text:
For those of you who have attended our Nashville movie events over the years, you've probably met Myra McEntire at the New Moon and Eclipse events scurrying around behind the scenes to make sure the whole thing happened without a hitch. Myra was doing thankless things like stuffing 500 giveaway bags and distributing raffle tickets. In fact, she ran the Eclipse event practically single-handedly because our main staff was in Utah at another event. As many of you may know, Myra's debut novel, Hourglass, can out last year to critical acclaim. MTV picked it as one of their top 2011 beach readsand the book was optioned by Fox for a movie. Well now the next book in the series called Timepiece is out today! Here is the official description:
Kaleb Ballard was never supposed to be able to see ripples–cracks in time. Are his powers expanding, or is something very wrong? Before he can find out, Jonathan Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, reappears. Why is he back, and what, or whom, does he want? In the wake of Landers's return, the Hourglass organization is given an ultimatum by a mysterious man. Either they find Landers and the research he has stolen on people who might carry the time gene, or time will be altered–with devastating results for the people Kaleb loves most. Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their extraordinary powers to find Landers. But where do they even start? And when? Even if they succeed, just finding him may not be enough … The follow-up to Hourglass, Timepiece blends the paranormal, science fiction, mystery, and suspense genres into a nonstop thrill ride where every second counts.
You can snag a copy here.


text:
From the football pitch to the dining table
Football fandom in Brazil is practically a religion and Belo Horizonte is no exception. Independência Stadium and Governador Magalhães Pinto Stadium (or Mineirão, as the locals call it) were the stage for the 1950 and 2014 World Cups. These events have helped to shine a light on the city and increase the influx of tourists in search of local attractions... which inevitably include food and nightlife.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The percentage of women in senior and executive management is constantly increasing each year. To have a close look at the equality of opportunities, when we consider the promotion rate by gender and by category, the data indicates that women are promoted to an equal extent or more than men in some regions. Across all regions, women consistently have more promotions in the operator category, but this should be considered along with the number of women as a percentage of total operators.
Ensuring equal opportunities for employees with disabilities is another important aspect of our strategy with a global budget to support the integration of disabled employees over US$ 2 millions.


text:
'Most of us would be upset if we were accused of being "silly." But the word "silly" comes from the old English word "selig," and its literal definition is "to be blessed, happy, healthy and prosperous."' These are the words from bestselling author and motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar.
Who wouldn't want to be blessed, happy, healthy, and prosperous? This is what we strive to support in our partners, and customers. Custom Blending, LLC is a wholesale spice blending company. We offer a variety of high quality spices, and spice blends to restaurants, food distributors, and food manufactures. We provide co-packing, and private label services of spice blends, BBQ rubs, and drink mixes for industrial and retail sales. Our goal is to come along side our customers to offer the highest quality ingredients and outstanding service so they can focus on what they do best. We see ourselves as an extension of their business. That's why we want to share our amazing partners with you.
We have been tremendously blessed to be working with outstanding business owners, and talented partners. Our goal is to highlight these companies and individuals. We just want to get the word out about their innovative products, and where you can find them. Keep an eye out to see who is in the spotlight.
From time to time you will also see some information about the health benefits of spices along with some great recipes.
Our hope is that you find this blog informational and educational, and in the process, may you find yourself being "silly".
Tags: Co-Packing, Drink Mix, Private Label, Spice Blending, Wholesale Spice


text:
|Do you know where your variables are?
Re: Virtues of Communityby dthacker (Deacon)
|on Jul 02, 2001 at 09:03 UTC ( #93113=note: print w/replies, xml )
|Need Help??
For context I give you my background. I have been a member for over a year. I do not write perl for a living. It's maybe 10-20% of what I do. I used to code in 4gl for a living. I now can truthfully say that I code perl like a 4gl programmer. My code can be clumsy and unwieldy, but eventually works. I work with people who have much stronger skills, and I badger them a lot. I want my code to be as concise and coherent as theirs.
I found this definition of monk:
monk-A man who is a member of a brotherhood living in a monastery and devoted to a discipline prescribed by his order: a Carthusian monk; a Buddhist monk.
I have found the monks to have high standards. They are truly devoted to their discipline. I like that. I want my code to meet those standards. I'm willing to have my questions re-phrased and my code corrected as long as you are explaining why or giving me a clear path to that explanation. By showing me civility when you do this, you also show me your brotherhood.
I value your time and your help. For my part of the discipline, I commit to RTFM, thinking it through, and trial and error before I post. For your part, I ask a civil and thoughtful answer. I'm as devoted to the discipline as you are, but I've not seen everything you have. Help me see.
And now I must go meditate on perlref.... Dave
In Section Meditations


text:
Item: 25015464
Sold Out $8.99
Combining two of our most popular items into one, the Pineapple Can has a classic coolgearcan™ base with fun pineapple graphics and a molded pineapple lid. Each can comes with a reusable straw and holds up to 16 oz of your favorite drinks. Plus, the double wall insulation keeps drinks colder, longer so you can party like a pineapple!
16 ounces
0.48 liters
0.47 lbs
0.22 kgs
Exterior Dimensions ( L x W x H ):
3.15" x 3.15" x 10.44"
8 cm x 8 cm x 26.5 cm
Bring some sunshine to your day and some fun to any drink! Our popular BPA free pineapple tumbler boasts a 64 oz capacity and comes in three bright colors that are sure to get attention. Party like a pineapple with the included bendy straw and let the compliments pour in!
Sold Out
Our 18 oz Pineapple Tall Boy features a translucent faceted pineapple design in four bright colors that will make you feel like you're always on island time. The slim silhouette fits easily into cup holders and the molded pineapple slice lid includes a reusable straw for easy sipping whether you're on-the-go, or taking it slow.


text:
A profile of 102-year old Elizabeth Stevens SMART is the lead story in the November-December 2009 issue of Ottawa Branch News. She is the oldest living member of the Ottawa Branch, and she goes right back to when it was formed in 1972. She has membership number 18!
Written by George NEVILLE, an Ottawa member, the article is based on a four-hour interview with Elizabeth taken in 2002, and covers her school history from Grade Primary right up to her Teacher Training.
The story will be continued in the next edition of the newsletter.
Elizabeth and Edward KIPP went on another research trip, and this time, they visited the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana. They also attended the RATHUN reunion.
Overall, they gave good marks to the library, explaining the available resources and points to note. I would recommend reading this material before going there to do research.
In this issue, Robert SERRE talks about William CROSS, Hugh DAVIS, and Thomas FORAN in his ongoing series, "Early Residents of Ottawa's Sandy Hill Neighbourhood", and Mike MORE talks about the things he has found on the Internet under the title of "Electronic Notebook".
The "Historic Plaques and Monuments" in this issue showcases the Canadian Heritage Rivers System - The Rideau Waterway. Included in the article is a lovely picture of the plaque, and a brief history of the waterway.


text:
Often as we go back in time and stumble on the history of our ancestors we wonder what they did for a living. Many of my ancestors were farms, but also has those who worked in the factories. Very little of my heritage was passed down to my through my family. Much of what I now know about my ancestors has come through my research and through the contribution of other distant relatives.
So how do you find out what your ancestors did for a living? The most useful places are census records, obituaries, business directories, and for those who served or registered for war are the world war registrations. There are I'm sure other sources, but these are just a few I commonly use.
For example a very generous man, whom I didn't know saw my request for information on my grandfather and since I used the word please in my request it drew his attention. He contact me and said he had a passion for obituaries, had found my grandfather's, and would I like a copy. Of course I said yes. My grandfather Albert Lee Woolsey died when I was eight. He lived in the home with my grandmother, just behind us. By that time of course he was retired and of the time I remember he was sick. Of course I was too young and wrapped up in being a kid to ask any questions as too their life. My grandmother made sure to talk to me and I gained bits and pieces from her, but I never learned much about grandpa. So I must say I was surprised when I got his obit and in it was this:
"Born in Oklahoma, he moved to Modesto in 1962 and was a press operator for Norris Industries. He was a member of the Full Gospel Tabernacle"
How ironic. I discovered this pieces of information about a year after my daughter was born and I had quit my job for a printing company, selling printing. Even then it didn't hit me what we had in common.
At one point I started researching the family of my great grandmother May Elizabeth Rollette. I really still want to know more. My great grandfather left her when the children were still young, taking the children with him. The family hardly knew her and knew even less about her life or that of her family. I began finding them in the census records in MO where we knew she was born.
In 1920 I found May and Frank Roe in Buchanan, MO. The were roomers at the home of John W Stephens. They both worked at the local Box Factory and May was a stamper there. I have yet to find out what the local box factory was, but it gives us just a little more glimpse into their lives. I also find it interesting that Frank and his brother both were working there, both had moved there from Oklahoma and married women there. I think it's very likely that they left the Indian reservation they were on in Oklahoma to look for work in the factories of MO where they each meet and married a woman from the factory.
I also found the World War I registration card for May's brother Everett David Rollett. In his registration his occupation is list Delivery Clerk for Meyers Auto Livery. So here I not only found his occupation, but also the name of the company he is working for.
So take some time this weekend to look back through your notes, study and honor the hard work of your ancestors. Who knows you may get lucky and have it lead you to another bit of information you didn't even know.


text:
- Williams news
2013 engine regs vital for F1 - Parr
- News:
Ecclestone will fight 2013 engine regulations
- News:
Montezemolo pushing FIA to scrap four-cylinder plan
- Teams:
- Williams
Williams chairman Adam Parr believes the introduction of new engine regulations in 2013 is vital to keep the sport relevant and encourage investment in teams.
Last December the FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) agreed that the current V8 engines will be replaced by four-cylinder turbo units in two years' time. Since then, however, Bernie Ecclestone has criticised the changes, which he believes "are going to be terribly costly to the sport". His concern is that the muted sound of the new engines, which will be running on half the cylinders and peaking at 6,000rpm less than the current V8s, will attract smaller audiences at both the circuit and via TV.
And Ecclestone is not alone, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo believes the cut in engine size goes too far. "A four-cylinder Ferrari seems absurd to me," he said. "We've not even built a ten-cylinder Ferrari and I'm still thinking that a six-cylinder would have been more in line with the Formula One positioning on the market."
But Parr believes such arguments are fuelled by individual interests rather than the overall good of the sport.
"Formula One is ultimately defined by its technology and Formula One's constant reinvention of itself, whether it's on the chassis side or the engine side, is fundamental to the nature of the sport," he told Reuters. "The people who don't want things to change are the people who for whatever reason feel they have an incumbent advantage by not changing things. The problem with that is the sport will lose its interest very quickly if people think that it is standing still."
Parr believes F1 engines have to remain at the cutting edge of technology in order to keep sponsorship money rolling in.
"Why do we need a new engine? Well, we've got this V8 which essentially in one shape or another...has been going for years. The technology is dated, it's not what's going on out in the real world and I think it's a major, major barrier to bringing in new partners and growing the sport.
"It will have one fan generating electricity to super-charge the engine, another fan to recover energy from the exhausts which will recharge a battery and then be usable. You are going to have a powertrain generating well over 800bhp from four cylinders. I think it's going to sound fantastic. It's going to run on pure electric in the pitlane."
According to Reuters, Mercedes and Renault, who supply half the grid's engines between them, are both in support of the switch.


text:
14 May 2010
Santorini Assyrtiko & Crabs Benedict
Throughout the rest of the day a bunch of people wanted to know the recipe. But I didn't know precisely what was going on with the photo, so I commented on the originating post. Questions kept piling on my side of things, so I decided to go right to the source. Since I reviewed her whiskey book and interviewed her last year, I shot her an e-mail asking for more information on this delectable dish. She kindly provided as many details as she could. It was a brunch item served at Fresh Bistro in West Seattle, described thusly:
Sweet Potato-Dungeness Crab Eggs Benedict $15
Shredded sweet potato cakes, Dungeness crab leg, chipotle hollandaise, fresh baby arugula salad, sautéed veggies
Kate gave me a few more hints on the structure and I decided to give it a shot. I ran a sweet potato and shallot through the mandoline, bound it all with an egg and a little flour, and made a few sweet potato hash brown cakes. For the sauce, I made a straight hollandaise and added a little adobo sauce from a can of chipotles, just enough to season but not make it hot. Instead of Dungeness, I used some decent canned blue crab meat (hey, I'm a long way from the Pacific), and decided that as long as I'd whipped up a batch of hollandaise I might as well steam some asparagus instead of making a salad.
It's certainly an amazing flavor combination, but very rich. I think I'd prefer it with an English muffin base instead of the sweet potato, or perhaps as a much smaller course using little sweet potato cakes and a quail's egg. It's also a lot of work for one person in a home kitchen. I had a pot going with steaming water for the asparagus, and I was whisking my sauce over the heat coming off the top. I had a skillet going with the sweet potato cakes and jostled around to make some room for another skillet to poach some eggs. Almost forgot to add the crab as I was assembling everything. It takes some experienced juggling to have everything at the right temperature and texture mere moments before serving.
I had the perfect wine to go with this meal, and it curiously enough came from yet another blogger. Constance sent me a bottle of the 2008 Santorini Assyrtiko from the volcanic archipelago of Santorini in the Aegean Sea. 100% Ασύρτικο/Assyrtiko. $15, 13% abv.
I've mentioned this before, but Greek wine labels are getting better and better. Design-wise this could easily be mistaken for an Italian wine on the shelf. I'm not saying that the Greeks need to hide anything, but the older labels tended to be wholly unreadable to someone unfamiliar with the language/alphabet, with perhaps some poorly translated explanation on the back label. You can actually witness this evolution with labels just in the past 15 years. Different companies here, but look at a pure Greek label probably designed in the 60s and used for 40 years, to a hybrid label that still doesn't do much for the English audience, to a more modern layout that very obviously says, "This is a normal wine, nothing to be afraid of." If you can't figure out if the contents of the bottle are wine, a liqueur, a spirit, olive oil, or floor polish, you're going to be less likely to buy it, or even open it if someone brought it back as a gift from vacation.
The wine itself reminds me of Semillon. There's an earthy, honey-like tone to it, with a tart, crisp green apple finish. Hint of juniper on the nose. Absolutely gorgeous golden color. Totally dry, very short finish. It practically disappears after the sip. Should go great with any seafood dish, and the simpler the better. Think little fish grilled and spritzed with lemon juice, or a big bowl of freshly steamed mussels. Even oysters, though maybe not something oily and strongly flavored like mackerel or bluefish.
Big thanks to Kate and Constance for providing all the inspiration for this delicious meal, and to my Facebook readers for pushing me to try it out. Kind of makes me want to send a few categories to different bloggers and try a Mad Libs-style post in the future. "For dinner, Benito had a chicken liver omelet with a side of Doritos salad, pepperoni ice cream, and a glass of Purplesaurus Rex Kool-Aid." Or perhaps not.
Note: This wine was received as a sample from Santo Wines.
11 comments:
- Michael Hughes said...
How timely. I was just saying to your friend Marshall how you loved all the weird stuff like assyrtiko & what not.
- 13 May, 2010 16:16
- Benito said...
I figure if you've got a reputation for obscure wines, you ought to own up to it. :) I actually received the wine the morning you made that comment.
- 13 May, 2010 16:59
- fredric koeppel said...
great image i have in my mind of you cooking with all those pots and skillets going. the hardest part of cooking for me is juggling all the elements of a dish or a meal and having them be ready at the same time.
- 14 May, 2010 04:33
On behalf of those crazed Facebook commenters...Thank you! Shrimp & Grits Benedict is also a pain, but well worth it. Looking forward to the variation on theme.
- 14 May, 2010 05:34
- Constance C said...
You always have the most amazing meals! When are you going to invite me down to try some with these wines? ;) thanks for the shout out!
- 14 May, 2010 06:36
- Benito said...
After cooking for about a dozen dinner parties I got my timing down pretty good. I do remember once trying to make homemade mayonnaise at the last minute and wondering why it wouldn't come together. Ten minutes later I realized I'd left out the yolks and was just beating oil and vinegar together.
Glad I was able to solve the mystery, and let me know if you try it.
If you ever come to Memphis, you know how to get in touch with me!
- 14 May, 2010 07:32
- Unknown said...
Ah...Too bad it was overly rich. I wonder if their a culinary way to compensate for that? Mixed the sweet potatoes with white perhaps? Let me think on that.
- 14 May, 2010 08:32
- Benito said...
Maybe the sides were the issue... Some fresh melon and crisp celery would have been a nice contrast.
- 14 May, 2010 10:25
- B8wine said...
Thanks for the review. I just bought a bottle of Koutsoyiannopoulos Assyrtiko from Santorini and was wondering if it will pair with anything else then seafood. Spinakopita maybe?
- 14 May, 2010 13:24
- Benito said...
I think it would go great with grilled vegetables, and something like a caprese salad.
- 14 May, 2010 18:12
- greece_traveller said...
mmm..you made me hungry :)
I am a new blogger and because of my love for Santorini (a Greek island) I started my blog, Santorini Greece. Check it out.
- 23 June, 2010 07:18


text:
|Bake sale in NYC. Not happy about that one either.
Cue '80s Flashdance flashback, but with mom jeans, rage and cupcakes.
My kids' public school has had three bake sales in May. All right out side the front door of the school so there's no way for a bake sale Grinch like myself to avoid it.
The first bake sale was at the beginning of May. At the time I thought of it as the only bake so I not only let my kids buy something, but I baked something for it, too.
I haven't baked something for a bake sale in years, ever since I became thoroughly convinced bake sales are not the fundraising answer in the age of childhood obesity.
But I wanted my kids to feel part of the group, I wanted to give-up my bake sale Grinch ways. I tried not to be complain-y about the baked goods in lieu of healthier - and yet, still festive! - options.
Anyway, you can image my surprise when a mere 10 days later there was another bake sale. In front of the kids' school. And from which I felt compelled to let my kids buy something.
I was unhappy. But not a bake sale maniac.
And then came yesterday. A note came home announcing there would be a bake sale at school today.
Yes, that's right - the third bake sale this month!
And who was holding it? Not even the school. The bake sale was to benefit the local Girl Scout Troop.
And I lost it.
That bake sale is the one that made me a maniac.
Is it not enough those cookie-pushers had already shown-up at my front door when my kids were home - and worse, my softie of a husband - resulting in us purchasing FIVE boxes of Girl Scout cookies?
I'm sorry, but if you need to have a bake sale in addition to your cookie conglomerate... it's time to find another fundraising answer.
I'm writing this on my blog because I promised my kids if they didn't bug me for anything at the bake sale today that I wouldn't write a letter complaining about the bake sale mania to their principal. I hope this counts as keeping my word. And kids, you made a wise choice today. That would've been some letter.


text:
It's Saturday afternoon and I get a text from L, our friend and language intercambio, to arrange some coffee and cake the following afternoon. I will meet him at the mudejar arch that leads to the old town and we'll pick up some pastries before coming back to our place and "gowering into them", as they say in my neck of the woods. I can't vouch for the spelling.
A little while later though I get another text. L has just heard that there will be a traditional matanza down at the alameda earlier in the day. The reader may need some help with terms. Alameda translates as mall or avenue and just about every Spanish town has one – Tarifa's (and I may be biased) is particularly handsome as it hugs the city walls, lined with stately palms and comparatively high-end restaurants. Parents take their young children there to stop off at the tiny playground on their Sunday paseo and little markets are often set up. There's a book stall and a kiosk for the whale-watching excursions.
I'm still on a learning curve about the country we live in so whenever anyone slips the word 'traditional' in, I'm interested. I text L that, of course, we'll meet him at the top of the alameda at one, More


text:
Blueberry-Lime Ice Cream Recipe
I scream, you scream, we all scream for...
In this ice cream, blueberries are cooked into a rich jam with lime, star anise, and cinnamon, then blended into a custard for an ice cream that tastes like blueberry cobbler, but a lot more interesting.
Read more: Scooped: Blueberry-Lime Ice Cream
- Yield:makes 1 quart
- Active time: 1 hour
- Total time:1 hour, plus an overnight chill
- Rated:
- 2 cups blueberries
- 1 star anise star
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Peeled zest of 1 lime
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 6 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons lime juice from 1 lime, or to taste
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
In a non-reactive medium saucepan, cook blueberries on medium heat with star anise, cinnamon, lime zest, and sugar until the blueberries lose their shape and a jammy syrup forms, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove star anise and transfer to blender.
On top of blueberries add cream, then milk, then egg yolks. Blend on high speed until thoroughly pureed, about 30 seconds. Strain into a clean medium saucepan.
Cook base on medium heat, stirring frequently, until a custard forms on a spoon but a finger swiped across the back leaves a clean line. Remove from heat and strain into an airtight container. Stir in lime juice to taste, then salt to taste. Base should have a slight but not pronounced tartness.
Chill overnight in refrigerator, then the next day, churn according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer ice cream to freezer and chill for at least 4 hours before serving.
This Recipe Appears InScooped: Blueberry-Lime Ice Cream
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


text:
Support can only be contacted via the Support tab in your account or by clicking here. Tickets are checked frequently during regular business hours and monitored 24/7 on nights and weekends. If you submitted a ticket and have not received a reply within four business hours please check your Support inbox in your account, as the email notification may have been lost in your email SPAM filters.
Our business hours are Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 7 PM Eastern Time.


text:
Wild Blue Boutique appreciates all of our customers patronage and respects your privacy. Under no circumstances will we distribute, sell, loan, or rent any personally identifiable information, regarding its customers to any third party. All personal information collected during any purchase is strictly used for tracking and corresponding order information with our customers. Cookies are used to keep track of your shopping cart.
If you have any other questions regarding our privacy policy, please feel free to email us at: firstname.lastname@example.com
What is your return policy?
Your happiness is important to us and we hope that you will love your purchase, however, we know that sometimes things don't work out. If this is the case, feel free to send it back within 14 days for a store credit or exchange. Your store credit has no expiration date and becomes part of your payment history and will be automatically applied to your next purchase. A copy will be emailed to you.
What is an acceptable return?
All items must be returned unworn with original tags attached and in the same condition as you received it. Footwear must be returned in the original boxe. Jewelry and scarves cannot be returned. Clearance items are final sale.
How do I issue a return?
Please package your return items along with your packing slip and mail to the address below. If you would like to exchange an item calling or emailing us as soon as possible would be great so we can hold the item for you. Once your package is received, please allow 2-5 business days for processing. You will receive an email confirmation regarding this after we receive the item.
Phone Number: 303-771-0250
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Return Address:
Wild Blue Boutique
4940 S Yosemite St, Ste E4
Greenwood Village, CO 80111


text:
What is this climate problem anyway? The key stores in the global carbon cycle are shown in the image I've drawn (below, click to enlarge). The arrows representing the flow of carbon between key stores are annotated with the mechanism of transfer.
People, especially those living in the most economically developed societies, currently impact heavily on the carbon cycle. Total carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per person per year in the UK are now more than 10 tonnes, when a sustainable level is 2 tonnes. Elsewhere in the economically developed world it can be higher than this eg in the USA.
In constructing homes, factories, roads...people consume huge quantities of fossil fuel and cement (see image). Extracting/producing, transporting and using fossil fuels and cement in itself releases large amounts of carbon.
In heating and lighting homes and using many gadgets people consume large amounts of natural gas and electricity (largely produced by burning fossil fuels in power stations).
In transporting themselves around by car and their factory mass produced and consumed goods around the globe by heavy lorry, planes and ships, huge amounts of petrol, diesel and aviation fuel are burned, emitting carbon.
Demand for land is high and growing eg to feed a growing world population and to meet high demand for meat. Beef farming in particular is land and energy intensive - large scale deforestation (see image) has occurred to make land available for it.
One reaction to all this: the UK Climate Change Act, 2008 under the last Labour Govt, which sets a carbon reduction target of at least 80% by 2050 from 1990 levels, and carbon budgeting. However, the Coalition Govt has, amongst a long list of green failures: dropped the pledge to cut EU emissions by 30% by 2020 and is instead getting the EU "back on track" to cutting energy consumption by 20% by 2020; abandoned a planned rise in the renewable energy target; axed a commitment to replace air passenger duty with a per-flight tax; severely limited the scope of green financial products supposed to enable people to invest in green infrastructure; favoured greater reliance on finite and climate change causing natural gas; favoured fracking for shale gas....see here for more.
Find out more on climate change from: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate-change


text:
- Home
- Home Office
- Cross Island Small Leg Desk
Cross Island Small Leg Desk
Product Description
The richly detailed mission design of the "Cross Island" home office collection captures the beauty of rich country style with a versatility that enhances any home environment. The medium brown oak stained finish is beautifully accented by the mortise through ornamentation to create the rustic beauty of finely crafted mission styled furniture. With ample writing area and plenty of storage space, this desk offers a versatility that greatly enhances any home's decor. Accent your home's beauty with the rustic style of the "Cross Island" home office collection.


text:
Plasti-kote New Yellow Gloss Spray Paint 400ml
Plasti-kote premium gloss spray paint formula gives an enhanced, consistent coverage in its new can design. The new easy spray technology provides added control to make spray painting easier, faster and cleaner than ever before. Each coat is ultra smooth, providing flawless coverage that dries quickly to a tough, durable finish.
Named Day Delivery:
Economy Delivery:
Bulk Delivery:
Local Delivery 3-5 Working Days:
Unwanted items
Electrical Faults
Damaged or incorrect items
Credit/Debit Card
We accept all the major credit/debit cards online. Please note we cannot take credit/debit card orders over the telephone due to security reasons.
Online customers can also pay by Paypal. Just look for the Paypal option during the check out phase. Please note that Paypal will not supply us with your telephone number which we may need to contact you regarding your order. Please remember to leave your telephone number in the notes section during checkout.
We also accept BACS payments or bank transfers, please contact 0191 5871708 for more information.
This product has not been reviewed yet.


text:
The goal of the Visual Arts Department of The Governor's School for the Arts is to provide a venue where students can explore their artistic interests and potential in various mediums of visual arts to ultimately find their own vision. The program provides intensive and challenging instruction and experiences designed to help students develop a strong conceptual basis as well as the technical skills necessary for creating and evaluating their own style and sophisticated works of art. The program is designed to prepare students for college and a career in their chosen visual art medium.
The visual arts department encourages in-depth exploration and research in an array of studio courses in the field of printmaking, painting, photography, computer imaging, video imaging additive, subtractive, and constructed sculpture (as well as welding), design, and other areas such as medical illustration and fashion design. Additionally, students take continuing drawing and art history classes as well as classes which focus on conceptualization, analysis, and criticism.
The schedule for Visual Arts students is based around two-hour elective studios which are taken daily, along with either art history, concepts and criticism. Each student chooses two elective studios from a variety offered each nine weeks. Portfolio development is an integral part of the visual arts program. With guidance from the department chair, students select two electives for each of the four nine week grading periods. In addition to the typical electives, advanced students may apply for independent study in a particular area.
Typical course of study:
Required courses: (time spent / week)
9th Grade
Art History 1 (2 hours)
Concepts and Criticism 1 (2 hours)
Drawing (3 hours)
Studio Foundations (2 hours)
2 four hour studio electives
10th Grade
Art History 2 (3 hours)
Concepts and Criticism 2 (2 hours)
Drawing (2 hours)
2 four hour studio electives
11th Grade
Art History 3 (3 hours)
First Semester:Concepts and Criticism Independent (2 hours) Second : Portfolio Preparation (2 hours)
Drawing (2 hours)
2 four hour studio electives (see next column)
12th Grade
Art History 4 (3 hours)
First Semester:Portfolio Preparation (2 hours) Second : Senior Exhibition (2 hours)
Drawing (2 hours)
2 four hour studio electives
Studio Electives:
Vary with quarter, but include:
Drawing Studio
Acrylic Painting
Oil Painting
Screen Print
Book Making
Mixed Media
Elemental Sculpture
Figurative Sculpture
Sculpture on location
Glass Sculpture
Digital Imaging
Web site development
Digital Photography
Silver Photography
Independent Studio


text:
|'"The Phulin Resort"'
a subsidiary hotel with well designed guest rooms.
The Phulin Resort position itself to be standard hotels with comfortable rooms
but in the same deluxe service of The Briza Resort Group.
'"The Phulin Resort"' has its own conceptual in being a good value hotel for money for either short stay or long stay guests with the hotel's lifestyle of "Easy way of life".
Comprising of all newly renovated rooms, interior design displays the modern contemporary
concept with the most convenient and functional features to fulfill all lifestyle of international travelers.
Superior Room
Superior rooms with a total area of 24 square meters per room fully equipped of air condition, delightful bathroom amenities, shower with hot & cold water, hair dryer, color LED TV with satellite, telephone with IDD, refrigerator and personal safety box in rooms.
Deluxe Room / Deluxe Pool Access
Deluxe rooms in the size of 38 square meters, consist of Deluxe Pool Access rooms, 11 Deluxe rooms have direct exposure to nature and the rest of 18 rooms are on the 2nd and 3rd floor. All Deluxe rooms include living area, pantry with microwave, toaster and coffee & tea making facilities.
All Deluxe rooms and Deluxe Pool Access rooms are fully equipped with air conditioning, IDD call color LED TV with satellite, safety box in room, refrigerator, hair dryer, bath tub and shower with hot & cold watering a day but also able to enjoy sale centering in room.
|Deluxe Room
|Deluxe Room
|Deluxe Room
|Deluxe Pool Access
|Deluxe Pool Access
|Deluxe Pool Access
|Meeting Room
|Meeting Room
|Meeting Room
|Swimming Pool with sundeck
|Swimming Pool with sundeck
|Internet Service
Located in the center of Karon area and only a short distance from sandy of Karon Beach, 45 minutes from Phuket International Airport, 20 minutes from Phuket town and 10 minutes from Patong Beach.


text:
Carl Zeiss Optotechnik GmbH
The Carl Zeiss Optotechnik GmbH is a worldwide leading supplier of optical measuring and testing technology.
Since the company´s foundation in 1980 (Labor Dr. Steinbichler) and 1987 (Steinbichler Optotechnik GmbH), we develop and market highly precise systems with corresponding software solutions for a wide range of applications. After the consolidation of ZEISS and Steinbichler Optotechnik GmbH in 2015 we are now operating as Carl Zeiss Optotechnik GmbH.
Read more


text:
A Barclays clerk in Britain pleaded guilty to stealing over £46k ($71,957) from the bank to get the body she desired.
Rachel Martin, 24, admitted to the theft in a U.K. court, The Sun reported. She was accused of transferring batches of funds into account that usually ranged between £1,000 ($1,564) and £2,000 ($3,128).
Authorities said Martin spent £4,000 ($6,257) on breast surgery and £1,700 ($2,659) on teeth whitening. Other money was reportedly spent on liposuction, hair extensions, make-up and nights out.
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
By the time she was caught she had spent all the money she was accused of stealing, according to The Sun.
Her sentencing is set for September.


text:
Center for Advanced Analytics and Business Intelligence
The Center for Advanced Analytics and Business Intelligence (CAABI) promotes the study of business intelligence, and research and teaching on topics such as big data, business analytics, and statistics. The center hosts a Big Data Symposium every spring semester that attracts local, national, and international participants and visitors.
CAABI provides students with the ability to leverage information in databases and data warehouses for improved knowledge discovery and decision making in areas such as customer relationship management, forecasting, fraud and waste detection, market segmentation, web traffic and e-commerce analysis, automated data and text mining, real-time targeted advertising and marketing, bioinformatics, medical informatics, and genomics.
Rawls College of Business
AddressRawls College of Business, Box 42101, 703 Flint Avenue, Lubbock, TX 79409


text:
I think it must be due to all the problems I am experiencing at present (see previous blog) I seem to be lacking in creativity at present. I did go to my good friend Karen's place last Saturday where she held a Stamp-a-stack afternoon and we managed to make 10 cards in 2 hours!! Not bad eh! It was great to get out and forget about things for a couple of hours, so thanks Karen. Check out Karen's blog for photos of the cards we made - real neat aren't they.
The only card I've made other than the above in the last three weeks or so is this one - but I'm not very keen on it - as I said before I have a real creativity block at present. The colours don't seem to 'gel' and it looks a little bit too fussy for my taste. Still it's all a learning curve, isn't it.
Last night my daughter and I went up to the hospital to visit hubby and got caught in a hailstorm with claps of thunder and lightening hitting the car - quite frightening. Anyway on returning home about 1-1/2 hours later found the hailstones had formed a real ice patch in the garden and as you can see from the photo - it was still frozen solid.
Karen has got another card evening this Monday so hope to be able to go to that and maybe get back some real enthusiasm and ideas.


text:
GSS 3rd Annual Print Residency Exhibition: DOT.-DASH
Please join us at The Gowanus Studio Space for the reception of our third annual Print Residency Exhibition, DOT.-DASH. The six residents will show a selection of prints and print-related work made during and around their time at GSS.
January 25 – February 22
Opening Reception January 25 7-10pm
Closing Reception February 21st 7-9pm
Bill Abdale
Hannah Bigeleisen
Carl Ferrero
Katie Merz
Jennifer Schmidt
Jennifer Waverek
The exhibition's internal, artist-driven curatorial structure echoes the ethos of The Gowanus Studio Space's own greater mission and operation. Inherent in said structure are individual strands of artistic thinking like those brought by these previously unassociated artists; strands which fan and converge conceptually and physically at the studio.
Bill Abdale repeats for us an obscured recording. Through layers of silkscreened imagery, he presents an abbreviated visibility which privileges the surface and the messy nature of the medium more than the image itself. The replicated versions reference the parallel processes through which we individually understand mapped information or landscape surroundings.
Carl Ferrero combines silkscreen and lithography with nostalgic objects weighty with pop-culture past-lives. However, the immediacy in his print technique freezes them in time and space to be nothing but in the present.
Recognizing the myth inherent in representation, Hannah Bigeleisen slyly alters the surface of her geometric, minimal works on paper while simultaneously alluding to space and form. Combining print with photographic as well as real/embossed texture, these works are challenges in understanding multiple representations of space in one image.
Katie Merz's cartoons are distilled into so-called "heiroglyphs" – a language of imagery rendered in generous line. Her combination of icons strikes upon the basics of being human (underpants, pencils, plants). Placing playful narrative on a utilitarian object like a raincoat, Merz inserts her work into the every-day.
Jennifer Schmidt's packaging and commercial-style display plays on the lifetime of visual training we all receive through media and product design, but the reward for captured attention is poetic in acknowledging its tropes. Wrapped items force viewers' staid discipline.
Jennifer Waverek renders found print design with the antique technique of photo gravure. The ancestor of photographic print, photo gravure finds uncanny romance and depth in the lines and blackness of graphic design from titles one might find on the bookshelf at home – The Joy of Sex; Crime and Punishment. Waverek's digital prints meet us in our contemporary context, but similarly distill their subjects for further consideration.
The artists agree upon the deficiency of spoken language, and collectively their works quietly defer to visual communication. Referencing an alphabetical method whose visual representation corresponds directly to its audio form, the show's title, DOT DASH, reflects minimal, efficient undercurrents in each of their work.
The Gowanus Studio Space (GSS) offers space, equipment and support to emerging designers, artists and craftspeople. Located in the historically industrial neighborhood along the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn, GSS houses a large industrial arts workshop as well as private studios and exhibition space. By providing training, workspace, tools and resources, GSS encourages cross-pollination between the art/design communities; supports new businesses and design projects; and is a vital arts resource for the surrounding community.
The GSS Print Residency is possible due to generous donations by Bill Goldston and Kiki Smith.
Learn more about the studio and the Print Residency including how to apply at www.gowanusstudio.org


text:
Login Required
You need to have a Pokémon Trainer Club account to save your Favorite Pokémon!Log In Sign Up No Thanks
It stimulates its muscles with electricity, boosting the strength in its legs and enabling it to run 100 yards in five seconds.
They flare their frills and generate energy. A single Heliolisk can generate sufficient electricity to power a skyscraper.
The Pokémon Company International is not responsible for the content of any linked website that is not operated by The Pokémon Company International. Please note that these websites' privacy policies and security practices may differ from The Pokémon Company International's standards.
Pokemon.com administrators have been notified and will review the screen name for compliance with the Terms of Use.
Your request could not be completed. Please try again. If the problem persists, please contact Customer Support.


text:
Contributor Name: CGIAR Research Program on Wheat (WHEAT) Keyword Term: Triticum aestivum Contributor Name: CGIAR Contributor Name: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) Author Name: Juliana, Philomin Keyword Term: Grain yield Keyword Term: Plant height Publication Date: 2019
1 to 1 of 1 Result
Dataset / SoftwareJul 12, 2019 - CIMMYT Research Data
Howard, Reka; Gianola, Daniel; Montesinos-López, Osval; Juliana, Philomin; Singh, Ravi; Poland, Jesse; Shrestha, Sandesh; Perez-Rodriguez, Paulino; Crossa, Jose; Jarquin, Diego, 2019, "Replication Data for: Joint use of genome, pedigree and their interaction with environment for predicting the performance of wheat lines in new environments", hdl:11529/10548169, CIMMYT Research Data & Software Repository Network, V3In this study, we evaluated genome-based prediction using 35,403 wheat lines from the Global Wheat Breeding Program of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). We implemented eight statistical models that included genome-wide molecular marker and pedigree in...
Reset Modifications
Are you sure you want to reset the selected metadata fields? If you do this, any customizations (hidden, required, optional) you have done will no longer appear.


text:
Stash Invest (Abenity)
Stash is investing, simplified. With our intuitive mobile investment platform, you can get started with as little $5 and 2 minutes. Instead of relying on a black box to invest, you can learn how to do it yourself. We give you the choices, tools, and tips you need to build a portfolio that reflects who you are.
Connect with Stash Invest (Abenity)
Redemption Instructions
Sharing Options
Participating locations include:


text:
You can reach Louise Paull via the number below
Tip: Most lawyers prefer a message rather than a call
This site uses cookies to make it more useful and reliable. See our
Privacy Policy for more details.
Do not use this site if you do not consent to our use of cookies.


text:
Sugar Free Ingredients & Nutrition Facts
Get to know your girl.
Riboflavin is vitamin B-complex essential for growth. It is commonly found in milk, fresh meat, eggs, leafy vegetables, etc….
Niacin Or Vitamin B3 is required for cell respiration. It helps release energy and metabolise carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Niacin can also aid in proper circulation, healthy skin, and nervous system function.
Pyridoxine Vitamin B6 assists the immune system and the growth of new cells. It is also used in the processing and metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, while assisting in mood control due to hormonal imbalance. It supports the balancing of sodium and potassium as well as promotes red blood cell production. It is further involved in the nucleic acids RNA as well as DNA. Pyridoxine Vitamin B6 has been linked to cancer immunity, in addition to fighting the formation of the toxic chemical homocysteine, which is detrimental to the heart muscle.
Vitamin B12 helps form red blood cells and maintains the health of the nervous system. Nerves are surrounded by an insulating fatty sheath comprised of a complex protein called myelin. B12 plays a vital role in the metabolism of fatty acids essential for the maintenance of myelin.
Pantothenic Acid Vitamin B5 is a B-complex vitamin. Pantothenic Acid is essential for growth, reproduction, and normal physiological functions. It is involved in a number different metabolic pathways including: energy metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids.
Magnesium is a naturally occurring mineral. It is important for many systems in the body especially the muscles and nerves. It can also be used for relief for the heartburn and sore stomach.
Taurine is an organic acid. It acts as an antioxidant and protects against toxicity in various substances (i.e. lead and cadmium). Taurine has been shown to prevent oxidative stress induced by exercise. There has also been evidence that taurine is beneficial toward blood pressure.
Super-Citrimax® aka Garcinia Cambogia is extracted from the South American garcinia cambogia, it contains standardized levels of hydroxycitric acid (HCA), which has been clinically shown to suppress appetite and inhibit fat production.
Trimethylxanthine aka Caffeine. Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant. It can temporarily ward off drowsiness and restore alertness. Besides the coffee plant, caffeine can be found in yerba maté, guarana berries, and the yaupon holly.
Inositol is involved in a number of biological processes. It helps prevent the collection of fats in the liver. The presence of inositol also aids in efficient processing of nutrients into the conversion of energy, which in turn, helps the body to maintain a healthy metabolism.
Glucuronolactone is a naturally occurring chemical compound. It is produced by the metabolism of glucose in the liver. Glucuronolactone aids in fighting off fatigue and also provides a sense of well being.


text:
It's been about a month since Carroll Shelby died, but the man who lived fast and sued faster is still in a freezer in a medical examiner's office because of a legal fight over his remains between his "estranged" wife Cleo Shelby and some of his kids.
We have no insight into the actual metaphysical condition of Shelby's soul, other than to say that wherever he might be we hope they put a steering wheel in his hand. Corporeally, though, TMZ is reporting that his body is very much stuck in limbo as his survivors fight over what to do with him.
Cleo reportedly says they were still married and thus she has control even though Shelby filed for divorce in 2010. His offspring say they have a document signed by Shelby giving them the right to manage his remains. It might come down to a petition for annulment filed by Shelby last year which, if granted, will likely settle the issue. (Hat tip to brad442001!)
Photo Credit: Getty Images


text:
Princess Isabella: A Witch's Curse (iPad)
Published by
Developed by
Also For
DescriptionPrincess Isabella returns from a ride to find her castle completely ruined and locked under an evil spell. While she was away, a wicked witch trapped the castle residents inside mirrors, shattered the glass and scattered the pieces. With the help of a fairy, the princess must rescue her people and restore the place to finally marry Prince Adam.
Princess Isabella: A Witch's Curse is a hidden object game with adventure elements. The main objective is to collect several key objects from the castle grounds, to solve puzzles and free the castle folk. The castle can be explored in a typical point-and-click manner, where each location is represented by an static image of the scenery, and the player moves from room to room by clicking on the exit hotspots, usually placed over obvious and logical areas like doors and entrances. Some portions of the building are locked, and can only be accessed after solving one of the puzzles.
The objects can be found laying around in the background, or in some separate close-up views of the scenery. These zoom windows show another angle of the scene, with a list of objects to be found and collected at the bottom. Some of the collected items are stored in the inventory slots, from where they can be dragged and dropped on puzzles and other portions of the screen to interact with the environment. Mirror shards have to be inserted in one of the empty frames at the grand hall, and reassembled as jigsaw puzzles to liberate one of the captive souls. The rescued character usually unlocks a castle passage as a reward.
Each room has several puzzles that have to be solved to lift the curse and move to the next place. Some of the puzzles are self-contained mechanisms that can be solved through direct manipulation. Others block access to other parts of the castle, and require the use of inventory objects. After solving all the pending puzzles, the room is restored to its pristine condition.
One unique feature is the fairy assistant. She is the hint button, flying towards one of the required items when selected, and can also perform a series of special actions. She gradually learns new abilities that can be used to reveal hidden objects and solve puzzles. With the rock ability, she can break small containers like bottles and vases. The flame ability can be used to light something on fire, or attack an enemy. The wind ability blows away dust and other deposits, often revealing some obscured item. The water ability can be used to nourish plants. The hint option take some time to recharge after use, and becomes a skip option when playing one of the puzzles.
Promo Images
Alternate Titles
- "Принцесса Изабелла. Проклятие ведьмы" -- Russian spelling
- "Prinzessin Isabella und der Fluch der Hexe" -- German title
- "Princess Isabella" -- Steam title
- "Princesa Isabella: La Maldición de la Bruja" -- Spanish title
- "A Witch's Curse: Princess Isabella HD" -- iPad title
Part of the Following Groups
User Reviews
There are no reviews for this game.
Critic Reviews
There are no critic reviews for this game.
There are currently no topics for this game.
There is no trivia on file for this game.
Macs Black (80147) added Princess Isabella: A Witch's Curse (iPad) on Sep 23, 2010
Other platforms contributed by Kabushi (244697), Scaryfun (17965), LepricahnsGold (139220) and Macs Black (80147)
There are no game credits on file for this release of the game. Everything in MobyGames is contributable by users.


text:
Baccalaureate Sermon 2011
Heroes, Chutzpah, & Hope [i]
The Rev. Catherine Quehl-Engel, Chaplain
Since you are still here, I take it that the Rapture last Saturday didn't pan out for you. Those of you not vacationing in the month of May actually had to study for your final. Those counting on your saintly natures—along with your perfectionist, overachieving friends were, I'm afraid, Left Behind. To top it off, as if being Left Behind with flawed folks like me and your parents wasn't enough, you still are being stalked by that anxiety-inducing question Grandpa keeps asking, "What are you going to do with the rest of your life?"
Well, friends, since dooms day and denial haven't worked for you, it's time to move on to acceptance. And to know this precious, fragile world of ours remains in need of you. Though at times it may feel like the world is coming to an end, life continues to hum, beckoning you to know your life has a purpose even if the details aren't clear. A purpose larger than selfish gain and want. And larger than playing small due to shriveling anxiety, self-doubt, and fear. The universe is still in need of your tenderness. Your ability to think creatively and effectively amid times of uncertainty and complexity. In need of your generosity and humble strength. Your one-course-at-a-time intense work ethic tempered by playful humor and lightness of being. And how you know the best things in life aren't, in fact, things.
Of course there's the whole servant leadership spiel commencement speakers talk about. It's an important spiel. But I know you know it. Many of you embody it. And more than a few of you have sat in my office and wept because of it. Because you get tired. Overextended. Overwhelmed from compassion fatigue from being a life line for the friend down the hall. Or for folks you don't know in Haiti, Japan, Pakistan, Louisiana, Egypt, southern Africa, Missouri, and or wherever else your TV is featuring the latest round of natural disasters, pestilence, oppression, oil spills, economic woes, terrorist plots, revolutions, and war.
Though you know the drill about putting your oxygen mask on before helping others, you, like the rest of us, sometimes forget. Besides. More than a few of you once dressed in tike size firefighter or superhero gear complete with Powerpuff Girls slogan "Save the World Before Bedtime" on your underoos. Or whatever the Spider Man equivalent is for boys. I suspect that more than a few of you, as you played with your action figures, fantasized about superhuman strength, limitless availability, and near invulnerability. All while basking in the glow of your grateful, cheering fans swooning before your super hero chiseled jaw and dashing good looks.
Well let me tell you. You may look good. But having journeyed alongside many of you I've noticed how some of your Wonder Woman and Batman capes can look a bit thread bare. Others of you have lost yours altogether, leaving it amid disillusions in a crumpled heap. Or you accidently dropped it in the dumpster. Or packed it away in your parent's attic along with other childhood dreams. Some of you never took it out of the box to begin with. Indeed, it's easier spending all of one's free-time gaming at the computer for excessively long hours than leaving that virtual world for the real one you can't control. Yet the real world, with all its magnificence, still beckons you. It beckons despite the risks love and being fully alive entail.
With all that in mind—and with no illusions about burn out rates be they in the social services, teaching, medical, ministry, military, or legal professions; or whatever vocational path you take because that will be one too if you aren't careful; I'd like to offer five universal spiritual principals from Eastern and Western wisdom traditions for your life sojourn.
First, though you live in a culture that practically worships unflappable strength, power, prestige, and perfection right down to the size of one's thighs, remember how just about every one of your heroes doesn't live that lie. They have their kryptonite. Some personal loss, haunting past, weakness, failure, or flaw. Yet along with an acceptance of what is, with each stumbling or adversity they build up a reserve of resilience, chutzpah, and hope.
Recall the likes of Bertie who, with great insecurity, reluctantly becomes King George the VI as retold in the British historical drama The King's Speech. Bertie is thrust upon a throne he never wanted when his brother abdicates, and England is fraught with peril and prospects of another yet world war. Despite a debilitating stammer and lifelong sense of inferiority, Bertie accepts his duty over against the master orator and German Chancellor, Adolf Hitler, and his troops.
Recall the likes of Lincoln. According to scholars like Joshua Wolf Shenk, Abraham Lincoln lived a lifetime with melancholy or what today we'd likely call clinical depression. Lincoln learned to maneuver within that interior darkness which, these scholars suspect, over time helped him develop skills for bearing the burden of the presidency, and cultivate night vision for leading this nation in its darkest hour.[ii] What's more, though Lincoln was no church goer and wisely refused invoking partisan statements which claimed God's will or favor, he repeatedly said he felt he was charged by a larger power with "so vast, and…sacred a trust" that he had no moral right to shrink"; no right to cower even in the face of rampant public criticism from all sides and potential threats to his life.[iii]
Recall athletes like Lance Armstrong and Wilma Rudolph. Or Oscar Schindler, MLK, Gandhi, and Mandela. Or divorced parents keeping their act together for the sake of their kids. Or the likes of liberated children in a back village of South India which several of us visited as part of an off campus course last fall. Many of them were slum children, or had known sex trafficking, or being sold into slavery in order to pay off their parent's debts. Yet those liberated children out danced us. Out sang us and our privileged lives. Whooped us at soccer and Ninja. And humbled us with their laughter, beauty, resilience, and joy. So did the Catholic Sisters who've helped rehab and educate these children while honoring their various religious backgrounds not only with depictions of Jesus and Mary but Muslim and Hindu spiritual leaders like the great Swami Vivekananda gracing school walls.
Speaking of Sisters, I remember when, after her death, the private writings of Mother Teresa of Calcutta[iv] were published and the world first learned of how that saintly woman lacked sensing God's presence. How that lack caused her excruciating spiritual pain for over two decades. Yet Teresa kept her vows, and continued serving the Holy in the abandoned, disease filled, and dying. When her private writings were published and a reporter asked "Do you think of her as any less saintly because of this sense of God's absence?," a woman answered "No. It makes me respect her more." Teresa's writings reveal how, in her third decade of interior poverty, she made peace with this emptiness, understanding it as her very meeting place with the Eternal who is ultimately unknowable, is the human manifestation of the Holy who also ached, and helped her enter even deeper oneness and solidarity with the poor, abandoned, and weak.
All of these heroes, and the billions of others never making headlines including perhaps your parent, classmates, teacher, rabbi, pastor, principal, or priest—have had struggles. Perhaps it's being a recovering alcoholic. Or one who wept, felt powerless, and asked for aid. Or like Christopher Reeve who, with a damaged spinal cord, remained Superman as he refused to let a disability imprison his mind. We revere these people more because they've been weathered by life, and thus are mirrors of identity and role models. Teachers of resilience. Mentors for mingling our passions, pain, liabilities and limits with life's mystery and magnificence. Mirrors of identity for knowing how the universe and Eternal Life Force many of us call God still uses these less than perfect people, thus granting hope and purpose for our own flawed and occasionally fear-filled, hurting lives. They help us accept and work with our own poverty. Or what my profession calls spiritual poverty which one Jesuit source defines in as this: i) Self-acceptance about being a limited, created being; ii) Self-acceptance as having made peace with one's past; iii) Readiness to let the Holy pierce one's most precious defenses; and—the really hard one for us Type A overachievers, 4) Acceptance of our being ordinary.[v] As horrible as that sounds, recall how everything from twelve step programs to both Western and Eastern spiritual wisdom traditions tell us how by loosening our ego-minds defenses, paradoxically, that self-surrender taps us into an ease, flow, grace, and strength which, in a very wui-we way, enables ordinary us to do the extraordinary things.
Quickly moving on. Second universal spiritual principle for the hero's journey: It's okay to have a good day. Some of the happiest, most playful people I know with the deepest belly laughs are folks who've suffered deep pain. Likewise you don't have to play the martyr. Really. You can actually rest and let the world turn without you for a while. Go fishing, golf, dance, run, paint, hunt, do Tai Chi, nap, or gaming. Whatever your exhale thing happens to be as you honor ebb and flow of production and rest like fields of this good earth. You can partake in the Jewish traditional practice of Shabbat--of rest and renewal to in part guard yourself from enslavement to work and all the technology doo-hickies like twitter, texting, voice mail, email, etc which were supposedly created to make our lives easier and less stressful.
Yes, you may at some point be called into self-sacrifice on behalf of your family, community, or national and global life. When like Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, or Jewish Warsaw Ghetto freedom fighters during WWII, or Father Oscar Romero as voice for the voiceless in El Salvador, or MLK on the kitchen floor after yet another bomb threat to his home, you fall on your knees saying "Take this cup away." But then somehow rise to do what duty calls you to do having found in relinquishment and self-surrender an interior strength, grace, flow, and peace far greater that the world will always give.
There will also be moments when life summons, like last fall when in response to some yahoo down in Florida calling for burning Qurans on September 11th , we as Jews, Christians, Muslims, secular humanists and others at Cornell gathered amid our differences not only for a joint Jewish High Holy Day and Muslim end of Ramadan celebration at my home, but at the Cedar Rapids Islamic Center to share witness on behalf of reason, solidarity, global citizenship, and love. There may be times in your life like last winter in Egypt when thousands of Muslims used their bodies as human shields to protect weary Coptic Christian neighbors, standing hand in hand around churches so they could celebrate Christmas mass. And yes, there may even be a moment when like Lincoln, or Bertie, or soldiers we remember this Memorial Day weekend, or like the "Fukushima 50"—Japanese nuclear power plant workers risking exposure to radiation to cool wrecked reactors, that you may be summoned to respond in self-sacrificing ways.
But you don't always have to carry the pager. And if you do, then something is horribly wrong. Likewise if you think self-giving requires spectacular human feats, then spiritual wisdom traditions East and West invite you to check your ego needs and desires. Besides, you already know from being on the receiving end how it's the small acts of kindness that matter. The tender glance. The lost art of a hand written note. A hug. Or making beauty like people on the streets of New York City the day after September eleventh who played their violins and other dusted off instruments for passersby in need of healing balm.
Third, spiritual wisdom way: As our Buddhist text puts it, our thoughts create our reality, often creating more stress and harm in our post-game replay than the original circumstance itself. Or as the great poet, Walt Whitman put it, we carry and cling to "our old delicious burdens."[vi] So whether it be through meditation or other means, it helps developing daily mindfulness practice using the breath, or a prayer, or mantra to help expand your awareness and train the brain to "unhook" from thoughts and feelings that otherwise hijack and blind your perception of what is real. To observe your anxious, angry, or sad thoughts come and go, knowing they aren't you but rather like ever-changing clouds covering up a clear blue sky. This is so important because difficult people and circumstances will not go away. And an explosion of extensive research in neuroscience keeps telling us what long term meditators including Buddhist and Christian monks and sisters have always known about the ability to retrain our brains and consciousness. To lower heart rates and blood pressure. To radiate healing presence and peace.
Fourth and almost final spiritual wisdom way: As the Lakota holy man, Black Elk put it, "There c an never be peace between nations until we know the true peace which is in [our] souls…" He said we find true peace in our souls when we realize "our oneness with the universe and all its powers,… that the Great Spirit is at its center….[and] that this center is really everywhere. It is within each one of us." Building off of this, Dr. Joan Borysenko, who is renown in integrative medicine that brings together spirit, science, medicine, and psychology in the service of healing says, "I used to tell my clients that they were already whole and healed"—for [the words whole and healed] come from the same root as holy." And that what they are learning at the clinic are merely tools for peeling away layers of stress that covered their naturally wise, peaceful, and compassionate hearts.[vii]
Fifth and final wisdom way: Your life has meaning and purpose. It has a purpose even if the details are unclear, your girlfriend just dumped you, the world seems to be splitting at the seams and your thinking that—as the title of a hit film from my youth put it, The Gods Must Be Crazy. Or maybe you bombed several classes in your academic major, and the vocation you dreamt of since childhood to help "Save The World Before Bedtime" may not pan out for you. Well I promise you, though you may be caught up in a cloud of unknowing within the Great Mystery, your life still has purpose yet unseen. In fact, mystical tradition within all the world's religions says it's when you stop claiming you know, and humbly enter the cloud of unknowing—that's when the real pathway toward growth and enlightenment unfolds. So with chutzpah and hope, keep going even though you can't see the way.
I say this partly because your generation somehow got it into your heads that you have to be exceptional at darn near everything. For more than a few of you, being told you are average at something, like getting a C for satisfactory work in class, just about slays you. The 15 Day Drop has been turned into what some of your faculty are calling "a culture of quit" in ways which simply didn't exist back when I was a student here. That is, too many students drop classes if they're not earning a B or A. When something like that happens in your future, I hope that instead of quitting you join the rest of humanity by owning your humanness, and keep working hard with humble resilience even if a door closes and you're worried about whether another will open. On that note, as a college president once said to faculty, "Take care of your A students because one day they will be your colleagues. Take care of your C students because one day they'll endow your chairs." It's going to be okay, folks.
It's going to be okay because of the likes of Lionel Logue depicted in The King's Speech—whose dream of being a famous actor never panned out. Thank God. Lionel not only helped King George who in turn helped Britain and its allies against the Third Reich. He began his profession in post WWI Australia "when fellow soldiers suffering psychological injuries could no longer speak," were deemed as lost causes by experts, and found themselves enlisting the help of a second rate actor who understood. The real life Lionel Logue once said, 'I had to give them faith in their own voice. And let them know friends were listening."[viii]
I end by sharing the following. A friend I've been listening to is one of my newest heroes: She's my fifteen year old daughter, Rachel, who, like your other faculty and staffs' children, and other citizens of this incredible Iowa town, is finding her way through the labyrinth of grief after a series of deaths involving high school friends. On Sunday before last week's visitation for the third boy, Rachel invited me to watch one of her favorite episodes of Doctor Who. It's the one where the good Doctor and Amy Pond travel back in time to visit the great 19th c. artist, Vincent Van Gogh. As many of you know, despite his paintings of sunflowers, irises, haystacks, cafes and starry nights being filled with vibrant color and spectacular beauty, Van Gogh had mental health and interior life struggles. Moreover, he was penniless, sold only one painting, and was deemed a failure by the art world before he ended his life.
Well, in the historical fiction world of Doctor Who, the good Doctor and Amy transport the struggling artist forward to a modern day museum. There Van Gogh witnesses school children on field trips and others experiencing the healing beauty and joy of his art. He's moved to tears from glimpsing how his life truly mattered. The show reaches its climax with the following—two messages my daughter wanted me to know concerning her take on how we are to live on with resilience through difficult times whatever the future may hold. She wondered if it might help with this morning's message, so here you go: First, the pile of bad things that have happened in your life do not take away from the pile of good. One more time: The pile of bad things that have happened in your life do not take away from the pile of good. And second, Van Gogh was called one the finest of painters because he was able to transform pain into ecstatic beauty. He melded his passion, gifts, goodness, and pain to portray the ecstasy, magnificence, and joy of this world. Members of the Class of 2011 and all you other everyday heroes gathered round--May we do likewise. I love you. Go forth and make some beauty, joy, and goodness.
And now, may the shalom of God, may the wildness and warmth of God, breathe within you and through you as instruments of healing wisdom and peace…Go in peace, joy, and hope.
[i] Sacred readings and Native American Song:
Isaiah 57:15;58:9b-12 -- Aaron Zaubi
Ancient One -- composer and vocalist, Visiting Spanish faculty, Kelly Montijo Fink
The Dhammapada 1:1-4 -- Emma Jacobs
The Gospel of Matthew 26:36-44 -- Yuan-Chun Lisa Wang
The Bhagavad Gita 6:18-19;29-32 -- Sehar Shah
[ii] Shenk, Joshua Wolf. Lincoln's Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness. NY/Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., p. 171.
[iv] Kolodiejchuk, Brian, ed. Mother Teresa, Come Be My Light: The Private Writings of the "Saint of Calcutta". New York: Doubleday, 2007.
[vii] Levey, Joel and Michelle. Luminous Mind: Meditation and Mind Fitness. San Francisco: Conari Press, 1999, iii.


text:
Thursday, November 04, 2010
It wasn't us, I swear!
It wasn't us, I swear.
But boy, oh, boy, I wish it had been:
JIM DELANY: "Hello, Big Ten teleconference."
"Uh, yes, this is...reporter Jacques Strapp of the College Football Gazette. I have a question for Joe Paterno - Is your refrigerator running?"
PATERNO: "What?"
"Just kidding. How has the game changed since you coached against Ulysses S. Grant your first year as a coach?"
PATERNO: "Well, Grant used to--"
DELANY: "Damnit, Joe! It's a prank call!
PATERNO: "Is Frank tall?"
DELANY: "Nevermind. Who the hell is this?!"
Click. Riiiing!
DELANY: "Hello, Big Ten teleconference."
(changing voice) "Uh, this is Hugh Jass of the College Football Times with a question for Purdue coach Danny Hope?"
HOPE (excited): "Really?"
"No, not really. Nobody cares, Danny. We didn't even know you were still there. Figured somebody would have shown you the door when Brewster got shit-canned. Hell, we're surprised Delany even gives you the passcode for the teleconference."
DELANY: "I'm warning you for the last time!"
Click. Riiiing!
DELANY (getting pissed): " Big Ten teleconference!"
(new voice) "Hi, I. P. Knightly for the Gridiron Sun-Times. Question for Mark Dantonio - my cousin Vinnie just got out of jail on a work-release program. How long before you insert him in the Spartan's starting line-up?"
DELANY: "You son of a--!"
Click. Riiiing!
DELANY: "What?!?!"
"Hi, this is Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press. I--"
DELANY: "Fuck you. We'd rather talk to the prank phone call guy instead."
4 comments:
- phil said...
Jim Delany: Hey Coach Dantonio, be aware of some prank calls.
Mark Dantonio: OK, who do we have on the phone now?
Caller: Coach Dantonio, this is Sgt. Smith of the Michigan State police. Your entire team has been arrested for disorderly conduct and DUI.
Mark Dantonio: Ha, Ha, Ha, That's a good one!
Michigan State police: No, Seriously
Mark Dantonio: Damn, this is the second time this week.
- November 04, 2010 6:15 AM
- ChicagoWolverine said...
Has the Freep always done a know the foe (http://www.freep.com/article/20101103/SPORTS06/101103009/1054/sports06/Know-the-foe-Illinois-much-improved-over-2009) or is this another MZone ripoff?
- November 04, 2010 8:35 AM
- Andy said...
Yost & Phil: It is good to laugh in the morning. Thanks.
CW: I don't ever recall reading KYF in the FDPF. But I stopped looking at that crappy fish-wrapper last year.
By the way, it looks like the NCAA has dropped the "atmosphere of compliance" charge against RR.
Small victories.
- November 04, 2010 9:00 AM
- Mikoyan said...
Just a side note, since Paterno was born in New York and lived in Pennsylvania, he probably would have coached against Lee and not Grant. In fact, he was the one that bore the brunt of Pickett's Charge.
- November 04, 2010 3:15 PM