text:
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
NEW CLASS: Mini Possibilities Class
Mini Possibilities Class
Friday, December 16th
6:00pm - 10:00pm
Teacher: Nicole Lysse
Cost: $45
Let's have some mini altered fun. Come, relax and make 4 different projects. We will alter/create 4 unique items that will make a great gift for a teacher, neighbor, co-worker or just a last minute gift. You will alter a picture frame, a wood tray, a box with a mini album inside and a canvas with a mini album on the back. Using several different embellishments and My Minds Eye paper line. Samples are in the store. Call and make your reservation.
Supplies Needed: Paper Trimmer * Walnut Stain distress ink (any preference of ink/chalk) * Favorite dry & wet adhesive * scissors
Posted by Nicole Lysse at 4:08 PM No comments:
We have so many special items dropping in the store specifically for our Black Friday Event. YOU will want to stop by for the great savings. We have a few new items for you:
Echo Park : Times & Seasons Line and the adorable Winter Park
Little Yellow Bicycle: Winter Twig - makes me want to play in the snow
Teresa Collins: Carolina Breeze
Authentique: Gathering - love the colors
Posted by Nicole Lysse at 3:52 PM No comments:
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Tim Holtz Cargo cases are finally here. We all own his products, now we can organize & store them in his cases. I know so many of you have been waiting patiently for these HOT items. Hurry in the store & pick them up before there gone.
Posted by Nicole Lysse at 11:10 AM No comments:
December 10th Crop
December 10th Crop - Destination: Relaxation
The holidays can be stressful with so much to do!! Take time for YOURSELF and come to RW for our Destination:Relaxation Crop! Come in your pajamas, robes and big fluffy slippers as we chill to the max and get our scrap on. Registration opens Sunday, November 20th at 12:00 p.m.
When: Saturday, December 10th from 8 am – midnight
How much: $35 Prepaid
How to sign up: Stop by or call the store at 661-254-7802
This Crop Includes:
• Lunch
• Games & Prizes
• Make & Take
• Holiday Swag Bag
• 10% off all regularly priced merchandise
• Late night snack
Posted by Nicole Lysse at 10:19 AM No comments:
NEW CLASS: Christmas Wreath Scoreboard Class
Christmas Wreath Scoreboard Class
Friday, December 2nd
6:00pm - 10:00pm
Teacher: Nicole Lysse
Cost: $45
Love the look of paper Rosette's? Never used a scoreboard? Then you need to join Nicole in this great class. You will learn how to make paper rosette's & create this beautiful wreath. We will also make a box, card & envelope using the scoreboard. Think of all the great homemade gifts, cards & boxes you can make. A scoreboard IS included in the class fee, if you are bringing you're own scoreboard the class fee will be adjusted to $35. Sample is on display at the store, call & make a reservation.
Supplies Needed: scoreboard including in class fee * adhesive * paper trimmer * scissors * mini attacher/stapler * brown ink/chalk for distressing edges *
Posted by Nicole Lysse at 10:05 AM No comments:
NEW CLASS: Christmas Cards w/ Alice
Christmas Cards w/ Alice
Sunday, December 11th
1:00pm - 4:00pm
Teacher: Alice Carmen
Cost: $35
Alice is finally back, we missed her. She always has the most stunning card classes. Join her and make these adorable & festive cards for the holidays. You will have so much fun with Alice, she is a great teacher & so darn creative. Make 5 truly original and unique cards. Take what you learn and implement that into many other craft projects. Samples are in the store now. Call & make you're reservation.
Supplies for class: 3D foam tape/dots * Fine tip scissors * Tape adhesive * Scor-tape/high tacky tape * White/Brown/Silver chalk ink * Needle & white thread (optional if you plan to sew using the sew easy system) * White Pen * Paper poker/piercer *Sew Easy System (optional)
Posted by Nicole Lysse at 9:48 AM 1 comment:
Friday, November 4, 2011
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Teacher: Liz Mullen
Cost: $25
"Cricut 101 Class"
This class is geared for the novice. If you are not feeling confident with your cricut machine this class is for you. Taking this class you will leave confident knowing...
* Care and preservation's of the mats
* Basic operation
* Settings for the blade
* How to use the buttons/overlays
* Explain and demonstrate mode keys
* Explain function keys
* Settings - how to program
* Cutting adjustment keys
Registration is limited so every student has ample time during class to leave feeling confident with knowledge. Stop by the store or call to register.
Posted by Nicole Lysse at 3:19 PM No comments:
NEW CLASS: Home for the Holidays
Home For The Holidays Lighted House & Album Class
Friday, November 18th
6:00pm - 10:00pm
Teacher: Nicole Lysse
Cost: $60
Come join Nicole & make this truly one of a kind Christmas project. You will create an adorable house, complete with working lights to "house" you're beautiful mini album. The mini album measures 8x7-1/2, with 10 pages. With all the pockets & folds you will have plenty of room for lots of photos. Using Authentique Wonder line & the new Tim Holtz Sizzix dies, you will have a treasured keepsake. This would also make a great gift. We will paint, glitter, emboss and add texture in this class. Come in the store to see the sample and make a reservation.
Posted by Nicole Lysse at 3:06 PM No comments:
New Product !!
We have some new products on the floor. The store is in serious maximum capacity of creative inspiration. We have some pretty amazing classes coming up this month and next month, that alone is worth coming into the store. Have you finished all you're holiday projects? We definitely have the space for you to get it done, come crop with us during the day or spend Friday evening with us, WE would love to see you! Now on to all the new goodies:
Sizzix: New Tim Holtz Holiday Dies
Echo Park: Times & Seasons Line
Little Yellow Bicycle: Winter Twig Line
Artbin: Super Satchel Cartidge Storage (for cricut cartridges)
Kanban: New Holiday Wobblers & vintage sets
Posted by Nicole Lysse at 2:22 PM No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Curtis Hill, Republican nominee for Attorney General of Indiana, received the endorsement of the Indiana Right to Life PAC and the Allen County Right to Life PAC at an event held this afternoon in Fort Wayne.
In his endorsement, Mike Fitcher, Chairman, Indiana Right to Life PAC, stated, "I am pleased to inform you that Indiana Right to Life PAC is officially endorsing your candidacy for Indiana Attorney General. Our endorsement is based on a variety of factors including your completed candidate survey and strong support for life. ...Thank you for your support for the sanctity of life, and please accept my best wishes for a successful campaign."
Cathie Humbarger, Communications Director with the Allen County Right to Life PAC, emphasized their confidence in Hill. "We enthusiastically support Curtis Hill for Indiana Attorney General. Hill understands the important role the Attorney General's Office plays in protecting women's health and safety. We are confident he will enforce the laws so that abortion doctors know if they operate in the State of Indiana, they must abide by Indiana's rules. Abortion doctors will not get a free pass under Attorney General Hill." Humbarger also serves as Vice President of Policy Enforcement for Indiana Right to Life.
In accepting these endorsements, Hill affirmed his commitment to the Right to Life mission. "I strongly support their mission to protect the right to life, especially of unborn children, through positive education, compassionate advocacy, and the promotion of healthy alternatives to abortion. As your Attorney General, I will always be committed to these causes and will strongly support their pro-family priorities."
Curtis Hill has served as Prosecuting Attorney for Elkhart County since 2003. He received his B.S. degree in Marketing from Indiana University, and his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the Indiana University School of Law. Hill maintains a very active role in local, state and national organizations. He and his wife, Teresa, have five children.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The creativity of the productive and the insane9 min read . Updated: 18 Mar 2017, 11:41 PM IST
Creativity lies in the mind. And the mind knows how to go about it. But oftentimes, it's like a monkey hooked on cocaine.
Creativity lies in the mind. And the mind knows how to go about it. But oftentimes, it's like a monkey hooked on cocaine.
I have often wondered if creativity is a function of discipline or insanity. My personal experience has been a conflicted one. There are people I know of who have the discipline to create prodigious output. Then there are others who come up with strokes of genius that seemingly emerge out of nowhere—say, after binge drinking or indulging in some such seemingly insane act.
But after many conversations and observations, and poring over much literature, I am convinced there are no "mad geniuses" at work. I suspect I may have some answers as well to the thin line that separates creative thinkers who are productive and insane creative thinkers.
A word of caution here. I use the word "insane" here in the negative to suggest that this is creativity of the kind that leads nowhere. To anybody watching a creator of this kind at work, though, what they will witness is huge output that seemingly emerges out of nowhere. Let's park that thought for a moment and come back to it in a little bit.
On the back of personal experience, I believe productive creativity is a function of discipline. For instance, after I have managed some decent sleep, spent time in the early hours of the morning talking to myself in the third person and articulating clearly what needs to be done, how and why, and taking a break at scheduled intervals, when it's time to call it a day, I accomplish satisfaction.
This works best when I stick to a routine. There is no rocket science here. Apparently, the whys of this have been documented in many research papers—for instance, a blog post on the Harvard Business Review titled "The Daily Routines of Geniuses" documents some of these findings.
In the post, dated 19 March 2014, Sarah Green Carmichael starts by talking of her experiences:
"Juan Ponce de León spent his life searching for the fountain of youth. I have spent mine searching for the ideal daily routine. But as years of color-coded paper calendars have given way to cloud-based scheduling apps, routine has continued to elude me; each day is a new day, as unpredictable as a ride on a rodeo bull and over seemingly as quickly.
"Naturally, I was fascinated by the recent book, Daily Rituals: How Artists Work. Author Mason Currey examines the schedules of 161 painters, writers, and composers, as well as philosophers, scientists, and other exceptional thinkers.
"As I read, I became convinced that for these geniuses, a routine was more than a luxury — it was essential to their work. As Currey puts it, 'A solid routine fosters a well-worn groove for one's mental energies and helps stave off the tyranny of moods.' And although the book itself is a delightful hodgepodge of trivia, not a how-to manual, I began to notice several common elements in the lives of the healthier geniuses (the ones who relied more on discipline than on, say, booze and Benzedrine) that allowed them to pursue the luxury of a productivity-enhancing routine."
That out of the way, let's go back to the archetypal mad genius. My mind went back to some material I had filed to be read for later that I had stumbled across in The Atlantic, with the provocative headline "Secrets of the Creative Genius". The piece does not seem to be available on the website any longer. But the sum and substance of it was there are fallacies in the "insanity" argument.
In the writer Kurt Vonnegut's case for instance, on closer examination, the author of the article, Nancy C. Andreasen, a neuroscientist by training, discovered a genetic predisposition towards mental illness.
"As a psychiatrist and neuroscientist who studies creativity, I've had the pleasure of working with many gifted and high-profile subjects over the years, but Kurt Vonnegut—dear, funny, eccentric, lovable, tormented Kurt Vonnegut—will always be one of my favorites. Kurt was a faculty member at the Iowa Writers' Workshop in the 1960s, and participated in the first big study I did as a member of the university's psychiatry department. I was examining the anecdotal link between creativity and mental illness, and Kurt was an excellent case study.
"He was intermittently depressed, but that was only the beginning. His mother had suffered from depression and committed suicide on Mother's Day, when Kurt was 21 and home on military leave during World War II. His son, Mark, was originally diagnosed with schizophrenia but may actually have bipolar disorder...
"While mental illness clearly runs in the Vonnegut family, so, I found, does creativity. Kurt's father was a gifted architect, and his older brother Bernard was a talented physical chemist and inventor who possessed 28 patents. Mark is a writer, and both of Kurt's daughters are visual artists. Kurt's work, of course, needs no introduction. For many of my subjects from that first study—all writers associated with the Iowa Writers' Workshop—mental illness and creativity went hand in hand. This link is not surprising."
It got her curious and when she examined most great writers, she figured as personality types go, a large number of writers are insular and introspective. It aids the task of writing.
Andreasen found similar patterns in different professions. When she took scientists as a group, she figured the ones who came up with path breaking ideas are not the ones wedded to their discipline; but have multi-disciplinary interests and are curious about the larger questions around them. The nitty-gritty of daily existence bores them, and when confronted, they react with exasperation or anger.
But to people watching a writer in the flow, what they see is an introverted, shy creature withdrawn from the world; a scientist at work on a problem appears as someone absent-minded and easily infuriated. They are not "insane". They are simply functioning more efficiently.
That out of the way, there is another twist in the tale that got my attention for an altogether different reason. How do you sift good ideas from bad ideas? Because Andreasen goes on to argue, "Having too many ideas can be dangerous. Part of what comes with seeing connections no one else sees is that not all of these connections actually exist."
The reason this got my attention was because I was poring over all of this material around the time the Mumbai civic elections were unfolding, I was riveted. Between the BJP and the Shiv Sena, allies until the run-up to the polls and rivals during the campaign, it was as compelling a political story as it gets.
On the back of some computing, based on a few variables on my spreadsheets, I thought I could see a clear pattern around candidate selection, voting trends and which way the political winds were blowing. My only problem was, the harder I tried to articulate it, the more incomprehensible it sounded to everyone around. But I was wedded to the idea. "There is a story in here to be told," I kept screaming. I was obsessed and had lost track of a larger project on hand.
But then, a close friend and colleague pulled me up and put it to me in no uncertain terms: "It may be a great idea. And you can see what none of us can see. But can you answer one question honestly? In the longer term, will it make any difference to your personal life or to us whether the answer to this question matters?"
The reality of it was that, personally, the outcome of the Mumbai civic elections mattered to me to the extent that my vote counts and the infrastructure of the city I live in improve. Professionally, if I get it right, it doesn't make a difference to my career or the stated purpose of my work.
"In which case," he said, "I'm sorry to have to tell it to you as it is then. You're wasting your time and ours."
When he dug deeper into the answer on what constitutes meaningful and productively creative work, Cal Newport, author or the best-selling book Deep Work, offers some pointers in an altogether different context on his blog, on how to use technology wisely. But the lessons the post contains can be extrapolated here. I modified it mildly to suit my purpose.
1. That task you are attempting right now, what purpose does it serve? If you do not do it right now, what happens? Will the consequences be debilitating in the long-term for your organization and your personal growth?
2. If it is not important for the long term, what medium- or short-term purpose does it serve?
3. Assuming it serves a purpose in the medium or short term, is it coming in the way of what is good for the long term?
4. If it is, then is it worth expending time and energy on?
5. And finally, if it serves no long-, medium- or short-term purpose, why even consider it? Why aren't you spending that time on activities that may broaden your mind?
When I put the questions this way, short-termism made no sense. Every win has to have a long-term objective.
That said, answering these questions were also incredibly difficult. I kept putting it off, until I stumbled across a set of three questions that appears in an essay on procrastination by the legendary computer scientist Paul Graham. I've paraphrased his questions mildly, once again, to meet this context.
1. What are the most important things you have to be at work on right now?
2. Are you at work on any of them?
3. Why not?
I know the answers. I know what is the most important thing I ought to be working on right now from a long-term perspective. But I am not. And why not? Because to be honest, it does not make me look busy.
In the medium and short term, though, it does make me look busy. There are no pay-offs that will come right away either. It lies in a future I can see. But I see the merit and wisdom in Cal Newport's and Paul Graham's questions as well.
To draw an analogy, there's a monkey in my head that gets a high each time it snorts cocaine. Feels awfully good in the short term. The monkey feels conflicted in the medium term about how good the past was and how he's going to get busted in the long run. And he knows in the future his epitaph will read: "There lies a monkey that could have." But the monkey is hooked to cocaine.
Clearly, creativity is hard work. It doesn't come easy. There are no shortcuts. You're in it for the long haul. And there is heck of a lot of hard work to be done.
Charles Assisi is co-founder of Founding Fuel Publishing.
His Twitter handle is @c_assisi
Comments are welcome at firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Draco Rosa is sitting in a cafe, just a few blocks down the road from his L.A. studio, Phantom Vox.
"I'm sorry I'm being so rude, but I'm eating this delicious gluten-free cookie. It's so good. I wish I could give you half," the ex-Menudo heartthrob laughs.
Having been in the music biz for over 20 years now, the multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy Award-winning artist has done it all. He's produced his own tracks, created several bands along the way, wrote tunes for Ricky Martin and Luis Miguel (among other Latin music legends), and started his own Vagabundo empire of rum, clothing, and even coffee.
See also: Draco Rosa on Vida, Cancer, Success: "I'm Doing the Best With What's Been Given to Me"
But even after two decades as a pop star and businessman, the most challenging experience of the multifaceted artist's life wasn't professional, it was a two-year battle with cancer.
"I think, initially, it was two things," he says, explaining how he persevered. "Number one, your faith and spirituality, and that goes with your attitude. Number two, nutrition. It's essential to look at your diet. I've been aggressive in that area. I think all those things helped out."
And like any musician who's passionate about his craft, the music gave him the strength that he needed to keep on fighting.
"For me, personally, working on this record was definitely helpful, parte de la sanación [part of the healing process], that helped me move forward."
Recorded shortly after his diagnosis, Vida, or Life, is Rosa's latest album which he says is "a celebration of life."
Although, the singer admits, "It was suggested we would consider doing this album, because there was so much uncertainty as to where I would be right now, either dead or alive."
Now cancer free, Rosa is back on the road, rockin' the Americas with his fusion of dark rock and ballads, and sharing the gift of Vida.
If you like this story, consider signing up for our email newsletters.
You have successfully signed up for your selected newsletter(s) - please keep an eye on your mailbox, we're movin' in!
"I love music. I love what people do. I love so much of it. I think architecture, food, sex, clothing, fashion -- it defines the music. It's all one giant ball of fire," he proclaims.
"[There's] nothing more beautiful than spending a night with fans at the gigs. I just love it. We've just only started, but... I'm very excited to be back on stage."
Draco Rosa. Saturday, October 26. Fillmore Miami Beach, 1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach. The show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets cost $43.50 to $93.50 plus fees via livenation.com. All ages. Call 305-673-7300 or visit fillmoremb.com.
Follow Crossfade on Facebook and Twitter @Crossfade_SFL.


text:
I adore Colin Firth, so this film had that going for it. I have always liked the James Bond franchise, so the nod to that I found interesting. And, by God, it was British.
The Kingsman is hard to put in a box (or behind a wall). One could describe it just as the five blind men described the elephant. In some ways it is a farce. There is a play on all the Bond toys in shoes, umbrellas, cigarette lighters, and some really neat glassware. Colin Firth's character, Harry Hart, is always dressed in the most dapper way, as only 007 would be.
Then there is the coming of age story. Eggsy (played by Taron Egarton) the young man who lost his father early on and shows the potential of growing into a petty criminal. But his connection with Hart changes his life.
There is the tycoon out to destroy the world with some dastardly plan. Samuel L. Jackson plays Valentine, the billionaire with a plan to save the earth from all man's pollution. And Gazelle (Sofia Butoulla) his double amputee, blade wielding good looking side kick.
And where would we be in a story like this without Micheal Caine in the role of Arthur (of all names) who is head of the Kingsmen organization. So together with all these characters and more, the story rolls along with a lot of humor.
The casting was adequate for the film. The story line was good and not always predictable. However 129 minutes is a long time for any film. And they tried to fill it with several fights scenes that were a little over the top. Even James Bond never walked into a church full of people and walked out as the lone man standing.
As long as you go in knowing that it is not a Bond film, that all the talent is at the top of the billing and there are many characters, there is no theme song by Adele or Beyonce, and it doesn't start with the iconic Bond credits, you should have a nice time. After all, it is based on a comic book.


text:
Captain's Report
Key Largo designed the 2486 WA to be a trailerable fishing boat with space for a couple to sleep below decks. Powered with an Evinrude E-TEC G2 250 H.O. outboard, she's economical to own and operate and she has the power to pull the kids on a tube when family duty calls.Like all offshore boats with a closed foredeck she provides a strong measure when offshore in challenging conditions.
Features Inspection
The Stern
With the stainless marine outboard bracket's built-in swim platform, boarding the 2486 WA is easiest done at the stern. There's a passageway to the cockpit to port that can also be opened when hauling in a big fish. The wide, uncluttered swim platform also provides a good place to launch watersports activities when the boat is in "family" mode.
The cockpit
measures 6'7" (2 m) across and 4' (1.2 m) from the leaning post to the stern and has 27" (68.8 cm) of freeboard. In the stern to starboard is a 25-gallon (95.6-L) aerated livewell beneath an acrylic hatch that opens on a snap spring. A smaller hatch opens a sink with a pull-up faucet. Just ahead, a two-person bench seat folds out of way when not in use. Rod holders with flip-top covers are in the 9" (22.9 cm)-wide caprail.
Cockpit Storage and Access.
Outboard on each side, the cockpit has racks in the gunwales for storing rods or landing gear. In the center of the cockpit sole, a removable hinged hatch opens a large fishbox. There's a small lockable compartment in the base of the passageway to the swim platform that is designed to hold tackle trays. Pull the removable bench seat out of the way and two hatches in stern provide access to the livewell pump and sink plumbing.
The Helm Area.
The 2486 WA's seating area and helm station are on the same level as the cockpit. Two molded fiberglass bases have aft-facing jump seats with storage beneath the hinged cushions. Forward are pedestal-mounted seats for the captain and companion. The bases for these seats are plastic with the removable backrests and bottom cushions are optional.
The Helm.
The 2486 WA's helm is arranged with the Evinrude ICON screen just ahead of the stainless steel steering wheel. The steering wheel on our test boat was centered on the console, however, center and side steering is offered as an option. Accessory switches that light when activated are on each side of the engine-monitoring screen. The digital shift/throttle controls are on the starboard gunwale and there's a cup holder just below. Up top is an electronics box.
The Bow
Two steps outboard of the helm seats on each side lead up to the 2486 WA's bow area. There are stainless steel rails outboard on each side and the optional T-top provide convenient hand holds for crew members that are headed forward. On deck, there's a small cushion that snaps into a recess just ahead of the cabin hatch. The foredeck has a hawse pipe and a single cleat for securing the rode and on the bow there's a pulpit with an anchor roller. A hatch inside the bulwark, instead of being on the deck, provides access to the anchor locker and does a good job of keeping water out of the anchor locker.
The Cabin
Ahead of the companion's seat, the two-piece cabin hatch has a top section that raises up on gas struts and the lower half opens outboard to port. Below decks, V-shaped benches fill in with a center cushion to create a berth that measures 5'10" (177.7 cm) long and has 3'8" (111.9 cm) of seated headroom. Aft to starboard there's a molded space sized for a portable head and above is an access panel for the helm rigging. To port is a sink. There are two screened portals and an overhead deck hatch.
Evinrude E-TEC G2 250 H.O. Engine
The Evinrude E-TEC G2 250 H.O. is probably the most technically advanced outboard engine on the market in class. In a nutshell, this 3.4 L engine provides best-in-class fuel economy, even compared to 4-strokes, with 2-stroke torque at the low and mid RPM ranges. Its strongest suit, however, is its low-maintenance design. With its clean Dual Axis Rigging System, integrated Dynamic Power Steering, additional and larger anodes regularly schedule maintenance isn't required for 5 years or 500 hours.The E-TEC G2 has an internal oil reservoir, an 81-degree tilt range, and has auto-winterization. Its beltless magneto system is more reliable than the automobile-type alternators used on most other outboards. The engine was designed from the beginning to be saltwater-ready and carries a 5-year factory backed warranty which includes corrosion.
Running The Numbers.
For our test, the 2486 WA weighed in at an even 5,000 lbs. (2,268 kg). We ran the boat with a 250-hp Evinrude E-TEC G2 250 H.O. turning a 15 x 18 four-blade stainless steel propeller through a 1.85:1 reduction. Top speed was 49.5 mph (43.04 knots) at 5500 rpm.
Best cruise
came at 4000 rpm where the boat ran 34.4 mph (29.9 knots) and burned 10.75 gph (40.7 lph), giving the 2486 WA a maximum range of 374 statute miles with 10% of the boat's 130-gallon (492-L) fuel capacity in reserve.
In acceleration tests
, the boat planed in 4.8 seconds and continued to 20 mph in 5.6 seconds and to 30 mph in 8.1 seconds.
The stainless marine outboard motor bracket benefits the 2486 WA's ride in two ways. First, it positions the Evinrude E-TEC G2 250 H.O. 26" (66 cm) abaft the boat's transom, which gives the motor better trim influence on the boat. Second, the bottom of the bracket has a V-shape so that it extends the boat's running surface, giving it a better rough-water ride. In turns, the 2486 WA stayed on track through sweeping arcs and felt nimble and sure-footed when we whipped her through slalom turns.
Key Largo builds the 2486 WA wood free with a solid fiberglass bottom and Coremat coring material in the hullsides and deck. The hull and deck joint is mechanically and chemically fastened with through bolts and Plexus adhesive. Stringers are molded fiberglass and foam filled and the transom is cored with a composite similar to Penske board.
Available Options
The Key Largo 2486 WA is designated primarily for fishing, but she will also be asked to pull the kids tubing and to take the in-laws for a sunset cruise. With the 250-hp Evinrude E-TEC G2 outboard, she has plenty of power for pulling and she should be economical to run for a family cruise to the local sandbar.With a dry weight of 4,650 lbs. (10,251 kg) and with an 8'6" (2.59 m) beam, the 2486 WA will draw plenty of interest from owners who want to tow her and a tandem-axle trailer is an available option.This is one of the least expensive boats this size in class. As such, she obviously has a carefully selected list of material and equipment to keep the price down. All of the amenities provided are basic. From stem to transom she was designed to be a low-cost build, but that does not mean that she can't provide years of faithful service. Fiberglass is an incredible material and the Evinrude E-TEC G2 250 H.O. does not require dealer service for 5 years.
Test Result Highlights
- Top speed for the Key Largo 2486 WA (2016-)(COMPANY IS CLOSED) is 49.5 mph (79.7 kph), burning 22.35 gallons per hour (gph) or 84.59 liters per hour (lph).
Standard and Optional Features
|CD Stereo
|Shore Power
|Trim Tabs
Exterior Features
|Bimini Top
|Full Canvas
Full Warranty Information on this brand coming soon!
(It's quick and FREE!)


text:
Baptism Testimonials
"Thank you so much for the spirit of love you brought to Jessica's Baptism. You made everyone feel very comfortable and welcomed. We will recommend you to everyone we meet"
–Mike and Jessica
"Thank you again for such a personal and heartfelt ceremony. We've received countless compliments on what a great job you did. Many people have told me that it was the best Baptism they've been to. One of my friends said it's the only ceremony he's been to where he paid attention to every single word! "
– Mark and Andrea
"Reverend David, you were Great! Organized, efficient, patient, professional – we could go on and on. Thanks for making it a Blessed day for Michael and our family."
– Joann
"Reverend Gary,… You were highly referred to us before we even met, and after the Baptism we knew why. It was everything we had wanted for our little girl. We would not have changed a thing; you were amazing!"
– Amanda and Jeff
"You did such a fantastic job as my daughter's Baptism that I had to write you. You were everything we wanted and more! You made it meaningful, serious, spiritual and warm. . . . everyone was asking about you; we are all but putting a billboard up to advertise you!! Thank you for being the integral part of Ryan's Baptism . . . you were perfect!"
– Jessica and Dave
We feel so fortunate to have found you to officiate our baby Brandon's christening. During our first conversation, you provided us with so many great ideas that we felt confident the ceremony would be perfect for our family–and it was. We really appreciate your organization, and excellent communication (and your kind support of us as new parents, too!) You went above and beyond what we could have hoped for. Thank you for a very meaningful, beautiful day.
– Kathy and Brad
"We really appreciate your time and service at Mikaela's Baptism. Thank you again … My family and I will keep you in mind for all the events in the future. We are truly blessed to come across a wonderful person like you in our life."
– Julie


text:
Transitional Communities: Planning within a Growth Paradox/
by Paul Moberly and Kyle Slaughter, Salt Lake City, Utah
On June 22, 2015, the Garfield County Commission voted unanimously to declare a countywide state of emergency. No natural disaster had occurred—the emergency which sparked the declaration came from "declining enrollment in local schools as a result of restrictive federal land management policies." The Utah Governor's Office responded the same day, issuing a statement, "We recognize there are significant challenges in Garfield County...The administration will continue to focus on bringing quality jobs despite federal regulations that have stifled the economic growth in the area for years." Soon after, state representatives scheduled meetings and multiple agencies reached out to help.
Ironically, that same week, CNBC ranked Utah the third-best state for business in the previous year, one of many accolades the state had won, and continues winning, for business growth, economic stability, and fiscal management. In one of the most urbanized states in the union at 90.6 percent urbanization, Utah's rural areas appear as little more than drive-thrus on the way to the breathtaking geology and nearly endless recreation of its national and state parks. Nationwide, people living in these "drive-thrus" struggle through the effects of economic and political factors outside their control, factors that leave large rural swaths of the "Best State for Business," and the rest of the country, in survival mode.
Rural decline is a large and complex issue that appears to be accelerating. According to the Pew Charitable Trust, during the period between 1994–2010, 38.4 percent of U.S. rural counties lost population; since 2010, over two-thirds of rural counties lost population. This level of decline has far-reaching national and international implications for food and energy production, tourism, and national culture and identity.
The same economic juxtaposition occurring in Utah happens at the municipal level in many recreation amenity-rich western rural towns: the decline of extractive industries, the generational residents' personal ties to community heritage, the longing for the better, safer, more prosperous past. In an apparent growth paradox, these values are juxtaposed against the 'discovery' of outdoor amenities by tourists and transplants, the founding of tourism-based business by transplants ( a business which may thrive but employ few people seasonally and not with a living wage), and the cultural clash between. At its core, the struggle between change and the natural resistance to it.
Challenges in Escalante
Escalante, Utah is the flashpoint for Garfield County's state of emergency. In September of 1996, Escalante High School had approximately 150 students; 66 attended last year. Half a block of traditional main street-styled buildings in the core of town sits vacant and degrading. Multiple prominent historic homes on main street are boarded up, reminders of a pioneer history fading from memory.
Escalante sits sandwiched between U.S. Forest Service lands and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, surrounded by nationally controlled public lands. Twenty years later, the controversial monument declaration by Bill Clinton still hurts for many residents who curse it for causing the demise of local mineral extraction, closure of the lumber mills, and the curtailment of ranching. The winding, Scenic Byway 12 marks Escalante's main street as well as the first passing lane for over a dozen miles in both directions. Travelers rifle past plodding RVs on their drive through town, eager to reach regional trails, arches, and slot canyons.
When is decline not decline?
While long-time Escalante residents grapple with many of these factors, many newer residents disagree with the assessment, the conclusions, and the emergency declaration. Several who relocated after the designation of the monument saw opportunities to capitalize on the increasing outdoor recreation and "live where they play." To them, the monument provided positive, attractive publicity—exactly opposite of what the emergency declaration engendered.
Despite the negative press, to leaders in Escalante, the declaration brought positive results, immediate attention from state executives, action from state agencies, and a greater hope for the future. The town recently built a new medical clinic, remodeled the old theatre on Main Street, hosted a stage of the Tour of Utah cycling race, new commercial developments are in process at both ends of town, and new homes dot the community—not the environment you expect from a community in decline. Still, ever noticeable, the lack of children on the streets and around neighborhoods would perplex the careful observer, evidence of the difference between the new growth and the neighborhoods of Escalante's yesteryear.
Common Issues, Uncommon Needs
Far from being unique, Escalante's story joins other western rural towns in transition, from coastal Oregon fishing and timber towns to old mining towns in Northern Idaho and Eastern Montana. For Southwestern Utah, the designation of a large national monument, the Bear's Ears National Monument, looms over several communities in an echo of Escalante twenty years ago. These amenity-rich areas struggle with common issues: housing, employment, adaptation, and inclusion.
When outsiders 'discover' an amenity-rich area, current housing stock transitions to vacation homes or vacation rentals; if new construction occurs, it follows suit. Second-home construction that occurs during transition often happens on the edge of town, pressuring extension of infrastructure. The demand increases area home prices. Second homes have doubled in the past fifteen years in Escalante.
Concurrently, a shift from higher-paying extractive industries to lower-paying tourism-based service sector positions increases barriers to homeownership. Many previous homeowners leave for work elsewhere and, unable to sell their property and not wanting or able to rent it out, allow it to sit idle. Others who inherit properties from deceased parents or real estate speculators may hold onto properties, waiting for a potential larger payout as the area slowly gentrifies. Because of these and other factors, the time between a town's 'discovery' and the decline in the legacy economic base causes significant housing stock degradation.
Potential Solutions: Tap into county, state, and federal affordable housing programs like the following:
- Community Development Block Grants
- Home Investment Partnership Act / Single Family Rehabilitation & Reconstruction Program
- Section 221 and 236 programs
- Rural Housing Services / Rural Development subsidies
- Low Income Housing Tax Credits
- Home Build programs like Utah's Mutual Self Help Program
- State housing trust funds
- State tax credits
- Locally-owned land leases
Ensure development in outlying areas offsets its own costs with measures like adequate facilities ordinances, strong impact fees, and infrastructure maintenance fund set-asides. Consider annually increasing property taxes on vacant homes. Set up low-interest microloan programs to help with small vital home repairs, like Green River-based Epicenter's Fix It First program.
As previously discussed, transitional economies have experienced a significant disruption. Some towns have significant labor issues and lack of local labor able (or willing) to fill low-paying service sector positions. Those starting businesses frequently come from outside the area, where capital and experience may be more available—further fueling divisions within the community.
Potential Solutions: Work with local university extension offices, community and technical colleges, or state agency workforce services representatives on workforce training programs. Facilitate entrepreneurship programs or incubator programs from county or state resources. Encourage local labor-ready and entrepreneurial programs at local high schools that can plug local spending holes. Build mentorship programs for business start-ups. Identify compatible industries to grow or possibly attract through programs like the Western Rural Development Center's Area Sector Analysis Process (ASAP).
"Keep our community small and quiet so it is nice as it always has been," is a phrase we frequently hear from rural residents. Particularly in declining communities where long-established residents remember the charm of life in simpler times, residents can have considerable resistance to change. This connection and preservation of the past, while a rural virtue, can impede its adaptation into the future. Resistance to any proposed solution that "hasn't been done before" simply impedes innovation or positive transition.
Another center of resistance is that residents psychologically adapt to negative situations as a daily part of life. Just "rolling with it" can help individuals and communities get through tough times, but collectively this great strength of rural areas can become one of its great weaknesses as issues are ignored.
Potential Solutions: Conduct outreach and inclusion on a community vision and goals, provide community mediums for expression (public chalkboards, graffiti walls with prompts). When addressing change in the community, provide mediums for long-term residents to describe and document how the community was at its peak. Gather data and facts about the situation of the community and proposed changes and help educate community members. Seek to understand the specific concerns of residents resisting changes. Sometimes perception and assumptions distort the fears of residents. Work on explicitly mitigating the core concerns of residents if possible. Distribute resources that identify current rural innovations, particularly positive, balanced perspectives (e.g. Governing, Planetizen, Strong Towns, SaveYourTown, SmallBizSurvival.com, etc.). Connect with other towns in similar situations and learn from each other.
Since both new transplants and legacy residents can feel isolated and resentful of each other, it's important to begin opening lines of contact between all groups. Beyond basic engagement, leaders need to find opportunities to include transplants as well as long-term residents in action committees and leadership roles. Some personalities and personal agendas will clash; deal with it. Continual nurturing of relationships while working towards a collective community vision takes time and can be discouraging. The results of exclusion are tribalism, mistrust, contention, and community fissures.
Potential Solutions: Reach out to a broad constituency and identify those with leadership ability or capacity. Avoid the "same ten people" syndrome by asking specific individuals to be part of committees or programs.
Planning Principles Applied
In addition to these specific issues, for communities in growth paradox situations, it behooves leaders to apply foundational planning principles. Planning is fundamentally a process of collectively assessing, approaching, discussing, prioritizing, and deciding how to address a variety of community situations. Community planning is the strength of collective will; it is both the foundational root and the culminating fruit of our democratic power. Voting becomes weakly symbolic without the public deliberative processes inherent throughout community planning. When we forget this, we ignore planning's centrality in our common empowerment of those elected by those governed, binding generations of both to a collective future in all circumstances. When planning hinges entirely on growth, it is merely a brace or barrier to capital investment.
Regardless of a community's growth situation, these principles will help a community move forward together. Their brevity and generality are intentional to allow for adaptation to local conditions.
First, community leaders must fully assess their situation, collecting the best data available. Estimates by the U.S. Census are infamously inadequate for rural areas and local counts and assessments should be made, whether by staff or students. Identify all potential assets and liabilities. Frequently, we find that the data surprises leaders and long-time community members who think they have their town figured out.
Empowered community members in Escalante have studied local housing conditions, collecting better-than-census data through observation, discussion, and documentation. They also reached out to state agencies, including the Rural Planning Group, to help gather data and assess conditions. They're also participating in a targeted economic development program to identify compatible industries for cultivation and attraction.
Armed with data, leaders can better help identify issues and cultivate possible responses. Moreover, a rich dedication to engagement empowers stronger community bonds. The goals of engagement should not be to just meet transparency and open meeting laws. Use a range of approaches to reach out broadly, like booths at community events, tapping social networks, small charrettes, contests, graffiti walls, drop-by spaces in empty stores, block parties, neighborhood walkabouts, and door-to-door discussions. The broader the engagement, the deeper the well for ideas, the more powerful the consensus, and the greater likelihood of full support and action.
In Escalante, a typical planning meeting may draw 60 people—significant for a town of under 800 people. While much of this reflects public frustration, the engaged citizenry could be channeled to action as leaders continue working to appreciate and include disparate voices, as people understand the human context of decisions, and as the community continues to collectively mature.
Framing discussions in terms of multiple realistic potential futures enables all parties to understand and begin to accept scenarios they may not like. Simply embracing a single scenario does not make it materialize. Hoping for the best scenarios while planning for all possibilities enables greater community resilience.
Often the most difficult step given the severe resource and time constraints faced by rural leaders, the community must divide needs from wants and where to focus those constrained resources. Focus on what is actionable and under the community's control, rather than macro-economic or socio-political factors against which leaders can merely advocate, like declining birth rates or disestablishing a national monument. Consensus around priorities will build capacity for action. Without this step, any action will be effectively diluted.
Begin with small, easily attainable steps which can build momentum and positive energy. Beyond a common vision and goals, a key output of the planning process should be specific action steps to achieve those aims. Goals without action are the definition of impossible. Form small, focused committees with the authority for coordinated action. Escalante has already taken small positive steps, thanks to energetic community members who pulled together various funding sources.
Utah's governor recently sounded a clarion call about the state's growth paradox. In Governor Herbert's 2016 State of the State address, after discussing the significant job growth and national recognition as the most fundamentally sound economy in the U.S., he said, "Unfortunately, this is not the case in some of the rural areas of our state...To Utahan's everywhere... I pledge to you that we will not rest until all 29 counties and all 245 cities and towns in our state are full participants in Utah's tremendous economic success." Through applying fundamental planning principles, and learning from the experience in other towns, rural communities may be able to make a smoother transition to a better future.
About the Rural Planning Group
Created in late 2013, the Rural Planning Group (RPG) is a creation of the State of Utah's Community Impact Fund Board (CIB). The CIB obtains funding from mineral lease royalties on extractive industries operating on federal lands. These funds are collected by the federal government and then returned to the state, the State returns a portion to CIB for use in rural communities. The CIB disburses this funding to communities that are affected by mineral resource development on federal lands. RPG enhances the use of these funds by promoting planning and management best practices in rural communities. RPG accomplishes this through providing planning assistance for Utah's rural communities, facilitating communication and coordination between key stakeholders, offering planning and technical assistance, and developing and delivering training, tools, and resources. By implementing these services, RPG provides rural communities with tools needed to build rural communities which are self-reliant, self-determined, and prepared for the future to which they aspire. Visit http://ruralplanning.org/
Paul Moberly is a Consultant with Utah's Rural Planning Group, a program of Utah Housing and Community Development, part of the Utah Department of Workforce Services. With a background in international business and marketing communications, Paul focuses on community and economic development, quantitative data analysis and community design. A long-time student of rural issues, he's consulted with rural towns throughout upstate New York, the Adirondacks, and Utah and has studied rural decline during the past decade throughout the Northeast and Northwest. He holds a Masters in Regional Planning from Cornell University, and a community development-focused Masters in Education from Boise State University.
Kyle Slaughter is a Consultant with Utah's Rural Planning Group, a program of Utah Housing and Community Development, part of the Utah Department of Workforce Services. While he's consulted towns in rural Utah for three years, Kyle background is in public administration and private sector consulting. Adept at adapting technical concepts for general audiences, he's drafted studies and guides on small town code enforcement, airport zoning, annexation, and the coal and oil industries in Utah, presenting at professional and technical conferences in and outside of Utah on these and other topics. He holds an Masters in Public Administration from Brigham Young University and plans to open a buffalo ranch in the western U.S.
- Garfield County Commission Meeting, June 22, 2015
- McKellar, K. (2015). Garfield County issues state of emergency after declining school enrollment. KSL.com. 6/22/2015. Retrieved from: http://www.ksl.com/?sid=35194908&nid=148
- Deseret News Editorial. (2015). In our opinion: Utah's tale of 2 economies—rural cities, counties needing state attention. Deseret News. July 8, 2015. Retrieved from: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865632150/Utahs-tale-of-2-economies-2-rural-cities-counties-needing-state-attention.html
- U.S. Census Bureau. (2012). Utah: 2010, Population and Housing Unit Counts, CPH-2-46. Utah U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC. Retrieved from: https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/cph-2-46.pdf.
- Henderson, T. (2015). States Try to County Rural Flight. Pew Charitable Trusts, August 20, 2015, Retrieved from: http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2015/08/20/states-try-to-counter-rural-flight.
- https://wrdc.usu.edu/htm/programs/asap
- Herbert, G. (2016). 2016 State of the State Address. January 27, 2016. Retrieved from: https://www.utah.gov/governor/docs/stateofstate/2016StateoftheStateAddress.pdf.
Published February 2017


text:
We have been celebrating a lot of "first-as-marrieds" moments since our wedding in October: Our first Thanksgiving, first trip (to Istanbul, no less!) in which we also celebrated our first Christmas, and now we are ushering in our first-as-marrieds New Year! You could say that marriage has managed to make everything we do together feel new again.But with all these happy new experiences comes a sad new awareness too: there will be many things that we will never again get to do, see or feel. We will never again get to walk down the aisle, for instance, or to have our first wedding dance, or to have all of our friends and family in one place again. Yet sad as this realization is, we will cherish these memories all the more for it. And it is a great comfort to us that every time we look at your photos we remember vividly all the emotions we felt on our wedding day.Anyone can take a picture, but it takes an artist to capture the spirit of their subject. When we see your work, we see it with all our senses: touch, smell, sight, sound and taste. You have captured a moment in time that is so rich with feeling that when we look at it we experience it all again, just the first time.Thank you, Kristen, for letting is share ourselves with you. You are a true artist and friend, and we cherish you.
With love and affection, Kelsey & David
So we wanted to take a few days to look at our photos (oh....and we have. Over and over again) in order to generate a response that adequately represents our feelings towards them, and our wedding day- and the truth is, there is no perfect response. The more we go through the bunch, the more we stare at the smiles, the tears and the tender moments, the more our words are overwhelmed and overshadowed by emotion. The truth is that it was the most beautiful day we've shared. The truth is that you managed to capture every perfect moment of the day - and there were too many to count. After a year of planning and stressing over the little details that went into the wedding, wondering if anyone would care, or if what we were designing would even matter in the grand scheme, it all came together; it all came together and you captured it perfectly, and even better than we could have imagined. We still can't believe how perfect it all was.
I'm actually tearing up as I type this... of course ;) We feel like we know you, but deeper than a photographer-client relationship. I really fell in friend-love with you the first time I saw your photos on your blog and felt compelled to email you - long before Joe and I even had the marriage talk. I knew that your love for photography and your love for LOVE was the most important thing to shine through your work, and it did - Oh, man, it did. We are eternally grateful for you love, your compassion, your willingness and commitment to those you capture. Everything you do, every action you take, speaks volumes about who you are as a woman, a person, a photographer. We love that we get to be friends with you. We could only hope that other couples get to experience a fraction of what we did.
There aren't enough words to describe the emotions that roll up when we look at our wedding photos. They are the most beautiful, vibrant, heartfelt images that describe our relationship - our wedding - in a nutshell, and we only have you to thank for that. You are as beautiful as you are talented and we can only hope for many more years of love and friendship between us. One of our favorite photos is of the three of us - I know you never do that, but it meant so much to have you in a photo at our wedding. It's seriously going up in a frame on our wall :)
We wish there were more ways to say "Thank You" without bumbling on like idiots and talking in circles. We can't say the words "Love" and "Thank You" enough. You really are such a gift to us and we couldn't have imagined a better day and a more trusted person to capture moments of our life together. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You have made such a beautiful impact on us and we are forever grateful to know you and call you friend.
Forever and ever and ever yours, Ashli and Joe
How do we begin to thank you for the gifts you shared with us, for the beautiful meaning - making you capture in ceremony and community building, for your radiant spirit, your own sense of adventure and your inspiration of the same in others, for your mind reading and powerful sense of calm in chaos, and above all your friendship? Oh yeah, and how you were essentially an honorary bridal party member saving the day with my hair and dress.
Kristen, there is effortless beauty in what you create because it is your own love and light that is reflected back to us. Yes, it is kind of namaste hocus pocus hippie woo, but it is so true. You truly nurture your communities. We are so inspired by you.
Thank you for celebrating with us, for documenting this journey with us, and for the gift of knowing you.
With love, Hillary and Andy
There are few ways to express our gratitude and little I can say that won't be something you have heard before. Kristen, you are blessed with talent that we could only dream of. God has given you a gift and we feel so fortunate to have shared our day with you. I personally can't believe how many times we said "I love that photo" in the hour we spent together looking for the first time. You are so talented, so gracious and so generous with your work. Your eye is absolutely incredible, and as people who focus a lot of our attention on light, we're so thankful for your perspective. We LOVE the photos and we LOVE you. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Please take a moment to thank God for the gifts He has given you. We are already thanking Him now.
With Love, respect, and gratitude, Luke and Amber
Thank you for capturing the many beautiful moments of our wedding day with such sensitivity and skill. The photos are stunning and wonderfully expressive of the emotions we felt that day. We are so glad to have found you, and we can't imagine a better match for us. You were a joy to work with, and you were especially terrific company as we wandered the Botanic Garden before the wedding. Truly a blessing to have you with us.
Love, Mark and Melody
We cannot begin to thank you enough! We could not even imagine this wedding without you being a part of it. You have been absolutely amazing, sweet and generous. You are a beautiful and soulful woman which was so clear to us through your art before we ever spoke! After our first meeting, we were both so in awe of your gift to connect meaningfully and really listen in to the core of people and relationship. You are amazing and we're so thankful and excited you said "yes" to being with us on this special day!
XOXOXO, Geene and Alanna
Thank you so much for sharing your birthday weekend with us! You were amazing and we are so grateful for everything. We were so exited to have you on board as our photographer, but we never expected that you would also be our wedding planner, day-of-coordinator, on-site make up artist, medic, and pal throughout the process. You have such a wonderful personality to match your talent and we had so much fun hanging out with you on our big day.
Thanks also for your reassuring words at the beginning of the day. I was feeling overwhelmed, and having a stable voice from someone who went through the same emotional roller coaster was helpful. Your stamina and work ethic are incredible - thanks for being there the whole day. We appreciate you so much.
Warmly, Laura and Rich
We just wanted to thank you again for your talent, kindness, dedication and hard work. Choosing a photographer was a huge decision for us, but from our first conversation we knew you were the person we wanted to capture our once-in-a-lifetime memories. While of course we knew it was important to get along with our photographer and to be on the same page with her, we had no idea how close we would grow to you, or how much it would mean to us that we were sharing so much of our day with someone so wonderful. It is so readily apparent that photographer and forming and documenting connections with people is your love and passion - and so much more than just a job for you. We are sooo thrilled with our photographs, and again, we cannot tell you how lucky we feel to have such a wonderful gift to share with each other and our loved ones for a lifetime. Your photos are pure love, and we are so, so lucky to be the recipients of them.
Love, Cheryl and Fran


text:
Wanted two year old Lead teacher, should be fun loving have experience with children and a sense of humor. Up to 40 hrs per week. M-F 8 -3:30. In Solon call 624-3850 after hours call331-2945 ask for Lisa. 8/8
Yuppy Puppy Salon. All-Breed Grooming available! Stylish trims, bath & brush, dental and deshedding treatments. Use our self service tub and products to do your own bathing. Call 665-6192 for appointment.
Need a pie or two? Call Cindy @ 624-7077 to order Fruit Pies for any occasion or party. Farmers Market Dates: Tuesdays 4-6, Springville , Wednesdays 5-7 Iowa City, Chauncey Swan Ramp, Thursdays 4-6, Mt Vernon, Saturdays 7:30-Noon, Iowa City, Chauncey Swan Ramp. My Fruit Pies and cookies are always available at Sam's Main St. Market in Solon. tfn
Crafters and Artists: Contact us today to get information for the 1st Annual Extravaganza at the Old Capitol Mall in Iowa City November 16-17, 2012. We are expecting over 100 crafters/artists/vendors! E-mail: email@example.com for more information. Get your specialty registered before someone else. 8/1
Junk appliances, including air conditioners, furnaces, steel and batteries. Will pick up for free. 331-8122.
WANTED: Indoor Painting jobs. 624-4059. tfn
100% WOOD HEAT, no worries. Keep your family safe and warm with an OUTDOOR WOOD FURNACE from Central Boiler. Glens Outdoor Hydro-Wood Heat 319-431-7453. 8/1
R D Services, L.C.: home repair, electrical, plumbing, carpentry, alternative energy, winterizing. Careful, accurate work. Insured. Ric 319-358-1018.
Affordable Softwater: Rent applies to purchase: Basic installation no charge: rural water specialist. Visa and Mastercard accepted.
www.AffordableSoftH20.com or 665-2505. tfn
2006-2011 Minivans, SUVs
Cars...and Trucks too!
Inspected. Guaranteed.
Warehouse Auto Company
Hwy 965, Swisher
For Lease/Sale. New 1200 sq/ft, 12'x14' Overhead Door, Walk-in Door, half bath, Radiant Heated with Floor Drains. Ideal Solon location for your small business or storage needs. Call Brad 319-321-5223. tfn
Roommates wanted to share house in North Liberty. Must be clean and courteous. Aug 1st availability. $500/mo & split utilities, deposit required. 319-459-1073. 8/1
Affordable Senior Housing
Jefferson Point,
North Liberty 319-626-3263
Keyway Management.com


text:
The 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio is an SUV born from a racing pedigree. This new breed of high-performance SUV is designed with muscular curves and fluid lines, taking elegance to new heights. Every detail is carefully crafted to optimize performance and accentuate style. Designed to mesmerize, the Stelvio is a masterpiece of engineering and aesthetics with its premium lighting system featuring bi-xenon headlamps with adaptive forward lighting, signature LED daytime running lamps and LED taillamps. It also features a 40/20/40 split-folding rear seat to transform every road into an adventure. The eight-speed automatic transmission with adaptive shift technology gives you superior balance between driving pleasure and efficiency, while the all-aluminum 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder engine delivers 280hp and 306 pound-feet of torque. Youâ ll also experience Chassis Domain Control, which coordinates all the active systems by optimizing performance and drivability, and Q4 All-Wheel Drive system, which continuously monitors road conditions to deliver the ideal torque distribution for every situation. Not to mention the Alfa DNA Drive Mode Selector, which delivers active suspension response for better handling and control. The Stelvio connects you to more than just the road, with technology features including an 8.8in widescreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility and a premium sound system. Youâ ll also find a comprehensive suite of safety features such as a rear backup camera and forward collision warning. Unleash your full potential with the 2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio.
*All new vehicle advertised sale prices are net of rebates and in lieu of factory low APR financing programs and plus; All applicable taxes, vehicle license fees, registration/transfer/ titling fees, California tire fee and electronic vehicle registration and transfer fees. Plus a document processing charge any dealer installed options.
May not represent actual vehicle. (Options, colors, trim and body style may vary)


text:
What a way to finish the week!!!
Wednesday - Arena Sports Magnuson, Seattle Children's Hospital, Ronald McDonald House and the Greenwood parade beginning at 6:00 pm!
Thursday - Horizon House Bayview, Faerland Terrace, Summit First Hill then around Seattle!
Friday - Aegis of Lynnwood, Fairwinds Brighton Court - Lynnwood, Emerald Hills, Anderson House, Kidd Valley and the Tour de Terrace parade 7:00 pm!
Saturday! Renton River Days parade 10:00 am, Seafair Torchlight Spectacular at Seattle Center 4:30, Alaska Airlines Torchlight Parade 7:00 pm!


text:
|So many things are going on, so much news to catch up on, whats new and whats not, well stay tuned in to see whats in store at the moment. The Tanki Online news blog has it all. Happy thanksgiving to our fellow American tankmen.
Take part in 20 seconds to new year and contribute to "in development" of Tanki Online. The next scavenger hunt will be out next Wednesday so get ready for it. Today there will be no "Before and After" column since there is nothing to show at the moment. Lets continue to play in Tanki Online.


text:
I know that this may come as a surprise to some of you, but many of those iconic television roles that we associate the likes of Bryan Cranston, Steve Buscemi, and Jon Hamm with WERE OFFERED TO OTHER PEOPLE FIRST. It's true! Our television landscape could've been completely different: We could be hating on Rob Heubel right now, for instance, or there could be countless Internet memes devotes to John Cusack (man, talk about a terrible left turn that could've been).
Anyway, I love to look at the early casting considerations for movies, but I've never collected a list of them for television shows … until now.
Take a look at who could've ended up playing 20 television roles that are now forever linked in our minds to the actor or actress who made those roles famous.
1. Christina Hendricks auditioned to play Midge Daniels in Mad Men, which means she could've been a one season and done cast member.
2. John Slattery originally auditioned to play Don Draper in Mad Men.
3. Rob Huebel also auditioned to play Don Draper. Weird.
4. John Cusack and Matthew Broderick were considered for the role of Walter White in Breaking Bad. Eek.
5. Alec Baldwin was considered for the role of Nucky Thompson in Boardwalk Empire. I could see that.
6. Donnell Rawlings was originally considered for the role of Omar Little before he was cast as Damien 'Day-Day' Price.
7. Likewise, Seth Gilliam originally auditioned to play Stringer Bell before he was cast as Detective Ellis Carver.
8. Norman Reedus originally auditioned to play his brother on the show, Merle Dixon. They liked Reedus' audition so much that they invented the character of Daryl Dixon for him.


text:
Photograph: Meyer Schapiro.
Meyer Schapiro, University Professor Emeritus and dean of America's art historians, received a special award for lifetime achievement from the College Art Association at its 83rd annual conference in San Antonio, Tex., on Jan. 27.
Schapiro, who has been a member of the association since 1926, was cited for a brilliant career of seven decades of scholarship and teaching in the field of art history.
The citation text follows:
"Meyer Schapiro, you have been a member of the College Art History Association since 1926. Your membership has conferred honor upon us..
"We are proud of our connection to you and proud of the fact that the CAA published your 1929 dissertation on the sculptures in the French abbey at Moissac in the Art Bulletin.
"You have brought the vast range of your knowledge to illuminate many works of art and periods from early Christian art to 19th-century French realism to abstract expressionism. You brilliantly opened the discipline to all kinds of neighboring fields, spinning out political, philosophical and ideological interpretations that drew from a dazzling and even bewildering variety of evidence--social and urban history, literature, intellectual history, popular culture, psychology and semiotics.
"You were years ahead of the discipline.
"You have bestowed on us a complex view of art, one that starts with the object and goes on to give insight into the creative process, and into the measure of the object within the context of its own time and ours.
"You have used theoretical structures but never dogmatically, always to help us gain understanding.
"Meyer Schapiro, we honor you for 70 years of unique scholarship and perception, for showing us the way in which art history enhances our understanding of human accomplishment."


text:
Brand Creation & Amplification for People, Places, Things
Vision & Idea Incubation
Every start-up needs a story and a strategy.
Determine the best way to bring your idea from your head to the world, and make everyone want what you've got.
Design the steps and structure needed to make your dream, goal, vision, come true.
Ensure the right people know about your idea or product.
Keep scrolling...
Brand Identity & Strategy Development
Create the person, the who and what your idea, product or dream is, what it looks and sounds like, the character, tone, voice, look and feel (logo, color palette, mood, visual world etc).
Turn your idea into a brand.
Website & Digital Strategy Design & Development
Bring your brand to life on the world wide web and make sure people find it.
Social Media Strategy Design, Curation & Management
Every brand needs a social life.
Bring the identity and persona to life in the social space, determine who to talk to, what to say and how and where to say it. And of course, track, measure and optimize! Test and learn all the way.


text:
Hi, I run this website and it's more about my fascination with a court reporter job than anything else. So here is a few things about me:
- I live in NY and Love it!
- I am getting ready for my final Regents test and I am planning my future.
- I love the color red.
2. I am not sure I'll be able to make it to 100.
3. I have two cats
7. I haven't let my hair grow back to its natural colour for something close to six years now. But it's never very far from the natural colour because I'm too much of a chicken to really dye it something bold.
8. I have no tattoos.
9. I had my ears pierced when I was 12, lost a pair of diamond earrings when I was 17, and have been trying to pretend my ears aren't pierced ever since.
10. I once won the Latin Dance Championship.
11. I had to quit ballroom dancing because of a series of foot injuries, most noticeably stepping on a chunk of glass and then having a shard left in my big toe for nearly 7 months.
12. I have no cavities.
13. I've never smoked anything – not even pot.
14. I'm not Catholic but I've taken communion at least four times.
15. I love rain.
16. I hate excessively hot days and I get a rash on my hands when it's more than 28 degrees or so. Explaining this to a pharmacist in Tarifa, Spain was one of the most challenging events of my honeymoon there.
19. I don't like chocolate except for Bernard Callebaut.
20. I drink Coke, never Pepsi.
21. I drink gin & tonics, never tequila.
23. I've only cheated on a boyfriend once, in grade 10, and damn did it ever feel bad, so I'll never do it again.
24. I used to have many more friends than I do now, but I believe my friendships now are closer and stronger and will last a lifetime.
25. Despite all my thanking god, I don't believe in one.
26. I don't go to nightclubs anymore because I hate having to think of something cute to wear.
27. I often have dreams about flying in airplanes.
28. I also occasionally dream about my teeth crumbling and falling out of my mouth, which I once read is a reflection from your subconscious of events occurring which signify a growing up or maturing stage. Apparently I grow up a lot.
29. I used to have nightmares about my house being on fire and not making it to the door in time.
30. As a result, I am deathly afraid of in-house smoke alarms.
31. The sound of styrofoam pieces rubbing together, or even THINKING about the sound, gives me awful goose shivers.
32. I'd like to get married again so I can wear a different dress. And keep it this time, probably.
33. I love to play board games.
34. I have an older brother who is 17 months older than me.
35. I never liked my brother until we were old enough to drink together.
36. My parents divorced when I was 12, and we're all much friends as a result. I know my parents as adults and as people, and I value their advice and opinions because I have no illusions about them. This is something I wish I could give my children but I'm not sure how to do it without getting a divorce, which I'm not willing to do.
37. I am always afraid that I will drop a baby when someone asks me to hold one.
38. I'd rather change cat litter than change a diaper or take out the garbage.
39. I don't have a favorite food, nor are there any foods that I wouldn't try eating at least once. (This precludes any kind of reptile or insect).
40. I make really good blueberry pancakes and I can make pastry from scratch and it turns out just fine.


text:
I never think my opinion matters. Who is my audience? Who am I explaining anything to? Who do I imagine?
Me. I write for myself. A version of myself from a week ago that hasn't played Beyond Two Souls yet, a version of me who wants to know what it's about. I imagine me in the past, or in some alternate-reality present, and I tell "me" what I would want to know.
I'm trying to imagine another way to review a game. If I wrote a review "for" anybody else I know, I would say completely different stuff. I would write down the aspects I believed that person would enjoy, according to what I know about them. Ordinarily, I write for me. But that's kind of beside the point, right? Or maybe that is the exact point.
Is it worth writing a review that is only "for" me? What do other people get out of that? Does it matter if the answer is "nothing"?
I'm so sick of believing that my opinions and experiences don't matter, or that I shouldn't bother writing at all. I'm so fucking sick of that feeling, but it won't go away. I don't know how to turn it off. It feels like strangulation, like a darkness that hugs my chest and tells me to keep procrastinating. What is even the point, it says. What is it for?
I don't want to be famous; my definition of "success" never includes fame. I actively dislike it when people read my work because their responses so often terrify or overwhelm me. I can handle a handful of "me, too" responses; I always like those best, because they make me feel less alone. But if I get too many compliments, I start to wonder if I'll ever live up to people's future expectations. If I get too many criticisms, I wonder why I'm even publishing my work publicly at all, given that XYZ number of people hated it. Too much of both, and I curl into a ball and hide out until the storm passes, hoping that everyone forgets the whole article in a week or two. The longer it takes for people to forget something I've written, the worse I feel. Strange. I know. Very strange.
The writing will keep coming, though. I'll keep pouring it out somewhere. Maybe I'll pour it out in a potted houseplant when no one's looking, or out a window into an alley, or down a sink drain. But it'll come out regardless, like a stream of vomit that can be swallowed hard for only so long before it spews forth. Maybe it'll happen while everybody's watching ... by accident, or because the bug has struck so often that it feels like just another Tuesday, so who cares who sees? And it might be such a good show that some website or other wants to start paying for the privilege of hosting it.
But why is this a good show? Why is my "writing" compulsion entertaining for anybody else?
I don't know the answer to this. I also don't get why other people couldn't produce the same result. What makes my work special? Why does it matter?
Sometimes when I'm stuck on a piece, I get caught in a spiral of thinking about all of the other game critics I know. Always the critics who aren't men – because we're all inherently competing – or so I have internalized. It's not wrong, either. Until you see a publication that just so happens to have a majority of not-dude writers, and no one remarking upon its strangeness, we are all competing. We are all getting thrown into a Not Men bucket, regardless of our ages or races or beliefs or experiences or identities or writing styles or, y'know, whether any of us even like each other.
So-and-so could write this better than I can, I think. Such-and-such has already done this, or will do this tomorrow. So-and-so deserves this more than I do. Such-and-such needs the money and is a better writer to boot. I don't deserve any of this. I should just stop talking. I'm taking up a space someone else could fill, accepting a paycheck someone else deserves. I'm not adding anything to the conversation ... the conversation that no one is listening to, the conversation that could use all of the visibility it could possibly get, the conversation that needs EVERYONE POSSIBLE to join in? That conversation! Come on!
It doesn't help that some games critics I know will admit, to me, that they feel resentful of other writers' successes or prominence (and, it's often implied, they feel resentful towards me as well). I feel this way about other writers sometimes, too, when I see a friend getting an accolade or a job upgrade. Why wasn't that me?, I wonder, in spite of myself. But as soon as I ask the question, my brain supplies: Because I don't deserve it. Or … do I? Don't I? Do I?
It's a game of telling myself that I do deserve more money, more recognition, more consistent work, while also telling myself not to be too haughty, not to believe that my success has had anything to do with my own talent, that it was all just luck or privilege or right-place-right-time, that my own hard work isn't good enough (or that it is?), that I don't write enough. Stick up for yourself! But be humble! Everyone is watching you walk the tightrope, and judging the one tweet you wrote that seemed irritatingly self-deprecatory ... or overconfident. Unfollowed.
I feel like I can't trust anybody, like nothing is certain.
It was my working for a place that I thought I'd work at forever (not that I necessarily wanted to – just, the assumption that it was possible) and having it go out of business without warning. The sudden hunger, on which I could only blame my own lack of foresight. The multiple attempts throughout my 20s to found my own company, all of which went up in flames because of the betrayal of friends ... frenemies. All of the games writing cliques that I'm not in, whose blood-sprayed interior walls I have glimpsed from doorways. Why would you want to go in there? Because there's money in that room.
There are so many somebody elses already, already writing, and doing so with greater ease, with less self-doubt. They're funnier, more lucid, and less terrified all of the time. They're also meaner. To each others' faces, and behind each others' backs. They're stronger than I am, working out new and terrible muscles that I never knew existed. Do I have what it takes?
Probably not. I'm often late. I don't prepare
enough. Sometimes I get obvious facts wrong, crappy little errors that
anybody else would've caught or remembered. Errors that maybe, maybe if I
hadn't been writing the piece at 2 AM on the night it was due, maybe I
would've gotten right. What a hack.
I can almost never produce anything under "good" conditions. If the work I do comes out badly, I can just blame it on myself, on past-Maddy fucking up current-Maddy's plans. On my own self-sabotage. And if anything I do comes out well, that's an excuse not to change my system. "Procrastinate until you can't anymore" works great, except for the part where it's a miserable nightmare.
I'm probably producing my worst work because of my own self-sabotaging conditions. I could be doing so much better, right? I have so much potential. Envision my high school self, narrowing her black liner-rimmed eyes, and slouching in her seat. Fuck you, she says. I'm doing the best I can. Oh, Maddy. We both know you're not, that you've been running in these same circles for decades.
The irony is that the work I've produced in the past six months is my best, in the sense that I've produced it at all. At the Phoenix, I would write one Paste-sized column per month, and only if I was having a particularly slow month. At Paste, I have to do it every two weeks regardless of what else is happening in my life, and I try to do game reviews for Paste every month or so, too. Plus my full-time job. Plus my rock band. Plus maintaining a relationship that I think I might not be fucking up, for once. Plus trying to have real friendships outside of all of that. Plus going to the gym at least once a week, or even twice. Plus keeping my apartment clean, cooking for myself, living by myself, sustaining myself on my own income, alone.
I'm actually doing all of that. So why I do I still feel like a miserable failure? Because I haven't also finished any of my half-started Twine games? Or my book? Or my album? And why, why, whenever I have to file a story, or pitch a story, or anything, do I feel like I need to shut up before I've begun? Like my words don't matter? Like everything I've done is a repetitious, redundant, far-shittier version of a piece that I imagine somebody else has already written (not that I've read it, but come on, it's probably out there)?
It doesn't help to see folks in the games press biz offering "advice" about how the only way to succeed in games journalism is consistent mediocrity. The advice usually goes like this: be industrious, produce as much as possible, spell everything correctly, double-check your facts, file on time. What, rewording press releases as quick as you can doesn't sound more fulfilling than data entry to you?
I've heard from other writers that you only need to have two of these three characteristics to succeed: timeliness, quality, kindness. Most games journalists seem to have gotten away with only having the first one down … but that's the only one of the three that I can't manage.
I'm an irresponsible shit when it comes to writing. I spend most of my "process" second-guessing every single one of my sentences -- my ideas -- my career. Is this what I really want to say?, I think. And then I scroll back up and edit it all again, for the sixth time, for the tenth time. Twelve hours later, the piece is not "done," but it is so far past my bedtime that I have to give up. A few days later, after receiving edits, I look at it again. It's never as bad as I thought it was. The edits go easy. I even feel proud, relieved. But within a week or two of the piece getting published, I'm back to hating every word of it again, back to wishing I'd never even written the damn thing, or at least that I'd never shown it to anybody.
I'm not sure that's normal. But I can't do "normal". All I can do is my best.
I have to figure out how to live with that.