text:
LAKELAND � Chipola built more momentum toward a potential state baseball championship and did so with another short day at work Monday.
LAKELAND � Chipola built more momentum toward a potential state baseball championship and did so with another short day at work Monday.
The Indians scored all their runs in the first three innings and blasted Palm Beach 9-1 in a game shortened to seven innings by run rule at the FCSAA Gulf District/NJCAA Region 8 tournament at Joker Marchant Stadium. It was Chipola�s second straight run-rule win in the event and it advanced to Monday�s final round needing two victories for a state crown. The defeat was Palm Beach�s first after winning three games prior to Monday.
Chipola (38-20) plays State College of Florida (44-12) Monday at 9 a.m. CDT in an elimination game. The winner plays Palm Beach (37-19), which received a bye into the final game by virtue of staying in the winners� bracket the longest. State College of Florida moved on with an 8-1 win over Seminole earlier Monday.
The Indians batted around in the first inning, scoring five runs on two hits, all coming against Palm Beach starter and loser Cal Becker. Trevor Maloney replaced Becker, who didn�t record an out.
Maloney walked Chase Scott with the bases loaded in the second before being replaced after 1 2/3 innings. Luis Tunon hit a two-run double off Hunter Kyzar to give Chipola an 8-1 lead. Bert Givens doubled home Ian Rice to cap the scoring in the third.
Rice had three of Chipola�s eight hits. Tunon was 2 for 3 and Givens and Chase Nyman each scored twice. Preston Johnson tossed a four-hitter with nine strikeouts and four walks for the victory.
Palm Beach had two hits in the first, Marcus Mooney�s single bringing in Jared Tosner to pull within 5-1. Ryan Church, Matt Mattone and Gabe Martinez also had hits for Palm Beach, which was held to its lowest scoring output in four games.
Monday�s game is the second meeting between Chipola and State College of Florida. The Indians lost the first encounter 11-3 in their second game of the season.
State College of Florida is the lone conference champion remaining in the draw. The Suncoast Conference champion avenged a first-round loss to Seminole with nine hits in its 8-1 victory Monday. Seminole finished 36-14.


text:
The first half of the music-and-cultural-arts program featured songs and artists associated with or inspired by Anthony Burgess's 1962 dystopian novel A Clockwork Orange and director Stanley Kubrick's 1971 screen adaptation of the same name. For a recap of that playlist, click HERE. A newly-restored version of the film is on the schedule at the SBIFF, and A Clockwork Orange also provided the theme for Thursday's opening night gala.
Next, the second half of "The Freak Power Ticket" included an interview with director Keith Shapiro, whose new film Rhino Resurrected: The Incredibly Strange Story of the World's Most Famous Record Store has its world premiere later today, Friday, January 27th, 430pm, at the Lobero Theater, and two other scheduled screenings on Saturday and Sunday. The film explores the story of the Westwood-based indie record-outlet that closed its doors after over thirty years of business in the mid-2000s. That ramshackle store "became a hub of hardcore music misfits, a launching pad for influential music careers, and a groundbreaking and irreverent record label revered by music lovers worldwide."
An edited archival recording of the Shapiro interview is available below.
"The Freak Power Ticket" airs on Mondays in the winter from 11am-12noon.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Prime Tourism & Immigration service.
Working holiday visas
Argentina has a working holiday visa agreement with New Zealand.
Working holiday visa Argentina
Visa Information
Some nationalities can get 90 days on entry.
Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Rep, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Hong Kong (S.A.R.), Honduras, Holy See, Hungary, Ireland, Island, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Santa Lucia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, UK, Uruguay and U.S.A.
Granada, Hong Kong (with BN passport), Jamaica, Malaysia and Venezuela are permitted to stay for 30 days.
If you are Australian, Canadian or from the USA you will need to pay the "Reciprocity Fee". US$160 for USA, US$100 for Australians and Canadians. You can pay it online before arriving then show them the print out.
Everyone else needs to apply for a visa in advance.
Argentina visa information
The official visa information (In Spanish)
Join our mailing list


text:
Having an attitude of gratitude isn't just a hippy dippy ideal--it's been proven by science to make couples feel more loving, peaceful, proud, amused, and satisfied with the quality of their relationship.
Expressing appreciation also allows couples to view their partners as more understanding, responsive, caring and validating.
Research has shown that if you feel grateful for your partner today, you will likely feel more connected and satisfied in the relationship tomorrow. So, the practice of gratitude can have lasting effects on your love life.
It's clear that gratitude is a wonder drug for your relationship or marriage! It's free, easy to do, and makes you feel more fulfilled, loving and happy--so why not start incorporating it into your love life today?
Given all that we know about the benefits of expressing gratitude, here is a simple couples exercise that takes little effort for a big reward. You'll just need a gratitude journal (nothing fancy, a plain notebook is fine) and 14 days.
Gratitude exercise:
Every day for the next two weeks, write down whether your partner does something thoughtful for you. It can be a huge help or a small favor. Maybe he shovels out your car or she drops off your dry cleaning.Be mindful of every day things you might normally take for granted, such as doing the dishes or preparing a meal.
After you record what your partner did for you (if it's nothing, write "nothing"), jot down your current emotions and how you're feeling towards your partner. For example, are you feeling happy, appreciative, supported, loving, or connected? Do you feel your partner understands you and responds to your needs? There's no right or wrong, just be honest.
At the end of your entry, rate your current relationship satisfaction on a 1-5 scale (1=not satisfied, 3=satisfied, 5=very satisfied). For instance, if you're not feeling very connected, you might rate it a 1, whereas if you're feeling totally smitten, you'd give it a 5.
That's it!
At the end of 14 days, take a look back and see if you notice any patterns or noteworthy moments. Take time to process this exercise with your partner by discussing your findings and realizations together. On days where your partner did something nice for you, did you tend to rate your daily relationship satisfaction higher? What about the following day--did you still seem to feel connected and happy, even if your partner didn't do anything thoughtful that day?
Hopefully after two weeks you are more aware and mindful of all of the sweet and wonderful things your partner does for you. Just being tuned into these things, no matter how big or small, can make you feel closer and increase the quality of your romantic relationship.
If you found this exercise helpful, I encourage you to continue your gratitude journal so that you can keep reaping the benefits. You can also take a few moments before bed each night to practice gratitude by telling each other something you appreciated that day--good vibes for a good nights sleep!
Bottom line? Be grateful today so that you can reap the relationship benefits tomorrow!
Samantha discusses the importance of gratitude in her ebook. Find out what other secret ingredients are used to cook up a happy love life when you download it for FREE!


text:
I'm Josh Flowers - an industrial designer and founder of Circle Studio, a company designing and manufacturing beautiful, high performance computer cases.
Before that, I worked with Danish industrial design firm Wahl & Ross, designing products within healthcare, consumer electronics and homewares.
I graduated from Industrial Design at the University of New South Wales and hold a degree in Communications at the University of Technology, Sydney Australia. I work in Copenhagen and Sydney.
My mission is to create beautiful, simple objects that transform people's lives.
Good Design Australia, May 2017, Communication Design Award, Winner
European Product Design Award, March 2017, Design for Society Gold Award, Winner
Mercedes Benz, Broadsheet and Tait, Nov 2016, Mercedes Benz Design Award, Finalist
Good Design Australia, May 2016, Young Australian Design Innovation Award, Winner
Design Institute of Australia, Nov 2015, Graduate of the Year , Nominee
Create Design Awards, Oct 2015, Project of the year (Coin sculpture), Winner
UNSW Bachelor of Industrial design, Oct 2015, First Class Honours, Recipient
B&T, Feb 2015 - 30 Under 30 Advertising Award, Finalist
Reece Bathrooms, Sept 2014 - Reece innovation award, Finalist
Cormack Packaging, Jul 2014 - Packaging design award, Finalist
Caroma, Jun 2013 - Caroma universal design competition, 1st place
Watermark International, Aug 2013 - Airline amenities design competition, 2nd place
Street Furniture Australia, Nov 2013 - Outdoor furniture competition, 1st place
UNSW Built Environment, Nov 2013 & 2014 & 2015 - Dean's list, Recipient
UNSW Built Environment, Nov 2013 - Faculty Scholar, Recipient
Contact: email


text:
. : About me : .
. : Recent Posts : .
What Happened?????????
. : Archives : .
Dec 5, 2006
. : Spare : .
Whatever Here
. : Links : .
. : Spare : .
Whatever Here
. : Credits : .
Template By Caz
. : Spare : .
Whatever Here
More blogs about puretics.
nsw recruitment Counter
Thursday, August 9, 2007IF GOD WAS PROGRAMMER
Must watch..Click ..here
Eric Michael Johnson is a primatologist and endocrinologist completing a PhD at Duke University, and he blogs at the Primate Diaries. He has two recent posts that are worth reading. First, some provocative humor:
Fundamentalists: believe 2+2 =5 because It Is Written. Somewhere. They have a lot of trouble on their tax returns.
"Moderate" believers: live their lives on the basis that 2+2=4. but go regularly to church to be told that 2+2 once made 5, or will one day make 5, or in a very real and spiritual sense should make 5.
"Moderate" atheists: know that 2+2 =4 but think it impolite to say so too loudly as people who think 2+2=5 might be offended.
"Militant" atheists: "Oh for pity's sake. HERE. Two pebbles. Two more pebbles. FOUR pebbles. What is WRONG with you people?"
Next, some more serious, but equally provocative thoughts on faith and reason:
Allow me to lay it out in a more nuanced fashion. It is my view that religion and science are incompatible in a very specific and important way. I say this as someone who previously drank the Kool-Aid and spent countless hours studying what was described to me as the Holy Spirit. I have been confirmed in the Lutheran tradition and have recited the Nicene Creed so often throughout my life that, as an adult, I no longer paid any attention to what the words were saying.
. . .
Faith, as Gary Whittenberger discusses in the latest issue of Skeptic, has multiple common uses.
"Faith" may refer to a religion or worldview, as in "My faith is Islam." It may refer to an attitude of trust or confidence, as in "I have faith in my physician." Or it may refer to believing propositions without evidence or out of proportion to the available evidence.
It is this latter use of faith that is incompatible with science.
. . .
Yes, religion is incompatible with science. This doesn't mean, of course, that religious people are incapable of doing science. Far from it. There are certain questions that don't probe too deeply into the foundations of a person's faith and they have no problem employing their reason to its fullest in those cases. But when reason starts to get uncomfortably close (as it has for Francis Collins, Deepak Chopra and Michael Behe) well, that's when the desperate appeal to fuzzy thinking becomes apparent. Because the assumption of God is so obvious to them (and I'm sure they feel it powerfully) the evidence suggesting that evolution follows natural mechanisms and has no need of a supernatural intelligence must therefore be wrong. They'll bend over backwards trying to rationalize irrationality.
So for those of you who grew up being taught that 2+2=5 but are now feeling like you've been hoodwinked, don't be afraid to say so. There's a growing number of people who understand where you're coming from. It can be a scary thing to let go of but, I can assure you, the confidence that comes with intellectual honesty and reason is far more rewarding than empty promises based on an unseen faith. I should know, I was bad at math most of my life and I just couldn't make sense of my calculations. I don't have that problem anymore.
More at:http://aguyinthepew.blogspot.com/2007/07/faith-reason-and-science-part-x-some.html
Unsolved Mysteries Of The BrainWhat we know—and don't know—about how we think.by David Eagleman
7. How is time represented in the brain?
Hundred-yard dashes begin with a gunshot rather than a strobe light because your brain can react more quickly to a bang than to a flash. Yet as soon as we get outside the realm of motor reactions and into the realm of perception (what you report that you saw and heard), the story changes. When it comes to awareness, the brain goes through a good deal of trouble to synchronize incoming signals that are processed at very different speeds.
For example, snap your fingers in front of you. Although your auditory system processes information about the snap about 30 milliseconds faster than your visual system, the sight of your fingers and the sound of the snap seem simultaneous. Your brain is employing fancy editing tricks to make simultaneous events in the world feel simultaneous to you, even when the different senses processing the information would individually swear otherwise.
For a simple example of how your brain plays tricks with time, look in the mirror at your left eye. Now shift your gaze to your right eye. Your eye movements take time, of course, but you do not see your eyes move. It is as if the world instantly made the transition from one view to the next. What happened to that little gap in time? For that matter, what happens to the 80 milliseconds of darkness you should see every time you blink your eyes? Bottom line: Your notion of the smooth passage of time is a construction of the brain. Clarifying the picture of how the brain normally solves timing problems should give insight into what happens when temporal calibration goes wrong, as may happen in the brains of people with dyslexia. Sensory inputs that are out of sync also contribute to the risk of falls in elderly patients.
We grew up with the near-future promise of smart robots, but today we have little better than the Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner. What went wrong?8. Why do brains sleep and dream?
One of the most astonishing aspects of our lives is that we spend a third of our time in the strange world of sleep. Newborn babies spend about twice that. It is inordinately difficult to remain awake for more than a full day-night cycle. In humans, continuous wakefulness of the nervous system results in mental derangement; rats deprived of sleep for 10 days die. All mammals sleep, reptiles and birds sleep, and voluntary breathers like dolphins sleep with one brain hemisphere dormant at a time. The evolutionary trend is clear, but the function of sleep is not.
The universality of sleep, even though it comes at the cost of time and leaves the sleeper relatively defenseless, suggests a deep importance. There is no universally agreed-upon answer, but there are at least three popular (and nonexclusive) guesses. The first is that sleep is restorative, saving and replenishing the body's energy stores. However, the high neural activity during sleep suggests there is more to the story. A second theory proposes that sleep allows the brain to run simulations of fighting, problem solving, and other key actions before testing them out in the real world. A third theory—the one that enjoys the most evidence—is that sleep plays a critical role in learning and consolidating memories and in forgetting inconsequential details. In other words, sleep allows the brain to store away the important stuff and take out the neural trash.
Recently, the spotlight has focused on REM sleep as the most important phase for locking memories into long-term encoding. In one study, rats were trained to scurry around a track for a food reward. The researchers recorded activity in the neurons known as place cells, which showed distinct patterns of activity depending upon the rats' location on the track. Later, while the rats dropped off into REM sleep, the recordings continued. During this sleep, the rats' place cells often repeated the exact same pattern of activity that was seen when the animals ran. The correlation was so close, the researchers claimed, that as the animal "dreamed," they could reconstruct where it would be on the track if it had been awake—and whether the animal was dreaming of running or standing still. The emerging idea is that information replayed during sleep might determine which events we remember later. Sleep, in this view, is akin to an off-line practice session. In several recent experiments, human subjects performing difficult tasks improved their scores between sessions on consecutive days, but not between sessions on the same day, implicating sleep in the learning process.
Understanding how sleeping and dreaming are changed by trauma, drugs, and disease—and how we might modulate our need for sleep—is a rich field to harvest for future clues.
9. How do the specialized systems of the brain integrate with one another?
To the naked eye, no part of the brain's surface looks terribly different from any other part. But when we measure activity, we find that different types of information lurk in each region of the neural territory. Within vision, for example, separate areas process motion, edges, faces, and colors. The territory of the adult brain is as fractured as a map of the countries of the world.
Now that neuroscientists have a reasonable idea of how that territory is divided, we find ourselves looking at a strange assortment of brain networks involved with smell, hunger, pain, goal setting, temperature, prediction, and hundreds of other tasks. Despite their disparate functions, these systems seem to work together seamlessly. There are almost no good ideas about how this occurs.
Nor is it understood how the brain coordinates its systems so rapidly. The slow speed of spikes (they travel about one foot per second in axons that lack the insulating sheathing called myelin) is one hundred-millionth the speed of signal transmission in digital computers. Yet a human can recognize a friend almost instantaneously, while digital computers are slow—and usually unsuccessful—at face recognition. How can an organ with such slow parts operate so quickly? The usual answer is that the brain is a parallel processor, running many operations at the same time. This is almost certainly true, but what slows down parallel-processing digital computers is the next stage of operations, where results need to be compared and decided upon. Brains are amazingly fast at this. So while the brain's ability to do parallel processing is impressive, its ability to rapidly synthesize those parallel processes into a single, behavior-guiding output is at least as significant. An animal running must go left or right around a tree; it cannot do both.
There is no special anatomical location in the brain where information from all the different systems converges; rather, the specialized areas all interconnect with one another, forming a network of parallel and recurring links. Somehow, our integrated image of the world emerges from this complex labyrinthine network of brain structures. Surprisingly little study has been done on large, loopy networks like the ones in the brain—probably in part because it is easier to think about brains as tidy assembly lines than as dynamic networks.
10. What is consciousness?
Think back to your first kiss. The experience of it may pop into your head instantly. Where was that memory before you became conscious of it? How was it stored in your brain before and after it came into consciousness? What is the difference between those states
An explanation of consciousness is one of the major unsolved problems of modern science. It may not turn out to be a single phenomenon; nonetheless, by way of a preliminary target, let's think of it as the thing that flickers on when you wake up in the morning that was not there, in the exact same brain hardware, moments before.
Neuroscientists believe that consciousness emerges from the material stuff of the brain primarily because even very small changes to your brain (say, by drugs or disease) can powerfully alter your subjective experiences. The heart of the problem is that we do not yet know how to engineer pieces and parts such that the resulting machine has the kind of private subjective experience that you and I take for granted. If I give you all the Tinkertoys in the world and tell you to hook them up so that they form a conscious machine, good luck. We don't have a theory yet of how to do this; we don't even know what the theory will look like.
One of the traditional challenges to consciousness research is studying it experimentally. It is probable that at any moment some active neuronal processes correlate with consciousness, while others do not. The first challenge is to determine the difference between them. Some clever experiments are making at least a little headway. In one of these, subjects see an image of a house in one eye and, simultaneously, an image of a cow in the other. Instead of perceiving a house-cow mixture, people perceive only one of them. Then, after some random amount of time, they will believe they're seeing the other, and they will continue to switch slowly back and forth. Yet nothing about the visual stimulus changes; only the conscious experience changes. This test allows investigators to probe which properties of neuronal activity correlate with the changes in subjective experience.
The mechanisms underlying consciousness could reside at any of a variety of physical levels: molecular, cellular, circuit, pathway, or some organizational level not yet described. The mechanisms might also be a product of interactions between these levels. One compelling but still speculative notion is that the massive feedback circuitry of the brain is essential to the production of consciousness.
In the near term, scientists are working to identify the areas of the brain that correlate with consciousness. Then comes the next step: understanding why they correlate. This is the so-called hard problem of neuroscience, and it lies at the outer limit of what material explanations will say about the experience of being human.
More at:http://discovermagazine.com/2007/aug/unsolved-brain-mysteries/article_view?b_start:int=2&-C=


text:
Again from bed
So here I am blogging in bed again. And again, I am pooped. Super pooped. Like, my legs are propped up on pillows because they're all swollen and pooped from being on their feet for 12 hours. (Pout, pout, pout. Whine, whine, whine).
I don't really have the desire to move even one inch. My alarm is set for 5 a.m. for another long day, and Harley's being an asshole.
She's on my nightstand right now. I have exactly three things on my nightstand at the moment, other than a lamp and a cat: chapstick, fingernail clippers and an empty bottle of water.
First Harley batted the chapstick off the table. I snarled and gave her the evil eye. She stopped, but moved on to the nail clippers.
Hey, asshole. STOP IT.
Once I mustered the energy to roll over, I snagged them away from her. And that's when she - swear to Jesus - looked me in the eye and swatted the water bottle off the table with one swipe of her paw. And then just sat there, looking at me, all, "Take that, bitch."
She is a hateful little beast.
Good night.


text:
Volunteer Opportunities
Need Community Service Hours?
Whether you need to fulfill your volunteer commitments, or just want to help, Cevalo has a variety of volunteer opportunities, both on and off the ranch. If you have a great attitude and are ready to work hard and have fun, we want to hear from you!
Let us know what you're good at or would like to learn, and we'll work with you to set up a volunteer project and team you up with a member who can help you get started.
Get Involved!
Interested in learning more about horses? Want to get some exercise and fresh air? We can always use a few extra hands!
Even if wielding a pitchfork or a power-drill isn't your cup of tea, there are lots of ways you can help. If you're more comfortable in front of the computer or behind the camera, put your talents to work and help promote Cevalo. Have a knack for organizing stuff or like to work with people? Help set up one of our events or special programs.
Let us know what you're good at or would like to learn, and we'll match you up with a member who can help you get started!
Are you an instructor, volunteer coordinator, or youth leader?
Contact us to find out how your group can work with Cevalo to help preserve convenient, affordable access to equestrian activities!
- Troop and individual award projects
- Student volunteer placement
- Vocational training projects


text:
Sharing Information A Very Difficult Process
January 28, 2015
The Center for CEOs, Executive Safety
French President François Gérard Georges Nicolas Hollande, France's security workers, police and the people of that bastion of Liberté could possibly be in big trouble.
But they will not be alone. The United States, Philippines along with a large chunk of Asia, Israel (an almost 100% likely target always), among several other highly vulnerable countries will be targeted. In the recent attacks in Paris' (multiple attacks against Charlie Hebdo offices), the Al Qaeda supposedly takes responsibility for the attack. This is mostly just interlocking with the current wave of Iraq-Syria Islamic State group's highly organized and determined terror acts fueling a vision of a world war.
The Al Qaeda, dominantly Sunni but on many occasions accommodating members of the other faction of Islam – the Shiites – is nearly in a state of collapse even if its remnants are still mostly burning with the same fervor and dedication with…
View original post 1,100 more words


text:
Other Charts
In 2014, I started producing a weekly series of Made-Up Charts on The Bold Italic. I would either write and illustrate them myself, or brainstorm them with a handful of freelance contributors, managing the final set that would be published that week. Here are some additional highlights from the 22 chart articles (aka "charticles") that I produced.
(Click to enlarge.)


text:
How To Plan The Perfect Charleston, SC Winter Vacation
The Holy City is evergreen with Southern charm, so don't miss a chance to make the most out of the winter months! Charleston has year-round, temperate weather: Even in its coldest months, Charleston rarely if ever dips below freezing—not a snow shovel in sight. So while sunbathing may not be on the top of the to-do list, there is still plenty to keep visitors entertained. Here are some tips to help you plan ahead for the perfect Charleston, SC winter vacation.
Get A Restaurant Reservation
As supporters of the "buy local" movement, Charleston's renowned chefs often use the freshest, local ingredients—which are seasonal. That means that if you only visit Charleston in the summer, you could be missing out on many great culinary experiences. While dining at Charleston mainstays like Husk, McCrady's, The Grocery and Harold's Cabin, for instance, you'll be treated to an entirely different menu than if you visited in the spring or summer. While the weather may be cooling off, these restaurants don't, so be sure to call ahead—perhaps days out—to get your ideal reservation.
Plan To Go To An Oyster Roast
A great tradition of the Lowcountry, only visitors from October-March can enjoy a good 'ole fashioned oyster roast. It is said that the first person to ever try an oyster must have been very brave, but that adventurousness has now blessed the Eastern seaboard with one of Charleston's favorite snacks. Steamed up and dropped by the burlap bag-full, crowds gather for fundraisers or just plain fun. You can enjoy piles of oysters across the Peninsula and the surrounding boroughs nearly every weekend during the winter. This is part of a quintessential Charleston, SC winter vacation!
Grab An Advanced Ticket To A Festival
Charlestonians are always looking for the biggest party. With a growing microbrew culture, the party is often on tap and outside. Charleston Beer Week is a week-long celebration with events each day that goes down early each September. If that's not enough brew for you, one of the largest single day events in winter is Brewvival, occurring each year in early February, seemingly with more beers to try each year. The last week of February and into March also marks the Charleston Wine + Food festival, which hosts once-in-a-lifetime dinners, all-out culinary excursions, and live entertainment.
Earmark Historical Sites & Museums
History knows no season, and Charleston is rich with historical sites elemental to the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, and beyond. These attractions are great for a Charleston, SC winter vacation or any time of year. The Charleston CVB has a list on hand for easy discovery. While in town, you may also be interested in checking out one of Charleston's many museums or other indoor options like The Charleston Children's Museum or The South Carolina Aquarium. Plan ahead and create your own custom tour of historic Charleston!
Getting To Charleston
All roads lead to Charleston in just a couple turns. Located at the "basin" of Interstate 26, Charleston is easily accessible from I-95 and I-77. Likewise, Charleston houses an international airport with direct flights from Charlotte, Atlanta, Washington D.C., and New York City! What are you waiting for?
Luxury Vacation Rentals In Charleston, SC
Finding the right vacation rental for a winter vacation in Charleston, SC can make all the difference when it comes to making the most out of your trip to the Lowcountry. Walk Away Stays offers luxury rental properties in Charleston that will keep you close to all the action. We also offer on-call, 24/7 concierge services (like making that restaurant reservation) as well as five-star amenities like hotel-style toiletries, luxury linens, and complimentary locally roasted coffee.
Ready to get started with your Charleston, SC winter vacation? Browse our vacation rental properties, and book today!


text:
By Madame Zia
The energy is ripe for planetary consciousness through self-love. There is palpable potential and power at our fingertips that can be used or abused. Group consciousness is being activated right now to dig deep and find divine self-love so that we can beam that out for all to flourish and prosper. Like the August Sun that shines the light down on the glorious sunflowers that grace the tables of all and bring deep peace and joy.
This is because the Nodes of the Moon have moved into Leo/Aquarius on the 9th of May which only happens every 18.6 years. The Nodes spend about 18 month in each sign and just moved from Virgo/Pisces into Leo/Aquarius.
The Nodes of the Moon really need to be explained a bit here to understand the significance of this. They are not a planetary body, they are points in space where the moon crosses over the elliptic orbit of the earth. As you all know, the Sun and planets do not circle willy-nilly around the Earth. Instead, their apparent path around us inscribes a circle in the skies. This disk-shaped band of the sky is called the ecliptic.
Astrology is geocentric, meaning that even though we realize the Sun does not orbit the Earth, the Earth is at the center of the astrological chart. Thus, Earth is our frame of reference. The Moon's orbit around the Earth is not the same as the ecliptic. You could visualize them as two giant hula hoops, one inside the other, held at an angle. The Moon's orbit crosses the Ecliptic in two places— these are called the Moon's Nodes.
The North Node is where the Moon crosses the ecliptic going toward the northern hemisphere, and the South Node is where she crosses the ecliptic headed south. The North Node and the South Node are always directly opposite one another in the sky.
The Moon's Nodes nearly always move in retrograde, meaning they travel backwards through the Zodiac. They make a complete circle through the 12 signs every 18.6 years. When the New Moons and Full Moons happen near the Moon's Nodes, eclipses happen. That is because the Earth, Sun, and Moon are lined up so precisely that a shadow is cast. This is how astronomers, ancient and modern, know how to predict the eclipses.
In astrology they have great significance and where ever they are located in your birth chart. The Moon location during your birth is very profound as the Moon highly influences the Earth and consequently you. So whatever the sign and location of your Moon at your birth, it has a profound effect on you. The Nodes of the Moon consequently have an equally powerful effect on you. They are very personal and only occur every 18.6 years. (To learn more about your Moon sign and Nodes locations, a birth chart reading with me will enlighten you!)
With the Nodes of the Moon moving into the signs of Leo and Aquarius last week, there is a lot of power in the stars right now for the refined tuning of the self to bring your beautiful instrument of light to the orchestra of divinity. It is more complex and needs a bit more orchestrating to bring harmony but the potential is remarkable. Enjoy the luxury of loving yourself and let that joy spill out of you and onto the tables of others where they may drink from that fruit. Let it inspire others to create innovative ideas to bring consciousness for all. That is the project for Global Consciousness in the next 18 months.
For more from Madame Zia, find her at Dana Zia Astrology on Facebook.


text:
About the Department:
The Department of Joint Warfighting consists of Air Force, Army,
Navy, Marine Corps and civilian faculty who act as instructors and academic
advisors for approximately five hundred resident Air Command and Staff
College students from across the US Armed Forces, joint agency partners, and
allied militaries across the world. The department delivers the Joint
Warfighting course, which comprises approximately one-quarter of the core
resident curriculum. Joint Warfighting is an operational level course
designed to demonstrate how the U.S. joint force organizes, deploys,
employs, sustains, and redeploys military capabilities across the range of
military operations in support of national interests. This capstone course
synthesizes academic lecture and seminar with wargaming exercises to
challenge students to analyze and comprehend how the joint force fights in
and through multiple domains to solve national security problems. The
intent of Joint Warfighting is to create military professionals that are
able to understand and appropriately apply military theory and doctrine to
develop effective strategies against volatile, uncertain, complex and
ambiguous threats.
Department Leadership
Department Chair:
Dr Robert (Bob) Mahoney is the Chair, Department of Joint Warfighting, at Air Command and Staff College. He has a Ph.D. in History from the George Washington University, a M.S. in National Resource Strategy from the Eisenhower School, National Defense University, a M.S. in Management from Webster University, and a B.S. in Engineering Sciences from the United States Air Force Academy. Prior to arriving at ACSC, Dr. Mahoney was the Dean of the Marine Corps War College and an Assistant Professor at the Eisenhower School at NDU. His book, The Mayaguez Incident, was published by Texas Tech Press. He retired from the US Air Force as a Colonel with over 27 years of service, having commanded a KC-135 flying squadron, served on staffs with Air Mobility Command and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and is a command pilot with over 3500 hours in the T-37, T-38 and KC-135.
Research Interest/Expertise: the US Constitution, Joint Warfighting, Joint Planning, Operational Design, Leadership, US Air Force History, the Vietnam War Era, World War II, the Civil War, and the Revolutionary War.
Deputy Chair:
Col Phil Warlick is the Deputy Chair in the Department of Joint Warfighting at Air University's Air Command and Staff College. He also serves as an Instructor and Academic Advisor, and is an adjunct Instructor for the Air University Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Research Task Force – Vigilant Horizons with Air War College and the LeMay Center. Lt Col Warlick commissioned in 1997 through the US Air Force Academy where he was a distinguished graduate. He has held a variety of positions in intelligence operations, targeting, staff, and operations support. Assignments included: 36th Intelligence Squadron, Langley AFB; 2nd Operations Support Squadron, Barksdale AFB; US Pacific Command Joint Intelligence Operations Center, Pearl Harbor, HI, 301st Fighter Wing, Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, TX; the Joint Staff, Directorate of Intelligence, and the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence. Lt Col Warlick is a recent graduate of Air War College where he earned academic distinction. His professional studies paper at AWC focused on ISR support to joint targeting in the anti-access/area denial environment.
Research Interest/Expertise: ISR, Targeting, Operational Assessment, A2/AD, Critical Thinking, and Leadership.
Course Director:
Brent Lawniczak is an Instructor in the Joint Warfighting Department at Air University's Air Command and Staff College, and the Course Director for Joint Warfighting. A retired Marine aviator, he has served in multiple theaters in various capacities. He was qualified as a Command Pilot, Forward Air Controller (Airborne), Forward Air Controller/Joint Terminal Attack Controller, and Weapons and Tactics Instructor.
Research Interest/Expertise: Joint planning, operational design, joint fires, cross-domain operations, amphibious operations, aviation operations, policy formulation.
Director of Instruction:
Lt Col Joel R. Bius is the Director of Instruction in the Department of Joint Warfighting and Assistant Professor of National Security Studies at Air University's Air Command and Staff College. Lt Col Bius received his Ph.D. in US History from the University of Southern Mississippi in May 2015. He also has an M.A. in Military Studies with emphasis in the American Civil War and a Master of Military Operational Art and Science from ACSC. He was commissioned through ROTC at Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Georgia. His military operational experience includes 12 years' experience in strategic deterrence as an ICBM Combat Crew Commander, instructor, and NAF Command Evaluator, as well as operational counterinsurgency experience as a regional Deputy J5 while serving with the US Army in Kandahar, Afghanistan. In addition to teaching the joint warfighting core courses, Lt Col Bius also teaches electives on the history of American Military Culture and the history of vice in the military. Lt Col Bius also teaches electives on the history of American military culture and the history of vice in the military.
Research Interest/Expertise: History of the American cigarette ration, the Environmental History of WWII, American Military Culture, selected topics in War and Society, and Multi-Domain Operations.
Director of Staff:
Maj Ezra B. Caplan: is an Air University Fellow in the Department of Joint Warfighting at Air Command and Staff College on Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. He serves as an Instructor for three academic courses, including a joint Research Task Force with Air War College and the LeMay Center, and is also an Academic Advisor and the department's Director of Staff. Maj Caplan is an Air Force intelligence officer with experience in airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance operations, Signals Intelligence, Cyber operations, and Special Technical Operations. He has operated and deployed in the US Africa Command, US Central Command, and US European Command theaters. Prior to his arrival at ACSC, he was the Director of Operations for the 450th Intelligence Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. He was commissioned in 2004 after receiving his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Boston University, and he subsequently earned a M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2010. Maj Caplan is a Distinguished Graduate from ACSC where he earned a Master of Military Operational Art and Science in 2017.
Research Interest/Expertise: Operational Command-and-Control and Multi-Domain Operations for ISR.
Department Faculty:
Dr. James D. Campbell is an Assistant Professor of Military and Security Studies in the Department of Joint Warfighting at Air University's Air Command and Staff College. A retired US Army Brigadier General, Dr. Campbell served as an Infantryman and Strategic Plans and Policy Officer, with assignments at all levels of command and staff, in both the Regular Army and the National Guard. Most recently he served as the Deputy Chief, Operations Plans Division at US Central Command, and prior to his retirement served as the 39th Adjutant General of Maine and Commissioner of the Maine Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management. While in this last position, he was appointed as a member of the Army Reserve Forces Policy Committee, a body of General Officers from all three Army components which advises the Secretary of the Army. Dr. Campbell holds a M.A. in European History and a Ph.D. in British History. He is a graduate of the US Army War College and was an International Security Studies Fellow at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University. Prior to his arrival at ACSC, he worked as an Adjunct Professor of History at the University of Maine and as a History Instructor at the US Air Force Academy. Dr. Campbell has written on subjects ranging from Homeland Defense, to Irregular Warfare and British Military History.
Research Interest/Expertise: 19th/20th Century Military History, Imperialism, Irregular Warfare/Special Operations, South Asian Militaries, History of Sport
Lt Col Kelly M. Colacicco is an Instructor in the Department of Joint Warfighting at Air University's Air Command and Staff College. Lt Col Colacicco has over eighteen years of military US Air Force intelligence experience in both Joint and Coalition assignments at the tactical, operational and strategic levels. Experience includes intelligence support to overseas Fighter Squadron operations, Information Operations/Targeting, signals intelligence reporting, in-depth understanding of the Air Operations Centers, fielding of new Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems into the US Central Command area of responsibility, support to fielded Special Operations Forces, and time in the National Capitol Region supporting the Secretary of Defense's ISR Task Force, the Joint Staff Current Operations, and the Air Staff ISR Collection and Capabilities Division. She has operated and deployed throughout the Pacific Command, European Command and Central Command theaters. She has up-to-date and in-depth knowledge of Air Force ISR platforms, architecture, and the tasking, collection, processing, exploitation and dissemination of data along with how assets field in support of Combatant Commands via the Global Force Management Process.
Research Interest/Expertise: Joint Operations, Joint Doctrine, multi-domain operations
Maj Heather G. Demis is an Air University Fellow, Instructor, and Academic Advisor in the Department of Joint Warfighting at the Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. She joined the ACSC staff in June 2017. Her work includes designing lesson and teaching plans, and instructing Joint Warfighting and Leadership. Her primary career field is a Pilot in the MC-130P Combat Shadow with Air Force Special Operation Command. Before her current assignment, Major Demis was the Chief of Inspection Planning, Inspector General, Air Force Special Operation Command, Hurlburt Field, Florida. Maj Demis has served five deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, the latest as the Aircraft Commander of MC-130P, Afghanistan in October 2012. She was commissioned in 2003 through AFROTC after earning a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from University of Missouri-Rolla. In 2011, she earned a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Florida. Maj Demis earned a Master of Military Operational Art and Science from ACSC in 2017.
Research Interest/Expertise: Airborne Special Operations, Joint Operations, Joint Planning, and Multi-Domain Operations.
Lt Col William "Russ" Donaldson is an Instructor of joint warfare studies at Air University's Air Command and Staff College in the Department of Joint Warfighting. In this capacity, he is responsible for preparing United States and international field grade officers and inter-agency civilians to develop, employ and command air, space and cyberspace forces. In addition, Lt Col Donaldson develops curriculum, presents material, leads seminar discussions and evaluates student achievement of course objectives, written and oral communication and critical thinking skills. He also advises graduate-level research on critical command issues and emerging air, space and cyberspace power topics. Lt Col Donaldson has held various positions at the squadron, group and wing level. Most recently he served as the 14th Flying Training Wing Inspector General where he acted as the primary advisor to the wing commander for sensitive and complex complaint data potentially affecting readiness of 3,000 base personnel. He also led and executed the commander's inspection program to assess wing readiness and compliance.
Research Interest/Expertise Ballistic Missile Defense Systems, Trajectory Analysis and Statistical Applications.
LTC Mike Fife is an Instructor/Academic Advisor in the Department of Joint Warfighting at Air University's Air Command and Staff College. LTC Fife has served in a wide variety of command and staff positions throughout his 22 year career. His career highlights include the following: LTC Fife was assigned to 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3D Infantry Division Fort Stewart, Georgia. Assignments while assigned to the Raider Brigade included S3 for 3D Brigade Support Battalion, Support Operations Officer for 3D Brigade Support Battalion, and Logistics Readiness Officer in the Division G4 section. During his five years at 3D Infantry Division LTC Fife deployed twice for a total of 27 months in support of OIF III and OIF V. In April 2008, upon redeployment from OIF V, LTC Fife attended the Air Command and Staff College (ACSC) at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. After graduating ACSC, LTC Fife remained on as an Instructor in the Department of Joint Warfighting until June 2011. In July 2011, LTC Fife assumed command of the Baltimore Recruiting Battalion headquartered at Fort George G. Meade Maryland. He served two years as the battalion commander and in July 2013 assumed the duties as the 1st Recruiting Brigade Deputy Commander.
Research Interest/Expertise: Joint Operations, Joint Doctrine, and Multi-Domain Operations.
Lt Col Brant Fryar is an Instructor of Joint Warfare at Air University's Air Command and Staff College. He is a former Reserve Assistance Officer (RAO) providing oversight to numerous Civil Air Patrol (CAP) units across TX and LA. Lt Col Fryar has also served as test manager and program manager in the acquisition career field at Brooks AFB, Kelly AFB, Los Angeles AFB, and Hanscom AFB. Additionally, Lt Col Fryar was a Seminar Instructor at Academic Instructor School (AIS), Flight Commander at Squadron Officer School (AIS), and he served as Commandant of Cadets during an Air Force Reserve Officer's Training Corps (AFROTC) assignment. Lt Col Fryar commissioned in 1995 through AFROTC at Texas Tech University. He has served 22 years on both active duty and in the Air Force Reserve.
Research Interest/Expertise: Adult Learning Theory, Education & Leadership Theory, and the Reserve Force Component.
Dr. Jon Hendrickson is an Assistant Professor of Security Studies in the Department of Joint Warfighting at Air University's Air Command and Staff College. After being awarded a Tyng Scholarship to Williams College, he earned his Ph.D. in military history from The Ohio State University, where he was awarded a Mershon Center Fellowship to conduct research in Vienna, Rome, Paris and London. This research lead to the publication of Crisis in the Mediterranean, a book on the shifting alliances and naval races in the Mediterranean before World War I. After graduating from Ohio State, he was awarded the Class of 1957 Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Naval History at the US Naval Academy, and taught at Coastal Carolina University. He has published and presented several papers on naval and military history, ancient history, and diplomatic history.
Research Interest/Expertise: Naval History, particularly 1850-1950, World War I, and the Origins of the First World War.
Lt Col Cody Hoagland is an Instructor and Academic Advisor in the Department of Joint Warfighting at the Air Command and Staff College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. He joined the ACSC staff in June 2017. His work includes designing lesson plans and teaching plans, and instructing the Leadership and Joint Warfighting courseware. His primary career field is Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Combat Systems Officer/Electronic Warfare Officer. Before his current assignment, Lt Col Hoagland was the Commander, 16th Airborne Command and Control Squadron, Robins AFB, Georgia. Lt Col Hoagland has flown Combat, Combat Support and Sensitive Reconnaissance Operations missions in all six Combatant Commands aboard the E-8C JSTARS and RC-135V/W Rivet Joint. He was commissioned in 1999 through the Officer Training School at Maxwell AFB, Alabama. In 1997, he earned his bachelor's degree from California State University in Fullerton, California. In 2011, he earned his Master's degree in Airpower Art and Science from the American Military University, Virginia. In 2013, he attended U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Research Interest/Expertise: Air Force Culture, Operational Design and Cross-Domain Operations.
Dr. Robert M. Kerr is an Associate Professor in the Department of Joint Warfighting at the Air Command and Staff College. He also previously served as Course Director for "International Security 2: The Use of Armed Force". He holds a Ph.D. in Political Geography from the University of Oregon, and an M.A. in Geosciences from the University of South Carolina. His B.A. is in History with an emphasis on the Islamic World from Grand Valley State University. In addition to teaching at ACSC, Dr. Kerr has worked at the Air Force Culture and Language Center, and taught courses at the US Air Force Special Operations School, the Senior NCO Academy, and the Air Advisor Academy. In 2008-2009 he spent 15 months in NE Baghdad with the 3rd Brigade 4th Infantry Division and 1st Brigade 1st Cavalry Division as an embedded political/cultural advisor.
Research Interest/Expertise: Islamic Culture and History, Ethno-Territoriality, Geopolitics, and Grand Strategy.
Maj Christopher G. Marquis is an Instructor in the Department of Joint Warfighting at the Air Command and Staff College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. He joined the ACSC staff in June 2015. His work at DEW includes designing lesson plans and teaching plans, and instructing the War Theory and Joint Warfighting courses. He also instructs the ACSC elective "Understanding the U.S. Constitution" with Dr. Robert Mahoney. His primary career field is contracting, and he is a worldwide deployable contingency contracting officer. Before his current assignment, Major Marquis was the Chief, Operations Branch, Air Force Installation Contracting Agency (AFICA), Operating Location Air Combat Command (OL-ACC), Langley AFB, Virginia. Major Marquis has served five deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, the latest as the Chief of the Regional Contracting Office in Sharana, Afghanistan in October 2012. He was commissioned in 2001 through the Officer Training School at Maxwell AFB, Alabama. In 2000, he earned his bachelor's degree from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. In 2006, he earned his M.B.A. from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell.
Research Interest/Expertise: U.S. History and Early Aviation History.
Lt Col John K. Martin is an Instructor in the Department of Joint Warfighting at Air University's Air Command and Staff College. Lt Col Martin recently served as the MacDill Air Force Base Chief of Safety where he was responsible for the base safety program for 13,000 personnel. He was the Chief of Levant Strategic Plans and Executive Officer to the Director, Strategy, Plans, and Policy, United States Central Command. In this capacity, he was responsible for developing long-range strategic planning for Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Turkey, Israel, and Cyprus. Additionally, he organized, planned, and coordinated executive matters and support for the two-star Director and seven one-star Deputies. Lt Col Martin has served in a variety of flying assignments, qualifying as an instructor pilot in the KC-135R and KC-10A. Lt Col Martin is a graduate of the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies and Air Mobility Command's PHOENIX REACH and PHOENIX HAWK leadership development programs. His previous positions include assistant operations officer in Air Mobility Command's largest operations support squadron, flight commander in two major weapon systems, headquarters aircrew analysis officer, and Tanker Airlift Control Center global operations director. Lt Col Martin is a command pilot with more than 2,500 flying hours and has served multiple combat deployments.
Research Interest/Expertise:Middle East History and Policy, Decisive Battle, Strategy Development, and Theater Strategic Campaign Planning.
Dr. John L. Minney is an Assistant Professor of Military and Security Studies in the Department of Joint Warfighting at Air University's Air Command and Staff College. A retired US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, Dr. Minney is a Master Navigator, and has flown the F-111, F-15E, KC-135, and C-130 aircraft. He holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Alabama. He is a graduate of both Air Command and Staff College and Air War College. Prior to his arrival at ACSC, he was as an Assistant Professor of History at Concordia College in Alabama, and has taught as an Adjunct Professor of History at the University of Alabama, Auburn University Montgomery, and Troy University.
Research Interest/Expertise: Military History, Air Power History, the relationship between USAF Doctrine and Technology, and Grand Strategy.
CDR James C. Montgomery was commissioned in 1997 at the United States Naval Academy where he earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering and entered the Naval Flight Officer Program. CDR Montgomery's operational tours include Fighter Squadron THIRTY TWO (VF-32) where he completed deployments to the EUCOM and CENTCOM areas of responsibilities, Strike Fighter Squadron TWO ONE ONE (VFA-211) as a Department Head, and the USS NIMITZ (CVN 68) as the Strike Operations Officer. His non-operational tours include Strike Fighter Squadron ONE TWO TWO (VFA-122), NAS Lemoore, CA as a flight instructor for the FA-18 Super Hornet, and NSA Bahrain as the Flag Lieutenant to 5th Fleet. CDR Montgomery has also been stationed at Maxwell AFB, AL as a student at Air Command and Staff College where he received a Masters Degree, and as a student at the Naval Postgraduate School where he earned a Master of Science Degree in Operations Research.
Research Interest/Expertise: Joint Operations, Joint Doctrine, multi-domain operations
Lt Col Scott B. Ryan is an Instructor in the Department of Joint Warfighting at the Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Education, a Master of Science in Adult Education, and a Master of Military Operational Art and Science from the Air Command and Staff College. Lt Col Ryan is a Nuclear and Missile Operations officer and combat crew member. Before his current assignment, he was Deputy Division Chief for Strategic Plans and Programs, HQ USAFE-AFAFRICA, Ramstein AB, Germany. Lt Col Ryan enlisted in the Air Force in 1987 and received his commission through Officer Training School in 2000. He has taught technical training, Professional Military Education (PME) at the USAF's Squadron Officer School, and helped develop and implement PME for the Iraqi Air Force.
Research Interest/Expertise: Joint Planning and Professional Military Education.
Christopher M. Stamper is an instructor of Joint Warfighting at the United States Air Force's Air Command and Staff College. He has a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Oceanography and a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies. He is currently a doctoral student concentrating his studies on Public Policy and Public Administration of Peacekeeping Operations, specifically in East African Affairs. He has taught at the US Naval Academy and the Air War College.
Research Interest/Expertise: Joint Planning, African Professional Military Education and Contemporary African Military Operations.
Lieutenant Colonel Michael Teaster is an instructor in the Joint Warfighting Department at Air University's Air Command and Staff College. LTC Teaster has served in a wide variety positions from Platoon Leader to the Joint Staff throughout his 20 year career. His assignments included duty with the 82d Airborne Division, 3rd Infantry Division, JSTARS, Joint Staff, and the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). He holds a Master's Degree in Education from Liberty University.
Research Interest/Expertise: Joint Operations, Joint Doctrine, multi-domain operations
Maj Timothy L. Tormey was commissioned in the Marines in 1999 at the United States Naval Academy where he earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering. He was desgignated a Naval Aviator in 2001 and has completed four deployments to Iraq as part of a Marine Air Ground Task Force; two as a CH-46E Helicopter pilot and then two additional deployments as an MV-22 pilot. His most recent assignment was as the Aircraft Maintenance Officer for a composite Aviation Combat Element (29 aircraft) for the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). He earned a MA in Military Studies from the Marine Corps Command and Staff College in 2011. He is beginning his third year on faculty at ACSC and is currently the deputy course director for the Joint Warfighting course.
LTC Jason Tussey is an instructor in the Department of Warfighting at the Air Command and Staff College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. He joined the ACSC staff in September 2016. His work at ACSC includes designing lesson and teaching plans and instructing in both the Leadership and Joint Warfighting Departments. As a career Army Infantry officer, LTC Tussey as served at the platoon through brigade level with interagency experience through an assignment with FEMA. Prior to assignment to ACSC, LTC Tussey commanded 1st Battalion, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX. He has combat experience in both Iraq and Afghanistan and peacekeeping experience in
Haiti. In 1996, he earned his bachelor's degree in Business Management through the University of Kentucky where he earned his commission through ROTC. In 2011, LTC Tussey earned his master's degree in National Policy and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College, Newport, RI.
No Photo Available
Dr. Christopher Weimar is an Assistant Professor of National Security Studies in the Joint Warfighting Department at Air University's Air Command and Staff College (ACSC). He holds an M.Phil. and Ph.D. in Political Science from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, a M.A. in International Relations from Boston University, and a B.A. in Mathematics and Computer Science from Fordham University. Prior to his arrival at ACSC, Dr. Weimar has taught in various public college and university political science programs. A retired US Air Force Colonel, Dr. Weimar served in both Active and Reserve status in Communications-Information Systems Management, Cyberspace Operations, and Logistics Readiness. He has served from at all levels from flight to Combatant Command, and has deployed to the African theater, Kuwait, and Iraq. Most recently, he served as the Deputy Director of Logistics and Engineering at North American Aerospace Defense and U.S. Northern Command. He is a graduate of both ACSC and AWC by correspondence and completed the Joint and Combined Warfighting School-Hybrid Program.
Research Interest/Expertise: Outsourcing in Defense and National Security, Strategy, International Security, Alliances, NATO, Cyber Security, Technology and Modern Warfare, Logistics, Militaries in Developing Countries, Non-State Actors and Conflict, Security/Defense Transformation, and Leadership.
225 Chennault Circle
Maxwell AFB, Alabama 36112-6426


text:
- Home
- STEM Schools
- About STEM in SVVSD
- STEM Resources
- Media Coverage
- Innovation Center
- Innovation Academy
Students in Marnie Steele's 7th grade Honors Science class have been exercising their scientific minds when it comes to understanding their nutrition decisions and overall health. After reading Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma at the start of the year, the young scientists discovered that many of the food items they put in their bodies may not be everything they seem. They were concerned about false advertising, pesticide contamination, nutritive values, and much more. Just how much do we really know about the foods we eat every day? And how do our consumption habits affect our physical and mental performance?
These questions are becoming hypotheses, and those hypotheses are becoming experiments as students think through the possibilities of what can be tested. As thought partners and collaborators, students have been paired with volunteer mentors through the International Telementor Program, run by Mr. David Neils. From their website:
"The International Telementor Program (ITP) facilitates electronic mentoring relationships between professional adults and students worldwide, and is recognized as the leader in the field of academic based mentoring. Since 1995 over 46,000 students throughout eleven countries have received support, encouragement, and professional guidance. ITP serves students in K-12 and home school environments as well as college and university settings." Through the program, students are paired with mentors who help them think through their ideas, refine those thoughts, and produce quality work. In Ms. Steele's class, the students collaborate with their mentors to refine their research and develop their experiments. Some of the experiments being developed include testing the effects of hydration on cognitive ability, comparing pesticide levels on organically vs. conventionally grown produce, nutrition values of foods after different cooking methods, and many more. The level of enthusiasm and engagement in class is palpable as students are working on authentic questions whose answers influence their everyday lives. Stay tuned as their experiments progress. There will be a presentation night sometime in May where students will be explaining their findings to the community... you won't want to miss it!
The Innovation Center is a comprehensive research and development center. It provides an environment tailored to aspiring student inventors, designers and entrepreneurs.Click to Learn More
Rigorous K-12 Programming that includes STEM at all levels. This initiative aligns and transforms Skyline feeder schools with a STEM focus.
Offering competitive and innovative 21st Century learning through Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
Illuminating young minds... When you need a place to focus that energy...the new Spark! Discovery Preschool of St. Vrain is a bright idea!


text:
"The House of Yes," Wendy MacLeod's dark, compelling tale of family dysfunction, captivated audiences on its debut in San Francisco, leading to an award-winning film version starring Parker Posey. This wonderfully perverse cult classic tells the story of an upper-class suburban family whose mannered exterior masks a disturbing family dynamic. When the eldest son brings home his fiancée, his bipolar twin sister goes into a tailspin, sparking a chain of events that lead to an astonishing climax.
Yes, Indeedby playgoer
Monday, March 16, 2015
"The House of Yes" has a plot that not everyone will follow easily, since it involves sexual configurations that aren't the norm in our society. Even when you grasp the relationships, you wonder "is that really what's going on?" before coming to the conclusion "yes, it is."
Topher Payne has directed the cast at Out of Box Theatre to bring out the comedy inherent in the script. Timing is wonderful, especially in the performance of Brandi Hoofnagle, who plays an outsider in this odd family dynamic. She has come to the Washington home of Mrs. Pascal and her children as the fiancée of one son. That son's twin sister has recently experienced a mental breakdown, from which she is ostensibly recovering, but her hold over the family skews the dynamic in a decidedly off-kilter direction.
Daniel Carter Brown gives a fine, conflicted performance as the son torn between sister and fiancée. Emily Sams is equal parts delightful and manic as his sister, playing her role with an unmistakable charisma. Matthew Busch plays the other brother with quirky, sly charm. The fact that all three could pass as siblings helps ground the play in a sort of reality. Carolyn Choe plays their mother, and there the family resemblance ends. Ms. Choe is playing a brittle, elegant, amoral matriarch, but seems more to be the Earth Mother type, which works against the script a bit. Brandi Hoofnagle brings a sweet vulnerability and a compromised morality into the proceedings that keep her on the edge of seeming totally wrong for this family and totally right.
The physical production isn't as successful as the acting, although costumes designed by Topher Payne are quite nice. The set works well, with its distinct living room and bedroom spaces, but the pattern in its fabric-stapled walls is slightly askew, and in a way that seems to say "we had to put this up in a hurry and without a level" rather than acting as a comment on the slightly askew dynamics in the family. Joel Coady's lighting and sound design has some nice effects, particularly an arched window shadow that is most noticeable before the show begins, but doesn't enhance the show as well as it might. Lightning effects during the first few scene changes are startling and fun, if perhaps a bit jarring, and the living room lights don't seem to illuminate the space completely. The music cue at the start of the show is overly long, and the hurricane sound effects in the background of most of the play come across as more of a typical rain. The biggest problem with sound is in gun effects. The first couple of possible gunshots occur simultaneously with thunderclaps. That's quite nice, giving a slightly dream-like quality to the re-enactment of the Kennedy assassination. The final gunshot, though, is done through a sound effect, which makes the ending of the show take on the same dream-like quality, although the staging and the script seem to be aiming for something more real.
"The House of Yes" is yet another fine production from Out of Box Theatre. More and more, this theatre is becoming the place to go for entertaining, thought-provoking work, much in the way that Actor's Express used to be before its shows began being burnished with the same dispassionate, professional polish from show to show. [POST A COMMENT REGARDING THIS REVIEW]


text:
Backyard Gardens & An Elegant Afternoon Tea
Historic Shepherdstown, WV
Gardens Open Rain or Shine -
Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm
Sunday, 11 am to 4 pm
Afternoon Tea Both Days 12 noon to 4 pm
Come and enjoy a rare opportunity to view private gardens of Historic Shepherdstown. Stone, bone, iron and water are the basic elements of towns like this. 250 years of history in 1.5 square miles creates an infusion of ancient and modern, immaculate cultivation and playful wildness. Enjoy dooryard gardens and backyard retreats, with merchants and homeowners sharing a unique, wonderful esthetic for all things that grow; a tradition as alive today as at the founding of our town.
Enjoy unlimited visits to these gardens over the two days along with admission to one Tea. Leave with great memories and loads of ideas for your own space. Many local merchants are planning specials to entice you to stay for dinner and spend the evening listening to jazz, Appalachian Folk or myriad eclectic musical talent, from classical to modern.
Within minutes of starting the tour you'll know why, for seventeen years, people experience the Back Alley Tour and Tea, enjoying the charm of the past while being inspired by today's gardens. Sip tea from fine china — enjoy homemade sweets and savories. Shop in unique merchant settings stocking one of a kind items, as well as fine dining, all over our town.
Details about the Garden Tour and Tea
Information on Shepherdstown
(including directions)
Check us out on Facebook
Enjoy the best that Shepherdstown has to offer in the Back Alley Tou-part of the 250th Anniversary Celebrationr


text:
Basic Matte Smokey Eyeshadow Tutorial
Here is a pretty basic matte smokey eyeshadow tutorial using one palette, the Nude Mattes Eyeshadow Pallette by Paula's Choice. This is an easy look to do, it just takes some layering of shadows and a lot of blending. Follow along if you'd like to see how I achieved this look!
Start out by priming your eyes and adding a base shadow. I am using NARS Smudge Proof Primer and Creme (matte, warm cream) from the Paula's Choice Nude Mattes Eyeshadow Palette, which we'll be using this throughout the tutorial. Apply both the base shadow and the primer from lash line to brow bone. I use my finger to apply primer and a Sigma E50 Large Fluff for the base shadow. I have already done my brows, which you can see how I do those by clicking here.
Now were going to start the smokey part. Smokey eyes are pretty simple, you just want to layer and diffuse two or more colors with the deepest color on the lash line. Grab a blending brush and a light brown shadow and we'll get started. I am using Cafe Au Lait (matte, neutral light brown) and a Sigma E25 and blending from the lash line upwards towards the brow bone.
Take a pencil brush and run that same color under the lower lash line and blend.
Now I am using Gunmetal Grey (matte, medium neutral grey) with a Sigma E25 applied in small circular motions starting at the lash line.
Clean off your blending brush or grab a clean one and just blend. Smokey eyes require lots and lots of blending.
You want something like this, a pretty smooth transition.
Take Gunmetal Grey and run that along the lower lash line.
Now apply Cafe Au Lait all over a second time. Layer then blend, layer then blend is pretty much how this goes.
Add a layer of the Gunmetal Grey & I am again using a Sigma E25 for this. At this point you can stop, add mascara and call it a day if you want a lighter smokey eye.
If you want something darker, then follow along. Now add Onyx (matte, soft black) with a pencil brush to the lash line and a touch on the lower lash line.
Blend it out with a Sigma E25. If the black isn't blending nicely you can take a bit of whatever grey you're using on your brush to help diffuse the color.
At this point, take a look at your eyes to see if there's anywhere that needs more blending and take a clean brush and blend it out.
Here I've lined my water line and tight line in black using the Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Black Velvet. Using the brush in the Nude Mattes palette I used Pink Sugar (satin, light pink-champagne) to highlight the brow and inner corner.
Curl your lashes and add some black mascara.
I finished the look off with some lashes! I am wearing Velour lashes in Whispie Me Away.
I hope you liked this basic matte smokey eyeshadow tutorial and found it easy to follow! Let me know what other "one palette" tutorials you'd like to see in upcoming tutorials in the comments below.
— P R O D U C T S U S E D— Products: Face: Makeup Forever Primer – 0 NARS Pro Prime MUFE HD foundation – 118 Illamasqua Skin base – white RMCA No color Powder
Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder Nars creamy concealer – Chantilly NYX Corrector – Fair NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray OCC John Doe Anastasia Contour Kit - Fawn Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder – Ethereal Blush: MAC Warm Soul Eyes: Paula's Choice - Nude Mattes Palette * Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Black Velvet Maybelline Full n' Soft Mac Extended Play Gigablack Lash Mascara Anastasia Clear Brow Gel Anastasia Brow Powder Duo in Ash Brown Lips: YSL Beige Tribute Lashes: Velour Whispie Sweet Nothings
Disclosure: This post contains PR Samples and affiliate links, this post is not sponsored.
All products were sent to me as PR samples are marked in product list with an asterisk * . Links within this post are affiliate links.


text:
Recipes are being tested, construction is underway, menus are in development, and we're getting closer and closer to welcoming you to Fare Well, our new bakery + diner + bar opening later this year on DC's famed H St NE.
Fare Well, a casual, veggie-centric neighborhood spot for comforting, house-made everyday fare, is amping up to serve you. From morning coffee to nightcap, from breakfast pastry to after-dinner dessert, from us for you. We'll be more than our bakery case and lunch counter, our classic diner-style service and seating for 50, our full bar and specialty cocktails.
But we can't do this without you. Be a part of the mission in making veggie-centric fare available for everyone. We are inviting you to be a Fare Well Founder!
We've just launched our indiegogo campaign to raise funds so we can open our doors as quickly as possible. Check out our story, pick one (or more!) of the many thank-you gifts we're offering, and join us!
We can't wait to serve you.


text:
Do staff have specialist training?
As a whole school we have worked with external agencies to provide whole school training. All/or specific staff have recently been trained in the following areas:-
- Supporting children with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
- Supporting children with ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
- Team teach
- Restorative approaches
- Guided reading
- Memory Fix
- Dyslexia friendly interventions
- Phonics Counts
- Lexia
- Makaton
- British Sign Language level 2
- Irlens – visual stress screeners
- Time to Talk
- Drawing Therapy
- Nurture group accreditation


text:
MARCH 6th & 8th - Billboard Live in Japan with The Pharcyde!
We're doing shows in both Tokyo and Osaka at Billboard Live! These are both amazing venues; easily a couple of my favorites around the world.
Check The Pharcyde's Facebook page for ticket info, I'll be doing opening sets at all 4 shows:
MARCH 11th - Do512 South by Southwest Interactive Kickoff Party!
No better way to start South by Southwest than with Austin's own Do512 crew. Join us for their EPIC! Interactive at Hotel Vegas and Hotel Vegas Annex with Octopus Project, Chipper Jones, Otis the Destroyer, S&S Ariel & Burlesque, RubbleBucket, and more!


text:
Sign up for a FREE account now to improve your hunting.
A key to accessing better hunts is being able to identify top hunting units and knowing how to obtain a tag in them. We provide you with in-depth analysis of state-by-state hunting opportunities so you can identify hunts that meet your goals and begin applying for them. We collect and publish a comprehensive, five-year statistical analysis of harvest success, draw odds, and hunt dates for each state along with vital comments on existing trophy animals in each unit.
Along with our detailed analysis, we also provide our picks, tops units, application processes, and regulation changes in our state coverage. In just a few pages you will have all the information you need to make informed decisions about where to hunt to accomplish your goals.
Here is our schedule of state coverage:
"My first issue of Huntin' Fool brought my attention to the once-in-a-lifetime drawing for New Mexico Oryx. I thought what the heck I'll apply along with my 12 year old son. Wouldn't you know it, we drew on our first try! I also took Huntin' Fool's advice and applied for New Mexico Bighorn sheep in the Pecos—heck someone has to draw the tag, right? On my first try I drew a Bighorn sheep tag! Thanks to the advice from Huntin' Fool... I drew two once-in-a-lifetime hunts in 1 year! It just doesn't get any better than that." —J Morley, Geneseo NY


text:
September 27th, 2014 | by VoiceCouncil
app review: Funk Box by Synthetic Bits
What it Does:
The Bottom Line:
You can have up to 36 customized drum patterns in any given project and jump from one to the other with one touch. You can easily overdub new parts into an existing pattern by playing the live touch pad.
This app is brilliantly compact and packs a lot of functionality into just two main screens. But there are trade-offs. For example, you can't see all 32 steps and all the instruments at the same time.
You can add a bass line to your drum pattern via midi and another iOS app or synth. You can't save songs or song lists, just banks of patterns.
People seem to love this quirky and cool app, except for a few perfectionists who want more control over more parameters.
Musician's Note
It was super easy to get started on this app. At any given moment there are 12 drum patterns one click away and 24 more patterns two clicks away. I love how easy it is to overdub a new part into an existing pattern with the live touch pads. The step sequencer is somewhat compact, but gives you the added control to create you own patterns. I was a bit disappointed that you can't individually set the volume of a particular instrument in a specific step. Also, you can't name individual patterns you create, only the entire bank of presets.


text:
Two of Australia's most-loved companies, Peters and Arnott's, have joined forces in an exciting collaboration.
From August, Aussie consumers will be able to experience the taste of some of Australia's most iconic biscuits, Wagon Wheels, Mint Slice, Iced Vovo and Caramel Crowns in the ice cream freezer.
Together Peters and Arnott's have more than 260 years heritage in Australia delighting Aussie taste buds across the generations.
While Arnott's worked on transferring the flavour of the biscuit, Peters perfected the flavour as a quality frozen experience. The result is four delicious treats, suited for old-school Arnott's lovers, ice-cream sandwich fans and anyone looking for a post dinner treat or snack.
-It might sound simple but our biggest challenge was to make sure the flavours were true to the biscuit. So, when you taste the products in the range, you're transported to eating your favourite biscuit and can't help but smile!'' said Claire Kesby-Smith, Arnott's Marketing Manager.
As the best of two worlds collide, Peters is proud to bring a reinvented Aussie classic to consumers.
-'We know food evokes a strong sense of memory, and most of us grew up with our favourites in the Arnott's biscuit range. We hope these four flavours bring back some classic moments as well as spark some friendly competition between the flavours.'' said Alicia Munday, Peters Head of Marketing.
-'Eating these products feels very nostalgic. It takes you back to your childhood.''
Arnott's Wagon Wheels sandwich is a deliciously cool combination of biscuits, marshmallow, jam and chocolate. It's accompanied by Arnott's Mint Slice, a refreshing take on the iconic and much loved biscuit. There will also be two new 470ml tubs containing the classic flavours of Arnott's Iced Vovo, a medley of vanilla biscuit, coconut and raspberry , and Arnott's Caramel Crowns, a popular mix of gooey caramel and chocolate coated biscuit.
-'We're excited to launch what we're sure will become a new family favourite,'' said Munday.
All flavours are available from Coles, Woolworths and Independent across the country, hitting shelves from August. Wagon Wheels also available in Convenience.


text:
During the making of Leica "100" we had a M9 on set to capture some still moments. Some pictures ended up quite similar to the original ones, but there're also some totally new interpretations of those iconic moments.
The film was a 2 day shoot in Montevideo, Uruguay in September of 2014.