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Pre-heros: New X-Men offers high tech, alternate history
The best acting in X Men: First Class is by President John F. Kennedy, who in his Thanksgiving 1962 message to the nation expresses gratitude for the successful end of the Cuban Missile Crisis while suppressing what he surely must know, that U.S. and Soviet missiles spent a great deal of time flying back and forth while mentally controlled by the awesome powers of mutants. The movie's use of the missile crisis certainly serves the purpose of establishing this prequel in the early 1960s, and answers a question I've always had: Does the real world overlap with the histories of superheroes?
The movie is high-tech and well-acted, with lots of action and noise as it portrays the origins of the X-Men, a group of about a dozen mutants (so far). It begins in a Nazi prison camp, where young Erik Lehnsherr is forced to witness a tragedy and finds he can control metals with his mind– but only when he's angry. He grows up to become Magneto, and is played by Michael Fassbender, the lean German actor who the buzzmeisters say will become a big star off of this film. Heaven help him. He was so good in Fish Tank, Inglourious Basterds and Jane Eyre; must he play Magneto to become a star? For that matter, Raven/Mystique is played by Jennifer Lawrence, nominated for best actress earlier this year. Now a blue shape-shifter. The price of stardom.Read more on: X-Men


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Home > News & Events > Wayland Press Release Archives > 2005 News Releases > June 2005 > Mission team works on dorm project in Kenya
Mission team works on dorm project in Kenya
PLAINVIEW – Dr. David Howle sits at his desk a few days after returning from Africa, recounting the events that took place over the previous two weeks. Leading a group of 14 people on a mission trip to help construct a women's dorm is tiring, but Howle said it was well worth the hard work.
The project, which will provide housing for female students attending Kenya Baptist Theological College, was funded by First Baptist Church in Plainview at a cost of more than $50,000.
"I said to the team, we are going there to work on the building, but we are primarily going there to build relationships," Howle explained. "That is what's most important."
And that is what they did.
Howle, who is the director of Wayland Baptist University's virtual campus, has been working closely with KBTC through their relationship with Wayland over the last several years. Howle, who teaches Sunday school at FBC-Plainview, approached Charles Mbugua of KBTC concerning needs for the college. Howle said his Sunday school class had expressed interest in the work going on in Kenya through Wayland and wanted to find a way to help.
"(Mbugua) said that they really needed a building for women students to stay in while they are taking courses," Howle explained. Female students currently stay at the Baptist conference center that is adjacent to KBTC, not knowing if they will have lodging from night-to-night due to availability.
Howle approached his class and the missions committee at his church about the project. The missions committee agreed that it was a good idea and brought the plans before the church who voted to purchase the necessary supplies, pay for labor and absorb the cost of sending a team to Kenya to help with the project.
The money came from a special mission fund set up by the church with money donated by the late Dr. Dorothy McCoy, Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at Wayland.
The building was designed as a duplex with two bedrooms, two bath and shower areas, a living area, kitchen and washroom on either side. One side will be used to house visiting professors who are there to teach. The other will house female students. Right now only four female students attend KBTC, but the building will accommodate up to eight comfortably. Students attend the school for only three weeks at a time.
A representative from KBCT who handles the Wayland affairs told Howle that the symbolism of what they were doing will mean more than they can ever understand.
"This states clearly that they are very interested in women understanding leadership," Howle said. "That is primarily what KBTC is about – training leaders. For them this is a significant step in saying they are about not just training men, but training women as leaders in the country."
The group left for Kenya on May 28 loaded down with painting supplies and a few other tools that they intended to leave with the local workers. Howle, who had been in contact with the construction group in Kenya, was under the impression that they would be spending much of their time painting the facility. His plans changed, however, after receiving a letter from Mbugua two days before departure with a list of projects that needed to be completed.
"He listed a number of items that included painting, but a number of things that we really hadn't planned for," Howle said. "He used the word 'fix' the doors and cabinets. I though he meant attach the doors and attach the cabinets that were already built, but that wasn't entirely what he meant."
Upon arrival, Howle and the FBC team found that the building had doors, but they had not been cut to size and did not have hinges or handles attached. As for the cabinets, Howle was pointed to a stack of lumber on the floor.
"I had been cabinet maker earlier in life, but it's a little bit of a challenge to make cabinets using a skill saw and pocket knife," Howle said.
Still, the team dove in head first.
"There were 14 of us and 14 Kenya workers," Howle said. "We just kind of worked together. We got all of the kitchen cabinets put in, the wardrobes or closets built, all of the doors put on, all of the ceiling panels put in place and the crown molding up."
As the groups worked together, Howle said the learned from each other.
"Their attitude is that whatever you are trained in, that is what you do. If there is something else that needs attention, you are not trained to do that, so you just leave it alone," Howle said of the Kenyan culture. "We ask, how can I learn to do whatever it is that needs to be done? We have Stan DeMerritt, the university registrar, learning how to glaze windows. We have George Merriweather, an accountant, learning how to put in the ceiling panels."
After watching the group work, the crew foreman told Howle that from their example, his workers could learn how to expand and not just focus on one thing.
"It was a good experience for them and a good experience for us to better understand their situation and their conditions," Howle said. "By the third day, we had people who were feeling guilty because we were there working for free. That meant we were taking work away from these men who were paid only $3 to $5 a day.
"Some really close bonds were formed in the process. When we got ready to go home, it was hard."
The building is all but finished with a few small jobs and the painting remaining. One more thing the FBC group will do, however, is have a plaque placed on the building in honor of Dr. McCoy.
"It will give a little history of who she was and her interest in missions and a statement or two of how that house came to be so that later students and other visitors will have some sense of the involvement there – that there is a bigger community that cares about their education," Howle said.

subset: commoncrawl


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Yaasss! The fabulous Ms. Jenifer Lewis will star and executive produce in "Ventura Boulevard" to be directed by Debbie Allen and produced by Nathan H. Williams, reports IndieWire's Shadow and Act.
[The script is] penned by Mark Alton Brown and Dee LaDuke, the same writing team behind Lewis' cult classic Jackie's Back!. The 1999 comedy directed by Robert Townsend chronicles the life and career of an R&B diva, who, after several years of toiling away in obscurity, decides to organize a comeback.
Ventura Boulevard is described as a darkly comedic homage to the 1950 Billy Wilder classic Sunset Boulevard, starring Lewis as a self-deluded queen of 1970's blaxpoitation movies who uses her guile, money and sex to manipulate a young white scriptwriter into creating her comeback part.
"I am taking things into my own hands by producing Ventura Boulevard," said Jenifer Lewis, who promises a film that touches on hot social issues, like aging, race and deception. "The Hollywood establishment isn't going to finance a movie about a middle aged African-American diva who deceives and beds a young white man."
"It's a comedy classic in the making," director Maurice Jamal told R20 after the news was announced Friday. Jamal directed the 2006 drama Dirty Laundry which featured Lewis, Rockmond Dunbar and Loretta Devine. That project was also produced by Nathan H. Williams.
"It is going to be amazing," Williams told R20. "And, as Jenifer said yesterday, Ms. Debbie Allen is already going surgical on the script and production. Hope y'all are ready!"
Allen is currently directing episodes of several television series including Shonda Rhimes' Grey's Anatomy and Scandal. Allen will become the second Black female director of the hit series that stars the amazing Kerry Washington. Middle of Nowhere director Ava DuVernay directed a critically-acclaimed and highly-watched episode of the popular series earlier this season.
I am soooo here for Ms. Jenifer Lewis. Bravo and congratulations to Lewis, Debbie Allen, Nathan Hale Williams—"Haaay"—and the entire Ventura Blvd team. Watch the trailer to the cult classic Jackie's Back! and Lewis' brilliant advice to aspiring actors at the premiere of Baggage Claim AFTER THE JUMP ...
The trailer to the hilarious Jackie's Back ....
And here is Ms. Lewis' powerful advice to actors ...


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I've been looking up early American course syllabi recently to see if I'm on track with my ideas for teaching a colonial course this fall. Not long ago I ran across a website with teaching resources, including a list of films dealing with early American history.
For reasons I've never understood, the Revolution hasn't fared well on the silver screen. There are a few period films that I enjoy watching. 1776 remains a personal favorite of mine, because it helps restore some of the suspense and urgency that two and a half centuries have worn away from the debate over independence. I've also got to confess that I'm a fan of The Patriot. It's a compelling story told well, and it focuses on the critical war in the South, even if it plays fast and loose with the facts. A&E's made-for-TV films The Crossing and Benedict Arnold: A Queston of Honor also deserve an honorable mention. I haven't seen HBO's Adams miniseries yet, but I've heard some great feedback. Still, the Revolutionary War can't match the Civil War or WWII in terms of number and quality of film adaptations.
This hasn't always been the case. As the filmography at the above website shows, the Revolutionary War was a pretty popular subject during the infancy of moving pictures. From the early 1900's to the 1920's, filmmakers were turning out Revolutionary War stories at a surprisingly high rate. Similar projects often appeared close to the same time: Paul Revere and Nathan Hale were both popular subjects in the 1910's, and Francis Marion got his own film in 1911 and again in 1914.
It's clear that moviemakers were interested in the Revolution from the first days of putting stories on film. It's also clear that interest in making Revolutionary War films didn't keep up with this initial burst of enthusiasm.
There are a lot of stories from the War of Independence I'd like to see on the screen, but it doesn't look like it's happening anytime soon. Countingdown.com lists quite a few WWII movies in the works, but I couldn't find any Revolutionary War-related projects in any genre. Maybe the current Founding Fathers craze will bring more filmmakers around.


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If you go down to the woods today...
Thursday, 24 June 2010
Underwood & Flinch is back for a second long awaited season. The image shown above is of Underwood himself, so if your on your own, walking through woodland one evening, be careful you don't come across this hungry chap.
How I came across Mike Bennett
I was browsing the Itunes store for some short stories to listen to on the way to work, and came across in the first instance hall of mirrors.
I downloaded 'Night Crossing' as a trial to see how good the pod-cast was as there's many sub-standard ones out there. After listening to the episode, I promptly downloaded the whole of U&F, as I loved Mikes writing and narrating style. Soon after I downloaded the rest of his works.
Its really nice to hear how Mike has progressed from his earlier works to his latest works. I now really look forward to every new pod-cast Mike produces, and I really appreciate his hard work and time, to produce entertainment for myself and every one else. His combination of humour, and suspense make it all in all a great series of works that although are mostly intended for an adult audience, can be enjoyed by most.
Personally i think the likes of L. J. Smith, Charlaine Harris & Stephanie Meyer (the teeny bopper vampire writers) could learn a lot from him, as could Anne Rice to be honest, as she seems to forget too many details in her books so the stories lack continuity. Not so with Mike as we all know. Not only are Mikes stories, enjoyable but they are easy to lose yourself in.
If you want to hear some of Mikes work, click here
Posted by Lom Gom at 14:37
Labels: Story Inspired
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(CNN) – President Barack Obama, speaking Thursday to House members from his own party at a retreat outside Washington, said he remains committed to achieving a "big deal" on budgets and debt that would end Washington's penchant for "governance by crisis."
"I am prepared, eager and anxious to do a big deal, a big package that ends this governance by crisis where every two weeks or every two months or every six months we are threatening this hard won recovery," Obama told House Democrats.
Earlier this week Obama pressed Congress to pass an agreement putting off the across-the-board spending cuts that will automatically go into effect next month, saying that while a longer term solution was preferable, a short-term fix was necessary to prevent jobs losses and an economic slowdown.
He continued that call to House Democrats Thursday, soliciting their help in developing the kind of solution that lasts longer than a few months so that the country's fragile economic recovery can continue.
"Finally housing is starting to pick up and commercial real estate is starting to do better and the unemployment numbers are still too high but we are seeing some job growth," Obama said. "Businesses are investing and manufacturing is doing well and we continue to have these self-inflicted crises here in Washington that suddenly leads everybody to tap the brakes."
Any deal brokered with Republicans must be balanced, Obama said, making the familiar Democratic argument that deficit reduction cannot be achieved "on the backs of seniors,
it shouldn't just be on the backs of young people who are trying to get a college education, it should not just be on the backs of parents who are trying to give their kids a better start in life."
Obama's speech to House Democrats at their three-day retreat comes the day after he spoke to Democratic senators, who he'll also need to help shepherd major pieces of legislation during his second term. Aside from a large budget deal, Obama has vowed to make comprehensive immigration reform and gun control measures top priorities during his second term.
In his remarks Thursday, Obama told lawmakers that those issues and more would be included in next week's State of the Union address. Also included in Tuesday's speech will be a call for "an energy agenda that can make us less dependent on foreign oil," Obama said, echoing a vow made during his inauguration address to tackle climate change over the next four years.
The president said the issues he touches upon during his big annual address would all be viewed through the prism of fairness.
"We'll talk about that stuff, but all from the perspective of how are we making sure that somebody who works hard in this country, a cop or a teacher or a construction worker or a receptionist, that they can make it if they work hard and that their kids can make it and dream even bigger dreams than they have achieved?" Obama said.
The president's two speeches to Congressional Democrats come ahead of a busy legislative schedule that will pit the White House and Democrats against Republicans, who control the House of Representatives. In the past, deals brokered between the White House and the House GOP have left some Democrats disappointed, including deals averting a government shut down in 2011.
That dynamic could emerge again in 2013 on issues like gun control and immigration, where Democrats and Republicans hold opposing viewpoints, and where potential compromises could leave some liberal Democrats disappointed.
Mindful of those past disappointments, and conceding there would be times in the future "where you guys are mad at me," Obama changed the format of Thursday's event to allow for questions from the Democratic lawmakers, though journalists were not permitted to remain in the room for that portion of his event.
But during his remarks, Obama encouraged House Democrats Thursday to look beyond the day-to-day and remember what their goals were going into politics.
"As long as we keep in mind why we came here in the first place, as long as we think back to whatever inspired each of us to say maybe I can give something back … I have no doubt that we will continue the extraordinary progress that we've made already."
He wants a "big deal" as long as it doesn't include any cuts to his spending. At least according to the media.
Obama needs to spell out what he wants as a starting point and say that he wants and needs to talk to the Republicans about where they want to start from. They should hopefully meet in the middle some place.
"It is indicative of your general lack of knowledge. If you want to push the point, were no AC-130 gusnhips on standby in theater? The two SEALs who were killed had a laser designator and were illuminating the mortar team that was causing most of the damage. The same mortar team that ultimately was responsible for the death of the two SEALs."
Nonsense. The point still stands. The idea that we could've scrambled fighter jets to somehow respond to Benghazi was absolute nonsense and not knowing the difference between an F-14 or F-16 or F-18 or whatever changes nothing about that point. I do know what an AC-130 is and that changes nothing either. If it wasn't there, wasn't available or wasn't able to be deployed fast enough to respond IN TIME, then that's just the facts and opining about hypothetical "what ifs" and "should have beens" changes nothing about the point I made, nor the reality that Panetta was speaking. What's really going on is that people like yourself are desperately searching for some way to spin the entire thing into some sort fo failure. The goal posts have been moved several times now...first it's one theory about who and what failed, then it's another when the first one gets disproven, etc. The failure is with your insistence that you get to keep inventing new theories about how to blame Clinton ro Obama or DoD or whoever that it is everyone else's job to disprove and, if they don't, you somehow get to claim you finally figured out what went wrong and who to blame. That's backwards. Logical, rational thought and analysis moves from fact to theory, not theory to "prove me wrong."
Thanks, Mr. President for getting back to the BIGGEST issue facing this Great Nation.
Since it seems to be OK to carry on arguments from previous posts
freedom mentions " the policies and interrogation techniques under the Bush admin."..." Obama ironically demonizes the policies"
The Geneva Convention also opposes waterboarding and other measures used by W's cronies. We (the USA) also opposed them until Bush's AG announced they were now OK. And there is no agreement that such measures DID lead to bin Laden's capture.
And you ignore the statement made by Bush that he wasn't interested in Bin Laden. Do you not believe Bush's own words?
Then please Mr. President, stop taxing the crap out of my paycheck to waste on your liberal agenda. Create some jobs while you're at it: keystone pipeline not keystone epa cops.
With "Obama Care" as well as Taxing the "Rich" is hanging over our heads no "Big" deal is possible. Return all Social Programs back to the States where each state can decide what they want to do with it.
The sequester was the idea of the White House, Jack Lew in particular. If it is the only way that spending will be reduced, I'd say that it is what needs to happen. We have to quit saddling our kids future. I work for the government, and will probably get a pay cut. But we have to start somewhere. Taxes were increased already, so forgot that option now.
Maybe if he didn't spend money assassinating Americans abroad or keeping open America's prison camp (Gitmo) open.
"Obama tells House Dems he wants 'big deal' on debt"
And the GOP/Teatrolls tell Obama they want a big crisis on the budget and debt.
See how that works?
That's nice, but the Republicans will never agree to any proposal Obama supports. "Governance by crisis" is just another name for Republican obstructionism. There is no crisis, just an endless series of roadblocks thrown down by Republicans to prevent Obama/Democrats from accomplishing anything. Republicans didn't object to a deficit and foreign debt when George W. Bush was in office. Now they can't talk about anything else.


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Ten ways TORn serves Tolkien and Lord of the Rings fandom
Beginning last Saturday and running through to September 4, TheOneRing.net is hosting a Pledge Drive (see the banner at the top) as well as a bunch of auctions for some really cool memorabilia and collectibles.
The day-to-day operation of the website, and the events we host, require a lot more resources than when we first started nearly 15 years ago. We sometimes find it hard to ask our readers for the help we need to keep running, so we began discussing what it is that makes TheOneRing.net worth helping out. It started out as a search for the Top Ten Moments of TORn, but the list got so long because each staff member had their own idea of important moments in TORn history. Here, instead, is something more encompassing: Ten Ways TORn helps serve Tolkien and Lord of the Rings fandom (listed in no specific order).
And, if you enjoy what we do, consider a donation (no amount too small, because every bit does help!) to keep us running!
If you can't, that's fine as well — keep reading, commenting and contributing. Because TORn is as much you as it is us!
If you've ever sent in an article, submitted a photo or report, posted on our messageboards, visited our chat, or commented on our twitter, facebook or g+, you're the reason TheOneRing.net is among the largest and most-respected pillars of the Tolkien community on the web.Posted in Barliman News, Barlimans, Cannes 2001, Casting Rumors, ComicCon, Conventions, Costuming, Crew News, Director Rumors, DragonCon, Events, Fans, Fellowship of the Ring, Film Screenings, Green Books, Hall of Fire, Hobbit Book, Hobbit Cast News, Hobbit Movie, Hobbit Movie Rumors, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lectures & Education, Locations Sets, Lord of the Rings, LotR Books, LotR Cast News, LotR Movies, Make the Hobbit Happen, Meet Ups, Movie Fellowship of the Ring, Movie Return of the King, Movie The Two Towers, MrCere in New Zealand, New Zealand, Old Cannes News, Old ComicCon News, Old DragonCon News, Old Main News, Old Oscar Party News, Old Spy Reports, Original TORn, Oscar Parties, Other Events, Other Merchandise, Other Tolkien books, Peter Jackson, PJ New Line, PJ's Other Films, Production, Return of the King, Rumors Spy News, Rumours Spy News, Studios, The Hobbit, The Two Towers, Tolkien, Tolkien Reading Day, Trailer, Wellington


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Joakim Noah played well Tuesday in the Bulls win over the Memphis Grizzlies, but he didn't seem to have his legs under him and his trademark fire and passion was missing. You can't blame him for either, though, as he's still mourning the loss of his grandmother who passed away in France last week.
Noah had been noticeably absent from the team's practice sessions with what was described then as a "personal matter." Via his Twitter account, Joakim let everyone know what he was going through and thanked fans for their well-wishes.
After the Bulls locker room had all but cleared after the game, a melancholy Noah was the last player left. As he sat at his locker to discuss the victory, he was more reflective on the loss of his grandmother and what she meant to him as a basketball player.
"It was very hard losing my grandmother," Noah said. "She's the one who introduced me to the sport of basketball. She was the first basketball player in my family. She played on the Cameroon National Team. She was the secretary; she did everything for the team. Me playing on the national team for France, it was all for her."
Joakim played just a shade over 18 minutes against the Grizzlies, scoring 10 points and grabbing seven rebounds. He seemed to use the game as a way to help clear his mind, but he acknowledges it wasn't that easy for him.
"It was very, very hard. But I'm happy to be back playing basketball."


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Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Richard Polsky really hates Marlene Dumas
"entering the realm of the absurd are two Marlene Dumas paintings, each estimated at $800,000-$1.2 million"
"Marlene Dumas -- This year's auction darling. Her outrageous prices for awkwardly painted (to the point of looking unfinished) figures continues to amaze veteran auction watchers. At over a million dollars for a "good" painting, surely collectors have options. Outlook for 2005: Status quo"
"whoever decides to bid on lot 55, the Marlene Dumas painting, in Sotheby's evening sale on Nov. 9 should think long and hard. With an estimate of $600,000-$800,000, The Taboo (2000) represents a highly risky purchase. Not only is the canvas sloppily painted, which is unfortunately typical of the artist, but it raises an even greater question -- who is Marlene Dumas and why do her pictures routinely carry (and bring) six-figure prices?"
In this article Polsky calls David Hockney "one of our ten finest living painters". I'm really curious as to who he thinks the other nine are but he won't tell - my guess is that he would include Robert Ryman, Jules Olitski, Wayne Thiebaud, and Jasper Johns on his list.
5 comments:
- Anonymous said...
He hates that she is a WOMAN!!!!
What an asshole.
We hear barely a murmur when male artists net millions. Just look at the recent Whiteread/Hirst comparason. Both won the big turner prize, both on paper essentially the same. Hirst, being male makes WAY more money.
following entry from "A blog called nowhere"
Greg Allen writes a depressing artical
in todays NYTimes decrying a gender bias in the art market
"Take two contemporary artists, Damien Hirst and Rachel Whiteread, who both came to prominence in the 1990's as so-called Y.B.A.'s: Young British Artists. Both have won the Tate museum's Turner Prize: Ms. Whiteread in 1993 and Mr. Hirst in 1995. And both have made their way into high-profile collections. Next week Christie's is offering an important early sculpture by Ms. Whiteread, a fiberglass and rubber cast of two mattresses from 1991, which has been on extended loan to the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin. Christie's suggests a value of $400,000 to $600,000. Meanwhile, Mr. Hirst's most famous early sculpture, a tiger shark suspended in a glass tank of formaldehyde, from 1992, sold in January for $13.3 million" ..."Whiteread has an extraordinary, esteemed museum exhibition and patronage history, but it's Hirst, which has little such institutional support, which does extremely well in the marketplace."
How do you change a situation like this? Marlane Dumas breaks records for highest price for living female artist with 3 million at auction while a wanker HACK like Hirst is pulling in over 13mil. Of course all of this affects us plebeians down at the bottom of the totem pole too...
- Anonymous said...
There are a number of issues here but I agree with the remark about gender bias. Regardless of how enlightened people pretend to be the statistics support the claims.
Polsky is a tout or a stockpicker in the sense that he is suggesting he has knowledge of the dollar value of the artworks. His column on ArtNet is all about the business of buying and selling
artworks. It is interesting if one views this for what it is, raw commerce and just files the information away under "how the business of the artworld works" It has little or nothing top do with the art itself, he might like one work and hate another but it doesn't tell you anything useful.
I saw the recent Dumas show here in NYC, I liked the paintings. I was suprised and very impressed by her drawings. The knock on Dumas is generally focused on the thinness of her painted surfaces. The works I saw were thinly painted very directly. It's risky, but when they work they have a beautiful effortless quality.
Are they worth a million bucks? I don't know, what's a dollar worth to a billionaire? (hint, not much as inflation rises)
- Anonymous said...
oh, jules olitski has died since i posted this two+ years ago...
- Anonymous said...
Hey there.
I came across this post while I was researching Polsky... he is going to be my guest on the podcast this week.
I think I will ask him about this.
- Anonymous said...
oh yes, and ask him about who the ten finest living painters are...
i have some other dumas posts... i think there is a label for her. jerry saltz really doesn't like her either.
i am very much looking forward to the big dumas show coming to nyc... what the various critical reactions will be.


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Rising farmland values and strong farm loan portfolio performance were the highlights in the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's second quarter survey of Agricultural Credit Conditions. The survey details several indicators of farm financial condition in the 10th District, including farmland values, interest rates on farm loans, and credit supply and demand.
Rising Farmland Values
During the second quarter, District farmland values rose further, although the pace of gain slowed. Compared to first quarter gains, the value of nonirrigated and irrigated cropland in the District climbed 2.3% and 3.9%, respectively, to remain 20% above year-ago levels. District ranchland values grew 1% from the first to second quarter and year-over-year values are up 11% compared to 2010 levels.
Disparate weather patterns across the District caused farmland value gains to vary across the region. Plentiful rain and good growing conditions in Nebraska fueled the largest jump in second quarter cropland values, with a 30% increase over 2010. In contrast, drought conditions in the Southern Plains hurt wheat crop yields, prompted cattle herd liquidations and restrained farmland value gains to just 10% year-over-year. However, land lease revenues from energy exploration have helped support farmland values in some of the drought-stricken areas, particularly in Oklahoma and the Mountain States.
Respondents believe prices will remain elevated near current levels because of strong demand for farmland and tight supplies. Within the District, farmers and non-farmer investors continued to compete for quality acreage, with data indicating that sales of marginal ground have also picked up. The number of farms on the market remained low but is expected to increase after the fall harvest.
Farm Loan Portfolios
Farm credit conditions edged down during the second quarter after peaking in the first quarter. Farm loan repayment also eased but was expected to improve despite weaker farm income expectations. Credit conditions varied across the District, with fewer requests for loan renewals and extensions in Nebraska offsetting an increase in loan restructuring reported by Oklahoma bankers.
The majority of bankers are still reporting healthy farm loan portfolios. Of those respondents, on average, 90% of their loans had no significant repayment problems, 7% had minor repayment issues that could be managed easily, 2% will require major restructuring and fewer than 1% will likely result in a loss or forced sale of assets.
More than half of the 246 responding banks reported zero nonperforming loans more than 90 days past due. Of those reporting delinquencies, the breakdown by operation was split evenly between livestock operators, crop producers and loans for specialty crops, real estate and other purposes.
Due to strongly performing farm loan portfolios, bankers are reporting another round of easing in collateral requirements for borrowers. For the fourth consecutive month, fewer bankers are referring borrowers to non-bank credit agencies. Finally, interest rates continue their downward trend after reaching a 10-year high of 9.2% during the third quarter of 2006. During the second quarter, interest rates averaged 6.5% for operating loans and 6.2% on real estate loans.
Falling Farm Incomes
The 10th District's farm income index fell in the second quarter as extreme weather conditions and rising input costs strained profit margins. In the Southern Plains, income expectations deteriorated as droughtlike conditions cut wheat production. Livestock producers were not immune to contracting margins; poor grazing conditions prompted herd liquidations and increased cattle feeding costs.
These conditions prompted Oklahoma bankers to report the steepest drop in farm incomes since the third quarter of 2008. Several respondents noted increased reliance on crop insurance to support farm income levels.
Farm incomes across the Central Plains declined to a lesser degree. Profits were trimmed as crop producers paid more for production inputs, such as seed and fertilizer, while livestock producers paid higher feed costs. However, both groups of producers saw relief from above-average levels of precipitation, reducing irrigation costs. However, areas along the Missouri and Platte Rivers experienced losses from heavy snowmelt and rain that led to severe flooding.
Bankers reported that operating loan demand remained sluggish during the second quarter but are forecasting higher demand for the second half due to the higher operating costs discussed above. Bankers are also estimating further deterioration in farm-based capital spending after many producers upgraded equipment at the end of last year.
Visit http://farmlandforecast.colvin-co.com for daily articles on farmland and agriculture.


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Recent Renovations Create New Learning Spaces
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.—The College of Education is updating two of its buildings in 2013. First, the CEDAR (Center for Education, Diagnosis, and Remediation) Building has had numerous renovations applied to it and reopened in May 2013.
The CEDAR project was an $11 million investment funded by the University that included updates to all of the systems– water, electrical, telecommunications, HVAC, sprinkler and alarm– as well as new paint, flooring and carpeting. A new roof was put on the building, and the connector corridor between CEDAR and Moore Buildings was updated. All bathrooms and doors throughout the building were upgraded to meet ADA standards.
In addition to these updates, the CEDAR Clinic underwent a complete remodel. Additions include a new waiting area and an improved patient conference area that creates more patient privacy. Gerald Henry, the manager of human resources and administrative services for the College who oversaw the project, said the renovation to CEDAR is a major improvement to the building's interior and to its outside, which will now have a sitting garden on the north side of the building, improved exterior lighting and a new Allen Road doorway.
The second update is in Chambers Building where a state-of-the-art mathematics education lab is scheduled to open this fall. This $1.1 million investment will create a cutting-edge learning environment to support the development of mathematics education practice and research in a technologically enriched setting. The new design aims to provide flexible physical space that includes state-of-the-art video and audio connections to the outside world, built-in recording and display capability, and capacity for direct connections to PK-12 classrooms. The lab will also feature software that would offer the ability to communicate and collaborate electronically with teachers and students at remote locations as well as between classrooms in the College.
M. Kathleen Heid, distinguished professor of mathematics education, and Rose Mary Zbiek, professor of mathematics education, were the primary education consultants on the project.
"The new lab will provide new opportunities for studies of mathematics education teaching and learning at the College of Education by providing a state-of-the-art venue for the production and study of digital audio and video records of teaching and learning in mathematics and mathematics education," said Heid.
In addition, the lab would serve as a site to accommodate research by teams of graduate research assistants and faculty working on analyzing interviews and observational data.
--by Kevin Sliman (June 2013)


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Rodney Will Be In Victoria This Thursday
Only a few days away from Rodney Carrington performing live here in Victoria at the Victoria Fine Arts. Regularly performing to sold-out crowds across the US and Canada, Rodney Carrington is a comedian of a different sort, with a mix of hilarious stand-up comedy and country music. He has recorded eight major record label comedy albums selling over 3 million copies, with songs like "Show Them To Me" and "Goin' Home with a Fat Girl". Audiences relate to his Southern style and his show will leave you in stitches!
If you haven't gotten your tickets you better hurry only 25 are left for the 9:30 show. The 7:00 show sold out already. Get you tickets online at ticketfly.comThe show is Presented by Wilkinson Pre-Owned Supercenter and sponsored by Golden Wings! Don't forget to attend the after party at Beef O Brady's in the Whispering Creek Center after the show!
Please note: Rodney's show is not considered family-friendly.


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The original King Cashing was something of a sleeper hit that garnered a serious cult following after its initial 2011 release. Now, Productions Multimage has come back with King Cashing 2, and it fixes all the flaws of the original game, and then some. Also, it adds more zombies. Nothing wrong with adding more zombies. It's a crazy slot machine RPG with a unique battle system and an even more unique premise, and it should not be skipped over.
We rejoin King Cashing in modern times after he is awakened from his eternal sleep by some government agents. One thing leads to another, and our hero of the previous game is now leading a horde of the undead through our cities and homes. With seven different zombified heroes in your party, and loads of class specific weapons and perks, potions with interesting effects, plus a revamped leveling system, this game is sure to satisfy anyone who has ever felt the itch brought about by sweet game loot.
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The slot machine battle system is simple yet deep. Essentially, any of the three rows can lead to successful attacks, as long as one character, weapon, or combination of either is lined up with an enemy on the right hand side. Certain weapons match certain characters, like the ferocious animals with the animal tamer, and guns and explosives with the zombie Rambo, leading to massive critical damage that is essential for gold star ratings. I especially like the unique necromancer. He uses humans as weapons, and every time he hits an enemy, he turns one "miss" slot into another weapon slot. There is a lot of strategy that unfolds when it comes to party and weapon formations, especially as it pertains to tackling the very challenging secret bosses.
The visual novel story and interface is also pretty unique, blending everything in with the interface and gameplay in a cool way. The improved art style is colorful and excellent, and the writing is pretty funny as well. Especially from a situational perspective, as the King and his horde happen upon a smorgasbord of people in a zombie walk. While I am not sure this game will tickle your fancy like it did mine, I can say that it is very short on flaws, and deserves to be played. Thankfully, you don't even really need to have played the first game. Game Center achievements and leaderboards are supported in this iOS Universal game, which you can download for just three dollars at the time of this review.


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Question 1: One of Sarah Palin's notorious gaffes was her dismissal of "fruit fly research" — she thought it was absurd that the government actually funded science on flies. How would you explain to a congressman that basic research is important? I'm going to put two constraints on your answer: 1) It has to be comprehensible to Michele Bachmann, and 2) don't take the shortcut of promising that which you may not deliver. That is, no "maybe it will cure cancer!" claims, but focus instead on why we should appreciate deeper knowledge of biology.That first restriction is going to make answering the question a real challenge 'cause you have to take into account the mentality of someone who is not just scientifically illiterate but scientifically anti-literate.
Nevertheless, this is exactly the sort of thing you want your science graduates to know.


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→ New Fringer EF-NZ Fringer CEF – NZ Canon to Nikon smart adapter is coming soon (Fringer adapters are sold at Amazon). → New Techart TZC-01 Canon EF to Nikon Z autofocus adapter is also coming soon (Techart adapters are sold at Adroama). → New Rayqual Nikon Z-mount adapter for Asahi flex lenses (Rayqual adapters are […]
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The worldwide smartphone market ended 2010 on a high note, with vendors shipping record volumes of units. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, vendors shipped a total of 100.9 million smartphones during the fourth quarter of 2010 (4Q10), up 87.2 percent from the 53.9 million smartphones shipped during 4Q09. For the full year, vendors shipped a total of 302.6 million smartphones worldwide, up 74.4 percent from the 173.5 million smartphones shipped in 2009.
"Android continues to gain by leaps and bounds, helping to drive the smartphone market," said Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC's Mobile Phone Technology and Trends team. "It has become the cornerstone of multiple vendors' smartphone strategies, and has quickly become a challenger to market leader Symbian. Although Symbian has the backing of market leader Nokia, Android has multiple vendors, including HTC, LG Electronics, Motorola, Samsung and a growing list of companies deploying Android on their devices."
Adding to the competitive landscape is the entrance of two refreshed operating systems, Symbian^3 and Windows Phone 7. "In their first quarter of commercial availability, both Symbian^3 and Windows Phone 7 ramped up quickly, just in time for the holidays," added Llamas. "By the end of the quarter, Nokia had shipped five million Symbian^3 units while Windows Phone 7 vendors shipped more than 1.5 million units. Now, with the holiday quarter over, both platforms will need to sustain this initial growth in the quarters to come."
Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC's Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker program, said component suppliers will help drive sustained interest in smartphones. "Mobile phone users will find compelling reasons to turn in their older models as new ones are launched with dual-core processors and near-field communication chips," he said.
Seven Tips to Improve the Longevity of Your Laptop Important tips to help improve your laptop's longevity.
Why IT Projects Fail Recognize the early warning signs of imminent project failure.
11 Keys to Successful Outsourcing Consider these fundamental points when outsourcing IT projects.
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text: This is my attempt at an oriental influence style box. I did not have specific purpose in mind for this box other than to try something new and different for me. The top and legs are walnut and the sides of the box is my last board of Macacauba. The small pegs are actually birch dowels put to use as an accent. The finish consists of danish oil and when that was dry a spray of semi-gloss lacquer. The top lift handle was something I tried because I did not want to put a commercial top handle on the lid; however it did not come out as well as I had hoped and if I was to do it over, I would try something else. Anyway a fun project for something different.


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American Vertigo: Traveling America in the Footsteps of Tocqueville
Lévy's journey through this "magnificent, mad country" is indeed vertiginous as he loops from coast to coast and back, mounting to the heights of wealth and power—interviewing the likes of Barry Diller and John Kerry—and plunging into the depths of poverty and powerlessness, in urban ghettoes and prisons. (In this last, he truly follows Tocqueville, whose assignment in the young America was to visit prisons.) Each scene is quite short, which is frustrating at first, but soon the quick succession of images creates a jostling, animated portrait of America, full of resonances and contradictions. Sharon Stone in her luxurious home, railing about the misery of the poor, is quickly followed by Lévy's chat with a waitress in a Colorado town struggling to make ends meet. A gated retirement community in Arizona seems to the author like a prison, while Angola, a prison in Louisiana, has lush grounds that resemble a retirement community's. Lévy (Who Killed Daniel Pearl ), the celebrated French thinker and journalist, is a master of the vignette and the miniature, whether explaining why he could feel at home in Seattle or pondering whether Diller's apparent amorality is "too flaunted to be completely sincere." In France, where anti-Americanism has been so popular, Lévy has been an anti-anti-Americanist, and while he finds serious fissures in this country's social landscape, in the end he is an optimist about the future of a country he admires for the richness of its culture and its political vision. (Feb. 1)
Release date: 01/01/2006
Genre: Nonfiction


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I'm so excited to be guest posting today for the lovely and super sweet Ani over at her blog Fleurani. Ani created a series called "An Old Flame Never Dies" in which she and her guest bloggers must shop their closets to create outfits from pieces that are at least one year old. Head over to Ani's blog for more pictures and details of my "old" outfit. Below are photos of Ani's first two beautiful looks from her series.
Side note: I would like to retract the comment I made two weeks ago in the post Kelly Green about the skirt I was wearing being the only green item in my wardrobe. Well, ooops. . .I completely forgot about this mint green skirt I've had for years! For some reason, I don't tend to think of mint as a shade of green. I always group it with pastels.


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John Shimer joined Pine Manor in January 2014 as Head Women's Soccer coach and the inaugural Head Coach of the Men's Soccer Program.
Shimer joins Pine Manor after spending the 2013 season as the First Assistant Men's Soccer Coach at Endicott College. At Endicott, Shimer helped design and implemented practice plans for the Men's Soccer program while also serving as the Goalkeepers Coach and recruiting coordinator where he helped land several top recruits from around the country for the Gulls.
In addition, Shimer is one of the U17 Boys Coaches for the Benfica USA Soccer Program in Peabody, MA while also serving as an assistant for the U13 Olympic Development Team for Massachusetts Youth Soccer.
Prior to Endicott, Shimer served as an assistant at his alma mater, Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU), during the 2012 season. Under the tutelage of Head Men's Soccer Coach Jay Martin, the all-time winningest coach in college men's soccer history, Shimer helped guide the Battling Bishops to Fred Myers Adidas Invitational tournament championship, North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) regular season championship, a second place finish in the NCAC championship tournament and a berth in the NCAA DIII Championship tournament. During the 2012 season, OWU finished second in goals scored and gave up the second fewest goals in the NCAC.
Prior to his experience at Ohio Wesleyan, Shimer coached the Seacoast United Soccer Club U14 Girls team in Epping, NH. During his time as head coach, the U14 Girls won the Nate Hardy Memorial Day Tournament championship, and captured third place finishes in both the New Hampshire State Cup tournament and the Seacoast Maine Summer Coastal Challenge.
An avid fan of the game, Shimer also served as WEEI.com's primary analyst during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Prior to that, Shimer worked as Assistant Sports Editor at the Newburyport Daily News, covering professional soccer in New England as well as the Boston Red Sox and Boston Celtics.
Shimer holds as Advanced National Diploma and a Goalkeeping Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). He currently resides in Winchester, Mass.
10/19/13 - Women's Soccer
L, 4-2 vs. Hampshire
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Phone 617-731-7000 | Fax 617-731-7035 | 400 Heath Street, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
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All Rights Reserved


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Shipping & Returns
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Please note: All shoes will be removed from their boxes, but will be carefully wrapped.
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All Deliveries to Australian Addresses will be processed quickly and sent via AusPost.
The table below shows the Estimated Delivery Times and Costs for our Standard and Fast Delivery Options.
*Estimated delivery time to metro areas. All Orders come with tracking information from AusPost. May be subject to delay due to causes outside of Lola G's control. Should you require an alternative shipping method, contact us directly to order.
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We offer Standard and Fast Shipping Options Globally including Tracking Numbers. You will be quoted delivery options and prices during the checkout process when you include your Country of Residence in the Shipping Information.
We offer four currencies (AUD USD NZD GBP) when shopping on our online store, these currencies are calculated automatically from the most recent exchange rates on xe.com and should be used as an estimate only. Some International Banks may charge additional fees outside of our control.
We do not pay additional customs or duty taxes for countries other than Australia. You must be prepared to pay any and all relevant tax or duties within your own Country.
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In the unlikely event that your item arrives faulty, please contact us as soon as possible. We may ask you to send us a photo of the fault so we can approve the return quickly. Once approved, we will issue a credit and arrange for the item to be returned.


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LONDON – Apple has already transformed two industries — music and computing. Now, as the company reportedly attempts the redefinition of the watch — one of man's oldest pieces of technology — the next phase of the techno revolution is moving into clear view: Welcome to the age of "wearable tech," with a gadget available to cater to your every need.
Wearable technology is hardly a new phenomenon. Conrad von Soest depicted an apostle in reading glasses in the Niederwildugen Altarpiece in 1403, and there are mentions of the use of eyeglasses dating back to antiquity. Wearable watches have been in circulation since the 16th century. And British inventor Alphonsus William Webster received what is believed to be the first patent for a hearing aid — a curved earpiece worn behind the ear — in 1836.
But thanks to the Internet and Moore's Law — the theory that the number of resistors on a chip will double every two years — a whole new world of possibilities is opening up, and with it comes a host of questions that look set to eclipse all previous debate over online privacy.
Inevitably nicknamed the iWatch, the Apple device, on which the company is characteristically not commenting, has the tech world in a frenzy of sci-fi speculation. James Bond, Dick Tracy, Inspector Gadget — the techno watch has been a mainstay of fanboy fiction for generations. But the Internet revolution seems to have largely bypassed the watch, until now.
Apple reportedly has 100 employees looking at the device which will take advantage of recent developments in hi-tech curved glass, cheaper sensors and better voice recognition software. What will the iWatch do? Monitor your health? Act as a credit card? A wrist-bound GPS? Laser cannon and teleporter? We'll have to wait and see, but to be honest if that's all it does, you may as well strap an iPhone to your arm. Apple has a history of delivering surprises and the iWatch would be its first big new product since the death of founder Steve Jobs. The company will want to make a splash. Especially as arch-rival Google has its own "smart watch" in development and is already testing Google Glass, Web-connected specs. Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook too are watching developments and have their own plans.
Last year analysts at Forrester Research in Massachusetts issued a report describing wearable computing as "the new platform war." Tech analyst Juniper Research estimates that wearable computing will generate $800 million in revenues this year and $1.5 billion in 2014. Annual unit sales of wearable computers will rise from 15 million this year to 70 million by 2017.
Others have already blazed the trail for smart watches. Pebble, a smart-watch company, raised a record $10.26 million from funding site Kickstarter last year (2012). The watch will link to iPhones and devices running Google's Android mobile program, letting you know who is calling, taking text messages and showing emails. It will also run new apps, such as acting as a bike computer for cyclists.
Pebble plans to produce 15,000 watches a week and made its official debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January. This is the electronic industry's showcase, and this year wearable tech was ubiquitous. Alongside Pebble a company called Basis Sciences displayed a chunky wrist-device that can monitor heart rate, sleep quality and more. An American football helmet with pressure pads inside promised to monitor players' health and any damage from tackles — increasingly a major issue in the sport. Verizon demonstrated a wearable, wireless computer designed for firefighters that can stream regular and infrared images.
Nike has a hit on its hands with Fuel, a wristband that monitors your activity and acts like a personal trainer. Tellingly, Apple boss Tim Cook wears one. Former Apple CEO John Sculley and business partner Sonny Vu have a new venture called Misfit Wearables that has developed an activity tracker as sleek and shiny as a silver coat button that will send all your data to your favored device. Sculley has been mentoring healthcare experts in recent years, one of many Silicon Valley stars increasingly interested in the intersection between health and technology.
Governments around the world are also pouring money into wearable tech. U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan have been testing a device called the shoulder worn acoustic targeting system (SWATS), developed by tech firm QinetiQ, that can pinpoint the exact location of gunfire and display it on a small screen attached to a soldier's body armor. Devices are being used to monitor soldiers' health, such as their hydration levels, and to augment their vision. Many of these technologies are likely to filter down to civilian life.
Sonny Vu says wearable technology now appears to be poised to go mainstream. "It's still kind of limited in what it can do. And a lot of it looks unwearable. Google Glass makes you look so geeky," he said. Google cofounder Sergey Brin was recently snapped on the New York subway wearing the glasses and looking like a tourist in town for the marathon. But geeky or not, Vu predicts that this year will see a major leap forward for wearable tech.
"It makes you look at technology in a different way. We are moving to a world where technology interacts with us, you are not just staring at a screen, it is suggesting things to you. Maybe go for a walk, or reminding you that you need to shop for food," he said.
According to Vu, a lot of the tech out there now is not especially interesting. But that will change. Britain's Cambridge Temperature Concepts has developed a portable fertility monitor that can measure a woman's body temperature 20,000 times a day at a precision of a thousandth of a degree. Apps are in development that will monitor for heart attacks and strokes — wearable tech could soon be like possessing a portable doctor.
But these are still early days, and for Vu a lot of the gear out there is too just fiddly — a lot of those wireless devices seem to come in boxes filled with wires. There will though be big winners, he said. "There were MP3 players, then there was iPod," he says referring to how Apple conquered the digital music player market. This time around Apple will face some tough competition.
Juniper analyst Nitin Bhas says the Apple news ensures that its competitors will be working hard to make sure they stay ahead of the curve. "The Apple rumor will fuel demand," he said. "Everyone will be looking at this." He said while today's devices are concentrating on health and fitness, the next generation would be about entertainment and will have broader applications.
"The hurdle will be 'why do you need another device?' " said Bhas. But he said that it was clear Apple, Google and Microsoft all believe that computing is about to make another shift. The PC gave way to more mobile devices and now they are getting more portable still.
Amid all the technologically driven excitement, privacy advocates are increasingly concerned. Watchdog group Privacy Rights Clearinghouse is compiling a report on the safety of data generated from mobile devices. Director Beth Givens warns that people need to be very careful about the ways in which they adopt the new technology.
"You need to read their privacy policy. Quite a lot of these companies just plain don't have one. There is always an issue with secondary users of the data. Who else is seeing this? Employers? Insurance companies?" she said. Much of this data will be stored in the "cloud" — streaming to remote servers that Givens warned "are not inherently secure." And this is just the start. Google's glasses will be potentially be watching your every move.
Do you really need another device? There's a lot of money betting that you soon will and that device will look a lot like something you own already — a belt, a watch, glasses. In recent years Apple and its rivals have shifted their fight from the desktop to the pocket. The body is their new tech battleground, and wearable tech may be about to become the 21st-century version of body armor.


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The U.S. Air Force is training more drone "pilots" than those who will be at the controls of traditional aircraft, according to the Air Force chief of staff.
To date, there are reportedly around 1,300 people controlling the Air Force's arsenal of Reaper, Predator, and Global Hawk drones, and the Pentagon plans to add about 2,500 pilots and support crew by 2014, according to an article in published August 3 by The Times (of London).
The UK paper reports that 350 new drone pilots were trained in 2011 "compared to 250 conventional fighter and bomber pilots."
The trend away from traditional pilots to drone "pilots" is evidenced at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, where 360 drone crews will graduate this year. A crew includes a pilot, a sensory operator, and a mission coordinator.
A drone instructor working at the base was quoted in a British newspaper saying, "We're getting the best and brightest.There's a bright future for RPAs [remotely piloted aircraft] so we're getting motivated, sharp guys."
The instructor's boss likes the way the operation is progressing. During his final press conference, U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz described the future of air combat:
Manned aviation will be part of the chemistry because at least for the near term, the Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) capability is not for contested airspace. It is a benign airspace capability.
When and if we're challenged, manned aviation — F35s are a case in point, and B2s — will be part of our force structure, I would estimate, at least for a generation and a half. Thirty years probably — maybe more, probably not less.
We're training more RPA (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) aviators than we are bomber and fighter pilots. Ultimately, it is conceivable that the majority of aviators in our Air Force will be Remotely Piloted Aircraft operators.
This news is no surprise to our readers as it only confirms the information The New American reported weeks ago regarding the programs being created in many colleges offering instruction on drone piloting.
One such institution, Eastern Gateway Community College, offers the following description of their intended use of drones:
The Eastern Gateway Community College (EGCC) intends to provide training in the operation of UAS [Unmanned Aircraft Systems] including the use and integration of UAS payload systems as a safe and effective tool for law enforcement, emergency responders and other government agencies.
EGCC is one of 30 Ohio community colleges and universities selected as sites for terrorism training under the Ohio Homeland Security Training Alliance. The EGCC UAS training program will be included as a course offered to emergency service professionals.
The EGCC UAS program will provide emergency service professionals access to standardized training which will include simulated UAS operations, scenario based flight training and best practices and procedures. As Emergency service administrators become more familiar with UAS applications, they will have access to relevant and practical training, reducing the need of individual COA requests.
Doubtless there will soon be similar classes appearing in college course catalogs promising to train students to operate the thousands of unmanned surveillance vehicles soon to be deployed in the skies over America. It seems that the government is set not only to provide grants to universities to fund the development of new and more powerful drones, but to teach students how to fly them once they are manufactured.
In other drone news, China is set to become the world's largest vendor of the remote-control killing machines. The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission recently reported that China "has deployed several types of unmanned aerial vehicles for both reconnaissance and combat," Similarly, a story in the Washington Post quoted Zhang Qiaoliang from the Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute as saying, "the United States doesn't export many attack drones, so we're taking advantage of that hole in the market."
For example, an arm of the Chinese communist government (Shenyang Aircraft Company) is working on the Anjian (Dark Sword), a supersonic unmanned fighter aircraft, "the first drone designed for aerial dogfights."
Not to be outdone, the engineers at DARPA (the research and development group at the Department of Defense) are working on the HTV-2 (Hypersonic Technology Vehicle) program aimed at developing weaponized drones that can reach any point on Planet Earth within one hour. According to DARPA's own report of the most recent test mission, "The flight successfully demonstrated stable aerodynamically-controlled flight at speeds up to Mach 20 (20 times the speed of sound) for nearly three minutes."
While such speed and technology is impressive, there is a very sinister side to such strides. As one writer at the Guardian commented, "The hypersonic fully autonomous drones of the future would create very powerful, effective, and flexible killing machines. The downside is that these machines will not be able to discriminate on their targets — there are no programmes capable of distinguishing civilian from combatant."
British drone designers have recently introduced an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that comes equipped with "lidar" (light detection and ranging), "remote-sensing technology that uses lasers to create detailed three-dimensional images which can be viewed from any angle."
Basically, this drone would be capable of using this onboard laser to scan the interior of buildings that would otherwise be invisible to the naked eye or traditional airborne surveillance.
As one writer observed, "The model has potential military spin-offs. In Afghanistan, you could send it into [a] building and do a survey so you'd know who and what was inside."
Of course, wary Americans realize that buildings in this country are as likely as those in Afghanistan to be scanned by the government's all-powerful eye in the sky under the control of "pilots" trained by the military or at college to keep the drones airborne and to keep citizens under constant surveillance.
Photo: AP Images


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First Timothy Four:Twelve
This is my prayer for my kids….
Homeschooling through life's events
This week question for the blog cruise is:
"How do you homeschool during illness or family stress or crisis?"
Ah! That is a great question.
Since we started homeschooling about 4 years ago, we never really had anything major happening in our life. Well that's not technically true. We have events but no major illnesses, family crisis or major stress either.
Don't take me wrong, we have encountered things that disturbed our life. But with patience, organisation and planning, we went through them.
In 2007, I was expecting our fourth child. I knew it would be another caesarean which also meant that I needed to plan in advance before the birth so we can relax a bit when I was in limited in our activities. Jasmine was born on December 19th about three weeks before her due date because this was my fourth caesarean. The boys were really helpful especially my oldest back then. He learned how to do the washing and helped me a lot with this task as well as with the vacuuming. We pursued homeschooling slowly doing basic lessons. But it was also during the Christmas season and we were blessed to have help from my mom who came to visit for a while.
Another time, I was schedule for surgery on my right foot in 2008. Yes a year after the birth of our little girl. Was I crazy to get operated when I had a non-walking little one at home. More than likely yes but honestly I couldn't bear the pain on the foot anymore… I had a bunion that was hurting a lot. The left foot had been operated when I was in high school. This one had not bug me until about two-three years ago. It took two years to have an appointment with the specialist and then another year to have the surgery. So here you go. There was no turning back. I had surgery and was limited in walking. Ah! Nuts I tell you. But I planned in advance and did a big BOOM of homeschool before the surgery. We also did a bit during the Christmas time to advance more. I was in a cast for a long time.
Stress/depression has also been part of my life. When I feel overwhelmed and can't seem to function, I take it easy. It happens more during the winter season. And since I discovered that vitamin D helps people who have the blues during winter, it happens less. I am fortunate then when it happened, it didn't last many days. It usually happens for a day. A day I take to relax, pray and seek God while the kids have it easy with coloring, movies and popcorn.
How do you homeschool during illness or family stress or crisis? My suggestion is that you take it easy, cover the basics (reading, writing and arithmetic) and think that in a way your kids are learning to deal with it. It's life. It needs to be dealt with. They can learn in a different way going through these events like how to help, how to trust God, how to deal with doctors/nurses and so on. Learning happens on a daily basis whether you plan it or not.
I've been tagged
Two friends of mine have tagged me in the past two weeks.
I barely had the time to answer the first tag that another one was made. OUCH!
So now I have two tags to do which are similar as I have to answer questions.
Heidi from Reviews & Reflections wants me to answer these questions:
- Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? If so, how close to being finished are you? I'd like to know your Christmas shopping personality. I must admit that this year I am late. Crazy late. But it also was a hard year. I have received some products that I am keeping away from the kids as it will be their Christmas gifts – things like Wii games, Nintendo DS game, Lego Game, K*Nex, Adventures in Odyssey CD.
- Is there a particular field trip destination that you and your kids could (and do) visit over and over again? The Hershey Factory would be on (*grin*) and Disney World as well (which we still have to do but I know the kids will be crazy about it). We loved Science North this Fall. We went like four times while we were in Sudbury. The Children's Museum in Boston is also wonderful. I recommend it to anyone I see.
- What is your favorite season, and why? Honestly, I like ALL the seasons. Each of them have something different to enjoy. Spring makes me thing of renewal and how God gaves life to everything around me. Summer is nice because of the sunshine and RV season. Fall is marvelous with all the changing of the colors of the leaves. And Winter even though it brings the cold is fantastic to build snowmen and have fun in the outdoors.
- Are you content with your home? If not, what would you like to change (assuming money is not an issue)? My house is wonderful. Oh there are things we would like to change – like the floors in the kitchen, fixing the cabinet doors that have been damaged, putting hardwood floor in the dining room, extending the entrance to up the stairs with tiles, having a deck in the backyard. But it can be done little by little. Sometimes I dream of more land and living out in the country. Not sure it is for us though. Hubby would love to have a house close to a lake with a boat.
- Do you have a dream vacation destination? There are many place I would love to go – Thailand to visit our friends who are missionaries there as well as one of our sponsored child through Compassion, Bolivia to visit another sponsored child through Compassion, Dominican Republic to visit two of our sponsored children through Compassion, France – actually make that Europe with my husband, a cruise in Alaska, Australia which I always wanted to visit, a tour of where Paul went, and finally a tour where Jesus went.
- Do you have a favorite Bible verse? If so, why is it your favorite? Recently I stumble on a verse that I really love and pray for my kids: "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love,in faith, and in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12
- Do you decorate your house for the seasons? If so, do you have a specific treasured ornament or decoration? I do. But I didn't took the time for Thanksgiving this year. Christmas is always a struggle as I would like to do it in November (late November) but hubby would prefer to wait later. Fortunately, the kids are excited about Christmas… *grin* and are willing to help me!
- What one thing would you change about yourself if you were able? I know I have to loose more weight. Working on it slowly.
Michelle from A Life Better Than I Deserve wants me to answer these questions:
- What type of gifts do you prefer to give? Do you prefer home-made, gift certificates, store-bought, etc? I would get either store-bought or gift certificates. For kids thought it is store-bought. I did a wreath once for my mother-in-law. And we give some homemade preserve when we do them.
- What type of gifts do you prefer to receive? I love handmade gifts when the person giving the gift has a talent for the making the object and when it is given with love and thoughtfulness. And I am not allergic to it; that tends to make me sad.
- Do you stock a gift closet, or box, and purchase gifts throughout the year? Yes we do. Where it is located is my own closet. So it is getting crowded sometimes. I've got a basket with anything that is DVD/electronic games related. Right now, you will find some Dr. Seuss stuff character, books, DVDs, electronic games, Lego game, K*Nexs, princess trunk, and a few other things. We use the gift stash for birthdays and Christmas not only for my kids but for my nephews and nieces as well. Sometimes I can dig something for birthday parties we are invited too! I usually take advantage of sales throughout the year. This year though I didn't as much as previous years.
- What is your favorite type of music? Do you have one? I am not picky. We have a variety of music like Michael Card, praise and worship music, the WOW worship collections, Michael W Smith, Steven Curtiss Chapman, NewsBoys, TobyMac, electronic music, and much more. It depends on how I feel…
- Do you like chick-flicks, or not? I do but not too much lovey-lovey. For example, last week we watched 27 Dresses. Loved it. We usually watch sci-fy, action or drama types of movies. For kids, it would be cartoons and family movies.
- Do you have a hobby? Do you make time for it regularly? I read a lot. I review books to cover this hobby of mine. I used to scrapbook but it is harder to do when you homeschool your kids. I also do cards. I cook with my husband. We love doing this. Actually it is a family event especially when you have 150 lbs of tomatoes or 10 lbs of onions to process. LOL As a family, we love rving and discovering new places, meeting new friends and expanding our horizons.
- What is your favorite thing about where you live? Every place has its pros and cons. What are the "pros" about where you live? Lots of activities to do – from walking to visiting museums. Ottawa is the nation's capital so there is always something going on. We have a great community of homeschoolers as well. In the area we live, every stores is quite far. We could walk but it would take about 30-40 minutes to get to the Wal-mart and then you need to come back with whatever you buy….
- What is your favorite kids cartoon movie? All the Tinker Bell movies! LOVE them. Even the kids enjoys them. Actually all the Disney movies, Veggie Tales, What's in the Bible are loved in our household.
Apparently, now I have to select people to do it as well. But I think it would be more interesting if you just take these questions and answer them on your own blog. So please go ahead, copy and answer on your blog. And please, leave me a comment that you did so. I would love to get to know you better!
Blessings from the Lord
Today it is Thanksgiving in Canada. And to celebrate, I want to list how God has blessed me as a mom who homeschool her kids during 2010.
The economy has been hard on every one. Us included. The business is okay even though the times were hard.
But we had to cut the expenses – as many of you probably did. The homeschooling budget was at the minimum which means we would buy Math-U-See, Easy Grammar and a couple of French products but that's it.
So how did God blessed us? By pouring his provision on us.
It all started last Spring when a friend contacted me to come back to the TOS Homeschool Crew for the remaining of the year. It was a time, where I was wondering what to do with Geography as I knew that I needed to incorporate it in our school. But buying wasn't an option. After praying and debating about the opportunity of embarking the rest of the voyage with the crew, I decided to jump on board. Well, the first product I had to review was related to Geography! I was speechless…
Then I went to a meeting held by the homeschool association in town and there were tons of curriculum for free as a school was changing their books and a homeschool family just gave away their old things. I was able to get a bunch of things from science, books, languages arts, spelling, geography and more! You can read my post about it here.
My older son has expressed is interest for becoming a doctor. Knowing that it is important to use this interest in our homeschool, I wanted him to get more material on human anatomy. I had posted some reviews on an homeschool vendor site and as a thank you they gave me a 40$ credit to order anythign on their site. Wow! From it, I got two 4D puzzles on human anatomy as well as an interesting book to create the human body. Another time, we went to a Freecycle event where people would bring their things to give away and you can pick and choose whatever you want. In the midst of everything, we found an older book which permits to color the human anatomy and learn at the same time. It is slightly used but my son was excited about it. Recently, I was bold enough to email a publisher to request the possibility of reviewing their new Human Anatomy and physiology book. They agreed and even send the two Notebooking books that goes with it. I was speechless again.
I know the year is not finished. We still have a few months to go before jumping in 2011. But just yesterday, we had another free "deal". In the basement, I have a little area where I could go and scrapbook or do crafts. I needed some bookcases – badly as everything is in boxes on the ground. We had some Canadian Tire money and even waited for a sale to get a bookshelf. A sale came about two weeks ago but we had not had the time to put the bookcase together yet. Well, coming back from church yesterday, we were turning on our street when we saw these two bookcases at the curb with a FREE sign on it. No kidding… We grabbed them and I need to clean them up a bit but they are perfect. I don't mind the scratches and the nicks in them. Now we will bring back the one we bought and hopefully get our Canadian Tire Money back. If not, well we will keep the bookcase.
God is faithful. His provides for our needs in His timing. We shouldn't worry about it - yes I know easier said than done. But I am learning to trust Him with every aspects of my life. It is a day-to-day learning as we face new challenges in life. But He is there. He knows us and our needs. He will provide. I know. I experienced it.
On this Thanksgiving day my questions are: What are you thankful for? How did God has blessed you in 2010?
Blog Archive
- ► 2011 (467)
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- ► 2009 (38)
- ► 2008 (123)


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Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Beef Jerky
11 comments:
Seriously -- you rock! Another winner, Jill. I've always wanted to make my own jerky for long trips, but never tried it. And I've got a cross-country trip coming up and now I have a recipe to use :)ReplyDelete
This looks sooo good!! Thanks.ReplyDelete
Thanks guys! It's delicious and really not as hard as I thought it might be!ReplyDelete
I love homemade beef jerky! This looks wonderful!ReplyDelete
fantastic! I must try this with honey in place of sugar. Then I can just pop some in all the pockets of my coats and never worry about being caught hungry again.ReplyDelete
I need hosts for Go Ahead Honey it's Gluten Free! Would you be interested?
x x x
Hahahahaha, thanks guys! Naomi, email me at jillelise AT gmail DOT com and I'd love to talk about hosting Go Ahead Honey It's GF!ReplyDelete
- Anonymous10:13 AM
Can this be left unrefrigerated? I have seen conflicting recommendations, but I want something that can be kept at room temperature.ReplyDelete
I believe it can, I also couldn't find anything that said for sure if it needs to be refrigerated or not. But I tested it on myself, I took it on a 27 hour train ride and it wasn't kept cold, and I didn't get sick. So I think it should be fine.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous8:40 PM
looks like a good recipe! Good tip, too...slightly freeze the meat before slicing it. It makes it so much easier to cut. Even better...have your butcher slice it up for you!ReplyDelete
Good work on this post. Its not as difficult to make jerky as people think. Everyone should try it!


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With the recent shut down of MegaUpload, the cyberlocker and one click hosting services space was shaken violently. In the aftermath, several leading file hosters including FileSonic, FileServe, FilePost & x7.to either suspended their operations or reduced functionality that made sharing of large files possible. In dark times like this, you'd think that no one would think of launching a new cyberlocker service, right? Wrong. As it is always the case with file sharing sites, when one goes down, several others pop in to take its place. PirateBees is one such new service that claims to offer free, one click online storage. This yet to be launched service carries an interesting tagline "Made by Pirates, For Pirates". Not much is known about PirateBees yet, apart from the fact that crew behind veteran DDL forum x264-bb are behind the project.
The initial pre-launch publicity about the new site was given through a mass PM sent to existing x264-BB members:
This is going to be the next big thing.
PirateBees.com :: Made by Pirates for Pirates ::
Website: http://www.piratebees.com/soon/
Share this link on your Facebook & Twitter if you can!
Get notified and receive news/updates by entering your email address.
Please make sure it is working email and add support[at]piratebees.[dot]com to your contact list to avoid being missed out!
Official word is that the service will launch on 1st of April, 2012. And according to a comment on their FaceBook page, the servers are likely to be based in Latvia, where pressure from US laws would be minimal. x264-bb did suffer a lot with deleted links with recent shut downs of FileServe, MU and the likes. They may have finally decided to launch a file host of their own. Whether the final service will be free for all, invite only or exclusive to x264-bb members is currently not known. It's all speculation right now - you can enter your E-mail address on the site to receive any official announcements made in future. Additionally, you can get some updates on their Facebook fan page as well.
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Related ArticlesRead the rest of this article...


text:
The Highlanders thumped the Crusaders 38-21 in their pre-Super Rugby season trial match at Whitestone Contracting Stadium in Oamaru on Friday.
The Highlanders outscored the Crusaders by six tries to three with All Black Ma'a Nonu scoring his first Highlanders try on his debut for the franchise.
Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder elected to rest some of his highers profile
All Blacks such as Dan Carter and Kieran Read but Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph
gave most of his stars some game time.
Joseph also stuck largely with the same team for the second half while Blackadder
chose to give some of his Academy and wider training group players a run.
More to follow.
Final Score Highlanders 38 (19) Crusaders 21 (14)
Tries: Hayden Parker 2, Ma'a Nonu, Buxton Popoali'i, Hosea Gear, Lima Sopoaga
Con : Sopoaga 2, Parker 2
Pen :
Tries : Luke Romano 2, Kieran Fonotia
Con : Tom Taylor 2, Tyler Bleyendaa
Pen :
1. Tony Woodcock ,2. Brayden Mitchell,3. Ma'afu Fia,4. Brad Thorn,5. Jarrad Hoeata,6. Joe Wheeler,7. John Hardie,8. Elliot Dixon,9. Aaron Smith,10. Lima Sopoaga ,11. Hosea Gear (c),12. Ma'a Nonu,13. Phil Burleigh ,14. Kade Poki ,15. Buxton Popoalii
Replacements : Backs: Jason Emery, Hayden Parker, Fumiaki Tanaka, Shaun Treeby and Frae Wilson.
Forwards: Hugh Blake, Liam Coltman, Tom Franklin, Paul Grant, Jamie Mackintosh & Bronson Murray.
Tom Marshall, Adam Whitelock, Israel Dagg, Ryan Crotty (c), Johnny McNicholl, Tom Taylor, Andy Ellis, Jordan Taufua, Shane Christie, Luke Whitelock, Dominic Bird, Luke Romano, Pa'ea Fa'anunu, Ben Funnell, Wyatt Crockett.
Replacements: Codie Taylor, Adrian Barone, Joe Moody, Jimmy Tupou, Jeremy Su'a, Willi Heinz, Robbie Fruean, Telusa Veainu, Joel Everson, Mitch Graham, Matt Todd, Tyler Blyendaal, Kieran Fonotia, George Whitelock, James Schrader.


text:
This talk, "Aimee Mullins and her 12 pairs of legs," puts a dozen unusual prosthetic legs on stage with Mullins, whose own legs were amputated below the knee in infancy, as she was born without fibular bones. From her bio:
She learned to walk on prosthetics, then to run -- competing at the national and international level as a champion sprinter, and setting world records at the 1996 Paralympics in Atlanta. At Georgetown, where she double-majored in history and diplomacy, she became the first double amputee to compete in NCAA Division 1 track and field.She has gone on to model and act, but has become a visible proponent of advances in prosthetics.
In this talk, Mullins uses some of the techniques already noted from our top women speakers of today. She moves around the stage, using the space and her props--the prosthetics--to underscore her points and illustrate the slides further. Notice how she keeps her arms where they can be instantly useful for gesturing, bent at the elbow; it's also a relaxed look that keeps her hands free, which helps her delivery. She focuses on telling personal stories, another key to speaking without notes.
What's fascinating, too, about this talk is its discussion of beauty and disability. Mullins tackles it, and so do the commenters on this TED page featuring her speech. Here's a sample:
Such a brilliant athlete and spokeswoman for the differently abled gets it, but then why did she pose as a half-naked cat? It's ridiculous. She doesn't need photos like that to make her beautiful, and she should not seek acceptance from the skin-deep fashion industry to prove her beauty. All it said to me was that yes, even women without legs can be heavily objectified. The same industry she is so happy to be accepted in is the one that helped make her feel different in the first place! Everyone commenting on this speech admires Ms. Mullins for her true beauty, and I am afraid the mixed message of the photo shoot is trying to take credit for it. I%u2019d like to see a picture of her, fully clothed, without any prosthetics on- that would be a bold, beautiful move.
Is she helping push the diversity of what we consider beautiful, or becoming objectified? Whatever your view, she's a compelling speaker.
Related posts:
What should I do with my hands?


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