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While social media is largely associated with a younger audience, we'd be mistaken to think it's solely the domain of today's youth. Our Real Retirement report shows that nearly half of (43%) of 65-74 year olds use social media at least once every day.
But with the press often putting social media to blame for feelings of loneliness and even depression amongst younger users, should we be concerned? Apparently not. Studies show that by bridging geographic gaps between older adults and their loved ones and allowing them to connect with likeminded people, it may be helping to reduce feelings of loneliness, isolation and even improve cognitive ability.
We spoke to Dr Alison Attrill-Smith, Senior Lecturer in Cyber Psychology at the University of Wolverhampton, about the key benefits social media can have amongst the older generation:
"One of the most prevalent benefits of social media amongst older adults is the effect on cognitive functions. Maintaining the ability to navigate and use the Internet, and social media specifically, can help maintain one's faculties."
Take a look at some of the other ways social media is benefitting those in later life:
These days, most photos get taken on digital devices like smartphones, and while we may be sent some if we're lucky, many of them don't ever make it to print. Being able to go on Facebook and Instagram allows us to see all the latest photos that have been posted by our friends and families who have shared them, helping us stay in the loop.
Rifling through directories to look someone up has never been an easy task. Social media offers an easy way to track down old friends from school or connect with someone you met at book club. It provides a casual platform on which to stay in touch with someone who you may not want to spend ages on the phone with, but you still wouldn't mind checking in on once in a while.
Ever feel like it can be hard to get all the family in the room at once? Group chat is the next best thing to having all your family in one place. Whether you're trying to find a date on which you're all free for a get together or you're sharing the odd life update, it's a nice way to stay connected without having to send the same text or have the same phone call several times.
People travel more than ever before, but social media platforms like Skype allow us, not only to chat with a loved one, but to see their face and interact with them as if they were in the same room:
"If we think of apps like Skype and Facetime, many older people have learned how to use these to stay in touch with loved ones the world over", says Dr Attrill-Smith. "It makes their separation from their families easier."
Being on Twitter or Facebook can help people feel part of a movement, particularly in times of social change. With only a hashtag on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram making your post visible to those beyond your following, it's easier to be part of a wider conversation.
In the same way it gives people the opening to have their voices heard, social media can provide a way in which to interact with likeminded people. Dr Attrill-Smith commented: "Use the tools to your advantage to connect with likeminded others – there are lots of groups and discussion forums on social media that are out in the open and public." You may be only a few clicks away from finding someone who shares your political opinion in an online debate, for instance.
Whether it's finding an event or a group that connects you to people with a shared hobby, such as a local walking club, it provides a great opening to interact with online and offline communities.
Dr Attrill-Smith suggests using social media as a way to connect with the local community: "The best way to use the Internet to combat loneliness is to use it as a tool to find out what is going on in your local community. There might be activities out there that you just weren't aware of. Use it to facilitate meeting people offline."
While the world of social media might seem like a scary one at first, it's not long before you find your feet. Dr Attrill-Smith suggests finding the right people to show you the ropes: "This is a great opportunity to bond with younger people in your family. If you don't have family members who can help, ask a friend, or an organisation. Most organisations, such as Age UK, will have people who can help with these things."
Being hacked, scammed or part of fraudulent activity can make us feel vulnerable on the internet. Read our handy guide to avoid valling victim to a scam.
Use our handy tools and calculators to help you plan for your future.
Puzzled by pensions? Get the lowdown on everything you need to know.
Already have a pension with Aviva? Monitor it online at the touch of a button with MyAviva.


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September RecapSunday, October 5, 2014
My style evolved so much this summer and it really interests me to see it throughout my blog posts since June.
I'm shocked that September is already over! It flew by way to fast, but I'm so excited for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and all of the fun fall festivities ;-).
Here's a quick recap of September:
- I went to NYFW for the first time, where I met Molly of We Heart It and some new blogger friends, plus saw some unforgettable shows
- I become an affiliate with Shop Bop
- I became an affiliate with She Inside (my favorite)
- I became obsessed with the backpack trend (did you know?)
- I officially have a new favorite blogger, Kristina Bazan. Plus I saw her at FW!
- Devon Alana sent me the cutest top (ever)
- I came to accept the fact that I'll never be able to fully tame my hair...someone told me it's chic, so I'm all in!
Here are my favorite looks of September. Which was your favorite?
Hope you had an amazing September, I sure had fun!

subset: commoncrawl


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The Wondercraft is a new group of crafters that travel around Austin in their refurbished Airstream trailer, teaching classes and spreading the crafting love. Last night they had their grand opening at the Art Pad and Jason, Jude and I decided to go check it out!
A few shots of the set up in the parking lot that I took with my iPhone.
They had a screen printing station where you could screen print a tie. Jason picked an airstream trailer and I printed it on the tie we choose. It was my first time to screen print and it was quite fun! I would love to learn more about how to do it at home!
I bought one item (although I was tempted to buy other items, I forced myself to resist), and at $5 for these great earrings, I felt like I was getting quite a deal! Check out Gem Junkie's Famous $5 Earrings on etsy!
I happened to be one of the first 25 people to arrive at the Art Pad for the grand opening, so I got a door prize! And what a door prize it was. Everything was in a handmade, screenprinted tote with a tie as a handle! So cool!
It included many fantastic things; my favorites were an embroidery set from Sublime Stitching – Forest Friends, a Lil' Lavender Sachet, Bourbon Bites from Blue Note Bakery, a reclaimed magnet made from security envelope lining from pomme frites, feather clip from Diamonds and Guns, vintage Japanese lucite earrings from SoCoDivka Designs (so excited about these!), earrings from deLisa designs jewelry (excited about these as well – I can't wear the dangly earrings as frequently with a grabby baby), delicious smelling bow tie one on soap from Nepenthe's bath time, and stationary paper from paper place.
Also in my door prize was a free ticket to Shop Austin, on April 17th, put on by the Lone Star Ladies, that's raising money for the Frontier scholarship. I'm looking forward to going to that show – it sounds like it's going to be fun!
I also found out about Austin Creative Reuse, which is something I would like to investigate more once they are up and running. I can't believe it's taken so long for this to get started in Austin since there is such a vibrant crafting community here!
Good food from the Blue Star Cafeteria, great sweets from the Cupcake Bar (so much better than Hey Cupcake!), great drinks from Apothecary Wine Bar. All in all, a night well spent!


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Angela Flanders was the most magical of perfumers and the most generous of women. She gave everything – her time, her advice, her sympathy, her wonderful gifts. The warmth, charm and intelligence of her personality shone through her dazzling creations. Angela Flanders' genius as a perfumer derived from and reflected her deep appreciation and understanding of human nature, emotions and desires: empathy and sympathy flowed from her like a sixth sense. She knew about perfume and she knew about life. Her fragrances – to use the words of Elizabeth Tudor – made windows into men's souls. Angela played many parts in her long and richly varied life: the good fairies at her birth showered her with many talents and all these were woven into her exquisite scents.
To know Angela was to respect, admire and most of all to love her. Magnetic and charismatic are much-overused words today, but Angela Flanders personified these adjectives. If she didn't actually invent charisma she demonstrated to perfection to all who encountered her exactly what this rare quality is all about. Her appearance at Les Senteurs Summer Party in 2014 delighted all who were lucky enough to meet her. Angela had a very highly developed and robust sense of humour, an acute shrewdness and a youthful, ageless sense of fun: anyone fortunate enough to be in her company laughed a very great deal. Angela loved a party; meeting new people and old friends; to be up and doing. Her mind was always teeming with new ideas and plans: whenever you telephoned her, it was to find some new scheme or inspiration being pondered. (She was by the way the most entertaining and accomplished exponent of the nearly-lost art of letter writing). This kept Angela seemingly eternally young. She was optimism, curiosity and vivacity incarnate. Like Marlene Dietrich, whom she admired, she had "energy and discipline". Angela had also a great belief in fate and destiny: a profound spirituality which gave her always a serene and tranquil air, like that of the beautiful cats she adored. Like her cats, she, too, preserved her mystery.
Wonderfully dressed, jewelled and scented Angela invented her own style; a figure of grace and elegance illuminated by joy and kindness. She moved like an empress, was as modest and self-deprecating as a nun and as clever as paint. All of London will miss her desperately but she leaves an immortal legacy not only as a gifted perfumer but as an irreplaceable friend and phenomenon.


text: Environmental cooperation with Serbia The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency has a joint project with Serbia on EU approximation. svenska Share Contact Listen Project support for EU accession negotiations EU and Serbia began the discussion regarding membership in October 2005 and a formal application was made by Serbia in December 2009. Since then EU-approximation is of high priority for Serbia. The formal negotiations regarding Serbia's membership in the European Union started in January 2014. Serbia has successfully passed the Chapter 27 bilateral screening and, at the end of 2016, received an invitation to submit the Negotiating Position which means that the environment chapter was open for negotiations. Support provided by the Swedish EPA through the ENVAP2 project, 2013-2016, has contributed significantly to the positive outcome of the screening. Environment Accession Project 3 (ENVAP3) The project started in September 2016 and will last until August 31, 2020. The project aims to strengthen the responsible Ministry's ability to manage the EU accession processes on the environment and to effectively prepare for and participate in the upcoming accession negotiations for Chapter 27. The project focuses on three components: Support to negotiations Support regarding communication of negotiation related issues for Chapter 27 Support to Serbian EPA (SEPA) in management of environmental information for Chapter 27 negotiations. From the beginning of the project implementation, activities were focused on support to the Ministry of Environmental Protection in coordination of the process of development of the Negotiating Position for Chapter 27. The support resulted into the first draft Negotiating Position provided to the European Commission for informal consultations in the beginning of July 2018. The Negotiating Position is being improved following comments received from the European Commission (EU COM), and Serbia plan to submit their second draft to the EU COM in December 2018. ENVAP3 continues to support to the Department for EU Integration of the Ministry in planning for further Negotiating Position improvement, including coordination of Negotiating Group 27 and the work of Sectoral Working Groups. Besides the general process support, Swedish experts are providing directive specific support for approximation of several directives, such as Drinking Water, National Emissions Ceiling, EQS, Groundwater, Environmental Noise, TIMBER, FLEGT and Sludge directives as well as Ship recycling regulation and other legal acts. The project also supports communication of Chapter 27, including development of the Chapter 27 Communication Strategy, annual communication plans, Campaign plan, establishment of the Working Group for Communication and is also supporting implementation of the plans. A gap assessment of reporting obligations in the waste sector supported by ENVAP3 will contribute to improve statistics on waste management – one of the most important sub-chapters for negotiations. ENVAP3 activities are being implemented in close cooperation with other Sida financed Swedish development projects supporting the EU accession process, in particular chemicals management and implementation of Industrial Emissions Directive. ENVAP3 has supported meetings in Brussels for technical consultations with the EU COM on two occasions. Making it possible for Serbian experts to ask the EU COM about specific directives and how they can best be implemented.


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Appealing ebony amateur courtesan showing her pussy does a live cam 4: This emotional GF is 5: Big beautiful Rhonda Lee flexes and models her hot body as she strips off her dress. Like big clits and big strong bodies?
Bodybuilder Emery Miller rolls around the bed, strips and flexes her huge muscles. You have already rated this video! Bodybuilder Wanda Moore does some boxing then strips off her clothes exposing her nice ass, tits and big clit. A skinny hottie.
1 2 34 5 Read more →


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DigiTech Computer IT Training Centre, a complete IT based centre in Hoshangabad offers the complete, comprehensive, highly qualitative, timely delivered and cost-effective onshore and offshore software solutions with services.
Services such as Web Designing, Custom Application Software Development, PHP Development, Java Development, ASP Development, HTML Development, Web Hosting, Networking Solutions, Internet Marketing Services and more. With the growing demand and need of software solutions, DigiTech Computer IT Training Centre, a leading Information Technology Service provider is a perfect solution to solve all the Web Designing, Web Development, Web Hosting and Search Engine Marketing related problems.
Our mission is "to provide great business values and optimized solutions needed by our clients to finally improve our stakeholder's quality of life". Providing our clients with the most optimal, cost-effective and robust solutions.


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1. What are the Minimum System Requirements for Phreego Express?
The Minimum System Requirements are as follows:
2. How do I install Phreego Express?
3. How do I un-install Phreego Express?
4. Phreego Express seems to be accelerating, but is there any way I can make it even faster?
The new Phreego Express lets you choose the balance of image quality and performance that's right for you. In order to try the various settings that are available, right-click the Phreego Express icon in the taskbar and select "Settings...". you will see the following dialog:
By moving the slider all the way to the right, you will see maximum image quality but pages will load more slowly. By moving the slider all the way to the left, you will see maximum performance, but image quality will be compromised. If an image with poor quality is displayed, you can right-click the image and select "Redisplay with full quality" (Internet Explorer only).
5. How do I disable the Accelerator?
Right click the Accelerator icon on your taskbar and select "Stop Phreego Express". The Accelerator will remain disabled until it is started again by selecting "Start Phreego Express" from the same menu.
6. I'm still having trouble. What do I do now?
Feel free to contact the Phreego Helpdesk at email@example.com or toll-free at 1-866-771-7349.


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Eric L. Richard
Eric L. Richard is a principal in the newly established law firm of CU Counsel in Washington, D.C. Previously, Eric served for nearly 18 years as General Counsel (and for much of that time as Executive Vice President) of the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) in Washington.
He led CUNA's Legal Department, advising the Board of Directors, CEO, and senior management on governance issues, as well as supervising CUNA's Regulatory Advocacy and Regulatory Compliance activities. Eric met frequently with federal regulators. Eric has played a key role in pursuing credit union interests in litigation involving field of membership, unrelated business income, payments, operations, and other legal challenges.
Eric has held a number of other positions in the financial services sector, particularly at Freddie Mac, where he served in the Legal Division's Corporate Affairs Department, ultimately as Associate General Counsel for Legislative and Regulatory Affairs. He also worked as a top aide to a U.S. Senator, pursuing projects with members of both political parties.
Earlier in his career, Eric worked at the U.S. Department of Justice, where he served both as Associate Deputy Attorney General and as a special assistant to the U.S. Attorney General. Eric has also worked at large law firms in Washington, D.C., where he focused primarily on financial services matters.
Eric is a graduate of Princeton University (with highest honors, Phi Beta Kappa) and Harvard Law School, where he was Executive Editor of the Harvard International Law Journal. He has a lifelong interest in Russian affairs and speaks Russian. He has taken an active interest in Russian credit unions under the auspices of the World Council of Credit Unions. He lives in Maryland with his wife, Laura, and has two adult children.
Bar Admissions
- Washington, DC
- Princeton University
- Harvard Law School


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Join the battle in this action-packed RPG starring Disney and Pixar heroes from The Incredibles, Wreck-It Ralph,
Toy Story, Zootopia & more!
Welcome to the digital City... and enjoy it while you can. A wicked virus is corrupting every pixel, turning even the heroes' own friends and family against them! Pull together the best teams for the job, equip powerful gear, and battle against incredible odds to save your fellow heroes.
Only YOU can win the day! No cape required.
You can download and play this game for free. Please be informed that it also allows you to play using virtual currency, which can be acquired as you progress through the game or by paying with real money.
This game contains advertising which will redirect you to a third-party site.
Visit our official site: https://www.disneyheroesgame.com/
Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: http://perblue.com/disneyheroes/terms/
|Disney Heroes: Battle Mode


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By Todd Cohen
With the economy on the mend but people still hurting from the recent slump, United Way of Central Carolinas aims to raise more money in its annual drive this year to meet growing demand for health and human services.
In Mecklenburg County, for example, 5,000 people are homeless, the average homeless person is 9 years old, and 80 percent of senior citizens must choose between paying rent, buying food or purchasing medicine, says Diane Wright, senior vice president for resource development.
"The needs are still huge," she says, "outpacing what we can raise every year."
The goal for the drive, which kicks off Aug. 27 with a day of volunteering, will be $38.75 million, up 3.6 percent from the total raised last year.
"The community need has definitely grown from last year, and therefore our campaign goal will definitely grow from last year," says Paul Franz, campaign chair and executive vice president of operations for Carolinas HealthCare System.
Early "pacesetter" workplace campaigns, which account for $1 of every $5 the drive raises, began in July and are on track to equal what they generated last year, when the overall campaign beat its goal by $11,000 and raised $700,000 more than in 2002, Wright says.
Two big focuses of the drive will be on United Way's general "community care fund" and on gifts of $1,000 or more.
The community care fund, which receives undesignated gifts that United Way can use to address priority needs it identifies, last year received $29.2 million and has grown by $1 million each of the past three years.
To generate an increase in gifts of $1,000 or more, which last year accounted for 53 percent of total dollars raised, up from 49.2 percent a year earlier, United Way this year is targeting specific groups of donors, including women, African Americans, young leaders ages 25 to 39, and physicians and lawyers.
Like Wachovia last year and Bank of America in 2002, Duke Energy Corp. this year is challenging donors to make larger gifts.
Duke Energy has pledged $250,000, and will make contributions to the community care fund equal both to first-time gifts of $1,000 or more, and to increases by donors who gave at least $1,000 last year.
For donors who agree to increase their giving to $10,000 over three years, Duke will contribute an amount equal to the difference between $10,000 and the total the donors give this year.
United Way also aims to increase awareness about the impact of health and human services programs it supports.
"People don't see the pockets of poverty and pockets of need scattered throughout our community," Wright says.
Working with employers and their employees, she says, United Way is sponsoring "community impact tours" that will "take them to areas they might not normally see, and talk about needs and the impact their dollars have."
Fueled by contributions from donors, United Way will distribute $30.6 million in 2004-05 to more than 220 programs at 100 member agencies, Wright says.
"Regardless of how much you give," she says, "your gift changes people lives."


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Pine Valley Street dog owners — beware
Speeding on Pine Valley Street is at its peak. Forget 30 mph — 50-plus is the norm. Forget the safety of the bike lanes; we now have a raceway.
Walking my dog is now a challenge to avoid being hit by a speeding car or truck.
Claire Sweet, Port St. Lucie
Read or Share this story: https://www.tcpalm.com/story/opinion/readers/2019/01/17/letter-pine-valley-street-dog-owners-beware/2582212002/


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Posted: August 22, 2019
Saugeen Conservation invites applications for the full-time position of Regulations Officer. The position is responsible for the administration and enforcement of the Development, Interference with Wetlands and Alterations to Shorelines and Watercourses Regulation (Ontario Regulation 169/06) under Section 28 of the Conservation Authorities Act.
The individual will work closely with Authority planning and regulations staff and report to the Manager, Environmental Planning and Regulations.
1. Review and process Regulation permit applications in accordance with provincial and
Authority policies. Includes: performing site inspections, elevation surveys, and attending site meetings.
2. Enforce the Regulation, including the investigatiion of violations and facilitating prosecutions.
3. Understand natural hazards management such as floodplains and slope instability.
4. Provide information and liaison between the Authority, its member municipalities, and the
public regarding natural hazards and the Environmental Planning and Regulations program.
5. Other duties as assigned appropriate to the position.
1. Graduation from a university or college program in either physical geography, civil or water
resource engineering, resource management, planning, or related field.
2. Experience with Section 28 Regulation under the Conservation Authorities Act, floodplain
mapping, hydrology, or planning are assets.
3. Excellent communication and time management skills, and word processing ability.
4. Possession of a valid Ontario Driver's Licence and ability to perform site inspections in various
types of terrain and weather.
5. Designated, or eligible to be designated as a Provincial Offences Officer in Ontario.
Salary Range: Starting at $57986 per year plus benefits
Applications: Resumes should be submitted by September 6, 2019 to:
Erik Downing, Saugeen Conservation, 1078 Bruce Road 12, P.O. Box 150, Formosa, ON
N0G 1W0 email: firstname.lastname@example.com
We thank all applicants for their interest, but only those considered for an interview will be contacted. Please send resume and cover letter via email as one merged document, titled as per the following: first name initial_last name_SVCARegOfficer_2019 (J_Smith_SVCARegOfficer_2019.pdf).


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Had a great time this weekend in two of the most humid cities in America. If you're looking for a signed copy of Collision, Murder by the Book in Houston and Eagle Eye Books in Decatur (just outside Atlanta) have signed copies in stock and will happily ship to you.
US Tour: Houston and Atlanta
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Next Deadline:
May 1st, 2020
Winner Receives:
$25,000 | long-term industry circulation | script development
The 13th Script Pipeline TV Writing Competition is searching for extraordinary television writers and original, compelling pilots for exposure to production companies, agencies, and managers. Together with the Screenwriting Competition, Script Pipeline cultivates relationships with the industry's leading executives, focused specifically on finding writers representation, supporting diverse voices, championing marketable, unique storytelling, and pushing more original projects into production. Script Pipeline contest winners have optioned pilots and been staffed on major network shows, including Howard Jordan Jr., who wrote for Superior Donuts, Netflix's Family Reunion, and the CBS sitcom The Unicorn.
The company's intensive process, consisting of long-term writer development and widespread circulation of material, gives Script Pipeline writers access to some of the top industry execs worldwide. $7 million in screenplays and pilots have been sold by competition finalists and "Recommend" writers, with several scripts produced since 1999. In the last few years, over 10 films and series from Script Pipeline writers were released or are in active development or production, including 2019 releases Stuber, from Fox, and the indie hit The Standoff at Sparrow Creek.
Finalists receive circulation to Script Pipeline partners, in addition to the following:
- $25,000 to winner, $2,500 to runner-up
- Introductions to managers, producers, agents, directors, and others searching for TV writers
- Long-term script circulation to industry and continual guidance connecting with companies
- Development assistance from Script Pipeline's senior execs
- Additional script reviews and consideration of other material for industry exposure
- Invitations to writer and industry events hosted by Pipeline Media Group
All entrants may request a no-cost call with our Creative Executive, who can answer general questions on the industry or the Script Pipeline process.
Deadline Dates
Regular: May 1st, 2020 - $60
Late: May 15th, 2020 - $70
Enter the 2020 season by filling out the form on the right-hand side of this page. Writers may register at any time. There is no additional fee to send an updated draft from now until the regular May 1st deadline.
Entries also accepted via:


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Generalized Radon transform, (GRT), annihilators – "Kirchhoff migration, MVA"
- 'Microlocal analysis of seismic inverse scattering in anisotropic, elastic media' , Comm. Pure Appl. Math. 55 (2002) 261-301 , with C.C. Stolk View
- 'Maslov asymptotic extension of generalized Radon transform (GRT) inversion in anisotropic elastic media: A least-squares approach', Inverse Problems 16 (2000) 519–562, with S. Brandsberg-Dahl. View
- 'Linearized 2.5-dimensional parameter imaging-inversion in anisotropic elastic media', Geoph. J. Int. 161 (2005) 722–738, with S.-K. Foss and B. Ursin. View
DMO, source-receiver continuation, range
- 'Seismic wavefield 'continuation' in the single scattering approximation: A framework for Dip and Azimuth Moveout', Can. Appl. Math. Q. 10 (2002) 199–238, with A.E. Malcolm and J.H. Le Rousseau. View
- 'Characterization and 'source-receiver' continuation of reflection seismic data', Comm. Math. Phys. 263 (2006) 1–19, with G. Uhlmann. View
Reverse-time-continuation based imaging (RTM) and inverse scattering
- 'Linearized inverse scattering based on seismic Reverse-Time Migration', J. Math. Pures Appl. 98 (2012) 211-238, with T.J.P.M. op't Root and C.C. Stolk. View
- 'Elastic-wave inverse scattering based on reverse time migration with active and passive source reflection data', in Inside Out II, Inverse Problems and Applications, Mathematical Sciences Research Institute Publications 60, edited by G. Uhlmann, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, (2013) 411-453 with V. Brytik and R.D. van der Hilst. View
- 'Beyond receiver functions: Passive source Reverse Time Migration and inverse scattering of converted waves', Geophys. Res. Lett.39 (2012) doi:10.1029/2012GL052289, with X. Shang and R.D. van der Hilst. View
Downward-continuation (DSR) based extended imaging and inverse scattering
- 'Modeling of seismic data in the downward continuation approach', SIAM J. Appl. Math. 65 (2005) 1388–1406, with C.C. Stolk. View
- 'Seismic inverse scattering in the downward continuation approach', Wave Motion 43 (2006) 579–598, with C.C. Stolk. View
- 'Kinematics of shot-geophone migration', Geophysics 74 (2009) WCA19-WCA34 with C.C. Stolk and W.W. Symes. View
Evolution equations for imaging and velocity continuation
- 'Evolution-equation approach to seismic image, and data, continuation', Wave Motion 45 (2008) 952–969, with A.A. Duchkov and A.S. Sá Barreto. View
- 'Extended isochron rays in prestack depth (map) migration', Geophysics 75 (4) (2010) S139-S150, with A.A. Duchkov. View
- 'Velocity continuation in the downward continuation approach to seismic imaging', Geoph. J. Int. 176 (2009) 909-924, with A.A. Duchkov. View
Wave packets (curvelets): A multi-scale approach to wave propagation and scattering – "ray-wave duality"
- 'A multi-scale approach to hyperbolic evolution equations with limited smoothness', Comm. Partial Differential Equations 33 (2008) 988-1017, with F. Andersson, H. Smith and G. Uhlmann. View
- 'Regularity and multi-scale discretization of the solution construction of hyperbolic evolution equations with limited smoothness', Applied and Computational Harmonic Analysis 33 (2012) 330-353, with S.F. Holman, H. Smith and G. Uhlmann. View
- 'Decoupling of modes for the elastic wave equation in media of limited smoothness', Comm. Partial Differential Equations 36 (2011) 1683-1693, with V. Brytik, H. Smith and G. Uhlmann. View
Wave packets (curvelets): Imaging, illumination, partial reconstruction
- 'Leading-order seismic imaging using curvelets', Geophysics 72 (2007) S231-S248, with H. Douma. View
- 'Seismic imaging with the generalized Radon transform: A curvelet transform perspective', Inverse Problems 25 (2009), with H. Smith, G. Uhlmann and R.D. van der Hilst. View
- 'Multi-scale discrete approximation of Fourier Integral Operators', Multiscale Modelling and Simulation 10 (2012) 111-145, with F. Andersson and H. Wendt. View
Random media, Green's functions and imaging with partly coherent waves via cross correlations
- 'Estimating a Green's function from "field-field" correlations in a random medium', SIAM J. Appl. Math. 69 (2009) 909-932, with K. Sølna. View
- 'Retrieval of a Green's function with reflections from partly coherent waves generated by a wave packet using cross correlations', SIAM J. Appl. Math. 73 (2013) 493-522, with J. Garnier, S.F. Holman and K. Sølna. View
Generalized Dix, time migration
- 'Recovering the isometry type of a Riemannian manifold from local boundary diffraction travel times' , J. Math. Pures Appl. (2014) with S.F. Holman, E. Iversen, M. Lassas and B. Ursin. View
- 'Reconstruction of a conformally Euclidean metric metric from local boundary diffraction travel times' , SIAM J. Math. Anal. (2014) with S.F. Holman, E. Iversen, M. Lassas and B. Ursin. View
- 'Kinematic time migration and demigration of reflections in pre-stack seismic data', Geoph. J. Int. 189 (2012) 1635-1666, with E. Iversen, M. Tygel and B. Ursin. View
Geodesic ray transform and (wave-equation) reflection tomography
- 'Sensitivity analysis of wave-equation tomography: A multi-scale approach', J. Four. Anal. Appl. 16 (2010) 544-589, with V. Brytik and M. Salo. View
- 'Wave-equation reflection tomography: Annihilators and sensitivity kernels', Geoph. J. Int. 167 (2006) 1332–1352, with R.D. van der Hilst and P. Shen. View
- 'The resolving power of seismic amplitude data: An anisotropic inversion/migration approach', Geophysics 64 (1999) 852–873, with C. Spencer and R. Burridge. View
- 'Approximate dispersion relations for qP-qSV waves in transversely isotropic media' , Geophysics 65 (2000) 919-933 , with M. Schoenberg. View
- 'Explicit expressions for pre-stack map time-migration in isotropic and VTI media and the applicability of map depth-migration in heterogeneous anisotropic media', Geophysics 71 (2006) S13-S28, with H. Douma. View


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Thoughts From a Fat Man
I can remember looking at those middle aged men with their thin legs and pot bellies and thinking to myself, "That will never happen to me"
I was wrong.
But you know what? At this very moment in time, in my life as it is at this second — I don't really care. Be it wrong or sick — a Mounds bar with a jug of sugar-filled soda means more to me than having a thin body. That is the bottom line. In fact, for the time being I think I shall subscribe to the Margaret Cho "Fuck It Diet" — that works for me.
However, then I see my best friend who works her ass off to have a killer body. It gives her a sense of accomplishment. She attempts to give me a pep talk about the benefits of exercise. I see her level of commitment, but it does not move me into action. I know she is right, but it really does not matter to me at this time.
Then, I see my pal, Jen, who used to complain to me that needed to lose weight. I would roll my eyes because I thought she looked fine. In fact, I had trouble imagining her any thinner. Then life threw a major curve ball her way. She was forced into a fight for her life against cancer. She kicked cancer's ass! Thank God! After tossing cancer out of the ring — she began to walk and eat sensibly. She has lost a lot of weight and she looks fucking awesome.
And, then, there are two male co-workers who recently decided to lose their "tires" and they are looking quite good. I don't even want to stand next to them anymore.
…And, for a minute, I think I want to get this neglected body back into shape. I know I will feel better about myself and I also know that it will help me to better deal with the turbulence going on in my life. Then, I see the Mounds bar. And I see the jug of sugar-filled soda. I grab both, sulk into the sofa and escape.
This will change. I will get back in shape. I will get my head together. I will figure everything out. I will end my stint on the Margaret Cho Fuck It Diet. …But not right now. I want to pig out and unwind. Which is what I am doing tonight.
If you have not yet read Jon's rant, please do. It is so funny and there are so many truths to be found in it! I laughed so hard I cried! I also enjoyed the fact that he managed to include something to offend just about everyone! He rules!
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CategoryGothmas by Gaslight
Liberty Seeking Justice
Lady Liberty soars though the air seeking Justice in a world gone dark, but not silent. High above the cityContinue Reading
The Song of Hermione
This round of the Fantasy Gacha Carnival's theme is "Winter Wonderland" and designer Augurer of Luminary (formerly The Library) createdContinue Reading
Magic Is in the Air
And as if by magic, with the stroke of hand, we have been transported into a new year. 2014. IContinue Reading
Moments in Time
The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it inContinue Reading
Snowball Arsenal
There is something satisfyingly beautiful about the sound of a snowball making contact with it's target. SPLAT.Continue Reading
When Gingerbread Goes Bad……
Gopu's parents just left our house so we thought we would let our hair down in SL …. when whatContinue Reading
Cookies Taste Best in December
It is true. The verdict is in…. cookies just taste best in December! I am going to attribute it toContinue Reading


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I joined Westwood in 2001, having gained experience in private practice with the PDSA. I have a keen interest in surgery and mobility problems.
In 2014 I took on the role of Clinical Director at Westwood and am responsible for the management of the practice. I love leading the Westwood family and continually strive to improve the service we provide to our lovely patients and their owners.
At home Truffle, the cat, rules the roost while Thistle, the border terrier and Rook the collie enjoy accompanying me on long walks on our time away from work.
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Boston Spa
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Decision Support System
ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Resaerch Institute brings out developments in the information and communication technologies (ICT) to the benefit of farming community. Decision support system (DSS) is our first step in this endeavour to empower the farmers to know the cultivation details from their desk. In this initiative we provide complete information regarding cultivation of major and important crops of Goa region and practices of dairy, rabbit farming and etc. DSS helps farmers to take correct decision or get complete information about the crops or animal husbandry and I wish this will serve as a single window system for agricultural information to the farmers of Goa. I am sure that the information provided by our scientists in this site would be useful to the growers and we are committed to update additional and relevant information regularly.
Information & Photos contributed by:
B. L. Manjunath, G.R. Mahajan, R. Ramesh, K. K. Manohara, R. Maruthadurai, V. Arunachalam, A. R. Desai, M. Thangam, S. Priya Devi, M. J. Gupta, S. A. Safeena, S. K. Das, E. B. Chakurkar, S. B. Barbuddhe, B. K. Swain, P. K. Naik, M. Karunakaran, Z. B. Dubal, Sreekanth G. B. and Manju Lekshmi N.
Compiled and edited by:
R. Ramesh, S. Priyadevi, M. Karunakaran, G.R. Mahajan.
Web page design:
Vishwajeet Prajapati, Programme Asst. (Comp), KVK, ICAR RC for Goa and R. Ramesh
Published by:
Director, ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Resaerch Institute, Old Goa
We acknowledge anonymous contributors of information/ photos in textbooks and web pages, few of them are quoted for the benefit of farmers.


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The Baton Rouge Jet Center will acquire Executive Aviation (EA) this summer to expand its first-class, fixed-base operator facilities at the Baton Rouge Metro Airport. Following the merger, BTR Jet expects to make a capital investment of $3 million in the construction of a new, state-of-the-art FBO operations facility and three new hangars.
The new FBO will be approximately 5,000 square feet, and the hangars are projected to include 45,000 square feet of hangar space with high doors to accommodate larger jets than can currently be housed in Baton Rouge. BTR Jet will acquire EA through an asset purchase.
The construction, which is estimated to be completed in approximately one year, will allow BTR Jet to relocate its operations to the EA site, while retaining some operations at its current facility. The completion of this project will result in the Baton Rouge Metro Airport having a first-class FBO facility that will rival the finest airports in the country.
Brett Furr, President of BTR Jet, said, "In a little over three years, BTR Jet has grown to be the number one FBO on the field. We have achieved this through concierge service at fair prices. We have rapidly outgrown our facilities and have much need for expansion. This opportunity will allow BTR Jet to continue to expand. It is also a great fit since the owners of BTR Jet and Executive share common values. When completed, our new facilities will be among the finest in the country and will distinguish Baton Rouge in a very positive manner. The customer base for BTR Jet and EA should anticipate a smooth transition once the merger has begun."
John Schempf, President of the Newtron Group, the parent company of Executive Aviation, said, "BTR Jet was looking to expand its footprint and The Newtron Group was looking to focus on its core construction business. This opportunity was truly a positive for both buyer and seller. The fact that we know the ownership team of BTR Jet and are familiar with their operational values and beliefs helped us feel comfortable that the long-term employees of Executive Aviation would be in great hands with BTR Jet. That really helped to close this deal."
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After my trip to La Palma last year, I decided to visit La Palma again coinciding with the perihelion passage (December 12) of comet 46P/Wirtanen. At closest approach to Earth at December 16, it would probably be visible with the naked eye. Of course this period is also known for the maximum of the Geminid meteor stream. We (my parents and I) experienced exceptionally good weather (sunny, 22°C) and we were able to observe comet Wirtanen every night as well as the Geminids.
Category Archives: Comets
Geminids 2017 from La Palma.
Observed the 2017 return of the Geminids from Athos Centro Astronómico at La Palma. Although Europe was severely hampered by the storm Ana we managed to succesfully observe the Geminids in the nights 13/14 and 14/15 december.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ed16cyxmRtY[/embedyt]
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEdzrSo8X1Y[/embedyt]
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d4aPaRJXkE[/embedyt]
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI43iuyHjHM[/embedyt]
2016-04-06, comet 252P/LINEAR.
I decided to bring a tripod and a Vixen Polarie travel mount on a 1 week trip to the south of Portugal (São Brás de Alportel, 37°9'8.8″N, 7°56'27.4″W, alt=236m). Managed to observe comet 252P/LINEAR on a number of occasions. Below image was from the first night, april 6th, when the comet was near the globular cluster M14. On the night of april 7th, with proper dark adaptation the comet was visible to the naked eye. I estimated it's brightness at +5.7 using 8.5×42 binoculars, with a coma diameter of 45′ and DC=3.
20160115, C/2013 US10 (Catalina)
Minutes after parking the telescope and closing down the observatory, the skies cleared. Quickly opened up the observatory again, piggybacked the Canon 60D and 200mm on the mount and took some 1 minute shots. Comet C/2013 US10 (Catalina) was easily visible in 8.5×42 binoculars.
First night in 2016 at public observatory Bussloo under a perfect clear sky. A lot of visitors at the observatory, therefore just 2 images of the comet.
20151208, comet C/2013 US10 (Catalina)
Accidently woke up early, took a shower and looking at my alarmclock realized it was only 3.30 a.m. The skies were clear so I decided to head out to my observing site and have a go at comet Catalina. The comet was clearly visible with 8.5×42 binoculairs.
2015-12-04, C/2014 S2 (PanSTARRS)
Comet C/2014 S2 (PanSTARRS) is still visible in the northern hemisphere. Despite the stormy conditions I managed to take a number of 1 minute unguided shots with the William Optics Star 71 pggybacked on the observatories' AP 1100GTO.
2015-10-10, first winter session
The first indication of winter; a strong easterly wind bringing clear skies. Mark-Jaap and myself headed for the observatory for some astrophotography. First object was comet C/2014 S2 (PanSTARRS) very close the Polaris. Piggybacked my William Optics Star 71 on the observatories' AP 1100GTO for some unguided 1 minute shots. Next tried to locate comets Lovejoy and Jacques, but these seem to have gone out of reach for my setup. Ended the session with a couple of 2 minute shots of NGC7000, the North America nebula.
C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy), 2015-03-20.
Very poor conditions; high clouds, humid and a very light sky background. Couldn't get rid of a strong gradient caused by light pollution.
C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy), 2015-02-27.
In spite of the first quarter moon and low clouds, Lovejoy was easily visible with binoculars.


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When You Motor Away...
This is not music criticism. On this blog, you will only read about music we like.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Introducing: The Torn ACLs
I realize that the name may make some of you wince, but
The Torn ACLs
are the name of the band, so you'll have to accept it. And you'll have to accept it because the Seattle band makes really good, fun indie pop, with a touch of twee.
The Torn ACLs
released EPs in 2009 and 2010, and the LP
Make A Break, Make A Move
was released in January of this year on Creeper Speak Records. You can stream the entire album below, and if you like it, you can get all 12 tracks for $8.

Make A Break, Make A Move by The Torn ACLs

The members of the band are William Cremin, Miles Ranisavljevic, Jason Tabert, and Tim McClanahan. Their fame is growing around Seattle, but we would be selfish to not let the rest of you in on the band.
Twitter ( @TheTornACLs )
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Rocksteady74 (Scott)
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"The average refugee becomes a net fiscal contributor just eight years after arriving [in America]."
-From asylum-seeker to taxpayer, The Economist, April 21st 2018.
While we shouldn't have to make economic arguments in order to justify assisting desperate people fleeing war, persecution and oppression, it is still worth noting that it is wrong to assume that refugees are a drag on the host economy.
Still, the myth that refugees are a long-term financial burden persists in the minds of many.
How can we overcome such misunderstandings?


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Canada |
Meeting the Iguana
by Adam Sol
I am sitting with Officer Carlos Jimenez in the Hotel Nacional, telling him the story of the Iguana while plying him with Irish whiskey. His waxed moustache is glowing in the alcoholic light. The piano player at the hotel bar has friends in the lounge, and wants to visit with them. After every song she takes a little walk, sits down for a quick chat with her girlfriends, and then hurries chip-chip in her heels back to the piano, her fingers starting on the next song before her derrière has even hit the bench. Her musicianship, it goes without saying, is impeccable, but the piano is slightly out of tune. Here is what I say to Officer Jimenez: I'd been spending time with Yasmin for three months when she told me she wanted her brother to meet me. This was not a total surprise to me. Three months, in my opinion, is when a dalliance threatens to become something more, and one has to decide whether to pretend one is leaving the country, or else to prepare to meet the family. These things in Cuba are still fairly traditional, says Officer Jimenez. As they are in most countries, I say. But while I was lying back on my hotel bed, naked Yasmin lazily tracing my appendix scar, it occurred to me that I actually wanted to meet this brother of hers. Yasmin spoke of him with the kind of awe that a young woman reserves for the patriarch of her family, but I wasn't sure that her awe was a sufficient reason for me to want to meet him. But my assent made Yasmin so happy and so grateful that she proceeded to perform some of her most delectable manoeuvres on me right then and there. She likes me, Yasmin. She does. She likes my money, yes, but I treat her nicely, and I don't demand too much. I'm not one of those dismissive German or Chinese sex tourists who don't want to do more than drink and copulate. You are superior to them in many respects, says Officer Jimenez, raising his glass. And, as you know, I speak enough Spanish that she can, roughly, feel at home with me. She must have been thinking about this for a few days, had probably been worried about how I would react, if the suggestion would put the whole pleasantness of our relationship at risk. Some of the men she fell in with before me must have vanished in a puff of musk-scented smoke when she brought her brother up. But a girl like that — a good girl, whatever her sexual proclivities or current circumstances — must bring a new beau before the most important member of her family if things are going to get serious. And for Yasmin, the Iguana was it. Officer Jimenez tensed visibly. I would say that his mustache twitched, if such a thing were possible — that magnificent sculpture has not twitched in years, from what I can tell. Un momento. Amigo, her brother is the Iguana? Yes, apparently. What do you know about him? What do I know about the Iguana? No norteamericano can know about him, that's what I know. He is a menace. A menace? Why? Why? Why does man eat bacon? Because it pleases him, no matter what the pig thinks. If there is evil in this city, you can be sure that he is near its source. Is this Carlos telling me this, or Officer Jimenez? Officer Jimenez has never heard of anyone who calls himself the Iguana. And your friend Carlos would never mention him. So then who thinks he is a menace? Someone in between Officer Jimenez and Carlos. Someone who keeps secrets from both of them. Well, this story is for that man, then. Now, as you know, I am not a man who is easily intimidated, even as Yasmin's stories of the Iguana grew more mythological. And this isn't only because of my size, though it doesn't hurt. You are truly a great man, he said, repeating an old joke between us. Being almost ten feet tall and weighing 1000 pounds has its advantages. The shopkeepers at my favourite market always know when I am coming, for instance, and they have my things prepared for me, so that I don't need to stoop into their little stalls. They are protecting their children from your boots! Yes, but let me tell you something, Carlos. The real reason I am not easily intimidated is because I have seen a bit of the world, and have experienced my share of pain, and have reached an age when even fear and discomfort is a kind of pleasure, for its novelty. This is why you came to Havana in the first place. Because there is no pain without pleasure here, and no pleasure without pain. How long has it been? Three years. That's long enough to know a fair bit of nothing. Oh, don't be so modest, my friend. You know quite a lot of nothing! Yes. My Spanish is passable, and since I am Canadian, I am relatively free to make contacts and develop relationships here with men like you, while laying the groundwork for my backers to hit the ground running, once the inevitable change comes. What change? There will be no change. The revolution will carry on, he said, grinning. Waiting for Castro to die is an international sport that everyone pretends not to be playing. In the meantime, I host meetings over imported whiskey with well-placed officials like you, conduct architectural tours for visiting delegations, and quietly burn a trail for those who will follow me with their more ambitious plans. This means I have time and resources for the Cuban sun, the Cuban cigar, and the beautiful Cuban women, who are — it must be said — as worldly now in the ways of love as they ever were. As any tour book can tell you, there has been no effective boycott of sexual pleasure. So did you meet him? Let me tell it. Yasmin's family lives in that part of town near the Barrio Chino that is frequently happened upon accidentally by tourists. Yes, they miss the turn and find themselves very lost. It's been my favourite part of town to troll for bargains and women. The decay is not as picturesque as it is downtown, but you can still see the beauty of Havana underneath. All those front halls that have been segmented with cinderblocks, so they make 10 x 10 rooms with spectacular art deco tile floors in partial patterns. With my freckled arms, and my red hair, I'm sort of an infrequent natural phenomenon in this section. They call me El Gran Melocotón. The Giant Peach. That's very good. I should introduce you to Ignacio. He is a useful man in that part of town. A policeman? Not exactly. Well, the day came, and Yasmin and I walked down Reina at a leisurely pace, Yasmin holding my three fingers, and a few boys rushing ahead of us to warn the shopkeepers of our approach. Both of us were dressed in Cuban formal — I in American slacks and a pink summer shirt, Yasmin in a sundress cut above her knee that I had bought her from my hotel's gift shop. It was made in China and boasted flowers that had never been seen in Cuba, or anywhere else — spectacular rainbow explosions. My affection for Yasmin is twofold. The first is so typical that it hardly needs to be mentioned: she is beautiful, agreeable, and her sexual appetite — or at least her sexual tolerance — is prolific. The second is something else, something less specific. I have known other Cuban women in my time here, some with equal charms, but Yasmin has a tight knot underneath her perfume and smiling that reminds me of the girls I knew in Sudbury, where I grew up. Sudbury is an old mining town, Carlos. The poor girls there are much like the girls in Cuba. They expect nothing, and recognize that even the blessings that occasionally fall down on them are the likely preparations for some larger catastrophe. Yasmin is a poor girl. She is not easily fooled. But if she is the sister of the Iguana... Yes? If she is his sister, then she is not as poor as she may seem. Yes, but she probably has all the more reason to be prepared for catastrophe. And so she walked down the street with me, with her gawking neighbours either jealous or dismissive — often both — with the kind of luscious pleasure that you see on a child with a sucker. The joy may be temporary, but it is complete. Everyone knew that Yasmin's norteamericano was coming to meet the Iguana. You are a lucky man, señor. I know. She is wonderful. No, I mean you are a lucky man to be sitting here, talking to me, if you have met the Iguana. We arrived at her Aunt Maria's apartment with a burst of embraces and shouting. She was on the ground floor, in the back of the building, and the sitting room looked out onto a little courtyard. There seemed to be some improvisational architecture here, with a hand-cut doorway leading to another room I couldn't see. They had even arranged for there to be a couch big enough for my legs, though it took me a good fifteen minutes to be introduced to everyone so that I could sit down and be observed. In the meantime, I had to lean over with my hand on the wall, and my head pressed against the ceiling. First I was introduced to Grandfather, a large, proud turtle who was propped on a stool in the corner. Yasmin told me that he never spoke, but when I said my pleasantries he seemed to nod at my hands, which were about as high as his neck could reach. I made an effort to crouch down so that we could look at each other, but Yasmin stopped me — in the small room, I would have capsized all of the little plates that had been set up on various tables and trays. I paid my respects in Spanish, and thought I was doing rather well, from all the practice I've had with formal greetings. My vocabulary is limited, but my accent is excellent. It is better to say a few things well than to say a lot like a gringo. There was a procession of Tías and Tíos, cousins and children. It was clear to me that the order was simply that Grandfather was first, and the Iguana would be last. While I greeted someone's grandmother, I could see him out in the courtyard, talking to a man in a suit, and a pair of lizards wearing leather collars. Finally, he slid off the chair he was sitting on outside, and sauntered into the room, trailing his magnificent spiked tail. He paused in the doorway, so that he was half in shadow, as he looked me up and down. He turned his head as a bird does, fixing his gaze on me with one eye, and then the other. Yasmin's voice was quiet and almost prayerful. "Calvin, this is my brother. Arturo, este es Calvin, el hombre del que te hable." "I am deeply honoured to meet you," I said, in Spanish, repeating the formalities I had observed with Grandfather and the others. "No, no," he said. "In English, so that you will say what you mean." He wagged his head and the dewlap beneath his chin waved majestically. "People are too careful in other languages. I want you to speak freely." He moved to a low chair that I hadn't noticed had been saved for him. "And you will understand me in English?" I asked. "Well enough, compañero." He moved his tongue toward a sliced mango his left claw was bringing to his mouth. "So, you love my sister?" "Yes, I believe I do." "Believe? What is believe?" "Creo. Believe. What does a man like me — a big man, a norteamericano, a business man — what does a man like me know about love? But from what little I know, your Yasmin is the most perfect creature I have ever spent time with." You might guess, Carlos, that I had rehearsed a version of this answer. And it had its desired effect. Yasmin, seated on a low stool to my left, blushed radiantly, and lowered her chin. The Iguana hmm'ed while he thoughtfully chewed on his mango. We went on like this for a little while. The Iguana asked about my work, and about my family, and I answered simply and without unnecessary elaboration. Things were going well. I enjoyed the treats that the Iguana's wife and daughters provided on perfect blue plates, and made an appropriate face when I bit into a sour fruit, making the children twitter — the toddlers and geckos who hung from the doorposts, unabashedly staring. "Well," he said, stretching his forelegs with an air of completion. "We are interested in getting to know you better, Señor Calvin. Let us—" Then suddenly Grandfather croaked. Someone was coming — it was the police. Now, Officer Jimenez, you know that I have no reason to fear the police. I have met with many of you, and have hosted you at public gatherings and private meetings like this one. I believe myself to be on good terms with the authorities in Havana. You are not wrong to say so. But the commotion in the little room was so immediate and frantic that I was swept up in it. One aunt unceremoniously lifted the Iguana under her arm like a football. I offered to carry Grandfather, which Yasmin let me know with a worried smile was a nice move. His hard, shellacked belly and my hand were a perfect fit. I patted the back of his shell with my other hand, and said, Te tengo a ti, abuelo. The women whispered us through the courtyard, and through to another apartment building, while sirens seemed to be coming from all directions. With all of the ducking and squeezing I had to do, it was hard to see which way I was going through the muddy alleys, but at least we didn't have to go underground. And Yasmin stayed close while Grandfather made open-mouthed mumblings that seemed reassuring. Yasmin was luminous: her dress was soiled now, and her hair — with which she had taken such care that morning at the hotel — was comically disheveled. Her eye makeup was streaked, and she had a nine-year-old girl in one hand, and a hummingbird in the other as we dashed from safety to safety. She seemed exceedingly herself, fleeing with everyone. At last we came to the side entrance of a cathedral — an old one, I'd guess, from the time of the Spanish. In an alcove as we entered there was a fading crèche on a raised platform. The figures of the Christ baby and his family and admirers had been stored away, but the little stable with its dusty straw had not yet been cleared. We quick-stepped to the front of the altar. I only just now could see how many of us there were. At the house there must have been at least two dozen there to inspect me and witness my presentation to the Iguana. But apparently it was he who was in danger — most of the women had disappeared, probably circling back to their homes. There were just nine of us now who still hurried through to a door at the side of the dais that was usually only used by priests and altar boys: Yasmin, Grandfather and I; Tía Maria, the grand aunt who was leading the escape, holding the Iguana in her burly bare arms; the two smaller lizards with the collars, who were clearly the Iguana's boys. The dark one might have been his son, the other — a brother or schoolmate — was as long as the Iguana, but without the same power in his stride. I remember that this fellow's name was Chulo. Yasmin had let the little girl go near a friend's home, but the hummingbird was still with her, sometimes flitting near the gardenia wilting in her hair, at other times cradled in her perfect little hand. The last of our group, and the only one behind me, was a flamingo who hadn't been with us in the house, but seemed to have joined us in our flight. Strapped to his right wing was an automatic rifle that seemed to have been custom made for him. It hung over his narrow feathered shoulder with the relaxed comfort that a good weapon should. I couldn't see what the trigger mechanism was, but I was willing to live on in ignorance. An altar boy with a clubbed foot was holding the door open for us, but it was such a tight squeeze for me that I tried to back off and sit in a pew. But the flamingo was having none of it: "Están con nosotros, cabrón," and he shoved me inside with a vicious poke into the back of my thigh with what could have been the gun, or could have been his beak. Once the altar boy had closed the door behind us, and gone to fetch a pitcher of water, everyone relaxed a bit. The sirens were still weaving in and out of earshot, but they seemed to be less concentrated, and even Tía Maria sat down heavily in a straight back chair and, lowering the Iguana onto the desktop, started fanning herself with a hymnal. It was a robing room, where the priests and altar boys would prepare for mass. A few gowns hung on wooden hooks on one wall, and the small but ornate dark wood desk where the Iguana was sitting. There were a few chairs, and, behind the desk, a wardrobe. There was no chair here big enough for me, so I eased down onto the floor, leaning on the plastered wall that flaked onto my neck. In that position, I was roughly eye to eye with the Iguana as he scanned the room. Grandfather released himself from my hand and slowly worked his way over to the floor next to the desk. The flamingo stood near the door, with his head tipped to hear anything happening outside. It really was a magnificent gun, and I was very impressed at the flamingo for being able to hold it. "Well, my friend," said the Iguana, slowly closing his eyes as his Tía continued to fan him and herself intermittently. "Now you know something about the family of your beloved Yasmin. We have lizards and birds, and we do not like the police." Then he opened his eyes and turned the full weight of his cold reptilian stare at me. "Now it is time for us to find out about you, Señor Calvin. How is it that twenty minutes after you visit my Tía's home, we have unwelcome visitors?" The two smaller lizards were hissing lowly at me, and as I stumbled for an answer, they had climbed up my legs, and we perched on my thighs, gripping the skin through my pants and threatening more serious damage. It turns out they have teeth after all. The flamingo behind me was audibly ruffling. "I have told you that, through my business, I have had some contact with the police. But you must believe that I have told no one about this meeting." The flamingo let out a kind of bark, and the lizards in my lap were slithering their tails along my calves. I put my hand on the one I thought was the Iguana's son, and was ready to fling him violently from me — his claws would tear, but he would hit the flamingo with a lot of force. But the Iguana said, "Boys! Boys! ¡Pare! I don't want to kill him. Think of the mess!" His tail swished back and forth on the desk, scattering some of the priest's papers. "No, I want to teach him something." The lizards let the spines on their backs relax, but kept their mouths poised and their claws flexed. When I stole a glance at the flamingo, he had the gun leveled right at my nose. The Iguana bobbed his head. He seemed to be waiting for me to say something, to beg for my life or something. But I took a more direct approach, and asked, "What am I supposed to learn?" "Fuck you, gringo. That's what you're supposed to learn." I was alarmed to discover that the result of this interview suddenly mattered to me. Carlos, you must understand that during most of the time I have lived here in your wonderful country, much of the attraction has been that nothing is too serious for me: if one officer is not open to negotiations, another will be. If one client loses patience with waiting for progress, another client will develop an interest. If one woman moves back to her village— Yes, exactly. If one woman moves back to her village, there will always be another one. But this time, what can I say? I wanted the Iguana to like me. I almost wanted to be part of his band. When he told his boys to release me, I think I would have done anything, if it meant that he would approve of my relationship with Yasmin. She had gotten up to stand next to the Iguana and had an enigmatic grin plastered on her face like a luggage tag. She looked at me, and her eyes gleamed. Then she started speaking in a low, quiet voice, the kind I had only heard before in the dark of night. At first I couldn't tell what she was saying, with the distractions on my legs and the adrenaline rushing. But I realized eventually that she was reciting something. "Observe Ruth's humility. When Providence had made her poor, she cheerfully stoops to her lot. High spirits will rather starve than stoop; not so Ruth. Nay, it is her own proposal. She speaks humbly in her expectation of leave to glean. We may not demand kindness as a debt, but ask, and take it as a favour, though in a small matter. Ruth also was an example of industry. She loved not to eat the bread of idleness. This is an example to young people." Here she laid a delicate hand out to the hummingbird, who perched there with his head cocked, listening. "Diligence promises well, both for this world and the other. We must not be shy of any honest employment. No labour is a reproach. Sin is a thing below us, but we must not think any thing else so, to which Providence call us. She was an example of regard to her mother, and of trust in Providence. God wisely orders what seem to us small events; and those that appear altogether uncertain, still are directed to serve his own glory, and the good of his people." What was it? A story? I found out later that it was a Spanish translation of an eighteenth century biblical commentary. She's been studying it on her own for some time, apparently. She turned to her brother, who looked up at her with a mixture of pride and awe, if such an expression can be identified in a reptile. It was like the face you see on them when they are basking. "The pious and kind language between Boaz and his reapers shows that there were godly persons in Israel. Such language as this is seldom heard in our field; too often, on the contrary, what is immoral and corrupt. A stranger would form a very different opinion of our land, from that which Ruth would form of Israel from the converse and conduct of Boaz and his reapers. But true religion will teach a man to behave aright in all states and conditions; it will form kind masters and faithful servants, and cause harmony in families. True religion will cause mutual love and kindness among persons of different ranks. It had these effects on Boaz and his men. When he came to them he prayed for them. They did not, as soon as he was out of hearing curse him, as some ill-natured servants that hate their master's eye, but they returned his courtesy. Things are likely to go on well where there is such goodwill as this between masters and servants. They expressed their kindness to each other by praying one for another. Boaz inquired concerning the stranger he saw, and ordered her to be well treated. Masters must take care, not only that they do no hurt themselves, but that they suffer not their servants and those under them to do wrong. Ruth humbly owned herself unworthy of favours, seeing she was born and brought up a heathen. It well becomes us all to think humbly of ourselves, esteeming others better than ourselves. And let us, in the kindness of Boaz to Ruth, note the kindness of the Lord Jesus Christ to poor sinners." And then? When Yasmin finished, all of the violence in the room had dissipated. The Iguana's henchmen had leaned back on their haunches to listen to her, and now they ambled up to her and leaned their bodies into her ankles, the way a cat does. The flamingo put up his rifle and opened the door. Tía Maria walked up to Yasmin, put both hands on her cheeks, and gave her three kisses on her forehead. She was teary, and she picked up the Iguana and led them all out of the robing room, even the altar boy. As Yasmin left the room, she turned back at me with a look I cannot explain. Then the altar boy closed the door behind her, and I was alone in the room. And that was it? You just went home? I went back to my hotel. I know nothing about the world, Carlos. I am as confused as a goat on a chessboard. Yes, but what about the Iguana? Have you seen him again? I realize now that I have made a mistake telling all of this to Officer Jimenez. Yes, he pretends to be dismissive and nonchalant while he chews the last cube of ice in his whiskey. He is pretending to be amused by my story, rather than shocked and scheming. But I know he will try to use this information somehow, to take the story and manipulate it to his advantage. I have given something away. I should know better. My friends here lie to me with exquisite taste. I have bumbled from the start.


text:
My dad is a father of four daughters.
Let that sink in for a moment. Four strong personalities, four strong opinions, four strong women. Needless to say, my dad is a very patient man. I always wondered if he imagined that he would be a dad to four girls. Of course I'm sure he didn't, but I'm also certain that he couldn't picture his life any differently now. My dad has worked to have individual and meaningful relationships with each of his daughters and we are all the better from that love.
Not a man of many words, but when he does express himself, we understand the value in those words. His no-nonsense, straight-forward demeanor runs deep in all of us, which in turn created those strong personalities. Each of us have a few of his distinctive traits. From him, we've learned to be a woman of your word, a person of character and true to your namesake. I'm positive that there were moments where he felt like he was out of his league being out numbered 5 to 1, but we followed his lead.
Our dad is a pretty special guy. We're blessed to have such a vivid example of how love can be strong. As we celebrate Father's Day, I'm filled with such gratitude for our dad; the dad of four daughters.
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text: Chris Madson - November 03, 2010 A Matter Of Spin Spinning-wing decoys continue to make a significant difference. By Chris MadsonLate mallards. I've fooled them. Not just a single that happened to wander past in the first shooting light, but flocks of 30, 40 birds on clear January mornings. And not just dropping down to take a look but hooked up over the spread, the lead birds reaching for the water, the whole bunch talking to the decoys.I can describe every time it's happened right down to the direction of the wind and the slant of the light, just as I can describe the morning I was married, and for the same reason -- there are some things in this life that just don't happen very often. Those perfect flocks stand out against a thousand days of frustration, days when there was enough of a breeze to make the decoys swim, when the calling was perfect and my hide was invisible. And the birds are always there, materializing out of a perfect blue sky a hundred yards above the water, thirsty from a morning on the stubble, ready to drink and rest. There is never anything for them to see, but that makes no difference. Somehow, they feel my presence and just refuse to come that last 70 yards.Opinions vary on this matter, but I've come to believe that those days are worse than the days with no ducks at all. When the ducks simply don't show up, I can always call the exercise a draw, but when a flock or two comes down to look and see through the deception, I've been beaten.Like every other waterfowler I know, I've spent countless dollars and hours trying to improve the odds, and there are entrepreneurs out there who are doing their best to help with the problem. Some of their ideas strike me as fairly silly -- fake corn on the cob, for example -- but every now and then, they come up with an idea that really works. Take the spinning-wing decoy. Spinners definitely are effective, especially in field hunting situations.The idea came out of California in the late 1990s -- a duck body on a pole with wings spun by a battery-powered motor. It was one more way to add motion to a spread, an approach that began centuries ago with tolling dogs and, through the generations, proceeded to jerk lines, flags and kites. Early rumors about the spinners were enthusiastic. As one Dakota waterfowler said, "You pushed that button and it was like it was raining ducks." In the years that have followed the introduction of these decoys, some hunters have said that ducks have learned to avoid them just as they have learned to be wary of many other waterfowling techniques. However, research on spinning-wing decoys suggests that they continue to make a significant difference.The most recent study comes from father-and-son waterfowl biologists, Dale and Jason Caswell. The Caswells tested the efficiency of spinning-wing decoys in southern Manitoba, setting up 152 hunts over two years. The hunters in the study used two-dozen magnum mallard decoys and one spinner. They turned the spinner on for 15 minutes, then off for the same period. The Caswells kept track of the number of birds killed and crippled and also used range finders to measure how close each flock came to the spread.Continued -- click on page link below. The results? In the marsh, ducks were 1.9 times more likely to fly within 40 yards with the spinner running than when it was off. Hunters killed five times more ducks when the wing-spinner was active. Interestingly, crippling dropped from about 0.3 birds per hunter to about 0.2 birds per hunter when the spinner was on. The difference was even greater in field hunts: Ducks were five times more likely to fly within 40 yards when the spinner was running, and kill was 33 times higher. During the early season, crippling rates didn't change, but late in the season, crippling was 3.7 times lower when the decoy was running.The Caswells also sexed, aged and weighed the birds that were killed during the experiment. Other research has suggested that juvenile ducks are more likely to come to decoys than their parents. There is also reason to believe that ducks in poorer condition are more likely to come to decoys than ducks that are well fed. The Caswells found that the spinning-wing decoy changed that pattern -- when it was running, hunters generally killed more adult mallards, and the birds they took were heavier, i.e., better fed.Of course, Manitoba waterfowlers have the luxury of hunting untutored mallards. If the ducks are learning to avoid spinning-wing decoys, their increasing wariness is likely to be most obvious farther south, but studies down the flyways have seen the same impact. Researcher Michael Szymanski set up a study in Minnesota similar to the Caswell's -- 367 hunts with two spinners turned on and off at 15-minute intervals. Mallards were 2.9 times more likely to fly within 40 yards when the decoys were running. Flocks responding to the spread were 1.25 times larger when the spinners were on, and hunters killed 4.7 times more mallards. The kill per hour didn't change much as the season went on, either -- the spinners seemed to be as effective in the late season as they were earlier. In his report, Szymanski pointed out that less than six percent of the hunters in the study killed a limit of ducks, even with the help of spinners. Crippling rates in his study did not go down when the spinners were being used.Another study in Minnesota has found that hunters using spinners killed an average of 16.3 ducks per season, while hunters without spinners averaged less than one bird a season. (It's likely that the hunters using spinning-wings spent more time in the field as well.) Data from Missouri shows that waterfowlers using spinners killed 1.6 birds per day, while hunters without a spinner killed less than one per day. Illinois has collected similar numbers: Hunters using spinners averaged 1.8 ducks a day while hunters without averaged 1.1 a day.Work in Nebraska has shown that average duck harvest in marshes can be twice as high with spin-wing decoys as it is without. In the late season, mallard harvests may be three to four times higher with spinners.Continued -- click on page link below. A study in California found that duck hunters using spinners killed six times as many birds in the early season, four times as many birds in the middle of the season and twice as many birds in the late season as hunters without spinners. A check-station survey found that hunters using motorized decoys killed 56 percent more birds than hunters who didn't use them. Crippling rates there did not go down when spinners were being used."So far, there is no evidence that spinners are reducing duck numbers on a wide scale." The effectiveness of the spinning-wing decoy has waterfowl biologists wondering about several management issues.First, is this new technology reducing duck numbers on any flyways? We have a better picture of North American duck populations and their trends than we do for any other group of widely distributed wildlife. Still, the forces that affect duck numbers are complicated and difficult to track. It's nearly impossible to figure out how a change in hunting technology affects duck numbers continent wide. So far, there is no evidence that spinners are reducing duck numbers on a wide scale.Second, is this technology a special threat to particular species or local populations of ducks? For California biologists, the high rate of mallard harvest over spinners early in the season was a danger signal. They were afraid that local mallard populations might suffer unless early-season use of spinners was restricted. This may be an important consideration in any area that combines heavy hunting pressure with important local birds. So far, there is no research on the effect spinning-wing decoys might have on species like black duck and pintail.Third, is this technology changing the distribution of duck harvests? Harvest statistics haven't shown a sudden spike since the advent of spinning-wing decoys, so they may have no effect on overall harvest. Several studies show that spinners are effective on adult ducks and continue to be effective down the flyway, suggesting that they aren't likely to give northern hunters a new advantage. However, it's clear that hunters with spinners take more ducks than hunters without.Four states -- Pennsylvania, Oregon, Washington and Arkansas -- have already banned motorized decoys, or some form of decoy that spins or flaps their wings or vibrate in the water. California and Minnesota have banned motorized decoys in the early part of the season, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been encouraging discussion, trying to decide whether federal regulation might be in order.Over the last century, ethics have repeatedly made their way into the laws that govern waterfowling. If maintaining populations of ducks is our only concern, we can do it with little more than a well-enforced bag limit and a season of the right length. The laws against live decoys, baiting, sink boxes, punt guns, shooting after dark, hunting from boats under power or sail, loading more than three shells and using recorded calls have more to do with ethics than managing waterfowl. At some point, we decided that certain ways of killing birds wandered over the line separating sport from slaughter.The man who taught me how to hunt said that an ethical hunter never takes advantage of his quarry -- he gives advantage. When our best effort never succeeds, we probably have room to look for more efficient techniques. When we never fail, we should consider ways to limit ourselves. That's the balance that makes fair chase fair. GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing. Sign Me Up


text:
Tongue Point
June 25, 2009
This is Tongue Point, about a 40 minute drive from our house in Port Angeles in Clallam County. Normally, most of these rocks
are under water, but today was an extremely low tide day, and Tongue Point was exposed. The little dots out towards the end
are people.
Tongue Point is covered almost continuously with mussels and as well as lots of sea weed.
The gulls gather to take
advantage of the
exposed areas.
Many of the sea stars are
huge, easily more than 12
inches in diameter.
Left, an anemone closes
up when the water level
drops leaving it exposed
to the air.
Left, sea urchins in a
tide pool.
Right, a Blood Star in a
tide pool.
Returning to the bluff, we watched the bumblees enjoy the nectar in the wild roses.
More Stuff around the Olympic Peninsula
Home Site
Left, a Western Tanager at our house
a few days ago.
The neatest thing about the low tides are the tide pools. Below, a sea star and anemones.


text:
Multimedia in Civil Engineeringby Jorge A. Vanegas, Assoc. Prof.; Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Civil Engineering, Atlanta, GA,
Nelson C. Baker, Assistant Professor; Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Civil Engineering, Atlanta, GA,
Serial Information: Civil Engineering—ASCE, 1994, Vol. 64, Issue 5, Pg. 71-73
Document Type: Feature article
Multimedia inspires so many claims and hype that it can be hard for engineers to figure out what's real and what's not. The truth is that multimedia holds great promise to change many aspects of an engineers practice, particularly any involving communication. By taking many different forms of data, such as text, spreadsheets, videotape and sound, and then presenting them together on the screen and through the speakers, multimedia can integrate the various forms of information about a project, giving the user a more complete, overall understanding than was previously possible. For example, the blueprints and project description of an apartment complex can be viewed simultaneously with an audiotape of the neighborhood and an animated walkthrough of a computer simulation of the finished building. Other applications for multimedia technology include highlighting design problems, marketing a firm's services, interactive training for new employees and bringing real-world projects into a university classroom. Taking advantage of these opportunities, however, will require money, time and an understanding of how this new tool can be used without drowning the user in an incoherent flood of information. Used properly, however, multimedia can open new horizons for the use of computers in civil engineering.
Subject Headings: Project management | Multimedia | Claims | Professional development | Spreadsheets | Residential buildings | Residential location | Computer models
Services: Buy this book/Buy this article
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text:
Town Board
June 4, 2013
Meeting highlights. For a summary of other agenda items, visit http://www.ciyinfo.org.
1. Digitization of town records
Supervisor Grace announced that the Board has requested Sullivan Data, the town's IT consultant, to prepare an RFP for the purchase of the software needed to digitize the town's existing paper records.
2. Courtesy of the Floor
Personal attacks. Controversy arose over what constitutes "personal attacks" and how Board members should react to such perceived comments.
Signs. Denise D'Amico expressed concern over the proliferation of signs throughout town, noting that the problem was getting worse.
3. Winery
Supervisor Grace said he anticipated a future vote on an amended site plan that would not include the town owned parcel.
4. Ethics Law/Annual Financial Disclosure Form
The Board gave four town officials 21 days to submit the required 2012 Financial Disclosure Form or else face automatic suspension. The supervisor did not identify the four individuals or their positions.
A discussion followed, with differing opinions, as to whether the existing disclosure requirements were intrusive, violated a person's rights or were counterproductive.
5. Volunteer Boards
Accepted the resignation of Thomas DeChiaro as a member of the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
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Bazzo 06/06/13


text:
I have a Dilemma
When I was younger we had the Fisher Price Little People Castle. We spent many an hour sending little men through the trap door, and raising and lowering the drawbridge.
A couple of weeks ago I took Samuel to the local toy store to look at what they had. I wanted to teach him about saving money, and using a small allowance. I was hoping that he would pick out a Thomas Train, and that after a couple of weeks of saving and some extra chores he would be able to buy one train. Instead he picked the castle below.
This PlayMobil castle is $90! We give Samuel $3 a week for an allowance, so you can imagine how well this is going over in my house! Even with his extra dusting he's only up to $8 in two weeks! I kind of want to get him the Fisher Price castle, and I can get the vintage one off Ebay for around $20, but Samuel wants nothing to do with it. He thinks it's a girl castle, I don't even know why he cares considering he spent a good chunk of the time we were at his cousins' house running around in pink fairy wings!
I know I'm king of projecting what I want, but I really would like him to have the castle that I had (maybe it is a girl's castle!?) If I can't let him get the castle he wants, how am I going to be when it comes to picking out a wife (Oh no, Doug is right; I am going to be a horrible Mother-in-law!)?
Also, if I let him buy his castle should I make him foot the bill for the whole $90? After all, he will end up sharing it with his brothers. Does anyone have any ideas for other extra chores that a 3 year old can do. I don't want to pay him for cleaning up messes that he makes, which has left me with wiping down baseboards and chair rail. Any advice would be much appreciated!
13 Comments
ingrid said,
That castle was one of my favorite toys growing up and I have been looking EVERYWHERE for it! I don't particularly think it is a girl's castle since my 5 brothers also played with it, but in this day and age, I would have to say that the boy's toys (like the PlayMobil castle above) are definitely ALL BOY and could not go either way like that castle from our generation. I am going to check this out on ebay…
As far as chores and youngsters, we have been able to get our recently turned 4 year old to help with dusting, folding her laundry, putting away dishes such as sippy cups, kids plates, etc…(those within her reach), making her bed, and washing the windows with Windex (her favorite!). Do you give $3 a week because he is 3?
We have an extra set of those pink fairy wings. Would you like me to send them? I know Doug would LOVE it!
ingrid said,
I'm laughing because I just showed Julianna the photos of the two castles and I asked her which one she liked better, and she immediately responded that she OF COURSE, liked that first one. I then asked her why and she responded, "Because it's girlie and I like the horse." So perhaps it is and that's why we both like it so much…
Sorry for the multiple commenting, but I just HAD to add this comment!
ingrid said,
I'm laughing again because now Ashley is home and she has decided that she likes the Playmobil castle better because it is a "Ninja Turtle Castle." Hmmm…
Greg said,
$3 a week? Wow, when I was a kid I only got 50cents for mowing both lawns . . of course I never walked uphill in the snow going to and from school!
Besides, I think Samuel would prefer one of these (its very manly): http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00020LZ6Q/downandoutint-20
pam said,
I'm still trying to decide if I'm way behind the times because I'm not giving Gabe $3 a week. Three spankings is more like it but not $3. And if it's age related, I guess I should be giving him $4?
This morning Gabe asked me if pink was a girl color. I said yes and he said, but I like pink Mommy. And of course I told him that pink was for anybody who wanted it – boy or girl and that it was perfectly fine to like pink.
If it were me – I would make him save up $20 and then buy him the thing for his birthday by shelling out the other $70. Then I would get mad when I didn't see him playing with it every day for the next 20 years.
but that's just me.
Chores he could do –
feed tha animals (oh that's our house)
dust (as you mentioned)
set the table
get you diapers when your changing Ben
Play with Wil when you need them to leave you alone
bring the mail into the house
water your plants (oh that's our house again)
clean his room!
get dressed and brush his teeth everyday all by himself
help Wil get dressed
how's that?
pam said,
I feel I need to clarify since your blog doesn't allow me to preview my comments. I don't get to see how much of an rambling idiot I am until it's in print!
The whole pink meandering was just about the boy/girl thing and how they are just starting to get the gender specificness of things. i liked it better when gabe wanted to play in his plastic kitchen and didn't think pink was a girl color (even if john got a little weirded out by it). If you had just caught him 6 months earlier, I'll bet he would have been all over that fairy princess kitchen.
Maybe you can buy the $20 kithcen with the guise that one day you will have a girl so you're just snapping up a good thing while you see it. Then secretly let samuel play with it until he doesn't want the other boy castle!
pam said,
okay – me again. you know what I meant, not kitchen but castle. That's what happens when I'm bloggin when I should be sleeping.
And by the way, thanks for the nice comments regarding my housekeeping abilities. To be honest – keeping the house tidy is way easier when everyone is gone all day, 5 days a week. The days I'm home with the kids, it's a disaster. Besides, you have a new born and two really active boys. You have to go for the low hanging fruit, which I would imagine at this point is just keeping them out of the emergency room and making sure they get fed once in a while. That in itself is a full time job!
Christina said,
See if he can save for it. $8 already, he's well on his way! Maybe in the six months it takes to earn the money the thrill of the castle will wear off and if it doesn't maybe he'll like it even more! Or if Grandpa reads this post maybe he'll get one for his upcoming birthday!
Sarah said,
I did choose $3 because he's three, but I'm feeling kind of cheap because I have been making him do a lot your suggested chores for free! Although, Liz, I love the weeding idea. Our yard is kind of a disaster, but it's been too hot to get after it. Also, I'm leary of large bugs, snakes and scorpions!
I am thinking about getting the old school one just for me to play with! I may one day have a girl!
And Greg, thanks for the suggestion! We've started a little fund, and you can expect this for a wedding gift!
Anne said,
I'm really partial to all of the old little people stuff. It's so much better than the new stuff. I guess because the new stuff doesn't remind me of being 5.
Nisa Hunt said,
I read your comment about the large bugs and scorpions, please tell me you are kidding!!! I hate bugs.


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