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"Your A1C is up a bit," said the voice on the answering machine. "Watch what you eat."
Wow! Was that helpful or what?!
The voice belonged to a nurse in my husband's primary care doctor's office, and I can think of a few things she could have said instead:
"Your A1C is up a bit. Please call the office so we can set up an appointment for you with a dietitian."
"Your A1C is up a bit. Perhaps we need to reevaluate your medications."
"Your A1C is up a bit. Have you been sick or stressed lately?"
"Your A1C is up a bit. Can you increase your exercise some each day?"
I have some of my own such as: "Honey, I know you love pasta. Maybe you could eat it for breakfast instead of for a bedtime snack." It would, at least, give him a chance to exercise the blood glucose levels down instead of sleeping on them.
Anyway, I think there are some problems with the message. First of all, what is his A1C (or HbA1c) up to, and from what? I pondered that, with the understanding that care does have to be taken when releasing private medical information. Then I decided that the fact he had an HbA1c was private in itself. After that, what would have been wrong with giving the numbers? And how much is "a bit," anyway?
The message assumed that the problem was food-related. We all know that food isn't the only culprit. Stress, illness, lack of physical activity, hormones, the amount of sleep you get, medicines taken (or not), the alignment of the planets and phase of the moon… One or any combination of those can raise havoc with your diabetes management.
Many doctors don't understand the nuances of Type 2 diabetes and don't seem to understand that it's often a case of progressive beta cell destruction resulting in a need for changes in therapy. I recall being chastised for "noncompliance" when what I really needed was insulin.
Heck, many don't seem to understand diabetes—either type—at all. They seem to believe high blood glucose levels are all food-related. Exercise is a given—it mostly reduces blood glucose levels. As for nuances, ask any woman about the effect of her monthly cycle on blood glucose levels and you'll realize there's more to it than food!
My husband was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes several years ago. He has yet to be referred to a dietitian or to a diabetes educator. Yeah, yeah, I know: He lives with me. Like he listens!
Instead, like many of us, he makes excuses for why his HbA1c level is high: It was just after the holidays. He wasn't fasting when the blood was drawn. He'd eaten pasta the night before (like that's unusual!). Yada, yada, yada.
The cold, hard facts are that, in the beginning, he was able to manage his diabetes doing what he was doing in terms of food, physical activity, and the like. Now he can't. The diabetes, as Type 2 is known to do and as I'm not sure many doctors understand, is progressing. Changes need to be made—in drugs, in food, in exercise, in all three.
I think it's time I sit him down and have a little—no, make that a major—talk with him. I kind of like him and would like to keep him around.


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Interestingly, we have a difficult time wrapping our minds around the fact that there have been "female" serial killers throughout history. Many times these fiendish femme fetales have had a different approach to offing their unsuspecting victims such as with poison, suffocation, and even starvation as opposed to shootings, knifings, and blunt force traumas inflicted by their usual "male" counterparts.
This particular female serial killer had many unusual components to her alleged crimes and some unsolved mysteries that still stand today. In fact, she was considered a rare psychopath who enjoyed slaughtering her victims for the thrill and joy of it and in the most savage manner according to historians and accounts of the events. There had been speculations of her alleged heinous crimes, which began with a store fire and continued with other fires, many unexplained deaths, disappearances, and insurance money. In addition, researchers didn't find any children (as pictured below) that were said to have died, two in infancy from acute colitis.
Belle Gunness was a lady fair,
In Indiana State.
She weighed about three hundred pounds,
And that is quite some weight.
That she was stronger than a man
Her neighbors all did own;
She butchered hogs right easily,
And did it all alone.
But hogs were just a sideline
She indulged in now and then;
Her favorite occupation
Was a-butchering of men…
(Note: Poem about Belle Gunness, author unknown)
Belle Sorenson Gunness (Born 1859 – Died 1908?) was a Norwegian-American alleged serial killer. It was claimed that she killed most of her suitors and boyfriends, and her two daughters, Myrtle and Lucy (pictured above), but it was never definitely proven that she even had children of her own (only according to a U.S. Census in Chicago taken in 1900). She may also have killed both of her husbands and all of her children including a foster daughter, on different occasions. Her apparent motives involved collecting life insurance benefits. She was referred to as "America's Female Bluebeard" and her home was called a "murder farm" according to newspapers accounts.
Reports estimated that she killed more than 40 people over several decades including children, husbands, farm workers, and well to do suitors. Bizarre incidents, disappearances, and unexplained deaths surrounded Belle Gunness and her farm in northern Indiana.
In 1908, there were a dozen butchered corpses discovered buried around her property. The farm turned into a macabre tourist attraction and was visited by approximately ten thousand curious onlookers.
It was suggested that she used strychnine as her lethal means or modus operandi. However, the bodies that were dug up on the Indiana farm told a far more sinister story. They were hacked to death, with the heads, arms, and legs removed in a savage manner. This indicated that the killer used a specific signature to complete the task.
Was greed her driving compulsion? Or, was it the thrill of the kill?
Span of Killings:
It was believed that she killed for decades, but other reports suggested the span of killing to be from 1900 – 1908.
Ray Lamphere:
Ray Lampehere was a hired farm hand and in love with Gunness. He was said that he would perform any chore for her no matter how gruesome. He also became jealous of the many men who visited Gunness and made many scenes. In early 1908, Lamphere was fired and Gunness declared to the La Porte courthouse that he wasn't in his right mind. He later became a murder suspect in the investigation.
Was this a great deception by Gunness to cover her tracks and set up her own death? Was he the fall guy?
An unverified story surfaced about Belle Gunness from 1877 that she was brutally attacked by a man while pregnant, which caused her to miscarry. The man was never prosecuted for the crime.
Was this what set Gunness' killing spree in motion?
Belle Gunness is said to have died in a house fire in 1908, but many claimed she staged her death and fled the state with the money she had accumulated from the men she killed. A woman's body was discovered in the cellar decapitated, but was too small in stature to have been her. It was never proven that the charred woman's body was indeed Belle Gunness.
There were numerous stories, many that were unsubstantiated, surrounding Belle Gunness and what went on at her farm. However, there were too many deaths and unanswered questions with one person in the middle of it to ignore. It's my theory that there are definite truths woven in between the stories and deaths, which makes for a chilling account. We may never know the entire truth, but it makes for an interesting study and inspiration for crime fiction writers.
You can view actual photos of the Gunness Farm here: Gunness Farm Photographs
Was Belle Gunness a cold-blooded psychopathic killer? Was it misinformation, an urban legend or gossip passed down through the generations? What do you think?
* * *

subset: commoncrawl


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What Virtual Reality Looked Like in 1992
In 1992, the PBS show Computer Chronicles took on a hot new topic: virtual reality! There's the Talking Glove (which is actually quite cool), virtual shopping malls (hmm...), the DataGlove (not to be confused with the Power Glove, which was "so bad"), the CyberGlove, and plenty of head-mounted displays.
It ain't exactly Minority Report, but for 1992, it's not half bad. Enjoy:
More like this: What Tax Prep Software Looked Like in 1991; What the Internet Looked Like in 1995; How to Buy a New Computer (in 1993); What Portable Computers Were Like in 1987; How to Use Email (in 1997); and The Best Video Game Consoles (of 1990).


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- Shoe Size: EUR EUR 39 / UK 6 / PAK 6 / USA 8
- Actual unedited pictures of the product - What you see is what you get
- Khazanay Internal Code: SUP47Abd
- 100% Authentic & Genuine product - All items sold at Khazanay are personally inspected by our team for originality
- Imported from USA
- Not a Fake / Not a First Copy / Not a Replica
- Pre-owned and pre-used
- We offer 7 days easy return/exchange policy in case if there is a size issue or you are not satisfied with the product
PREMIUM Item is in almost brand new condition with no signs of use EXCELLENT Item has little signs of wear VERY GOOD Item has visible signs of wear and use GOOD Item has been worn with significant signs of wear and use.
Our Exchange & Return policy lasts 7 days. You can return or exchange a product for any reason within 7 days after receiving your parcel.
To start your return, simply click on the following button and add your return details. Once the form is filled, you will receive an email with shipping instructions for how to ship the item(s) to our warehouse.
For further assistance, please email us at email@example.com or call us at 03111-222-393 (between 10am to 5pm Monday - Saturday)


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Google Glass does car maintenance – a hands-free car manual
Augmented reality specialist Metaio has put together an interesting proof-of-concept video illustrating how vehicle manuals could soon be a thing of the past, with Glass providing all the instruction needed …
The demo is an extremely simple one (and anyone who needs to be told that step 1 of filling the washer fluid is opening the bonnet probably shouldn't be allowed behind the wheel of a car), but it's easy to see how the same approach could be used for the most technical of operations by a car mechanic.
Metaio previously put together an iOS app for Audi with a similar approach.
You can find some other Glass ideas that caught our eye linked in the opening sentence here – with this one (a surgeon allowing colleagues to watch an operation) coming along shortly afterwards.


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Running out of dry shampoo can feel like a devastating hair-mergency! For a quick fix when you've hit your last spritz, try this simple DIY recipe using ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.
MORE: The Best Dry Shampoo For You!
You'll Need:
More From Seventeen
1 tbsp baking soda
3/4 cup cornstarch
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (for dark hair) or baby powder (for light hair)
1. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
2. Using a clean blush brush, work the powder into your hairline, then back into the rest of your scalp.
3. Let sit for about 2 minutes, then brush out the excess and style.
Would you try this natural dry shampoo recipe? Leave your thoughts in the comments, and head over to Seventeen's YouTube channel for even more awesome DIY ideas!


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Live from Abu Dhabi Connect the World takes you on a journey across continents, investigating the stories that are changing our world.
It was a wet and soggy night on the BAFTA red carpet tonight but hey, what's a couple of hours in the sleet and snow when the payoff is a squeeze from George Clooney and a song from Hugh Jackman! The British film industry's big night out is second only in prestige to the Academy Awards – what happens in London sets the stage for what's to come in two weeks' time at the Oscars. I'd expect no surprises in the Leading Actor category with red-carpet royalty Daniel Day-Lewis, who picked up the coveted best-man BAFTA gong here, likely to take home a history-making third Oscar for his role as Lincoln. Ben Affleck's the man to watch for the other biggies after nabbing both Best Director and Best Film in London, my hunch is that he'll be crowned for both in the somewhat sunnier climes of Los Angeles, California at the end of Feb.
From a tired but very happy anchor it is a VERY good evening. Good night – and god bless!
Text: 'Argo,' Affleck take top prizes at BAFTAs


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Well, they weren't out of work very long.
Just a week removed from the surprise announcement that "Saturday Night Live" veterans Taran Killam and Jay Pharoah would not be returning to the NBC late-night sketch comedy series, Showtime announced Thursday both comedians have scored separate pilot deals at the cable network at the TCA Summer Press Tour.
Killam, will star in a show tentatively called "Mating" described as a comedy anthology series that focuses on a newly-divorced man trying to understand the complicated dating world.
Pharoah will star in a half-hour comedy "White Famous," co-executive produced by Jamie Foxx. The show is described as a comedy revolving around Pharoah, a comedian who attempts to hold onto his credibility in the African-American community as he increasingly crosses over into mainstream.
Prior to the announcement, Killam shared with Uproxx News that he was surprised and confused that the final year of his seven-year contract wasn't picked up by "SNL."
"I don't know the other side of it. You sign for seven years, so I had one more year," Killam said. "I had sort of had it in my head I would make this upcoming year my last year, but then heard they weren't going to pick up my contract. I was never given a reason why, really."


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Stay in Touch
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When you shop QVC for sterling silver jewelry, you'll discover a wide array of brands and acclaimed designers. One of the most notable sterling silver jewelry designers in QVC's assortment is Michael Dawkins. His distinctive craftsmanship is apparent in cuff bracelets, dangle earrings, gemstone pendants, and other fine works of jewelry in his collection.
Michael Dawkins has developed one of the most recognizable and respected designer jewelry brands. As a student, he was drawn to architecture and industrial design. The combination of these interests and his pursuit of an aesthetic sensibility helped shape his design process. "I have discovered the basic principles of form and rhythm in the study of natural objects. I strive to translate these principles into jewelry designs that are functional, wearable, and timeless."
Michael Dawkins often uses sterling silver, gold, diamonds, semi-precious stones, and unusual natural materials found in his travels. Early on in his career, he discovered the ancient technique of granulation, in which metal is heated and formed into tiny spheres that are affixed in various patterns. Incorporating this design element along with clean, crisp lines has become his signature. His collection combines a modern sensibility with an infinite respect for the hues, textures, and compositions abundant in nature.
All of these influences come together to create some of the most sought-after treasures in contemporary designer jewelry. See for yourself how striking and extremely wearable Michael Dawkins jewelry is and find timeless pieces that suit your personal style.


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Here it is:
This anguished little guy had more company.... but I have no idea what happened to them. All the negative feelings like anger, loneliness, etc... since I always make smiling people :oP
Hmmm Now that I think about it, there's another one much bigger but that one is fired, and tucked in in some mysterious box, next to my collection of skeleton keys.
It makes me feel so good to see more people that make such a variety of media and work. I know, some people say that to do something really good, to do ONE thing (Reminds me of the movie City Slickers) But there are some of us who love too many things and have this itch to learn and dig our hands in all kinds of different techniques, mediums, styles....
Last year I left a bunch of online groups to concentrate more on learning and doing, and it has been a good thing. My table is full of new projects, and I have been actively working on finishing the work I had left half done for months.
The only tricky thing for me is, when I come to the computer to crop pictures, list and check emails... I end up using up so much online time! XoD Because I love reading what others are doing, and love visiting blogs....
So I have to kind of do it fast. Therefore, I am gone for now my dear friends! But before I go, tell me what's on your table? Are you painting? Sculpting? Sewing?
Whatever you do, I hope you enjoy your day, and thanks for visiting!


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Posted 12 years ago
(963 items)
This is another of my early oriental embroidered tour jackets.
This jacket is red silk. The front pockets and cuffs both carry the dragon motif.
The back has a large USMC Eagle, Anchor & Globe insignia. The US Flag and Chinese National Flag flank EAG.
The jacket was made in Peiping (Peking/ Beijing) China in 1946.


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Really, this agreement changes very little in my opinion. As Capital Economics' Neil Shearing points out, many people are assuming that with the rapid Current Account adjustment in many CEE countries, the threat to external financial stability has largely gone away. But as Neil argues, while theoretically, it should be enough for the countries just to move back to balance, practical experience from Argentina etc suggests that as recovery arrives the CA tends to move from large deficit to large surplus. And this of course means exports growing at a much faster rate than imports. This is the only practical way to pay down the debt.
And as Afoe's own Claus Vistesen puts it:
This is all about the composition of the external balance and what kind of extensions foreign creditors give. Now, the benefit of the peg is of course that you can begin to accumulate foreign assets at reasonable valuation to your liabilities. HOWEVER, the only way to reasonably begin this process is of course to actually begin accumulating those assets and in order to so so, you need productive investment targeted at foreign operations and this is very difficult unless the "internal devaluation" has run its course. Essentially, domestic investment to serve foreign markets are not productive until deflation has taken its toll.
So basically the message is, whatever the final details of the new agreement, stay tuned and keep watching, since all of this is far from over.
Edward Will Not Be Going To Latvia In August
The little news of the day is that I will not be attending the conference on Latvia's economic future which members of the Peoples Party are trying to organise for August, even though I was invited. As the Latvia Daily Diena (Latvian only I'm afraid) which reports on the preparations for the conference puts it "E. Hugh, who declared himself a defender of the lat devaluation, however, declined to participate, adding he'd like to maintain political neutrality." Well, this is fair enough as a presentation of my opinion, but, just for the record, here's what I actually did say.
First of all I would like to say thank you very much for thinking of me and inviting me to your conference....
....while I think a decision to accept the original IMF proposal of a 15% devaluation of the Lat, and pressure the EU Commission into euro entry was the best option last autumn, this is now no longer the situation. So while I was advocating devaluation back then, what I am saying now is that in my opinion devaluation is inevitable at some point, but that it will now be an unholy mess. Serious contagion problems will most likely ensue, and so in this sense I am no longer "advocating" Latvian devaluation. Ideally it needs to take place as part of a much more general solution to problems in the economies of the Eastern European countries who are members of the EU.
If Latvia is simply forced off the peg, then we should all watch out. I am in Spain, and I am expecting consequences here.
Thirdly, I am not in basic disagreement with the IMF, and would not wish to do anything which may make their work more difficult. Basically, from where I am sitting the issue is to put pressure on the EU institutional structure in an attempt to get them to recognise some of the basic ABCs of economics.
Lastly, I would emphasise that I am an economist, a mere technician of economic systems, and not a politician. I am explicitly non politicial, and am maintaining this stance both vigourously and adamantly.
Basically, as I said, I consider devaluation inevitable..... tomorrow, in August, after Christmas, in 2011, I don't know when. I also know that the longer it is in coming, the more serious the consequences will be, due to the continuous degradation in the credibility of the associated institutions (IMF, ECB, EU Commission, EBRD etc). This is all now quite likely to eventually become (via the other Baltic states, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and even Ukraine and Serbia) a very serious problem, with potentially major global implications.
So there will be a before and after. After devaluation there will need to be a major rethink about where Latvia is going. Devaluation is not an end in itself, it is simply a means to an end, a begininning. We also need to think about how Latvia will earn its living, pay off its debts, and find its way in the world.
Long term structural, and strategic economic thinking are needed.
Here I think I do have a part to play. As you may well have noticed, my view is that the ongoing demographic deterioration of your country lies at the heart of your macro economic problems.
I think this deterioration needs to be addressed as soon as possible, and I see three large issue.
i) Productive capacity needs to be increased substantially. This means increasing the labour force, and this means (as outlined in the World Bank Report, From Red To Grey) facilitating large scale inward migration. Given the serious political implications of encouraging ethnic Russian migration into your country, I see only two viable source regions, the Central Asian Republics in the CIS, and Sub. Saharan Africa. Possibly this solution will not be widely popular with Latvian voters. Well, they do have the right to choose. Your country can take the measures needed to become sustainable, or you can watch it die, as the economy shrinks, and the young people leave. That, I think, is your choice.
The other two measures you need to take are contingent on the first being implemented, since without the first measure you will simply not dispose of the economic resources for the other two.
ii) A serious policy to support those Latvian women who do wish to have children. But with major financial advantages, not half measures, and propaganda stunts. You need policies that can work, and I know plenty of demographers with ideas.But this needs money. Important quantities of money. And gender empowerment, right across the economy, at every level. We have formal legal equality in the labour market, but evident biological and reproductive inequality, in that only one of the parties gets to bear the children. The institutional resources of the state need to redress this imbalance.
iii) Major reforms in the health system to address the underlying male life expectancy problem. You can only seriously hope to raise the labour force participation rates at 65 and over if people arrive at these ages in a fundamentally healthy condition. In economic terms, simple investment theory shows why this is the case. A given society spends a given quantity of resources on producing a given number of children, those who have citizens who live and work longer evidently get a better return on their investment. If you want to raise Latvian living standards, you have to raise the life expectancy. And this apart from the evident human issues.
OK, I am saying no for the moment, but I would like to stress that when conditions change, I would be more than willing to come to your country to try to help. But not for a day, for a month, and not to give a talk, but to work with some serious people who are willing to roll their sleeves up and do the serious spadework that will be needed to find those solutions you so badly need.
Basically, my feeling is that the issues you face are so complex that public debate is unlikely to produce a very fruitful outcome at this point. You need a long term education process, and for the time being more or less technocratic solutions, but not the technocratic solutions you are being offered by the EU now (which basically won't work), technocratic solutions which get to the heart of the problem and set your country on a sustainable path.


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Our parents taught us well
We are proud to be a part of the world's leading travel company, The Travel Corporation (TTC). As a fourth-generation family-owned and passionately run travel company, we at TTC pass our more than 100 years of expertise in creating enriching travel and hospitality experiences on to you.
With 100 years of expertise, as a family-owned and passionately run travel company, we're dedicated to innovating our trips and experiences to fulfill your travel dreams.
We put our guests at the heart of everything we do, delivering the very best holidays for our travelers. No matter where you travel, we unlock the magic of your chosen destination.
As a founding member of TreadRight, we believe in supporting sustainable projects that safeguard the people, planet and wildlife, to ensure they remain vibrant for generations to come.
Celebrating 100 Years of Excellence in 2020
To commemorate this milestone, we've shared videos, blog posts and other fun content all year long. Learn more about TTC's first century below!
Brett & Vicki Tollman reflect on TTC's first century and where it all began with their grandfather, Solomon Tollman, in a sleepy fishing village on the coast of South Africa.Read Brett's Blog Post > Watch Vicki's Video >
Ellen Bettridge, Uniworld's President & CEO, shares the top 10 trips she plans to take with TTC in 2020.Read Ellen's Blog >
TTC's Chairman, Stanley Tollman, tells the story of how he fell in love with his wife, Bea, and together they built The Travel Corporation into the global, award-winning family of brands it is today.Read Blog Post >
Vicki Tollman shares the love story of her parents, Bea and Stanley Tollman.Watch Video >
Celebrating the many TTC employees who have found their life partners while working in our family of brands and the countless travelers who have found love while on holiday with us.Watch Video >
We are proud that over 56% of the TTC team is female and over 50% of leadership roles are held by women. This month, Bea & Vicki Tollman reflect upon the secret ingredient that women bring to all that TTC does. It is, in a word, passion.Watch Vicki's Video > Read Bea's Blog Post >
A major driving force for Uniworld is our determination to keep pushing boundaries, raising expectations and transforming an industry as we go. Read on to learn about the women of Uniworld and TTC who have inspired this mindsetLearn More >
TTC founded TreadRight over a decade ago to turn a passion for sustainability into a focused effort to Make Travel Matter. Today, TreadRight supports over 60 projects around the globe, using travel to give back to the people, planet and wildlife of the destinations we visit.Watch Video >
Shannon Guihan, Chief TreadRight and Sustainability Officer for TTC, reflects on Earth Month and shares how partnerships around our planet make travel matter.Read Blog Post >
Join the thousands of team members at Uniworld and TTC brands around the world in pledging to make travel matter for people, the environment and wildlife!Take the Pledge >
As we celebrated International Day of Families this month, we recognized the importance of our entire extended travel family in providing support, strength and comfort, especially during this uncertain time. This May is certainly different from ones we've known in the past, but one thing that remains the same is the importance of family. At TTC, family is what matters most—TTC has been 100% family-owned by the Tollmans for 100 years and through four generations.Watch Video >
Vicki Tollman celebrates the many layers of family that run through TTC.Read Blog Post >
Follow along as Ellen, Uniworld's President & CEO, makes dinner for her family with signature Bea Tollman recipes.Watch Video >
It's been said that while appreciation happens in the moment, gratitude comes only over time. These days, those of us at TTC—like travelers all around the world—are spending our time very differently than we had expected right now. It's easy to succumb to feeling down, however, if we accentuate the positives, there is much to be grateful for.
This month we bring a message of gratitude through the reflections and thoughts of our Chairman, Stanley Tollman.Watch Video >
TTC team members around the world share what they're grateful for from their own travel experiences.Read Blog Post >
On International Friendship Day, we reflected on one of the most powerful forms of connection that travel nurtures—friendship. For those of us at TTC, looking back over our first century, friendship has shaped so much of who we are and what we do, in the connections to our guests, our partners, and to each other.
For now, while circumstances may prevent us from being physically together, we can still celebrate by appreciating the friends we have in our lives and looking forward to new adventures when we can travel again.Watch Video >
TTC team members and guests share photographs, stories and sayings to remind us of friends we have made along the road—and inspire us for the new friends we will be making when our travels resume.Read Blog Post >
August marks the official 100th year since the first Tollman hotel was founded in August 1920, and we're focusing on what this year-long celebration is really all about: commemorating the achievements of the past, appreciating the progress of the present and looking forward to all the future has in store.Watch Video >
Meet Ella Tollman, 20-year-old college student and avid photographer. Get to know her and her refreshing outlook in this insightful blog post!Read Blog Post >
As we continue celebrating TTC's first 100 years, we're turning to our guests to help us reflect on our greatest trips together. From stories of traveling dozens of times across our different travel brands to the lifelong friends made along the way, these tales warm our hearts and make us even more excited for the future when we can travel together again!Watch Video >
Read more tales from our wonderful guests who have joined us on multiple journeys across all of TTC's family of brands.Read Blog Post >
No business makes it through a century without constant innovation, and that is especially true in the world of travel. This month we're sharing our story of how we are innovating in key areas across TTC.Watch Video >
Read all about the Tollman family philosophy of innovation in this month's blog post!Read Blog Post >
When we travel again, we'll get back to taking our wonderful guests on memorable voyages along the rivers of the world, giving back to the communities we visit and elevating luxury travel at every opportunity.Watch Video >
Read what each of TreadRight's ambassadors have to say about what the pandemic has meant for them and what we need to do in the future to help our planet, people and wildlife recover.Read Blog Post >
While 2020 may not have been the year we expected, it is certainly one we will always remember—not only for the history that's unfolding around us, but also for the strength and resiliency we've seen around the world. In the midst of everything, we count our blessings and are ready to join our guests back out in the world again in 2021.Watch Video >
Reflecting upon not only a momentous past year, but an entire century, the Tollman family looks upon the coming days with great optimism in this latest blog post.Read Blog Post >
A Family of Unique Travel Brands
If you've traveled with Uniworld or another TTC company, TTC offers exclusive savings on select trips across our family of more than 40 award-winning brands.
Travel has the ability to open our eyes, our hearts and our minds to the unique cultures and wonders of the world. We are committed to supporting initiatives which protect people, the planet and wildlife.


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Gollum Found Dead in Panama
Pretty quiet summer monster season this year, right? Wrong, mi amigo. A distant cousin of the Montauk Monster emerged from its cave in Panama. Then terrified kids beat it to death.
According to reports in Panama, the teenagers spotted the creature crawling out of a cave while playing in the town of Cerro Azul north of Panama City.
Fearing for the safety as it moved towards them, the youths claim they attacked the beast with sticks before throwing its lifeless body into a pool of water.
All it wanted was to play with the children. And now this. A sad statement on our fear of the unknown.
But at least our new friend will leave a legacy. As Telemetro noted in the original (translated) report, "while some say it may be a being from another planet, others simply believe that is an animal."
Some say it's a sloth. We say: It's a lost friend.
[Pic via Telemetro]


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Paintings at Holy Cross in Worcester promote peace
Promoting peace through her art, Ellen Frank spent a decade creating monumental paintings of nine great cities damaged by modern conflict as part of a plea for global spiritual renewal.
The artist from East Hampton, N.Y., guides viewers through the streets and souls of cities like Sarajevo and New York, Hiroshima and Jerusalem which have been traumatized by war and extremism during the last century.
Frank's nine luminous paintings are displayed in "Cities of Peace," an exhibit that fuses art and activism at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester. Other cities represented in the paintings are Baghdad, Kabul, Monrovia, Beijing and Lhasa.
Subtitled "A Suite of Monumental Gold-Illuminated Paintings from the Ellen Frank Illumination Arts Foundation," the exhibit will be on view in the college's Cantor Art Gallery through Dec. 16.
Working with interns from around the world, Frank used 22 karat gold leaf, palladium, egg tempera, bronze powder and other materials on Belgian linen to create multilayered 8-by-6-foot images that resemble enormously enlarged illustrated manuscripts.
Her paintings infuse each city with its signature cultural and spiritual flavor.
Like the city it portrays, each painting teems with the landmarks, culture, architecture and, most vividly, the spiritual lives of its people.
When depicting Jerusalem, Frank juxtaposes an Islamic floral pattern with the Star of David. Her painting of Monrovia, Liberia, includes an image of the night sky exactly as it appeared when the country celebrated its independence in 1847.
Frank envisions each city through the twin lens of cartography and popular history.
Her 2005 painting, "Lhasa: 10 Directions," combines broadly realistic images with arcane symbols to depict the Chinese-occupied capital of the former nation of Tibet as a font of compassion and spirituality.
Two gold-leaf pillars inspired by columns of an ancient Buddhist temple frame the painting's vertical borders. The top and bottom borders comprise rows of hands shaping sacred Buddhist gestures considered, according to wall text, "more powerful than the spoken word."
An image of the Potala Palace, once the home of the Dalai Lama, is surrounded by an ancient path that pilgrims walk to acquire merit in their next incarnation.
Frank said her "suite of paintings" began after a 1999 trip to Israel during which she'd sensed "extraordinary tension" resulting from political and religious conflicts. After returning home, she spent a year making "Jerusalem: A Painting Toward Peace" to create "a cityscape of the mind" where harmony and understanding were possible.
Since then Frank established the nonprofit Illumination Arts Foundation, which is "dedicated to using the transformative power and beauty of art to promote global peace and understanding."
Gallery Director Roger Hankins said the large paintings can be enjoyed individually but can also be considered elements of a larger cohesive "suite," the word Frank uses to suggest a musical composition of different movements.
"Each piece exists on its own. It's hard to pull the separate paintings apart," he said. "But the concept overarches the individual paintings. It's not just about the paintings. It's about the ideals represented by the paintings."
Frank employs different techniques to evoke the look and feel of cities in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia.
By incorporating each city's artistic traditions into her images, she suggests its unique ambience in innovative ways.
For example, in "Baghdad: City of Peace, Truly" she evokes the city's history as the cradle of civilization by depicting a creation myth in ancient cuneiform writing. In "Hiroshima: Winter Bloom," plum blossoms, which symbolize hope and endurance, cascade across a U.S. aerial reconnaissance photo used to plan the 1945 nuclear attack.
In "Kabul: I Love Her (for knowledge and love both come from her dust)," she uses gold leaf to depict the words of a poem praising the city winding across the painting.
Looking at these paintings is like visiting the Big Apple or Kabul for the first time.
Viewers can use the wall text beside each image as a sort of Fodor's guidebook to find a few main thoroughfares or "must-see" landmarks.
If they're a little daring, they can surrender to the unfamiliar but thrilling beauty of new images, languages and faiths.
You don't need frequent flyer miles for this mesmerizing journey around the world.
The Cantor Gallery is located on the first floor of O'Kane Hall at the College of the Holy Cross, 1 College St., Worcester.
The gallery is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday and 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday. It will be closed Nov. 25-29 for Thanksgiving break.
Admission is free.
On Thursday, Nov. 12, a discussion will be held on the Cities of Peace Project from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in the Seelos Theatre, Kimball Hall, at Holy Cross College. It will feature artist Ellen Frank and Abigail E. Disney, president of the Daphne Foundation.
For information about the exhibit, call 508-793-3356 or visit www.holycross.edu/cantorartgallery.


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[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/01/18/art.scottbrown0118.gi.jpg caption="A new poll released Monday afternoon indicates that Republican Scott Brown has a 7-point edge over Democrat Martha Coakley in Tuesday's special election in Massachusetts for the late Sen. Ted Kennedy's seat."](CNN) - A new poll released Monday afternoon indicates that Republican Scott Brown has a 7-point edge over Democrat Martha Coakley in Tuesday's special election in Massachusetts for the late Sen. Ted Kennedy's seat.
According to an American Research Group survey, 52 percent of likely voters back Brown, a state senator, with 45 percent supporting Coakley, the state's attorney general. Meanwhile, 2 percent back Joseph Kennedy, a third party candidate who is not related to the late senator. The 7-point advantage for Brown is just within the poll's sampling error.
Brown had a 48 to 45 percent advantage in an ARG poll released over the weekend.
The survey indicates 97 percent of likely Republican voters are backing Brown, independent voters supporting him 64 to 32 percent over Coakley, and nearly one out of 4 Democrats also supporting Brown.
A Suffolk University poll released Thursday indicated Brown held a 4-point lead. Other recent partisan and non-partisan surveys suggested the race was a dead heat.
The American Research Group poll was conducted Friday through Sunday, with 600 Massachusetts residents likely to vote in Tuesday's election questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Also Monday the non-partisan Rothenberg Political Report changed its prediction of the race from "toss up" to "lean Republican." Another well respected non-partisan political report, the Cook Political Report, has the race rated as a "toss up," but notes in its analysis of the race that "we put a finger on the scale for Brown."
-CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report
Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn
Democracy in action. I trust that the Democrat leadership takes heed of the true voice of Americans and scrap their illgotten healthcare bill. However, knowing the elitist Liberal belief that THEY know what's better for the stupid public, my bet is they will cram it down our throats anyway! What a pitty!
Wow, look at the liberal hate from the posters. What has the Dem controlled government done well? The debt is out of control, the takeover of all of our freedoms is happening every day. Just try to get a credit card now. Just try to get a mortgage. All you angry liberals have buried your heads in the sand and refuse to look at the EVIDENCE.
Massachusett voters - Don't come screaming that Scott Brown didn't do anything after you elected him. You get what you vote for, nothing. Vote for the real deal and vote for Coakley, who is the real deal, who will represent Massachusett. Vote Coakley. Vote Democrat!
This race is NOT a dead heat look at the results from the primary 850,000 votes cast in the state only 150,000 for either of the Republicans , 700,000 for the Dems. I cant wait to vote for Martha Coakley tomorrow & she will win by a landslide.
Brian January 18th, 2010 5:13 pm ET
The republicans had full control for 6 years. They took the deficit from 0 to 14 TRILLION. We can't let them have control of ANYTHING else. Republicans are warmongers and executives. We can do without those.
Brian, learn the difference between the NATIONAL DEBT and an annual BUDGET DEFICIT.
The Deficit is no where near 14 trillion.
It's just a hair under 2 trillion thanks to Obama's pokulus bill.
TEA PARTY=kkk
HEY!!!! you people in Mass, HELLO!!! it was the GOP who got us in this mess or did you petulant children forgets! TALK ABOUT SHORT TERM MEMORY I would NEVER give the GOP to dig the ditch deeper.
And if you slacker crybabies in Mass do let the GOP in, when they poo hits the fan in you state DON'T SAY A WORD! Cause you asked for it.
huraaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy for brown! bye bye to the kings agenda!
This, Mr. President, is what happens when you don't dance with those that brung ya, don't fight and let the right-wing nutjobs define your agenda. Lot's of luck in the midterms and 2012!!! I'm holding out for a viable candidate that does what is promised and doesn't deal in half-measure politics and throwing crumbs to his supporters.
Im sure Cheney will endorse Brown,two peas in a pod.
The people of Massachusetts have been suffering from the Stockholm syndrom. They have been held hostage by a pack of Socialists and Internationalists for almost 50 years now. They see a chance to finally break free of their captors without being punished by the Kennedys, Bawney Fwank and other questionable figures.
Vote Brown !
Go Scott go – take back the people's seat!
Rita – you are only spouting what you have been total by the Obamists. Geitner himself is a corporate pig who cheated on his income tax, yet Obama has placed him in a supreme position in his admistration. This puts a lie to what you are saying about Republicans.
If you want real change go to http://www.brownforussenate.com/ and volunteer. You do not have to live in MA to volunteer to help. you can make calls to help get out the vote. Use the rules in your favor and get to work I am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This seat has been held by a democrat for decades, and all of a sudden Massachussetts voters are changing their mind just because that democrat isn't a Kennedy? Oh please.
The shot heard round the world...
Go Scott Brown, I'm from Memphis, TN ,but nonetheless just donated $250 to his campaign!!!
The reason Republican GOPers want to be back in power is so they don't have to work. They want everyone else to work for them. Whu do you think Sarah Palin dropped out from being governor of Alaska? She was going to have to work hard. You see, she works for Rudolph Murdock at Fox now, and she doesn't have to really work. She didn't really write the book Going Rogue. On the book, has anyone seen the font of the words in that book. No one needs a magnifying glass since the font is a "16". The words are so 1st grade level. Really Sarah, who edited your book? So, the illusion is that she is working but not really. That's what television does for people - it gives the illusion of reality but really isn't real, only local and national news are real. So, slavery is alive and well in America. GOPers don't like having to work. Keep GOPers working. GOPers don't like being the slaves to American people. They like to be the Masters of America and Americans the slave workers. Keep Democracy alive. Vote Democrats! Vote Coakley for US Senate!
Handing over the reigns of the federal government to one unchecked party is by nature a risky proposition. However, handing it over to a party hell-bent on fundamentally reshaping our society in its own image at all costs is downright dangerous. Tomorrow the good people of Massachusetts have the ability to put the brakes on this administration. The last thing we need is another Democrat, rubber-stamp senator for Reid and Obama.
Wow, this was buried deep into the website. What a farse the news media has become.
Can't believe people prefer paid 4 times the cost of health care with a close : Your are not cover for,,,,,
Ha ha ha. I see all the liberals on here have reverted back to their usual smear campaign against Republicans when the public doesn't respond to their ideals. Obviously, the ideals cannot be wrong. It must be those "evil Republicans." Hilarious. Just frakkin' hilarious.
The poor Democrats could not pass a health bill with a solid majority of the House and 60% of the Senate. Lyndon Johnson must be spinning in his grave.
The Conservatives have embraced the role of the disloyal opposition. They want the country to suffer so that Obama's administration will lose popularity and the Republicans will gain by default. Therefore, they are – once again – gridlocking the government. Conservatives always talk about how inefficient government is. I wonder how much government would improve if all Conservatives simply disappeared and let the nation actually try to solve its problems.
The real problem with our government are the Conservatives in it.


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Welcome To AlbumLinerNotes.com
"The #1 Archive of Liner Notes in the World!"
Celebrating Our Shared Musical Heritage
Home Page
Artists List
Vince Gill
I Still Believe In You
High Lonesome Sound
Vince Gill
Artist Biography by Steve Huey
Vince Gill paid nearly a decade-and-a-half of dues en route to becoming one of the most popular country stars of the '90s. Starting out as a bluegrass singer and multi-instrumentalist, he initially made his name with country-rockers Pure Prairie League and spent the '80s as part of country's new traditionalist movement before finding massive success as a contemporary country hitmaker. Gill had strong mainstream appeal, yet enough songwriting chops and grounding in tradition that he could maintain his artistic credibility without being branded a crossover-happy hack. That balance made him the kind of performer who awards ceremonies can feel good about honoring, and honor him they did: Gill has won more CMA Awards than any performer in history, and his 14 Grammys tie him with Chet Atkins for the most ever by a country artist.
Vincent Grant Gill was born April 12, 1957, in Norman, Oklahoma. His father, a judge, played banjo and guitar, and Vince picked up both by his teen years; he later added fiddle, dobro, mandolin, and bass to his repertoire. In high school, Gill played in the bluegrass band Mountain Smoke, which gained enough of a local reputation to open a concert for Pure Prairie League. He graduated in 1975 and moved to Louisville, Kentucky to join the band Bluegrass Alliance, with whom he stayed for a year. He then briefly played with Ricky Skaggs' Boone Creek outfit before setting out for Los Angeles, where he joined fiddler Byron Berline's group Sundance. In 1979, he accompanied a friend to audition for Pure Prairie League, mostly out of curiosity as to whether they remembered his high school band, and they wound up hiring him as their lead singer. Gill recorded three albums with the band, helping them land a Top Ten pop hit with "Let Me Love You Tonight," and also began writing songs for them. He departed in 1981 to join Rodney Crowell's backing band, the Cherry Bombs, where he met Emory Gordy, Jr., and Tony Brown, both of whom would later produce his solo records. In 1982, he appeared on the David Grisman album Here Today, and the following year he landed a solo deal with RCA thanks to his connection with Brown.
Gill, his wife Janis (née Oliver, a member of the Sweethearts of the Rodeo), and their young daughter moved to Nashville. With Gordy producing, Gill issued his debut mini-album, Turn Me Loose, in 1984, with a style in keeping with his recent country-rock past. He notched his first charting country single with the minor Top 40 entry "Victim of Life's Circumstance," and the following year completed his follow-up, The Things That Matter. A duet with Rosanne Cash, "If It Weren't for Him," gave Gill his first Top Ten hit, and his next single, "Oklahoma Borderline," duplicated its predecessor's success. 1987's The Way Back Home gave Gill his biggest RCA hit in the Top Five "Cinderella." In the meantime, he also worked as a session guitarist, wrote songs for other artists, and toured with Emmylou Harris.
In 1989, Gill left RCA to sign with MCA, where he reunited with Tony Brown, now a successful producer. Though he'd enjoyed some success in his own right, Gill wasn't really a star. That all changed with the release of his label debut, 1989's When I Call Your Name. A duet with Reba McEntire, "Oklahoma Swing," made the Top 20, but the title track was the true break-out hit, climbing to number two and winning Gill his first Grammy. Its follow-up, "Never Knew Lonely," hit number three, and the album went on to sell over a million copies. Perhaps partly as a result, Gill declined an offer from Mark Knopfler to become a full-time member of Dire Straits. Gill's follow-up album, 1991's Pocket Full of Gold, was another platinum smash, giving him four Top Ten singles in "Liza Jane," the title track, "Look at Us," and the number two smash "Take Your Memory with You." 1992's I Still Believe in You made Gill an outright superstar; the title ballad was an enormous hit that became his first number one single, and its follow-up, "Don't Let Our Love Start Slippin' Away," also topped the charts. The album took only a few months to go platinum, and still spun off more hits: two more number ones in "One More Last Chance" and "Tryin' to Get Over You," and the number three "No Future in the Past." Additionally, "The Heart Won't Lie," another duet with McEntire from her It's Your Call album, went to number one in 1993. Over the next few years, I Still Believe in You would sell over four million copies.
Gill issued the stopgap holiday album Let There Be Peace on Earth in late 1993, and returned with When Love Finds You in 1994, which became his first album to break the pop Top Ten. It, too, sold over four million copies, and gave him five Top Five country hits: "What the Cowgirls Do," the title track, "Whenever You Come Around," "Which Bridge to Cross (Which Bridge to Burn)," and "You Better Think Twice." Gill was clearly a country hit factory by this point, but instead of coasting into the inevitable decline, he got more ambitious with his next project, 1996's High Lonesome Sound. Returning to his bluegrass roots, Gill crafted a tour of American roots music styles that earned him some positive critical attention, even if overall reviews were mixed. It proved commercially potent as well, giving him several more hits, including the Top Fivers "Worlds Apart," "Pretty Little Adriana," and "A Little More Love." In 1998, Gill released his most universally acclaimed album, The Key, which was both a return to hardcore country and a chronicle of the breakup of his marriage to Janis Oliver. Although country radio shied away from its more traditional approach (save for the Top Five hit "If You Ever Have Forever in Mind"), it sold well, going platinum and becoming Gill's first album -- surprisingly -- to top the country charts.
Rumors about Gill's relationship with pop singer and onetime Christian star Amy Grant proved to be true, and the couple married in early 2000. Gill's next album, Let's Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye, was largely a tribute to his new romance that many critics found overly sentimental. It gave him another Top Ten hit in "Feels Like Love," but it was uncharacteristically snubbed come Grammy time, despite securing four nominations. Gill returned to critical favor with his next outing, 2003's Next Big Thing, which marked the first time he produced an entire album on his own. In 2006, he released the ambitious These Days, a four-disc set of new material, on MCA Nashville. He followed it with another album of original material, Guitar Slinger, five years later in 2011. The album was recorded at Gill's home studio and featured contributions from Grant, and the couple's three daughters, Jenny, Sarah, and Corinna. In 2013, Gill appeared on his wife's return to recording, How Mercy Looks from Here, in a guest duet on Earl Klugh's Hand Picked, and issued the roots country album, Bakersfield, in collaboration with pedal steel guitarist Paul Franklin.
Content provided by All Music Guide (C) 2013 All Media Guide, LLC.
Content copyright 2007-


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Photos by National Geographic photographer and Norwell resident Cary Wolinsky reveal the culture of textiles
When Cary Wolinsky traveled the world as a National Geographic photographer, he often spent hours, even days, to prepare. Before he could shoot, he had to follow the customs of his subjects, learning the hard way when he did not.
"I didn't think I could sleep in a hammock, so I lay down on the floor, which was sand," Wolinsky told a gathering at the South Shore Art Center in Cohasset, where his photographs are on display in the exhibit "Fiber of Life." "You wouldn't believe what comes out of the sand at night."
Wolinsky adapted to the hammock and eventually shot the image that had brought him to a remote island off Panama, where the villagers did not welcome outsiders. It's a stunning photograph of a Cuna woman, who stands regally on the lever of a sugar cane press, wearing a mola, a cotton blouse stitched with colorful geometric patterns.
"They have a mola for every day of the year and compete to look magnificent," he said.
Wolinsky, of Norwell, has a gift for getting beyond barriers. It is seen in the riveting, color saturated photos taken over a 40-year career at National Geographic, where he produced photo essays organized around the culture of textiles.
"Textiles – just the word itself would put me to sleep," Wolinsky said. "But I realized that cloth has the power to transform our vision of ourselves and each other. There is a natural human tendency to create beauty, and a single piece of clothing can be transformative."
From Africa, India, China, Japan, Turkey, Panama, Papua New Guinea, and Tukmenistan, the photos make the viewer want to know the story and culture of the people who wear and make these fabrics. Each photo has a tale behind it, which Wolinsky told with humor and flair.
He recalled his surprise when the wife of a man he was visiting in India requested a portrait. She posed standing barefoot on stairs, with her hands clasped in front of her, wearing a full-length orange phurdah that completely covers her face. But the image makes perfect sense, when clothing is viewed as an expression of status and tradition.
"I asked if that was the way she wanted to be photographed," Wolinsky said. "It was. There was this wonderful iridescent light and I said, 'This is fabulous.'"
Like many artists, Wolinsky accidentally happened upon the subject that would inspire his career, when he was a young journalism graduate traveling in India and a carpet dealer took him to Bhadohi, a village of carpet weavers.
"I realized there was entire community built around weaving carpets," he said. "It was colorful, exotic and wonderful. I realized I was seeing a culture in its purest form, weaving as they had been doing for a very long time."
He pitched the concept of textiles many times before National Geographic finally accepted his proposal and set him free to travel and take pictures.
Most of the photos are of one or two individuals, looking directly into the camera or making their textiles.
"I learned that if you want to get published, photograph a face," said Wolinsky, who used 35 millimeter film in a Nikon camera equipped with 12 lenses.
In photos of a Peruvian knitter, Chinese felt carpet maker, Indian cotton spinner, Wolinsky worked with low natural light, and the spaces of darkness and shadow add dignity and depth to the images.
One of the most colorful and fascinating photos shows a group of Moslem Indian women, huddled together, their hands raised to protect their faces, which are covered in veils splattered with sparkly purple and pink paint. Wolinsky shot the photo during a celebration where people throw colored paint on each other to commemorate an ancient love affair once marked by the throwing of colorful flower petals. To shoot the picture and protect his camera, he dressed in layers of veils.
In Morocco, Wolinsky was intrigued by two men in thick, long robes. They gave him permission to take their picture, but insisted he first come to their home for tea.
"We sat the whole afternoon drinking tea," he said. "By the time they were ready, it was the very last light of the day, so I had to use a very long exposure."
In order to get permission to photograph a funeral in Ghana, he had to nearly lie on the ground, because the village chief had to be higher than ordinary people. In the photos, a man sews funeral cloth and a woman points to bolts of beautiful fabric worn at funeral processions to express a mourner's relationship to the deceased.
Before every photo essay, Wolinsky spent months researching. He gained an understanding that helped him connect with his translator guides and subjects, and appreciate what he was asking of them.
"You have to let people know that process can be an intrusion and it will take time," he said. "You're asking them for their souls."
Wolinsky now is retired from National Geographic, and he and his wife, Barbara, run Trillium Studio, a photography, film and graphic design company, and are assisted by their son, Yari. He also co-founded in 2003 the Center for Digital Imaging Arts at Boston University, where he is consulting director.
The Patriot Ledger
What: Cary Wolinsky exhibit "Fiber of Life"
When: Through Dec. 23. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday; 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday
Where: South Shore Art Center, 119 Ripley Road, Cohasset.
How much: Admission is free.
More info: Call 781-383-2787 or go to www.ssac.org.


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- Race Info
- Handicapping
- News
- Events
- Visitors
- Horsemen
- Racing 101
- Preakness
- Health & Safety
Russell, Rigattieri, PTK LLC Capture Spring Meet Titles
Russell, Rigattieri, PTK LLC Capture Spring Meet Titles
BALTIMORE, 05-23-11---The eight-week Pimlico Race Course spring meeting ended Saturday afternoon with Sheldon Russell, John Rigattieri and PTK LLC winning individual titles. The 29-day stand began at the historic home of the Preakness Stakes (G1) on April 1.
Russell won 26 races during the stand to edge Julian Pimentel by two for the riding title. Russell, who also captured the Laurel Park winter meet title earlier this year, had eight multiple win days during the meet. The 23-year-old was aboard Concealed Identity in Saturday's Preakness. The Eddie Gaudet trainee finished 10th in Maryland's signature race.
"It was a life-changing experience and believe it will be great for my career," Russell said of his Preakness experience. "It is the best feeling I have had in racing. The roars of the crowd were something I have never experienced. I usually watch from the jocks room, so for me to take part in it this year was a dream. It was great to be part of the entire event from the post position draw to the Alibi Breakfast."
Rigattieri saddled 11 winners during the stand, one more than Dale Capuano, Dane Kobiskie and Mike Trombetta.
PTK LLC topped the owner standings for the second consecutive year at Old Hilltop, finishing first 10 times from 48 starters, all with Kobiskie.
Live racing will return to the major Maryland tracks on Saturday, September 10 at Laurel Park for the fall meeting, which follows a two weekend stand at the Timonium State Fair.
Handle figures will be announced later in the week.


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You probably have heard the term thrown around, but many out there might not know what an Accelerometer does exactly. They are used in a variety of modern machines and gadgets, and a necessity for dynamic balancing in walking robots. Here is a quick tutorial video that we put together, explaining the basics and application of Accelerometers.
Posts Tagged 'accelerometer'
Accelerometers 101Wednesday, November 5th, 2008
New Products: gyros and compasses and Arduinos, oh my!Monday, February 11th, 2008
We've just added a bunch of Spark Fun products to our catalog! We are now proud resellers of the massively popular Arduino, and a bunch of other cool stuff!
Arduino Diecimila USB IO Board
Arduino is an open-source physical computing platform based on a simple i/o board and a development environment that implements the Processing/Wiring language. Arduino can be used to develop stand-alone interactive objects or can be connected to software on your computer (e.g. Flash, Processing, MaxMSP). The open-source IDE can be downloaded for free (currently for Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux).
Price: $34.95
Riding on the waves of the very popular Arduino USB board is this small prototyping shield. The Protoshield mates with the Arduino USB board and gives the user a small soldering area, two general LEDs, access to a BlueSMiRF socket, a general pushbutton switch, and most important of all – the Arduino reset switch is brought to the top level.
Price: $16.95
Are you an aspiring meteorologist? This USB weather station can immediately tell what the current pressure, humidity, and temperature is. Graphed over time you can watch weather fronts move in and the rain come down.
Price: $124.95
Compass Module with Tilt Compensation – OS5000-S
The OS5000-S is an extremely small form factor (1×1â€? square) three axis, tilt compensated digital compass. The flexible design allows customers to use RS232 Serial connection for system integration. The OS5000-S provides precise heading, roll and pitch data ideal for rapid attitude measurement. The compass offers an easy to use ASCII interface which includes hard-iron calibration and simple data configuration for your application.
Price: $269.95
Accelerometer Breakout Board – ADXL210AE +/-10g
Breakout board for the Analog Devices accelerometers in the E8 package. The ADXL is a solid state MEMS accelerometer with digital PWM or Analog output. The ADXL can measure both static and dynamic acceleration. This means the ADXL is suited well for sensing tilt (used in many Glove / Air Mouse applications) and for sensing brute acceleration (rocketry and general motion sensing applications).
Price: $39.95
Ever hear of a thing called RGB? Red, Green, Blue? How about an RGB LED? These 5mm units have four pins – Cathode is the longest pin. One for each color and a common cathode. Use this one LED for three status indicators or pulse width modulate all three and get mixed colors!
Price: $1.95
Serial Accelerometer Tri-Axis v5 – Dongle
The SerAccel v5 is a 3 axis accelerometer up to +/-6g with a simple serial interface.
Your Price: $74.95
Gyro Breakout Board – MLX90609 – 150 degree/sec
This is a simple breakout board for the Melexis gyroscope featuring both analog and digital (SPI) interfaces. Designed for dead reckoning navigation applications, the MLX90609-E2 is a 150 degree/s max rate gyro with low drift and programmable bandwidth, this gyro is perfect for digital stabilization and control.
Your Price: $59.95
Gyro Breakout Board – MLX90609 – 300 degree/sec
This is a simple breakout board for the Melexis gyroscope featuring both analog and digital (SPI) interfaces. Designed for dead reckoning navigation applications, the MLX90609-R2 is a 300 degree/s max rate gyro with low drift and programmable bandwidth, this gyro is perfect for digital stabilization and control.
Your Price: $59.95
EasyDriver v3 Stepper Motor Driver
EasyDriver v3 is a simple to use stepper motor driver, compatible with anything that can output a digital 0 to 5V pulse. The EasyDriver requires a 7V to 30V supply to power the motor, and has an on board voltage regulator for the digital interface. Connect a 4-wire stepper motor and a microcontroller and you've got precision motor control!
Price: $14.95
Triple Axis Accelerometer Breakout – MMA7260Q
Breakout board for the 3 axis MMA7260Q accelerometer from Freescale. With a low power shut-down mode, high sensitivity output with selectable ranges (+/- 1.5, 2, 4, and 6g), this sensor is one of the very first to market with three accelerometers sensors built onto a single IC! Board comes fully assembled and tested with external filters installed.
Price: $39.95
Triple Axis Accelerometer Breakout – LIS3LV02DQ
Breakout board for the 3 axis LIS3LV02DQ accelerometer from ST Micro. With a digital interface (SPI or I2C), the user only has to initiate commands to get 1mg resolution! Independent channels can be shut off, the sensor can be powered down, even an interrupt threshold can be set and used to awaken the sensor from power down! Selectable ranges are available for +/-2g and 6g. This sensor is one of the first with triple axis and an easy to use digital interface. Board comes fully assembled and tested with external decoupling caps.
Price: $43.95
This is a simple, but very powerful stepper motor. Features:
This is a simple, but very powerful stepper motor.
Price: $14.95
There you have it, folks. If you like what you see, click the links, read some manuals and spec sheets, and buy things. As always: if you have questions, feel free to drop us an email, post in the forums, or if it's an emergency and your leg is going to fall off if you don't find out what the difference between an accelerometer and a gyro is RIGHT NOW, give us a call.


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Likable = Linkable
Twitter is a great tool for engagement. Yes you should use twitter to build links. You find like minded individuals. You share content with them. You tweet out their good content. You make comments on their blogs. You get invited to guest post. You build relationships, you build links. The best links come from humans, not bots, not tools, HUMANS.
In the same stroke. A relationship is about give and take. Again, yes, you should use twitter to build links. But tweeting out self promoting links every 5 minutes, or 10, or even hourly just to build links will sabotage your relationships. ( see rule #3 Thou Shalt Not Blatantly Self-Promote ) So I try to avoid too much self promotion on my own twitter stream. I don't use my twitter stream to build links for me. I don't want to loose influence with peers by flooding my twitter stream with ME, ME, ME. I know, as a pest control guy I probably don't carry too much influence… Even more the reason to guard what little I may have.
No relationships = No Links
FYI- The best links I get and give from twitter usually come from behind the DM curtain.
Related articles
- New Twitter Data Shows Where You Put Your Link in Your Tweet Matters (blogworld.com)
- New Twitter Data: Optimal Link Placement (everything.typepad.com)
- Should You Host a Twitter Party? (fathomdelivers.com)
- How NOT to Blow Your Social Media Reputation (johnchow.com)
( find me on twitter @Thos003 )


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Chanel Double Stitch Coco Mark Long Wallet Leather Ladies CHANEL
Estimated Delivery:Apr 06 - Apr 10
Chanel Double Stitch Coco Mark Long Wallet Leather Ladies CHANEL
Brand: Chanel
Gender: Women
Colour: Black
Material: Leather
Size (HxWxD): 18cm x 11cm x 2cm / 7.08'' x 4.33'' x 0.78''
Condition: Good
Condition details: The item has been used and has some minor flaws.
Before purchasing, please refer to the images for the exact condition of the item.
All of the items on our website are pre-owned.
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From Openmoko
This page is here to collect the ideas, design mockups and thoughts about how Paroli could look like, how could it work. The plan is to create a new template to be used instead of the default black-and-white one.
For motivation, have a look at the Community driven redesign / new theme for Paroli thread
GUI wishlist aka. Random ideas
- SMS writing in landscape mode: one small line for text and HUGE keyboard to be used with your fingers while walking
- Bling bling - what kind of effects do we have available? Fading, sliding..? I'd like to see it smoooth.
Design concept 1
Designer:pike 19:42, 6 June 2009 (UTC)
I love the black-and-white Paroli GUI, dubbed "Boring at Best" by someone in the mailinglist. It just needs tweeking; font sizes, alignments; it needs a few more concepts outlined - and it needs a sizzle - it should come alive when you start touching it.
To prove myself it could really look nice, I did these mockups. I'm not sure what to do with them; I have similar sketches in mind (and on paper) for the Launcher and Dialer and a settings screen; but it's more then just pictures - some ""style guidelines"" too ..
Design concept 2
- Designer:
- Screenshots/mockups:
- Explanation:


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Looking Up: Santa's view of the polar night sky
There are many things we can be thankful for, one of them being is that the Wise Men had clear night skies on their way to Bethlehem. Religious-theme Christmas cards show a nice starry sky with one very bright star dominating the scene.
Theories about the Christmas star fall into two main groups, depending on your point of view: a. It is only a nice story; or b. It is true. Possibility b. then leads to the question, what was the Christmas star? Some say it was a miraculous sign, which would best fit the Biblical narrative that the star moved and hovered over the manger. Others point to a possible supernova- a rare exploding star that can outshine every star in the sky; an unusual large comet; or a rare conjunction of bright planets- which was known to have occurred in the general time frame of Christ's birth.
Ask almost any child in Western Society about what the North Pole means to them and you will likely hear it is the abode of one Mr. Claus; the domicile of eight or nine reindeer, an assortment of elves and Saint Nick and his family; where Kris Kringel "hangs his hat."
Hopefully the polar cap won't be melting more than it is or Santa may need to consider a house boat.
What would the jolly fellow see from his ice cap home when he looked up? Right at the North Pole- where the barbershop pole is supposedly planted- the North Star, or Polaris, shines straight overhead. Around the very horizon is the Celestial Equator. Night lasts six months there, so as long as the sky is clear, you would see the constellations move around you in a circle, right around a point next to the North Star.
From mid-northern latitudes such as where Pennsylvania is found, the Big Dipper just misses the north horizon, as well as the W-shaped constellation Cassiopeia, on the opposite side from the North Star. We call these constellations "circumpolar" in that they never set. Others are the Little Dipper (Ursa Minor the Little Bear); Draco the Dragon; Cepheus the King and Camelopardalis, the Giraffe. From the North Pole, the ENTIRE VISIBLE SKY is circumpolar!
Also visible would be the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis. This fantastic natural light show is caused by charged particles from outbursts on the Sun, interacting with the atoms of Earth's upper atmosphere, and flowing along the Earth's magnetic field which surrounds the planet just like a magnet. Interestingly, a compass does not necessarily point exactly to the North Pole, but will be a few degrees off, depending on where you live. This is because the Earth, like an 8,000 mile wide magnet, has a north and a south magnetic end, or pole, but is off center from the Earth's north-south axis of spin. The North Magnetic Pole is located in northern Canada. The North Pole of the axis of rotation is on the top of the globe.
Northern lights appear regularly in a circle in the sky around the North Magnetic Pole (Southern Lights likewise appear in the south over Antarctica). On rare occasions Northern Lights move further down and we are able to see them from lower latitudes. From Santa's North Pole, however, that "ring of fire" of Northern Lights would be off center and not straight overhead with the North Star in the middle.
Cold night observing tips
Six months of night would be excellent for stargazers. It is a wonder not more people move there.
Just be sure to dress extra warm — in layers, and don't forget your hat!
Look for Orion
At about 8 p.m. on Christmas night, or any night this week in early evening, be sure to savor the glory of the bright stars of winter. These will be seen in the east-southeast at this time of night. Almost making up for the cold, an unusual serving of brilliant stars shine. The constellation Orion is the favorite of many. If you locate nothing else, be sure to recognize Orion the Hunter. Learn it and point it out to your children and grandchildren. They may likely treasure that memory for the rest of their lives. Show them Orion's three stars that make up the "belt" and the several stars of the "sword" hanging off the belt. Point out fiery red Betelgeuse in the upper left from the belt, and brilliant blue-white Rigel in the lower right.
The brightest star in the night sky, Sirius, shines forth to the lower left of Orion. Above Orion is orange Aldeberan, seemingly connected to the V-shaped Hyades star cluster; off the Hyades, is the compact, glittering star cluster, the Pleiades. Almost over head is bright yellow Capella. Further left of Orion is the duo, Pollux and Castor, both bright stars; between these and Sirius, is yellow Procyon, another winter luminary.
Bright planet Jupiter shines nicely in the southeast before dawn. Reddish Mars, much dimmer, is nearby, to the upper right. These planets are moving closer and closer; on January 6 Mars will be only a third of a degree from Jupiter (less than half the apparent width of the full Moon)!
Last quarter Moon is on Tuesday, December 26.
Keep looking up!
— Peter Becker is Managing Editor at The News Eagle in Hawley, PA. Notes are welcome at firstname.lastname@example.com. Please mention in what newspaper or web site you read this column.


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Rangers nip Devils in key division clash
Newark, NJ – Rick Nash scored the deciding goal 7:25 into the second period, and Henrik Lundqvist made the lead stand as the New York Rangers posted a 3-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils in a key Atlantic Division clash from the Prudential Center.
Michael Del Zotto assisted on Nash's game-winner while delivering a short-handed goal earlier on for New York, with Lundqvist coming up with 29 saves to help the Rangers win for a second straight night following a three- game skid.
Carl Hagelin also scored for New York, which moved into a tie with the struggling Devils for the eighth and final playoff spot.
"It seems like every game we play a team that we have to pick up points against, so I think we're aware of the situation," said Devils forward Travis Zajac.
Zajac and Anton Volchenkov had the goals for New Jersey, with Johan Hedberg stopping 19-of-22 shots in the Devils' third consecutive setback.
Twelve of Lundqvist's saves came during a busy second period, and his turning away of Steve Bernier's backhander near the end of a Devils' power play led to an odd-man rush in which Nash skated up the right wing and beat Hedberg to the stick side to break a 2-2 deadlock.
Lundqvist made seven more stops in the final session, and the Rangers were able to successfully kill off the lone penalty of the period to stay in front until the final horn.
"I thought we stuck with it," Rangers head coach John Tortorella said afterward. "Henrik makes three great saves in that second period, (then) we go down and score."
Del Zotto scored shorthanded with a little over eight minutes left in an action-packed opening period, with the New York defenseman tipping home a pass Derek Stepan threw on net after forcing a turnover deep in the Devils' zone for a 1-0 edge.
The Devils fared far better on their second power-play opportunity. Shortly after winning a faceoff, Zajac fired a loose puck through the legs of Lundqvist to tie the contest 4:45 prior to the first intermission.
That started off a sequence of three goals between the teams within a span of under two minutes.
New York regained the upper hand with 3:50 to go in the frame, when Dan Girardi blasted a shot wide of the net that caromed right to Hagelin for a stuff-in into an open left side.
The lead was short-lived, though, as Volchenkov ripped a wicked shot from the left point that landed just inside the right post a mere 57 seconds after Hagelin's score.
Game Notes
Hedberg started despite the Devils activating Martin Brodeur from injured reserve prior to the game, with fellow goaltender Jeff Frazee reassigned to AHL Albany in a corresponding move. Brodeur has not played since Feb. 21 due to a sore back ... Center Andrei Loktionov missed a second straight outing for New Jersey due to an undisclosed injury ... The Rangers improved to 9-3-2 in one-goal games this season, while the Devils fell to 3-10-4 when allowing the game's first tally ... Volchenkov's goal was his first since March 11 of last season, which took place against Philadelphia.


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I don't know about you but I barely made it through Blood Diamond. The 2006 Leo-helmed torture-porn about diamond runners during the Sierra Leone Civil War really fucked me up. After sobbing through most of the movie, I cursed my greedy western brethren, and vowed to never, ever wear a conflict diamond. However, in the back of my head I thought, "Of course, when I finally trick someone into marrying me, he better get me that good conflict-free rock!" Hey, I'm a child of 90s rom-coms, how else am I to supposed to know someone truly l-u-vs me?
Lucky for me, the film ends with an introduction of the Kimberley Process, a certification scheme that aims to curb the blood diamond trade by providing certificates for all diamonds. "How wonderful!" I remember thinking. "Now I can get that rock, post a million photos to Myspace to prove someone loves me IN YOUR FACE, and then let myself go — pass the Ben & Jerry's and let's burn all my razors!"
Well, life isn't that good, and as we now know, rom-coms are (delightful) horse shit, and so is the Kimberley Process.
The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme — which basically provides a sort-of passport for your diamond, letting the purchaser know the diamond's country of origin, the country of import, value, and total carats of each diamond shipment, and serial number — is rife with seemingly insurmountable flaws. Unfortunately, according to a new recent piece in Foreign Policy, they're about as easy to fake as an old driver's license, rendering the process relatively useless — or at least, woefully lacking in credibility. Which sucks, because it's become nearly impossible to tell the origins of any new diamonds on the market. In an email to me, author Jason Miklian said that "about 25% of all diamonds now in the stores are blood diamonds, and nobody can tell the difference." Not good.
According to Miklian, more than 90 percent of the world's unpolished diamonds are now processed and polished in the Indian city of Surat, where grossly underpaid workers and nearly nonexistent regulations ensure a "dream environment for the global diamond industry," and where "deciphering clean [diamonds] from dirty [ones] becomes nearly impossible."
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In old diamond capitals like Antwerp, strict regulation of the industry is the name of the game. However, Surat is the new guard, a place where "gems are flown, freighted, and trucked in from Africa, Central Asia, and other mining hot spots to take advantage of India's cheap labor and no-questions-asked atmosphere."
So, not only are we quite possibly funding conflict with every diamond we purchase, we're also bankrolling an industry where workers are consistently abused and discarded.
After two decades of constant squinting and 100-hour workweeks, most boys who come here to make their fortunes in the polishing trade no longer have the eyesight to do the work. By 35, if they haven't been lucky enough to become dealers, those polishers already suffering from early-onset vision loss are shown the door and left to fend for themselves. And decades of continuously inhaling microscopic diamond grains often leads to tuberculosis and respiratory diseases ("diamond lung," as it's called locally), which afflict tens of thousands of workers. Most go back to their villages to try to farm the land they abandoned years earlier — literally sent out to pasture.
But don't diamond dealers give a shit about all of this? Especially after all the crack downs after they world was exposed to the atrocities of the Sierra Leone Civil War?
Nope. As one major diamond dealer told Miklian, buyers don't ask about working conditions in Surat because they don't care; they don't ask about the Kimberley Process in Mumbai because they know it's useless.
I guess it's a good thing that vintage and non-diamond rings are on the rise, because until Leo signs on for Blood Diamond 2: India Calling, I'm thinking we all need to put the stops on the solitaires. And for those of us who need the ice, these man made diamonds are looking pretty dope. Plus, what's more romantic than science?
[Foreign Policy]
Photo via Foreign Policy


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The University of Houston Law Center announced the establishment of the Center for U.S. and Mexican Law, which is the first independent research center in the United States dedicated to the study of Mexican law and legal aspects of U.S. – Mexico relations.
Houston's position as a gateway between the two countries serves as a natural setting for the Center for U.S. and Mexican Law and its work to improve understanding of each other's laws and legal institutions. Stephen Zamora, Leonard B. Rosenberg Professor of Law at the University of Houston Law Center, will serve as the first director of the center; Ignacio Pinto-León, a Mexican who is licensed to practice law in both Mexico and the United States, will serve as assistant director.
"The creation of an independent research center on Mexican law at a U.S. university is long overdue," Zamora noted. "Trade and investment between the United States and Mexico continues to grow as our economies become increasingly integrated, thanks to our NAFTA partnership. Thirty-three million persons in the United States are Mexican citizens or descendants of Mexican citizens. Our societies are permanently linked, and yet our understanding of Mexico's laws and legal institutions is extremely limited. The Center for U.S. and Mexican Law will work to reduce the ignorance and misinformation about Mexican law that exists outside of Mexico, and also will undertake projects to promote U.S. – Mexican cooperation."
In addition to independent research and analysis of the interplay between the U.S. and Mexican legal systems, the center also will promote cross-border education of law students, lawyers, judges and other professionals from both Mexico and Canada. The center will contract with various agencies to fund specific studies and research projects; organize periodic symposia; and participate in collaborative projects to promote cooperation among U.S. and Mexican lawyers, judges and scholars.
In addition to participating faculty at the University of Houston, the Center for U.S. and Mexican Law will sponsor residencies by visiting scholars. At present, the center boasts two affiliate scholars: Dr. José Ramón Cossío Díaz, a Justice of the Mexican Supreme Court, has agreed to serve as the center's first Distinguished Jurist in Residence. Miriam Grinstein, a law professor at CIDE University in Mexico City, also has been named an affiliate scholar. An expert in international energy law, Grinstein will help develop research projects relating to development of U.S. – Mexico energy integration.
A distinguished advisory board composed of lawyers, judges and university professors from both Mexico and the United States will assist the center in its work.
The center also will sponsor activities promoting professional cooperation and legal education in North America through a partnership with the North American Consortium on Legal Education. The Law Center is also party to mutual cooperation agreements with the Mexican Foreign Ministry and with Petróleos Mexicano (Pemex), the national oil company. Under these agreements, UHLC provides scholarships each year toward LL.M. degrees for lawyers from both entities and they in turn accept UH law students as summer interns.
For more information about the Center for U.S. and Mexican Law, see www.law.uh.edu/mexican-law/ or contact Carrie Criado, 713-743-2184, firstname.lastname@example.com; or John T. Kling, 713- 743-8298, email@example.com.


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Five years ago book agent Toby Eady was giving a talk in Beijing when an audience member asked him why he consistently promoted books about the female Chinese experience—chronicles of Chinese Cinderellas, concubines' daughters and the like. Was Eady promoting a one-sided picture of victimization to Western eyes, asked the audience member. What about the male side of the Chinese story?
Eady, who nursemaided best-sellers like Jung Chang's "Wild Swans"–dubbed China's "Gone with the Wind," paused a beat before retorting, "Do you know who belongs to book clubs? Women."
The awarding of this year's Nobel Literature Prize to Chinese author Mo Yan marks a swing of the pendulum in how the West sees Chinese literature, highlighting the increasing number of male Chinese writers reaching a global audience.
Male Chinese writers might not be as famous as female ones, but they present the other, much-needed perspective–one that is lustier, masculine-minded and befitting a nation facing a male surplus.
To understand the significance of the masculine swing, imagine if the outside world's perception of, say, America, were shaped primarily by reading writers like Edith Wharton, Emily Dickinson, Toni Morrison, and Betty Friedan. No Hemingway, no F. Scott Fitzgerald, no Louis L'Amour, no Raymond Chandler. What a strange America this would be.
Mo Yan and his cohorts write salacious stories. Graphic. Scatological. The obsessions are making money, having sex, with possessing rather than being possessed.
Take this passage from Mo Yan's Red Sorghum, a full throttle yarn about a family's struggles during the Japanese invasion. Granddad Yu is heartbroken after grandson Douguan's testicle is bitten off by one of the packs of dogs made feral by starvation. Douguan's childhood friend Beauty is encouraged to indulge in some sex play to see whether his parts are in working order:
"Timidly, she held it in her sweaty hand and felt it gradually get warmer and thicker. It began to throb, just like her heart."
Granddad, elated to see a continuation of the family line, runs out, uttering perhaps the most memorable line in the book: "Single stalk garlic is the hottest!"
These stories offer another perspective on Chinese obsessions—in this case, family lineage. (Anyone wondering whether this lineage business is just highly colored fiction need only scan last week's news about Hong Kong billionaire Cecil Chao, who put out $65 million to a successful suitor for his lesbian daughter's hand. Talk about Matrimony on A Bounty.)
There is, of course, more to male Chinese writing than Rabelaisian humor and power-crazed protagonists. A particular favorite of mine is the Inspector Chen series, written by Anthony Award winner Qiu Xialong. The books detail the adventures of Shanghai poet-policeman Chen Cao and are set in the early 1990s, when China is beginning its rapid economic climb.
These are gentle stories, filled with melancholy and mouth-wateringly good descriptions of food. Endemic government corruption means Chen rarely gets his man, even if he solves the case, and his peregrinations bring to mind Donna Leon's Inspector Brunetti, or Alexander McCall Smith's Precious Ramotswe.
For too long, Western perceptions of Chinese have been essentially a female one, brought about to a large extent by the hugely successful writings of writers ranging from Han Suyin to the two Amys, Tan and Chua, who, though American, draw hugely on their Chinese roots for their stories. They have offered vivid, touching, and loving portraits of dysfunctional families, of the immigrant experience, of female empowerment. Stories that need a woman's touch.
In "The Good Women of China," journalist Xinran Xue describes a visit to a remote part of China where women walk with a strange swagger. She discovers it is because the women live in a dry region with little forestation, and are forced to use sharp-edged leaves to staunch menstrual bleeding. I doubt a male writer would have spotted that telling detail.
Of course, these are stories that need to be told. But the surge of stories with tropes of infanticide, abortion and rape reinforce Western perceptions of the Chinese experience as being overwhelmingly feminine. As victims or objects of desire.
Women's stories, no matter how vital, don't necessarily square with all that's going on in China today, which is facing a surplus of males following three decades of a government-mandated population planning policy—popularly referred to as the one-child policy– that reinforced Chinese families' cultural preference for sons. By some estimates, there are now roughly about 120 men for every 100 women now, and the numbers are much more skewed in rural areas.
In 2009, I visited such a gender-imbalanced village in central China while reporting for the Wall Street Journal. Three of the village men had been the target of bridal scams. Due to female scarcity, bridal prices—like a male dowry and called cai li in Chinese—had shot up to as much as several years' farming income. These men and their families had borrowed heavily to pay the bride prices, only to see the women decamp with the money.
The story had potential tragicomic overtones. I had visions of women sprinting across rice fields, veils rippling in the wind. Villages filled with horny, dejected men.
But the reality was a bit more grim, The village, called Xin 'An, or New Peace, is mostly filled with old people and children. Few people can make a living farming the family plot, so the youth leave for city jobs. The few remaining men intend to marry only to dump their wives back in the village, as caretakers and bearers of children. However, many women—having tasted the delights of financial independence and city living—weren't biting. I could see why. Xin' An's bucolic charms were few. The village had just one shop, and it sold things like detergent and fertilizer. No lipstick, no face cream.
New Peace Village was undergoing a subtle shift in its way of thinking. One of the duped grooms' fathers worried about scraping together enough cai li for his other, still unmarried sons. "Wish I had daughters," he said ruefully, upending centuries of ingrained teaching.
Mo is not the first Chinese author to get the Nobel nod. Gao Xingjian (currently a French national, but born in China) won in 2000 for his travelogue Soul Mountain, a far less accessible piece of work. Mo's win is yet another small step that helps direct the world's attention to the writings of Chinese men. Their kind of sinewy prose reflects the more aggressive aspirations of today's China, increasingly intent on promoting its worldview and place in the world


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Rabbi Randy Kafka: Generosity as a spiritual practice
We tend to think of generosity primarily in terms of the willingness to give money or material possessions. But actually, in Jewish tradition, financial giving to support the community as well as those less fortunate is considered an obligation, not an expression of generosity.
Tsedakah, which is often erroneously translated as charity, actually means righteousness. So financial giving is understood to be an expression of justice and covenant, not so much of generosity. Supporting the community as well as those less fortunate is just what we Jews do, regardless of how we feel.
Generosity, on the other hand, is understood in Judaism to be a movement of the heart. There is a quality of openness and giving that arises in the heart and manifests as a sharing of self as well as a sharing of material possessions.
I believe that generosity is both an attitude and an activity. It is a fundamental spiritual practice, closely associated with the practice of gratitude.
Generosity is about acts of kindness, and reaching out beyond the self. It's about sharing our unique gifts with one another, generating connections and then deepening them.
Last year my husband underwent triple bypass heart surgery. When the cardiologist showed us the results of the angiogram prior to surgery, he pointed out a miraculous thing – in an effort to counter the life-threatening effects of the blocked arteries, the body had spontaneously generated a tiny new blood vessel spanning from a partially blocked but still functioning artery to a blocked one. A new, life-giving connection.
Reaching out in generosity and connecting with one another is life-giving. Not only for us as individuals, but also for the community. When you are generous to someone else, you benefit as well. The life force in you is strengthened as well. In truth we are not the separate, autonomous beings we imagine ourselves to be.
The bigger our sense of Ego with a capital E, the less generous we are able to be. The more there is a Me, there is also a strong sense of what is Mine, and a fear of losing what is Mine, and therefore less of a willingness to share what is Mine.
But of course the paradox is that in giving, we actually grow. Whereas in holding on tightly, we shrink.
Every High Holidays we read: "On Rosh Hashanah it is written, on Yom Kippur it is sealed – who shall live, and who shall die." How do we understand these words? Here's one way of understanding what it means, stated simply: We just don't know. It could be us.
Now given that we just don't know, we still have the choice of how to think and act in the face of uncertainty. We can become fearful and closed, or we can live however long we are going to live with a generous spirit. We can shrink and harden, or we can expand outward and make new connections.
As we approach Yom Kippur, the day of being forgiven and reborn, may we all strive to become more generous both with ourselves and with others. May we overcome our fears and doubts, and reach out beyond the narrowness of the Ego to connect with someone new.
In so doing we may gain a new heart, as it is prophesied in the book of Ezekiel: "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you."
Rabbi Kafka serves Temple Kol Tikvah in Sharon, Mass., an independent Reform congregation formed in the merging of Temple Israel South Shore of Easton and Klal Yisrael of Sharon. She can be reached at email@example.com