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Archive for January 2011
- In: FACTS | Flower | Flowers | Garden | Garden Decoration | GARDENS | Growing Flowers | GROWING PLANTS
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There is a general perception that flowers blossom in spring and summer season but there is large number of flowers that can decorate and brighten-up your garden in the cold months of January and February. Winter flowers have a large number of varieties which add more color and style to your garden. Here I am providing you a list of flowers that bloom in January and February hoping that you will plant them and make your garden looking as beautiful as in spring season.
Witch Hazel is a shrub which produces sweet-smelling flowers having yellow or orange color. These flowers grow in the form of bunches. They start to bloom in January and continue to blossom till March and April. It is an attractive and useful shrub at the same time as its roots and bark are used in different medicines.
These are very elegant-looking flowers and are quite easy to grow. They have different colors such as white, purple, pink or yellow. These flowers grow well in specific conditions. They require fractional sunlight and acidic soil to grow well. These are the best flowers that you can grow in winter because they can even survive in snowy weather.
It is a late winter flower having yellow flowers. They are mostly grown on slopes for covering the ground. As it is a creeping plant, so it looks very graceful climbing fences or grilles. If you want to grow this in your garden, you have to keep two factors in mind: they like well-drained soil and full or partial sun.
They grow and survive in the season even when the ground is covered with snow. These are star-shaped flowers having violet-blue color and white color in the middle. They are very beautiful flowers and are recommended to grow in your garden.
It is also among the flowers that grow in winter. Most of its species produce flowers in January but some of the species produce flowers in spring or late autumn. They produce flowers of white color and they look like white carpet when grown in their native areas. When they are in their full bloom, they give an impression as the ground is covered with snow.
The Winter Iris are the flowers that bloom throughout the winter season. They are aromatic flowers refreshing your mind with lemony-vanilla fragrance. They have different colors like deep blue, white and lilac. They like sunny spots to grow well. They do not bloom well in the winter if they don't get sunlight during summer. Like most of other winter flowers, they also like well-drained soil.
These were some flowers and plants that you can grow in cold months of January and February and enhance the look of garden even in the winter season.
Building a Rain Garden
Posted January 27, 2011on:
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A rain garden is built in an unoccupied space that can capture rain water. By building a rain garden you can have such a beautiful garden that grows and flourishes by using rainwater. As the storm water contributes a lot in polluting the natural water bodies like ponds and streams, building a rain garden can be proved very helpful in removing that storm water. Building a rain garden is not as difficult as it seems to be. Follow some simple steps and build your own rain garden.
Important Steps to be followed
- The first step is to choose a suitable location. Keep in mind that the distance between rain garden and your home should be approximately 10 feet as it will stop flooding in your house. Try to choose a naturally low space in your yard. You should also make sure that you have chosen a sunny location for your rain garden.
- If you have selected a low space to make a rain garden then there is no need of a drainage area. But make sure that the selected area should receive rain water during rainfall. The problem occurs when you have selected a roof or hard surface for capturing water. In that case, you will have to measure a drainage area and multiply it with number associated with the type of soil.
- Now you have to create a design of your rain garden. The best way to do this is to make a design on the paper so that you can create the best appearance of your garden.
- The most important step is to choose the plants for your rain garden. It is recommended to choose native plants as they can adapt to the environment and climate. Make sure that the plants you have chosen for your garden are able to grow in both wet and dry areas as rain garden will be filled with water frequently.
- Now keeping in mind the design of your garden make the boundary and shape of your rain garden.
- The next step is to dig the garden approximately 4-8 inches deep. Now prepare the soil and adjust it with 2"-3" of manure and mix it well with the soil.
- Place the plants according to the design you have made for your rain garden. The distance between plants should be at least one foot. After planting every flower and plant, step back and have a look at your garden to ensure that they go well with the design you have made for your garden.
- You should use frayed woodchips that can't drift or scatter. Next you should apply mulch two to three inches deep to keep the wetness in the soil. It will also help to keep the weeds out.
- Watering the garden is a vital step. If it not rains for two weeks after you have built the rain garden, then it is recommended to water it every other day until it looks that your garden have started growing at its own.
I hope that above mentioned steps would be very helpful for you to build your rain garden.
Taking Care of Tulips
Posted January 24, 2011on:
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Tulips are among the most elegant-looking flowers you can ever have in your garden. These are the first flowers that blossom in spring so; good care should be taken of tulip. Taking care of tulips is not a difficult task but even then they require care so that they can come back each year giving your garden a colorful and attractive look.
Some Important Tips
Here are some important tips regarding taking care of tulips:
Tulips are among one of the flowers that like plenty of water. Although they get enough water naturally by spring rains but if you live in some area that is warm and where rainfall rate is less, then keep in mind to give them sufficient amount of water.
Protection from Animals
It is quite important to protect your tulips from rabbits, squirrels and other small animals as they like to chew and eat fresh plants. The best way to protect your tulips from animals is to use a spray that is animal repellent. Another tip which you can follow is to make a barrier around your beautiful and attractive tulips flowers. You can even use net to protect the bulbs you have recently planted.
The best time to fertilize your tulips is early spring. The method of fertilizing is so simple. All you have to do is loosen the soil around the plant and drop fertilizer around it. Always keep in mind that fertilizing once in a spring is enough for tulips so don't try to fertilize them frequently as it may prove harmful.
Transplanting the Tulips
In case you have to transplant tulips, make sure that you are keeping them in the same state as they are in. The most important thing that needs special consideration is keeping the soil unbroken while removing the plant from the pot. Your plant would die if the soil is separated from the bulbs.
Cutting and Trimming Time
The best time for cutting the flowers stems is when the blooms start to droop. While cutting the flowers stems, make sure that foliage remains in place. It is necessary if you want the plants continue to nourish the bulb in warm season. You can trim the tulip leaves level with the earth at the end of season.
These were some important tips that will help you to take good care of your beautiful and attractive tulips giving your garden an attractive look.
- In: FACTS | Flower | Flowers | Growing Flowers
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Virginia bluebell flowers which are also known as Virginia cowslip are the most elegant and good looking flowers. These are persistent flowers found in North America. These are very beautiful flowers and growing them in your garden will add natural exquisiteness and beauty to the garden. If you want to grow them in your garden but you don't get sufficient information then read this article as it contains all the facts about Virginia bluebell flowers.
The bluebell flowers cannot only be grown in any kind of garden but also along your garage or side of your house to add more delicacy. These pretty flowers have pink color when they start growing in the form of buds and after that they bloom into blue-purple color.
Blooming Season
These flowers start blooming in early spring and fade away soon by mid summer i.e. in the month of June.
Growing Season
The Virginia bluebells bloom very well regardless of whether they are grown through seeds or divisions but seeds are proved to be much better. The divisions can be planted in month of October but it is better to wait for spring season to plant seeds and divisions. The months of March and April are best for growing bluebells. It will provide you the opportunity to see blooms in May.
Where to Grow?
Virginia bluebells has a height of 18 to 24 inch so they can be best grown on the corners of backyard. They can also be grown behind other plants because they will be visible even then. If you grow them in your flowers garden, they will add more beauty along with flowers of other colors like red, yellow and pink.
Watering Needs
Good growth of Virginia bluebell flowers requires a good growing ambiance and a great knowledge about them. Rain is not good for their growth. As far as artificial watering is concerned, you should have to be very careful. Over-watering is harmful for these flowers as they die soon when excess water is given to them. To overcome this problem, there is a simple method to check whether the flowers need water or not. The method is to put your finger in the soil to ensure that it is not wet from last time when you watered the plants.
Other Growth Requirements
There are some other factors which also need consideration such as:
- They like sandy soil to grow.
- Don't disturb the plant once it is established. If it is not kept in mind, the flowers can loose one flowering season. The plants can even die then.
- Don't cut off any part of the plants after they have established.
- When they are in bloom and established on a place, don't make a mistake to transplant them.
I hope that this article would enable you to grow Virginia bluebell flowers in a better way.
Designing a Garden for Kids
Posted January 6, 2011on:
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Although the kids of this modern era are fond of playing computer games but still they want an outdoor place for them for their recreation. They want a place like garden which has been specially designed for them. It would serve as a place which will provide fun to your kids and they will be urged to explore new things like different bugs, insects and budding seeds. It will be a pleasant gift you can ever give to your kids. Many people find it difficult to decide that how the kids' garden should be designed. Here some useful instructions are given which would guide you to design a garden for your kids.
Let's start with the soil. In a kids' garden, soil plays an entirely different role. Kids will like to dig soil and making tunnels so a special area should be selected for this purpose. A sandbox can also be used for this.
Include Water Element
Children will love to have a fountain in their garden. A small garden can have room for a fountain or such element and if you have a big garden, you can make a pool where children can play with their toy water boats.
Provide Place for Games and Other Activities
Kids love to play games in a garden. If you have enough space then make a grassy hillside but in case you don't have sufficient space then you can put a swing on a big tree or make a tree house which kids like the most in a garden.
Devote a Corner for Kids for Growing Plants
Let the children grow something which they like to have in their garden. For this purpose, devote a part of the garden where the kids can care for the plants they have grown themselves. It will provide them pleasure as well as confidence. But an adult supervision is necessary as well.
Make a Themed Garden
Kids will not like a simple and ordinary garden. So you have to make it a themed garden. You can design an alphabet garden by planting the plants whose names start from A to Z. By planting carnivorous plants having enormous foliage, you can name it a dinosaur garden.
Following these instructions, you can surely design an exciting garden for your kids.


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Background and History
The first quarter to be struck by the United States Mint was produced in 1796 (Buy on eBay). Authorized by the Mint Act of 1792, it was part of the new monetary system of the United States, and was the final silver denomination (together with the dime) to be struck for production by the United States Mint. Silver and half dollars had first been struck for circulation in 1794, while half dimes were first struck during the previous year. With the dime and the quarter now being struck, 1796 marked the first year that all coins authorized by that Mint act were in circulation.
After production in 1796 the quarter dollar denomination was not produced until eight years later, in 1804. As the designs of the silver coins had been considerably changed at the time a new reverse design was introduced for the quarter at that time as well, making the 1796 quarter a one year type coin which now is highly valued by collectors of United States coins.
The quarter dollar is a somewhat odd denomination, whose origin can be traced back to Spanish colonial coinage, which was usually divided into 8 bits of 12 ½ cent each. A quarter was, in the early day, often nicknamed two bits, and thus composed of 25 cents. Even within the American monetary system the quarter is somewhat odd. A more logical order can be found of currency, where $20 is followed by $50, not by $25. While a twenty cent piece was tried in the United States in the 1870s it quickly failed, as the public was more used to the quarter dollar, which continues to be struck and used in the United States on an extremely large scale.
The first quarter dollar was designed by Robert Scot, whose draped bust design was used on virtually all denominations, up until the early 19th century. A Philadelphia woman, named William Bingham, is said to have been the woman who sat for the portrait used on these coins. In 1804, when the second quarter dollar issue was struck, the reverse used a heraldic eagle, but in 1796 a small eagle reverse was used. This design was only produced for a few short years on the silver denominations making the 1796 quarter dollar the only possible year that this reverse could be used on this somewhat odd denomination.
Key Date Coin Mintage
The mintage of the 1796 quarter was extremely small at a mere 6,146 pieces. This mintage is spread out unevenly over two different die varieties, using a common reverse paired with a different obverse. The easiest way to identify the two different varieties is by noting the position of the 6 in the date in relation to the other numerals.
B-1 (after Browning, who wrote the definitive reference on the early quarter dollar series) is the scarcer variety of the two. It is the variety with the lower 6 in the date. Although in previous time it was considered rarer than it currently is, it still is offered less frequently than B-2, which has the six in the date higher in relationship to the other numerals. Because of the overall rarity of the 1796 quarter dollar prices for the two varieties are relatively similar, also because the total number of collectors who collect Browning varieties is relatively small, especially when compared to the number of collectors assembling such sets in the half dollar series.
As previously mentioned no quarter dollars were struck after this issue for the next eight years. The main reason was that private depositors did not request this denomination. For them, it was cheaper, and more convenient to have their silver minted in silver dollars or half dollars. As for the use in general commerce, 25 cents was a large denomination in a time when average daily wages were not much more than that. As a result, this denomination was more or less forgotten, as preference was given to smaller half dimes and dimes for general commerce and half dollars and silver dollars for private depositors of silver.
Another factor that needs to be taken into account to explain the lack of coinage of this issue is the fact that the majority of silver coins that were in circulation at the time were of foreign origin. In fact, this would not be outlawed until 1857, and was a major problem in the United States of the first part of the 19th century. Many of these coins were underweight and had seen much prior circulation. This would eventually play a role in the banking crisis of the 1830s, which as a major effect on the American economy of the times.
Finest Known and Values
Despite having such a small mintage the 1796 quarter dollar is relatively "common" in uncirculated condition. It appears that a relatively large number of coins were saved from circulation at the time of minting, resulting in relatively regular offerings at coin auctions in the 21st century. Yet, this does not mean that every coin is especially appealing, and a keen eye is always required when purchasing a 1796 quarter dollar in any condition. Because of the high demand for this issue from both early quarter collectors as well as type set collectors prices are high, and most offerings sell quickly.
It is likely that a majority of the 1796 quarter dollars that are being offered at auction come from the holdings of Col. E. H. R. Green. It is said (from a comment made by Abe Kosoff in the 1940s, when most of the coins were dispersed) that approximately half of the 200 (or 100, depending on which source you consult) uncirculated 1796 quarter dollar that were in his possession came with prooflike surfaces. Because many of the uncirculated specimens that now come to the market do have prooflike surfaces it is very likely that this comment was correct. 200 uncirculated specimens would account for approximately 35% of the known examples of this issue, which seems like an extremely high number. Population reports, however, do suggest that uncirculated 1796 quarter dollars are somewhat plentiful (relatively speaking, of course).
The absolute finest known 1796 quarter dollar has been certified by PCGS as MS-67 and has a pedigree that dates back to the 19th century. While this coin has not sold at public auction recently, various experts have determined its approximate value at approximately 1.2 million dollars. NGC, as their finest known, has graded two MS-66 examples. In slightly lower grades, but still in uncirculated condition, both grading services have graded several dozen.
Regardless of the grade all 1796 quarter dollars are high prized items. Any uncirculated specimen usually sells for 6 figure sums at auction, while choice AU coins often sell for $50,000 or more. Depending on eye appeal, circulated specimens in VF-XF condition (which are extremely scarce), have an approximate value of $30-40,000. For lower grade coins the general accepted market price is at least $15,000, while problem coins in very low condition with lacking eye-appeal still sell for $8,000. Prices for this issue have risen tremendously over the last decade or so and any 1796 quarter dollar in problem free condition remains an excellent investment possibility.

subset: commoncrawl


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biological age, chronological age, emotional age, functional age, myths about age, psychological age, social age
A brief recap on what we discussed last week, the big question was "how young are you? really?" bearing in mind we are multidimensional Age beings… Most of us by default think of our chronological age(the day and year we were born) we do not consider other dimensions of our ages like biological age(how our body ages), emotional age(how we deal with conflict and our emotions), social age(where are we right now in our lives), psychological age,(how we feel, our outlook on life) intellectual age(are we evolving and moving with the times), functional age(a combination of all these dimensions that give you the holistic picture of the person).. If you missed out on last week's post you can click on the link below
part 1
Today I will discuss the myths surrounding age
(1) Myth: You are your chronological age.
Everyone who has been on earth the same amount of time has the same chronological age, but they don't all have the same biological age. Your biological age is based on how well your body functions, including blood pressure, weight, bone density and cholesterol levels. A healthy 40-year-old who takes care of herself may be biologically no older than a 30-year-old who does not. You can lower your biological age with exercise and good nutrition amongst other things.. Which I will focus on the next post.
(2)Myth: You can't teach an old dog new tricks.
Meaning the older you are the more set you are in your ways, not flexible resistant to change and unable to adapt to new situations. People of any age can be inflexible. Increased age does not make a person inflexible. The opposite is true.
At any age, you could learn a new language, dance or musical instrument.
If the old dog wants to learn new tricks, it can. What is required to learn a new trick is a sense of a purpose, an intention and a flexible nature?
Try new things test the waters no matter your age… your chronological age should never hold you back
(3)Myth: Teenagers are irresponsible.
Like nearly everyone, teenagers behave as society expects them to behave.
Generally speaking, teenagers are not only responsible but also adventuresome, if not by their hormones alone, in an almost perpetual state of excitement and risk taking. Because of their "raging hormones," teenagers tend to be all over the place. Teenagers are fuelled with conflicting behaviours. The behaviours that are complimented and appreciated the most can become the ones which will be remembered and developed further during the later years in life.
(4) Myth: Children should be seen and not heard.
Children should be seen and listened to, nurtured, hugged and reasoned with. Children need to be given a centre stage stance; they also need to learn to take back seat. A healthy balance in determining when, where and how to give a child the attention she needs will help to create a responsible, confident and rational adult.
(5)Myth: Dress your age
I say dress your attitude not your age
Society seems to impose the concept of age-appropriate dressing. The basic idea is as follows: The older you get, the more conservatively you should dress. Colour and flamboyance are for young people. Restraint, propriety and formality are for elders. For some reason it was decided that once a person hits a certain chronological age , they should ditch that metallic snakeskin disco purse and start dressing like depressed librarians.
I believe that the older you get, the more bolder and playful you should become in your dress. Do not allow yourself to be inhibited by someone else's notions of good taste and bad taste.
We are living in a fashion-obsessed universe. What a ridiculous thought! If it looks good on you go for it! Wear what you feel comfortable in, no matter what it looks like to others!
(6) Myth: Marry before a certain age..
For women they say biological clock is ticking… For men they say "he is weird" In general if people after a certain age are not married it seems something is wrong with them… do they actually mean chronological, biological, psychological age in the real sense… how are they measuring here? whatever… we all have a choice as to when, whether or not we want to get hitched… society should not determine this and put pressure on us….
(7)Myth: Your sex life will deteriorate.
For men as well as women, sex drive is mainly generated in the head. They are factors such as stress, fatigue, medical conditions and tensions within a relationship which can affect your sex drive at any age . So as long as you can think sexually and communicate your needs and desires, you can remain sexually active, which may not always involve intercourse, but can include plenty of other intimate activities.
(8) Myth: How long you live depends on your genes.
You cannot pick your parents, so you are stuck with the genes you were born with. But how those genes are expressed depends in part on how you live your life. Your thoughts, emotions, lifestyle and how you cope with stress go a long way in determining whether certain genes are turned on or off. This means you have the power to nurture the good genes and prune back the bad ones. For example, you may be genetically disposed toward diabetes, high blood pressure, but whether you actually get diabetes depends largely on your lifestyle, including sleep, diet and stress levels. Likewise, you probably won't get lung cancer if you don't smoke, even if you do have a cancer gene.
(9) Myth: Metabolism slows down as you age
It's true that your metabolism slows down with your chronological age, but it is not inevitable. It occurs because people become less physically active as they age. Research shows that people who preserve their physical activity levels throughout their lifetime can expect to see only a 0.3% metabolic decline per decade. — Only a 1% to 2% total drop over their whole lifetime.
(10) Myth: Because you are older you are more matured and wiser
Your chronological age does not guarantee maturity it is your perception, experience and outlook on life amongst other things that make you a person of wisdom…
Food for thought
All these myths put you in a box and make you believe this is how you are supposed to be or act at certain stages in your life once you reach there chronologically.. We end up acting and thinking this way and create our own reality…. Our thoughts and actions make us who we are. we become our thoughts, so great! is the power of the mind….


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Tuesday, December 20, 2016
Itching Ears and Civil Religion
As a young seminary student, every time I heard this passage expounded upon in a chapel service, it was nearly always applied to theological liberalism. I was preparing for ministry during the latter period of my denomination's "conservative resurgence," a time when the authority of Biblical truth was threatened with compromise, and a time when we were repeatedly warned by visiting speakers to be vigilant. After all, there would be those I would preach to as a pastor each Sunday who would not appreciate my devotion to the whole counsel of God--those who might even walk out in protest, and find another church home with another pastor who would tell them what they wanted to hear.
In those same days, Jack Graham had recently moved from Florida to be the new pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church, and Robert Jeffress was burning books in Witchita Falls. I would never imagine that 20 years later, I'd be reading this passage and thinking first of them.
Yet, this was the passage that came to mind as I read a Wall Street Journal article yesterday, describing these two men--alongside a few others--threatening to pull their church's financial support of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. The ERLC is the public policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention--speaking to Southern Baptists to help them best express their faith in the public square, and to some extent also speaking for Southern Baptists and representing our doctrinal distinctives and social concerns to leadership in Washington, D.C.
For several years, I was on record advocating the elimination of this entity, which by 2011 had become little more than a Republican Party echo chamber. I saw the $4 million given in support of this entity annually as better invested in missionary work abroad. But in 2013, the ERLC trustees named Russell Moore as their new President. Moore represented a new generation of Baptist ethics that while holding firmly to historic Christian faith--and subsequently deeply entrenched views on some important social issues--nevertheless presented itself as "above" the fray of partisanship. Under his leadership, our commitment to protect unborn children hasn't moved an inch, but our "pro-life" position has been more holistically applied to minorities, women, the poor, the immigrant, and the refugee.
Full disclosure: Russ is an old friend and former seminary classmate whom I have always respected and admired. But it was his leadership at the ERLC that restored my faith in the purpose of that entity. And it was that consistent leadership on moral issues that made him a sharp critic of Donald Trump as a Presidential candidate--criticism that called into question the apparent hypocrisy of so many public Christian leaders who threw their support behind a man whose lifestyle stood in sharp contrast to the Biblical description of righteousness. Once Mr. Trump became the Republican nominee, most evangelical Christians understood that hard decisions were in front of them, and respected each other even when sometimes coming to different conclusions regarding what one should do when arriving in the voting booth. But Moore's constant reminders that the public support and unbridled advocacy of Trump by Christian leaders was a bridge too far was enough to ruffle the feathers of those supporters, including Robert Jeffress, who later said that any Christian who didn't vote for Trump was a "mamby pamby, panty-waisted, weak-kneed, hypocritical fool."
Now, the same guy who lashed out in this way is joined by others who claim Moore was "disrespectful."
Pot, meet kettle.
What we are witnessing now among too many evangelical pastors is a regurgitated form of Zealotism that seeks to curry favor with power, even if obtaining that cultural favor makes us appear to the culture as just another interest group rather than representatives of a higher Kingdom (2 Corinthians 5:20). And when zealotism is mixed with theology, the result is a really ugly baby called civil religion.
And in this case, civil religion means orthodoxy is determined by the mob. Louisiana Baptist Executive David Hankins expresses this view accurately when he stated that the issues surrounding Moore are the result of "disagreement with a large majority of his constituents." Until reading this, it never occurred to me that in a denomination supposedly committed to the absolute truth and authority of Scripture, "he isn't saying what we want to hear" would, by itself, be sufficient grounds for a heresy trial.
And what about the historic Baptist principle of dissent? Healthy exchanges during disagreement aren't always comfortable, and they can sometimes even be offensive, but they are an excellent way to arrive at the truth, provided we are listening both to the Holy Spirit and each other. Without this, "group-think" infects us like cancer, and healthy congregational environments turn into toxic "democracies."
And that sets a horrible example for our churches. Years ago while leading a local Baptist Association, I moderated a very painful business meeting, the end of which was punctuated by the resignation of a faithful pastor. Pressured by a group within the church to whom he said things they didn't want to hear, he finally had all he could take, and left.
My next meeting with church leadership was for the purpose of charting a course of congregational healing and restoration, but the leaders wouldn't have it. "Why," I asked, "wouldn't you want to try to make things right? You are at odds with your brothers and sisters and the unity of this body is threatened. Why not make attempts to reconcile?"
The answer from one of the men still haunts me to this day. "Because we won," he said.
I have yet to hear anyone successfully challenge the truthfulness of anything Russ Moore said this election season. I have only heard that he was "disrespectful" and didn't say what others wanted to hear. Those making those claims "won." The candidate they championed will move into the White House on January 20. So why keep fighting? Is it guilt? It is shame? Or could it be that their candidate rubbed off a little too much? Nothing is worse than a sore loser--except perhaps, a sore winner who doesn't feel they have been "congratulated" enough.
Jack Graham, Robert Jeffress, David Hankins, William Harrell and others need to knock it off. Stop pretending that the ERLC should somehow be punished because its President was more faithful than them in the proclamation of Biblical righteousness.
As it turns out, preachers sometimes have itching ears too.
Posted by . at Tuesday, December 20, 2016 No comments:
Monday, December 05, 2016
Monday Morning Rewind: One More Word about Depression and Mental Illness
I hope you walked away encouraged, and this morning I wanted to add a couple of things for clarification.
First, I urged caution yesterday with regard to the use of medication. Our culture has developed a "pill popping" mentality that seeks a quick fix, and we should not give in to that mentality, especially where powerful psychotropic medication is concerned.
That said, psychotropic drugs aren't the only medications used to treat depression or other mental illnesses, and even when they are used legitimately, they aren't wrong. My warning was for caution, not complete avoidance. Additionally, while many of these medications result in the same pharmacological outcomes as some recreational drugs, medications for mental illness are NOT cocaine or heroin! Many of the physicians and other health care and mental health professionals in our church family would want me to make this clarification for the sake of your own long-term mental health.
My point was and is simply this: Be careful, be cautions, and seek more than one opinion, but if it is determined that medication is the best course for you, by all means, take it! Listen carefully to the professionals who treat you. We have many in our church family who love Jesus and His Word who can serve you well as you make the appropriate decisions about your mental health.
Second, mental illness and depression are medical problems. Just like cancer, heart disease, or any other physical ailment, God can and does heal. We have seen Him do that here in the past and give Him glory for that. But He doesn't always choose to do so. Ultimate healing on this side of heaven is not an unconditional promise to everyone, and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying to you.
I say that because yesterday I also mentioned that you can have victory over depression through the Gospel. I believe that. But I didn't want to leave anyone with the impression that this means if you don't eventually "get over it" that there is something wrong with you. In particular, during the 9:00 AM service, I'm not sure I made it clear that depression may be something some of you have to struggle with for the rest of your lives, and the victory Christ intends for you is a daily victory as you surrender to Him for your strength, even as you continue to struggle.
Below is an article I wrote some years back just after the suicide of Matthew Warren. My hope is that it will give you a broader picture of the posture I want our church family to assume as we move forward. As always, feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions.
Pastor Joel
On Monday night, my wife and I watched the heartbreaking interview with Rick and Kay Warren in which, for the first time, they shared with the public their experiences surrounding the April suicide of their 27 year old son Matthew. Due to the circumstances surrounding Matthew's death, the interview spanned a number of issues: including parenting, gun control, and the struggle of faith that occurs in even the most committed during such gut-wrenching times. But the primary focus of the interview centered on the state of mental health care in our country, and the role the church should play in that discussion.
I watched, first of all, as a father of three. There is absolutely nothing I wouldn't do for my children. I can't imagine the helpless feeling of knowing your son or daughter suffers from an ailment, and that in spite of the best doctors, you are still unable to prevent them from doing something like this to themselves. My heart broke for the Warren's when I first heard of their son's death back in April. Last night, this father's heart broke all over again.
But I also watched this as a pastor, and I did so with one question in my mind: "Why would anyone suffering from mental illness turn to the church for help?" I want the church to be the first stop for people in need. Unfortunately, I was unable to answer my own question.
As it turns out, my reservations have some statistical warrant. Just this week, Lifeway Research released its latest poll on mental illness and the church. You can find the bulk of that research here, but what haunts me about the results is this: 48% of evangelicals believe that Bible study and prayer ALONE can cure mental illness. Essentially, that means that half of regular, church-going, evangelical Christians see mental illness as solely a "spiritual" issue. By contrast, only 21% of those polled who attend church said they believed they would feel welcome in their church if they had a mental illness. Additionally, 45% of the unchurched don't think people with mental illnesses are fully welcome in the body of Christ.
I believe that prayer works, and I believe that God still heals! I have no doubt that the people of God, praying in faith, could certainly see someone fully restored to health. I've seen it with my own eyes--cancerous tumors that no longer appeared on the CT scan after God's people have prayed, for example. At the same time, I don't know of any church who would discourage their people from visiting the doctor, or getting needed medical treatment. Yet in too many churches, when it comes to mental health that same common sense approach goes out the window.
In my experience, this is primarily due to the misconception by many pastors that to accept the validity of mental health care is to deny the sufficiency of Scripture. The problem with that assumption is that to deny our parishioners access to care that can potentially save their lives and help their families is to ignore one very important principle that those fully sufficient Scriptures teach.
Scripture teaches that God reveals Himself to us in two primary ways. General Revelation is the process whereby God reveals truth through the created order (Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:20-21) and also through the human consciousness (Romans 2:14-15). Special Revelation is the description given to specific ways in which God reveals truth throughout redemptive history, first through miraculous phenomena such as burning bushes, still, small voices, and messages in tongues, and ultimately in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-2), who in turn is revealed in the written Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16).
So, while God reveals Himself in these two primary ways, human beings also explore truth in two primary ways. Where special revelation is concerned, disciplines like Biblical studies, Biblical and Systematic Theology, and Hermaneutics are employed. Where general revelation is concerned, we explore the created order through the earth, life and physical sciences, and we explore the inward human psyche through anthropology, sociology, education science, and psychology.
In short, through the behavioral sciences, God has provided us an avenue by which we can learn things about the human mind that will allow us to help. Sure, some who handed these sciences down to us in history didn't always have the purest motives, and still others were openly hostile to Christian faith. But we also can't dismiss that they stumbled onto some very legitimate findings that can be of help where mental health is concerned. Some veins of historical science haven't exactly been friendly to Christians either, but I'm not about to reject the very scientific method that gave my children a vaccine for chicken pox. Truth was discovered, albeit through some rather crooked vessels.
With all this in view, here is why it is dangerous for pastors to reject the help that can be offered by the mental health field. First, by appealing to the sufficiency of Scripture, we are rejecting what those Scriptures tell us about the validity of discovering truth via general revelation. To put it bluntly, we are ignoring Scripture in an attempt to defend it, and that never ends well.
Second, we treat people with legitimate illnesses as though their problems are solely spiritual. Admittedly there are times when this is the case. Over the past 20 years, I've met with more than a few who claimed to "need counseling," when what they really needed was repentance. But often, working together with mental health professionals will help us help our people with the scientific advances God has given us. My friend Ed Stetzer said it well earlier this week: Let's treat character issues like character issues, but let's treat illnesses like an illness.
Third, the rejection of mental health care sets up a polarization between two disciplines that should be helping each other. The lack of trust between clergy and mental health professionals is both obvious and palpable in too many areas of our culture, and both sides need to rid themselves of the false assumptions they have about the other, and talk openly with each other.
I'll be the first to agree that we are an over-medicated society. We pop a pill for just about anything these days--when we get too fat, when we are working too hard, or when we need more vitamins. It is true that sometimes the answer isn't becoming dependent on a synthetic substance, but instead repenting from gluttony, getting some sleep, or eating some healthy vegetables. But the answer to a society that over-medicates isn't no medication. Its appropriate medication. Only when pastors and mental health professionals work together can we help to strike that balance. Many of those mental health professionals can be found in our churches each and every Sunday. Let's seek to understand each other within the church--the very context in which God intends that trust grow between brothers and sisters. Let's equip those saints to fulfill a calling that is ever more crucial in our day, and let's cooperate with them in a way that integrates our respective disciplines for the glory of God.
As a pastor, I want to see less Matthew Warren stories. If the church doesn't play a role in mental health, we will see more suicides, not less. The spiritual dimension that churches bring to the healing process is absolutely and critically essential. But if the church wants to play a role, we have to be more approachable than recent research would indicate we are perceived to be.
We don't stigmatize people with heart conditions or diabetes. We pray for them, and we urge them to get the medical attention that we all know they need. Those who suffer from mental illness should be treated in exactly the same way, and mental health professionals who love Jesus can help us take a badly needed and new approach to these precious image bearers of God.
Together, we can create the kind of church environment that causes the mentally ill to see open arms everywhere they see a church. Let's work toward that day!
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Melissa Dubé
Melissa is responsible for executing strategic approaches to operations work, and supporting external client relationships and internal team members.
She was previously a Program Specialist at ASCD, where she led projects and programs under the Constituent Services umbrella, including the ASCD Emerging Leaders program for "rock star" educators, Student Chapters at universities nationwide, and state-level affiliates. Melissa has a 10+ year track record of efficient large-scale project planning, program development, and logistics management while providing excellent customer service.
As a mom of two young daughters most of Melissa's time is spent chasing her girls, Olivia and Catalina, with her husband Alex. The family resides just outside of Annapolis, Maryland.
Contact Info


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Personal information
- Full name
- Kamil Stawiarski
- My company
- http://ora-600.pl
- My blog
- http://blog.ora-600.pl
- My bio
Oracle Database Whisperer, performance maker and story teller. Oracle Certified Master and Oracle ACE Director. Owner of the ORA-600 [Database Whisperers sp. z o. o. sp. k.] company and blogger (blog.ora-600.pl). Trainer in Oracle Partner Academy and founder of Pint with Oracle User Group (poug.org) Personally a big fan of Terry Pratchett: "Wisdom comes from experience. Experience is often a result of lack of wisdom."
Poland52° 14' 28.5216" N, 21° 0' 37.1628" E


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Olympus Stylus Tough TG-2 Review
The Olympus Stylus Tough TG-2 is one of the toughest digital cameras ever made. Not only it is submersible to 15m (45') underwater depths and freezeproof to -10C (14F), it can also withstands drops of 2.1m (7') and is crushproof to 100kg (220 lbs). The heart of the TG-2 is a 12 megapixels high-speed CMOS sensor paired with a bright F/2 lens which is extremely rare among water-proof cameras.
Its stabilized 4X optical zoom lens goes from an ultra-wide 25mm to a short telephoto 100mm focal-length. The high-speed sensor shoots 12 MP images continuously at 5 FPS and up to 60 FPS at lower resolutions. It also captures full 1080p HD video with stereo sound.
The TG-2 offers a few more controls that is typical of its class, include Aperture-Priority mode plus Spot metering and Custom White-Balance. It has both a standard built-in flash and LED illuminator for shooting close-by subjects in dark conditions.
This rugged camera is aimed squarely at the adventurous and features a built-in GPS along with digital compass and manometer. This lets it record the camera's position, orientation and elevation. A database of locations let it show the names of locations and points-of-interests as images are captured.
Olympus Stylus Tough TG-2 Features
- 12 Megapixels High-Speed CMOS sensor
- ISO 100 to 6400 sensitivity range
- 1/2000s to 4s shutter-speed range
- 5X optical zoom, equivalent to 25-100mm
- Bright F/2-4.9 maximum aperture
- Optical Image Stabilization
- Multi-Segment or Spot metering
- ±2 Exposure-Compensation, in 1/3 EV steps
- Automatic, Custom and 5 Preset White-Balance
- Single-shot and Continuous drive-modes
- 5 FPS Drive, 25 frames max
- 60 FPS Drive @ 3 MP, 100 frames max
- 2s and 10s Self-Timers
- Focus Drive: Single-Shot or Continuous
- Focus Area: Auto, Center or Subject-Tracking
- Auto, Redeye, Off, On and LED illumination modes
- Optional Autofocus-Assist lamp
- 1920 x 1080 @ 30 FPS 1080p HD video
- 1280 x 720 @ 30 FPS 720p HD video
- 640x480 @ 120 FPS High-Speed Video
- 320x240 @ 240 FPS High-Speed video
- Built-in stereo microphone
- Optional Wind-Filter
- 3" LCD with 610K Pixels
- Waterproof to 15m
- Freezeproof to -10C
- Shockproof to 2.2m
- Crushproof to 100kg
- Built-In GPS
- Digital Compass
- Manometer
- SDXC memory support
- Lithium-Ion battery
Capability - What can it do?
The Olympus Stylus Tough TG-2 is one of the toughest cameras around. It can be used for swimming and snorkeling at depth down to 15m (45'). Its freezeproof construction lets it stand temperatures down to -10C (14F) which is good enough to use while skiing, snow-boarding or skating. Its durable body is designed to withstand 2.1m (7') drops and resist pressure up to 100kg (220 lbs).
While all waterproof digital cameras have a small form-factor, the implied small sensor-size makes it difficult for them to perform well in such an extreme environment. As one goes deeper below the surface, light levels drop quickly and the movement of most natural bodies of water adds shake to make photography even more difficult.
The Olympus TG-2 address these difficulties with a bright F/2 lens. This lets it gather more light with the same sensor-size as other waterproof cameras. Unfortunately, the aperture dims down to a common F/4.9 at the tele end but, at least, there is a full stop or more of advantage at wide-angle. Olympus also kept the resolution to a reasonable 12 megapixels, resisting the temptation of making pixels even smaller to boast more megapixels.
The high-speed CMOS sensor on this digital camera helps with adventure photography which often comes with fast-paced action. The TG-2 can shoot at 5 FPS without reducing resolution or up to 60 FPS at 3 megapixels. It is also capable of filming high-speed action at up to 240 FPS which is then played back 8X slower. A 120 FPS VGA video mode is played back 4X slower.
The Olympus TG-2 incorporates a manometer which records, atmospheric pressure, elevation and depth, plus a built-in GPS with digital compass. This lets the TG-2 precisely know its position. It can display country, state, province, city and landmark as images are captured or later in playback mode. The built-in GPS can also write a Geolocation track to geotag other media later.
Usability - How easy is it to use?
The Olympus Tough TG-2 reviewed here has a mostly rectangular design with a small rubberized grip to hold it securely. It comes supplied with a nice and very sturdy wrist-strap as seen in the image above. Small rubber patches on the back help with additional traction. There is even one on the left of the LCD which is the first time we see something designed to help with two-handed shooting on a camera with internal optics.
The top of this digital camera is busy with a few elements. From left-to-right, they are: a stereo microphone with built-in wind-filter, GPS receiver, power button and standard two-stage shutter-release. The power button turns the camera on and off quickly but is flush with the surface to avoid accidentally powering the camera. The shutter-release has more resistance than usual to make it less accident-prone, although the half-way point is soft.
One side of the camera only has the wrist-strap attachment handle. The other has a very sturdy and weather-sealed door with double locking mechanism. Behind is a micro-HDMI cable and a proprietary multi-function connector. This latter one is most critical as it provides the only way to charge the battery which happens in-camera. This unfortunately means one cannot leave an extra battery charging while out shooting.
All remaining controls are located on the back of the camera, to the right of the LCD screen. At the top is a rocker which controls the zoom in 20 fine steps. This is really good and allows framing to be done with a fair amount of precision. There is a short lag before the lens moves, so you must let go just before where you want to be.
A dedicated Video-Record button marked with the standard red dot is found just below the soft rubber thumb-rest. There is no video mode on the TG-2 so this has to be used to film. The good news is that it reacts instantly. The bad news is that you cannot setup framing correctly since the LCD shows the preview for images. This an often recurring issue lately and not specific to the TG-2 but quite annoying nonetheless.
Towards the right edge of the camera is a mode-dial with 8 positions. This camera is mostly point-and-shoot and, despite the presence of an Aperture-Priority mode does not offer much creative control. Since the aperture is simulated by sliding ND filters, it does not affect depth-of-field, only force the use of faster shutter-speeds or lower-ISO which is still useful.
All remaining modes are fully automatic. The standard one is Program and there are two custom position to save frequently used settings. There are a total of 24 scene modes. The SCN position lets the user choose between 23 of them while, the last one, SuperMacro gets its own dial position. There is also an iAuto mode which selects automatically among a subset of scene modes. The final position, MAGIC, lets the user apply one of 11 effects which are not previewed on the display. As usual, any of these can be done later in software.
Between typical Playback and Menu buttons, that work exactly as expected, it a 4-way controller with central OK button. The Up direction cycles though display modes, including one that shows GPS location and manometer readings. The central button and remaining directions activate a vertical menu to control camera settings:
- Flash Mode: Auto, Redeye, On, Off, LED.
- Self-Timer: Off, 12s or 2s.
- EC: ±2 EV in 1/3 steps. This forces at least 4 button clicks for such an important thing.
- WB: Auto, Sunny, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Underwater, Custom 1, Custom 2. It is immensely useful to have an underwater option as it does not match with other light sources due to a blue shift.
- ISO: Auto, Auto High or 100 to 6400.
- Drive: Single-Shot, 5 FPS, 15 FPS @ 3 MP or 60 FPS @ 3 MP.
- Resolution: 12, 8 or 3 megapixels.
- Aspect-Ratio: Native 4:3, 16:9 or 3:2.
- Menu: The last option is there to enter into the full menu system.
The menu system is divided into 7 pages with up to 7 items per page. Most options are fairly standard. There are 3 AF-Modes: Automatic, Center and Tracking, plus 2 metering modes: Multi-Segment and Spot. One page has 5 options for video capture: Resolution, Stabilization, Sound, Wind-Filter and Recording Volume.
The large 3" LCD itself is crisp with good visibility and an excellent viewing angle. Colors look accurate and brightness is sufficiently close to avoid surprises after take a shot.
The bottom of this camera has a plastic tripod-mount, almost inline with the optical center of the lens. It also has a combined memory card and battery-door compartment with the same double-lock system as the port cover described earlier. To open the door, one has to move the small lock and then release the latch. This is designed to ensure the door does not open accidentally underwater.
Overall, the TG-2 is simple and quite easy to use, albeit not so efficient. For those who mostly point-and-shoot, this is certainly good enough. Changing parameters often is slow but for an action-type camera, this is probably not the typical use-case.
Performance - How well does it take pictures?
The Olympus Stylus Tough TG-2 captures 12 megapixels images at all ISO sensitivities. This can make 12" x 16" prints when noise is sufficiently low ,which it is at ISO 100 and 200. It does show some slight softness but less than typical.
Images all the way to ISO 800 remain very usable and produce clean 9" x 12" prints. Image noise is mostly absent until ISO 400 with it becoming visible at 800. By ISO 1600, things get much softer due to forced noise-reduction. This is why this sensitivity produces fuzzy but still usable mid-size prints.
ISO 3200 images look like watercolor painting in all but the smallest sizes. ISO 6400 is beyond usable and it should be avoided as much as possible. Not a great performance but the ace-in-the-sleeve of the TG-2 is that its F/2 lens make it depend less on high sensitivities than most rugged cameras.
Colors from the TG-2 are reasonable but not quite accurate. These is no control over rendition of colors or even details, so it is a take-it-or-leave-it proposition. Most subjects show pleasing colors without much deviation from reality.
White-balance is the other half of color-accuracy for digital cameras and this Stylus Tough performs adequately. In bright conditions, Automatic White-Balance renders colors with a neutral tone. As light levels drop, indoors or outdoors, it stuggles more than most. Images end up too blue or too orangy. Luckily, a Custom White-Balance option with two memories is available to obtain neutral colors.
The multi-segment metering system of the TG-2 generally chooses well-balanced exposures. Some clipping of both highlights and shadows occurs in scenes of moderate contrast due to the limited dynamic-range of this camera's sensor which is unavoidable. Still, highlights are rarely overly blown which is preferable although at the expense of shadow details.
There is some slight but rather odd distorion need the wide-angle end of the zoom but it quickly dissapears when zoomed in. Vignetting on the other hand is quite strong at 25mm but becomes negligible past 30mm. This lens is generally sharp except for the presence of softness near corners.
The performance of the Olympus Stylus Tough TG-2 can characterized by the following measurements:
- Power On: 1½s. Good.
- Focus: ½s. Faster than average.
- Shutter-lag: Almost instant. Very good.
- Shot-to-Shot: 1s. Very good.
- Playback mode: 1s. Below average.
- Capture mode: ½s. Average.
- Video: Instant start and stop. Very good.
- Power Off: 1½s. Below average.
This is a good performance for an ultra-compact. Crucially, the TG-2 leads with the most important number: shutter-lag, autofocus and shot-to-shot speeds. The final performance number of the TG-2 is a battery-life of 350 shots-per-charge which is impressive for a camera this size with a built-in GPS. Luckily, because spare batteries are a pain to charge in-camera.
Speaking of the built-in GPS, the one in the TG-2 is reasonably accurate and locks relatively quickly. Precision varies but because it can be off by a few dozen meters, images can easily get tagged with the incorrect point-of-interest, even in a mostly uncovered area.
The Stylus Tough TG-2 is the toughest Olympus digital camera to date and sports the brightest lens available on a rugged model. This one is built for adventurous users who plan to take their cameras in tough conditions and do not want to worry much about it. With a maximum submersible depth of 15m, the Tough TG-2 can go swimming and snorkeling deeper than most humans can go. It will also withstand rain, snow, ice and cold weather down to -10C which is perfect of skiing and snowboarding. As for occasional drop or being stepped on, its no problem either with resistance to falls from up to 2.1m and pressure up to 100kg.
The 12 megapixels high-speed CMOS sensor of this digital camera is certainly on par with its peers, yet the F/2 lens lets this outperform most competitors under the same conditions. Image quality up to ISO 400 is good and even 800 is quite acceptable. Colors and white-balance is not perfect but hold their own quite well. The TG-2 is also faster than average exactly where it counts the most.
The feature set and interface of the Olympus Stylus Tough TG-2 is simple and easy to use. This is great for use under pressure. For anyone looking for a rugged compact, this model should be near the top of your list. There is little not to like about the TG-2 and Olympus chose nice compromises when designing it.
Olympus TG-2 Highlights
Sensor-Size: 6 x 5mm
Actual size when viewed at 100 DPI
|12 Megapixels Fixed Lens
|4X Ultra-Wide Optical Zoom
|Shutter 1/2000-4s
|Built-in Stabilization
|Custom white-balance
|Waterproof to 15m
|Weatherproof down to -10C
|Lithium-Ion Battery
|5 FPS Drive, 25 Images
|Secure Digital Extended Capacity
|1920x1080 @ 24 FPS Video Recording
|Internal Memory
|3" LCD 610K Pixels
Canon RF-Lens Info
Info on all Canon native RF-mount lenses added to the Canon EOS R5 preview.
Canon EOS R5 Preview
Preview of the Canon EOS R5 flagship Full-Frame Mirrorless with 45 MP sensor on a 5-axis stabilization system effective to 8-stops. First 8K video capable digital camera. 20 FPS electronic and 12 FPS mechanical drive.
Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III Review
Third-Generation OM-D that packs a 20 MP Four-Thirds CMOS on a 5-Axis Stabilization System. Fast 121-Point Phase-Detect AF, 30 FPS Continuous Drive, Cinema 4K Video and more in a weatherproof and freezeproof body. Features dual control-dials and a builtin 2.4 MP EVF with Eye-Start Sensor with 0.69X magnification and 100% coverage.
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III Review
20 MP Micro Four-Thirds Mirrorless with 7-Stop 5-Axis Image-Stabilization, 121-Point Phase-Detect AF 30 FPS Continuous Drive and Cinema 4K capability in a weatherproof and freezeproof body with dual control-dials and dual SDXC memory card slots.
M.Zuiko 12-45mm F/4 PRO Review
A review of the M.Zuiko 12-45mm F/4 PRO added to the Olympus Premium Lens Roundup.
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Review of the unique Peak Design Travel Tripod with its own ballhead and the universal ballhead adapter.
Nikon Z-Mount DX Lens Roundup
Review of Nikon Z-Mount lenses for APS-C mirrorless digital cameras. Covers all current Z-mount DX lenses available.
Nikon Z50 Review
The first Nikon APS-C mirrorless is built around a 20 MP BSI-CMOS sensor with ISO 100-204800, 209-Point Phase-Detect AF, 11 FPS Drive and 4K Video capability. Compact body with dual control-dials and 2.4 MP 0.39" EVF with 0.68X magnification, 100% coverage and an Eye-Start Sensor.
Mirrorless Digital Camera Buying Guide 2020
The Mirrorless Digital Camera Buying Guide was fully rewritten for 2020, including all new systems from Nikon, Canon and Leica joined by Panasonic and Sigma. This new extensive 2020 Edition shows in 5 simple steps how to choose a mirrorless camera.
Panasonic Lumix DC-GX9 Review
This highly capable and compact mirrorless ranked as Best Beginner Mirrorless Digital Camera of 2019. Its 20 MP Four-Thirds CMOS sensor with Anti-Alias Filter is pared with 5-axis stabilization to maximize sharpness. Features a tilting 2.8 MP 0.39" EVF with large 0.7X view and Eye-Start sensor in a body with dual control-dials.


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Arctic Monkeys Headline Reading And Leeds Festival 2009
The Quietus
, March 30th, 2009 11:55
Tickets go on sale at 7pm tonight.
Arctic Monkeys have just been announced as the first of three headliners for the festival, taking place 28 - 30 August '09.
This will be the Arctic's first British festival headline since 2007.
You can read more at NME.com
If you love our features, news and reviews, please support what we do with a one-off or regular donation. Year-on-year, our corporate advertising is down by around 90% - a figure that threatens to sink The Quietus. Hit this link to find out more and keep on Black Sky Thinking.


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Ray deWolfe's journey to city council
Feb 01, 2018 08:08AM
By Holly Vasic
Council member Ray deWolfe sitting in his previous planning commission seat. (Courtesy of Ray deWolfe)
Ray deWolfe, 29, is the new Councilmember At-Large for South Salt Lake and is looking forward to doing a good job for the city. His interest in politics occurred in a roundabout way, and he never expected his career in local government to take off so quickly.
deWolfe grew up in Midvale, graduated from Hillcrest High School in 2006, and attended Southern Utah University. While there, he explored different broadcasting fields, including in radio and at the college TV station. He also worked in the field off campus doing the weekend weather for a St. George TV station. When he graduated in 2010, deWolfe hoped to continue his career in broadcasting, but things didn't work out. After working as a camp counselor on the East Coast, he packed his bags and headed to Australia. He lived there for about a year and when he returned home he looked for jobs. He currently works for Mountain America Credit Union.
In 2014, he happened to move next door to a council member at the time, Debbie Snow, in South Salt Lake and his interest in local government sparked. deWolfe had always been curious about national politics at a young age. He recalls his dad constantly absorbing news via TV and radio which began his intrigue. Due to Snow being his neighbor, his curiosity changed.
"My politics kind of narrowed from more of a national level into a local level at that point and I started getting a lot more interested in the city and following it."
deWolfe spent time watching council meetings online and updating himself on what was happening through the meeting minutes.
After a short time moving back to Midvale with his mom to save up for a home, deWolfe and his girlfriend, Megan Welsh, returned to South Salt Lake and purchased the house they were saving for. deWolfe knew he wanted to be involved in the city and Welsh helped open that door for him at an event where she met Mayor Cherie Wood. A lunch meeting with Wood in winter of 2016 eventually materialized into a seat for deWolfe on the city's planning commission the following spring.
"That's really how I got my jump into South Salt Lake," he said.
deWolfe was enjoying his time on the planning commission, but when Johnny McConnell decided not to run for city council for another term, beginning in 2018, deWolfe was encouraged to give it a shot.
"The mayor was the one that asked if I would be interested in running. I think she was alluding that I would do a good job," deWolfe recalled. He and his girlfriend spent the weekend debating if they were prepared for the time commitment. In the end, deWolfe decided to go for it.
Considering deWolfe had never done this before, Wood set up a meeting with Grass Roots Utah who helped him get started in what he calls "campaigning 101," which included helping him set up a website.
deWolfe said the biggest help was going door-to-door with Wood. "We would just go out on a lot of Saturdays together and just knock on doors. I got a lot of direction and help but a lot of the nitty gritty stuff we did on our own" deWolfe said. Welch also joined him knocking on doors and deWolfe recalls constantly being asked about their relationship. "We've been together for over five years and that was one of the number one questions, or things that we got, is if we're married and we're not." deWolfe admits they have discussed it quite a bit but it just hasn't happened yet, they've been busy traveling, buying a home together, and now working on city council.
After the primaries, the seat was down to deWolfe and Aaron Frost, both Democratic delegates for the same district. deWolfe set his competitiveness aside. "I try to keep it really friendly, there was like no animosity between us, you know, we had talked to each other several times," deWolfe said, even letting the other know they were planning on running.
One of deWolfe's favorite things about South Salt Lake is what he described as its spirit. "That sounds a little cheesy but this is one of these cities where it feels like a small city even though we are next to big Salt Lake," he said. He loves the community he has experienced through city events as well as residents and government officials coming together during the homeless shelter selection. deWolfe is excited to learn more about South Salt Lake's Promise program; Welsh is currently applying to be a tutor for the program.
deWolfe does not have any big goals to accomplish during his time as a council member, he just wants to work hard and do a good job for the city he lives in. He and his girlfriend look forward to future involvement in South Salt Lake and everything it offers.


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"The SEC today paved the way for a new era of venture capital investing by stating it won't pursue enforcement action against FundersClub [founded by Boris Silver W'10 and Alex Mittal ENG'07/W'07], whose platform lets any accredited investor fund startups in exchange for equity." MORE
Archive for March, 2013
CBS Sunday Morning: Earning Good Housekeeping's Seal of ApprovalMarch 26, 2013
Peter Thomas Roth W'79 on CBS Sunday Morning celebrating PTR FirmX QVC TSV's Good Housekeeping Magazine Seal of Approval. WATCH HERE
Financial Times: Entrepreneurs see pet project develop into a thriving ventureMarch 26, 2013
Chris and Natasha Ashton (both WG'03) have built a thriving pet insurance business (PetPlan) with support from a number of Wharton resources, faculty and alums. MORE
Entrepreneur: College Entrepreneurs Create Software to Help Businesses ThriveMarch 26, 2013
"The experience of running two successful software companies is paying huge dividends for the three students: 'Coming up with a concept, building a product, marketing it and talking to investors has been an incredible learning experience'." says Dan Shipper C'14 about he and his Firefly & Airtime co-founders Patrick Leahy W'13 and Justin Meltzer W'12.
Wired: This Pill Bottle Is a Smartphone WannabeMarch 26, 2013
AdhereTech, founded by Josh Stein WG'12, is using smartphone technology to improve patients' adherence to medication schedules. MORE
New York Times: Kick-Starting a CollectionMarch 20, 2013
Via Technically Philly: "Visual analytics firm Curalate [founded by Apu Gupta WG'05] got a shout in the New York Times last week for a study the startup did to find the most-liked Instagram photo from New York Fashion Week."
Growthology: Lessons for Entrepreneurs from CrowdfundingMarch 15, 2013
Professor Ethan Mollick discovered several factors that can influence a project's success or failure on Kickstarter. MORE
Inc. Magazine: 2013 Coolest College StartupsMarch 13, 2013
List includes FamilyLeaf, founded by Wesley Zhao (on leave from Wharton) and Firefly, co-founded by Dan Shipper (C'14), Patrick Leahy (W'13) and Justin Meltzer (W'12). MORE
Wall Street Journal: How Solo Founders Beat The Odds and Get Into Top AcceleratorsMarch 13, 2013
"To improve his chances, the Lawdingo CEO (Nikhil Nirmel W'08) spent a year building his beta site with contract software developers, and forging customer relationships, including with attorneys and their prospective clients." MORE
AdAge: Warby Parker Founder Trades Retro Eyeglasses for Shaving SuppliesMarch 12, 2013
"Warby Parker, the e-seller of cheap eyeglasses and shades, exploded from a fledgling startup a popular consumer brand with millions of dollars in venture funding. With that experience under his belt, co-founder Jeff Raider [WG'10] is turning his focus to the launch of a new consumer brand aimed at the hipster set." MORE
TechCrunch: An Interview With Indiegogo CEO Slava Rubin On The Wild Rise Of CrowdsourcingMarch 12, 2013
"Crowdfunding isn't just for gadgets anymore." – Slava Rubin W'00 talks about the rise of crowdfunding. MORE
Daily Pennsylvanian: Wharton grads start online investment firmMarch 12, 2013
FundersClub's founders, Alex Mittal (ENG'07/W'07) & Boris Silver (W'10), and early employee Felicia Curcuru (W'07), "first met during their undergraduate days at Penn, when they were both pursuing degrees in the Wharton School and developing their interests in entrepreneurship." MORE
Bloomberg TV: Win-Win for Student and Investors?March 6, 2013
David Klein, Venture Initiation Program alumni member and co-founder of CommonBond Co, speaks on Bloomberg Television about how his company is working to fix the broken student loan industry. MORE
San Francisco Business Times: 40 Under 40March 4, 2013
Congrats to Narinder Singh (WG'04) for being named to San Francisco Business Times' 40 Under 40 list! MORE


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Here are our most precious recent finds:
'BUSCAR' from our favourite new children's author Olga de Dios. This is her second book and it is beautiful with her fun and quirky illustrations. Her first book 'Monstruo Rosa' by the way is becoming big in China! These friendly monsters are taking over the world with their cute, basic and very important messages.
El monstruo de los colores – another monster with a great message. Schools don't really teach our children about emotions explicitly. Yes they provide a ground for practising emotions but how much do they actually talk about them? Here is a book that makes emotions clear and simple for all. Love it love it.
Cocorico – My children have been loving this story. All the teachings from the red hen, little red riding hood and the three little pigs all in one simple book about a little chick. The cat says 'marramiau' great for practising rolling those 'r'.


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Barcelona pulled off a miraculously late rally to win their Champions League semi-final slugfest over Chelsea yesterday, but the defeated English are having some trouble coping. At least no one has hung themselves! Yet.
The team doesn't even seem that upset about the 93rd minute game-tying goal from Andres Iniesta—although that definitely had to sting. (A tie equals a win for Barca thanks to the "away goal" rule. We're learning so much about soccer!) It's mostly the feeling from Blues players and fans that the
DutchNorwegian referee, Tom Ovrebo, was in the tank for the Spanish team. The ref in question also had a feeling that he might be murdered by hooligans after the match and had to smuggled out of the country like a fresh pound of Amsterdam'sOslo's finest.
Chelsea's coach says there were at least four non-penalty calls that went against his team, including two in-the-box handballs. Michael Ballack nearly lost his mind after one (I could watch this all day) and Didier Drogba got carded after the match was over, when he came back from the locker room to challenge Ovrebo. Then he got caught shouting, "It's a fucking disgrace" at live TV cameras, a crass, unprofessional move that teammates support 100%. Defender José Bosingwa was even quoted after the game as saying "This referee was bought. I do not know if he is a referee or a thief." Of course, that was translated from his native Portuguese by British tabloids, so that may not be entirely accurate.
On the other hand ... it's difficult for Chelsea to cry about officiating when they were the beneficiaries of the worst call of the match—a red card on Barcelona's Éric Abidal for standing too close to Nicolas Anelka as he tripped over his own feet. That gave them a 25-minute power play that they failed to capitalize on and you can't blame a referee for that. However, the idea that UEFA would mess with Chelsea just to avoid a second-straight all-England final is still completely reasonable because fuck those guys, right? David Stern would be proud.
Chelsea backing for Didier Drogba's foul-mouthed rant [ESPN Soccernet]
Angry Chelsea Goes a Finger Too Far [NY Times]
Blues condemn death threats [Sport Box]
Andres Iniesta - The Most Deserving Barcelona Hero [Goal.com]
Hiddink screams Blue murder [The Sun]


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2016-17 Sports: Minors might outdo majors
May 31, 2016
Although the gray Pittsburgh winter has passed, the fog surrounding the University of Pittsburgh's sports teams remains.
After several major changes in the University's big-name sports, including record-setting receiver Tyler Boyd's departure to the NFL and Kevin Stallings taking over as the new men's basketball head coach, the future of Pitt's major sports programs seem shaky at best.
The football team will need second-year head coach Pat Narduzzi's 2016 recruiting class to live up to expectations, but they can't be expected to shoulder all of the load.
Now that Boyd has gone on to pursue a professional career with the Cincinnati Bengals, the team will probably lean on its defense. Defensive back Jordan Whitehead, a freshman All-American and the ACC Overall and Defensive Rookie of the Year last season, will lead the unit.
A big X factor for Pitt football will be the health of star running back James Conner, who recently announced that he is clean of cancer after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma on Thanksgiving Day 2015.
As a sophomore in 2014-2015, Conner broke former Heisman Trophy winner Tony Dorsett's single-season school record for touchdowns with 26 and was named ACC Player of the Year. Any carries he is able to provide after his battle with cancer would certainly be a welcome bonus for the team. And if he returns at full strength for the season opener September 3 — as he's talked about — the Panthers' running game would reclaim a powerful punch.
For the first time in 16 years, the Panthers are preparing to take on the in-state rival Penn State Nittany Lions September 10. The last time the teams met on the field was 2000, when the Panthers ousted Penn State 12-0 at the old Three Rivers Stadium.
Campus Insiders ranks both teams just outside the post-spring preseason top 25, with Penn State at No. 33 and Pitt at No. 41. The Nittany Lions face some uncertainty heading into the season as well, having lost their starting quarterback Christian Hackenberg to the 2016 NFL Draft.
On the hardwood, Pitt prepares for a new era in its first season with Stallings at the helm.
His hiring didn't come without its share of controversy. Panthers fans took to Twitter in outrage after news of the former Vanderbilt head coach's signing was released to the public.
After another early exit in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament last year, a fresh start might be what the team needs to return to the days when it was considered a perennial contender.
Still, Stallings didn't achieve any more success in the NCAA Tournament during his time at Vanderbilt than Jamie Dixon did at Pitt. Stallings' hire is not likely to immediately propel Pitt basketball back into a national powerhouse, especially competing in the loaded ACC.
The team may be harboring hope, but the fans seem to lack faith.
Meanwhile, Pitt's non-revenue sports teams are moving forward with some changes of their own, sans the high-profile media coverage.
Pitt men's soccer got a new coach late last season when Joe Luxbacher abruptly retired after 32 seasons with the team.
The Panthers went 3-3 in spring games last year under the leadership of new head coach Jay Vidovich — only the third men's soccer coach in program history. With four home matches scheduled against ACC opponents and a match in State College, Pennsylvania to renew another rivalry with the Nittany Lions, the Panthers are looking at a spectacle of a season.
Incoming freshmen weren't even born the last time Pitt played Penn State in men's soccer in 1994.
Also on the non-revenue front, Pitt's softball and women's tennis teams were ousted in the first round of their respective ACC Tournaments in 2016. Still, both managed to exceed expectations.
Softball finished the season three wins shy of tying the team's single-season wins record at 31-21, while women's tennis finished 7-14. Despite playing in the stacked ACC, both of these teams — powered by young, returning leaders — have reasons to get excited in 2016-17.
The new year could be a big one for Pitt's non-revenue sports, tacking on the future success of the volleyball, wrestling and baseball teams.
But with so many question marks lingering for football and basketball, Pitt's major sports programs might be another year away from returning to
national glory.


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The Eastside Rail Corridor gets a new name!
New year, new name. Learn the top contenders.
2018 was a big year for regional trails. Thanks to advocates like you, 13 miles of the Eastside Rail Corridor (ERC) are now open to the public to use and explore. But we're not slowing down, as exciting changes continue into the new year. First up: a new name.
King County and their local partner cities and agencies want to hear your thoughts on four proposed new names for the Eastside Rail Corridor (ERC).
The former railway turned multi-purpose corridor (trail, high-capacity transit and utility uses) connects the cities of Renton, Bellevue, Kirkland, Woodinville, and Redmond. In 2018, research was done, community members were interviewed and 2,000 online surveys were submitted to help shape the new name for the ERC. Take a minute to share your insights on the four proposed names.
Don't worry, the Cross Kirkland Corridor and Redmond Central Connector names won't change – only the ERC is being renamed.
We want to hear from you! Take the survey by Friday, January 18.
Thanks for participating in the renaming process. Along with making miles on trail construction, it's a key step towards the community vision and top Cascade advocacy priority of a connected trail from Kirkland to Renton (via Bellevue). Whether you walk, bike, roll, or stroll, the soon-to-be-renamed ERC offers a new way to connect to your community.
Here's to a fresh start in the new year!


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Game Review: Batman Arkham Asylum
Short-n-sweet thoughts on B:AA.
It's brilliant. It's this year's Bioshock. It's probably the best comics license game ever made, and among the best of any license-based games (Jedi Knight comes to mind). It's certainly a game of the year nominee if not the hands-down winner.
Grand Text Auto summarizes it brilliantly as a game that is...
built from the gameplay up, asking what it is like to be The Bat. It's about being a predator, swiftly moving through the darkness, instilling fear before destroying your prey. It's about being a fist-fighter, able to level anyone who dares attack you. It's about being The World's Greatest Detective, using gadgets and gizmos to aid you. These are core mechanics, not bolted-on aspects to a 3D brawler or platformer. [] From that point on, everything Batman: Arkham Asylum does is flawless: the voice acting, the cape not just being a questionable sartorial choice, but as an object that defines Batman, the excellent pacing
My initial impression of the game, from just a few minutes, was that it was so.... polished.
If I have a minor complaint, its that the 'detective' element of the game really is spoon fed to you, guiding you down a story on rails. It would have been cool if you had to piece together what to do next, though I could also see that leading to frustration and breaking the nicely paced. story. Damn if you do, etc.
Anyhow. It's a must play game, IMHO.


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These are the latest events and courses:
If there is something specific which you would like which is not here or the timings don't work for you, please ring Anna on 07764 235394 as we are very flexible!
Business Buddies in Edinburgh
Group career coaching in Edinburgh
Time to Achieve Group course for Business Mums in Edinburgh
Motivation Monday sessions
Please ring 07764 235394 for more information
All of our services are also available on an individual basis too if you would prefer one on one attention and flexibility with timing. Please ring me to discuss your requirements.


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Contemporary fireplace screen – While pine cone arrangements or a collection of dolls populate many chimney flues, some people prefer a more up to date style. Give your fireplace decoration a makeover by using paint, architectural elements, art, lighting and accessories in a contemporary style. Whether you prefer a minimalist approach or something more modern, customize the décor of your mantle by integrating a favorite work of art, souvenir travel around the world, DIY project or family heritage. Minimalism is one of the favorite elements of contemporary decor. Achieving this aspect requires clearing all the clutter of the mantel and its surroundings.
Architectural elements can set the theme of a contemporary fireplace screen. Remove the embellished embellishments and replace them with something more elegant and less ornate. If your fireplace does not require brackets, keep in mind that it floats above the fireplace instead. Give a contemporary fireplace greater prominence by flanking it with floating shelves in a play and finished material. Add volume to the area around the fireplace by adhering a lightweight gypsum arch to the wall behind the fireplace mantel, or framing the space flanking the fireplace with elegant wooden or glass table columns.
12 Photos Gallery of: Find Out Best Contemporary Fireplace Screen
If you prefer the eclectic and crowded during a quiet minimalism, consider a modern bohemian fireplace screen. Centers of this theme around the art of the tradition of the Paris salons, with stacked pieces framed or not, supported or hung in small groups. A table stand, small pedestals and light frames can help you achieve the look or, for a contemporary aesthetic DIY, hang small works on paper in a fishing line clothesline. Drill holes on each side of your contemporary fireplace screen and insert eye hooks. Wrap fishing line through the hooks and ropes that through the chimney. Hang your work with clips of the folder, clips or small wooden clips.


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Thursday, May 8 2014 at 7:30PM
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St. Aldates Tavern108 St Aldate'sCity CentreOxford OX1 1BU
Michael Marshall
What's the talk about?
Please note date change: this event will now take place on Thursday 8th May.
It's easy to think of pseudoscience existing in a glass case at a museum – something to be examined and critiqued from a safe distance, but not something to touch and to play with. Using examples taken from his own personal experiences in skepticism, Michael Marshall will show what happens when you begin to crack the surface of the pseudosciences that surround us – revealing the surprising, sometimes-shocking and often-comic adventures that lie beneath.
Michael Marshall is the Vice President of the Merseyside Skeptics Society and Project Director of the Good Thinking Society. He regularly speaks with proponents of pseudoscience for the Be Reasonable podcast. His work with the MSS has seen him organising international homeopathy protests and co-founding the popular QED conference. He has written for the Guardian, The Times and New Scientist.
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Love is…
choosing to stay even when things aren't ideal. In this day and age when kids are looking for instant gratification, when you can access anything online and the next best thing is just around the corner, it's no wonder that the divorce rate in America is so high. Gone is the generation that knows, needs and understands you have to work at things. Those are the folks that find love and stay married for 20, 30, 40+ years.
Why is that? What makes that love? Love isn't a Disney movie, though there are things in Disney movies which are realistic and what one should work towards. (If you're curious what I mean, just go to Pinterest!) Love isnt a fairy tale. Once the honeymoon is over and the chemicals are settled down, you have to decide every day is this where you want to be? Is this who you want to be with? Can you imagine living another day without that voice, that face, that smile, that being next to you?
You may not like that person RIGHT NOW. You may wake up and something happens and you're angry and upset with that person. But just because in this moment you are unhappy, either with them, or with yourself, that doesnt mean that the next moment things may change.
Just because TODAY was tough doesnt mean that tomorrow will be.
And that's where I think that this generation coming up is missing the mark and doesnt understand what previous generations, the ones that made it 30+ years together, understands. If you wake up and EVERY DAY is miserable, then yes, get out. If the relationship is abusive then you had BETTER get out. But if its just today, then stick with it if you love this person. Life isn't ideal, its not a fairy tale and that high you feel in the beginning wont always be. To believe that is to be unrealistic and to set yourself up for disaster.
Love is perseverance, understanding, empathy, communication, patience, and most importantly….WORK.


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The sweet smell of freshly baked cookies and cakes is a thrill to remember. Try some of the great recipes in this collection and enjoy real chocolate chip cookies, carrot cake or a strawberry filled short cake with rose petal topping.


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If Gov. Haslam allows the Primacy and Reclamation Act of Tennessee to become law, it will erode community protections and become an unnecessary burden on Tennessee taxpayers.
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Color Pigments for Tinting
Our natural, water and oil-soluble color pigment powders replicate the breathtaking beauty only Mother Earth can create. Made from rocks, minerals, and earth, they deliver a brilliance and inner depth that makes working with them an artistic adventure no ordinary paint can hope to achieve.
Because BioShield pigments directly reflect the uniqueness of the natural materials from which they are derived, variations can exist from batch to batch, making our color references close approximations of the average tone of each pigment.
Most pigments provide brilliant tones, disburse easily, have high UV resistance, and weather well.


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"This positively peachie book makes body love manageable for mothers. From head to toe, stretchmark to scar, Peachie Moms co-founders Amanda Edwards and Jen McLellan bring body love to life for mothers of all shapes and sizes."
We get it, we're moms who don't have time to pee in peace either. We know moms don't have the time or energy to read through a novel so we didn't write one. The Peachie Moms Guide to Body Love for Moms is concise, to-the-point, and fast-paced. Our Kindle edition clocks in at 60-something pages and the paperback is no paperweight with just under 100 pages of peachie goodness.
While this book won't take you very long to read, learning how to love your body can be a life-long journey. For those who have started down the path to body love, we'd love to take you by the hand and guide you for a bit further down the road. For those of you who feel body love is unobtainable, we're eager to prove you wrong.
Get your very own copy of this Amazon best selling book today!
It's so refreshing to read a book with personal stories of other plus-sized mamas combined with practical how-to tips. I love how Jen & Amanda tell you that right now it's enough to just accept your post-partum body as-is…learning to love it will come later.Amy Pence-Brown
If you are Mom, you need to read this book. I read it and loved it. It makes you look at your body in a new way, the way you should. As an amazing, beautiful vessel that brought life into this world. As a person who works in the natural parenting industry, I tell myself all the time that the changes my body has made are normal and should be celebrated for what they allowed me to create. Did I believe it though? Probably not. I still looked in the mirror and daydreamed of my pre-baby thighs.This book helps you really dig deep into how you can let go of the baggage and celebrate the new, better, you. The Mom you. I laughed, I cried, and most of all I learned that body love is more than just about me, it is also about telling the world that Mom bods are beautiful and should be celebrated.Alexandra Stofflet
The Peachie Moms Guide To Body Love for Moms is the kind of book you don't realize you need until you start reading it. Personally, I can relate to every word written in this amazing guide. It's hard to juggle motherhood and individualism, and as the tendency "to have it all" increases and pushes women to be size 2 perfect mothers, many of us hurt ourselves while trying to reach a goal imposed by others.
After reading this book, I felt brave enough to face my insecurities and I stood in front of the mirror with kind and beautiful words to myself, I said to myself: "Eliana, you are beautiful and perfect. Every stretch mark and every imperfection that motherhood has marked you with, it's a symbol to be proud of for all the love, passion, and effort that you have invested for being the yet imperfect, but caring and loving mother that you are to your kids."
Thank you for this gift of self-love and self-acceptance for any mom.Eliana Tardio
As new moms we desperately need our peers to remind us that it´s not only OK but indispensable to take care of ourselves and practice self-love. This book is a mom´s best friend. It tells you exactly what you need to hear: YOU come first!Lorraine C. Ladish


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Casio America, Inc. has announced the coming release the Solar Military Green G-Shock collection comprised of three signature styles in a matte olive green. The GR7900KG-3, G5600KG-3 and G6900KG-3 timepieces are the G-Shock's brand ethos of rugged toughness in well established form-factor watches with the introduction of a new color option. Continue reading
Tag Archives: GW-6900KG-3JF
November 2011 – New Japanese G-Shock
New in November 2011 for Japanese release:
Dee & Ricky GA-111DR-7AJR, limited edition ani-digi
GA-110FC-1AJF and GA-110FC-2AJF, new colorways
Army Green series with solar and atomic GW-6900KG-3JF, AWG-M500KG-3AJF, GW-7900KG-3JF, & GW-M5610KG-3JF
Ani-Digi in black, GA-200-1AJF & GA-201-1AJF
Parra limited edition, DW-5600PR-4JR
Continue reading
Filed under G-Shock
G-Shock Sneak Peek
UPDATE: BETTER PICTURES HAVE BEEN POSTED – See November 1, 2011 Post – New G-Shocks – click here
We apologize for the horrible graphics in this post. Casio leaks information about new items in numerous ways and we who report on the products are constantly left 'best guessing" where the next morsel will appear. This time the announcement comes in a tightly limited distribution Japanese Casio catalog, only one of which so far has been scanned and uploaded. For now, this is what we have to work with, but as soon as more is available, it will be published here.
Continue reading
Filed under G-Shock


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Please enjoy these wedding photo teasers from Melanie & Rahul's beautiful wedding day! Be sure to check out our blog for the full blog entry coming soon.
Vendor Credits:
Wedding Venue: Four Seasons, Westlake Village
Wedding Planner: A Signature Wedding
Bridal Makeup/Hair: Kelly Zhang Studio
Wedding Florist: Floral Passion Events
Wedding DJ: 3D Sounds
Wedding Catering: Manohar's Delhi Palace
Wedding Carriage: Enchanted Carriages
Wedding Cake: Roobina's Cake
*We love to give all vendors proper credit for their beautiful work on each wedding. If for some reason we have missed any of the vendors, please feel free to email us at [email protected] and we will be happy to make sure full credit is given!


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Rip Arm Off Sound
About: The sound of someone having their arm ripped off. dismemberment and what not. gross huh.
Title: Rip Arm Off
Uploaded: 09.04.09
License: Attribution 3.0
Recorded by Mike Koenig
File Size: 296 KB
Downloads: 39183
|Similar Sound Effects
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|Slide Closed
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|Ninja Samurai Sword
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|Sound Effect
Sound Tags:
peel, bone, crack, crush, break, snap, gore, gory, blood, squirt, bloody, murder, killing, halloween, death, claret, clot, cruor, gore, hemoglobin, juice, plasma, sanguine fluid, vital fluid, birth, consanguinity, descendants, descent, extraction, morbid, annihilation, bereavement, casualty, cessation, darkness, decease, demise, departure, destruction, dissolution, downfall, dying, end, ending, eradication, eternal rest, euthanasia, expiration, extermination, extinction, fatality, finis, finish, grave, grim reaper, loss, mortality, necrosis, obliteration, oblivion, paradise, parting, passing, passing over, quietus, release, repose, ruin, ruination, silence, termination, all sounds
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