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Lawrence Tolliver II, a barber by trade, wasn't sure he could do it at first. But now he thinks he's ready. The tools are in his backpack, and he is preparing to travel to a funeral home on South Crenshaw Boulevard to cut the hair of his deceased son.
He did it for his father back in 2004, and he has done it for close friends, paying tribute with one last cleanup, on the house. But with a son, he's feeling a different kind of pain and loss, the natural order of things undone.
"I wasn't afraid with my father," Mr. Tolliver says. "Him being elderly, it was something I accepted."
But his son, Lawrence Tolliver III, was just 39 when he died March 24 in Houston after a 3 1/2-year fight with brain cancer.
Mr. Tolliver says he found his strength when he went to see his son's body at the Angelus Funeral Home for the first time, after it was flown in from Texas. Mr. Tolliver went with his wife, Bernadette, and his son's wife, Kim.
Mr. Tolliver knew then that if his wife and daughter-in-law lost their composure, he would too. But they had nursed Lawrence III in the final month of his life, and they knew he had accepted his fate with courage and dignity. When they saw the body, they were prepared.
"During the process, you start to grieve in increments," says Kim.
"He looked so peaceful," says Mr. Tolliver, "like he'd reverted back to his old self, out of pain and suffering."
The barber is sitting at his dining room table, minutes before heading back to the funeral home for the haircut. Photos of Lawrence III's life are passed around, documenting how an adorable, smiling little boy grew into the independent and good-humored man he became -- a graduate of Cal State L.A., a U.S. Navy serviceman, a loving husband, a trainee in the Houston police academy.
Lawrence Tolliver III was Mr. Tolliver's son from his first marriage. The marriage ended in divorce, and he had to fight for visitation rights. He married Bernadette and they started a family, and when Lawrence III grew old enough to decide things on his own, he and his dad grew close.
"He'd come by the barbershop regularly, almost every day, and the men in the shop were like big brothers to him," says Mr. Tolliver.
"I look at it as beauty and the beast," Mr. Tolliver says. "His life was beautiful; cancer was the beast.... I want to do my best to make him look beautiful and handsome, so Kim can kiss him goodbye."
The drive along West Adams and South Crenshaw goes quickly. Mr. Tolliver thinks out loud about the son who steered clear of gang activity growing up, worked his way through college and served his country. In January, Mr. Tolliver visited his gravely ill son in Houston, and they both knew they might not see each other again.
"Yeah, but we had a good time," the son said to the father.
Mr. Tolliver walks into the funeral home slowly but steadily, his burden lightened by an appreciation of his son's life, and by his son's last gift. Through the ordeal of the last few years, Mr. and Mrs. Tolliver have developed a deep bond with Kim. Mr. Tolliver says he feels as if he has lost a son and gained a daughter.
A mortuary attendant leads him down a hall and pushes open a door. In a small viewing room, Lawrence Tolliver III lies on a gurney. A blue blanket covers his body; all that's visible is his head.
Mr. Tolliver walks over and takes in his son.
"That's my boy," he says solemnly, proudly, barely past a whisper.
Mr. Tolliver sets down his backpack and brings out a brown towel, his electric shears and a thin black comb. He places a photo -- a lovely shot of Kim and his son together -- on his son's chest. Kim had said she wanted her husband's hair fixed just like it was in the picture.
With a steady hand, the barber begins clipping. If there is a hint of hesitation left, it's not apparent. This last trim is both his duty and his privilege, and Mr. Tolliver applies his craft with full concentration, lifting his son's ear to get at a tough spot.
When he gets around to the right side, Mr. Tolliver has to work with a large, arching scar that creases his son's cranium above the ear. His first tumor was nearly the size of an apple.
The barber finishes the first pass, then pulls a white envelope out of his backpack and drops some locks of hair into it for Kim. He changes clipper blades and goes back again, getting the hair down closer. A mortuary attendant comes in to see if everything's OK and wonders if this is a relative of Mr. Tolliver's, or perhaps a regular customer whose family requested his service.
"He's my first-born son and my namesake," Mr. Tolliver says. "It was cancer. It wasn't anything he did wrong."
Mr. Tolliver takes great pains with the beard. He cranes to make sure everything is just so, his young son handsome as a prince. When he's finished, he takes a soft brush and dusts his son's neck, face and head.
He has two heroes, Mr. Tolliver says. His son, and Martin Luther King Jr., and both died at 39.
The barber packs his things, then pauses over the body. He bends down, gives his son a goodbye kiss on the forehead and heads home to his family.


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subset: commoncrawl


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Tag Archives: next
Next, Last
By Cary
Leave a comment | tags: desire, last, longing, love, next | posted in poetry
Who Am I?
I write, more nonfiction than fiction lately, and that's mainly because I started a podcast about the history and culture of Brazil. Reading for that is dominating my reading time too - as you might have guessed. I'm an American expat who lives in southern Brazil. Aside from history, reading and podcasting, I enjoy cooking, hiking and improving my Portuguese. I teach English for a living.
Personal Links
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The Line 6 Spider V 60 Guitar Combo Amp is equipped with a full-range speaker system, which consists of a 60 Watt 10" custom-designed guitar speaker and a high-frequency tweeter, delivering a superb clarity that will sound great with electrics, acoustics and music. Equipped with an internal wireless receiver, the Spider V 60 is compatible with the Relay G10T transmitter (sold separately) allowing a wireless performance, and eliminating the need for trailing cables. Choose from over 200 newly refined amps, cabs and effects and quickly dial-in the perfect tone using simple colour-coded controls. This versatile amp also is packed with over 100 specially designed presets including iconic rigs, artist-built tones and Line 6 originals, giving you instant access to a wide range professionally dialed-in sounds. The Spider V 60 also offers USB audio recording and playback with Mac, PC, Android and iOS devices, as well as a built-in tuner, metronome and real drummer loops, making it perfect for practicing, jamming and also recording.
Custom Speaker Delivers a Superior Sound
The Spider V 60 has the added power of being equipped with a full-range speaker system, which consists of a 10" custom-designed guitar speaker and high-frequency tweeter. This custom speaker means your amp will sound great with electrics, acoustics and music. This innovative speaker system allows you play your favourite music, as well as practice your guitar, which is ideal for practicing.
This innovative amp is also is equipped with an internal wireless receiver that's compatible with the Relay G10T transmitter (Sold Separately) making your performances wireless. This wireless transmitter eliminates the need for trailing cables that can cause hazards and effect the sound. The Relay G10 transmitter works with nearly all guitar types that feature a typical 1/4" output jack which is used on most passive and active instruments. Going wireless has never been this streamlined or easy!
Fast & Familiar Controls
Like many amplifiers from Line 6, the Spider V 60 offers a simple easy-to-use control options with colour coded control. This feature is particularly ideal for dark stages where lighting is poor. Tweak settings and parameters directly on the amp using traditional knobs and the intuitive editing interface.
Vast Tonal Possibilities
The Spider V 60 allows you to choose from over 200 newly refined amps, cabs and effects including comp, Distortion, Modulation, Delay, Pitch/Syth and Reverb. This great choice of on-board effects eliminates the need for pedals, and therefore makes your set-up time a breeze.
Instantly Inspiring Tone
The Spider V 60 is also equipped with a vast variety of artist presets, which were created by many of today's hottest guitarists, as well as Iconic Rig presets based on incredible setups from legendary songs and albums. In addition, a choice of standard presets will let you achieve classic Line 6 originals, that will sound great in any type of music.
Enhanced presets with Variax® Acoustic Technology
The Spider V doesn't just sound great with electric guitars, it also features enhanced acoustic presets which are designed with Variax® acoustic technology, bringing out the best tonal qualities of your acoustic guitar. Dialed-in effects like delay and reverb will help you take an average acoustic sound to a higher level. Spider V delivers acoustic tone with depth and clarity that regular electric amps just can't match, increasing the overall versatile of the amp, and eliminating the need for additional amps.
Built-In Extras
Packed with extra features that will take practicing and performing live to the next level, the Spider V 60 features a built-in tuner that provides speedy and precise tuning. In addition, this combo amp also helps you keep your riffs in time with its on-board metronome and real drummer loops recorded by pro musicians.
USB Connectivity
Another great feature that the Spider V 60 has to offer, is it USB capabilities, which allows you to record your sound with a Mac, PC, Android and iOS devices. This recorded performance can then be shared on social media (via phone or computer), or mixed with other tracks in the studio, the possibilities are endless. In addition, the Spider V comes with free Cubase® LE music recording software, giving you everything you need to start recording great guitar tracks, as well as edit and mix your tracks from start to finish.
Durable Construction
As well as delivering a versatile amp, its durable construction features reinforced molded corners, a flexible carry handle and a classic grey grille cloth for the optimum portability. With its lightweight construction of only 21lbs, the Spider V 60 is the perfect amp for practicing, jamming and recording.
10" custom speaker and high-frequency tweeter delivers stunning clarity
60-watt guitar amp with updated modeling and effects
Equipped with an internal wireless receiver that's compatible with the Relay G10T transmitter
Great for practicing, jamming and recording
Includes built-in tuner, Metronome and drummer loops
200+ amp and FX models accessed via fast and easy controls
Full-range speakers sound great with electrics, acoustics and music
128 crafted presets include iconic rigs & classic artist tones
All amp and effects sounds are easily editable via front panel controls
USB audio recording and playback with Mac, PC, Android™ and iOS devices
Compatible with Line 6 FBV™ 3 and FBV MKII foot controllers (sold separately)
1/4" guitar input, 1/8" headphone output, 1/8" stereo aux input
Speaker Size: 10"
Power Output: 60 Watts
Product Size: 9.1" L x 17.4" W x 16.9" H
Product Weight: 20.5 lbs


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Just talked to trubolt about my stem sticking up a inch or so past the nut, they said there is supposed to be one diameter of space below the bottom of the trubolt and the bottom of the hole. In other words a 3/8" trubolt should have 3/8" space between the bottom of the trubolt and the bottom of the hole. He did some figuring and said in my situation I should have a 1000 lbs holding power.
I told him that information isn't on their website as far as I can see, he's going to talk to his web people about the situation and correct it if it needs to be added.
If I were to do it again I would use the 3-5 turn rule instead of their torque setting... It wouldn't have pulled up so far. They said the reason for the 3-5 turn rule is because in some parts of the country the sand they use in their concrete makes it harder or softer. Texas has harder concrete than Florida.


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What car did you have before ordering the Tesla?
What car did you have before ordering the Tesla?
I replaced a Merc S65. Goodbye to $10k per year in gas. The Model S actually drives better for half the price.
Audi A6. Performance, geekiness.
'05 MINI Cooper S
More a tech guy but intrigued by the liberation of a totally electric vehicle. First interested when mini did their mini e field trials in '09. Couldn't get one then, still can't and no longer practical for my needs anyway. Father worked for one of the big 3 and feel nostalgic/proud to support a new American car co. Excited also to be a relatively early pioneer in the EV revolution.
On second thought, maybe I'm more of a green guy. Either way its an awesome car.
After driving it 10+ yrs, I'll be saying goodbye to a 1999 Accord. Loved the reliability & just not having to think about it much, but it's time to upgrade.
Reasons for MS: love the technology & styling of the car, want to be part of the future/solution to foreign oil dependency & the national security consequences, hate sending money to oil companies, hate sending money to foreign oil powers who seem to cultivate terrorists, less pollution/green benefit, LOVE that it's made in the USA & supports jobs here!
I looked at lots of hybrids...but they are all ugly with the exception of the Optima & new MKZ and I still didn't really want either of those.... or not really great on MPG (Porsche etc). I like the simple elegant design of all-electric vs hybrid. The MS leap-frogs hybrid technology. After researching the options, the MS was the only car that I truly wanted. It's more than double the cost I had in mind when I started my search, but in the end I judged it to be justified in the long run.
I have been following the company since the inception and like all of you I can't wait to be driving my own MS.
Very nice, but don't spread misinfo. Less than half of oil is now imported (and falling) and only about 20% of that comes from the Gulf. Actually, the US is on track to become a new Oil Empire. Even California!
To add to Brian's point, out of the oil we do import, our largerst supplier is Canada. They don't produce terrorists, but they do produce socialists, hockey fans, and some really good beer. We've been fortunate here to have Vancouver and Victoria a Tesla ride away, as well as our Canadian friends as all around good neighbors.
I'm a green, tech lover. Kept my last car for 13 years. I don't want to be purchasing gas for another decade or so, so I decided to kick the petrol habit now.
Green and tech
Solar Panels - Environment, Compost - reduced waste, artificial turf -reduced water, using windows instead of AC etc.
BMW ActiveE will be replaced by Model S but still will not get rid of MB because of tech - Hill Assist, Lane Assist, Colission Avoidance and lux and perfection.


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10-Day Notice of Public Meeting
chair JOHN CHIANG
State of California
November 21, 2014
The Franchise Tax Board will meet on Thursday, December 4, 2014, 10:30 a.m. at the Franchise Tax Board, 9646 Butterfield Way, Town Center, Gerald Goldberg Auditorium, Sacramento, California, 95827.
This notice is available for viewing on the Franchise Tax Board's website (http://www.ftb.ca.gov/law/meetings/index.shtml).
A copy of the agenda is enclosed.
If you would like to submit written materials pertaining to an agenda item for distribution to Board members in advance of the meeting, please submit the materials to the address below no later than twelve o'clock noon (12:00 p.m.) on Monday, December 1, 2014, to allow staff adequate time to post the materials on the Internet and distribute them to interested persons who have requested notice of Board meetings.
Email: email@example.com
Mail: Address listed below.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please call (916) 845-3306 or write to:
Colleen Berwick, Board Liaison
Franchise Tax Board
Legal Division MS A260
PO Box 1720
Rancho Cordova, CA 95741-1720
*This facility is architecturally accessible to persons with physical disabilities.


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GROSSE POINTE PARK, Mich. - Local 4 Defender cameras rolled Friday as Grosse Pointe Park police released Joe from custody.
Joe got out of an unmarked police car just before 1 p.m. and right into the back of a waiting vehicle. He had no comment.
EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Joe's release
He had been in police custody since walking into the Police Department Tuesday and admitting he had been involved in Jane Bashara's murder.
Jane Bashara, 56, was found dead Jan. 25 in her SUV that was parked in a Detroit alley. She had been strangled.
The Local 4 Defenders also learned that the Bashara family is requesting protection following Joe's release. A letter, sent to Grosse Pointe Park police by attorney David Griem in part reads:
"In light of the foregoing circumstances, the Bashara family requests police protection/surveillance of their family/home during whatever period of time that Joe is out on the street."
UNCUT VIDEO: Family member speaks about safety
This week, Joe has been telling police he was there for Jane's murder, but sources have confirmed his story has changed on several occasions.
Sources said Joe was released because there was not enough evidence to verify his story of what happened the night Jane Bashara was killed.
Her husband, Bob Bashara, has been pegged a person of interest by police. But he has not been charged.
-- Before moving to Grosse Pointe, Joe lived in this St. Clair Shores apartment.
More: Timeline of events in Jane Bashara's murder
More: Slideshow timeline of Jane Bashara's murder
Uncut: Lawyer for Bob Bashara speaks PART 1
Uncut: Lawyer for Bob Bashara speaks PART 2
SPECIAL COVERAGE: The Jane Bashara murder mystery
Copyright 2012 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Call the Planet Waves office to subscribe by phone or mail:
(206) 567-4455
Leo Astrology Studio by Eric Francis
Your Leo reading includes two 30-minute (usually longer) audio sessions of astrology and an extended written description of your astrological sign.
This reading is like an extended, personal meditation on your life. I also include access to last year's reading so you can review the past 12 months and check my accuracy. And I include the charts I was working with and a photo of the tarot spread in this package, in case you want to research further.
This reading is included in the Backstage Pass.
Price: $33.00
Customer Service:
Contact us by phone during Eastern business hours: (206) 567-4455 or by email anytime: cs -at- planetwaves -dot- net.
We can also advise you on ordering by mail. Call or email us if you're curious. We're friendly and we actually answer the phone or call you right back.
All ordering information is strictly confidential and not sold, given or revealed to anyone. Orders are processed on a secure server by First Data Global Gateway or PayPal.
Planet Waves, Inc. | Kingston, New York


text: Opinion NPR Public Editor Stay-At-Home Moms And The Right Way to Correct a Mistake April 25, 2012 In a recent Weekend Edition Sunday segment, Mara Liasson unintentionally suggested that stay-at-home moms lack higher education. She quickly saw her error and the staff corrected later broadcasts of the story. A correction was posted on the web version and, a week later, the show aired a letters segment with additional clarification.


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Agricultural Subsidies and the Environment
Heather Williams
Worldwide, governments subsidize agriculture at the rate of approximately 1 billion dollars per day. This figure rises to about twice that when export and biofuels production subsidies and state financing for dams and river basin engineering are included. These policies guide land use in numerous ways, including growers' choices of crop and buyers' demand for commodities. The three types of state subsidies that shape land use and the environment are land settlement programs, price and income supports, and energy and emissions initiatives. Together these subsidies have created perennial surpluses in global stores of cereal grains, cotton, and dairy, with production increases outstripping population growth. Subsidies to land settlement, to crop prices, and to processing and refining of cereals and fiber, therefore, can be shown to have independent and largely deleterious effect on soil fertility, fresh water supplies, biodiversity, and atmospheric carbon.
Ecosystem Services
Leon C. Braat
The concept of ecosystem services considers the usefulness of nature for human society. The economic importance of nature was described and analyzed in the 18th century, but the term ecosystem services was introduced only in 1981. Since then it has spurred an increasing number of academic publications, international research projects, and policy studies. Now a subject of intense debate in the global scientific community, from the natural to social science domains, it is also used, developed, and customized in policy arenas and considered, if in a still somewhat skeptical and apprehensive way, in the "practice" domain—by nature management agencies, farmers, foresters, and corporate business. This process of bridging evident gaps between ecology and economics, and between nature conservation and economic development, has also been felt in the political arena, including in the United Nations and the European Union (which have placed it at the center of their nature conservation and sustainable use strategies).
The concept involves the utilitarian framing of those functions of nature that are used by humans and considered beneficial to society as economic and social services. In this light, for example, the disappearance of biodiversity directly affects ecosystem functions that underpin critical services for human well-being. More generally, the concept can be defined in this manner: Ecosystem services are the direct and indirect contributions of ecosystems, in interaction with contributions from human society, to human well-being.
The concept underpins four major discussions: (1) Academic: the ecological versus the economic dimensions of the goods and services that flow from ecosystems to the human economy; the challenge of integrating concepts and models across this paradigmatic divide; (2) Social: the risks versus benefits of bringing the utilitarian argument into political debates about nature conservation (Are ecosystem services good or bad for biodiversity and vice versa?); (3) Policy and planning: how to value the benefits from natural capital and ecosystem services (Will this improve decision-making on topics ranging from poverty alleviation via subsidies to farmers to planning of grey with green infrastructure to combining economic growth with nature conservation?); and (4) Practice: Can revenue come from smart management and sustainable use of ecosystems? Are there markets to be discovered and can businesses be created? How do taxes figure in an ecosystem-based economy? The outcomes of these discussions will both help to shape policy and planning of economies at global, national, and regional scales and contribute to the long-term survival and well-being of humanity.
Environmental Impacts of Tropical Soybean and Palm Oil Crops
Kimberly M. Carlson and Rachael D. Garrett
Oil crops play a critical role in global food and energy systems. Since these crops have high oil content, they provide cooking oils for human consumption, biofuels for energy, feed for animals, and ingredients in beauty products and industrial processes. In 2014, oil crops occupied about 20% of crop harvested area worldwide. While small-scale oil crop production for subsistence or local consumption continues in certain regions, global demand for these versatile crops has led to substantial expansion of oil crop agriculture destined for export or urban markets. This expansion and subsequent cultivation has diverse effects on the environment, including loss of forests, savannas, and grasslands, greenhouse gas emissions, regional climate change, biodiversity decline, fire, and altered water quality and hydrology. Oil palm in Southeast Asia and soybean in South America have been identified as major proximate causes of tropical deforestation and environmental degradation. Stringent conservation policies and yield increases are thought to be critical to reducing rates of soybean and oil palm expansion into natural ecosystems. However, the higher profits that often accompany greater yields may encourage further expansion, while policies that restrict oil crop expansion in one region may generate secondary "spillover" effects on other crops and regions. Due to these complex feedbacks, ensuring a sustainable supply of oil crop products to meet global demand remains a major challenge for agricultural companies, farmers, governments, and civil society.
Global Climate Change and the Reallocation of Water
Rhett B. Larson
Increased water variability is one of the most pressing challenges presented by global climate change. A warmer atmosphere will hold more water and will result in more frequent and more intense El Niño events. Domestic and international water rights regimes must adapt to the more extreme drought and flood cycles resulting from these phenomena.
Laws that allocate rights to water, both at the domestic level between water users and at the international level between nations sharing transboundary water sources, are frequently rigid governance systems ill-suited to adapt to a changing climate. Often, water laws allocate a fixed quantity of water for a certain type of use. At the domestic level, such rights may be considered legally protected private property rights or guaranteed human rights. At the international level, such water allocation regimes may also be dictated by human rights, as well as concerns for national sovereignty. These legal considerations may ossify water governance and inhibit water managers' abilities to alter water allocations in response to changing water supplies. To respond to water variability arising from climate change, such laws must be reformed or reinterpreted to enhance their adaptive capacity. Such adaptation should consider both intra-generational equity and inter-generational equity.
One potential approach to reinterpreting such water rights regimes is a stronger emphasis on the public trust doctrine. In many nations, water is a public trust resource, owned by the state and held in trust for the benefit of all citizens. Rights to water under this doctrine are merely usufructuary—a right to make a limited use of a specified quantity of water subject to governmental approval. The recognition and enforcement of the fiduciary obligation of water governance institutions to equitably manage the resource, and characterization of water rights as usufructuary, could introduce needed adaptive capacity into domestic water allocation laws. The public trust doctrine has been influential even at the international level, and that influence could be enhanced by recognizing a comparable fiduciary obligation for inter-jurisdictional institutions governing international transboundary waters.
Legal reforms to facilitate water markets may also introduce greater adaptive capacity into otherwise rigid water allocation regimes. Water markets are frequently inefficient for several reasons, including lack of clarity in water rights, externalities inherent in a resource that ignores political boundaries, high transaction costs arising from differing economic and cultural valuations of water, and limited competition when water utilities are frequently natural monopolies. Legal reforms that clarify property rights in water, specify the minimum quantity, quality, and affordability of water to meet basic human needs and environmental flows, and mandate participatory and transparent water pricing and contracting could allow greater flexibility in water allocations through more efficient and equitable water markets.
History of Ecological Design
Lydia Kallipoliti
The term ecological design was coined in a 1996 book by Sim van der Ryn and Stewart Cowan, in which the authors argued for a seamless integration of human activities with natural processes to minimize destructive environmental impact. Following their cautionary statements, William McDonough and Michael Braungart published in 2002 their manifesto book From Cradle to Cradle, which proposed a circular political economy to replace the linear logic of "cradle to grave." These books have been foundational in architecture and design discussions on sustainability and establishing the technical dimension, as well as the logic, of efficiency, optimization, and evolutionary competition in environmental debates. From Cradle to Cradle evolved into a production model implemented by a number of companies, organizations, and governments around the world, and it also has become a registered trademark and a product certification.
Popularized recently, these developments imply a very short history for the growing field of ecological design. However, their accounts hark as far back as Ernst Haeckel's definition of the field of ecology in 1866 as an integral link between living organisms and their surroundings (Generelle Morphologie der Organismen, 1866); and Henry David Thoreau's famous 1854 manual for self-reliance and living in proximity with natural surroundings, in the cabin that he built at Walden Pond, Massachusetts (Walden; or, Life in the Woods, 1854).
Since World War II, contrary to the position of ecological design as a call to fit harmoniously within the natural world, there has been a growing interest in a form of synthetic naturalism, (Closed Worlds; The Rise and Fall of Dirty Physiology, 2015), where the laws of nature and metabolism are displaced from the domain of wilderness to the domain of cities, buildings, and objects. With the rising awareness of what John McHale called disturbances in the planetary reservoir (The Future of the Future, 1969), the field of ecological design has signified not only the integration of the designed object or space in the natural world, but also the reproduction of the natural world in design principles and tools through technological mediation. This idea of architecture and design producing nature paralleled what Buckminster Fuller, John McHale, and Ian McHarg, among others, referred to as world planning; that is, to understand ecological design as the design of the planet itself as much as the design of an object, building, or territory. Unlike van der Ryn and Cowan's argumentation, which focused on a deep appreciation for nature's equilibrium, ecological design might commence with the synthetic replication of natural systems.
These conflicting positions reflect only a small fraction of the ubiquitous terms used to describe the field of ecological design, including green, sustain, alternative, resilient, self-sufficient, organic, and biotechnical. In the context of this study, this paper will argue that ecological design starts with the reconceptualization of the world as a complex system of flows rather than a discrete compilation of objects, which visual artist and theorist György Kepes has described as one of the fundamental reorientations of the 20th century (Art and Ecological Consciousness, 1972).
The Impacts of Environmental Regulation on the U.S. Economy
Ann E. Ferris, Richard Garbaccio, Alex Marten, and Ann Wolverton
Concern regarding the economic impacts of environmental regulations has been part of the public dialogue since the beginning of the U.S. EPA. Even as large improvements in environmental quality occurred, government and academia began to examine the potential consequences of regulation for economic growth and productivity. In general, early studies found measurable but not severe effects on the overall national economy. Although price increases due to regulatory requirements outweighed the stimulative effect of investments in pollution abatement, they nearly offset one another. However, these studies also highlighted potentially substantial effects on local labor markets due to the regional and industry concentration of plant closures.
More recently, a substantial body of work examined industry-specific effects of environmental regulation on the productivity of pollution-intensive firms most likely to face pollution control costs, as well as on plant location and employment decisions within firms. Most econometric-based studies found relatively small or no effect on sector-specific productivity and employment, though firms were less likely to open plants in locations subject to more stringent regulation compared to other U.S. locations. In contrast, studies that used economy-wide models to explicitly account for sectoral linkages and intertemporal effects found substantial sector-specific effects due to environmental regulation, including in sectors that were not directly regulated.
It is also possible to think about the overall impacts of environmental regulation on the economy through the lens of benefit-cost analysis. While this type of approach does not speak to how the costs of regulation are distributed across sectors, it has the advantage of explicitly weighing the benefits of environmental improvements against their costs. If benefits are greater than costs, then overall social welfare is improved. When conducting such exercises, it is important to anticipate the ways in which improvements in environmental quality may either directly improve the productivity of economic factors—such as through the increased productivity of outdoor workers—or change the composition of the economy as firms and households change their behavior. If individuals are healthier, for example, they may choose to reallocate their time between work and leisure. Although introducing a role for pollution in production and household behavior can be challenging, studies that have partially accounted for this interconnection have found substantial impacts of improvements in environmental quality on the overall economy.
International Environmental Conventions on Biodiversity
Matti Nummelin and Niko Urho
Conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity have been in the center of policy creation for half a century. The main international biodiversity conventions and processes include the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and its protocols, the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention), the World Heritage Convention (WHC), the Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA), and the International Convention on the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW). The governance of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) is also discussed, as political focus has shifted to the protection of the oceans and is expected to culminate in the adoption of a new international convention under the United Nations Convention on Law of Seas (UNCLOS). Other conventions and processes with links to biodiversity include the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF).
Despite the multitude of instruments, governments are faced with the fact that biodiversity loss is spiraling and international targets are not being met. The Earth's sixth mass extinction event has led to various initiatives to fortify the relevance of biodiversity in the UN system and beyond to accelerate action on the ground. In face of an ever more complex international policy landscape on biodiversity, country delegates are seeking to enhance efficiency and reduce fragmentation by enhancing synergies among multilateral environmental agreements and strengthening their science−policy interface. Furthermore, biodiversity has been reflected throughout the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development and is gradually gaining more ground in the human rights context. The Global Pact for the Environment, a new international initiative that is aiming to reinforce soft law commitments and increase coherence among environmental treaties, holds the potential to influence and strengthen the way biodiversity conventions function, but extensive discussions are still needed before concrete action is agreed upon.
Rethinking Conflict over Water
Scott M. Moore
It has long been accepted that non-renewable natural resources like oil and gas are often the subject of conflict between both nation-states and social groups. But since the end of the Cold War, the idea that renewable resources like water and timber might also be a cause of conflict has steadily gained credence. This is particularly true in the case of water: in the early 1990s, a senior World Bank official famously predicted that "the wars of the next century will be fought over water," while two years ago Indian strategist Brahma Chellaney made a splash in North America by claiming that water would be "Asia's New Battleground." But it has not quite turned out that way. The world has, so far, avoided inter-state conflict over water in the 21st century, but it has witnessed many localized conflicts, some involving considerable violence. As population growth, economic development, and climate change place growing strains on the world's fresh water supplies, the relationship between resource scarcity, institutions, and conflict has become a topic of vocal debate among social and environmental scientists.
The idea that water scarcity leads to conflict is rooted in three common assertions. The first of these arguments is that, around the world, once-plentiful renewable resources like fresh water, timber, and even soils are under increasing pressure, and are therefore likely to stoke conflict among increasing numbers of people who seek to utilize dwindling supplies. A second, and often corollary, argument holds that water's unique value to human life and well-being—namely that there are no substitutes for water, as there are for most other critical natural resources—makes it uniquely conductive to conflict. Finally, a third presumption behind the water wars hypothesis stems from the fact that many water bodies, and nearly all large river basins, are shared between multiple countries. When an upstream country can harm its downstream neighbor by diverting or controlling flows of water, the argument goes, conflict is likely to ensue.
But each of these assertions depends on making assumptions about how people react to water scarcity, the means they have at their disposal to adapt to it, and the circumstances under which they are apt to cooperate rather than to engage in conflict. Untangling these complex relationships promises a more refined understanding of whether and how water scarcity might lead to conflict in the 21st century—and how cooperation can be encouraged instead.
Risk Perception and Its Impacts on Risk Governance
Ortwin Renn and Andreas Klinke
Risk perception is an important component of risk governance, but it cannot and should not determine environmental policies. The reality is that people suffer and die as a result of false information or perception biases. It is particularly important to be aware of intuitive heuristics and common biases in making inferences from information in a situation where personal or institutional decisions have far-reaching consequences. The gap between risk assessment and risk perception is an important aspect of environmental policymaking. Communicators, risk managers, as well as representatives of the media, stakeholders, and the affected public should be well informed about the results of risk perception and risk response studies. They should be aware of typical patterns of information processing and reasoning when they engage in designing communication programs and risk management measures. At the same time, the potential recipients of information should be cognizant of the major psychological and social mechanisms of perception as a means to avoid painful errors.
To reach this goal of mutual enlightenment, it is crucial to understand the mechanisms and processes of how people perceive risks (with emphasis on environmental risks) and how they behave on the basis of their perceptions. Based on the insights from cognitive psychology, social psychology, micro-sociology, and behavioral studies, one can distill some basic lessons for risk governance that reflect universal characteristics of perception and that can be taken for granted in many different cultures and risk contexts.
This task of mutual enlightenment on the basis of evidence-based research and investigations is constrained by complexity, uncertainty, and ambiguity in describing, assessing, and analyzing risks, in particular environmental risks. The idea that the "truth" needs to be framed in a way that the targeted audience understands the message is far too simple. In a stochastic and nonlinear understanding of (environmental) risk there are always several (scientifically) legitimate ways of representing scientific insights and causal inferences. Much knowledge in risk and disaster assessment is based on incomplete models, simplified simulations, and expert judgments with a high degree of uncertainty and ambiguity. The juxtaposition of scientific truth, on one hand, and erroneous risk perception, on the other hand, does not reflect the real situation and lends itself to a vision of expertocracy that is neither functionally correct nor democratically justified. The main challenge is to initiate a dialogue that incorporates the limits and uncertainties of scientific knowledge and also starts a learning process by which obvious misperceptions are corrected and the legitimate corridor of interpretation is jointly defined.
In essence, expert opinion and lay perception need to be perceived as complementing, rather than competing with each other. The very essence of responsible action is to make viable and morally justified decisions in the face of uncertainty based on a range of scientifically legitimate expert assessments. These assessments have to be embedded into the context of criteria for acceptable risks, trade-offs between risks to humans and ecosystems, fair risk and benefit distribution, and precautionary measures. These criteria most precisely reflect the main points of lay perception. For a rational politics of risk, it is, therefore, imperative to collect both ethically justifiable evaluation criteria and standards and the best available systematic knowledge that inform us about the performance of each risk source or disaster-reduction option according to criteria that have been identified and approved in a legitimate due process. Ultimately, decisions on acceptable risks have to be based on a subjective mix of factual evidence, attitudes toward uncertainties, and moral standards.
Sea Level Rise and Coastal Management
James B. London
Coastal zone management (CZM) has evolved since the enactment of the U.S. Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, which was the first comprehensive program of its type. The newer iteration of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), as applied to the European Union (2000, 2002), establishes priorities and a comprehensive strategy framework. While coastal management was established in large part to address issues of both development and resource protection in the coastal zone, conditions have changed. Accelerated rates of sea level rise (SLR) as well as continued rapid development along the coasts have increased vulnerability. The article examines changing conditions over time and the role of CZM and ICZM in addressing increased climate related vulnerabilities along the coast.
The article argues that effective adaptation strategies will require a sound information base and an institutional framework that appropriately addresses the risk of development in the coastal zone. The information base has improved through recent advances in technology and geospatial data quality. Critical for decision-makers will be sound information to identify vulnerabilities, formulate options, and assess the viability of a set of adaptation alternatives. The institutional framework must include the political will to act decisively and send the right signals to encourage responsible development patterns. At the same time, as communities are likely to bear higher costs for adaptation, it is important that they are given appropriate tools to effectively weigh alternatives, including the cost avoidance associated with corrective action. Adaptation strategies must be pro-active and anticipatory. Failure to act strategically will be fiscally irresponsible.


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Lady Gaga's Little Monsters Social Networking Site Finally Launches
Little monsters, you can go home!
Lady Gaga's Little Monsters social networking site finally and officially launched yesterday (July 10.) The site is a place for Gaga fans to congregate, get to know one another and swap stories and photos. It's now up and running. The homepage offers a simple salutation. It reads: "Welcome Home, Little Monsters." Gaga is accepting you with open digital arms.
You can sign up via other social media applications, such as Facebook or Twitter. All things Gaga are open for discussion, from her shoes to her turn on 'The Simpsons.'
While you are there, create a profile and follow other littler monsters. It's like Gaga's own branded Facebook, and the back end is handled by Backplane, a digital start up that creates social media platforms that cater to specific brands, people and interests, according to ABC. So we can only predict that more sites like this are on the way for other pop stars and Mother Monster's peers.
The singer, who has the most Twitter followers of anyone who uses the 140-character messaging service with a cool 26 million people hanging on her every thumb-typed transmission, has manipulated the digital space in brilliant fashion. She just joined Instagram, so lil' monsters can expect lots and lots of artsy photos of their heroine in the coming weeks.
Did you join Gaga's social networking site yet?
Watch the Lady Gaga 'Edge of Glory' Video


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HONG KONG (MarketWatch) — Mainland Chinese shares surged Monday to lead Asian equities by a wide margin after a regulator said the country will grant foreigners greater access to its stock markets, with financials fronting the rally.
The Shanghai Composite Index 000001, -1.97% jumped 3.1% to end the day at 2,311.74, its highest finish since June 18, while the Shenzhen Composite Index surged 3.6% to 918.33. The advance more than recovered the losses they suffered Friday, when investors locked in profits.
Elsewhere, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index HSI, -1.19% climbed 0.6%, South Korea's Kospi 180721, -0.35% rose 0.5%, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index XJO, -0.08% gained 0.2% and Taiwan's Taiex XX:Y9999 inched up 0.1%.
The rally in China followed comments after Guo Shuqing, chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, reportedly said the country could substantially increase the amount foreigners are allowed to invest in local equity markets.
Reports of strong recent inflows into global equity markets and hopes that strong liquidity would further push up stocks also aided the broad advances.
Japanese markets were closed Monday for Coming of Age day, but the yen lost more ground against major rivals, extending its steep recent losses on hopes for further monetary easing.
Ben Kwong, chief operating officer at KGI Asia, said other Asia markets were also feeling the effect of yen weakness in the form of additional liquidity, given that Japan was a source of cheap money.
"Investors are looking for excuses to buy rather than sell," he said, and are focusing on an economic recovery in China and the subsequent better performance of mainland Chinese yuan-denominated stocks, known as A-shares. "A-shares are up, and companies involved in A-shares benefit from that," Kwong said, citing the example of brokerages and insurers.
In Monday's trade on mainland bourses, Sinolink Securities Co. 600109, -1.03% in Shanghai and Ping An Bank Co. in Shenzhen jumped by the day's 10% limit.
Among other notable gainers, Citic Securities Co. 600030, -1.40% rose 6.9% and Haitong Securities Co. 600837, -0.35% advanced 7% in Shanghai, while Hong Yuan Securities Co. CN:000562 and Guoyuan Securities Co. 000728, -1.70% added 6.2% and 5.5%, respectively, in Shenzhen.
Also contributing to the rally, Shanghai-listed shares of Great Wall Motor Co. 601633, -2.90% 2333, -2.13% GWLLF, +3.93% climbed 6.2% after a Xinhua news report Saturday cited a company spokesman as saying the vehicle maker was targeting sales of 700,000 units this year, up from 620,000 units in 2012. In Hong Kong, the stock added 5.1%. Read: Great Wall shares jump on upbeat guidance report.
Financials also outperformed in Hong Kong, where BOC Hong Kong Holdings Ltd. 2388, -1.15% BHKLY, -0.76% rose 3.2% and Ping An Insurance Group Co. 2318, -1.65% PNGAY, -0.50% gained 2.9%.
Missing out the rally, logistics giant Li & Fung Ltd. 494, +0.88% LFUGY, -1.43% plunged 15.4% after warning core operating profit for the past year could tumble as much as 40%.
The gains in broader Asia came after Wells Fargo & Co. WFC, -1.32% kicked off the fourth-quarter reporting season for major U.S. banks Friday, posting revenue and earnings that topped analyst expectations, but with lower net interest income. Read: This week could make or break financials' rally.
Crédit Agricole's Hong Kong-based strategists said that earnings out this week, especially from the financial sector, would help dictate the direction of global stock-market action and appetite for risk-taking over the coming days.
"Hope and faith in global economic recovery, helped by data releases in the U.S. and China in particular, have helped to calm markets, while there is little angst as yet about the looming debt-ceiling/spending-cut negotiations in the U.S." they said.
In Seoul, meanwhile, Hyundai Motor Co. 005380, -1.05% HYMTF, -10.04% advanced 1.5% and heavyweight Samsung Electronics Co. 005930, +0.11% SSNLF, +0.00% added 1.2% to lead broad market gains.
In Sydney, real-estate firms saw some buying, with Mirvac Group MGR, +0.77% MRVGF, +0.95% up 1.3%, Stockland Australia SGP, +1.13% STKAF, +3.68% adding 1.4% and Fkp Property Group AU:FKP US:FRKPF 3.2% higher.


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We, the baan-lovers will be unhappy to c our darling product well behind in niche quadrant . However unavailability of skilled consultants and positioning of other Infor products ahead may be points where one can take consolation if one wants to .
Well, this deserves good reading and understanding.
Nice link highlighting "lot of horror stories and ad-hoc Skunk Works projects that make more use of Excel Spreadsheets than any BI solution" and increasing realization about the evolving nature of BI . Happy reading .
Nice article on ERP failures at leading tier I ERP vendors.
I was a little skeptical about Infor as a company, looking at the pace they have been acquiring all the companies. It is hard to prioritize the R & D, support and Sales & Marketing of the various software products. This is especially true in times when the competition is tough, customers are unforgiving and the gloomy outlook of the economy-in-general.
Infor's CEO Jim Schaper has differentiated his company from aggregrators by announcing continued commitment and spending on Research & Development to the tune of$325 Million over the next 4 years. These are the dollars that will directly help the customers in not only increasing the usability of the current Infor application that they use but also make it easy to tap in to the functionality of other Infor application relatively easily. This is made possible by the SOA based framework, which is event driven. The framework itself will be delivered free of cost to any Infor user for the number of user licenses that they currently possess. Additional useage licenses can be purchased and integrations to the legacy/other applications can be done by purchasing the Development studio, the price of which is reasonable as well.
Some of the key improvements announced include Infor MyDay, DEM 2.0, Enterprise SOA framework, MDM. Time permitting I will try to type up some of my notes from attending various sessions for these improvements. I also saw a growing trend of MK and Baan IV users interested in upgrading to Baan ERP Ln.
About Infor Myday:
I was able to get a glimpse of the Infor MyDay at the Inforum 08 conference. This is a new Web 2.0 user interface for Infor applications. This is part of and is based on Infor's SOA strategy. It can supposedly serve as an interface with any of the Infor applications. According to the road map, Infor MyDay will be available for select Infor application in early 2009, at no additional charge to active maintenance customers, with additional support to be announced throughout 2009.
I gathered that Infor is trying to come up with a few pre-defined screens and reports that may be most common to some commonly used business functions. The customers are able to develop their own screens or customize the screens using a studio which will be sold separately. From what I understand the studio doesnt cost much also. (Less then $1000 is what I heard). I dont have a screen cap of what I have seen but I was quite impressed with the interface, it seemed more like a web 2.0 application and the end user could perform simple sorts, filtering etc.
Discusses the theory about setting up and running a software support and maintenance organization, including ISO9001:2000 certification.
Good insights on success of ERP implementation at tier I ERP vendors . Have seen quite many companies struggling with cost and complexities of such tier 1 ERP vendors .
Good news for cost-effective ERP vendors like Infor .
This link is quite insightful and informative highlighting poor implementations of big and famous.It re-inforces the beilief that success / failure of an ERP project is more that of people on the project than that of the product itself . Happy reading....
Somewhat unexpected conclusions from survey of 157 executives , also contains good case for maintaining good balance between extremes of no-customizatio-vanila-implementations and of exterme-customizations .


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5 Things You Should Know...
- According to the US Census, Spanish is the second most spoken language in the United States, with an approximate number of 35 million speakers and growing[1]. Additionally, there are close to 6 million elementary, high school and college Spanish language students and teachers in the United States[2]
- American libraries have historically demonstrated a commitment to providing equity of access to information and the highest level of service to all library users
- Language diversity can present challenges to libraries, in terms of staffing, resources, and funding to meet changing needs
- Libraries benefit from professional support in providing reference to Spanish-speakers, and in navigating issues related to Spanish speakers (resources, policy, etc.)
- Whether it is students or scholars consulting Spanish-language material, second or third generation Latinos seeking to retain their bi-lingual skills, or new immigrants to the US in need of education and guidance, libraries should meet the challenge of effectively serving this section of the US population.
[1] U.S. Census Bureau, 2008 American Community Survey
[2] Enciclopedia del español en los Estados Unidos (Encyclopedia of the Spanish Language in the
To improve library services to multilingual and ethnic culture groups at the local and national levels.
Meeting Minutes
Current minutes and other materials available through ALA Connect
Report: Survey on Library Services for Spanish Speakers
In the spring/summer of 2011, the committee conducted an informal survey of librarians who work with Spanish-speakers about successful programming ideas, greatest challenges experienced and collection development topics and resources.


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Congratulations Class of 2017
To our graduating classes of 2017, we wish you a happy, safe summer and a great beginning to your first year in high school in the fall. Congratulations, and we are very proud of you.
The images featured below are from Holmes' graduation ceremony on June 7, 2017.


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The Ohio Arts Council's Riffe Gallery will present the works of 18 member artists during the Ohio Art League Curated Exhibition through April 14.
The Ohio Arts Council's Riffe Gallery will present the works of 18 member artists during the Ohio Art League Curated Exhibition through April 14.
The exhibit will be displayed in the Riffe Gallery, 77 S. High St., in the Vern Riffe Center for Government and the Arts, across from the Statehouse.
Among the finalists are Marc Ross, a Gahanna Lincoln High School art teacher and Columbus resident, Gahanna resident Virginia Kistler and Galloway residents Nicole Crock and Kathy McGhee.
Featured artists from Columbus are Agnes Burris, Alex Conrad, Steven Elbert, Morris Jackson, Tamara Jaeger, Jonathan Johnson, Fredrik Marsh, Ardine Nelson, Gretchen Stevens-Cochran and Paul D. Wilbur.
Other artists and their home towns are Denise Buckley, Richmond Heights; Paul Emory, Zanesville; Jonah Jacobs, Mentor; and Ellen O'Connell-Bazzoli, Marion.
Dennis Harrington, the curator of Ohio Art League Curated Exhibition at the Riffe Gallery, reviewed 720 images by 72 members of the Ohio Art League and narrowed his list to 18 finalists, said Mary H. Gray, director of the Ohio Arts Council's Riffe Gallery.
Harrington, director of the Weston Art Gallery in Cincinnati, said he believes in artists.
"Through their curiosity and artistic capabilities, they provide insights into the complexities of our daily experiences and communicate ideas in unique ways," he said.
The work in the Ohio Art League Curated Exhibition features seasoned and emerging artists and explores a dialogue of visual connections created by assembling a group of eclectic and inspired works in one place.
Kistler said she's excited to be included in an exhibition with such a wide variety of work and so many talented artists.
"My work is inspired by satellite photos of contemporary cities taken at night," she said. "My work draws parallels between the growth of urban spaces and the fluctuating presence and absence of urban and biodiverse spaces in our lives."
Kistler has designed exhibits for science centers and children's museums during the past 14 years. She's creating a piece of outdoor sculpture for a juried outdoor sculpture show in Evansville, Ind.
Ross, an 11-year Gahanna art teacher, has exhibited in numerous venues, including the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Butler Institute of American Art, the Klutznick National Jewish Museum, the Southern Ohio Museum and various galleries in Cleveland, Chicago, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. He has been a lecturer in the art department of the Ohio State University and a drawing instructor at the Columbus College of Art and Design's Saturday program.
"As the pace of everyday life becomes faster and we find ourselves attached to a technological umbilical cord, addicted to instant communication and multitasking, art must serve as a counterbalance to help us slow down and re-center," Ross said. "My artwork is mostly nonrepresentational, nonverbal and quiet, mimicking life's veils and complexities that expand and reveal themselves over time."
Ross said he's fascinated by process, leaving each painted layer overflowing the stretcher's boundaries to expose the painting's sequential buildup.
"My paintings are all about distilling time and distance," he said.
Since 1909, the Ohio Art League has supported Ohio's great contemporary artists. With media ranging from painting, drawing and printmaking to photography and sculpture, the works that make up the Ohio Art League Curated Exhibition -- both representational and abstract -- reflect a sampling of Ohio's current artistic wealth.
All Riffe Gallery events are free and open to the public. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays and noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. It's closed on Mondays and state holidays.
For more information, go to riffegallery.org.


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Womb Brooming Monta wrote:8th ave wrote:I've been looking at numbers and the only situation I can think of where we can unload RJ/Beans contract is if we give The Wizards a call. They have Rashard Lewis who is owed 22 million next year, but he's an expiring whereas RJ and Beans' contracts doesn't expire until 2013-2014. We'll save around 16 million by making this trade and Washington gains 2 veterans on a very young roster. Honestly, I don't think they'll do it unless we give them more. If we happen to get our top 7 pick, I would throw in San Antonio's 1st round to see if they'll bite. Another thing to consider is that they don't have a starting caliber SF on their roster. They're in prime position to take Michael Kidd-Giltrist, but if he's not ready to start right away, RJ can step in a fill that role until he is. Some of you may think that Jan Vesely could be their starting 3, but I think they can move him to the 4 spot since he doesn't have a perimeter game anyways.
There is no way in hell Wizards trade the last year of Lewis for two more atrocities. I did investigate this situation fully before posting this trade idea and found some things that would work, but I didn't want to get jumped by the great minds who overvalue everything we have and think we just dump Beeds terrible contract.
First thing you have to know about Lewis is he is not guaranteed the entire $22 million. They can buy him out for less and let him walk. Here is a three way trade that works for everyone: Lewis and Millsap here, Beeds and Curry to Utah, Klay and Jefferson to Washington. We end up with $52 million committed salary next year with 28 coming off the books. With the salary cap at $63 million, we'll have enough to sign Deron Williams and Dwight Howard in the offseason.
I take it that "over-valuing" comment was directed at those of us who wouldn't trade Klay Thompson for Tyrus Thomas. Strange that someone who practically advertises their fantasy of having Monta's baby would call out Warriors fans for over valuing someone... Especially a rookie averaging 18 points per in the wake of the Ellis trade. I mean really.
Combine with the whole women-with-facial-hair awkward comment thing that you've never explained... I dunno, dude. I tried not jumping the gun the first couple days, but you have all the red flags of a troll, buddy. 32 back in 2008 would have written a book about you already trying to get you thrown out, but I'm trying to just tune you out with my zen thing.
How about we take a step back and establish if this is a joke or not: what's the deal with the hair-lipped woman comments? Are you a chick who actually has a mustache, is it some buddy-buddy thing you say with your friends, is it a prison term... What are you talking about every other thread when you make that remark?


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I was standing on the sidelines on a brisk October afternoon watching my three kids play soccer. Although I was getting progressively colder, and wishing I had chosen more comfortable footwear, the players were gradually shedding layers. My middle son, who had worn crocs for the occasion, lost a shoe more than once while kicking the ball.
By coincidence, this year as the Jewish High Holidays approached I have been reading "Dead Man Walking," Sister Helen Prejean's personal witness against the death penalty. Her account of her journey into the lives of death row inmates and their victims' families is riveting. She quotes philosophers and criminal justice experts, cites statistics and Catholic doctrine to support her arguments for opposing the death penalty. But for me what is most timely and moving is her unrelenting focus on forgiveness, in Hebrew selichot.
One of my great pleasures is to go exploring the back roads whenever I have to drive here to there in Vermont. Time permitting, and if the kids are up for it, we leave the state highways behind on trips from Middlebury or Rutland or Shoreham and turn onto dirt roads instead. I haul out my trusty atlas of Vermont, having long since learned that my car's navigational system likes to insist that I am on an "unverified route" once I get off the main-traveled roadways.
It seems as if Brandon's quarrying history has been reborn with the Route 7 road work just south of town. Unlike in the 1800s, when Brandon enjoyed its heyday as a marble quarry center, the work is now being conducted with enormous excavators and front-end bucketloaders, the kind my young boys love to watch in videos. The dump trucks lined up and waiting to be loaded are size of those we see at Omya's open house each year.
"Where are your kids from?"
When you are a pale-skinned mom with two brown-skinned children, you get asked this question on a surprisingly frequent basis in casual conversations in all kinds of settings. In adoption circles, we refer to these people as "supermarket strangers," people who don't know us or our children but ask rather invasive and personal questions without much preamble.
Neshobe Community School reached a new watermark of sorts this school year, when more than 50 percent of the students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch. This sobering news came on the heels of the news that Rutland County, of which Brandon is the northernmost town, has one of the highest rates of childhood obesity and Type II diabetes in the State. In a report released in February 2009, Essex and Franklin Counties actually are in worse shape, being both poor and more rural. The Rutland Partnership for Health collaborative, financed by the James T.
After two go-rounds, Leicester is still a wallflower at the school merger dance, having been turned down by Sudbury and most recently by Salisbury. It's time to invite Leicester's 60 students and all of the town's taxpayers to come join us at Neshobe Community School in Brandon. We certainly have the room.
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Heaven and Back
CHOICE SPOILERS! Reading 'Choice' by Edwards Rose is probably a good idea. This story uses the character 'Meg' from it.
It takes place as if Jane had never taken Megan from her parents, but had still wanted revenge. Basically, the title tells it all. Feedback is wanted and appreciated.[:
First chapter! I hope you all like it!
1. Preface: The Beginning
Rating 5/5 Word Count 520 Review this Chapter
Edward's POV
I looked up and saw the white light pass by my face. There were faded images of people all around… people of different ages… and even a few animals. I wondered where I was and how I got here. Where was Bella, Alice…Jasper and Esme? I was with them only a few seconds before I started gliding through the air. The only other thing that felt like this was running, and I had been crouching before Jane's hateful eyes in my last memory. All around me was a blue-padded tunnel. I couldn't tell what it was, but all of a sudden, I saw a fork ahead of me. One led up, and one down. I realized that I died. But how did this happen? Vampires were supposed to just die…not got to heaven or hell, exactly. Edward, gain composure... maybe you can go back to Earth and see what happened.
Jane floated by and she started veering away from me, going down. I realized that I was floating upward…it was white up there and everything looked nice. Heaven? But I was a killer; eternally damned.
I tried to swim backwards, but realized that the tunnel was leading where I was going. I decided to stop floating, and just let it lead me. As the tunnel stopped rising, I saw a glistening figure in front of a simple, dark-wood door. I began to slow down and realized I had legs, so I stood on the little platform in front of the door.
"Ah, Edward Cullen," it said.
"Yes?" I asked, wondering who this figure was.
"Well, I am God's right hand man… or angel, I guess." He laughed quietly and then gained composure. "I am Saint Matthew."
"Hello, Matthew. What am I doing here?"
"Well, first of all, you are dead. Second, this is Heaven. And third, you have done more good than bad, so you're coming here to live in the rest of eternity."
I looked around in disbelief. I was never going back to Earth again… never seeing Bella or Alice, Esme or Carlisle, Jasper or Emmett, not even Rosalie… and worst of all, I was never again going to see Meg—my beautiful daughter. "I suppose I cannot go back down to Earth… not even for a visit."
Matthew just stared at me, and frowned. "No. You cannot. Although, if you talk to God Almighty, he may let you return to Earth and live again. I mean, you really have done a lot of good in your life."
I frowned and sighed. "Alright, when can I talk to the Lord?"
"Whenever you're ready," said Matthew shortly.
"I'm ready now, if that's alright with you."
He stepped aside and knocked on the door twice. It opened and he gestured for me to enter. "When you enter, ask for Saint Peter. He will take you to Him and explain what will happen in the next few hours. If the Lord allows, you will be on your way back down to Earth within about four hours or so."
I smiled, hopeful to what was about to happen, and I glided through the door, searching for someone to ask where this Saint Peter was.
- Author
- annaxkristen10
- Rating
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- Words
- 1621
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- 1
- Published
- 15 Jun 08
- Updated
- 15 Jun 08
- Status
- In Progress


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While Santa Barbara City College does not provide on-campus housing for students, we offer a variety of services to assist students in their housing search. Our Student Activities Office maintains a Roommate Listing Board and rental lists for students interested in locating a roommate, apartment, or private residence hall accommodations.
There are several factors to consider when students decide where they want to live--whether they are better-suited to living with roommates or alone, how close they would like to be to campus, and whether they need access to public transportation.
Santa Barbara offers a rich variety of safe and attractive neighborhoods—from the peaceful residential seaside neighborhood of the Mesa, where campus is located, to Santa Barbara's lively downtown, which is within walking distance to restaurants, cafes, bookstores, parks, museums, and cultural activities.
We suggest that students start the search for housing options several months before their expected move-in date. You're encouraged to review our Housing website and then contact us with any questions or concerns.


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Yesterday was the first day of the summer season at Alameda. (Shack open and a zillion newbies.)
--I witnessed lots of activities that endangered the innocent public using the beach. And left me with a bad feeling about public safety during this upcoming season --
Remember, we have launch privileges at the grace of East Bay Regional Parks and if WE injure the public WE lose the beach.
While on a short walk with General Lee I saw two kites impact the public. :
1.Playing to close to the beach a newbie hammer-headed his kite onto the beach yards from a startled couple sunning themselves on a beach blanket. (Just a couple of feet to the leftÖ)
2.A launch (downwind of the launch zone) that fell back in the window and swept the beach scattering beachcombers and knocking over beach chairs and a spread out picnic basket.
WE have to police ourselves.
WE need to use the designated launch area and stay at least two kite lengths away from the shore when riding. Politely mention this to those who are not following the guideline.
WE need to be an example to those just taking up the sport.
While I was riding yesterday:
1. I was nearly hit by a hammer-headed kite while walking into the water at the launch zone from a transition next to the beach gone bad.
2. I could not ride out of the launch zone because of riders (not launching or landing) riding in it.
Lets be safe this summer.
A consistent example by all of us is important.
-If you see something unsafe donít watch it unfold, please be proactive, step in and politely mention it.
- Be an example ñ Follow the guidelines
- Donít kite into the launch/landing zone
- Donít ride closer than two kite lengths to waters edge. [glow=red](You Know Who You Are!) [/glow] - Use the set-up and launch pattern
Letís be safe out there.
You can hurt yourself by your actions - but do not hurt others!


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CAMP LEJEUNE ��� Anne Montgomery said her husband always has loved a good surprise, but pulling off the latest required planning across international lines, keeping a secret from their four kids and plotting with two schools to make it happen.
CAMP LEJEUNE ��� Anne Montgomery said her husband always has loved a good surprise, but pulling off the latest required planning across international lines, keeping a secret from their four kids and plotting with two schools to make it happen.
In an instant, all the effort ended in the best reward: non-stop hugs for dad.
Maj. Vince Montgomery, a Camp Lejeune Marine, returned home Jan. 26 after being deployed for 241 days to Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan.
The next morning he headed to Swansboro Middle School for a surprise reunion with his oldest daughter, Samantha, 12, who arrived at the lunch wondering why her mom was standing in the lunchroom with her 18-month old sister, Charlotte.
She soon found her dad by her side as she chatted with her friends.
�I was shocked. I�m still shaking,� Samantha said as the reunion moved to Swansboro Elementary School.
Kindergartener Ryan, 5, and her brother, Alex, 9, were pulled up as volunteers during a school assembly, unaware of the surprise behind them until their dad stepped out on stage from behind a curtain.
After a brief hesitation, Ryan grabbed her dad�s neck and rarely left his side as they headed out of the school.
Alex proudly wore his USMC camouflage hat as he stood nearby.
�I didn�t think he�d be home for another two months,� he said.
For dad, the reunion was a post-holiday gift.
�This is the first Christmas I�ve ever been deployed so today is like our second Christmas,� he said.
With the winter storm that blew in the following day and brought snow to the area, it proved to be a white Christmas for the Montgomery family.
The reunion was a momentous one for the Hubert residents and they are among the military families who have shared that special moment with the public.
�I think it�s important that we keep people aware that we are still there (in Afghanistan),� he said.
Anne Montgomery agreed.
�I think because our military has been in Afghanistan for such a long time, people kind of forget on a daily basis. They forget that moms, dads, brothers, sisters, husbands and wives are over there for months at a time and that they leave families behind to wait for them. I want our family to be a reminder of the sacrifices that families are making all over the country, every day.�
And to do that in a �heartwarming, warm fuzzy, bring-tears-to-your-eyes� kind of way.
�It doesn�t matter what your political stance is, or what your feelings are on our military presence in Afghanistan, no one can deny the pure joy and raw emotion of seeing our Marines, sailors and soldiers coming home safely to their families,� she said.
A few days earlier, across the state, another area Marine family had a reunion of their own.
Maj. Jimmy Hicks, 45, of Jacksonville, who is with Marine Air Control Group 28 at Cherry Point has a daughter attending Western Carolina University.
He had never really thought about a surprise reunion before but remembered his daughter talking about seeing them on television and when he was getting ready to return home from his deployment to Afghanistan it crossed his mind.
He soon found Western Carolina University was more than willing to accommodate his desire to make his daughter�s wish come true.
On Jan. 23, during WCU�s basketball game against Davidson, Hicks took center stage wearing the school mascot costume and stood beside his daughter.
WCU sophomore Simms Hicks, 19, knew only that there was a special presentation to be made during the half-time event during which she�d be presenting a flag to the school on her dad�s behalf.
She didn�t want to get her hopes up that he might run out of the entrance to the court. She didn�t need to, he was already there.
When the mascot head was lifted off the costume, there were tears of happiness from an overwhelmed daughter.
�My message to my dad would be thank you, not just for pulling this off but for what you do for our family and our country. I hope you keep believing in me as much as you do because I need that,� she said. �Lastly, I just want him to know he is one of the greatest people I�ve ever me. I�m very proud to call him my dad.�
Maj. Jimmy Hicks said coming home was easy; the hard part was the waiting after planning the surprise with his wife, Dawn, and WCU officials.
�I try to do everything I can for her, especially since I�m in the military and I�m away a lot,� he said. �It means a lot because you only live life once and I like to live life to the fullest. She planted the seed, and I wanted to make it all happen for her. I couldn�t be happier with how it all turned out.�
There was also a broader family part of the reunion and WCU Chancellor David Belcher said they are a �military friendly university� it was a privilege to be a part of the event.
�It is a celebration of family and a recognition for the service men and women and what they do for our country each and every day. It was a nice moment to recognize that,� Belcher said.


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A Madison High School wrestling coach accused of shooting a man during an altercation in Bay Park early this week pleaded not guilty Friday to a murder charge.
Jeret Needham, 42, is charged in the slaying of Robert Howard Colegrove, 45, who was found dead Tuesday afternoon in the backyard of his home. In addition to the murder charge, Needham faces a gun-use allegation and could be sentenced to 50 years to life in prison if convicted.
San Diego Superior Court Judge David Szumowski ordered Needham to remain held in county jail in lieu of $1 million bail. He has been in custody since Tuesday, the day of the shooting.
Lawyers on either side of the case said little about the case during the brief arraignment.
Defense attorney Kerry Armstrong noted that about 40 people had come to court to show their support for Needham, including his parents and his wife.
Investigators have said that Needham and Colegrove had an altercation at the Denver Street home about an hour before the shooting. The owner of the home said later that Needham had been grabbing Colegrove's girlfriend "in a sexually inappropriate way."
He said Colegrove learned about the incident from his girlfriend and then beat up Needham. He said he thought the part-time coach returned to the home for revenge.
But Armstrong said after the arraignment Friday that there had been no intentional groping or sexual touching between his client and Colegrove's girlfriend. The attorney said Needham was getting up from a couch about seven months ago when he accidentally "made some contact" with the woman's body.
"He apologized, she said 'No problem,' and everything was done," Armstrong said.
The attorney said his client was beaten up by Colegrove, a friend who had worked with him briefly as an assistant coach. He said Needham has two black eyes, a lump on his head and other injuries as a result of the fight.
"He has no idea why he was jumped," Armstrong said.
On the day of the shooting, residents at the Denver Street house told police the suspect's name and described his vehicle. Officers then surrounded Needham's home, which was a few miles away, and he surrendered.
Police said over the past couple of years there had been 19 arrests at the home where the shooting occurred, mostly for drug offenses.


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Lakeshore Pediatric Center
635 N Hwy 16
Denver, NC 28037
Office Hours for Lakeshore Pediatric Center, PA...
Dec 10, 2018
Lakeshore Pediatric Center, PA will be closed o...
Dec 9, 2018
To all our patients and patient families, W...
Aug 10, 2015
Great news to all our patients and patient fami...
May 19, 2015
To all our patients and patient families,
We are pleased to announce that the Vaccine Information Sheets (VIS) are now available electronically / ONLINE! We encourage you to review these VIS sheets as they contain educational information regarding the vaccines that your child has / will receive here in the office. This information includes (but is not limited to) the type(s) of vaccines given, when each vaccine is required, and any side effects (if any) that may occur. To obtain the electronic version(s) visit the Center for Disease Control (CDC) websie and / or download the available phone app. as indicated below:
For the website, please visit:
Otherwise to download the free Vaccine app., please obtain it from your phone app. store at:
CDC Vaccine Schedules
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call us.
Please also be aware that a paper copy of the VIS forms will no longer be provided at your child's Well Child Check-Up / Vaccination encounter. We will however have laminated copies in the office to peruse / review prior to your child receiving any vaccines.
Please be patient with us as we transition to this paper free format in an endeavor to save some trees!


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|2011-01-28, 03:34
|Link #1
Anxious bookseller
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Shibuya Psychic Research
Madoka Magica - FanFiction Discussion
Welcome to the Madoka Magica FanFiction Discussion thread.
This thread is meant for Madoka Magica fanfiction and its discussion. Fanfiction works can be either posted in this thread or in the Fan Creations Forum and linked to in this thread. You may also link to Fanfiction works posted on other sites and discuss it here.
General rules of our forum still apply:
Please respect the authors, fanfictions are written in their free time, they have have no gain and owe you nothing; if they like a particular character and/or a particular pattern for their story, it's a personal choice and can't be blamed. In general, you are free to post constructive criticisms but not insults which (as in any other part of the forums) won't be tolerated. Remember that writers post here to get help and not to get troubles.
Thanks and have fun
|2011-01-28, 15:55
|Link #3
Name means little...
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Dec 2004
Ok. You wanted a fanfiction, well here's one. (ongoing process. pitch in if you are in some legal department)
Spoiler for Puella Magi Services Agreement, 2011:
Last edited by panzerfan; 2011-01-30 at 00:54.
|2011-02-22, 01:29
|Link #8
I hope you like this story. I enjoyed writing it. Maybe a little too much.
|2011-02-27, 17:37
|Link #9
Name means little...
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Dec 2004
Ok. Here's to major case of blatantly taking Faust and apply it with only a fresh coat of paint.
Spoiler for At Train Station:
Spoiler for In Gloomy Field:
Last edited by panzerfan; 2011-02-27 at 18:39.
|2011-02-27, 22:48
|Link #10
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Age: 33
Note: I'm not that great of a writer so please excuse me if any of it needs some fine tuning or an over all...
The cool night air howled over the buildings while the last light of the moon started to eclipse by the dark clouds above as Kyuube sat on the ledge looking out high above the illuminated metropolis. At that moment Kamijo Toma burst threw the door leading to the roof of the old clock tower it's hands slowly ticking away to midnight which would signal the beginning of sacred ceremony of Walpurgis Night.
Beads of sweat rolled down Toma's face as he pants to catch his breath. "So, You've finally arrived...Kamijo Toma." Kyuube said, slowly as he turned to face the young man his glowing red eyes pierced the shadows. "It's a shame your too late Walpurgis Night will soon begin and then..." However before being able the to finish his sentence Toma ground his teeth and histed."How dare you!" Kyuube meeting Toma's gaze as he steps into the small patch of moonlight. "Now Kamijo Toma tell me exactly what have I to you in order to receive such hostility?...as a matter of fact as fare as I can tell you have nothing to gain or lose from this situation." Silents fell between then neither breaking his glaze from the other.
After a few intense seconds Toma closing his eyes and smiled while letting out a sigh "You're right I have nothing to gain or lose..However!" As his voice deepened and eyes began to burn with an intensity that would melt the strongest steel. "What you have done to these young girls is unforgivable!" Clinching his fists he continued. "It sickens me...Twisting their hopes and dreams for your own selfish gains, Promising them the world then leaving them with nothing, and walking away like you are not at fault!" Toma started walking slowly toward mystical creature. "They deserve better...to grow up happy and health yet you show not one bit of remorse trapping them with your lies and for the crimes you have there will be no mercy...I will destroy your sick illusions!"
|2011-03-02, 07:56
|Link #12
Moe Kyun~!
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Philippines
Wait...there's a MADOKA category in FF.net now!
I MUST go to work. immediately!
Possible Upcoming Project: (for April)
Puella Magi Madoka Magica and The Lovecraftian Anomaly
Madoka (after the series, depending on how it'll work out >.>) would (assumed) to be a Puella Magi. The main premise is:
1. Madoka accidentally getting on other dimensions (huge crossover)
2. Madoka meets Houkago Tea Time (of K-ON!! Chronicles)
3. dunno about others.
|2011-03-02, 13:50
|Link #16
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Philippines
Age: 42
All right, guys... It's done, but I'm not sure except I'll be fine with whatever C&Cs you can provide:
One-Tenths of a Second: The Short Second Life of Mami Tomoe
|2011-03-06, 04:25
|Link #18
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Philippines
Age: 42
To do just that, you have to go deeper into the mind of the average Japanese teenager, taking account of how he/she lives, desires, hates, and what they're looking forward to.
In that case... Imagine Mami trying to find the right hairdresser who could fix her curls.
|2011-03-07, 23:26
|Link #19
Senior Member
I've just started a fairly unusual Madoka Magica fic, crossing it over with a prominent comic book franchise.
To make it work, I've fused the two respective fictional universes of those two properties (Madoka Magica, and the comic book universe) together, and have crafted a detailed backstory for Madoka and her friends based on it. That I will reveal later, but I want Chapter 1 to start the ball rolling in a less "info dump" way that simply hints at some major revelations within my fanfic.
Anyway, here it is... Of Super Men and Magical Girls.
Any and all comments are welcomed. Even non-comic book fans are probably familiar with the comic book characters in this crossover.
This was inspired, by the way, by a discussion between Reckoner and I.
|discussion, fanfiction
|Thread Tools


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Great Kate! Kate Hudson played the supportive — and extremely sexy! — wife-to-be for Muse frontman Matt Bellamy at the Brit Awards in London on Wednesday, Feb. 20. Inside the 02 Arena, Bellamy, 32, and his bandmates performed with a 75-piece orchestra.
At the Warner's afterparty held at the Savoy Hotel, however, it was Bellamy's fiancee, 33, who was the real show-stopper. Nineteen months after welcoming son Bingham, the Oscar-nominated actress showed off her toned legs and toned shoulders in a lace black minidress by Ermanno Scervino — and got into the celebratory mood by jumping on the couch and dancing!
According to observers inside the bash, the happy couple kissed and hugged in front of many onlookers — with Hudson even smoking a verboten cigarette indoors. "Someone asked her to put it out and she didn't mind. She put it in an empty bottle on the table and apologized," one observer says. "She was really happy, dancing on the chair and Matt was pouring her drinks."
"It's party night! We're having fun. Mom and Dad get the night off," the Something Borrowed actresss (also mom to Ryer, her 9-year-old son with ex Chris Robinson) told Us Weekly at the Savoy, praising Bellamy's performance with Muse. "Amazing. Just breath-taking. It was really spectacular!" (See more photos of Hudson and Bellamy via PopSugar!)
Hudson's secret to her always enviable bod? "I like to dance. I'm dancing, and I do other things," Hudson explained. "I spin, I ride my bike, I go for a run. I'm active. I run after my 19 month old!"
The one thing that's slightly slowed down is Hudson's work schedule — a necessity now that she's a mom of two. "If someone says it's a three month shoot, I get a little shy because with Ryder in third grade and Bing being 19 months," she admitted. "It's so much to juggle, so I've been doing films that are a little less time and I'm more specific about what they are and I don't want to do work that will take me away from my kids, so I have to really love it."
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