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Following one man's task of building a virtual world from the comfort of his pajamas. Discusses Procedural Terrain, Vegetation and Architecture generation. Also OpenCL, Voxels and Computer Graphics in general.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Tile Genetics
I was recommending everyone to learn about them because there are many problems in procedural generation that lend very well to aperiodic tiling. But the approach in vanilla Wang tiles was only the beginning This same principle can be applied in many different ways. For instance, here is a brilliant approach to doing rooms using what the author has called Herringbone Wang Tiles. Here you can see how they were used to generate a system or corridors and rooms.
You can find a description of the method here.
There is also a quite popular improvement over classic Wang tiles which uses colored corners instead of colored edges. It results in smaller sets, more diversity and of course their main claim, which is to solve the "corner problem" in Wang tiles. This problem arises from the fact Wang tiles constrains which tiles can be placed along the edges, but says nothing about the corners, that is, the diagonal directions: NW, NE, SE and SW. This often creates noticeable artifacts in the tiling. Corner tiles still suffers from this. The discontinuities are now pushed to the middle of the edges but the problem is somewhat smaller since only two tiles meet there, compared to four tiles in the corner for vanilla Wang.
And there is this very popular adaptation of the Wang algorithm to the GPU in GPU Gems 2. I found this nice tutorial about how to create textures for it. This is from the game Path Of Exile, which appears to use Wang tiles extensively with great results.
As I was saying in my earlier post, the real challenge with all these methods is to come up with the content for the tiles. One approach is to synthesize the content of the tiles entirely. This way you are always in control of what happens at the connection points (corners, edges, etc. depending on which tile flavor you have picked).
This is how I built the cave system for the realtime engine. The crypt profiles, along with narrow tunnels, are drawn by a program. This program makes sure everything connects properly. Here is an example of the output;
The dots inside the large space are massive columns. These are in the tiles as well.
This is not difficult and provides good results as long as you are targeting simple shapes, something you can synthesize. Problem is, in most cases like with textures, you want to use samples you have taken from the real world and use them for the tiles.
If you read the Path Of Exile tutorial I linked before, you will see that this is not a simple task. A lot of work and skill was needed to produce good looking tiles. And this method is only for two colors, that is, the simplest set possible. Imagine if you wanted to have 10 different colors. It would be madness.
There are ways to automate this. If you have an original sample that is large enough, you can take different portions of it and assemble the texture set. Here is a fairly good description of the method (PDF). There is a lot of Frankenstein-esque ingenuity involved, as you must stitch different parts together, hoping the texturing discontinuities will remain small. This produces fairly good results if the original texture is homogeneous, but in most cases "hoping" is not good enough.
I tried this method for terrain synthesis. As a source I used a heightmap with some dramatic features in it. Here you can see a sample:
As the original sample was far from homogeneous, which is after all what you want in interesting terrain, I quickly saw that just one iteration of the method was not enough. This was an optimization problem, somehow I had to minimize the discontinuities produced by the tiles. It is the kind of problem you could solve using genetic algorithms.
You may feel you are entering the mad scientist realm, growing human ears out of mice, playing God with bits, and in fact you are.
The fist step was to design a DNA sequence. Each possible solution (an individual) can be defined as the border and tile coordinates within the sample bitmap. I was doing a set of 200 tiles, with 10 borders in each direction. That resulted in a few hundred bits of DNA.
Next I would do the first population of individuals, which I kept at a thousand. Each individual was randomly generated, just by flipping bits in the DNA.
Next a "fitness" coefficient is computed for each individual. This is a number that indicates how good the individual is as a solution. In my case it was simple, as I could compute the amount of discontinuities the solution had. I also threw in a histogram comparison with the original source, just to make sure all the tones in the original were kept. Adding these two errors gave me a direct measure of the quality of the individual.
Using this measure I could rank the entire population and throw some kind of sexy party. The hot individuals got to reproduce the most, but even the not-so-good ones got their chance to immortalize their seed. This makes sense because a very undesirable trait could become the base of a very nice feature in a future generation. Even the Great Mutato could be the beginning of something beautiful.
I used a very specific way of mixing the DNA, which is called "one-point crossover". It gets a random portion of the father's DNA and the remainder space is copied from the mother's DNA.
This way a new generation is formed. But only 80% of the new members are descendants of existing individuals. The remaining 20% is generated randomly generated, just to make sure there will be enough genetic variety. And of course there is mutation. Each children would have some of its DNA bits randomly flipped.
Watching these things evolve and get better over time is mesmerizing. But it was kind of slow. I realized a needed a massive approach to it. I split the logic into two sections. The part keeping track of the population, doing crossovers and mutations ran in a single process. Then the part that evaluated the fitness of an individual, which was the time-consuming part, ran in a little army of processes over a LAN. (I used good old TCP/IP for distributing the work, ZeroMQ evangelists please go away)
Now this thing ran in eight machines, averaging 3 cores. That is roughly 24 instances of the fitness evaluator. After a week running, I started seeing solutions that I could use. For instance, this image is the result of tiling one of these individuals:
This may seem like a success story, but to me it does not feel like that. The amount of effort and energy that goes into producing tilesets may not justify the advantages you get out of them. Even after weeks of running, most of the individuals still produced noticeable discontinuities.
I know in my case there is a lot of room for improvement. The cutting strategy for mixing tiles with borders can be improved a lot. One thing I want to try it to use patterns in the texture to govern the cutting path. This should mask the transitions even more natural.
The bottom line for me is, Wang tiles are amazing things until you try to use them seriously. They work great for stuff you can synthesize from the ground up. If you are trying to mix samples from real life, get ready for some trouble.
12 comments:
This just gets more and more interesting, now evolution starts playing a role! Cant wait to see whats next =D.ReplyDelete
The part about genetics is a bit confusing but i guess it was about generating a few hundreds of tiles based on the source image in order to get enougth stuff to use the wang technique. The source image beeing a heightmap, it could be replaced with any image you want to use as a texture.ReplyDelete
If i'm correct, you could even go as far as to expanded it to any type of data (dungeons, buildings, ...).
The problem beeing that it's too expensive right ?Replies
Yes, it can be used for textures too.Delete
Like you say the problem is you do not get immediate results. If you are texturing an entire world, you will try many textures to see what looks good. Imagine that before trying a single texture you had to preprocess it for an hour or so. Not very fluid.
If you want a genetic algorithm demo to play with, try this: http://www.sea-of-memes.com/LetsCode45/LetsCode45.htmlDelete
So is this a feature that will stay in your engine? Or are there more techniques you are looking into?ReplyDelete
Was your population size static or did some generations have better years than others?
How is progress with water coming?Replies
Yes, this feature stays but remains optional.Delete
I kept the population size fixed at 1000. All the parents die, except for a 5% top elite. I did not mention the elite in the post, but the actual breakdown of a new generation is roughly:
5% Elite
80% Crossovers
15% Random
Water is coming along nicely. I got river and lake generation, but only the rough data. Still a long way to go.
- AnonymousJanuary 11, 2013 at 4:35 AM
Really interesting!Delete
Could you precise how you calculated discontinuity for you fitness function? Also, what are you're reason to choose a genetic algorithm over other optimization methods?
Each tile contains four cuts so the center of the tile transitions into the borders. The cut is done finding the path of minimum difference between the contents of the tile center and the border. As the cut is never a perfect match, you can compute an error for each pixel, which is just the difference in value for the same pixel in both the center tile and the border source. The sum of these differences along the path gives you the error for that cut. Adding the errors for the four cuts will give you the error in that tile. And then you can add the errors for all tiles to evaluate the tileset.Delete
I have no proof genetic algorithms would do best, just a gut feeling. There were a lot of 2D variables involved and the function was very chaotic. Do you have anything specific in mind that would have worked?
- AnonymousJanuary 11, 2013 at 10:12 AM
Thanks for the explanation!Delete
In my experience, genetic algorithms work best when you don't have any idea of the shape of energy landscape you are exploring except that there is probably a lot of local minimal. this is quite a big hypothesis, and I would have tested a monte carlo exploration first (take a starting set, mutate it, accept it if the fitness improve or use a metropolis criterion to accept or reject the change).
You could also use elitism (keep some of the best individuals in the next generation) as it generally improve the performance of GA.
perhaps there is some way to devise a simpler fitness function as a first filter (you could generate a larger population and only evaluate the first 1000 for example).
you could also use a tournament selection to avoid calculate the fitness for every individuals.
Finally there is apparently some heuristic on the problem, you could probably use them to improve your initial and mutated set.
Yes, there is a lot of local minima. Also there is no way to predict how the function will behave. A shift of one pixel can throw a huge jump.Delete
I do keep an elite of 5%.
- AnonymousJune 15, 2014 at 11:16 PM
I found the height map synthesis interesting. Although not genetics, I did experiment with some fast (and not so fast) synthesis methods for texture during my thesis. You can find technical details (likely one or two errors, you know how that goes : ) here:http://www.dissertations.wsu.edu/Thesis/Spring2010/m_persons_041210.pdfReplyDelete
You can also find an implementation of the primitive (yet fast) synthesis in the Texture Tiles android app by Mirsaes.
We could store the generated combinations as textures for each model or face or such.ReplyDelete


text:
My poor starving boysRecently, a study found that formula-fed babies don't necessarily overeat, as had previously been thought -- many do know how to stop when they've had enough. It's good to know and I'm glad, but regardless of what this study or that study or a million other studies say, it wouldn't have changed the fact that my twin babies are formula-fed.
That's not to say that I didn't breastfeed at all. I did, for several months, but with my low milk supply, I needed to supplement with formula from the very beginning. Still, I kept at it -- I nursed and pumped like a madwoman, trying to squeeze out (no pun intended) whatever meager amount of breast milk I could. After three months though, I was barely getting four ounces a day, so I decided to move to formula only. And I don't feel one ounce of guilt about it.
Obviously, I know that breast is best, which is why I did it for as long as I could. And I loved it, I really did. Well, that's not entirely true. I wasn't crazy about tandem-feeding, which felt complicated and awkward, but I loved the rare moments when I got to feed just one of my baby sons at a time. Heaven. But, when they started wailing on my breast because they weren't getting enough milk, or I'd pump for 20 minutes just to get two ounces, I felt frustrated and sad and inadequate. I was so happy to be able to give them the breast milk that I had for the first few months of their new lives, but when I finally switched to formula, life got a whole lot easier. No, I didn't stop nursing because I had twins -- there are plenty of moms in my twins group who are still exclusively breastfeeding without issue. I simply just didn't make enough milk to feed my two babies. End of story.
Sure, many studies have proven just how much better breast milk is for babies. And I don't deny that! But this is my reality, these are my babies, and I'm not going to waste any time beating myself up because I can't nurse them anymore. Come on, I beat myself up enough as it is.
Mainly though, the proof is in the pudding, the "pudding" being my scrumptious, healthy baby boys. Knock on wood, they are growing and thriving and happy as can be. They've never been sick (even when Mommy has gotten sick herself), they are handling a variety of foods without issue, rolling all over the place, and babbling like two old biddies at a bridge game. Although they're average height and weight, they have big, pink chubby cheeks and roly-poly thighs that make them look pretty robust. No, I'm not going to feel badly about feeding them formula because I can't imagine them doing any better than they already are. Not to mention the fact that my brother and I were never breastfed and, growing up, we rarely had to stay home sick from school. Of course, maybe that's all just genetics, but how can I think that formula is so bad when I was weaned on it myself?
Study after study tells us what's "best" for our babies and, in an ideal world, we want to give it to them. But, I say, screw the studies! In real life, not lab life, babies thrive in all sorts of "less-than-ideal" environments, becoming happy, well-adjusted little people despite the fact that they weren't breastfed or spent too much time in the baby jumper or were sleep trained. Somehow, a lot of babies turn into remarkable children and adults, despite the fact that Mommy works full-time or they don't have a Daddy or a sibling or a backyard.
Want to know why? Because a baby who is loved and cared for is already getting the best. A baby with a happy Mommy and a happy Daddy (or two of each) is already getting the best. A baby whose family is making choices for him or her based on their lifestyle and what works for them is already getting the best. Love, care, patience, joy, affection. I don't think anything could be better for a baby than that.
Do you feel guilty about giving your babies formula?

subset: commoncrawl


text:
- Prayer and Worship
- Beliefs and Teachings
- Issues and Action
- Media
- Bible
- Catholic Giving
- About USCCB
1Ah! The bloody city,
all lies,
Full of plunder,
whose looting never stops!a
2The crack of the whip,
the rumbling of wheels;
Horses galloping,
chariots bounding,
3Cavalry charging,
the flash of the sword,
the gleam of the spear;
A multitude of slain,
a mass of corpses,
Endless bodies
to stumble upon!
4For the many debaucheries of the prostitute,
a charming mistress of witchcraft,
Who enslaved nations with her prostitution,
and peoples by her witchcraft:b
5* I now come against you—
oracle of the LORD of hosts—
and I will lift your skirt above your face;
I will show your nakedness to the nations,
to the kingdoms your shame!c
6I will cast filth upon you,
disgrace you and make you a spectacle;
7Until everyone who sees you
runs from you saying,
"Nineveh is destroyed;
who can pity her?
Where can I find
any to console you?"
8Are you better than No-amon* d
that was set among the Nile's canals,
Surrounded by waters,
with the river for her rampart
and water for her wall?
9Ethiopia was her strength,
and Egypt without end;
Put* and the Libyans
were her allies.
10Yet even she became an exile,
and went into captivity;
Even her little ones were dashed to pieces
at the corner of every street;
For her nobles they cast lots,
and all her great ones were put into chains.
11You, too, will drink of this;
you will be overcome;e
You, too, will seek
a refuge from the foe.
12But all your fortresses are fig trees,
bearing early figs;*
When shaken, they fall
into the devourer's mouth.
13Indeed your troops
are women in your midst;
To your foes are open wide
the gates of your land,
fire has consumed their bars.
14Draw water for the siege,*
strengthen your fortresses;
Go down into the mud
and tread the clay,
take hold of the brick mold!
15There the fire will consume you,
the sword will cut you down;
it will consume you like the grasshoppers.
Multiply like the grasshoppers,
multiply like the locusts!f
16You have made your traders* more numerous
than the stars of the heavens;
like grasshoppers that shed their skins and fly away.
17Your sentries are like locusts,
and your scribes like locust swarms
Gathered on the rubble fences
on a cold day!
Yet when the sun rises, they vanish,
and no one knows where they have gone.
18Your shepherds slumber,
O king of Assyria,
your nobles have gone to rest;
Your people are scattered upon the mountains,
with none to gather them.
19There is no healing for your hurt,
your wound is fatal.
All who hear this news of you
clap their hands over you;
For who has not suffered
under your endless malice?
* [3:5–6] The punishment for adulterous women.
* [3:8] No-amon: "No" was the Egyptian name of the capital of Upper Egypt, called Thebes by the Greeks; its patron deity was Amon. This great city was destroyed by the Assyrians in 663 B.C.
* [3:9] Put: a North African people often associated with Egypt and Ethiopia (Jer 46:8–9).
* [3:12] Early figs: the refugees from Nineveh who escape to presumably secure fortresses.
* [3:14] An ironic exhortation to prepare the city for a futile defense. Go down…brick mold: make bricks for the city walls.
* [3:16] Traders: agents of the economic exploitation that sustained and enriched the Assyrian empire.
a. [3:1] Is 10:13–14; Hb 2:12.
e. [3:11] Jer 25:15–16; Ob 16.
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text:
ONARCHITECTURE- Pre-fab-ulous? Builder does it the Swedish way
The architectural dream of churning out factory-built houses the way Henry Ford churned out Model-Ts is nothing new. In fact, the curator of Assembly Required: Contemporary Prefabricated Houses, a show in Richmond last year, described the "prefab" house as "modern architecture's oldest new idea."
Indeed, Sears, Roebuck & Co. started its Houses by Mail program in 1908, and in the 1920s Buckminster Fuller introduced the futuristic precursor to his geodesic dome. Unfortunately (or fortunately for some), factory-built house designs, at least in America, seem not to have escaped the architect's studio, and when they did, it was to create what Americans have learned to associate with the term "prefabrication"– double-wides, or the cheap manufactured contraptions seen sailing down interstates behind "oversize load" signs.
In the last decade, so-called modular and panelized houses have gained wider acceptance. Indeed, we've chronicled their development in these pages, showcasing the UVA architecture department's successful ecoMod project, the growing use of factory-built SIPS panels, and most recently a factory-built ThermaSteel house ["Man of steel: Scouten touts new technology," March 8].
However, despite the success of these technologies, the stigma associated with prefab houses persists.
For example, when architect Alan Scouten built his house in Ivy of ThermaSteel, a combination of steel and styrofoam that has proven strong enough to withstand hurricane winds and provides superior insulation, a neighbor attempted to sue him because he believed the house was going to lower property values.
According to Swedish builder Per Sjolinder, that prejudice against prefab houses is uniquely American. In countries like Sweden and Japan, he says, prefabrication is the rule, not the exception.
"In Sweden, we have been building prefab houses on a large scale for 75 years, and today over 90 percent of all homes in the country are put together in a factory," Sjolinder says, adding that factory-built houses have become a way to increase energy efficiency in a cold climate and lower housing prices in a country of high labor costs.
Indeed, as far back as 1985, The New York Times was touting Swedish mastery of the prefab house. At a development in the Hamptons, 50 Swedish "kit" houses went up in as many days, 1/50 of the time needed to build comparable stick-built houses. The combination of craftsmanship and technology impressed even a US government technology expert.
"The Swedes have basically taken the building craftsman and given him a lot of high-technology equipment,'' Henry C. Kelly, a senior associate in the Office of Technological Assessment, told the Times. ''Essentially, they are hand-building a house, but doing it with high technology in a factory so they can do it quickly. There's no question about the quality.''
On a beautiful hillside in Ivy, Sjolinder and his company, EuroHomes USA, are building two model houses– one 2,300 square feet and the other a whopping 6,200 square feet– that he hopes will showcase the best of what Swedish (and American, he points out) innovation has to offer. In addition, the ambitious Swede wants to create America's first prefab factory operation building Swedish "closed-wall" panel houses. Eventually, Sjolinder says, he hopes to produce 500 to 1,000 homes a year.
As Sjolinder explains, closed-wall systems are much different from the panelized or modular construction most Americans are familiar with. In addition to being completely customized, the walls of both houses arrive with everything in them: windows, doors, electric and plumbing hook-ups, switches, hardware, any electronics, and even the exterior wall covering. Sjolinder says that once the design and components of a wall are chosen, 35 to 40 of them can be built in his factory in several hours, enough to construct the shell of his 2,300-square-foot model, which took only a day to raise.
Touring the unfinished houses, it's virtually impossible to tell their components were manufactured in a factory. In fact, on close inspection, the walls reveal innovative details and materials. For example, instead of the wood shims normally found around a door casing to make it square, a standard practice in stick-built construction, adjustable bolts hidden in the door casing secure it to the frame, making it easier to adjust if the door becomes unaligned. Window sills can never rot because they are polished stone, and the Swedish-made triple-pane windows open and flip around ingeniously.
And, of course, since the electric and plumbing are already installed (inspections for both take place before the wall panels are delivered), there's minimal subcontracting work involved. Still, Sjolinder points out that craftsmen are important to the process of piecing the house together and adding various details.
We also took note of the wall construction, which at first looked like a standard stick-built wall. Apparently, after years of using SIPS panel and other similar technologies, which have only begun to gain acceptance in the US, the Swedish building industry realized that they actually cause health problems.
"The houses we made were sometimes so 'tight' that moisture couldn't go anywhere," says Sjolinder. "And so we had problems with mold. People were getting sick. In Sweden, they tried to use machines to suck the air in and out, but they were often very expensive and added an air pressure to the inside of the house that wasn't natural."
The solution, he says, was to create a four-layer "breathing wall" encased in a thick Gore-Tex panel. Functioning much like the popular Gore-Tex jackets athletes love because they're light, warm, and breathable, the walls provide the same kind of superior insulation that SIPS panels do, without trapping air inside the house. In fact, Sjolinder claims it should cost only $125 to $150 a month to heat and cool the 6,200-square-foot house.
From room to room, unusual details continue to catch the eye: drawers that cleverly require a post-toddler's strength to open, hidden latches on doors to keep them from slamming shut, radiant heat beneath the basement floor to control moisture, "whispering floor" panels to block the sound of stomping feet, European-style gas water heaters that heat water as it passes through the system, and a stairway and ceiling posts milled from poplar trees on the property.
At the end of April, Sjolinder says, he'll hold the first of several open houses to showcase his prefab models.
So might these models finally change American attitudes about factory built houses? If the excitement Sjolinder displays as he shows the house is any indication, it may not matter to him.
"I've been thinking about and planning this for nine years," he says. "And I still think it's fun."
Per Sjolinder, founder of EuroHomes USA, hopes to change American attitudes toward factory-built houses.


text:
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text:
Chicken: Everybody's Favorite Bird
ith a population of 24 billion, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird. And no wonder, Americans alone eat about 80 pounds of chicken, each, per year. Whether you enjoy yours roasted, fried, poached or barbecued, read on for everything you need to know about the world's favorite bird.
Chicken. It's that ubiquitous white meat, devoured by each American at the rate of about 80 pounds a year. With a population of 24 billion, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird. And when you think about it, it's really no wonder that chickens are one of the earliest domesticated animals. They are the perfect meat: easy to raise in small spaces, and sustain on table scraps, nearly all the parts of the bird can be used for food, and a single chicken can be consumed during one meal. That's why as early as 8000 BC the Indian jungle fowl, Gallus gallus were domesticated concurrently in China and India for both their meat and their eggs. Today we call the common chicken Gallus gallus domesticus. The chicken reached Europe about 3000 BC, but it took until the first millennium BC to hit Western Europe. When the Mediterranean grabbed hold of the chicken in the 1st millennium, it was spread to the rest of Europe in short order. Before too long there was a chicken in every pot.
Everybody's Favorite Bird
Every culture has an iconic chicken recipe, from chicken soup to roasted chicken, deep-fried chicken or chicken cacciatore….poule au pot, chicken pot pie, buffalo wings, chicken tenders, chicken tikka masala. The mild-flavor of the meat is amenable to any spice or preparation, it seems. Chicken is the meat to which we compare all others—snake? Tastes like chicken, as the old saw goes. But it's the great flavor and versatility of chicken that have us all coming back for more. Forget boneless, skinless chicken breasts and go for the whole chicken—beak to tail. Nothing is quite as wonderful as a chicken roasting in the oven on a Sunday afternoon. And the flavor of chicken meat cooked on the bone is not bland and forgettable like so much chicken we eat. Savory dark thighs, succulent white breast meat, running juices to baste the bird, and crispy skin are just some of the benefits of roasting a whole bird. And you can make chicken stock with all the bones for a delicious soup later. Chicken stock is also handy to keep in the freezer for use in sauces and gravies.
Chicken in the Yard
It used to be that every farm had a flock of chickens, providing fresh eggs and meat. Even city dwellers would keep a few chickens in a coop, since chickens require little space and, as omnivores, eat insects, grains and scraps. So it's pretty easy to turn stale bread and oatmeal into high-quality protein. But today, most chicken comes from big factory farms, where chickens are raised intensively in crowded barns, pushed to grow quickly and processed at a young age to keep chicken meat on every table. Chicken is considered a cheap meat, and it's raised in a way that keeps the price low, and if we may say so, keeps the flavor bland. This is not the chicken that our grandparents ate.
At D'Artagnan, we like chicken with real chicken flavor. So we work with farmers that raise chicken the right way.
Organic Chicken
We sold organic chicken before there was certification for organic, and before the USDA even allowed the term on the label. Every one of our chickens is raised in open-coop, stress-free conditions on small Pennsylvania Dutch family farms using practices designed to maintain and enhance ecological balance. Birds are given ten-times the amount of space provided to commercial flocks to roam and grow. Their certified organic feeding program does not include herbicides, antibiotics, growth hormones, or additives at any time during the lifecycle. Diet consists of whole grains, as well as foraged grasses and insects. Birds are also given open access to the same well-water consumed by the farm families.
D'Artagnan organic birds are slaughtered at 7-8 weeks. After slaughter, they are perfectly chilled to minimize water weight while maintaining meat consistency. (If chilled too fast, meat gets spongy and watery. If chilled too slowly, meat dries and becomes off-color.) In fact, this process allows them to absorb 30% less water weight than commercially-raised birds. Each bird is processed by hand – never by machines – for consistency and the best flavor. Machine processing can cause blood to clot resulting in tough meat with a liver-like flavor.
Air-Chilled Chicken
While our organic chicken is the flagship bird at D'Artagnan, we are very proud of the other hens in the house. Our air-chilled chickens are raised in much the same manner as the organic chickens, save for the organic feed. These chickens are reared on Amish and Mennonite family farms in the Midwest, in open barns with stress-free conditions, sunlight, and lots of room to grow. They are never given antibiotics or growth hormones. The main difference is in the processing. Air-chilling is a method for cooling chickens after slaughter, which involves "wind" chambers that blast cold air on the chickens, instead of dunking them into cold water tanks. Air-chilled chicken has less retained water as a result, which means deep flavor, tight texture, and skin that crisps nicely in cooking.
At D'Artagnan we believe that a happy chicken is a tasty chicken. And if you are going to eat 80 pounds of chicken a year, you might as well eat the very best. That's why we partner with conscientious farmers and do plenty of taste-tests of their products ourselves! The chicken we sell is the chicken we want to feed our families.


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There has been plenty of speculation that France may become Europe's next economic basket case. The Economist, for example, last week declared France a "time bomb at the heart of Europe." The French government responded by calling the Economist's crtique "sensationalist journalism" and claiming that it lacked "even-handedness."
However, Moody, presumably an even-handed, non-sensationalist outfit, has just downgraded France's credit rating. It lowered the rating one notch, from Aaa to Aal.
Moody explained that France's long-term economic growth had been hit by its inflexible labor market and low levels of innovation which are eroding its competitiveness and industrial base. It also noted France's exposure to the continuing eurozone crisis.
France's new Socialist government, through Pierre Moscovici, the finance minister, blamed the economic management of past governments for the downgrade. However, it's clear enough that Moody's lacks confidence in the Socialist government's ability to tackle France's economic problems. Indeed, if Moody's is correct that France's long-term economic growth is stymied by "inflexible labor markets and low levels of innovation — and I don't think there can be much doubt about this — then a Socialist government is just what the doctor didn't order.
Meanwhile, France's main opposition party, the conservative UMP, has just endured a bitter fight over who will succeed Nicolas Sarkozy as its leader. Jean-Francois Cope appears to have defeated former Prime Minister (under Sarkozy) Francois Fillon by a mere 98 votes out of more than 170,000 cast.
In the short term, the bitter and disputed election may be a blow to unity within the UMP. In the long term, it signals a turn to the right by the UMP. In Cope's words, it means a French conservative party "without complexes," or, more realistically, fewer of them. That's something to which the United States should aspire.
Under Cope, the UMP may be better able to minimize the extent to which French conservatives embrace the far-right, ultra-nationalist Front National party of Marine Le Pen. But this remains to be seen. The UMP, the Front National, and the Socialists will not face French voters until 2014, and then only in elections for mayors, regional officials, and European Parliament lawmakers.


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Research shows that aging well – both physically and mentally – is largely dependent on lifestyle. Masterpiece Living is our way of ensuring that the people who live on our campus have the opportunity to challenge themselves across all aspects of their lives, creating stronger balance and fulfillment.
Based on a 10-year Study on Aging by the MacArthur Foundation, the Masterpiece Living approach provides stimulating, life-enriching, measurable programs designed to enhance the lives of residents, staff and the entire culture of the community.
Masterpiece Living communities embrace the enormous potential of all adults to maintain or improve their mental and physical health at any age and level of living. A variety of physical activities and exercise programs, designed by residents and staff, meet individual needs and interests. Programs are fun, enjoyable and provide evidence that disease and decline are not an inevitable part of the normal aging process.
Each Masterpiece Living community establishes a culture of opportunity for life-long learning that keeps residents engaged in life – providing intellectual stimulation through lectures, small group activities, discussion groups, and individual pursuits and interests that empower residents to be actively involved in life and all it has to offer.
A Masterpiece Living Community celebrates the connections between and among its residents. Opportunities for socialization expand friendship circles and promote life satisfaction. Research has validated the correlation between quality of life and social connectivity, yet Masterpiece Living communities respect the uniqueness of each individual.
Each resident in a Masterpiece Living community is encouraged to seek and define his or her own spiritual well-being. Tools and resources to help residents discover their own meaning and significance in life are provided in a culture that promotes and supports spiritual growth.
Rooted in the finding that how we age depends more on lifestyle choices (70%) than genetics (30%), Masterpiece Living strives to enact change within and by the community, aiming to challenge and motivate residents to discover new hobbies, set and achieve new goals, and ultimately lead healthier, more fulfilling lifestyles.
Dr. Roger Landry, President of Masterpiece Living, offered this insight, "If a community can provide the environment and culture that believes in the growth of their residents, the residents will respond to that. That is what Masterpiece Living is all about – a philosophy that believes in the growth in all areas of our lives and achieving this potential."
For more information about Masterpiece Living at Presbyterian Senior Living, please email Amanda Douty at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Masterpiece Living has made a huge impact on the way older adults in our communities live life—from staying active to pursuing lifelong goals. Check out some of the stories below:
Asistencia de idiomas disponible bajo petición. Para asistencia, comuníquese con la comunidad utilizando la información a continuación.
可根据要求提供语言帮助。 如需协助,请使用以下信息与社区联系。
Hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ có sẵn theo yêu cầu. Để được hỗ trợ, vui lòng liên hệ với cộng đồng bằng cách sử dụng thông tin bên dưới.


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I'm very glad to announce that Icy Phoenix has now a new style which is optimized for mobile devices.
The new style has been developed by CyberAlien owner of the great project ColorizeIt!
The style is still in beta testing phase, and if you want to help in debugging, you can have a try with the latest development version of Icy Phoenix that you can find on GIT:
Icy Phoenix Latest Development Version
Here you will find the Mobile style:
Icy Phoenix Mobile Style
To use it, just download and install Icy Phoenix (from GIT) and then navigate it with a mobile device (iPhone, Android, Blackberry...).
If you are willing to see the style with a "normal" pc you can install it as you would do for any other style and activate it... otherwise you can manually change includes/sessions.php:
Code: [Show]
// For debugging purpose you can force this to true
//$this->data['is_mobile'] = true;
//$this->data['is_mobile'] = true;
Code: [Show]
// For debugging purpose you can force this to true
$this->data['is_mobile'] = true;
$this->data['is_mobile'] = true;
Let me know what do you think and if you find any bug.
I also would like to thank CyberAlien for the precious help in developing such a style.


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I'm still full from Christmas dinner, how about you?
This recipe may help you use up two of your Christmas dinner leftovers...cranberry sauce and eggnog! And in an effort to put a healthy twist on it, I wrapped it all up in a bran muffin :)
Based on a classic recipe, I replaced the original buttermilk with light eggnog and added a small spoonful of sauce in the middle of each muffin.
- 1-1/2 cups flour
- 2 cups bran
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 3/4 cup light eggnog
- 1/2 cup cranberry sauce
What to do
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Line 12 muffin cups with liners.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
- Stir in bran.
- In another nowl, cream shortening for 2 minutes.
- Add sugar and beat till light and fluffy.
- Add egg and beat to combine.
- Add molasses and beat to combine.
- Add dry ingredients to wet altenately with eggnog.
- Stir until just combined after each addition.
- Fill muffin cups 1/2 way with batter.
- Add 1 teaspoon of cranberry sauce to centre of each of muffin.
- Cover with additional bran mixture.
- Cups will be at least 3/4 full.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes.
- Makes 12 muffins.


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This "stealing back" of pro-equality language is reminiscent of anti-gay Christians who seek to "reclaim" the rainbow. Ultimately, these linguistic battles, like the bigger one about the word "marriage," are about symbols, who "owns" them, and who gets to say how others do and do not use them. Whereas "marriage defenders" want marriage to mean one thing and one thing only for all people everywhere, marriage equality advocates generally want society to acknowledge the reality that marriage means different things to different people. Yet, in On Lawn's case, while he couches his concept of marriage in an appealing word like "equality," it is actually the anti-thesis of equality.
To explore this further, let's observe how he takes his "marriage equality" argument to an absurd extension. Based on his belief that marriage requires "equal participation of each gender," he concludes that a same-sex marriage is just like a racially-segregated school, because in both institutions segregation is occurring. Men who marry other men, he claims, are discriminatory just like how whites who attend whites-only schools are. In his own words:
"Just as school integration is meant to re-enforce racial equality, this integration program re-enforces gender equality. This program, of course, is marriage.
Racial equality would take a step backwards if we try to set up all-white schools with the same recognition as integrated schools.... Is establishing gender segregation (as the same choice as integration) a step forwards or a step backwards? Its clearly a step backwards. Its digress, not progress."
And, more blatantly:
"An all-male marriage is a pollution of equality much like an all-white school is a pollution of equality. I support [a gay person's] freedom of association, but to call your relationship (which is intolerant of the other gender) a marriage is simply to deny marriage its capacity to ensure equal recognition of rights for all involved in how we birth and raise children.
Children deserve a mother and father. They deserve primarily their real mother and father preparing even before having a child to be loving, mutually tolerant and respecting spouses and care givers for their potential children."
Marriage "re-enforces gender equality"? When I read claims like that I wonder if some "marriage defenders" know anything at all about the history of marriage and, in particular, of that past pesky practice of coverture. Someone who claims that the purpose of man-woman marriage is to "re-enforce gender equality" is about the last person in the world I would trust to give me accurate information about marriage, its history, or equality.
On Lawn's arguments are poor, to be sure. But they are worth addressing as in his desperate reasoning, we see an interesting demonizing of gays. Social conservatives love pitting minorities against each other, and especially after Proposition 8, they really love them some Gays v. Blacks action. Because really, what else is more resonating in this world than conservative, heterosexual, white, non-feminist, anti-gay, married guys opining upon how to best resolve issues of racial and gender inequality? And, when they demonstrate concern about the LGBT rights movement's supposed misappropriation of the black civil rights struggle, it's always like, whoa, thanks for being such consistent allies to progressive causes, fellas.
But I digress.
What is most lacking about On Lawn's analogy is that he doesn't actually give us many dots to connect in his argument. It is very superficial. While a heterosexual marriage, for instance, contains both a man and a woman, he fails to explain in any detail whatsoever how that composition "re-enforces gender equality." I think he is confusing the word "gender" for "sex" and the word "equality" for "representation." Yes, Captain Obvious, a heterosexual marriage contains both a male and female, but please explain in any modicum of specificity how that representation "re-enforces gender equality."
Speaking of those details that are so often alluded to but never actually, well, detailed, let's look at one of the key ideological underpinnings of "marriage defense." Similar to many "marriage defenders," On Lawn's "defense" of marriage is generally grounded in the ideology of so-called "gender complementarity." Variations of this ideology exist, but it is pretty well-summarized in Marilyn Musgrave's (in)famous quote in support of the Federal Marriage Amendment (see also this article for Musgrave's quote and overview of "gender complementarity"):
"The self-evident differences and complementary design of men and women are part of [God's] created order. We were created as male and female and for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined with his wife, and the two shall become one in the mystical spiritual and physical union we call 'marriage.'"
Musgrave's sentiment has a warm, squishy fuzzy-wuzzy appeal, but her statement reveals its own shortcoming. Namely, other than the fact that (most) boys have a penis and (most) girls have a vagina, it's hardly "self-evident" as to what those "differences" between males and females actually entail.
And, well, adherents of this ideology are usually hard-pressed to identify the specific characteristics that are inherent in all women (or all men) and why or how these psychological and/or physical characteristics could not possibly be represented in those of the "opposite" sex. Nor can they adequately specify what those actual non-anatomical "unique contributions" are that a man brings to marriage and parenthood that a woman could not possibly bring, and vice versa. Nor do they make it clear if all men and all women possess these "unique contributions," or explain what specifically is so inherently good about the man-woman combo that makes that composition necessary in every single marriage and set of parents.
The general assumption seems to be that if there's both a male body and a female body, then That's Good Enough. And if there are one or two or fifty females (or males), then that's Not Enough. To heck with all of those other questions and details. It's all surface details and dichotomous thinking to the "gender complementary" crowd.
For, rather than acknowledging the observed reality that both sex and gender exist along a gradation, and that men and women are similar on most psychological variables, the ideology of "gender complementarity" demands that we shut our eyes and pretend that the nature of man[sic]kind is instead dual and discrete. Disregarding the fact that the relatively high degree of fatherhood involvement is a Western middle-class norm rather than a universal truth for all cultures everywhere, modern-day adherents to the theory of "gender complementarity" demand that all marriages require a husband (oh yes, and a wife) and that all children deserve a father (oh yeah, and a mother too) and that's just How Things Are In The World.
Men and women, they say, are complementary and/or opposites! And many of us know that this is where things gets really interesting. Where men are constructed as strong, active, and inherently fit to lead, women are constructed as Not That. That is, women (while kind, nurturing, and warm) are also weak, passive, and inherently fit to submit. Together, the inherent strengths and weaknesses of men and women combine into a complementary whole. It juts so happens that the "inherent" characteristics of "Man" work to operate as a giant pre-emptive affirmative action program for his (and not hers) domination of the public sphere.
Now, it's not clear what aspects of the gender complementary ideology On Lawn accepts and rejects, as he mostly just repeats over and over again how marriage requires a man and a woman (See above, re: lack of details) or posts links to scientific studies with no commentary of his own as though a study about how boy rats wrinkle their noses differently than girl rats magically proves That On Lawn Is Right About Everything! Generally, one will find that advocates of this theory, like Marilyn Musgrave, just believe it to be so self-evidently true to All People Everywhere that it really merits little discussion, questioning, or analysis. So, among many adherents of this ideology, I am confident that my summary of their theory would not at all be a controversial representation of their beliefs. They would be more likely to say "Yes, and how could you possible think any of this wrong?"
It only becomes controversial when others, such as myself, reveal this ideology for what it is: An ideology of Inherent Male Domination. When confronted with this inconvenient truth, adherents will either (a) unabashedly agree that they are indeed saying that men are inherently superior and fit to dominate women, (b) claim that a critic just doesn't understand the great mysssssssstery of an "equal hierarchical relationship," or (c) accuse the critic of creating a straw argument and then, without addressing the criticism, run from the room in a huff, more appalled that someone just acknowledged him (or her, but probably him) as a sexist than he is at actually being one.
Keeping that in mind, let's explore the extendy fun of "gender complementarity."
As we have seen above, sex difference implies sex hierarchy. The more exaggerated the differences between categories of people, the more exaggerated the hierarchy between these categories of people. Within a simplistic ideology that asserts that All Men Are X, Y, and Z, and All Women Are A, B, and C, "gender complementarists" create a ranking system that looks very "commonsensical" on the surface but that, in reality, leaves no room for individual difference.
Two, the theory gets super interesting when "gender complementarists" extend their ideology beyond the private sphere and into the public sphere as well. Whereas many "gender complementarists" believe that it is of the utmost importance for a marriage to "integrate" the male and female, some demand an almost completely male homosocial atmosphere in the public sphere based on the idea that "Woman's" two roles in life are wife and mother. Men, however, can be husbands, fathers, architects, garbage men, doctors, teachers, convenience store workers, politicians, police officers, oh yeah and head of the household too.
"Equal" sex representation in marriage is of the utmost importance, they say, BUT it is not at all important or even desirable in other areas of life. Some of the most homophobic, anti-feminist men are bizarrely all about the bromance (as long as it's properly channeled of course); so much so that a woman lurking in certain forums can leave with the distinct impression that she has accidentally stumbled upon a metaphorical homosexual bathhouse. So many dicks are vying for other male attention and approval that it's clear who really matters in the public sphere to some dudes.
In short "gender complementarity" is an ideology of male domination and supremacy. "Marriage defense" is just one of its practical applications.
Same-sex marriage inevitably disrupts the theory of innate male supremacy by arguing that marriage does not, after all, require the "integration" of the male and female because male and female, while still different and important categories, are not as different, important, and hierarchical(!) as "common sense" dictates.
It is that idea, more than any other- even the ickiness of the buttsex- that frightens "marriage defense" males more than anything else. Even if many heterosexual marriages these days are quite equitable, same-sex marriage is the single most blatant symbol society can send that marriage does not require hierarchy. As an institution, marriage can exist without framing the individuals of each dyad as better/worse, strong/weak, and dominant/submissive. Rather than perpetuate discrimination, the symbol of same-sex marriage audaciously breaks down sex and gender hierarchy.
That's why, when On Lawn accuses lesbians and gay men of discriminating against those of the other sex, all I can muster up is a "Yes, that's what we 'homosexuals' tend to do when it comes to our intimate, romantic relationships. Annnnnd...?" Discrimination is a scary word because it connotes invidiousness, and I have hunch that that's why On Lawn uses it. However, in order to break up this already-too-long post, I will leave that point of contention for tomorrow- where the theme will be "equivocation" and On Lawn's use of it.


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I am an individual Scottish voter, I have no role within the SNP, and my opinions are my own. I am an SNP supporter but no longer a party member. I first published this in November 2011
Here are the facts that I have heard from the SNP, in publicly available statements, from printed material, newspapers, periodicals and from the broadcast media – they have been freely available to every member of the Scottish electorate.
I have no trouble understanding them, and I cannot imagine that any adult voter would have trouble understanding them. Frankly, a moderately intelligent 12-year old would understand them. But clearly the large sections of the media, politicians and spokespersons for unionist parties are either unable or unwilling to understand them.
The SNP stated in its manifesto that, if elected, it would hold a consultative referendum on Scotland's independence, with a YES/NO question. If the answer is YES, the Scottish voters will have mandated the Scottish Government to negotiate the timing and terms of securing Scotland's independence with the UK Westminster Government.
The Scottish Government will be fully mandated by the sovereign Scottish People to reach agreed terms in those negotiations, subject to core stated major policy positions, e.g. non-nuclear.
The SNP has defined independence in exactly the same way as every independent democratic country in the world defines it – total freedom to act in the interests of Scotland in every aspect of Scottish life – law, defence and foreign policy, taxation and fiscal policy, public services, relations with other nations, etc.
(No other nation in history has ever felt the need to explain to its people what independence meant in more detail than that, nor has any free people, even when suffering under non-democratic regimes, ever been in doubt what independence meant.)
Only Scottish voters - as defined by normal criteria of eligibility to vote in Scottish and UK elections, plus new provisions for 16 and 16 year-olds - will be eligible to vote. Scottish, in this context, does not refer to country of birth or ethnic group but to eligibility to vote in Scottish elections.
The referendum timing, legality and how other key questions will be handled have now been agreed in the historic referendum agreement with the UK Government.
The SNP will establish relationships with other nations through normal diplomatic means, and will seek to be a part of relevant interest grouping with other nations, such as the European Union and the United Nations. There is no doubt whatsoever that one of the world's oldest nations, one that has had made a major contribution to that world in every field of human endeavour, with a distinctive history and culture that is recognised instantly in every part of the globe, would be accepted into the European Union and the United Nations.
The SNP will maintain a Scottish defence force and will protect the traditional identities of Scottish defence groupings. Serving members of the armed forces will be offered a free choice to either join Scottish defence forces or remain in UK defence forces.
The SNP will be part of defence alliances that it considers relevant to Scotland's defence interests, and to the maintenance of our democratic way of life, and will take part in international operations as part of a coalition of forces in pursuit of objectives with which it agrees.
The SNP is committed to retaining the Queen -and her natural successors - as the constitutional monarch of Scotland.
The SNP is committed equally to a strong, vibrant private sector and to first-rate public services, properly funded and supported in an independent Scotland. The SNP sees the private sector and the public sector as being complementary vital parts of a civilised nation, of equal significance and status, and not as in competition for recognition or resources.
The SNP is committed to supporting businesses large and small, and to the re-industrialisation of Scotland significantly based on alternative sources of renewable energy. The SNP is committed to supporting a strong, properly regulated and controlled financial and banking industry in Scotland. It is committed to supporting tourism and leisure. It is committed to free higher educations, and to fully supporting our world-class educational institution, ancient and modern.
The SNP will retain sterling as its currency until such time as it may seem in the interests of Scotland to change that, and such a change would be put to the Scottish people in a referendum.
The SNP will not join the Euro until it is in the interests of the people of Scotland to do so, and only after a referendum on joining the Euro.
The SNP asserts that the Scottish People are sovereign.
NOTE: In my original version of this, I reflected the anti-NATO policy.
The policy on NATO membership changed on 19th October to one of seeking NATO membership, providing rUK and NATO accept a non-nuclear Scotland and the removal of Trident weapons systems from an independent Scotland.
That's all I really need to know to determine how I will vote in the referendum. My thanks to the Scottish Government and the SNP for keeping me and every other Scottish voter so fully and frankly informed.
My reason for choosing the Scottish National Party to vote for in May 2007 and in May 2011 is that they are the only major party committed to delivering the independence of Scotland.
(I have heard no coherent case for the preservation of the Union. Such conflicting arguments as have been offered have relied on a combination of vested interest groups, unelected bodies and individuals, nostalgia and emotionalism, scaremongering, indefensible statistics and a staggering lack of belief in and contempt for the Scottish people and their ability to run their own affairs.)
My reasons for wishing to be independent are -
the inability of the Union of 1707 ever to deliver equity and justice to all of the people of Scotland
the fact that the United Kingdom is not, and never has been a true democracy, but a coalition of unelected wealth, power, privilege and special interest groups, notably the military/industrial complex allied to and controlling a compliant political class and legal establishment
the staggering incompetence displayed in recent times (which I define as the last forty years) of all of the three main UK parties when in government, exemplified by the spectacular financial, fiscal, social and foreign policy incompetence displayed by the Labour Government 1997-2010 and currently being displayed by the Tory/LibDem Coalition since 2010.
A core policy reason for my support for the SNP and independence is that it is the only way we can have a nuclear-free Scotland, and only the SNP and Scotland's independence will deliver that.
It therefore follows that my nuclear objectives cannot be delivered by anything short of independence, and therefore remaining in the UK but with radically increased powers – the devo max or full fiscal autonomy option cannot meet my requirements, nor that of many Scots voters.


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Schneider electric software for electrical installation calculation and sizing according to IEC & CENELEC Standards.
Create diagrams via block insertion. This tool will help you save time to draw diagrams with custom blocks.
This plug-in can be used with Autodesk® AutoCAD® to synchronize the Reference Name of an XREF with the actual file name of the reference file.
A standalone app that can convert 3D files from Stl/Obj/3ds to Obj/Xaml.
GRii - GeoReference Image Insertion
Convert one or more 3D polylines into 2D polylines and vice versa.
Feature-rich license manager that delivers unprecedented efficiency in monitoring and reporting license usage.
This app allows you to create plumbing fittings in 2D view.
This e-book teaches you to use Autodesk® AutoCAD® Sheet Set. Learn how to create the title block and the automatic views
This application will allow you to create different kinds of doors from "single, double panel, bifold communicating pass through and so on."
Reduce repetitive task by optimizing your reusable contents. Create and automate your blocks to do tasks automatically. And manage them to share with your team.
This e-book covers Autodesk® AutoCAD® Annotation Scaling, from the concept to the exercises.
Synchronously view and compare multiple drawing document or multiple model viewports side by side.
An application to help you get a deeper understanding about the Autodesk® AutoCAD® system variables
This app helps you save a lot of time to select objects by quickly making filter and quickly selecting similar objects based on sample entities.
Create DWTs by importing Layers (including the Freeze, Color, Linetype, Lineweight, Plot, and Description) from a CSV file. CSVtoDWT will also export Layers from DWT to CSV for easy editing.
Import Descriptions for any/all Blocks in a drawing from a TXT file containing a predefined list of Block names and their corresponding Descriptions.
在AutoCAD® 和Excel之间转换表格
Generate outlines from any combined object shapes on a user specified layer with a user specified offset.
Adjust the area of a polyline by moving one or more of its sides until it reaches the area specified by the user.
Wherever you misplace files (*.dwg,*.pdf, *.xlsx, etc.) {Any files}, it will retrieve them in a second, then just double click to open.
Draws lines on Autodesk® AutoCAD® using Relative to last segment the Relative Polar angle NOT 180 degrees. With this command the Relative Polar is set to 0 (zero).
AB3D plugin lets you quickly create models from 2D sketches, and then use all the tools and options in Autodesk® AutoCAD® to build on your creation even further.
This plug-in adds the classic game Hangman to the ribbon.


text:
- Prayer and Worship
- Beliefs and Teachings
- Issues and Action
- Media
- Bible
- Catholic Giving
- About USCCB
1A song of ascents. Of Solomon.
Unless the LORD build the house,
they labor in vain who build.
Unless the LORD guard the city,
in vain does the guard keep watch.
2It is vain for you to rise early
and put off your rest at night,
To eat bread earned by hard toil—
all this God gives to his beloved in sleep.a
3Certainly sons are a gift from the LORD,
the fruit of the womb, a reward.b
4Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the sons born in one's youth.
5Blessed is the man who has filled his quiver with them.
He will never be shamed
for he will destroy his foes at the gate.*
* [Psalm 127] The Psalm puts together two proverbs (Ps 127:1–2, 3–5) on God establishing "houses" or families. The prosperity of human groups is not the work of human beings but the gift of God.
* [127:5] At the gate: the reference is not to enemies besieging the walls of a city but to adversaries in litigation. Law courts functioned in the open area near the main city gate. The more adult sons a man had, the more forceful he would appear in disputes, cf. Prv 31:23.
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text: Woodsy horror, indie videogame documentaries, chess in Brooklyn, WikiLeaks, moon Nazis. This year's South by Southwest Film festival begins Friday and brings with it more films than any one person could watch in just nine days. To help narrow down the potential viewing list for those attending the festival in Austin, Texas &mdash and give film fans elsewhere a sneak peek at some great upcoming titles — we scoured the SXSW Film slate to find the films we we're most looking forward to seeing at the annual event. Something here we should skip? Think there's a movie not in this list that deserves our popcorn-crunching, beer-drinking time? Head to the comments and let us know. Above: The Cabin in the Woods Why it looks cool: Joss. Whedon. Unstoppable-force-of-unnatural-energy Whedon co-wrote this film with director (and Cloverfield alum) Drew Goddard. On the surface, Cabin in the Woods' campsite scream-fest plot sounds extremely predictable, but with Whedon and Goddard trading notes around the fireplace, you just know they will find ways to lull you into a sense of security before completely blowing your mind. The movie hits theaters in April, but its premiere at SXSW — and star turn from Thor's Chris Hemsworth — should be just enough to leave fanboys and fangirls dying for more.Iron Sky Why it looks cool: Space Nazis. From the Moon. Invade Earth. Um, duh.Brooklyn Castle Why it looks cool: First move: It's a documentary about chess. Second move: It's a documentary about chess in a New York City school (I.S. 318) where more than 65 percent of students come from homes below the nation's poverty level. Third move: That school's chess team managed to become the best in the country. Fourth move: That school now is one of New York's finest. Fifth move: Budget cuts threaten the school's future success. Checkmate.Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines Why it looks cool: Scores of attention gets paid to male superheroes, but women have far fewer heroines to look up to. This documentary looks at the impact Wonder Woman has had on women, from the days of World War II to the 1990s Riot Grrrl movement. Be ready to be inspired.frankie go boom Why it looks cool: The official SXSW synopsis goes something like this: "A comedy about two brothers, a girl with a broken heart, a sex tape, an angel and a pig." But here's what you really need to know: Ron Perlman as a woman. That's right, in this movie, Hellboy himself plays a trans woman – based on writer/director Jordan Roberts' real-life sister – named Phyllis. And from what we've seen, he nails it, with very humorous and touching results. Also, Lizzy Caplan is in it, and she's pretty much never bad in anything ever.Tchoupitoulas Why it looks cool: It's a musically driven documentary about a night in post-Katrina New Orleans guided by three boys with their own unique perspective on the Crescent City. It's also directed by the Ross Brothers (Bill and Turner), whose first feature-length film, about life in the zip code 45365, walked away with the SXSW Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2009. Expectations are high for their follow-up. (Full disclosure: This writer went to school with the Ross Brothers; she's from 45365.)We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists Why it looks cool: This movie blew us away at Slamdance back in January with its deep-dive into the world of 4chan, Anonymous and everything surrounding them. It's like a crash course in what Anonymous is, what it stands for, and how its work brought about the Occupy movement. It's like audiovisual required reading.Gimme the Loot Why it looks cool: Two teenage graffiti writers looking to be the best in New York hatch a plan to tag an iconic NYC landmark after a rival gang buffs their latest piece. In order to pull it off, though, they need $500. The journey to get it sounds pretty epic. Sold.Girl Walk // All Day Why it looks cool: It's a nonstop dance party set to Girl Talk's All Day. You don't watch it, you live it.Indie Game: The Movie Why it looks cool: This documentary was another Sundance favorite. A deep look into the emotional roller coaster that is independent videogame making, this film is equally funny, smart, heart-wrenching and uplifting. To miss Indie Game: The Movie is to seriously play yourself.The Love Competition Why it looks cool: See above (where you can watch the entire 15-minute short). It's, ahem, lovely.Sleepwalk With Me Why it looks cool: Based on comedian Mike Birbiglia's true story, the film focuses on an aspiring comedian's struggles with his sleepwalking disorder and the effect it's having on his life. This film got a bit of buzz at Sundance this year, but really, comedy and sleepwalking? We're in.The Do-Deca Pentathlon Why it looks cool: It's the latest from The Puffy Chair duo the Duplass brothers. Also, it's about two siblings who stage their own Olympics for a family reunion. If nothing else, it'll be just quirky enough to be enjoyable.Uprising: Hip Hop and the LA Riots Why it looks cool: Most people think that the riots that ravaged South Central Los Angeles in 1992 were sparked by the acquittal of the officers accused in the Rodney King beating. That's true, but this documentary focuses on how hip-hop predicted, and maybe even ignited, that civil unrest.Wikileaks: Secrets and Lies Why it looks cool: Our fascination with anything WikiLeaks is pretty much never-ending. Wired has probably reported quite a bit of what's in the film, but that doesn't mean it'll hurt to take one little taste, right? Right?!Extracted Why it looks cool: Using cool tech to go deep into a junkie's brain to see if he's committed a crime? Then getting stuck there? Sounds trippy. The fact that director Nir Paniry doesn't even know what happens at the end sounds even trippier.Photos courtesy of the filmmakers


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At The Plate – The Cubs were out of this one right away as Las Vegas piled up eight runs in the first four innings to make it 8-2 en route to a 9-4 victory. Edwin Maysonet was 2-for-5 with his second home run of the season, an RBI, and a run scored. Brian Bogusevic doesn't stop hitting, he was 1-for-2 with his fifth home run of the season, a stolen base, an RBI, three walks (Cubs Way!), and a run scored. Brett Jackson was 1-for-3 with his third triple of the season, and a run scored in the loss. Donnie Murphy also got in on the home run fun, he was 1-for-3 with a walk, his third home run of the season, an RBI, and a run scored.
On The Mound – Guillermo Moscoso got the start and was torched by the 51's as he suffered his first loss of the season. Moscoso worked four innings giving up eight runs on six hits while walking four and striking out seven. Casey Coleman was brilliant out of the pen going three scoreless innings giving up two hits while walking one and striking out two. Hisanori Takahashi worked two innings giving up one run on three hits while striking out two.
At The Plate – The D-Cubs jumped all over Jupiter early, taking a 6-1 lead in the third en route to an 8-4 victory, their second straight. Daytona pounded out twelve hits in the win, and were 4-for-12 with runners in scoring position. John Andreoli was outstanding going 3-for-5 with two runs scored; he surprisingly didn't steal a base in this one. Javier Baez was 1-for-5 with his twelfth double of the season, an RBI, and two runs scored, and he committed his twentieth error of the 2013. Jorge Soler was 1-for-3 with two walks, and two RBI's, he's now hitting .299 on the season after slumping for a few weeks. Dustin Geiger loves to drive in runs, he was 2-for-5 with a double, and two RBI's, that gives him 39 on the season. Chadd Krist had a solid game going 1-for-3 with a walk, a double, and two runs scored in the win.
On The Mound – Austin Kirk got the start tonight and righted the ship to get his fifth win of the season. Kirk worked five innings giving up one run on three hits while walking two and striking out two, nice to see this kind of outing from Kirk who had struggled mightily in May. Luis Liria struggled out of the pen going 1.2 innings giving up two runs on two hits while walking one and striking out one. Hunter Cervenka has been so very good this year, and was effective tonight. Cervenka worked 2.1 innings giving up one run on four hits while walking three and striking out two, earning his fifth save of the season.
At The Plate – The Cougars fell behind 5-0 by the second inning and were really never in it as they wound up losing 9-2 to the Chiefs. The Cougars had the same amount of hits as the Chiefs did (10), but scored seven less runs as they were 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position. The big news of the night was the return of Albert Almora who was making his 2013 debut after recovering for surgery to remove a broken hamate bone. Almora didn't disappoint as he was 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored, too bad he wasn't up with guys on base tonight. Eight of the nine starters had hits for the Cougars in this one; it really was a challenge to score only two runs. The Cougars had three extra base hits in the loss, the Almora double, a Dan Vogelbach double, and a Gioskar Amaya triple.
On The Mound – Michael Heesch was very good in the early going this year, but has struggled recently, that includes tonight. Heesch suffered his fourth loss of the season as he worked 6.2 innings giving up five runs, four earned, on six hits while walking one and striking out three. Eddie Orozco wasn't much better out of the pen as he could only retire one hitter giving up two runs on three hits while striking out one. Brian Smith was also touched up as he worked one inning giving up two runs, one earned, on one hit while walking two and striking out two.


text: MrsGryn Posted January 29, 2011 NatalieName (Age): Natalie Tenerelli (19) Tribe: Ometepe Current Residence: Acton, Calif. Occupation: Professional Dancer Personal Claim to Fame: Being the youngest female to play the game. Inspiration in Life: Lady Gaga. Haha, just kidding. My parents have worked extremely hard to give me a good life. They have made it possible for me to follow my dreams and never give up in life. I would hope that in the future I could be half as good of a parent myself. Hobbies: Dancing, spending time with friends and family, and trying to cook...sometimes this ends badly. Pet Peeves: When people chomp their food. 3 Words to Describe You: Determined, spontaneous and positive. SURVIVOR Contestant You Are Most Like: Natalie White from Samoa. Reason for being on SURVIVOR: To have an experience of a lifetime and prove to myself that I can do anything that I put my mind to. Why you think you'll "survive" SURVIVOR: I have never quit anything that I have ever done and hopefully my ability to form good relationships with people will help me to "survive" 39 days in this game! Reason why you think you will be the sole SURVIVOR: I have the charm to win people over and a good intuition about people and their intentions. People may suspect me to be young and naive, but they will be fooled! Biography courtesy of CBS.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


text: Violet Monroe is a hot and horny newcomer to the wide world of internet porn, and we couldn't be happier to have the sexy slut shooting for us here at Brazzers. When she's not busty getting her pussy stuffed by some of the fattest cocks on the planet, Violet likes to unwind with a sip of something fancy, some gourmet food, and her prized telescope. Violet considers herself something of an amateur astronomer, and a quick look at her twitter page shows some amazing shots of the lunar surface and more. With her grey-blue eyes, pale-as-porcelain skin, and bright red hair, she's got a signature look that is every bit as out of this world as her photography! Violet's natural lustiness sets her apart from the pack even more than her looks do, though, because this is one super freak who is always up to try something new. From deepthroating to anal to interracial, Violet will do it all, so make sure to keep an eye on this foxy freak's profile, because her smoking hot debut is just the beginning!


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Chocolate Mint Fudge
Are you giving your sweetheart chocolate this Valentine's Day? Give your Valentine this sweet, chocolate fudge that is healthy! This chocolate is like no other—loaded with good fats and dark chocolate makes this a healthy snack. Plus, you can add peppermint essential oil for a chocolate mint flavor. Also, they are vegan and gluten-free!


text:
Item #:00062917
32 12-oz cans
2.38 lbs
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13" x 8.75" x 16"
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This Igloo product is warranted to be free from defects in material or workmanship under normal use and service for 1 year from the date of original purchase. For additional information, please visit the Warranty Service page under Customer Care.


text:
Max Cavalera (born as Massimiliano Antonio Cavalera on August 4, 1969 in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil) is a Brazilian DJ for Liberty City Hardcore Radio Station in The Lost and Damned. Although Grand Theft Auto IV and The Lost and Damned are in the same time, Jimmy Gestapo is the DJ for IV's LCHC that plays hardcore punk, while the "later" TLAD rendition plays extreme metal.
Cavalera was the real-life lead singer of the band, Sepultura, who plays the featured thrash metal song "Dead Embryonic Cells" (which is also featured in the trailer for The Lost and Damned), and is currently the frontman of Soulfly and Cavalera Conspiracy. The opening to the song "Blood Fire War Hate", by Soulfly is also played at the begining of the The Lost and Damned's sequential LCHC playlist, as part of the 'Blood Fire War Hate Death Metal Show' introduction.
Unlike most DJs in from the GTA IV Era, little is known about Max, as he never speaks about himself. Instead, he soley focuses on the music, and his overall presentation reflects the station's new and heavier nature in both what he says and his delivery (implementing his skills as an extreme metal vocalist).


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I ran into GENE KEMPER, who serves as president of NORTH VALLEY AVIATION ASSOCIATION and a critical part of the airshows that Chico has hosted.
Kemper mentioned the sequester — the budget fiasco in Washington, D.C. — and the fact that most of the military's jet performance teams like the Thunderbirds have been grounded because of it.
Chico's never hosted the Thunderbirds, but the north state has marveled over the Snowbirds, a Canadian Air Force team that's just as entertaining. Kemper told me there's more demand now for the Snowbirds, since they're still flying and the American teams aren't.
Redding has scooped up the Snowbirds for this year, on Oct. 9 — a Wednesday. Sacramento has them the previous weekend, Oct. 5 and 6.
It's a two-year booking cycle, so Chico can't get the team until 2015. Kemper said the airshow team is working hard, focused on that year. They should know by mid-summer if it's a go.
That would be good news, but there are some question marks about the CHICO AIR SHOW.
The city declined the request for financial help, which is understandable considering the budget situation, and the economic downturn has been hard on businesses that might have been sponsors.
Kemper said the city has been supportive in other ways, but now the airshow is looking for help from the private sector. There's hope a sponsor or two might be out there and give Kemper a call to talk more. If you're trying to call during the day, he's the half of Matro/Kemper Chiropractic, 894-0234.
Customers and neighbors alike were surprised to see a hand-written note on the door of the MIDAS AUTO SERVICE EXPERTS store in Chico.
It said, "Out of business."
Adjacent neighbor DOUG TIMMONS of Timmons Automotive Performance told me he knew nothing about the circumstances of the closure, and was just as surprised as the customer who emailed me the inquiry.
Also surprised was the Midas representative in Marysville, although he said he heard it was a possibility.
Midas spokeswoman PATRICE KELTY couldn't tell me anything about the reason behind the closure, but said in an email that it was "disappointing."
The garage was an independent franchise, she noted, and a new franchisee is being sought for it. She declined to name the franchise owner, or what happened to employees.
However, vehicle owners with warranty work can take their cars to the Marysville shop, 742-2301, or the Redding shop, 223-3991.
"We apologize for the inconvenience and are hopeful to reopen in the distant future," she said in an email.
This is an event that everyone in Oroville should be interested in.
The annual PULSE OF THE CITY is slated from 3 to 4 p.m. March 21 at the Bird Street Cafe, 2020 Bird St.
Interim city administrator PETER COZENTINI will give an update of the city's financial status. Seating is limited, and reservations are required through the Oroville Chamber of Commerce, 538-2542.
Reach Laura Urseny at 896-7756, firstname.lastname@example.com or on Twitter @LauraUrseny.


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by Michael Caruso
My final weekend of concerts prior to Christmas Eve and Day brought me to two performances that were both similar and dissimilar. I heard Piffaro's "Drive the Cold Away!" concert Friday night, Dec. 17, in the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill. Then, on Saturday evening, Dec. 18, I heard the Philadelphia Boys Choir & Chorale's "Sing, Choirs of Angels" program in Proclamation Presbyterian Church in Bryn Mawr.
Both offered music-making of the highest order. Both were well attended, with the Boys Choir's audience packing the church's main sanctuary with well over 600 attendees. Both took place in sparsely, even austerely under-decorated Presbyterian churches. Yet each offered a different historical take on the festivities celebrated in late December.
Piffaro's program was more varied in that it combined the pre-Christian festivities marking the Winter Solstice (the darkest day of the year) and the subsequent daily turning toward more and more light with music celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas Day drawn from 17th century England. The Philadelphia Boys Choir & Chorale's concert, on the other hand, focused almost entirely on the celebration of Christmas and did so in a specifically religious fashion. Those who complain that Christmas is often marked with too little emphasis on Christ's birth and too much focus on Santa Claus and gift-giving certainly would have taken heart with "Sing, Choirs of Angels." And, in fact, its performance Saturday night elicited ecstatic applause from the overflow audience.
Piffaro's concert deserves to be placed under another heading, as well – that of "The Show Must Go On" – since that's precisely what happened Friday night. The originally scheduled tenor, Philip Anderson, was unable to perform Dec. 17. Rather than eliminate from the program the pieces he was intended to sing solo or with soprano Laura Heimes, Piffaro's own Grant Herreid took over most of the solos and duets, with Heimes essaying the remaining solos in Anderson's place.
Herreid's on-the-spot substitution was revelatory. Herried, an instrumentalist most of the time for Piffaro, not only rose to the challenge of singing difficult vocal music with an accomplished vocal artist such as Laura Heimes but showed himself to be a fine musician and stylist, as well. He sang in a clear, bright tone that made for crisp diction and potent phrasing. Heimes delivered her expected creamy tone and eloquent phrasing.
Conducted by Jeffrey Smith and accompanied by a large and sometimes too-loud instrumental ensemble, the Philadelphia Boys Choir & Chorale reminded one and all in attendance Saturday, Dec. 18, that it is, indeed, the finest trained choir in Greater Philadelphia.
With the boys singing by memory and both men and boys never missing a pitch or a beat in some of the most complicated holiday music I've ever heard performed in concert, the choir gave a stunning performance in a program of music that convincingly ranged through the centuries. Ensemble never faltered, no matter how complex the arrangements.
Boys from our general area who sang in the concert were Aiden and Ethan Welsh and Pierre Samuel, all of Ambler; Giancarlo Kelly of Chestnut Hill; Alec Lizell of Fort Washington and Justin Booker of Germantown. For more information, call 856-727-9422.
Chestnut Hill's first concert of the season is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 2, 4 p.m. in the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill. Donald Nally will lead The Crossing in a program that includes Bill Brooks' "Six Medieval Lyrics" for women's chorus, the American premiere of Erik Esenvalds' "Long Road" for mixed choir, David Lang's "I Live in Pain" for women's chorus and dedicated to Nally, and a new work by Paul Fowler, whose "Breath" was a big hit during last summer's "Month of Moderns."
Rounding out the program are works of Danish minimalist Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen and Swedish extended-technique expert Erik Bergman, plus previously composed works by David Lang and Paul Fowler. For ticket information, visit www.crossingchoir.com.


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Companies planning to build projects such as pipelines and transmission lines stand to receive permits to conduct exploratory research in B.C. parks, according to proposed new legislation introduced Thursday.
Bill 4, the Park Amendment Act, 2014, would allow investigative-use permits to be issued for studies, including for vegetation sampling, fish surveys and low-impact geotechnical studies. Based on the results of the studies, companies would then have to apply for a boundary adjustment if they wanted to proceed with a project through a park.
Environment Minister Mary Polak said in an interview that the legislation provides clarity, ensuring the province has the legal authority to issue permits for research, as well as activities such as recreation, tourism, and commercial filming in parks.
Information gained from these preliminary investigations will be helpful to companies as well as the government later in determining the merits of a boundary adjustment. In some cases, the companies might reject the idea of an adjustment and chose a different route, she said. "It has some potentially positive benefits. It's really valuable information."
Polak noted that not all permit applications will be from companies seeking industrial projects.
The Kitselas First Nation near Terrace is seeking an amendment to 269-hectare Kleanza Creek Provincial Park to allow for access to drinking water. Access roads are another potential rationale for a park boundary amendment.
She noted that allowing a small land removal from a park might result in less environmental damage than if a company had to seek an alternative route.
Polak noted she will personally decide if an investigative-use permit will be issued for a given park. "They'd have to lay out specifically what they intend to do. And then we'd examine what kind of impact potentially that could have on the park."
The government is not limiting the purposes for which an investigative permit may be requested.
In response, NDP environment critic Spencer Chandra Herbert (Vancouver-West End) said his main concern is to ensure that the process is transparent and the public has the opportunity to comment.
"Will this make it easier for the government to run pipelines or transmission lines through a park when people are clearly opposed?" he added. "That's the risk here, do you make it easier to cut up our parks?"
The Vancouver Sun reported last December that the Ministry of Environment is anticipating applications for boundary adjustments to at least 35 parks and other protected areas to accommodate industrial pipelines, transmission lines and resource roads.
The proposed boundary adjustments — which would amount to new or enlarged industrial corridors slicing through protected areas — were contained within a four-page ministry document dated May 17, 2013 and released through a freedom-of-information request.
According to the document, Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline expansion from Alberta to Burnaby could potentially require boundary adjustments to 10 provincial parks, ranging in size from 8.5-hectare F.H. Barber and 32-hectare Bridal Veil Falls, both between Chilliwack and Hope, to large protected areas such as 615-hectare Jackman Flats near Valemount and 15,000-hectare Lac du Bois Grasslands near Kamloops.
The document noted that a project called the North Thompson transmission line could require adjustments to five parks, including 5,733-hectare Upper Adams River, north of Salmon Arm, and 540,000-hectare Wells Gray, north of Clearwater.
The TransCanada LNG pipeline would require boundary adjustments to four protected areas, including 17,683-hectare Nisga'a Memorial Lava Bed, in the Nass River Valley north of Terrace. The company's Alaska pipeline project would require three, including 88,989-hectare Liard River Corridor, near the Yukon border, and its Coast GasLink pipeline one, the 360-hectare Sukunka Falls, near Chetwynd.
The Spectra Energy LNG pipeline is proposed to go through two protected areas, including 14,523-hectare Babine River Corridor.
Other protected areas that may require boundary adjustments to accommodate miscellaneous projects include Elk Falls for BC Hydro's replacement of the John Hart generating station on Vancouver Island; Inkaneep for a provincial prison near Oliver; Sasquatch for both a Seabird Island First Nation logging haul road and BC Hydro transmission line near Harrison Lake; and E.C. Manning east of Hope for a Telus road and provincial highway realignment.
A subcontractor of pipeline builder TransCanada Corp. received a verbal warning from B.C. Parks after the first incident of what in the Khutzeymateen Inlet Conservancy on June 16 and a written warning after the second on June 28, according to the provincial environment ministry. A third incident was under investigation. All three incidents involved helicopters and work crews.
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