text:
General Contest Rules
Big Country 97.1 KVRP
The following rules apply in all contests or promotions sponsored by KVRP-FM, which is owned and operated by Allied Broadcasting. By participating in any such contests or promotions, listeners agree to be bound by these rules. In addition, particular contests or promotions may have rules that are specific to those contests or promotions. If the particular rules for a specific contest or promotion conflict with the following general rules, the particular rules will control.
General Rules
Only one winner per household per 15 days.
Prize winners must be at least 18 years old, unless otherwise specified.
KVRP-FM reserves the right to substitute prizes of equal or greater value; winners do not have any right to substitution of prizes.
Prizes must be claimed by the winners, and are not transferable.
Where a prize consists of tickets for a sporting event, music concert, movie, play or similar event, KVRP-FM will not be responsible for cancellation. In that event, the winner must deal exclusively with the promoter of the event.
KVRP-FM makes no warranties regarding the safety, condition, or fitness of any prizes awarded, and will not be responsible for any loss, damage or injury suffered by a winner through the use of any awarded prize.
Winners are solely responsible for all taxes, duties, or other costs that may be associated with the winning of a prize. Completion of an IRS Form 1099 may be required to award the prize.
Particular contests may limit eligibility to persons of a certain age, who live in a given geographic location, or who work in a particular job, by way of example. Contestants are responsible for determining whether such eligibility limitations apply to a particular contest or promotion.
In its discretion, KVRP-FM may require winners to sign a release form in order to receive the prize. In such a case, the winner will not be entitled to receive the prize without signing the release.
Employees, their families, and affiliated businesses of other radio stations and media outlets are not eligible to win KVRP-FM contests.
Winners must claim prizes within 30 days of notification that they have won. Prizes not so claimed will become the property of KVRP-FM and may be redistributed.
KVRP-FM will not be responsible for mail that has been lost, damaged or delayed.
Employees of Allied Broadcasting and their immediate families, are not eligible to participate in any contests or promotions sponsored by KVRP-FM.
Unless specific contest rules provide otherwise, all prizes consisting of trips must be taken within one year of the award. Otherwise, the prize will be forfeited.
Winners of prizes consisting of trips or travel must book such trips at least 60 days in advance unless otherwise noted.
Unless specific contest rules provide otherwise, prizes consisting of trips may not be booked for holiday travel.
Contests and promotions are subject to all federal, state and local laws.
Winners consent to allow KVRP-FM to use their voice and likeness for promotional purposes.
The interpretation of these and all other rules relating to contests or promotions sponsored by KVRP-FM is reserved exclusively KVRP-FM. Its decisions shall be final.


text:
Testing The Different Ubuntu 10.04 Kernels: The release of Ubuntu 10.04 LTS "Lucid Lynx" is quickly approaching next month and it will arrive with a whole set of new features and improvements including a faster boot process, a long-awaited new theme, the Nouveau driver to replace the crippled xf86-video-nv driver, the unveiling of the Ubuntu One Music Store, integration of Plymouth, Ubuntu ARM advancements, and many other advancements for this Linux distribution. While it may not be as exciting as looking at these new end-user features, in this article we are testing out the available kernels for Ubuntu 10.04. Besides the standard Linux 2.6.32 kernel used in the Lucid release, there is also a specialized server kernel as well as a new -preempt kernel is now available. We are looking at how these different kernels perform and how they compare to the mainline Linux kernels with the 2.6.32, 2.6.33, and 2.6.34-rc1 releases.
Copyright © 2023 by Phoronix Media. All rights reserved.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
PCUSA Assembly OKs Lifting Gay Ordination Ban
Leaders in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) narrowly voted Thursday to open ordination to partnered homosexuals.
This is the fourth time since 1997 that the General Assembly, the highest legislative body, has attempted to remove the ban against noncelibate gay and lesbian clergy. Each time, the measure was rejected by the denomination's presbyteries.
A majority vote from the 173 presbyteries is required to ratify the overture.
Following the 373 to 323 vote on Thursday, General Assembly moderator Cynthia Bolbach said in a press conference that the action they took "is just part of an ongoing conversation Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has been having for the past 15 years" or so.
Bolbach, who supports the "full inclusion" of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) persons, drew parallels between the debate on homosexual ordination and the debate from 70 years ago on women leaders.
She noted that society has now moved on to pretty much full inclusiveness while the church continues to try to decide how it feels about the role of gays and lesbians in ordained leadership.
Currently, the PC(USA)'s ordination standard states:
"Those who are called to office in the church are to lead a life in obedience to Scripture and in conformity to the historic confessional standards of the church. Among these standards is the requirement to live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman, or chastity in singleness. Persons refusing to repent of any self-acknowledged practice which the confessions call sin shall not be ordained and/or installed as deacons, elders, or ministers of the Word and Sacrament."
The overture that presbyteries – regional bodies – will be considering for final approval over the next year would replace the fidelity and chastity standard with new language that contains no restrictions on behavior in regards to sexuality. It states:
"Standards for ordained service reflect the church's desire to submit joyfully to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all aspects of life. The governing body responsible for ordination and/or installation shall examine each candidate's calling, gifts, preparation, and suitability for the responsibilities of office. The examination shall include, but not be limited to, a determination of the candidate's ability and commitment to fulfill all requirements as expressed in the constitutional questions for ordination and installation. Governing bodies shall be guided by Scripture and the confessions in applying standards to individual candidates."
The overture was submitted by the Presbytery of Western Reserve in Ohio.
Theresa Denton, moderator of the Church Orders and Ministry Committee, said she does not view the amendment as lower standards but rather as higher ones.
"The standards that the governing bodies will be held to is to evaluate the totality of a candidate's life, to interview them and see what their gifts are, what their talents are, what their whole life is about rather than one aspect of their life and ... all of this to be done under the Lordship of Jesus Christ," she contended. "I think that is an incredibly high standard."
In another contentious issue, the 219th General Assembly voted that same night to maintain the definition of marriage as between "a man and a woman."


text:
PitzMaker – How to Download and Play on PC
In this article, we will be teaching you about PitzMaker – How to Download and Play on PC. We know exactly how it feels to play with a limited power source. Feeling the heat coming from your mobile devices. Well, maybe you are in the right place. We just created a simple guide on how you can play your favorite […]» Read more


text:
Ok, so I found electricboogalooo on Etsy, and this lady is funny! Nerdy sort of funny, which is usually the best sort of funny there is...
I LOVE her stuff.
Please check her product descriptions, I love this one (Shock and horrify your friends whose babies only know lame stuff like animal names!) Haha! Right?
Also follow her nerdy blog here.


text:
Went are those days and nights if we used to check with "Where you can Get a Snowboard?" The answer is simple – view your nearby ski go shopping. Sure you noticed it proper – nearby skiing retail outlet! Today there are many snowboarding outlets in the market as well as internet retailers. This might make your decision simpler for you to acquire a fresh snowboard.
What follows is a short evaluation between Neighborhood Stores and internet-based Stores which we have reviewed. Reading this evaluation it's for sure that you won't be requesting the issue, "Where You Should Buy A Snowboard?"
The Regional Snowboard Store:
Positive aspects: Local snowboard retailers whether big or small will always be staffed by snowboarders. These personnel have a whole understanding, have passion, and would not imagine going any additional mile to obtain customer happiness with regards to buying a snowboard. One of the best portions with regards to investing in a snowboard from neighborhood stores is that you build an excellent connection using the employees. There are numerous chances that they may keep in mind you if you go to the next time you will end up handled much more like a companion. So next time you go to them in case you have any difficulty with a guarantee or using the snowboard they would supply you with a noble treatment method and in addition, be ready to bat to suit your needs.
Negatives: There are certain kinds of retailers which only favor specific brands. The final result is unless you obtain the snowboard you are looking to purchase, you may both seek out another retail outlet or search for some swap brands. Everything depends upon how big the store preferred brands are sold at a very faster amount. You will find few or no retailers which offer a trial run. So, should you be looking for a demonstration inside a distinct go shopping before buying, you may have to appear someplace else.
Online Retailers:
Benefits: Purchasing a snowboard on the web is not for everybody unless, of course, you know what do you need you will certainly be mistaken for diverse price ranges online because the industry of the internet is apparently vast. The advantage of obtaining a snowboard online is you will be able to get your favorite snowboard easily even should it be been out of stock at the nearby shop. There are several online retailers available which offer numerous discount rates whereas some may even offer a wax tart touch before transporting it in your front door move. With regards to the net, you need to conduct research before purchasing online. You can search for retailers who offer free delivery and also offer package costs.
Disadvantages: Buying on the web is like taking a danger. In this article, you won't have the ability to physically see the product or service you purchased until it is actually transported to you personally and you will definitely not be able to see a demonstration either. Always be certain you get the snowboard from your respected company that not simply gives a guarantee and also provides correct professional services.
Inspired by: ezinearticles


text:
Marathon suspect asks to nix death penalty factor
Lawyers say death penalty unconstitutional
Lawyers for Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev say prosecutors shouldn't be allowed to argue that targeting the crowded athletic event is a factor a jury should consider when weighing the death penalty.
In a court filing Wednesday, Tsarnaev's lawyers argued that the decision to bomb the marathon shouldn't be an "aggravating factor" in determining punishment. The lawyers say it would be duplicative, because prosecutors also allege that Tsarnaev committed the offense after substantial planning to cause death and commit an act of terrorism.
His lawyers also filed a motion asking the judge to declare the federal death penalty unconstitutional.
Tsarnaev is awaiting trial in the 2013 bombing. Prosecutors allege he and his brother planted two bombs near the finish line, killing three people and injuring more than 260.


text:
Story highlights
Spain's annual Christmas lottery paid our $2.2 billion to thousands of winners
The biggest prize -- El Gordo -- was won by residents in Alcala de Henares
The lottery intake was $3.2 billion, but the government keeps 30%
Spaniards spent less on lottery tickets this year
In Spain's deep economic crisis, the lucky ones could hardly believe their good fortune on Saturday — holding a $26 share of a winning lottery ticket pays out a return of $528,000.
The country's annual Christmas lottery pays out this year $2.2 billion to thousands of winners, but those holding the winning number for the top prize – 76058 – for El Gordo, or "the fat one," reaped the biggest rewards, according to Spain's state-run lottery.
The first prize paid $950 million overall, or 43 percent of the total prizes, and most of "El Gordo" was won by some residents of the historic university town of Alcala de Henares, just east of Madrid, the lottery administration said.
There, in a working class neighborhood with public housing and many immigrants, Spanish media reported that champagne bottles were popping at the lottery office that sold many of the winning tickets.
Spaniards typically buy a share of a ticket, among friends or family, at the local bar or workplace, so the joy was spread around.
Is praying for a lottery win frowned upon? Depends on who you ask
A man in Alcala de Henares bought 10 shares – an amount known as a "full ticket," and now worth $5.2 million – and had given them away other family members. One recipient, the father of a young child, said he would try to buy a decent home and a car.
Another winner was a cafe owner who said he'd still probably open for business on Monday, after going to collect his earnings at the bank, Spanish media reported.
The second biggest prize mostly went to residents in the town of Aranda de Duero, north of Madrid. Numerous towns across the nation also got a piece of the action, and some portions of the top El Gordo prize were sold in 15 Spanish provinces.
But Spain's recession and the unemployment rate that tops 25% clearly had an impact on the lottery intake this year.
Spaniards spent 8% less on lottery tickets this year than last, with the average Spaniard laying out only $68 for lottery ticket shares, down from $73 last year, the lottery administration said.
The biggest winner is the state, which keeps $976 million, or 30% of the entire lottery intake, which reached $3.2 billion this year. The remaining 70% was distributed for prizes.
This was the last year that Christmas lottery winnings over $3,300 will be tax free. Next year, anyone winning $3,300 or more will see their good fortune taxed at 20 percent, making the cash-strapped Spanish government even a bigger winner.


text:
TRENTON, New Jersey (AP) — MTV's reality show "Jersey Shore" won't get a tax break from New Jersey because Gov. Chris Christie says the show hurts the state's image.
Christie on Monday blocked a $420,000 film credit that was approved for the show last week by the state Economic Development Authority.
The money was supposed to cover production costs for the hit reality series' inaugural 2009 season.
Christie suspended the film tax credit program in 2010 to close a budget deficit, but the 2009 season still qualified for the credit.
"I have no interest in policing the content of such projects," Christie said in a statement. "However, as chief executive I am duty-bound to ensure that taxpayers are not footing a $420,000 bill for a project which does nothing more than perpetuate misconceptions about the State and its citizens."
The show's production company, 495 Productions, based in Burbank, California, declined to comment. MTV spokeswoman Noelle Llewellyn said she wouldn't comment on the tax issue but wanted to reassure the show's fans. "'Jersey Shore' itself will not be affected," she said.
The Italian-American themed show centers on the cast living and partying along the beach and boardwalk in Seaside Heights. "Jersey Shore" has made stars of its cast — 20-somethings with nicknames like Snooki and The Situation — and tourist destinations of their haunts. But it's been bashed by officials who are sensitive about New Jersey's image since it debuted nearly two years ago.
Lawmakers have expressed outrage about the credit since the Statehouse Bureau of The Star-Ledger of Newark and The Record newspapers first reported on it earlier this month.
But New Jersey Policy Perspective, a liberal think-tank, says some of the anger may be misplaced: The group says other businesses are getting millions in tax credits through the Economic Development Authority and aren't necessarily bringing jobs to the state in return.


text:
Make sure you mark your calendars and get ready for Thor: The Dark World coming to theaters this November 8th!
Here's a little bit about the film:
Marvel's "Thor: The Dark World" continues the big-screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself. In the aftermath of Marvel's "Thor" and "Marvel's The Avengers," Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos...but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. To defeat an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor sets upon his most dangerous and personal journey yet, forced into an alliance with the treacherous Loki to save not only his people and those he loves…but our universe itself.


text:
Create a better returns experience for you and your customers with UPS Returns Pack and Collect. This unique, contract-only service is designed for your high-value product returns or repairs. With UPS Returns Pack and Collect, a UPS Driver collects a return the next business day and packs it using a specially designed box provided by UPS.
UPS Returns Pack and Collect delivers a concierge-like experience to your customers by providing hands-on assistance and state-of-the-art packaging while giving you more control over the return or replacement process.
You'll have more control over what is returned and when.
Gain a competitive advantage when you improve your returns process while reducing costs and timelines.
UPS Returns Pack and Collect offers two collection attempt options:
UPS tracking solutions show the progress of your shipment every step of the way, across town or around the world.
UPS tracking solutions show your shipment's progress, no matter the destination.
Remarkable services that go beyond shipping and tracking to help you expand your business.
Contract Logistics - Post Sales
Reverse Logistics - UPS's Parcel Return Service | UPS


text:
|The Disco movement of the 70s created a new genre that focuses on rhythm instead of mainly relying on vocals and melodies. Also, Glam Rock and Punk were pretty big in that period. Typical instruments for these genres are guitar, strings and drums.
60s 70s 80s 8Bit Ambient Beat Big Beat Blues Bollywood Brazil Breaks Chillout Cinematic Country Crunk Dance Dancehall Deep House Disco Downbeat Drum and Bass Dubstep Easy Listening Electro Electro House Folk Funk Garage Hard Techno Hip Hop House IDM Indie Instruments Jazz Latin Lounge Metal Minimal Nu Disco Pop Punk R&B Reggae Rock Score Music Soul Soundeffects Surf Tech House Techno Trance Urban Various World


text: After 8+ yrs of dealing with the pain and burning of MP, I still have no answers as to how to relieve the pain other than to manage it with medications, and avoid anything that makes the pain worse. For me, laying down increases that burning, searing pain ten fold so I'm still sleeping sitting up....ugh. There is a location on my hip where there is a large defect, as a result from where they took bone from the iliac crest to put in my neck at C5/6 and C6/7, that is so hypersensitive to touch that I have accidentally touched it and put myself in writhing pain. I think the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve, the iliohypogastric, ilioinguinal, and genitofemoral nerves (in my case, the nerves that I was told were involved) must drape across or close to where the defect in my hip bone is because of the amount of pain I experience when I tap it accidentally, or when I twist at the waist or stretch to reach something. Worst of all is when I lay down, that tugging, throbbing, searing pain starts to increase until I can no longer withstand it and sit back up. One would think that after 8 years of not laying down to sleep I would just give up hope of ever doing so again, but nooooooo....I miss being able to lay down soooo much that I still keep trying every so often in hopes that one day it won't put me in paralyzing pain.


text:
— -- French troops are headed to a remote area in Mali today to secure the site of Thursday's Air Algerie jet crash, the third major international aviation disaster in a week, after wreckage was found.
French President Francois Hollande said there were no survivors in the crash of the MD-83 aircraft, which disappeared from radar less than an hour after takeoff early Thursday from Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, for Algiers. The plane had requested permission to change course because of bad weather.
The jetliner –- owned by Spanish company Swiftair and leased by Algeria's flagship carrier -– had 110 passengers and six crew members on board.
Wreckage From Algerian Jetliner Found in Mali, Says Office of French President
Malaysia Airlines Plane Brought Down by Missile in Ukraine
Taiwan Airline Suspects Bad Weather Caused Crash
Speaking after a crisis meeting, Hollande also announced that one of the aircraft's two black boxes has been found in the wreckage, in the Gossi region near the border with Burkina Faso. It is being taken to the northern Mali city of Gao.
A French Reaper drone based in Niger spotted the wreckage, French Transport Minister Frederic Cuvillier told France-Info radio today. Two helicopter teams also overflew, noting that the wreckage was in a concentrated area.
A column of soldiers in about 30 vehicles were dispatched to the site, he said.
A statement early today from Hollande's office said the aircraft had been clearly identified "despite its state of disintegration."
France's interior minister said today that terrorism cannot be excluded as a cause for the tragedy, though it was likely because of bad weather.
French forces, stationed in Mali to help combat al Qaeda and tribal separatists, are tasked with securing the crash site and gathering information. Much of the region is desert, rugged and remote, with few roads and an average high temperature of 101 degrees this time of the year.
More than 50 French passengers were aboard the plane, the airline said. Other passengers hailed from Burkina Faso, Lebanon, Canada, Algeria, Luxemburg, Switzerland, Nigeria, Cameroon and Malia. The six crew members were Spanish.
News of the plane's disappearance came when Swiftair, the Spanish company that operated the plane, released a statement saying the plane had not arrived at its destination.
Transport Minister Jean Bertin Ouedraogo said the plane sent its last message around 9:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, asking Niger air control to change its route because of heavy rains in the area.
John Hansman, MIT professor of aeronautics and astronautics, said sand storms can be especially problematic for flight crews.
"Sand storms are really bad because the sand is ingested in the engines, and it can create a problem," Hansman said.
The flight path of Flight 5017 from Ouagadougou, the capital of the West African nation of Burkina Faso, to Algiers was not immediately clear.
Ouagadougou is in a nearly straight line south of Algiers, passing over Mali. Northern Mali has been the scene of firefights between the alliance of al Qaeda affiliated fighters and Tuareg separatists against French troops supporting the Mali government.
The crash of the Air Algerie plane is the latest in a series of aviation disasters.
In March, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared over the southern Indian Ocean with 239 people on board. No wreckage from the plane has been found. Last week, a Malaysia Airlines jetliner was shot down over a war-torn section of Ukraine, with U.S. officials blaming it on separatists firing a surface-to-air missile. On Wednesday, a Taiwanese plane crashed during a storm, killing 48 people.
While fliers are jittery about the tragedies, air travel remains relatively safe. There have been two deaths for every 100 million passengers on commercial flights in the last decade, excluding acts of terrorism.
Travelers are much more likely to die driving to the airport than stepping on a plane.
There are more than 30,000 motor-vehicle deaths in the U.S. each year, a mortality rate eight times greater than that in planes.
Jetliners such as the one that crashed in Taiwan and Mali are designed to survive storms, but pilots are supposed to fly around bad weather, MIT's professor Hansman said.
"Weather in and of itself shouldn't have been a problem in either of these accidents," he said, "but it's likely to be a combination of the weather and the pilots not being able to react to the weather."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Get real-time updates as this story unfolds. To start, just "star" this story in ABC News' phone app. Download ABC News for iPhone here or ABC News for Android here.


text:
Like pickpocketing, counterfeiting money may soon be a crime of the past. Researchers at the University of Sheffield have created a "colorless pigment" that creates rainbows and prevents replicability for use on money, passports, and other stuff you don't want copied.
Here's how the magical fraud-fighting rainbows are created: pigment-free polymer materials are combined in highly ordered layers to make alloys called block copolymers. These alloyed copolymers display intense color because of their structure. This structure draws on the expanding field of biomimcry: Just as iridescent beetle shells and butterfly wings exhibit multiple colors from different angles, these lab-synthesized layers can mimic the entire range of the rainbow by mixing copolymers in various proportions.
Using high-powered x-rays, scientists probed their pearlescent constructs to determine how the ordered layers were structured, and refine the rainbow colors they were able to produce. Of the breakthrough, Dr. Andrew Parnell from the University of Sheffield's Department of Physics and Astronomy said:
Our aim was to mimic the wonderful and funky colored patterns found in nature, such as Peacock feathers. We now have a painter's palette of colours that we can choose from using just two polymers to do this. We think that these materials have huge potential to be used commercially.
Apple MacBook Air Laptop
Powerful performance
The M1 chip delivers 3.5x faster performance than the previous generation all while using way less power. Get up to 18 hours of battery life.
In other words, ka-ching! Just, you know, for the scientists and not for the criminals. Unless they happen to have access to complex chemicals, laser facilities, and the original copolymer recipe.
All isn't lost for petty thievery, though: they'll still have money laundering.
via Physorg


text:
Only one more sleep until Christmas and I'm still wrapping gifts! Ho, ho… hope, I'll get ready in time. Perhaps, I should review my planning strategy for next year. Ah, well, maybe that's how it's supposed to be. At least, I enjoy wrapping presents. It relaxes me. I strongly believe that the wrapping is as important as the gift itself. So I try to get creative in my presentation —read: the wrapping should draw out Ohh's and Ahhh's. Just as dressing fashionably and socio-eco-friendly is a necessity to me I want my wrapping to be pretty without an environmental impact. See below some of the wrapping I have done this year. Hope these pictures and tips bring you inspiration for your last minute eco-friendly Xmas wrapping.
Reuse your old wrapping paper
Metallic paper is not an eco-friendly option (It contains plastics), but if you reuse the wrapping from the presents you've got last year you will reduce its environmental damage. Tied up with a colourful velvet ribbon and a nice pearl necklace found from a garage sale. Two gifts in one. Note: For small items, you can also reuse the packaging of a bag of chips. It's silver on the inside!
Use brown kraft paper
Kraft paper, newspaper, old calendar and map make up great alternatives for wrapping gifts. Decorate with twine, pine tree springs, berries and tassels.
Hunt for great ornements and materials in local stores
You can find lots of cute trinkets, vintage scarves, fabrics and jewelry to adorn your presents from your local thrift stores, vintage and artisan boutiques.
Support sustainable artists
Art materials can be highly toxic. But a substantial number of artists are now proactive about ameliorating their footprint. For example, they use materials without toxic pigments or hydrocarbons. We should support these artists as its for the benefit of us all. These Christmas tags are made by Lisa Lawrence of Lismore Paper. Lisa uses multi-media to create beautiful and functional art. Visit her Etsy shop. Her artwork will sure grab your attention.
Wrap your gifts with the remaining fabric of your sewing projects
This is a great way to use your leftover fabrics. Add some glamour to your wrapping with old Xmas decorations and gemstones from a broken piece of jewelry.
Adorn your package with treasures from Mother Nature
You can find in the forest lots of beautiful natural materials such as fir tree branches and pine cones. Give them a white coat or just a touch of white with an eco-friendly paint. They will bring a lovely rustic vibe to your gifts.
Decorate with old Christmas cards and craft stickers
Old post cards and Christmas cards give a very personal touch to your presents. Write your wishes directly on your package and do some doodles or add some fun stickers that you can get from your local scrapbooking store. This is a fun activity to do with your kids too. Bet they will enjoy helping you adorn your gifts. And they'll keep great memories of it as well. This is what Christmas is all about after all!
All Images by 3C Style
Merry Christmas everyone! Thank you so much for your support and kindness over the year. Wishing you all a season of peace filled with good times, good cheer and so much happiness. Hope you feel the love being sent your way. I'll see you again in 2019.
Let's stay connected: Bloglovin – Instagram @3cstyle_fashion
If you liked this post, you'll love these


text:
The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled unanimously that the authorities generally may not search the mobile phones of those they arrest unless they have a court warrant.
"Our answer to the question of what police must do before searching a cell phone seized incident to an arrest is accordingly simple—get a warrant," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote (PDF). It's perhaps the biggest digital-age privacy decision that the high court has rendered following its 2012 ruling that the authorities usually need warrants to affix GPS trackers to a suspect's vehicle.
The Obama administration and prosecutors from states across the country had lobbied the high court in briefs to allow police officers to be able to search arrestees' gadgets—not just mobile phones—without a warrant. The justices declined to do so, saying that "privacy comes at a cost."
"Modern cell phones, as a category, implicate privacy concerns far beyond those implicated by the search of a cigarette pack, a wallet, or a purse. A conclusion that inspecting the contents of an arrestee's pockets works no substantial additional intrusion on privacy beyond the arrest itself may make sense as applied to physical items, but any extension of that reasoning to digital data has to rest on its own bottom," the court ruled.
The court added: "Prior to the digital age, people did not typically carry a cache of sensitive personal information with them as they went about their day. Now it is the person who is not carrying a cellphone, with all that it contains, who is the exception."
The court suggested that it would not tolerate warrantless mobile phone tracking, either. The lower courts are mixed on whether the authorities need a warrant to track a suspect's every move.
... it is no exaggeration to say that many of the more than 90% of American adults who own a cell phone keep on their person a digital record of nearly every aspect of their lives—from the mundane to the intimate. See Ontario v. Quon, 560 U. S. 746, 760 (2010). Allowing the police to scrutinize such records on a routine basis is quite different from allowing them to search a personal item or two in the occasional case.
Although the data stored on a cell phone is distinguished from physical records by quantity alone, certain types of data are also qualitatively different. An Internet search and browsing history, for example, can be found on an Internet-enabled phone and could reveal an individual's private interests or concerns—perhaps a search for certain symptoms of disease, coupled with frequent visits to WebMD. Data on a cell phone can also reveal where a person has been. Historic location information is a standard feature on many smart phones and can reconstruct someone's specific movements down to the minute, not only around town but also within a particular building.
The justices, however, said that waiting for a judge to issue a warrant is not needed in every case if there are "exigent," or emergency, circumstances:
In light of the availability of the exigent circumstances exception, there is no reason to believe that law enforcement officers will not be able to address some of the more extreme hypotheticals that have been suggested: a suspect texting an accomplice who, it is feared, is preparing to detonate a bomb, or a child abductor who may have information about the child's location on his cell phone. The defendants here recognize—indeed, they stress—that such fact-specific threats may justify a warrantless search of cell phone data.
The justices ruled on two cases.
One concerned an accused Boston crack dealer sentenced to 22 years in prison following a 2007 arrest. The police suspected Brima Wurie was selling drugs from his vehicle, so they arrested Wurie, confiscated his phone, and reviewed his calling logs. According to court records, a call from "my house" repeatedly kept appearing on the phone's external screen. Once the cops opened the phone, they saw a picture of a woman holding a baby.
Authorities traced the "my house" number and suspected that the address was where a "hidden mother cache" of crack cocaine might have been stashed. Further, the "my house" address was different from the one Wurie supplied to police when he was arrested.
Police went to the "my house" residence and discovered the mailbox displayed Wurie's name. A woman the police saw through the apartment's window matched the phone's wallpaper picture, court records show. With a search warrant, the cops found a firearm, ammunition, marijuana, and crack cocaine inside the residence. Wurie challenged the search.
On appeal before a federal appellate panel, the defendant successfully claimed that the phone search was a breach of the Fourth Amendment. The precedent first established by the Supreme Court in 1914 that allowed warrantless searches of arrestees did not apply to electronic devices, Wurie argued.
The First US Circuit Court of Appeals agreed and tossed evidence discovered in the search, resulting in two of three charges being dismissed. The appeals court ruled that "the search-incident-to-arrest exception does not authorize the warrantless search of data on a cell phone seized from an arrestee's person."
The government appealed to the Supreme Court. Among other things, Solicitor General Donald Verrilli Jr. argued that the justices "should not deprive officers of an investigative tool that is increasingly important for preserving evidence of serious crimes based on purely imaginary fears that police officers will invoke their authority to review drug dealers'... 'appointments with marital counselors' or armed robbers' 'apps to help smokers quit.'" (Verrilli was citing examples lodged with the court by the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Center for Democracy and Technology.)
The government also argued that even if the justices were to disavow wanton gadget searches, the high court should at least allow the authorities to review a phone's calling logs. The high court did not bite and upheld the appellate court's ruling on Wednesday.
The other search case the justices decided Wednesday concerns a San Diego man, David Riley, who was pulled over for driving with expired tags in 2009. The college student was also operating a vehicle with a suspended driver's license. Riley was arrested, and when officers searched the Lexus he was driving, they discovered firearms concealed under the hood. The authorities also searched his Samsung Instinct M800 smartphone twice without warrants, once on the scene and again at the precinct.
Police discovered a picture taken by the phone of Riley posing with a gang member and a red Oldsmobile they believed was involved in an unsolved drive-by shooting. A ballistics test of the weapons seized from the Lexus concluded that at least one of them was used in the earlier gang shooting, according to the record.
Riley's first trial ended in a hung jury. But Riley was convicted on a retrial, without eyewitnesses, of shooting at an occupied vehicle, attempted murder, and assault with a semiautomatic weapon.
Prosecutors showed jurors the photo they seized from Riley's mobile phone. He was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison and appealed to the Supreme Court, which reversed his conviction.


text:
Heater History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The illustrious surname Heater finds its origin in the rocky, sea swept coastal area of southwestern England known as Cornwall. Although surnames were fairly widespread in medieval England, people were originally known only by a single name. The process by which hereditary surnames were adopted is extremely interesting. As populations grew, people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. Under the Feudal System of government, surnames evolved and they often reflected life on the manor and in the field. Lords and their tenants often became known by the name of the feudal territory they owned or lived on. Unlike most Celtic peoples, who favored patronymic names, the Cornish predominantly used local surnames. This was due to the heavy political and cultural influence of the English upon the Cornish People at the time that surnames first came into use. Local surnames were derived from where a person lived, held land, or was born. While many Cornish surnames of this sort appear to be topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees, many are actually habitation surnames derived from lost or unrecorded place names. The name Heater is a local type of surname and the Heater family lived in Devon. Their name, however, is derived from the Old English word heah, which means hill or raised land. [1]
Early Origins of the Heater family
The surname Heater was first found in Devon, where they held a family seat from ancient times. Early in their history the family branched to Cambridgeshire, where William Haytere was registered in the Assize Rolls of 1260. There was also registry of Reginald le Heytur in 1296. [2]
John Haytour was listed in Somerset 1 Edward III (during the first years of Edward III's reign.) [3]
Early History of the Heater family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Heater research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1540, 1687, 1706, 1726, 1611, 1684, 1611, 1628, 1632, 1634, 1702, 1762, 1702, 1728, 1760 and 1637 are included under the topic Early Heater History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Heater Spelling Variations
Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Hayter, Haiter, Haytor, Hater and others.
Early Notables of the Heater family (pre 1700)
Notable amongst the family at this time was Richard Hayter (1611?-1684), English theological writer, born about 1611, son of William Hayter, fishmonger, of Salisbury, Wiltshire. In 1628 he entered Magdalen Hall, Oxford, as a commoner, and graduated B.A. 26 April 1632, and M.A. 29 Jan. 1634. [4]
Thomas Hayter (1702-1762), was bishop successively of Norwich and London, baptised at Chagford, Devonshire...
Heater Ranking
In the United States, the name Heater is the 9,561st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [5]
An investigation of the immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Heater:
Heater Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
USS Arizona


text:
Let's begin way back this summer when the cabinets first arrived.
The island is a distressed grey/blue. I had planned all along to have an island that would read grey/blue depending on the lighting, but never planned for distressed. This is a custom house, but we still have to function within the confines of our builders options for the big things like cabinets. In order to get even close to the color I wanted, it was available only in this distressed finish. I do still really like it and am praying it doesn't date itself over the years, but only time will tell.
I also would've loved to have full-overlay cabinet doors (where all the doors are touching), but again we are working within builder options and our budget, so standard overlay it is.
When the cabinets were installed, we noticed a few things had been forgotten. The back of the blue/grey island was completely unfinished (and still is, you'll notice the orange color of it in most of these pictures). And the side panel to the fridge was missing.
It took several weeks, and a delay in placing some of the countertops, but those parts have finally arrived. You can see the quartz countertops installed on the right, and on the left still missing. That entire cabinet had to be replaced with one that included the fridge side panel which meant they couldn't measure for that piece of quartz until it was installed.
Let's back up for a second and talk about the island a bit more. We decided not to put our sink in the island like in our current house. The idea of having a large expanse of open space to work on was a huge draw in leaving it out, and this layout really lent itself to putting that farmhouse sink under the bank of windows. What you see here of the island is actually less than half of it's finished size. It's final measurement will be 6' 3" square.
There are legs to the island somewhere in the house that will soon hold the butcher block top that's waiting patiently for it's home.
We looked at traditional butcher blocks, you know the ones that are end-grain cut with tons of small pieces sandwiched together, and even got a quote to have one made. In the end they just weren't the look we wanted. We found a gentleman who does beautiful custom work locally and commissioned our island top. It's large, chunky pieces of wood, vs the much smaller, traditional butcher block look. We selected a wood from the many he had available, and it's a species we'd never even heard of before called Catalpa. This catalpa tree is actually one that fell down here in town (I'm told over by St. Francis Hospital for you locals). Our wood guy, Richard of Richard's Wood Shop has had it drying at his shop for God knows how long and worked his magic for us. We were able to stop by the shop and see it during some of the different phases.
It will not match our wood floors, but we're ok with that. We have a piece of locally grown history and were able to support a small business owner at the same time. And really, look at the grain!!
If you look closely in some of the pictures below, you can see the finished product sitting on the floor in front of the island. Still waiting on the trim carpenter to come back and do the install.
We have been very blessed to have a builder that allows us to tackle pretty much any design element we can think up. I know that's not the case with many builders, so trust me, we are counting our blessings! We have found some challenges in that though. I knew going into the building process that instead of upper cabinets, I wanted open shelving and wood beams in the kitchen. Unfortunately I didn't know that the framers needed this information very early on in the building process. I found this out when we already had sheetrock and the trim carpenter was ready to start.
See those cut outs of sheetrock in the picture below?
That's because the trim carpenter needed to add supports for my open shelving and he had to cut the sheetrock out and then replace it. Fortunately, on this side of the kitchen these walls will be covered in tile, so it wasn't necessary to re-mud the drywall after it was replaced.
On this side of the kitchen, I plan to have a chalkboard wall. We're still waiting for the finish mud job over here so that paint can be done.
Speaking of the open shelving. Here's an example of what it will look like. I contacted two different Etsy shops to purchase the steel shelf brackets before I thought to look locally. Wayne at KCE Industries had never made brackets like this before, but still whipped them out in less than two days and for half the price of both Etsy shops. Thanks Wayne!!! Richard, our wood guy, fabricated the shelves out of Ash. It's astounding how heavy they are, but they should look pretty fabulous.
|The Lettered Cottage
Most of the lighting is up now. We have can lights, island lights and lights for over the windows. The island lights are ones I found online but then got lucky on a trip to Kansas City to be able to purchase them local (also for cheaper than online!!) at The Painted Sofa.
The lights for above the windows were the first lights I picked out for the entire house. I picked the 20th Century Library Sconces from Restoration Hardware.
Once the tile is completely finished, I'll finally be able to see what these bad boys look like installed over the windows!
The tile is almost completed right now. We did have a slight hiccup when the installers grabbed the wrong bag of grout and grouted both full walls in black instead of grey. A few days and lots of scraping later, and we're back to grey. It's supposed to be finished sometime this week, so I'll share that later. For now, I'll leave you with some random pics of tile progression and some wider shots of the space.
Oh, the oven hood is in and waiting in a box. When the tile is done and the electricians come back it should go up. I think electricians install it???
Sorry for the dark iPhone pics. I haven't felt the need to bring my good camera over to take shots of the crazy construction zone yet. Again, when we get a bit closer to the finish line.
Hope you guys have a great rest of your week and we'll talk again soon!


text:
EFA Color Tempera 1.000 ml bottle, white
EFA Color colours make life more colorful. The assortment offers everything a child's heart desires, from finger paints and school paints to paint boxes for the kindergarten or school use and of course the matching accessories.
- Very good coverage
- Adheres to many surfaces
- Can be washed out of most textiles
- Available in 14 individual colours in bottle sizes of 500 ml and 1.000 ml or in various assorted sets
- The bottles are especially suited for the use in kindergarten and school
- Bottle of 1.000 ml
- Colour: white


text:
Biological Sciences Division
Staff Awards & Honors
February 2010
PNNL Postdoc Wins DOD Breast Cancer Fellowship Award
Congratulations to Dr. Hongjun Jin, a biochemistry postdoctoral fellow at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, who recently won a U.S. Department of Defense postdoctoral fellowship for breast cancer research. In this 3-year, $250K project, he will determine post-translationally modified biomarkers for the early detection of breast cancer. The research will further strengthen PNNL's protein microarray platform.
Thousands of top breast cancer postdoctoral researchers from across the U.S. applied for this fellowship, out of which 43 were recommended for funding. Jin, who joined PNNL in 2008, received his Ph.D. in biochemistry from Texas A&M University and bachelor's degrees in Radiochemistry and Medicine from Lanzhou University and Bejing University of Chinese Medicine, respectively.


text:
Story highlights
NEW: President Obama says critics always wrong with dire predictions
Administration officials say it will build jobs, benefit the economy
The regulations will prevent up to 6,600 premature deaths, the EPA says
Plan will cost up to $8.8 billion annually but bring benefits worth $55-$93 billion, EPA says
For decades, U.S. climate change policy amounted to a hypocrisy associated with bad parenting: "Do as I say, not as I do."
That began to change Monday when President Barack Obama's administration announced its boldest step yet to reduce the nation's biggest source of pollution blamed for global warming – carbon emission from power plants.
A proposed new Environmental Protection Agency rule would reduce such emissions 30% by 2030, compared to the levels in 2005.
The move announced by EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy was intended to show the world that the United States would walk the climate change talk, and establish Obama's environmental legacy as he enters the final third of his presidency.
"For the sake of our families' health and our kids' future, we have a moral obligation to act on climate," McCarthy said. "When we do, we'll turn risks on climate into business opportunity. We'll spur innovation and investment, and we'll build a world-leading clean energy economy."
Obama later made a similar case in a conference call with the American Lung Association, noting that power plant pollution contributes to asthma and other diseases suffered by American kids, especially black and Latino youngsters.
"This beautiful blue ball in space"
"This is something that is important for all of us," he said, urging support for efforts to work together to help protect "this beautiful blue ball in the middle of space there we're a part of."
The announcement, expected for months, prompted immediate protests from the energy industry, Republicans and some Democrats from coal and oil states who complained the proposed EPA rules would harm the economy and raise energy prices.
"All the major legislative and regulatory proposals to combat global warming kill jobs and disproportionately hurt lower income people and minorities," the conservative National Center for Public Policy Research argued in a list of "top 10 reasons Washington should not impose new global warming laws or regulations."
Nonsense, Obama shot back, noting how similar warnings always greeted major environmental progress in the past, but eventually proved untrue.
"What we've seen every time is that these claims are debunked when you actually give workers and business the tools and incentive they need to innovate," he said, citing previous government moves against air pollution and acid rain.
Carbon pollution that increased dramatically since the industrial revolution of the 19th century corresponds to the warming of the global climate, and scientists predict rising oceans, volatile weather patterns, changing agriculture zones and other impacts in coming decades that will affect everyone on the planet and require an increasing percentage of national budgets to prevent catastrophic results.
Energy industry campaign
A multimillion-dollar campaign backed by the energy industry has sought to debunk the science of climate change, but polls show most Americans believe the planet is warming.
Almost a third of America's carbon emissions comes from electricity generation, and the proposed EPA rules announced Monday would give states a variety of options to meet the goal of an overall 30% reduction in such pollution by 2030.
Some of the ideas already being used include improving energy efficiency at plants, changing how long they operate each day and increasing alternative energy sources such as wind and solar production.
EPA officials concede some of the dirtiest power plants now operating, such as older coal-fired plants, will end up shuttered as the nation shifts its reliance from traditional fossil fuel sources to cleaner alternatives.
Coal supplied 37% of U.S. electricity in 2012, compared to 30% from natural gas, 19% from nuclear power plants, 7% from hydropower sources such as dams and 5% from renewable sources such as wind and solar, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
By 2030, just over 30% of U.S. electricity will come from coal and about the same amount from natural gas, with wind, solar and other alternative sources providing about 9%, according to the EPA officials who spoke to reporters on Monday on the condition of not being identified.
According to the EPA, the proposed new rules would reduce carbon pollution by the same amount as removing two-thirds of all cars and trucks form American roads.
It put the cost as high as $8.8 billion a year, but noted health gains such as fewer premature deaths and respiratory diseases along with other benefits would be worth tens of billions of dollars to the U.S. economy.
Higher costs or more opportunity?
While critics contend the EPA rules will mean higher electricity costs, Obama and members of his administration argued the transformation to a more energy efficient power sector would bring lower electricity bills in the future.
For Obama, another key motivation is to give the United States standing to pressure emerging economies in China, India and other countries to also adopt cleaner energy policies.
Until now, U.S. calls for all players to participate in global climate change agreement went unheeded because developing countries argued America and other industrialized powers got rich while polluting, and now they should have the same chance to develop.
At home, enemies of climate change legislation complained any U.S. steps would be meaningless, putting America at a disadvantage for policies that would do little on their own to reduce overall global emissions.
White House spokesman Jay Carney told CNN on Monday that in order to get the kind of global buy-in necessary to achieve the kind of overall cuts in carbon emissions required to make a difference, the United States "has to lead, first of all, and this is an indication that the United States will lead on this very important challenge posed by climate change and global warming."
The EPA will hold a public comment period and then revise the proposal over the next year. Under the proposed rule, states would have until June 30, 2016, to submit plans for achieving the reduced emissions target.
States that need more time can submit an initial version by that date and explain the need for more time, with a final version due one or two years later, "as appropriate," the proposed rule says.
"This is something we put off"
According to the EPA , the regulation will "reduce pollutants that contribute to the soot and smog that make people sick by over 25 percent." The agency projects the reductions will avoid 2,700 to 6,600 premature deaths and 140,000 to 150,000 asthma attacks in children.
"This is something we can't put off, and the President deserves huge credit for making this his legacy," said David Doniger of the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Opponents were equally effusive in their condemnation.
"The administration has set out to kill coal and its 800,000 jobs," Sen. Mike Enzi said in the GOP weekly address Saturday. The Chamber of Commerce, a business federation, estimated the new regulations will cost the economy $50 billion a year.
Obama's move could affect competitive Senate races in coal industry states such as Kentucky, North Carolina and Colorado at a time when Democrats are trying to keep control of the upper chamber.
"By imposing these draconian new rules on the nation's coal industry, President Obama and every other liberal lawmaker in Washington who quietly supports them is also picking regional favorites, helping their political supporters in states like California and New York while inflicting acute pain on states like Kentucky," said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who is facing a re-election battle in November in the Bluegrass State. "The impact on individuals and families and entire regions of the country will be catastrophic, as a proud domestic industry is decimated — and many of its jobs shipped overseas."
Some Democrats doubting
Some Democrats from fossil fuel states who face tough re-election battles, such as Sens. Mary Landrieu in Louisiana and Mark Pryor in Arkansas, expressed concern Monday with the proposed EPA rule but stopped short of condemning outright the need to address rising carbon emissions.
Democratic Sen. Jean Shaheen of New Hampshire, who also has a tough re-election challenge from former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, took her own regional approach to the matter, saying the EPA rule was needed to balance regulation of power plants.
"For too long, the Midwest has been allowed to lag behind New Hampshire and other New England states in addressing carbon pollution," she said, referring to acid rain regulations that affected her region. "The draft EPA rules will get Midwest power plants to do what power plants in New England have already done and will decrease the air pollution that moves from the Midwest to our states."
Shaheen added that "we are already seeing the impact of climate change in New Hampshire, threatening many of our traditional industries and the health of our children," saying she would "carefully review the proposed EPA rules to ensure they protect New Hampshire, but the time for national action is long overdue."
Robert Redford: Take the path to clean energy
Opinion: Cleaner air will help save planet
CNN's Holly Yan, Kevin Liptak, and Mary Grace Lucas contributed to this report.


text:
Last week it was the Psych department chair's triple negative.
This week it's a dean's … Well. Couple of things.
She's responding to a reporter's question about the man who committed suicide a few days ago on the steps of Memorial Church on Harvard's quad.
"It's really sad, it was horrible, and these kinds of incidents affect all of us really negatively," Dean of the College Evelynn M. Hammonds said in an interview yesterday. "This campus is situated in an urban context, and we can't control these kinds of things."
You tell me why there are Little Icks within Little Icks in these statements.


text:
Additional information
|3 lbs
The Lowest Prices on Cheap Mini Blinds. WHITE-CORDLESS
If you?re looking for the best price for good quality cordless vinyl mini blinds, you?re in the right place
As a wholesaler, we specialize in serving retailers, property managers, and real estate investors who need to purchase window treatments in bulk for the lowest pricing.
For smaller orders, call us at 1-800-343-0780.
The head rail and slats of mini blinds measure 1/2″ narrower than the stated size.
Example: A for a 30″ x 72″ mini blind, the head rail and slats measure 29-1/2″.
See our entire line of Window Shades and Blinds, CLICK HERE.
|3 lbs
There are no reviews yet.


text:
- December 5, 2012
When seasonal Sarasotan Ruth Goodman used to describe her grandaughter Briana Carlson-Goodman's musical talent to her friends, she'd tell them, "She really has something special — and not because she's my granddaughter."
"But I don't have to say that anymore!" Goodman laughs.
The tagline is no longer necessary because 28-year-old Carlson-Goodman is playing Eponine in the U.S. tour of Cameron Mackintosh's production of "Les Miserables," which arrived March 5, to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.
The spirited 92-year-old Goodman plans to take some of the cast members to lunch. She met a few of them this past holiday season when the touring company performed in Washington, D.C. Carlson-Goodman and her husband rented a big house for both sides of the family to stay in and see the production as a family. It was then that "Nana Goodman" found out her granddaughter would also be coming to Sarasota to perform.
"I've been on a high since!" she says.
Goodman has house seats to the Sarasota leg of the tour, making it the fourth time she's seen her granddaughter in "Les Mis." She saw three or four productions of "Hair" when Carlson-Goodman played part of the tribe, including one performance in which her granddaughter came out into the audience and sat on Goodman's lap. From April through December, Goodman lives within walking distance of Grand Central Station, in New York City. It's easy to see her granddaughter there. Goodman only attends musical theater if her granddaughter is in the performance.
And when Goodman is not at the performances, she scours the Internet for reviews.
"One review said people should just skip the first act and come to the second act just to hear her sing," Goodman says. "Every time I get something like that, I just cry."
Goodman becomes emotional when speaking about her "little princess," a name she started using for Carlson-Goodman when she was a little girl. Goodman used to sew her fancy skirts, and Carlson-Goodman would dance around in them like a "little princess."
Goodman would dance the same way in front her six brothers and sisters when she was a little girl. Carlson-Goodman and her mother, Corinne Goodman, who runs a community theater program called Brooklyn Players, are the only two professionals in the family.
Goodman remembers her granddaughter was always singing at summer camps and going to dance classes. The most significant memory of her granddaughter singing was at the funeral for Goodman's husband, Lester, 10 years ago.
"People told me she sings like an angel," Goodman says.
But, the moment Goodman understood her granddaughter was more than a hobby singer was when she saw her star as Sandy in Emerson College's 2006 production of "Grease." It was her granddaughter's senior year in the theater program.
"I flipped!" she says. "I woke up."
'Les Miserables'
When: 8 p.m. March 7; runs through March 10
Where: Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail
Cost: Tickets $60 to $80
Info: Call 953-3368


text:
Until recently, scientists figured that the origins of human language could be found in our vocal cords. That seems reasonable enough, but the latest evidence suggests our hands are actually the source of language...and a bunch of hand-waving primates agree.
The latest theories of language evolution suggest that how we make the sounds of language - which of course primarily happens in our voice boxes - is less important than how we convey meanings. Hand gestures and body language can be just as vital to communication as spoken words, and the burgeoning gesture theory of language evolution suggests that the complex spoken languages we use today actually spring from the relatively simple ideas our ancestors conveyed with their hands.
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute have now offered some serious support for that theory through their research with our four closest evolutionary relatives: chimps, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans. They found that all four of these species develop a complex system of hand-waivng and gestures in the first twenty months of life. These range from simply poking other apes to get their attention to slightly more abstract gestures like shaking their heads or extending their arms outward.
Crucially, these gestures don't serve any purpose if no other apes are watching, which means the young wouldn't bother doing them if they weren't cognizant of others. These gestures suggest apes know from a very young age that they can convey meaningful ideas to each other. As the researchers point out, the fact that this develops so young separates the great apes from monkeys, who only develop such gestures as adults. We and our ape brethren seem to share an innate capacity for...well, calling these hand gestures "language" might be pushing it, but certainly something along those lines.
University of Auckland researcher Michael Corballis adds:
"In monkeys, intentional arm movements are dedicated mainly to grasping. Communicative gestures probably emerged in apes, and began to assume grammatical forms in hominins."
There are some crucial differences between how humans and the other great apes communicate, of course. Human infants develop the same basic gestures to mean the same basic things no matter where they're raised. This was shown by a recent study, which found that children in several different cultures all pointed their index finger at 14 months, and all for the same basic reasons.
Apes, on the other hand, didn't show any common meanings for their gestures either across or within the various species. The only commonality was that apes used the hand gestures in sophisticated ways from a young age, but the exact gestures and meanings attached to them varied wildly. Perhaps the common ancestor of all the great apes had one set of gestures that meant specific things - it's even possible that this incredibly rudimentary communication forms part of the DNA of modern human languages - but the different ape species diverged in how they used those gestures long ago.
American Journal of Primatology via New Scientist. Image by Rennett Stowe on Flickr.


text:
[This article was contributed by the SQL Azure team.]
For developers creating an application using PHP, you can connect to Microsoft SQL Azure Database. MSDN has written a walkthrough article on how to do this. Check out the link below to see you how you can do this. The great thing about this is that you can run your PHP application on your own server, with a hoster, or within Windows Azure. In any one of those deployment choices, you can access SQL Azure database without any changes.
How to: Connect to SQL Azure Using PHP.