text:
ACParadise Network: American Cosplay Paradise American Cosplay Experience American Cosplay Snapshots
I have been cosplaying since my return from Japan in 2005. I attend Geek.Kon, Kistune Kon, Archon, and CONvergence annually. I can also be found at Otakon, Anime Central and Costume Con, when funding and time constraints allow for it. I often take on projects that are way above my skill level. I'm constantly learning, and I need MOAR PICS of my costumes, haha!
I am a member of MACS (Madison Area Costuming Society), a chapter of the ICG.
Celestial Shortcut URL:
Recent Updates
Costume 8 0408 Views
Costume 6 11043 Views
Costume 9 0733 Views
Costume 1 0165 Views
Costume 1 0176 Views
Costume 1 0729 Views
Costume 2 0414 Views
Costume 1 0471 Views
Costume 3 0440 Views
Costume 3 0467 Views
Newest Favorites
Newest Fans
Recent Comments
- RinoaRaine says, "Oh my...This is BEAUTIFUL!"
- For Princess Ovelia Atkascha from Final Fantasy Tactics:The War of the Lions
- Kuroi Yue says, "I love the fabric you used for the dress, it's so gorgeous!"
- For Aura from .hack//INFECTION
- jetspectacular says, "omg beautiful work!!"
- For Momohime from Muramasa: The Demon Blade
- NatsumeShinXxX says, "I can only imagine the ungodly amount of fabric that went into this! Its really nice to see somebody do this though, I love Air and this has always been a costume I'd love to do but won't have time for :)"
- For Kannabi no Mikoto from Air
- Indie says, "So lovely! I love how you did the infinity symbol on your dress. And the sparkly fabric was a nice touch."
- For Aura from .hack//INFECTION


text:
Montville couple cheering on Olympic gold-medal granddaughter
Jamie Anderson, with beauty queen looks and an infectious smile, is about to become one of the most recognizable faces in the world.
That's what happens when you become an Olympic champion, a feat the 23-year-old accomplished early Sunday morning when she soared to Olympic gold in the women's slopestyle competition at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia.
But here's something you probably don't know about Anderson, who was born and raised in Lake Tahoe, Calif. - her mom, Lauren, grew up in the Oakdale section of Montville, and her grandparents - Pete and Peggy Plourde - still reside on Old Colchester Road.
"We couldn't get it live," Peggy said Sunday, "but our oldest daughter (Ann) lives in Vermont and was able to watch it on a Canadian station at 5 a.m. I was half asleep when she called, but my reaction was 'Great ... this is so wonderful.' I know it means so much to Jamie. She's put in a lot of work and really stuck to her guns."
Anderson, one of eight children, had her own cheering section in Russia that included six of her siblings and her mother, Lauren, a 1972 St. Bernard High School graduate who left Lake Tahoe last year following a divorce and now works on an alpaca farm in Hartland, Vt.
Pete Plourde, an accomplished educator, administrator and football coach for 34 years at two high schools - St. Bernard and Montville (he retired in 1993) - spoke with Lauren on Sunday afternoon.
"(Lauren) was just so excited," said Pete, now 86 and active raising and showing Labrador retrievers. "She said everyone was a little scared and nervous going into the last run, but Jamie really pulled it off. She's been the top female snowboarder in the world the last couple of years, so I'm glad she finally got the chance to compete in the Olympics."
Anderson has won multiple world championships since she was 15, but this was the first year slopestyle, her speciality, was included in the Olympic freestyle skiing program. Slopestyle courses feature rails and a variety of jumps that allow athletes to combine big air and technical tricks into each run. They are judged on execution, difficulty of their lines, acrobatic moves in the air, landings and the use of the course.
Anderson was second after the first run on Sunday, but scored 95.25 points on her final run to take the gold medal away from Finland's Enni Rukajarvi. Great Britain's Jenny Jones won the bronze.
Peggy Plourde said Jamie plans to fly to New York in the next few days, where she will likely make some national television appearances.
And for those who remember Pete Plourde during his days as a football coach and athletic director and are surprised at his family's connection to skiing, you shouldn't be.
Pete and Peggy were both raised in Vermont - Pete in Bennington and Peggy in nearby Northfield. And when Pete wasn't playing football at Bennington High (he was an all-state halfback on an undefeated team in 1946), he skied.
"I did some jumping," he added, "and had a lot of fun on the slopes as a youngster in Vermont."
Even after moving to Connecticut in 1960 when Pete became the first football coach in St. Bernard history, Peggy said the family used to take trips north during the winter.
"That's how Lauren learned to ski," Peggy said. "We'd take her to courses in Northfield, Stowe and Bennington and a few smaller places outside Bennington."
Lauren took a trip west with a friend after graduating from Central Connecticut in 1976. That's where she met Joey Anderson and, after they married, relocated to South Lake Tahoe, where Lauren homeschooled her children.
"They would go up to the slopes every day," Pete said. "They would be on the snowboard all day long, then come home and do school lessons in the evening."
Added Peggy, "I don't know how Lauren did it, but she did, and when she would bring the kids east to compete in places like New Hampshire and Maine, we would always find ways to meet up with them."
The Plourdes aren't sure when they'll get to see their granddaughter's gold medal, but were looking forward to watching the medal ceremony on television Sunday night.
"It's going to be a terrific moment for us," Pete said.
Puerto Ricans in New London call for resignation of island's governor
Supreme Court Justice Stevens remembered for 'deep devotion' to law

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Online marketers with goods or services to sell are likely looking for consumers with spending power. With sizable bank accounts and liquidity, the mass affluent are a good place for them to start. Nielsen defines this group as those households with $250,000 to $1,000,000 in liquid assets, excluding real estate.
However, the mass affluent only represent 12 percent of U.S. households, so reaching this highly concentrated group can be difficult, especially through direct marketing channels. Despite these challenges, the mass affluent have a strong online presence, and digital precision marketing has become an effective way to reach this valuable audience. By understanding how this group uses the Web in their daily lives, digital precision marketing can engage these consumers accurately while also protecting their privacy.


text:
The Compuserve GIF Plug-in Update resolves a problem in Chinese Simplified language versions of Adobe Photoshop 5.0.2C for Windows in which you cannot save a file in CompuServe GIF format, because this format is missing from the Save As pop-up menu in the Save a Copy dialog box.
|File Name
|File Size
|Proceed to Download
Adobe Photoshop 5.0.2C Chinese Simplified for Windows.
After downloading a ".exe" file in Windows, double-click on the ".exe" file to access the file's contents.
Need help with downloading? See our Downloading Help documents.
1. Move the old Compuserve GIF Plug-in from the Photoshop5.0.2C > Plugin > File Format folder to the Trash.
2. Drag the new Compuserve GIF Plug-in into the Photoshop5.0.2C > Plugin > File Format folder.
3. Restart Photoshop.
License agreement
By using software of Adobe Systems Incorporated or its subsidiaries ("Adobe"); you agree to the following terms and conditions. If you do not agree with such terms and conditions; do not use the software. The terms of an end user license agreement accompanying a particular software file upon installation or download of the software shall supersede the terms presented below.
The export and re-export of Adobe software products are controlled by the United States Export Administration Regulations and such software may not be exported or re-exported to Cuba; Iran; Iraq; Libya; North Korea; Sudan; or Syria or any country to which the United States embargoes goods. In addition; Adobe software may not be distributed to persons on the Table of Denial Orders; the Entity List; or the List of Specially Designated Nationals.
By downloading or using an Adobe software product you are certifying that you are not a national of Cuba; Iran; Iraq; Libya; North Korea; Sudan; or Syria or any country to which the United States embargoes goods and that you are not a person on the Table of Denial Orders; the Entity List; or the List of Specially Designated Nationals.
If the software is designed for use with an application software product (the "Host Application") published by Adobe; Adobe grants you a non-exclusive license to use such software with the Host Application only; provided you possess a valid license from Adobe for the Host Application. Except as set forth below; such software is licensed to you subject to the terms and conditions of the End User License Agreement from Adobe governing your use of the Host Application.
DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES: YOU AGREE THAT ADOBE HAS MADE NO EXPRESS WARRANTIES TO YOU REGARDING THE SOFTWARE AND THAT THE SOFTWARE IS BEING PROVIDED TO YOU "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. ADOBE DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THE SOFTWARE; EXPRESS OR IMPLIED; INCLUDING; WITHOUT LIMITATION; ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE; MERCHANTABILITY; MERCHANTABLE QUALITY OR NONINFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS. Some states or jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties; so the above limitations may not apply to you.
LIMIT OF LIABILITY: IN NO EVENT WILL ADOBE BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY LOSS OF USE; INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS; OR ANY DIRECT; INDIRECT; SPECIAL; INCIDENTAL; OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS) REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF ACTION WHETHER IN CONTRACT; TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE); STRICT PRODUCT LIABILITY OR OTHERWISE; EVEN IF ADOBE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. Some states or jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages; so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you.


text:
Why Choose Internet Modeling
Founded in 1998, we are one of the oldest and most experienced online modeling agencies, representing over 50,000 webcam models from all over the world. Our agency recruits for the largest network of adult websites such as Cam.com, Chat.com and many others, with over ten million visitors per day. Our cam models make the most money because we have the highest paying webcam jobs, and offer the highest payout for webcam models in the industry. Currently we have many webcam job openings for all types of camgirls and camguys, so you can apply to become a webcam model today, and start to make money webcam modeling almost immediately. Being a webcam model is one of the few jobs where you can make great money from the comfort of your own home while having fun!
Do you want to be a camgirl or camguy, and earn money webcam modeling? We are currently seeking female webcam models, male webcam models, gay webcam models, shemale webcam models, and couples who are needed for webcam work from home full or part time. Webcam model jobs on our high traffic network provide the best opportunity to work at home doing live webcam modeling. Some of our highest paid webcam models regularly make over $2,000 per week working from home.
If you are already an adult webcam model on another site or network, we offer the highest paying webcam modeling jobs in the industry! For more info on becoming a webcam model and a description of cam jobs available, please see our cam model faq page. If you are ready to get your webcam career started and get paid for webcam shows, apply online using our webcam model application. You can also make money recruiting webcam models by joining our webcam model affiliate program.


text: 'Bengal govt's best not enough to contain scam' The Mamata Banerjee administration is doing its best to address the fallout of the chit fund meltdown, but it is not enough, remarked governor M K Narayanan today. HT reports. kolkata Updated: Apr 26, 2013 20:14 IST HT Correspondent Hindustan Times The Mamata Banerjee administration is doing its best to address the fallout of the chit fund meltdown, but it is not enough, remarked governor M K Narayanan on Friday."This is a very tragic incident. The first and foremost task should be to return deposited money to the depositors as early as possible. Several agencies are investigating the scam. The state government is doing whatever it can, but that is not enough," said Narayanan, who opened its mount for the first time after the Saradha scam exploded on the face of the state and the ruling party."We have handed over a copy of the draft to the governor. The governor approved it for assembly," said Mamata Banerjee. The chief minister also mooted special economic offence court to deal with such category of cases.The West Bengal government has decided to convene a special session of the assembly from April 29, 2013 in order to pass a new bill for control of chit fund activities.On Friday, the governor met chief minister Mamata Banerjee who was accompanied by the law minister and the chief secretary.During the day there were several rounds of legislative and administrative meetings over the proposed bill that is likely to be passed in the assembly on April 30, 2013. The day started with an all-party meeting within the state assembly which the convened by the assembly speaker, Biman Bandopadhyay.In the meeting the state government tried to convince the opposition legislators both from the Left Front and the Congress, that the proposed new bill would be more stringent and would have a retrospective effect so that Saradha group scam-stars cannot escape the fire.However, the Left Front MLAs present in the all-party meeting that this attempt to bring the new bill instead of trying to clear the earlier The West Bengal Protection of Interest of Depositors in Financial Establishments Bill, 2009 passed by the earlier Left Front government in 2009 would delay the process.A controversy has already begun over the government's promise of making the law in such a way that it would have retrospective effect. "Any new law cannot have retrospective effect. Since the present government did not pursue with the government to clear the bill passed by in 2009, the Saradha Group scam- stars can escape because of the clause," said CPI(M) legislator Anisur Rahman.Claming that retrospective effect will be there in the new bill, the state commerce & industries minister, Partha Chatterjee said that the state government is serious about taking action against the chit funds. "We have already set up the commission of enquiry. We have also called a special session of assembly to pass the new bill as early as possible. Now the Left Front leaders are claiming that the new bill would delay the process. My question to them is why they did not pass the bill for the last 34 years when they ruled the state," he said.Like the Left Front, Congress MLA, Manas Ranjan Bhunia, too, expressed doubts on whether retrospective effect can be applicable in the new bill. "Whether the retrospective effect will be there or not will be clear when the bill is tabled in the assembly," he said.On the other hand, retired justice of Allahabad high court Shyamal Sen, who is heading the inquiry of the Saradha scam, said on Friday that he would submit the report within six months. First Published: Apr 26, 2013 18:20 IST


text:
Browse Artwork
- 1 / Converging Cultures
- 2 / Dreams and Visions
- 3 / History and Memory
- 4 / Ceremony and Society
- 5 / Cosmology and Belief
- 6 / Death
- 7 / Domestic Life
- 8 / Writing
- 9 / Portraits
- 10 / The Natural World
- 11 / The Urban Experience
- 12 / Conflict and Resistance
- 13 / The Body
|Iktinos and Kallikrates (architects); Pheidias (fl. c. 490–430 BC) (sculptor)
|ca. 447/6–433/2 BCE
|Chrysler Building
|William van Alen (American, 1882/3–1954)
|Steel frame, brick, concrete, masonry, and metal cladding
|Great Mosque
|Unknown artist(s), Niger Inland Delta, Mopti Region, Mali
|Mud brick and palm wood
|Ruins of the White Temple and Ziggurat
|Unknown artist(s). Uruk, Mesopotamia
|ca. 3200–3000 BCE
|Ara Pacis Augustae (Altar of Augustan Peace)
|Unknown artist(s), Rome
|St. Peter's Basilica and St. Peter's Square
|Michelangelo Buonarroti (Italian, 1475–1564), Carlo Moderno (Italian, 1556–1629), Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Italian, 1598–1680), et al.
|ca. 1506–1667
|Travertine marble
|Benjamin Franklin Parkway
|Paul Philippe Cret (French, 1876–1945) and Jacques Greber (French, 1882–1962) (designers)
|Pavement and trees
|The Gates, Project for Central Park, New York
|Christo (American, Bulgarian-born, b. 1935) and Jeanne-Claude (American, French-born, 1935-2009)
|Vinyl poles, nylon fabric, and metal bases
|The New York City Waterfalls
|Olafur Eliasson (Danish, b. 1967)
|Scaffolding and piping
|Fallingwater (exterior)
|Frank Lloyd Wright (American, 1867–1959)
|Concrete, steel, stone, and glass
|Villa Savoye
|Le Corbusier (Charles-Édouard Jeanneret) (Swiss, 1887–1965)
|Concrete and masonry
|The Red Ribbon
|Turenscape with the Graduate School of Landscape Architecture, Peking University. Kongjian Yu (Chinese, b. 1963) (principal designer)
|Designed July 2005–May 2006. Completed July 2006
|Fiber Steel
|Central Park (view of the Turtle Pond)
|Frederick Law Olmsted (American, 1822–1903) and Calvert Vaux (English, 1824–1895)
|Originally designed 1857
|Stone, earth, topsoil, water, various tree and plant species
|Hagia Sophia (exterior)
|Anthemius of Tralles (Greek, active 6th c.) and Isidorus of Miletus (Greek, active 6th c.) (architects)
|Begun 532–537
|Brick, stone, stucco, and other materials
|La Mezquita (Great Mosque) (interior)
|Unknown architect(s) (possibly Syrian), Andalucía (Islamic Spain)
|Umayyad Dynasty, begun ca. 784–86; enlarged in the 9th and 10th centuries
|Stone, brick, marble, porphyry, jasper, and other materials
|El Castillo (The Castle)
|Unknown architect(s), Mayan, Chichén Itzá, Yucatan, Mexico
|ca. 800–1000
|Aerial View of Notre Dame Cathedral
|Unknown architect(s), France
|ca. 1163–1345
|Unknown architect(s), Mecca
|Rebuilt multiple times; latest 17th century
|Granite and marble, covered with silk


text:
'Dallas' return offers last chance to appreciate Hagman
The first two episodes of "Dallas" 2.0, the TNT reboot of the classic nighttime soap, have all the fixin's for a juicy second season: Ewings fighting Ewings over money, the apparent return of one character's long-lost child, a surprise development in Sue Ellen's run for governor of Texas and the return of Christopher Ewing's wife, who, naturally, turns out not to be who she said she was.
These plot elements, and more, take up most of the back to back episodes airing Monday night, but what you'll remember are brief appearances of J.R. Ewing: As the scheming patriarch of the Ewing clan, Larry Hagman steals the show as he always has. Even in the first season, whenever he was onscreen, "Dallas" came alive. The rest of the time, we just waited for him to return.
The wait becomes even more meaningful this year, because we know he won't be around later in the season: Hagman completed five episodes of the second season before his Nov. 23 death.
Knowing that inevitably informs the experience of viewing the new season. We can't help noticing how frail he looks and the dry, slightly labored sound of his speaking voice.
Would we have noticed these things anyway? Yes, but knowing that the end is near only sharpens our awareness of his physical state weighed against a witty, powerful and beautifully nuanced performance.
Over the years, writers for film, TV and stage have intentionally used the certainty of a character's death as a dramatic device. "Sunset Boulevard," for example, begins with William Holden's body floating in Gloria Swanson's swimming pool. On stage, Marsha Norman's superb "'Night, Mother," which originally starred a young Kathy Bates, is about a young woman who plans to kill herself that night. The stage set for the 1983 American Repertory Theatre production included a number of clocks, set to real time. As the play progressed, the audience was always aware of those clocks, ticking toward the pre-announced moment when the daughter would take her life.
"Dallas" writer Cynthia Cidre obviously didn't know Hagman would die before filming for the new season was completed, so whatever foreshadowing viewers see in his performance is coincidental, albeit profound and powerful. In short, we miss Hagman already, not just because he was one of the best-known and most enduring stars of television, but also because it's hard to imagine "Dallas" being anywhere near as interesting without J.R. Ewing.
Oh, there are villains aplenty among the characters, especially John Ross (Josh Henderson), son of J.R. and Sue Ellen (Linda Gray). There's no question that John is a scamp, obsessively motivated by a desire to control the Ewing empire, largely because of how much he hates Bobby's (Patrick Duffy) son Christopher (Jesse Metcalf). But bad as John is, he's not yet the villain you love to hate that J.R. Ewing was. He lacks J.R.'s grace and wit, the delicious deviousness of the character. He's just not fun. The secret to Hagman's appeal as J.R. was that he was evil and fun at the same time.
When you try to figure out how much of a character is in an actor's performance and how much is defined by the script, look to Hagman's J.R.: As worthy as the scripts have been, it's what Hagman did with them, how much he savored the dialogue, that made J.R. Ewing one of the most memorable characters in television.
Henderson is a decent actor and not hard on the eyes. But his villainy is cold-blooded, flinty and graceless compared to J.R. The elder Ewing may have found having a conscience to be an inconvenience, but he exuded a steady stream of old-fashioned charm as he went about thwarting anyone who got in his way. If John Ross is to be the new J.R., both Henderson and Cidre need to step up their games.
It's not just comedy that's hard compared to dying: Villainy is tough as well. Consider some of TV's current crop of bad guys and gals: Boyd Crowder in "Justified," Carl Elias in "Person of Interest" and, with much less creativity, Victoria Grayson on "Revenge." Margo Martindale won her Emmy for "Justified" because she made Mags Bennett almost warmly maternal and ruthless at the same time. Kate Burton's guest arc as Sally Langston in "Scandal" fascinates us because she is a consummate politician, barely able to cloak her boundless personal ambition.
To be fair, no other villain needed to be that interesting in "Dallas" as long as J.R. was around. But if the series is to remain viable beyond this season, it needs a character at least somewhat worthy of filling the void that will be left by J.R.'s death. The options include Rebecca Sutter and Ann Ewing's (Brenda Strong) ex-husband, Harris Ryland (Mitch Pileggi), who guest-starred last season but is a series regular this year. Ryland is the stronger candidate, in part because Julie Gonzalo remains the weak link in the cast. We never quite believed her last season and still don't now, no matter who her character reveals herself to be.
Even if the producers develop a new primary villain, we know "Dallas" will never be the same without Hagman. Those cowboy boots he left behind are just too big to fill.
The "Dallas" season two premiere airs at 9 p.m. Monday, Jan. 28, on TNT.
Puerto Ricans in New London call for resignation of island's governor
Supreme Court Justice Stevens remembered for 'deep devotion' to law


text:
After all, we think a 14 year old should be in control of her body enough to decide on her own to have an abortion, so why isn't she old enough to consent to sex?
I'm thinking about this because of a case that's in the news today:
Kaitlyn Hunt, or "Kate," has just refused a plea deal in a case that has focused the nation on discriminatory prosecutions and ways in which LGBT people are treated differently by some prosecutors. Kate Hunt, a high school senior who began a consensual relationship with a classmate three years her junior, when she was 17, was arrested when she turned 18 after her girlfriend's parents demanded her arrest and expulsion from school.
The Florida prosecutor, Brian Workman, offered her a deal vastly different from those generally offered to teens in her situation engaged in opposite-sex consensual relationships. Instead of offering her a misdemeanor charge Hunt is being charged with two felonies. Her plea deal would include her being forced to register as a sex offender for the rest of her life, no possibility of her case being overturned or records sealed, and forced to serve two years' house arrest.
"Hunt will appear in court June 20, and could face 15 years in prison if convicted... (source)
I'm curious what your thoughts are on the question in the subject line as well as on this case.
Views: 4404
I am in no way an expert on this, but I think at 14 people's brains, and therefore critical reasoning abilities, are not yet fully developed. Of course I don't think that anything magical happens to anyone's brain when he or she turns 18, but there is a huge difference in executive functioning between a 14 year old and, say, a 25 year old. I don't have sources for this but it is what I remember from human development, neurology, and neurological rehabilitation aspects of my education as an occupational therapist.
Now I work with elderly folks, and this comes into play a lot when people have dementia. There is a theory that relates to cognition called retrogenesis. It holds that as dementia progresses, in general, people's cognitive and physical abilities proceed in reverse order from the way they developed in youth. The practical result of this is that at a certain point in the dementia process, which correlates to early teenage years, people become less able to care for themselves independently. Their capacity for judgment, insight, safety awareness, organization, abstract thinking, and problem solving is diminished. They begin to have difficult with higher-level everyday tasks such as money management, medication management, response to emergency situations, etc.,, and need more assistance to live on their own.
Of course many folks, as much as 14 year olds, don't recognize this is going on. The irony is they lack the insight necessary to understand their decreased insight, and think that they don't need any help at all.
So, a 14 year old has something analogous to dementia which they will eventually grow out of?
In that case why do we (many of us) argue that a 14 year old should be allowed to get an abortion without the permission of her guardians, who are expected to protect her?
I don't know. Probably for the same reasons 18 year olds are allowed to fight and die for their country but can't be trusted to have a beer. It does seem a bit arbitrary and contradictory.
I'm afraid I need to call out a flaw in this argument. I believe you realize it already; the argument of the 14 year-old brain not being as developed as a 25 year old is accurately binding the range from which we become emotionally volatile (roughly 11-14) to the age we finally understand consequence, long-term planning, permanency, and regulating intense emotions (20-25).
It would seem that you have bypassed acknowledging that an 18 year-old would be in the same position mentally as the 14 year-old. Why is the 14 year-old being tended as the victim but not the 18 year-old? If anything, the 18 year-old is now subject to more mental turmoil due to the social and legal singling out and stigmatization of her actions and behaviors that are neurologically just as awkward, intense, genuine, and passionate as the 14 year-old.
To further punctuate this, the 18 year-old can possibly be just as 'victimized' by a 25 year-old as a 14 year-old would since the frontal lobe is the last to develop into adulthood.and standardly after 20 years of age. The 18 year-old being closer to that occurring is still not "has occurred".
The law stipulates that an 18 year old can make their own decisions, not so when it comes to 14 year olds. This is how the 18 year old can be viewed as a sexual predator, by being thought to be legally competent to make sexual choices.
Yet, we have the glaring exception that in many a jurisdiction a 14 year old is allowed to get an abortion on her own without consultation with and permission from her parents. That's an important decision, just like deciding to have sex. Why say one is okay but the other isn't, and what are the premises of the argument that supports that distinction?
Sometimes parents won't want their 14 year old to be having sex. Is this no longer a parent's business.
I'm sorry abuse occurs, but are we now assuming that that's the case to such an extent that we no longer want more details but just say "Okay, go get an abortion if that's what you want?"
Does that end the abuse? What is the purpose, then?
I'm pointing out that the ability to have an abortion is giving the woman control over her body.
So is letting her decide when and with whom to have sex. And if she isn't ready to have control over her body for sex, then perhaps she's simply not ready to have control over her body for anything.
Thanks Belle, that's a really good link
We don't even require adults to be capable of determining the consequences of their own actions. We just prosecute them when they fuck up.
Anyway, there's no question of allowing 14 year olds to have sex. It's not like they're going to ask permission.
Your link makes a good case for regarding people as, basically, mental children until age 25. Is that your position?
By the standards suggested by that link humans shouldn't be making decisions at all until they are 25 years old!
But the development of basic personal boundaries and values is finished long before that age - this is the basis of consent, not an understanding of future consequence. No human being can accurately project consequences. They might be able to do it better as they age but it is never perfected. "But they might not be able to live with the consequences". The vast majority of human beings that survive into adulthood seem to be pretty adept at this; given that the world population is in the many billions and growing it's a pretty sure bet that a great number of us manage to do that. Will 14-year olds get into abusive relationships? Yep. Will adults 25 years old and older get into abusive relationships? Definitely. Prevention is difficult or impossible but recovery is not - give people a clear path of escape and the encouragement to do so and you have a better solution. Additionally support them afterwards. Otherwise? Leave them alone to make their own lives and relationships. The fact that you want to protect them is an admirable human trait but you have to respect their ability to choose or you are just trading one form of abuse for another.
I think, Richard, that it may be safe to say that most people don't recognize a mistake until after they've made it.
I agree completely. Having sex exposes her to the hazard of pregnancy (and STDs), when she is much too young to assume the burden, risk, and responsibility of bearing a child. But having an abortion returns her to a condition similar to her pre-sex status. Instead of plunging her into great, unfamiliar responsibilities, it relieves her of an agonizing dilemma and removes the danger of confessing to her parents, who may punish her severely or forbid an abortion.


text:
- Drill Pullover
- Real Teal/White
- 60% cotton/40% polyester
- Adidas refoil logo embroidered on chest
- Kangaroo pocket
- 3 stripes branding on sleeves
- Regular fit
Back with another 80'/90's vibe, this is the Drill Pullover in the Real Teal/White colourway from Adidas. This pullover is made of 60% cotton and 40% polyester and has a regular fit. It features the original Adidas trefoil logo embroidered on the top of the chest, the 3 stripes branding on the sleeves, a kangaroo pocket and an elastic band on hem and cuffs.
Payment can be made online by any credit or debit card, or by Paypal.
Our site uses the latest 128 bit SSL security, complying with and exceeding all necessary security requirements to protect your details. We do not store any sensitive information (card number, etc).
SSL encrypts your order online to avoid any decoding of that information of anyone other than the necessary processing parties. To check the security of your connection, look at the status bar of your browser window after accessing the server. If you see an unbroken key or a closed lock then, depending upon your browser, SSL is active. You can also double check by looking at the URL line of your browser - while accessing a secure server the first characters of the address will change from HTTP to HTTPS.
UK Delivery (click here for full details)
Courier orders placed before 3pm Monday - Friday will be delivered next working day.
European and International delivery
We ship all over Europe and Worldwide from £9, this rate depends on the weight of the parcel and your location, for a proper quote add items to your basket and select your country.
For full delivery details click here
We understand that there may be a need to return goods for a refund or exchange, so we have made the process as simple as possible by offering easy returns when you return your item, see returns page for full T&C's
We aim process your return within 1 working day of it arriving on our premises.
Please click here for full details.


text:
Items in Job Cart:
Job Seekers
Helpful Links
Salary Calculator
City Guides
City Info.
News Break
Compare Cost of Living
Today's Survey
How would you rate your online job search experience?
View Results
Search Form
Search Results
Job Preview
Email Job
Job Cart
Driver for Retirement Community Residents
To apply directly to this job, please click on the Apply button. To apply later, click on the Add to Cart button.
Company Name:
Job #:
Job Type:
Full Time
Job Category:
Lakeway, TX
Job Description:
Full Time Driver for Retirement Community Residents
Brookdale Lakeway 2 1917 Lohmans Crossing Rd Lakeway, TX 78734
Job #: BSL7249420
. Bringing new life to senior living.
Your responsibilities:
* Provide safe, reliable, courteous and efficient transportation service for our residents to on-and-off-campus appointments, errands and community activities
* Assist residents in and out of the vehicle, utilizing the wheelchair lift/stairs as needed; opens, closes and loads/unloads walkers and wheelchairs
* Ensure resident safety and satisfaction are priorities, and account for presence of all residents when leaving or returning to community
* Keep the community vehicle clean and properly maintained, including fueled at all times
* Prepare the bus for operation and coordinate necessary vehicle maintenance
Required Skills:
Required skills and qualifications:
* High school diploma or GED
* Valid state Driver''s License and Clean Motor Vehicle Record (MVR)
* One year of related transportation experience preferred, including experience in a long-term care setting
* Flexible schedule, including availability to work evenings, weekends and holidays as needed
* Must have compassion for and desire to work with the elderly
If you''re a Brookdale associate, please consider referring someone through the Good People Program!
Brookdale is an EOE-(Equal Opportunity Employer) and drug-free workplace.
Brookdale offers a number of benefits to full-time associates including, but not limited to: medical, dental, vision, disability, life, paid time off, educational reimbursement. All associates, age 21 and older, are eligible to participate in the 401(k) retirement savings plan.
Tuesday - Jul. 16, 2019
© 2001 - 2019 JobsExcite.com - All Rights Reserved.


text:
Ika Musume Wallpaper For Arch Linux
Inspired by: http://m4he.deviantart.com/art/Ika-chan-invades-my-Arch-Linux-253854891
You know what grinds my gears? When someone posts in-use wallpaper without sources. It doesn't even have to be the wallpaper itself, but at least provide a working link! Sheesh!
Well, I've done one better. Just want the wallpaper? Download the PNGs. Want to to move Ika Musume around, use a different background, or replace the Arch logo with another Linux distro's logo? Download the XCF and have at it.
Standard Aspect Ratio
Widescreen Aspect Ratio
Soure file: http://www.bw-tech.net/img/ika%20musume%20arch%20linux%2016%3A10.xcf


text:
This is my entry for a social design contest to create a new check patterned fabric for weavers in Bangladesh to produce and sell. The design is supposed to convey the idea of hope. Following is how it would look repeated, then the explanation for my design.
When life is joyous, we all feel hope. But when joy is gone, we can find hope in the natural order that surrounds us. A glimpse of the beauty and artistry that connects all things revives this harmony that is also here in us. We remember joy and suffering passes. This is hope itself.
I used Fibonacci proportions – a near ubiquitous ratio in nature — to convey the idea of progress. This series begins with zero. Add one to zero and get one. Add one and one together and get two, two and one together and get three, three and two together and get five, etc.
So the pattern begins each direction with two stripes of one cm: we are born in one "self," but with a consciousness that we as humans share. This is the additional "one" that combines with our original "one" to make progress. Whether we are aware or not, it is part of the order of nature and this too is hope. We are never just one alone.
To take the meaning further, the horizontal lines represent our internal self: from the reddish brown "ground," up to the leafy green canopy of thought, we bleed (red) and yearn (magenta) for love.
The vertical lines are our path forward, from the initial layer of golden innocence we are born with, to the vast blue sky of possibility that is always before us. The white stripe of consciousness leads to knowledge (light gold) and compassion (pale pink) which brings a depth of humility and wisdom (aqua). The overlapping of path and self results in some surprising colors – giving a unique richness and variety to our experience. At the center of it all is pure balance and clarity – the highest source of hope.
The final stripe in each direction is eight cm, symbolizing the musical octave, the full circle of the primordial sound of om. To me, the final hope of life is to gain an understanding of that from which we came and to which we return, the infinite. The ultimate evolution of self is to become this infiniteness. Yet "this" already is. The mystery that nature embodies in such an ordered and measurable way is testament, should we ever be in doubt, of the infinite reality of hope. Hope is here at this moment for everyone and we share it together.


text:
Listings in the phone book, both paper and electronic, and in the e-mail Global Address List (GAL) originate from several university data sources, with information provided by individuals and various units.
Faculty and staff organizations
Complete this form.
Any changes will be reflected in the next update of the online phone book and GAL, which both can take a few weeks, and the printed phone book, which is produced annually. When changes are received by the Telecommunications Office, they are immediately updated with university operators.
Contact data for organizations, including groups of students, faculty or staff, originates from the Telecommunications Office. Follow the steps below to update information:
Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118 504-865-5000 email@example.com


text:
X-Men: Mutant Mishmosh
or Minor Marvel?
Hugh Jackman as Wolverine
Patrick Stewart as Professor X
Halle Berry, simply awful as Storm
Famke Janssen as Dr. Jean Grey
Rebecca Romijn as Mystique
Photos courtesy of
Twentieth Century Fox
By C. Antonio Romero
SAN FRANCISCO, 15 August 2000 - X-Men, the latest attempt to bring a Marvel Comics property to the screen, was one of the more high-risk entries in this summer's blockbuster derby.
The movie had a lot to contend with. For starters, Marvel has shown little skill in bringing their properties to the screen - the stylish but sloppy Blade has been their best so far. And no Marvel character has achieved the universal familiarity of a Superman or Batman in popular culture, where the fun is in how each interpretation fills in the details. X-Men would have to start from scratch, laying out involved exposition for an ensemble-cast story and still managing to tell a story in its own right.
Further, the moral universe of X-Men is less clear-cut than that of DC Comics' modern myths, turning on an audacious if heavy-handed allegory of anti-Semitism. The backstory: Mutants with extraordinary powers - the next step in human evolution - are born in increasing numbers in the human population, live among normal humans, often in secret, and, it is feared, use, or could use, their mysterious powers to manipulate normals and ultimately achieve their subjugation. An anti-mutant groundswell builds worldwide - a crusading US Senator lobbies round the clock for mutant registration laws, images of internment camps hang in the air. World leaders gather at Ellis Island seeking a global solution to the mutant question.
In the face of this hysteria, "evil" mutants, led by concentration-camp survivor Erik Magnus Lehnsherr ("Magneto"), see a war between humans and normals as inevitable, and choose to defend themselves against inferior normals by any means available. (The ethics of this get rather tangled; if a Holocaust survivor embraces the idea of belonging to a genetically superior race, well... in this case he may be right; and experience past and present has left him little reason to hope for peaceful coexistence.).
The "good" mutants, then, are those who, on principle, stand in defense of the humanity that despises them against their fellow mutants. Charles Xavier ('Professor X'), an immensely powerful telepath, runs a school for "gifted children", where young mutants learn to manage their powers and live in peace with humanity. Many graduates, it seems, opt to live in the closet after graduation, but a few of his best - Scott Summers ("Cyclops"), Ororo Munroe ("Storm"), and the prosaically named Dr. Jean Grey - become the X-Men, openly defending mutants in the court of public opinion, and secretly battling the forces led by Magneto.
Into this situation stumble two new mutants - teenager Rogue, who drains the life from anyone she touches (and who can thus "borrow" the powers of other mutants), and Wolverine, an amnesiac with miraculous healing powers, a virtually indestructible metal-reinforced skeleton, and signature razor-sharp claws. These two quickly become the center of a tug-of-war between Magneto and Professor X, each of whom has his motives for gathering mutants.
And yet, marshalling all their powers of storytelling, the intrepid team that brought X-Men to the screen find a way to pull victory from this difficult material. Blade taught Marvel a few lessons: get capable direction, a solid story (Blade's greatest weakness), and a top-notch cast. What's amazing is that they get all three, more or less. The team's surprise leader, director Bryan Singer, was a perfect choice, having already run one great cast through the tortured story of The Usual Suspects. And as with Professor X, he may have been the key to assembling the rest of the team.
As for the cast, headliners Patrick Stewart (as Professor X) and Sir Ian McKellen (as Magneto) summon their considerable powers of gravitas to make the whole thing bearable. And if the supporting mutants are not up to the level of the headliners, all (except Halle Berry, simply awful as Storm) are adequate. Singer is smart enough to foreground the two strongest members of the supporting cast, who also have the most interesting roles in the story - Anna Paquin, who does a fine job as tormented teen Rogue, and Australian veteran Hugh Jackman, who captures Wolverine's short fuse and sardonic wit.
The story is the real miracle here, and the place where X-Men literally snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Singer teams with writer Tom DeSanto to build a coherent plot out of difficult material with far too many characters. Even with that hurdle cleared, though, X-Men could have fallen apart, but for a last-minute bold decision to cut the film from 150 minutes to 90. For X-Men, less was definitely more. Many scenes become telegraphic, and two jarring lines of dialogue hang oddly in mid-air, but much of the missing hour was clearly expository material that would have weakened the film's narrative focus. The scenes trimmed are well-chosen, based on how much (or little) they contribute to Wolverine and Rogue's story. (And these two really are the axis of the story - the reception that they receive from Xavier is the key to understanding his project, and they are both central to Magneto's nefarious plot.)
Like any good Marvel superhero, though, the film has its imperfections - here, unfortunately, they're mostly in the script. Whatever the strength of the story, the dialogue is uneven; if it only becomes truly awful at one or two moments, flashes of real wit, even from Wolverine, are rare. The other surprising let-down is the action - the fight scenes are... ordinary, never approaching the fever-pitch ballet of Blade, much less 1999's super-flick The Matrix. Wolverine clashes adequately with shapeshifter Mystique (supermodel Rebecca Romijn-Stamos in painted-on blue silicone), but only Ray Park (once Darth Maul, the one watchable thing in The Phantom Menace) has real superhuman moves. The inevitable sequel, which will grow from the great open question of this film - who is Wolverine, really? - will have to do much better on both counts. (Suggestions: borrow Blade's director for the action scenes, and lock him in a room with a print of The Matrix for a week before turning him loose. And send the cast to Hong Kong for action training.)
But these weaknesses, while serious, aren't enough to undo what's right about the movie - engaging central characters, a solid cast and a plot that leaves audiences wanting more. X-Men is perhaps better thought of as a pilot for a series, rather than a standalone feature film. It's far from perfect, but good enough to win audiences over for now, and good enough to evolve into a better sequel.
Best moment: Cyclops checks Wolverine's ID...
C. Antonio Romero is a writer and engineer based in Silicon Valley. He is the Nouveau editor of Culturekiosque.com
If you value our reviews, please tell a friend or join our mailing list!
email to editors |
Back to Nouveau |
Back to Culturekiosque


text:
Janet Shook Leitao
Janet Shook Leitao
I am a dancer from the Western United states who found Nia while working as a dancer and dance teacher in Istanbul, Turkey. My work has always been based on the spiritual and transformative power of movement and I always look to folk and indigineous dance ritual for inspiration as well as modern techniques to expand our bodies possibilities. Nia is for me the answer to a professional dancers problem in the performance of dance outweighing the joy of the dance. I transfer this to my students, who may not want to be professional dancers in any way... just beings living and experiencing their bodies and spirits in unification.
My research outside of Nia integrates many cultural dance forms, contemporary dance (Univeristy of Utah Modern Dance Dept.), Rolfing, Feldenkrais, Alexandre Technique, Yoga, Tai Chi, and working with musicians to understand the importance of the body-music connection.
I now live in Portugal with my husband and am about to birth my first child.
My Nia Classes
|10:00am - 11:30am
estrelas day spa
|view this class


text:
PMS, amenorrhea, endometriosis, blocked fallopian tubes, immune system incongruities, and infertility related hormonal problems yield to many of these old world (traditional) procedures. Furthermore, herbal formulas that tonify the Kidney energy (renal and adrenal function), and Kidney essence (jing) are especially beneficial in raising sperm count and motility. The highly technical and expensive methods used in Western Medicine are supported by the complimentary set of procedures and herbal recommendations. In addition to the use of Acupuncture, TCM and herbal formulas, complete treatment programs also include a series of Qi Kung (pronounced chee gung) healing energy exercises to enhance the flow of specific meridians. These exercises, which were developed by Chinese Taoists (metaphysicians) over 3,000 years ago, stimulate the flow of intrinsic energy in the body which, in turn, enhances health and benefits organ function. The meditative dance-like movements which coordinate with specific visualizations, exercise and oxygenate the blood, while at the same time, enhance one's artistic nature. In the oriental sexological literature there are also specific sexual positions that enhance a man's sperm count and motility as well as regulating a woman's cycle. There are currently a number of studies being conducted in the United States and Europe that are focused on understanding the effects of these techniques. Longevity and regaining a persons youthfulness are key topics.
There are several advantages to using Traditional Chinese Medicine as an approach to heightening a couple's fertility.
Some Advantages of Using Traditional Chinese Medicine


text:
Update your password regularly to keep your account safe.
Elite Status Progress
Lifetime Diamond
With Lifetime Diamond, there is no expiration and no re-qualifying for your status - ever again!
Skip brand navigation
skip form
Where are you going?
City, Airport, Address, Attraction, Hotel
No search results found.
results were found. Press up and down key to select.
Use flexible dates
Promotion/Offer Code:
Group Code:
Corporate Account:
Use Points
Travel Agent
AAA Rate *
AARP Rate *
Senior Rate *
Government / Military Rates *
* ID required at check-in
Skip secondary navigation
Find where we are located
View the Maps & Directions Page
Need guest rooms or meeting space for your group, meeting or special event?
Your next trip could be twice as rewarding. Book the 2X Points Package and get Double Points.
View Offer Details
The Hilton Garden Inn Denver/Highlands Ranch hotel is ideally located in the Highlands Ranch Business Park close to major corporate offices, including Alcatel-Lucent, Arcadis, Avaya, and Lockheed-Martin. Take the complimentary shuttle to Aspen Grove Shopping & Dining Center, Ice Ranch Rink or other attractions within a five-mile radius of the hotel. Enjoy easy access to downtown Denver, located just 15 miles from the hotel.
Discover the latest technology, excellent meeting and event facilities, great dining and recreational activities in this Highlands Ranch hotel. With 4,500 sq. ft. of versatile event space, the hotel can host events for up to 300 guests. Start the day right with a cooked-to-order breakfast in the Great American Grill. In the evenings, relax in the cozy Pavilion Lounge for dinner. The fitness center and indoor pool allow you to keep up your exercise regime on the road. Stay productive in contemporary guest rooms and suites with complimentary high-speed internet access and a 32-inch HDTV.
Find all you need for business and relaxation in an inviting guest room at the Hilton Garden Inn Denver/Highlands Ranch hotel. We offer a long list of thoughtful amenities and services. Choose a room with stunning Rocky Mountain views or stay in a suite for a separate sitting area with a sofa bed. Enjoy the latest technology with complimentary high-speed internet access at the spacious work desk with ergonomic chair, remote printing, a 32-inch HDTV, and clock radio with MP3 connection. Prepare snacks with the microwave and refrigerator or simply kick back and relax on the comfy bed.
Let us worry about the details throughout your stay at our Denver hotel. Get your day off to a great start with a cooked-to-order breakfast each morning at the Great American Grill®. Pick up convenient items in the Pavilion Pantry®. In the evening, enjoy freshly prepared American favorites in the relaxed setting of the Pavilion Lounge or in the comfort of your room.
Plan your Highlands Ranch event in our 4,500 sq. ft. of versatile meeting space, an ideal venue for your wedding, corporate or social event for up to 300 people. A 24-hour fully equipped Business Center lets you stay productive. Enjoy a stress-relieving workout in the fitness center, wind down after hectic days with a dip in the indoor pool with whirlpool or work out in-room with a complimentary Stay Fit Kit® .
Our goal is to make your stay better and brighter. If something isn't just the way you like it, simply let any hotel team member know, and we will make it right. Guaranteed


text:
This year we got to start out by pushing the snow off the tarp and then un-tarping, our favorite thing to do! But it wasn't as bad as last year and we managed to get it off rather quickly so we really can't complain.
After grabbing a quick lunch downstairs Thursday we got our seats on the bus. While a lot of my teammates immediately closed their eyes there were a few still looking around. Off to Athens we go!
We finally get to Athens and have a nice team dinner at Chili's, then it's off to the hotel and time for bed. We have an early morning. Breakfast Friday is at 6:40 a.m. and depart for the field at 7:15. I wish I could say it wasn't freezing but there was still frost on the dirt, the dugouts, and the grass so that would be a bold face lie.
Once we got going though it warmed up, after a tough 1-0 loss to East Carolina we got to take on Iowa and beat them 5-4. We had an early day but also finished early which meant that we got to have a nice team lunch at Ali Watson's house. Her family made the most amazing food! We all left "SO" full!
In my room it was Mackie (Mackenzie Tucker) and I sleeping and then Court (Courtney Billingon) went off to study and write a lab report…YUCK! After a good 2 ½- hour nap we woke up and went to dinner.
Saturday was a later start for us so we got to sleep in. We took on Illinois State in the afternoon and lost 2-0. After a game break we had Maryland up next and we jumped out to a 3-0 lead but ended up losing 4-3.
We ended up finishing late that night so most of us showered and went to bed early. We had to mentally prepare to take on Georgia which is the No. 3 team in the country, but we're Lipscomb and we can hang with anyone and we all believe that. Our game got pushed back so we started at about 4. We jumped out to 2-0 lead but Georgia responded with one run, so we came back with another to make it a 3-1 game going into the bottom of the sixth. They had a big inning and ended up taking the lead 7-3.
In the top of the seventh we got another run back when Bridgette Begle led off with a single and whit (Whitney Kiihnl) moved her to second with a hit. Bree (Breanna Thurman) came up and singled to score Bridgette.
The final score was 7-4 but we took a lot away from this weekend. We aren't going to hang our heads because it's still early and there is always a lot of room for improvement but come May we'll be unstoppable.
Vanessa Medina is a red-shirt sophomore. She will be providing blogs on a weekly basis this season on the Lady Bisons softball team.


text:
What's inside? Here are the questions answered in today's reader mailbag, boiled down to five word summaries. Click on the number to jump straight down to the question.
1. Renting or selling land
2. My religion
3. College cash and investing
4. Transportation dilemma
5. Drawbacks of ebooks
6. Retirement and student loans
7. Walking away?
8. Garden vegetable choices
9. Roth 401(k) and Roth IRA?
10. Alternate oil choices in playdough
The main floor of our home has a large number of trays spread about, each full of seedlings.
Little green tips are just starting to peek through the surface here and there. Before too long, they'll be ready to transplant outside.
These are the first steps toward a bountiful harvest later this summer.
Q1: Renting or selling land
My parents recently inherited 137 acres (total) of farmland from their parents, who died this past year. 100 of that 137 is tied up in a trust with other siblings, so I'm going to focus on the 37 here. My mother wants to sell her 37 acres so she can pay off her debt and finally be debt-free. I definitely support her desire to be debt-free. However, I feel that it is going to be financially more beneficial for her to keep ownership of the land and rent it out via cash rent.
In Iowa right now, land is renting for between $300-400/acre per month and selling at a minimum of $6,000/acre. I'm not exactly sure how the income tax works on rented vs. sold land, but here is the way I'm calculating the profits:
Renting 37 acres every year: 37 x 300 (monthly rent) = 11,100 x 12 (per year) = $133, 200 per year of income on the owned land, before income and property taxes
Selling 37 acres of land: 37 x 6000 (assuming the lowest value) = $222,000 total before income taxes
Now, after doing the math, the right path seems obvious to me. In two years, my mother would earn in cash rent what she had made if she sold the land. Is there anything I'm missing? I want to be able to show her this so she understands that it is much more beneficial to her in the long run to keep renting the land. But I want to make sure I'm understanding this correctly before I go to her with any of this information. Would you consult a lawyer and accountant in this case as well to determine what is the most financially beneficial route? My gut instinct is to never sell the land as the income will not only benefit my mother for the rest of her life, but then benefit me and my children for years to come.
– Linda
Since I live in Iowa and am friends with and related to quite a few farmers, I will say that the value of farmland is mostly pegged to the value of a bushel of corn and/or a bushel of soybeans – or at least the expected value of a bushel over the next year or two. Land values are also being buoyed by very low interest rates, meaning farmers can borrow money to pay for the land with very little interest attached.
I will certainly say that if a bushel of corn drops by 50%, you'll not be able to find a farmer willing to rent land at $300 per acre, and the price for selling that acre will drop significantly, too. The same is true if interest rates start to rise.
The real question here is what will grain prices do and what will interest rates do? If grain prices stay high and interest rates stay low, the best thing to do is to rent, as you'll make more money that way. If grain prices drop and/or interest rates rise, then you would have been better off selling and locking in those high values, as farmers will be unable to pay very much per month per acre to rent.
My personal gut feeling is that your mother should sell the land and eliminate her debts. A lot of factors are working against her if she holds onto the land – the interest rate on her debts, the future of corn and soybean prices, and the future of bank interest rates.
If you need some further guidance, I'd suggest talking to a lawyer in Iowa that specializes in farmland and farm inheritance, as that person should be able to guide you.
Q2: My religion
I'm curious what's your take on religion. Do you believe in god? Do you teach your kids about this? How do you handle this?
– Kevin
Religion is something I enjoy studying and find deeply fascinating. My personal spirituality is something I struggle with greatly. I am constantly asking questions and trying to dig down and find answers, and often that just ends up being a cycle.
I call myself a Christian. I participate in a Lutheran (ELCA) church that's pretty friendly and open. My wife often jokes that our church is mostly a big collection of Americans of Scandinavian descent who like to have potlucks (the NPR show A Prairie Home Companion can be eerily accurate at times). My children go to the Sunday school there, which is mostly a telling of a Bible story, followed by an art project and cookies. I'd pull my kids out of there immediately if I felt like they were being indoctrinated or forced into anything. My children ask a lot of questions and I answer them as best I can, but if they don't end up being Christians, I don't feel as though I failed them as long as they've followed their own spiritual journey and thought about the issues at hand.
While I have some things I hold to be true for myself, I don't feel the need to evangelize to others because I feel that people are best served coming to their own answers about issues of faith, even if those answers end up being different than mine. If someone asks me privately about specific issues, I'll answer, but I don't think there's anything wrong at all about having a different perspective than I have.
One of my greatest wishes for the world would be that everyone in it would wake up tomorrow and think, "It's fine that other people think differently about God and about faith than I do. Let's sit down over dinner and have a nice non-confrontational chat about it. At the very least, I'll learn something new."
Q3: College cash and investing
I am senior in college and in need of some suggestions. I am not sure what I should do with additional cash that I have from working at during my studies at college. Should I open up a high yield savings account or CD's, or traditional or Roth IRA? I will not need the money for a few years.
– Ronald
If you're going to use that money before retirement and want to have access to the money you've earned while it was saved or invested, then I wouldn't consider a Roth IRA or a traditional IRA. Those both work best when you're saving specifically for retirement.
Right now, a CD won't earn you significantly more than you'd earn in a savings account due to the depressed interest rates. Of course, a savings account won't earn you much, either. The advantage both have is that they're insured by the FDIC, which means you're not going to lose money on them. If you were to choose to invest your money in stocks or something via a brokerage account, you're going to take on risk and a decent chance of loss, especially over a short period like a few years.
What this really comes down to is goals. What do you hope to do with that money? Are you going to graduate in May? Do you have a job? If you're about to graduate and don't have a job, I'd keep the money in a savings account because you may really need it soon. If you have a job locked up and are looking further down the road at things like a house or a car, I would consider putting some of it in a shorter term CD, but I wouldn't lock up all of it (you still need an emergency fund, after all). If it's truly for retirement, I'd probably put it in a Roth IRA. If it's for starting your own business in fifteen years, I'd look at a brokerage account of some kind and invest it in stocks outside of an IRA.
It's all about your goals, because your goals tell you how much risk you can tolerate and how liquid you need that money to be.
Q4: Transportation dilemma
I'm 27, have no cc debt, own a car that is fully paid off, and have about 50k in student loans (10k of which is at 6.55%, the rest is around 3%). I have about 10k in savings and 30k split between a Roth IRA and 401k. I currently live in southern CA, but my boyfriend and I are moving to DC (where I grew up) to be with family and friends. My parents have generously offered to let me live rent-free with them in order to expedite paying off my student loans, which is my biggest priority right now. My bf is going to rent an apartment nearby.
My boyfriend and I plan to drive his car across county to DC. The question is what to do with my car. I own a 2006 Mitsubishi eclipse. It has about 70,000 miles on it and needs a new timing belt, but other than that is in great condition. Its blue book value is around 9k (assuming I put in a new timing belt). I do not anticipate finding a job that will pay my relocation expenses and have estimated that it will cost $1,500 to have my car transported back home. I don't think I could make the drive back in my car to DC on my own, so that is not an option.
I find myself torn on what to do! In scenario 1) I keep my car, pay $1,500 to transport it and run the car into the ground, as it is fully paid off. I hesitate about this decision as I feel like I'm outgrowing this car and am looking to have a car that has more space and could possible carry children in the not too distant future. Plus does it make sense to pay that much money to transport a car with a low value to it already?
In scenario 2) I sell the car and then buy another used car in DC. I'd want something reliable as the weather and traffic in DC isn't easy to navigate and am thinking of using some of my savings to purchase something used around 12k or so. But then I also feel like this is delaying me from reaching my main object – paying off my student loans!
In scenario 3) I sell the car and then use public transportation. DC has a pretty good public transportation system so I was leaning toward option #3. My parents home (where I will be living) is about a mile from the metro and is fairly near bus stops. I was considering selling my car and attempting to see if I could just take the metro to work. When I mentioned this to my parents, they seemed to think I was absolutely nuts. They have never not had a car and my mom gets lost easily on the metro – so I think that could be part of their bias. But with that said, if I do sell my car and attempt to use the metro, I could very easily see them offering to drive me places rather than let me use the metro. They can be very giving and I don't want to burden them, just because I am being frugal.
So any thoughts on my current predicament?
– Leona
If you have a strong sense of the availability of public transportation, I would lean toward option #3 as well. DC does have great public transportation (I've used it myself during an earlier stage in my career) and if there's an easy way to get from your place of residence to the public transportation system, that's pretty close to a dealmaker.
If you're making the case to your parents, suggest that by selling the car you could immediately pay off the higher interest loan (or close to it), you'd no longer be paying insurance or fuel for upkeep so you'd have more to channel toward your debts.
If your mother is stressed about using the metro, I would show her exactly how you get to and from work when you have employment secured. Turn it from navigating a bunch of routes to a simple matter of "go to the bus stop, wait for bus X, ride bus X to the train station, get on train Y, get off at this stop, and you're right by my work!"
Q5: Drawbacks of ebooks
What are the bad aspects of having a Kindle? I know you and Sarah each have one and I've read so many positives. What are the negatives?
– Alan
There are simply some physical features of a book that a Kindle (or other e-reader) makes very difficult.
For example, if I'm using a book for reference, I often litter it with bookmarks. While bookmarking does exist on a Kindle, it's not nearly as intuitive as it is for a paper book.
Another issue is when a book is trying to teach a technique. The layout of a printed page has a lot of flexibility when it comes to picture arrangement, for example, and an e-reader just doesn't have that.
Of course, you could get many of these features on a tablet, but the actual experience of reading on a tablet is pretty hard on the eyes after a while. My eyes get blurry pretty quickly if I read a significant amount on a backlit screen.
My solution is to use a Kindle for a lot of my reading, but stick with real books for things like cookbooks and other reference books.
Q6: Retirement and student loans
My wife and I will be starting our medical residencies starting in July. We will be earning about $100,000 combined for the next three years. This will be both of our first jobs, and we have no credit card or vehicle debt, but about $300,000 in student loans combined (most at 6.8%, a much smaller amount at 3.6% and 8.0%). We would like to contribute about $5000 per year each to our retirement funds. Our hospitals offer 403(b) accounts without any matching. We are wondering whether we should (1) put our retirement savings in the 403(b) and use the savings from the deferred taxes towards our school loans or (2) put the retirement savings in a Roth IRA for the tax advantage when we are retired.
– Randall
If I were in your shoes, I would make absolutely sure that I was hitting my retirement targets before worrying about extra payments on those student loans.
Sit down with a good retirement calculator, like this one, and put in some numbers. Talk with your wife as you're doing this and make sure you're on the same page when it comes to your retirement goals. Eventually, you should be able to come up with an idea of what you ought to be saving each year.
So, what should you use? The usual recommended method is to invest in a 401(k)/403(b) up to the employer match limit (which for you is $0), then max out a Roth IRA, then put the rest into the 401(k)/403(b). This accomplishes a lot of good things – diversification for tax purposes and maximization of "free" matching money chief among them. You'll need to keep an eye on income limitations on the Roth if you do this, because the income limitations are lower if you're using your plan at work.
Once you're saving properly for retirement, see what you have left over for paying off those student loans.
By saving for retirement now, you're significantly reducing the amount you'll have to save for retirement each month throughout your career. If you wait ten years, the amount you'll need to save each month to reach your goals will skyrocket.
The only time you should cut back on the retirement savings is if it begins to look like you're not going to be able to make minimum payments on your student loans or collateralized debts. Given your income, this shouldn't be a problem.
Q7: Walking away?
Got myself into a little bit of a pickle during the housing boom/crash. Bought a newly built house for $145,000 in 2004. Then over the course of the next 2.5 years, I refinanced 3 times, taking advantage of some "pocket cash" opportunities. My employer filed for bankruptcy in June 2010 and cut my pay by 22%, none of which has yet been restored. I'm using maxxed out credit cards to help make ends meet for now. So I'm stuck in a home I for which I owe $192,000 and which has a value (according to zillow.com) of $71,400. I have a first and second mortgage, with payments adding up to $1,557 monthly. So, basically, I'm a prisoner in this home. It's close to my work, and it's big enough for my needs. I have a 15-yr-old and a 13-yr-old living at home with me as a 48-yr-old single dad. I live in AZ, meaning I can "strategically default" and only be held accountable for the total of the second mortgage, which is around $16K. I'd walk away in a heartbeat if not for the damage to my credit score. My question is this: would I be smarter to just stop paying the 1st and apply the whole $1557/month toward the second, and plan to do a short sale later in the process when I've paid a big chunk on the second? I know my credit score would dip into the 400s, but can I realistically expect to come out ahead on this mortgage by riding out the insanely huge underwater amount? I'm torn and conflicted. Any advice would be appreciated.
– Lonnie
The first thing I'd do is understand fully how the Arizona "strategic default" rules work. The right step here is to an Arizona property lawyer, since it seems as though the specifics of the laws regarding this have been changing steadily over the last few years due to court decisions.
What I'd suggest you think about in the interim is how important your credit rating is to you over the next several years. Are you going to need to make a major purchase that involves debt? If your plan to rent your home over the next several years and don't anticipate needing a car loan, I wouldn't worry too much about my credit and I'd focus on making moves that preserve the most money in your pocket.
Again, I think the best step for you is to talk this over with an Arizona property lawyer who specializes in such things.
Q8: Garden vegetable choices
What vegetables do you and Sarah plant in your garden? I have a patch of land where I could start a garden and am thinking about what to grow. I'm mostly interested in things that are easy to grow but produce veggies I can easily eat!
– Conrad
We plant mostly beans, tomatoes, and cucumbers each year. We eat these three vegetables by the pound in August and September and often end up freezing some for later in the fall and winter. The rest of our garden is perennial herbs and asparagus that are really low maintenance.
Honestly, part of the reason we grow these three vegetables is that they're pretty hard to mess up. While I like to garden, I don't exactly have the greenest thumb in the world, and the same is true with Sarah. Through all of our efforts to kill the plants in our garden due to our mistakes, we have the most luck not killing beans, tomatoes, and cucumbers.
I'd suggest visiting your local garden center and asking them for some very hardy and disease-resistant and pest-resistant examples of tomatoes, beans, and cucumbers, and plant those.
Q9: Roth 401(k) and Roth IRA?
I have a 401k with my company and if I contribute 9% they will match up to 8%. They also offer a Roth 401k version and the 8% is matched whether one is contributing to traditional or Roth 401k. I contribute 10% to traditional and 4% to Roth. The company 401k is setup through T Rowe Price. I also have a Roth IRA setup through Vanguard and I contribute $300 a month to it.
My question, does it make sense to contribute money to a Roth 401k and Roth IRA instead of just contributing to one, specifically my regular Roth IRA? If both Roths were equal in maintenance fees would the only benefit of the Roth 401k be that the money is taken out before I receive a paycheck? I am trying to maximize my take home pay now while still contributing the same level of money to retirement whether its through payroll deductions or after the fact. Thanks for your time and great work on the blog, I read it everyday.
– Patrick
The money that you put into a Roth IRA or a Roth 401(k) is post-tax money. In terms of contributions, they're pretty similar.
If you're contributing less than $5,000 per year and your income is significantly below $100,000 per year, the only difference between the two with respect to contributions is whether it comes home to you or not. The difference is, as you mention, maintenance fees and investment options.
This of course hints at some of the differences between the two. The Roth IRA has an income cap – if you earn much above $100,000 per year, you're going to find yourself unable to contribute the full amount to a Roth IRA. There's also an annual contribution limit for a Roth IRA, which is $5,000 a year if you're under the age of 50. There are other differences, too, such as the investment offerings.
Q10: Alternate oil choices in playdough
When making homemade playdough, can you use other oils besides soy? We have a soy allergy in our home.
– Amanda
The basic recipe for homemade playdough is 2 cups flour, 2 cups warm water, 1 cup salt, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, and 1 tablespoon cream of tartar.
You can use almost any kind of vegetable oil for the oil, so soy is not a requirement. I generally use whatever we have on hand.
The real key to making playdough is storing it in a sealed container so that it doesn't dry out after the first use. If you let it dry out, you might as well just toss it.
Got any questions? Email them to me or leave them in the comments and I'll attempt to answer them in a future mailbag (which, by way of full disclosure, may also get re-posted on other websites that pick up my blog). However, I do receive hundreds of questions per week, so I may not necessarily be able to answer yours.


text:
Rockport DresSports truWALK Wingtip Review
Rockport is in a full court press with new and stylisg releases for the the fall 2011. New on the Rockport launch list are the Rockport "DresSports truWALK Wingtip" men's shoes.
We had the pleasure of testing a pair of bitter chocolate suede DresSports wing tip's featuring Rockport's proprietary truWALK technology. truWalk architecture provides a natural full range of foot motion from shock absorption at heel strike to forefoot flexibility during push off. That translates into some of the most comfortable shoes you ever put on for either work or leisure. This is also accomplished with the Adidas geofit anatomically shaped collar and heel padding which provides comfortable, supportive fit combined with an EVA outsole that provides lightweight shock absorption for reducing foot and leg fatigue. The DresSports certainly don't look like high tech shoes as the styling is conservative and modern but under the hood the latest technology is working for you to keep your feet in great shape.
Rockport also incorporated into the DresSports Wingtips a Polyurethane footbed that provides durable cushioning to reduce localized foot pressure. These are some of the "smartest" shoes we've tested and they are just hitting the market so check out you local Rockport retail stores or if you want to take foot comfort to the next level.
You can follow us on Twitter and Facebook for content updates. Also, sign up for our email list for weekly updates and check us out on Google+ as well.
Posted in: Gear, Stuff to Buy, Style
Tags: casual shoes, Rockport, rockport shoes, truwalk shoes, truwalk wingtip, wingtip


text:
Standard Bank
GeöffnetRegister ▻
The Boardwalk Hotel (Situated at Host Venue)
You can't get closer to the Standard Bank IRONMAN African Championship action than The Boardwalk Hotel. Five-star accommodation for the whole family at Port Elizabeth's Boardwalk and Casino World on the beach-front, right across the road from Transition, the race start and the finish line. This is your number one choice for your stay during Standard Bank IRONMAN African Championship.
The Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment World will form the hub of the 2015 Standard Bank IRONMAN African Championship event. This will include the hosting of all IRONMAN & Side Event Registrations, the Health & Wellness Expo, the Pasta Evening and the Awards Ceremony, which will all take place at The Boardwalk during the week of the race and over the IRONMAN Weekend.
Tel: +27 (0) 41 507 9407/5
Email: email@example.com
The Beach Hotel (Media Centre for Standard Bank IRONMAN African Championship)
The Beach Hotel is a four star hotel situated directly on Port Elizabeth's magnificent beachfront, across from the world renowned Hobie Beach and adjacent to The Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment Complex. The nicest feature of the Beach Hotel is the way you are cared for. Our staff will go out of their way to ensure that you receive the service and hospitality which makes The Beach so inviting. Whether you are in a bedroom in the tranquil Courtyard or one with a magnificent sea view, you will feel secure and at home in the 58 en-suite bedrooms.
Tel: +27 (0) 41 583 2161
Email: email@example.com
The Garden Court Kings Beach
With spectacular views of Algoa Bay, the three-star Garden Court Kings Beach exposes guests to the scenic beauty of Port Elizabeth. For IRONMAN athletes, the hotel's proximity to the airport, harbour, national highway and the start / finish, assure convenience.
Tel: +27 (0) 41 582 3720
Email: email@example.com
The Paxton Hotel
The Paxton Hotel is situated near Port Elizabeth's harbour entrance and is 2km away from the airport and beaches and a mere 3km from the IRONMAN start. As one of South Africa's finest 4-star hotels, the Paxton offers luxury beachfront accommodation in the true spirit of hospitality, comfort and convenience.
Tel: +27 (0) 41 585 9655
Email: email@example.com
Radisson Blu Hotel
Stunning contemporary architecture, chic urban interiors and breath-taking views over the expansive, sparkling Indian Ocean are what make the Radisson Blu the only choice of stay when visiting beautiful Port Elizabeth. Throw in five-star luxury and a refreshing 'Yes, I can!' service spirit... and you have a hotel where deliciously indulgent breaks and one-stop successful meetings are both 100% guaranteed.
Tel: +27 (0) 41 509 5000
Email: email@example.com
The Courtyard Hotel
The Courtyard Hotel Port Elizabeth is situated on Marine Drive in the Boardwalk Casino and Resort complex, directly opposite the famed Humewood International Beach of the Eastern Cape. The hotel consists of 91 suites and studios some with sea facing views. Situated 8 minutes from the CBD and 5 minutes from Port Elizabeth Airport.
Tel: +27 (0) 41 583 4655
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
The Humewood Hotel
This icon on the Port Elizabeth beachfront offers what all promise and few achieve! Good old fashioned service with wholesome food lovingly prepared by our dedicated team. With a prime view of the beachfront. Privately owned and managed is what makes the difference, our management team are always visible in the public areas and are committed to making your stay at the Humewood Hotel one of the fondest memories that you will have. We are the friendliest hotel in the 'Friendly City'.
Tel: +27 (0) 41 585 8961
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
The City Lodge Port Elizabeth
The hotel has a swimming pool for those hot summer days as well as a mini gym and a small meeting room for guest use. It is across the road from Humewood Beach, within walking distance of many restaurants, 500m from the Oceanarium and Boardwalk casino and entertainment area. The hotel is 8 minutes from Port Elizabeth's CBD and 10 minutes from the Port Elizabeth Airport
Tel: +27 (0) 41 584 0322
Email: email@example.com
Town Lodge Port Elizabeth
Adjacent to City Lodge Port Elizabeth, the 203-room Town Lodge Port Elizabeth offers excellent value-for-money accommodation in a fantastic Summerstrand location. Spread over 6 floors, many of its rooms have superb sea views. The hotel is just a short walk from the beach and from the Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment Complex and also offers easy access to Port Elizabeth's CBD and other facilities and attractions.
Tel: +27 (0) 41 509 2000
Email: email@example.com
Road Lodge Port Elizabeth
Road Lodge Port Elizabeth is situated on Marine Drive in the Boardwalk Casino and Resort complex, directly opposite the famed Humewood International Beach of the Eastern Cape. Situated 8 minutes from the CBD and 5 minutes from Port Elizabeth Airport. This is the best value in the City Lodge Group of hotels. The same rate is charged whether there is one, two or even three people sharing the comfortably furnished and tastefully decorated rooms.
Tel: +27 (0) 41 583 4404
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
The Kelway Hotel
The Kelway Hotel is situated on Brookes Hill Drive, just off Marine Drive. The hotel is approximately 1.7km from Hobie Beach and 5 minutes from Port Elizabeth Airport. This multi graded 3 & 4 star timber structured hotel was built in 2004 & offers 63 en-suite rooms, secure parking & restaurant where breakfast, lunch or dinner can be enjoyed, making it one of the most popular hotels in South Africa.
Tel: +27 (0) 41 584 0638
Email: email@example.com


text:
Crystal Johnson
View Now
Feeds from the Web
There are currently no feeds available.
Group Vitals
- 1 members
- Visibility: open
- Membership: open
- Mailing List:
Group Hosts
Host Announcements
There are no host announcements.
Newest Members
Group Connections
No group connections were found
Members Near You
No members found


text:
Missouri Tigers Defensive News Conference - Transcripts
On Missouri defense getting production from players that weren't highly rated recruits
"To begin when you say highly-rated, I'm not sure who makes those rankings. Have you ever seen any of those people who give those stars? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But we have a certain system at Missouri that will follow and go through our little checklist. Like I always tell people, to me my wife is the most beautiful woman in the world. You might not think so, but I do. To us these players were what we were looking for and what we evaluated. I think they are great players when they came out."
On number of defensive playmakers
"Coming out of last season, Kony (Early) made a big statement toward the end of the season, so people were kind of zeroing in and finding out where Kony was on the one side. And Michael (Sam), who is very, very talented was very productive and all of a sudden they realized they had to take care of Michael. Also with Shane Ray and Markus Golden, it is kind of a like a four-headed monster where everyone is being very productive and playing well for us."
On Oklahoma State offense
"They are a very explosive offense. They have a great quarterback. Their two tailbacks are phenomenal. They have receivers that can get the ball and play well in space. Then they stretch out all over the field. Then all of a sudden they flip a switch and they come in with those big fullbacks and the tight ends and stuff. I think Mike (Gundy) has done a great job with his personnel and changing his personnel. We will have our hands full."
On importance of recruiting Texas for Mizzou Football
"The history and evolution of us being there is when we first got here, there were only two coaches in Texas. And then like anything you learn and you grow. Obviously we were in the Big 12 (at that time), so Texas was a big mainstay. Going from two people to five or six people down here, and then we made the move over the SEC, especially here in the Dallas area this area specifically, has been very, very good to us and productive. Outside of the state of Missouri, Dallas is one of the number one or number two alumni bases for the University of Missouri. So Dallas has always been very good for us. Coach (Bruce) Walker and I split this area in recruiting. Cool (Assistant Coach Craig Kuligowski) does a really good job in Houston. We kind of cut back, because with the SEC we have gotten into Atlanta and into Georgia, Florida and stuff. Now it is more receptive there because it is SEC country. I think with Texas A&M being in the league and all that stuff, Texas is still good ground for us and it is great high school football."
On Oklahoma State running game
"I know their run game is very, very good and very effective. With the misdirection and the reads and the way they run their fullbacks and cross their backs and things of that nature. It doesn't seem complicated, but it is. They have a great offensive line that comes off (the ball). Our run defense, we just want to be in our gaps and tackle the guy with the ball."
On Oklahoma State passing game
"Clint Chelf has gotten better and better with each football game. The two main receivers, No. 87 (Tracy Moore) and No. 5 (Josh Stewart) are just great receivers. They complement that with No. 18 (Blake Jackson), No. 81 (Jhajuan Seales) and No. 17 (Charlie Moore). They get the ball on the perimeter. The thing that is really good about Mike's (Gundy) spread offense is that they have those great tailbacks with great hands that can catch the ball out of the backfield. So it is going to be a challenge. Our theory is to keep people in front of us, break on the ball and try to tackle them."
On whether limited number of sacks against Oklahoma State is due to getting rid of the ball quickly or offensive line blocking well
"I think it is both. Why I say that is I think their offensive line is very, very talented. I also think the quarterback has a quick release. I think he is well coached in where he has to get the ball and where he has to throw the ball. And then they are a play action team. When you a run team, that gives you a little extra step when you play action team. So I think it is a multiple of all of that. But I think it goes back to the trenches and the offensive line because they are very good pass protectors."
On how Oklahoma State's hurry up offense and scheme is similar to Auburn
"What they do is that they pull linemen one way and run the opposite way. They cross their backs a lot. Misdirection in that they try to use your keys against you from a defensive perspective."
On what makes Defensive End Michael Sam special
"Michael Sam is carefree, fun-loving and loves to play football. He loves to play football. He goes out there and I really think he does a great job of practicing hard, which a lot of kids don't do these days you know. I think Michael that as a biologist that is his laboratory. He really enjoys football. He loves playing football. He has a great passion and he is very vocal about it too. It is contagious."
On the play of Defensive End Kony Ealy down the stretch of the season
"The thing that helps us is as a defense, as a whole, we are playing really well as a team and a unit and the chemistry is great. I think Kony has done a great job of coming on because, Michael (Sam) was going on and then people had to scheme Michael. So Kony has a good day. They have to worry about four defensive ends. It is a checkers game that goes back and forth."
On Oklahoma State wide receivers
"They have some great receivers. Tracy Moore, number 87, he is really a great receiver. I think he will play at the next level. Honestly, the don't remind me of the SEC-type receivers, but going back to the Big 12 when we were there, they definitely remind me of the type of receivers that Oklahoma State has had through the years."
On whether previously playing in the Big 12 gives Missouri an idea of the style of play of Oklahoma State
"Yes, definitely. A lot of the young guys haven't seen the Big 12 play like I have. It definitely takes you back so I am excited to see the ball in the air a little bit more than the SEC does."
On what it is like for the secondary to have Michael Sam and Kony Ealy up front
"It is lovely having guys like Michael Sam and Kony Ealy rushing the quarterback. I tell them also a lot of those sacks are because of me, so I will take credit (laughter). I take some credit. But no, it is definitely great having those guys up front."
On what defensive line needs to do in the game to be successful
"We definitely need to come off the ball and get off our blocks. We have to wrap up on our tackles. We definitely have to frustrate the offense as much as possible and get them out of their comfort zone in the beginning."
On Oklahoma State offense
"They are athletic. Their running back is pretty elusive. If he gets a step he is gone so you definitely have to wrap up, tackle and maintain gaps. The quarterback is a great dual-threat and makes good decisions whether to throw, to give or to keep. The offensive linemen are pretty good with the run block. The wide receivers are processionals type receivers that are really good at catching it and getting to the sticks and getting up field. Overall, I think they are a great ball club. We will do our best to try and get the victory."
On how defense has been able to create some many turnovers
"It's is about what we do every day in practice. Our coaches teach us turnovers, turnovers and just running and getting after the ball. It doesn't matter whether the ball is 70 yards down the field or five yards in the backfield, our job is to get to the ball and try to create havoc."
On Oklahoma State offense
"They are very talented, athletic group. They can move and they have some guys.
They just keep finishing their blocks more than most teams I see. We just have to throw off blocks and try to make the plays and not let the offensive linemen get to the second level and just try to make plays as a defensive line like we have most of the year and we will be fine."
On Oklahoma State quarterback Clint Chelf
He is a great quarterback. He is a dual-threat guy and he can run extremely well. He is one of the better runners I have seen. He has good accuracy on the run as well. And he has good targets at wide receiver. So we are going to look to E.J. (Gaines) and the other guys in the secondary to lock some of those guys down and give us a few extra seconds to get the quarterback and make some plays like we have all year."
On what it would mean to win the Cotton Bowl to cap memorable season
"It would be an unreal feeling. I can't explain it. It would be pretty remarkable. We had one heck of a season, one heck of a turnaround from last year playing in the SEC. We were SEC Eastern Division champs. If we could just come out on top as Cotton Bowl champs it would be one of the best feelings of my life."
On Oklahoma State offensive line
"I am very excited about coming back to my home state. I haven't played on a Friday night in my home state since November 2008. It is very meaningful for me and it is going to be very exciting. Expect a lot from Michael Sam on Friday."
On what win in the Cotton Bowl would mean for the Mizzou program
"The win would just prove that we belong in the SEC and we should be respected by everyone in that conference. Which I think we earned a lot of respect from our conference just the nation to show we belong where we are and we are one of the best in the country."
On concentrating on finishing strong in the fourth quarter
"You can only win the game in the fourth quarter, we always say that. We try to finish everything we do, practice, drills, weightlifting, everything and the coaches build that in your mind then the fourth quarter is a big thing for us."
On how last year's tough losses helped motivate team for this year's success
"It motivated us a lot. We had a chip on our shoulder all throughout last season, through spring ball. We started the season unranked and no one thought anything of us. We carried that chip on our shoulder throughout this season."


text:
Multi-published Christian author and ordained minister Gregory Johnson writes to all believers in his new book The Kingdom According to Jesus. "What does it mean to be a believer and be a citizen of the Kingdom of God?" This question and many more are answered in this comprehensive book that gives an overview of what it means to live in the Kingdom of God according to Jesus.
For more information about the author, his book and his ministry visit Gregory A. Johnson. You may also get your copy of The Kingdom According to Jesus at Amazon or in Kindle Edition or at The Kingdom According to Jesus at Barnes and Noble in paperback and Nook.