psst! Pass it on!": Why are journalists spreading rumors?
Rules aren't neat on Crack Street: Journalists know the rules; they also know that the rules don't always apply when confronted with life-threatening situations
"Someone had to be her advocate": A newspaper's crusade to keep a child's death from being forgotten
Trial by Fire: Boy "hero" story tests media
Trial by proximity: How close is too close for a jury and a reporter?
Using deceit to get the truth: When there's just no other way
When advocacy is okay: Access is an acceptable journalist's cause
White lies: Bending the truth to expose injustice
Witness to an execution: KQED sues to videotape capital punishment
Are we our brother's keeper? . . . You bet we are!
Betraying a trust: Our story wronged a naive subject
Broken Promise: Breaching a reporter-source confidence
"But I thought you were . . .": When a source doesn't know you are a reporter
"Can I take it back?": Why we told our source 'yes'
Competitive disadvantage: Business blindsided by unnamed sources
Getting it on tape: What if you don't tell them?
The great quote question: How much tampering with quotations can journalists ethically do?
Let's make a deal!: The dangers of trading with sources
A phone-y issue?: Caller ID raises confidentiality questions
The source wanted out: Why our decision was 'no'
The story that died in a lie: Questions about truthfulness kill publication
Thou shalt not break thy promise: Supreme Court rules on betraying sources' anonymity
Thou shalt not concoct thy quote: Supreme Court decides on the rules of the quotation game
Thou shalt not trick thy source: Many a slip twixt the promise and the page
Too good to be true: Blowing the whistle on a lying source
Vulnerable sources and journalistic responsibility: Are we our brother's keeper?
The way things used to be . . . : Who says this new "objectivity" is better?
When a story just isn't worth it: Holding information to protect a good source
When a story source threatens suicide: "I'm going to kill myself!"
When public should remain private
The ethics of "outing": Breaking the silence code on homosexuality
"For personal reasons": Balancing privacy with the right to know
Intruding on grief: Does the public really have a "need to know?"
Intruding on private pain: Emotional TV segment offers hard choice
Privacy case settled against TV station
Seeing both sides: A personal and professional dilemma
Two views on "outing": When the media do it for you
Two views on "outing": When you do it yourself
Unwanted Spotlight: When private people become part of a public story
Whose right is it anyway?: Videotape of accident victim raises questions about rights to privacy
The death of a soldier: Hometown decision for hometown hero
Firing at Round Rock: Editor says "unpatriotic" story led to dismissal
A kinder, gentler news media?: Post-war coverage shows sensitivity to families
Operation: Buy yourself a parade: New York papers pitch in for hoopla celebrating hide-and-seek war
Rallying 'round the flag: The press as U.S. propagandists
"Salute to military" ads canceled
Tell the truth, stay alive: In covering a civil war, honesty is the only policy
The windbags of war: Television's gung-ho coverage of the Persian Gulf situation
Absent with no malice: Omitting part of the story for a reason
Anonymity for rape victims . . . : should the rules change?
An exception to the rule: a decision to change names
The boy with a broken heart: Special problems when juveniles are newsmakers
Civilly suitable: If law requires less, should media reveal more?
Creating a victim: Plot for a fair story may not be foolproof
"Everyone already knew": A weak excuse for abandoning standards
An exceptional case: Hartford Courant names rape victim
Innocent victims: Naming the guilty . . . but guiltless
Minor infraction: A newspaper's case for breaking the law
Names make news: One newspaper debates when and why
Naming a victim: When do you break your own rule?
Naming "johns": Suicide raises ethical questions about policy
Profile of controversy: New York Times reporter defends story on Kennedy rape claimant
What the media all missed: Times reporter finally sets record straight on Palm Beach rape profile
Punishing plagiarizers: Does public exposure fit the sin?
Sounding an alarm on AIDS: Spreading the word about someone who's spreading the disease
Anchor's away: Where in the world is she? Or does it matter?
The day the earth stood still: How the media covered the "earthquake"
Good guys, bad guys and TV news: How television and other media promote police violence
The year in review: 1990's biggest ethical headaches and journalistic bloopers
Colorado media's option play: Most passed; did they also fumble?
Deadly lesson: Warning about sexual asphyxiation
Deciding which critically ill person gets coverage
When journalists play God . . .
A delicate balance: Mental breakdowns & news coverage
The Fallen Servant: When a hero is not a hero
Handle with care: Priest murder story required extra sensitivity
It's the principle, really: Timing and people's money matter, too
Killing news: Responsible coverage of suicides
Maybe what seems so right is wrong: A medical condition media-generated money can't cure
On the line: A reporter's job vs. human decency
Protest and apology after Daily Beacon story
Red flag for badgering: Ombudsman takes sportswriter to task
Sharing the community's grief: Little Rock news coverage of three teen-age suicides
Suffer the children: Was story on molestation worth the human cost?
The "super-crip" stereotype: Press victimization of disabled people
"And then he said *&%*!!!": When sexist and vulgar remarks are new
When big is not better: Playing down a story for the community good
When the KKK comes calling: What's the story?
Not the straight story: Can misleading readers ever be justified?
Agreeing to disagree: How one newspaper handles off-hour activities
All in the family: When a journalist's spouse creates a conflict of interests
Family feud: Handling conflicts between journalists and partners
Author! Author!: Ethical dilemmas when reporters turn author
The Bee that roared: Taking a stand for editorial independence
Brewing controversy: The commercialization of Linda Ellerbee
Building barriers: The case against financial involvement
Other views from librarians: When interests of client and newsroom conflict
The ethics of information selling: Problems for library reference services
Close to home: When your newsroom is part of the story
Family Ties: When are relationships relationships relevant?
How now, sacred cow?: United Way's favored treatment by the media
The ties that bind: Publisher's link to United Way raises questions
"Like any other story": Can it be when it's your union vs. your paper?
When your newspaper is the news: Editors discuss their experiences
Not friendly fire: News director at odds with CBS over story
Overdraft on credibility?: Reporter faces conflict-of-interest charges
Written rules can be hazardous: A lawyer views ethics codes
Project censored, sins of omission and the hardest "W" of all – "why"
Risking the newsroom's image: How editors, in a good cause, can strain independence


text:
knish is a valid word in this word list. For a definition, see the external dictionary links below.
The word "knish" uses 5 letters: H I K N S.
No direct anagrams for knish found in this word list.
Words formed by adding one letter before or after knish (in bold), or to hikns in any order:
c - chinks r - shrink t - thinks
Shorter words found within knish:
hi hin hins his hisn in ink inks ins is khi khis kin kins sh shin si sin sinh sink ski skin
List shorter words within knish, sorted by length
Words formed from any letters in knish, plus an optional blank or existing letter
Try a search for knish in these online resources (some words may not be found):
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Each search will normally open in a new window.
List all words starting with knish, words containing knish or words ending with knish
All words formed from knish by changing one letter
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text:
52 Acres In Quitman County
Crowder, MS 38622
Quitman County, Mississippi
Ranch Description
Reduced, Looking for a small farm This 52 acre tract in Quitman County with its high producing yields is it,This 52 acres is precision leveled 2015 with 2 percent grade. The property features an electric well with 6 inch discharge, well head and pump are only 1 year old. The drain pipes and roads are in and risers could be put on easily to flood this property for your duck hunting needs,Soil samples have been done annually on property and all fertilizer and lime has been applied accordingly. This is a great property with ease of access for HWY 322.


text: Hello, I am a culinary student at Le Cordon Bleu in Sacramento. Currently I am looking for an externship in the area. However, to be honest I am abit confused as to how toi go about it. For 9 years I was out of the working world due to a medical condition. Also, I have not worked in the industry before. I realize that this makes me a least likely canadite for a job/externship, but I am willing to do my best. How do I explain the gap in years between jobs without going into too much detail? Any advice to someone who is new to the industry? Also, can anyone give advice about going about getting an externship and also being on one? Thank you.


text:
Help get this topic noticed by sharing it on Twitter, Facebook, or email.
Help Africa and ake a diffrence where we need it most.
Help Africa and ake a diffrence where we need it most.
I am from Africa and I believe God gave me an idea to reach millions in Africa by combining education with the gospel. Have a look at www.spiritbuddy.co.za and please become involved in this huge task of bringing the gospel as well as teaching skills. We use number cards, memory games, a doll which explains the gospel,snap games, fine motor skill games etc all from a Biblical angle. (3-7 year olds)


text:
THE FOURTH Hundred Lane End Transport Festival raised more than £1,100 for charity.
Brian Moorcroft who organised the festival in Hesketh Bank said a range of different vehicles including motorbikes, cars and tractors took part in the two-day event.
The oldest car in attendance was built in 1902.
All the money raised was donated to the First Response Cardiac team.
DO you have any news from Hesketh Bank, Tarleton or Banks?
News from these areas features in District News in the Southport Visiter every Friday.
Call us on: 01704 536655, call in and see us at our office on Tulketh Street, Southport, or e-mail us at: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Sam Burgess will continue his back-row education when Bath renew their push for home advantage in the Premiership play-offs by toppling London Irish at the Recreation Ground.
Former Bradford Bulls star Burgess, who began his union career at inside centre, is to make his second start at blindside flanker tonight after filling the position in the 29-19 victory over Newcastle two weeks ago.
Bath assistant coach Toby Booth insists the back row is where the former rugby league superstar's club future lies, even if England – who retain an outside hope of him being involved in this year's World Cup – are adamant his skills are better suited to the No 12 jersey.
"We've made no secret of the plan for Sam. He would be involved in the game 50 or 60 times a match in rugby league. Compare that to a rugby union centre and that would be about a third," Booth said.
"Sam wants to be in the game and be influential in games. He really enjoyed that element of being in the back row against Newcastle."
Captain Stuart Hooper and centre Kyle Eastmond return from injury as Bath seek to supplant Saracens in second place with the clubs currently level on 61 points.
Irish are hoping to build on their 25-23 victory over Sale a fortnight ago knowing victory could see them climb above Gloucester in the table.
Harlequins have signed Samoa's Winston Stanley for next season.
The 26-year-old centre will leave New Zealand Super Rugby franchise the Highlanders to join Quins for the start of next term.
He is the younger brother of All Blacks star Benson Stanley, and the cousin of former Everton footballer Tim Cahill.
Former Wales full-back Lee Byrne has been forced to retire after failing to recover from a shoulder injury.
The former Scarlets and Ospreys star won 46 caps for Wales after making his debut in 2005.


text: Weg, Heheh. I'm too "white" to play the blues very well - even Martian blues (not enough green in me either). At least that's what I feel like . . . and what usually tell people (as an excuse). Thanks for the compliments though. When I was a kid I did the bottle-neck slide Leo Kottke (type) thing for a long, long time though. Then, somewhere along the way (1982), I discovered "electricity" so-to-speak (FX and eventually looping). Heheheh. Gear Aquisition Syndrome (GAS) ruined my life - almost overnight I became a musical mutant. LOL. But I still play old-timey dobro in church every other Sunday. So I guess there is still something sortta "normal" in there. Best regards, Ted ---- Weg <firstname.lastname@example.com> wrote: > > Ted said" Try as I may, I cannot totally convince them that the >technolgy is neutral and they > won't wind up like me -- playing avant mutant music from some other not >quite normal > planet. Heheheh." > > I started out playing blues and still do! I also play some latin, >jazz, rock, ect... Tell your friends even Martians can get the blues, >and what is wrong with playing like you, I've heard your stuff online and >it sounds great! some of that martian blues is deep and can come off as >avant mutant music, but only the ears can tell! > > Peace, > Weg


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This summer, I decided to start my summer vacation a little different than usual. Every year, the Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) in Hokkaido put on an English camp for junior high school and high school students. The camp is entirely conducted in English, and organized by foreign staff, giving 50 students in Hokkaido an opportunity to experience other cultures and put to practice all the English that they've learned.
The camp is called the Hokkaido English Challenge (HEC). It starts with a competitive round of video interviews, where applicants answer a series of questions, testing their English comprehension and communication. Yakumo had one short listed student from Nodaoi Junior High School, who demonstrated her passion for English beautifully.
I joined some of the nearby ALTs in driving up to Higashikagura, where the camp is held. One member of our team was the camp's head chef, so we had to make a stop at Costco for some bulk ingredients. Unfortunately, with four adults and everyone's luggage in a car that fits five people, we had a difficult challenge trying to fit everything and everyone in the car. Our success in getting everything in is a testament to our amazing tetris skills.
After running a few more errands and dropping the food off in the kitchen, we finally arrived at our destination, lit a few celebratory sparklers, and headed to bed for some much needed sleep.
The next day, the students were scheduled to arrive. My main responsibility was as a team leader for four junior high school students, four high school students, and a junior leader, alongside my trusty partner Kevin. My other responsibility was the ice breaker activities, with a fellow Canadian ALT, Cheri. As the ice breakers would be the first activities of camp, we were hoping to make the students feel welcome, comfortable with each other, and excited for camp. Though the rain clouds were heavy and threatening, we made it through our ice breaker games without getting too wet, and by the end, everyone was familiar with their team members.
The rest of the day and the next day weren't quite as lucky with the weather. It rained quite a bit, so there was a lot of time spent under the tents writing letters in English, and learning English games. This proved to be a meaningful bonding time, and was valuable for bringing each other together. Gradually as the camp went on, the sun came around and we were able to do all our outdoor activities as planned.
Playing Bananagrams under the tent
The camp is filled with all kinds of exciting English adventures, including a scavenger hunt, dance party, campfire, plays, crazy Olympics, capture the flag, and much more. The students were involved in cultural activities that they would normally only get to try if they went overseas. Also, they got to try a wide variety of international foods. They spent five days communicating in English, making everlasting memories and solidifying their knowledge that their English studies were not all for naught. They all have the ability to communicate anything they want or need in English.
Some of the pictures from my team's scavenger hunt
One of the monsters in the monster hunt
Riding the monorail
HEC spelled with lights at the dance party
School dances are a common tradition in western schools, from elementary school through high school. HEC students learned some English songs and dances before enjoying an evening of dance with a wide variety of English and Japanese popular music.
After singing English campfire songs together, we roasted marshmallows on the fire and made s'mores, arguably the most popular sweet in the western campfire culture.
An abridge overview of the menu
After five days of non-stop bonding and English, we had to say our farewells to teary-eyed students whose only hope was to stay a little longer, and come back next year. Though the camp usually only accepts about 6 students from the previous year's camp to act as junior leaders, nearly every student at camp signed up hoping to be picked as a junior leader for next year. It was a very moving and life-changing experience for everyone involved. I hope the camp continues to flourish and get the recognition that it deserves.
Closing ceremonies


text:
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Must Read!
Excellent new post from a blogger who says of Zach Green's UniteBlue: "We are all just pawns in his business plan."
Amusing Chart
Blue Moonie @Smith83K was aggressively tweeting this chart as evidence of UniteBlue's super-awesome traction. But what it actually showed was a massive drop-off recently in #Uniteblue mentions after a surge due to Uniteblue's many auto-tweets and spam-bots, which aren't as active now after critics pointed out how obvious they were.
Clearly, folks are starting to figure out that UniteBlue is an unnecessary idea, executed poorly, and managed and supported by some people with highly questionable credentials, judgment, and motives.


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Joyous Celebration of Archbishop's
Silver Jubilee
Pope Benedict XV1 joined with the people and clergy of the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly on Monday night in joyously celebrating the Silver Jubilee of the Episcopal ordination of Archbishop Dermot Clifford to the See of Cashel and Emly.
A message of congratulations from the Pope was read to the packed Cathedral congregation at the special Mass of Thanksgiving on Monday night at which Archbishop Clifford was Chief Concelebrant, assisted by Dean of the Diocese, Rt Rev Christy O Dwyer, and Archdeacon, Very Rev Mattie McGrath.
Also present was Cardinal Sean Brady, Primate of All-Ireland, a seminary classmate of Archbishop Clifford's both in Maynooth and Rome, and long-time friend.
Pope Benedict's message of congratulations, conveyed by Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza, thanked Archbishop Clifford for his years of dedicated ministry as Priest and Archbishop and wished him many more years with his flock in the diocese.
Archbishop Clifford was joined on this joyous occasion by fellow bishops, Most Rev Dr John Buckley, Cork; Most Rev Dr William Lee of Waterford; and Most Rev Dr Willie Walshe, former Bishop of Killaloe.
Also present, and concelebrating the Mass was the Archbishop's brother, Fr Brendan Clifford OP, along with most of the clergy of the archdiocese and representatives of the religious orders.
The diocesan choir, under the direction of Choir Mistress Marette Dunphy, drawn from all forty six parishes, contributed appropriate sacred music, during the very prayerful and joyful ceremony.
Rev Dean Knowles of Cashel represented the Church of Ireland.
The homily was preached by Archbishop Clifford himself, in the course of which he thanked the people and clergy of the diocese for their support and prayers since his arrival here initially as Coadjutor to the late Archbishop Thomas Morris, and later as Archbishop on Archbishop Morris' retirement.
Cardinal Brady thanked the people of Cashel and Emly for giving him the opportunity to be present to celebrate such a joyous occasion. He availed of the opportunity to thank Archbishop Clifford for his friendship and unfailing good humour over the years and wished him many more years in the service of the archdiocese.
At the conclusion, Dean Christy O'Dwyer, on behalf of the people and clergy, made a presentation to Archbishop Clifford of a specially commissioned piece in silver to mark the occasion. Dean O'Dwyer, congratulated Archbishop Clifford on reaching this milestone and thanked him for his dedication to the people of the archdiocese.
After the Mass, on the steps of the Cathedral, His Grace received the personal congratulations of the congregation before a reception to mark the occasion in St Patrick's College.