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Date(s) - 06/06/2019
6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Bergen Family Center
Categories LGBT New Jersey events
Newly Diagnosed HIV/AIDS Support Group in Hackensack meets every Thursday at the Bergen Family Center, 10 Banta Place in Hackensack, NJ 07601.
The group is facilitated by a licensed therapist. Registration is free and transportation will be provided upon request. Registration is encouraged.
The Newly Diagnosed support group is for individuals recently diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. This psychotherapy support group will address topics such as self esteem, developing healthy coping strategies, fears, concerns and questions about disclosure, acceptance, relationship issues and HIV/AIDS in general.
To register for the group or to learn more about the services offered through the Ryan White program, please contact Sarah Del Vecchio at 201-342-9200, ext. 19 or Paula Tenebruso at 201-342-9200, ext.20.


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You've probably heard about the practice of "redshirting" -- holding a kid back from kindergarten until they start at age 6. People say it's unfair, and that parents do it to give their children an advantage that cheats the system. At 6, after all, Junior is one of the oldest kids in class, and theoretically better at everything from academics to sports. More boys are redshirted than girls, whites more than minorities, and rich more than poor.
It's funny that I never heard about how controversial redshirting was until I'd redshirted my own kid. Now that he's just started first grade (at 7), I try to ignore the outcry over this issue that's apparently irresponsible, classist, and erodes the level playing field that age restrictions are supposed to create.
Because I can tell you this: it was absolutely, completely, without a doubt the right decision for us to make.
It was a hard decision, for sure. We went back and forth about it for months, and in the end I went with my gut and hoped for the best. See, my son's birthday is August 31, which so happens to be the cutoff date for kindergarten in our then-home state of Washington. My choices were this: start him at 5, when he'd be the very youngest kid in class, or wait a year until he was the very oldest.
I didn't particularly love either option, but I had to pick one. We talked to his daycare/preschool teacher, we considered his personality, we asked people who had faced a similar conundrum.
Ultimately, I knew he'd be fine academically, but I had misgivings about his maturity level. Of particular concern was the fact that he was plagued with sensory issues back then -- paranoid about sudden loud sounds, prone to hysteria over a scraped knee. If I'd been working outside of the house, I probably would have gambled that he'd eventually be fine in kindergarten, but because I'd just started working from home, I decided I'd keep him home for a year.
So that's what I did. After a year of quasi-homeschooling, he started kindergarten when he was 6 years old.
I know it was the right choice because he adjusted perfectly to kindergarten. He wasn't bored, he didn't have behavioral issues (a common argument against redshirting, because older kids may be too bored); he was happy and fit right in. He didn't look bigger than the other kids, he looked exactly the right age. He'd outgrown many of his noise/texture/sensation freakouts, and even came home jabbering with excitement over the school's first fire drill because wow, it was SO LOUD AND COOL!
My boy started first grade here in Oregon earlier this month, and again he seems like he's exactly where he's supposed to be. I imagine/hope this year will be much like last: he won't be the most advanced kid in class, but he'll do just fine.
The decision to wait a year wasn't easy, and I'd never advocate that it's the right choice for every family. We didn't do it to try and raise a sports star or a mathlete, we did it because we believed it was the best option for our child. I wish redshirting wasn't so controversial, but I'm incredibly grateful it was an option for us.
Still, I'm equally thrilled my second son's birthday is in February. Whew.
What do you think about redshirting?
Image via Linda Sharps

subset: commoncrawl


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What are the busiest days for holiday shopping?
Procrastinators beware: You no longer have a corner on the market for making last-minute holiday purchases.
ShopperTrak, one of the leading providers of shopper analytics, predicts that the last four days before Christmas — Dec. 20 through Dec. 24 — will be among the 10 busiest shopping days of the entire holiday season.
The last-minute business for retailers is thanks in part to a shorter holiday shopping period of 26 days, compared with last year's 33 days.
The shortened shopping season means consumers will have only four weekends between Thanksgiving and Christmas during which to make their purchases, instead of the five they had last year. ShopperTrak expects consumers to make slightly fewer store visits in November and December, but anticipates they will spend 2.4 percent more. Meanwhile, the
Sales Rank
- Friday, Nov. 29 (
Black Friday)
- Saturday, Dec. 21 (Super Saturday)
- Sunday, Dec. 22
- Friday, Dec. 20
- Saturday, Dec. 14
- Monday, Dec. 23
- Thursday, Dec. 26 (Day after Christmas)
- Saturday, Nov. 30
- Saturday, Dec. 7
- Saturday, Dec. 28
Still, the shorter shopping season means retailers must prepare accordingly. They are gearing up for a highly competitive season as they vie to capture the average $737 shoppers are expected to spend on gifts, food and decor this year.
Last year's 10 busiest shopping days accounted for more than one-third (35.7 percent) of sales of general merchandise, apparel, furniture and other products for the period of Black Friday through Jan. 5, 2013. According to ShopperTrak, this drove a 3.0 percent increase in total retail sales over the 2011 holiday season.
Holiday shopping 2013
"Some shopping days – like Black Friday and Super Saturday – are always busy," said ShopperTrak founder Bill Martin in a statement about the projections. "But calendar changes affect each holiday season differently. Because Christmas falls on a Wednesday this year, it will create its own mid-week momentum without compromising the typically high weekend shopper activity. Retailers should anticipate such calendar shifts each year and prepare their marketing, labor and operations accordingly."
Traffic Rank
- Friday, Nov. 29 (Black Friday)
- Saturday, Dec. 21 (Super Saturday)
- Sunday, Dec. 22
- Saturday, Dec. 14
- Thursday, Dec. 26 (Day after Christmas)
- Saturday, Nov. 30
- Saturday, Dec. 7
- Sunday, Dec. 15
- Saturday, Dec. 28
- Friday, Dec. 20
Black Friday will still lead the way as the single busiest shopping day this holiday season, the company said, in both total retail shopper traffic and sales. The final Saturday before Christmas, known as "Super Saturday" (Dec. 21), will be the second-strongest shopping day of the season, followed by Dec. 22, Dec. 20 and Dec. 23.
Black Saturday, the day after Black Friday, will likely rank sixth in shopper traffic and eighth in sales.
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Now is the time of year when we celebrate that special man in our life. Many of us simply call this guy "dad". This is also the time of year when many of us are clueless about how we should celebrate this special occasion. Should we take him out for dinner? Treat him to to a game? What about a heartfelt Father's Day gift this year? If you're thinking about what you should give your dad for Father's Day this year, consider giving the greatest gift that planet Earth has to offer—water. Below aren't just any water products however, they are items that he can use in his day to day life.
What about the gift of water? Who wouldn't like one of the best water filtration pitchers on the market? According to Don, a satisfied user of ZeroWater:
"We've been using ours for over a year now and love it. The water in our park is almost always cloudy yet the ZW (ZeroWater) filter allows us to enjoy excellent water, tea and coffee."
In addition, the ZeroWater 8-Cup Water Filtration Pitcher was named a "Filter that really works" in Good Housekeeping Magazine and appeared on the Today Show. This water filter pitcher holds up to 8 cups and features a space saving design so you won't have to rearrange the contents of your refrigerator to fit it in.
Does your dad like gardening? If the answer is yes, give him something that will really help him out. The Rainshow'r Gard'n Gro Garden Filter System is a completely non-toxic de-chlorinator that promotes healthy plant nutrition and growth in your garden by eliminating the harsh toxic effects of chlorinated water. It also enhances the effectiveness of non-chemical pest control methods, while protecting ladybugs and other beneficial nematodes. It features a shock absorbing hose saver and processes a minimum of 20,000 gallons of water.
What about a reusable water bottle? While working out in the gym or going for a jog/run, he will inevitably get thirsty. This is where the Klean Kanteen 18 oz. Bottle and Sport Cap can help. The perfect alternative to bottled water, this BPA-free stainless steel water bottle is portable, affordable and great to carry along for workouts, camping (through the use of the S-biner Caribiner. Sold separately), and more! This water bottle is a great choice to give your dad water on-the-go.
No matter what you choose to get your dad for Father's Day this year, remember to show your appreciation. For all of the awesome dads out there, remember that you guys rock! Anyone can be a father, but it takes a special man to be a dad.


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When Cynthia Nixon was 9, she played an impostor on "To Tell the Truth." "There was a little girl who was a professional horse rider who had won all these blue ribbons," she recalled, "and the cool thing about her was she rode a Shetland pony, and I pretended to be her. My mother worked on the show; her job was to brief the impostors, coach them in pretending. But I couldn't believe that no one on the panel recognized me, because I was around the studio a lot. So when I rode out on the horse with a cowboy hat on, I was like this" — she ducked her head low — "because I knew they absolutely remembered me." Even now, her face fell. "And no one recognized me."
Nixon, now 45, has had the opposite problem for quite some time. As she walked through the densely populated Fairway on the Upper West Side one afternoon last month, she wore a brown Fedora pulled low around her face. Her six years on "Sex and the City" made her instantly recognizable; for a time, most every Type A professional woman in New York identified herself as a "Miranda," after her character. It was the kind of success Nixon had not anticipated, even though she has been in the business for most of her life. She began with an ABC After School Special at 12 and a Broadway debut at 14 in a Lincoln Center revival of "The Philadelphia Story." Just after she graduated from Hunter, an elite public high school, and was beginning her studies in English literature at Barnard, Nixon, at 18, appeared in two Broadway shows simultaneously, both directed by Mike Nichols. Eight times a week she played a teenage drifter in Hollywood in Acts One and Three of David Rabe's "Hurlyburly," alongside William Hurt and Sigourney Weaver; in between, she appeared as the British daughter of Jeremy Irons and Christine Baranski in Act Two of Tom Stoppard's "Real Thing." In the era of "Fame," she was the It Girl without the leg warmers, striding onstage with a bravado that dared you to look away.
If the work had ended there, with a bang, no one would have been surprised, least of all Nixon. Her parents continually warned her that few child actors break through as adults. "You knew your expiration date was stamped on your forehead, and everybody could see it," she said. "You felt a little like you were on death row."
But as she got older, the offers kept coming, and she found herself with a solid New York-based career. The global success of "Sex and the City" cemented her celebrity. "Nobody ever really thought of me as sexy, right?" she said wryly when we sat down earlier to talk. "They thought of me as smart and quirky. For a while I was waifish, and then I was smart and quirky, and then when I was like 30 I was cast in 'Sex and the City.' Thirty seems young to me now, but at the time 30 seemed to be kind of getting old, so it was this amazing confluence of events where I, who had never really exercised, never really worn heels, was in this thing that was about sex and grooming and your body. I might have just gone from waifs to old ladies, but I had my bombshell period in there, my unexpected bombshell period."
Hollywood, however, with its junior-high-school standards of beauty and popularity, never mistook her for a star. Two years after winning an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in the last season of "Sex and the City," Nixon won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for "Rabbit Hole," but the screen version of the role went to Nicole Kidman. "They could never have gotten it made if I was in the movie," Nixon said evenly. "But I loved playing that part, and I loved playing it onstage; I can't do that kind of emotion on film, I just can't. It's too still or something."
Nixon is currently starring in a revival of Margaret Edson's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, "Wit," on Broadway, directed by Lynne Meadow. (It opens Jan. 26.) The play, which had its first New York staging Off Broadway in 1998, is an actor's tour de force about an exacting poetry professor who undergoes a brutal — and by now outdated — experimental treatment for Stage 4 ovarian cancer, a woman who excelled all her life by analytical brainpower suddenly forced to grapple with extreme, unwelcome emotions.
Nixon herself discovered she had breast cancer during a routine mammogram in 2006 (it was caught at an early stage and required a lumpectomy and radiation but no chemotherapy; she still takes Tamoxifen). Her mother, Anne Knoll Nixon, 82, has had three bouts with it, the first when Nixon was 12.
An only child whose parents separated when she was 6, Nixon has stayed close to her mother her entire life. To succeed at both acting and academics required discipline and obedience in equal measure, and Nixon was guided with a strong hand by Anne, a classmate of Paul Newman's at the Yale School of Drama, who seems to have functioned more as a constructive acting coach than as an insatiable Mama Rose. The way Nixon carries herself, with easy confidence and a lack of drama, seems to derive from having been the glowing center of the world for a mother who managed to do no harm.
Nixon is a mother herself; her two oldest children are Samantha, 15, and Charlie, 9. Their father is Daniel Mozes, a classmate of Nixon's at Hunter College High School, where he now teaches English. The couple never married and split in 2003.
As Nixon has grown older, she has allowed herself to start coloring outside the lines. A year after splitting with Mozes, she began a relationship with Christine Marinoni, now 44, whom she met while campaigning to increase financing for New York City public schools. With the help of a male friend Nixon will not identify, Marinoni conceived a child. She gave birth to their son, Max Ellington Nixon-Marinoni, on Feb. 7, 2011.
On this late December afternoon at Fairway, Nixon was armed with a holiday-meal shopping list. She gathered ingredients for rugelach, reaching gracefully around an old woman crouched in the dairy section to grab a block of Philadelphia cream cheese and a container of sour cream. Nixon is a brisk, focused shopper who knows the store's geography well, parking her cart in strategic places while charging the aisles. She tossed a challah into it — "French toast" — and a large bottle of vanilla. She was expert at blending into the crowd without calling attention to herself — the whirl of purpose served her well — and when she was recognized, it was adulation New York-style: delight at spotting a celebrity tinged with self-congratulation for being at the right place at the right time.
We headed upstairs to the organic department, where she filled bags with Fuji apples and Idaho potatoes. Then she gathered up some red kale. "My girlfriend juices for me, which is really nice. It's a cancer thing." Nixon seems extremely matter-of-fact about the "cancer thing." "I feel that between my experience and my mother's, breast cancer is a little bit like someone who lives next door," she said. "I know what that person looks like and what their daily habits are. I mean, I get my ultrasounds and stuff, so I think I'm less scared than if I didn't do that."
Loaded down with bags, she took the stairs to the street. It was quite a feat to have made it through 40 minutes of shopping with only a handful of people aware of her presence. She seemed proud, unlike her 9-year-old self, of going almost unnoticed. "Hats help," she said.
When I arrived at Manhattan Theater Club to talk to Nixon during rehearsals of "Wit," she was busy making herself tea — no assistants. Emanuel Azenberg, the veteran Broadway impresario and a producer of "The Real Thing" in 1984, told me: "Cynthia overcame success. She was this nice kid who went on to this extraordinary career and remained a well-balanced person with real equilibrium. She treats people well; it doesn't matter who they are."
Nixon does have a practiced air of civility that comes from having been a public person from childhood. She is professionally lovely, though she rarely allows herself to lapse into intimacy. As with many former child actors, there is a persistent echo of herself as she was when she began; you can see her switch into engaging mode — standing up midconversation to act out a scene, banging on the table for emphasis — displaying just enough exuberance to set herself apart and make a favorable impression. Maybe all actors tend to audition. But because Nixon genuinely connects, it feels sweet somehow to see her eagerness to please.
"Both my parents were always careful to say, 'You're doing this for now,' " she recalled. "Most child actors, once they hit 18, once they hit 21, that's it. Even teenage kids often don't make the transition. Unlike me, a lot of child actors are very short, which is why they work. So when they're 15 they can play 11 or when they're 18 they can play 14. They look young for so long, they have abilities a much younger kid wouldn't have."
Nixon's father, Walter, a radio journalist who she says was often unemployed, died in 1998. Though her mother's own acting ambitions went unfulfilled, Nixon says there was never any sense of competition or jealousy between them. "It just felt for so long like we were in cahoots," she said. "The plan was, 'I'm going to act until I'm 18, earn as much money as I can while still going to school and not jeopardize my school, not go to California and pay for college.' So I think I always had the sense that acting wasn't the centerpiece. I've always had a left hand to balance the right hand. When Laurence Olivier was asked what the most important thing is for a young actor to learn, he said, 'How to become an old actor.' I didn't know that back then, but I wasn't looking for height, I wasn't looking to hit it really big. I was looking to stay close to the ground.
Cynthia Nixon, All Grown Up
12 Photos
View Slide Show ›
"As a child," she continued, "I only worked with my mother. She still will come nowadays and give me a note here and there. It's why to me the director is the person I care most about, because I'm so used to working with my own personal director. Some friends of mine who are actors feel directing shuts them down and kills all their impulses, but the worst thing for me is if I feel a director hasn't noticed. That makes me feel like God isn't watching. Maybe it's an only-child thing. Like in order for something to be important or real, my mother has to see it happen, particularly if it's something good."
When Nixon was 28, she studied briefly with the legendary acting teacher Uta Hagen, who also taught her mother. "That was great, but hard," she said. "I had been acting for how long at that point? Like 16 years. So you can learn some things, but it's hard to undo stuff. It's like you built your house with whatever materials you had available to you, and then time passes and now you have the money to buy the proper materials but the house is already built so maybe you'll retile the kitchen. But the house is built."
Nixon manages to keep a similarly cleareyed perspective on her relationship with Marinoni, despite the titillation it has caused in the tabloid media. She has less tolerance for the skepticism she says her relationship has sparked among some gay activists who find her midlife switch in sexual orientation disingenuous.
"I totally reject that," she said heatedly. "I gave a speech recently, an empowerment speech to a gay audience, and it included the line 'I've been straight and I've been gay, and gay is better.' And they tried to get me to change it, because they said it implies that homosexuality can be a choice. And for me, it is a choice. I understand that for many people it's not, but for me it's a choice, and you don't get to define my gayness for me. A certain section of our community is very concerned that it not be seen as a choice, because if it's a choice, then we could opt out. I say it doesn't matter if we flew here or we swam here, it matters that we are here and we are one group and let us stop trying to make a litmus test for who is considered gay and who is not." Her face was red and her arms were waving. "As you can tell," she said, "I am very annoyed about this issue. Why can't it be a choice? Why is that any less legitimate? It seems we're just ceding this point to bigots who are demanding it, and I don't think that they should define the terms of the debate. I also feel like people think I was walking around in a cloud and didn't realize I was gay, which I find really offensive. I find it offensive to me, but I also find it offensive to all the men I've been out with."
Her relationship with Mozes is good, she says. He married a widow, a child psychiatrist with twins, who are now 7, and they all share parenting duties. Two days before the first preview of "Wit," I met Marinoni, who came to the theater with 11-month-old Max to show support for Nixon as she had her head shaved for the role. As she sat down for her transformation, Nixon wore a T-shirt her mother gave her, which read: "I am the celebrity you think I look like." She seemed calm, though the extra loud baby noises she was making at Max, redheaded and adorable, betrayed her anxiety. Marinoni, 44, also a redhead, is self-possessed and understated. "She hates dealing with her hair," she murmured, looking at Nixon. "I'm afraid she won't want it back."
Nixon's own Miranda-red hair is long gone; her natural color is dark blond. She sat stoically as the hair supervisor for the show cut steadily until one side was off. "Max, look!" Nixon cried. "Where did it go?" The other side went, with a few sprigs left at the top of her head. "Bald Alfalfa!" she yelled. Marinoni smiled. "You look fierce," she said. The first shave took place. "Oh, it's so weird to the touch!" Nixon said. "It feels like tiny little wounds, tiny little nicks. It feels exposed."
She expressed surprise at the clear outline of follicles that remained. "It does not want to come off," the hair supervisor said, buzzing harder. That discovery seemed to temper Nixon's nerves, making her mindful that, unlike someone undergoing chemotherapy, she still had her eyebrows, eyelashes and radiant pink cheeks. Meadow, her director, came in with a pair of long hoop earrings, each anchored by a pearl. Nixon, who has the actor's gift of the chameleon, put them on and voilà! Giggling, she was soirée-ready. She took the earrings off and tried on a red baseball cap that is part of her costume. Its visor obscured her eyebrows and cut the light on her face, which went chalk white to match her unnaturally exposed scrawny neck. She looked instantly like a cancer patient. Jolted, she removed the cap. One step at a time.
Before the second shave, Nixon's scalp was steamed with a hot towel, then slathered with Edge gel. As she cooed at Max, her bald head covered in a light green foam, while he, held tight in Marinoni's arms, gnawed on a bottle of nail polish, I remembered the phrase Nixon used to describe what she regarded as her greatest achievement in life: Relative sanity.
"I know everybody says their kids are their greatest achievement," she said, "and I think my kids are wildly impressive and great, but I don't feel like they're my achievement, really. They're their own people. My relative sanity, I feel, has created a pretty good world for them. Not a perfect world by any means, but a pretty good one."


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I Hear Ford's Bringing Back the Edsel, Too.
Well this ought to give all those Newton fans who demonstrated in the parking lot of Apple's Cupertino campus the day the company killed the device in February 1998 a bit of satisfaction. "Well respected sources" (whatever that means) tell Apple Insider that Apple is hard at work on a modern-day Newton project.
"Like iPhone and the iPod Touch, the new device runs an embedded version of Apple's Mac OS X Leopard operating system," Apple Insider reports. "Externally, the multi-touch PDA has been described by sources as an ultra-thin 'slate' akin to the iPhone, about 1.5 times the size and sporting an approximate 720×480 high-resolution display that comprises almost the entire surface of the unit. The device is further believed to leverage multi-touch concepts which have yet to gain widespread adoption in Apple's existing multi-touch products–the iPhone and iPod touch–like drag-and-drop and copy-and-paste."
Sounds like a slick device–assuming it's not vaporware. But really, you think Apple has time for such distractions when it's doing all that it can to get the Tablet Mac ready for Macworld?


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By David Ponce
3D printing at home is a hot segment, but it's one that's consistently been light on growth mostly due to the high costs. The MakerBot Replicator we covered during CES was a step in the right direction, cost-wise, but it's still $2,000 or so. Well it turns out that the company's COO, Samuel Cervantes, went off on his own and made the Solidoodle you see above. It's a 3D printer that costs $500. All you need to do is add a computer and you'll be off printing almost any object that comes to mind. That's the kind of price point that could see this tech take off. It does its printing much like the MakerBot did: by melting some plastic and extruding a fine line which it then uses to build the object, layer upon layer.
For an extra $50 you can get the Pro model, which allows you to print objects up to 6″ on all sides. It also has an "upgraded power supply, a spool holder to hold filament (which makes unattended printing much easier), and interior lighting." The resolution of the printed objects depends on the height of each layer. Typical prints have a resolution of 0.3mm, but it's possible to make 0.1mm layers, resulting in "top-notch looking prints."
There's a 6 to 8 week lead time for your orders, which you're free to place right now.
[ Product Page ] VIA [ Engadget ]


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LONDON Simon Cowell has taken over television screens and radio airwaves around the world. Now hes taking aim at the Internet.
Cowells Syco Entertainment empire and YouTube announced Thursday that they are launching The You Generation, a global online talent contest that is seeking entries from people with unconventional and original talents from musicians and photographers to makeup artists, magicians and chefs.
Syco says the contest, which will start next month and is due to run for a year, will seek auditions in a different category of talent every two weeks. Entrants can upload their pieces on a dedicated YouTube channel, to be viewed by the public and judged by professionals associated with Syco.
There will be prizes exactly what they are has yet to be announced every fortnight and a grand prize at the end of the year.
Syco calls the initiative an experiment aimed at discovering new talent. Its the companys bid to tap the power of social media, which has launched millions of wannabe celebrities and some genuine stars, including Justin Bieber.
You Generation will be available in 15 languages and 26 countries around the world.
Syco is a joint venture between Sony Music and Cowell, the entertainment mogul who became a household name as an acerbic judge on TV talent shows.
Sycos projects include the X Factor and Got Talent TV shows in the U.S. and Britain, and its music acts range from Susan Boyle to One Direction.


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Batman vs. Koolhaas
Batman: Death by Design
One reason I've never been a fan of graphic novels is because a central aspect of literature for me has always been imagining what the things I'm reading about look like. I can tell you in great detail about not only the lush Parisian interiors of Jean Des Esseintes—an easy task, what with all the detail Huysmans gives us about the decadent duke's taste in decor—but also the brave little Chinese-themed party that Carol Kennicott throws to brighten life in drab Gopher Prairie, Minnesota, and the original Homer Simpson's "queer" Irish–Spanish–New England cottage in LA's Pinyon Canyon.
Considering my specialization in architecture, I'm not surprised that the first graphic novel to thoroughly engage, not to say captivate, me is Chip Kidd and Dave Taylor's Batman: Death by Design. It is by turns an impassioned plea for historic preservation, a cautionary tale of engineering hubris, a nostalgic homage to the visionary draftsman Hugh Ferriss (1889–1962), whose futuristic chiaroscuro renderings exalted the skyscraper as the ultimate symbol of burgeoning American might during the interwar years, and an acidic indictment of the present-day cult of architectural stardom.
Based on the enduringly popular comic-book superhero created in 1939 by the artist Bob Kane and the writer Bill Finger, Batman: Death by Design was created by a dynamic duo equally devoted to the Caped Crusader. Kidd, who wrote the story, is a prolific dust-jacket designer and author of Batman Collected (1996) and Bat-Manga!: The Secret History of Batman in Japan (2008) among many other books; Taylor, who did the illustrations, is a British-born comic-book artist who has worked on several Batman projects for DC Comics, including the graphic novella Riddler and the Riddle Factory (1995).
There's a cinematic sweep to Taylor's compositions that makes several splash pages seem as capacious as a 70-millimeter theater screen. For their predominant tonality he chooses a warm sepia that has all the subtle gradations and dramatic multiple light sources of film-noir cinematography. The book's craftily gauged pacing—which varies from crowded multi-panel pages to stunning single-image spreads—proves that all the digital gimmickry and 3-D effects of today's action-movie franchises pale next to the imaginative powers of a first-rate artist working with pencil in two dimensions.
Kidd's plot, which takes place in some unspecified period that could be a half-century ago or hence, concerns the impending demolition of a major Gotham City landmark, the Art Decoid Wayne Central Station, a railroad depot that is now crumbling and abandoned. Although it had been shoddily developed by Bruce Wayne's (aka Batman's) father, it is an example of "Patri-Monumental Modernism"—an amusing coinage of Kidd's that hints at the hybrid style's ambitious and somewhat macho civic grandeur—and preservationists think it is still worthy of salvation.
A complicated series of…
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Spring photos: Volume 2
Some more pics from the Jays' workout today.
Roy Halladay preparing a throw during a bullpen session
Lyle Overbay getting ready to take some cuts in batting practice
Adam Lind watching batting practice
Manager Cito Gaston talks hitting with coach Gene Tenace
Manager Cito Gaston takes in batting practice
Adam Loewen watches batting practice
Travis Snider steps out of the batting cage
Infielder Joe Inglett prepares to field a grounder
Second baseman Aaron Hill fielding a ground ball
Shortstops Marco Scutaro (left) and John McDonald during fielding drills
Pitching prospect Brett Cecil fires a pitch during a bullpen session
Ace Roy Halladay throws while pitching coach Brad Arnsberg admires
Left-hander David Purcey in his windup during a bullpen session
Catcher Michael Barrett and Brett Cecil after their bullpen session
Reliever Jesse Carlson throws during a bullpen session
Casey Janssen throws during a bullpen session
Jesse Litsch prepares to throw during a bullpen session
Reliever Jason Frasor follows through on a pitch during a bullpen session
Reliever Brandon League prepares a pitch during his bullpen session
12 Comments
Thanks so much for your pics and blog posts, JB. It's so refreshing for those of us who are February-blahed-out.
Thank you for those pictures Jordan. Especially the 2 with Cecil, I wanted to see what he looked like.
Here's a u-tube of Brett Cecil in a bull pen session. Enjoy.
It looks like Overbay is on the right tract,can this team be better this year than last??????.
gsjays nice video.
Thanks for the quick reply on my earlier question. You do a great job keeping us informed and entertained. Keep up the great work!
Great pics. From how they look, Adam Loewan looks like a gym rat (don't know if that is a good thing nowadays). Brandon League looks like a closer (the intimidating glasses and tattoos)! I'm hoping for a big year out of League, after finishing so strong last season. Great picture of Carlson, he is animated on the mound!
Did anyone check out that picture of Travis Snider JB posted? Looks like the lad has spent serious time lifting heavy, man does he look strong.
League could be a dominating closer. Does anyone else see a bit of Fransico Rodriguez in him?
Snider looks ready to mash for years to come. Think he is only 21, Wow he has a chance to be something special!
Ya, if we play Snider and not send him down. Snider is older than his age, he's quite mature, built like a tank (5'11" & 245) and belongs here. Of course, he's going to go through tough spells like any rookie hitter, but Cito/Tenace could turn him into a perennial all-star. He sat beside or stood beside Cito every chance he got last year soaking in information. If JP sends him down, it's a mistake and will slow his development and seriously delay his long term potential. No way we have Cito/Tennace quality of player development in Las Vegas.
I agree League will become a dominant closer. Anyone who can wing it at 98 mph with 8-12″ of break like him is special. Thanks to Cito for getting his confidence back that others took away.
so wonderful to see these photos, they are making my week. so wish i was down there.
Snider is a stud, thank god steriods are out of baseball so naturally gifted kids like this can set themselves apart from the rest. As for his develepment im going to have to disagree that sending him down to start the season is going to slow his development. Whether he starts the year at AAA or in the MLB he will be who is going to be in 5 years no matter what. Personally I would be able to deal with him starting at AAA getting started on a good note and have his confidence high. If he started in the Majors and struggled a bit, it could hurt his confidence for a little while. There are arguments for both sides but we will have to trust management and coaches to judge where he is at, and let them make the best descision.


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I was listening the other day to a song sung by Cliff Edwards, Cheating on Me, recorded from an old 78 RPM single. Scratchy, warbly, and a bit thin, but it comes across beautifully across the gap of time. When you listen for a while, the scratches just disappear into the background and you hear Ukulele Ike's lovely voice cut through the noise. I was thinking it was a song I really should learn to play myself. Listen to Edwards's classic strumming in his version, as well as the key change towards the end:
I have it on my MP3, player along with many other tunes from the 1920s through the 50s. When I tire of listening to audio lectures and history podcasts (my usual audio fare when walking my dogs), or just want a change, I put the old music on; tunes featuring Al Bowlly, Ruth Etting, Rudy Vallee, Bessie Smith and others. Music my parents would have known. Songs like Brother Can You Spare a Dime? Why Don't You Do Right? Sweetheart of Sigma Chi. Ukulele Lady.
Wonderful stuff. Not really all that different from today's music, just some changes in instrumentation, in rhythm and in instrumentation. Certainly the sentiment in the lyrics is familiar: love, passion, loss, cheating, family, friends, the ups and downs of relationships. A bit more innocent than music these days (no violent, pornographic lyrics). I turn to this music increasingly often these days, less and less to modern, post-1990 tunes.
Here's the same song, sung a few years later by Kay Brown, arranged for a somewhat later period's musical tastes and different orchestration:
Both are undated, but I'd guess Edwards was from the late 1920s, Brown from the 40s.* One of the positive aspects of the internet has been the archiving of a lot of material from the past like these tunes, making them accessible for a new, wider audience.
Back when Edwards recorded the song, the guitar was not used a lot in popular music – it would start its ascendancy in the early 1930s when the first electric amplification was developed. But the ukulele craze brought that little instrument to the fore from around 1920 to the mid-1930s. And Edwards was the top of the pops for a while.
How well that music of yesteryear works today is evident in the numerous pop stars who have cut albums of old popular standards. Rod Stewart, Tony Bennett and Brian Ferry, for example. Then there are those who have resurrected the music in somewhat more romantic manner: Steve Tyrell comes to mind as the best of them, as the least saccharine and most authentic of many performers. Critic John Taylor writes:
…Tyrell is a romantic's romantic, his just-slightly-craggy voice possessed of a natural and easy-going warmth. He may not be the most technically precise singer around, but there's a just-between-us quality that renders each tune an intimate and personal performance, as though Tyrell is singing, not to a crowd but to each and every individual listener. Add impeccable production and sympathetic support from an utterly immaculate orchestra, and the results are the perfect prelude to passion.
Tyrell and the rest all know that good music is timeless and our musical past is easily resurrected, with just a little careful honing (and sincere appreciation of the music). Most of their cover songs are arranged to suit more modern tastes. Orchestrations beefed up to fit the current tastes in sound and rhythm, bass lines pumped up. But really not all that different: it remains comfortable and approachable for any modern listener.


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Trinitas Cellars Blog
Wine Pick of the Week: 2013 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc
Join us for a Vineyard Tour!
The grapes are growing and we are starting to see signs of veraison in our Estate Vineyard at the South end of Napa. Veraison is the process of the grapes ripening as we can see from the grapes turning color. As we would expect, here at the South end of the Valley, we are just slightly behind the rest of the Valley due to our cooler climate and our morning fog.
If you would like to learn more about what goes on in the vineyard, how we take care of our grapes, how we measure the sugar content of our grapes to know when to harvest and other fun facts about vineyards, join us for our vineyard tour and tasting!
While you are touring the vineyard and learning about our grapes and how soil, climate and care affect our wines, you will have the opportunity to taste our wines and maybe even spot a vineyard bunny or two.
Our vineyard tour is offered Thursday - Sunday at 10 am. Reservations are required and the price is $20 per person and includes the tour and tasting during the tour. Wine club members receive 2 complimentary tickets at this price. Meet at the entrance to the Estate Cave tasting room.
Reserve your spot here! See you in the vineyard!
Grab your best girl friends and head to Napa!
Spring has sprung in Napa and while many parts of the country are still trying to thaw out, Napa is ready to greet you to warm up and wine down! As the vines are just starting to turn green and bud, what better time to grab your best girl friends and treat yourself?
To help make this much needed girls weekend even easier, we already did the planning for you!
The Logistics
Flights: If you are flying, you have quite a variety of options for airports. Sacramento, Oakland and San Francisco are all within about an hour of Napa and can be reached by bus or car. For a shuttle, visit the Evans shuttle website for a full schedule.
Cars: While many people choose to rent a car and tour Napa on their own, there is also a great option to hire a private driver while in Napa. We highly recommend the paying a little bit more to have a driver and not risk any type of drinking and driving. Plus, you will find the sightseeing to be a lot more relaxing when you don't have to navigate! We recommend using Royal Coach.
Accommodations: This one is a no brainer... where else can you stay that has a spa in a cave, a tasting room on property, vineyards to explore, a bowling alley and so much more! The Meritage Resort & Spa, 875 Bordeaux Way, Napa, CA 94558
Your Itinerary
Arrive in Napa around 3 pm, check into your room and mentally prepare for a weekend of amazing wine, food, laughter and fun!
Head straight to the pool area of the Meritage where you can grab a glass of Chardonnay, take in the fresh Napa Valley air and enjoy the breathtaking view of the Trinitas Estate Vineyard while soaking up a little afternoon sunshine.
Now that you have relaxed your mind and focused on your new surroundings, it's time to start your adventure! Wander back into the Estate Cave, located below the Estate vineyard. Here you will find the entrance to the Trinitas Tasting Room and the Spa Terra. If you are ready to get serious about wine tasting, jump right in! With over 17 varieties of wine currently released, Trinitas is excited to help you pick your favorites and create your own custom flight. Or for the chocolate lovers, try the wine and chocolate pairing with exquisite chocolates by local chocolatier, Kollar Chocolates.
One of the great things about staying at the Meritage Resort is that you have access to a complimentary shuttle to downtown Napa. Hop on the shuttle and head to downtown Napa for dinner.
We recommend reservations at Tarla Grill, for a delicious Mediterranean meal and incredible service, located on 1st street.
After dinner, head just down the street to Empire for a night cap with their selection of great cocktails, fun music and a great vibe before catching the shuttle back to the Meritage.
Start your morning with coffee and a light breakfast at Blend Café.
OPTIONAL: If you are a morning person, take your coffee to go and head to the Estate Vineyard for a morning vineyard hike. Wander the paths of the Trinitas Estate Vineyard and see all 5 Bordeaux varieties of grapes and if you are lucky, you might catch a glimpse of one of our vineyard rabbits!
Dive head first into a relaxing Saturday with a morning spa treatment at the Spa Terra, the world's only spa inside of a cave. We recommend a massage, but plan extra time so that you can enjoy the other amenities and relaxation rooms inside of the spa.
Every girls weekend needs to start with bubbly! Luckily, there is some amazing sparkling wine nearby. Make your first stop at Domaine Carneros and enjoy sitting outside at the Chateau with a flight of sparkling.
Getting hungry? Head to the Carneros Inn for lunch at the Boon Fly Cafe. It's a cute little place with a great menu with salads, sandwiches, flatbreads, etc!
Now it's time to get serious about wine. Visit Etude Winery just down the street in Carneros for a premium or reserve tasting and make a stop at Saintsbury for an afternoon tasting in the English garden.
Take advantage of the Meritage evening shuttle and head downtown for a cocktail, glass of wine or a small appetizer before dinner. If you are looking for a little wine and cheese before dinner, head to the Oxbow Public Market and visit the Oxbow Wine and Cheese Merchant or if you are looking for Oysters, visit the Hog Island Oyster Company, also inside the Oxbow Market.
For a classy Saturday night dinner, spoil yourself! We recommend making reservations at Cole's Chop House in downtown Napa. Whether you are in the mood for steak, or something lighter, this menu will not disappoint!
After dinner, wander over to 1313 Main for an impressive selection of wines to choose from and maybe a little dessert before catching the Meritage shuttle back to the Resort.
For breakfast, order room service! You're on vacation and you deserve it!
Head north and make your first stop at Mumm Napa for some sparkling wine while sitting outside on the terrace overlooking the vineyards.
Without having to travel far, visit ZD Wines, a family owned and operated winery just next door with a wide variety of tasting experiences available.
Grab lunch at Soda Canyon Store right off of Silverado Trail.
For a truly enchanting experience, make your last stop at The Trinitas Library for the 3:30 pm Archive Tasting. While the property is not your typical Napa Valley Estate, this hidden gem will provide you with a unique overview of the Napa Valley from soil types to learning about the life cycle of the vine, you won't want to miss it.
After your last tasting, head just down the street to the Meritage for a cocktail at the Commons bar, located just off the lobby. We recommend the Lush Crush cocktail, made to order by the wonderful bartender, Gina.
For a delicious dinner, visit Siena for a Napa Valley inspired menu prepared by Executive Chef Krisztian Karkus. Bring a bottle of your favorite wine from your tastings or try a new one from their wine list.
After dinner, head over to Crush Ultra Lounge and trade in those heels for some really classy bowling shoes! Grab a lane and loser has to buy the next round of drinks!
If you are looking for the perfect late night and end to a girls weekend, grab a bottle of wine and head out to one of the cozy fire places on property and gather around with your friends and your wine and share some old and new stories, oh and don't forget to also decide when your next girls weekend trip will be!
We hate to see you go, but know that many of you will sadly leave Napa after a long weekend and head back to your "real life" elsewhere. Please don't stay away for too long! We will be here, ready for your return and eager to greet you with open arms and a glass of wine!
More about the
Looking for a new Napa Valley experience? Join us in the Trinitas Library for our new "Reserve Tasting". Explore our "Sun Room", focusing on the sun, the first element of the Trinity of fine winemaking. While enjoying your flight of both reserve and current release wines, you will experience the lifecycle of the vine and seasons of the vineyard.
Hope to see you soon! Click here for more information about our new tasting offerings and reservations!
Pick of the week: 2011 Chardonnay
As some of you have heard from our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter feeds, the vineyards here in Southern Napa have bud break which excited us all as the weather warms up! The one and only appellation that Napa shares with our neigboring valley friends is the Cameros, a rich clay and sand influenced soil that makes for an incredible home to Burgunduan style grapes such as Pinot noir, Pinot munier and of course Chardonnay.
California Chardonnay has evolved over the last decade from overlooked and under appreciated to cult following. It is for this very reason Trinitas has grown the Chardonnay program to touch many palates.
We have recently celebrated various past vintages of Chardonnay with the opening of our newest Trinitas adventure - The Trinitas Library. Tasting multiple back to back vintages has shown us two things:
1- that barrel aged Chardonnays can age and show gloriously a few years after release
2- our Chardonnay story is a huge testament to our loyal fans the Wine Society
As we enjoy the first day of Spring, I can't wait to pop open a bottle of 2011 Carneros Chardonnay. Brimming with caramel green apples, vanilla and spice and everything nice this wine brings one to believe that the magic of new beginnings is possible as it is encapsulated so well in this bottle. Here is to a new season - new beginnings with old friends enjoy the 2011 Chardonnay
Why we love local chocolatier, Kollar Chocolates!
Here in the Trinitas Cellars Tasting Room, we celebrate connections. We want nothing more than to connect with our guests personally (You!), to connect each guest with their favorite wine (with over 15 small production, current releases that's easy!), and to connect each wine with the food pairing that will enhance its inherent subtleties (Yum!). This is why we have partnered with Kollar Chocolates for a perfect pairing.
Chris Kollar and Naomi Pasztor have brought a truly delicious European style of truffle to the heart of Napa Valley.
Their handmade chocolate truffles are at first glance awe-inspiring. We often hear from our guests, "They're too pretty! I don't know if I want to eat them!"
Those who have tasted their truffles before may hesitate for a minute to take in their eye-candy charm. But we can't help it- We have to indulge! Each truffle is a delicate combination of dark chocolate ganache and unique flavors that we can't pass up.
What better way to celebrate an engagement (above), an anniversary, or just a regular weekday treat?!
Our Trinitas wine and Kollar chocolate pairing is offered daily from 11 am - 7 pm, no appointment required! Drop by our tasting room soon and visit us for some wine and chocolate soon!
Be sure to check out the Kollar Chocolate Club!
To check them out or visit Kollar Chocolates, visit http://kollarchocolates.com/
Pick of the Week: 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
Grape growers and winemakers in Napa Valley are a lot like 7 year old kids at Christmas Time – kids write to Santa Claus asking for all their wishes to come true. We in the wine business cast our wishes to the Wine Gods as our growing season evolves. We wish for warm, not hot, days; cool, not cold, nights; breezes in the summer, but not the spring; low rainfall, but not TOO low; etc. etc. etc. Normally in the Napa Valley we are blessed with most of our wishes. And, now and then, we get everything we wished for – the 7 year old kid version of the pony on the front lawn on Christmas morning. 2007 was just such a year. We were blessed with perfect growing conditions and our Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from that year is our shining example. Big, yet smooth, with mouth filling fruitiness and soft, subtle tannins. Great with a big juicy steak or a dark chocolat tort. It is about to enter the endangered species list here at Trinitas, so come and either get it or regret it!
My first tasting at the Trinitas Library
Wait, reservations for the Trinitas Library are live?!
Somehow I just am out of the loop! Apparently you can book your reservations for the Trinitas Library on our website at: /Visit-Us/The-Trinitas-Library
Hope to see you at the Trinitas Library on Wednesday 2.19.2014 when we officially open!
Pick of the Week: 2010 El Dorado Zinfandel
Zinfandel. A grape of many styles, intriguing history and tons of versatility. I chose the El Dorado Zinfandel as my wine of the week, not just because I hail from the El Dorado/Amador areas, but because it has all three of my red wine "R"'s = rich, robust, and refined. Full bodied with juicy raspberry, black cherry and red currant with nuances of tobacco leaf and a hint of black pepper, it could be paired with sirloin steak, tomato based pasta dishes or even josh rogan. This is my wine when I need a hearty wine with hearty food!
For more on the 2010 El Dorado Zin, visit our online Wine Shop, or stop by the tasting room for a glass!


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Loved those cute papers I have found in my neglected Stampin up stash. Speaking of stash… I bet I have like 4 –5 sets of those punch around the corner sets.. and they hardly ever see use these days.
dies: Magnolia
Papers: Stampin up
Punches: Punch around the corner Martha Stewart – through Sir Stampalot


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Five on Friday (August 4, 2017)
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. -Isaiah 26:3
After such a long absence, there is nothing to do but pick up my laptop and start typing. I can't possibly fill in all the gaps, but here are 5 of the many things that happened in the past few weeks.
1. My parents finally made their move to Tennessee! It wasn't without a few hiccups, but they're here and getting settled. The first set of grandparents move Labor Day weekend with the second set of grandparents arriving soon after. With the exception of a brief period of time shortly after we were married, we've always lived apart from my family so it's quite a blessing to have them nearby. I stopped by for coffee with my mom after dropping the kids off at school this morning. That's pretty awesome!
You will not be surprised to hear that I did not grab my big camera even one time while everyone was together. Sadly, not grabbing my camera has become the norm.
3. While Brian and Camden made a trip to Illinois to help my parents move, Becky, Rory, the boys and I made a trip to Louisville for our denominational national convention. The kids competed in various Bible and drama areas while the adults just tried to keep up. The five of us shared a hotel room which was blissfully a suite. As in, Becky and I had beds to ourselves and two closed doors between us and the kids. :)
Before making the trip, I worried about the emotional toll over seeing so many people and having to reassure everyone many times over that I really am fine. Not to mention the sheer vanity aspect of facing everyone with no hair, lashes or brows and in generally definitely not looking my best. As it turned out, I was mostly able to set my vanity aside and it was a joy to see old friends and be on the giving and receiving end of many hugs. And, of course, it was good to have Becky as my sidekick. Or maybe I was hers. Either way, we were together and it was good.
After being home for a short time, Becky, Liz, and I (along with many friends from church) drove to Evansville, Indiana for a Living Proof Live Beth Moore event. While rushed, it was lovely and emotional. Why does Beth Moore always bring on the tears?
Gram and Gramps were there too
After not leaving the hotel and convention center for 48 hours, we ran out for lunch and coffee. I asked Rory to take a picture for us and she proceeded to climb up on the window sill (in her dress) to take the picture from above. That makes perfect sense, of course.
4. I have eyebrows! They're not finished quite yet, but two weeks ago I had my eyes microbladed. Basically, a kind and generous aesthetician took a blade, drew many hairlike strokes on my face and rubbed ink in the open wounds. It wasn't super pleasant but not as painful as I anticipated. I cannot believe how much better I feel about my face in general with the return of eyebrows. I'm giving Brian fair warning to start saving his pennies because when these start to wear off in 12-18 months, we're paying to have them freshened up (this first experience was a sweet gift).
(Not a stitch of makeup or hair - this is so embarrassing. Through the process until the final picture about a week after the procedure. They have lightened up considerably from this picture, but I am still thrilled to have something resembling eyebrows again.Clearly, makeup and a photo filter make a difference as well.)
5. Camden had his braces put on about 10 days ago, and it's amazing how a mouth full of metal changes his appearance and ages him. No one in our family grew up with braces so this is a whole new experience for us. I feel pretty sorry for all the extra care he has to take, the many sores they rub in his mouth, being deprived of certain foods, etc. It was especially sad when his lip literally got caught in his braces while eating supper earlier this week. Ugh. Maybe that whole thing about your braces getting caught if you kiss someone else with braces is true. Possibly this will work in our favor since he'll be 16 by the time these things come off. Oh, my. Let's pretend my brain did not even go down that road.
I can't possibly leave this one out, so we're moving on to number . . .
6. The kids went back to school yesterday and, just like that, I have two middle-schoolers. Summer was an incredible blur (literally, I can hardly remember two weeks of camp and our road trip), but there's something just so good about a routine. We've already decided getting out the door in the morning is not so fun, but there's something a little bit beautiful about dropping the kids off at the door for a full day of school although I did miss them almost immediately. Both of my kids adore school so while there were a few nervous jitters the first morning, they tend to settle in quickly.
Brian also went back to school this week (his in-service actually started up last week - SO early!). The weekend is full - school meeting and pizza with my parents tonight, church training event Saturday morning and dinner with church friends Saturday evening. Happy Friday!


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Long Beach awaits community center reopening
For hundreds of Long Beach youths, the Long Beach Martin Luther King Center isn't just a community center -- it's where they learned to play basketball, worked with tutors on their homework, and forged long-lasting friendships.
That's why the city needs to get the facility -- wiped out by superstorm Sandy -- back up and running, supporters say.
"These children need your help more than ever before," Lawrence Egodigwe, a volunteer at the center, told Long Beach officials during a recent City Council meeting.
Reconstruction commenced on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and city officials say the 32-year-old center could welcome back patrons in eight weeks. Repairing the center's gymnasium could take slightly longer, public works Commissioner Jim LaCarrubba said.
The total cost of rehabilitating the facility -- which had two feet of flooding and lost its heating systems, kitchen and bathrooms -- will exceed $200,000, LaCarrubba said.
The Martin Luther King Center is critical to families in the surrounding area because it provides day care in addition to recreational and tutoring programs, city Councilman John McLaughlin said. The facility is a hub for Long Beach's black community but serves a diverse group of families, he said.
The day care program at the center, which has been suspended along with all of the center's programs since the storm, serves 86 children, city officials said.
"It's a very important program," McLaughlin said.
The city owns the facility and provides the day care service. The nonprofit Long Beach Martin Luther King Center Inc. runs other programs at the facility.
The reconstruction of the center was delayed because the city used it as a distribution center for clothes and household items after Sandy. Those services have been moved a few blocks to a storefront on Long Beach Boulevard.
Pastor Isaac R. Melton Jr., the city's community improvement coordinator, said the center became "a gathering place where people came to share, to care, to encourage, and even cry" after the storm.
But the wait for the center to reopen has some of its users antsy. Egodigwe said the city should dedicate more resources to it when it comes back.
"The talent that that center is breeding is something that people need to know about," Egodigwe said about the children who take part in its programs.
Srin Miah, who lives around the corner from the center, said her son Mohammad plays basketball there and is anxious for the reopening.
"It's important to a lot of people," she said.
City Council President Scott Mandel said the center's regulars will have their second home back soon.
"The center will soon be back better than ever," he said.


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by Florian Flade
Osama Bin Laden´s Hideout in Abbottabad
Hamza or Khalid – Which Bin Laden son was killed in the Abbottabad raid? Nothing seems clear even though a lot of details have emerged from the US Navy Seal operation inside Osama Bin Laden´s hideout earlier this week. There are contradictory reports on who was inside the compound at the time of the raid and who was killed, injured or survived the US attack.
John O.Brennan, the chief counterterrorism advisor to President Obama, said in a White House press conference on May 2 that the US Special forces had killed Hamza Bin Laden, the 22 year-old son of the Al-Qaida leader.
Question: Were there any civilian – I mean, how many civilian casualties were there?
MR. BRENNAN: Bin Laden died; the two al Qaeda facilitators – the brothers, who were – the courier and his brother in the compound; bin Laden's son Hamza; and the woman, presumed to be his wife, who was shielding bin Laden.
Since that press conference it became clear, the woman that assaulted the American soldiers in the room with Osama Bin Laden did survive the raid and was not killed but shot in the leg. From documents found inside the Abbottabad compound it is possible to suggest the woman is Bin Laden´s youngest wife, Amal al-Sadah from Yemen.
Today the New York Times reveals some new details of the Abbottabad raid in a inside account. According to the NYT, the Navy Seals Team first shot a bodyguard of Bin Laden who tried to attack them and then also killed a woman.
"When the commandos moved into the main house, they saw the courier's brother, who they believed was preparing to fire a weapon. They shot and killed him. Then, as they made their way up the stairs of the house, officials said they killed Bin Laden's son Khalid as he lunged toward the Seal team."
So, which account is to be trusted as for now? Was the Bin Laden son who was killed and then obviously taken by the US soldiers along with the body of Osama Bin Laden himself, Khalid or Hamza?
I spoke to Chief Editor of the Arab newspaper "Al-Quds al-Arabi", Abdel Bari Atwan, who met Bin Laden in November 1996 in Afghanistan. Atwan also had the chance to meet some of Bin Laden´s family members in the Tora Bora caves. He believes it is most likely Hamza Bin Laden, the Al-Qaida leader´s favorite son was the one shot dead by the Americans.
Khalid Bin Laden is of the same age as Hamza and seems to have remained inside Al-Qaida after 9/11. Last year he sent a letter to the Iranian government, urging them to lift the house arrest and travel ban for some members of the Bin Laden family held in a compound near Tehran.
Until further details will be released by the U.S. government or some credible inside sources, speculation will not stop on who was present during the killing of the most wanted man alive.


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Jamaican international Khari Stephenson trained with the Earthquakes on Monday. Although the central midfielder is expected to sign with San Jose, there has been no official announcement regarding his status with the team.
Stephenson figures to make an immediate impact with a squad that is increasingly short on warm bodies. In all, the Quakes will be without at least six players for Saturday's match against the Kansas City Wizards (7 p.m. / BUY TICKETS).
Ramiro Corrales and Bobby Burling did not attend Monday's training session after suffering injuries in Saturday's 1-0 loss to Colorado. Tim Ward was also MIA while sorting out personal matters. Ward flew from Chicago to Denver to join the Quakes against the Rapids and is now in the process of moving to San Jose.
Eduardo and Chris Leitch continued their rehab stints. Both participated in strength and conditioning drills on the side. Steven Beitashour participated fully while wearing a well-wrapped cast on his surgically-repaired right hand.
Omar Jasseh was not with the team on Monday, but expects to return midweek from Libya. Jasseh represented his native Gambia in the Orange African Youth Championship. The 17-year-old scored a goal against Sierra Leone in a first leg qualifier.
Youngsters from Vallejo FC dropped by the San Jose Earthquakes training session for autographs and pictures Monday morning. The group watched from the sidelines as the Quakes worked through practice then took the chance to meet with players after the final whistle blew.
"It's great motivation for the kids to come out here and watch a professional team, to see how everything works not just on the smaller level but on the big level," said JD Drum, a team parent and manager. "It makes the kids happy and makes us happy as parents."


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This month's cover story details an ambitious new training program that Merrill Lynch is undertaking. The goal is to improve on a fairly dismal industry track record known for "throwing new hires against the wall and seeing if they stick," to quote Dwight Mathis, who heads the Merrill initiative.
But even if you don't work at Merrill, and are not a new recruit, the subject of training should be uppermost on your mind. The reason is that even successful, veteran advisors struggle with continuing their past record of success.
Momentum is not something anyone can take for granted. Rather, we need to strive to keep things fresh. Life teaches that all things are subject to decline—be it one's health, marriage, business, even country—without constant efforts at renewal.
And lifelong learning is one valuable tool to counter the forces of decline. That is because we all have naturally egotistical tendencies and see things from the perspective of our own narrow vantage point. Education is a means by which we subordinate our own assumed wisdom by learning from someone with superior knowledge in a given area.
In the natural world, a cessation of growth means death, and so it is in our human endeavors. Behavioral studies have shown that the honeymoon stage of a marriage declines after about two years; similarly, it is normal for businesses that take off to eventually plateau.
Couples seeking to renew their relationship not uncommonly take a trip together. The outdoor classroom provided by travel is functionally equivalent to formal learning. Seeing new things and places gives couples a fresh perspective, and helps a couple to see themselves anew through a changed context.
The renewal of plant life we see all around us this time of year should not just signal the regenerative power inherent in nature but also remind us of the planting, clearing, pruning and other activities we must engage in to shape our environments.
In other words, we need to sow the seeds of future success; we need to get rid of unwanted weeds that inhibit growth; and we need to consciously imagine the possibilities for ourselves, our families, our clients.
Not all training will have an equal impact. In fact, there are a lot of fairly worthless offerings out there. But in searching for opportunities to reinvigorate your advisory practice, you should look for teachers with demonstrated knowledge and wisdom and subjects that excite and stimulate.
Finally, learning that does not lead to doing will be of little benefit to you or your clients. Focus on the areas you feel will most benefit your client—whether that is financial planning education or developing expertise in Social Security spousal benefits.
With dedicated effort, planting seeds of knowledge should generate renewed confidence and yield a springtime of opportunity.


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Young Teen Kiss Face Emoji Necklace Sterling Silver
Item #: 508274507
This petite sterling silver necklace for young teens features a kiss face emoji. The pendant suspends from a 16-inch cable chain secured with a spring ring clasp.
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|Metal Type
|Sterling Silver
|Metal Color
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|Fashion Necklace
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Teagan - Dark Shale
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Offray is the leading brand for washable, dry cleanable and colorfast ribbon. We offer a wide selection of ribbon types and widths that will meet your needs for crafting, sewing, packaging and more. Our varying colors, patterns and prints help ensure you will always find a suitable ribbon for every season and special event.


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Improvement would come, by a delivery from his baneful habit, and by strengthening his principles.
She made the trade to Queen Margaret's monopoly, and its baneful effects.
The baneful effects of the modern code of political morality are not seen in the legislative department of the government only.
The baneful effects of forcing the voice is clearly set forth.
Such a judgment is iniquitous, absurd and false in its generality, and baneful in its consequences.
That man Clarke has some kind of baneful influence over her.
Had the spirit of his teaching prevailed, India would never have been cursed by this baneful system.
Among the Hindoos, too, the ascetic ideal acquired a baneful ascendency.
Certain it is that his theoretical caprices had a baneful influence on Byron's Italian dramas.
The demon who exercises this baneful influence is the Fong-Choui, or wind and water.
We're sorry, our database couldn't found the history of baneful. Please check spelling and try again. We'll update soon baneful word Origin & History in our database. Thank you for visiting our English to Bengali dictionary.


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See how you can get the most out of your newsfeed with real-time news, tailored searches, and custom filters. Enhance your newsfeed with high-level targeting, earnings announcements, and general press releases to investors, journalists, newswires, websites, and business professionals worldwide.U.S. (PDF) International (PDF)
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Thursday, January 16, 2020 - 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Gameschooling is a way for homeschooled kids to learn through board games and to make new friends. Feel free to bring your own games; you can also play the library's selections. Players between the ages of 7-16 will enjoy this most.
Location:Ransom District Library
180 S Sherwood Ave
Plainwell , MI/Allegan County 49080
Contact:Cost: FREE
Event Website: Click to Visit
Organizer: Ransom District Library
Organization: Ransom District Library
Organizer Phone: 269-685-8024
Organizer Email: [email protected]
Download the event to your event calendar:Save to your iCal or
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We do our best at Kalamazoo Kids to provide accurate, useful information about events and activities. This information (such as times and locations) is gathered from user submissions, press releases, local newspapers, signs around town and word of mouth. We do our best to confirm details before they are posted here. Sometimes details change or we are given inaccurate information. Whenever possible, we link our write-ups to the source in which our information came from and strongly urge you to confirm details before you go. Kalamazoo Kids is in no way responsible for any problems that occur while participating in activities listed on the site, in the newsletter or on Facebook.


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Items where Author is "Wallom, Kerri-Lee"
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Richardson, Simon C.W., Wallom, Kerri-Lee, Ferguson, Elaine L., Deacon, Samuel P.E., Davies, Matthew W., Powell, Alison J., Piper, Robert C. and Duncan, Ruth (2008) The use of fluorescence microscopy to define polymer localisation to the late endocytic compartments in cells that are targets for drug delivery. Journal of Controlled Release, 127 (1). pp. 1-11. ISSN 0168-3659 (doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2007.12.015)


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And Kim Kardashian's divorce drama continues. Kris Humphries has filed for an annulment against Kardashian claiming that the reality TV star "frauded" him into marrying her, TMZ is reporting.
"We can confirm on the record that he filed for legal separation and nullity of marriage," Humphries' rep says in a statement.
Kourtney and Kim Take New York: 7 Signs Kim and Kris were doomed from the start
While Kardashian has already filed for divorce, Humphries wants the marriage annulled instead, calling the union a staged-for-TV fraud that he was not aware of. Humphries intended for the nuptials to be genuine, and feels he was duped.
While the basketball player is said to have signed a pre-nup, he claims there are "community and quasi-community assets" at hand. He reportedly also wants Kardashian to pay his attorney's fees.
Kardashian's rep did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


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Wonderful not because of the weather, no that is gray and rainy here, but wonderful because I get to enjoy the day off! Woot, woot! :)
My craft room is in serious need of a major clean up and I'm hoping to tackle that this morning so I can get it all messy again by this afternoon, LOL! Is it sad that I'm actually looking forward to cleaning? I guess when it is organizing papers and crafty goodies it doesn't feel like such a chore and usually re-finding some lost treasure is enough inspiration to get my creative juices flowing.
Ok, I've got another just-for-fun card to share today and this one uses the little School Wormy stamp from CC Designs. I've always thought he was so cute... probably because he kinda reminds me of the Lowly Worm character from Richard Scarry books. I have fond memories of learning to read with those books. :)
Anywho... I think he is a perfect fit with that apple paper and I hand cut out that large apple sentiment for him to sit on too. Fun, cute and quick... not bad at all if you ask me!
Well I hope you enjoy your day as much as I plan to. Adios!


text: Sino Ang May Sala June 28, 2019 has reached to its highest peak because this Pinoy TV show is nominated in a few award shows as well on Pinoy tambayan. It is reaching the audiences hearts in high speed. On surveying, we found out that majority of the audience feels connected to the Pinoy channel Sino Ang May Sala June 28, 2019 because they can related to it. However, there are some as well who feel like Sino Ang May Sala is different from other Pinoy TV shows and therefore, they are enjoying watching something different and unique on Pinoy tambayan that is Sino Ang May Sala June 28, 2019.


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What to Know
- Fortnite is a game available on consoles, PC and mobile where 100 players fight to be the last player standing in a "battle royale" arena.
- Players can enjoy the game for free but they're able to purchase V-Bucks to get in-game cosmetic upgrades.
- The game made $233 million in March, CNBC reported, and its popularity doesn't appear to be slowing down any time soon.
After weeks of hype and bringing items from the online game into the real world, Season 5 of Fortnite has arrived.
For those who haven't yet joined the craze, Fortnite is a game available on consoles, PC and mobile where 100 players drop from a flying school bus, collect guns and resources to fight and build structures (hence the "fort") and fight to be the last player standing.
Thousands of Fortnite gameplays can be found on YouTube or the popular livestreaming website Twitch.tv, which is owned by Amazon.
U.S. & World
This time, the popular multi-player "battle royale" game has upgraded its map, added new cosmetic skins and items in the new update.
In Season 4, players watched a rocket launch into the sky while they were battling to eliminate 99 other players in the game. That rocket exploded and appeared to have caused a worm hole, bringing items from other eras like a viking ship, an ATV and even a Moai statue.
Players can still enjoy the game for free and they're able to purchase V-Bucks to get access to Season 5 Battle Pass. The pass cost 950 V-Bucks which is around $10.
Some gamers might opt to spending more to earn a higher tier because a Battle Pass will start you off at level 1. Players will gain more access to over 100 new items as they level up and complete challenges.
If you're wondering why your children can't seem to stop playing this game, challenges are different every season and every week. They vary from simple things like killing five opponents with a pistol to opening loot chests at different locations in the map. (Here are some tips for beginners.)
The game gives different rewards for each challenge completed. This season, players can even unlock an exclusive outfit by completing special challenges.
One of the biggest changes in Season 5 is the addition of "toys." Players can conjure up a golf ball and a beach ball to actually play at the new "points of interest" in the arena.
Fortnite has gotten rid of older points of interest, where players would land and collect firearms and other items that will help them win the game, to keep the game fresh for veteran players.
The game made $233 million in March, CNBC reported, and its popularity doesn't appear to be slowing down any time soon.
Fortnite has millions of players. Many are children younger than 16, and they can be seen as easy targets for hackers and scammers. Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite, has been warning players to be aware of scams around free or discounted V-Bucks.


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Lawn Care and Landscape Services for the Alexandria Community of Del Ray insures your lawn receives the professional programs necessary to maintain your entire landscape. Residents of Del Ray, please call us today at (703) 339-0067 for Specials.
We've designed our programs to be results oriented, while offering a great value. You will SAVE 10% per year, and receive additional free services when you bundle Turf Care and Bed Maintenance. We have eliminated the need to hire several different companies. When you hire our lawn care company, we take full accountability of your landscape and guarantee results. Call today to schedule a consultation or to discuss organic lawn care programs.
Our unique bed maintenance program was designed to maintain all your plants and garden beds, keeping them manicured and healthy year-round. We begin the season, by edging and defining garden beds and installing mulch. During the growing months, we make regular visits to remove weeds, fertilize, and trim and prune your plants at the optimum times.
(Only available with purchase of Lawn Care or Plant Care packages)
Call our office at 703.339.0067, or complete the online Estimate Request form. Our staff will schedule an appointment to meet with a B. Rushing Representative in order to provide a proposal for your anticipated landscape project. We provide detailed proposals and written guarantees.
Lawn care, lawn fertilizing, lawn weed control, plant care, and lawn maintenance in Del Ray, Potomac West zip codes 22301, 22305.


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Grammy-winning superstar Pharrell Williams is joining "The Voice."
The "Happy" singer has signed on as a coach for the upcoming seventh season of the hit NBC musical talent show which will debut in the fall. The remaining coach slots are yet to be announced.
Pharrell is already familiar to fans of "The Voice." He served as an advisor to team Usher during season four of the show, and performed the mega-hit, "Blurred Lines," alongside singer Robin Thicke in May.
U.S. & World
Stories that affect your life across the U.S. and around the world.
"It's been a huge year for Pharrell, with recognition for his contribution in the world of music — the 'Despicable Me' franchise soundtracks, his Oscar-nominated song 'Happy' and his Grammy-winning collaboration with Daft Punk on the breakout dance hit 'Get Lucky.'" said Paul Telegdy, President, Alternative and Late Night Programming, NBC Entertainment.
"He has already made a considerable impact as a mentor, drawing on an impressive track record as both a producer and performer," Telegdy added. "It feels like we are welcoming an existing family member home."
NEWS: All the latest from season 6 of "The Voice"
Pharrell's most recent album, "G I R L," was released on March 3, one day after he performed his Oscar-nominated song "Happy" from "Despicable Me 2" during the Academy Awards telecast. Though it did not win the coveted statuette (the Oscar for best original song ultimately went to "Let It Be" from "Frozen"), "Happy" has sold nearly 5 million downloads worldwide and tops Billboard's Hot 100 chart for a third consecutive week.
Pharrell also shared the good news with his Twitter followers:
This is going to be so fun ��"@NBCTheVoice: Okay, we can OFFICIALLY say it! WE ARE SO #HAPPY to announce PHARRELL WILLIAMS = #NewVoiceCoach — Pharrell Williams (@Pharrell) March 31, 2014
CeeLo Green, one of the original "Voice" coaches, announced in February that he would not be returning to the talent competition. Green served as coach on seasons 1-3 and season 5.
"I'm going to continue my relationship with NBC. I have a television show development deal with them and hopefully some other talk show opportunities for later in the year," Green revealed on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."
Season 6 of "The Voice" is currently underway with coaches Blake Shelton, Shakira, Usher and Adam Levine occupying the big red chairs.
"The Voice" airs Monday and Tuesday nights on NBC.


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With all eyes on Sammy Sosa, Cubs beat Rangers 5-4.
Texas slugger Sammy Sosa came into Tuesday night's game against the Cubs with 599 career home runs. The former Cubs superstar also entered the game with 2,258 career strikeouts. Many fans in the Rangers Ballpark crowd of 38,290 were hoping to see history Tuesday night in the form of Sosa belting one more home run. Instead, they got a chance to watch the Dominican designated hitter pad his whiff total. Sosa struck out three times (twice swinging and once looking) in his first three at-bats and then flew out to center field in his final at bat of the Cubs' 5-4 victory. Derrek Lee, who appealed a five-game suspension and was able to play in the game, drove in the go-ahead run when he doubled home Mike Fontenot in the sixth inning. Fontenot, who was one of the players who came to the Cubs in the deal that sent Sosa to Baltimore, had two hits and scored two runs. Asked about possibly hitting the milestone homer against his former team, Sosa said he wasn't making it personal. "It's another day in the office," Sosa said before the game. "I'm kind of happy to face my old team. I'm definitely going to go out there and look for something good to hit. It's not like I'm going to hit it and that's it for me. Hitting it will please a lot of people but I have to go back to work." Sosa retired from the game in 2006 but came back and inked a $500,000 deal with the Rangers this season. "One day I was watching TV and they showed that I was at 588," Sosa said. "And I thought, 'Wow — I gotta go back.' " The 38-year-old Sosa is fifth on the all-time home run list and wants to pile up some more because he hears footsteps from some younger players. "I want to play a little longer because we have a few people coming," Sosa said. "We have A-Rod (Alex Rodriguez) and Ken Griffey (Jr.) and Manny Ramirez. The way they are treating me here, I can play five more years. Why not? If Julio Franco can play at 48 or 49, why can't I play until I'm 42 or 44, right? I'm not going to stop there." Sosa already has Hall of Fame homer numbers, but there is still a cloud of suspicion that he may have taken steroids in his career. Nothing has been proven, but the speculation could sway some voters not to vote for him. "I'm not in the position to say I'm going to go to the Hall of Fame," Sosa said. "I just need to play and play good and somebody has to make the call. Somebody will have to vote for me." Sosa hit 545 homers in a Cubs uniform — the most in franchise history. He had epic seasons of 66 homers in 1998, 63 in 1999, 50 in 2000, 64 in 2001 and 49 in 2002. He also had some controversies with the Cubs, and after he left early without permission during the final game of the 2004 season, the organization had seen enough and shipped him to Baltimore four months later. While there was some hostility between Sosa and Cubs management during his final days as a North Sider, first-year president John McDonough extended an olive branch to Sosa during spring training. "That was nice," Sosa said. "I remember one time he and I had a little bit of inconvenience, and I apologized for that a long time ago. He went to spring training and we talked. I never had nothing against anybody. "It's still my city. But I'm in Texas and I have to be thinking about Texas right now." More Cubs coverage can be found online at www.dailysouthtown.com/sports.


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Turbulence" is the the brand-new Seatsniffers studio-album –the seventh album for Belgium's (if not Europe's) long-running Roots-Rock ambassadors.In recent years the band has kept up its relentless touring schedule all over Europe and has succesfully added the U.S. to their list of countries to conquer.In 2008 they returned to their original line-up, welcoming bass player Bop de Houwer back into the band. As a result, "Turbulence" has the same feel to it as their first two records : short, rhythmic bursts of energy, blending Rock, Rockabilly, R&B, Blues-Rock, Hard Country and Punk-Rock. This all distilled into the real "Seatsniffers sound"."Turbulence" features eight songs by front man Walter Broes, Drummer Pete De Houwer's vocal debut on King Karl's rollicking "Baby, come to Papa", a tribute to Lee Hazlewood's genius with a quirky cover of his "Dark in my Heart", and the band's demented, echo-laden version of Alex Chilton's classic "Bangkok". Smokestack Lightnin's front man, Bernd Batke, shares the microphone with Broes on the co-written "Boat".
1 Git'r Down
2 She's Mine
3 Bangkok
4 I'd wait all over
5 Woman is her name
6 Baby come to papa
7 Boat
8 (you need a) Checkup from the neck up
9 Dark in my heart
10 Three words
11 Thing


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Now I know I never post on Saturdays, but I get so many inquiries about those gorgeous Ruffle Cakes we featured a while back, that I simply had to share these marvelous mini-versions that the amazingly talented Rose from Sweetapolita created for a sweet little backyard tea party.
If you have been dreaming of trying out one of these beauties then a mini-cake is the perfect way to go. You can bake as many as you need and practice until they are perfect!
Perhaps you can just start with the edge . . .
And use your leftover buttercream for a cupcake in a cup?
A few words from Rose: "Since you have the open star pastry tip already out and ready to go from your buttercream roses, perhaps baking a batch of raspberry rose meringues would be a nice addition to the tea-time menu?
Sweet and crunchy baked meringue is the loveliest (and simplest) of treats, however, I don't see them offered as much as I wish they were. These have some freeze-dried raspberries and a quick and easy (and possibly unexpected) raspberry ingredient that gives them their bright pink hue."
(yields 28 2″ meringues)
3 large egg whites, room temperature
pinch of salt
1 package (3 ounces) Raspberry Jell-O
1/4 cup freeze-dried raspberries (optional)
1/4 cup (50 g) sugar
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 200°F (94°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Grind the sugar and freeze-dried raspberries in a food processor until it reaches a powdery consistency. (If not using freeze-dried raspberries, omit this step and add sugar on its own in step 3.)
3. Place the room temperature egg whites and salt in a grease-free bowl of an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until frothy. Add the Jell-O and sugar mixture into the mixing bowl in a steady stream, and turn the mixer speed to med-high, beating until meringue is stiff, thick, and glossy — about 5 minutes.
4. Add the vanilla and mix until incorporated.
5. Place the meringue into a large pastry bag (such as 14″) fitted with 1M pastry tip (or other desired open star tip) and pipe the roses onto the baking sheets. Begin in the middle and, moving outwards, pipe 2 complete circles. Keep roses about 1 1/2″ apart.
6. Bake for 2 hours, then turn off the oven and keep the trays in the oven overnight.
*Store in airtight containers or Ziploc-style bags at room temperature and away from moisture.
Vanilla cupcakes with simple buttercream rose swirls . . .
Now back to those ruffles . . .
MINI RUFFLE CAKE HOW-TO (from Rose herself):
1. Bake and cool your favourite cake recipe in 4′ round cake pans. I used Devil's Food Layer Cake, from this post. Keeping with the "petite" cake, I used only 2 layers per cake.
2. Make a batch of Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
3. Trim first cake layer so the top is nice and flat (if necessary) and place face up on a 6″ round cake board, or plate. Place 1/2 cup of Swiss Meringue Buttercream(or filling of choice) on top of layer and smoothwith a small offset palette knife. Trim the second layer, and place face down on the cake.
4. Apply a thin layer of Swiss Meringue Buttercream (I don't recomment using sugary buttercream, but Italian or French Meringue Buttercreamswork nicely as well) over the cake, smoothing top and sides with a small offset palette knife (as you can see, I use this all of the time!) to seal in crumbs and to give the buttercream ruffles something to adhere to.
5. Using the a petal decorating tip of your choice (they come in different sizes, but I use the larger size Wilton #123 or sometimes a smaller size, such as Wilton #104) use the buttercream ruffling technique found HERE, complete the cake and serve!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone!!


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hatchling sea turtle, Olive Ridley Sea Turtle, Playa San Miguel Costa Rica, Where's My Backpack NEW
These images show olive ridley sea turtle hatchlings experiencing the dawn of their first day of life. The little one below has just emerged from its nest at a nursery at Playa San Miguel, Costa Rica.
It's fascinating to watch the little ones emerge from the sand; they immediately turn to the sound and aroma of the ocean and follow its call. Continue reading


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Department of Human Evolution
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Deutscher Platz 6
04103 Leipzig
phone: +49 (341) 3550 - 350
fax: +49 (0341) 3550 - 399
e-mail: streiber@[>>> Please remove the brackets! <<<]eva.mpg.de
Andrea Picin
Post-Doctoral Researcher
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Department of Human Evolution
Deutscher Platz 6
04103 Leipzig
phone: 0049 (0) 341 3550 375
e-mail: andrea_picin@[>>> Please remove the brackets! <<<]eva.mpg.de
Research Interests
Andrea Picin is a Paleolithic archaeologist specialized in lithic technology. His research focuses on the reconstruction of the adaptation of prehistoric hunter-gatherers to the climatic fluctuations of the Late Pleistocene and on the influence of the ecological settings in the development of different technical and subsistence behaviors. His research interest on Neanderthals and the processes that caused their extinction began during his studies at Universitat Rovira I Virgili (Tarragona, Spain), where he achieved a Ph.D. in Quaternary Science and Prehistory. Since 2009, he has been involved in several fieldworks and projects in Spain, Italy, Germany, Poland, Iran, Sri Lanka, Zambia, and Mongolia broadening his investigation on Middle Paleolithic with researches on the dispersal of Homo sapiens from Africa to Eurasia.
In his current position as a postdoctoral researcher at the MPI-EVA, Andrea is investigating the transition from the Middle to the Upper Paleolithic in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula. Since 2015, he is co-director with Dr. Manuel Vaquero of the excavation of Abric de la Consagració (Capellades, Spain), and he is collaborating on projects in several Catalan archaeological sites (Abric Romaní, Teixoneres Cave, Toll Cave, Llenes Cave, Las Fuentes de San Cristóbal).


text: Chance and the SoX got together to drop this new free release that somehow covers everything you could possibly hate if you have the blues in the morning. Seriously, Chance goes all Chief Keef on what he doesn't like across the entire song… just much less aggressively delivered than Keef, ha! That said, perhaps you can relate if you're having a down day but hopefully you can take the doses of humor throughout (I mean, how can you hate pancakes, Chance?) and the knowledge that we may all have down days but to think positively and rise above it is certainly possible. If you want something from Chance on the other end of the spectrum, perhaps check out the Arthur theme song remix if you are still sleeping.