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I know it's a few days late but I like to wait until the year is over because hey, you never know what can happen, right?
Anyhow I bid you a very Happy New Year. And in keeping with what seems to be a new tradition since I'm always taking pictures of even the most minor event in my life with my phone, I'm going to share with you my photographic year in review* as I did last year. I enjoy doing these posts because I throw in a lot of crazy little things that I saw along with the big things, plus add often sarcastic commentary to go along with all of it.
Will 2014 compare to 2013? Will it be better or worse? You be the judge. So grab your choice of beverage, sit back, and enjoy the (possibly bittersweet) ride.
January 2014
We were invited to go to Disneyland and took the first of what would be, quite honestly, too many trips to Walt's Magic Kingdom.
I found a wallet and tried to return it, which turned into one clusterfuck of an ordeal. (Note that the term "clusterfuck" may appear many, many more times in this post – you've been warned!) The coins were found in the parking lot next to the wallet but I kept them. Half-dollars are cool.
We made another trip to Disneyland a few weeks after the last one. It's already too much.
I had two of my photos posted in the local newspaper which recently shut down after only 20 months.
February 2014
I discovered that the local church has parking dedicated to corpulent parishioners.
In an effort to cut costs due to unemployment, we cut the cable cord and bought Roku boxes and digital antennae.
Speaking of unemployment, I got a job the day after my birthday at a local grocery store where I tend to take selfies in the freezer.
And speaking of birthdays, I turned 45 without much fanfare as don't have my birthdate visible on Facebook. (Those who know, know.) I'm not a big birthday person and only posted this cryptic image on Instagram for people to figure out. I think only one person did.
I celebrated Chinese New Year the way I did last year, by riding in the Chinatown Firecracker 30-Mile Bike Ride. It's one of my favorite events but sadly, due to my part-time status, all of my events for 2015 have been put on the back burner. I may not do any if I can't get the money together for them.
March 2014
I participated in my second Coaster Run but only the 5k. It rained for most of it and was probably the most fun I've had doing an event.
I witnessed one of the most amazing sunrises in recent memory.
We switched from MetroPCS to AT&T using my new Corporate Discount through work. That, of course, required getting new phones.
I decorated (read: wrote on) my first cake while working in the Bakery.
After around a week of building, I completed constructing The Simpsons LEGO house.
We celebrated Anthony's 10th birthday at a local pizza place where his grandfather showed him how to score a bunch of tickets playing the Blackjack game.
April 2014
While out for a run, I saw the Amityville Horror house being built in a local park.
You know. Korean Doritos.
We took one of two trips to the tide pools, one of our most favorite local spots.
Sadly, on my Mom's birthday, my Aunt Mary (seated) passed away. This was taken a year earlier at Mom's surprise 75th birthday.
May 2014
We were invited to go to Disneyland's 24 Hour event and I was the only person in our group to make it to sunrise on Saturday (after arriving around 4pm Friday). I didn't blog about it; I only posted my pictures on Instagram.
June 2014
We discovered that there's a Hello Kitty wine, but we don't like Chardonnay. I'm more of a Merlot person now that I occasionally drink wine.
We took our final trip to Disneyland.
July 2014
I got this really creepy lenticular Jesus picture sent to me from a church that was begging for money. I was on their mailing list for a while and got all kinds of weird stuff sent to me, including a communion wafer.
The door of the baler at work came down and smashed my fingertips. They were numb for about a month or so but are fine now.
In an effort to earn a few bucks since I was (and still am) only working part-time, we sold our extra refrigerator. And you know what? That turned out to be a big clusterfuck as well!
Only 17 months into our lease, we had to say goodbye to the Kia Optima. Working a minimum-wage, part-time job just wasn't enough to make the payments anymore. It felt like a kick in the gut but it has turned out to be fine in the end. It also gives me yet another opportunity to say that Kia financing is the worst on the planet. Read this post for more information.
The day we got rid of the Optima also ushered in a new day of motoring for me: I bought my Yamaha Zuma scooter which I still love. Payments are 1/4 that of the Optima and it is ridiculous on gas (between 65-80 MPG), meaning I've never put more than $3 in it since I've owned it.
I applied for a job at Disneyland. I had the interview and was shortlisted then later offered a position. I turned it down for many a good reason.
I got a second job someplace near and dear to my heart, which I quit after only one day of training. I've never seen the paycheck. I quit for many reasons, the main one being their ultra-strict policy on personal items and phones. It pretty much granted them the right to search my locker, backpack, and phone any time they wanted with no reason or cause. I'm an honest guy but their policy was way overboard for me, so I left.
After a month of studying, I took the written exam for my motorcycle license and got my permit.
August 2014
Anthony got his parakeets.
I hit 100 miles on the scooter.
We took a trip to Mattel, across the street from where I used to work.
We paid a visit to the Queen…
…and her neighbor, a Russian submarine.
My friend commissioned us to refurbish the sign for his restaurant. Here is the Before shot.
September 2014
My "promotion" at work became official. But I still take selfies in the freezer.
I was reunited with some friends from my old Catholic school whom I hadn't seen in over 30 years.
Remember the sign we were working on? Here's the finished project.
How YOU doin'?
October 2014
The job allowed us to root for our favorite local team in the MLB playoffs, so naturally I did.
My mad art skillz came in handy at work once again when I was asked to conjure up a sign for a our seasonal caramel apples.
Catastrophe. Just a few days before participating in another event, I dropped my phone and rendered it useless.
That same day, my scooter was vandalized by local school kids who don't understand what it's like to have their property willingly broken.
Anthony ran in his second Aquarium of the Pacific Kids Run…
..and I did my second duathlon the following day. I did it last year and rode the bike tour the previous four years.
I replaced my broken phone with this, the Samsung Galaxy Skyrocket II. It was such a horrible phone that I returned it the next day.
It was replaced with the HTC one M7, an absolutely amazing phone.
November 2014
I got a new camera and started shooting quality photos again. My first trip was a Dia de los Muertos event.
A few days later, we made another trip to the tide pools where I messed with the different settings on the camera.
Anthony and I took the train to the L.A. Auto Show where the camera performed well in every lighting condition.
December 2014
Well, outside of Christmas, there wasn't much to speak of in December so I don't have many pictures for that month. It looks like 2014 had its share of highs and lows but naturally, I took the good with the bad and moved on.
By the way, I'm still on Facebook Vacation and enjoying it. It's amazing how much you can do with your time when you don't give it so much attention.
Anyhow, there's my second annual Year In Review post and I hoped you enjoyed it. Here's hoping my 2015 is less phone-breaky, scooter-pushy, and wallet-findy and that yours is everything you wish it make it to be.


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How the sequester will affect you
Employees are desperate for information on how furloughs will affect them. Here is what Federal Times has learned about how they will work, based on interviews with government officials and the Office of Personnel Management's furlough guidance.
Q. How long will I be furloughed?
A. That depends on your agency, and on how much flexibility it has they have to absorb the sequestration cuts. The Defense Department, for example, expects to furlough nearly its entire civilian workforce employees for 22 days. Customs and Border Protection, on the other hand, will would furlough employees only for up to 14 days if sequestration goes into effect. And the IRS told the National Treasury Employees Union that it may have to furlough employees for five to seven days.
Q. When will my furlough begin?
A. Probably in mid- to late April. Defense plans to notify employees in mid-March that they will likely be furloughed, which then starts a 30-day notification clock before they can be officially furloughed. CBP will also plans to notify its furloughed employees in mid-March. But the IRS told NTEU that its employees will likely be furloughed this summer.
Q. Can I take my furlough all at once? Or will it be spread out?
A. That remains to be seen. While Defense has discussed furloughing employees one day per week for the rest of the fiscal year, federal unions are negotiating over how furloughs will be conducted. Some are pushing agencies to allow employees to choose whether to take their furloughs all at once or to spread out their furlough days.
Q. Can I volunteer to do my work without being paid while on furlough?
A. No. Agencies are legally barred from accepting nonpaid volunteer work from their its employees.
Q. What happens if I'm scheduled for training during a furlough?
A. The Office of Personnel Management advises agencies to schedule employees' furlough days around their scheduled training. If there is no way to avoid furloughing someone on a training day, then that employee is not allowed to attend his training session.
Q. Can I take another job while I'm furloughed?
A. Maybe, as long as you do not violate the government's ethics rules, which continue to apply even when you're furloughed. OPM advises employees who are considering taking a second job to check with their agency's ethics official to make sure they don't break those rules.
Q. What happens to my within-grade step increase? Will it be delayed because of my furlough?
A. Perhaps. Agencies are not allowed to delay or deny step increases because of a lack of money. But if you are a General Schedule employee who is in step 1, 2 or 3 of your grade and are furloughed for more than two workweeks, your step increase will be delayed by at least a full pay period.
Q. Can I take annual, sick or other paid leave or compensatory time off instead of a furlough day?
A. No. You may not substitute paid leave or other paid time off for a furlough period.
Q. What about leave without pay under the Family and Medical Leave Act? Can I use that as my furlough period?
A. Yes. If you want to take unpaid leave under FMLA — for example, if you are a new parent — you may count that time towards your furlough requirement. Other forms of leave without pay can also can count towards your furlough.
Q. What happens to my health benefits?
A. Your Federal Employee Health Benefits Program coverage will continue, as long as you still earn enough salary to cover your share of the premiums. If you don't earn enough salary to cover your health care premiums but want to keep your coverage, you can have your agency cover your share while you are furloughed and, once your furlough ends, have the repayments deducted from your resumed salary. Dental and vision coverage will also continue in a similar way.
Q. Can I get unemployment benefits?
A. It depends on the rules governing unemployment compensation in the state where you work. The Labor Department's website has links to state-by-state unemployment compensation policies.
Q. Is being furloughed considered a break in service?
A. No., you are in a nonpay, nonduty status, but you are still a federal employee.
Q. What if I work on an alternative work schedule, such as a 5-4-9 schedule? How will my furlough be scheduled?
A. Agencies will decide on their own how to schedule furloughs, and OPM said policies should be consistent and equitable. Agencies have the option of setting furlough requirements by the hour instead of by the day. For example, instead of requiring employees to take 22 furlough days, Defense could require employees to be furloughed for 176 hours total. For an employee who works nine-9 hour days and takes one day off per pay period — the so-called 5-4-9 schedule — that could mean 19 complete furlough days, plus a partial day in which he is furloughed five hours.
Q. What happens if I'm on travel while I'm furloughed? Will I still get my food and lodging per diem, or will I have to come home?
A. If an employee on travel is forced to take a furlough day, his agency Agencies must provide per diem and or other expense payments to that employees who are on travel while they have to take a furlough day.
Q. Will I still accrue annual and sick leave while on furlough?
A. At first, yes, your leave will accrue in a normal fashion. But if your total amount of furlough or other nonpay status hours for this year tops the number of hours you work during a biweekly pay period — in most cases, 80 hours — you will not get the annual and sick leave for the pay period in which you reached the 80-hour threshold. The process repeats the next time you reach 80 hours of nonpay status.
Q. How will a furlough affect my Civil Service Retirement System or Federal Employees Retirement System benefits? How about my Thrift Savings Plan?
A. Your CSRS or FERS benefits will probably not be affected. The government uses your rate of basic pay — not your actual pay — to determine your high-three3 salary average, which is used to calculate your retirement annuity.
For example, if your rate of basic pay in 2013 would have been $85,000, but furloughs cost you $5,000, OPM would still calculate your high-three3 as if you had earned $85,000 this year. Basic pay for retirement includes locality pay.
Your amount of creditable service used to calculate your CSRS or FERS pension will would not be affected unless you are in a nonpay status for six months or more in any calendar year. Since the government does not plan to furlough employees for more than 22 days, you probably will not lose any of your creditable service time.
Your TSP contributions — and, if you are a FERS employee, your agency's matching contributions and additional 1 percent contribution — will be reduced, because those percentage contributions are based on your actual pay earned in a pay period.
Source: Federal Times research

subset: commoncrawl


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Mexico's president: Don't belieb Justin Bieber! We never met
Mexico's president has denied a tweet by Justin Bieber saying the singer met with the president and his family prior to a show.
It was the latest sour note in Bieber's controversy-filled Latin American tour.
President Enrique Pena Nieto's office put out a tweet late Monday that read "@Presidenciamx denies meeting between President @EPN with the singer @justinbieber."
That was a response to a tweet from Bieber's official account saying "just met some amazing mexican beliebers and the presidente of mexico and his familia."
The 19-year-old pop sensation faces two criminal complaints and demands for refunds in Argentina, in addition to trouble with police for allegedly spraying graffiti in Brazil.
Bieber angered Argentines by abandoning a concert after less than an hour and not showing up for a photo-op that some fans paid hundreds of dollars extra for. The singer's manager, Scooter Braun, said Bieber came down with food poisoning after a concert Saturday, and despite eight hours of intravenous fluids, insisted on trying to do Sunday's concert against doctors' advice.
One Argentine lawyer is accusing Bieber of sending bodyguards to attack a photographer outside a Buenos Aires nightclub.
Another accuses him of defiling the national symbol by dragging two Argentine flags off stage with his feet and a microphone stand in front of 45,000 "beliebers" during the first of two scheduled concerts in River Plate stadium.


text:
In His Dreams
Whenever I've talked to mainstream Republicans or Tea Party members, whether in Washington or throughout the United States, there is one thing that everyone seems to agree on: Governor Christie never has been, is not, and never will be, the Republican candidate in 2016. I'm not sure where this sense of his daunting candidacy comes from, other than non-evangelical Republicans who find him refreshing and Democrats who see something in him that they either admire or want their candidate to run against. In short, if the Democrats were to pick the Republican candidate, they would pick Christie. Good thing its not their choice. Journalists in the Belt Way like him, too. And the AP Brass.
I've noticed something else as well. There seems to be a consensus amongst Republicans and Tea Party members that the next Republican nominee has to be someone untainted by a New England or Eastern affiliation. With Florida becoming more populous than New York, its becoming oddly clear that the division in this country may be less one of Republican v. Democrat, or Republican v. Tea Party, or the 99 % v. the 1 %, and maybe more of the 13 v. the 37. In other words, if you start scrutinizing recent events, it almost seems like there is a policy consensus across the board in the original United States as opposed to the added 37 provinces. Its not clear whether the exceptionalism comes from here (as I noted earlier, I still don't consider Florida a state) or whether there is a perception in those places that we are different here, but it is palpable. In the past twenty years or so, Americans have routinely rejected originalists in favor of newbies. Start with Dukakis in 1988, add Kerry in 2004 and Romney in 2012, and its clear that Bay Staters don't have universal love and adoration. And others have pointed out that George H.W. may have moved to Texas, but the loser in 1992 was from Maine/Connecticut, and the loser in 2000, whose family moved to Tennessee is old New England stock. Hillary claims New York, and lost to someone from Kenya or Indonesia (we still don't know which).
So what makes anyone think that Christie, with or without BridgeGate, is going to draw any more favorable reaction? I mean, no one in New Mexico could find New Jersey on a map, and they don't know what a bridge is anyway, and everyone knows that no one from New Jersey is a Republican any more than the fact that anyone from Massachusetts is a real Republican. Everyone here is "one of them." And we in the original 13 do move in incredible lockstep on most issues. Its interesting to ponder whether we've ever really assimilated those other provinces.
Maybe its time to let them go.
But the news story about Christie is not that BridgeGate has put a damper on his candidacy. The news story is that the lack of caring indicates that he was never being seriously considered anyway.


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A former Ohio State linebacker said he is giving up his chance to make it in the NFL and instead will go to law school because of his concerns about concussions.
Andrew Sweat suffered three concussions while he played as a Buckeye in the Big Ten, including a serious one in the middle of his final year on the field for The Ohio State University.
But he began to feel better earlier this year, and, as an undrafted free agent, had a chance to try to nab a spot on the Cleveland Browns' roster. As he prepared to head to the team's camp last week, he slipped and fell in the shower, causing the concussion symptoms to return.
It appears that was the final straw for Sweat, who said on Twitter he decided he had to choose his health over a possible shot in the NFL.
[tweet https://twitter.com/asweat42/status/201889708035411968%5D
"When I fell, it scared me," Sweat told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "Football is not worth my health. It's really important to me that I'm able to have a family and a life after football. Football is a great game, but when you have a concussion like that, it's not worth it."
Sweat's decision might not normally garner too much attention. He was listed as 31st on the ranking of other linebackers who were entering the NFL draft. But it comes as the NFL weathers bounty scandals and concerns regarding rough hits, as well as allegations and lawsuits by more than 1,700 NFL players claiming that the National Football League hid the dangers of concussions from them. The attention to the concussion issue has continued to grow and was again back at the forefront of discussion after NFL star Junior Seau committed suicide.
Sweat said that Seau's death and all of the controversy swirling around the NFL right now didn't play a huge part in his decision. It was more about how he personally felt and his own concern about whether it was worth it to risk another concussion.
"Sometimes people get lost in the game of football. They don't think about injuries, and they ignore things," he told the Cleveland newspaper. "I enjoy too many things. I'm too well-rounded to have critical damage to my brain and body."
Now, instead of hitting quarterbacks, Sweat will be hitting the books and preparing to enter his first year of law school. Sweat graduated from Ohio State with a degree in finance, was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten Conference selection, a four-time OSU Scholar-Athlete, and interned at Merrill Lynch, according to his Ohio State player bio.
It's clear that Sweat's got the brains to do fine with a career outside of the NFL. And while he's excited about the new chapter in his life, he is none too happy with how a few blogs, both legal and sports-related, took him to task over his decision.
Elie Mystal, a former lawyer, wrote on the blog Above the Law that he was posting about Sweat to try to help him "avoid making what could be the biggest mistake of his life."
Mystal suggested that Sweat should try out for the Browns instead of going to law school.
"I can't know if Sweat's decision is being partially motivated by all the media attention focused on the long-term health consequences of playing in the NFL. But I'd bet all the money in my pocket that Sweat has not been paying attention to the media coverage of the long-term professional and financial damage that can be done by going to law school…" Mystal wrote.
The former attorney also mocked the schools to which Sweat had been accepted, saying they were "more like the Cleveland Browns of law schools" and begging him to reconsider his decision. According to the Columbus Dispatch, Sweat was accepted at Pittsburgh, Duquesne, West Virginia, Florida and the University of Miami.
"It's not like law school is going anywhere! Andrew Sweat can have his cake and eat it too," Mystal wrote. " He can take the short-term potential upside of trying to have an NFL career, and then go to law school when he's done. Hell, he might even do better on the LSAT, since he evidently took the test while trying to play Big Ten football and suffering from concussions."
The well-known sports blog Deadspin agreed.
"It is, I suppose, a little easy to forget that NFL players make a lot of money. Yes, they subject their bodies and brains to untold ravages; yes, they're exploited by money-hungry owners; yes, they're largely deprived (unfairly) of the education and training needed to succeed after football—but they make a lot of money," the article on Deadspin said. "So, Sweat, listen up and learn that NFL players, as far as exploitation goes, have a nicer deal than graduates of second- and third-tier law schools, who leave with lots of debt and similarly scrambled brains."
Sweat responded to their concerns, tweeting that he was going to be just fine with a likely job in his father's law firm.
[tweet https://twitter.com/asweat42/status/202140621274750976%5D
Let's add it up:
Get on the team and be a bnch guy or on the practice squad – $75 to $100000;
Get another concussion permanant brain damage – priceless;
See team doctors – free;
Refered to nero doc – $100,000;
Put on medicine(s) – $200/bottle for life – millions
Physical therapy and counseling – millions of dollars;
Psychitrist treatments – millions of dollars;
Psychology visits – millions of dollars;
Sucide and death with no insurance – $40,000 ( burial services) – death priceless.
Now is it worth a pro career!
Or maybe it's because he realized he had no chance of being drafted.........
football is meaningless but one more lawyer?? Ugh!
The young man is making an informed, intelligent, decision. He will do well in the law, and does not need to put his health in jeopardy in order to make a living. Being a retired lawyer, and well aware of the market for lawyers in this economy, I would have recommended business school.. Nonetheless, kudos to him


text: This course ranges from the earth structure, the generation of earthquakes and seismic waves by faults to the seismic response of soils, foundations and structures as well as seismic risk. It is consequently aimed at undergraduates, graduates and professionals interested in engineering seismology, earthquake engineering or seismic risk. It investigates various technical fields: rock mechanics, soil dynamics, structural dynamics and dynamic soil-structure interaction. Various types of sessions are proposed: regular sessions describing a phenomenon or explaining its basic principles, lab sessions illustrating concepts through simple experiments (fault motion, liquefaction, resonant column tests, shaking table tests) and research topics focusing on advanced topics from various research fields (e.g. magnet-Earth, seismicity of Mars, seismic sensors, probabilistic approaches). Several quizzes, as well as 3 mini-projects, will allow you to check your knowledge and assess your understanding of the various topics.


text:
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Reaper Miniatures 77168 Bones - Battleguard Golem
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Features . 25 mm Heroic Scale Fantasy Miniatures . Integral Bases . Unpainted polymer models . Durable and ready to paint right out of the package. Item Weight - 0.03 lbs.
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text:
Muhammad Lawal earned $40,000 and fellow headliner Mark Kerr earned $15,000 at this past weekend's "M-1: Breakthrough" event, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today confirmed with the Kansas Boxing Commission.
Lawal defeated Kerr, a late replacement for Don Frye, via 25-second KO at the Aug. 28 event, which took place at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, K.C. The night's main card aired on HDNet.
The Kansas Boxing Commission only tracks the fight purses for main-event fighters (though KBC commissioner Peter Howes said they'll expand the record-keeping in early 2010). Therefore, purses for the night's additional fighters aren't available.
As always, the salary figures do not include deductions for items such as insurance,
licenses and taxes. Additionally, the figures do not include money paid
by sponsors, which can oftentimes be a substantial portion of a
fighter's income. In other words, the disclosed salaries do not represent the actual pay for each fighter.
In addition to the salary figures, Howes passed along the event's list of medical suspensions. A total of five fighters from the card were issued medical suspensions at the event.
They include:
- Mark Kerr: Suspended 60 days for precautionary reasons
- Lloyd Marshbanks: Suspended indefinitely until right shoulder is X-rayed and cleared by a physician
- Josh Arocho: Suspended 30 days for precautionary reasons
- Brendan Seguin: Suspended 30 days for precautionary reasons
- Andria Caplan: : Suspended 30 days for precautionary reasons
In addition to the Lawal vs. Kerr main event, "M-1: Breakthrough" also featured an exhibition sparring match between Fedor Emelianenko and Gegard Mousasi. Emelianenko won the laid-back affair via arm-bar.
For full coverage of "M-1: Breakthrough," including the official fight results, check out the MMA Events section of MMAjunkie.com.
(Pictured: Muhammad "King Mo" Lawal)


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Nemaha Co. declares disaster emergency after storms
Seneca fire truck total loss after submerged in water rescue
SENECA — Commissioners in a northeast Kansas county have declared a local disaster emergency from severe weather that brought floods and tornadoes to the region last week.
KNZA-FM reports (http://bit.ly/ZrE29S ) the Nemaha County Commission passed a resolution declaring the state of disaster emergency Monday after getting a damage report.
County road and bridge supervisor Dennis Ronnebaum said flooding on May 28 wiped out three bridges and heavily damaged two others. He estimated the cost of the destruction at $600,000.
County Emergency Management Director Todd Swart says the amount of damage exceeds the amount required to qualify for FEMA funding.
Swart also says officials in the city of Seneca have claimed a 2005 fire truck as a total loss. The truck became submerged while firefighters were performing a water rescue May 28.


text:
US judge slashes $80 million award in Monsanto cancer case
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A U.S. judge lowered a jury's damage award from $80 million to $25 million for a California cancer victim who used Monsanto's Roundup weed-killer.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports Monday that U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria said he was required to reduce the punitive damage award because it went beyond constitutional limits set by the U.S. Supreme Court.
In March, a jury found that glyphosate was a likely cause of 70-year-old Edwin Hardeman's diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Jurors awarded him $200,000 for economic losses, $3 million for past pain and suffering, another $2 million for emotional distress in his future years, and $75 million in punitive damages. Hardeman's cancer is in remission.
Chhabria refused Friday to overturn the jury's verdict that Monsanto's product was a likely cause of Hardeman's cancer.
Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com


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The People's Pig Wild Boar Sandwich
EVEN in a city stacked with artful sandwich shops, one food cart rules them all. Little about the scruffy appearance of this metal box suggests what waits inside: a collective intelligence of flavors calculated to make taste buds reel with happiness. The experience is layered in smoke, the drip of decadent juices, and the tricky art of extreme simplicity. The tools are two cast-iron skillets and a mountain of wood. The mode is five components max, and one man's determination to make every bite count. In the corner, an ancient cash register sounds an exuberant ping. It says everything about the People's Pig.
This sandwich-focused magic is performed daily on a tawdry patch of asphalt in Portland's food cart nerve center, at SW 10th Avenue and Washington Street. Owner Cliff Allen and his sidekick Ray Ballentine operate quietly and off the radar, serving cult followers and a steady flow of visiting cart hoppers ready to eat up whatever ideas they post. In a windowsill that doubles as kitchen counter, an arsenal of fresh lemons, finishing salts, and fennel pollen—fennel pollen!—stands ready to serve whatever meats Allen is obsessing over, mesquite-grilled steps away over an open fire and sliced to order. Each sandwich holds messy, mouth-challenging generosity, accessorized with vinegar-splashed greens and handmade condiments, and tucked neatly between Allen's homemade sourdough buns—yours for $6–10.
The People's Pig
SW 10th Ave &
Washington St
Open daily, 11 am to 3 pm
Among the new scores is the city's best fried-egg sandwich, holding farm-fresh beauties brought to life over hot coals to pair with smoky bacon and a wealth of sharp cheese. If you're lucky, the pork burger is in the house—supremely moist and delicate, with a deep flavor surge. Allen goes the distance, grinding pork shoulder and belly into a mixture poached like fine sausage, then boosting them with sweet-hot mustard, a carnival of pickled red onions, and just-grated cheese that melts slowly on impact.
But Allen's succulent, fire-edged slabs of wild boar, bound in the chunky, bittersweet sap of citrus marmalade, may be the find of the year. We went inside to decode the juicy secrets of the People's Pig's euphoric wild boar sandwich.
Anatomy of a Sandwich
Wild boar tastes familiar yet different—think steak with a feral essence. Cliff Allen hunted down a Texas-born breed from Nicky USA, Portland's go-to game supplier. He'd never cooked boar; he just knew he loved it. "It doesn't need much," he says. "It's all about the smoke and fire. They do their thing."
When Allen couldn't find the proper rolls for his juicy constructions, he did what any obsessive would do: he made them himself. These sourdough delights deliver. Crusty intensity. Personality. A punch of tang. Wood-fired crunch. And just enough soak and sturdiness to rein in dripping juices. That's sandwich bread.
You won't find ketchup here. Instead, each sandwich gets its own rocket boost of flavor. With the wild boar sandwich, that means blood oranges—rinds, pulp, and all—slow-cooked into honey-thick swirls of citrus, sweet, and bitter oozing from a pile of earthy meat.
Even a meaty sandwich like this yells, "Eat your vegetables!" Allen makes it easy, piling a bright bushel of long-stemmed, peppery watercress right on top of the boar.


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Survive the Christmas vacation blues!
Join us on December 29, from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. for an outdoor survival workshop at Howard Christensen Nature Center. Our instructors have lots of outdoor experience and a knack for making learning fun! Participants go outside to hike and learn about topics such as what it takes to survive outdoors, how to avoid getting lost, shelter options, survival kits and basic first aid. Two groups are planned: Grades 1-5 with Nova Blackburn and Grades 6-12 with Brian Robinson. The cost is $20 per person ($18 for HCNC members) and includes lunch. Class size is limited and advance registration is required. To reserve a spot please contact us by phone (616) 675-3158 or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com. (Group rates are also available; call or e-mail for details). Teen volunteers also needed.
We will be open on Saturdays for snowshoe rental when there is at least 6 inches of snow. Keep on snowing! See you then!!


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Whitewashed Christmas Canvas
By Gloria Stengel
Christmas Canvas by Gloria Stengel
I created this whitewashed piece of Christmas home decor using Graphic 45 The Twelve Days of Christmas papers and various Hampton Art stamps. I stared by using gel medium to attach the background papers to the canvas board. I then used white distress paint to whitewash the papers. The distress paint is more opaque than regular acrylic paint, allowing the paper to show through the white paint.
For the postcard title, I swiped a bit of regular white acrylic paint over the top portion of the canvas. I stamped the postcard image (Hampton Art/Graphic 45 Christmas Emporium) with red mixed media ink. I used a heat tool to dry the ink, and then I stamped the postage images with brown dye ink. (Hampton Art/Art Warehouse Believe in Christmas).
I painted the cardstock banners with the distress paint also. Once the paint was dry, I stamped over the paper with brown dye ink (Hampton Art/Graphic 45 Christmas Emporium and Nutcracker Sweet). I added a few floral items from my stash as well as the glitter button in the center of the flower. I tucked some chipboard pieces under the edges of the flower. Next, I stamped some music notes onto the bottom edge of the canvas with brown ink (Hampton Art/Art Warehouse Holiday Dreams and Wishes).
Graphic 45 Christmas Emporium
Graphic 45 Nutcracker Sweet
Art Warehouse Believe in Christmas
Art Warehouse Holiday Dreams and Wishes
Clearsnap Colorbox Mix'd Media Ink Schoolhouse
Clearsnap Smooch Spritz Vanilla Shimmer
Tsukineko Memento Rich Cocoa
Paint: Ranger Distress Picket Fence, Folkart Acrylic Wicker White, Liquitex White Gesso
Designer paper: Graphic 45 The Twelve Days of Christmas
Cardstock and chipboard elements: Graphic 45 The Twelve Days of Christmas
Flower: Wild Orchid Crafts
Button, floral elements: craft supply
Pearl spray: Pro 31 Designs
Twine: May Arts
Adhesive: Liquitex Matte Gel, Aleene's Tacky Glue; Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L 3D Foam Squares


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The boards of Baylor Health Care System and Scott & White Healthcare have approved the signing of an agreement of intent to combine the strengths of their two health systems to create a $7.7 billion organization with the vision and resources to offer its patients continued exceptional care while creating a model system for an industry undergoing fundamental transformation.
The alliance reflects a vision by leaders from two of the nation's preeminent health systems to create a new health system engineered to meet the demands of health care reform, the changing needs of patients and payers and the extraordinary advances in clinical care.
The new system, named Baylor Scott & White Health, would include the organizations' combined 42 hospitals, more than 350 patient care sites, more than 4,000 active physicians, 34,000 employees and the Scott & White Health Plan. It would be the largest not-for-profit health system in Texas and one of the largest in the United States. It would be governed by a single board with equal representation from both founding members.
With approval of the agreement of intent, the organizations have entered a period of exclusive negotiations and due diligence. The next stage in the transaction -- a definitive agreement -- is anticipated to be complete in 2013.
"Baylor has a century-long tradition of quality, innovation and service. And in this time of great change in the health care industry, Baylor is looking forward and preparing to once again lead by joining forces with Scott & White to create this new model of care," says Joel Allison, president and CEO, Baylor Health Care System. "Scott & White is a perfect partner for us as it is nationally known for its high-quality, efficient care. Our proposed new organization reflects many months of discussion between our two like-minded systems on how we could work together to continue to meet the needs of the communities we serve in this dramatically changing environment. The new organization will continue to honor and carry forward Baylor's 100-plus-year legacy as a Christian ministry of healing."
Because of industry changes, the number of hospital partnerships, mergers, joint ventures and other arrangements designed to bring like-minded health systems together is growing rapidly. Since 2008, there have been 274 mergers and acquisition transactions affecting 439 hospitals, up nearly 22% over the previous four-year span.
In this new era, health systems must be prepared for declining reimbursement, high levels of information management, an increasing demand for primary care services and "population health management" to advance the wellness of large groups of patients and keep them out of the hospital.
"Our new organization will not only prepare us for health care reform but will help drive and shape what health care delivery in this country will become," says Robert Pryor, MD, president and CEO, Scott & White Healthcare. "Scott & White has been recognized as a national leader for our strong physician-led population health model. Our shared vision with Baylor is to build upon our unique approach and create an innovative health care delivery model enhanced by medical education and research."
Both organizations are affiliated with Texas A&M Health Sciences Center and have extensive investments in medical education and research. Baylor Scott & White Health will have the ability to expand training opportunities for the next generation of health care professionals by integrating education programs at both organizations.
The details of the agreement of intent include:
- Unified Board: A unified board of trustees will be comprised of 14 individuals with an equal number of representatives from each institution. Drayton McLane, Jr., the chair of the Scott & White board of trustees, will serve as chair of the new organization's board. Jim Turner, the chair of the Baylor Health Care System board of trustees, will serve as chair-elect of the new organization's board.
- Leadership: The new organization will be led by a single executive leadership team. Joel Allison will serve as chief executive officer of the new company. Dr. Robert Pryor will also serve as president and chief operating officer of the new organization.
- Operations: The new system will have two operating divisions, which will consolidate over time. The Scott & White division will be headquartered in Temple, and the Baylor division will be headquartered in Dallas.
- Brands: The new organization will be called Baylor Scott & White Health. Both Baylor and Scott &White will retain their individual brand names.
- Foundations: The foundations will remain separate.
- Medical Staffs: The medical staffs will remain independent.
"This partnership is the right thing for Baylor. It's the right thing for Scott & White. And, it's the right thing for our communities," said Drayton McLane, Jr. chair of the Scott & White board of trustees. "Both health systems are well-organized, well-run, best-in-class organizations. We can learn from each other, and I think this only benefits the patients we serve by allowing us to deliver better quality care and increased access to care."
For patients, the new organization will ultimately mean:
- Greater, more convenient access to high-quality care through an extensive network of physicians, advanced practice professionals, medical centers and hospitals throughout North and Central Texas.
- Increased coordination of patient care.
- Improved patient outcomes, by combining the expertise of primary care physicians, medical specialists and adopting the best practices of both organizations.
- The ability to attract, retain and train the very best national and international talent.
- Greater access to world-class primary and pediatric care and centers of excellence in cardiology, oncology, transplant, rehabilitative medicine and more.
"Together, our two health systems will cover two geographically diverse areas that are nearly contiguous and highly complementary," said Jim Turner, chair of the Baylor Health Care System board of trustees. "We strongly believe our neighboring geographies will allow us to be well-positioned to lead the transformation of health care in Texas and beyond."
For more information, visit www.VisionforTexasCare.com.
Media Contacts:
Nikki Mitchell, Baylor
Craig Civale, Baylor
Rhona Williams London, S&W
About Baylor Scott & White Health
As the largest not-for-profit health system in the state of Texas, Baylor Scott & White promotes the health and well-being of every individual, family and community it serves. It is committed to making quality care more accessible, convenient and affordable through its integrated delivery network, which includes the Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, the Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance and its leading digital health platform – MyBSWHealth. Through 51 hospitals and more than 1,100 access points, including flagship academic medical centers in Dallas, Fort Worth and Temple, the system offers the full continuum of care, from primary to award-winning specialty care. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing more than a century ago, Baylor Scott & White today serves more than three million Texans. For more information, visit: BSWHealth.com


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Wednesday's deal to fund the federal government through Jan. 15 and to extend the federal government's borrowing authority through Feb. 7 in the end contained only one tax provision, making a minor change to 2010's health care legislation. The agreement, H.R. 2775, was passed by the Senate in a 81–18 vote on Wednesday and by the House of Representatives in a 285–144 vote. President Barack Obama is expected to sign it immediately since, without an increase in the debt ceiling, a U.S. debt default could happen as soon as Thursday.
A separate part of the agreement, not included in the bill but made in a separate Senate motion, will create a framework for formal budget negotiations. These will be scheduled to conclude by Dec. 13, with negotiators charged with making recommendations for long-term budget and deficit reduction goals.
The change to the health care law under the agreement reached Wednesday sets up a new requirement that the eligibility of people who receive cost-sharing reductions under Section 1402 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, P.L. 111-148, or the health insurance premium tax credit under Sec. 36B, be verified. Under the agreement, the secretary of Health and Human Services must ensure that health insurance exchanges verify that individuals applying for the credit or cost-sharing reductions are eligible and must certify to Congress that the exchanges are verifying eligibility. The secretary is required to report to Congress by Jan. 1, 2014, what procedures exchanges are using to verify eligibility.
The health insurance credit is available to eligible individuals who purchase coverage under a qualified health plan through one of the new health insurance exchanges. The credit subsidizes the cost of health insurance for certain low-income individuals.
To be eligible for the credit, a taxpayer must (1) have household income between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty line (FPL) amount for his or her family size (starting in 2014, persons with income below 133% of the FPL are eligible for Medicaid), (2) not be claimed as a dependent by another taxpayer, and (3) if married, file a joint return. The credit amount is the sum of "premium assistance amounts" for each month the taxpayer or any family member is covered by a qualified health plan through an exchange. The premium assistance amount is the lesser of (1) the premium amount or (2) the result of a formula based on a "benchmark plan" and the taxpayer's household income (Sec. 36B(b)).
Tax items dropped from the final agreement
Democrats reportedly had proposed delaying for one year the annual fee on health insurance providers, which is scheduled to start in 2014. The fee applies to entities engaged in the business of providing health insurance for U.S. health risks for calendar years beginning after 2013. The fee that each covered entity owes will be based on an apportionment of a total applicable amount for each year. The applicable amount is $8 billion for calendar year 2014. That proposed one-year delay was not incorporated into the final deal.
Another element of the health care law, the Sec. 4191 medical device excise tax, the repeal of which had reportedly been the subject of discussions as recently as last weekend, is also not part of the agreement. Under this provision, a tax equal to 2.3% of the sale price is imposed on the sale of any taxable medical device by the manufacturer, producer, or importer of the device.
A proposal to require members of Congress, the president, and the cabinet to obtain health care coverage through the exchanges, but not receive an employer subsidy from the government, also is not included in the agreement.
As was widely reported, a desire by some members to defund the health care reform legislation was one of the reasons Congress could not agree to a continuing resolution that would have kept the federal government fully operational on Oct. 1. However, defunding the law is also not part of the final agreement.


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Invoice Maker is the easiest way to send professional invoices and estimates to your customers
Invoice Maker - Estimate App
What is it about?
Invoice Maker is the easiest way to send professional invoices and estimates to your customers. It's perfect for small business owners, contractors and freelancers needing a fast, easy to use mobile invoicing solution.
App Store Description
Invoice Maker is the easiest way to send professional invoices and estimates to your customers. It's perfect for small business owners, contractors and freelancers needing a fast, easy to use mobile invoicing solution.
Create, send and track invoices and estimates on your phone and keep your finances organized. Send the invoice before you leave the customer!
With Invoice Maker, you can add as much or as little detail as you need. Include payment information, due dates, photos, discounts, shipping details, signatures, and more. Deliver via email, text or print.
Get paid via credit card, online payments, cash, check, PayPal, and more.
* Create invoices and estimates wherever you are—with a customer, between jobs, or at home.
* Automatically generate invoices from estimates with one tap
* Customize your invoice with your company logo
* Save frequently used line items, clients and settings for faster invoicing later
* Quickly set up clients from your phone contact list
* Customize invoice fields: quantity, rate, shipping and item number
* Generate receipts with a pre-built receipt template
* Discount on item or total
* Tax on item or total, inclusive or exclusive
* Deliver via email, text, print or PDF
* Accept debit and credit cards, checks and cash
* Take partial payments and deposits
* Get notified when your invoices have been read
* Track your income with built-in reporting
6 Reasons to Love Invoice Simple:
Make your invoices look as professional as your business. Modern and customizable.
Get invoicing right away. Hands-down the easiest invoicing app available.
Manage all your business finances in one place. Make doing your taxes a breeze.
Email, text or print your invoice as soon as you finish a job.
Make it easy to get paid. Accept cards in-person or online, as well as checks and cash.
Invoice Maker is used by hundreds of thousands of small business owners like you and is consistently rated one of the top invoice apps.
Invoice simple the ultimate invoice maker: Send simple invoices using professional templates, invoice generator, PDF invoices and quotes, online payments, bill organizer, receipt and expense tracking, and business reporting — all rolled up into one easy-to-use app. Whether you need to create a construction invoice or quote, business receipt for your side gig or track receipts for your small business.
Ready to get started? The free version of Invoice Maker is available on iPhone, iPad and can be used to create 2 free invoices or estimates on your mobile device. You can upgrade in-app to create an unlimited number of invoices and estimates with a monthly or annual subscription.
Subscriptions automatically renew and your credit card will be charged through your iTunes account. You can turn off auto-renewal at any time from your iTunes account settings. Your subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during an active subscription period. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable.
AppAdvice does not own this application and only provides images and links contained in the iTunes Search API, to help our users find the best apps to download. If you are the developer of this app and would like your information removed, please send a request to firstname.lastname@example.com and your information will be removed.


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Samsung has a history of experimenting with crazy gadgets and form factors. On Monday night, it announced a new device that tries to merge the benefits of a digital camera with an Android smartphone.
Think of the Galaxy K Zoom as a digital camera strapped to the back of one of Samsung's Galaxy phones. From the front, it looks a lot like the new Galaxy S5, but with a slightly smaller screen. The 20.7 megapixel camera on the back includes a 10x optical zoom that pops out just like a regular digital camera.
As you'd expect, the phone is very thick and heavy to make room for that camera. There's also a giant bulge on the back, meaning the phone can't sit flat on the table.
The Galaxy K Zoom has a bunch of shooting modes too. Some are pointless, like the "Selfie Alarm" that lets you take a selfie using the rear camera. The phone's software can automatically detect your face and rapidly beeps when it's about to snap the selfie.
But other modes like object tracking are very useful. You can tell the camera app to follow a moving object so you don't have to constantly refocus on it.
The Galaxy K Zoom will come in blue, white, and black, just like the Galaxy S5. (No gold version though.)
Samsung will only sell the Galaxy K Zoom in international markets like Asia and Europe. The company launched a similar device called the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom in the U.S. last year, but it was a dud. Samsung says camera phones like these tend to be more popular overseas, so there's very little chance the Galaxy K Zoom will ever come to the U.S.
At first blush, the Galaxy K Zoom feels pretty gimmicky. It's not an appealing tradeoff to sacrifice thinness and design for a really nice camera packed into a bulky smartphone. But the phone does give us a look at how Samsung is thinking about its smartphone cameras. It's possible some of those features, like object tracking, could make it into Samsung's mainstream devices.


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Samsung, Google, and Sprint are all trying to figure out why some users' Nexus S phones are nuking pictures without any explanation, Computerworld reports. It's a toughie, because there doesn't seem to be any common cause behind the deletions.
The lack of a shared error is making things tough for Google: "Thanks for the responses. Seems like you are all having slight different experiences, but I'll pass your reports along and see what we can find!," lamented one customer service rep to griping Nexus owners, claiming there wasn't "a ton of consistency in reports" regarding missing pics. One thing is certain: Anthony Weiner is kicking himself for not owning a Nexus S right now. [Computerworld]


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These State of my Toolset blog posts are becoming a annual tradition on pixelyzed.com and this year will be no different. If 2012 had been a year of all around stability and growth for me and my business, 2013 was one of continued growth in my business but one of significant change in my toolset.
Those changes were brought by the same desire for efficiency and refinement to my workflow that I've described before but also because I've been going back to some of the core principles I learned and followed when I first learned my craft and started my business in the mid to late 90's and early 2000s. I was a strong Web standards advocate then, long before it was popular to do so and long before Web professionals realized that clean, semantic HTML code was good for search engines optimization and accessibility (that was before Google…).
While not exactly bad in that respect, I started to feel that iThemes Builder, my main theme framework in 2012 and the first half of 2013, was not as good as I'd liked in that regard. I was starting to find its HTML markup way too heavy with an overuse of div containers, too many CSS classes and not enough effort placed on semantics. This was done by design at iThemes with the goal to make creating different layouts Builder as flexible as possible. I was also starting to find styling it (CSS) tedious and frustrating because of all those extra containers with similar class names that made the code difficult to read.
In addition to that, my business partnership with a designer has given me more time to concentrate on strategy for my clients in the last year and see what I could do to help them better with their business. This entails many things not related to WordPress but, one of the ways I felt I could improve our offering and our WordPress development process is with natural on page SEO. That means, among other things, clean semantic markup and faster load times. So I started re-assessing my themes toolset and looked for ways to improve it. Again, not because Builder was bad at this but it's not using HTML 5 elements and it's heavier markup makes it so search engines have to get through more code to get at the actual content. It's not a ton more, but SEO is so competitive, I figured that every little bit counts.


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Max Leroy Fox
July 18, 1929-Nov. 13, 2013
Age: 84
Residence: Kersey
Max Leroy Fox, 84, of Kersey, passed away Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2013. He was born July 18, 1929, in Kersey, to Guy W. and Eva Mae (Tippetts) Fox.
Max graduated from Kersey High School in 1947. He went on to work for Union Pacific Railroad for two years, and then started as an auto mechanic for Robert's Garage in Evans and Fox Motors in Kersey. He also worked on PnA turkey farms, and then as a self-employed mechanic until he retired. He married Lois M. Meeker in 1949. They have four beautiful children: two boys, Roy and Jim, and two girls, Wendy and Shelly. Max enjoyed hunting, trapshooting and making wood carvings (totem poles and animals). He also enjoyed collecting Indian artifacts. In retirement, Max restored old tractors and would build small, replica tractors of the large tractors he restored.
Max was a very well-respected auto mechanic, and could fix anything. He had a great sense of humor. He was an active community member, a volunteer firefighter and the town mayor for four years. He would give a hand to anyone. He was loved by so many.
Max is survived by his wife, Lois; two daughters, Wendy Miller (Greg) and Shelly Dyche (Sam); one daughter-in-law, Mary Fox; one son, Jim Dale (Pat) Fox; two sisters, Ula Rae Adler and Ola Fae Brug; 10 grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; son, Roy Lee Fox; brothers, Joy and Rex Fox; brother-in-law, Ray Adler; and son-in-law, John Miller.
A memorial open house will be from 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, 2013, at Kersey Community Church Memorial Building, 26221 WCR 53, Kersey, CO.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the charity of your choice in memory of Max, in care of Stoddard Funeral Home, 3205 28th St., Greeley, CO, 80634.
Please visit www.stoddardsunset.com to sign the online guestbook.
(Emma) Ann Mathews
Oct. 1, 1922-Nov. 1, 2013
Age: 91
Residence: Greeley
(Emma) Ann Mathews, 91, of Greeley, passed away Nov. 1, 2013, at her home. She was born Oct. 1, 1922, in Milliken to John C. and Katherine C. (Forquer) LeTavec.
Ann attended St. Peter's Catholic School and Greeley High School, graduating in 1940. After high school, she attended business college. Following business college, she worked for the U.S. Treasury Department in Chicago. During World War II, Ann did clerical work for the Army at the prisoner of war camp west of Greeley.
Ann married her high school sweetheart, Patrick R. Mathews on Sept. 8, 1943. They had two children, Cinde E. Whitman of Bozeman, Mont., and Kit P. Mathews of Naples, Fla. They were married for 52 years when Pat passed away, June 15, 1995. She was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church and belonged to Women of St. Mary's and Church Women United.
Ann loved fly fishing, camping, and any time spent with her lifelong friends and family. She liked skeet shooting and the adventure of travel. For many years, Ann and Pat shared a winter home in Manzanillo, Mexico.
Ann is survived by her daughter, Cinde Whitman; son, Kit Mathews; nephews: Randal (Lisa) Mathews, and their daughter, Erin, Greeley, and Kirk (Beck) Anderson, California; nieces, Kathy (Curt) Anderson, and their children, Cheryl and Keith, California.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Pat Mathews; her parents; and two sisters, Luella C. Beights, and Leona R. Anderson.
Ann was a special lady. She was always a kind, sweet and giving person; a joy to be with. She will be missed by all who have shared her life.
Condolences may be sent in care of Allnutt Funeral Service, 702 13th St., Greeley, CO, 80631. Friends may view the online obituary and also submit condolences at www.allnutt.com.
Larry V. Wolfe
Oct. 31, 1942-Nov. 13, 2013
Age: 71
Residence: Greeley
Larry Victor Wolfe, 71, of Greeley, passed away Nov. 13, 2013, at Life Care Center of Greeley. He was born Oct. 31, 1942, in Eaton to Victor and Helen (Leffler) Wolfe.
He loved being raised on the farm and spending time with his three special uncles. Music was a very important part of his life. He especially loved polka music. Larry enjoyed being with family, friends and neighbors. His birthday was very special to him, since it was on Halloween. He was always ready to go for a ride, but going to the mountains was always his hope of destination.
Larry is survived by his sister, Lucille (Larry) Miller; brother, Duane (Michele) Wolfe, all of Eaton; nieces and nephews, Lynn (Pam) Miller, Randy (Amy) Miller, Vicki (Chris) Ruff, and Debbie (Troy) Carpenter; and eight great-nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by his parents.
Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 18, 2013, at Adamson Chapel, with graveside service at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2013, at Eaton Cemetery, followed by Celebration of Life service at 3 p.m. at Adamson Chapel.
Memorials may be made to "First Congregational Church of Eaton," in care of Adamson Funeral & Cremation Services, 2000 47th Ave., Greeley, CO, 80634.
To extend condolences to the family go to www.adamsonchapels.com.
Colton E. Richter
Nov. 14, 2013
Residence: Greeley
Colton E. Richter of Greeley passed away Nov. 14, 2013, infant son of Ryan and Samantha (Nishimoto) Richter; grandson of Gerhard Richter of Johnstown, and Sandy Richter of Loveland, and Sharon and Kevin Nishimoto of Platteville; great-grandson of Allesandra Angel of Wisconsin, Erika Williams of Arizona, Joyce Tashiro of Brighton; and Shigeko Nishimoto of Julesburg.
A celebration of life will be held at 11:27 a.m. Monday, Nov. 18, 2013, at Faith Baptist Church, 833 15th Ave., Longmont. If you plan on attending the celebration of life, please wear bright colors.
Memorial contributions can be made to Children's Hospital Colorado Foundation, 13123 E. 16th Ave., Aurora, CO, 80045 or National Kidney Foundation, 650 S. Cherry St., Denver, CO, 80246.
Tabor-Rice Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.


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Nasa's Opportunity rolled off its lander and on to the rusty soil of Mars early today, a week after the six-wheeled rover arrived on the Red Planet – and just hours after confirmation of its first major geologic discovery.
Scientists at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory erupted in cheers as the first photograph taken by Opportunity following its roll-off appeared on a screen in mission control. More pictures flooded in minutes later to continued cheers and applause.
The images, received shortly after 3am, confirmed Opportunity had joined its twin, Spirit, on the ground.
"Two for two, one dozen wheels on soil," flight director Chris Lewicki said.
Hours earlier, scientists confirmed that the rover had discovered grey hematite, a mineral that typically forms in water – a finding that could indicate the dry and dusty Red Planet was once wetter and more hospitable to life.
Rowdy, jubilant scientists filled the back of the auditorium for an early morning news conference, sipping Champagne as they listened.
The initial black-and-white picture taken by Opportunity's rear hazard camera showed the rover's empty lander and a parallel set of tracks leading away from it, traced in the pebbly martian dirt 206 million kilometres from Earth.
Opportunity took 83 seconds to cover the three metres to the dark floor of the 22-metre-wide crater where it landed.
"That was probably the scariest part of the drive we'll have on Mars," said mission manager Jim Erickson, adding there were no spotters on the planet to catch the rover if it toppled, as there had been during tests on Earth.
The roll-off went without a hitch, other than a wobble to the lander that caused the rover to slightly veer to its right while in motion, said Kevin Burke, who gave the roll forward command to Opportunity.
Mission plans called for Opportunity to spend several days parked beside its lander after rolling off, allowing it to conduct further chemical and elemental analysis of the martian soil.
The iron-rich hematite was detected by Opportunity's mini-thermal emissions spectrometer, a heat-sensing instrument nicknamed Mini-TES. Another Nasa spacecraft previously spied the mineral on Mars from orbit.
"Mini-TES has indeed discovered hematite on the surface of Mars," instrument scientist Phil Christensen, of Arizona State University, announced during the news conference.
Preliminary evidence suggests the hematite formed in low-temperature chemical reactions in liquid water, Christensen added. Nasa designed the $820m (€662.1m) double-barrelled mission to seek exactly that sort of geologic evidence.
After testing the soil around the lander, Nasa planned for Opportunity to roll about eight metres and examine a finely layered outcropping of rock. It should reach the outcropping within a week.
Spirit has rolled just a short distance across the rockier surface at its landing site. Software problems drew its mission to a temporary halt on January 21. Nasa expected Spirit to fully recover by Sunday.
Opportunity's roll-off came comparatively soon after its landing. Spirit sat atop its lander for 12 days following its January 3 touchdown after engineers failed to clear the path that lay straight ahead of the rover. The delay cost the mission three days.
Opportunity faced no such obstacles. Nasa also accelerated the rover's schedule to allow it to begin its field work more quickly. Experience helped as well, engineer Joel Krajewski said.
"We're getting good at this," Krajewski said.
Nasa has two operating spacecraft on Mars and another pair orbiting overhead. The European Space Agency also has a satellite at Mars.
Nasa built the twin rovers to last 90 days, although they could survive twice as long, engineers have said. The rovers face continued risks, including bitter cold that already has claimed some spacecraft components.


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Resource Library
APQC's Resource Library is your source for timely and topical information to help you meet your most complex business process and knowledge management challenges. Explore our ever-growing collection of more than 8,000 research-based best practices, benchmarks and metrics, case studies, and other valuable APQC content.
2017 Putting the PCF into Action
A process framework is a tool organizations use to support their process management efforts. The most common reason that people use process frameworks is to help them…


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The opportunity to shoot sporting clays on hallow ground doesn't present itself that often, but you can do it in the area of Manassas, Virginia where the battles of Bull Run were fought.
Depending on which side of the Mason-Dixon Line you're standing, it's called either the First and Second Battle of Bull Run (as it's known in the North) or the First Battle and Second Battle of Manassas (the Southern name for it). The first battle took placed July 21, 1861 while the second, larger battle was fought August 28-30, 1862.
Irwin Greenstein
Shotgun Life
PO Box 6423
Thomasville, GA 31758
Phone: 229-236-1632


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Allen to get DeMille awardLOS ANGELES - The organizers of the Golden Globe Awards say they will honor Woody Allen for his contributions to filmmaking.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association said Friday that Allen will receive the 2014 Cecil B. DeMille Award.
A tribute to the 77-year-old actor, writer and director will be included in the 71st annual Golden Globes ceremony set for Jan. 12. Morgan Freeman and Martin Scorsese are among the previous recipients.
Allen's much-honored films include "Annie Hall," "Hannah and Her Sisters" and "Midnight in Paris," which won a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for its screenplay last year.


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(Permanent Musical Accompaniment To This Feature)
Welcome back to our weekly survey of what's goin' down in the several states where, as we know, the real work of governmentin' gets done and where the kings of Tyrus with their convict list are waiting in line for their geranium kiss.
We begin this week in Texas where, realizing that his national political ambitions are still rotting in a ditch beside a highway somewhere north of Nashua, Governor Goodhair has decided to run the Insane Governor Posse for a while. First, he seems to trying to involve the University Of Texas football team in some kind of accessorial conduct with the various crimes that went on at Penn State. At least, I think that's what's going on because much of the news out of thisseems to be subject to laws of logic that apply only in Texas.
On Super Bowl weekend, the UT board of regents called an emergency meeting to be conducted telephonically. They were supposedly discussing a four-year-old incident where assistant football coach Major Applewhite had a sexual indiscretion with a female team manager. Senator Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, couldn't understand why a meeting was necessary until her phone rang. Governor Perry's chief of staff was calling. A crisis was being manufactured. Ann Bishop explained the emergency with a very disturbing sentence. "The regents don't want this to become another Penn State situation."
First of all, let me say that Major Applewhite is my favorite football player name that begins with "Major," narrowly edging out Major Ogilivie, the former Alabama running back, and the entirely-too-prosaic Major Harris, who once played quarterback at West Virginia. Second, let me say that I have absolutely no idea what Major Applewhite's sexytime with a team manager in Austin has to do with child rape in Pennsylvania.
The nasty dispute began over a philosophical difference on how to fund higher education. In 2003, the Aggie joke of a governor convinced the state legislature to deregulate college tuition by arguing that it would make universities compete for students and lower costs. His real reason for deregulation was a desire to cut funding to higher education, which was reduced the same year by 11 percent. In the last legislative session alone, UT was reduced $92 million by the state and began cannibalizing programs to cut corners. Colleges and universities that lost state funding had to make it up somewhere and the result was increased tuition rates. The state abdicated its responsibility to fund higher education under Perry's leadership and, consequently, institutions were forced to raise tuition to make up for losses. College tuition in Texas is up 55% since Perry led the deregulation charge. (The state presently has a surplus estimated at more than $8 billion and the governor refuses to touch it for either public schools, which he reduced by $5.5 billion, or higher education.) Even the intellectually numb Perry had come to the realization he had screwed up. But he was looking for a way out and began talking about promoting a $10,000 degree and more online education, a notion pushed by the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation. This, of course, ignores the notion that the state's constitution calls for the creation of a "university of the first class," which means research and considerably more than just conferring degrees. But Perry had moved into political butt covering mode. Use a head fake to distract from the real problem. The 10k degree requires many college credit hours at the time of high school graduation, a couple of years in a community college, and then a very narrow choice of four year institutions to finish. The public was underwhelmed.
If you're keeping score at home, we have two-hopped from a horny assistant coach to Jerry Sandusky to Rick Perry's transcendent ability to screw up a two-car funeral, as they say around the Eire Pub back home. Sometimes, I swear, covering politics in Texas must be like being Russell Crowe during one of his "episodes" in A Beautiful Mind, where he's out in the shack filling the walls with bizarre calculations. Much simpler, then, is to understand Goodhair's opposition to marriage equality, because it is simply garden variety stupid.
In Texas, it is fairly clear about where this state stands on that issue," Perry said when asked by reporters about the Supreme Court cases."As recently as a constitutional amendment that passed - I believe, with 76 percent of the vote. The people of the state of Texas, myself included, believe marriage is between one man and one woman," Perry said. He referred to a 2005 state constitutional amendment that passed 3-to-1 and prohibits the state or any political subdivision from recognizing a union between same-sex couples.
And, of course, nothing has changed in the past eight years. Texans have not changed their minds on this issue in any way, and Rick Perry is still a Potential President, and not a national laughingstock. And Law And Order is still on the air.
Moving north to the more sensible climes — well, not really, but play along — of Oklahoma, and courtesy of blog Special Big Poisonous Lizard correspondent Friedman Of The Plains, we find a freedom-loving local politician standing his groundagainst the thuggish elements of other species.
"I shot towards them and down," O'Neal said in a phone interview Wednesday. "I didn't try to hit them as much as I tried to scare them away. They were coming at me. I have the right to stand my ground and defend myself and shoot that thing."
This, of course, will be O'Neal's defense when the dogs file the inevitable lawsuit. I would bet something substantial that Nancy Grace already has moved into the O'Neal guest room.
Let's keep moving north to Idaho, where there is a new battle over ladyparts or, more specifically, what to call the ladypartswhile speaking to students who are supposed to be learning about the ladyparts.
Tim McDaniel is being investigated after a complaint was filed by a handful of parents who objected to how McDaniel taught the reproductive system, Dietrich Superintendent Neil Hollingshead said. "It is highly unlikely it would end with his dismissal," Hollingshead said. "Maybe a letter of reprimand from the school board." According to McDaniel, four parents were offended that he explained the biology of an orgasm and included the word "vagina" during his lesson on the human reproductive system in a tenth-grade biology course. According to a letter from the Idaho State Department of Education to McDaniel, the allegations also include that he shared confidential student files with an individual other than their parents, showed a video clip in class depicting an infection of genital herpes, taught different forms of birth control and told inappropriate jokes in class.
"Hoo-hah," would be acceptable. Also, "Down There," and "Gateway To Jesus Babies." Also, too: the whole thing's Al Gore's fault, anyway.
According to McDaniel, the commission is also investigating a complaint that accuses him of using school property to promote a political candidate. The complaint was because he showed the climate change film "An Inconvenient Truth," also in his science class. McDaniel said he includes the film to spark a discussion on climate change among the students. After watching the film, he asks students to write a response paper explaining their thoughts on climate change. "I'm not looking for one answer, I just want them to be able to explain what they believe," he said.
There is no need for that, Mr. McDaniel. Trust me on this.
Meanwhile, in Arkansas,they're more concerned with doing to the state's middle-class what the folks in Idaho seem to think Mr, McDaniel is teaching da yout' to do in health-science class.
Proposals to cut Arkansas' income and capital gains taxes won a House panel's support Tuesday, as legislative leaders say they're nearing agreement on a $100 million package of reductions that may depend in part on approving an expansion of health insurance for low-income workers.The House Revenue and Taxation Committee endorsed the proposals by voice votes, sending them to the full House for consideration. They're among several tax cut proposals lawmakers are considering after Republicans won control of the Legislature last year.
And, of course, it wouldn't be an "economic growth" package without a special kick-the-poor feature.
The panel tabled a separate proposal backed by Huddleston's group that would have created a state Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income Arkansans. That measure would have cost the state about $40 million a year. The panel also endorsed Carter's proposal to increase the income tax exemption on capital gains of at least $5 million from 30 percent to 70 percent. It would also create a 70 percent exemption for any net capital gains relating to the sale of Arkansas property acquired after Jan. 1, 2014.
The "race to the bottom" wouldn't scare me quite as much if I were convinced there actually was, you know, a bottom to race to.
Let's move along southwest, finally, to where-the-fk-else Arizona, where one freedom-loving Tucson pol has found a Second Amendment remedy for the city's crime problem.
Operating on the premise an armed neighborhood is a safer neighborhood, a group led by former mayoral candidate Shaun McClusky is raising money to purchase shotguns and provide training for anyone who lives in a mid- to high-crime neighborhood and can pass a background check. The project is part of a developing nationwide movement to see if more guns really do translate into less crime. McClusky said he's bringing the program to Tucson because the City Council has failed to properly fund the Police Department, leaving many residents easy targets for criminals. "We need to take back our city, and it needs to come back to the citizens and not the criminals," McClusky said. "Right now, the criminal element is winning." Over the next couple of weeks, McClusky and others will begin spreading leaflets and posting fliers in Midvale Park, Pueblo Gardens and a yet-to-be-determined midtown neighborhood to induce residents to sign up for the program.
McClusky, apparently, has been entertaining local political observers for quite some time now.
It would have featured the always-entertaining Shaun McClusky battling Ron Asta (Hey! I have meat in my pants!) in the Republican primary for the chance to face former major league pitcher Pat Darcy (an independent), lawyer Jonathan Rothschild (a Democrat) and the winner of the Mary DeCamp/Dave Croteau Green Party primary in the general election. Problem is, McClusky, Asta and Darcy proved to be complete political morons by not gathering enough signatures to get on the ballot.
So, the guy who can't gather enough signatures to get on a ballot wants to hand out shotguns. Works for me.
This is your democracy, America. Cherish it.
Charles P Pierce is the author of four books, most recently Idiot America, and has been a working journalist since 1976. He lives near Boston and has three children.


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Man narrowly avoided being on both Malaysia flights
Dutch pro cyclist Maarten de Jonge has twice cheated death. The 29-year-old could have been on both Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which disappeared on its way to Beijing in March, and MH17, which was shot down in the Ukraine on Thursday, but survived thanks to a change of plans.
At the last minute, de Jonge chose a flight other than MH17 because it was cheaper, according to RTV Oost, a broadcaster in the Netherlands with whom he gave an interview.
In March, he took a flight at the same time and headed in the same direction as the doomed MH370, the Sydney Morning Heraldreports.
"I could've taken that one just as easily," he told RTV Oost.
Despite the tragedies, de Jonge still plans to fly Malaysia Airlines on July 20 when he returns to Kuala Lumpur, where he rides for the Terrengganu team, according to the Herald.
On de Jonge's website, he indicates he will no longer give interviews out of "reverence for the victims and their families."


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It's that time of year when some of us grab one last opportunity to sneak away for a couple of days before the school year starts again.
My grandparents' youngest kid was in college in 1968, so they weren't under the same pressure to get out of town — or, more accurately, the same pressure to get home again.
Still, they chose the end of August for a brief break, heading north to escape the steamy temperatures of Stamford in the summer.
And, because we wish we were there instead of here, we'll tag along.
My grandparents (and presumably my great-grandma with them) had made a similar trip to Vermont the previous August. I've written already about the car trouble they encountered there.
Apparently they loved Vermont enough not to hold that against it. They were back again the following year for a whirlwind three-day, two-night visit.
The Candlelight Motel in Arlington, where my grandfolks stayed that first night, is apparently still in business and looks charming enough.
Nowadays, the nearby attractions include a recreation of Grandma Moses' studio, as well as the Norman Rockwell Gallery. As an artist, my grandpa would have found both destinations of interest. I'm not sure either one was there in 1968, though.
The next day found them heading north along the western side of the state, through Rutland and Proctor, home of the Vermont Marble Museum … then across the state to the villages of White River Junction and Quechee, on the New Hampshire border … with the day ending not far away in Woodstock.
(The name "Woodstock" still meant "Vermont" to a lot of people in August 1968, not yet having been co-opted by Jimi Hendrix or Charles Schulz. I think the Woodstock Motel might still be in business, but if it is, it doesn't seem to have a website.)
On the 22nd, they headed back home, stopping along the way in the town of Chester and presumably admiring the granite houses there. They were back in their own beds that night.
Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the big trip. I'm sure my grandpa took some, but to my knowledge, they've not been scanned in. My grandpa took a lot of pictures in his 90-plus years, and we've generally focused on scanning in the ones with family members, not the ones with scenery.
I'm sure Vermont in the Sixties was even more placid and rural than it was 30 years later, when I visited once or twice. If I couldn't be there in 1968, it would be nice to see pictures of it. Maybe I'll check the family photo albums next time I'm in the same room.
(I did find this picture on Flickr. I suspect my grandpa, a fan of trains, would have liked to have taken it. Perhaps he saw the same station, or even the same train.)
Rural Vermont might have been an especially appealing place to be in the summer of '68.
In a year of war, assassinations, riots and unrest, Norman Rockwell's America seems — at least in retrospect — like a welcoming place to which to escape.
Alas, the real world called my grandparents back, as it calls so many of us back at the end of August.


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Comedian Eddie Murphy is on an Oscar producer's shortlist to host the Academy Awards in February, showbusiness website Deadline reported.
A meeting is scheduled for this coming Tuesday between Oscar producer Brett Ratner and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, at which Ratner will offer president Tom Sherak the idea of having Murphy host the world's top film honors.
Deadline, citing unnamed sources, said in a report on Saturday night that having the "Shrek" movie star host the show was not a done deal, with many more steps to be completed before Murphy is agreed upon.
The 84th Academy Awards' other producer, Don Mischer, has been approached by several other big names who have expressed interest in the hosting duties.
But according to the report Ratner has focused solely on Murphy, star of such 1980s and 1990s hit comedies as "Beverly Hills Cop," "Trading Places" and "The Nutty Professor."
An Academy spokeswoman was not immediately available to comment on Sunday. The upcoming Oscars will take place on February 26, 2012.
Murphy, whose new film with Ben Stiller opens on November 4, is reportedly interested in the job, Deadline said.
The "Saturday Night Live" alumnus was nominated for a best supporting actor in 2006 for "Dreamgirls."


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The six attackers, armed with machetes, spears and guns, descended on the group Tuesday afternoon at a camping area along the mountainous Black Cat Track in Morobe province on Papua New Guinea's northeast coast, Papua New Guinea national police spokesman Dominic Kakas said.
Eight Australians and one New Zealander were injured, though none of the wounds were life-threatening, Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement.
Two local porters were killed and nine others were hurt, six seriously, Kakas said. The tourists received bruises and lacerations, and one was speared through his leg. No gunshots were reported to have been fired during the attack, Kakas said.
The victims were transported to the Morobe capital of Lae for medical treatment.
Violence is rife throughout Papua New Guinea, an impoverished tribal nation of 7 million north of Australia. A recent escalation in cases of extreme brutality, including beheadings, burnings and gang rapes, prompted the government to expand the list of crimes punishable by death earlier this year.
Still, Tuesday's attack was unusual for the area, a popular hiking destination for travelers, and police were puzzled over the possible motive. Three of the tourists had their passports stolen during the attack, but nothing else of value was taken, Kakas said.
"We are at a loss as to how this has happened," Kakas said. "The Black Cat Track has been going on for many, many years now and there's been not one incident that we know of. ... It really caught us all by surprise here."
In a statement, Police Commissioner Toami Kulunga called the attack "shocking and just unthinkable," and said police were using a helicopter Wednesday to hunt for the assailants in the rugged terrain.
Australia's foreign affairs department warned travelers to avoid the trail until the investigation is complete.


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Facebook.com/USSkiTeam | @USSkiTeam | YouTube.com/USSANetwork
The U.S. Alpine Ski Team looks ahead to the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games after its most successful Olympic Games in team history with eight medals at the Vancouver Games. Anchored by veteran gold medalists Lindsey Vonn, Bode Miller, Ted Ligety and Julia Mancuso, the team has also experienced a recent surge from FIS Alpine World Cup podium finishers Stacey Cook, Marco Sullivan, Steven Nyman and 17-year-old phenom Mikaela Shiffrin.
The Olympic alpine competition consists of five events each for men and women, including downhill, slalom, giant slalom, super-G and super combined. The same rules apply for both men and women in each discipline, but the courses differ. American alpine athletes will be in medal contention for every event hosted at the Sochi Games, with 10 sets of medals up for grabs.
Team USA's success has stemmed from strong athletic training partners, most notably the game-changing speed center at Copper Mountain, Colo., and the European training base at Soelden, Austria. In addition, the team's recent rise to being one of the best in the world has grown out of strong leadership on all levels – particularly through coaching and athlete leadership.
All alpine events for the Sochi Games will be held at the Rosa Khutor Alpine Center, located at the Aibga Ridge rising above the Mzymta River. The slopes were developed by Bernard Russi, a world-renowned ski architect from the FIS. The total length of the competition track is 20 kilometers and the venue can hold 7,500 spectators.
The alpine resort is already a major alpine skiing center in the Northern Caucasus region and has hosted several major international competitions. The first phase of the facility opened in November 2010 for test events.
The U.S. can receive up to 22 quota spots in alpine skiing for the Sochi Games, which can include a max of 14 athletes of either gender and up to four competitors per event. The U.S. is expected to get all 22 spots, based on athletes meeting the A qualification standard of being ranked in the top 500 in their respective event on the Olympic FIS Points List, which is published at the end of the qualification period on Jan. 20, 2014 (the qualification period began in July 2012).
Athletes are selected for the 2014 U.S. Olympic Team based on objective criteria, generally through rankings and results in the FIS Alpine World Cup tour. The qualification period opens in October 2013 and closes at the end of January 2014.
|Feb. 20-24
|Audi FIS Alpine Women's World Cup
|Méribel, France
|Feb. 20-24
|Audi FIS Alpine Men's World Cup
|Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
|Feb. 28-March 3
|Audi FIS Alpine Women's World Cup
|Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
|Feb. 28-March 3
|Audi FIS Alpine Men's World Cup
|Kvitfjell, Norway
|March 9-10
|Audi FIS Alpine Women's World Cup
|Offerschwang, Germany
|March 9-10
|Audi FIS Alpine Men's World Cup
|Kranjska Gore, Slovenia
|March 11-17
|Audi FIS Alpine World Cup
|Lenzerheide, Switzerland
|Oct. 26-27
|Audi FIS Alpine World Cup opener
|Soelden, Austria
|Oct. 31
|U.S. Ski Team Speed Center opening
|Copper Mountain, Colo.
|Nov. 7-15
|Audi FIS Alpine World Cup
|Beaver Creek, Colo.
|Nov. 15
|First Tracks (Olympic Team naming event)
|Jan. 28
|Final day to qualify for the Olympic Team


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Tooke, John Horne
Tooke, John Horne, 1736–1812, English radical politician and philologist. Born John Horne, he adopted the name Tooke in 1782 after being designated heir to the estate of a rich friend, William Tooke. He became (1760) an Anglican priest but soon abandoned his clerical duties for politics. He was a strong supporter of John Wilkes until 1771, when he broke with him and founded the Constitutional Society to promote parliamentary reform and support for the American colonists. He was fined and imprisoned (1778) for attempting to raise funds to aid the victims of the government
murderat Lexington and Concord. In 1794, in a period of repression of radical agitation, Tooke was tried for treason but acquitted. In 1801 he was elected to Parliament, but in the same year the government passed an act (specifically directed against him) that disqualified clergy from sitting in the House of Commons. Tooke's later years were devoted to literary pursuits. His Epea Pteroenta, or the Diversions of Purley (1786–1805) was an early attempt at scientific language study.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: British and Irish History: Biographies


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The need to make something can be a tenacious itch, clawing to be released into the world. You can try to forget it — like an early summer mosquito bite — refusing to scratch it, aiming your mind elsewhere, hoping it will just go away.
If you suppress it too often, maybe you'll succeed in dulling your senses, in refusing to heed that inner call. You'll have managed to wrap yourself in a cocoon, impervious, detached. Congratulations, you can focus on what's "important," undistracted — for now.
Sometimes, the reason you ignore that call is because you haven't yet found the right way to scratch it. Not every medium is right for every artist. For some reason, maybe it's physical or aesthetic, we may need to keep shopping for a while 'till we find the right instrument. Bassoon players are somehow different from conga drummers, dancers are different from print makers. (I think it's sort of strange that in high school band, teachers will often assign instruments to kids, rather than letting them find their perfect musical partner). You need to find your perfect groove.
A few years ago, I visited Creative Growth in Oakland, CA. It's an amazing hive of artistic activity, all coming from people with various disabilities. I will never forget the energy in that room, with dozens of artists working all day, every day, making paintings, subjects, ceramics, mosaics, prints… it was overwhelming and beautiful. Creatively, these people seemed to have no disabilities or challenges; they'd all found their groove.
When we visited the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore recently, I re-encountered an artist who I'd met at Creative Growth years before. Judith Scott was born deaf, mute and with an IQ of 30. She was also a twin. When she was seven, she was sent away to an institution. She was separated from her sister (who was not disabled), and because of her low IQ, she wasn't given any training of any kind. So she just sat and festered, neglected, alone.
After thirty-five years in the institution, her sister Joyce managed to spring Judith from the institution and bring her home to live with her. Soon Judith started going to Creative Growth. But at the start, she could not connect. She had no apparent interest in drawing or painting, drawing aimless scribbles and little more. She didn't speak so no one knew what she needed to take off.
Then, one day, Judith wandered into a class given by a textile artist named Sylvia Seventy. She saw the skeins of yarn and spools of thread and suddenly found her passion. But, instead of following the projects that Sylvia was leading the rest of the class through, Judith began to make her own sort of art, something radical and new. She wrapped objects in yarns and cloth, binding them together into cocoons and nests and complex interconnecting forms. Much of her art seems to be about connection and twins, binding together networks and forms into a powerful and non-verbal emotional message. I can look at her piece for ages, following the colors and lines, and somehow feeling something so sweet and strong and comforting.
I'm not the only person who responded to Judith's art. Her work is in the permanent collections of several museums and has been the subject of books, films and gallery shows. She made hundreds of amazing pieces in the last two decades of her life.
Judith passed away in 2005. She had lived to be 61, which is extraordinary for a person with Down's syndrome. I like to believe that her art and her sister's love kept her going.
I love Judith's story because it feel so familiar to me. I can identify with what it must have felt like to go from being abandoned in an institution to suddenly seeing the light, to discovering one's medium, one's voice, and to see it grow richer and more complex and expressive. And how easily she might never have found her medium and remained mute and locked down. Judith didn't have the ability to wander through an art supply store, a museum, to trawl the web, and to find her groove.
True love doesn't just appear. You have to keep your eyes open and look for it. Just because you don't yet know how to scratch it, don't ignore that itch.