text:
|*July 22 - 28
|Daniel 8
Read for This Week's Study:
|Daniel 8.
Memory Text:
|"And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed" (Daniel 8:14, NIV).
|Daniel 8, as we'll soon see, covers much
of the same ground as
2 and
7. It shows a flow of history, beginning in antiquity and going up through
the "time of the end"
8:17), the first time the phrase appears in the book of Daniel (but
not the last). Along with the overwhelming evidence from previous chapters
that Daniel deals with end-time events,
8 comes right out and says it, a problem for those who want to limit
the events of Daniel 8 to a historical period in Israelite history that ended
in the second century before Christ a view that for this reason (and others)
is untenable.
Also, like Daniel 2 and 7, Daniel 8 is divided into two sections: a dream/vision and then an explanation of that dream/vision. In Daniel 8, the first 14 verses deal with his vision, in which Daniel sees a ram, a goat, and a little horn, followed by the cleansing of the sanctuary. The rest of the chapter is the explanation given him regarding the ram, the goat, and the little horn. Interestingly enough, the part about the sanctuary being cleansed is not explained here. And, as we'll seethough specifically told that the vision of the sanctuary being cleansed "is true" (vs. 26)Daniel says that he doesn't understand it (vs. 27). That's because it wasn't explained, as were the other elements in the vision. This point becomes important later, when we study the next chapter, in which an explanation is finally given.
*Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, July 29.
|July 23
Animals, Again
Read Daniel 8:1-14. On the lines below, give a summary of the vision. Concentrate especially on the sequence of events as presented to Daniel.
After Daniel is given this vision of the ram, the goat, the little horn, and the sanctuary being cleansed, notice what happens in verses 15 through 18. Daniel says that he sought for the meaning of what passed before him in vision. A "man's voice" then calls out and tells the angel Gabriel to "make this man understand the vision." Gabriel then approaches Daniel. Notice, too, how the angel prefaces his words. Twice (vss. 17, 19) he tells Daniel that the vision deals with "the end."
Read the rest of the chapter. What interpretation does Gabriel give Daniel?
In reference to both Daniel 2 and Daniel 7, we said that Media-Persia and Greece were depicted as some of the great powers that would arise in world history. Here, now, there's no guess: Gabriel comes right out and names them. (Unlike the other two visions, Babylon is not depicted here in Daniel 8; in a later week we will look at one reason why.)
After naming Media-Persia and Greece (vss. 20, 21), he gives an explanation of the little-horn power that arises next. Though we will look at it in more detail tomorrow, notice how this little-horn power is destroyed (vs. 25) language very similar to how Daniel 2 described God's supernatural intervention that brings the end of the world (vs. 34).
Thus, the events of Daniel 8 could be summarized like this:
Little horn
Sanctuary cleansed
|Daniel 8 is another place in the Bible that shows us that God ultimately is in control. How does this reality give you some hope amid whatever trials you are now facing?
|July 24
The Little Horn
In our survey of Daniel, we've seen that it has dealt with five kingdoms, four of which have been named for us: Babylon (Dan. 2:38), Media-Persia (Dan. 8:20), Greece (Dan. 8:21), God's eternal kingdom (Dan. 2:44; 7:14, 18, 22, 27). The only one not specifically named is the one that, in all three visions, arises after Greece and exists until the time of the end. Below is a chart with all the earthly kingdoms depicted, those named and the one not named:
|Daniel 2
|Daniel 7
|Daniel 8
|Next kingdom
|Next kingdom
|Next kingdom
|Supernatural destruction at end
|Supernatural destruction at end
|Supernatural destruction at end
From what you have studied so far, what is the identity of that little-horn power in Daniel 8? What reasons can you give for your conclusion?
The obvious answer, of course, is Rome (both pagan and papal). Here are just a few of many reasons why:
Looking at the parallels between the visions, one can see it was Rome in Daniel 2, Rome in Daniel 7; thus, obviously, it's Rome in Daniel 8.
The little-horn power comes up after Greece and extends to the time of the end, when it is supernaturally destroyed. What power, rising after Greece, still exists today?
Notice, too, that Media-Persia is depicted as "great" (vs. 4) and that Greece is depicted as "very great" (vs. 8). In contrast, the little-horn power is depicted as "exceeding great" (vs. 9). Though people can argue over whether "exceeding" great is more than "very" great, "exceeding great" is certainly more than just "great." Thus, this little-horn power is, at least, greater than the Medo-Persian Empire. Again, what power, coming up after Greece, existing until the end, could be depicted as greater than Media-Persia other than Rome?
We saw last week how that little-horn power in Daniel 7 was, clearly, papal Rome. We have here the same symbol in Daniel 8. Both, too, are described as persecuting powers, as well.
|Study some of the attributes of the little horn. In what ways can we, as individuals, manifest the same spirit as the little horn?
|July 25
The Little Horn (Cont.)
The evidence we've seen so far is overwhelming that the little-horn power arising after Greece in Daniel 8 is the same power that arises after Greece in both Daniel 2 and Daniel 7, and that's Rome, beginning as pagan Rome and then changing into papal Rome.
The two phases are seen in the imagery of all three chapters. In Daniel 2, as we saw, the iron that arises after Greece (the brass) extends to the end, though the form changes in the feet, when it becomes mixed with clay. While the emphasis here is political more than religious and the focus is on the various nations themselves, this change in Rome coincided with the rise of the papacy, both in time and location. If nothing else, in Daniel 2 we see the idea of Rome changing form at some point in history.
In Daniel 7, as we saw, the fourth beast came first, followed by the little horn, another phase of the same power.
Review the details of the little horn in Daniel 8. What are the religious elements that are revealed there in this phase of Rome?
In verse 8, after describing the breakup of Greece into various kingdoms, the little horn is depicted as coming up from one of " 'the four winds of heaven' " (vs. 8, NIV), its immediate antecedent. Right after this, the two phases of the little-horn's activity are revealed, as well.
What is the directional activity of the little horn as depicted in Daniel 8:9? Contrast that directional activity with what the little horn does in verses 10-12. What difference do you see?
In verse 9, the little horn moves horizontally across the face of the earth, depicting military or political expansion (compare with Dan. 8:4). In the next few verses, the activity is depicted as vertical, heavenward, in an attack on the "host of heaven," on the "Prince of the host," even against the sanctuary itself. Though, obviously, the little horn does not reach literally into heaven itself, what this does depict is the religious nature of its attack. Thus, here in Daniel 8, as well, we are given two phases of the same power: first the pagan phase then the distinctly religious activity of the papal phase.
|July 26
Sanctuary Cleansed
In review, what we have studied in Daniel 8, so far, could be summarized like this:
Sanctuary cleansed
As shown earlier, everything in Daniel 8 had been interpreted by Gabriel except for the cleansing of the sanctuary. Though no specific explanation was given, a powerful hint is found in the chapter.
The vision of Daniel 8:14 ends with the sanctuary being cleansed after a depiction of the little-horn's activity in a certain historical period; after the depiction of the little horn (vss. 22-25), the explanation ends with a specific event (vs. 25, final clause). What is that event, and how does it help us come to some understanding about what the cleansing of the sanctuary involves?
If we were to parallel the vision of Daniel 8 with its explanation, it would look like this:
Little horn
Sanctuary cleansed
Supernatural demise of little horn
Whatever else the cleansing of the sanctuary involves, it results in the supernatural destruction of this last earthly empire, which is what happened in both Daniel 2 and 7, when God sets up His eternal kingdom. Thus, the idea that limits the cleansing of the sanctuary to some mere human event, such as the removing of enemies from the temple precincts in the second century B.C., falls apart. It's obvious from the context, especially when viewed in parallel to Daniel 2 and Daniel 7, that this cleansing of the sanctuary is an event of major importance. Indeed, the mere fact that it's linked with the rise and fall of three of what the Bible depicts as major world powers in and of itself testifies to the importance of the cleansing of the sanctuary.
|What things in your own life need to be cleansed? What's the only way that can happen?
|July 27
Judgment in Heaven
Below is a chart summarizing what we have looked at so far in the past few weeks. What does this tell us that the cleansing of the sanctuary is?
|Daniel 2
|Daniel 7
|Daniel 8
Pagan Rome
Papal Rome
Second Coming
Pagan Rome
Papal Rome
Pagan Rome
Papal Rome
Cleansing of sanctuary
As we see all the way through here, there are parallels between the chapters. And not only are the nations depicted in parallel to one another, the judgment scene in Daniel 7which transpires after a distinct time period regarding Rome (the 1,260 years)directly parallels the cleansing of the sanctuary, which in Daniel 8 occurs after Rome, as well. In short, this heavenly judgment in Daniel 7the judgment that leads to the end of the worldis the same thing as the cleansing of the sanctuary in Daniel 8. We are given here two different depictions of the same thing: the judgment, also known as the cleansing of the sanctuary in Daniel 8.
According to this chart, where is this judgment, time wise, in relationship to the Second Coming?
The crucial point is the parallel between this massive judgment scene in Daniel 7 and the cleansing of the sanctuary in Daniel 8. The judgment scene in Daniel 7 is simply another way of expressing the cleansing of the sanctuary in Daniel 8, just as the depiction of the bear in Daniel 7 is another way of expressing the ram in Daniel 8. Each depiction adds to the other, elaborating on each other, together giving us a lot of information about the specific event. What's undeniably clear is that it is a pre-Advent event; that is, this is a judgment that occurs before the Second Coming. Indeed, it's this judgment itself that leads directly to the Second Coming.
What things in your life can be solved only by the second coming of Jesus; what things can be solved here and now? Why is it so important to know the difference between the two?
|July 28
Further Study:
|Look at the parallels here between
7 and 8 (Set Layout to Columns), this time with the approximate dates
for the events depicted in the two chapters:
What's clear from the chart is that because the judgment in Daniel 7, which occurred after the 1,260 years, is the same as the cleansing of the sanctuary in Daniel 8, then the cleansing of the sanctuary in Daniel 8 occurred after the 1,260 years, as well. This fact, then, puts the cleansing of the sanctuary sometime after the late eighteenth to early nineteenth century, yet before the second coming of Christ. Though these points help narrow down the time of the pre-Advent judgment, they still don't give us an exact date. More information is needed; that's why, as we'll see, more information is given.
Discussion Questions:
| As a class, go over the main points of this week's lesson.
Be sure everyone understands the parallels between the chapters. Try to answer
whatever questions that arise as best as you are able.
The last verse of Daniel 8 teaches that certain aspects of the vision were unknown to Daniel. What lesson is there for us regarding the need to press on ahead in faith despite there being things we don't yet understand?
|I N S I D E Story
|The Raised Spear
J. H. Zachary
John Kiok is a Masai, a member of a semi-nomadic cattle-herding culture in eastern Africa. Several years ago when Kiok accepted Jesus as his Savior, he dedicated his life to sharing his faith with other Masai. When a small group of believers from the village of Nchoroi [n'CHO-roy] invited him to come and teach in their village, Kiok went.
Each evening 200 people gathered to hear the message of Jesus. However, the paramount chief of the region did not want a new religion in his territory. One night during the meeting the chief angrily confronted the pastor, waving his large spear menacingly over his head as he approached the crowd of listeners who were seated on the ground. Most of the listeners fled into the darkness when they saw the chief approaching. The chief, still brandishing his spear over his head, stared at Kiok and demanded, "Who are you and what are you telling my people?"
Kiok prayed for wisdom and protection, and then he calmly answered the chief's question. "I am a Masai. I am telling these people about the living God, the God who made the mountains, the trees, your animals-even you and your family."
"You have just one chance," the chief threatened. "Leave now. If you preach one more time, I will kill you with my spear."
"Sir," Kiok said quietly, "the people have come every day this week to hear about God. They want to know about the God who created them. I still have a week of meetings, and I want to invite you to come to listen and learn about this God too."
"I promise you, I will kill you if you preach another night!" the chief said. Then he turned and strode away.
The village elders told the chief that they had given Kiok permission to speak to the people about God. They told him that many who were listening were changing their lives for the better. They urged the chief to go see for himself.
The chief allowed the meetings to continue, and the chief saw the positive changes among his people. He listened to their testimonies of what Jesus was doing in their lives. In time the angry chief asked Kiok to study the Bible with him as well, and in time he and his family were baptized into God's family. Today the chief and his people worship in a small chapel in their village.
Until his death, J. H. Zachary was coordinator for outreach among Jewish and Muslim people in the North American Division.
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Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Beauty and the Beast (1976) Review
11:50 AM | Edit Post
Continuing with my previous posts, I wanna discuss another well known adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. Though not regarded by many to be the best nor the worst, this 70's production includes some interesting casting choices and beautiful locations among other notable factors. Let's dance into a look around the 1976 version starring George C. Scott and his wife Trish Van Devere.
First and foremost as mentioned, our two leads in real life were married when filming this, making their chemistry the most realistic one could get when looking for an on-screen couple. Many times you can see the spark between Scott and Devere, though sometimes knowing this fact makes the film's romantic aspect a little bit awkward, especially when it comes to the sequences that involve our leading man screaming off in anger.
Speaking of which, this could indeed be the first version in which the Beast truly has severe anger management issues, something that became more included as a major plot point in future versions (notably the Disney adaptation, which started the permanent trend of that being one of the reasons for his transformation!) But while Disney's Beast gets fussy and chases her out of the house from time to time, this Beast (or Sir Gentle Eyes as Belle refers him to) instead creeps the hell out of our leading lady to the point of her being psychologically damaged in the beginning. This sequences plus moments of the Beast snapping back at Belle with incredible sass make him unlikable overall.
Belle though falls into a similar category, but at least she does something similar to the Josette Day version of 1946 and Disney's 1991 heroine: She defends herself. Sure, she's initially scared but she gets control over her captor and makes him feel awful at the end of his temper tantrums. This Belle also has the distinction of being the only truly feminist version on film, telling the Beast that his liking of Aristotle is ridiculous, especially since she doesn't believe herself to be the woman the famous writer describes. (In short, Belle describes Aristotle to have what us modern day gals would call "Nice Guy Syndrome".)
But Belle is definitely not perfect either. This incarnation of our leading beauty is actually one that quotes herself to only believe in the true stories and no fantasies. Sure, her family believes in old wives tales from time to time, but even when being asked simply to hear the story of a Unicorn, she refuses to be told the story unless it is deemed true.
Now granted this could be a reflection of her honesty, but at times with the way Trish delivers her lines comes off bitchy and cold hearted, something that is hard to swallow from a character that is supposed to ask for something as delicate as a rose.
But one thing that should be given credit to this version is it's age choices. Realistically, when reading the original tale and knowing the time period it was written in, I always thought the "prince" at the end would be an older and more mature man, someone who would be wealthy and able to support a girl this age. As this story was considered by most to be meant for young brides in arranged marriages, it would indeed make sense for the Beast to turn into a man in his middle age.
So while most adaptations one would expect a handsome young dashing Prince, we get a middle aged bigger King character, which though not exactly one of the fantasies of most young women works in its context and is more realistic - something that relates to this Belle's method of thinking. Though oddly, on the last shot of the film, we see that Belle's face is puzzled. Not sure if this facial expression was intentional, but it oddly seems as if this wasn't the complete happy ending she was hoping for.
So at the end of the day, is this version good? Eh. It has it's moments, but with a truly bizarre choices in acting on both the talents parts it's hardly a classic really. Sure, I like the risks that it takes but compared to the Cocteau and Disney versions, it's a downgrade for sure. Though it definitely stands much above the Cannon Films by a long shot.
So if you're willing to take a slightly more "serious" adaptation with a lot less of the whimsy and childlike views of the more memorable versions, take a look for this one. Just don't be surprised if you have an urge to look for a hug after it, especially after hearing General Patton scream at Belle through most of it. Definitely post-movie cuddles required to regain your mushy side.
Rating: 6.0 out of 10
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
The Old Man Crush List
1:50 PM | Edit Post
Now its no secret that I am a big huge girly girl when it comes to my feelings on romance and cute guys in the lime light. I sure do have a huge crush list when talking about celebrity crushes, but I have my own separate list that I believes needs to be mentioned to the masses: My Old Man Crush List.
But how does one determine the Old Man Crush? How is even a male celebrity put into such a category? Well for me, there are a few factors that must be included:
1 - The individual must be older than 45.
2 - Must still look awesome compared to their younger selves.
3 - Must not let their age damage their confidence.
Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's explore the crush list, with some junior candidates not old enough to become full time members:
Idris Elba
Age: 40
This junior candidate has all the charm and sass to be part of the Old Man Crush list, but since he is five years too young to be eligible, I can't exactly rank him on here. But in a couple of years, he sure will be added to the top rankings. But that doesn't mean we can't stare at him in that delicious black suit in Pacific Rim.
Edward Norton
Age: 43
At the top of my favorite actors list of all time is Edward Norton. He's a shinning example of adorable deliciousness with a hint of scary underneath those yummy pearl like eyes. Sadly though, he's too young to be on this list. But in a two years he'll be added to the list for sure!
Takanori Nishikawa
Age: 42
Yes, get over the shock - this dude is in his 40's. Takanori literally is drinking from the fountain of youth and whatever he is doing it's working amazingly. It always surprises me to learn how old he is, but it also creates a level of respect. If a man in his 40's can still wear short shorts like that with confidence, he deserves to be on this list.
And now time for the official list!
10. Patrick Dempsey
Age: 47
I never was a fan of Grey's Anatomy, but for some bizarre reason when I saw Enchanted I fell in love with Patrick Dempsey. Maybe it was because he played such an adorable and lovable father figure with a heart of gold, or that his comedic moments with Amy Adams were perfect, but something about his performance made my heart go nuts. Also, it doesn't beat seeing him in a Prince outfit near the end. Now I have a lot of admiration for Mr. Dempsey and even when he is in a truly silly movie, I'll watch it just for those good looks.
9. Keith David
Age: 57
Sometimes people fall for the looks first, but in this case it's the voice. Every time I hear Mr. David's voice I lose it. He's got the vocals that seriously are so dreamy and sexy, it's hard to deny them. It also helps when he is the voice of my first ever childhood crush, Goliath from Gargoyles. With that, plus a fantastic singing voice and that cool overall swagger of awesome, Keith definitely had to be on my list for sure.
8. Mark Ruffalo
Age: 45
Ah the Ruffalo! He's got the charm, the cute smile, and the hint of nerdiness to keep all your senses pleased. With roles in the The Avengers and guilty pleasure classic 13 Going On 30, Mark has always stood out as a rarity in the older man department. Now that he's letting the grey hair come in, he's just got this natural sexiness about him that's hard to deny.
7. Antonio Banderas
Age: 52
I am a child of the 90's, and as such it is my duty to speak of the immortally amazing Antonio Banderas. Ever since Interview with the Vampire, Antonio has stolen my heart with his fantastic accent and adorable overall essence. I'm totally okay admitting that I'll put on Mask of Zorro or Take The Lead just to watch him dance or talk, either way it's an enjoyable time with this Spanish hottie.
6. Robert Downey Jr
Age: 48
Mr. Downey Jr is literally a god of delicious. The man literally can play anything and look good doing it, but especially this comes to play when he is portraying his alter ego Tony Stark or Sherlock. But I think the thing that makes Robert the most attractive is his beautiful and fun personality, something that you can't deny finding charming.
5. Josh Brolin
Age: 45
Brolin is been immortally a hottie from the beginning. The Goonies was my first time experiencing my crush feelings for him, but like a fine wine Brolin has gotten cuter with age, especially in roles like Jonah Hex and Men in Black 3, Brolin always classes up a movie with ease. Personally, I am super excited for his turn in OldBoy, where it looks like we'll get a lot of shirtless Brolin and that's always a good version to watch for two hours!
4. Vincent Cassel
Age: 46
I have a huge weakness for French men. Not exactly sure what it is, but that Parisian flare makes go weak in the knees. Now if you combine that attraction to a guy that can play slightly creepy powerful roles, then you have my dream man and Vincent fits that bill perfectly. With roles like in Black Swan and being featured in all those perfume commercials, I was sold on Cassel instantly. But now that he's playing my favorite character of all time (The Beast) he might eventually jump higher on the list.
3. Ron Perlman
Age: 63
Similar to Keith David, Perlman I first fell for with his voice. Playing one of my favorite characters, Vincent in Beauty and the Beast (80's TV) along with playing my favorite comic book character of all time (Hellboy), my crush developed without even a thought. But after watching him in Sons of Anarchy, I fell for the whole Perlman package. With an equally hilarious sense of humor and a fantastic overall personality, Ron Perlman is the coolest guy ever and hence why I crush.
2. Jeff Bridges
Age: 63
Another man that is on the same level of cool factor to Perlman (and the same age ironically) is my high ranking Old Man Crush. Ever since I was a wee little one seeing Tron for the first time, Mr. Bridges has been a love of mine big time. His relaxed attitude, his awesome taste/talent in music, and his overall adorable nature just make me wanna snuggle with him by a fire and let him sing me some old school country tunes (This song especially!) And now with R.I.P.D and Seventh Son coming out, I can't wait to get my older Bridges with yummy facial hair fix!
1. Ralph Fiennes
Age: 50
What can I say about Ralph without exploding my fingers with fangirly excitement? Ralph is just the perfect package. He's smart, fun, silly, talented, handsome, and just a overall fabulous individual. Every single movie he is in makes me crush for him even harder (yes, even Red Dragon) But special mentions should go to romantic roles like Wuthering Heights or Maid in Manhattan, where he is just giving all those fantastic romantic feels. You can't deny the Fiennes, you just can't.
And that's my list! Do you have an Old Man Crush List? Who is your number one? I'd love to hear your thoughts or even celebrities regardless of age you are crushing on! Comment below!
Monday, July 15, 2013
La Belle et la Bete (2014) Photos Released Plus Interview With Director (rough translation)
1:35 PM | Edit Post
Finally some photos of La Belle et la Bete (Beauty and the Beast) have been released along with an explanation of the photos by director Christophe Gans. Here I did a really rough translation of two key elements from the interview in Premiere Magazine, giving some really awesome insight into this new version of the fairy tale. Again, this translation is very rough, but I hope it at least paints a much more clearer and excited picture for people interested in the film.
(My favorite photo so far)
Interview Translation:
"In the suit that we created for Vincent (Cassel), there is a combination of all I love the classic fantasy. The Phantom of the Opera, Count Dracula, the disfigured hero of The Phantom of the Paradise ... Monsters of cinema must be beautiful creatures. The decor is a beautiful chamber, a cave with an amethyst basin which provides a magical water. This is a reference to the mythology or the caves are recurrent and or gods punish humans transforming into animals. The texts of ancient times, as The Metamorphoses of Ovid, are the source of european fairy tales, which differ significantly from their Hollywood equivalents."
First off, HOLY CRAP Christophe referenced my favorite movie The Phantom of the Paradise. Not going to lie, that automatically made me smile - BIG - TIME! The fact that he is drawing so many fantastic references into his version of my favorite literary character of all time is kind of the coolest thing on the planet. I don't care how biased and weird it makes me sound, hearing details like this make me think this could be my favorite version of the story put to film.... and it hasn't even come out yet. Le friggin sigh.
Interview Translation:
"Here, we show why the Beast has become what it is. This is one of the things that I was passionate in the project. I've always been disappointed by the explanations given in previous versions. This is completely eluded in the Cocteau and aberrant Disney. In our film, we go back three hundred years ago, or Back when the prince spent his time hunting in the field with friends. He will commit an act against nature and be punished. In this photo, the chataeu is a lively place, the people of courtiers, guards and hunters. Three centuries later, when the Belle discovers this gigantic mausoleum overgrown with vegetation, including a rose in which her father, the merchant will pick the flower...."
I 100% agree with Gans on the previous versions retelling of The Beast's origin story, in which the way that it is told is disappointing and not as grand. If something as insane and traumatic as being turned into a creature by a fairy is just glanced over, the audience comes unsatisfied with the character ark. This seriously will be fantastic to see, and judging by the photo I assume he has had a past lover that maybe he betrays in the process of whatever this "act against nature" is. I am thinking maybe he kills his wife or a friend, maybe an important creature that he hunts? So many questions are now spinning in my mind. Either way, you can't deny how good Vincent looks in that red suit!
Now that this has got you interested, check out the other photos below! Are you curious to see the film? Are you dying to know what these changes are? What do you think The Beast will look like? Comment below!
Con Report ~ Connecticon: Epic Multi-Genre Fun Times
10:56 AM | Edit Post
This past weekend I went to a convention I heard about for many years. Though some have given me mixed reviews, my boyfriend invited me along for the adventure, and thus I took on the task of investigating Connecticon 2013 (in Hartford, CT!)
First off, what makes this convention different than your mom and dad's older organized meetings is the freedom of fandom's showcased. This convention is geared towards literally any interest, making it a lot less intense than say a purely anime convention or a gaming one. Connecticon literally offers something for everyone, even to the point that a Gargoyles fangirl like me was able to go to a panel with a bunch of other similar minded folks. With aspects like this, it's hard to ever doubt the epicness of such an event, and never doubt it I did.
Day 1(ish)
(Me with Paul and Storm)
We arrived later in the day, since the boyfriend unfortunately had to work till the afternoon. But the great thing was registration had absolutely no line AND I got to check out the end of the J-Fashion Show (where my pals Victoria of Parfait Doll and Rune were modeling!) Then I met up with friends to check out the Paul and Storm concert. Incase you haven't heard of the duo, they are famous for their bizarre and catchy parody music and their overall love for internet culture. The best part about the show though was the surprisingly awesome opening act - Brentalfloss! I've been a big fan of the bald headed internet singer for a while and had no idea he was a guest at the con. Seeing him was definitely a highlight!
Day 2 (Official Full Day)
(My mermaid inspired coordinate)
Saturday was the first official full day of the convention for me to explore! I got my butt up early and went to my first panel, all about Anime Openings from around the world (Italian openings are the weirdest for sure!) Throughout the day I went to more awesome panels, including Marina Sirtis's Q&A (I met her too!), and Jim Cumming's voice actor panel (he did Winnie The Pooh as Darth Vader, 'nough said!)
But there was one moment that stole the entire show for me - the kind of rare moments that only happen once in the bluest of moons.
I went into the elevator after changing into a more comfy coordinate and called up my friend to tell her where we could meet up. I mentioned to her on the phone "I'm heading off to the Nostalgia Critic panel!", and suddenly a man in the corner of the elevator says.... "You are!?" but I ignored him thinking he was just some random guy..... Suddenly I feel my boyfriend take my head and turn it into the direction of the voice.... it was him, THE NOSTALGIA CRITIC! He was right there looking at me dead in the face. I started to laugh really hard out loud and fangirl screamed a tiny bit, and everyone in the elevator laughed too. After that moment and throughout the weekend, we kept bumping into each other. I wish I had the guts to have a real conversation with him, but that moment in the elevator was good enough for me!
Day 3 (Last Day)
(Me with my man dressed as the Tenth Doctor!)
But the last panel of the day was the best panel of the entire convention. As mentioned, I love the Disney animated series Gargoyles. I'll be honest that it's hard to find people who know the show let alone like it as much as me, and when I find these people I latch onto them and do a happy dance of sorts. So when I heard a fan panel would occur on Sunday, I was beaming from ear to ear. I sadly got there a little late, but I still got to experience one of the best fan panels ever. The panelist was fantastic and had lots of awesome knowledge about the series. We later got to have a whole audience discussion, including a fan cast of a (dream) live action movie. I picked Idris Elba as Goliath, Ron Perlman as anybody (literally, he could play anyone), Nathan Fillion as Matt Bluestone, among others. A lot of people came up to me later and told me they loved my choices! So I guess maybe I could make the live action movie with success!
The day ended with me and Stefan heading off home, stopping off for delicious food at Friendly's, and driving through New England listening to Disney music. So fabulous!
(Gaston and Flynn have a smolder off!)
So overall, Connecticon was pure fantastic nerdy fun times! I am 100% going back next year without any doubt. There was so many awesome things to see, do and people to meet. Next year I am planning to run at least two panels, so if you are going next year look out for them.
Have you been to Connecticon? Are you wanting to go? Have you been to any cool conventions this year? Comment below!
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How to Find Good Camera Stores in Marin County
Whether you're an amateur photo hobbyist or a professional photographer, you need the help of good camera stores in San Rafael and Marin County.
The following research by The Prime Buyer's Report identifies the best camera stores in Marin County and issues related to buying new cameras, camera accessories, and photography supplies.
Updated October 21, 2019
The TOP 10 Camera Stores in Marin County CA
Wolf Camera & Video
- Wolf Camera & Video Profile
- Wolf Camera & Video Scorecard
- Wolf Camera & Video Reviews
- Wolf Camera & Video Photos
- Wolf Camera & Video Brands
- Wolf Camera & Video Articles
- Wolf Camera & Video Offers
1425 Grant Ave
Novato, CA 94945
Seawood Photo Inc
- Seawood Photo Inc Profile
- Seawood Photo Inc Scorecard
- Seawood Photo Inc Reviews
- Seawood Photo Inc Photos
- Seawood Photo Inc Brands
- Seawood Photo Inc Articles
- Seawood Photo Inc Offers
115 Tunstead Ave
San Anselmo, CA 94960
Cirrus Digital Systems
- Cirrus Digital Systems Profile
- Cirrus Digital Systems Scorecard
- Cirrus Digital Systems Reviews
- Cirrus Digital Systems Photos
- Cirrus Digital Systems Brands
- Cirrus Digital Systems Articles
- Cirrus Digital Systems Offers
2077 Centro East St
Belvedere Tiburon, CA 94920
- Pics Profile
- Pics Scorecard
- Pics Reviews
- Pics Photos
- Pics Brands
- Pics Articles
- Pics Offers
703 3rd St
San Rafael, CA 94901
How to Find Good Camera Stores in Marin County
There is no state license required of camera stores in Marin County and so no state standard for competency. This makes it all the more significant that all camera dealers bearing The Prime Buyer's Report—TOP 10 designation have been evaluated by our research staff, and have had to pass all the requirements for Prime Buyer's Report—TOP 10 status such as survey phone calls to previous customers to verify high satisfaction, clean complaint record, best business practices, length of time in business, and more.
Camera Stores in Marin County Perform Numerous Services
Camera shops in Marin County employ fellow photography enthusiasts. Due to their genuine interest in the field, they're usually able to offer knowledgeable consultation on photography techniques and equipment. Many are trained to repair cameras, camcorders, or even audio equipment. They can also capably advise you on your purchase.
Camera stores often hold classes or workshops on different photography topics, such as digital photography techniques or developing photos in your own darkroom. Many local camera stores offer different means of printing digital photos, such as customer kiosks, ordering prints online, or 1 hour photo developing right in the store. Prints can range in size from regular photo album sized 4x6 to 24x36 posters, and are usually available in black and white or color.
And of course, good camera shops have vast stocks of photographic equipment, from point-and-shoot 35 mms to professional-grade 10-megapixel digital cameras. That which isn't in stock can almost always be special ordered, and purchases generally come with in-store warranties.
Camera Stores in Marin County Sell Many Camera Parts and Accessories
Camera part and repair stores have an enormous selection of specialty photography equipment. If you're a professional, you can stock up on all the necessities. You can build an entire dark room if necessary, as they carry aprons, beakers, graduates, exhaust fans, timers, print trays, enlarger bulbs, and easels. Good camera stores may also sell safelights, micro positioning plates, developing paper, texture screens, changing bags, timers, and darkroom sinks. Many professional camera equipment stores carry developing chemicals too, including concentrated developers, high contrast developers, hypo-eliminators, clearing agents, color kits, toners, film washers, and fixers.
You can accessorize your camera with lenses, telephoto lenses, filters, camera tripods, camera bags, flashes, flash memory cards, teleconverters, camera straps, and camera cleaning supplies. If you're starting from scratch, camera shop employees can counsel you on the best purchases to serve your purpose. They may suggest one of their digital SLR cameras, digital cameras, 35 millimeters, large format cameras, collectible cameras, or something from their used camera selection.
If you decide to purchase a camera, you can get all of the necessary accessories at the shop as well, such as film, slide projectors and slides, inkjet printers and cartridges, flash memory cards, camera batteries, memory card readers, CD burners, and blank CDs. In one stop, you can get blank video camera tapes or replacement camcorder batteries.
Camera stores can help you upgrade your production with editing equipment, digital tablets, muslin backgrounds, camcorder microphones, and even photography studio props. Whether you limit yourself to annual family portraits or make a living as a professional photographer, stores for camera equipment in Marin County have the necessary materials and expertise to make good photography possible.
Some Camera Stores in Marin County Are Much Better Than Others.
The Prime Buyer's Report lists these camera stores in Marin County: Pics San Rafael CA, Cirrus Digital Systems Belvedere Tiburon CA, Seawood Photo Inc San Anselmo CA, Wolf Camera & Video Novato CA. Other camera stores in San Rafael CA that might still be in business include: .
How to Choose Camera Stores in San Rafael
Step 1: Describe What You're Looking For To The Camera Stores in Marin County
Explain what you need from the camera shop, whether it's service or sales. Specifically with the purchase of camera equipment, describe the type of performance you need and your level of proficiency. A shop employee wouldn't recommend complicated professional equipment to a casual photographer, so he needs to know what you're capable of handling.
Step 2: Answer Questions & Take Notes of the Marin County Camera Stores
You initial description should be followed by a pretty extensive line of questions from your sales representative. Take notes on his suggestions and advice, especially if you're being bombarded by new terminology.
Step 3: Ask Questions & Take Notes of the Camera Stores
Ask some questions to make sure a purchase with a particular camera store would be a smart decision. It's essential that the staff at the camera shop has a thorough understanding of the photographic equipment they sell, but it's also important that you don't overspend or end up with mechanical problems and no solution.
• Can the camera stores do camera repairs or do you need to send the broken camera away?
• What brands of cameras and camera equipment do the camera stores in Marin County regularly stock?
• Do the best camera stores in Marin County stock digital cameras, 35 mm cameras and the right kinds of camera supplies for your camera?
• Do the camera stores have any camera manufacturer endorsements?
• Do the camera stores sell extended warranties on cameras and camera equipment?
• Do the camera stores offer warranties on used camera equipment?
• How much experience do the camera technicians at the camera stores have?
• What is the refund policy on cameras and camera equipment at camera stores in Marin County?
• How do the camera stores determine pricing on new cameras, used cameras and camera equipment?
• What are the terms of the warranties on new cameras and used cameras at the Marin County camera stores?
Step 4: Final Research on Camera Stores in Marin County
After you've gotten the answers to these important questions, you'll know which camera store can best cater to your needs. But before you make a purchase or drop of your equipment for repairs, verify business licensing. You might also want to look for indications of guaranteed quality, such as Diamond Certification or Better Business Bureau Membership.
Step 5: Make the Final Decision on the Best San Rafael Area Camera Stores
Once you are certain everything is in order, make your camera purchase or drop your camera equipment for service or camera repairs. Get a written description of any warranty and manufacturer information, and be sure to get a receipt, which you should keep for your records.
Tips About Camera Stores in Marin County
Take Time Choosing Camera Stores in Marin County.
If you really want to get serious about your camera equipment purchase, you should be highly selective about where you take your business. Camera shops vary in expertise and years in the photography business, so look carefully for camera shops in Marin County that can competently handle your questions or camera repairs.
Don't Be Impulsive in Choosing Among Camera Stores in Marin County.
Not all cameras are the same. A slick finish and a good price may seem enticing, but it could be junk. Don't let an attractive façade sucker you in without researching the cameras and camera equipment. Undoubtedly, you would hate to find out you have an inferior camera at an important event.
Learn About Your Choices Before You Go Shopping at Local Camera Stores in San Rafael.
A good camera shop can educate you about an appropriate camera and camera equipment purchase for your photography needs, but it never hurts to do some independent research. Do some exploring online to find the professional camera equipment that suits your task and budget. It will also help to look through the sources we've listed in the article, "Key Resources for Camera Equipment and Camera Repair in San Rafael Area."
Save All Related Literature from The Marin County Camera Stores.
When you do make a camera purchase, be sure to file your receipts, service agreements, camera warranty information, and instructive pamphlets from the camera equipment manufacturer. If there is a problem down the road or you decide to return your camera equipment, you'll need to have all of this documentation available.
Know Your Rights With Camera Stores in Marin County.
Legally, you are protected in the event of mistreatment in any patron/dealer interaction. As a resident of San Rafael Area, your entitlements vary, so read about the specifics at the consumer affairs Web site for the State of California.
Camera Stores in Marin County Sell and Service Many Familiar Camera Equipment Brands
Hitachi, Kodak, Maxell, Casio, Canon, Emprex, Epson, Hasselblad, Hewlett-Packard, Leica, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Philips, Polaroid, Ricoh, Samsung, Sanyo, Sony.
Resources About Camera Stores in San Rafael
Regulatory Bodies & Trade Associations for Camera Stores in Marin County
BBB Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.com)
CPA Compact Flash Association (http://www.compactflash.org/)
DCA California Department of Consumer Affairs (www.dca.ca.gov)
I3A International Imaging Industry Association (http://www.i3a.org/)
N4C Northern California Council of Camera Clubs (http://www.n4c.org/)
NAPET National Association of Photographic Equipment Technicians
PMA Photo Marketing Association (http://www.pmai.org/)
PPA Professional Photographers of America (http://www.ppa.com/)
PSA Photographic Society of America (http://www.psa-photo.org/)
Media Related to Cameras in Marin County
American Photo
Commercial Photo
Digital Photo Pro
Digital Photography Review
PCPhoto Magazine
Photo District News
Photo Reporter
Photo Techniques
Popular Photography and Imaging
If you are looking for a new camera or camera accessories, The Prime Buyer's Report provides information for the TOP 10 Camera Stores in Marin County within the following zip codes:
94976, 94973, 94977, 94979, 94971, 94938, 94957, 94966, 94914, 94950, 94913, 94933, 94948, 94912, 94978, 94915, 94964, 94929, 94942, 94963, 94937, 94946, 94949, 94970, 94904, 94941, 94901, 94930, 94940, 94974, 94925, 94903, 94960, 94924, 94965, 94956, 94945, 94939, 94947 and 94920
The Prime Buyer's Report provides information for the TOP 10 Camera Stores in Marin County within the following cities:
Bel Marin Keys, Belvedere, Belvedere Tiburon, Black Point, Bolinas, Corte Madera, Dogtown, Fairfax, Greenbrae, Ignacio, Inverness, Kent Woodlands, Kentfield, Larkspur, Marin City, Marinwood, Marshall, Mill Valley, Muir Beach, Muir Woods, Nicasio, Novato, Point Reyes Station, San Anselmo, San Marin, San Quentin, San Rafael, Santa Venetia, Sausalito, Stinson Beach, Strawberry Point, Tamal, Tamalpais Valley, Terra Linda, Tiburon, Dillon Beach, Forest Knolls, Lagunitas, Mission Rafael, Olema, Ross, San Geronimo, Tomales, Woodacre, Almonte, Lucas Valley and Sleepy Hollow


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It's the heist that wasn't.
Shakira's publicist said Thursday there's "no truth" to reports a brazen fan snatched a ring off the pop star's finger during a recent concert in Monterrey, Mexico.
Earlier today, several news outlets including this one posted a video purporting to show the Colombian-singer reacting to the alleged robbery as she moved through the crowd during her performance.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
"There is no truth to this report," Shakira's publicist, Joseph Carozza, told TMZ. "A fan grabbed her hand and she looked down. Her ring is still visible on her hand as she continued to walk through the crowd."
Selected Reading: PopEater, Us Magazine, TMZ


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Blog Archives
Samsung Galaxy S4: All You NEED to Know, Tech Specs, Features [OFFICIAL]
At last, the much awaited Samsung Galaxy S IV has finally been unveiled in an event in New York! Although, one would hardly be able to notice any difference between it's predecssor the Galaxy S3, the real change lies 'within' this spectacular device.
Tech Specs
The Samsung Galaxy S 4 is powered by a thumping eight core 1.6 GHz processor or a 1.9GHz dual-core processor. Moreover, it features a larger 5 inch SUPER AMOLED screen that boasts a crispy 1080p display at 441 pixels per inch ratio and protected by Gorilla Glass 3. 2 GB of RAM is included and the device will be available in 16, 32 and 64 GB Storage choices. Connectivity includes WiFi, NFC, S Beam, Bluetooth 4.0 and an Infrared port as well.
Despite running the latest version of Android 4.2.2, the most exciting components are the Samsung specific applications. The 'Air View' feature for instance allows you to hover your finger over certain pages (such as E-Mail) and navigate without having to actually change the screen. As expected the 'Smart Scroll' and 'Smart Pause' feature equip this mind-blowing smartphone wit intelligence like never before. Smart Scroll will be able to recognize your eye/face movement and scroll the page itself without you having to touch the screen. Smart Pause, on the other hand will automatically pause videos when you look away and start them when you turn back to the screen. Whats more, you can start and stop songs by just a wave of your hand.
The Galaxy S4's cameras too, have been updated. Equipped with a rear 13-Megapixel Full-HD and a front-facing 2 Megapixel camera, the S4 will prove to be a life-changer. New camera functionality includes the ability to use both the cameras simultaneously. That is, while you are video call-ing someone, you can choose to show yourself and what you are facing as well! The camera software too, has been upgraded to resemble features that were earlier found in Samsung's Galaxy Camera.
As I earlier mentioned the key uniqueness lies the S4's software capabilities, the S Health for example, is a complete fitness tracker. It has the ability to track trends in your health and using the phone's inbuilt sensors it will compare your current surroundings with the your prevailing health conditions. A pedometer too, is packed into the S4 allowing you track the number of steps you've walked in a certain time period.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 will be available for order Read the rest of this entry
Galaxy S4: Last Minute Rumors Roundup
UPDATE: Check Out: Samsung Galaxy S4: All You NEED to Know, Tech Specs, Features [OFFICIAL]
With just hours remaining before the much-awaited Samsung event today in New York, we just can't get enough of the rumor's circulating around Samsung's "Next Big Thing". The very first thing we are expecting are touch and eye-based controls. The upcoming flagship device will utilize a front-facing camera in order to track a user's eye movements and then automatically scroll or move across a zoomed-in page. That means if you are reading an e-book or simply surfing the web, this mind-dazzling device will prove intelligent enough to scroll of it's own accord. The probability of this feature is extremely high provided the fact that Samsung had earlier trademarked the term "eye scroll" and "eye pause".
Further rumors indicate the Samsung Galaxy S4 will sport a powerful 13 Megapixel rear camera and a Samsung-designed eight core Eynos 5 processor. Moreover, we've also heard from numerous sources that Samsung has decided to target executive and business users as well.
Reports from numerous analysts suggest that the Galaxy SIV is expected to sell a whopping 10 million units in the first 30 days! Read the rest of this entry
Samsung Galaxy S4: White & Black, Offers 16, 32 and 64 GB
UPDATE: Check Out: Samsung Galaxy S4: All You NEED to Know, Tech Specs, Features [OFFICIAL]
With days ticking off as March 14, the expected release date for Samsung Galaxy S IV approaches. Leaks and speculations continue to fuel our desire to see Samsung's latest flagship device in action. In my previous post I shared the most-probable specification sheet i could get my hands-on [See Here]. And now, we've come across further news, which indicate that the South Korean tech giant has decided to replace it's former Pebble Blue color with simple Black and White. However, I also believe that Samsung is going to stick to it's tradition of releasing more colors to choose from after a 30 day period of Galaxy S4's release.
Moreover, we have also learnt that this time, Samsung is going to release Read the rest of this entry
Samsung Galaxy S4: Tech Specs
UPDATE: Check Out: Samsung Galaxy S4: All You NEED to Know, Tech Specs, Features [OFFICIAL]
As every top-range smartphone is expected to be unveiled shortly, a vast range of rumors and speculations precede. And with just two days before the anticipated Mobile World Congress 2013 the Samsung Galaxy S IV has formed a platform for all rumors to be based-upon. We earlier reported that a benchmark result hints at a 1.9 GHz Snapdraggon processor. And now, the popular firmware website, Sammobile have reported that they strongly believe that Samsung's next flagship smartphone will no longer sport the impressive AMOLED screen the Galaxy S series has been famous for, citing mass production problems. However, it is believed that Samsung has decided to replace the AMOLED display with a 4.99" SoLux Full-HD screen. Furthermore, according to prevailing rumors it is also expected that Samsung will no longer use their Exynos chipset.
Attached below is a list of Technical specifications that the folks over at the Sammobile website believe is finalized.
Samsung Galaxy S4 Benchmark Results pop up, hints 1.9 GHz Quad-Core Processor
Usually when leaks and speculations strike the internet so often, I end up warding them off as fakes. But this time, when we all are waiting desperately for Samsung's flagship mobile the Galaxy S IV, a couple of benchmark results have been released which hint the that the S4 is likely to be powered by a Snapdragon S4 Pro processor packing a strong 1.9 Ghz quad-core.
Another benchmark was released on Nenamark, which went by the name: Samsung SCH-I545. This name seems to be a bit realistic as the S4's predecessor went by the model SCH-I535. Furthermore, this benchmark result seems to denote that it was taken using a device that packs a whopping 1080p display powered by the Read the rest of this entry


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Kenmore 18.2 cu.ft. Refrigerator – White
Everyday Low Price
24 months
cash price $857.43
Lease Replacement Price
24 months
cash price $1086.23
Kenmore 18.2 cu. ft. Top-Freezer Refrigerator – Spacious and Cost-Effective The 18.2 cu. ft. Kenmore top-freezer refrigerator 6889 is equipped with humidity-controlled crisper drawers to keep fruit and vegetables tasting fresh. Easily store gallon-size milk and juice containers with the deep-door glass shelves. For storing tall items, two glass shelves can be easily adjusted. With the full-width top freezer shelf, you can organize frozen foods with ease. Enjoy enhanced convenience and save money on your electric bill with this ENERGY STAR® qualified Kenmore refrigerator.
- Gallon door bins easily hold jugs, bottles and gallon containers to help clear the shelves and give you space to stock up
- Spacious, tight-sealing and designed to control humidity, Kenmore crisper drawers deliver fresh, crunchy fruit and vegetables, so you can stock up on produce
- Designed to customize and help increase visibility, adjustable glass shelving moves to suit your storage needs while delivering an easy to clean surface with serious support
- ENERGY STAR® qualified to save you money


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Even Verizon's Phones Won't Comment About the Impending iPhone
Verizon Wireless showed off lots of smartphones at its CES press conference on Thursday, but naturally had nothing whatsoever to say about the iPhone, as I am sure will be the case until the day Steve Jobs shows it to the world.
Of course, I didn't let the company's silence stand in my way and proceeded to bug several executives, asking about it in all sorts of clever ways (okay, maybe not really that clever.). But, of course, Verizon has lots of practice carefully avoiding all mention of the iPhone or Apple, unless referring to a fruit grown in Washington.
I tried asking Chief Marketing Officer Marni Walden whether Verizon's network will be strong enough to handle a crush of data demand from the iPhone, but she saw right through me.
"I obviously won't comment on iPhone at all–rumor and speculation here," she said. That said, she noted that the company has spent $65 billion over the last 10 years on its network to make sure that any device can run smoothly on it.
Okay, I said, but you know the company's full roadmap for the year–are you sure that your network will be able to handle all those devices, including perhaps some unannounced ones?
"I am confident we have built a network and invested in a network that will continue to provide customers with the best possible experience," Walden said.
So there you have it. Well, as much of "it" as you are going to get.
But it turns out that the party line extends beyond the employees and all the way down to the Verizon phones themselves. When handed a demo unit of the new Samsung LTE Android phone, I proceeded to do a Google search for Verizon iPhone–I got an error message saying that that page could not be reached (see image). Now that's what I call good corporate messaging.


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You're going think I am lying, but I'm not.
I have eaten a Belgian waffle every single day for breakfast since January 29th. (Thanks to a wonderful birthday present from Pace the day before!)
That is over 50 belgian waffles. Seeing as my recipe can only make 5 at a time, that means I have made this recipe about 10 times now. I have perfected it and it is my child. I wanted to create a waffle that was healthy enough to eat on a daily basis, but decadent enough to induce salivation at the mere site or smell.
I am so obsessed with these waffles that I make 5 at a time and freeze them. That way, in the morning, all I have to do is pop one in the toaster oven and in about 5 minutes, I have a perfectly crisp waffle hot and ready for me. If I have 8am class, then I smother half of it in peanut and the half with almond or cashew butter and wrap it up in foil to take with me. And then I proceed to chow down on it as the students around me give me dirty glares and wistful glances. They see the peanut butter flowing over the delicate walls of the waffle. They can smell the faint hint of vanilla and the earthy goodness of the whole grains. They can see the maniacle pleasure in my eyes as I carefully take each bite, ensuring to ingest only one nut-butter filled crater at at time for maximal waffle enjoyment.
Proof of said madness:
Now that I have thoroughly creeped you out, here is the greatest, most useful recipe I have ever created.
Flawless whole wheat belgian waffles
Recipe: Makes 5 giant waffles
- 1 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour (option: sub in 1/4 cup wheat bran)
- 1/2 cup flax meal
- 1/4 cup sugar or NuNaturals baking blend stevia
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 cups nonfat milk
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp coconut oil (do not reduce!)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions – Combine flour, flax, bran if using, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, vanilla, and eggs. Pour the wet mix into the dry mix and stir until well combined. Add the coconut oil and mix again. Pour ~1/2 cup batter into a preheated waffle maker and let cook until the steam rate slows and the waffle is browned.
The serving options are endless! So far I have tried…
- MY GO TO: A couple tablespoons of nut butter; like peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, black walnut butter, sunflower seed butter, and vanilla tahini!
- Greek yogurt mixed with nut butter and/or maple syrup
- Cream cheese + cinnamon or chopped nuts
- Coconut butter + maple syrup (pictured below… in class)
I wanted the waffles to have a high fiber content, protein, and be relatively lower carb than normal waffles. The nutrition facts per waffle:
- Calories – 307
- Total fat – 12 g
- Carbs – 38 g
- Fiber – 9.2 g
- Sugar – 4.8 g
- Protein – 13.4 g
Because I have had so many opportunities to play around with this recipe, I have tried versions with peanut flour, protein powder, more bran, less oil, etc. The only alternative version of this recipe that I adore is slightly lower in calories and carbs and higher in protein. It has about 260 calories per waffle and 17 grams of protein. This version is the exact same as the version above, except: 1 cup of white whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup of wheat bran, 1/4 cup of flax meal, 1 scoop (25 grams protein) Total Body Consultants whey protein powder in Cinnamon Bun, 2 tbsp baking powder, and 1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil.
I've got to give photo cred to my new friend from CrossFit (!!!!!), Elliot for these mouth watering pictures. It has made me want to invest in a DSLR… perhaps for graduation 😉 Mom ;). And, by crazy chance, he and his friends own a website that I have been using for ages! Its an interval workout timer online so that you can do body weight workouts at home without having to mess with stop watches and whatnot. Check it!
Wheat bran * contains TONS of iron, B vitamins, magnesium, phosphorous and antioxidants! 1 cup has 25 grams of fiber and 9 grams of protein!
Whole wheat * when you choose white flour over whole wheat flour, you are losing over half of the B vitamins, fiber, folic acid, calcium, zinc, phosphorous, copper, and iron. Whole grains (versus processed) reduce your risk for diabetes and have also been linked to weight loss and maintaining a lower BMI.
Eggs * the yolk is where all the nutrients are! It contains tryptophan, selenium, iodine, B vitamins, and phosphorous, many of which are necessary for optimal metabolism.
Coconut * coconut gets a bad rap because of its saturated fat content, but its fatty acids are mainly medium-chain triglycerides, not long-chain. The long-chain triglycerides are bad for our cholesterol levels, but coconut has been shown to improve cholesterol levels. Animal studies suggest that medium-chain triglycerides can increase metabolism.
Milk * a key source of vitamin D and calcium, as well as protein.


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Wherever you live, electricity is an increasing expense. In the developing world, communities have seen this challenge and taken their energy needs into their own hands.
Long-term planning for lightning energy change:
According to The Guardian, Barefoot College in India has educated people to harness the sun's power so their communities become more sustainable and self-sufficient.
Barefoot College launched its solar power course for women in 2005, and already more than 150 women from 28 countries have been trained in electrical and solar engineering. Over 10,000 homes in 100 villages have been solar electrified, saving 1.5 million liters (396,258 gallons) of kerosene and minimizing its negative health effects in homes.
Barefoot College uses technology that is simple so people with low levels of education can use it and earn an income by assisting their fellow community members in installing the solar panels.
Entrepreneurship for collaborative power energy change:
At the University of Wisconsin at Madison, three budding entrepreneurs – Dan Ludois, Jonathan Lee, and Patricio Medoza Araya – are using recycled parts of old household microwaves to create the "Microformer" – a device that can multiply the low-wattage from a developing country's electrical grid and provide enough electricity to power a few lights, a small refrigerator, and other small electronics on an ongoing basis.
But, there's a problem: cost. Though this mini-transformer cuts the price tag of a traditional transformer by a great deal, the $60 price tag may still be a tough sell in some ares. For middle-income families in developing countries, it may be affordable. For most people living in poverty, it's out of reach.
But, these young inventors from Wisconsin are committed to furthering their research, tweaking their design, and offering free online instruction seminars to ensure that as many people as possible can benefit from their work. One way they can do that is by collaborating with institutions like Barefoot College and others working on energy access to nurture their shared passions – pulling people out of poverty.
In the right light, the right partnership can create something extraordinary.
• This article originally appeared at Global Envision, a blog published by Mercy Corps.
• Sign up to receive a weekly selection of practical and inspiring Change Agent articles by clicking here.


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"A new free solution directly addresses the Common Core implementation challenges looming ahead for K-12 schools and districts around the country." writes eSchool News.
Edulastic is a web-based formative assessment platform that helps teachers prepare and deliver effective Common Core curricula by simultaneously improving the assessment creation, assignment, and grading processes.
Edulastic helps educators achieve their Common Core curriculum objectives in several ways:
- Provides meaningful homework solutions and daily assessments for evaluating and supporting student mastery of Common Core standards.
- Enables teachers to craft standards-aligned formative assessments with highly interactive, freeform questions defined by Smarter Balanced & PARCC.
- Offers free curated content that includes thousands of standards-aligned questions crafted by other teachers.
- Provides insights into student proficiency at an aggregate and individual level, enabling teachers to identify areas where a student needs personalized instruction, intervention or remediation.
- Facilitates the adoption of benchmarked standardized assessments through a collaborative evaluation process that can be applied across districts and within broader learning communities.
"We've placed an emphasis on making it easy for teachers to create, share and adopt proven assessment strategies," said Madhu Narasa, CEO of Edulastic. "We want to accelerate student learning—and help relieve stress associated with assessments and the Common Core implementation process—while delivering timely and useful information for students, educators, parents, and policymakers."Read more...
Apps of the Week
Name: Global Shark Tracker
What is it? An app for tracking and observing navigational patterns of sharks
Best for: Students and teachers
Price: Free
Requirements: iOS 5.1 or later; Android 2.2 and up
Features: OCEARCH's Global Shark Tracker lets you observe the navigational pattern of sharks that have been tagged with satellite tracking technology all for the purpose of shark conservation. OCEARCH facilitates unprecedented research by supporting leading researchers and institutions seeking to attain groundbreaking data on the biology and health of sharks, in conjunction with basic research on shark life history and migration.
Related links
Visit iTunes to buy and download apps
Google play
Source: eSchool News


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Duke (1-3) will travel to College Park for the first time since 2003 on Saturday to try and put a stop to their disappointing 3-game losing streak. Meanwhile, the Maryland Terrapins (3-1) will look to extend their winning streak to 3 games, while avenging last season's loss in Durham. The showdown in Byrd Stadium presents the young Blue Devils with an opportunity to overcome their early season struggles and turn their season around as they head to their bye week.
Duke in Week 4
Duke fell to Army, 35-21 in last week's Homecoming game in Wallace Wade Stadium. Turnovers were the story of a forgettable day for first-year starting QB Sean Renfree, who threw three interceptions and added a fumble. The Blue Devils finished with five turnovers, and were just 1 of 8 on third down. Conner Vernon continued his strong start, finishing with 8 catches for 129 yards and a late touchdown, though he also added a fumble of his own. The defense showed improvement from earlier contests, holding the potent Army rushing attack to 3.8 yards per carry, but did give up two big touchdown passes in the 3rd quarter, which sealed the win for the Black Knights. After a strong performance against Alabama, freshman LB Kelby Brown continued his strong play, leading the Blue Devils with 10 tackles.
Maryland in Week 4
Filling in for the injured Jamarr Robinson, ACC Freshman of the Week Danny O'Brien led the Terrapins to a 42-28 victory over Florida International. The redshirt-freshman QB finished 18 for 27 for 250 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Terrapin offense scored on 4 plays of greater than 50 yards, including big runs from Da'Rel Scott and Davin Meggett, and a 68 yard strike to standout WR Torrey Smith. It was a mixed day for the Terrapin defense, which came away with two interceptions, held FIU to 2.9 yards per carry, but gave up 355 passing yards.
Momentum appears to be in the Terrapins' favor, who have already eclipsed last year's 2-win mark and are thirsty for revenge after a sloppy 17-13 loss to Duke in 2009. The Army loss was deflating for this Duke team and its fanbase, but a win in College Park would go far to restore the confidence of this team and the Blue Devil faithful.
The Terrapin offense will present a significant challenge for a struggling and banged up Blue Devil defense. Maryland boasts one of the most balanced offenses Duke will see in 2010, entering the contest at 4th in the ACC in scoring, while also averaging an almost even 160 yards rushing and 160 yards passing per game. While O'Brien, a player Coach Cutcliffe recruited, has earned the start, Robinson is also expected to be available, giving the Terrapins a dynamic passing/rushing tandem under center. The duo of Scott and Meggett lead the rushing attack, which has averaged 4.8 yards per carry and scored 7 touchdowns in 2010. The best way to contain the Terrapin offense, however, would be to find a way to slow Torrey Smith. Smith already has 5 receiving touchdowns on the year (including 4 in his last two games) and is second in the ACC in receiving yards behind Duke's Conner Vernon. Duke's defense is allowing 237 passing yards per game and has already given up 10 receiving touchdowns. While they don't turn the ball over, the Terrapins do lead the ACC in penalty yards, a trend the Blue Devils hope will continue on both sides of the ball Saturday.
In summary, defensive keys for Duke:
1. Limit big plays for the Terrapins by slowing Smith and finishing tackles against the run.
2. Bring pressure. The Terrapins gave up 8 sacks in week 3 to West Virginia.
3. Play tough on 3rd down. Maryland enters the game last in the ACC in 3rd down conversions.
Just as Duke will have its hands full with the Maryland offense, the Blue Devil offense should bounce back and challenge an inconsistent Terrapin defensive unit. The game will feature the ACC's top red zone offense (Duke, 13/13) against the ACC's top red zone defense (Maryland, 10/18). Florida International demonstrated that it's possible to throw the ball against the Terrapin defense, which is allowing 186 passing yards on the year (which includes a game against run-heavy Navy). The defense is anchored by an impressive group of linebackers, led by senior Alex Wujciak, who enters the game second in the ACC in tackles at 12.2 per game. The Terrapin defense has forced an impressive 10 turnovers on the year, but has just 5 sacks, allows nearly 200 rushing yards per game, and ranks last in the ACC in 3rd down defense.
In summary, offensive keys for Duke:
1. Take care of the football. Turnovers doomed the Blue Devils last week and the Terrapins defense is hungry for takeaways.
2. Keep the offense balanced. Renfree to Vernon has been a pretty thing to watch so far in 2010, but Duke's other receivers have been inconsistent. Duke needs to get a few more of their receiving weapons going while also allowing Scott and Snead to break some big runs to really open things up.
3. Move the chains and convert in the red zone. This looks like a game where 3rd down and red zone conversions will be the deciding factor.
In closing, the Blue Devils should also be wary of Tony Logan, the ACC's leading punt returner, who took one to the house last week for 85 yards. In contrast, Coach Cutcliffe insists the Blue Devils have been close to a return TD themselves, and a big special teams play will swing the momentum.
BDN Prediction
Every week presents an opportunity for the young Blue Devils to turn things around, and the trip to College Park would be as good a time as any with a bye week looming. After showing improvement on defense against Army, the defense will face a stiffer test in a balanced Maryland attack. Allowing big plays and turning the ball over are trends that need to be reversed for the Blue Devils to stay competitive. Coach Cutcliffe has praised the character and work ethic of his young team, and it will have to be on full display in a hostile environment Saturday evening. The margin for error is slim, but the BDN consensus is that the Blue Devils will pull together for a hard-fought and much-needed conference win.
The BDN Football staff split 2-1 in favor of Duke on this one and the consensus pick was Duke 34 Maryland 33


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The Morrow County 403(b) plan is a voluntary retirement plan option, you may contribute to this plan by deferring from your paychecks and contributing those funds (in an amount you specify) to an account held under Vendor (investment company) in the plan. You make this election by following the steps below, which includes the submission of a Salary Reduction Agreement (SRA) indicating your choice of contribution amount and vendor.
Traditional 403(b) accounts are tax deferred, meaning funds are deferred from your check to your investment account on a pre-tax basis. When you contribute to a Traditional 403(b) account, your net pay is not reduced by the full amount of your contribution (please see our net pay impact illustrations page for detailed examples).
Morrow County allows employees to make Roth 403(b) contributions to any Morrow County vendor that will accept such contributions. Roth contributions are deferred from paychecks to investment accounts on an after-tax basis, as opposed to Traditional 403(b) which are deferred on a pre-tax basis.
How much you choose defer from your pay to a 403(b) account is a personal choice based both your goals and financial constraints. There are annual (calendar year) 403(b) maximum contribution limits that apply. For questions regarding the maximum contribution limit and how it applies to you, please contact us.
You may make monthly contributions to one or more investment companies on this List of 403(b) Vendors with Active Payroll Slots for Morrow County School District. Your research into which companies best meet your need may be aided by visits to company and agent links available at the vendor site.
If you wish to make Roth contributions, check the List of 403(b) Vendors with Active Payroll Slots for Vendors that have "Roth 403(b) Accounts Available" after their name. It may be necessary to open a separate designated Roth 403(b) account, even if you have an existing Traditional Pre-tax 403(b) account with a vendor. We recommend contacting your vendor to make sure your account is properly set-up for Roth 403(b) contributions and you have designated investment allocations for your Roth contributions.
Open an account with a Vendor holding an Active Payroll Slots prior to indicating you wish to begin deferring to the Morrow County 403(b) Plan by submitting an SRA (Step 4 below).
As you complete your account application, it is helpful to have the Plan ID# listed next to your vendor's name available when you open your account, this will help to appropriately associate your new account with the Morrow County 403(b) Plan*.
*Please note: You may not defer to an account listed under a prior/different employer's plan, it will be necessary to establish an account under the Morrow County 403(b) Plan to begin deferrals.
Once you have completed your account application and the account is open (with an account or contract number assigned), please submit documentation your account has been established to
Attn: Payroll at
Morrow County along with the SRA (see Step 4 below).
Complete your
403(b) Salary Reduction Agreement
online, print it, sign it, and submit it to
Attn: Payroll at
Morrow County, along with a copy of documentation that you have established an account with the vendor. Morrow County requires its own 403(b) Salary Reduction Agreement form for all new voluntary deductions and for all changes.
Morrow County School District No. 1
Attn: Payroll
P.O. Box 100
Heppner, OR 97836-
Employees need to deliver the Morrow County-approved Salary Reduction Agreement by the deadline established by Morrow County for a month in order for the amount to be deducted from that month's payroll. Salary Reduction Agreements must be submitted to the District Office by the District's Payroll cutoff date for the given month.
The most recent 403(b) Salary Reduction Agreement (SRA) document on file at Morrow County School District remains in effect until you cancel the agreement, change the contribution amount, or change the vendor. One or more of these three actions requires submission of a new 403(b) Salary Reduction Agreement.
Morrow County School District is required to avoid contributions that might exceed IRS limits. Consequently, the 403(b) SRA stipulates that Morrow County may reduce and/or suspend contributions as necessary to avoid excess deferrals. CCC monitors year-to-date contributions each month and notifies Morrow County when such reductions and suspensions are required. Prior to an actual reduction and/or suspension, you are given the opportunity to review the data on which the decision to reduce/suspend was made to verify its accuracy.
Page Last Modified: 8/4/2020 6:11:21 PM


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I want to insert a shortcode in the Wordpress Post Editor from javascript (not a tinymce plugin). I currently use:
tinyMCE.activeEditor.execCommand('mceInsertContent', false, "[SHORTCODE]test[/SHORTCODE] ");
but this only seems to work when the editor is in "Visual" mode (and sometimes activeEditor == null). How do I accomplish this regardless of the state of the editor? (I'd think this is a fairly common scenario)


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With flu widespread in Texas during an earlier-than-normal season, church officials are making provisions to make sure parishioners stay healthy -- from skipping the shared communion cup to encouraging a bow, nod or even a fist bump instead of the usual handshake.
As parishioners left a morning Mass on Sunday at St. Rita Catholic Community in Dallas, many stopped at a table in the vestibule to bathe their hands in hand sanitizer.
Church officials there are also advising parishioners that they can take communion with only the bread and skip the shared cup.
The latest news from around North Texas.
At King of Glory Lutheran Church in Dallas, Senior Pastor Jon Bustard encouraged young and old in the congregation to bump fists instead of shaking hands.
The announcement brought chuckles but many indeed fist bumped.


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The projects are among the 23 winners announced so far in BC Hydro's 2008 call for clean power and together will supply the government-owned utility with 1528GWh of firm electricity a year.
Vancouver-based Finavera Renewables was the biggest winner on the wind side, with BC Hydro accepting all four of its bids. The projects, which have a combined capacity of 293MW and an estimated capital cost of C$800 million, are scheduled to come online between 2012 and 2014. All are located in north-eastern British Columbia near Tumbler Ridge and Chetwynd.
The largest single project to win a contract is Edmonton-based Capital Power Corporation's C$455 million, 142MW Quality wind project near Tumbler Ridge, which is expected online in 2013. The final wind project is the 99MW Knob Hill wind power project, located 35 kilometres north-west of Port Hardy on Northern Vancouver Island. Sea Breeze Power, a Vancouver developer, has been working on the project for seven years and is expected to complete construction in 2012.
The utility is also buying power from 16 run-of-river hydro facilities with a combined output of 1,327GWh a year, and one waste heat project that will supply 46GWh a year. BC Hydro is still negotiating with the developers of eight additional projects, all run-of-river hydro.
Wind moves in
British Columbia was the last Canadian province to bring wind onto its system, with its first project coming into service last year. While wind energy has been the undisputed leader of renewable energy technologies in the rest of the country, in British Columbia it has played second fiddle to run-of-river hydro. The West Coast province's mountainous terrain is veined with steep and deep creeks furnished by waters from glacier and snow melt, that can produce power that has been 10-20% cheaper than wind.
The market for wind has been improving as hydro developers exploit the most accessible sites and are forced to move further afield into areas more expensive to develop. But although six wind power projects were successful in this latest round of utility purchases, another 13 were not. They may not have to wait long to find out what the future has in store, however.
"Companies that were not successful in this call could have opportunities in the future with the introduction of the Clean Energy Act," says energy minister Blair Lekstrom.
The provincial government announced plans to table the act in its February throne speech, which laid out legislative priorities for the coming session. While little detail has emerged so far, it promised "a comprehensive strategy to put British Columbia at the forefront of clean energy development" that will include improved energy procurement and streamlined regulatory processes.
Robert Hornung, president of the Canadian Wind Energy Association, says the industry is encouraged by the government's plans and wants to work with the province to ensure the act "truly sets the stage" for British Columbia to develop wind to its full potential.
The throne speech also promised new transmission investments within the province, as well as new interconnections to boost electricity trading opportunities across Western Canada and into the United States.
Bruce Barrett, vice-president of major projects for the government-owned BC Transmission Corporation, says a recent study mapping out clean energy potential in the western part of North America found BC's readily available resources include almost 14GW of wind, more than 6GW of new hydro, almost 1GW of biomass and nearly 500MW of geothermal. "And that's a relatively conservative assessment," he says.


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Lexie's Second & Third 4th Birthday5/23/2010 11:23:00 PM Edit This 2 Comments »
Yes I know I had a LARGE party for Lexie last Sunday (more on that later) but I didn't give her any gifts from me or the family that day. In fact we didn't open all the gifts from the party until Monday (May 17th) her real birthday, after her party at school.
At Montessori they ask parents to make a board with pictures of the child & their family and then write their accomplishments for each year. Since Lexie's first year was rather unusual they read about her first year at the baby house and my going to meet and adopt her. Then they sing this sweet song for every year they have been alive and at the end say what their accomplishment for the year was. Here is for Lexie's second year.
How cute are they? They don't allow sweets at school - even in their lunch boxes - but on a birthday celebration day the parents are allowed to bring sweets for the kids. Lexie picked out mini-cupcakes (they have to be store bought because of the health code - Betty Crocker is considered a criminal at public schools!) That night I did have just a small cupcake with a candle for her to blow out and we opened a few presents from me and the family.
As you know she opened this from her cousins and had to do a show with it on (see earlier post for the dance.)
I gave her this special ballerina doll and she promptly called her Cinderella - don't ask me why. She had a very full day on her really birthday but second birthday celebration.
Saturday she woke up with a cold but we were both determined to open all her presents from Mommy and some of the family. She wanted to be Tinker Bell (one of her gifts from a friend at the party) and away we went.
Something I've been looking for a long time for her was a pink jewelry box with a dancing ballerina and music box like I had as a girl. I found this one on eBay and it was a big hit.
While Grandma was here I also picked her up a heart necklace with her name on it so that was in the "treasure box" as well. She is ALL girl!!
But what I knew would be the biggest hit of the day was the puppets. I found the coolest sets of puppets that aren't available here in the states on - you guessed it - EBay. These are hand puppets with the whole cast of The Little Mermaid and Cinderella even with Gus & Jac!
They are adorable and she couldn't wait to do a show. It came with this blow up "stage" for the Aerial show that was very cute.
Here is her first little show.
She's a little confused over where the stage part is but it cracks me up. Even with her cold she put on a number of shows and had a ball. The same seller had Sleeping Beauty figures that were very similar to the puppets so I had to get that set for her as well. Her Aunt Yin-Yin, cousin Brooke, Uncle Todd & Aunt Yo-Yo all went in on the puppets and the puppet theatre. Thanks guys!! And yes I had to get her a theatre to go with them. I mean a girl can't put on a real show without the stage!
I gave this to her after her 3 1/2 hour nap - poor sick baby - but you'd never know if from her smile! How adorable is she? It even has a light!
Here I surprised her when she was behind the stage.
I won't bore you with any of her other shows but it really helped her keep busy while she was resting with this cold all weekend.
When I asked her what she wanted for her birthday she had said princess dolls. I clearly know my daughter because I had picked up these two porcelain dolls right after Christmas.
And here is Snow White. They even look alike.
She was being very careful with them and asked me to put them up high so they stay safe. You've got to love a practical girl. Here's one of my favorite shots of the day.
Yes I know I went overboard this year but she is such a sweet little girl that truly appreciates everything I do for her that I couldn't resist. It was more for me than for her. In fact, I think I enjoyed it more and I am so blessed to be her Mom. It's hard for me to believe I didn't know her 3 years ago. Whatever did I do without her?
And believe it or not, she'll be having a fourth 4th Birthday party down in Texas when we head south again to visit my sister and the kids. Poor Lexie - no one loves her!


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|International Space Station Imagery
high res (0.2 M) low res (48 K)
|S98-04123 (May 28, 1998) --- Members of the second crew that will live aboard the International Space Station, from left U.S. astronaut Susan Helms, Commander Yuri Usachev from Russia and U.S. astronaut Jim Voss, participate in Soyuz winter survival training in March 1998 near Star City, Russia. The training prepares the crew in the event the Soyuz spacecraft, used as an emergency crew return "lifeboat" for the station, were to land in a location where the crew could not be immediately reached.
Curator: JSC PAO Web Team | Responsible NASA Official: Amiko Kauderer | Updated: 10/30/2012


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Skip top Navigation. Browse Como.gov Translate this page
The Vision Committee is responsible for managing the vision process and writing the vision plan on behalf of the community. The committee includes representatives from discussion groups that will focus on specific subjects of interest to Columbians. These Citizen Topic Groups will be identified later this year and start meeting in January 2007.


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Checking in On… the Sun Belt ConferencePosted by dnspewak on January 13th, 2012
Danny Spewak is the RTC correspondent for Sun Belt Conference. You can find him Twitter @dspewak.
Reader's Take
The Week That Was
- It wasn't Ken McDonald's fault this his team lost in overtime to Louisiana earlier this month. The Ragin' Cajuns, after all, scored the winning bucket with six players on the floor. After more than three years of McDonald's frustrating tenure, though, the Sixth Man loss must have been the final straw for athletic director Ross Bjork. McDonald lost his job after the game, departing with a 67-49 record. Now, interim head coach Ray Harper must mold this young team into a competitor this winter, which should be a tall task for a team mired in a 1-7 free-fall since December 7.
- Tony Mitchell's debut in Sun Belt play did not exactly make any headlines, as he fought foul trouble and scored just six points in each of his first two games. The third SBC contest with South Alabama was a charm, however. Mitchell went for 34 points and 16 rebounds, scoring in every way imaginable. He attacked the glass, fired from three-point range and finished 11-14 from the field. And last night, Mitchell's hot streak continued with a 21-point effort in front of several NBA scouts in Denton. We knew this would be the case, but it's starting to look like Mitchell is a sure one-and-done.
- Middle Tennessee (16-2, 5-0): Here's an easy formula to dominate a league: bully people on the glass and on the defensive end. That's where MTSU makes its living. Averaging 11 offensive rebounds per game as a team, the frontcourt duo of LaRon Dendy and J.T. Sulton is simply unfair right now. Plus, with Bruce Massey playing well at the point and MTSU's depth starting to round into shape, Kermit Davis doesn't appear to have many weaknesses right now. Except, of course, for one big one: three-point shooting. Even though they do most of their damage in the paint, the Blue Raiders do not have an outside threat right now. Raymond Cintron is the only player really capable of getting hot from the perimeter, and even he shoots less than 40 percent from the field. Besides that, it's hard to envision Davis' team suffering a collapse after this 5-0 start. Saturday's game at preseason favorite Florida Atlantic might be the most important game of the season. Read the rest of this entry »


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Hotels in Riviera Nayarit
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Hotels in Riviera Nayarit
Riviera Nayarit is fast becoming one of Mexico's premier beach destinations, with an ever-increasing selection of resorts along this pristine coastline. Hotels in Riviera Nayarit vary from opulent to budget-friendly, but it's the choice of luxury hotels that is most impressive. A favorite 5-star hotel in Riviera Nayarit is the Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit All Inclusive, where you'll enjoy stunning Pacific sunsets from the outdoor infinity pool. The Villa La Estancia Beach Resort & Spa Riviera Nayarit is another high-end option with lots of opportunities for indulgent pampering. Also highly rated is B Nayar, a popular 4-star Riviera Nayarit hotel with a private beach and watersport facilities.
Things to see in Riviera Nayarit
Nestled between the jungle-clad peaks of the Sierra de Vallejo Mountains and the blue expanse of the Pacific Ocean, Riviera Nayarit is full of wonderful attractions just waiting to be discovered. There are dozens of coastal pueblos dotted throughout the area and a day spent exploring these charming traditional villages is time well spent. Bucerías is a delightful town around 30 minutes' drive from Puerto Vallarta. Its lovingly maintained cobblestone streets are filled with craft shops and galleries, and you can walk for hours along the 18-mile, palm-lined beach. Nuevo Vallarta is only 15 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta and is choc-a-bloc with top-class resorts, restaurants, and bars. It's also the best spot to view the hawksbills, leatherback turtles, and humpback whales that visit the waters around Banderas Bay.
Good for couples and honeymooners
Riviera Nayarit offers the perfect destination for a memorable vacation with that special someone. Whether you're newlyweds looking for an all-inclusive luxury resort, or a loved-up couple seeking a week of quiet romance by the sea, you'll have plenty of Riviera Nayarit hotels to choose from. Many resorts provide access to private beaches with sun loungers and surfing lessons provided free of charge. A boat trip to catch a glimpse of the whales that live off the coast is a great way to spend an afternoon, and is best rounded off by a romantic sunset dinner at a beachside restaurant.
How to get to Riviera Nayarit
The nearest airport to Riviera Nayarit is Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport. It is situated on the northern outskirts of Puerto Vallarta and is just a 15-minute cab ride from the southern end of Riviera Nayarit. Many of the upscale hotels in Riviera Nayarit provide an airport shuttle service to whisk you right to your destination. There are also plentiful rental companies in the local towns, and car is definitely one of the best ways of getting around Riviera Nayarit, especially if you want to explore the area's many beaches. There is also a local bus service connecting Nuevo Vallarta and Puerto Vallarta.


text: Accessible University (AU) is a fictional university home page designed to demonstrate a variety of common web design problems that result in visitors with disabilities being unable to access content or features. AU 1.0 was originally developed by AccessIT at the University of Washington in 2002. An updated version, AU 2.0, is maintained by AccessComputing, also at the University of Washington. Check out the updated version at http://uw.edu/accesscomputing/AU.