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Posts Tagged 'audio'
Workhorse Reunites for All-Star Neckbreaker! | Oddbody's- Dayton, OH – 9.16.17Posted: September 12, 2017 by Kimberly Weiss in Awesome Upcoming Shows, Band Reviews/Promotions, Band/Artist/Project News, Local Music News, Music Connection News
Tags: A.J. Morse, audio, Cro Mags, Cromax, Curtis Griffith, Dayton bands, Dayton Ohio, early 2000's, early 90's, Frank Harmon, frankhatesyou.com, hardcore, idiedtrying, interview, late 90's, Life of Blood, Machinehead, Menace 2 Sobriety, Metallica, Motorcore Music, Neon Warship, Oddbody's Music Room, old metal, Pantera, punk rokc, reunion show, Terror, Tim Buchenroth, Todd Sonnanstine, upcoming shows, Workhorse


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Location: Town Hall, San Francisco, California, July 2009.
Refer to the first post in this series for more info about this photo here.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Daytona Cubs' Soler suspended, sent to meet with Chicago brass
When top OF prospect will return to Daytona is unknown
DAYTONA BEACH — Jorge Soler, a Chicago Cubs prospect who has a nine-year, $30 million contract, was given a five-game suspension by the Florida State League on Thursday, but when the outfielder will be back in a Daytona Cubs uniform is an unknown.
The organization was making travel plans for Soler on the same day FSL president Chuck Murphy issued the suspension and a fine to the 21-year-old Cuban for "charging" — with bat in hand — the Clearwater Threshers dugout and getting ejected from Wednesday's game at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
Soler, the 34th-best prospect in Baseball America's Top 100 list, was going to either Chicago or the organization's spring training home in Mesa, Ariz., to meet with Cubs brass, according to Chicago's director of player development and scouting Jason McLeod.
It's there where Soler will start working through the issues that got the hot prospect hot under the collar following a benches-clearing incident after the seventh inning Wednesday.
The hostilities began after Soler slid into second base and got tangled with Clearwater second baseman Carlos Alonso on a double play to end the inning. Both benches cleared, and moments after things appeared to have settled down, Soler grabbed a bat and charged out of Daytona's dugout toward the visiting first-base dugout.
Soler, who is 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, never swung the bat but had to be restrained — pitcher Frank Del Valle being the first Cub to grab him — and whisked off the field by teammates and coaches.
"He charged them with the bat. That was after everything was pretty much settled," said Murphy, who was at Wednesday's game. "He came flying out of the dugout toward the Clearwater dugout with a bat. That's why he was suspended."
Soler's fine amount was not disclosed, and Murphy said "small fines" were issued to another 40 players — 20 on each team — for leaving their positions during the benches-clearing incident. Murphy said there was no fighting.
McLeod was just as shocked as anyone when he saw video of Soler heading to the Threshers' dugout.
"Oh, my goodness," McLeod said, describing his initial reaction. "(The view) was from center field, so you don't really see anything but the blur of him running by with everyone else chasing him. But looking at that, and obviously we have the accounts from our coaches and staff that were there, and it's just not something you (normally) see. So my reaction was like, 'Wow! What was said? How did it get to be like this? How did it happen?' "
McLeod said the Cubs hope to get more answers after talking in person with Soler, and the organization is taking the matter seriously.
"Obviously, we condemn what happened," McLeod said. "We respect the (FSL) president's decision on the suspension, and we're going to try to turn a negative into a positive. From the club's standpoint, to say it's unfortunate is an understatement. I can't stress enough how much we disapprove of what happened and condemn what happened."
Asked when Soler is likely to rejoin Daytona, McLeod said: "When we feel that he's ready to get back on the field and compete from all aspects — physically and mentally. That will be a determination made after we have had some time to get away from the incident and to really — hopefully Jorge more than anyone — see clearly what happened and to make positive changes to make sure that it doesn't happen again."
Theo Epstein, the Cubs' president of baseball operations, addressed the issue Thursday in Chicago.
"Jorge is tremendously remorseful about what happened and understands what he did was wrong," Epstein told reporters. "He didn't sleep last night — was up all night thinking about it. He was very apologetic. He understands this can't happen again and understands there will be discipline associated with it."
Soler had at least one hit in each of the Cubs' six games through Wednesday and was batting .455 (10 for 22) with two home runs and four RBIs. The Cubs will lose his roster spot during the suspension.
In a bit of irony, he'll be eligible to rejoin Daytona when it plays in Clearwater on Tuesday, but that is unlikely to happen based on McLeod's statements Thursday.
Daytona manager Dave Keller will have to adjust his lineup, and the D-Cubs are going to miss having one of the best prospects in the organization. Baseball America lists Soler at No. 3 and MiLB.com has him fourth among Chicago's minor leaguers.
"You talk to anybody in baseball, and if you told them, 'Listen, you are going to lose your four-hole hitter who is hitting (.455) by the way, and he is leading in a lot of extra-base hits and all this other stuff, playing great defense and making things happen on the base paths,' '' Keller said. "I don't think there is any manager anywhere in baseball that would say they want that to happen. So, yeah, it is going to affect our team just like it would affect any team."
Clearwater manager Chris Truby, who played four years in the majors, said he had never been a part of anything like the incident with Soler.
"It just happened fast," Truby said Thursday at the Jack. "It was kind of a blur. We were in the dugout, and I was talking to our second baseman (Alonso) trying to find out what happened. By the time I looked up, (Soler) was there. Everybody acted fast to cool the situation. That was scary, but it was fast. (The Cubs) got there as quick as they could, and everybody did what they could to keep things from escalating."
Soler's character has never been an issue, so the incident was even more perplexing, McLeod said.
"It's something that all of us could never see coming from him, just because he always has such a big smile and easygoing demeanor, and he's a hard worker," McLeod said. "It's a big surprise. We're going to support the player and do everything we can to get him back on his feet and help him, as we would for any of our guys."
WHO: Outfielder Jorge Soler WHAT: Five-game suspension by Florida State League and fine of undisclosed amount for "charging" — with bat in hand — the Clearwater Threshers dugout and getting ejected from Wednesday's game NEXT: Was going to Chicago or organization's spring training home in Mesa, Ariz., to meet with Cubs brass. Unlikely to rejoin Daytona on Tuesday.


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Germany locks down unvaccinated people, as leaders plan to make shots compulsory
Germany on Thursday announced a nationwide lockdown for the unvaccinated, as its leaders backed plans for mandatory vaccinations in the coming months. Unvaccinated people will be banned from accessing all but the most essential businesses, such as supermarkets and pharmacies, to curb the spread of coronavirus, outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel and her successor, Olaf Scholz, announced Thursday, following crisis talks with regional leaders. Those who have recently recovered from Covid-19 are not covered by the ban. The pair also backed proposals for mandatory vaccinations, which if voted through the parliament could take effect from February at the earliest. Under the tightened restrictions, unvaccinated people can only meet two people from another household. Bars and nightclubs must shut down in areas with an incidence rate above 350 cases per 100,000 people over one week. And the country would limit the number of people at large events like soccer matches. Acting Chancellor Ange


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I'm normally of the opinion that bloggers don't usually notice when someone we're following hasn't posted, or commented, in a while. We're so caught up in visiting others, working on our own, and dealing with our real world that it may not jump right out at us when someone disappears. It doesn't mean we don't care, it's just a big blogging world out there. I don't expect you guys have noticed how I've been a terrible blogger for the last two-ish weeks, but regardless I'm sorry. I honestly can't see where it's going to get better in the next few weeks, at least, so (to ease my own guilt) I've decided to give you guys an update on my personal life.
♥ ♥ ♥
So, I'm not sure if you remember this post, but life is starting to look better. My husband's foot is healed enough that he's back to work on restrictions, because money was so tight. My puppy is mostly healed. Things are moving again. That's all great. Then, nearly two weeks ago, I found out that I'm pregnant.
Just to give you a little bit of perspective; I did think I wanted to have a second child when I was younger, but as we got older and more settled in our lives the need for another baby dwindled. I also have fertility problems, so that I had my daughter naturally was pretty amazing, I was sure it wouldn't happen again. In fact, we were pretty adamant we did not want another one. Seeing that plus sign on the test was shocking, but after calming down I think we both realized this was our last chance and we both really want it.
I also have anxiety and I'm 38 years old. Now that I'm excited for another baby, I find myself obsessing in other ways. I mean, whether it's an outdated guideline or not, the idea that this pregnancy is 'high risk' triggers all my fears. I can't seem to stop googling just to put my mind at ease. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't. What it does mean is that I haven't done anything on Birdie Bookworm, because I'm caught up in my own head. The last two weeks on this blog were all pre-scheduled posts, and the ones that weren't complete I just removed. I'm reading, I'm always reading, but I find that I'm grabbing my feel good favorites, rather than any of the 'unknown' books.
I feel like daily emotion is excitement, but so close to the surface is worry, and anything can set me off and bring on panic. If you have positive thoughts, prayers, well wishes, please send them my way and maybe in 8ish months I'll be posting pictures of my hatchling.
In the meantime, I am really trying to be here. I will respond to comments as I can, I'll be posting (hopefully) the easier blog posts and reviews. Please bear with me, at least for the next few months, I'll be trying to return to blog hopping as things even out.
Thanks for listening -er, reading. 🙂


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Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani: See Their Fairytale Love Story in Pictures
Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani might be one of the most unexpected celebrity romances in recent memory, but they appear to be going stronger than ever after five years together.
The couple met in 2014, when Stefani joined The Voice. Shelton was an original member of the coaching panel, but the two did not become romantically involved until late in 2015, after Shelton and Miranda Lambert finalized their divorce and Stefani split from Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale, her husband of 13 years.
The down-home country singer and the seemingly uptown pop superstar and fashion guru seemed like an odd couple, but their romance flourished, and they confirmed the rumors about a budding relationship in November of 2015, right around the time of the 2015 CMA Awards.
It wasn't long before they became musical collaborators as well as romantic partners. They wrote and recorded a song together titled "Go Ahead and Break My Heart," which appeared on Shelton's If I'm Honest album in 2016, and Stefani made headlines when she joined Shelton to perform the song on stage at Country Jam Colorado on June 18, 2016, helping him celebrate his 40th birthday.
They've become a favorite couple of fans and the tabloid media since then, appearing together at events, sharing pictures of private time with family via social media and even re-teaming for the most recent season of The Voice. Shelton has become a father figure to Stefani's sons, and while they haven't yet married, each of them has hinted at their eventual intent to wed in various public ways.
Shelton and Stefani collaborated on a song, "Nobody But You," which appears on Shelton's album, Fully Loaded: God's Country. They subsequently released another successful country duet, "Happy Anywhere." On Oct. 27, 2020, they shared the news that they're engaged.
Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani: See Their Fairytale Love Story in Pictures:


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Indulge me, if you will, just one more vacation/holiday post before it's back to regularly scheduled programming.
Well, as any of you who head home for the holidays know, spending time with your family and friends in your hometown is technically not a vacation. In my mind it's a visit, a way to keep connected with the clan and long-time friends who knew you way back when. Does that make sense? Probably the subject of another post…
But in the spirit of the old adage, a change is as good as a holiday, six things to love about the food scene in Sydney and beyond. Print and save for when awesome airline deals fly by again — these day $600 round trip SFO to SYD is not unheard of — and the Southern Hemisphere sunshine beckons during the rainy winter months just around the corner for those of us in the Northern climes. (Well, California hardly counts as a place with difficult winter weather and the two weeks I just spent in Sydney this spring were cool and wet, but you get the general idea.)
Even if the skies didn't cooperate, the food didn't disappoint.
My picks from the trip:
1. Seafood
Where to begin? It's fresh, local, and tastes like it was plucked straight out of the sea. Prawns that actually exude a prawn-like flavor. Fleshy white fish that flakes off the fork and the tongue. Calamari with just the right chew factor. I found myself devouring barramundi in a lovely bush setting at Echo on the Marina, enjoying the inventiveness of kingfish sashimi, Spencer Gulf prawns with wasabi, and jewfish in XO sauce at the fancy-pants glass brasserie run by Sydney celeb chef Luke Mangan, and chowing down on some decent street eats — salt and pepper squid — (what my niece used to call crunchy seahorse) at the Night Noodle Markets in Hyde Park. I'd be a full-fledged pescatarian (rather than a somewhat-lapsed vegetarian) if I lived in my hometown.
Cafe Culture
The cafe scene Down Under is simply marvelous, you get a real sense of a place's unique personality the minute you walk through the door. I miss the Sydney cafe scene madly, hardly surprising since I dwell in the land of generic coffee shops such as Starbucks and Gloria Jeans, and chain eateries like Pasta Pomodoro and P.F. Chang's (and these restaurants offer solid dishes compared with the ubiquitous U.S. fast food joints found the world over).
Sydney's cafe culture runs the gamut from fine dining to cheap eats, and includes at least three distinct scenes, details follow.
2. Upscale Cafes
My last lunch in town was spent noshing with my long-time friend and her two hungry kids at a high-end (but not exxy) cafe in an artsy and industrial neighborhood. Cafe Sopra in Waterloo, is housed in a warehouse-like location above Fratelli Fresh, one of this town's more interesting fruit&veg providores. The cafe boasts a blackboard menu and elegantly simple (mostly) Italian-inspired dishes with a few hearty English overtures here and there. The menu also includes an emphasis on top-notch produce (natch) and the service is pitch perfect, warm and professional, still something of a rarity in this otherwise sophisticated city.
Plus, I watched an eight-year-old plough through a plate of pan-fried sardine fillets perched on grilled bruschetta with braised tomato and a dollop of pesto like there was no tomorrow. If that's not a ringing endorsement of this cafe's gussied up home-style cooking I don't know what else is. Oh, it was voted best cafe by TimeOut Sydney last year. Loved the antipasto plate with pickled beetroot and gorgonzola, along with roasted pumpkin salad and green beans with pesto. Not for the carb adverse, my galpal and I tucked into a bowl of tagliatelle brightened successfully with just lemon, chili, garlic, and broccolini.
3. Neighborhood Cafes
Sydney is also chock full of fabo spots to duck in for a quick bite for brekkie or lunch or a well-brewed coffee, especially in the inner-city suburbs (this oxymoron makes sense when you're on the ground). I've always especially liked the cafes found in and around the inner west. This trip I was pleasantly surprised by what was dished up at Piccolo Padre in Rozelle; loved the salad of pan-fried haloumi with generous chunks of roasted pumpkin that I ate before taking a long walk with my screenwriter friend, who heads to the Piccolo for a post-school drop off coffee most mornings.
4. Beachside Cafes
See a theme emerging here? There's nothing quite like drinking a freshly squeezed orange-carrot-ginger juice and eating Turkish toast smothered with rhubarb jam while you watch the waves and observe the locals at play on the sand. I'm partial to the cafes with ample outdoor seating at Bronte, Bondi, Coogee, or Clovelly in Sydney's eastern beach suburbs. Die-hard northern beaches fans will no doubt weigh in with their own surf-side nosheries. And, of course, the perfect way to preface such a breakfast or lunch is to begin with a brisk walk. Last day in Sydney I hoofed it from Coogee to North Bondi to work up a decent appetite before I took a well-earned pit stop at Jenny's cafe in Bronte.
5. Ethnic enclaves
A trip home isn't complete without some local Indian, Thai, or Vietnamese take-away. I'm also a big fan of the cheese and spinach Turkish Gozleme, a type of savory crepe sold at several urban markets. And for a sweet treat with a cuppa tea, a Portuguese tart does the trick, with its flacky pastry base and light custard filling. Local food blogger Helen Yee, at Grab Your Fork does a stellar job summing up the range of ethnic eats in and around Sydney. The city also boasts chic modern Asian restaurants with a sustainable food focus like Billy Kwong; along with two more recent standouts, Red Lantern and Spice Temple, that, alas, I ran out of evenings to try. Next time.
6. Regional cuisine
Regional cuisine is on the rise around Australia. It wasn't that long ago that you'd be hard pressed to find something edible in a small country town or seaside community. That's no longer a worry. Case in point: A small, unpretentious seaside restaurant in Port Macquarie, on the mid-North Coast of New South Wales, fusion 7 serves Mod Oz cuisine worthy of inclusion in the Good Food Guide. Along with a gaggle of gals from high school, this out-of-towner was delighted to dig into some Aussie-inspired offerings such as rocket, parmesan, and macadamia nut salad, soft-shell crab with shitake-ginger sambal and peanut aoli on a bean sprout and coriander salad, barramundi with soba noddles and chilies, and passionfruit brulee.
Are you about ready to book a flight? If you live in Sydney, or will be there between now and October 31, enjoy the last week or so of the crave sydney event, which showcases local food at its best.
As for me, I'm back to hiking the hills around Berkeley in an effort to ward off any collatoral damage from my recent trip.


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You are currently browsing the daily archive for March 9, 2011.
In the sixth boro Queens come and go, shipping and schlepping all sorts of cargo.
a Queen from Claremont Terminal to Port Newark.
This Queen carries bulk,
probably scrap metal, and hails from Viet Nam.
As she turns into the KVK, Tai Bai Hai, a very rusty bulker from Tianjian, China, escorted by Ron G and Resolute slips astern.
And still farther along, Vinalines Queen streams past GLDD dredge Florida.
The last three fotos comes compliments of John Watson; all others by Will Van Dorp.
By the way, Alice is said to have slipped into Brooklyn last night, Mardi Gras, under cover of darkness, but I have had no visual contact.


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Central Heritage Society
In planning the 1993 Central Railroad Festival (Labor Day Weekend) several local citizens were asked to prepare an exhibit to inform the public about Central's history. An extensive exhibit, including original documents, photographs, newspaper clippings, furniture, clothing and other artifacts was assembled in a vacant commercial building on Main Street. The exhibit was open for two full days of the festival and staffed with local historians. According to the official register, over 500 people visited the exhibit.
On the basis of the tremendous response to the exhibit from local citizens, the Central Heritage Society was formed in November 1993. The purpose of the organization is to perpetuate and disseminate historical information, and to preserve artifacts and other materials from prehistoric times to the present as it relates to the Central Township, South Carolina. Within this purpose shall be included historic information, artifacts, structures, and all other materials that help to define Central Township.
In the spring of 1994, the Heritage Society was given permission by the Town of Central to use the Old City Hall/Jail as a museum. The Society was also given space in the Old Central High School to use as a storage area for all the archival and material culture that was an is being donated to the Society. In April 1995 Milton and Betty Holcombe through their foundation, donated money to the Central Heritage Society to buy the Jessie and Jennie Morgan house and its contents for use as a headquarters for the Society and as a Central History Museum. The home was built in the 1893 by Jeptha and Minnie Morgan, owners of a local mercantile store.
Home | Become a Member | History of Central | Map of Central | Books for Sale | Links | e-MailCentral Heritage Society
416 Church Street
P. O. Box 1162
Central, SC 29630


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The real estate agent and the lawyer are all like, "Oh, selling a house is so much easier than buying!" But they are liars, and I blame HGTV.
I guess the economy could have something to do with it as well, but I'm pretty sure it's mainly House Hunters.
We bought this apartment during the property buying heyday of mid-2006. My memory is a little hazy, but I believe all we had to do was call an 800 number, press "1" for "buy," and the bank deposited three times the amount we could realistically afford directly into our account. Then, we had to have the building inspected to make sure it wasn't currently on fire, we signed a couple of papers and bam! The dream of homeownership, realized.
Banks would give money to anyone, and people would buy anything that wasn't nailed down. We have friends whose second bedroom is actually a wormhole to an alternate dimension where the government is controlled by a junta of sentient man-eating rats. They paid extra for that.
Thus, I was already doubtful that selling could be any easier than that. And as usual, I'm correct. It turns out that home buyers today are a bunch of picky-ass motherfuckers* They're all like, "I want stainless steel appliances!" "I really need a third bedroom to use as my scrapbooking room!" "I prefer that the ceiling be free of visible holes to the sky!"
Why? Stainless steel appliances are a giant pain in my ass to keep clean, scrapbooking was lame even when it was popular in 2002 and you'll thank me for that hole in the ceiling when it's the middle of August and all your neighbors are paying through the nose for central air conditioning.
*Note to potential purchaser of my home: not you. You are a king or queen among persons.
This is a very long-winded way of explaining that we've been super busy around the house this week trying to make it pretty in the hopes that next weekend's open house lures in a buyer who our real estate agent can tranquilize and have sign the paperwork before a unit goes on sale next door and undercuts us by $100,000. God forbid someone should be mortally offended by our choice of paint colors; that's a pricey fix.
Along with a lot of painting, we've removed lighting fixtures and artwork that might indicate that we have personalities, and framed photos that indicate that we weren't born parthenogenically. Boxes of books have been excised from shelves so those visiting the property aren't embarrassed that we're so much better read than they are.
All of this combines to create an austere living space that's kind of like a tiny monastery, so hopefully it sells before I start really taking that to heart and wake everyone up five times a night for scheduled prayer. But at least my discomfort means that potential owners can really envision what their stuff would look like in the space without being thrown completely off-kilter by the fact that the downstairs hall is more of a yellow-based off-white than a gray-based off-white.
Still, I smacked down some viciously good roasted pear beignets with rum caramel sauce this Thursday, thanks to The Sweet Life: Desserts from Chanterelle. I invited some neighbors over to partake so I was too busy chatting it up to take any pictures of the actual frying process, but I'm sure you'll excuse me for that.
The basics: pears (or apples), sliced, cored and roasted with a little butter and sugar. While they cooled, sugar caramelized and heavy cream and dark rum were added. Batter made with egg yolks, oil, beer and flour, with whipped egg whites folded in at the end. Roasted pear slices dipped in batter and deep-fried, then rolled in cinnamon sugar and served with the caramel and some unsweetened whipped cream. Excess batter spooned into the still-hot oil, because there's no point in wasting it, am I right?
Aside from it maybe not being the best idea to make the whole apartment smell like fryer oil right before an open house, HOLY DAMN. The tender pears almost turned into pie filling in the light, crisp crust; kind of like if a Hostess fruit pie were actually good. The caramel was obviously rich, but adding the alcohol at the end and not cooking it out gave the sauce a great bite to counteract the cream. Possibly the best part, at least for me, was that the leftover fried batter ended up making those doughnuts you get at cheap Chinese buffets, and I freaking LOVE those doughnuts. Everyone left full, happy and a little sticky, which is the sign of a great evening.
And now, my break time is over and I have to go scrub all the baseboards with a toothbrush.


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Polaris PUGMTQ Undermount Glass Bathroom Sink
The PUGMTQ Colored Glass Undermount Sink is created of fully tempered glass, which means it can withstand higher temperatures without incurring damage. Because it is non-porous, glass is also one of the most sanitary materials available in sink designs. This glass model provides the beauty of glass, usually seen only in vessel sinks, in an under-the-counter installation. Undermounting a bathroom sink creates a sleek look and allows for more space on your countertop. The overall dimensions of the PUGMTQ are 19 7/8" x 17" x 6 1/2" and requires a 21" minimum cabinet width. Pop-up drains in a variety of finishes are available with this sink model, and as always, our glass sinks are covered under a limited lifetime warranty for as long as you own the sink.


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2c Almond Flour
2c Pitted Dates
1/2c Coconut Flakes
Place into a pie plate and press firmly. Place in the freezer while you prepare the filling.
8 Soaked Dates(pitted)
1/2c Agave
4 Avocados
3/4c Cacao
1/2c Water
2T Melted Coconut Oil
Place all ingredients in your Vitamix Blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
Pour into pie crust and place in freezer until set. Remove from freezer 30 minutes before serving...Enjoy!!!!
Make It With Love


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Alex Haley: Alex Haley's 1965 Playboy Interview With Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Haley: As one who grew up in the economically comfortable, socially insulated environment of a middle-income home in Atlanta, can you recall when it was that you yourself first became painfully and personally aware of racial prejudice?
King: Very clearly. When I was 14, I had traveled from Atlanta to Dublin, Georgia, with a dear teacher of mine, Mrs. Bradley; she's dead now. I had participated there in an oratorical contest sponsored by the Negro Elks. It turned out to be a memorable day, for I had succeeded in winning the contest. My subject, I recall, ironically enough, was "The Negro and the Constitution." Anyway, that night, Mrs. Bradley and I were on a bus returning to Atlanta, and at a small town along the way, some white passengers boarded the bus, and the white driver ordered us to get up and give the whites our seats. We didn't move quickly enough to suit him, so he began cursing us, calling us "black sons of bitches." I intended to stay right in that seat, but Mrs. Bradley finally urged me up, saying we had to obey the law. And so we stood up in the aisle for the 90 miles to Atlanta. That night will never leave my memory. It was the angriest I have ever been in my life.
I shall never forget the grief and bitterness I felt on that terrible September morning when a bomb blew out the lives of those four little, innocent girls sitting in their Sunday-school class in the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. I think of how a woman cried out, crunching through broken glass, "My God, we're not even safe in church!" I think of how that explosion blew the face of Jesus Christ from a stained-glass window. It was symbolic of how sin and evil had blotted out the life of Christ. I can remember thinking that if men were this bestial, was it all worth it? Was there any hope? Was there any way out?
Haley: Do you still feel this way?
King: No, time has healed the wounds—and buoyed me with the inspiration of another moment which I shall never forget: when I saw with my own eyes over 3,000 young Negro boys and girls, totally unarmed, leave Birmingham's 16th Street Baptist Church to march to a prayer meeting—ready to pit nothing but the power of their bodies and souls against Bull Connor's police dogs, clubs, and fire hoses. When they refused Connor's bellowed order to turn back, he whirled and shouted to his men to turn on the hoses. It was one of the most fantastic events of the Birmingham story that these Negroes, many of them on their knees, stared, unafraid and unmoving, at Connor's men with the hose nozzles in their hands. Then, slowly the Negroes stood up and advanced, and Connor's men fell back as though hypnotized, as the Negroes marched on past to hold their prayer meeting. I saw there, I felt there, for the first time, the pride and the power of nonviolence.
Haley: Your dissatisfaction with the Civil Rights Act reflects that of most other Negro spokesmen. According to recent polls, however, many whites resent this attitude, calling the Negro "ungrateful" and "unrealistic" to press his demands for more.
King: This is a litany to those of us in this field. "What more will the Negro want?" "What will it take to make these demonstrations end?" Well, I would like to reply with another rhetorical question: Why do white people seem to find it so difficult to understand that the Negro is sick and tired of having reluctantly parceled out to him those rights and privileges which all others receive upon birth or entry in America? I never cease to wonder at the amazing presumption of much of white society, assuming that they have the right to bargain with the Negro for his freedom. This continued arrogant ladling out of pieces of the rights of citizenship has begun to generate a fury in the Negro. Even so, he is not pressing for revenge, or for conquest, or to gain spoils, or to enslave, or even to marry the sisters of those who have injured him.
What the Negro wants—and will not stop until he gets—is absolute and unqualified freedom and equality here in this land of his birth, and not in Africa or in some imaginary state. The Negro no longer will be tolerant of anything less than his due right and heritage. He is pursuing only that which he knows is honorably his. He knows that he is right. Few white people, even today, will face the clear fact that the very future and destiny of this country are tied up in what answer will be given to the Negro. And that answer must be given soon.
More of this powerful and enlightening interview here
TheObamaDiary: Like a beacon, MLK Day in the middle of all those GOP hate days…
Martin Luther King Jr. sits for a police mugshot after his arrest for directing a citywide boycott of segregated buses on February 24, 1956.


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On Washing Fabric + Just Getting Started
I hit a slump a few weeks ago.
My motivation has been low.
My to-do list is multiplying like rabbits.
My neck and back got tweaked after dragging a treadmill down the street and then trying to carry a giant bag of potting soil by myself. (Why do I think I still have the strength of a 20 year old??)
I just wasn't getting much done.
I thought back to a few bigger projects I've worked on recently, trying to figure out what I did exactly to get started.
For my recent PTA audit, I started by sharpening my pencils and printing out spreadsheets.
For a bunch of mending projects I needed to get done, I made a pile of things and placed them next to my sewing box.
Even for writing a blog post, just adding a title to a post and listing a few ideas is often enough to get me started.
Right after I started thinking about big projects in tiny steps, I came across this article about the Ivy Lee Method. It struck me, not because any single project is the most important thing I could do on a particular day (one of the big ideas behind this method), but because of the idea of overcoming the "friction of starting" by focusing on just one single step.
So, for my project today – curtains for BB's room, something that's been on my list for TWO YEARS – I started small.
I washed the fabric.
(And yes, I actually wrote "wash fabric" on my to-do list.)
You may recall that we did a few projects in his room a couple of summers ago. I ordered gray buffalo check fabric then to make him some coordinating curtains.
But I just haven't gotten around to it. It's shown up on my to-do list every couple of months, but I knew it was going to take a long time (I'm not a very fast seamstress). The thought of making these curtains start-to-finish was overwhelming.
But just getting started with the smallest possible step – washing the fabric – was easy.
After that, I broke it down into tiny steps that I could do in little bits of time – measure and pin the panels, iron the hems, sew the hems, install the curtain rods, attach the clips, hang the curtains.
And then, just like that, it was finished!
BB got this awesome microscope for his birthday from the Fake Adopted California Grandparents. It's been SO much fun to look at anything and everything we've come across over the last few weeks!
(Confession: Our kids clean their own rooms, but I did some deep cleaning for these photos. It NEVER, I mean NEVER EVER looks like this. He came home and said, "Whoa, Mom! What happened to my room? It looks amazing!" Yeah, don't get used to it, buddy.)
Every time I walk by his door, I smile. (Even with the piles of LEGOs back on the floor.)
I LOVE how much brighter and put-together his room looks with the curtains, and I appreciate the daily reminder to break big projects into the next tiny step.
(Next on my list? "Fix finials" – because these mismatched ones on BB's curtain rods are driving me bonkers!)


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Updated: 2/1/2018
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Thus it is necessary to commence from an inescapable duality:
the finite is not the infinite.
Hans Urs von Balthasar
The spirit of man can endure only so much and
when it is broken only a miracle can mend it.
John Burroughs
(statue on the grounds of Christ Cathedral, Dublin, Ireland / Julie Cook / 2015)
Tis the season to be merry and bright, happy and light, warm and fuzzy…
Christmas and Santa.
It's all neatly rolled into one within the wrappings of December.
The giddy frivolity of a season which gives way to making merry while paying homage to the birth of a child.
Yet let us look more closely at a single word…
Frivolity– a noun meaning lightness, gaiety, fun, the making of merriment
yet counter that with
Frivolous–an adjective–flippant, glib, lacking worth or merit
One word divided into two of its variations, its various grammatical formations and contexts–each with very different meanings…
Christmas–the olde English—Cristes Maesse–or Mass of Christ
The sacred celebration of the Nativity or birth of Christ…the birth of the One proclaimed as the savior of mankind.
And then there is Christmas of the ho ho ho, jolly ol' St Nick, the giving of gifts kind of Christmas…
With the introduction of Saint Nicolas, who evolved over time from a 3rd century Greek Catholic saint whose real life story of giving and providing paved the foundation for today's more secular jolly older bearded, reindeer driving, present giving, hero of both young and old…Christmas the holy joined with Christmas the worldly, as the two became synonymous, joining as one.
And sadly today we see that the world of consumerism has run away with the latter of the two….creating part of our problem.
One word's united meaning, the celebration of the birth of Christ, as well as the season of Santa and the giving of gifts….
Yet today the word is painfully becoming estranged, polarized and oh so sadly divided.
The Christian faithful throughout the ages have always had a wonderful way of melding traditions taken form the various seasons and times of the year from their various cultures and countries, coupled with the more traditional pagan / secular celebrations of those various countries and cultures, uniting and embracing all with their Christian teachings with the end result being those yearly holy observances which blend both the religious/ holy with secular celebrations.
Lest we forgot the story from the other week regarding the celtic cross…
As St Patrick used the circle around the traditional latin cross as a bridge between the Celtic worship of the sun–uniting both sun and Son together…in turn creating the iconic Celtic Cross.
Yet mankind frustratingly always has had a knack for messing up, distorting and even destroying good intentions.
What was once a time affording all a collective remembrance of the young and less fortunate during a time which was also witness to the faithful's remembrance of the birth of the Savior—has now tragically morphed into a self consuming monster of advertising, marketing, consumerism and a big business feeding frenzy of madness.
Couple that with the now secular overt political correctness war of words of holiday and winter celebration with the keeping of Santa, as that's good for the economy, while in turn booting the holy Christ Child totally out of the picture as that has nothing to so with the economy….
Seems as if we greatly prefer material gifts and presents verses the one true gift of a Savior….
It is indeed a truly sad kettle of fish we have going on as law suits now abound where once stockings were hung by the chimney with care—
As the word Christmas is no longer welcomed or allowed to be associated with this "special" time of year… especially in our public governmental sector, schools, colleges, etc—
If it receives any sort of federal funding or assistance, than you can forget Christmas and the whole birth of Christ associated with it.
Lest we offend the Atheists, the Jews, the Hindus, the Muslims, the Satanists, the Wickens….who if the truth be told, buy and gather to give those "christmas" gifts…
A long long time ago when I was in elementary school, way back in the early 1960s…My school had a healthy mix of both Jewish and "Christian" kids.
When it came to Christmas, with our teacher bringing in the small tree for our classroom, as we excitedly and joyously made ornaments in order to decorate the small tree— ornaments which now poignantly hang on my own tree today, the excitement of one and all was palpable.
Names were drawn for the classroom secret santa party which culminated on the last day of school before the Christmas break.
Our teachers, in their infinite wisdom, did something great.
In addition to our classroom Christmas tree, we also had a classroom menorah. Our Jewish classmates would, for the eight days of Hanukkah, share with us their
"holiday" along with its traditions.
Excitedly each day of Hanukah we'd ooo and ahhh, as only kids in the innocence of wonder do, over the lighting of a single candle—hardly able to contain the excitement until all 9 candles were lit.
It was a reverent event and we appreciated as well as respected the importance that the lighting of those 9 candles meant and what that 8 day observance represented to our Jewish classmates… just as they appreciated our reverence for our classroom's small nativity scene.
A marvelous teaching tool and key to helping our young minds understand, tolerate, respect as well as allowing us to develop an appreciation for one another's spiritual customs.
As the spirituality within man is a key component to being human.
We loved hearing our classmates excitement as they shared with the entire class the receiving of each gift on the night prior during their familiy's observation of the Festival of Light.
We were taught the dreidle song and would play for the chocolate coins while we in turn shared the various customs of Christmases form around the world…
As we would buy our Jewish classmates their secret santa gifts as they, in turn, would buy us ours—
Never was there any resentment, no forbiddance to the right to observe, share or worship, no jealousies, not animosity….but rather a collective joy found in the frivolity of a season so merry and bright, yet sadly now seemingly steeped in what has become the frivolous, the polarized, the secular, the forgotten, the worldly and the empty….
(statue on the grounds of Christ Cathedral / Dublin, Ireland / Julie Cook / 2015)
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."
Luke 2:8-14


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W ell folks, I'm back as proud survivor of Vegas.
The flashing lights. The blatant drunkenness of other tourists. The strip club promoters asking if I was a fan of … certain aspects of the female anatomy — and as I looked down, I had to admit I was, as an owner of such.
It was … well, certainly an experience. A fast-paced, overpriced and slightly dirty one — and not in the good way — that I'm thrilled to have had, even though my bank account is still crying a sad, abused little song.
My favorite parts? Well, I insisted during our 12-hour drive that I have one of those obnoxious two-foot drinks you hang around your neck. But after coming face to face with one, I opted for the foot-long, not-quite-as-scary version, toting around my tropical something or other as we meandered down the strip.
But the best part was, by far, the Bellagio fountain show. Those things are just beautiful. I insisted we watch them at least four times, getting wet from the mist during the big finishes — bet y'all took that somewhere inappropriate, you dirty birds — and singing along, smiling like a goofy little child throughout each spectacular show.
I miss them already.
But enough about my shenanigans in Vegas and San Diego — yea, that last part as a bit of a surprise to us, too. It's back to life as per usual.I've actually chosen to write this instead of unpack the suitcase that's just sitting there in the corner. It's about priorities, folks.
Now, as I lamented last week, events are slim, but I've still got a few things to send your way. If you don't like 'em, you can send 'em right back.
For you Ron Burgandy fans, yes, I'm channeling "Anchorman." A trip to San Diego — or the "Whale's Vagina," as it's affectionately known, will do that.
First, my admission that perhaps I was too hasty to judge the holidays. There's some good stuff coming up, I begrudgingly admit.
For example, the grand opening of the downtown ice rink at One Boulder Plaza at 10 a.m. Friday.
Now I'm not saying I'll partake in this event — I've never done well on ice, regardless of the presence of sharp metal on my shoes — but I've always found local ice skating rinks just … fun.
And I encourage you more coordinated folk to head over, skates in hand, and enjoy this winter-y tradition.
Info: The grand opening of the downtown Boulder ice rink at One Boulder Plaza downtown, 10 a.m. Friday.
Buff up
Also downtown, the Pearl Street Stampede at 7 p.m. Friday, amping you all up for the Buffs match-up against Washington on Saturday.
Still heading to the game?
I applaud you.
Second, let me remind you that West End Tavern's still got your ride there and back. Alcohol's just the ticket for you lingering football fans.
Info: West End Tavern's ride to the game. Meet at 926 Pearl St.
Winter brews
Another perk to the changing of seasons has been the swapping of beer taps in bars across town. Out with those summer ales and in with the darker, richer flavors of winter brews.
Taking that literally is Boulder Beer, with their Never Summer Ale, out until March.
Not sold yet? Well they've also got the Obovoid Oak-Aged Oatmeal Stout, a bittersweet and oh-so-smooth beer rich with a creamy off-white head — their words, not mine — that's any dark-beer lover's delight.
A stop there may be just the ticket.
Info: Boulder Beer, 2880 Wilderness Place.
Follow Alex on Twitter: @ansieh.


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Lineza is a modern WordPress theme designed for Magazine, News and Blog type websites. It is really easy to setup and use with powerful theme options panel and widget ready homepage.
Lineza features, in-built reviews, rich snipppets support, all Google fonts, unlimited colors, advertisement widgets, 6 featured post styles and many more features.
Rich Snippets Support
Widget Ready Homepage:
Homepage of this theme is widget ready. You can drag and drop various widgets/blocks to build a homepage of your own.
Different Category/Blog Styles:
You can choose from 5 different layouts for categories. Every category can have different style from other categories.
Review System:
Lineza has built in review system. You can add ratings to any article and use star or percentage rating type.
Responsive Layout:
Layout of this theme is 100% responsive. This means that the theme will adjust it's layout automatically according to screen resolution of device and content will be easily readable on any device like mobile phone, tablet, laptop or desktop PC.
Custom Colors and Background for Every Category:
Every category can have it's own color scheme and background image. You can make every category page different from other category pages by using different color scheme and background image.
Video Thumbnails:
This theme supports video thumbnails. You can use video thumbnails or featured images for Video post type.
Unlimited Colors:
Different users have different color preferences. Lineza comes with unlimited color options so you can choose the color of your choice.
Translation Ready:
Lineza is ready to be translated into any language of your choice. Theme comes with .po and .mo files and you can easily translate it to other languages.
6 Different Layouts:
You can choose from 6 different layout options. You can also choose for wide or boxed layout.
Other Features
- NEW! WooCommerce Support
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- NEW! Child Theme Support
- NEW! RTL Support
- NEW! Author Template
- NEW! Twitter Widget
- NEW! Random Posts Widget
- Neat and clean code with proper comments
- WordPress custom menu support
- 600+ Google web fonts
- Sharing buttons for articles
- Related posts (by tags for categories)
- Author information box below articles
- 3 Post Options: Audio, Video and Image
- Sticky Navigation Menu
- Custom Logo Upload
- Custom Favicon Upload
- Custom 404 Error Message
- Custom Background Patterns
- Custom CSS
- Ad Management
- Back to Top Button with Smooth Scroll
- Pagination
- Breadcrumbs
- Full Width or Boxed Layout
- Breaking News
- Google Analytics
- Custom CSS Option
- Option to change or remove copyright text
- Custom Widgets:
- 125×125 Ads Widget
- 300×250 Ads Widget
- 468×60 Ads Widget
- 728×90 Ads Widget
- 160×600 Ads Widget
- Popular Posts Widget
- Recent Posts Widget
- Recent Posts by Category Widget
- Subscribe Widget
- Tabs Widget
- Featured Posts Widget
- Facebook Like Box
- Social Widget
- Slider Widget
- Gallery Widget
- Video Widget
- Free Theme Updates
- Rich Documentation
Version 1.5 (July 3, 2017) ------------------------------------------- - Added: 1 Click demo importer - Added: Share buttons for WhatsApp and email - Updated: WooCommerce templates - Moved: Theme options to plugin Note: After installing this update, you need to install Redux Framework plugin Note: You may need to save your widgets once after installing this update Version 1.4.10 (April 20, 2017) ------------------------------------------- - Updated: Theme compatibility with WooCommerce 3.0+ - Updated: Code for Twitter widget Version 1.4.9 (June 22, 2016) ------------------------------------------- - Updated: WooCommerce templates to latest version - Added: Option to change background of main content Version 1.4.8 (January 12, 2016) ------------------------------------------- - Fixed: Post meta bug with related posts - Fixed: Bug with comment form after updating to WordPress 4.4 Version 1.4.7 (August 25, 2015) ------------------------------------------- - Added: Option to show latest posts by category on homepage - Compatibility with WordPress 4.3 Version 1.4.6 (May 3, 2015) -------------------------------------- - Fixed: Bug with author and tags page which were not opening after last update Version 1.4.5 (April 24, 2015) --------------------------------- - Security improvements Version 1.4.4 (April 1, 2015) ------------------------------ - Small CSS bug fix on woocommerce page Version 1.4.3 (March 28, 2015) ------------------------------ - Bug fix with small sidebar not displaying any widgets Version 1.4.2 (March 28, 2015) ------------------------------ - Font awesome icons updated to v4.3 - Fixed 2 column layout issue on 768px resolution - Added: Better layout options for individual posts and pages - Added: Latin font option - Added: Option to change excerpt length for home and archive posts Version 1.4.1 (January 31, 2015) ------------------------------ - Blog style 1 layout fix for long titles Version 1.4 (January 30, 2015) ------------------------------ - Added: Separate layout options for homepage, archives and single posts, pages - Fixed: Sticky menu issue - Featured posts titles are now visible on small resolutions also - Minor CSS bug fixes Version 1.3.9 (November 24, 2014) ------------------------------ - Validation and sanitization of social profiles widget Version 1.3.8 (October 29, 2014) ------------------------------ - Theme Options images were mistakenly replaced in last update Version 1.3.7 (October 28, 2014) ------------------------------ - Font awesome icons updated to v4.2 - Added: Option to change font properties of post content - Fixed bbPress wrong date issue - Minor CSS changes - Redux framework updated - Fixed small bug in bbPress related to wrong posts count - Added: Facebook Open Graph tags for better sharing on Facebook Version 1.3.6 (July 25, 2014) ------------------------------ - Removed duplicate IDs from menus - Fixed: Responsive video was not showing properly in some widgets Version 1.3.5 (July 24, 2014) ------------------------------ - Added off-canvas menu for mobile phones and tablets - Added support for shortcodes in ad widgets and other ad slots - Added better option to add icons to menu - Fixed CSS issue with tabs on 2 column layout Version 1.3.4 (June 24, 2014) ------------------------------ - Modified current date in header to show blog's local time - Improved search results page - Combined .js files to minimize requests - Improved video widget - Add responsiveness to videos - Improved ad widgets to support Google Adsense or other ad codes Version 1.3.3 (June 3, 2014) ------------------------------ * Redux Framework updated * Styled bbPress and WooCommerce search widgets * Added margin and padding options for header and logo * Added more social sharing buttons. You can now also place social sharing buttons above post content. Position of buttons can also be changed with drag and drop. * CSS improvement for header social links * Moved bbPress styles to bbPress.css file from style.css file * Several other CSS improvements * Featured image CSS fix for image post type * Added automatic updates. Now theme can be updated from dashboard. Version 1.3.2 (May 1, 2014) ------------------------------ * Redux Framework updated * Styled bbPress and WooCommerce search widgets Version 1.3.1(April 22, 2014) ------------------------------ * Fixed: 2 Column layout was not appearing fine on archives * Fixed: Author page was displaying wrong author description * Added option to choose thumbnail, medium or full size image for category background Version 1.3 (March 25, 2014) ------------------------------ * Feature: WooCommerce Support * Feature: bbPress Support * Feature: Child theme support * Added: Twitter widget * Added: Random posts widget * Added: Related posts by tags or category option * Added: Archives template * Fixed: Menu style for RTL languages Version 1.2 (March 03, 2014) ------------------------------ - Added: RTL support - Added: Author template - Added: tumbr and dribble icons to social links widget - Added: Option to open links in new window for Social Media widget - Added: Option to hide thumbnails for Recent, Popular, Category, Tabs widgets - Added: Comments count to all post meta sections - Added: Hover effect for featured thumbnails - Fixed: Google font icons were loading twice - Added: Font options for navigation menu - Code improvements Version 1.1 (February 17, 2014) ------------------------------ - Fixed: Category background issue - Fixed: Review color picker tool - Added: Shortcodes support in excerpts - Fixed: Header background image issue - Added: Logo font options - Fixed: Small sidebar not appearing on paginated pages of archives - Added: Semi-transparent background for titles of featured posts and slider - Added: Navigation background color options Version 1.0 (February 11, 2014) ------------------------------ - Initial Release


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Genre: Mystery/crime
The garden was coming along nicely. He found it therapeutic, to spend time pottering amidst the plants, although he cut a rather grim figure. Despite the midday sun, blazing, in all its fury, he wore a heavy robe, with the hood drawn up obscuring his features. He had a tiny garden fork he was using to weed the garden and turning over the soil it helped with aeration he had read in a Home & garden.
He paused to wipe sweat from his brow, using the sleeve of his robe, that's when he became aware of the dog barking. The neighbour's dog was always barking at people, though never at him, it tended to keep away from him (he had his suspicions that the dog was rabid but even then, it knew better than to trifle with him) and chasing random cyclists if the gate was not shut properly.
Once he had cornered the owner to tell him "Your dog has been chasing a guy with a bicycle" The man had the impunity to reply that "First of all the dog is called Danger, secondly Danger does not have a bicycle and thirdly, if Danger had a bicycle, obviously he can't ride lacking opposable thumbs and so forth."
The man was never seen again, soon after that, a new pod appeared in his garden. Which is why he was now paying attention to the barking dog, he was now its new owner of sorts, he had a curious habit, you see, of taking in strays and making them indebted to him. He had even altered the sign at his gate to read,
The Doctor of Needful Things
"Beware of Danger"
Danger was barking at two young gentlemen standing by the gate. One of them was holding a rock evidently meaning to throw it the dog.
"I would not recommend you do that" he said peering over the gate. The two men were startled, they hadn't seen him coming, no-one ever did.
"I.. er… am sorry, Sir, the gate has no bell and we tried shouting, I was simply going to bang the rock against the gate. Now that you are here could you spare us a few minutes of your__."
He held up his hand quickly silencing the lad. He had heard enough to judge them to be sales men of sorts, it takes one to know one after all
"Whatever you are selling, I do not need, neither do I have the disposable income__"
"Sir, we are not selling anything. We just want to__"
"Do not presume to interrupt me when I am talking, I was also going to add, all my bills are paid up, I even have a valid TV license," then he cleared his throat and continued in a more reassuring tone "Now however if I can help you gentleman with anything. I would be happy to oblige what do you wish for."
The two gents looked at each other, then the other one, who had been silent throughout spoke up.
"Sir we are your neighbour's last living relatives and we have come to check up on him, we talk on the phone but he has missed several family dinners, he never used to do that and we were hoping if you had seen him lately"
"Why didn't you start with that, come in, come in, he has been doing a bit of growing, I'll show you."
They followed him round the back, to the garden just like lambs.
Later, much later, after he had finished with the ridges of the two new mounds, the exact shape and size of the two gents, he watered the two new pods that had sprouted in his garden. People who needed things from him just like people who displeased him had a habit of winding up planted, in his backyard. He brushed dirt from his hands and nodded slowly to himself;
"This year, there will be a good harvest."
~The End (for now)
My #BlogBattle Entry this week to celebrate one year anniversary….. an edited post from my archives


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Heritage Tree & Gardens
Tree Surgeon Northampton, UK
Heritage Tree & Gardens is a family owned and operated business that offers tree surgery and tree cutting, hedge cutting and fencing installation. Heritage Tree & Gardens prides themselves on being a full-service company. They offer tree surgery and tree cutting, hedge cutting and fencing installation, as well as landscaping services and garden care. John Graziano, the owner and operator of the tree service company, has been in business for more than 25 years. He is a State Certified Arborist and an active member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). John's team includes two other certified arborists who offer full-service tree services including Tree Surgery, Tree Cutting, Hedgecutting & Fencing Installation.
Business Name:
Heritage Tree & Gardens
Harborough Rd NKingsthorpe Northampton NN2 8LUUnited Kingdom
About Kingsthorpe
Kingsthorpe is a suburb and civil parish of Northampton, England. It is situated to the north of Northampton town centre and is served by the A508 and A5199 roads which join at Kingsthorpe's centre. The 2011 Census recorded the population of the district council ward as 4,477.For centuries, Kingsthorpe was a rural village, with a parish of 1,020 acres (410 ha) and history dating back to the 9th century. In the 19th century, it was made a civil parish. Most of the parish was absorbed into the borough of Northampton in 1900; the remainder of it followed in 1931.
Neighborhoods in Kingsthorpe, Northampton
Abington, Akeley Wood, Ashby St. Ledgers, Balmoral Place, Billing, Billing Park, Bleak Hall, Brackmills Industrial Estate, Brickhill, Buckby Wharf, Bushmead, Casewick, Cliftonville, Connells Estate Agents, Drayton Fields Industrial Estate
Things to do in Kingsthorpe, Northampton
Our Newest Profiles


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Meet the Contractors Turning America's Police Into a Paramilitary Force
The national security state has an annual budget of around $1 trillion. Of that huge pile of money, large amounts go to private companies the federal government awards contracts to. Some, like Lockheed Martin or Boeing, are household names, but many of the contractors fly just under the public's radar. What follows are three companies you should know about (because some of them can learn a lot about you with their spy technologies).
L3 Communications
L3 is everywhere. Those night-vision goggles the JSOC team in Zero Dark Thirty uses? That's L3. The new machines that are replacing the naked scanners at the airport? That's L3. Torture at Abu Ghraib? A former subsidiary of L3 was recently ordered to pay $5.28 million to 71 Iraqis who had been held in the awful prison.
Oh, and drones? L3 is on it. Reprieve, a UK-based human rights organization, earlier this month wrote on its Web site:
"L-3 Communications is one of the main subcontractors involved with production of the US's lethal Predator since the inception of the programme. Predators are used by the CIA to kill 'suspected militants' and terrorise entire populations in Pakistan and Yemen. Drone strikes have escalated under the Obama administration and 2013 has already seen six strikes in the two countries."
Unsurprisingly, L3 Communications is well connected beyond the national security community. Its chief financial officer recently spoke at Goldman Sachs, at what the financial titan hilariously refers to as a "fireside chat."
L3 also supplies local law enforcement with its night-vision products and makes a license-plate recognition (LPR) device, a machine with disturbing implications. LPR can be mounted on cop cruisers or statically positioned at busy intersections and can run potentially thousands of license plates through law enforcement databases in a matter of hours. In some parts of the country LPR readers can track your location for miles. As the Wall Street Journalnoted, surveillance of even "mundane" activities of people not accused of any crime is now "the default rather than the exception."
L3 Communications embodies the totality of the national security and surveillance state. There is only minimal distinction between its military products and police products. Its night-vision line is sold to both military and law enforcement. Its participation in the drone program is now, as far as we know, limited to countries in the Middle East and North Africa. But in the words of the New York Times editorial board, "[i]t is not a question of whether drones will appear in the skies above the United States but how soon." The NYT estimates the domestic drone market at $5 billion, likely a conservative estimate, and contractors will vie for that money in the public and private sphere. L3's venture into airports, the border of where domestic policy meets foreign policy in the name of national security, is therefore significant both symbolically and materially.
In many ways, that is the most important story of the post-9/11 United States: the complete evaporation of the separation of foreign and domestic polices. Whether we're talking about paramilitarized police, warrantless wiretapping, inhumane prison conditions, or drone surveillance, there exist few differences between a United States perpetually at war and a United States determined to police and imprison its people in unacceptable ways and at unacceptable rates.
Harris Corporation: Stingray "IMSI catcher"
Harris Corp. is a huge provider of national security and communications technology to federal and local law enforcement agencies. Though many people have never heard of it, Harris is a major player in the beltway National Security community. President and CEO William M. Brown was recently appointed to the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee, and in 2009 the Secret Service offered Harris a contract to train its agents in the use of Harris' Stingray line. The Secret Service awarded the company additional contracts in 2012.
If you've heard of Harris at all, it's likely been because its controversial Stingray product has been getting attention as an information-gathering tool with major privacy implications. The Stingray allows law enforcement to cast a kilometers' wide digital net over an area to determine the location of a single cell phone signal – and in the process collect cell data on potentially hundreds of people who aren't suspected of any crimes. EFF claims the device is a modern version of British soldiers canvassing the pre-Revolutionary colonies, searching people's homes without probable cause – exactly what the Fourth Amendment was created to prevent. EFF describes the process this way:
"A Stingray works by masquerading as a cell phone tower—to which your mobile phone sends signals to every 7 to 15 seconds whether you are on a call or not— and tricks your phone into connecting to it. As a result, the government can figure out who, when and to where you are calling, the precise location of every device within the range, and with some devices, even capture the content of your conversations."
According to the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), the FBI has been using similar technology since 1995. But a recent federal case, United States v. Rigmaiden, has raised Fourth Amendment questions regarding whether law enforcement officials need to obtain a warrant before employing a Stingray. The judge in that case determined that the government hadn't provided enough information about how the devices work, and ordered that the information collected in Rigmaiden couldn't be used in court.
What's especially troubling about Stingrays is that the government either won't say, or doesn't understand, how the technology works. The WSJ reported that the US Attorney making the requests "seemed to have trouble explaining the technology."
And it's not just the federal government that uses Stingrays. As Slate notes, referencing FOIA documents recently obtained by EPIC, "the feds have procedures in place for loaning electronic surveillance devices (like the Stingray) to state police. This suggests the technology may have been used in cases across the United States, in line with a stellar investigation by LA Weekly last year, which reported that state cops in California, Florida, Texas, and Arizona had obtained Stingrays."
Harris has been tightlipped about the Rigmaiden case, but expect to be hearing a lot about Stingrays in the future.
BI2 Technologies
BI2 makes a fine pitch. Its iris-scanning technology can be made to sound very appealing. Iris scans are relatively non-invasive, there's no touching involved so the likelihood of spreading disease is reduced, and as B12 states on its Web site, "there are no lasers, strong lights or any kind of harmful beams." It also claims that iris scanning is "strictly opt-in," and that a "user" (who in most cases would be better described as an "arrestee") "must consciously elect to participate" in the scanning. (When I was arrested by the NYPD while covering a protest, the scan was voluntary -- though the NYPD didn't tell me that, a protester did. But if I refused to submit to it I could have been punished with an extra night in jail.)
Reuters reported that BI2's iPhone-based iris scanner -- called MORIS -- is capable of taking an accurate scan from four feet away, "potentially without the person being aware of it." MORIS has drawn harsh condemnation from the ACLU. The primary concern from privacy advocates is that law enforcement will deploy this technology in an overly broad way. ACLU senior policy analyst Jay Stanley told Reuters that he didn't want the police "using them routinely on the general public, collecting biometric information on innocent people."
MORIS isn't just for irises; it also scans faces. In 2011, the Wall Street Journal reported that the sheriff's office in Pinellas County, Florida, "uses digital cameras to take pictures of people, download the pictures to laptops, then use facial-recognition technologies to search for matching faces." New database technology like Trapwire, a data mining system that analyzes "suspicious behavior" in purported attempts to predict terrorist behavior, makes face scanning potentially more worrisome. Trapwire uses at least "CCTV, license-plate readers, and open-source databases" as input sources, and although it doesn't employ facial-recognition software, the incentives to combine these types of technology is clear.
Beginning in 2014, BI2 will manage a national iris-scan database for the FBI, called Next-Generation Identification (NGI). Lockheed Martin is also involved in building the database. Much of BI2's iris data comes from inmates in 47 states, and despite BI2's claims that iris scanning can't be gamed, that is not the case. Experts showed last summer that the iris can be "reverse-engineered" to fool the scanners, which are generally thought to be more accurate than fingerprinting.
The usual suspects lamented in 2011 that iris scanning isn't used at airports or borders, but security creep is difficult to combat, especially once "national security" is invoked. Just days ago it was reported that the FBI is teaming with the Department of Homeland Security to ramp up iris scanning at US borders. AlterNet has previously reported that the Department of Defense scans the irises of people arriving at and departing from Afghanistan.
The story of BI2 is important because the initial technology is superficially appealing. The company's first projects were called the Child Project, designed to help locate missing children; and Senior Safety Net, developed to identify missing seniors suffering from Alzheimer's. According to B12's Web site, sheriffs' departments in 47 states use the BI2 iris-scanning device and database, which makes it easy to mobilize support to facilitate the safe return of children and seniors.
While the desire to find missing children and seniors is perfectly legitimate, the collection of biometric data is a pandora's box. Once it's opened, it's proven difficult if not impossible to limit.


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#DimensionTrump | #WhatTheyVotedFor
It seems worth reminding of our American time and circumstance. Sometimes disbelief is not answered by asking, "How is this true?" but, rather, by considering environmental conditions within the range of observation; sometimes the question runs, "How is this not untrue?"Those who marvel at the point of Mr. Barr's private-sector memo denouncing the Mueller investigation being over four times longer than Attorney General Barr's summary of an investigation he loathed should simply remember that a public attorney is still an attorney. We might well have our own opinions of turpitude and integrity vis à vis the Attorney General and the President he serves, but within the boundaries of what we might understand about Mr. Barr's outlook, it is worth considering how the summary he released would fail to equal obstruction, misprision, or other such offense against either the law or his license to practice, and seek its meaning therein.In the moment, the discourse seems almost as if we all saw the sleight coming, watched it happen right in front of us, yet pretend to believe it, anyway. It's almost as if the years Americans spent watching and complaining about politicians, lawyers, and PR flaks splitting hairs and manipulating language, we are supposed to look upon this most bizarre circumstance as if such notions have never occurred to our tabula rasa innocence.
Image note: U.S. Attorney General William Barr speaks during his confirmation hearing at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., 16 January 2019. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)


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Summer is flying by… and it seems that everyone around me is so busy! Maybe it's just that we all try to cram a lot of fun into these two months knowing that it soon will be over? I don't really know… but it sure makes sense to enjoy this time while we have it!
A few weeks back I delivered a blackberry peach pie to a dear woman who has been battling cancer. I suggested that instead of cooking that night (since the outdoor temps were in the three digits) that she and her daughter have some of the warm pie with ice cream for dinner instead… and that idea seemed just fine with them.
For a couple of mornings each week I've been helping a friend at her B&B, and have discovered some delicious treats that are quick and easy to prepare. One day I noticed that there was an abundance of plums at the inn so I decided to make plum kuchen, or plum cake. This recipe is similar to the one I used. I hope that you'll try it soon… with plums, or peaches, or berries! I am sure that you'll be glad you did!
Last month I attended the wedding reception of the mother of one of my "other sons." Coco and Taylor have been close buddies since fifth grade and I was delighted to see Taylor's mom, Jamey, so happy! I wish her and Ian the very best!
Ashland is a deer friendly town… and some folks would say that isn't okay. As for me, I am always awed and amazed when I look out on to my fairly small backyard and see a few bucks resting there. This is definitely not a sight I ever saw growing up in the projects!
On July 26, the Ashland Emergency Food Bank hosted a "Pie Social" to thank their many volunteers and supporters. For one of the activities, Pam Marsh, the director of the food bank, asked if I would be willing to give a demonstration on making pie crust and I was delighted to do so. My goal was to show what method works for me and also to encourage those in the audience to have fun while baking. Remember folks… it's just a pie! If you make a mistake, you'll learn from it… and get better next time. When Julia Child dropped the turkey she did not toss it… but rather, brushed it off and laughed about it. We all should be able to do the same!
The research vesselDinner on Wizard IslandKristin and Scott with the crayfish
For a few days this last week, I was honored to prepare meals for a group of researchers studying the crayfish problem (they are an invasive species and are affecting the newt population) at Crater Lake National Park. Among the many offerings served were several apple cobblers (since I didn't remember to bring along pie pans) and that seemed to work out just fine. It was a bit of a logistical challenge… but I don't think I have ever worked in a more beautiful place! I'm ever so grateful to Mark Buktenica (the aquatic biologist at the park) for allowing me this amazing experience.
On the drive home from the lake, I saw an owl perched on the fence post as I drove by and couldn't resist going back for a quick photo. It was absolutely magnificent to see this guy spread his wings and lift off. It was a rare (for me) and wonderful sight!
Finally, I came home after working this week to see our son, Coco. He had driven from Missoula with a friend and will be here for only a few days. His Dad and I took him over to Gold Beach for a quick overnight visit. That night we went to Anna's by the Sea for dinner. When we entered the restaurant, Peter, the owner, teasingly asked me, "Karen, where is my …..ing pie?" Funny, I had wondered if he would remember us; apparently he did. Though I hadn't brought along a pie, I had brought along a box of Cary's chocolates for him… and I could tell that Peter was pleased.
Though it's been a very hectic time, and while I am a bit tired, what I am feeling now is a bubbling up of emotion and joy at my good fortune. I pray that I will always remember how very lucky I am.
"God gave you a gift of 84,600 seconds today. Have you used one of them to say thank you?" William Arthur Ward


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WOW…what can I say, but you my dear fellow bloggers continue to AMAZE me. When I ran the post "My Return to the Berry Patch", a post about identifying that frightening mystery item in the berry patch, I was not sure what kind of response I was going to get. My prize of 20 visits to your blog, 20 comments on various posts over the next month, could really give you the feeling of me being a "blog creeper". Now that IS frightening…hahaha! 🙂
Your response and participation was incredible. With such GREAT answers. In what was only 4 or 5 minutes of me clicking "Publish", long time follower Barbara had guessed a mouse, and then a few minutes later, one of my most recent followers, Sarah, was the first person who guessed what ended up being the correct answer…..POISON IVY!!!! YEAH, SARAH!! CONGRATULATIONS!! 😀
Sarah is the blog host and writer for the blog Seetomalrun. What has fascinated me the most about Sarah, is how we connected. I had JUST finished publishing my post about running in the Creemore Vertical Challenge race. Within 5 minutes, I had what I like to call "a triple crown" show up in my notifications. A "like", a "comment" AND a "follow", all from Sarah. I was so curious, and I HAD to ask Sarah. How on earth did you find me? She mentioned, she was searching, and looking up some running blogs, and mine was one of them that came up in her search.
Sarah's blog is a brand new blog. It was just a few days old when she first started following me, and currently, it is still less than a month old. With my "prize" I was offering, for the newer bloggers with less than 20 posts, I promised that "I would stick by, as you would build your following".
Sarah currently has FOUR followers, and I am extremely honoured to be one of them. What has blown me away is how much effort, passion and enthusiasm Sarah puts into this blog of hers. The effort she puts into her posts, you would think she had four hundred followers. She is friendly and outgoing, taking the time to visit blogs like mine and leave a kind and respectful comment. This is just the kind of person she is.
A few days ago, I sent Sarah an e-mail to say "congratulations, you are the winner", but still a bit nervous of what kind of response I would get with such an "unorthodox prize". Sarah was SOOOO excited and happy. Her response made me a bit misty eyed. I gave Sarah an option of me going through her posts and introducing her to you in a blog post, OR I could do an interview. Sarah chose the interview. I should not have been surprised, but I once again was blown away with how much time and effort she put into this interview. And through this interview I see an incredible human being, one with a beautiful heart, who reaches out, and touches the lives of others.
Question: Sarah, welcome to this here interview. Could you share a little bit about yourself? Are you in school? Are you working?
Thanks Carl, happy to be here! Well let's see, where to start… I was born and raised in Southern California, and I'm currently living in the San Diego suburb of La Mesa. I live with my husband, my dog, and my cat. I work at the hospital here in La Mesa as an RN. My hospital is the largest in eastern San Diego County, so we're always busy. I also work night shift, which definitely adds a twist and its fair share of challenges! I graduated nursing school in December and started working as an RN in February, so I'm still learning the ropes. I also am taking an online bachelor's program for my BSN. I've only been running since 2012, when a friend roped me into a 5k. I've been hooked ever since!
WOW!! Just reading this made my head spin! And I can also add to your list Sarah, you are also a blogger! 🙂
Question: How hard is it to balance to balance nursing, school, running, blogging, friends and family? How do you do it? Any secrets?
Haha, well, it can get a little hairy at times, especially with my husband working normal people hours Monday through Friday! I think that all of our lives are balancing acts, and we all learn to adapt to what we've been handed. I'm still learning to adapt with my (essentially) new job and new hours, and it's been a challenge. I find that keeping a big picture perspective helps to keep everything in check. I also find it helpful to be kind to myself. By that, I mean that if the dishes don't get done before I go to bed, I'm not a failure. You get the idea. I think many of us would run ourselves into the ground and a nervous breakdown if we didn't give ourselves a little bit of grace. That's what I try to mindful of-the balance between grace and discipline.
Thanks for sharing this. Sounds like you have a great perspective. I love the way you describe it, along with your example, "a big picture perspective that helps to keep everything in check." Self care, and being kind to yourself is so extremely important!
Question: What you say is your biggest accomplishment to date?
Becoming a nurse is what I consider my biggest accomplishment. It was a wild ride, filled with career changes, lots of moving house around the county, life changes, etc. But after 4 years of getting my first bachelor's, taking a year off, switching it up, and a cumulative 4 years of getting my RN license and then getting hired in a highly competitive market, I can look back and be proud to be caring for those in some of the most difficult parts of their lives. It's an honor to be a nurse.
This is HUGE. It shows so much determination, grit, passion and even courage to not give up following your dream of becoming a nurse. And you did it, you made it!!!! Your passion also has compassion, as you now care for those in their difficult situations. I LOVE your last sentence Sarah, "It's an honor to be a nurse".
Question: Where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration in those that have overcome adversity. Oftentimes, it's my patients. My unit specializes in oncology (care of people with cancer) and I have witnessed such resilience born out of turmoil. I see it in the patients, in their families, in their friends. I keep these people in my mind when I face my own challenges. Also, there are members of my family who, in one way or another, have hit rock bottom and climbed back up. I look at them and think, "If they can make it through, so can I."
This is very precious. Your patients and their supports in family and friends are genuine people, fellow human beings. And every one of those human beings (including your family members) would have their own personal story of resilience and strength to keep going! WOW!!
Question: You are a brand new blogger Sarah! What got you into blogging? What do hope to achieve through your blog?
I am! When I was in college, I had a blog that was just to record thoughts, ideas, and musings that I had, and I've always been one that enjoys writing and recording my thoughts. This current blog was started to chronicle my journey through training for the Big Sur Marathon, which is next April. I'm also running in the marathon as a charity runner for the National Parkinson Foundation. This is my first time running for a charity, so I thought I'd blog about it to raise awareness and make my fundraising attempts more personal. If anyone would like to learn about my fundraising attempts or would like to donate to my cause, the link is the National Parkinson Foundation. I also see myself as sort of an "everyman runner," and I'd like to use my blog to encourage those who maybe think that running is too hard, or impossible, because that's what I used to think. I thought I was too slow, not "built" for running, or would never make it across the finish line. But here I am!
Sarah, you have determination, you show so much compassion, but you also have a heart for charity work. Thank you for adding the link. And in just the three weeks we have been following each other's blog, I can tell you are an AMAZING encourager. Never about yourself, but always about helping others on their journey.
Question: What is the most wild and crazy thing you have ever done?
Some would say running a marathon! But there was this one time I climbed down a sea cliff in the middle of the night with no flashlight and no moon to get to the beach. I wouldn't really recommend it…not something I would try again!
Haha, I've seen those sea cliffs on the west coast several decades ago, and can picture them in my mind. My heart is racing just thinking about it…haha! 🙂
Question: Do you have any dreams or passions which you hope to accomplish through your life?
I really want to make a positive impact in the lives of those around me, whether it's through my job or my everyday interactions with others, whether it's in the lives of those that are close to me or the lives of complete strangers. If I can do that, I'll be content. I also am driven to be very self-aware. I want to know who I am-understand my motivations, thoughts, fears, in order to improve myself. Also, both my husband and I love to travel, so as things settle down with my job and schedule, we'd love to travel more. It's a great way to get out of your comfort zone, learn new cultures, languages, and people, and explore new territory.
Such an amazing response Sarah. Your self awareness, and desire to leave a positive impact to those around you, I have picked up on, in the mere three weeks I have known you as a fellow blogger. And the two really go hand in hand. A person really needs to know themselves, before they can make a positive impact in the lives of others. You are doing just that Sarah, and that outreach circle is going to get bigger and bigger. There is so many great learning experiences through travel, especially when it involves other cultures, languages, and stepping out of our comfort zones. The "world" takes on a whole new meaning!
Question: I'm curious about this picture you sent me. Can feel the sea breeze. Where is this? Do you enjoy travelling?
Well, as mentioned, I love to travel! This picture was actually taken last weekend. I'm on a boat headed back to Coronado Island from San Diego Bay. The bridge in the background is the Coronado Bridge, and that's part of the San Diego skyline. My husband and I participated in a benefit regatta held for my healthcare company's hospice program. All of the proceeds are going to the building of a new hospice home. Because my unit specializes in end of life care, I know how important it is for families to have a place of peace where they can spend time with their loved ones and every family member is cared for.
Beautiful Sarah, absolutely beautiful! One thing about compassionate people, is that they NEVER talk of themselves as being compassionate. You are such a person. It is others who will bring this up. Sarah, you have such a heart of gold to help others, so compassionate, and even through your charity work, to help people living out the last days of their lives become more bearable. THANK YOU!
Question: Where do you hope to see yourself 20 years down the road?
In 20 years, I'd love to still be in San Diego (it's awesome here), working as a nurse in critical care, still running, and traveling a heck of a lot more! I want to be in a place where I can better myself and the lives of those around me.
Your heart is in the right place. I know you will accomplish all this, and SO much more!
Question: How would you relate your running to life?
Oh man, I think running can teach you so many things about life. Anything from striking a balance between running one mile at a time and visualizing the finish to sometimes having to push through "walls," running is a great teacher. It's taught me discipline, mental fortitude, and humility. I think that's really the appeal of running to a lot of people. Sure, it's about fitness and being in shape, but really, it may just be about who you are when it's just you and the road (or the trail).
I know every runner has their individual story to tell. Running IS such a great teacher. Thank you for sharing this.
Question: Where is your next marathon? How are you feeling in these weeks coming up to it?
Well, my next half marathon will be at the end of October in Hood River, Oregon. It's one of my mom's favorite full marathons, but it'll be my husband's first half, so I'm running it with him. I'm planning on running the Carlsbad Marathon here in San Diego County in January. That'll be my next marathon. I've run the Carlsbad Half twice, so I'm ready to take it on before I run Big Sur in April. So far, everything is going well with training, but I definitely have days that are tougher to get out and run than others. Luckily I have plenty of time. I'll definitely be ready for the half next month!
Wow, these are ambitious months ahead Sarah. And it really sounds like running is in your family. So very cool, you will be joining your husband on his first half marathon. I have actually looked up the Big Sur Marathon. It is a very tough course. But when I see your discipline, and what you have overcome and accomplished to become a Registered Nurse, I know you WILL be a strong finisher at Big Sur!
Having known Sarah as a fellow blogger for only three weeks, I have learned so much about her through this interview. In everything she does, she is disciplined, and works extremely hard. What jumps out at me is her beautiful heart. She is a very caring and compassionate person, always putting others ahead of herself. She gives dignity to those dear people facing the final days of their lives. She has set her priorities straight to avoid burnout, being very mindful of her own self care and self awareness. It has been my absolute honour and privilege to interview Sarah, the winner of my little contest! 🙂
Thank you to everyone for being a part of this interview. If I can ask just one more thing of each of you, please take a moment to drop by Sarah's blog, and if are able to, give her a "follow", and introduce yourself to her. I know she would REALLY appreciate this! For a person who gives so much to others, let's see if we can give back to Sarah, and change that "4 follower" number to something much, much higher.
The link to Sarah's blog is seetomalrun.
The fundraising link to her charity is National Parkinson Foundation.
Thank you SO much, and God bless! 🙂