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Georgia inmate Troy Davis was executed Wednesday night for the 1989 murder of Mark MacPhail, an off-duty Savannah police officer.
Davis died at 11:08 p.m. ET, according to a prison official. The execution was about four hours later than initially scheduled, because prison officials waited for a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Davis' request for a stay.
After 10 p.m. ET, the Supreme Court, in a brief order, rejected Davis' request. His supporters had sought to prevent the execution, saying seven of the nine witnesses against him have recanted or contradicted their testimony.
Below are the developments as they happened. Read the full story here.
[Updated at 11:50 p.m.] Jon Lewis of WSB radio, one of the execution witnesses, gave this account of the minutes before Davis' death:
After the warden read the execution order and asked whether Davis had anything to say, Davis - strapped to a gurney - lifted his head up and looked at the witness area's first row, which was where MacPhail's relatives and friends sat.
"(Davis) made a statement in which he said ... 'Despite the situation you're in, (I) was not the one who did it.' He said he was not personally responsible for what happened that night, that he did not have a gun. He said to the family that he was sorry for their loss, but also said that he did not take their son, father, brother.
"He said to them to dig deeper into this case, to find out the truth. He asked his family and friends to keep praying, to keep working, to keep the faith. And then he said to the prison staff, the ones he said 'are going to take my life,' ... 'May God have mercy on your souls,' and his last words to them (were), 'May God bless your souls.'"
Another witness, reporter Rhonda Cook of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper, also gave quotes from Davis. According to her, Davis said: "The incident that night was not my fault. I did not have gun."
"And that's when he told his friends to continue the fight and 'look deeper into this case so you can really find the truth,'" Cook said.
Davis also said, according to Cook: "For those about to take my life, may God have mercy on your souls, may God bless your souls."
Davis said to the MacPhail family, according to Cook: "I did not personally kill your son, father and brother. I am innocent."
Hours earlier, Davis declined what the prison offered him as a final meal, Cook said.
[Updated at 11:12 p.m.] Davis has been executed, a prison representative has said. The time of death was 11:08 p.m. ET.
[Updated at 10:55 p.m.] Davis' execution is expected to begin between 11:05 to 11:10 p.m. ET, the Georgia Department of Corrections says.
[Updated at 10:36 p.m.] People who'd been protesting for hours across the street from the prison where Davis will be executed are chanting, "We are Troy Davis," CNN's David Mattingly reported.
[Updated at 10:21 p.m.] The U.S. Supreme Court has denied Davis' motion for a stay of execution.
Word of the Supreme Court's decision comes more than three hours after Davis was scheduled to be executed, and more than four hours after Davis' attorneys had filed the motion.
With the ruling, Georgia is expected to proceed with Davis' execution.
[Updated at 10:07 p.m.] The daylong gathering across the street from the prison by Davis' supporters has turned into a candlelight vigil, CNN's Gustavo Valdes reports. Hundreds still are waiting for a resolution. Some are praying, and some others are singing.
[Updated at 9:41 p.m.] The Rev. Raphael Warnock said he was standing with Davis' relatives on the grounds of the prison when they heard the execution wouldn't happen at the scheduled time.
"I was standing with the family at about 7 p.m. By that time, of course, naturally, we were expecting the worst," Warnock, a pastor to Davis' family, told CNN's Piers Morgan. "Suddenly we began to hear cheers from the crowd across the way, and the word came that the execution had been delayed.
"Certainly we're glad that Troy Davis is still alive, but we are still witnessing, in my estimation, a civil right violation and a human rights violation in the worst way unfold before our very eyes. This is Troy Davis' fourth execution date. I'm glad that he's alive, but that in and of itself is cruel and unusual punishment. America can do much better than this."
Asked if Davis had had what would have been offered as a last meal, Warnock indicated that Davis might have skipped it.
"I do know that on the last time he received an execution warrant, he refused his last meal," Warnock said. "I spoke earlier tonight with his nephew ... and he said his uncle would refuse his last meal again today. He has continued to insist that this is not his last meal. I must say to you that he evinces a faith that is just amazing, even to me as his pastor."
[Updated at 9:05 p.m.] The number of police officers standing outside the Georgia prison housing Davis has risen to more than 100, CNN's David Mattingly reported. The officers are watching protesters, who've been across the street for hours.
The crowd has been orderly, Mattingly said. While it had been chanting for much of the day, they're "probably as quiet as I've heard them all night," Mattingly reported.
[Updated at 8:55 p.m.] Dozens of people have gathered outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., in support of Davis, footage from CNN affiliate WJLA shows.
Still no ruling from the court on Davis' request for a stay of execution.
[Updated at 8:39 p.m.] This video report from CNN's David Mattingly, made about 40 minutes ago, shows the people who've been protesting across the street from the prison where Davis is being held, and the police officers in riot gear who are in front of the prison, watching the protesters.[cnn-video url="http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/topvideos/2011/09/21/jk-mattingly-davis-execution.cnn"%5D
[Updated at 8:19 p.m.] The mother of the police officer that Davis was convicted of killing told CNN's Anderson Cooper that she is "absolutely devastated" that the execution has yet to happen.
"I'm absolutely devastated because I want it over with. ... They've been through the courts four times there in Georgia. They've been to the Supreme Court three times," Anneliese MacPhail said in an interview from her home, referring to previous delays. "This delay, again, is very upsetting and I think very unfair to us."
"I'd like to close this book," she said. "We feel (Davis is) guilty. The evidence and everything that we have seen - that I have seen , because I've been to all the trials - he is guilty, and I believe in that. And so does the rest of my family."[cnn-video url="http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/crime/2011/09/21/ac-annelie-macphail-davis-execution.cnn"%5D
[Updated at 8:10 p.m.] The time that the U.S. Supreme Court is taking to rule on Davis' motion for a stay of execution is unusual, CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin said. "Usually, it's handled pretty promptly," Toobin said.
Davis' lawyers filed the motion at about 6 p.m., an hour before Davis' scheduled execution. The state attorney general's office filed a response shortly afterward.
The two hours that the court has had the motion is "not a long time, but it's long enough for (the nine justices) to respond and say, 'Go ahead,'" Toobin said. "So it does suggest that they're taking this seriously, and there may be some disagreement."
[Updated at 7:43 p.m.] After a brief moment of jubilation upon hearing that the execution hasn't yet happened, Davis' supporters - who have gathered outside the grounds of the prison where he is being held - are regrouping and talking about what might be next, CNN's Emma Lacey-Bordeaux reports. "Troy Davis can never die" is a common theme.
The state of Georgia isn't proceeding with the execution until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on Davis' request for a stay. Davis' attorneys filed the request about an hour before Davis' scheduled 7 p.m. execution.
Davis' supporters, who had been chanting, are now letting out cheers as drivers pass and honk their horns. Otherwise, the mood is tense as they wait for a development, Lacey-Bordeaux reports.
[Updated at 7:26 p.m.] The state of Georgia hasn't yet proceeded with the execution of Troy Davis, because it is waiting for the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on his request for a stay, CNN's Bill Mears reports.
Davis had been scheduled to be executed at 7 p.m. ET. His attorneys filed a motion asking the Supreme Court for a stay about an hour before the scheduled execution time.
[Updated at 7:06 p.m.] Inside the grounds of the prison where Davis is scheduled to be executed, about 100 people, including Davis' sister, have formed a tight circle and are praying and singing, CNN's Gustavo Valdes reports.
[Updated at 6:32 p.m.] Davis' attorneys have filed a motion with the U.S. Supreme Court, asking for a stay of execution, the court has said. No decision yet.
[Updated at 6:28 p.m.] Earlier, this blog mentioned a protest outside the White House against Troy Davis' scheduled execution. Here is video of the protest:[cnn-video url="http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/politics/2011/09/21/vo-wh-troy-davis-protests.cnn"%5D
[Updated at 6:20 p.m.] CNN's David Mattingly notes that according to the state Department of Corrections' schedule, Davis would have been offered a mild sedative, to calm his nerves, at 6 p.m.
[Updated at 5:58 p.m.] Davis' supporters outside the Jackson, Georgia, prison where he is to be executed are growing louder, CNN's David Mattingly reports. Frequent chants include: "Death Row? Hell No!" and "Free Troy Davis."
[Updated at 5:54 p.m.] CNN's David Mattingly notes that Davis, who had been scheduled for execution three previous times, "has never been as close to dying as he is at this hour." A previous scheduled execution was called off more than two hours before it was to happen; this time, Davis is a little more than an hour from the scheduled time.
"He has already said goodbye to friends and family visiting today," Mattingly writes. "He's been served his last meal. Everyone is waiting to see if a last-minute appeal now working it's way up the legal system might somehow stop or delay Troy Davis' pending appointment with lethal injection."
[Updated at 5:41 p.m.] The Georgia Supreme Court says it has unanimously denied a stay of execution for Troy Davis.
The court also denied his request for another appeal to be heard.
His attorneys will now ask the U.S. Supreme Court to halt the execution - Davis' last hope, CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin said.
"The United States Supreme Court has a procedure in place. They know when executions are coming; they are expecting an application, so I expect this will be acted on fairly quickly. ... It's unlikely that a stay will be granted, but that possibility exists, and that's Troy Davis' only hope," Toobin said.
[Updated at 4:33 p.m.] With one eye on the clock, celebrity supporters of Troy Davis are using their platforms to continue to spread the word about the Georgia inmate.
[Updated at 4:31 p.m.] A Butts County Superior Court judge has declined to halt the execution of Georgia death row inmate Troy Davis, scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Davis' attorney Brian Kammer tells CNN the appeal is now being brought before the Georgia Supreme Court.
[Updated at 4:14 p.m.] Davis saw 25 visitors Wednesday during the six-hour window (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) he was allowed to receive them before his scheduled 7 p.m. execution, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections.
The visitors included relatives, friends, clergy and an attorney.
[Updated at 3:06 p.m.] A look at Davis' schedule today at the Jackson, Georgia, prison where he is scheduled to be executed at 7 p.m., from CNN's John Murgatroyd:
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Visitation with family, friends, clergy and/or attorneys.
3 p.m.: Will undergo a physical.
4 p.m.: Last meal offered.
5 p.m.: Opportunity to record final statement.
6 p.m.: An optional sedative will be offered.
[Updated at 3:02 p.m.] About 100 people have gathered outside the White House in Washington, D.C., protesting Davis' scheduled execution in Georgia. The crowd consists mostly of students from Washington's Howard University, CNN's Lesa Jansen and Bob Kovach report.
One of the protesters, Howard graduate student Tamatha Scott, said in a CNN iReport video that the students marched from Howard to the White House, responding to student leaders' call to protest on Twitter.
"I started seeing the tweets about it late last night. It has been a very peaceful protest," Scott said.
CNN's Lesa Jansen took this photo of the protest:
[Updated at 2:38 p.m.] An example of the high-profile support that Davis has received: Cory Booker, mayor of Newark, New Jersey, posted the following to his Twitter account Wednesday afternoon:
"The State should not be executing Troy Davis. . . if there is even a chance that he is innocent, why execute?"
Davis has gained international support. Public figures including Pope Benedict XVI, Desmond Tutu and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, entertainers such as Susan Sarandon, Harry Belafonte and the Indigo Girls, and others have joined with Amnesty International, the NAACP and other groups in supporting Davis' efforts to be exonerated. On Wednesday, the French Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying it "deeply regrets" the parole board's decision.
[Updated at 2:32 p.m.] Outside the Jackson, Georgia, prison where Davis is to be executed at 7 p.m., many of the speakers have struck hopeful notes, and some say they hope to change the system for the future, CNN's Emma Lacey-Bordeaux reports.
Many are holding hand-lettered signs, with messages such as, "Spare Troy Davis." Some have produced signs showing Davis' picture and the message, "NAACP says too much doubt."
[Updated at 1:34 p.m.] Dozens of people have already gathered at the prison in Jackson, Georgia, where Troy Davis is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET, CNN's Gustavo Valdes reported.
The Rev. Al Sharpton is among those at the site.
The group is praying and holding hands, Valdes reported.
[Updated at 1:28 a.m. ET] The Georgia Department of Corrections told CNN it has denied a request by Troy Davis' lawyers to conduct a polygraph test.
[Updated at 10:16 a.m. ET] The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles has declined to reconsider its decision denying clemency to Troy Davis.
Supporters of Davis have been hoping that some last-ditch efforts might help save him from being executed on Wednesday night. Earlier Wednesday, his team filed an appeal asking to stay his execution.
[Posted at 9:13 a.m. ET] Attorneys for Troy Davis, facing execution in Georgia at 7 p.m. Wednesday, have filed a request to stay his execution in Butts County Superior Court.
Davis is scheduled to die by lethal injection Wednesday night in Jackson, Georgia, for the 1989 shooting death of off-duty police officer Mark MacPhail.
The parole board declined to grant Davis clemency Tuesday following a hearing Monday in which it heard testimony calling into question physical evidence and witness statements that a Chatham County jury relied on in convicting Davis in 1991. In Georgia, only the board - not the governor - has the right to grant clemency.
Since Davis' conviction, seven of the nine witnesses against him have recanted or contradicted their testimony. Davis' supporters say the original witnesses were fearful of police and spoke under duress.
Other witnesses also have since come forward with accounts that call Davis' conviction into question, according to his supporters.
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Remembering Clarissa Tan, 1972-2014
Our much-loved colleague, Clarissa Tan, passed away in the early hours of this morning. We're all stunned here at 22 Old Queen Street – she had been fighting cancer for some time, but until a few weeks ago she had very few symptoms. Now, she has gone.
I first met her seven years ago, just after she had won the Spectator's Shiva Naipaul creative writing prize. She was living in Singapore but we kept in touch by email, and I was struck by her gorgeous use of language, her eye for a story, her ability to understand any subject – no matter how complex – and write about it with humour and insight. Even in emails, she seemed incapable of writing a sentence that didn't put a smile on your face. She had a potent combination of a hard head and a light pen. Now and again, she'd email me from Singapore about some fact or anecdote that had caught her attention – things that she thought spoke to wider truths. She had an eye for the kind of story that makes for a good Spectator cover, and I came to rely on her quite heavily.
When I became editor, I asked her if she'd like to move to London and work with us here. She did – in stages. She enrolled for a creative writing course, which always baffled me since she could already write brilliantly. She waited until she graduated to join us full-time here at 22 Old Queen Street, working on other people's copy and also her own ideas. On every subject imaginable. She wrote a cover story on the Asian arms race (here), our addiction to smartphones (here), a hard-hitting assessment of racism, here all alongside her regular television reviews (here). To read her pieces is to marvel at her range and style.
When diagnosed with bowel cancer (she wrote about it here, again here and about the 'death cafés' here), she opted to remain in Britain. London had come to feel like home for her, and she was hugely grateful for our NHS system that gave her such wonderful care from the outset. She was baffled by Brits who knock their country – she really did seem to think she'd moved to the best place in the world. She saw beauty in things we take for granted. And when she wrote about this (such as the changing of the seasons, here) it helped remind readers about the everyday beauty around them.
Clarissa also loved the Spectator as much as any of us here – and she knew that this love was reciprocated. She told me recently that she saw her colleagues as 'a family – a large, dysfunctional family'.
I was with her on Friday, and she was her normal, joyful, optimistic self. All of her most endearing traits – her clever, funny turns of phrase, her extraordinary capacity to see the good in any situation, as well as her wry humour – were there in full. It was as if nothing was wrong with her. As I went down the stairs on the way out, she said that she'd found out that as she came from a former colony, she was entitled to vote in the European elections. Why, she wanted to know, aren't Americans? She saw the makings of a funny Spectator article. 'I can say that I'd like to stay alive until polling day,' she said, looking down from the top of the stairs. 'Voting is important. Russell Brand is wrong.'
On her desk, there is a list, headed 'advantages of my current situation'. She had found 23 upsides. This is — was — Clarissa all over. She was defined by indefatigable optimism, humanity and love of life. As Jeremy Clarke wrote to me earlier,'her radiant, joyful smile so surprised me when she turned it on me, it made me laugh'. That was her effect on those lucky enough to have known her. The place she loved so much feels greyer, sadder and duller without her.
UPDATE: As of Tuesday morning, the six most-read stories on the Spectator website were by Clarissa. She would have been thrilled. Here they are:
- My first snowfall – 4 February 2012
- I am not my cancer – 20 October 2012
- This coming year, I want to live – 29 December 2012
- Why do Brits seek out Eastern temples, but ignore their own cathedrals? – 16 February 2013
- You're never really on holiday with a smartphone – 10 August 2013
- The ideal death show – 14 September 2013
- Britain has many major problems. Racism is not one of them – 15 February 2014
If YOU want to follow my fight against Cancer from when it started and I first presented with symptoms in 1998 see The TAB at the Header of this Blog. called >DIARY of Cancer ….< just click and it will give you a long list of the main events in chronological order, many linked to specific blog postings.
Thoughts, articles and comments will be in chronological order in the main blog and can be tracked in the >ARCHIVE< in the Left Sidebar.
You may find the TABS >MEDICAL LINKS< and also >CANCER LINKS< of help, also many of the links in articles and >HOT LINKS< in the Sidebar.
YOU are welcome to call me, minded that I am NOT medically trained, if you believe I can help in ANY way. .
Posted by: Greg Lance-Watkins

subset: commoncrawl


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If you've signed up for it already, the Bella Buzz March 2015 issue of our newsletter should have arrived in your inbox today. If you have not signed up yet, you can do so HERE, so you can be sure to get on our subscriber list. You can also find previous issues HERE, to browse and download.
You can download The Bella Buzz March 2015 Newsletter RIGHT HERE.


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Build Your Retirement Home Before You Retire
Buy (or build) a vacation home now with an eye to retire there.
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Last February, Ken Means bought a 3,000-square-foot home built in the early 1990s on 80 acres of land. Located in the Ozarks near Cabool, Mo., it is six hours from Means's home near Peoria, Ill., so he can't go every weekend. But when he can spare a day or two, he works on projects such as building a pond to attract waterfowl. The property is ideal for Means not only because he is an avid hunter but also because all that land comes with a reasonably new house—as opposed to a wreck in need of restoration. Plus, shopping and other basic services are no more than 15 minutes away.
Means, who is 56 and owns a fire-equipment business, says that five years ago he started toying with the idea of buying a vacation home that he could eventually retire to. Now he says he may sell his business in as little as two years—so he can resettle sooner to his spread. Land is cheap in the Ozarks, so his new property set him back less than $300,000, house included. Property taxes of less than $1,000 a year are also low.
The Missouri Ozarks is a low-income area, so there aren't many locals with the cash to bid up property values. Dollars aside, Means says the smartest thing he did before buying his house was to take the time to look at many properties and talk to residents and real estate agents. He knows he'll be comfortable living there permanently when the time comes.
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"You'll want to buy something early enough to get it into shape before you do retire," says Means. "You don't want to retire and then work your butt off, because that defeats the point." The remote property is unlikely to attract renters, so he's not even thinking about a listing. Instead, he has opened the door to his family. His parents recently stayed for two weeks, and his sister and her family will vacation there for a week and a half.
A permanent vacation home
When you're ready to retire, there's surely a manicured, gated subdivision with stair-free designs and an unchallenging golf course in your area. And the easiest (and perhaps least costly) decision is to stay in place and carry on, sans the commute (see The Benefits of Aging in Place). Some more adventurous retirees choose to move to a Sunbelt mecca or even to live overseas (see How to Retire Abroad).
But there's another way: Buy or build a retirement home before you retire. You can enjoy it now for recreation and relaxation, years before you get the gold watch. You can use it as a weekend and holiday retreat, and you can expand or adapt it gradually so it can function as a permanent residence. The home doesn't have to accommodate every luxury you'd ever want. The location and the lay of the land are the draw.
According to the National Association of Realtors, U.S. vacation-home sales were a relatively modest 469,000 in 2010, rose to 502,000 in 2011, grew to 553,000 last year and will rise again in 2013. Prices are still depressed from the peaks of 2005 and 2006, the two years when Americans bought more than a million second homes. Still, prices rose 24% last year, to a median of $150,000 for existing properties.
With real estate prices booming again, could desirable recreational and resort-area property sell so fast that if you wait even one year to buy, you'll strike out? Stacy Matherly, the real estate agent who sold Means his acreage, says she is inundated with e-mail inquiries from distant "sofa surfers" who are eager to go home-and-land shopping. David Knudsen, a real estate agent in Liberty, N.Y., says the second-home market generally trails the primary market by six to 12 months. It is definitely on the rebound, if still in the early stages.
Half of all second-home buyers pay cash. But that stat may be misleading because the transaction counts as a cash sale if the buyers draw on a home-equity line on their main residence to pay for abode number two. If you need a mortgage, note that the standards for vacation homes are tougher than for the purchase of a primary home. You will need excellent credit and a down payment of at least 20%. Plan on paying an interest rate on the mortgage that's a little higher than for a first home.
Brokers who sell property within 150 miles of New York City say that affordable real estate still exists in the region, and buyers are tapping stock market profits rather than taking out bank loans to pay for it. For example, in Sullivan County, in the Catskills two to three hours northwest of Manhattan, there are listings for three-bedroom houses on five acres ranging from $200,000 to $300,000. These houses are rustic enough that you would probably want to invest in some upgrades. Direct water access, whether to a lake or river, and sweeping views pad the price substantially.
Build it?
Not all preretirees are interested in an existing house, however, especially a dated ranch or bungalow. If you want to build, David Weiner, a New York City architect known for his glass-walled weekend retreats in the Catskills and the Berkshires, says the first and hardest job is finding the land. It can take as long as two years to get local permits. You can also expect to deal with environmental quirks; water and septic conditions are all over the map in rocky places such as Maine and other mountainous regions. In remote southern Colorado, where Weiner has also designed custom homes, people will pay a premium for building sites where there will be 320 sunny days a year to power their off-the-grid solar units.
In the East and Midwest, you'll pay a premium for proximity to skiing and hiking trails, good roads, and beautiful vistas. Land becomes less expensive about a three-hour drive from a major city. The farther you go, the more land you can get for less.
Some architects will design second homes as small as 1,500 square feet. Weiner says most of his clients prefer a smaller weekend place anyway, because the cost of construction keeps creeping up—especially in rural areas, where the climate can require that the construction withstand storms, floods and wind. The total cost to build can easily reach $250 per square foot; combined with the cost of the land and the architect's plans, you could be looking at $750,000 for even a pocket-size luxury home in a high-cost region such as New England.
Weiner says you should budget for a 10% to 15% overrun in building costs because something will go wrong, whether it's a drainage problem or new regulations that magnify the cost of installing utilities. Fortunately, once you've acquired land, no one can outbid you. If you decide not to go ahead with the project, you should be able to sell the tract for a profit.
If you're not ready to cash in your current house, or if you don't want to or cannot borrow enough against your equity to swing the deal, you may have to negotiate a construction loan with a bank. You can eventually roll the balance into a 15-year mortgage or even pay it off if you profit enough from the sale of your primary residence.
Rent it for income?
To defray the costs of maintaining two homes, you may be able to rent your lair to short-term visitors (see Tax Breaks for Second-Home Owners). Insiders say the rental business is booming in most places, citing a high volume of bookings and rising rents at HomeAway, Vacation Rentals by Owner, Airbnb and other agencies.
In a survey by the NAR last year, more than 90% of vacation-home buyers said they planned to rent their new property within one year, and three-fourths of them expected rents to cover at least half of their mortgage. That's more realistic now than it was during the recession, but you're taking a chance if you expect your vacation home to function as an ATM to make the cash-flow numbers work. It's better to buy or build something you can afford from current resources and shop diligently for the right property and price—even if your heart is telling you to rush to closing right after a memorable vacation.
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Approximate Burn Time
-The amount of wax chips you use depends on the size of your room and the size of your warmer. For pluggable warmers, we recommend using 3-5 chips. For larger warmers, we recommend using 5-8 chips. These are simply recommendations. We always encourage customers to experiment and see what is to their liking!
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Packages are a reclosable bag that hold approximaly 1oz for small and 8oz for large bags.
Care instructions
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2.) Wipe the wax out of the warmer.
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Our lightweight, microfiber tapestries are available in three different sizes and feature incredible artwork to complement any wall space. Each tapestry has hemmed edges for secure hanging with nails and/or thumbtacks.
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Triceratops in 80s synthwave style.
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Machine wash cold and tumble dry with low heat.
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Average Rating (4.31 Stars):
Lydia Baril
March 21st, 2023
Thank you so much for the beautiful Aurora's Garden tapestry I mean that is the most beautiful one I have ever seen.I wish I could send you a picture i don't have a thing to take a picture with sorry. sincerely,Lydia Baril :)
Garey Burrill
March 18th, 2023
Fast, great quality, little bit of sewing and it fits right on a curtain rod
Randy Tomiuk
March 15th, 2023
Lovely Cheers
Randy Tomiuk
March 15th, 2023
It highlights the space as I new it would. Cheers
Kay Elder
March 14th, 2023
Stunning—all are enjoying in my residential Chapel.
Triceratops in 80s synthwave style.
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Three years ago, the medical community was stunned when Rom Houben - diagnosed to have been in a persistent vegetative state since a horrific car crash in 1983 - was discovered to be fully conscious and aware. Unable to speak or communicate, he'd lived as a prisoner in his own body for over two decades. Doctors had performed test after test, concluding repeatedly that Houben's consciousness was "extinct." It took 23 years for technology to prove that the opposite was true: Houben's brain was not dead, and his consciousness was not extinct. "I shall never forget the day when they discovered what was truly wrong with me - it was my second birth."
Many Americans have never heard of Rom Houben, but you would be hard pressed to find an American who hasn't heard of Terri Schiavo.
On March 31, 2005, Terri Schiavo died, almost two weeks after the tube that provided her with nutrition and hydration was removed by court order. After collapsing in her home in 1990, Terri was diagnosed to be in a persistent vegetative state. The battle between Terri's husband and her parents over whether to remove life support put Terri's story at the center of national attention, igniting a firestorm of debate.
Proponents of removing Terri's feeding tube generally offered three arguments for why ending her life was the ethical choice. Citing "expert" medical opinion, they emphasized that Terri was profoundly handicapped with no hope of recovery; therefore, there was no real "point" in sustaining her life. Next, they argued that since Terri lacked any conscious awareness of her surroundings, she wasn't really alive anymore - at least not in any way that counted. Finally, they argued that Terri's condition made her unable to feel pain, and were therefore dismissive of the gruesome suffering that would otherwise accompany her starvation and dehydration.
The advocates of her death prevailed, and Terri Schiavo finally exited this life - gaunt and hollow-eyed, with parched lips and tongue - after having been deprived of food and fluids for 13 days.
Perhaps no one has more cause to be horrified by Terri's story than Rom Houben and others like him. His incredible story of rebirth could easily have been a forgotten tragedy of silent suffering and death. After years and years of testing, it was only thanks to one final test, one last chance, that Rom Houben's life was saved. A new report published in the New England Journal of Medicine this month confirms that there are, indeed, many others like Rom Houben - individuals deemed cognitively "extinct" whose humanity was vindicated at last.
In response to this new study Terri Schiavo's brother, Bobby, laments the fact that his sister wasn't permitted that one last test, questions the wisdom of standard "bedside" evaluations for brain activity and encourages other families facing these kinds of situations to ensure that their loved one is tested thoroughly before making irreversible life and death decisions:
"As in the case of my sister, they're using this diagnosis as a criterion to kill. . . . Nobody should have to earn the right to hydration. We should do everything we can to care for these people, regardless of how responsive or unresponsive they are. . . . We are morally obligated to care for these people. They should stop any further dehydration deaths, because we're learning how inaccurate the PVS diagnosis is."
Thanks to the work of the physicians that conducted this new study, we now know that our idea of what it means to be in a persistent vegetative state may be radically inaccurate. It's entirely possible that the "professionals" that passed judgment upon Terri were wrong in their assessment of her level of awareness. But even if they weren't - even if Terri lacked conscious awareness - her handicap should not have resulted in the revocation of her membership in the human family.
As creatures created in God's image, our "humanity" is unalterable, even though we are subject to change. Our humanity is not contingent upon our mental or physical fitness - at least, it shouldn't be. We have worth, value and dignity - not because of our capacities or achievements - but because the Creator made us and gave Himself for us. Yet every day in America what it means to be human is being redefined according to ever-evolving, ever-narrowing "quality of life" criteria which treat the unborn, the elderly, and the infirm as little more than "resource hogs" or "lifestyle impediments." More and more, these individuals' right to exist is being assessed in light of "functional capacity studies" and "cost-benefit analyses."
This utilitarian mindset was evident in the rationale of those who maintained that Terri's poor prognosis, lack of awareness and inability to feel pain disqualified her from the right to basic nutrition and hydration. By their way of thinking, the only logical solution to the "problem" posed by her continued existence was to end it.
This utilitarian approach to life and death issues represents an impoverished view of humanity and poses a grave threat to the future of civilization - especially to the weak, the frail and the vulnerable. As human beings, our right to life should never be subject to a litmus test. Our net worth is far more than the sum of our assets and liabilities. Furthermore, we are obligated by our very humanity to care for the weak and frail among us.
If we live long enough, the day will likely come when each of us will rely on someone else to care for us. I, for one, hope that when that day comes, I live in a world that looks at me and sees a person, not a "problem."


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MMAjunkie.com Radio today welcomes to the show trainer Cesar Gracie, whose stable of fighters includes UFC 129 fighters Jake Shields, Nate Diaz and Daniel Roberts.
Additionally, we catch up with Bellator 34 fighter and tourney finalist Rick Hawn, UFC 132's Andre Winner, and UFC 130's Travis Browne.
MMAjunkie.com Radio airs from 12-2 p.m. ET (9-11 a.m. PT) live from the
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino's Race & Sports Book. Listen to and
watch a video stream of the two-hour show at www.mmajunkie.com/radio.
MMAjunkie.com Radio listener guide:
- HOW TO LISTEN: Go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio and choose a streaming option (such as Windows Media Player or Quicktime) to listen to the show live. A countdown clock appears when the show is offline.
- HOW TO WATCH: Check out a live webcam of the studio while there. You can also listen to a live audio stream of the show when you activate the video feed.
- HOW TO CALL: MMAjunkie.com Radio takes phone calls from listeners throughout the show. Call into the MMAjunkie.com Radio hotline at (702) 736-9461 or (702) 736-9463.
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|Figure 1: 61472, IL Median Earnings per Worker
|Figure 2: 61472, IL Median Household Income
|Figure 3: 61472, IL Earnings Distribution
|Figure 4: Male vs. Female Median Earnings
|Figure 5: 61472, IL Avg Hrs Worked in Week
|Figure 6: 61472, IL Avg Hourly Earnings
|Figure 7: People Self Employed in 61472, IL
|Figure 8: 61472, IL Median Household Income By Age Group
|Figure 9: 61472, IL Source of Income
|Figure 10: Advertisement
|Figure 11: Households with Retirement Income
|Figure 12: Median Family Income By Race in 61472, IL
|Figure 13: 61472, IL Cost of Living (100 = U.S. Average)
|Figure 14: Monthly Unemployment Rate for Area Closest to 61472, IL Tracked by BLS
|Figure 15: Quarterly Labor Force Participation for the Area Closest to 61472, IL Tracked by BLS
|Figure 16: 61472, IL Annual Unemployment Rate
|Figure 17: Annual Labor Force Participation
|Figure 18: 61472, IL Components of Employment Status
|Figure 19: Part Time vs. Full Time Employment
|Figure 20: Advertisement
|Figure 21: 61472, IL Families with a Single Earner
|Figure 22: 61472, IL Families with No One Working
|Figure 23: 61472, IL In Poverty
|Figure 24: Percent of Population in Poverty
|Figure 25: 61472, IL Poverty Break Out by Age Group
|Figure 26: 61472, IL Poverty Break Out by Race
|Figure 27: 61472, IL Poverty and Marriage Status
|Figure 28: 61472, IL Poverty and Education Attainment Level
|Figure 29: 61472, IL In Poverty and Working Status
|Figure 30: 61472, IL Households with Public Assistance
|Figure 31: 61472, IL Gini Index of Income Inequality
|Figure 32: 61472, IL Mode of Transportation to Work
|Figure 33: Detailed Mode of Transportation to Work
|Figure 34: Detailed Mode of Transportation to Work
|Figure 35: 61472, IL Time Leaving For Work
|Figure 36: Time in Minutes Spent Commuting to Work
|Figure 37: 61472, IL Average Commute Time in Minutes
|Figure 38: 61472, IL Average Commute Time for Male vs. Female
|Figure 39: 61472, IL Detailed breakout of age groups by means of transportation to work
|Figure 40: 61472, IL Vehicles available
|Figure 41: 61472, IL People who both Work and Live in the Same City
|Figure 42: 61472, IL Median Annual Earngins by High Level Industry Groups
|Figure 43: Men-Median Annual Earnings by High Level Industry Groups
|Figure 44: Women-Median Annual Earnings by High Level Industry Groups
|Figure 45: 61472, IL Median Annual Earnings by Job Category
|Figure 46: Men-Median Annual Earnings by Job Category
|Figure 47: Women-Median Annual Earnings by Job Category
|Figure 48: Detailed Job Categories with Annual Earnings for 61472, IL
|Figure 49: Number of Self Employed People by Industry in 61472, IL
|Figure 50: 61472, IL Number of Self Employed People by Detailed Industry Grouping
|Figure 51: 61472, IL Average Annual Self Employment Income
|Figure 52: Total Self Employed Men and Women
|Cities marked with an asterisk ("*") should resemble a city or town but do not have their own government (i.e. Mayor, City Council, etc.) These places should be recognizable by the local community but their boundaries have no legal status. Technically these include both Census Designated Places (CDP) and Census County Divisions (CCD) which are defined by the Census Bureau along with local authorities. (For more information, see:
Census Designated Place or "CDP")
and Census County Division "CCD".)
For comparison purposes, the US national average and the state average value are provided. Additionally, the "Combined Statistical Area" or CSA is shown that is closest to the city, county, or zip code shown. A CSA is a large grouping of adjacent metropolitan areas that identified by the Census Bureau based on social and economic ties. (See: Combined Statistical Area)
|Data sources - Mouse over icon in upper right corner of each chart for information.


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Conotoxins—the chains of amino acids found in the venom of a cone snail—are medical marvels. In 2003 psychiatrist and environmentalist Eric Chivian of Harvard University described these sea creatures as having "the largest and most clinically important pharmacopoeia of any genus in nature." Scientists believe conotoxins could help treat epilepsy, depression and other disorders by interacting with the nervous system.
Why do neuroscientists care about cone snails?
Cone snail venom contains neurotoxins that can target specific locations in the brain and spinal cord. For example, some species of cone snail possess a compound that can act on the same receptors as nicotine. These receptors, located on the surface of neurons, help to govern signaling in the brain.
Neuroscientist J. Michael McIntosh of the University of Utah has found that selectively blocking some of these receptors with a cone snail compound can decrease the use of addictive drugs (so far, just in laboratory animals). Blocking a different subset of those receptors can trigger more consumption of a drug instead. Other compounds have been found to interact with receptors that influence feelings of pain or the growth of tumors.
How dangerous is a cone snail's venom?
The cone snail uses a toxin-filled tooth to harpoon its prey, injecting chemicals that can paralyze, stun or kill an unfortunate fish. Attracted by their colorful shells, divers occasionally collect the snails and make the mistake of stowing them in their swim trunks. The results range from a nasty sting to painful lesions and, in a few cases, death.
Tales of the calamitous cone snail have crept into fiction: the toxin was featured as a murder weapon in the 1970s television show Hawaii 5-O, and in the more recent film Jurassic Park 2 only cone snail venom was powerful enough to fell a Tyrannosaurus rex. Most of the more than 700 species of cone snail, however, are not toxic to humans.
How do people collect these poisonous sea creatures?
The mollusks are typically found in warm and tropical waters, such as in the Caribbean and near the Philippines. "We can collect snails using a deepwater submersible, scuba diving, deepwater dredging, or simply bending over in the water and picking them up," says Frank Mari, a biochemist at Florida Atlantic University, one researcher who collects and studies the venom of cone snails.
But the loss of coral reefs and overzealousness of shell collectors have made finding certain species increasingly difficult, which could curtail our access to and understanding of this natural pharmacy. Once researchers have a cone snail, however, they can keep milking it for years in a lab.
How do you milk a cone snail?
Neuroscientist Baldomero Olivera of the University of Utah was faced with this puzzle in the 1980s. One enterprising undergraduate tried inflating a condom and rubbing it against a goldfish. He then set the fish-scented latex into the cone snail's tank. Almost immediately the snail struck, lodging its tooth into the faux fish.
"The sight of an inflated condom floating at the [water's] surface, with a tethered snail swinging like a pendulum below it, was one of those moments that should have been recorded with a camera," Olivera wrote in the journal Toxicon in 2000.
Today researchers use real fish bait with a latex-topped tube to collect venom. Some scientists now clone genetic material to produce a specific toxin.
What do you do with the venom?
Every cone snail species has easily 1,000 peptides of medical interest, which means cone snails offer millions of research possibilities. Some cone snail toxins show promise as muscle relaxants during surgery and as fast-acting interventions after a stroke or heart attack.
In 2004 the pain reliever Prialt became the first fda-approved, commercially available product derived from cone snail toxin. Based on a peptide from a magician cone snail in Olivera's lab, this pain reliever is estimated to be 1,000 times stronger than morphine, without addictive side effects.
Researchers in Mari's lab have identified a cone snail compound that blocks sodium channels, which could help treat multiple sclerosis. But this is just the beginning.


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Sometimes change is a good thing, as is demonstrated by the simple updates Numen made to the classic folding deck chair found on swanky cruise ships around the world. A new 'X' design not only adds an optional sun shade, but also handy pockets for storing drinks and sunscreen.
It's one of those updates that makes you question why the original wasn't made like that in the first place. Like cars outfitted with seat belts, and cereal enhanced with marshmallows. The XZ chair doesn't just add stylish upgrades like the use of Acacia wood and sewn fabric pockets. It's fundamentally a smarter design that does away with the need for sun shades and drink holders, and results in an all-around better product.


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Child flown to hospital after being hit by truck in Waltham
Driver of truck stayed at scene, police say
A 12-year-old boy was flown to a local hospital Tuesday after being hit by a dump truck in Waltham.
The boy was hit in the area of 35 Pine St. in Waltham, police said. The boy was headed to school at the time of the crash.
Witness Jose Vega said the boy was on a bike without a helmet when he was hit. Vega said he stayed with him until help arrived.
The boy, who was conscious after the crash, was flown to Children's Hospital with head and elbow lacerations, police said.
The driver of the dump truck did stay at the scene, police said.
The dump truck driver, a 22-year-old man, has not been charged.
Vega said he's been concerned about traffic safety on the street.
"We knew something like this was going to happen," he said.
NewsCenter 5 and wcvb.com will have more details as they are available.


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$40K in donations for soldiers in limbo, remain unpaid by Meat House
Six months after charity event, Meat House hasn't transferred money
A local nonprofit that supports soldiers and their families is still waiting for $40,000 worth of donations collected by the Meat House at a large charity event on the Seacoast last summer.
The news comes as four of the state's six Meat House locations have suddenly shut their doors. The closures are temporary according to company executives, despite questions about the company's finances. On Tuesday, the state labor department told News 9 it would be reviewing the company's financial records after two complaints of paychecks bouncing. And News 9 first reported on Monday that investors have filed suit against Meat House alleging that they haven't been paid.
The charity event, hosted by the Meat House in July, was billed as New England's largest military appreciation event of the year. Thousands of people bought $15 tickets to the 10th annual "Operation: Thank You," at the Redhook Brewery but more than six months later none of the money raised at the event has been turned over to Chaplain's Emergency Relief Fund, according to Chaplain Steven Veinotte, the fund's director.
Veinotte said they provide emergency financial assistance to military members who live in New Hampshire. They serve more than 100 families every year, raising anywhere between $50,000 and $100,000 in donations.
He said a Meat House executive is part of the informal advisory committee for the nonprofit agency that administers the fund. They last spoke about the money in December but there were no concerns that the money wouldn't be transferred because of a long-standing relationship between the Meat House and the charity.
"There has been no reason for concern because we've worked with the Meat House for many years and we're very appreciative of their help," Veinotte said.
When contacted by News 9, Veinotte said he didn't know how soon a check was cut after the Operation Thank You events in previous years.
"We usually see it by now," he said. "They've been doing this for many years. They haven't said why the money hasn't come in yet. We trust them for it."
He said he plans to discuss the issue with the charity's board of directors.
Two stores in New Hampshire remain open – a store in Amherst, which is owned by a franchisee, and another store in Dover. Other stores have closed their doors, placing signs outside that said they're closed for remodeling. Company officials said the closures have nothing to do with financial issues or the lawsuit from investors. The company told state officials that they hoped to re-open in a few weeks with new investors.
The Meat House did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
Redhook was also involved in the event, but did not collect any money. A Redhook spokesperson said they donated the space and beer for the event, and hope all of the money reaches the Chaplain's Emergency Relief Fund soon.
For information about the fund, you can visit: http://www.army.mil/community/state/NH.html


text: Back Act Quickly: Save That Tooth! Your 7-year-old daughter is riding her bicycle and wearing her helmet. She's the picture of safety, right? Seconds later, she comes through the door crying. You see a gaping hole formerly occupied by one of her permanent teeth. What do you do? Timing is critical Comfort your daughter, but move quickly. Time is a critical factor in saving the tooth, according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Find the tooth. If the tooth fell out, track it down. Treat it with care. When you find the tooth, make sure you hold it by the crown. That's the enamel-covered part of the tooth above the gum line. Rinse it, don't scrub it. Use cool water. Place it firmly into the socket if you can. The best place for the tooth is the socket. The tooth doesn't have to be sterile, just clean and free of obvious dirt, for healing and reattachment to begin without infection. If your child's mouth is injured and you can't put the tooth back, or you just don't feel comfortable doing it yourself, you have some time. Staying calm and acting decisively are the most important things you can do for your child and yourself. Simply place the tooth in a cup of milk or saline (one teaspoon of table salt in a cup of cool water). Or, you can use cool water. Whether you place the tooth back in the socket yourself or are preserving the tooth, immediately call your dentist or the nearest hospital emergency room that has a dental service. If you don't know whom to reach, call your local dental society for an emergency number and/or a place to take your child. On a positive note, a child's tooth is more likely than an adult's to replant solidly. How to avoid tooth loss Many injuries occur during sports, and not just football or hockey. Tooth loss occurs in basketball, softball, and baseball, and even while riding a bicycle. The American Dental Association recommends the use of a mouth protector during any activity that may result in a blow to the face or the mouth.


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Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Naked Support for China National Basketball Team
At the FIBA World Championships in Turkey, teams are divided into Groups of 6, play a round-robin and the top 4 advance. So you'd think a team would have to be at least 2-3 to make it, defeating the 5th and 6th place team. China went 1-4.
China surprisingly made the knockout round when Cote d'Ivoire defeated Puerto Rico 88-79, a game that took place before China faced Turkey.
Cote d'Ivoire needed to win by 12 points, though, and the nine-point margin gave China the edge as all three teams finished with 1-4 records. China finished with a positive point differential, while Puerto Rico and Cote d'Ivoire each allowed one more point than they scored.
So there was a rumor saying that Han Yifei posted at her blog to want people not to take it seriously as it was just a casual remark, which had ever caused a stir. But Han clarified it immediately in an interview, and confirmed that she would keep her words.
When Han was questioned whether she used this as a publicity stunt to promote herself, she said, "Everyone has his or her own way to express their feelings. I just did my own way."
So here are the eight pictures!
So? Is this acceptable? She is naked alright but if this was a bet that you won, would this be enough? Or would you want to see more?
8 comments:
- PerryPie said...
Is her head just freakishly shaped or do the pics look photoshopped?
- September 7, 2010 at 11:04 PM
- Degenerasian said...
I don't think it photoshopped, just bad angles from a bad photographer.
If it is photoshopped, they photoshopped her ass to nothing!
- September 7, 2010 at 11:14 PM
- Roger Williams said...
This is definitely relevant to my interests!
- September 8, 2010 at 3:46 PM
- Degenerasian said...
But do you feel she fulfils the promise?
- September 8, 2010 at 5:47 PM
- Saul Young said...
I believe she absolutely fulfills her obligation. She is indeed nude. Personally, I'm rather glad she didn't give up the goods.
- September 9, 2010 at 2:12 PM
- Monika said...
So there was a rumor saying that Han Yifei posted at her blog to want people not to take it seriously as it was just a casual remark, which had ever caused a stir. But Han clarified it immediately in an interview, and confirmed that she would keep her words.
- September 15, 2010 at 12:32 AM
She is a Goddess... Respect from Spain.
- October 8, 2010 at 2:36 AM
Seriously... why this doesn't suprise me, is like japanese people, those guys are... very different to me, we all now that chinese people are not very famous in the world, not many like them, but they were normal to me until now :s
- March 10, 2011 at 7:06 AM


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text:
(CNN) -- The McCain campaign calls her a "tough executive who has demonstrated" readiness to be president. The Republican National Committee calls her a "conservative star with the talent, energy and family support necessary to carry out common sense policies."
John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate came as a surprise.
But the Obama campaign calls her a candidate with "the thinnest foreign policy experience in history" who is "currently under investigation in her own state." And one of the Senate's top Democrats, Charles Schumer, said that although she is "a fine person, her lack of experience makes the thought of her assuming the presidency troubling."
What do we know about Sarah Palin, the 44-year-old first-ever female governor of Alaska, wife and mother of five, and now GOP vice presidential nominee?
On August 29, a new part of her identity dominated the political scene: game-changer.
She entered an already historic election, knowing well two of the biggest things McCain needs her to do: shore up votes among social conservatives and win over disaffected Hillary Clinton-supporting Democrats, many of them women. iReport.com: What do you think of McCain's choice of Palin?
Before catapulting to the forefront of U.S. politics, Sarah Palin was, at points along her journey, a beauty queen, high school basketball star and TV sportscaster. More recently, she became known in Alaska as a popular maverick, staunchly conservative on key issues but vocal about problems she saw, including those in her own party. Watch how conservatives say they're thrilled with Palin »
She got the nickname "Sarah Barracuda" for her fierce competitiveness on the basketball court in high school. Some of her opponents revived the name after she became mayor of her hometown, Wasilla, in 1996, kicking out a three-term incumbent and butting heads with some city department heads who remained loyal to her predecessor, according to the Almanac of American Politics.
Wasilla mayor, 1996-2002
Elected governor of Alaska, 2006
Sources: Almanac of American Politics, CNN
In 2003 and 2004, she chaired the state Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which regulates Alaska's oil and gas resources.
Widely seen as a political outsider who stayed at arm's length from her party establishment, she defeated two political insiders in 2006 to become the youngest, and first female, governor in the state's history.
As governor, she won praise for backing tough ethical standards for politicians. During the first legislative session after her election, her administration passed a state ethics law overhaul.
But her term was not without controversy. A legislative investigation is looking into allegations that Palin fired Alaska's public safety commissioner because he refused to fire the governor's former brother-in-law, a state trooper. She denied wrongdoing.
An outspoken anti-abortion Republican, Palin has spoken out about her fifth child, who was diagnosed in utero with Down syndrome.
"We knew through early testing he would face special challenges, and we feel privileged that God would entrust us with this gift and allow us unspeakable joy as he entered our lives," the Republican National Committee quoted her as saying. "We have faith that every baby is created for good purpose and has potential to make this world a better place. We are truly blessed."
She is married to her high-school sweetheart, a commercial fisherman. The two eloped in 1988, to save money on a big wedding, a year after she graduated from the University of Idaho, where she studied journalism and political science, according to the Almanac of American Politics. Watch details on elopement »
Palin is an avid hunter and a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association.
As millions of Americans began searching for information on her Friday, her official Web site as governor wasn't the only one getting flooded with traffic. Traffic also spiked at sites showcasing pictures from 1984, when she wore the crown of Miss Wasilla and competed in the Miss Alaska contest.
She was born in Idaho, and her parents moved to Alaska when she was 3 months old.
Some similarities between Palin and McCain were clear Friday: Both have been termed mavericks, and both have taken on the GOP establishment at times. McCain has a son who has served in Iraq; Palin has one heading there soon. So does her vice presidential opponent, Sen. Joe Biden.
For all that is known about her, Palin now becomes the most prominent unknown quantity in the presidential race. Her lack of experience on national political issues, including foreign policy and homeland security, and her only brief experience as governor open clear lines of attack for the Obama campaign. Watch Democrats respond to the Palin pick »
Then again, McCain's surprising announcement Friday and the intense focus it drew threatened to slow Obama's post-convention momentum in a dramatic way.
No stranger to being a first in Alaska, Palin now faces being a first on a national level: the first female No. 2 on the GOP presidential ticket and only the second female on a major party ticket, after Democrat Geraldine Ferraro more than 20 years ago.
Schumer described McCain's choice as a "Hail Mary pass." Whether that's true has yet to be seen.
But what's not in question is that in entering the race, Sarah Palin changes the game.
All About Sarah Palin • Alaska • John McCain


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Convection Oven Cooking
Make the most of the space in your kitchen and put that oft-forgotten oven to work tonight.
Filo-wrapped Brie
At your next gathering, invite guests to dive into this flaky pastry shell loaded with melted brie cheese, dried tomatoes, pine nuts, and fresh basil. Serve with hearty crackers, ideal for loading on the dense appetizer.
Recipe: Filo-wrapped Brie
Lamb Shanks with Olives and Capers
Serve a special-occasion meal that's packed with rich Mediterranean flavor. Lemon juice and zest combine with green olives and capers to give the lamb a bright flavor that complements the suggested side, Lemon Couscous.
Sicilian-style Strata
Host a low-maintenance brunch and serve this make-ahead strata. Prep all the ingredients the night before then bake before your guests arrive. Pair with a mimosa or glass of iced tea for a festive gathering.
Recipe: Sicilian-style Strata
Jerk-spiced Turkey Picnic Loaf
Try a new twist on meatloaf and use ground turkey flavored with a range of spices including cinnamon, cayenne, and nutmeg. Molasses adds a welcome hint of sweetness. Serve thick-cut slices on hearty toast with fresh veggies and a slice of prosciutto.
Recipe: Jerk-spiced Turkey Picnic Loaf
Classic Roast Turkey
Making a turkey appears daunting, but this three-ingredient recipe only calls for the bird, butter or olive oil, and a Classic Gravy. Serve your favorite stuffing or dressing on the side.
Recipe: Classic Roast Turkey
Louisiana Pecan Balls
Make a holiday favorite that reminds us of bite-sized pecan pie slices. Roll the finished, vanilla-infused, cookie in powdered sugar and serve or box up for friends to take home after dinner.
Recipe: Louisiana Pecan Balls
Roasted Fish with Kabocha Coulis
Give the exterior of the halibut filets a crispy coating by browning them in a skillet before baking. Serve atop shelled soybeans and a hearty helping of coulis, a thick puréed sauce made from squash, ginger, and curry powder.
Recipe: Roasted Fish with Kabocha Coulis
Rock Creek Lake Fresh Peach Pie
Use fresh peaches to make an over-the-top dessert. Cream cheese gives the pie a creamy texture, while orange and lemon juices add bright flavor that complements the sweet peaches.
Recipe: Rock Creek Lake Fresh Peach Pie
Sweet-Hot Spiced Pecans
Nothing beats perfectly roasted pecans, so make a few batches and share with friends as hostess gifts or party favors. The mixture of sugar, cayenne, coriander, and cinnamon give the nuts a spicy-sweet flavor that's sure to satisfy as a dessert or mid-afternoon snack.
Recipe: Sweet-Hot Spiced Pecans


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Red Alert: Does Mark Cooper's side have a poor disciplinary record?
Adam Tanner examines the reasons behind Swindon Town's poor disciplinary record under Mark Cooper, and looks at other issues which can arise from it.
Mark Cooper tends to allow a few meaty adjectives to roll off his tongue during his interviews. "Incredible", "remarkable" and "astonishing" all regularly feature.
In recent weeks, these words have not been used to describe our track record versus Bristol City, the new purple third kit, or even the decision to start with Andy Williams ahead of Michael Smith in a competitive match. Instead, they have featured with reference to refereeing decisions which Cooper doesn't like.
To an extent, he has a point. For example, Nathan Thompson's red card at Cheltenham has now been rescinded, and, according to Cooper, he received an apology for Thompson's second yellow card at Yeovil, which the rules don't allow to be withdrawn. He clearly isn't the only League One manager with a willingness to loudly complain about officials, a point proved quite comically by Steve Cotterill last weekend.
However, under Cooper's management, Swindon's disciplinary record has been consistently bad. For instance, last season, his first in the job, we managed to end up with the joint second worst disciplinary record in League One.
So far this season, things have improved, and our record in the league is currently the joint tenth worst, but the fact that, in our last 24 games in all competitions, we have received 6 red cards suggests that there is still much room for improvement. All of this is despite the fact Cooper's teams have been characterised by a fluid, passing style, and a general absence of excessively physical players. As the link shows, a team with a similar structure, Walsall, had the best disciplinary record in the division, with no red cards all season.
Surely factors behind our poor record under Cooper must go far beyond bad luck?…
Management Styles
I was never keen on Paolo di Canio, but one of his clear attributes was the ability to impose high standards of discipline. Although our playing style under him was more robust than under Cooper, the general disciplinary record was relatively 'good' in 2011/12 with 64 yellows and 4 reds.
On a related note, nobody under di Canio was ever sent off for anything resembling violent conduct. It seems likely that the prospect of something substantially more violent in the dressing room afterwards was enough to encourage players to think twice.
Under Cooper, standards have slipped a little, and many players have been disciplined in ways that could easily have been avoided. In the latter part of last season, three players were sent off during scuffles; first Alex Pritchard at Bristol City, then Troy Archibald-Henville and Nathan Thompson at Notts County. It seems likely that a more tolerant attitude towards indiscipline might make players less reluctant to go in with fists raised.
Moments of Madness
Not all of Nathan Thompson's red cards have been contentious; nobody was disputing the one in the cup tie versus Brighton in August.
To remind you, we were 3-2 down, with around 30 seconds of stoppage time remaining, when Thompson cheaply conceded possession, allowing his opponent a clear run on goal. Whilst pursuing the guy, he had a few seconds to gather his thoughts and appreciate that, regardless of whether the player scored, Swindon would have virtually no prospect of recovering the match. The logical move would clearly have been to allow the player to shoot. By committing a professional foul and conceding a penalty (from which Brighton scored anyway), Thompson ended up with a needless suspension… as a result of which the following suspension was also extended.
It's no secret that we have an extremely young team. Perhaps the folly of youth has a bearing upon our disciplinary record.
Response to Decisions
Although we have had some bad luck, I'm not keen on the assumption, which can emerge from contentious decisions, that everything would have been fine had it not been for the latest refereeing scandal. Last November, for example, Cooper implied that we would have been on course to turn a 0-0 draw at Crawley into a win had Nathan Byrne not been sent off in the 87th minute. Whereas we will never know for sure, the fact that we hadn't managed an attempt on target during the first 86 minutes doesn't add much weight to his argument.
Last year's first round defeat at Macclesfield bore many comparisons to the Cheltenham one; we were hammered by a lower ranked team, played poorly, and didn't draw a serious save out of the opposing goalkeeper in the process. Yet last season, we had no external factors to blame, and were forced to view the defeat in the cold light of day, for what it was. This year, although we were already behind when Thompson was sent off, the majority of the blame seemed to focus on the referee, enabling a high-quality team to sweep under the carpet a number of goals which it should never have conceded.
Perhaps one of the most knackered of football clichés, that "these things even themselves out over the course of a season", has proved itself over the course of the last couple of weeks, during which time two contentious, and unusually early, red cards have had quite contrasting effects on our performances and results.
Moving forward, I feel that a bit more perspective would help to ensure that, when things go against us, we don't allow a bit of bad luck to affect an excellent team to the extent that it sends things off the rails.


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TOKYO – Back in 1960, Japan's Kewpie Corp began selling canned baby food, sensing a chance to catch a wave of young families raising kids in an economy roaring back to growth after the devastation of World War Two.
Almost 55 years later, the Tokyo-based company sees a new opportunity opening up in rapidly ageing Japan as parents who brought kids up on Kewpie approach their sunset years – what it calls "nursing care food" for the elderly.
Kewpie says it's on the brink of turning a profit on a range of stewed or pureed ready-to-eat meals called "Gentle Menu", currently sold in specialist sections of drugstores and a small number of supermarkets. Served in plastic pouches, they're aimed at the growing numbers of elderly Japanese who have difficulty chewing and swallowing, but crave the taste of favorites like beef sukiyaki.
Known for its signature baby mascot and mayonnaise, Kewpie estimates it now accounts for roughly 70 percent of sales in a niche food market in Japan worth nearly $30 million. That number is dwarfed by Kewpie's annual revenue of close to $5 billion, but growth is expected to be swift: the market nearly doubled in the last four years, according to market research firm Fuji Keizai, and official government estimates say it's potentially worth tens of billions of dollars.
With limited distribution and money being spent on advertising, "Gentle Menu" is unprofitable for now. But Tsutomu Morota, who heads Kewpie's healthcare food unit, says it will probably become profitable next year.
"What we need to do is to make it easier for consumers to access our goods by securing stores that sell our products. We need to work on direct marketing, which includes home deliveries," Morota told Reuters. "We want to strengthen our brand by introducing it into various places, like nursing homes and restaurants."
With one in four in the country above the age of 65, Kewpie's gambit comes as Japanese consumer goods face growing pressure to find new products to stimulate domestic demand, or boost exports – or both. In 2012, Unicharm Corp, Japan's biggest diaper maker said its sales of diapers for adults topped those for babies for the first time.
Kewpie and other makers of food for the elderly say they're concentrating on boosting the domestic market for now, and that variations in international food preferences make direct exports a limited prospect. But the expertise they're developing is attracting interest from overseas: Thai and South Korean researchers, government officials and food makers have already visited Japan to find out more about the business of food for the elderly.
The company that built its fortune on selling jars of mayonnaise in 1920s Japan has learned from experience over the decades since it started selling baby food that it can take time to turn innovation into a product people will buy. [eap_ad_2] Kewpie first tried selling food for the elderly to hospitals in the late 1980s, packaging the contents in the same bottles they used to sell baby food. The product flopped.
A decade later, Kewpie came back, this time marketing to consumers for use at home. It has also lowered prices, increased the variety of food on offer and set out to build a more appetizing brand, naming the product line "Gentle Menu" and using the slogan "The joy of eating" in its advertising.
Each serving now costs 180 yen ($1.76), a sharp drop from 300 yen in 1999. It also offers more than 60 different products compared with just eight at the outset, although the company admits some have been slow to catch on, like its jellied scrambled eggs.
Japan's Ministry of Agriculture is bullish about prospects for a business it believes could help support the country's beleaguered farm sector. The ministry projects that if everyone in Japan above the age of 65 were to spend on average $13 a day on food – a projection food industry executives take with a hefty dose of salt – the market would be worth $24 billion.
Alongside questions about older people's food budgets, Kewpie is still grappling with problematic distribution. Japanese supermarkets experimented with stocking food for the elderly in their regular food sections more than a decade ago, but pulled the offerings when they failed to sell.


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Pronto Pizza Busts Kids Menu Myths
Drive past the neon-hued fast food joints, navigate the strip mall parking lot, and you will find yourself in front of the unassuming Pronto Pizza off of 82nd Drive. Step inside and you know you've found something unexpected, a culinary gem hidden in the heart of Clackamas.
This February, proprietor Linda Shankweiler launches a new kids menu at Pronto—and it's a far cry from soggy cheese pizza wilting under a heat lamp. Pronto has teamed up with Northwest Primary Care nutritionist Jacki Abbot, local farmers, and a small army of hungry kids to design a healthy, sustainable, and tasty kids menu that elevates the family-friendly neighborhood pizzeria to the next level.
One look at the kid's menu and it's clear your kids aren't in for a carb fest. While there's still Pronto pizza offered, the menu is seriously gluten-free friendly. Because Pronto crafts all of their ingredients in house (with the exception of their pepperoni and mozzarella) they've avoided gluten additives naturally resulting in a sensible menu that balances indulgence with whole food dinner options. Appetizers like baked cauliflower breadsticks or a snack plate comprised of cheese slices, sunflower seeds, seasonal fruit, and crostini provide plenty of fodder for kids to mindlessly nosh while still receiving a serving of fruit and veggies.
New kid's menu Launch Party
Sunday, February 9th 5—8 pm
Kids under age 12 can enjoy a free kid's buffet. Nutritionist Jacki Abbott will be available to talk about healthy eating for families.
Their kid-sized pizzas include fresh produce and the pasta is cranked out in house, but the real gem on the menu is the Pronto Plate. Think baked chicken nestled in a bed of roasted seasonal vegetables, house made mac and cheese, local salad greens, and a house-made cranberry applesauce. Broken into three categories—protein, veggies, and fruit— kids can choose one item from each section for a truly balanced dinner.
The other striking feature of the new menu? Pronto's commitment to Clackamas County farmers. Not only does the restaurant source from organic farmers Siri & Sons, Aloha Produce, and Triune Berry Farm, they've partnered with local company Draper Valley to source their organic, free range chicken from nearby Oregon City instead of trucking their poultry across state lines. This kind of dedication and attention to detail poured into crafting healthful, sustainable, and local food is not something you expect from a pizzeria, much less one tucked behind a Taco Bell in Clackamas.


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Some philosophers believe that conceptual analysis will reveal the essence of mental states. Pat Churchland disagrees. In conversation with Nigel Warburton she explains how philosophers can learn from neuroscience and why some 'folk' psychological terms may need revision.
Listen to Pat Churchland on Eliminative Materialism
Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy


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If you've noticed some of your teeth seem to be "longer" than you remembered, it's not because they've grown. Rather, your gums have shrunk back or receded to expose more of the underlying tooth.
It's not just unattractive — gum recession could lead to severe consequences like bone or tooth loss. But before we begin treatment we need to find out why it happened. Knowing the true cause will help us put together the right treatment plan for your situation.
Here are 4 of the most common causes for gum recession and what we can do about them.
The kind of gum tissues you have. There are two kinds of risk factors: those you can control and those you can't. Because you inherited the trait from your parents, your gum tissue thickness falls into the latter category. Although there are degrees within each, gum tissues are generally classified as either thick or thin. If you have thin tissues, you're more susceptible to gum recession — which means we'll need to be extra vigilant about caring for your gum health.
Tooth position. Normally a tooth erupts during childhood in the center of its bony housing. But it can erupt outside of it, often resulting in little to no gum tissue growth around it. The best solution is to move the tooth to a better position within the bony housing through orthodontics. This in turn could stimulate gum growth.
Over-aggressive brushing. Ironically, gum recession could be the result of brushing, one of the essential hygiene tasks for dental health. Consistently brushing too hard can inflame and tear the tissues to the point they begin to recede. Brushing doesn't require a lot of force to remove plaque: use gentle, circular motions and let the detergents and mild abrasives in your toothpaste do the rest.
Periodontal (gum) disease. This, by far, is the greatest cause for gum recession: an infection caused by built-up bacterial plaque. The weakened tissues begin to detach from the teeth and recede. Gum disease can be treated with aggressive plaque removal and supporting techniques; but it's also highly preventable. Practicing daily brushing and flossing and regularly visiting your dentist for thorough cleanings and checkups are the best practices for keeping your gums as healthy as possible.
If you would like more information on gum recession, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article "Gum Recession."


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Chipset Name
- SiS 6326
- SiS 530
A driver for the SiS 6326 series is currently in development by EricAnholt. AlanCox has ported it to run with XFree 4.3.0 and the sis-4.4.0 DRI module. Basic 3D stuff works with some depth and triangle setup problems, also no textures yet.
Notable differences from the SiS300 series are that these cards have a single texture unit and a 16-bit Z buffer. A UtahGLX driver for these cards is available.
- SiS530 datasheet (using for ?SiS53fb driver)
- http://softpixel.com/~cwright/papers/tech/0530DS10.PDF 6326 SiS datasheet (chipset) exe (self extracting)
- http://softpixel.com/~cwright/papers/tech/6326ds10.exe
- SiS homepage
- Thomas Winischhofer's SiS graphics chipsets and Linux/XFree86 page
- Current code drop from Alan Cox


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Boston Bloggers @ Dorado Tacos & Cemitas
There are certain restaurants that open up around the city and instantly seem like they have been here forever. They quickly become part of the community, and serve food that makes almost every new customer into a regular. In late Continue reading Boston Bloggers @ Dorado Tacos & Cemitas


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NH sale features EKG of Armstrong's moon heartbeat
AMHERST, N.H. (AP) -- A New Hampshire auction house will soon accept bids on space and aviation artifacts, including an electrocardiogram of Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrong's heartbeat taken when he first set foot on the moon.
Amherst-based RR Auction will take bids on the EKG, which registered a normal heartbeat, and other artifacts during an online auction from May 16 through May 23.
Other artifacts include the joystick controller operated by Apollo 11 astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins in the Apollo 11 command module.
Auction officials say over 85 lots of Apollo 11 material will be featured in the auction.
Armstrong took his "giant step for mankind" on July 20, 1969. Buzz Aldrin later joined him on the moon's surface.
Armstrong, an Ohio native, died in August at age 82.


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Rahal Letterman Lanigan has released a statement regarding Panther Racing's decision to sue the team, INDYCAR and other entities after the National Guard decided to move its IndyCar Series sponsorship from Panther to RLL.
Panther filed the lawsuit in a Marion County, Indiana court on Feb. 19. The Associated Press reports that the suit alleges bid-rigging and other improprieties were at cause for them losing the sponsorship.
Here's this afternoon's full statement from RLL:
Unhappy with the summary denial of its bid protest before the federal Government Accountability Office (GAO) and unwilling to accept that the government chose to save taxpayers almost $5 million dollars per year by selecting Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing's (RLL) competitive bid, Panther Racing has sued IndyCar, the National Guard's agency, RLL, and others.
Panther is seeking damages from the National Guard awarding RLL a sponsorship contract for the Indycar racing series. The facts and issues Panther raises in the lawsuit are many of the same it raised before the GAO, which issued a 9-page decision noting that RLL was rated higher than Panther in three out of four categories. The GAO also noted that there was no evidence supporting many of Panther's allegations, and that the National Guard's decision probably was driven by the basic fact that Panther's base per year price was approximately $5 million more than RLL's base price. A copy of the GAO's decision is attached.
RLL believes it is unfortunate and disappointing that Panther has filed a lawsuit making serious allegations against the National Guard's decision process. RLL also believes that Panther's lawsuit has no merit as a matter of fact and law. RLL's lawyers will vigorously defend RLL so it can focus on what matters most — representing the courageous men and women of the National Guard and winning races.
The full decision from the GAO can be found here.
Since landing the National Guard sponsorship, RLL has shifted focus to putting together backing for a second car alongside Graham Rahal in the No. 15 Honda.


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Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) just introduced the "Apps Act," a bill that would require app developers to have privacy policies detailing how they share user data.
Under the bill, users must be shown privacy policies and sign off on them before using an app. That could lead to the kind of long click-wrap agreements users face when they log into a lot of software. To comply, policies have to make the user aware of any sharing with third-parties like advertising networks. Privacy advocates have criticized that kind of sharing, especially when consumers aren't made aware of what kind of data is being shared.
If a user stops using an app and asks for data collection to stop or be deleted, the app developer would have to comply. Enforcement of the privacy rules would be up to the Federal Trade Commission.
"Data has become the oil of the 21st century and like any other resource, there must be common-sense rules of the road for this emerging challenge," Johnson explained on the House floor today.
Currently, websites and apps are required to have privacy policies because of California state law, not federal law. Last year, California Attorney General Kamala Harris told app developers to start publishing their privacy policies or face serious fines. In December, Harris' office even sued Delta Airlines for not having a privacy policy on their mobile app.


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Entertaining is an enriching part of life—from family dinners to holiday meals to neighborly potlucks. Whether you need a few simple recipes, easy-does-it entertaining ideas or menus for 10 or 20, we've got you covered.
Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches 10 Easy Ways
Here's the scoop—you're sure to love these unique ice cream sandwich ideas.
6 Potluck-Perfect Rice Salads
Stretch a budget-friendly pantry staple into a host of side dishes that are great for feeding a crowd.
How to Assemble a Summer Cheese Board
Tips and inspiration for giving your next cheese board the warm weather treatment.
15 Chic DIY Ideas for the Summer Cookout Circuit
Trade in tired cookout decor for these easy—but elegant—DIY ideas for outdoor entertaining.
5 Refreshing Tequila Cocktail Recipes
Five Mexican-inspired cocktail recipes starring—you guessed it—plenty of tequila.
10 Sheet Cakes for Cookout Season
Make summer hosting a breeze with these sweet sheet cakes designed for feeding a crowd.
10 Ways to Make Eggs in Your Sheet Pan
Ten baked egg recipes that cook up right in your sheet pan. Big batches of scrambled eggs, breakfast pizza—even quiche!
Tips and Recipes for Hosting a Holiday Cookie Swap
Valerie Bertinelli shares tips and recipes for the ultimate holiday cookie swap.
5 Easy Thanksgiving Recipes for a Complete Holiday Spread
Five simple holiday recipes, complete with how-to videos, so you can see for yourself just how easy Thanksgiving dinner can be!
12 Insanely Cool Thanksgiving DIYs for the Kids' Table
Make the kids' table the "cool" table with these fun DIYs for Turkey Day.
Simplify Your Hosting Style: Expert Tips, Seasonal Recipes and More
Ever heard the expression 'less is more'? Pick up tips to help streamline your hosting routine—and tailor any occasion to the season you're in.
One Spray Paint Can: 10 DIY Holiday Decor Ideas
Transform household items, fresh produce, even fallen leaves and branches into stunning holiday decor.
Nachos with Homemade Cheese Dip
Forego the dip from a jar and whip up this simple, but delicious cheese dip with a kick!
Spiked Watermelon Balls
This cocktail or appetizer can bring out the best in any party. A mixture or rum, lime juice, sugar and of course watermelon, this will have your guests talking!


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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Gold futures posted modest gains Tuesday after weaker-than-expected data on manufacturing activity in the New York area underlined concerns about the momentum of the economic recovery.
April gold US:GCJ4 rose $5.80, or 0.4%, to close at 1,324 an ounce in floor trading at the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. The Comex was closed Monday for a U.S. holiday. In earlier electronic action, gold saw an intraday high of $1,332.40, according to FactSet data. Gold posted a 4.4% gain last week.
March silver US:SIH4 gained 48 cents to trade at $21.90 an ounce.
Gold was buoyed as stocks posted a mixed performance. Earlier, stock-index futures took a brief hit after New York Fed's Empire State index, a gauge of manufacturing activity in the region, fell to 4.5 in February from 12.5 in January. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had called for a reading of 9.0.
"Part of the decline is probably explained by harsh weather that has caused some problems for the factory sector. That said, the survey remains consistent with a moderate pace of activity in the U.S. factory sector," said Annalisa Piazza, economist at Newedge Strategy.
Also on the economic front, a gauge of confidence among home builders plunged in February, hitting its lowest level in nine months.
Gold's earlier weakness appeared to be tied largely to profit-taking on the metal's recent bounce, said Fawad Razaqzada, analyst at Forex.com. On a nearby basis, gold is up nearly 9.7% since the beginning of the year after tanking in 2013.
Meanwhile, the World Gold Council, in a report, said demand for gold fell 15% in 2013. The drop came in part because of large outflows from physically backed exchange-traded funds, or ETFs. It also reported that China had overtaken India as the world's largest consumer of the metal.
"Until ETF investors return in large numbers, gold could struggle to make further headway," Razaqzada said.
April platinum US:PLJ4 fell $5.60, or 0.4%, to $1,424.50 an ounce, while March palladium US:PAH4 lost 45 cents, or 0.1%, to $737.15 an ounce.
March copper
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