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You know, there probably ought to be an island somewhere where all the people who have vanishing, obsolete, or traditional but obscure skill sets can all live together in peace and harmony. You know: geishas, blacksmiths, slide rule designers, coopers (when's the last time you had a barrel made?), roof thatchers, that sort of thing. If such a place existed, you can bet that a disproportionate segment of the population would be Japanese. We saw a bunch of them today.
Today's destinations were all in the UNESCO World Heritage locales of Gokayama and Shirakawa-go and a few of the neighboring towns. They are characterized by a number of attributes: stunning valley settings, gassho farmhouse architecture (which I'll explain in a moment), and the preservation of what to our philistine Western sensibilities are obscure but colorful arts and crafts. Let's start with the settings and the architecture.
"Gokayama" means "five mountains". (Remember that -yama is a suffix meaning "mountain", as in Fujiyama.) This part of the country is mountainous, which means two things: striking vistas and a lot of snow in winter. Our first stop was the village of Ainokura, a settlement of 1000 people or so nestled in a Shangri-la-like valley (I wish there were some way of typing that without two hyphens) ringed by cloud-misted green peaks. The building roofs are all thatched — very thick thatching, perhaps two feet through, mounted on a steep A-frame with about a 60-degree cant to prevent snow accumulation. And that, gentle reader, is more or less the definition of gassho architecture. The word itself means "praying hands", which more or less describes the shape of the roof. There are a couple of things to pray for, e.g., that the village won't get six feet of snow again this winter, because, tradition or no tradition the locals are sick of shoveling the stuff. The residents might also pray that no moronic tourist lights up a cigarette, since a wood frame house with a thatched roof is a conflagration waiting to happen. All of the houses in Ainokura are like this, giving it the feel of a 16th century Colonial Williamsburg. (And the brochures and signs do indeed ask you not to smoke.) We enjoyed a woodcut-worthy photogenic overlook of the town, and ambled around the streets for a while.
Our next stop was the village of Taira, where they, um, pound rice. Not quite sure how else to describe it, really. The desired end product is mochi, or Japanese rice cake. "Cake" hardly seems like the right word, though: mochi is a essentially a little ball of rice gluten, which you can flavor by rolling it in a little sugar and soy powder or dipping it in soy. It's gummy, sort of like an edible ball of doughy Silly Putty, though gooier and much easier to chew. It's considered a special treat because making it in the proper fashion is labor-intensive: one person repeatedly pounds a bucket full of rice with a wooden sledgehammer while a second reaches into the goo between hammer strokes to add a bit of water and do a very quick knead. Time it wrong and the second person is looking at five broken fingers. (I asked Mariko how often this occurs among practitioners; she translated the question and was informed that it never happens. However that is only because I don't attempt to make mochi; otherwise the local hospital would have to hire a new full-time doctor just to apply splints.)
Like everything else in Japan, mochi is steeped in tradition. You can't just whale away with your Sears Craftsman hammer into a bowl of Uncle Ben's Rice. You need just the right kind of rice, soaked for the right amount of time, pounded with the right wooden sledgehammer, and so forth. It's all very traditional and precise, though the end product is very enjoyable. (At least for me; Alice was not so crazy about it.)
This ethos of doing things just so, using the ancient ways, is certainly a core part of Japanese tradition. We saw it again a few minutes later just down the road, where we made "Gokayama Mashi" paper. Or so they told us; would be more accurate to say that we participated in the final two steps (out of about 20) of making the much-prized, high-fiber paper. A traditional plant must be harvested, and the wrong kind of fibers removed, then boiled, and have other stuff added to it, then this, then that, then something else, and if I remember the informational video correctly then about two months later you have a sheet of very nice paper indeed, which you damn well better use for something important.
Our role in the process was to repeatedly dip a small screen about the size of a dinner tray into a trough of white liquid fibrous pulp, rather like rice pudding. You dip the screen into the pulp in a scooping motion to avoid trapping air bubbles, then lift it out and hold it horizontally to let the water drain. Repeat two more times. Decorate with colorful cutout bits of paper: cats, moons, fish. Hand the screen to a guy who carefully peels out the wet paper-to-be and sticks it flat against a hot drying surface, which is just a vertical panel of heated sheet metal. Twenty minutes later you have a sheet of paper with your decorations embedded in it.
We moved on to a traditional lunch (do you sense a pattern emerging?), "tradition" in this case being an unusual vegetarian lunch of what of what are called "mountain vegetables", which included items like fiddlehead fern. It was interesting, not at all bad, and a source of nostalgia for Mariko, who remembers her grandmother going into the mountains to gather vegetables for such a meal. Now it's uncommon; it is hard to find the ingredients in a supermarket, and they are quite expensive.
Lunch concluded with a musical interlude. Two of the ladies who staffed the restaurant did a simple traditional dance while playing the binzasara, a bizarre percussion instrument that is basically a row of clappers strung tightly together. You hold the two ends and snap your wrist, which causes a wave to propagate down the row of clappers, like tightly-spaced dominoes falling. It makes a clattery buzzing sound, indeed rather like what you'd get if you recorded a bunch of falling dominoes and then played back the audio at high speed. We all tried it; it's a little tricky but you get the hang of it quickly. The instrument is a big deal around here: as you drive into this village of Taira, you pass under an archway shaped like one.
I am happy to report that we were able to answer this particular Japanese musical tradition with an American musical tradition. Joe, one of our travel group, is a "sonic afficionado", if there is such a term, who delights in whistling, making sound effects, and generally utilizing whatever is at hand (e.g., a blades of grass) to make noise. He travels with a pocket harmonica at all times — a practice that I recommend on philosophical grounds — and so responded to the binzasara performance by standing up and playing a long, impressive blues piece on his harmonica. It was quite a performance and he brought down the house. (I had told him earlier that I was planning on sending him a USB stick with all my photos; he said that in return he would send me one of his harmonica instructional videos. Seems like a very fair trade.)
We had two more stops to make after lunch, but i will be brief since it is getting late and this post is already somewhat longer than average. The first was the 500-year old home of the Iwase family, who have occupied it for 18 generations. The house dates back to the samurai era and has variously been used to store gunpowder, silk, and other commodities. I'm not sure if it is technically in the gassho style since the roof is not as steeply tilted as the other buildings. But the thatching was thick and robustly bound to heavy circular beams on the upper floors. Now the is just a family home, but the Iwases use it to (you guessed it) keep some of the old traditions alive, notably the kokiriko dance.
Kokiriko is the oldest traditional Japanese dance, accompanied by a binzasara and percussion sticks. Though performed by women now, it was originally a dance performed only by the nobles and was used to celebrate the hunt. The costumes are said to be silk versions of a hunting outfit; I infer that the role of the hat (see photo above!) was to facilitate the hunt by making the animals convulse with derisive laughter. ("Look at that stupid hat! You can't even see anyth…OUCH ARROWS! OUCHouchouchouch…") The Iwases served us tea after the dance, and we explored the house for a while.
Our final stop of the day was Shirakawa-go itself, essentially a larger and more touristy version of the village of Ainokura that we saw first thing this morning. Like Ainokura, it sits serenely yet strikingly in a valley dotted with rice paddies and ringed with mountains. We admired the view, walked down into the town, then headed back to Kanazawa for a decidedly non-traditional Japanese dinner: Chinese food
.Thus concludes our stay in Kanazawa. Tomorrow we head off to Kyoto for five nights, the final leg of our trip.


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You are currently browsing the monthly archive for August 2009.
This weekend Mason and Clint went on a last minute camping trip in the mountains with some friends from Boa. There were two other kids around Mason's age so he had a blast. He got to ride trikes with his friends, run around in the dark with a flashlight, and have s'mores for the first time. I'm bummed I missed out, but it was a great opportunity for Mason and Clint to bond, and holy crap I had a day with only one kid!!!!!! Seriously, I don't know what my problem was when Mason was a baby, because having one kid is soooooo EASY! I still didn't get much done because I had a baby to take care of, but it felt like I was single again-I know pathetic. When Maiya was sleeping I spent my time reading a book about the treatment we want to try that claims it can cure her of her allergies. More on that later, but there may be light at the end of the tunnel…or more like a huge s'more at the end of the tunnel for me because I am SO HUNGRY!
So recently I was reading Colorado Parent (just a local free parenting magazine) and admist all of the ads for places to have your kids birthday party, childcare, fancy pre-schools and whatnot, one of the ads caught my eye. It was an ad for donating your eggs-your woman eggs-NOT chicken eggs. The add said it was great for young mothers and could earn you upwards of $5,000. Yeah, thats right, $5,000! So I'm thinking, this whole not working thing is good stuff, how long can I delay going back to work? And then I find this ad….hmmmm….really, I don't need anymore eggs, I don't think I would even notice if a few were gone…
Seriously, I want to know-What would you do???
Here are some random facts about our family to make it seem like we don't live so far away…
Maiya's nickname is Maiya Papaya-which is usually shortened to Mai Pai which always makes me think of Mai Tai the drink which makes me think of the tikki faces on the drink glass a mai tai is usually served in which always makes me laugh! We also call her Maiya Paya and say Hiya Maiya 🙂 Clint is the inventor of her nicknames.
Mason is a huge fan of Transformers.When I say huge I mean-90% of the day everyone in the family goes by Transformers names, we get Mason to do stuff by calling whatever the task a Transformers name-like if we want him to go upstairs its "Autobots, roll out." or drinking his milk is "his oil", or the funniest is that the cats and all small animals we see outside are Deceptecons-this one went a little too far when Mason tried to beat Eon with a meat tenderizer…oops!
Maiya's food allergies are starting to become a bit overwhelming. First we started with milk, then soy, then egg, then spicy food, and each time I eliminated something from my diet she seemed to be getting better. As soon as I was confident that she was recovering and soon I would see some normal looking baby poop then surprise-more blood. It has been nine weeks now and I still haven't figured out exactly what foods bother her. Last week she started having some bad diapers and I figured out that tree nuts are a problem. As soon as I thought we were in the clear, on Friday her diapers were bad again. It took me awhile to figure this one out, because the only thing left on the top 8 highly allergic foods was wheat and I have been eating that all along and it hasn't bothered her. After some online searching and going through my food and her poop journals (yes I keep poop journals!) I finally figured out that the culprit was corn. Now that there are so many things affecting Maiya we are getting into the realm of serious food allergies and not some minor inconvenience that she will outgrow. Luckily Maiya's only symptoms so far have been bloody, mucousy nasty colored poop and sometimes puking. She otherwise is growing at a healthy rate and is a super happy baby. Since she is so happy, it makes me think that I just have to figure out that bad foods and avoid them and everything will be fine. On the other hand, blood in poop is a serious sign and the fact that we keep finding one problem food after another could be a sign that she has serious, multiple food allergies that may affect her long-term.
So here is where most of you are probably thinking "What the hell, Karyn, quit being so stubborn and give that kid some hypo-allergenic formula and be done with it!" Yeah, about that…well for starters I have been told that most hypo-allergenic has corn in it so if corn is bothering her then there goes that idea. Another reason is that if I put her on formula now, not knowing exactly what she is allergic to then we will have to go through this all again in a few months when she starts solid food and risk more severe allergic reactions. Reason number three is that as far as I understand, a food allergy is a result of a weakened immune system and the best way to strengthen Maiya's immune system is to give her breastmilk.
So just don't eat corn right? Well as much as a label reading freak I am, it has still been tough to eliminate any food completely. I thought I had gotten all milk out of my diet and recently I realized that there was milk in the Burts Bees Baby lotion I was using on Maiya. I thought I had gotten all soy out and then I realized there was soy in my prenatal vitamin. I stopped using my lotion because it had shea nut butter in it, and when I thought-well at least I can have toasted marshmallows-turns out the first ingredient in marshmallows is corn syrup! All of these things I have realized in the past couple of weeks, so I am hoping that I have finally gotten my diet down to a science and that in a couple more weeks everything will be cleared out of her system and she will start improving.
This has experience has really been testing my strength. I am down to eating oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, a turkey pita sandwich for lunch and chicken or salads for dinner. It is all still good food, so I am not doing too bad and eating like this is melting the pregnancy weight off. I think the hardest thing is being around food I can't have and not being able to even eat a crumb of it. I know most parents say they would do anything to protect and help their kids, but between natural childbirth and this whole situation I am realizing how achingly true it is. I know now that I would really do ANYTHING for them. I am so lucky that food allergies are the worst of our problems and that we have two happy and healthy kids and I will do whatever it takes to give them the best life possible.

subset: commoncrawl


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Boxed Birthday Card - To My Wonderful Wife
For your special Wife on her special day
Product Description
Cover Message:
- For my wonderful wife on your birthday with love
Inside Message:
- I've loved you from the day we met you know I love you still from now until eternity please know I always will...All my love on your birthday
- Hand-finished
- Glitter
Box Colour:
- Green
Dimensions (approx.):
- Card: H27 x 19.5cm
- Box: H28 x 20.5cm
- The boxed card is sealed inside a plastic sleeve.
Customer Reviews
Customer Reviews


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Real world sky dome
by, 05-07-2014 at 12:11 PM (115087 Views)
Another WebGL experiment with Three.js Real world sky dome lighting and shading: http://www.vill.ee/rig
Not really finished (nothing ever is) but working features so far are:
- Physically Based Atmosphere shader
- Irradiance bake (using three.js IcosahedronGeometry for sampling directions)
- Blurry reflections
- Real world sun positioning with Google Maps
- Cloud cover from Google Maps Weather Layer
- ...
And things I'm hoping to add
- Google Maps WebGL buildings (possible?)
- Moon and accurate stars
- Fog, Rain, Snow from Google Weather
- Cloud animation from Google Weather wind direction
- Cloud lighting
- Proper irradiance sampling
- Sun directional light hack needs proper sampling too
- Upload source code somewhere useful but currently can be sourced from vill.ee/rig/full.html
- Bug in Three.js. When normal maps in use, cube reflection map coordinates are wrong. World normals are replaced with view normals and thats incorrect.
- Only works in Chrome for some reason
Libraries and source codes used:
Three.js, Atmosphere Shader, snoise, SunCalc, dat.gui, Google Maps, jQuery, Raphaël


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April showers, May flowers?
April 17, 2018
The spring 2018 semester began with tornado warnings in nearby Pike County. Shortly after this set of storms, campus police began planning a campus-wide tornado drill, but it did not happen this semester.
The effects of tornadoes and tornado preparedness are back in the spotlight once again after storms over this past weekend. A storm system quickly moved through Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas and Missouri, leaving a wide path of damage.
At around 2 p.m. on Friday, April 13 the system was declared by the National Weather Service as a "particularly dangerous situation" in northeastern Texas and the majority of Arkansas with Arkadelphia very clearly in the predicted path of the storm.
Around 4 p.m., the storm moved into Northwest Arkansas. Residents of Fort Smith, Van Buren and surrounding towns were warned to be prepared by local meteorologists. Mountainburg was the first town in Arkansas severely damaged by the storm.
In the town of 700, storms cause damage to 160 buildings, including six homes that were classified as "completely destroyed" by the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management. 2,000 residents of Mountainburg and surrounding communities were left without electricity as many power lines were down.
Injuries caused by the EF-2 tornado in Mountainburg were fairly minimal with four hospitalized. One woman went into labor at a shelter.
Around 10 p.m. the storm made its way to Central Arkansas. A residence hall at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway faced damage to the roof, but all students were evacuated and there were no injuries reported.
Thankfully, the storms caused minimal injury but the damage will require many hours of disaster relief in many areas of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas and Missouri.
In Arkadelphia, it felt like any other humid afternoon with gray skies that occasionally let a peek of sun and blue sky through. The storms in Southwest Arkansas were less severe than predicted, but would Arkadelphia be prepared if there had been a situation similar to that of Mountainburg or even UCA?
"Tornadoes are hard to prepare for, even if you're just a family, let alone a whole college campus. I think that it would be really difficult to herd that many people to a safe space should they have to, but drills and knowledge about procedure would help to streamline the process," said Easton Cowart, junior communication major.
Senior psychology and Spanish double major, Kayla Ann Kaster was in Hot Springs at her dad's house on Lake Hamilton. They sat on the porch watching the storms roll in "from the front porch – barefoot, in true Arkansas fashion," she said. She says she was "gratefully underwhelmed" by the storms "because we were being prepared for a dangerous tornado that was thankfully just a thunderstorm."


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The Center's Older Adult Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) program was invited to present at the City of Glendale's Commission on the Status of Women about Mental Health and Aging. The meeting was broadcast live on Channel 6 (GTV6) and has since been rebroadcast.
Marcos Lopez, Ph.D., Registered Psychologist and Mental Health Clinician with the Older Adult PEI program, presented to the Commission on how to recognize the signs and symptoms of depression and other mental health issues that affect this population and why seeking treatment can and will help.
There is still a stigma associated with mental health issues, particularly with this population. So, please take a moment to view the video, share this link and learn more about how Older Adults can get help dealing with these issues.
If you have any questions about how to access services at the Center, please send an email to email@example.com.
To view the video, go to: http://glendale.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=14&clip_id=3736


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SAN FRANCISCO, March 6 (UPI) -- A study purporting to show a causal link between abortion and later mental health problems has fundamental analytical errors, U.S. researchers said.
Julia Steinberg of the University of California, San Francisco, and Lawrence Finer of the Guttmacher Institute, a non-profit group in New York and Washington pertaining to sexual and reproductive health, outlined in the March 2012 issue of the Journal of Psychiatric Research of the study's serious methodological errors.
The journal's editor and the director of the data set used in the study concluded in an accompanying commentary that "the Steinberg-Finer critique has considerable merit," that the Coleman paper utilized a "flawed" methodology and that "the Coleman analysis does not support the authors' assertions."
The Journal of Psychiatric Research's editor's commentary now supports that conclusion.
"This is not a scholarly difference of opinion; their facts were flatly wrong. This was an abuse of the scientific process to reach conclusions that are not supported by the data," Steinberg said in a statement. "The shifting explanations and misleading statements that they offered over the past two years served to mask their serious methodological errors."
Steinberg and Finer's critique was published in Journal of Psychiatric Research' along with a short response from Coleman. Coleman acknowledged that she and her colleagues used lifetime mental health diagnoses -- rather than 12-month or 30-day diagnoses, as she previously stated or implied because they wanted to "capture as many cases of mental health problems as possible."


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Coal Country Music
Posted by Brandon Kim on
Here's something to get you environmentalist's (and thinking people) all pissed off. You know the story of Big Coal blasting and bullying it's way to sky high profits at the expense of children. "Coal Country" is a new doc that looks into the truth about modern coal mining in Appalachia. It focuses on the process of mountaintop removal mining, the families it destroys, the rivers it pollutes, even the mountains it levels. The story is told by both working miners and activists, and whatever side you come down on, one point cannot be argued: coal generates half of this country's electricity.
That's right, that old worn out dinosaur poop is still number one in big energy. As author Jeff Goodell (Big Coal: The Dirty Secret Behind America's Energy Future) said, "our shiny white iPod economy is propped up by dirty black rocks." And that means it's not going anywhere soon.
"Coal Country" premiered on Discovery Networks' Planet Green over the weekend (my bad I got caught up in Beatlemania) but you know how cable programming works, it re-airs every week through December including this week Thursday, November 19 at 10:30 pm.
It's also a country album, called Coal Country Music featuring the likes of John Prine, Natalie Merchant, Bonnie Raitt, Diana Jones, and the genius Willie Nelson – who performs Bob Dylan's "Blowin' In the Wind." The album is a collection of music inspired by Appalachian Mountains and the important place they've played in American history and music. A place that is literally being blown away.
You must dig Woody Harrelson's quote on the album, bless his crazy heart:
"Mountaintop removal is the most devastating peacetime activity in human history — in fact, if the destruction to our nation's natural and cultural heritage were being perpetrated by a foreign power, it would be considered an act of war — because in a very real sense, it is — it is a war against the Earth. Every week, mountaintop removal coal-mining detonates more explosive force on the land and the communities of Appalachia than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima; to extract the coal that is warming the planet and poisoning the water, air and land."


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October 7, 2011
An uptick in hiring by private-sector employers in September yielded better-than-expected job growth in September. The positive results for the month, combined with upward revisions to July and August, confirm a trend of steady, though modest hiring that partially mitigates the potential for a new recession. Still, downside risks remain. The Eurozone debt crisis remains unresolved, while threats to the solvency of European banks and intransigence on Capitol Hill continue to loom as factors that may adversely affect near-term economic prospects.
The addition of 137,000 private-sector jobs last month offset the elimination of 34,000 government positions, resulting in a net gain of 103,000 jobs. Results for July and August were revised to a gain of 184,000 positions, more than twice the number previously reported. Professional and business services employers added staff at a tempered pace, hiring an additional 48,000 workers in September, while the end of a strike by Verizon workers contributed to a gain of 34,000 information positions. Overall, six of 10 private-employment sectors created jobs last month, while manufacturing, financial activities, leisure and hospitality, and other services cut a combined 28,000 positions. Planned layoffs by Bank of America will contribute to additional financial activities job cuts in the months ahead.
The September employment report comes out amid a period of intensifying debate over President Obama's $447-billion jobs bill. The proposed legislation, which features an expansion of payroll tax cuts, new public works spending and aid to reduce teacher layoffs, is scheduled for a vote in the Senate next week. Some independent economists suggest that the bill could create up to 200,000 new jobs per month next year and warn that, without the legislation, the probability of a new recession increases.
Fueled by hiring in the professional and business services sector, full-time, office-using employment increased by 54,600 jobs in September. Approximately 250,000 full-time office positions have been added year to date, contributing to a 20-basis-point decline in the national vacancy rate to 17.4 percent in the third quarter. An additional 6.2 million square feet of office space was occupied in the third quarter, but prospects for more robust demand remain mixed. Trends in financial activities and information employment remain weak, while continuing cuts in government employment may result in reduced space requirements for government agencies.
Job creation, along with lingering uncertainty in the for-sale housing market, continues to sustain strong performance in the national apartment sector. Nationwide, the vacancy rate slipped 30 basis points in the third quarter to 5.6 percent, 10 basis points less than was recorded at the start of the recession. Following net absorption of roughly 36,000 units in the third quarter, an additional 118,000 rentals were occupied in the first nine months of 2011. Overall, demand growth has enabled property owners to make steady progress raising rents and easing concessions. Asking and effective rents rose 0.6 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively, in the third quarter, pushing down concessions slightly to 7 percent of asking rents.
Impact on Commercial Real Estate
The Research Brief blog from Marcus & Millichap offers timely insight and expertise into the rapidly changing investment real estate industry. The Research Brief is published weekly by top industry professionals, showcasing time-sensitive information and valuable analysis. Add the Research Brief blog to your reading list today.
The information contained herein was obtained from sources deemed reliable. Every effort was made to obtain complete and accurate information; however, no representation, warranty or guarantee to the accuracy, express or implied, is made.


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Reinventing Mel by JA Hornbuckle released this weekend. I've downloaded my copy but have to wait to read it since I'm knee deep in my current WIP. For those that followed my Meet and Greet Author Week, I was fortunate to feature JA Hornbuckle as one of my authors.
Reinventing Mel Book Blurb
Because of a chance meeting with members of the Hellion MC, Mel Davis's life was reinvented. One that gave him, his teenaged brother and a much younger sister a new life and hope their world would become better. Taken under the wing of Trey Jackson and Dare Gentry, Mel finds there isn't one area of his life that the Hellions aren't willing to help him overcome, resolve and obtain victory in.
After dumping her daddy-picked fiancé and learning the truth about her father's business dealings, Lulu Palmer made a decision to reinvent herself into the woman she'd always wanted to be. Hiding in Missoula and working at Hellion Construction was exactly what she needed to put her privileged and oh-so-boring former lifestyle to rest. Even if the managers she supported had potty mouths and wanted to interfere in her life way too often.
But when their attraction grows as they get to know one another, Mel and Lulu find reinvention is not as easy as they'd first thought. And not allowing their full truths to be revealed puts one of them in jeopardy as the other discovers that not all parts of the biker way of life is for them.
From the author of Hiding in Plain Sight and The Possibility of Trey comes Book Two in the Hellion MC Series which gives us a glimpse into the world of a Hellion recruit as well as a Hellion employee. And with all the craziness that Trey, Silo, Huff, Bishop, Dare and Brand bring into the lives of those they call their own.
It's about the real people we uncover even while we're determined to create a new life—both separately and with someone else.
Other Books in the Hellion MC Series:
Hiding in Plain Sight (Prequel)
The Possibility of Trey (Book One)
Sometimes the real person that's uncovered when you create a new life for yourself is exactly the person you want to be.


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Soccer Event Registration for: Summer Camps
Parent's/Guardian's Consent
The player registrant named above has my permission to participate in the Hempfield Soccer Club, Penn Legacy camps programs. In consideration of your acceptance of my enrollment, I, the player and we, the parents/guardians, individually and collectively, intending to be legally bound, hereby for ourselves and our heirs, executors and administrators waive and release the Hempfield Soccer Club, Penn Legacy, and facility owners, their agents and representatives, from any and all claims or rights to damages for injuries or losses suffered by me the player, directly or indirectly, in training for, or traveling to and from, or competing in or while attending any future Hempfield Soccer Club, Penn Legacy camps functions. I acknowledge that the registration and or registration fee does not include accident insurance coverage. I consent for medical treatment for my child in the event of an emergency.
I, the parent/guardian of the registrant, a minor or adult registrant of legal age, agree that I and the registrant will abide by the rules of EPYSA and the Hempfield Soccer Club, Penn Legacy Camps, its affiliated organizations and sponsors. Recognizing the possibility of physical injury associated with soccer, and in consideration for the EPYSA and Hempfield Soccer Club, Penn Legacy Camps accepting the registrant for its soccer programs and activities (the "Programs"). I hereby release, discharge and/or otherwise indemnify the EPYSA, and Hempfield Soccer Club, Penn Legacy and its affiliated organizations and sponsors, their employees and associated personnel, including owners of fields or facilities utilized for the Programs, against any claim by or on behalf of the registrant as a result of the registrants participation in the Programs, and/or being transported to or from the same which transportation I hereby authorize.
Concussion Release
Penn Legacy/EPSYA Policy on Concussion Procedure and Protocol:
Go to this site and read the concussion fact sheet for parents/guardians:
Your electronic signature below (after the 'S/:' below) indicates that you have read and fully understand the Consent, Release, Policy and Concussion Release above and its terms, and consent to be bound.
and I have provided correct information for registration.
You will receive a pop-up of this completed form after submitting. Please print and bring to first date of this event. Checks should be made payable to Penn Legacy, P0 Box 216, Landisville, PA 17538


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Some Cincinnati boosters see the city's fortunes tied to high-profile projects like The Banks or the tiara-topped Queen City Square skyscraper.
Mark Policinski, executive director of the Ohio Kentucky Indiana Regional Council of Governments, points to the diesel-spewing locomotives and the hundreds of train cars brimming with cargo that trail them at the Queensgate rail yard.
"It's the quintessential issue, the movement of goods, that's going to determine transportation policy and our economic competitiveness for the next 20 years," he predicts.
Policinski brought a wealth of government and private sector experience to town when he joined OKI in 2003. He has been chief executive officer of Brown Publishing and vice president of the CoStar Group. In Washington, Policinski was senior economist for the Joint Economic Committee on Capitol Hill and associate deputy secretary with the U.S. Department of Commerce under President Reagan.
Overseeing OKI, which includes elected officials from eight counties in three states and numerous big and small cities, requires patience and perseverance. Policinski has both qualities and a sense of humor to boot, which comes in handy when dealing with a 119-member board, including 66 elected officials of all stripes, and dealing with government bureaucracies at every level.
His bottom line is moving the region's economy forward through constant attention to transportation challenges and other planning efforts. Policinski is excited by the Tristate's success bucking the trend of economic hardship that other Ohio and Midwest cities have faced, and he's optimistic about Greater Cincinnati's future. Success, he believes, starts with a focus on a few major problems and challenges and real cooperation among government and business leaders. MOVING GOODSIn an ever-more intertwined global economy, products can come from or be shipped to anywhere. And they move at break-neck speed, resulting in warehouses on wheels for modern companies that strive to keep their inventories at a minimum and their products selling nearly as soon as they arrive in stores or warehouses.
Greater Cincinnati doesn't need to worry whether those goods come from China or Chillicothe or where its goods are headed. The key, Policinski thinks, is to stay in the thick of the rapidly growing rail pipeline that runs right through the city.
"If $4-a-gallon gasoline is causing people to rethink, one of the prime things we have to rethink is how we're going to handle freight. Now we use trucks, and we can't afford to do that because of congestion, the cost to business, the environment and just plain old efficiency," he says.
A rail boom is on. Norfolk Southern has created a massive distribution center at Columbus' Rickenbacker intermodal terminal, formerly an Air Force base, that is directly linked to a deepwater port in Norfolk, Va. CSX has added a distribution center in New Baltimore, Ohio, to bypass Chicago's bottleneck.
"We had better be able to accept those goods and get our goods out through those facilities, or we're going to fall behind," Policinski notes.He and OKI are focused on a relatively cheap solution to the problem of how to ensure even more freight runs through Cincinnati. Five overpasses between Cincinnati and Rickenbacker prevent Norfolk Southern from double-stacking cars that travel between the cities. The answer, Policinski says, is a $5 million investment to remove or reconfigure those overpasses and to add a track at the Queensgate yard to help ease a growing bottleneck.
OKI is also working with the railroads to replace locomotives' engines — which have to run non-stop to keep engine oil flowing — with new three-stage engines that can idle at one-third power and greatly reduce air pollution. MOVING PEOPLEIn 2002, Hamilton County voters emphatically rejected a sales tax levy to expand Metro's bus system and fund a light rail line. Since then, the price of gas has tripled and Greater Cincinnati's roads have only grown more congested. Is the Tristate ready to embrace passenger rail? Not quite, Policinski says, but the debate needs to be renewed.
"There are three economic engines: Uptown with its 60,000 jobs, the central business district and Northern Kentucky growing like a weed. If we can connect those three economic engines, we're not going to be the envy of Ohio. We're going to be the envy of the nation," he remarks.The link, he suggests, is a street car system, which Cincinnati officials are trying to add to Downtown, Over-the-Rhine and the Uptown neighborhoods, which include six hospitals and the University of Cincinnati.
Policinski would like to see that effort come to fruition and for Northern Kentucky to get in the act by building a street car link to Cincinnati's system. He is quick to note that OKI's board has not endorsed the street car concept.
The key to getting majority support on Cincinnati City Council for street cars was emphasizing the system as an economic development engine, and he credits Councilman Chris Bortz for doing the framing.
As for light rail, which would cost billions and take far longer to construct than a street car network, the conversation should continue, Policinski says.
"What we have tried to do is say at some point that we're going to have to reconsider this," he explains. "And when we do, the debate cannot be if you don't do this, you're stupid. The argument to take to the public is how it's going to benefit them. And you also have to figure out how you're going to pay for it."
But OKI hasn't seen a rush to revive a system that voters rejected 2-to-1 six years ago. "Bortz's work on the street car proposal has opened up the door. I don't see a lot of elected public officials wanting to walk through the door. They're waiting to see what happens with the price of fuel," he says. Policinski believes it's too early to tailor public policy around sky-high gas prices because the verdict on oil's future is still in doubt, with many projecting rising prices and others predicting a dip.
"We don't know if there's been a permanent shift," he points out. "Maybe that's how the ship turns. Maybe it's such a monumental shift in our behavior that we do it in very small increments. But without a doubt $4-a-gallon gas has everybody thinking what this means to them and their organization."
The whole debate about passenger rail is moot without federal funding, Policinski adds, which OKI is working to overhaul.
FEDERAL DOLLARS"Why does it take 20 years to replace the Brent Spence Bridge?" Policinski asks with more than a little exasperation in his voice. "We waste all of this money, and inflation just kills us."
The answer is the byzantine structure of federal transportation rules that force cities and states to spend years seeking funding in piecemeal increments. OKI is lobbying Congress to streamline the process when the transportation plan is reauthorized in 2009.
The organization is trying to tackle the federal funding question from other angles, too, including legal changes to allow more public-private partnerships. OKI is pushing Congress to create regional infrastructure improvement zones in which private entities can help fund public projects that benefit them and get a tax deduction. An example, Policinski says, would be businesses that occupy four corners of a gridlocked intersection could help fund construction of a turn lane that would benefit the public and the businesses.
"Congestion has a lot to do with your ability to compete, and businesses are going to face this problem," he notes.
Ohio has a long list of unfunded road and bridge projects. Policinski says it's time for Ohio's lawmakers to follow Indiana's lead and lease toll roads to private companies. Indiana's road projects are fully funded for the next 10 years thanks to $3.8 billion it received when it leased the Indiana Toll Road to an Australian-Spanish consortium. Policinski says the Ohio Toll Road would bring in much more.
"Let's just say the Ohio Toll Road could only bring in $10 billion. We can finance all the projects that are on backload. We can start talking seriously about passenger rail. We can start talking about an infrastructure bank here in Ohio that really has money to lend to Ohio businesses," he says.
None of this will happen without a fully engaged business community, Policinski comments.WILL THE PRIVATE SECTOR STEP UP?Cincinnati's businesses will leave the region's transportation challenges to the public sector at their own peril, he says. "This is economic competitiveness that we're talking about. It used to be that transportation was one of the pillars that you built your business community on. That pillar is getting really fat, and businesses cannot afford to sit back and say that's a government problem. Because if they let government do this on their own, government will mess this up," he says. "My advice is that the private sector has to be absolutely engaged."Government benefits, too, from inviting business leaders to be part of the process. Policinski says OKI held very productive meetings with leaders of Norfolk Southern and CSX, largely thanks to stacking OKI's delegation with business leaders as well as government officials."We are growing in this region. We have tremendous assets. And we are on the radar," he observes. "We have to make sure that this region works together so that we can continue to have sustainable growth and that we can be as economically competitive tomorrow as we are today."
to view the digital magazine


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Thursday, April 9, 2015
Run/ Walk/ Bike/ Elliptical (Today: 0.00 miles; Running Total: 234.91 miles)
Day 272 of *Another* 100 Days of Good Karma.
After my radiation treatment I went to lunch with one of the volunteers from the cancer center. I've gone to lunch with her before. Lisa ran through cancer treatment, too, so she's been a great source of information and encouragement. Also, it's nice to hear from someone who is several years out from treatment.
I told Lisa that I was struggling with the thought of treatment ending. Struggling with the thought that, in just a few days, I would no longer be actively killing cancer cells. I told her that looking back over the last nine months I can't believe it's been so long.
Lisa said she had a hard time when her treatment ended, too.
"It's a tough transition," she said. "But here's what you've done. For the last nine months you have done this thing, this treatment, and by doing this thing you have bought yourself time. You don't know how much time. No one knows how much time they have. But it's yours now, so you know what you do with it? You live. You live hard. Every day. You do what you want to do now because that's what you bought this time for. To do what you want." She shrugged and patted my hand. "I'm sorry. I don't have a magical answer. This is the only way I know."
I just sat there for a moment, absorbing this thought and she let me.
I bought time.
Think about that. What does it mean to actually buy time? What's the price?
I know now exactly what time costs.
Time is expensive. It costs pain. It costs humiliation. It costs fear. Lots of fear.
Buying time is also a shitty business deal. I've paid an exorbitantly high price for an unknowable commodity. I have no way of knowing how much time I've purchased.
Was this unknowable amount of time worth the price I paid?
Oh God, yes. Without a doubt.
And now, what do I do with this time I've purchased?
For Lisa, she ran a marathon (26.2 miles). Then she ran a 50 mile ultra-marathon. And she's still racing.
For my friend Patti, she bought enough time to dance with her only child on his wedding day.
What will I do with my time?
I don't know yet. And that's okay. I'll get there.
Whatever it is I do with my time, it will be something I want to do.
Because I don't have time for anything else.
Sometimes with a purchase a gift is given to the customer by the merchant. Think 'the thirteenth donut' in a baker's dozen. This is called a lagniappe (pronounced LAN-yap).
Today's silver lining: Perspective. It's the lagniappe to my purchase of time.
What's your silver lining today? I love comments!
Don't want to leave a comment, but have something you want to share? Send me an email at gettingthewordswrong(at)gmail(dot)com.
Today's post rings so true to my heart and my soul. Yes, I have bought time through a huge heart episode to do whatever is next in my life. I don't know what that is or what it looks like yet I know that if I activitely seek the answers, the answers will ccome to me. Oftentime, the answers come when I am sitting till and meditating or when I am writing or when I'm reflecting on an event that happened today or recently. Thank you for this post and silver lining today.
Such a good post! And now my mascara is running!
[…] A touching post: "Buying time." […]
Hi. Time is valuable, but people can become complacent. The universe has been trying to stress this concept to me via loss-I lost four loved ones in 2014 (one of which was my 3 year old Godson). This year two close family friends are battling cancer, one of which entered a rehab facility two days ago since he is so weak. I received word that another friend was admitted to the hospital just last week due to stomach pain -he had been feeling normal but his pain turned out to be colon cancer. His health quickly spiraled this week and is now fighting for his life and on life support.
Tomorrow is not guaranteed. Your story confirms that time is unknown and uncontrollable. I wish you health and thank you for your timely message. I need to enjoy and value my time -it is not infinite.


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Paget Brewster is an American actress. She currently is known for playing Special Agent Emily Prentiss on the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds. It was announced in June 2010 that her role will be reduced in the sixth season, which will be her last.
JJ will be missed from Criminal Minds!


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Sure it doesn't happen that often, but sometimes you might need to change the IP number of your machine running Ubuntu. Either to configure it with a static IP number on your LAN or temporarily to configure a Wifi router – the latter being my case.
The first shot at changing the ip number, was going to the "System" menu, choosing Administration and Network Tools. It sounded just about right – but it's wrong. Sure you view settings and some statistics, but it's all read only.
So, if you want to change the IP number, go to your top panel (in the right side, you'll find you network icon. Right click on the icon and choose "Edit Connections". In the window opening, you'll have access to changing the ip number – to manual configuration, DHCP with ip number only or (as is default) full DHCP configuration.
Choosing "Automatic (DHCP) addresses only" allows you to get an automatic IP, but use openDNS' DNS-servers – should you prefer them over the DNS servers provided by your ISP.


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♫ Go together like a horse and carriage…♫
Once upon a time, I owned a home.
Nice corner lot.
In a sketchy neighborhood – it was all I could afford.
After a car ran into the house (driven by a drunk driver), a subsequent burglary (renovation workers?), and a plumbing failure with mold threatening, the insurance company cancelled my insurance.
Not surprising.
A subsequent water damage problem came concurrent with the onset of my cancer, and loss of the house and insurance, home and medical.
Yeah, I know. Just lucky, I guess. 🙂
I did land 'on my feet', thanks to a good friend who allowed me to move in with her, and being awarded medical disability. Fortunately, not only do I get SSDI, but I had the foresight to obtain additional private carrier disability insurance when I was employed. Together, they make just enough for me to survive.
Barely. Sometimes.
But the private insurer likes to give me hoops to jump through – like me sending them medical and financial records – lest I appear to be actually working and getting 'extra' unauthorized funds from them monthly!
The joys of bureaucracy.
Now, my former employer, TMCCC*, has contacted me suggesting I take retirement! I just turned 62. And as I haven't accessed their human resources website in many years, I had to jump through even more hoops.
All to advise them I've no plans to retire until 2017 – when I turn 65.
At least I'm not a close friend who gleefully signed up for Obamacare! When it came time to renew their government-mandated medical insurance, they were told they could keep it. For an additional $300 a month!
Unable to afford it, they opted for AHCCCS – Arizona's Medicaid option.
And trying to advise the federal government they were discontinuing one insurance, and starting another was (in a word) difficult. Apparently, one calls in and leaves a message, so 'they' can call you back. 'They' do so (days later), and then threaten you with prosecution for not having insurance – even though you explained to them you were simply changing to another carrier!
(I should have included this in my previous posts regarding customer service, I know!)
I know all of us must deal with some variety of bureaucracy and it's web of crap, but, with this modern age of computers, the Internet and menu prompts, you'd think it would be easier?
Especially on the older with infirmities.
*TMCCC – That Major Credit Card Company, where I was employed 22 years.
Remember that game growing up?
John Lott gives us yet another perspective:
From the Wall Street Journal:
The Chicago Tribune delivered the "first-ever scientific study" of the nation's biggest camera program. Researchers commissioned by the paper found little or no safety benefit: Mid-intersection "T-bones" declined, but rear-end collisions sharply increased as drivers slammed on the brakes to avoid a ticket. Most damning, the Trib cited the city's "long-standing reliance on using the lowest possible yellow light time" to maximize revenues even at the cost of encouraging more accidents. . . .
Apparently, the message is getting out as the company that have made these cameras are slowly exiting the business.
With Redflex losing money in North America, its Australian parent company recently instructed him to "de-risk the business" by diversifying into electronic toll-taking and traffic management. Nonetheless Mr. Saunders remains keen to rescue the reputation of photo enforcement, even if that seems like a Hail Mary at this point. . . .
My ex lived in Philly for about 10 years, and they had a government contractor maintaining the traffic signals so poorly that both turned green. And her new car was totaled.
And there was no one to answer for it from the government works.
Yes, my friends, government works for the common good!
NO…stop a minute!
It IS a monarchy, with oligarchic tendencies.
What I write and post (or
borrow steal and post) is entirely up to me. I write about my experience with firearms, libertarian politics, government intrusion on our rights and my family and friends.
I'm quite proud that anyone bothers to stop by, and the fact I've followers and readers all over still astounds me. A woman in Pakistan and another in India, and many military personnel have read here.
Thank you again for stopping by!
Now to the oligarchic part. I trust in a small cadre of regular readers opinions. Not just the occasional comment on some random post, but I respect their judgement. Some have even become friends and counselors off blog, much to my surprise and pleasure.
I recently received a follower request from Steven D. Jennings of Stone City Blog Network. This is a group of correspondents and bloggers doing so from prison.
Now, I don't begrudge prison populations from trying to better themselves, nor do I pretend to understand what it must be like 'inside'. And prison populations have increased something like ten-fold over the past 40 years, largely due to 'victimless' crimes like personal marijuana use. Mr. Jennings admittedly is doing 43 years for multiple assaults. NOT a victimless crime.
The question is, should I allow him and network access, knowing that recidivism is a very real concern, and that many behind bars crave information they might use, like firearms training and escaping restraints – both addressed multiple times in this blog? (One of my previous posts viewed recently was how to get out of zip ties! Coincidence?)
What do YOU think?
I want to be 'fair', but I don't want political correctness to mar an otherwise positive blog experience. And, I suspect some folks who deserve to be incarcerated, but are not, read the Internet for such information, regardless. So this is probably moot.
I'm in whine mode.
(I know I said at the outset that I wouldn't use this weblog for therapy, but, hell, it's my blog, so here goes…)
Holidays suck.
Why? Not only do I not have any funds to get neat presents for friends and family, but, I've no one with whom to share the non-materialistic parts of the holidays. One terrific couple I know gifted me with a cool assortment of cheeses and beers (including Lindeman's raspberry ale!), and all I could give them in response was a small bag of garlic goldfish.
Hardly an even trade.
I love my sister and her kids, and her kid's kids dearly, but going to a family celebration alone with certain people in absentia is always painful.
Now it's the downhill slide from the New Year, to Molly's birthday, to the anniversary of the accident, in March.
We're told the best way to get out of this kind of funk is to create a gratitude list. So here goes…
I've a roof over my head, and a working car. Thanks to my friends! I'm on Medicare. I've disability benefits, which, while in no way am I rich, I can buy food, gas, and pay rent. I've a select group of friends, both locally and on the Internet, who help out whenever they can. Many of these friends have gone above and beyond – for years – when I am unable to give back in kind.
This must mean something.
I'm disabling comments for this post. Because, in lieu of giving me an Internet "there-there", or a virtual hug (or a kick in the pants), please stop for a moment and create your own gratitude list.
It helps.
Is it out there, anymore?
I remember my Father ranting about the dearth of customer service when I was a teenager – and that was in the 60's.
Back then a guy in a uniform (or at least a uniform shirt) filled your tank, checked your oil, and cleaned your windshield. And no tip was asked or expected. Now, IF there's a monitor/cashier at the self-service gas station behind the bulletproof glass, it's an effort to get them to look up from their graphic novel to take your card for purchase.
And waiters/waitresses? One would think when they are first being trained, they would be instructed that the more courteous and efficient they are, the better tip they will receive. But most these days are barely capable in getting your food to you at all. Need extra napkins or a refill on that beverage? Good luck with that.
And getting the order correct in the first place? Fuggedaboutit!
Retail stores? Just try to find someone who has any idea where stock might be, or even be able to direct you to it.
Call centers? Pshaw.
And we who chat regarding firearms on the Internet are familiar with H & K's (in)famous lack of customer service.
One word. OBAMACARE. And government services in general.
And, while I'm on the subject – do any of these aforementioned folks speak American English? This assumes I don't have to migrate through a computer-generated menu prompt resembling a RPG in Urdu to get to a human.
We now return you to your post-holiday festivities.
I'm a big believer in giving credit where credit is due. And blame. AND RESPONSIBILITY.
Much of the media likes to pin the badge of how evil the Koch Brothers are, because they support conservative causes. Funny how they rarely look at George Soros and his tentacles with anything more than a passing glance.
If that…
90 Miles From Tyranny recently posted a list of those organizations funded by Mr. Soros and his minions. A smattering off the list:
As with so many progressive-based organizations, they may have been started as independent of politics, with good intentions, but later co-opted by the progressive movement. Others were poisoned from the beginning.
You should really visit 90 Miles From Tyranny and see the whole, long list.
Then go back to poo-poohing the Koch brothers.
And on the subject of SELFIES…
Well, in a cheesy story, anyhow…
It seems once-upon-a-time, there was a lad who decided to make Chex Party Mix for enhancing his Christmas cheer. And it came to pass. And it was good. But at a Christmas party, he noticed that most folks were being selective in what they ate from the mix of Chex cereals, peanuts, pretzels and Pepperidge Farm Cheddar Cheese Goldfish Crackers. SO…
When it came time to make a subsequent batch, rather then spend all the extra money on the flotsam and jetsam which was being judiciously avoided, he just bought the goldfish crackers. DUH!
And not only was it good, it was BETTER!
And a Christmas tradition was born!
When I was employed, I used to bring gallons of the stuff into work. Beginning after Thanksgiving. People would approach me in September and ask, "Are you making goldfish this year for Christmas?"
The traditional Chex Mix recipe calls for an assortment of cereal and snack goodies, marinated in a couple tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce and margarine, dashed with a bit of garlic powder, then baked until crispy.
I'm rarely subtle.
I modified the recipe to a half stick of margarine and enough Worcestershire sauce to make about 1/2 inch deep in the bottom of a frying pan. Heat moderately until simmering. Add garlic powder to taste. I usually add a healthy dose. (Suffice it to say we don't have a vampire problem.) Then coat the crackers until they soak up all the sauce, and bake @ 350-375, turning often until dry and crispy. It's okay if a couple burn a bit. Those are the BEST!
Serve with ice cold beer or soda, and watch the garlicphiles come out! They are hot immediately out of the oven – it's wise to let them cool a bit.
While they certainly do not bring points for the most civil, moral or efficient. Or Constitutionally libertarian. They are definitely not the WORST!
Exhibit One (courtesy of Cato @ Liberty)
The 31st Congress, which passed the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850
The 5th Congress, which passed the Alien and Sedition Acts in 1798
The 21st Congress, which passed the Indian Removal Act in 1830
The 77th Congress, which passed Public Law 503, codifying President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066 authorizing the internment of Japanese, German, and Italian Americans, in 1942
The 65th Congress, which passed the Eighteenth Amendment (Prohibition), the Espionage Act, and the Selective Service Act, and entered World War I, all in 1917
And let us not forget the rubber stamping of Constitutional Amendments changing election of Senators to popular vote (effectively eliminating State Power and increasing Federal Power) and creation of The Federal Income Tax, AND the National Firearms Act, Gun Control Act and Assault Weapons Ban. AND, The Patriot Act and her illegitimate children.
I could go on. And on.
Why do they insist on being called LAWMAKERS? Shouldn't they MODERATE and ADJUST for REMOVAL of Laws, not just add to them?
Bayou Renaissance Man posted regarding the recent interactions between the constabulary and suspect(s), the protests that followed, and the police political assassinations that followed THOSE actions.
And, as usual, he did so with aplomb. You should go to the link above and read him. (And, if you are not regularly reading him, why not?)
And he brought up a recent court decision and the Peelian Principals. (Sir Robert Peel being the founder of Modern Law Enforcement.) They are:
And here's Peter's money quote:
I can already hear the scoffing from police officers that those principles are utterly outdated when dealing with a society that regards the rule of law as nothing more than a polite fiction. I can't blame them; our politicians and leaders in other spheres often appear to honor our laws more in the breach than in the observance. Needless to say, our citizens all too often take their cue from their leaders (or is it the other way around?) Nevertheless, any officer of the law who enters upon his career regarding the people he's called to "protect and serve" as the enemy rather than his peers and fellow citizens is riding for a fall. Sooner or later, someone's going to provide one for him. (end)
It does appear as though we as a Society have transcended into pre-civil war status. That is, that those charged with 'protecting and serving' the public are 'protecting and serving' each other, to the exclusion of the public (not entirely) and engaging in rampant abuses of power and authority not seen in many years. In The United States, anyway.
Including wholesale surveillance of cellular telephone and email communications. Restrictions placed on travel (elimination of 4th Amendment protections at border crossings, airports, 'sobriety checkpoints' and even some railroad and bus stations)! And lets not forget misused or misapplied warrant services. Does the name Jose Guerena come to mind? Rendition and torture, in violation of both civil and military law.
And punishing of those who wish to bring such facts to light via the Internet or even cell phone cameras.
And now the remaining folks in blue who actually do their jobs and refrain from abuse are being subjected to political assassination, in the name of social justice?
Isn't this what some Internet bloggers have been suggesting for the past few years? Just because it's painted in race doesn't make it any less real.
Can we as a Society fix this before it's too late? Before cities, towns and States are overrun with folks tired of the governmental abuses?
Ask not for whom the bell tolls.
It peels for thee, Republic.


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19 May, 2015
Midtown Comics Memorial Day Sale 2015!
Posted by Midtown Comics in .Blogs
Midtown Comics is open on Memorial day!
Monday, May 25th, we invite you to join us for our annual Memorial Day sale, and save 20% OFF EVERYTHING, all day long, in-store only! All three of our NYC stores will be open! Browse our wide selection of comic books, action figures, collectibles, and more! Get in the holiday spirit and pick up some Iron Patriot or Captain America comics! Check out our store hours below!
Times Square: 8:00AM to 12midnight
Grand Central: 11:00AM to 9:00PM
Downtown: 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Disclaimer: All sales and special offers advertised herein are valid in-store only, Monday, May 25th only, and does not apply to convention tickets, gift cards, or advance orders, and cannot be combined with any other offer, and other exclusions may apply. NO COUPON REQUIRED. Not valid at TRU or FAO."


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The Best of TreeHugger Radio In-Depth Interivews
At TreeHugger we are so fortunate to speak with some of the most lucid minds of the modern green movement. TreeHugger Radio is not even yet a year old, but we've already had the pleasure of spending time with remarkable thinkers, sharing these radical viewpoints on sustainability and human culture. Here is a look at some of the in-depth interviews we've had the honor to offer on TreeHugger Radio.
Simran Sethi speaks with Paul Hawken about the birth of Blessed Unrest and the spawning of the grass roots.
Mathis Wackernagel, an ecological economist, reframes the modern human paradigm in a radical way.
The founder of Architecture for Humanity, Cameron Sinclair, discusses how green design is a universal imperative. More after the jump.Legendary ecologist David Suzuki describes his recent travels and the essence of the sense of place.
With Burning Man underway, the festival's green ambassador Tom Price discusses the year's green theme, and Vinay Gupta outlines his opensource disaster relief systems that were born on the playa.
Alisa Smith and James Mackinnon became local eaters and wrote Plenty: One Man, One Woman, and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally.
Artist, scientist, and polymath Alyce Santoro illustrates the art of recycling, and the reason for her move from Brooklyn to West Texas.
There are more great interviews in our archives than we even have room for here. Visit TreeHugger Radio for more, or subscribe to the podcast via iTunes.


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It is crazy to think that 14-15th July 2017 will be the thirteenth time that Victoria Park will play host to mainstay London festival, Lovebox. Despite festivals coming and going in a ever-competitive industry, Lovebox has remained a comforting constant for almost a decade and a half.
However, despite its longevity, there is nothing to suggest that the organisers are becoming complacent, as 2017's line-up is arguably the most impressive curation that the festival has seen in its long tenure.
What is so impressive about Lovebox's programming, isn't the calibre of the acts booked alone, but rather the obvious commitment that the festival has to showcasing new talent concurrent to household names that obviously sell the tickets.
This is particularly clear with the programming on the Friday, when superstars such as Frank Ocean (see below) and Jamie XX, play alongside artists that have recently sprung onto the scene like Solange and Sampha and also relatively unknown talent like Hannah Faith and Raheem Bakaré.
Below are three artists to look out for at Lovebox 2017.
Frank Ocean
There are two words that seem to be synonymous with this superstar, enigmatic and talented. The talent is undeniable. Few artist in history have been as critically acclaimed and decorated as Frank Ocean. His most recent album, Blonde, has cemented Ocean's place amongst music's elite and has seen the artist tagged as a sonic visionary of his time.
Ocean's adulation is added to because he also has garnered a reputation for being somewhat of an enigma. For example, despite the critical acclaim that Blonde was met with, Ocean has, as yet, not announced that he will be commencing an album tour. This means that the organisers of Lovebox has secured a coup in obtaining Ocean's services for the day. Frank Ocean has not performed in the UK for several years and the prospect of seeing him live in Victoria Park is worth the admission fee alone.
Following up his explosive performance at Lovebox 2016, Kano returns to Victoria Park this year after his album Made in the Manor, received widespread praise and was nominated for a Mercury award.
Although Kano has not enjoyed the mainstream success as some of his contemporaries like Skepta and Wiley, it would be remiss to describe this artist as anything other than one of the pioneers of Grime. In a career that has spanned over two decades, Kano has produced some of the most important grime music ever. Since, his debut album Home Sweet Home, Kano has worked with Grime legends like Dizzee and Wiley, but also superstars across other genres like the Gorillaz, Blur and even Craig David.
Kano will sure to bring fireworks when he takes to Lovebox's mainstage on the Saturday. His set will likely be a mixture of some of his classic tracks as well as a taste of his new material and maybe even what to expect going forward.
There are few artists in the world who are as sought after at the moment as Sampha. Having worked alongside some of the biggest names in the music industry, like Kanye, Drake, Frank Ocean and Solange (the latter two will also play at Lovebox 2017), Sampha's first solo album, Process, was released earlier this year. The album has been received extremely well and is widely regarded as one of the best albums of early 2017.
In terms of music, Sampha's smooth combination of electro-soul and RnB could prove to be the perfect summer soundtrack. Despite having transatlantic success, Sampha has remained true to his London roots. For example, much of his debut album was recorded in studios across the capital and this rings true in many of the tracks on the album.
For this globe-trotting superstar from Morden, playing at Lovebox will almost feel like a home-coming gig and this gives the performance the potential to be incredibly special. This is ATB's pick for Lovebox 2017 and should not be missed at any cost.


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A day in Delft - pt 3
On my last post about Delft, I'm bring you along to the Botanic Garden of Delft.
A nice little garden with cute flowers, where you can just hang out for as long as you like or even have a picnic if the weather allows you.
The Botanic is within walking distance from the city center but you do have to pay a small fee to get in (I believe less than 5Eur/person).
So, sit back and enjoy the picture overload! ;-)
The bird section
I had never seen such pine tree
The Duck family
All pictures with Sony a5100 w/ kit lens.
So, I hope you have enjoyed Delft as much as I did. Totally recommend visiting this city if you are planning to come to the Netherlands.
After all, there's much more to see in this little country then just the Red Light District or the Anne Frank House (with all the respect, of course).
Part 1: CLICK ME
Part 2: CLICK ME


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We recommend Bob's Red Mill Super-Fine Almond Flour
This really does frustrate me. This old body is going to have to catch up with what my brain wants it to do sooner or later... preferably sooner. I'm getting tired of waiting.
That post had more to do with determination to succeed than with anger (in a negative sense). But I understand what you're saying.
I can still swim underwater for 25 meters though . So in conclusion do HIIT a few times a week (depending on what physique you are aiming for).
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The case is Barbour v. City of White Plains, decided on November 14. In this case, things went awry. Which is why the City of White Plains's Rule 68 offer was defective, costing it nearly $300,000 in attorneys fees and costs on a civil rights case valued at $30,000.
Rule 68 says the defendant can offer judgment to the plaintiff as well as a dollar amount. The plaintiff has 10 days to accept that offer. There's a penalty flowing from the rejection. Let's say the Rule 68 offer is in the amount of $30,000. If the plaintiff rejects it and goes to trial but only recovers $20,000, her attorneys fees are cut off from the date of the Rule 68 offer. But that Rule 68 offer should say that the plaintiff recovers $30,000 inclusive of attorneys' fees. The Supreme Court said so in Marek v. Chesny, 473 U.S. 1 (1985):
If an offer recites that costs are included or specifies an amount for costs, and the plaintiff accepts the offer, the judgment will necessarily include costs; if the offer does not state that costs are included and an amount for costs is not specified, the court will be obliged by the terms of the Rule to include in its judgment an additional amount which in its discretion, it determines to be sufficient to cover the costs.In this case, defendant served a Rule 68 Offer of Judgment on three police misconduct plaintiffs in the amount of $10,000 each. The offer did not say that this amount included plaintiffs' attorneys fees entitlement. It only said the offer covered "all claims pending against defendants in this action." Although plaintiffs did seek attorneys fees in this case, attorneys fees are not a claim. The Section 1983 action against the City is the claim. So plaintiffs accepted the offer and moved for attorneys fees in the amount of about $267,000 plus another $13,000 in costs. The district court granted the fees motion. Rejecting defendants' argument that the Rule 68 offer impliedly included attorneys fees, the Court of Appeals (Raggi, Hall and Carney) affirms on authority of Marek v. Chesny.
The Court of Appeals further says that plaintiffs' settlement, $30,000 total, is not trivial or inconsequential such that full attorneys fees are warranted.
I would guess that defendants' counsel thought his Rule 68 offer covered attorneys fees and was surprised when plaintiffs' counsel moved for attorneys fees. The courts don't care. ou have to read the rules and then read the cases interpreting those rules. Reading is free. Not reading may cost you about $300,000.


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Larry [his father], who appeared to be calling the shots, hired and fired half a dozen lawyers.Levitt also critiques Ray Kelly's book. I'm probably never going to read it, so I'll take Levitt's word:
Over the years, their behavior became increasingly bizarre. For months at a time they would disappear. They continually changed their phone numbers. At one point, one of the lawyers asked Frank Serpico, who lived nearby and had befriended them, to track them down.
Serpico also struggled in dealing with Larry, who, it turned out, had been a police officer in Fort Worth, Texas and had sued that police department on grounds similar to Adrian's in New York. His claims were dismissed in 2000 by a Texas Appeals court, records show.
Serpico is no longer in contact with him or Adrian.
So what to conclude? One thing we can say with certainty is that Adrian Schoolcraft is no Frank Serpico.
In the end what tarnished Kelly's legacy was his own ego, his running the NYPD for 12 years as Management by Narcissism. He refused to listen to others, and took no responsibility for his misjudgments. His stated conviction of protecting the city was belied by his bitterness and vindictiveness. Like others before him, his tragedy was he had started to believe his own news clippings.


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Christopher Barry, the son of the late Marion Barry, filed papers Monday for the special election to fill his father's seat on the D.C. Council.
Marion Christopher Barry, 34, picked up nominating petitions at the D.C. Board of Elections on Monday.
He has no election experience but said he wanted to carry on his father's work. Barry said in a tweet that "the legacy continues" in the District's Ward 8.
Marion Barry died in November at age 78. His son is now one of 23 candidates trying to make the ballot for an April 28 special election to replace him on the council. The elder Barry represented the poorest section of the city for the last 10 years of his life, and he remained beloved in the majority-black ward even though his citywide popularity never recovered after his 1990 drug arrest.
His son, who goes by Christopher, will be listed on the ballot as "Marion C. Barry" if he qualifies with enough petition signatures to get his name on the ballot.
The younger Barry said in an interview that he's always had political ambitions even though he hasn't discussed them publicly.
He said his father urged him to run for the seat one day.
"I always admired him, not just as my father but who he was as a leader, and I always took notes when I was around him," Barry said. "I've been living this for 34 years. It's really a part of my life. It's kind of like second nature."
In 2011, the younger Barry was sentenced to 18 months' probation on a misdemeanor marijuana charge. Last year, he was arrested for driving under the influence and operating a car without a license. He also faced a separate case of unlawful entry.
He pleaded guilty to the driving on a revoked license charge in December and is currently serving nine months' probation and undergoing drug and alcohol treatment.
"That's definitely all behind me. Like most young people, I've gone through my phases and experimented in drugs," Barry said. "I paid a great price for that and I've learned from my mistakes. I feel as though that experience has made me more qualified to help people who have gone through rough times in life."
Barry runs a small construction business that has worked as a subcontractor on city government projects, including school construction. He said that experience makes him well-equipped to provide economic opportunity to Ward 8 residents -- one of his father's signature issues.
"My advocacy has been through the private sector, not through any public office," he said. "I've always tried to provide jobs and show people that hard work is the way you pull yourself out of poverty."


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Due to a combination of a harsh winter, booming oil industry, and aggressive trackwork, Amtrak's Prized train, the Empire Builder detours over the KO Sub. While the eastbound train 8 still uses i... (more)
Amtrak No. 5, the westbound California Zephyr, has just exited 294-foot Tunnel 39 and is now threading 63-foot Tunnel 40 in the heart of Little Gore Canyon between Azure and Radium, Colorado, on t... (more)
Laurel-Missoula freight snakes its way through Lombard Canyon and along the Missouri River on Montana Rail Link's 2nd Subdivision.
The ever so famous Potash Turn exits the west end of the 7,050ft Bootlegger Tunnel with a pair of GP40-2s and two cars. for Potash. While it use to be a Friday event, he train is scheduled to run ... (more)
A Stadler KISS EMU is crossing the Eglisau railway bridge just before sunset.
With dark clouds and storms surrounding Lombard, Montana, on the afternoon of June 17, 2014, a westbound BNSF coal train snakes along the Missouri River in scenic Lombard Canyon on Montana Rail Li... (more)
Last night while out storm chasing I happened upon a coal train sitting in the Stowe yard overnight. NS1019 was in perfect line from the storms moving in from the west. After dozens of shots I was... (more)
I just happened to be in the area when I heard the Royal Canadian Pacific was going out for a quick trip to Lake Louise from Calgary. Catching this train is proving to be difficult this year due t... (more)
An eastbound Burlington Northern freight trailed by two cabooses slinks around the curves through the Badlands west of Sully Springs, North Dakota, on July 27, 1992.
A splash of color around the Spencer roundhouse.
A train passes through Junction 18, possibly the world's busiest rail crossing and interlocking. A real treat to see and so accessible!
At Ochanomizu Station on Tokyo's Kanda River, the above-ground Japan Railways' suburban Chūō is bisected by Tokyo Metro's Marunouchi Line passing underneath, as seen here at dusk on a wi... (more)
The brand new One World Trade Center has taken it's place in the ever-changing New York City skyline. At 1,776' it has grabbed the title of tallest building in New York City from the 1,250' Empire... (more)
An oil train crosses the Serayu River on a beautiful
morning near Kebasen, Central Java, Indonesia.
A BNSF Railway coal train headed to Centralia, Washington, skirts Frog Pond, and the Clark Fork River west of Trout Creek, Montana, on Montana Rail Link's 4th Subdivision.


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August 25, 2009
Justice Anthony M. Kennedy of the Supreme Court of the United States will preside over a groundbreaking ceremony for the new McGeorge Legal Studies Center on September 18, 2009.
The $10 million LSC project, a major expansion and renovation of the Gordon D. Schaber Law Library scheduled for completion in 2011, is the largest facilities project ever undertaken at the Sacramento law school. It will change the face of the 13-acre campus, which has largely remained the same since the mid-1980s.
Justice Kennedy, who taught on campus from 1965 to 1988 and still teaches annually in the McGeorge Salzburg Summer Program, will attend a faculty luncheon following the morning groundbreaking ceremony then deliver a Constitution Day address to students in mid-afternoon.
Tags: business-community, 2009


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This is an update announcement about the road closures in Wan Chai. It affects all the buses travelling along Queen's Road East.
The entire Queens Road East and Johnston road is closed from 2.45pm until the road re-opens later tomorrow night or on Sunday.
If you're looking to get out of Wan Chai by bus, do take note of these temporary changes.


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Former Ohio State bench warmer and blogger Mark Titus' new book Don't Put Me In, Coach will finally be available on bookshelves and at Amazon.com on March 6.
Although Mark was never a star on the court at Ohio State, he did develop a cult following on his blog, ClubTrillion.com. On the site, Mark wrote many hilarious articles about his time at Ohio State and also about other topics like pro wrestling, mustaches, and Greg Oden's penis.
Mark named his blog "Club Trillion" from the basketball term "a trillion," where a player only plays for one minute and gets zeros in the other 12 statistical categories on a box score. Mark wasn't very good and didn't get much playing time so he tallied up plenty of trillions during his career.
Club Trillion became very successful — it has 3.9 million views to date — and it eventually landed Mark a writing job at Bill Simmons's website Grantland, where you can read an excerpt of his book.
Don't Put Me In, Coach is mostly about Mark's career at Ohio State from 2007 to 2010. Mark was lucky enough to be on the team during one of the greatest stretches of Ohio State basketball. He even has the most individual career wins in Ohio State's basketball history, although he had very little input on those victories.
But don't get the impression that Mark was a terrible basketball player. In a video he made called "Mr. Rainmaker," Mark shows off some of his silky smooth jump shot and some of his humor.
I present to you…Mr. Rainmaker.
Although I have not read the book yet, I expect it to be hilarious and a very insightful look into the Ohio State basketball program. This book probably isn't for everyone. The casual basketball fan may not enjoy its crude humor or might not have any idea who Mark Titus is. But fans of Mark and die-hard college basketball fans should enjoy its humor and every
Greg Oden penis joke.
Also, I recommend this book to Midwesterners as Mark was born in Indiana. He is also a huge fan of Bobby Knight and loves auto racing, especially the Indy 500.
So don't be a jealous doucher. Buy Mark Titus' new book, Don't Put Me In, Coach.
On Club Trillion, Mark always used to leave a video after each post, so as a tribute I am going do the same. Here is Mark on The Big Ten Network's show The Journey.


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When paying by cash you pay for your order only upon receipt of the goods to the postman or when picking up your post branch. So you order without risk.
PayPal is the online payment service, which allows you to pay securely, easily and quickly in online shops. Payment is made through the PayPal website with your e-mail address and a password, and is completed within a few clicks. Since we receive from PayPal instant payment confirmation, the article comes earlier in rule with you as with other forms of payment. Your order is also secured by the PayPal Buyer Protection.
Payment by Sofortueberweisung allows the immediate delivery of deliverable items. Sofortüberweisung is a TÜV-certified online payment system for secure and fast processing of your online purchases. It is based on the proven online banking system with PIN / TAN entry. Changing over to your bank is no longer necessary, also the data for your transfer are already filled. This saves time! For this payment method there are no additional costs.


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Arizona Mortgage Question of the day: Where do I find a FREE mortgage calculator?
Arizona Mortgage Question of the Day (now affectionately called "QD") Where do I find a FREE mortgage calculator?
First, this is an easy one. I've got you covered. We have MANY mortgage calculators on our website.
It's easy. Click here —>http://fcfs.net/loancenter-calculators-default.aspx
Many home buyers/refinancers looking for an Arizona mortgage want to do their own research BEFORE they call a loan officer. I understand that.
Use the Arizona mortgage calculators to:
1. Calculate monthly payment —>http://fcfs.net/loancenter-calculators-monpmt.aspx
2. How much you can you afford? —>http://fcfs.net/loancenter-calculators-howmuch.aspx
3. The affect of making an extra mortgage payment? —>http://fcfs.net/loancenter-calculators-extrapmt.aspx
4. Chart an amortization schedule —>http://fcfs.net/loancenter-calculators-amort.aspx
5. The cost of renting -vs- owning —>http://fcfs.net/loancenter-calculators-rentvsown.aspx
6. The difference between and ARM (adjustable rate mortgage) and a fixed rate mortgage ->http://fcfs.net/loancenter-calculators-fixedvsarm.aspx
7. Should I refinance —>http://fcfs.net/loancenter-calculators-interestsaving.aspx
and many more!
You owe it to yourself to get started today!
Click here —> https://secure.web-loans.com/security-logon.aspx?timeout=1 to apply for your Arizona mortgage online today!
Having a dream is good, owning one is better!
Leslie Nilsen
First Class Financial Services, proudly mortgage lending since 1999!
www.fcfs.net firstname.lastname@example.com
MB#0902810 / NMLS #162494 / AZDFI Loan Officer # LO-0911453
I'm ready! I want to buy a house! How do I get started?
I'm ready! I want to buy a house! How do I get started?
Surprisingly, it's easy. First, and foremost, you need to complete a mortgage application. You can do that by going online to www.fcfs.net and click APPLY ONLINE! This will walk you through the full application and it is emailed back to me as soon as you hit submit! OR you can call the office at 602.294.9288 and we can do one together over the phone.
You should have the following items handy when we do the application:
Current paycheck stub
Last years W2
Current asset account statements (checking, savings, 401K etc)
Once I have the application, I will pull a copy of your credit report.
We now have a full picture of where you currently stand and an idea of what you qualify for.
We will spend the time together to review your application, your credit report and what you qualify for. What down payment you should be prepared for? What the new mortgage payment will likely look like? Things that you should consider as you start your house hunting? As well as cover any questions you may have.
Once you have a loan approval, you are ready to hit the streets with your realtor! Need an Arizona realtor referral? We can help with that as well! You can see a list of our preferred realtors on the website as well at http://fcfs.net/custompage-view.aspx?id=28
We will provide the neccessary PreQualification Letter that your realtor will need in order for you to make an offer. Many times, as you begin looking at Arizona homes, we may need to re-visit your application so we can compare what you find, with what the mortgage numbers will look like. Ensure that you still have the same comfort level as when you began looking.
Once you have an accepted offer from the seller… we are off an running! This is when your Arizona mortgage loan submission process begins. Stay tuned for further blog posts on how the Arizona mortgage loan submission process works!
Any questions? Feel free to email me at firstname.lastname@example.com or post your question on Facebook —> http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/First-Class-Financial-Services/278622632014
or of course, you can always call 602.294.9288
Having a dream is good, Owning one is better!
Leslie Nilsen
First Class Financial Services, proudly Arizona mortgage lending since 1999.
AZDFI Loan Officer # LO-0911453
Arizona Mortgage Question of the Day: Can I qualify for an Arizona mortgage if I have co-signed on a loan for another person?
Arizona Mortgage Question of the Day: Can I qualify for an Arizona mortgage if I have co-signed on a loan for another person?
Well, kind of.
There is a NEW Arizona mortgage underwriting rule for this. IF you are qualifying for an Arizona mortgage and you have co-signed (for example for your son to buy a car) BOTH you and your son need to be on the NOTE to repay. Your son makes the payments on time each month (out of his OWN individual account) then he can provide cancelled checks to show HE makes the car payment. By doing so, you can qualify for your Arizona mortgage without having that payment included in your debt.
IF, instead, you initiate the loan FOR HIM, you are on the ONLY borrower on the NOTE, then you have to qualify for your new Arizona mortgage WITH the car payment regardless of who makes the payment.
It always angered me that my father would never co-sign on my behalf, to establish credit. After what I have seen on individuals mortgage credit reports, I now understand his concern. Although we all know, I would have made all of my payments diligently 🙂 …… the alternative possibilities are scary.
I would always discourage anyone from co-signing on behalf of another person, however, in certain circumstances it can not be avoided. IF this is the case- just ensure you are BOTH on the NOTE.
Having a dream is good, owning one is better!
Leslie Nilsen
Owner/ Broker
First Class Financial Services
602.294.9288 (p)
email@example.com www.fcfs.net
Military Veterans easy /inexpensive streamline refinance!
Miliatry veterans that have used their VA Eligibility to purchase a home can easily streamline refinance!
In many cases there is no appraisal, no income or asset verification to qualify!
The new VA Funding fee is .50% which is financed on top of the eligible loan amount and the closing costs can be rolled into the loan.
AND there is a huge resale advantage! With interest rates being unbelievably low, upon resale, an NEW eligible veteran could assume the existing loan at the low refinanced rate. All things being equal, when it comes to resale time, the assumable low rate VA loan could be the deciding factor between houses!
Spread the word to all the veterans out there. First, THANK YOU for keeping us safe, second, time to pay less on your American Dream!
Having a dream is good, owning one is better!
Leslie Nilsen
Owner/ Broker
First Class Financial Services
*** Underwater on your mortgage? GOOD NEWS… HARP "2.0" to roll out 11/15/2011!
The specifics of the changes are not yet clear however…
First, you need to know if your loan is Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac owned (ONLY eligible on loans originated 5/2009 or prior). You can find out by going to these links:
Take note of which entity you determine currently owns your loan. Your loan officer will need this.
Second, it is pretty clear that the new roll out will have NO RESTRICTION as to appraised value! I know! I was excited too! This means, regardless of your value, if Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac own your loan and if you qualify, you can refinance!
With rates at historic levels, this will bring out the masses so be prepared! Find out who owns your loan and have the following items ready:
Paystubs for the last 30 days
Statements for ALL asset accounts (all pages)
2010/2009 W2s
Mortgage coupon/statement for your current mortgage
2 forms of ID for all borrowers.
Currently, the HARP loan requires you refinance ONLY the way you originated the loan (for example, if it was owner occupied when you got the current loan, you can ONLY refinance if the property is still your primary residence) I do not know if this requirement will change.
The changes are expected to roll out on 11/15/2011 for December 1 submissions. I will advise on Monday 11/15 about the changes. Stay tuned!
Having a dream is good, owning one is better!
Leslie Pelletiere, Owner
First Class Financial Services, proudly mortgage lending since 1999!
AZDFI Loan Officer # LO-0911453
Arizona mortgage refinance? Can I still qualify if I am under water?
Remember, the Obama administration has recommended to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to allow eligible borrowers to refinance up to 100% of their property value through the HomeStability refinance option.
Most homeowners who are under water are because they have a 1st AND 2nd mortgage. The home stability option will ONLY allow you to refinance the first mortgage balance. For example, the house value is $200K. The first mortgage balance is $200K. The second mortgage balance is $50K. Both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will allow you to refinance the $200K balance (if eligible) under the home stability option and not be required to carry new private mortgage insurance! This is huge! It is still here AND it won't be around forever!
In order to determine initial eligibility, the borrower needs to reference BOTH of these websites:
Fannie Mae:
Freddie Mac:
The borrower enters their home mortgage information into both sites. The site will return an answer as to whether Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac "owns" the mortgage. Based on that information we can determine the specifics as to the eligiblility to refinance under this option. Once this option is gone, borrowers will not be able to refinance unless they have 20% equity in their homes. This is an opportunity we cannot pass up!
There are ALOT of caveats to this loan so be sure to contact me if you have questions!
Having a dream is good, owning one is better!
Leslie Pelletiere, Owner
First Class Financial Services, proudly mortgage lending since 1999!
AZDFI Loan Officer # LO-0911453
Arizona Market Update June 2011
Arizona Market Update June 2011
Thank you again to Sarah Moran of Equity Title Agency (email@example.com) for providing this up to date info!
Here is the Market Update through the end of June 2011.
WOW: Total active listings have dropped by another 2320 units over the beginning of last month. As of July 6, we sit at 28,887 Actives for Single Family Homes and Condos. Sales are at 10,512 for the last 30 days (as of July 6), which continues to trend up. We are currently sitting at a 2.6 months of supply. If you subtract out the AWC Contracts (which are included in Actives in the Cromford Report), we are at 2.1 months of supply. Traditionally, 3-4 months of supply indicate a balanced market. We are in a Seller's Market!
Distressed Market: Short Sales represent 27% of the Closings for June (compared to 21% in May) and 39% of the active Listings for a 3.9 Months of Supply. Distressed Sales (Short Sales and REOs combined) accounted for 68% of the total sales for June. The listing success rate for Distressed Properties is up to 74.3% and for Short Sales is at an all-time high of 63.9%! Don't avoid these listings! They are closing with greater success rate!
Closings: There were 9450 closings in June 2011 vs. 9353 closings in June 2010 ~ which equates to a 1% increase over last year!
Reality Check: The Median Sold Price for Maricopa County for June 2011 was $124,000, which is a 3% increase over last month! In June 2006, the Median Sold Price was $266,523! In June 2000, the Median Sold Price was $136,400. Use this at your listing appointments to help explain what has happened to our market and get realistic list prices!
We currently sit at a 2.6 months of supply valleywide. And we are finally seeing movement in the high-end market. In the MLS, there were 92 properties that sold for $1+ million for the month of June – and currently in the $1+ million segment, there is an 11.7 months of supply – and listings have dropped by 133 units.
Having a dream is good, owning one is better!
Leslie Pelletiere, Owner
First Class Financial Services, proudly mortgage lending since 1999!
AZDFI Loan Officer # LO-0911453


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This gorgeous Persian cat mug will be a real hit and a definite conversation starter! Perfect gift for cat lovers.
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