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The following is an incomplete pointer to some of the literature on or relevant to fragmentation.
Classical sources for the fragmentation view
Cherniak, C. (1981). "Minimal Rationality", Mind 90, 161-83.
Cherniak, C. (1983). "Rationality and the Structure of Human Memory", Synthese 57(2), 163-86.
Davidson, D. (1982). "Paradoxes of Irrationality", In R. Wolheim and J. Hopkins (eds.), Philosophical Essays on Freud, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Reprinted in his Problems of Rationality, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 169-187.
Davidson, D. (1986). "Deception and Division". In J. Elster (ed.), The Multiple Self, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Reprinted in his Problems of Rationality, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 199-212.
Lewis, D. (1982). "Logic for Equivocators." Noûs 16(3), 431-41.
Stalnaker, R. (1984). Inquiry. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Stalnaker, R. (1991). "The Problem of Logical Omniscience, I." Synthese 89(3), 425-40. Reprinted in his Context and Content (1999), Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 241-54.
Stalnaker, R. (1999). "The Problem of Logical Omniscience, II." In his Context and Content, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 255-73.
Contemporary endorsements of fragmentation
Egan, A. (2008). "Seeing and Believing. Perception, Belief-Formation and the Divided Mind." Philosophical Studies 140(1), 47-63.
Egan, A. (2009). "Imagination, Delusion, and Self-Deception." In Bayne, T. and Fernandez, J. (eds.), Delusion and Self Deception: Affective and Motivational Influences on Belief Formation. Hove: Psychology Press.
Egan, A. and Davies, M. (2013). "Delusion: Cognitive Approaches – Bayesian Inference and Compartmentalisation." In Fulford, K.W.M., Davies, M., Gipps, R.G.T., Graham, G., Sadler, J., Stanghellini, G. and Thornton, T. (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy and Psychiatry. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Elga, A. and Rayo, A. (2015). "Fragmentation and Information Access." Unpublished Ms.
Elga, A. and Rayo, A. (2015). "Fragmentation and Logical Omniscience." Unpublished Ms.
Greco, D. (2014). "Iteration and Fragmentation." Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 88 (1).
Rayo, A. (2013). The Construction of Logical Space. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Yalcin, S. (2008). Modality and Inquiry. PhD Dissertation, MIT
Against Closure and Consistency
Christensen, D. (2004). Putting Logic in Its Place: Formal Constraints on Rational Belief. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Easwaran, K. and Fitelson, B. (forthcoming). "Accuracy, Coherence, and Evidence." In Gendler , T. Szabó and Hawthorne, J. (eds.), Oxford Studies in Epistemology 5. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Harman, G. (1986). Change in View: Principles of Reasoning. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Kolodny, N. (2007). "How does coherence matter?" In Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society 107 (1), 229-263.
Kolodny, N. (2008). "Why Be Disposed to Be Coherent?" Ethics 118(3), 437-63.
On the Problem of Logical Omniscience
Brown, B. and Priest, G. (2004). "Chunk and Permeate, a Paraconsistent Inference Strategy. Part I: The Infinitesimal Calculus." Journal of Philosophial Logic 33(4), 379-88.
Elga, A. and Rayo, A. (2015). "Fragmentation and Logical Omniscience." Unpublished Ms.
Garber, D. (1983). "Old Evidence and Logical Omniscience in Bayesian Confirmation Theory." In Earman, J. (ed.),Testing Scientific Theories. Midwest Studies in the Philosophy of Science, Vol. X. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, pp. 99-131.
Hintikka, J. (1962). Knowledge and Belief. An Introduction to the Logic of Two Notions. Ithaka, NY: Cornell University Press
Parikh, R. (1995). "Logical Omniscience." In Logic and Computational Complexity. International Workshop LCC '94. Selected Papers. Springer-Verlag, pp. 22-29.
Parikh, R. (2008). "Sentences, Belief, and Logical Omniscience, Or What Does Deduction Tell Us? The Review of Symbolic Logic 1(4), 459-76.
Stalnaker, R. (1991). "The Problem of Logical Omniscience, I." Synthese 89(3), 425-40. Reprinted in his Context and Content (1999), Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 241-54.
Stalnaker, R. (1999). "The Problem of Logical Omniscience, II." In his Context and Content, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 255-73.
On Cognitive Dissonance
Borgoni, C. (2014). "Dissonance and Irrationality: a criticism of the in-between account of dissonance cases", Pacific Philosophical Quarterly, doi: 10.1111/papq.12039.
Borgoni, C. (2014). "Dissonance and Doxastic Resistance", Erkenntnis, doi 10.1007/s10670-014-9691-0.
Borgoni, C. (2015). "Dissonance and Moorean Propositions", Dialectica, doi 10.1111/1746-8361.12095.
Gendler, T. S. (2008). "Alief and Belief." Journal of Philosophy 105, 634-63.
Gendler, T. S. (2008). "Alief in Action (and Reaction)." Mind & Language 23(5), 552-85.
Nagel, J. (2012). "Gendler on Alief" (Book Symposium), Analysis 72 (4), 774-788.
Nagel, J. (2014). "Intuition, Reflection, and the Command of Knowledge", Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, Supplementary Volume 88, 217-39.
Schwitzgebel, E. (2001). "In-Between Believing." Philosophical Quarterly 51, 76-82.
Schwitzgebel, Eric. (2002). "A Phenomenal, Dispositional Account of Beliefs", Noûs 36, 249-75
Schwitzgebel, E. (2010). "Acting Contrary to Our Professed Beliefs, or The Gulf. Between Occurrent Judgment and Dispositional Belief." Pacific Philosophical Quarterly 91(4), 531-53.


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Security firm G4S says it asked for police probe
Whether you are a fan or foe of outsourcing public services, it is impossible to ignore the government's dependence on the private sector to operate and manage swathes of what it does.
And given the many billions of pounds of contracts awarded to the likes of Serco, Capita, MITIE, ATOS and G4S - along with the big accounting firms - by all Whitehall departments and much of local government, that is not going to change in a hurry, if ever.
So it felt like quite a big moment when Chris Grayling, the justice secretary, last week put the boot into G4S and Serco, accusing them of charging too much for the business of putting electronic tags on criminals.
On contracts worth more than £100m a year, both were chastised for "wholly indefensible and unacceptable practices" in taking taxpayers' money for tags on individuals who were in prison, or were dead or no longer had to be monitored for other reasons.
Although Mr Grayling did not specify the scale of the overcharging, it was widely reported to have run to many tens of millions of pounds over the past eight years.
G4S was characterised as refusing to cooperate with the justice department's own probe, or rather one it had subcontracted to the accountants PwC, and Mr Grayling said that he had therefore felt obliged to ask the Serious Fraud Office to investigate it.
Any sense that the relationship between government and private-sector providers was one of partnership was swept away.
Mr Grayling was the outraged customer, accusing two very big companies of ripping him off.
Given the massive reputational damage to Serco and - especially - to G4S from what Mr Grayling said in parliament, I wondered what had happened from the companies' perspective.
Of particular interest to me was how Serco and G4S had managed to alienate the government to quite such an extent.
Given that the British public sector is their biggest client by far, and their prestige client, why on earth would they want to take the risk of making that client feel exploited and traduced?
The price of making Mr Grayling cross, so far, has been a fall of around 10% in their respective share prices: not cheap. That is hundreds of millions of pounds wiped off the value of these companies, considerably more than the tagging payments they may wrongly have received.
This morning I spoke to the chairman of G4S, John Connolly. His account is of what happened is a bit different from Mr Grayling's.
In particular, he says that it was G4S, and not the Ministry of Justice, which opted for an SFO investigation.
The chain of events went like this, according to Mr Connolly.
It was six or seven weeks ago, he says, that the Ministry of Justice alerted G4S that it "had become concerned about billing on [tagging] contracts". These were contracts awarded to G4S and Serco eight years ago.
Delve deeper
The Ministry of Justice called in PwC to audit what had happened. And G4S started its own review.
"We were co-operating" Mr Connolly said. "We were clear that if we found over-billing, it would be repaid".
Then on Tuesday of last week, G4S was summoned to a meeting at the ministry. It was told that PwC's review was close to completion.
"They said to us that there was no evidence of dishonesty by individuals, but they could not rule out that there might be some" he said.
Officials also told G4S that they were thinking of calling in the Serious Fraud Office to delve deeper.
But the following evening, the ministry had "modified its position on calling in the SFO". Instead it it suggested that its preferred route was a "forensic audit" by PwC of what had happened.
The idea was also that PwC would adjudicate on whether Serco and G4S had breached the tagging contracts, thus over-riding the process for resolving disputes written into the contracts.
Mr Connolly says that at this meeting, G4S reiterated that if it became clear that the company had done something wrong, it would take action
The crunch meeting was the next morning, the Thursday morning: G4S had to decide whether to go with the PwC forensic audit or an SFO investigation.
Forensic audit
Mr Connolly said G4S felt this was not a real choice, in that PwC and the SFO had rather different responsibilities and powers.
Strikingly, Mr Connolly says that his company decided that if the choice had to be made, it would go for the SFO review.
"Our view was that if there was evidence of wrongdoing, we would have to call in the SFO", Mr Connolly said. "We said call in the SFO".
By contrast, Serco decided to go with the PwC forensic audit.
Mr Connolly did not give a view on why Mr Grayling had not made clear that it was G4S which had opted to call in the SFO.
Mr Connolly made one other interesting point - which relates to why the overbilling happened, if it happened.
He says at the heart of the issue is a differing interpretation by the companies, on the one side, and the Ministry of Justice on the other, of clauses in the contract about "when billing starts and when billing ends".
Or to put it another way, he says the argument is about the contractually specified "mechanism" for when a billing event takes place.
Which is interesting - although some may say it is implausible that any interpretation of the contract would sanction payments for tagging dead people.
The drama is a long way from over, although Mr Connolly says his company has been told that the PwC report should be completed in days, and that G4S will then be permitted to see its main headlines - although possibly not the whole thing.
As for G4S's shareholders, they will have to decide whether the company made a strategic error in going for the SFO review, even if there was a logic to the decision.
"The problem is that the SFO investigation allowed Grayling to link G4S with fraud, even if he never accused them of fraud" said a big investor. "That is damaging for the company's reputation.
'Tainted' sector
That said, the stakes are also quite high for Mr Grayling and the Justice Department.
If it were to turn out that the scale of the overcharging was significantly less than implied, some would say needless damage had been done not only to the government's relationship with G4S but with an industry important to the functioning of the public sector.
All this has happened after the government has been forcing outsourcers to cut prices on future and current contracts - and a series of humiliations for these businesses, not least of which was G4S's failure to properly honour a commitment to provide security staff for the Olympics.
The boss of another outsourcing company - not Serco or G4S - told me the incident was tainting the sector.
This chief executive told me: "My shareholders are telling me not to touch UK government contracts with a barge pole, if I can possibly help it, that I should look for any business rather than UK government business".
Update 1733
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "The Lord Chancellor has made clear that Serco and G4S were asked to comply with an independent forensic audit to rule out any wrongdoing.
G4S has refused to cooperate with that audit. This left no choice but to refer the matter to the Serious Fraud Office. The Lord Chancellor has taken full legal advice throughout the process."

subset: commoncrawl


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Even if you're a skincare news nerd, and read up tonnes to answer questions like which is the best moisturizer for mature skin, the sheer wealth of newness in the cosmetics industry can be overwhelming. Which is why we often turn to celebrity endorsement of products or info on skin care issues as ... READ the POST
How to Choose the Best Moisturizer for Mature Skin
How does a moisturizer for mature skin work? As an occlusive layer, adding hydration, plumping skin from within? We've a brief guide to what's at work in your day cream and why.


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This vintage building was completely renovated in 2016 to keep the vintage appeal of the 1940's hotel while incorporating brand new finishes for a modern apartment. At the corner of High and Dinwiddie Streets, the building is right in the center of Downtown Portsmouth, with tons of restaurants and shopping all around. Just four blocks away is the gorgeous Elizabeth River, with a Beautiful Riverside Park and People Ferry right on High Street with a direct and quick route to Norfolk!
Each kitchen has dark mocha stained cabinets with stainless steel appliances, built in microwave vent fans, granite countertops, as well as garbage disposal and icemaker. Each apartment has hardwood floors in living and kitchen with carpet in bedrooms, designer tiled bathrooms, and full size stack washer/dryers. All utilities, including water, sewer, trash, electric, cable and internet, as well as 1 parking space per apartment is all included with rent!


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What a mess my gardens are! The seed heads need to go. The fall weeds need pulling. The climbing rose and that reddish shrub that goes haywire every year need to be reminded of their roots.
And yet I see coneflowers, berries, parsley, monkshood, and delicate unnamed pink, yellow and purple blooms. The witch hazel is about to drop its leaves, revealing the sculpture of its stems. Chickadees, nuthatches and jays still come to the feeders for sunflower seeds while brown sparrows hunt for the droppings. This garden is still alive, and it will be alive all winter. It is alive in spite of my neglect.
I don't think it a garden like mine that David Warlick had in mine when he wrote of A Gardener's Approach to Learning. He imagines an organic vegetable garden, a tightly interwoven community that feeds its caregivers well. I don't do vegetables (too many deer, too much rain), but I can relate to organic. A few weeks ago I stayed in Sonoma for a wedding and visited the Benzinger winery. It is hyper-organic. The claim is that nothing "outside" enters the winery. Fertilizer is provided by cows that live on the grounds, eating the crops grown on the slopes. Good bugs that eat the bad bugs are attracted to the yarrow gardens interspersed with the vines. The grapes are sprayed with an emulsion made from ground quartz that is mined from the volcanic rock in the hills. Sheep are driven through the terraces to aerate the soil. It is a fabulous, circular operation, even if you don't believe that burying manure in a cow's horn will give it special nutritional properties (I wonder if the charm requires a virgin).
Warlick wonders - isn't this the way learning should happen? What if we view learning as a closed system in which each individual student is a part of a growing, productive community - just a part, not a controller or a creator. Does such an organic learning community exist? Times millions of students? Is it possible for a student to learn simply by being herself integral to the learning process?
It strikes me that for this vision to be reality, some criteria would have to be met. Foremost, it seems to me, is the criteria that every part of the productive community has to do its job. Yarrow has to grow, bud and bloom to attract the good bugs. Soil has to absorb and use the nutrients provided by the cow waste (with or without the cow horn), which requires that a multitude of microbes and worms (I am guessing here) also have to do their work. And Benzinger's workers have to do their jobs. If one job is not done, bye bye hyper-organic Benzinger.
I used to tell my daughter, and now I tell my students, that being a student is the most important job to do. But what if the student doesn't want to do the job? It is hard work being part of a 24/7 community. My students are asked to be students less than five hours a day. Why would a student buy in to something more?
Perhaps because she chose the garden to grow in. At least that is the theory of choice and self-direction. It works for me. But I am no longer in middle school. Sometimes I wonder how I would go about learning if I were 14 today. But on reflection, that is a worthless path to follow. So then I wonder what can I do better to lead my students into a learning garden. And this is where I have to think that this country is all wrong about standards and testing.
Remember Peter Rabbit? He kept going back to that garden and getting nowhere - no food, no tail, no coat, certainly no relationship with Mr. McGregor, and a punishment besides. But all he knew was getting those carrots... His sisters, on the other hand, were gatherers. They lead neat and boring lives, devoid of extension. Nothing pushed them because they were fearful of the garden. If the Rabbits had know how to grow their own garden, they would have had time to learn about sustainability, crop rotation, and good bugs. They would have networked with their peers. And Peter might have taught Mr. McGregor a thing or two.
The Rabbit standard should not be "a carrot before every bedtime." It should be "a carrot patch of your own."
How does this work for education and real kid people? Take my least favorite standard, grammar. There is not a single student who would choose to do grammar worksheets during an LA class period. But in order to write full-credit answers on the mandated reading tests, students do need to understand the applications of correct grammar and usage. In order to communicate effectively, they must apply grammar correctly - in fact, they need to apply it intelligently and inventively. Teachers spend endless hours dialoguing about grammar and usage, editing student work, finding online and print worksheets - students spend endless hours doing this work (their "job").
If the grammar standard thread were removed from the Maine Learning Results, students would still learn this grammar. Why? Because grammar lives in the garden called "writing." Focus on the garden as an organism, not on every little bug and carrot sprout. Students who enter the garden (by whim, by requirement, by choice) grow with it.
Peter Rabbit gives us pleasure because he continues to have a terrible time - and we can root for him to someday get out of that flower pot on his own. We are involved with him because he endlessly chases a standard he will not meet. Peter is all about picking and taking - and not at all about learning. This is what too much education has come to - because of our standards.
We need to rethink standards and their assessment entirely - what is it really that we want our students to learn about learning? And how can we help them to plant or find the gardens they need in order to learn?
The more we focus on our "standards" the further we push our students from their education. I wonder what would happen if we asked them to design their own gardens? A lot of messes, I guess. But what a lot of flowers! I am all about flowers.
Monday, October 12, 2009
A Garden of Your Own
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The Riddle of the Labyrinth
The Quest to Crack an Ancient Code
An intellectual detective story follows the quest to unlock one of the great secrets of human history — the decipherment of Linear B, an unknown script from the Aegean Bronze Age.
An intellectual detective story follows the quest to unlock one of the great secrets of human history — the decipherment of Linear B, an unknown script from the Aegean Bronze Age.
An assessment of the programs that helped cable television emerge as a signature art form explores the storytelling distinctiveness and creative directions of such shows as The Wire, The Sopranos and Mad Men while sharing insights into the complicated personalities of such leading contributors as David Chase and David Simon.
A preadolescent runaway describes the violence and trauma that marked her early life before the unexpected kindness of a teacher helped her get off the streets. She went on to pursue a master's degree and now dedicates herself to helping other at-risk youth.
Traces President Obama's reelection campaign against a backdrop of widespread unemployment and a vindictive political climate, offering insights into Mitt Romney's rival campaign and how the race reflected current views about the roles of government and societal values.
A Mexican-American journalist traces his 2007, twenty-four-hour effort to end a threat against his own life by a paramilitary group that sought to prevent his investigations into Mexico's drug trafficking and government corruption.
An archaeologist and historian offers his view on why the West has dominated the globe for the past two hundred years and whether or not its power will last, examining the past fifty thousand years of human history and predicting what the next one hundred years will bring.
This book explains the role of soil in ecology and the economy, and reveals how treating soil in an environmentally sensitive way can bring about positive changes with respect to climate change, biodiversity loss, obesity, and other crises.
A narrative history of World War II from the perspective of deserters reveals how desertion was often experienced as a natural part of conflict, sharing the stories of a decorated soldier-turned-gangster and a three-time deserter who eventually lost his legs in combat.
Former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle examines the most important American firearms. He uses them as a window into United States history and shows how the American story has been tied to, and shaped by, guns.
A noted philosopher and member of the Institute for Cognitive and Brain Science examines flaws in current understandings about consciousness while proposing a radical solution that argues that consciousness must not be limited to the confines of the brain.


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GREETINGS and MANY BLESSING TO YOU!!!!
we hope that the last decade has been AMAZING for everyone and that 2009 was just as wonderful! i know it has been a VERY VERY LONG TIME since i have updated ya'll on our family so i thought this would be a great time to do it!! :)
WELL, this was something i posted on my FACEBOOK so i thought i would share it here too:
HAPPY NEW YEARS! well, this decade brought MANY changes to my life one of which is MOTHERHOOD, having the most PERFECT babies ('02, '04, '07), THANK YOU GOD....it brough to me the most PURE and LOVING knowledge that MY GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD and THRU HIM, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE...GOD showed us a MIRACLE when he blessed us with MATTHEW and how AMAZING the power of PRAYER is...also, bring many new people in my life because of our Miracle baby, Matthew, who we would have NEVER had in our lives...nurse, doctors, therapist, new friends, just so many...
THANK YOU GOD for a WONDERFUL DECADE and an AMAZING 2009! on with the NEW...I WILL EMBRACE this year with all that YOU give me, knowing that i am LOVED and am BLESSED ... because i have the most important thing....GOD IN MY LIFE......
and that is just a FRACTION of what the last decade and year has been like....James and I started our family in the 2000's and what a BLESSING that has been in our lives.....
well, Alex has been doing great...he is 7!!! :) although right now, he is SICK as are ALL of us...not the way i wanted to start the new year...other than that, he is doing GREAT at his 2nd grade schooling...we are still homeschooling and he is loving every minute of it...much better this year than last when he kept TESTING me....he is such a smarty and loves to figure out things...i am hoping to get him started on SOMETHING that will having him doing some fun stuff/learning with others...maybe a sport or maybe something academic...not sure what he would love to do...if there was a CLASS on LEGOS, STAR WARS OR WII i know he would be in his element!! :) but other than that, he has found his new best friend...his baby brother josh...they are forever playing together and since baby brother totally looks up to big brother, it is a plus...he copies everythign that alex does!!! he follows him everywhere....and with matthew, well, it is definetly a test of patients when it is matthew turn at the WII and matthew loves to push the home button and drive big brother a bit crazy!!! but he loves his brother matthew and loves to just mess with him!! :) WONDERFUL big brother!
Matthew is doing fine...when he is not SICK like right this minute!!! unfortunatly, this new years brought him much illness....right now, we are doing our BEST not to let him get put in the hopsital...we just found out YESTERDAY that he has RSV....not good with his chronic lung disease...it is that ONE dx that we ALWAYS were worried if he got...soooo SCARY!!...he looks and feels really bad and is currently on oxygen, 2 antibiotics, neb treatments every 3 hours and oral steroids and a SHOT of ROSEFIN at the ER yesterday....he is barely keep his o2 sats up but he is working hard at it...poor baby....we had to dust off our oxygen equipment, it had been that long since he had been on it!! but, right now it is touch and go...he is a really sick little boy that the dr is PRAYING will stay out of that hospital...so are we!! but, onto other things, he has been doing wonderful in his kidergarden homebound class....his teach is AMAZING and he is really learning with her! he loves class time and she is teaching him SIGN!!! LOVE it!! and then his speech therapist thru the school is also amazing..he loves MS P and loves when it is time for her to come over...they are working on his talker and he is doing great!! my little man! he is also doing great in his PT/OT!!! he is sooooo close to walking now with his independent walker...he is making big strides in that department!! as for sickies, that has also been a blessing EXCEPT for tummy bugs...he has had 2 and that has really thrown his schedule off and now with RSV, well, he is doing pretty bad right now...anyway, he loves to torment his baby brother josh and loves to mess with alex...typical 5 year old!!!
well, onto our 2 year old....JOSHUA...well, what can i say....he is that little boy that has done EVERYTHING the other 2 boys NEVER have done...bite, hit, kick, jump off furniture, eat bugs, throw tantrums, not listen, and the list goes ON AND ON AND ON!!! ! OK, he is going to give me the GREY HAIRS!!! it is really funny cause it is soooooooo much 'josh, no' josh stop, etc etc...that is all you hear and he is not afraid of ANYTHING!!! he is really something....but he is sooo loving on top of that and loves to get hugs and kisses and loves to cuddle....he LOVES to follow big brother ALEX around and repeat and do EVERTHING he does....his Godfather (a police officer) asked us who taught him how to 'pretend' shoot a gun/shotgun...he is soooooo acurate on how he places his hands and how he looks down a site, it is SCARY!!!!!!! and he has been doing this since he was about a year old!! i sometimes wonder what he did in another life?!?!?! and then he is also a PRO with balls of anykind and has been since a baby! he throws a ball right at you, no matter what size, and FAR TOO and he can hit a baseball thrown at him with a bat, no matter how SMALL the ball is and how thin the bat is!!!! he can throw a basket ball in from FAR AWAY and make it and he is just a sports fiend!!! we know he will be our athletic kiddo!! he loves to TORMENT his big brother MATT and they are ALWAYS FIGHTING!!! santa had to bring them almost the EXACT SAME THING cause he knew if one had something, the other wanted that same one!!! boy, we have to keep them apart most days cause all you hear is one or the other crying or yelling!!!! anyway, he is doing GREAT!!
as for james, he is doing great too! his battalion at work is going away!! so, he is going to be getting a new position SOMEWHERE in the state of texas...we don't know what the future will bring our way or where we will be stationed but we SHOULD know by sept when it has 'J' out...but other than that, he is doing AMAZING and being in love with his boys...he can't seem to get enough of them!! :) he has enjoyed this last year home and we just pray every day that it doesn't come down that it is his 'turn' again....
as for me , well, i am doing GREAT!!!! other than having been dealing with my FIBROMYALGIA AND GERD this year, all is well. i have had many test, CT scans, MRI's, endoscopies and am currently on meds for all the above...it has been a bit stress full cause it has really escalated and i have been in pain for something everyday but it is starting to become unbearable where i need to take meds....and my GERD is back and they told me that my NISSENFUNDIPLICATION had slipped and that was why i was having so much gastro issues...so, right now, i am treating it with meds for as long as that works...we shall see what happens after that...i am just happy that FINALLY, i am being seen by a GASTRO DR and a RHEUMOTOLOGIST too!!! finally MEEEEE!! :) ANYWAY, all is going well, enjoying being with family and homeschooling! trying to get my clutter in order....when i find the time....loving my family...
if you keep up with our BLOG (www.blessingsinmylife.blogspot.com) and have noticed a LACK of content recently, it is that i am now ADDICTED (there i said it) to FACEBOOK!!! YES, facebook is such an AMAZING place to reconnect with family, friends and finding old friends.....i love the GAMES that you can play on it and just the posting of everyday life....it is a FREE website that lets you connect...it is not FLASHY like MYSPACE, no crazy music or anything, it is just a posting board where you can post 'what you are doing' and others can comment and see what is going on..with this being my 20th anniv since i graduated from high school, i have reconnected with MANY MANY friends from highschool that i had not talked to SINCE high school!!! :) and family, some that i don't ever talk to unless there is a wedding or funeral, i get to 'chat' with and keep in contact with all the time now!! it is nice to see what family and friends are doing....sooo, if you have NOT gotten a FACEBOOK ACCOUNT (www.facebook.com), come on over and look me up!! you can find me with this email address OR under my FULL NAME...i would love to connect with everyone!!
well, that is it...the FIRST LLLOOOONNNNGGGG email from me for the new year! you know you missed my letters!! ;) i have missed it too! it has been too long since i connected with everyone!! i will TRY to keep them coming!! i will try to post some pics of the kids on my blog next week and also, if you find me on FB, you can see some there too!! (hint hint!)
ok, FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS, HAPPY THANKSGIVING, MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEARS and all the other HOLIDAYS that go in between!!! we know we are soooo BLESSED to have each adn everyone of you out there!!! WE LOVE YA!!! MANY BLESSING to you and your families for the coming year!!!!!!
Friday, January 01, 2010
GREETINGS and MANY BLESSING TO YOU!!!!
Posted by Maria at 6:50 PM 2 comments
Labels: family update


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We have been taking part in a fantastic competition being run by Travel Supermarket – this time something for the kids to get involved in… 'Capture The Colour'.
If it had been that easy I simply would have taken a picture of my living room floor when Liv has finished cutting and sticking paper everywhere… though the competition involved a camera being sent to Liv and her getting out and about and snapping anything and everything. I can assure you she did!
The premise behind the competition was to select 5 images relating to yellow, green, red, blue and white from our travels.
It has been ridiculously hard to go through all the images – well over 400 of them… there seem to be lots of belly shots for some reason, not mine I can assure you, otherwise the camera lens would have cracked!
So here we go…
Ok, so not necessarily on our travels, but the expression on our dog's face sums it up! Liv loves to take pictures and there are generally several of each subject…
This was a hard decision as there were so many wonderful images, especially with wildlife in them. Though this image for me (complete with camera cord in the corner) sums up Liv and how much she loves snapping away.
We had a slight problem, Liv unfortunately left her lovely camera that had been sent to her at Auntie Beth's after the wedding weekend. This meant one thing… I had to entrust Liv with my camera. On a recent outing to Chester Zoo, I bravely handed over my camera and let Liv snap away. I admit I did help her with the zoom but she proves with this image her hands are less shaky than mine!
I struggled finding a 'Blue' image that represents the colour… there were a few blue images… it appears Liv likes to take pictures of bottoms rather randomly! I think I am going to have to watch her.
One taken earlier on in our summer travels, before Liv received her camera, yet an image taken that brings back memories of a fantastic long weekend. Taken at the Goodwood Festival Of Speed, it wasn't really Liv's bag so to keep her amused I let her snap away with my phone and this is one of the most yellow images I could find that she had taken. Oh how I would have loved to have been at that particular stand!
And proving Liv can take amazing images, I assure you I didn't bribe her to take this and I had certainly forgotten about it…
This post was written in conjunction with the Travel Supermarket 'Kids Capture The Colour' competition. We received a fantastic camera in order to take part in the opportunity.


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Eat at la Madeleine, help No Kid Hungry | Community Spirit
Title (Max 100 Characters)
ATLANTA -- La Madeleine Country French Café is making it easy for customers to help hungry kids.
The restaurant chain has teamed up with Share Our Strength to support its annual fundraiser, Dine Out for No Kid Hungry.
"It is tragic that there are kids in our own communities going to bed hungry when there is a solution," la Madeleine president and COO Phil Costner said in a statement. "This is why the la Madeleine family has joined the ranks of those who can and are doing something about it."
From Wednesday, Sept. 5 through Saturday, Sept. 22, la Madeleine customers who donate at least $1 to No Kid Hungry will receive a free triple chocolate peppermint cookie.
A $5 donation will score customers a coupon booklet featuring $20 worth of coupons for la Madeleine favorites, such as bakery treats and the chain's famous tomato basil soup.
Dine Out for No Kid Hungry has raised more than $4 million in the past five years. Funds are used to increase awareness about child hunger, create partnerships that can bring food to hungry kids, and support school meal programs for low-income students.
Learn more about the program at nokidhungry.org.
La Madeleine has three metro Atlanta locations:
East Cobb
4101 Roswell Road, Marietta
2255 Pleasant Hill Road, Duluth
1165 Perimeter Center West, Dunwoody


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Painted to order, specially for you, our Pansies hand painted mailbox can be personalized and customized at no extra charge. Be part of designing your own mailbox! Choose your personalization, and even choose the color of a painted design element on your mailbox. We carefully paint-to-order your customization requests with our own original hand painted design. We take great pride and love our work, so your order will be painted with TLC and carefully packed in bubble wrap and shipped in their sturdy, original boxes. USPS Priority and FedEx Ground Shipping. (Sorry no shipping to P.O. Boxes)
See the main page for the current estimated shipping and delivery time.
This is a standard size Solar Group, Urban Series – Townhouse, black mailbox which has been sponge painted with beige and white, dimensions: 6 3/4″ H x 15 1/2″ W x 3 1/8″ D
If you'd like free personalization on your painted mailbox, please check the box in the marked field above and type your personalization (1 name or 1 number) exactly as you want us to paint it. If you'd like to change the color of a painted design element on your mailbox, select the object on the mailbox you want to change, and in the next box tell us what color you want.


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SAA Voyager
Tambo, South Africa
Telephone: 27 11 978 1000
Flysaa.com is the South African Airways travel portal offering everything one needs to travel to, from and within South Africa. The site provides a comprehensive range of interactive online services and useful information for local and international ... more


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Bladder Health During Pregnancy, Bladder Infections During Pregnancy
We all know that there are many changes to our bodies during pregnancy and, although we can cope with most of them, bladder weakness is one of the more irritating of these changes. Many women are unprepared for the inconvenience they will experience and 2 out of 3 pregnant women will experience some form of
bladder weakness during and after pregnancy. This is because pregnancy, labor and birth place additional strain on the pelvic floor muscles, thus weakening them.
You may leak a few drops when you sneeze, cough or laugh. Some women find this to be a real problem. So to avoid any embarrassment, particularly while you are building up the strength of your pelvic floor muscles, wear a panty liner.
Helping your bladder to stay healthy
The good news is that you can do a lot to help your bladder to stay healthy:
o Drink plenty of fluids, but if you find you have to go to the toilet frequently during the night then cut out drinking before bedtime but make sure you make up for it during the day.
o When you are on the toilet, trying rocking backwards and forwards. This lessens the pressure of the womb on the bladder so that you can empty it properly. If you do this, you won't need o pass water quite as often as before.
o Don't go to the toilet "just in case" or every time you get the urge – try to hold on.
o Cut down on bladder irritants such as coffee, tea, cola drinks and of course no alcohol should be consumed.
o Maintain a healthy weight.
o Learn to do pelvic floor exercises.
Strengthening pelvic floor muscles through exercise
Your pelvic floor muscles are just like any muscles and need a regular workout to stay strong! Your pelvic floor muscles need particular attention both during your pregnancy and after the birth of your baby.
The floor of your pelvis is made up of layers of muscle and other tissues. From the tail bone at the back to the pubic bone at the front, your layers of muscles stretch like a trampoline. The urethra, the vagina and the rectum all pass through those pelvic floor muscles which support both the uterus and the bowel. If you can strengthen your pelvic floor muscles through exercise, you will be able to improve your control of your bladder.
You need patience as it may take 6 to 12 weeks before you notice any improvement so the earlier you can start in your pregnancy the better.
If you find it difficult to remember to do your exercises, then put a note to yourself on the toilet door to remind you! These exercises should be done at least 3 times per day but preferably 6 times per day.
o Squeeze and draw up the muscles around your anus, vagina and urethra as strongly as possible. Try to hold this squeeze and lift for 3 seconds and then relax completely. Repeat this exercise 3-5 more times. Gradually increase your pelvic floor muscle strength by holding the squeeze and lift for a longer period.
o To progress your exercises, hold each contraction strongly for as long as you can, slowly increasing to 10 seconds. Rest between each contraction and repeat as many times as you can, aiming for a maximum of 10 contractions. Always stop exercising when the muscle fatigues.
o It is also important to include fast strong pelvic floor contractions holding each exercise for only 1 second. The action is necessary for retraining the muscle to contract quickly when you cough laugh or sneeze. Now try doing 5-10 quick strong exercises. Do not forget to rest between each exercise.
This exercise is very effective and can be done while sitting, standing, lying down or even walking.
After the birth of your baby
After your baby is born, carry on with these exercises to help the healing process. In addition:
o Rest in a horizontal position (15-30 minutes) at least twice a day or as much as possible on your tummy or back.
o Support the perineum when having a bowel movement.
o Do not lift anything heavier than your baby.
Twelve weeks after your baby's birth, you can check your pelvic floor strength by:
o stopping the flow of urine mid stream
o Coughing with a full bladder
o Prior to commencing strenuous exercise, check your pelvic floor strength by jumping with a full bladder.
If there is no urine leakage you can reduce your pelvic floor exercises to one set per day. This set should include the long holds and quick squeeze.
However if you have leakage, do see a women's health physiotherapist and if you have any pain or blood when passing urine, you may have a urine infection that will need treatment. Please contract your doctor, midwife or healthcare provider straight away for treatment and do drink plenty of water to reduce the irritation.


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The Truth
The Truth. This is what brought me into Gods purpose.
I was raised in a denomination but began to question the meaning of my life and where to find the answers to those deep questions that we all have. When I went away to college, I went with friends to their various denominations. In each place I found some light, but I also found a flavor of personal preference for particular practices, particular speakers, or a particular social group. I did not understand why we all had to be divided by these things. These various denominations seemed to be driven by human preference rather than a yearning for the presence of truth in ones daily life and living.
As I raised my family, I still sought for something morea group of believers who met on the ground of oneness and the foundation of Jesus Christ. One day, by the Lords mercy and sovereignty, I found a group of believers who came together solely on the basis of truthno matter what the cost. They were seeking to recover the practice of the church as found in the book of Acts, the body of Christ, the same church that began with Paul and the apostles. At last, I was home!! And to this day, some twenty-plus years later, I can truthfully say, I am so happy in this lovely place, the local church. (Hymns, #1237)


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The Wilson Journal of Ornithology
Published by: The Wilson Ornithological Society
Table of Contents
March 2015 : Volume 127 Issue 1
History, morphology, and fossil record of the extinct Puerto Rican Parakeet Psittacara maugei Souancé
Storrs L. Olson
The extinct Puerto Rican Parakeet (Psittacara maugei) has been known with certainty only from Mona Island and is usually regarded as a poorly defined subspecies of P. chloroptera of Hispaniola. Examination of skin specimens and comparison of skeletons with fossil and archeological material from Puerto Rico, show that Psitticara maugei is a fully distinct species from P. chloroptera, differing in plumage and particularly in bill morphology, such that a probable difference in diet is suggested. The main range of P. maugei was Puerto Rico, with the Mona Island population being only an isolated outlier. Extinction took place on Puerto Rico by the mid-1800s and on Mona Island shortly after 1892 possibly because of a combination of habitat destruction, persecution for crop depredations, and disease.
A hybrid swarm of Dinopium woodpeckers in Sri Lanka
Leonard A. Freed, Deepal Warakagoda, Rebecca L. Cann, Udaya Sirivardana, and Uditha Hettige
When two species or subspecies hybridize, the parental taxa may become more similar or follow new directions as alleles from one enter the novel genetic and ecological environment of the other. Here, we document hybridization between two Dinopium woodpeckers in Sri Lanka: two subspecies of Black-rumped Flameback woodpeckers (Dinopium benghalense jaffnense and D. b psarodes, recently considered as a full species Lesser Sri Lanka Flameback Dinopium psarodes). Hybridization has been suspected for 130 years. We describe eight different forms of hybrids, only two of which were known historically, and pairing patterns that indicate hybridization. The species and subspecies along with numerous hybrids have now become a hybrid swarm in northern Sri Lanka.
A new wood warbler hybrid (Oreothlypis celata x O. ruficapilla) from the Adirondack mountains, New York
Joel Ralston, David A. Ermacor, and Jeremy J. Kirchman
The incidence rate of hybridization appears to be much higher for parulid warblers compared to other bird taxa. Over 50% of the species in this family have been reported to hybridize. Here, we report genetic and morphometric analysis of a suspected hybrid of a previously unreported species cross in the genus Oreothlypis, captured in a montane spruce-fir forest in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. We compared sequences of the mitochondrial ND2 and the nuclear Z chromosomal aconitase intron 9 to published warbler sequences to determine parentage, and compared plumage and morphology to museum specimens. ND2 sequence closely matched Orange-crowned Warbler (O. celata), while aconitase matched Nashville Warbler (O. ruficapilla). Because our specimen was a male and was homozygous for ruficapilla alleles at the Z chromosome, we determined the hybridization event occurred at least two generations ago. This suggests hybridization between these species produces viable offspring. Plumage of the warbler was nearly indistinguishable from pure Nashville Warbler specimens. A Principle Components Analysis of morphometric data showed the hybrid to be morphologically intermediate between the two parent species. This hybridization event occurred well outside of Orange-crowned Warblers' breeding distribution, a finding consistent with Hubbs' principle which states that hybridization is more likely when conspecifics are rare or unavailable. Our finding demonstrates the importance of specimen collecting and genetic methods in documenting aspects of natural history that may be cryptic or infrequent in nature.
Morphological expression in putative intergrades between two subspecies of Orange-crowned Warbler (Oreothlypis celata) on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
William M. Gilbert and George C. West
Genetic analyses have documented restricted gene flow between two subspecies of Orange-crowned Warbler (Oreothlypis celata), and it is thought that south-central Alaska may be a zone of secondary contact between O. c. celata and O. c. lutescens. We evaluated six morphological variables in museum specimens and netted individuals of O. c. celata from central and southwestern Alaska, of O. c. lutescens from central inner-coastal California, and of putative hybrid or introgressed Orange-crowned Warblers from the Kenai Peninsula of south-central Alaska. Additionally, we evaluated data for two variables only of netted O. c. lutescens from the panhandle of southeastern Alaska. Our analyses of wing chord length, mass, tail length, and color of backs and undersides indicated that samples obtained from the Kenai Peninsula had means that lie between, and for the most part were significantly different from, the means of samples of presumably pure O. c. celata from farther north and west in Alaska, and O. c. lutescens from farther south and east in Alaska and/or farther south in central inner-coastal California. However, we found no significant differences among the means of tarsal lengths for three taxa/localities. Additionally, we found that the back and underside colors of putative intergrades tended to be closer to O. c. lutescens than to O. c. celata. The distribution of data points around the means for Kenai Peninsula samples did not appear to be bimodal for wing chord length nor for color of backs or undersides. This suggested that Kenai Peninsula samples were mainly composed of intergrades between populations of pure O. c. celata and O. c. lutescens, and were not samples composed mainly of a mixture of the two pure subspecies. These results also suggested, for wing chords, masses, tail length, and color of backs and undersides, that a blending inheritance pertained in putative intergrades between O. c. celata and O. c. lutescens.
Climate change and shifting arrival date of migratory birds over a century in the northern Great Plains
Steven E. Travers, Bryan Marquardt, Nicole J. Zerr, James B. Finch, Mikayla J. Boche, Rosalynne Wilk, and Steven C. Burdick
Studies of the effects of climate change on migratory bird behavior have established that many species are shifting the average day of year of their arrival at nesting sites earlier. If migrating birds are adapted to arrive at the optimum stage in the growth season to maximize the availability of resources, then migration phenology shifts may result in arrival at nesting sites at selectively disadvantageous points in seasonal development of the nesting ecosystem. First arrival dates (FAD) are changing for many species, but we know little about shifts in the corresponding accumulated growing degree units (AGDU) of arrival date in association with increasing global temperatures. By transcribing field notes for migrant arrival times during the years of 1910–1950 in the region around Fargo, ND, we obtained a detailed and robust description of historical phenological patterns. Comparison of the arrival times of 83 of the same species in the same location over the past 10 years indicate that the majority of bird species studied are arriving earlier than they did historically. The accumulated growing degree units at the time of arrival deviated from past values by as much as 4–5% higher or lower depending on the species. In general, short-distance migrants have advanced their arrival times and reduced the AGDU at the time of arrival relative to long-distance migrants. These results indicate that changing climate is influencing bird migration patterns and leading to arrival of migrants at different points in the progress of the growing season relative to the past. The impacts of this divergence on fitness and selection are expected to influence the nature of future bird communities.
The differences in habitat selection in two sympatric species of eastern Poland: the White-winged Tern (Chlidonias leucopterus) and the Black Tern (Chlidonias niger)
Artur Goławski, Zbigniew Kasprzykowski, Emilia Mróz, Mirosław Rzępała, and Sławomir Chmielewski
In the last 20 years, a westward expansion of the White-winged Tern (Chlidonias leucopterus) has been reported in Europe. Even though this species has become a regular breeder in some places, we lack basic information on the choice of breeding sites. The aim of the present work is to compare the habitat preferences of two closely-related species: the expansive White-winged Tern and the Black Tern (Chlidonias niger), which has been breeding in this part of Poland for a long time. The data were gathered in east-central Poland from late May to early July 2013. All potential tern nesting areas were searched over 40,000 km2, river valleys in particular. There were 41 colonies of White-winged Terns with a total number of 1,348 pairs and 55 colonies of Black Terns with 666 pairs. A Generalized Linear Model (GLZ) showed differences between both tern species in habitat parameters. However, only two predictors—area of open habitat (meadows, arable fields) and habitat type (ox-bow lakes vs. waterlogged sedge fields)—were significant. White-winged Terns located their colonies in waterlogged sedge fields three times more often than Black Terns did, while the latter nested three times more frequently on ox-bow lakes. There was also a statistically significant greater proportion of open habitats around the colonies of White-winged Terns than around those of Black Terns. The colonies of the two species were roughly the same size in all habitats. This study showed that habitat type was the basic factor governing the choice of nesting site by these two closely-related tern species.
Daily nest survival rates of Gunnison Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus minimus): assessing local- and landscape-scale drivers
Thomas R. Stanley, Cameron L. Aldridge, D. Joanne Saher, and Theresa M. Childers
The Gunnison Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus minimus) is a species of conservation concern and is a candidate for listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act because of substantial declines in populations from historic levels. It is thought that loss, fragmentation, and deterioration of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitat have contributed to the decline and isolation of this species into seven geographically distinct subpopulations. Nest survival is known to be a primary driver of demography of Greater Sage-Grouse (C. urophasianus), but no unbiased estimates of daily nest survival rates (hereafter nest survival) exist for Gunnison Sage-Grouse or published studies identifying factors that influence nest survival. We estimated nest survival of Gunnison Sage-Grouse for the western portion of Colorado's Gunnison Basin subpopulation, and assessed the effects and relative importance of local- and landscape-scale habitat characteristics on nest survival. Our top performing model was one that allowed variation in nest survival among areas, suggesting a larger landscape-area effect. Overall nest success during a 38-day nesting period (egg-laying plus incubation) was 50% (daily survival rate; SE = 0.982 [0.003]), which is higher than previous estimates for Gunnison Sage-Grouse and generally higher than published for the closely related Greater Sage-Grouse. We did not find strong evidence that local-scale habitat variables were better predictors of nest survival than landscape-scale predictors, nor did we find strong evidence that any of the habitat variables we measured were good predictors of nest survival. Nest success of Gunnison Sage-Grouse in the western portion of the Gunnison Basin was higher than previously believed.
Distribution of Nearctic-Neotropical migratory birds along a South American elevation gradient during spring migration
Camila Gómez, Valentina Gómez-Bahamón, Laura Cárdenas-Ortíz, and Nicholas J. Bayly
The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia has been identified as a critical spring stopover site for at least one Neotropical migratory bird species prior to crossing the Caribbean sea on migration. The strategic location of the Sierra suggests that other South American wintering migrants may stopover there, but no information is available on the migrant community during spring or how they distribute themselves between habitats and across the broad elevational gradient. Here, we present species richness and densities of migratory landbirds obtained through standardized census and captures along an elevation gradient (100–2,100 m) covering two habitats, forest and shade coffee, during two consecutive spring migrations. The migrant community (~39 species) showed a peak in species richness and abundance at mid elevations (700–1,700 m), mirroring the pattern often observed in communities of resident Neotropical birds. However, individually the abundance of the commonest species peaked at different elevations and showed high annual variability. We also found within-species differences in density between shade-coffee and forest at the same elevation, possibly reflecting differences in habitat quality for some species. Factors such as food availability and predation risk are expected to be critical in shaping the distribution of migrants during stopover, and further research is required to identify the drivers of the observed elevational patterns. This study contributes to our knowledge of the life histories of migrants during stopover and highlights the habitats and elevations where conservation measures would protect the highest number of species and individuals at a South American stopover site.
The Spotted Barbtail (Premnoplex brunnescens): male and female parental effort during the nestling period
Jeff Port and Harold F. Greeney
We document male and female roles in nestling care of Spotted Barbtails (Premnoplex brunnescens) including feeding rates and temporal patterns of provisioning by each sex. Using 128.5 hrs of video from color marked and molecularly sexed individuals at two nests, we confirm that both sexes of Spotted Barbtail provision nestlings. Spotted Barbtail females in our study invested more heavily in nestling care than males, making 73% of feeding visits. Females also visited the nests nearly twice as often as males, averaging 1.24 visits/nestling/hr compared to 0.69 visits/nestling/hr for males. While Spotted Barbtails exhibit many of the features assumed to favor social and genetic monogamy, intriguing aspects of nest building and incubation leave open the possibility that this species is unusual among the Furnariidae and utilizes extra-pair matings as a part of the reproductive strategy.
Description of the nest, eggs, and nestling of Rufous-bellied Bush-Tyrants (Myiotheretes fuscorufus)
Callum J. Kingwell and Gustavo A. Londoño
The Myiotheretes bush-tyrants are a small clade of Neotropical flycatchers (family: Tyrannidae) localized to narrow elevational strips in the Andes Mountains. Here, we describe the first reported nest of Rufous-bellied Bush-Tyrants (Myiotheretes fuscorufus). It was a large cup nest lined with Usnea lichen and elevated on a sheltered rock ledge behind a flowering Puya bromeliad at 2,985 m asl in the buffer zone of Manu National Park, Peru. We provide a near-complete history of the nest from eggs through fledging, and compare data with previous nesting reports for other Myiotheretes species.
Longevity Records and Signs of Aging in Marsh Antwren Formicivora acutirostris (Thamnophilidae)
Marcos R. Bornschein, Marco Aurélio Pizo, Daiane D. Sobotka, Ricardo Belmonte-Lopes, Claudia Golec, Tiago Machado-de-Souza, Marcio R. Pie, and Bianca L. Reinert
Longevity records inform demographic studies and our understanding of avian senescence evolution, yet studies on free-ranging species are rare, especially in the tropics. Here we provide minimum longevity records for the Marsh Antwren Formicivora acutirostris (Thamnophilidae), a small (9.8 g) territorial bird inhabiting tidal marshes in southern Brazil. We recorded a 16.2-year-old male and a 14.2-year-old female, both breeding before they were last seen, as well as 31 individuals between 6–10.2 years of age. There was no difference in the sex-ratio between these individuals. The oldest male was nearly 2 years older than the oldest thamnophilid recorded to date, and twice as old as the oldest recorded breeding individual. We also observed behaviors which we interpret as signs of aging, such as the isolation of the old female and her apparent indifference to her mate, and frequent territory disputes involving the old male and floater males.
A Most Dangerous Game: Death and Injury to Birds from Porcupine Quills
Todd Katzner, Tricia A. Miller, Jane Rodrigue, and Steven Shaffer
Predation is dangerous, not only for the prey but sometimes also for the predator. Because these dangers to predators are not well understood, we document evidence of predation or scavenging by a Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) on a North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) in Pennsylvania, USA, with potentially lethal consequences to the eagle. We also review published literature on incidence of porcupine quills causing injury or death to birds. At least nine species have been documented as having contact with porcupine quills. A minimum of 39% of these interactions resulted in death to the bird, demonstrating the risk birds face when interacting with porcupines. Predation of porcupines should be selected against and irregular, yet it apparently persists and is likely more common than currently recognized.
Disjunct Nocturnal Roosting by a Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) during Migratory Stopover
David L. Slager and Paul G. Rodewald
Nocturnal roosting at locations disjunct from daytime foraging areas (hereafter disjunct nocturnal roosting) is a common avian behavior on both the breeding and wintering grounds but to our knowledge has not been documented in arboreal passerines during migratory stopover. We report observations of a spring migrant Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) commuting to a nocturnal roost site 2.6–3.2 km north from its 5.1–9.0 ha daytime home ranges on two consecutive stopover days. We discuss the potential significance of this behavior in terms of roost habitat type, predator avoidance, and thermoregulation. We encourage those conducting telemetry studies on stopover migrants to examine existing data and, when possible, to use tracking methods that advance understanding of the behavioral ecology of nocturnal roosting and the prevalence of and causes for disjunct roosting.
A Record of Communal Nesting in the Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
Ezra Hadad, Alexandre Roulin, and Motti Charter
We report a unique case of two female Barn Owls laying eggs and incubating together in a single nest cup in a communal nest. A trio of two females and one male bred in an abandoned water tower in 2013 in Israel. Both females incubated/brooded together in the communal nest, and all three individuals brought food to the communal family. The two females laid 20 eggs, of which 19 hatched and 16 fledged.
Use of Thermal Power Plants by New World Vultures (Cathartidae) as an Artifice to Gain Lift
Davi Almeida Freire, Felipe Bittioli Rodrigues Gomes, Renato Cintra, and Weber Galvão Novaes
Because of recent increases in populations of Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus) and Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura), vulture-human conflicts have become more common. We can begin to mitigate these conflicts by first identifying what attracts these birds. We investigated the use of thermal power plants (TPPs) by vultures in Manaus, Central Amazon, Brazil, from February–September 2012, and monitored six TPPs throughout urban areas. We visited each TPP six times at three intervals. At all TPPs, we observed vultures use artificial thermals as a way to gain elevation during flight. The largest number of vultures was observed in TPPs near feeding sites and roosting areas. We recorded the largest concentration of vultures in the late afternoon. We observed an interaction effect between site and time, where TTPs near roost sites had more vultures early morning and late afternoon, while TPPs near feeding sites had more vultures at mid-day. Our results show that vultures intensively use TPPs to aid their flight, and this behavior is used mainly at those times under the lowest natural thermals and when the vultures are moving from feeding sites to roosts in the late afternoon.
Striking Courtship Displays in the Becard Clade Platypsaris
Eliot T. Miller, Sarah K. Wagner, Juan Klavins, Timothy Brush, and Harold F. Greeney
As far as we know, becards are socially monogamous. This group includes the five members of the monophyletic Platypsaris clade, nested within Pachyramphus. These five species have white scapular feathers which are usually hidden and whose function has been largely ignored by ornithologists. Because of becards' conspicuous, bulky nests, comparatively more is known about their breeding biology than about that of many other Neotropical groups, though much remains to be learned on this subject even in becards. Breeding behavior of becards has been considered relatively ordinary, but the displays we report reflect more complexity than previously supposed. We provide evidence that at least four of the five members of the Platypsaris clade (Rose-throated, Pink-throated, One-colored, and Crested becards) engage in courtship displays, some of which are dramatic. The normally hidden white scapulars are employed as erectile "badges" in these displays.
Social Interactions between Adult and Juvenile Striped Cuckoos (Tapera naevia)
Melissa M. Mark and Nelson A. Gamez-Rugama
Social interaction between juvenile and adult brood parasitic cuckoos is rarely documented, but may influence social development, sexual preferences, or song learning. The Striped Cuckoo (Tapera naevia) is a New World brood-parasitic cuckoo that uses counter-singing and duets in reproduction and territory defense. Here, we report the first observations of adult-juvenile social interactions in the Striped Cuckoo. In contrast to their normally solitary lives, juveniles and adults moved and foraged together and engaged in counter-singing and duets. Striped Cuckoo adults often initiated the social interactions and engaged in vigilance behaviors when with the juveniles. We suggest further study to determine if adults are interacting with related juveniles.
Nestling Mortality as a Consequence of Interspecific Competition between Secondary Cavity Nesters in the Sub-Antarctic Forests of Chile
Esteban Botero-Delgadillo, Yanina Poblete, and Rodrigo A. Vásquez
Interspecific competition among secondary cavity nesters can involve physical conflicts between individuals, which may lead to serious injuries or death. Here we report a case of aggression by a pair of Chilean Swallows (Tachycineta meyeni) towards a nestling of the Thorn-tailed Rayadito (Aphrastura spinicauda) in the sub-Antarctic forests of Chile. This aggression caused the displacement of the breeding rayaditos from an occupied nest box and it appears, nestling mortality. Since levels of aggression among cavity nesters depend on the synchrony of their breeding phenologies, further research is needed to study the prevalence of nest usurpation by Chilean Swallows and its relation to the degree of breeding synchrony with other cavity nesters inhabiting the sub-Antarctic forests.
Plastic Material in the Diet of the Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) in the Atacama Desert, Chile
Juan C. Torres-Mura, Marina L. Lemus, and Fritz Hertel
Turkey Vultures are one of the most widely distributed carrion feeders throughout the Americas. We analyzed their regurgitated pellets from two localities in the Atacama Desert of Chile. Natural foods included dogs, sea lions, and feathers present in 17% of the pellets. We also found that 78% of pellets from coastal sites and 83% of pellets from inland sites contained plastic material. Plastic was likely ingested because vultures scavenge in plastic bags disposed as garbage along roads and beaches. Plastic ingestion has been documented in marine birds but only occasionally in raptors. Seabirds are vulnerable to the effects of ingested plastics because of their inability to regurgitate this material. Although vultures can regurgitate plastic, we do not know the physiological effects related to ingestion of the material. The availability of food from garbage bags could partly explain the widespread distribution of these vultures in the desert, but the inclusion of these items in their diet likely provides little to no energy. Turkey Vultures patrol roads in search of animals hit by vehicles, which facilitates finding carrion and garbage. Garbage in plastic bags has increased as more roads have been built in these areas; in the future, it will be important to study the effects of ingested plastics on these birds.
Galapagos Mockingbird (Mimus parvulus) Preys on an Invasive Mammal
Kiyoko M. Gotanda, Diana M. T. Sharpe, and Luis F. De Léon
Galapagos Mockingbirds (Mimus parvulus) are opportunistic feeders that have been observed engaging in a variety of unusual predatory behaviors. Here, we report on a specific behavior that we observed: a Galapagos Mockingbird preying on an invasive mammal by repeatedly hitting it on the ground. We discuss the reasons that the mockingbird might have engaged in this behavior and the potential implications this could have for native biodiversity and conservation on the Galapagos Islands.
Migration of Alder Flycatchers (Empidonax alnorum) and Willow Flycatchers (Empidonax traillii) through the Tuxtla Mountains, Veracruz, Mexico, and the Identification of Migrant Flycatchers in Collections
Nancy R. Novitch, Michael Westberg, and Robert M. Zink
We sequenced a diagnostic fragment of the mitochondrial Cytochrome b (Cyt b) gene in 144 flycatchers, identified only as "Traill's flycatchers," which were collected during spring and fall migration of 1973 and 1974 in the Tuxtla Mountains, Veracruz, Mexico. We found 135 E. alnorum, 3 E. traillii, 3 E. virescens, and 3 that did not match any known Empidonax sequence. Thus, E. traillii is an infrequent migrant in spring and fall in northern Veracruz, and instead likely passes along the southern part of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec as other studies have found. We also sequenced Cyt b mitochondrial DNA from toe pads of study skins of these species. Of 11 identified on the label as E. alnorum, one was E. traillii whereas the rest were E. alnorum. Of 16 specimens identified on the label as E. traillii, only one was actually this species; fourteen were E. alnorum and one was an E. virescens. Thus, we suggest that the species identification of specimens labeled as E. alnorum and E. traillii taken during migration should be considered speculative.
The Nest and Eggs of the White-tipped Quetzal (Pharomachrus fulgidus) from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Northern Colombia
Paulo C. Pulgarin-R and Oscar A. Laverde-R
We provide the first detailed descriptions of the nest cavity and eggs of the White-tailed Quetzal (Pharomachrus fulgidus) from the montane forest of the SW slope of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, northern Colombia. We found two active cavities (both >2.5 m high) in isolated tree snags of non-native Mexican weeping pine (Pinus patula). One cavity contained two unmarked, pale turquoise eggs at the bare base. The nest cavity and eggs of the P. fulgidus resemble those of other high elevation species of quetzals. Breeding occurs in the first half of the Julian calendar during the end of the dry season. Additional information about the breeding biology of this group of birds is warranted.
First Observation of a Four-egg Clutch of Long-tailed Jaeger (Stercorarius longicaudus)
Jannik Hansen, Malin Ek, Tomas Roslin, Jérôme Moreau, Maria Teixeira, Olivier Gilg, and Niels Martin Schmidt
Long-tailed Jaegers (Stercorarius longicaudus) normally lay one or two eggs (rarely three), with a maximum of two eggs set by the existence of only two brood patches. Here, however, we present the first documentation of a clutch of four eggs in a Long-tailed Jaeger nest found at Zackenberg in northeastern Greenland.
First Record of the Ornate Hawk-Eagle (Spizaetus ornatus) from the Brazilian Caatinga
Pablo Vieira Cerqueira, Gabriela Silva Ribeiro Gonçalves, Shirliane de Araújo Sousa, Rodrigo Lima Paz, André Santos Landim, and Marcos Pérsio Dantas Santos
We present the first documented record of the Ornate Hawk-Eagle (Spizaetus ornatus) in the Caatinga Biome. We tape-recorded a single individual from the Serra das Confusões National Park in southern Piauí in March 2013. This record represents a range-extension of ~390 km from the nearest site in western Bahia, and highlights the likelihood of further major ornithological discoveries from this region that still remains poorly inventoried.


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Why is there a living, breathing cow on your front porch?
This is drunk me apologizing to sober me in advance.. I am sprry about you're trashed house. Mom an dad will be home by 5 so get up and clean. P.s. Mike is in the closet passed out.
tonight lets celebrate not being married
You're such a slut.
I prefer opportunist.
I feel like college is just one giant drunken trip to Taco Bell
I'm hiding behind a bush in mens clothing next to a ducks crossing sign. There are joggers. Please hurry.
I'm too hungover to be in a fucking cow suit right now
What would you have done with a 40 foot neon parrot anyway?
Best feeling in the world? holding your pee all day for a negative preggo test
That's ok. Our relationship has a solid foundation of booze and questionable behavior.
her sex was completely horrible but her weed was great. imma ask her out again
Come on... In this relationship-economy, you gotta have "awesome blowjobs" on your resume.
my mom said i couldn't bring cigarettes cause it was a family trip, which was really irresponsible of her because now i have to walk around the beach drunk trying to find someone with cigarettes.
dude! the alphabet song and twinkle twinkle little star are like the same tune
what drug did you take to come to that conclusion??


text: Just bought the new droid yesterday. I was on the LG Dare for the past 1.5yrs but got sick of seeing so many friends on the iphone w/ all the "coolness"....but i boycotted AT&T 10 yrs ago & refuse to go back w/ them....so when the droid came out seemed like the closest thing on verizon to the iphone. Considering i've never owned an iphone or blackberry or android phone...this is a whole new confusing world for me. which the darn thing had an "end" button! lol Would love any tips & tricks for the newbs to andriod style phones. Thanks guys, Wagz


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Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Teatime Thoughts
What do you eat when you're hungry in the afternoon?
Eat something light a la crackers and tea or do you go for something heavier?
I'm always curious to know what others have for tea. What's the big deal you ask? Hmmm, I guess I'm quite a fan of the whole concept of English High Tea. Think scones with good tea or coffee. What I do know is, that I am not in England; though I desperately wish I was. Most locals usually settle for warm pandan accented eighty-cents waffles from those simple Chinese bakeries, have kaya toasts with half-boiled eggs with a liberal amount of dark soya sauce and pepper or they have 'pau' (buns), and heck, some go full on and get carrot cake.
Singapore is so food-friendly that it's hard not to want to eat anything and everything at first sight. Perhaps that's why the habit of an official 'tea' time is not so rampant. Most of the time, we just put this and that in our mouth whenever we feel like it, eradicating the need for a sit-down tea session. At least this is what I've observed.
Usually when my friends want to meet up with me mid-day, it never starts with "Let's meet for tea!". Instead, (no prizes for guessing) the choice word here is, yes, expectantly, "coffee". Is it because of our culture? Do Singaporeans drink more coffee than tea? I doubt so. I do know a fair number of people who love their tea, down to the very last diluted drop.
Whether is it coffee or tea, I think the afternoon snack time is kinda celebrated in a simple way here. Okay, not always. Those who prefer some posh nosh usually go for high teas at hotels and restaurants. haha i'm not so privileged to go for these that often but when I do, I savour each nibble with patience and suddenly, I'm like "whoa, this canape looks so delicate" and I would be wondering how they put it together - and it's always a guess-what-ingredient moment.
Yea, that makes me out to be quite the greenhorn eh? I'm not afraid to admit that I'm always learning. It's this curiousity that perhaps pushes me to step out of boundaries and venture into new challenges.. Now now, that's why I bake bread even when I know I would probably suck at it because of the lack of experience. Hey, we all start somewhere don't we? :p
Seriously, if there's anything you take out of reading my humble food blog, let it be this: if you want to succeed, you've got to set your mind on it, pursue it wholeheartedly and let the outcome speak for itself. Don't ever let the fear of failure stop you in your tracks. It's all about the pursuit, not the end. So what if your cake doesn't rise or you have cookies as hard as a rock? That just calls for another try. Trust me, I've had my fair share of burnt cakes, hard bread and alot of other indescribable messes. When that happens, I persevere even harder. I think one should live life this way as well.
How about you imagine it this way... Here are some canapes:
Don't you think it looks gorgeous? Let me tell you, it tastes better than it looks. The smoked salmon dissolves in your mouth, and the sliced baguette? It's crisp and tasty.
Now now, how about you take a look at something sweet:
These cakes might be small but they pack a punch. They look like pieces of art and the moment they entered my mouth, I was like "Mmmmm...." It was that good.
Yes yes... I think canapes sometimes make for better yum than an entire full blown meal. I'm sure I don't have to explain why. So many different tastes for different palettes and it's all about the quality not the quantity anyway.
So, what has canapes - good looking and delicious tasting canapes have anything to do with what I've been talking about?
Let me put it this way. What you've seen are only a fraction of what the chefs have produced in the kitchen. I don't suppose you think that this was it? Those of you cooks out there would know what I'm talking about. Back in the kitchen, where the customer doesn't see what happens, well, it's chaos (most of the time, if not all). There's a mad rush to produce the dishes in record time. After all, everyone knows that it's not very fun to serve a cranky hungry patron.
So as I was saying, all these canapes look damn good. But hello... that's not reality.
You don't see what goes on! There are some that have been poorly assembled, and there are those which just suck - either the person did it wrongly, miss out an ingredient or worse (gasp!) dropped it on the floor. hahaa
My point being - just because you see something looking so pretty doesn't mean it took little effort. And sometimes it just takes longer for something to be that beautiful. I don't know about you, but this is the same way I see life.
I've had my fair share of ups and downs, highs and lows but I've always managed to pull through, simply because of my outlook. If you ask me, I'll just tell you I will never give up. I'm not a person who will throw in the towel because it's tough. I challenge the process. I am a passionate person and you need drive to ensure your passions are put across ideally.
The same thing goes for baking and cooking. I am admirable of chefs who've made it big but I also know that it came with a huge amount of effort and dedication.
Remember my online bakery dream and all? Been seriously thinking about it with one of my very close friend. She and I are determined to provide you dear readers of mine with something a little quirky, personal and original. Let me put it this way, you'll know it's us when you see it. Haha. I'm not saying anything more. It's all in the works.
Meanwhile, thank you for all your support and I'll let you know when my bake sale starts.. which ahem, is soon..
Here's an entire tier of canapes and yummy treats for your eyes:
Oh, in case you were wondering, this high tea was provided by The Fullerton for an event at the National Museum. My cousin was performing and we (Krys and I) went there to support him. :0)
3 comments:
- :: Pastry Girl :: said...
yummy! Your photographs are always good looking..envy!
Come equinox to where I am working at, the high tea is not too bad too..and the view is majestic. :p imagine sitting by the window panel on the 69th storey.
- Wednesday, April 25, 2007 11:12:00 PM
actually i've plans for online bakery too. but first, mastering my baking skills.
- Thursday, April 26, 2007 5:28:00 PM
for a relaxed afternoon tea at home..try some crackers with brie and australian dates coupled with a cup of tea, it work wonders too!
- Saturday, April 28, 2007 9:55:00 AM
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Surprise, surprise…a sampler quilt with no clearly defined fabric requirements. This is an excellent project to dig into your stash. Here's the fabric selections I picked out:
Aqua selections: 6 1/2 yard fabric cuts, 5 fat quarters, and a handful of charm squares
Coral selections: 7 1/2 yard cuts, a fistful of charm squares and some leftover binding strips from another project .
Neutral selections: I'll be using natural linen in most of my blocks and for the sashing, plus I have 4 other 1/2 yard cuts and a couple of neutral charms to throw into the bunch.
Yellow selections: 7 1/2 yard cuts, 5 fat quarters, and of course…a few more charms to boot!
Be sure to post your fabric selections to the Flickr group! Enjoy!


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Keep your baby girl warm as the temperature dips, thanks to this waistcoat from Absorba. Made from faux ecru sherpa fur and lined with star printed cotton, it is secured with wooden buttons for a perfect fit. Pair this sleeveless jacket with a skater dress and pumps for a cute ensemble.
For our full range of TShirts visit SportsDirectNorway
- Vest
- 100% Polyester - Lining: 100% Cotton
- Machine Wash 30°C
- Not suitable for dry clean
For our full range of TShirts visit SportsDirectNorway
Product code: AB8200


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"The Old South" – USA Southern States Tour
Since we live in this region of the country, it is easier for us to calculate a super deal and pass it on to you.
Tour Dates and Price
Not on the schedule in the moment, please ask for group or self guided reservation
$Per Rider in sharing room
- 6 Motorcycle drivers
- Plus $ 545.- Single room occupancy
- Tour guides in front on a motorcycle and a van
- Air Fare is not included in the tour price
- Changes can occur
$Per Passenger in sharing room
- 6 Motorcycle drivers
- Plus $ 545.- Single room occupancy
- Tour guides in front on a motorcycle and a van
- Air Fare is not included in the tour price
- Changes can occur
What you'll experience on this tour – Itinerary
Day 1 – New Orleans, Louisiana
We provide transport from the Airport to the Hotel and welcome you in New Orleans.
Day 2 – New Orleans to Natchez
This is our first day riding the motorcycles! We will leave New Orleans following the Mississippi River along Highway 61. Our route continues through Baton Rouge and onto our destination of historic Natchez. The River Bridge and old houses of the gentry define the character of the city of Natchez since the 18th century.
Day 3 – Natchez to Vicksburg, Mississippi to Tunica / Memphis, Tennessee
We will continue on Highway 61 in the direction of Memphis. (This part of Highway 61 is more famous than Route 66!) "The Highway of Music" will guide us along our way to the Hollywood Café in Tunica. As per your wishes, we will decide upon our evening activities during our stay in Memphis.
Day 4 – Memphis to Nashville Tennessee
We will begin our morning with a visit to Elvis' Graceland. We will continue on with our tour via the Natchez Trace Parkway to Nashville, the Music City of the USA.
Day 6 – Nashville to Lynchburg to Chattanooga
As we ride deeper into Tennessee we will arrive at Lynchburg. Somehow that name sounds familiar, right? Yes, of course, it's on the Jack Daniels' bottle. The tour of the Distilleries is very interesting. Afterwards we will determine if Jack Daniels is meant to weaken the burn of Coca Cola. From Lynchburg, we will continue along beautiful stretch of the highway towards our day's goal onto the city of Chattanooga. The well known song "Chattanooga Choo Choo" describes the famous Chattanooga train. We will visit the German version of the Choo Choo…… the Volkswagen factory.
Day 7 – Chattanooga to Dragon's Tail 11 Miles / 318 Curves to Dahlonega, Georgia
And now we will travel a motorcyclist's paradise, known as "The Dragon's Tail." This wonderful stretch of roadway is not your average 11 miles. It is a fantastic stretch of 11 miles (the longest in the world) with 318 curves for your riding pleasure. Dahlonega is a town that has kept its charm since the gold-rush days, an absolute secret for us "Bikers."
Day 8 – Dahlonega to Atlanta, Georgia
Just a short 100 kilometers drive, to one of American's impressive cities, and we arrive at Atlanta; the metropolis of the South. We chose this short drive so you can become acquainted with the culture of the Old South as well as Coca Cola, Olympia and Martin Luther King. Atlanta's dramatic history is well known to USA citizens. Martin Luther King fought against the oppression of the Blacks.
Day 9 – Atlanta to Pensacola / Gulf Coast of Florida
We will leave the Deep South and begin our trip in the direction of the Gulf Coast. Our home town of Pensacola will be our destination today. We would like to show you around our town. We will end the day with a fine dinner of fresh fish and drinks. Why not taste-test the fresh oysters?
Day 10 – Pensacola to New Orleans, Louisiana
Early in the morning we will travel along one of the most beautiful coast roads in the USA. We will cross Mobile Bay via ferry, accompanied by Pelicans, to our goal of the day – Biloxi, the little "Las Vegas" of the Mississippi. If you like, take a little time to gamble and then share your winnings with your tour guides. 😉 Then, we will continue onto the final destination of our Tour; through the Bayou and the Marshlands back to New Orleans.
Day 11 – New Orleans
We will return the motorcycles before noon to the Eagle Rider garage. In the evening we will gather the tour guests together to celebrate our adventure and share our unforgettable memories.


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NDIS Services
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) started rolling out across South East Queensland on 1 January 2017; the NDIS commenced in the Brisbane region on 1 July 2018.
Kyabra NDIS Services
Kyabra offers a range of supports and services as a registered NDIS Provider, and we work alongside NDIS participants to ensure their goals are being met.
Support Worker Services
Kyabra Support Workers provide flexible one to one support to meet the need of the individual and/or the family who are requiring support. Our workers work with individuals with a range of disabilities from all age groups.
Support Coordination
If your plan includes Support Coordination, a Kyabra Support Coordinator can help you strengthen your ability to implement and manage the supports and services in your plan.
You can access the NDIS price guide here
Our friendly and knowledgeable NDIS team can help you and your family prepare for the NDIS.
You can contact us on 07 3373 9499 or email us at email@example.com


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Poem entitled: "Deaf"
Alexandra, Deaf Canadian, wrote this poem "Deaf." Robin, Deaf Canadian, filmed Alexandra singing the poem. I think that is nice to show both simplified ASL and English in the poem.
By Alexandra
I was born to be Deaf
You were born to be Hearing
Everyone was born to be Human
We are all human, we have a different
Personality, looks and we still are human
I Am Deaf but I am no different from you
I have eyes like you
I have mouth like you
I have Hands like you
And I am proud to be deaf
When they try talk to me
When it went wrong
They never try again
We might be deaf but we don't bite
You can hear and I cannot
It will not bring me down
You will not bring me down
Because we can do it
When you put us down
We will stand up
We will shout that we can do it
If you can do it then we can do it
Everyone have strength and weakness
Every one is different
Every one is human
Nobody is perfect
Every day we make mistake and you do too
Every day we learn, we change, we move forward
We have feeling
We felt left out
We felt love
We felt angry
We felt joy
We felt what you felt
I am Deaf
I am not shamed
I am Proud
We are proud to be deaf
Nothing will bring us down
Genre: Poetry
Language: American Sign Language, with English subtitles
Runtime: 1:19
Source: YouTube – SuroalGals
Poem entitled: "Why LIAR does that?"
I found an old poem from the file. I wrote this poem that was 5 years ago.
Why LIAR does that?
LIAR covers his mistakes up
LIAR cannot admit his mistakes
Why LIAR does that
LIAR tends to lie all the time
LIAR refuses to be honest
LIAR cannot be honest
Why LIAR does that
LIAR tends to lie all the time
LIAR hides his dark secrets
LIAR cannot deal with his dark secrets
Why LIAR does that
LIAR tends to lie all the time
LIAR creates false rumors
LIAR cannot live without the false rumors
Why LIAR does that
LIAR tends to lie all the time
LIAR hides his bad reputation
LIAR cannot clean up his bad reputation up
Why LIAR does that
LIAR tends to be lie all the time
LIAR destroys a fact
LIAR cannot accept the fact
Why LIAR does that
LIAR tends to be lie all the time
LIAR loves to lie about everything
LIAR cannot change his habit
LIAR knows why he does that
That is a pathological LIAR
© 2003, Robs
My friend's poem entitled: The Protest at Gallaudet University
I post a poem written by my friend Shannon Kapp. Hope you enjoy reading!
The Protest at Gallaudet University
The Protest at Gallaudet University,
Flame has been flamed,
You can feel the beat of the people,
Demanded to be heard and seen,
Yelling two demands!
That must be fulfilled.
So many of us,
We want the best of Gallaudet University!!!
Yes, we may be arrested,
Ignored, oppressed or even been lied to.
But our spirit cannot be shattered.
There are so many people
Around the world.
Supporting our protest,
From California to New York,
Even different countries,
As well as Faculty, Staff, Student and Alumni
The protesters may be arrested,
But Administrators forget,
Still, because there are so many people out there supporting,
Our mascot, the Bison!
Bison is meaning of strength and unity.
We are united and expand our strength!
Unity for Gallaudet!
The Spirit lives within us,
That cannot be replaced
Or even removed.
The story lives with us in time without end.
That must be passed to generations to generations.
Representing the true colors inside of Gallaudet.
Our voices will not be erased,
Listen to one voice out there.
Unity for Gallaudet!
By Shannon Kapp
October 13, 2006
Poem entitled: Farewell to My Friend
I wrote this poem, and I decided to dedicate this blog to Keri Wilson. She is leaving Austin to her hometown Houston due to her new job!
Farewell to My Friend
Farewell, farewell my friend
Remember all the good times
Such happy times together
Oh how much the joy!
Farewell, farewell my friend
Remember even the bad times
We were sad together
No matter how great the pain!
Farewell, farewell my friend
Remember all the good times
We laughed together
Oh how much fun!
Farewell, farewell my friend
Remember even the bad times
We did argue together
No matter how many mistakes!
Farewell, farewell my friend
Remember both of good and bad times
We do share memories
Hope we never forget our past!
Farewell, farewell my friend
What else can I say?
I cannot believe it's time to go
I know deep in my heart we'll see each other again!
© 2006, Robs


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It may not surprise you to know that Ubisoft's presentation at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles included its annual, lengthy musical tie-in to its annual Just Dance franchise. But we also got updates on its popular shooters and time-stabbing Assassin's Creed franchise. So it wasn't just dancing.
Fans who are low on time or just wanted to skip the talking and get straight to gameplay footage and trailers can check out all of our coverage from the event below.
Beyond Good & Evil 2
After the dancing stopped, Ubisoft gave people what they came for with some new info on the long awaited Beyond Good & Evil 2. A cinematic trailer revealed that the protagonists of the original game, Pey'j and Jade, were making their return, but the latter may not be as heroic as we're used to.
We also discovered that the developer is teaming up with Joseph Gordon Levitt's collaboration platform Hit Record to bring fan-created content into the game.
Rainbow Six: Siege
The creators of the squad-based shooter announced that the game has brought in over 35 million players.
Trials: Rising
We got a look at the next entry in the skill-based motorbike racing series. Trials: Rising will be out in February 2019.
The Division II
The postapocalyptic team shoot-and-loot title is getting a major upgrade for the sequel: eight-player raids. The developer also showed off a snapshot of the upcoming seasonal content, all of which will be free.
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
We already knew that Donkey Kong was coming to help Mario and the Rabbids take turns fighting evil. But now we know when. The expansion DLC will launch June 26.
Skull & Bones
Fans of pillaging found out where they'll be setting sail. The online pirate sim will take place in the Indian Ocean. Buccaneers will get their shot at all the treasure their holds can carry next year.
This creepy, virtual reality title from Ubisoft and Elijah Wood's production company, Spectervision is coming out this fall to scare players directly in their faces.
Starlink: Battle for Atlas
Ubisoft's getting in on making virtual worlds that play with real-world toys with this adventure title. And the Switch version will come with a special bonus. Star Fox and his Arwing will be playable.
For Honor
For Honor is getting a few notable updates. First, Imperial Chinese armies are coming to join the fight on October 16 in an expansion called Marching Fire. It's also receiving a 4-on-4 castle siege mode called Breach.
Assassin's Creed: Odyssey
We expected to hear more about how the time-stabbing series would approach its upcoming entry in Ancient Greece, and Ubisoft delivered. Odyssey will let players choose between a male and female hero, and it's expanding on the shift to role-playing that Origins started last year. We also got a glimpse of a minotaur in the trailer, so it's possible the series is breaking from the historical accuracy it's gone for throughout.
Keep checking back for our coverage at E3 all week.