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Suspensions, fines and punishment may help simmer the public outrage over two Broncos executives arrested for DUI. But there is more to consider in the cases of Broncos executives Matt Russell and Tom Heckert.
The Broncos may have preferred to mete out punishment Tuesday, but first they consulted with the NFL. There is a process involved. There are medical evaluations that must be conducted.
The Broncos, who have said publicly that the punishment would be severe, are not providing a timetable as to when Russell, 40, and Heckert, 45 — the top two assistants to football operations boss John Elway — will be disciplined, but it may take up to a week.
"This is bigger than football," team spokesman Patrick Smyth said Wednesday. "It's obviously very serious. We need to make sure we handle this the right way and give careful consideration to all of the issues involved. That process takes time."
Heckert, hired in early May as the Broncos' director of pro personnel, was cited for DUI on June 11 in Parker.
According to Douglas County records, he was stopped on South Chambers Road just south of East Main Street in Parker. He was stopped after "striking the median and almost hit the stop light," the sherriff's report said.
He was taken into custody at 10:38 p.m. His blood alcohol level was redacted from the report.
Heckert was released to John Spyteck, who worked with Heckert in Cleveland and is now a scout with the Broncos, at 5:45 a.m. June 12. According to the Douglas County Sheriff 's Office, Heckert blew a 0.162 on a breath test upon his release nearly seven hours after his arrest, more than twice the legal limit.
The Broncos had their final minicamp session June 13, after which the players, coaches and executives cleared out of team headquarters for their offseason vacation. Players are scheduled to return for training camp July 24.
Heckert might receive penalties similar to the 30-day suspension and $100,000 fine the league imposed on Detroit Lions president Tom Lewand in 2010 for his driving while impaired conviction.
Russell's punishment figures to be more severe. Promoted a year ago to director of player personnel, Russell was arrested Saturday evening in Summit County after he rammed his Toyota Tundra truck into a parked Breckenridge Police Department patrol vehicle at approximately 40 miles per hour, according to an arrest affidavit prepared by the Colorado State Patrol.
The officer in the vehicle was taken to Summit Medical Center with neck and back pain and lacerations to his right arm. The officer was treated and released.
The collision with the Breckenridge police vehicle, which was parked on the right side of the road, came a few minutes after Russell allegedly hit a vehicle in Frisco. According to the arrest affidavit, Russell's breath alcohol content measured at 0.246 — more than three times the legal limit. He had an open bottle of peppermint schnapps in his truck.
Russell and Heckert have expressed remorse in statements. Team president Joe Ellis said Tuesday his "expectation is the discipline will be severe."
Harvey Steinberg, the attorney who represents both Russell and Heckert, had no comment Wednesday.
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055, firstname.lastname@example.com or twitter.com/mikeklis


text:
You are Here:
Financial Assistance
Environmental Quality Incentives Program
/ Conservation Activity Plans 2012
Loading Tree...
Conservation Activity Plans (CAP) are specialized,
in-depth plans that address specific resources and can be used to improve
management. Many of the recommendations from the plans can be part of a
subsequent application for financial assistance through the Environmental
Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Alabama offers CAPs in:
The following documents may require Adobe
Reader. (If you have problems opening any of these documents, please contact
firstname.lastname@example.com, Phone
334-887-4506.) All will open in a new window.
102 -
Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan
- a conservation plan for animal feeding operations.
104 -
Nutrient Management Plan
- document of record of how nutrients will be
managed for plant production and to address the environmental concerns with the
offsite movement of nutrients.
106 -
Forest Management Activity
Plan - site specific conservation plans prepared by a
professional forester. The plan identifies and describes in detail the
management actions and conservation practices that will help the landowner meet
their objectives, maintain production, meet regulatory requirements, and enhance
soil, water, air, plants, fish, and wildlife resources.
110 -
Grazing Management Plan – a site specific conservation plan
developed for a client which addresses one or more resource concerns on land
where grazing related activities or practices will be planned and applied.
114 -
Intergraded Pest Management Plan
- an ecosystem-based strategy that is a
sustainable approach to manage pests using a combination of techniques such as
chemical tools biological control, habitat manipulations, and modification of
cultural practices and use of resistant varieties.
118 -
Irrigation Water Management Plan
- to control the volume, frequency, and rate of water for efficient
122 -
Agricultural Energy
Management Plan - Headquarters - a detailed documentation of energy
consuming components and practices of the current operation, the previous year's
on-farm energy consumption, and the strategy by which the producer will explore
and address their on-farm energy conservation concerns, objectives, and
124 -
Agricultural Energy Management Plan - Landscape
(AgEMP) - contains the strategy by
which the producer will explore and address his/her on-farm energy problems and
opportunities on the working land.
130 -
Water Management Plan - a Drainage Water Management (DWM) is to
control soil water table elevations and the timing of water discharges from
subsurface or surface agricultural drainage systems
138 -
Organic Transition
- a
conservation activity plan documenting decisions by producers who agree to
implement a system of conservation practices which assist the producer to
transition from conventional farming or ranching systems to an organic production system.
142 - Fish
and Wildlife Management Plan - a site specific plan developed for a
client who is ready to plan and implement decisions with consideration for fish
and wildlife habitat and other biological resources.
146 -
Habitat Enhancement Plan – a site-specific conservation plan
developed for a client that addresses the improvement, restoration, enhancement,
expansion of flower-rich habitat that supports native and/or managed
NRCS National Conservation Activity Plans Website
Program Contacts
Contact your local
Service Center for further guidelines and
details of the program.
NRCS State Office contact Steve Musser, USDA–NRCS, Assistant State Conservationist for
Programs, phone: (334) 887-4503.
Contact your local
Service Center for further guidelines and
details of the program.
NRCS State Office contact Steve Musser, USDA–NRCS, Assistant State Conservationist for
Programs, phone: (334) 887-4503.
NRCS Home | USDA.gov | Site Map | Civil Rights | FOIA | Plain Writing | Accessibility Statement
Policy and Links| Non-Discrimination Statement | Information Quality | USA.gov | WhiteHouse.gov

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Discussions about eggcorns and related topics
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Registrations are currently closed because of a technical problem. Please send email to
The forum administrator reserves the right to request users to plausibly demonstrate that they are real people with an interest in the topic of eggcorns. Otherwise they may be removed with no further justification. Likewise, accounts that have not been used for posting may be removed.
Thanks for your understanding.
Chris -- 2018-04-11
I am NOT trying to naughty here. However, it is pretty obvious that "Blow Job" is a misunderstanding of "Below Job." Does this qualify as an Eggcorn? Inquiring minds want to know.
Of course, I meant to write, "I am not trying to BE naughty here…" And, I am not. Not much www evidence on this expression, nothing on a quick check on this site…
Below? Feels to me like a folk etymology.
Blow job is fairly late (1960s) AmSlang. Blow (without the job) for fellatio is known from the 1930s.
If I had to guess, I would look for the source of "blow" (=fellatio) in one of two places. Either (1) in the slang term of blow in the sense of treat, a usage abroad in the last decade of the nineteenth century (OED cites the 1889 A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon & Cant by Barrère and Leland with the definition "To blow off, to treat to drinks" and Miller's 1949 _Death of a Salesman with "Tell Dad, we want to blow him to a good meal") or (2) in the older (18th century) sense of blow as the spouting of a whale.
Hatching new language, one eggcorn at a time.
Interesting discussion. It never occurred to me that "blow" might have come from "below", and I doubt that it did. I just found a webpage that illuminates the issue, at:
The most relevant part of the discussion thereat says this:"Linguist think the sexual connotation of "blow job" evolved from "blowoff," an expression meaning to finish off, to climax, to end. "Blowoff" in this sense is related to "blow off steam," to put an end to a emotionally frustrating experience. When a prostitute gave a client a blow job she was helping him "blow off" the steam of sexual arousal. In the 1930s, street-walkers offered oral sex with the phrase "I'll blow you off." It suggests 'I'll cool you down,' 'I'll release your steam.' "Some linguists think the term "blow job" evolved gradually from an eighteenth century European name for a prostitute, blower. A popular name for penis at the time was "whorepipe," and it is easy to see how the woman who played the instrument came to be called a "blower.""


text:
Recently, the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans has witnessed "anti-Sharia" legislation introduced in several states that are a threat to religious freedom in the United States. In Minnesota, Senate File 2281, which was aimed at targeting Sharia Law, was recently introduced, then withdrawn during the 2012 MN Legislative Session.
In response to such legislation, Lori Saroya. President of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Minnesota has stated, "Across the nation, similar anti-religious freedom bills are being used by Islamophobic extremists to demonize Islam and marginalize American Muslims." Overall, these recent developments signify the need to build more awareness around the topic of Shariah Law.
SF 2281, and bills like it, represents a fear and misunderstanding of Shariah Law and Islam that has been prevalent across America. A mind captured by fear often times resorts to committing injustice through blind assumptions. To tackle this problem, it is crucial to research some basic facts about Shariah Law for maintaining tolerance and for meaningful discussions on this issue. For a quick overview, Qasim Rashid has an article on the Huffington Post titled, "Shariah Law: The Five Things Every Non-Muslim (and Muslim) Should Know."
Later this week, there will be a public forum to openly discuss Shariah Law:
"Shariah Law: Myths & Facts" by Odeh Muhawesh
Ridgedale Regional Center, Robert H. Rohlf Room
12601 Ridgedale Dr., Minnetonka, MN 55305
Saturday April 21, 2012 12:00-3:15pm
Free and open to public,*RSVP requested*
Sponsor: Islamic Media, 612-216-2478, firstname.lastname@example.com, http://www.islamicmediamn.org
Prayers on the Prairie showing on April 26th!
Prayers on the Prairie: Muslim in Minnesota
Men praying at Al Rahman Muslim Community Center.
Photo by Alex Nok Phasy
It is estimated that 150,000 Minnesotans are Muslim, yet their religious traditions are little understood by the mainstream. Join us over lunch for a brief introduction to Islam, background on the Prayers on the Prairie: Asian-Pacific Minnesotan Religious Practices project, and conversation about what it means to be Muslim in Minnesota.
When: Thursday, April 26, 2012 from Noon.-1:15 p.m.
Where: Minnesota Humanities Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, St. Paul (map)
Intended Audience: Everyone welcome!
Cost: $15
For information on the speaker Zafar Siddiqui and to learn more about this Lunch and Learn event, please visit our website.
This event is part of the Lunch and Learn programming that amplifies collaborative work with partners. Each presentation features a leader from the community who engages participants in learning and discussion around this collaborative humanities work over the lunch hour.


text:
Curly Sheepskin | Warm & Comfy | Steel | 90 x 60 cm
Curly Sheepskin from Tibetan - Steel
A very nice and comfy sheepskin with fantastic quality.
- Use the sheepskin in a chair, on your garden furniture or as a small rug in front of your bed.
Imagine getting up in the morning and burying you feet the nice sheepskin in front of your bed - Getting up in the morning just became that much easier and more fun!
Why is the price that much lower?
This sheepskin doesn't have the same high quality as the premium sheepskin from Natures Collection. That means the thickness of the sheepskin, the uniformity and the wool length doesn't have the exact same quality.
Notice: The same sheepskin with premium quality costs £149.-
However, the standard quality of this sheepskin is not to be underestimated. It outranks the quality of DIY store and flea market sheepskins significantly, and it comes quite close to the premium quality of our other sheepskin rugs.
If you also buy a brush then you'll have a sheepskin that lasts a lifetime.
Limited number of items on stock
Size: 90 x 60 cm
- Perfect for the next season
- Quick delivery
- Easy returns


text:
Patrick Sweeney may have pulled out of Race Across USA but he's continuing anyway in a bid to cross the States from California to Washington D.C. by foot.
Since setting out mid-January in a running race across the USA, the Suunto-supported athlete has so far clocked 2,000 km of the 5,000 km journey. Unfortunately he had to pull out of the race itself, but is continuing the journey anyway with New Zealand runner Jup Brown as a fundraiser for various charitable projects.
Patrick Sweeney is a barefoot devotee, whatever the weather. ©Patrick Sweeney
Says Patrick: "Since Jup and I started Run With Us America we have been professional speakers at a health expo, interviewed by four radio stations, featured in three newspapers, spoken to hundreds of children at multiple schools, been joined by runners from five countries and at least seven different breeds of dog and received thousands of waves from passers-by. Most importantly we have had a lot of fun and inspired a few people along the way."
Continuing along the same route as Race Across USA, the pair's main goal is to raise money for the 100 Mile Club, a non-profit that encourages children to run 100 miles a year, with the aim of improving fitness, learning and self-esteem.
So far the team have crossed the states of California, New Mexico and Arizona. They are currently in central Texas, nearly halfway to the US capital. Watch a video of their New Mexico leg below.
"We have been able to run 30-35 miles (48-56 km) each day. My Ambit3 is working great and keeps me motivated," he adds.
Main image: ©Patrick Sweeney


text:
Wednesday, October 6th, 2010
3D Slides Built with HTML5, CSS3, and SVG
Over on my personal blog I talk about a 3D slide deck I've created that uses HTML5, CSS3, and a bit of SVG (video). The main idea behind this deck is to be able to 'zoom' into topics to as deep a level as necessary. Slides are nested, like an outline. For example, I gave Read the rest…
Posted by Brad Neuberg at 1:00 am
3 Comments


text:
Another of my own FM recordings transferred to CD.
Taped from Radio Clyde FM in 1983.
The venue was Tiffanys (Locarno Ballroom) Glasgow.
01. Watching The Detectives
02. Watch Your Step
03. The Greatest Thing
04. Man Out Of Time
05. Head To Toe
06. New Lace Sheets
07. The World And His Wife
08. Alison
09. Backstabbers
10. King Horse
11. Clowntime Is Over
12. Pills and Soap
13. Everyday I Write The Book
As well as The Attractions the band was augmented with a brass section and female backing vocalists.
Lineage>>FM>Cassette>Audacity>CD Wave>Flac
EC Glasgow 6th Oct 1983 - Clyde FM
Post offers for legally distributable EC music, memorabilia, tickets, etc.
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EC Glasgow 6th Oct 1983 - Clyde FM
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Am trying to keep away from EC bootlegs (I have too many unlistened to ones!), but this sounds very appealing. I loved the sound of the '83 tour, and this should be good quality if well transferred from FM. Shame it doesn't have Shipbuilding as I'd like to test my theory that the live '83 version was superior to the PTC version, Chet Baker notwithstanding. (Though of course, as Robert Sandall writes in the new thread, nothing can touch Wyatt.)
There's more to life than books, you know, but not much more
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text:
A fear of the color blue is what we're counting on to tighten this series up. The attire of the fans in Salt Lake City is the focus of the AP article previewing Game Three of the Spurs/Jazz series. Everyone in Energy Solutions arena will be decked out tonight in "True Blue" shirts that will, I don't know ... intimidate the Spurs? A noisy light-blue background is what we're counting on to make this series interesting? Awesome.
The Spurs lead the series 2-0 and the first two games haven't left a lot of room for intrigue. Tim Duncan's good, Tony Parker's good, and Manu Ginobili's good ... and the Jazz are good, too, but not quite as good as the Spurs. And that's really all there's been to it thus far.
Also happening tonight: UFC 71, featuring Chuck Liddell vs. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. I don't know a lot about this Ultimate Fighting business, but I have seen a hell of a lot of Chuck Liddell this week. And I did enjoy this feature on Page 2.
Jazz Hope 'True Blue' Fans Can Rattle Spurs [CBS 11]
This guy scares you? [ESPN Page 2]


text:
Information from the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) and other sources on drought and drought-related topics focused on Illinois. Links are grouped by category, with newer material appearing in .
There is no information posted on current drought activity in Illinois. Please see the archived information below.
State of Illinois Drought Preparedness and Response Plan - Adopted by the State Water Plan Task Force, October 12, 2011
The goal of Illinois' Drought Preparedness and Response Plan is to assist community and state officials and the public with information and tools that promote better decision-making in water supply planning and reduce drought-related impacts, water competition, and conflicts of use.
System Information & Drought Vulnerability of Illinois' Community Surface Water Systems - An assessment of the potential impact of severe drought conditions on
Illinois community water supplies, primarily based on the estimation of the water yield provided by each community's surface water supply sources.
Links with a community name (i.e. Altamont) will provide system information. The associated "vulnerability" link will provide that system's drought vulnerability classification.
A Notes and Terminology area contains information on Drought Vulnerability Classification, Source Types, and more.
Archived information from the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) and other sources on the droughts and drought-related topics focused on Illinois from 2011, 2007 and 2005.
Past Illinois Drought Archives: 2012 | 2011 | 2007 | 2005 | Older
Current Climate Conditions in Illinois (Illinois State Climatologist) - Climate maps and graphs for Illinois, for precipitation, snowfall, mean temperature, low temperature, and more. These products are updated by 10:30 AM central time.
Daily Weather Data (Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring Program) - Daily Weather Data from the Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring Program.
Illinois Water and Climate Summary (Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring Program) - The Illinois Water and Climate Summary is a monthly summary publication issued by the WARM Program on some of the data collected by the networks within the WARM domain. Full descriptions of each set of data presented are available for weather and climate information, soil moisture information, surface water information, and ground-water information. There is also an archive of old summaries.
USGS Streamflow Conditions Map (United States Geological Survey) - The USGS Drought Watch For Illinois page, including the Illinois Streamflow Conditions Map.
USGS Streamflow Index Stations for Illinois (United States Geological Survey) - Daily mean discharge graphs for 3 U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations in Illinois. Graphs represent 1 year of data from today's date and are updated daily (weekdays only).
US Drought Monitor (National Drought Mitigation Center) - The U.S. Drought Monitor focuses on broad-scale conditions. Local conditions may vary. The data cutoff for Drought Monitor maps is Tuesday at 8 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The maps, which are based on analysis of the data, are released each Thursday at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time.
USGS Below Normal Streamflow Map (United States Geological Survey) - Current water resources conditions, including a map of below normal 7-day average streamflow compared to historical streamflow for the day of the year for Illinois.
NOAA's 5-day precipitation forecast (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) - Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts from the National Weather Service's Hydrometeorological Prediction Center.
Precipitation Total Maps (Intellicast) - Intellicast provides precipitation total maps on their web site in both weekly and daily formats.
Illinois Water Supply (Illinois State Water Survey) - What is water? This may seem a simple question, but have you thought about how many different uses exist for water? Each day in Illinois, water is used for drinking, bathing, and washing our dishes - but it is also used for navigation, in industry, and as a source of power. Illinois is a water-rich state, but water availability varies widely across the State. The Illinois State Water Survey has answered some basic questions about water supply and availability in Illinois.
Illinois Weather & Crop Information (Illinois Agricultural Statistics Service) - Information on Illinois' weather and crops including the Illinois Weather & Crop Report, Corn, Soybean, & Wheat Progress Charts (charts updated every Monday at 3:00 pm CST) and more.
Integrated Water Quantity Planning & Management (Illinois Department of Natural Resources [DNR] & Illinois Environmental Protection Agency [IEPA]) - The Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency are formulating a strategy to better identify, plan for, and address Illinois' numerous and diverse water quantity issues. This web site accommodates public access to documents that provide a framework for the development of a strategy to address important water quantity issues in Illinois.
US National Drought Watch (United States Geological Survey) - USGS state information on drought including a map of below normal 7-day average streamflow compared to historical streamflow for the day of the year.
Water Supply and Demand in Illinois (Illinois State Water Survey) - A presentation about water supply and demand issues in Illinois. Topics include: Low cost public good, Renewable resources, Reasonable use, Competition and conflicts, Diffuse management, and Social, economic, political, institutional, administrative, legal, and scientific issues.
Reports on Past Illinois Droughts - Reports on past droughts in Illinois including:
The 2005 Illinois Drought - Dry conditions in 2005 reached a historic level of severity in some parts of Illinois and ranked as one of the three most severe droughts in Illinois in 112 years of record. ...
Illinois Drought of 1999-2000 - The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)/Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) issues a monthly summary report on the state's water and climate data, called the "Illinois Water and Climate Summary. ...
And More...
The Water Cycle and Water
Budgets in Illinois: A Framework for Drought and Water-Supply Planning - Provision of adequate and reliable supplies of clean water at reasonable cost is a basic
necessity for public health, the economy, recreation, and navigation. It is the goal of watersupply
planning and management. As water withdrawals increase, so too does the need to protect
watersheds, aquifers, and aquatic ecosystems for present and future generations. With sound
planning and management, there is no reason why the residents of Illinois, a water-rich state,
ever should face a water crisis. Without sound planning and management, however, current local
problems and regional concerns could mushroom into conflicts and crises, and courts increasingly
could be called upon to determine the reasonableness of withdrawals.
The Water Cycle and Water Budgets in Illinois: A Framework for Drought and Water-Supply Planning, Derek Winstanley, James A. Angel, Stanley A. Changnon, H. Vernon Knapp, Kenneth E. Kunkel, Michael A. Palecki, Robert W. Scott, and H. Allen Wehrmann, 2006 Illinois State Water Survey, Champaign, IL 116 p.: ill., ISWS I/EM-2006-02
Drought Conditions in Illinois - A major study of Illinois droughts
was conducted to develop a basis for quantitative assessments of
drought conditions in Illinois. Such information should aid decision
making related to local and state actions to ameliorate the effects
of future droughts. Those who must deal directly with aspects of
drought need to know 1) whether a drought is developing, 2) how
severe the drought is at any given time, and 3) how long the drought
will last. This report provides information to help address those
Detecting Drought Conditions in Illinois Changnon, Stanley A., Jr., 1987 Illinois State Water Survey, Champaign, IL 36 p.: ill., maps ISWS C-169
of Irrigation and Drought on Illinois Ground-water Resources
- This investigation is the first of three phases of a ground-water
management study. In this report, effects of irrigation and drought
on the ground-water resources of Illinois are examined.
Impacts of Irrigation and Drought on Illinois Ground-water Resources Bowman, Jean A., and Mark A. Collins, 1987 Illinois State Water Survey, Champaign, IL 31 p.: ill., maps, tables ISWS RI-109
Periods in Illinois: A Climatological and Meteorological Analysis
- In Print, copies available.
Dry Periods in Illinois: A Climatological and Meteorological Analysis Changnon, Stanley A., Jr., Floyd A. Huff, Kenneth E. Kunkel, Robert W. Scott, and Nancy E. Westcott, 1996 Illinois State Water Survey, Champaign, IL 144 p.: ill., tables ISWS CR-599
of Weather Modification in Alleviating Agricultural Water Shortages
during Droughts - Out of Print, copies available through Interlibrary
Assessment of Weather Modification in Alleviating Agricultural Water Shortages during Droughts Huff, Floyd A., and John L. Vogel, 1977 Illinois State Water Survey, Champaign, IL 133 p.: ill., tables ISWS CR-195
ISWS Publications Database - Search over 1,000 ISWS Publications on our web site.
Jim Angel, State Climatologist - (217) 333-0729 email@example.com.
Steve Hilberg, Midwest Regional Climate Center - (217) 333-8495 firstname.lastname@example.com.
Vern Knapp, Center for Watershed Science, Surface Water - (217) 333-4423 firstname.lastname@example.com.
Walt Kelly, Center Groundwater Science, Head - (217) 333-3729 email@example.com.
Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Office of Water Resources (IDNR)
Arlan Juhl, Director - (217) 785-3334 firstname.lastname@example.com
Frank Pisani - (217) 557-8243 email@example.com
Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fisheries (IDNR)
Debbie Bruce - (217) 524-4111 firstname.lastname@example.com
Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA)
Tom Jennings, Director - (217) 785-4195 firstname.lastname@example.com
Steve Chard - (217) 785-2661 firstname.lastname@example.com
Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC)
Bob Bensko, Homeland Sec. - (217) 524-5049 email@example.com
William Marr, Water Dept. - (217) 524-5017 email@example.com
Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA)
Trent Thompson - (217) 557-4794 firstname.lastname@example.com
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Division of Public Water Supplies (IEPA)
Rick.Cobb, Deputy Manager - (217) 785-4787 email@example.com
Dave McMillan, Manager - (217) 785-4787 firstname.lastname@example.com
Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health (IDPH)
Jerry Dalsin - (217) 524-4136 email@example.com
United States Geological Survey, Illinois Water Science Center (USGS)
Douglas Yeskis, Director - (217) 328-9706 email@example.com


text:
Letter to Senator Harkin and Representative DeFazio Supporting their Wall Street Trading and Speculators Tax Act
November 02, 2011
Dear Senator Harkin and Representative DeFazio:
On behalf of the 3.2 million members of the National Education Association (NEA), we would like to express our support for the Wall Street Trading and Speculators Tax Act. We thank you for your leadership on this legislation and your efforts to ensure that all pay their fair share toward economic recovery.
Three years after the financial meltdown and a taxpayer bailout, Wall Street is booming with record profits and bonuses. At the same time Main Street is still suffering as families continue to struggle to find work and feed their children. It is fair and practical to ask Wall Street to do more to aid economic recovery.
The single largest contributing factor to the current deficit is the tax cuts enacted under the last administration and renewed in 2010. It cost our nation $700 billion to extend the tax cuts for single filers earning over $200,000 a year and joint filers earning over $250,000. CBO numbers show that by the end of this decade well over half of the deficit will have resulted from these tax cuts, and this share will continue to grow after that. Yet, some policy makers want to balance the budget on the backs of working families, children, and seniors. We simply cannot demand more from those barely scraping by while continuing to give Wall Street a free pass.
Congress must find innovative revenue raisers that reduce our deficits, keep the federal government running, and ensure a progressive federal tax base. We believe the Wall Street Trading and Speculators Tax Act offers such a proposal. By assessing a tiny 0.03 percent tax on trading of stocks, bonds, futures, options, swaps, and credit default swaps, your bill would raise significant revenue, while simultaneously discouraging reckless short-term speculative trading that can threaten financial stability.
We believe the Wall Street Trading and Speculators Tax Act offers a common-sense, financially sound proposal to raising revenues while discouraging risky trading that has created unstable, volatile markets. We thank you for your leadership on this important issue and look forward to working with you to ensure a fair, balanced approach to deficit reduction.
Kim Anderson
Director, Center for Advocacy
Mary Kusler
Manager of Federal Advocacy


text: America is an air power. And for every kind of air power, the U.S. has different, iconic warplanes. When the Pentagon needs to frighten its enemies and rivals, the Air Force deploys fast, radar-evading F-22 stealth fighters or B-52 heavy bombers bristling with weaponry. When threats turn to violence, the Navy and Air Force can call on their huge arsenals of F-15, F-16 and F-18 jet fighters to drop bombs and fire missiles. For the quieter, more subtle work of spotting, tracking and killing suspected terrorists, the U.S. relies on armed Predator and Reaper drones operated by the Air Force, Army and CIA. And in the difficult, dirty slog of ground warfare, the Army calls on its Apache gunship helicopters and Blackhawk transports and the Marines their controversial V-22 tiltrotors. But for a wide range of more secretive missions, the Pentagon possesses tiny forces of specialized, and largely unknown, warplanes. Some are rugged transports meant to blend in with civilian air fleets and deliver commandos or diplomats to remote battlefields -- or provide overhead surveillance during highly classified Special Operations. Others are electronic wizards, performing esoteric but vital communications functions in the high-tech management of the Pentagon's far-flung forces. And then there are the "aggressors" -- foreign-made or modified domestic models prized for their ability to accurately simulate the capabilities of America's enemies. Some of these special aircraft are obscure by design. A few are top secret. The rest go unrecognized because, in an American aerial armada populated mostly by fast, loud fighters, lumbering bombers and jet transports and innumerable helicopters, they seem unimpressive. But the vital roles they play in America's domination of the air belie their unassuming exteriors. What follows are just 10 of the ass-kicking U.S. warplanes you probably didn't know existed. Above: Sim Enemy What better way to train for aerial warfare than to simulate entire air campaigns, right down to using U.S.-made planes as stand-ins for the other side's air force? That's the thinking behind the Pentagon's Red Flag series of wargames as well as for countless smaller simulated battles. To represent the Russian-made fighters flown by many of America's enemies, the Air Force use its standard F-15 and F-16, flown by highly experienced pilots well versed in adversary tactics. But the Navy and Marines take a different approach. They fly 31 Northrop F-5s, a type of lightweight dogfighter not used by regular U.S. squadrons -- and which closely duplicates the fast-turning performance of many Russian-made planes. The F-5 has been out of production for decades, so when the Navy needed to purchase additional copies of the maneuverable jet, it negotiated for some lightly used copies from Switzerland, ensuring the reinforced adversary squadrons will be waging simulated warfare for years to come. Photo: AV8PIX/FlickrMiGs, Mils and Sukhois How do the pilots flying the F-5s to simulate Russian jets even know how the Russian models perform? From time to time U.S. forces have the opportunity to conduct training exercises with allies equipped with Soviet-style aircraft. But that experience masks the Pentagon's direct experience operating enemy warplanes. Since at least 1977 the military has flown roughly a couple dozen Russian-made MiG and Sukhoi fighters from the secretive Tonopah air base in Nevada, under the code name Constant Peg. How the jets were acquired, the Pentagon has never specified, though purchases from non-aligned nations are one possible avenue, as is outright theft. "We didn't know what 90 percent of the switches did," John Manclark, former Constant Peg commander, said of his exotic fighters. The Army has a parallel program, flying an estimated 13 Russian Mil helicopters, including the Mi-24 gunship pictured above. As recently as the 1990s, the Army openly discussed these "threat simulators," but in recent years has scrubbed the references and even yanked photos off the Internet, for reasons that aren't entirely clear. The Air Force declassified Constant Peg in 2006, but still keeps most of the details under wraps -- including the current status of America's MiG air force. As recently as 2003, the latest Russian Su-27 fighter was videotaped flying over Tonopah. Photo: ArmyDiscreet Spy The Pentagon values its Russian-made warplanes precisely because they stand out from the legions of F-15s, F-16s and F-18s. But some missions require the opposite approach: total discretion. Adm. Bill McRaven, commander of all U.S. Special Operations Forces, said in May that his commandos were on the ground in 77 countries. In some of those countries, the commandos must keep a low profile, without sacrificing their ability to gather intelligence. For that, they need a low-profile spy plane. Fortunately, Swiss firm Pilatus makes just the thing: the single-propeller U-28, which is powerful enough to haul cameras, data-links and imagery analysts, but sufficiently innocuous-looking to avoid serious attention at Third World airports. The Air Force possesses 36 of the sleek planes, which can double as transports. The U-28 made headlines in February when one crashed near the U.S. base in Djibouti in East Africa, killing four Air Force Special Ops crewmen. Photo: Air ForceFlying Truck The U-28 is hardly delicate, but there are battlefields too remote and too rugged even for the U-28. So in 2009 the Air Force purchased 10 M28 Skytrucks from a Polish manufacturer. These stubby, twin-engine airlifters are just big enough, and tough enough, to land six fully loaded commandos on some dirt air strip or a length of unimproved road. Unlike the U-28, the M28 does not carry surveillance gear, Air Force Col. J.D. Clem said. "There is nothing really cosmic about it at all," Clem insisted. But that doesn't mean the ugly little sky truck isn't doing vital work moving America's commandos to the latest hotspot. Photo coutesy of David CenciottiDiplomatic Air Force Special Operations Command isn't the only organization that requires an anonymous, dependable transport for flying in and out of war zones. The U.S. State Department operates 70-year-old Douglas DC-3 cargo planes in support of its far-flung diplomatic outposts in such places as Libya and Iraq. Upgraded with new engines, the World War II-era DC-3s still aren't very fast -- 150 miles per hour or so -- but they can take off and land pretty much anywhere. A DC-3 was on call to support Christoper Stevens, the U.S. ambassador to Libya, in the months before he was killed in a September terror attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi. The ancient but effective transports are part of the little-known Department of State Air Wing, which possesses 230 aircraft and, according to aviation journalist David Cenciotti, performs missions including "reconnaissance and surveillance operations, command and control for counter-narcotics operations, interdiction operations, logistical support, medical evacuation [and] personnel and cargo movement by air." Photo courtesy of David CenciottiShadowy Errands Nominally, the Air Force's 36 HC-130s are tankers -- flying gas cans with hoses for pumping fuel into helicopters. But the HC-130s -- enhanced versions of the venerable C-130 transport -- also handle some of the most sensitive, and thankless, missions in the Pentagon's remit, thanks to their extra radios and navigation equipment and highly trained crews. In 2006, for example, an HC-130 with 17 U.S. personnel on board flew into Sudan to pick up gear belonging to a U.S. military liaison to that country. This was at the height of the bloody Darfur genocide. And although the flight was legal, Sudanese officials on the ground accused the crew of spying -- and deployed troops to block the plane's departure. An all-day stand-off nearly escalated into a firefight before the HC-130 made its escape. The public learned about the near-disaster only when the Air Force tapped some crew members for commendation. Photo: Air ForceDrug-Sniffing Sniper-Stalker The RC-7B is a modified, Canadian-made transport plane fitted with cameras, radars and electronic receivers for listening in on enemy communications. Originally developed for counter-drug ops in Latin America, the Army's seven RC-7s now deploy all over the world on classified missions. Their generic appearance helps them blend in. With the addition of acoustic gunfire-detectors, in 2002 RC-7s aided in the hunt for the snipers then stalking the Washington, D.C. area, ultimately killing 10 people. Nine years later, an RC-7 was itself the target of attack, as North Korea apparently used a GPS jammer to interfere with the plane's navigation south of the Demilitarized Zone, forcing the RC-7 to make an emergency landing. Photo: Drewski2112/FlickrDoomsday Communicator In the event of a major terror attack or nuclear war, the plan is for the president to hop aboard an E-4 "doomsday" plane, a modified 747 from which he can safely command America's forces. The Navy's 16 E-6Bs are doomsday back-ups, equipped with nearly every communications device imaginable, with the additional ability to transmit radio messages to submerged submarines via a trailing, five-mile-long antenna. But it's the E-6's other duties that make it so interesting day to day. With so many different radios, the E-6 is one of the few U.S. warplanes -- the secretive "Bacon" is the other -- that's able to function as a "universal translator," helping U.S. and allied forces talk to each other across great distance. Reporter David Cenciotti even tracked an E-6 apparently playing relay during the May 2011 raid to kill Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan. " Photo: Air ForceBug-Catcher Nuclear explosions send radioactive debris swirling high into the atmosphere, where the Air Force's so-called "bug catchers" are there to snatch them up. At the height of the Cold War more than five decades ago, the U.S. and the Soviet Union each tested hundreds of nukes. To glean what it could from the Soviet tests, the Air Force sent old, propeller-driven B-29 bombers equipped with scoops for sucking up radioactive particles for analysis. The jet-powered WC-135 entered service in 1965, replacing the World War II-vintage planes. Today the Air Force's two WC-135 spend most of their time in the Pacific, sniffing the air for evidence of North Korean nuclear tests. The planes can also "detect seismic events" associated with nuke blasts, according to Air Force spokesman Maj. Chad Steffey. Their unique sensors make the bug-catcher planes uniquely suited to another alarming task: monitoring the effects of an accidental nuclear meltdown. When Japan's Fukushima reactor was damaged in last year's tsunami, the Air Force sent a WC-135 to map the fallout. Photo: Air ForceStealth Surprise Officially, the Air Force retired its force of approximately 40 F-117 stealth fighters in March 2008, citing the high cost of maintenance, the jet's waning ability to evade the latest radars and the introduction of the newer and more capable F-22. But two years later, plane-spotters in Nevada encountered the F-117's familiar diamond shape zooming overhead, as seen the video above. It appears the Pentagon's first stealth warplane has not been grounded, but has only returned to the shadows from where it came. We can only speculate as to why. Aviationintel's Ty Rogoway believes the radar-evading jets were preserved for testing. "The F-117 could theoretically be used as something of a 'flying measuring stick' for evaluating a radar system's ability to detect and track low-observable flying objects," Rogoway wrote. By the same token, it's possible the F-117s are being used to simulate enemy stealth fighters in Pentagon war games, giving U.S. forces realistic targets to defend against. After all, America is not the only country with specialized, and secretive, warplanes.


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Probing hate: Could Laramie happen here?
The nation was stunned in 1998 when gay college student Matthew Shepherd was severely beaten and left hanging on a fence in Laramie, Wyoming. Shepherd died from his injuries and exposure shortly after the assault. In its third production of the current season, the UVA Drama Department stages The Laramie Project, a documentary-style play responding to the Shepherd tragedy.
Written by Moises Kaufman and the members of the Tectonic Theater Project, the play attempts to probe the repercussions of an act motivated by hatred. Drawing from actual interviews conducted and compiled by the company–a New York theater troupe who journeyed to Laramie one month after the incident– the play profiles many people who were directly and indirectly affected by the murder.
In six separate visits, the crew secured more than 400 hours of taped interviews. Combining these edited accounts with factual research provided the basis for what has become a ground-breaking play. The Laramie Project incorporates testimonies from an assortment of the town's residents: courtroom witnesses, religious figures, law enforcement members, college officials, and Shepherd's friends.
Portraying the over 100 characters in the play is an ensemble of eight UVA actors, featuring both graduate students and undergraduates: Sarah Allen, Ben Bolling, Logan Byers, Beth Gervain, Gil Gonzalez, Katie Liddicoat, Alex Major, and Maura Molloy.
Artistic director Richard Warner, head of acting for the Department, believes that the Charlottesville community will benefit from seeing this production: "I think the play presents, in a direct and compelling way, a look at who we are as Americans in 2003." Moises Kaufman, director of the original project, wanted to find out how the town of Laramie was different from the rest of the country and how it was similar.
"I wanted to ask those same questions about Charlottesville," Warner says.
To facilitate a conversation about the issues raised by the play, the Drama Department has joined forces with the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Resource Center at UVA to present a post-performance discussion with cast members and others after tonight's show.
Attend the play, then stay for a half-hour longer to ask your own questions and listen to what others have to say about this thought-provoking production about an American tragedy.
The Laramie Project continues through Saturday, February 22, at the Culbreth Theater, 109 Culbreth Road. 8pm. $7-12. UVA students can use their ART$ dollars to purchase tickets. 924-3376.


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Archer and T'Pol try to recover an artifact as Enterprise gets involved with a standoff between the Vulcan and Andorian fleets.
- The episode continues where "Awakening" left off.
When Enterprise arrives in Andorian territory, it stops near a nebula. Soval and Trip telecommunicate with Shran, who has apparently concealed his own presence inside the nebula. Later, Soval, Tucker, and Shran meet aboard Enterprise. Soval and Tucker inform Shran that a Vulcan fleet is planning to attack Andorian space near Regulus. Shran is not totally convinced.
A conflict arises when Shran orders the abduction of Soval. The abduction is successful, and Shran tortures Soval using a device that affects Soval's nervous system, causing Soval to lose control of his emotional barrier. Shran, suspicious of the information Soval has given him about the impending invasion, demands that Soval reveal the truth. Soval, even under this severe emotional stress and torture, insists that he has told the truth. Enterprise fires on Shran's ship, and Shran relents, accepting Soval's information as true and returning him to the Human ship. The torture leaves Soval in a coma in Enterprise's sickbay, where Shran visits him to examine his condition.
On Vulcan, Archer, T'Pau and T'Pol continue on towards the Vulcan High Command. T'Pau and T'Pol discuss the death of T'Les, and T'Pol reveals her Pa'nar Syndrome. T'Pau tells T'Pol that Pa'nar Syndrome was known in Surak's time, and is caused by an improperly performed mind meld. It can be cured by an accomplished melder. T'Pau melds with T'Pol, and presumably cures her Pa'nar syndrome.
Archer, T'Pau and T'Pol encounter resistance along the way by members of the High Command, causing Archer and T'Pau to separate from T'Pol. T'Pol pretends to be a Syrrannite to convince the High Command officers to go to Mount Seleya. While the officers continue on, T'Pol is sent to the High Command. On the way to Mount Seleya, Archer and T'Pau attack the officers, and learn that T'Pol is at the High Command. Archer then pulls a Vulcan nerve pinch on one of them; T'Pau says he's improving.
Enterprise and the Andorian fleet mobilize outside of the Andorian system, and encounter the Vulcan attack fleet. Minister Kuvak acknowledges V'Las that the Andorian fleet is only equipped with particle weapon and there is no evidence of Xindi technology. They should call off the attack. V'Las says that their forces are committed and they must destroy Andoria. By the orders of V'Las, the battle commences. The Vulcans outnumber the Andorians.
Cmdr. Tucker orders Enterprise to move between the two fleets, where it is quickly caught in the crossfire. Eventually, when the Enterprise fires on a Vulcan cruiser to aid a wounded Andorian ship, the Vulcans are ordered to destroy them by V'Las. During the firefight, the Kumari takes a hit for Enterprise, causing Shran to inform Trip that Archer now owes him two favors.
Back on Vulcan, Archer and T'Pau enter the High Command chamber. V'Las attempts to contact security only for Kuvak to pinch a Sublieutenant and grab his weapon. Archer reveals to the council that V'Las bombed the Earth embassy as part of his plan to round up the Syrannites, so they wouldn't find the Kir'Shara. Despite V'Las' insistence that the Kir'Shara's a myth, Archer activates it, showing the holographic teachings of Surak. T'Pau reinforces that quantum dating will prove to the assembled council that it was from Surak's time. V'Las tries to destroy the Kir'Shara only to be stunned by Kuvak. He then contacts the assault fleet to call off the attack.
Aboard the Enterprise, Koss releases T'Pol from her marriage. At the Vulcan High Command, a Vulcan priest removes Surak's Katra from Archer. Soval informs him that the High Command will be disbanded and that it's time for Earth to stand on its own.
In a cave, V'Las meets clandestinely with a Romulan. V'Las is angry that they didn't kill Archer. The Romulan tells him to wait, forcing freeing him will cause his disappearance to be noticed. He says that the "re-unification" is only a matter of time.
This episode summary has been identified as lacking essential detail, and as such needs attention. Feel free to edit this page to assist with this expansion.
- Please obey copyright policy; do not copy material from other sources without permission.
Memorable Quotes
"Tell Archer that's two he owes me!"
- - Shran
- - Soval to Shran
"How do you feel?'"
- - Shran to Soval when Shran turns the torture machine on
"Open a channel."
"To where?"
"The nebula."
- - Soval and Tucker
"Where is your fleet?!"
"Do you know the story of Nirak?"
"He was a soldier who lived a long time ago. He was standing watch over the gates of the city of Gol and he saw a cloud on the horizon moving toward him. He thought it was a sandstorm, so he told no one. It was an army. They destroyed the city, but they let Nirak live. His name now means "fool" in our language, just as yours will in Andorian!"
- - Commander Shran interrogating Soval, not believing in his truthful answers
"How do you feel, Captain?"
"Like a giant weight's been lifted"
- - Soval and Archer, at the Vulcan High Command.
"It's time for Earth to stand on its own."
- - T'Pau
Background Information
- The damage report PADD which Trip holds in his hand during the meeting with Reed in the ready room lists various appearances of the number 47.
- The Vulcan priest who extracts Surak's katra from Archer also performed T'Pol and Koss' wedding ceremony in "Home". He was portrayed by Jack Donner, better known for his role as Tal in the TOS episode "The Enterprise Incident".
- Trip tells V'Las that by putting themselves in the middle of the fight between the Vulcans and the Andorians Earth (via Enterprise) is returning the favor owed to the Andorians (specifically Shran) for helping them save their home planet. This is a reference to Shran's actions in "Zero Hour". The notion of being in each other's debt began in season one's "The Andorian Incident".
- The final scene in which V'Las meets clandestinely with a Romulan operative almost didn't make it into the finished episode for budgetary reasons. Originally, the Romulan was to have been a new, never-before-seen character, but there was no money left in the budget to pay for another speaking role. Writer Mike Sussman adjusted the scene so that the Romulan became the character Talok, a Vulcan role that had already been cast. The re-use of a Romulan uniform from Star Trek Nemesis allowed the scene to be included in the finished episode. Had the scene been cut, as it very nearly was, the Romulans' role in the Vulcan Civil War would have remained completely hidden, even from the audience. (Information provided by Mike Sussman)
- The upper portion of a Vulcan capital building is a reuse of the Sarajevo model first featured in "Storm Front Part II" as an Earth ship escorting Enterprise to Earth.
- The Andorian antennae in this episode were operated by special effects make-up technicians Allan A. Apone and Paul Elliot.
- A Vulcan High Command display table used in this episode was sold off in the It's A Wrap! sale and auction for $466.00. [1] Additionally, a Vulcan energy pistol used in this episode was auctioned off. The item features portions of a Kazon raider's hull. [2] Other items which were sold off include a pair of boots, worn by Jeff Smolek. [3]
- In "The Andorian Incident", T'Pol stated that the Andorians did not have transporter technology. It is possible that they developed it in the four years between that episode and this one, or the writers may have forgotten that fact when they used it to abduct Soval.
- The book Star Trek 101, by Terry J. Erdmann and Paula M. Block, lists this episode as one of the "Ten Essential Episodes" from Star Trek: Enterprise.
Links and References
- Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer
- John Billingsley as Doctor Phlox
- Jolene Blalock as Commander T'Pol
- Dominic Keating as Lieutenant Malcolm Reed
- Anthony Montgomery as Ensign Travis Mayweather
- Linda Park as Ensign Hoshi Sato
- Connor Trinneer as Commander Charles "Trip" Tucker III
Guest Stars
- Robert Foxworth as V'Las
- Jeffrey Combs as Shran
- John Rubinstein as Kuvak
- Gary Graham as Soval
- Michael Reilly Burke as Koss
- Kara Zediker as T'Pau
- Todd Stashwick as Talok
- Jack Donner as the Vulcan priest
Uncredited Co-Stars
- Joey Anaya as a Vulcan commando
- Glen Hambly as an Andorian officer
- Dieter Hornemann as a Vulcan High Command member
- Louis Ortiz as a Vulcan High Command member
- Jeff Smolek as a Vulcan commando
- Tim Storms as a Vulcan commando
- David Venafro as an Andorian officer
- Unknown performers as
Stunt doubles
- Vince Deadrick, Jr. as stunt double for Scott Bakula
- Diana Lee Inosanto as stunt double for Kara Zediker
- Jeff Wolfe as stunt double for Todd Stashwick
- Boni Yanagisawa as stunt double for Jolene Blalock
47; Andoria; Andorian; Andorian general; Andorian Imperial Guard; Andorian system; Andorian battle cruiser; Andorian cruiser; Battle of Andoria; court martial; D-deck; D'Kyr type; Earth; Earth Starfleet; Fleet Commander; gallicite; Gardner; G-deck; Gol; helm control; hull breach; hull plating; internal sensors; interrogation; interrogation chair; katra; Kir'Shara; Kumari; lirpa; Major; melder; Mount Seleya; neuro-synaptic field; nervous system; Nirak; Pa'nar Syndrome; Paan Mokar; particle cannon; particle flux; phase cannon; physician; pink skin; priest; quantum dating; Regulus; Romulan; sandstorm; security grid; sehlat; shield generator; sublieutenant; subspace distortion; suppression system; Surak; Syrran; Syrrannites; tactical alert; task force; T'Karath Sanctuary; Tomed; torture; transporter; United Earth Embassy; Vulcan; Vulcan cruiser; Vulcan fighter; Vulcan (planet); Vulcan's Forge; Vulcan High Command; Vulcan language; Vulcan mind meld; Vulcan nerve pinch; Vulcan salute; warp signature; Xindi; Xindi technology
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Ordinarily I don't like to belabor technical issues, but today's daylong outage of our image server postpones one of our most popular features: The Kotaku 'Shop Contest roundup. I swear this is just a postponement - not a cancellation.
Unfortunately, it also potentially affects tomorrow's Sunday Comics and other features. Trust us that we have, yes, top ... men ... working on it right now.
This is why nearly every post today has carried a video of some sort on the front page. That at least still works, and given the choice between illustrating a post with a video, and no illustration at all, we'll take the former.
Thank you for your continued patience and your support of Kotaku.


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If you've been charged with a crime, you need the immediate assistance of an experienced...Read More
Clearwater Criminal Defense Law Firm
Welcome to the HOME PAGE of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. We are Nicholas J. Dorsten and Rex R. Blake, Esq. If you are looking for an experienced criminal trial attorney or personal injury lawyer to assist you in any criminal or personal injury matter that you may have, then you have come to the right place.
Blake & Dorsten, P.A. serves the entire Tampa Bay area and handles select cases throughout the State of Florida. Over the last few months our lawyers have handled criminal and personal injury cases in Pinellas County, Pasco County, Hillsborough County, Manatee County and the surrounding areas.
Tampa Bay criminal defense attorneys Rex Blake and Nicholas Dorsten are known for the diversity of criminal matters that they handle. No case is too small or too large. Our lawyers have tried cases ranging from traffic ticket hearings to DUI to murder! Our criminal defense lawyers have experience handling all different types of criminal cases, offering aggressive criminal defense representation to clients charged with drug crimes, DUI, domestic violence, probation violations, theft crimes, federal crimes, sex crimes and violent crimes. These are all very serious criminal offenses with punishments that can range from fines to incarceration. When charged with a serious offense, you need experienced Tampa Bay criminal defense attorneys like Rex Blake and Nicholas Dorsten to represent you in court.
In addition, lawyers Rex Blake and Nicholas Dorsten handle personal injury cases involving car and motorcycle accidents, slip and falls, and wrongful death cases. From the moment you or a loved one are in a car accident or slip and fall incident, the insurance companies are hard at work against you. Even out the odds by hiring these experienced personal injury attorneys.
This firm has a solid presence in the Tampa Bay community. You can see their television commercials. You can hear its radio commercials on Life Improvement Radio and WDAE, "The Sports Animal." On some afternoons, you can catch the attorneys on " Attorney Answers" -- a local radio call-in show -- where they help answer personal injury, criminal and traffic-related questions from members of our community.
Blake & Dorsten, P.A. prides itself on being available for its clients. Our lawyers are available 24 hours a day. After hours and on weekends, the phone lines are forwarded directly to an attorney's personal cell phone. You will never receive an answering service as your case deserves to be handled immediately by an experienced attorney. Our lawyers will always offer appointments that will meet YOUR schedule. If requested, our Tampa Bay criminal defense lawyers will travel to any local county jail to meet with a potential client. In addition, we accept collect and prepaid calls from any of our local county jails.
Blake & Dorsten, P.A. will always strive to provide each and every client with the following:
- An honest assessment and evaluation of your case.
- A competitive fee commensurate with like experience.
- A response to your call or inquiry on the same day.
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- The proper balance of creativity and tenacity.
- Good, old-fashioned, roll-up-the-sleeves hard work.
When your criminal case requires the very best representation, our lawyers are there for you: 365/24/7. If you need a Tampa Bay criminal defense attorney, browse this website and contact our office either directly or through the Contact page at your convenience.
The Lawyers of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. are regular hosts on the radio program " Attorney Answers" where they answer call-in questions on personal injury, criminal and traffic law.


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amanda herbert necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 327 diseños de 54 diseñadores freelance.
Amanda Herbert Photography (http://www.amandaherbert.com)
I'm looking for a polished and professional logo that will be used to co-ordinate my new branding package. The logo will be iconic and will translate well for calling cards, stationary, e-signature and as watermark. Ideally the logo will be compact and easily constrained into boxes / circles. It needs to look good on clean, white (or black) backgrounds.
A contemporary audience that relates to all things elegant / classic / subtle yet is also a little quirky / whimsical or stylized. My potential clients consider themselves modern, urban and current: think 'Friends' all grown up.
Here are a few images that appeal:
I'm looking for a logo that won't date quickly and draws upon the below inspiration:
• clean, linear, with a fresh color palette (eg turquoise or oranges such as 'blue sky day', 'transition' or 'one for the masses' from Kuler http://kuler.adobe.com
• fresh and fun with a bold typeface (rounded fonts with diagonal bars)
• Well thought out monogram with fluid / organic script boxed or integrated with 'Amanda Herbert Photography'. Feel free to be creative with the initials and name.
• Name of font & Vector based graphics.
If you could display your logo as a package so I could see how it translates as letter heading, watermark, business cards etc that would be perfect.
Finally, multiple colour scheme or brand suggestions are more likely to be successful.
Thanks and Good Luck, Mandy
Funky not cute
Organic not floral
Modern not futuristic
Simple not cluttered
Bold not fierce
Fresh not techni-coloured
Graphic elements not clip-art
Designs on photography not generic camera equipment
High end not trendy
Accepted File Formats
Standard Web Formats (.jpg, .gif or .png); Vector Formats (.eps, .pdf or .ai); Layered Formats (.psd or TIFF)
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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What does it feel like to be transformed into an action figure? You can't ask Batman, Superman or Spider-Man — but you can ask Hillsboro native Sgt. 1st Class John Adams.
What does it feel like to be transformed into an action figure? You can't ask Batman, Superman or Spider-Man — but you can ask Hillsboro native Sgt. 1st Class John Adams.
The Army has instituted the America's Army Real Heroes program, in which eight medal winners have been transformed into action figures. They each get their own trading card plus a personal Web page (at http://americasarmy.com) with their bio, photos and a video (including a re-creation of the incident) in which they recount how they won their medal.
Adams is one of the eight Army soldiers selected for Real Heroes. Another is Sgt. 1st Class Robert Groff of the Central Illinois Recruiting Company out of Peoria.
American military heroes as far back as George Washington have gone from war to become presidents, movie stars and folk heroes. There was Sgt. Alvin York in World War I and Audie Murphy in World War II, to name two of many.
But other soldiers returning home from action are reluctant to talk about what happened "over there." There is no place for "I really don't want to talk about it" in this new Army program.
The action figures are not available in stores, but the eight soldiers are given as many as he (all eight action figures are men) needs and passes them out at events, to recruits or to friends and family members.
While a baseball card lists the player's statistics on the back, the back of Adams' trading card is a recounting of what happened Oct. 13, 2004, the night he earned the Bronze Star with valor in Iraq.
"After receiving a radio transmission from his platoon leader about a suspicious car parked ahead, Adams ordered his driver to stop and jumped from the vehicle to investigate.
"As Adams drew his 9mm pistol and approached the vehicle, he commanded the occupant to freeze …"
Immediately, Adams and his patrol came under fire. He returned fire with his pistol, the card says, "immediately eliminating one insurgent." With bullets ricocheting around him, Adams ran back to the convoy and retrieved a rifle. He and other members of his patrol continued firing until the insurgents disappeared into the darkness. Adams then approached the fallen man and found a shovel and something else.
"His patrol had interrupted the placement of three large IEDs (improvised explosive devices)," his card says, "wired together and rigged with artillery rounds. SSG Adams' heroic actions prevented the anti-Iraqi forces from burying the lethal explosives and helped recover multiple enemy weapons and explosive devices."
The video includes an interview with Adams and a re-creation of the incident, in which Adams plays himself. He and the other soldiers in the video replicated the Iraq incident in a church parking lot in Indiana.
"Think of Hillsboro in January," he says. "That's about what the re-creation was like. We were freezing. It was slightly misting rain. And we had to make it look like Iraq."
It is impossible to imagine something like this happening after, say, the Vietnam War. But it is a new day, with new technology and new attitudes — which, Adams says, is the point.
The Real Heroes program, he points out, is aimed at younger people as a recruiting tool, but is also for older people who lived through the turmoil of Vietnam and were late in honoring the sacrifices of the soldiers in that war. It is part of an effort to make sure that doesn't happen to soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Adams moved from Hillsboro to Florida after the seventh grade. He still has family in Hillsboro, including his maternal grandparents, Jerry and Marilyn Stewart.
Adams understands the "I'd rather not talk about it" attitude of many soldiers who have undergone traumatic experiences in war. He explains that he had an advantage.
"My wife (Jodi) has a degree in psychology," he says, "and I'd call her once or twice a day when I was there. Whenever something big happened to me, I would call home and talk to her. My guys had that freedom to call her, too. We were a pretty tight group."
So when it came time to participate in the new program, even though it meant actually re-creating the roadside firefight in which he just as easily could have died, he was willing to do it.
As far as becoming an action figure?
"It's hard to believe," he says. "That was one dream when I was a kid, to be in the Army. I played out in the woods with a GI Joe (action figure). To become one of them? It's surreal, I guess."
Dave Bakke can be reached at (217) 788-1541 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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The Artpsace hosts a range of educational programs to complement our exhibition program. Exhibiting artists, guest curators and arts professionals are invited to give illustrated presentations to Artspace visitors at noon on select Fridays for T.N.T. (The Noon Thing) Fridays. Check our events calendar for upcoming programs at the Artspace.
The Kansas City Art Institute's viewbook provides an overview of KCAI's academic programs, students, faculty, alumni and campus. Download the viewbook here (PDF)


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Nope IMO. Would relieve the pressure on Flintoff at 6. Batting down to 8, four front-liners and some part-timers.
Nope IMO. Would relieve the pressure on Flintoff at 6. Batting down to 8, four front-liners and some part-timers.
Jesus brings life eternal
Still, that's England back to picking bowlers for their batting rather than their bowling ability isn't it.
GOOD OLD COLLINGWOOD - PREMIERS IN 2010Originally Posted by Irfan
Is Cam White, Is Good.
North for Symonds anyone?
Hodge for Symonds.
... .... .- -.- . / - .... . / -.. . .- - .... / ..-. .-. --- -- / -.-- --- ..- .-. / -... --- -. . ...
Or more likely picking an extra batsman who can bowl a bit ahead of a crap batsman who can't even be trusted to bowl!Originally Posted by Matt79
marc71178 - President and founding member of AAAS - we don't only appreciate when he does well, but also when he's not quite so good!
Anyone want to join the Society?
Beware the evils of Kit-Kats - they're immoral apparently.
If Hodge doesn't play in Melbourne I'll cry.
Rest In Peace Craigos
Hodge said after he got overlooked for the 3rd test that he'd considered retiring
Does it really matter, other than if Aussies want to push for 5-0?
-My beliefs summarized in words much more eloquent than I could come up with
How the Universe came from nothing
Pretty decent in aspects of the game. Good utility player..Originally Posted by Craig
Rank average in other wordsOriginally Posted by aussie
Really, can't remember reading that anywhere..Originally Posted by superkingdave
He's pretty much like Collingwood when he came into the side in 2001, very good in the field, capable with the bat, pretty handy with the ball & wants to play for his country.Originally Posted by superkingdave
Here, it was in the MENOriginally Posted by aussie
"I did wonder last Friday night what the point was in keeping going because I didn't know the selection criteria and I didn't know if the injury had set me back.
"It certainly came into my mind. You question what you do and why you are doing it," said the unlucky Hodge, who has played five Tests.
Its the only international cricket I'll see in person this year, so yes, it matters heaps. Better be the best test in living memory or I'm going to sulk!Originally Posted by silentstriker
Tough **** Hodge. Bring in North just to piss him off, cause he sounds like a wanker.
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Which Black Box Wine is the Best?
Our hunt for great-tasting affordable wine.
I hate to say it, but sometimes I waste alcohol. I open a bottle, enjoy a glass or two, and put the rest in the fridge, promising myself I'll finish it tomorrow or the next day. But sometimes all the vacuum pumps and rubber stoppers in the world can't stop me from needing to pour the rest down the drain. A little part of me dies every time, and I'm sick of it.
Some would say I need better friends to help me in my times of need, but I've discovered a more effective solution: boxed wine. But just like friends, decent and reliable boxed wines can be hard to come by. So we recently tasted our way through the widely available Black Box wines to see if there were any winners in the bunch.
While there are plenty of reasons to get on board with boxed wines in general (for more on that, check out our boxed wine guide), Black Box's schtick is a little different. Their packaging is clean and sleek; their grapes are mostly new world, and they're aiming for the mid-range boxed wine market, if there is such a thing. For 3 liters, which is the same as 4 standard bottles, you'll spend about $25. They also offer Tetra Paks of 500 mL for around $5.
Storing and Serving
The 3 liter box has a convenient pull-out spout and the bag compresses as you pour out the wine, which helps to keep air away from the juice. If you're really aiming to keep it around a long time, though, you should still stash the box in the fridge for the best preservation. If you're serving a bigger party, take the box out of the fridge about 15 minutes before serving for white wines, and 30 minutes before serving for reds. For a glass at a time, letting the poured wine sit outside for 10 minutes or so to bring it up to temperature (perfect amount of time to fix yourself a snack). And as you get close to the end, you can cut off a corner of the bag to get every last drop out of that box.
For the 500 mL cartons, try to grab a friend or try to commit yourself for more than just a glass—the Tetra Pak doesn't have the same compression magic as bag-in-a-box to keep it fresh for longer than a day.
While in total, Black Box has 10 boxed varietal wines, we tried the 5 most popular: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc for the whites and Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot for the reds.
Best Black Box White Wine: Sauvignon Blanc
Black Box's 2011 New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc has a peachy scent brightened with grapefruit, with a floral side that almost reminded us of a Riesling or certain late harvest wines. Fortunately, the juice wasn't as sweet as the scents might have suggested, and the acidity shined through instead. In addition to the citrus flavors, this wine offered a little grassiness, as you might expect from a Sauvignon Blanc, though it wasn't vegetal or off-putting. Try a glass with food that has a little fat in it—goat cheese, avocado, or white tuna— and the acidity will cut through quite nicely.
How did the other whites fare? While a few tasters liked the 2011 Monterey Country Chardonnay, which was just slightly buttery with hints of pepper and clove, we felt that the wine's acidity was too weak to pull it into balance. The 2011 California Pinot Grigio was the least favorite of the group; we found it a little bland and slightly astringent.
Best Black Box Red: Merlot
In general, the reds were more appealing than the whites. Our group of tasters found the 2009 California Merlot quite tasty, with a sweet burst of cherry balanced by a smoky, tobacco-like finish. We were happy to drink it on its own, but found it even better with Port Salut and salami.
As for the other red we tried, we found the 2010 California Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 drinkable but a little boring, with darker fruit flavors but not a lot of interest.
Have you ever tried Black Box wines? If so, what are your favorites? Are there other boxed wines you like to keep handy?
All wines were provided as samples for review consideration.


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Respondus is a software application for Windows computers that eases test, quiz, and survey creation in Blackboard. Using Respondus, faculty who have these items in a word-processing format can quickly upload them to Blackboard with little additional formatting.
Features include:
- A distinct user environment, called a "personality," for course management systems such as Blackboard
- Availability of up to 15 question types, including calculated and algorithmic formats
- Ability to use the Exam Wizard to create an assessment in minutes
- Comprehensive "Spell check" feature that includes dictionaries for American, Canadian, and British English and French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Finnish, plus a comprehensive medical dictionary
- Use of similar features in a word processing program such as tables, bulleted lists, font changes, and enhanced formatting
- Ability to use mathematical and scientific symbols using the Respondus Equation Editor or MathType
Additional Respondus Products:
Respondus LE
This free product is the "print only" version of Respondus. This version of the software lets you open or create Respondus-formatted files and print a traditional paper-based exam. This product does not interact with course management products such as Blackboard.
Use this product to create Flash-based activities and games using a simple template. The Flash activities can be used with any web server or published directly to a Blackboard. When constructing the actives you can import MS Word files or publisher test banks. Knowledge of Flash or HTML is not necessary.
Ideas for Use
- Create Multimedia Enhanced Tests
- Design True Math or Science Tests that Allow Student to Respond with Necessary Symbols or Signs
- Quickly Generate Review Tests


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Thursday, May 22
Most Overrated PGA Tour Players
Golf.com (SI) has published their PGA Tour player version of "all hat, no herd." Here's their list of the most-overrated players of the last quarter century:
Colin Montgomerie
Chris DiMarco
Davis Love III
Tom Lehman
Charles Howell III
Stewart Cink
I'm sure we could come up with some others for the most-overrated list, but here's my quick armchair analysis of their list.
I can't argue with Monty. As much as he's dominated the European Tour, Colin has accomplished zilch on American soil (except for in the Ryder Cup). Not only is he majorless, he's 0 for the PGA Tour.
DiMarco has just three career wins and none in the last five years. Golf.com calls him mostly sizzle. OK, but I never thought of him as being great and not fulfilling expectations.
DLIII, on the other hand, is a deserving choice. I like him, sure, but in my heart I know he should have more than one major ('97 PGA) to go with his 19 tour wins. For years I expected Davis to win at Augusta.
Tom Lehman. Interesting pick. He was a late bloomer, a guy who came out on tour in his 30s and won a few tournaments, plus the British Open. Yeah, he threw away a U.S. Open or two, but I don't think of Tom as overrated.
Howell and Cink are both underachievers (so far). Younger than Cink, Howell has more time to make some noise, but he disappeared last Sunday in Atlanta after having the lead.
−The Armchair Golfer
11 comments:
- Tom Blogical said...
I'd put Sergio Garcia at the very top of that list. I agree with DLIII. And why aren't Ian Poulter, Robert Allenby, Stuart Appleby or J.B. Holmes on this list? These guys, except for maybe Allenby, get a ton of fanfare and have nearly nothing to show for it.
- Miranda said...
John Daly has to go at the top of the list.
As for the list, I would say it's all in the measuring stick you're using. If you're in Europe and all you follow is the European Tour then you would probably think Montgomerie is one of the most successful golfers there are. I always try to give Monty the benefit of the doubt because simply put, there are hundreds of golfers who have played the Pro tours who would have loved to have had half the career he's had. Davis Love is another one I'd take off that list because it seems like no one's considering his matchplay stuff. He and Fred Couples won how many times in the World Cup events? And he's one of the most respected players on tour.
If you're being critical, how about putting Greg Norman on the list for all of the majors he could have won had he not choked so often.
And regarding Ian Poulter and JB Holmes - I think they haven't been on tour long enough yet to be considered overrated. They are just popular. JB is what, in his third year on tour if that? And Poulter splits his time between Europe and America so it's difficult for him to make a winning statement. Appleby does get a lot of attention, but I think Allenby gets attention because in tournaments where there are no big name players, he always seems to be doing well enough to give the announcers something to talk about.
Not sure i agree with the list to be honest, and i think you mean 'underachieved' not 'overrated'...
Monty: Okay he doesn't travel well, and he has never won a major. That stat about never winning on US soil is particularly damning. But... the guy has dominated the European Tour for years, winning 7 consecutive order of merits. He also has a fantastic Ryder Cup record. The guy was an unbelievable golfer. I would think of him in the 'best player to never win a major category.
Davis Love and Tom Lehmann have won majors, and have bagfulls of Tour wins between them. Perhaps they both could have won more majors, i don't know, but they are certainly not overrated.
Oh and whoever suggested John Daly. Come on now.
Garcia, Poulter and Holmes on the other hand are definately overrated. Still think garcia will win a major or two though.
I have a Nike Platinum Colored golf ball that has a code for the 2008 golf with tiger chance to win. I want to sell it but not sure if I should do it on ebay. Teeitupwithtiger.com my addy is firstname.lastname@example.com if anyone is interested.
- Unknown said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- The Armchair Golfer said...
Thanks for the comments, everyone.
Tom: I agree Sergio deserves a nod. Miranda: Funny you mention Greg Norman. I was thinking about him, too. I don't think people look at the World Cup team events the same way as individual accomplishments. If Davis is on the overrated list, Freddie ought to be, too. All that talent should have produced more than one major.
Golf Bet King: I agree that "underachieved" may be a better word, but Golf.com used the term "overrated" so I stuck with it. Actually, Lehman doesn't have a lot of wins, only five. Sorry, but DL belongs on the list, in my opinion, a major talent that should have bagged more majors.
- Average Golfer said...
Daly, that's the list. Career leader in exemptions. Oops, Wie.
Mickelson is arguably overrated. He's "rated" as an historically great or near-great golfer who is just a notch down from Tiger. However, he didn't win his first major til he was 33, he's only won 3 altogether (one more than John Daly and Retief Goosen), I believe he's never been no. 1 on the money list or ranked no. 1 in the world, and only something like 15 of his wins took place with Tiger in the field.
Sorry Neil, I know its not your list but a Scotsman here is about to defend another Scotsman! Colin Montgomerie is not and could not ever be considered "over rated" in fact I am not sure any of those guys could, maybe not lived up to their expectations or as another has said have underachieved, yes maybe. Someone who topped the European Tour 8 times cannot be over rated! What about Golfers who have freak wins at Majors of whom we hear very little of or see winning again consistently at the highest level? Surely they are the over rated ones? I can think Paul Lawrie as an example close to home, I am sure there are others closer to home for you, Ben Curtis maybe? He won the PGA then missed 13 cuts out of the next 20 Majors. Monty was a consistent winner in Europe and yes never cut in the U.S but then again he never did a Sergio, or a Rose or a Parnevik and shipped up and moved over and tried to make his living on the US Tour, he stayed loyal to the European circuit. To call him over rated seems typical of the disrespectful attitude towards him from certain parts of the US Media/Public , who lets face it just dont like him hence the Mrs Doubtfire Tag. No one needs to remind him he has never won a major, believe me he gets reminded about it everyday over here, would he swap his 8 European order of Merits for one US Open and golfing obscurity thereafter? Not sure, winning a major does not get you guaranteed respect over here, who do you think is more respected in golf Montgomerie or Lawrie?
Apologies for length of rant, keep using those photographs!
I have trouble putting someone who has won a major on an "Overrated" list. I think the "Best golfer never to win the big one" list is pretty much the same as the overrated list.
Thinking other sports, teams with championship rings, even stiffs like the Atlanta Braves, can't be overrated if they've won it all.
- Aussie Golfing said...
Great blog mate!
As for most overrated tour players, I'm going to say Adam Scott. He reminds me of a heavyweight boxer that won't fight anyone that's any good.


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"The Lucky One" is the latest film adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel. The man who's brought us "A Walk to Remember", "The Notebook", and "Dear John" (among others) has inspired yet another big screen bodice ripper.
In it, Zac Efron is Marine serving in Iraq who finds a photo lying in some rubble moments before an explosion would have taken his life. Had he not moved to examine the photo on the ground, he would have been blown to bits. After the incident, he searches for the owner of the photo amongst his squad, but no one claims it. In the process of searching for who it belongs to however, he finds himself constantly carrying it… and the recipient of good luck and safe-keeping as a result. He begins to believe that the photo and the woman in it have been protecting him, and vows to find her once his service is over.
Of course, what he finds instead is the kind of romance that romance movie fan's dreams are made of.


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"Date Night" takes the viewer on a spiritual journey through hope, boredom, anger and finally sorrow at seeing such a talented and entertaining cast -- to say nothing of an hour and a half -- wasted.
Tina Fey and Steve Carell are Claire and Phil Foster, a happily married couple with two kids who find themselves stuck in a rut in suburban New Jersey. After watching two of their best friends embrace divorce, the Fosters resolve to go into the big city for a special night out. What follows is a case of mistaken identity that finds the Fosters caught up in a mess of dirty cops, mobsters, a DA with some out-there sexual tastes, a couple of stoners and an ex-Black Ops specialist.
This is familiar territory, done to varying degrees of success over the years, and with a supporting cast that includes James Franco, Mila Kunis, Mark Ruffalo, Kristen Wiig and Mark Wahlberg, this should've been a breezy 88 minutes. Instead, it's a death march of tedium.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
Director Shawn Levy, who has helmed both nights "At the Museum," as well as "Cheaper by the Dozen" and several others, has a proven track record of making bad films that make lots of money. Levy specializes in broad, wacky, feel-good family comedy. But "Date Night," as thin and light as it is, is a film about adults in adult situations: car chases, shoot-outs, strip clubs and being halfheartedly invited to a four-way. It's a bad combination.
About halfway through the film, just as you've begun checking your watch, the Fosters steal/borrow an Audi A-8 from Wahlberg. Soon the couple starts bickering, causing Phil to pull the car over -- and what little momentum the film had right along with it. You can feel the whole thing grind to a painful halt. When they've had their tender reconciliation, Phil puts the car in gear, and suddenly, for no apparent, can no longer handle its ferocious power.
What follows is an interminable car chase that features the obligatory spinning cars, the black cab driver with the giant bugged-out eyes screaming and making jokes about crazy white people and -- wait for it -- a plunge into the East River.
And not that one looks for great character development in such a film -- even when done well -- but the Fosters vacillate from milquetoast to savvy to dumb to snarky to... whatever suits the moment. This is not to fault the performances of Fey and Carell -- they're doing the best they can with material at hand. But they can be criticized for their judgment in making this film.
If you're just jonesing for a taste of the comic stylings of Carell and Fey, check your DVR -- with any luck you'll still have some "30 Rock" or "The Office" in there.


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The contest topic for this month is "Legends & Fairytales", which means your picture should be based on an old fictional story. No modern Fantasy please, I am sure there will be an extra contest about it someday as well. And no made up characters this time. And let's not include the bible or other religious books, because we already had "religion" as a separate topic.
Please mention the title the tale or legend when you upload your entry. If it might not be well known in other countries it could be good to add a wikipedia link or something like that.
Examples: Grimm's fairy tales (Cinderella, Rapunzel, Little Red Cap), 1001 Nights (Aladdin's Wonderful Lamp, Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves), Hans Christian Andersen (The Emperor's New Clothes, The little Mermaid), Robin Hood, king Arthur, Odyssey, Nibelungenlied
If you are new: Register a nickname by clicking on the REGISTER button in the menu on top of this page.
Then you can upload your picture to the contest gallery.
The pictures will all show up on May 16, before this they are hidden. Then everybody can vote.
- The picture must be created at sp-studio.de and submitted here till May 15th, 11:59 PM (GMT+1).
No editing with additional software! No effects, color change, zooming. Just SP-Studio pictures.
You are allowed to rotate the picture.
- Add a fitting English title & description (optional). You can add reference links. No text like "VOTE!!!".
- If you upload more than one picture for a contest the newest counts and the others are deleted.
- When the voting starts registered users can rate the pictures (1-5 stars) until May 31.
- Vote fair! Do not manipulate results by telling friends to give you 5 stars and others 1 star. I will ban you for this.
1st place: Make a wish for a new SP-Studio item and I will draw and include it.
1st to 5th place: You win your own User Gallery. If you already have one you can upload 30 more files to it now.
Janina's Choice: I might pick one additional person, if I think he/she deserves a user gallery. The score doesn't matter.
Good luck!


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A plea to readers for ways to use a great harvest of pears this year had some interesting replies.
Remember my dwarf pear tree? The one laden with so many pears the branches drooped? Well last week, a branch broke off it was so heavy with pears.
Nancy Rauber is having the same experience. She is one of several readers who answered my plea for pear recipes.
"I also am going to have a bumper load of pears from two small trees in my backyard," said Nancy. "We just planted them last fall, we got them on sale for $10 apiece. I thought they were ornamental, and then one day I went out and said, "Wow, look at all these pears on here!"
Caramel sauce
Nancy loves this recipe for baked pears finished with a rich caramel sauce.
"I found this recipe several years ago and I often make it for company," she said. "It is addicting. I like raisins, so I add a handful before I bake the pears."
The surprise ingredient is scotch. "You can also use whiskey, and it doesn't have to be the good stuff, either."
She's also considering canning her pear harvest.
"I am thinking about trying my hand at canning pear butter," she said. "Last year, I made apple butter and pumpkin butter and was the hit of my Christmas exchange."
Reader Sue Ritzert shares a recipe for chocolate pears. Chuck Nyquist says cubes of fresh pears are outstanding with cranberries.
4 ripe pears
1/2 lemon
6 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Scotch
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel pears, then cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out core. Rub all over with lemon so the fruit doesn't turn brown.
In a large heavy-bottom oven proof skillet, melt butter, then add sugars. Stir until sugar dissolves. Arrange pears cut side down in a single layer around pan. Bake uncovered, basting occasionally with liquid and turning over occasionally, until the pears are softened. This may be between 20 minutes to an hour, depending on the firmness of the pears. When tender, take pears out with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Place pan on burner. Gently boil mixture until it is rich golden brown and smells like caramel, about 2 to 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in cream, add vanilla, salt and whiskey. Whisk until well blended. Put pears back in the pan, or place them on plates and pour the sauce over them to serve. ("Or just eat the pears and put the sauce in a cup and drink it!" as Nancy says. "It's so delicious!"
— Nancy Rauber
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
Pear halves
Combine first 6 ingredients in saucepan and simmer until syrupy. Add butter, then pear halves and simmer until soft. Serve with whipped cream.
— Sue Ritzert


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In 1988, Professor Heald found a lost manuscript of Steve Allen's groundbreaking television show, "A Meeting of the Minds." In that episode, published in 6 J. of Law & Rel. 279, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Mark Kelman, Blaise Pascal, and Richard Posner discussed the nature of law. While completing renovation of a house, possibly visited by Allen, Heald recently found another manuscript jammed on top of an old water tank. The present episode reveals a lively discussion of Columbine, the death penalty, and the nature of retribution between Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4 B.C.-65 A.D.), C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), Jerry Falwell, and Milner Ball.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Heald "Discovers" Lost Script: A new Meeting of Minds
Paul J. Heald, Univ. of Georgia, has posted an unusual paper on SSRN, Meeting of the Minds, Episode II: a Dark and Angry God Arises. The paper is written in the form of a script for the TV series, Steve Allen's Meeting of Minds. Here's the abstract, as posted by Heald:
Posted by Mary L. Dudziak at 11:57 AM
1 comment:
- Dean C. Rowan said...
Prof. Heald's paper may be "unusual," but it's not entirely unprecedented. Richard Lanham, the English literary scholar and rhetorician, published a commentary in Houston Law Review set in "the Interminable Present of a TV talk show" (as Lanham notes in the article's reprint in his book The Economics of Attention), including conversants Boffin Pundit, J.D., Barbie, and others. Lanham's topic was copyright in the Dead Sea Scrolls. The commentary appears as Richard A. Lanham, Barbie and the Teacher of Righteousness: Two Lessons in the Economics of Attention, 38 Houston L. Rev. 499 (2001).
- February 28, 2007 at 9:59:00 PM EST
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Looks quite nice. Hopefully it's obscure or hard enough to pull off so that it doesn't become the next HDR or dragan effect.
Dragan actually does much more than these cheap effects which try to mimick his work.He does a lot of local adjustments, so his work is much more something between photography and painting.After all the effort you put into something counts. The invention of a method alone will not last.
I thought it was clear from the context I was talking about the copiers, not the original implementation, which I rather liked.
It was more meant as a supplement, not a criticism of what you wrote.
Why is it that so many things someone may not particularly like are referred to as 'cliché'?
Well personally I don't regard cliche as necessarily a bad thing. After all, it is all but impossible to take a new picture that does not contain some elements both old and well-recognized. Can't remember the last photo I took that wasn't a cliche at some level. All we can hope for at this late date in photography is to re-interpret existing photo precedents in interesting or somehow improved ways.This particular type of zoom trick is impressive and the technique sufficiently self-evident that it is likely to "go viral" to use a newer term. When I walk into the photo contest display at the county fair this summer I expect to see maybe a dozen variations on this. And by my post I may be partially responsible. I hope that doesn't go against me at the Art Trials.


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Carnival in Cologne is almost as old as the history of the city itself. But the organized carnival celebrated today only dates back 178 years.
The Greeks and Romans celebrated cheerful spring festivals in honor of Dionysos and Saturn with wine, women and song. The ancient Germans celebrated the winter solstice as a homage to the Gods and expulsion of the evil winter demons. Later the Christians adopted the heathen customs. The period of fasting (Lent) prior to Easter was heralded in by "Fastnacht" or "Karnival"...carne vale = Farewell to meat!
The boisterous street carnival was extended in the 18th century to include the so called "Redouten", elegant masked and fancy dress balls in Venetian style, which were initially the preserve of the aristocracy and the wealthy patricians. In 1736, the first Redoute was held in Cologne in a noble house on the Neumarkt.
Almost 50 years later, Cologne was captured by the French revolutionary troops. But the new rulers allowed the locals "de fair son tour", to hold their carnival parades. The Prussians, who took control a short time later, were stricter, which, however, did not prevent the natives of Cologne from cultivating their Carnival tradition. Carnival was romanticized and became bourgeois. It became organized! With the "Carnival Hero", with today's Prince Carnival, a new idea was also introduced.
In 1823 the "Festordnende Komitee" was founded. On February 10th of that year, Cologne celebrated the first Rose Monday Parade with the moto "Inthronization of the Carnival Hero". Also involved were the "Rote Funken" the former city militia, who had just established themselves as a carnival society, the carnival fool of the "Hillige Knaachte un Magde", Jan von Werth and Cologne's "Peasant" and "Virgin" as a reminder of the former free imperial city of Cologne. At that time, like today, a man wore the costume of the Virgin. In 1860, the first "Ghost Parade" was held on the evening of Carnival Saturday. Even after the turn of the century, the "founding period" of the Carnival fans continued. In 1902, the "Ehrengarde" was formed as the accompanying group of the Peasant and Virgin. In 1906, Prince Carnival was given his "Prinzengarde". Other societies established themselves. Willi Ostermann, with his songs and musings, Grete Fluss extended the fame of Cologne's Carnival beyond the city's boundaries.
The "Sitzungen" (shows) with their humorous orators and singers bridged the gap between the opening of the "Carnival Session" On "11.11" to its climax on Rose Monday. That is still the same today. Now it is bands like the "Black Fooss", "Hohner" and "Paveir" and humorists like "Rumpelstizchen" or "Webfachmann" who are the trade marks of Cologne's "Fifth Season". The world famous "Strippefottchen-Tant" of the Rote Funken, a parody on the soldiers' strict life.
There are approximately 160 carnival societies, local history societies and district groups in Cologne which celebrate their home town festival in about 5oo parties, balls and parades. The highlight is always the Rose Monday Parade.