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Just putting food on the table can be a chore for so many. Because of this, farmers have focused on ways to get the cost of putting food on the table as low as possible. Some of the methods used, including chemicals, antibiotics and factory farming, have not always been in the best interest of the consumer nor the environment. Because of that, these methods haven't sat well with many consumers, which has given rise to the rapidly growing organic food industry.
What is organic food?
The organic food movement is actually a labeling term. It refers to the way food is grown and processed. Synthetic fertilizers and pesticides as well as sewage sludge and irradiation are not used to grow organic food crops, and seeds cannot be genetically engineered. Instead, organic food uses pesticides and fertilizers that are derived from natural sources. Meanwhile, organically certified livestock are raised in accordance with health and welfare standards. In addition to that, animals are not given antibiotics or growth hormones, but are given 100% organic food and have access to the outdoors. Organic farming practices encourage soil and water conservation as well as reducing pollution, and at its core, the practice of organic food production promotes sustainability and ecological balance and conserves biodiversity.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, has established an organic certification program that requires all foods desiring to be labeled organic to meet strict standards to be certified. There are actually three different organic labels. Foods that are 100% organic may use that phrase, however, the term "organic" actually includes foods that are at least 95% organic, so, as long as the food product is 95% organic, it can display the USDA's organic seal. Products that contain at least 70% organic ingredients may label that the product is "made with organic ingredients."
How big is the organic food industry?
According to the USDA, more than 25,000 farmers, ranchers, and other businesses produce products under the USDA organic certification program. Over $35 billion worth of products are sold through the U.S. organic retail market, up from just a billion dollars in sales in 1990. In 2010, about 4% of the U.S. food and beverage market was organic food sales, however, organic claimed 11% of all fruit and vegetable sales that year. Overall, about 81% of Americans have reported to have purchased organic food in the past. However, organic food buying is highly concentrated, as nearly half of all organic and natural food sales come from just 18% of customers.
The organic food industry is still an emerging industry in the U.S., and sales are expected to grow by 14% annually from 2013 to 2018. Most organic farms or businesses are small-scale operations or have been acquired and are now just part of a larger company. That limits the options for those seeking to invest directly in the organic food industry. That being said, the combination of growing consumer awareness and greater availability of organic products is driving growth, so investment options should increase over time.
How does the organic food industry work?
Because organic is a labeling term, it is a completely voluntary certification. Therefore, barriers to entry are not all that high. A producer first decides to adopt organic principles and then submits an application to be certified. From there, a certification agent reviews the application and verifies that the practices of the applicant comply with USDA organic food regulations. An inspector will conduct an on-site inspection of the applicant's operation to ensure these regulations are being met. If all guidelines are met, an organic certificate is given to the applicant. After that, the applicant must be re-certified each year to ensure it remains compliant with the organic food regulations. Because of this, theoretically, anyone with some land and capital could choose to join the organic food industry.
What drives the organic food industry?
There are several drivers of the organic food industry. Early on, it was driven by those seeking a more environmentally responsible solution to food production. However, over time, organic food has won more followers. Americans are becoming increasingly concerned with how their food has been grown and processed, and the organic certification provides greater peace of mind that their food won't be harmful to their health. This awareness has been enhanced by the growth of organic-focused food stores like Whole Foods (NASDAQ:WFM), which has also increased the availability of organic foods.
That being said, the bulk of organic food buying comes from consumers fully dedicated to the process. One survey concluded that 46% of organic food purchases were made by those who were either "true believers" in the process or "enlightened environmentalists." There are two big reasons organic food buyers typically have a dedication to the process. Organic food isn't as readily available, and organic foods typically carry premium prices because of the added production costs.
However, as more producers get certified, and more stores carry organic products, organic food is becoming an easier option for everyday shoppers who want to rid their diets of pesticides and food additives. Because of this trend, in 2010, more than half of organic food sales were sold through mass-market retailers. The combination of more grocery stores carrying organic foods, when combined with the growth of natural food retailers, is helping make organic food more readily available to the masses.
Overall, the industry is growing fast as more Americans are choosing to increase their consumption of organic foods. Given that nearly half of all organic food sales are to just a small subset of the population, there is great potential for future growth in the industry as more Americans increase their spending on organically certified food products. That's a tremendous opportunity for investors, as increased market share from organic foods could yield growing profits in the years ahead.


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The Discovery Channel will air a one-hour special of the Mecum Auction Live from Indianapolis on Saturday, May 22 from 2-3PM ET/PT. This hour will feature some of the most sought-after collector cars at the auction, including Harley Earl's 1963 Corvette, which is considered by many experts to be one of the most valuable and historically significant Corvettes ever built.
At last year's Bloomington Gold auction, the custom 1963 Corvette was a no-sale with a high bid of $985,000.
Check out our previous blog post previewing the sale of Harley Earl's 1963 Corvette.
Mecum to Offer Harley Earl's 1963 Custom Corvette at Indy's Spring Classic
Bloomington 2009: Harley Earl's 1963 Corvette a No Sale at $985,000

subset: commoncrawl


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Plant Profiles
Summer Beauty Acanthus
When most other plants have dropped their leaves, Acanthus foliage is still fresh green. Only days before Thanksgiving, the plant's exciting flowers of Summer are but a fading memory. It's the foliage that's the thrill now. It tolerates a remarkable amount of frost, week after week, when so much of the rest of the garden is bare stems and bare ground.
Acanthus is a triumph—translation, a struggle—here in New England, even through 'Summer Beauty' is one of the hardiest cultivars. No surprise, given that it's a native of Spain and Morocco, whose Winter climates may be cool and rainy, but rarely even frosty. I'm grateful for this lush foliage, then, in the way that folks who garden farther south could never be, where Acanthus can be just a workhorse and even a thug.
There are many other Acanthus to lust after, experiment with, and—if you can Winter them over and then convince them to flower—crow about. See "Variants" below for highlights of this remarkable plant genus, and "How to handle it" for strategies to welcome as many as possible to your own gardens.
Here's how to grow this impressive beauty:
Latin Name
Acanthus 'Summer Beauty'
Common Name
Summer Beauty acanthus
Acanthaceae, the Acanthus family.
What kind of plant is it?
Flowering perennial; evergreen in mild climates.
Zones 6 - 8
Clumping and broad. Growth is dense enough to work as groundcover; that ability is enhanced by the large and somewhat overlapping leaves. Tall spikes of flowers soar far above the foliage. Although the specifics of foliage and flower (let alone hardiness) are quite different, in these general aspects, Acanthus 'Summer Beauty' looks and functions like a large hosta.
Rate of Growth
Slow to establish unless circumstances are ideal.
Size in ten years
Size is dependent on congenial siting and climate. Slower and smaller in colder climates. Where its happiness is well assured—in solid Zones 7 and 8, plus in almost any soil that has excellent Winter drainage, and with some afternoon shade—you can expect a foliage clump five or more feet across and over two feet tall. The spikes of flowers can soar to more than five feet.
Dense but not boring; authoritative as well as detailed. Even the tall flower spikes have authority, with none of the ethereal fragility (as thrilling as that is) of other "spikers" like, say, the delphinium. See more details in "Grown for," below.
Almost no description—including this one—fails to enthuse that a well-grown Acanthus brings an architectural presence to any garden.
Grown for
its vigor: Acanthus is a strong groundcover—perhaps too strong in climates where it thrives, where it can spread easily by both roots and seeds.
its mounding foliage: The dark green leaves are shiny (shiniest when young, true) as well as toothily notched and lobed. They spring directly from the ground, and then arch up, out, and over. Their size, geometry, and overlapping array were inspiration for the capitals of Corinthian columns starting in the 4th century BC in ancient Greece, and continuing today, through millenia of imitations, homages, and parodies in civic, commercial, residential, and royal architecture world-wide.
its tall spikes of flowers: With Acanthus, "spike" has two meanings. The snap-dragon-like flowers crowd the top majority of a tall and unusually self-supporting stem, the flower spike. Also, each flower is hooded as well as "subtended" (hooded from underneath) by a bract tipped with a spine that's sharp, rigid, and long enough to draw blood. The bracts of 'Summer Beauty' are a dusty purple, but the flowers themselves are white.
Flowering season
Mid-Summer on the rare occasion when I get any flowering at all. Spring in milder climates.
Color combinations
Although the white flowers, alone, would go with anything, their dusty-purple bracts call for neighboring plants that feature blue, pink, grey, and white. But because the plant is so tempting but also so temperamental at the cold end of potential hardiness—lower Zone 7 down into Zone 6—just getting it to survive and bloom usually trumps aesthetics. If my best potential location for Acanthus were already spoken for by plants that bloom in red as well as deep yellow, I'd still plant 'Summer Beauty' there.
Partner plants
If your climate and your garden's specific conditions—see "How to grow it," below—permit Acanthus to be so solidly hardy that you can focus on its aesthetics rather than its mere survival, then the wider possibilities of the sculptural foliage, vigorous and even aggressive energy, and impressive "Don't mess with me, dude" flowers beckon.
The large leaves suggest more finely-detailed partners such as ferns, ornamental grasses, thread-leaf perennials or Japanese maples, or small-leaved shrubs like box-leaf honeysuckle, Lonicera nitida, or (duh) box itself. If their foliage can be in a contrasting color, so much the better. Acanthus, like hosta, welcomes some afternoon shade, too, so better to think of partner foliage that's brighter, not darker. Don't forget to choose partner plants that also appreciate afternoon shade, instead of sulking because of it. Additionally, the Acanthus bracts are dusty purple because there's really a dash of pink in them, so your partner plants will be more congenial visually if they veer into white or grey variegation rather than yellow. All together, now: Shade-tolerant, with brighter but non-yellow colors if possible. Painted ferns, not Russian sage. Leucosceptrum 'Silver Angel', not 'Golden Angel'. Variegated liriope or carex, not Hakonecheloa macro 'Aureola'. Lonicera nitida 'Silver Beauty' instead of 'Baggesen's Gold'. If I were gardening in Zones 8 and up, I'd vote for planting Pittosporum 'Marjorie Channon' near my Acanthus.
Acanthus partners equally well with larger details, from the stone slabs of walls and walkways, to wide expanses of gravel, to the trunks of large shrubs and trees, for where its shade tolerance is particularly helpful.
Because the foliage is engaging right out to the tips of the downward-arching leaves, Acanthus is best with foreground details, if any, of minimal height. A mulch of black river stones would be powerful, as would a carpet of mondo grass, Ophiopogon planiscapus. If there's enough light for it to maintain thick growth, black mondo, Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens', would be high drama, indeed. Other prostrate or very low foreground horticulture possibilities for part-shade, whose coloring also goes with dusty purple, include Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Prostrata', Lysimachia nummularia just in its green species form not the chartreuse, and, of course, vinca and pachysandra.
Where to use it in your garden
If hardiness isn't a challenge for you, Acanthus can be a space-filling groundcover near large trees or along paving. But its striking foliage, form, and flowers also make it worthy of prominent and even focal siting. Perhaps as a high and mighty groundcover for an exceptionally ornamental tree? What about a silver-leaved pear, Pyrus salicifolia 'Pendula', or a pollarded silver-leaved willow, Salix alba 'Sericea'? Or at the feet of oak trees, whose dappled shade and deep roots (the antithesis of large maples on both counts) welcome shade-comfortable underplanting.
The full and arching foliage, let alone the striking spikes of flowers, also suggest using Acanthus in large containers, even if only for the warm months. This is also an end-run around all the challenges of growing Acanthus in-ground where it's marginally hardy. See the strategy for "How to handle it—another option or two" under 'Skyracer' molinia.
Almost any decent soil as long as Winter drainage is impeccable. Acanthus is not the plant for lean soil, even though it would make that sensational Winter drainage all the easier to achieve.
How to handle it: The Basics
Drainage, drainage, drainage: The rule of thumb for beech trees—never plant on level ground!—is in effect for Acanthus as well, whose survival is very affected by culture, and primarily by winter drainage. Plant Acanthus on a slope, then, no matter how gentle. Full sun is fine unless the location is particularly brutal in the Summer, in which case afternoon shade would be welcome. Acanthus is shade-tolerant, as well, so if it's readily hardy for you, you can plant it almost anywhere you'd plant a hosta.
Think first before you plant, though, because Acanthus is impossible to eradicate without using herbicides: The least bit of root left behind will sprout a new plant.
Clear away the foliage after Winter has finally killed it. If you're growing Acanthus where it's not reliably hardy—anywhere in Zone 6 and even, for the truly adventurous, dipping into Zone 5—it's even more important to protect it from Winter wet than Winter cold. Merely mulching the plant, in fact, could just help it rot faster, because the mulch itself will absorb and hold water, and act like a spongy reservoir to keep the soil it covers even moister than ever.
Do mulch, but on a sunny day, and with mulch that's dry. Use big nugget mulch, which won't absorb much water, doesn't pack down, and allows for some cross ventilation. Make a mound of it eight inches high right over the clump, and sloping outward to the ground all around; the mound will be two feet across or even a bit wider.
And then put some sort of impermeable shield atop it, to keep the mulch dry through the Winter. This could be a short section of something rigid—PVC pipe or drainage conduit—cut in half lengthwise to make a tunnel. The pipe or conduit would need to be at least 18 inches in diameter; a section two feet long would be enough. But much easier and cheaper is to use cardboard from a box you've opened out into a flat sheet. Center one of the seams right over the Acanthus clump, as if you're giving the mulch a gently-sloping roof like that of a split-level house. Use a rectangular sheet of cardboard big enough to slope right out to the ground on two sides, leaving the mulch at other two sides exposed. This lets air into the mulch, and even under the cardboard, but not sharp wind or icy rain. Keep the cardboard in place by covering it with more mulch.
In early Spring, after danger of ice and snow is past, you can remove the cardboard and, scuffling down throught the nugget mulch with your fingers, check if the clump is resprouting. Don't worry if it's not; Acanthus are slow after what, for it, is a serious Winter. Cover the clump back up—including the cardboard top—and check back in two or three weeks. When you finally uncover fresh growth, leave the cardboard off, but leave the mulch in place around but not over the new shoots. After Spring is truly underway and serious frost is no longer a danger, remove all the mulch so the sun can warm the soil, too. Your Acanthus is ready to welcome the new season.
See "Downsides," below, for how this Fall and Winter protection increases the chances of flower production in Spring.
How to handle it: Another option—or two?
Grow Acanthus in large ornamental containers. See the strategy for "How to handle it—another option or two" under 'Skyracer' molinia.
Quirks or special cases
Growing your Acanthus in containers year-round isn't enough? "Extreme" mulching and cardboarding isn't enough?
In locations where it's solidly hardy, Acanthus can easily become too much of a good thing, spreading by both roots and seeds. Worse, those same mild climates are where slugs and snails can be particularly nasty, and they enjoy nothing as much as a good munch on Acanthus leaves. This is yet another reason to consider growing Acanthus in large containers, regardless of whether it's hardy in-ground for you or not.
Where Acanthus is only borderline hardy, the foliage may still emerge faithfully, and even lustily, but flowers are rarely produced. Those new leaves are probably a sign that the entire base of the plant is regenerating itself from portions of roots that had penetrated too deep to be killed by the cold. (This ability to regrow from deeply-buried root remnants is a talent also shared by dandelions and horseradish.) But where Acanthus is solidly hardy, it flowers in Spring, meaning that at least the nubs of those flowers were formed during the Winter or even the previous Fall. And, alas, of the base of the clump is killed over the Winter, so are those precursors to its Spring flowers. Increase the chances of successful overwintering of the base of the plant, not just its lower root tips, by trying the "extreme mulching" described, above, in "How to handle it: Another option—or two!"
With about thirty species in the Acanthus genus—and an easy and almost incestuous familiarity among them when it comes to spontaneous hybridizing—there are more than a few Acanthus to consider. A. spinosus has foliage that's particularly toothed, lobed, and palmate—let alone spiny—and it's a full zone hardier than A. mollis: well down into Zone 6 provided that Winter drainage is perfect. A. 'Jeff Albus' is probably the same as 'Rue Ledan', with large foliage and white flowers as well as bracts; finally, Acanthus blooms to partner with deep yellow or red. A. hungaricus is midway in foliage between A. spinosus and A. mollis.
A. mollis 'Holland's Gold' has solid chartreuse leaves, for the spiky-leaved coloring—and similar sun and shade tolerance—of a 'Sum and Substance' hosta. Here's the Acanthus foliage to partner with deep yellow and red.
Acanthus m. 'Tasmanian Angel' is the first of the variegates, whose young leaves are heavily marked in white, and with bloom spikes strongly marked in bubble-gum pink. No, really. 'Whitewater' foliage is even whiter, and the flowers and bracts are almost pure white, with the flower stems brightly suffused with plum. Incredible, both. But because they're bred for looks not toughness, they're not likely to thrive unless conditions are uncompromisingly ideal.
Although I doubt there's any Acanthus that's truly ugly, hybrids are usually selected, first, for hardiness, and only second for aesthetics. And with greater tolerance of cold as well as high-humidity heat that these hybrids offer—or, at least, say they offer—gardeners farther and farther north and south have hope of more easily satisfying their Acanthus hunger.
Division in the Spring. Sections of the roots will also sprout plants; like yucca or horseradish—or dandelions—the smallest pieces left behind after an attempt to transplant (or eradicate) will produce new plants.
Native habitat
Acanthus 'Summer Beauty' was hybridized in China, and is probably a mixture of A. mollis, native to countries bordering the western Meditteranean, and A. spinosus, also native to countries bordering the western Meditteranean.


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Serve and Enjoy!!
A Daily lifestyle website. Sharing the latest products on the market, Parenting stories, travel guides, and destination information you can use! Along my travels, I became a Certified Food judge so you can also enjoy Food related posts!
July 1, 2015
Recipe - Campfire Breakfast
Serve and Enjoy!!
8 comments
That looks amazing. We're hoping to go camping this summer so will try this outReplyDeleteReplies
You should really try it, so Yummy!Delete
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An off-duty D.C. police officer accused of firing his service revolver into a car occupied by three transgender women and two male friends in August 2011 was convicted Friday of assault with a dangerous weapon and solicitation for prostitution.
But a D.C. Superior Court jury also found Officer Kenneth Furr, 48, not guilty of six other charges, including the more serious offense of assault with intent to kill while armed.
In a development likely to raise concern among LGBT activists, the jury found Furr not-guilty of all charges related to the firing of his gun through the windshield of the car with the five people inside.
Although three of them suffered non-life-threatening bullet wounds and two weren't hit, prosecutors said any of the five could have been killed.
"I really wonder what the jury heard and how they could decide not to find intent to kill," said transgender activist Jeri Hughes. "You don't fire a gun several times at people and not have intent to kill."
"It sounds like the defense did a good job in demonizing the victims," said Hughes, who was among many LGBT activists who viewed the incident as another in series of violent attacks against LGBT people in the city over the past several years.
Police and prosecutors said the incident started with a verbal dispute between Furr and one of the transgender women and her friends when Furr became angry and "aggressive" after the woman refused his offer of money for sex in the area of 5th and K St., N.W.
Superior Court Judge Russell Canan scheduled a sentencing hearing for Jan. 10, 2013. At the request of Furr's attorneys, Canan released Furr into the court's high intensity supervision program, which requires that he wear an electronic ankle bracelet and undergo alcohol and drug tests. He had been held in jail since the time of his arrest.
The verdict came after the jury deliberated for nearly nine hours over a two-day period and followed a five-day trial in which the defense disclosed information not previously made public that appears to have strengthened its claim that Furr acted in self-defense.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Worm, the lead prosecutor, argued that Furr acted in a reckless manner and in anger by firing his gun into a car with five unarmed people inside.
A police arrest affidavit says the people in the car reported that Furr shouted, "You're going to die" seconds before he began shooting. The affidavit says Furr had a blood alcohol level twice the legal limit at the time he was arrested. D.C. police charged him with driving while intoxicated, but that charge was later dropped.
"His actions that day were not okay for a police officer, a teacher or a construction worker," the Washington Post quoted Worm as telling the jury in opening arguments.
Dispute unfolded prior to shooting
However, in a statement released after the verdict on Friday, the U.S. Attorney's office acknowledged that the three transgender women and their two male friends chased after Furr in their car after the dispute between the two parties continued to unfold.
At one point, one of the men assaulted Furr, prompting Furr to flee in his car with the trans women and their male friends following him again, according to the U.S. Attorney's statement.
Fearing for his life, Furr pulled out his gun and began to shoot after seeing the other car in hot pursuit, said David Knight, one of two Public Defender Service lawyers that represented Furr.
"He was alone, outnumbered and under attack," the Post quoted Knight telling the jury. "He was threatened, assaulted and pursued by a car full of people who wanted to do him harm," the Post quoted him as saying.
In its statement released after the verdict, the U.S. Attorney's office said the incident began in the early morning hours of Aug. 26, 2011 when Furr, who was off duty, attempted to pick up transgender prostitutes in an area near 5th and K Streets, N.W., which has long been known as a hangout for transgender sex workers.
"His initial attempts to pick up one transgender woman were rejected by her," the statement says. "He nonetheless followed her into a drug store at 400 Massachusetts Avenue. Once inside, he continued to solicit her in front of two of her acquaintances," the statement says.
It says Furr got into a "verbal altercation" with one of the male acquaintances. The statement says a short time later Furr confronted the two acquaintances outside the store and, after more words were exchanged, reached into the glove compartment of his car and pulled out a semi-automatic pistol and pointed it at them.
"[T]his is the offense that led to the guilty verdict on the charge of assault with a dangerous weapon," the U.S. Attorney's statement says.
It says that about 20 minutes later three of the complainants from the incident at the drug store and two of their friends crossed paths with Furr in the area of 5th and K Streets, N.W.
"Furr once again was attempting to solicit a transgender prostitute," the statement says. "The complainants pulled their car next to Furr's, and at least one of the occupants in the complainants' car assaulted Furr. Furr sped off and the complainants' car followed."
With the complainants following him, Furr drove to the intersection of First and Pierce Streets, N.W., parked his car and began firing his gun at the complainants' car, the statement says.
"The driver of the victims' car ducked and hit the accelerator, crashing into the side of Furr's vehicle," it says. "Furr then jumped on the hood of the occupied vehicle and continued shooting, firing a total of five rounds. Three of the occupants of the car suffered injuries."
According to court records and a police report, D.C. police officers who had been on patrol in the area heard the shots being fired and rushed to the scene and placed Furr under arrest.
Furr was held in jail from the time of his arrest to the day of the verdict in his trial, when Canan agreed to release him into the high intensity supervision program while he awaits his Jan. 10 sentencing.
He faces a possible maximum sentence of ten years in prison on the assault with a dangerous weapon charge and up to 90 days on the prostitution charge.
A police spokesperson said Furr has been on indefinite unpaid leave since shortly after his arrest.
On March 7 of this year, a D.C. Superior court grand jury handed down a 9-count indictment against Furr, which included six counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, one count of assault with intent to kill while armed, and two counts of solicitation for prostitution.
At the conclusion of the trial but prior to the case going to the jury, Canan agreed to a defense motion to have the second prostitution charge dismissed, according to court records.
Court records show that the jury acquitted Furr on five counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of assault with intent to kill while armed.
Defense attorney raises issue of victims' criminal records, conflicting statements
At least two of the five victims were subjected to intense questioning from defense attorney Knight, who pointed to discrepancies between their trial testimony and testimony before the grand jury.
Chloe Alexander Moore, one of the transgender women involved in the case, testified that Furr solicited her for sex for money at the 5th and K Street, N.W. location and inside a CVS drug store nearby. In response to questioning by Knight, she acknowledged that she failed to tell the grand jury that one of her male friends assaulted Furr on the night of the incident prior to the shooting, according to the Washington Post.
Knight also brought up a solicitation charge pending against her in D.C. and asked if prosecutors in the Furr case promised her special consideration in her pending case if she cooperated by testifying against Furr.
"Of course," the Post quoted her as saying. "Who wouldn't want a case dropped for something you weren't guilty of," the Post quoted her as saying.
John Brand, one of the two male friends in the car with the three transgender women at the time of the shooting, testified that he was drunk at the time of the incident and could not remember whether he assaulted Furr.
Asked by Knight whether it is possible that he did commit the assault, Brand said, "Yes."
Knight also asked Brand about his own past criminal record, which includes arrests for marijuana possession and distribution and an illegal gun possession charge.
Observers of criminal trials say it's a common practice for defense attorneys to raise questions about the credibility of prosecution witnesses. It's the job of prosecutors to remind jurors that a prior criminal record doesn't mean a witness's credibility should be automatically discarded, court observers have said.
Jeffrey Light, an attorney for the D.C. Trans Coalition who attended part of the trial, couldn't immediately be reached for comment.
"This verdict does not seem unreasonable to me, especially considering the credibility issues of the government's witnesses and the obvious strong self-defense component to the case," said D.C. area attorney Dale Edwin Sanders.
"No one would have been injured if the victims had not chased down Furr in their vehicle after first assaulting him in an altercation in which apparently Furr did not respond aggressively…and left the scene," said Sanders in speculating on how jurors may have viewed the incident.
I am not pleased by this outcome.
When a transgender woman is a victim of a crime, no matter what the circumstance, they are always the one put on trial. Reading between the lines, I am certain this has occurred once again.
In this instance, purportedly there was a physical altercation, which occurred after Furr had brandished his weapon. I believe it was ill advised for those individuals to follow his car, because the man was obviously not stable. However, they did follow the car. It was my understanding that they had reported the weapon incident to the police, and were attempting to assist in his capture. In any event, according to the US Attorney press release, Furr parked his car, got out of his car, and opened fire at the vehicle as it was going down the street. This does not qualify as self defense. Any person in fear would have driven away and called for police assistance. Furr got out of his car, fired on the vehicle until it crashed, and continued to fire afterwards. There was no attempt to arrest, or seek back-up. There were no weapons in the car or on the person of the victims. These facts support an assault with intent to kill, as well as an assault with a deadly weapon.
In spite of the self congratulatory remarks provided by the US Attorney, I can only conclude that this trial has concluded as a miscarriage of justice. The fact that Furr was released from custody pending sentencing does not bode well. I fear that in the near future an extremely unstable and dangerous man will be walking the streets of the District as a free man. Frankly, I don't believe we will be fortunate enough never to hear from him again.
I had a WTH reaction to this too…
You are a high qualified legal professional, aren't you? These complicated criminal law issues become so clear while reading your articles. If you provide criminal law services, submit please your contacts to my attorney directory. This is its category with Delaware criminal attorneys http://attorney-online.info/dir/criminal/delaware/390 there are much more categories and you can invite there all good lawyers you know.
Until the Gay Community starts exercising our Second Amendment Rights, the violence will continue to increase. You cannot trust government thugs to protect you. They cannot help you, they can only arrest you and ruin your life. Can you imagine if Officer Kenneth Furr got what he deserved and it was not blocked out in the media? The gay-bashing will stop after a transgender women pulls out her Lady Smith and unloads it into the head of the attacker.


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Sue Bergin,@smbergin
The maturation of the baby-boomer generation turned into a bit of a "promised land" for advisors. New products, services, specialties and strategies were devised better to serve this massive market. Advisors, along with the rest of the financial services industry, eagerly waited the fees, commissions, and product sales that would naturally flow as boomers prepared for, and transitioned to, retirement. Everyone was ready, but will those who were promised ever even reach the so-called promised land?
In an article (subscription required) published in Financial Planning, "Advisor Threat? Wave of New Online Services Incoming", Charles Paikert reports the influx of venture capital and clients flocking to the online advisory space. Many of the services who have staked a claim on the promised land are getting clients before advisors even get in the door. Financial Guard is an example of a service offered directly to individual investors/employees. It provides advice and recommendations to employees on their 401(k) portfolios.
While these services are arguably tapping into a segmented market, it is important to note the increase in their popularity. However great the rise, it does not diminish the experience of working directly with a financial advisor. Let's take a look at some of the applications and services with a presence in the online world:
- SigFig, a mobile application that tracks, organizes, and makes recommendations on financial assets garnered $50 billion in assets managed in just nine months after the app launched.[1]
- In February 2013, online investment company Betterment had amassed $135 million in assets under management, investing on behalf of 30,000 users.[2]
- Online wealth management firm Personal Capital amassed $120 million in assets under management, 75% of which came in the first quarter of 2013. The firm continues to add $20 million to its platform monthly.[3]
- Jemstep, which provides recommendations on retirement goals, has attracted 10,000 users and tracks approximately $2 billion in assets. It has only been up and running since January 2013.
These new entrants are a prime example of what late British author and psychologist Havelock Ellis had to say about the promised land—It always lies on the other side of the wilderness.
[1] TechCrunch, "Financial Planning App SigFig Crosses $50B in Assets Managed Though the Platform," 1/14/13
[2] Pandodaily, "With 135 million in Assets Under Management Betterment Lures Two Key Hires Awa From Traditional Finance." 2/12/13
[3] Pandodaily, "Wealth management isn't for old farts anymore. Personal Capital uses technology and design to spice up a boring topic." 4/11/13


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The Second Wuhu Yangtze River Highway Bridge spans the Yangtze River between Shijian in Wuwei County and Eshan Mountain in Fanchang. Currently under construction, it is the world's longest cable-stayed bridge and the largest assembled using whole external pre-stressed steel beam sections. When connected with the completed Wuhu-Tongling Freeway, the bridge will measure approximately 57 kilometers long and play a vital role in improving the regional highway network, pushing forward Wan-Jiang urban belt construction for industry transfer and promoting regional economic and social development.
Xi Jin, president of Engineering Technology Research Instituteat Anhui Transport Consulting & Design Institute, said,"Bentley's bridge solution has enhanced design efficiency and quality, and with the ability to pass the 3D information model into operations, it can help deliver a reduction in lifecycle cost plus effective management of risk on projects."
The project team generated what it calls a virtual engineering environment by overlaying Digital Elevation Models on satellite imagery, enabling it to select the optimal location to minimize construction risk and environmental conflicts. Bentley's bridge solution, which includes MicroStation and ProjectWise plus design and structural analysis applications, is then used to create a 3D model that can be used for virtual construction, avoiding the risks and difficulties of complex project construction.


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In progress
Street light outside number 7 is not working
Reported in the Street lighting category anonymously at 16:41, Wed 21 March 2018
Sent to Oxfordshire County Council 4 minutes later
The resident reported one of the street cleaning operatives about the light being working for a while .
Thank you for your report; we have logged this as a fault on our management system. Our current policy is for our contractor to attend electrical & structural emergencies as a priority; these will be attended within a 24hr period. All other faults are logged on our management system, for efficiency, these are grouped by area and the date they were reported, and the contractor attends against a programmed of works based on this approach.
State changed to: Action scheduled
Posted by Oxfordshire County Council at 16:50, Wed 21 March 2018
Provide an update
Please note that updates are not sent to the council. Your information will only be used in accordance with our privacy policy


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Healthy Sleep Habits for Infants and Toddlers
As parents we are often faced with decisions for our children. From childcare to sleep habits. We want our children's rooms to be just perfect with all the bells and whistles. One thing we may not think about is SIDS. What is SIDS? According to the Mayo Clinic, SIDS is the unexplained death, usually during sleep, of a seemingly healthy baby less than a year old. SIDS is sometimes known as crib death because the infants often die in their cribs.
With any child 30 months or younger our teachers check the children every 15 minutes, after a child goes to sleep. Our teachers will touch and look at each child to ensure that they are still breathing, after that the teacher will re-set the timer. Although the cause is unknown, it appears that SIDS may be associated with abnormalities in the portion of an infant's brain that controls breathing and arousal from sleep.
Researchers have discovered some factors that may put babies at extra risk. They've also identified some measures you can take to help protect your child from SIDS. Perhaps the most important measure is placing your baby on his or her back to sleep. Causes of SIDS can be a combination of a couple of different factors. It could be physical and sleep environment that can make a infant more vulnerable to SIDS. Although, these factors will very from child to child. The Mayo Clinic list for the physical and Sleep environments factors are:
Researchers have discovered some factors that may put babies at extra risk. They've also identified some measures you can take to help protect your child from SIDS. Perhaps the most important measure is placing your baby on his or her back to sleep. Causes of SIDS can be a combination of a couple of different factors. It could be physical and sleep environment that can make a infant more vulnerable to SIDS. Although, these factors will very from child to child. The Mayo Clinic list for the physical and Sleep environments factors are:
Brain abnormalities. Some infants are born with problems that make them more likely to die of SIDS. In many of these babies, the portion of the brain that controls breathing and arousal from sleep doesn't work properly.
Low birth weight. Premature birth or being part of a multiple birth increases the likelihood that a baby's brain hasn't matured completely, so he or she has less control over such automatic processes as breathing and heart rate.
Respiratory infection. Many infants who died of SIDS had recently had a cold, which may contribute to breathing problems.
Sleep environmental factors could be:
The items in a baby's crib and his or her sleeping position can combine with a baby's physical problems to increase the risk of SIDS. Examples include:
Sleeping on the stomach or side. Babies who are placed on their stomachs or sides to sleep may have more difficulty breathing than those placed on their backs.
Sleeping on a soft surface. Lying face down on a fluffy comforter or a waterbed can block an infant's airway. Draping a blanket over a baby's head also is risky.
Sleeping with parents. While the risk of SIDS is lowered if an infant sleeps in the same room as his or her parents, the risk increases if the baby sleeps in the same bed — partly because there are more soft surfaces to impair breathing.
Although there is no guaranteed to prevent SIDS there are ways to help your child sleep safely by following these great tips. The Mayo Clinic along with Kids Health have great suggestions to help with safe sleep.
Back to sleep. Place your baby to sleep resting on his or her back, rather than on the stomach or side. This isn't necessary when your baby's awake or able to roll over both ways without help.
Don't assume that others will place your baby to sleep in the correct position — insist on it. Advise sitters and child care personnel not to use the stomach position to calm an upset baby.
Keep the crib as bare as possible. Use a firm mattress and avoid placing your baby on thick, fluffy padding, such as lambskin or a thick quilt. Don't leave pillows, fluffy toys or stuffed animals in the crib. These may interfere with breathing if your baby's face presses against them.
Don't overheat baby. To keep your baby warm, try a sleep sack or other sleep clothing that doesn't require additional covers. If you use a blanket, make it lightweight.
Tuck the blanket securely into the foot of the mattress, with just enough length to cover your baby's shoulders. Then place your baby in the crib, near the foot, covered loosely with the blanket. Don't cover your baby's head.
Baby should sleep alone. Your baby's sleeping in the same room with you is a great idea, but adult beds aren't safe for infants. A baby can become trapped and suffocate between the headboard slats, the space between the mattress and the bed frame, or the space between the mattress and the wall.
A baby can also suffocate if a sleeping parent accidentally rolls over and covers the baby's nose and mouth.
Breast-feed your baby, if possible. Breast-feeding for at least six months lowers the risk of SIDS.
Avoid baby monitors and other commercial devices that claim to reduce the risk of SIDS. The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages the use of monitors and other devices because of ineffectiveness and safety issues.
Offer a pacifier. Sucking on a pacifier at nap-time and bedtime may reduce the risk of SIDS. One caveat — if you're breast-feeding, wait to offer a pacifier until your baby is 3 to 4 weeks old and you've settled into an effective nursing routine.
If your baby has GERD, be sure to follow your doctor's guidelines on feeding and sleep positions.
While infants can be brought into a parent's bed for nursing or comforting, parents should return them to their cribs or bassinets when they're ready to sleep. It's a good idea to keep the cribs and bassinets in the room where parents' sleep. This has been linked with a lower risk of SIDS
If your baby's not interested in the pacifier, don't force it. Try again another day. If the pacifier falls out of your baby's mouth while he or she is sleeping, don't pop it back in.
For more information about SIDS please visit:
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There have been many debates about the efficiency of learning styles based learning, is it just a buzz or something worth in education. One article from EdSurge by Dan Belenky laments very descriptively that it is only a myth
How to teach your child about Processes: The key to STEM, IT and PROGRAMMING success!
Why and How To Teach Children About Processes IT and STEM as current and future attractive skills. Definitely, these are 21 century must have skills and they are in the focus of national curriculums. Processes are essential basics of IT
Believe it or not…Web 2.0. is the secret to educating your child!
Gabriel's Seeds is now open for personalization for any child. With the new media insertion functionality, educators can include any Youtube video that might interest young pupils in learning apps. Video or online game can be combined with game layouts. Reading&writing, math, brain teasers, perception and memory games, logic and etc., can include your preferred videos for additional learning enrichment.
Funny Brain Teasers for Kids
Converting from boring into wow effect for dozens of apps, it is so easy to create funny brain teasers for kids with adorable images and videos. We will show you how we have transformed one brain teasers from the net into funny brain teaser for kids.
Responsive pages
Better mobile experience Gabriel's Seeds is a web application, meaning it will not work optimally in iOS or Android as native mobile apps. Till today our mobile templates were not "the best" besides they were minimalistic. We are one step further with
Our success story
Achievements in kindergarten and preschool Technology is prominent in the modern world and everyday life. Children are relaxed and comfortable with cell phones, computers, and other electronics. The learning environments are greatly enhanced by the inclusion of electronics in the
What you need to know about, "Gamification" the FUTURE of learning.
Create adorable learning atmosphere with classroom gamification apps for your students in a snap. It is so easy to embed built-in games in learning apps and gamify math, reading&writing, logic and other assignments.
Want the internet to BENEFIT not HARM your child? Here's how it's done.
Education in the Information Age If you can't beat them, join them. The quote above, sums up what education has become in the world we live in. I've had several conversations with many parents, and from these conversations, the underlying
Creative STEM Activities in Kindergarten and Elementary
We've used learning app lessons and embedded Jule Vern's creatures as an element of surprise…and guess what, it was a total game changer, we totally blew the kids' imagination in a positive way off course. First of all, they were so amazed by the creatures. We are talking about children that see every day special effects on screens who shouldn't be easily amazed, but we did it.


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Strong curbs due soon on imported beef trade
Strong curbs due soon on imported beef trade
By Shelley Wright
STRICT controls on beef imports to protect public health have been recommended by the governments BSE advisory committee, SEAC.
Farm minister Jack Cunningham was expected to tell MPs yesterday (Thur) that SEAC had advised that no beef from animals over 30-months- old must be allowed into the country, and any imported beef must carry a guarantee that the head, spleen and spinal cord had been properly removed in abattoirs.
As FW went to press (Wed), MAFF officials refused to say what action the minister would take. Farmers angered by the flood of cheap beef imports into the UK have demanded a total ban.
But a SEAC member, who asked not to be named, told FW that the ideal solution would be for all member states to accept EU commission attempts to impose a EU-wide specified risk material ban. "We must drag them all up to our level," he said.
SEACs recommendations follow reports that cattle heads have been imported to the UK. The head meat is likely to have been used in processed products, including sausages or pies. "We have a law here that bans the use of heads and that must now be extended to stop any heads being imported," he said.
The possibility of cross-contamination occurring when meat was removed from the head was enormous, he added. "I cant think of anything more stupid, especially when we have a surplus of cheap forequarter beef in this country for processing."
Meat and Livestock figures show 83% of imported beef is de-boned. While SEAC did not believe there was any public health risk from de-boned beef, because all risk materials were removed, it could not be guaranteed to have come from under-30-month cattle.
With sides of bone-in beef the main worry was that spinal cord might still be attached.
"We dont want to start another conflict with the rest of Europe, but we must ensure that our public is as well protected from any BSE risk as possible," he said.
SEAC has also advised government to adopt EU commission proposals to remove some sheep offals from the human food chain. To protect the public against any possible risk from scrapie the commission wants a ban on brains, eyes, spinal cord and spleen from sheep over a year old. Lambs aged between six months and a year would have only spleens removed.
But ageing sheep would be impossible, other than by their teeth the SEAC member said. The committees advice is to remove the spleens from all sheep, and then the other risk material from any animal that had cut permanent teeth, which would be at about 15 months of age.


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Video of the process of creation of oil painting reproduction in our studio.We are academy educated European painters and we create our paintings only with museum quality.
The Bellelli Family, c.1858/67 Oil Painting Reproduction Location: Musee d'Orsay Paris France
Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas (1834-1917)
Original Size: 200 x 250 cm
Oil Painting ReproductionSKU: DEE-11827
Painting Size: $826.00
Painted by Academy Graduated European Artists
Only Museum-Quality
+ 4cm (1.6") Borders for Stretching
Creation time: 6-7 weeks
Medium:This painting reproduction will be completely painted by hand with artist grade oil paints on a blank linen canvas. We add additional 1.6" (4cm) of blank canvas above the offered size which will be used to stretch the canvas on a stretcher-bar.
The Time it Takes to be Created:To paint your Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas Hand-Painted Art Reproduction time is needed. The painting should not be made too hastily, nor should any deadlines be pursued. For the painting to acquire high quality and precision of detail, time is necessary. It also needs time to dry in order to be completely ready for shipping. Depending on the complexity, the level of detail, and the size of the painting, we'll need 6-7 weeks to make the painting.
Should a change of deadlines become necessary, or should your order arrive at a time when we are overloaded with work, then we will notify you by e-mail concerning how much time we would need to complete your painting reproduction.
Shipping:We do not frame our oil painting reproductions. Hand-Painted Art Reproduction is an expensive product, and the risks of damaging a painting stretched on a frame during transportation are too high. The Bellelli Family by Degas is, therefore, not framed, and will be sent to you rolled up and packaged in a strong and secure postal tube.
You can check the price for shipping of the order on the shopping cart screen.
The paintings we create are only of museum quality. Our academy graduated artists will never allow a compromise in the quality and detail of the ordered painting. TOPofART do not work, and will never allow ourselves to work with low quality studios from the Far East. We are based in Europe, and quality is our highest priority.
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Painting Information
Degas focused on a limited number of themes, and explored them obsessively.
Dancers were among his favourite topics and he was fascinated by the young ballerinas of the Paris Opera, both on stage and in the rehearsal rooms, as in Two Dancers on Stage and The Dancing Class. Even though fixed on canvas, his figures seem to be moving.
The masterpiece of Degas' early years is the life-sized portrait of The Bellelli Family. Painted in the tradition of the Old Masters he so admired, it achieved a new sense of immediacy, which is still more striking in The Opera Orchestra painted 10 years later.
Degas began this magnificent portrait of his aunt Laura and her family when he visited them in Florence when he was in his mid-20s. Composed from a number of studies, it evokes the tension between the unhappily married couple. Laura - haughty and detached - is pregnant, but dressed in mourning for her father, whose portrait hangs behind her. Her husband sits in isolation, in his armchair.
Original Size: 45.5 x 20.5 cm
Location: Public Collection
Dancers in Violet
Original Size: 47.8 x 36.2 cm
Location: The State Hermitage Museum St. Petersburg Russia
Two Dancers
Original Size: 82 x 57 cm
Location: Musee d'Orsay Paris France
Woman Combing her Hair
Original Size: 89 x 116 cm
Location: Philadelphia Museum of Art Pennsylvania USA
After the Bath


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A tale of childhood whimsy and the lengths we'll go to for the one we love. Moonrise Kingdom is very much a signature Wes Anderson film. Check the review out after the jump. Set in 1960s New England, Moonrise Kingdom tells the story of two very "unique" children and their desire to be together and to be free. Suzy (Kara Hayward) is the eldest child (and only daughter) of the rather eccentric Laura (Frances McDormand) and Walt Bishop (Bill Murray). Suzy is a temperamental girl who loves viewing the world through her binoculars, so that everything (and everyone) seems close – she calls this her magic power. Suzy meets Sam (Jared Gilman), a young orphan with his own behavioural issues, who is an extremely competent member of the Khaki Scouts, at a church play. The two are drawn to each other, and at the end of the day Suzy slips Sam her address. The two become pen-pals and after an extended period of letter writing they decide to run away together.
When it is discovered they have run away, a mad-cap hunt around the island begins. The hunt is led by the lone policeman (played by Bruce Willis), the extremely earnest Scout Master Ward (Edward Norton), Suzy's parents, and group of misfit Khaki scouts. It is not only the missing children which is of concern, but also an approaching storm which is set to cause large-scale damage in the area. The pair must be found as soon as possible – any and all methods of finding them are acceptable and encouraged.
Moonrise Kingdom is everything that we've come to expect from Wes Anderson – quirky characters, a sepia colour-pallette, fun uplifting music, and utter disconnect from reality. The characters are so bizarre and the retro settings feel so carefully constructed (like they are handmade sets or models), that you never feel like anything is real. For some this will be everything that they are looking for in a film – a delightful tale that takes them away from reality and provides an escape to a world of fantasy. However, I found this to be disconnecting, and found it somewhat hard to care about the characters. Sure it was fun, but there was so little beyond the hipster exterior, that it often fell flat for me.
The relationship between the two children is really quite sweet and I did believe that they loved each other. Their complete and utter trust in each other on their completely crazy adventure was both naïve and touching. It's a shame we didn't get to know some of the adult characters a bit more – there were hints of interesting stories and personalities that would have been fun to explore, but these were mostly ignored in favour of the children's story-line. Bill Murray really phoned in for this role – in the small amount of screen-time he has it feels like he is simply playing himself (although he is a pretty cool guy…). I enjoyed Bruce Willis as the small-town cop with the unusually big heart; while Tilda Swinton is hilarious in her brief role as the extremely up-tight and by-the-books Social Services.The wonderful soundtrack was the highlight in this film for me – it embodied the child-like whimsy and silliness of the film, and perfectly accentuates the mood and atmosphere.
Overall, Moonrise Kingdom is a cute and quirky tale of childhood love and escaping reality. While the film is certainly charming, it lacks the depth or anchor in reality which is needed to make it a great film. Fans of Wes Anderson will find a lot to love here – he has delivered another film true to his directorial style and writing ethos.
The Facts
Director: Wes Anderson
Writer(s): Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola
Starring: Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Harvey Keitel, Jason Schwartzman, Frances McDormand
Country: USA
Runtime: 94 minutes
Release date(s): Australia & New Zealand: August 30 2012; USA: May 25 2012 (limited)


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George Hotz, among others recently circumvented the PlayStation 3 code to run unauthorized programs, enabling users to use custom firmware on the device that allows many modifications to be made to the system. A very public face in the hacking community, George Hotz is now being sued by Sony for numerous allegations. The Sony legal team has drafted up a Motion for a temporary Restraining Order, Order to Show Cause, and Order of Impoundment for George Hotz, Hector Martin, and Sven Peter the three men responsible for the PS3 hacking scene.
The twenty three page law suit can be found here requests that the Court grant the relief to impound computers and software compiled to allegedly defraud the company, by circumventing Sony's security measures. Motion for TRO
It's a long read, but it is a step in cutting off the major minds behind the PlayStation hacking scene.
- This article was updated on:November 20th, 2017


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Narcissus bulbs - or daffodils - give a great performance early in the year and if you choose carefully you can have colour in your garden and highly scented narcissus flowers to pick from late February until May.
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Create a striking work of art right on your wall with this 29" x 39" peel-n-stick Lake Cabin Sunrise Wall Decal. The full-color image is printed on durable film that is coated with an adhesive that is formulated to hold the decal firmly in place on your wall, but also allowing you to remove the decal with no tacky residue. Enjoy the tranquility of the lake everyday by applying this beautiful lake scene on your wall. This also makes a great gift for the lake lover in you life!
- Measures 29" x 39"
- Easy "Peel-N-Stick" application
- Printed on durable film
- Adhesive will not damage your walls
- A great way to bring nature into your home!
Wall Decal - Lake Cabin Sunrise [X]


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You Don't Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker by Willie Nelson
If you want to hear one of Willie's best. Cindy Walker, a country songwriter whose pure, plainspoken lyrics of romance, heartbreak and picturesque prairies were recorded by major artists like Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley and Willie Nelson, making Top-40 country or pop charts more than 400 times, died on March 23 in Mexia, Tex.
She was 87, but did not broadcast her birthdate any more than the brief marriage she sometimes confirmed and sometimes did not. Her niece Carol Adams reported her death Even as country music veered in louder, brasher directions, her continuing appeal to traditionalists is suggested by Mr. Nelson's release of an album of her songs, "You Don't Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker."
Sugar Moon 2:26
Joe Cocker dies of lung cancer
Labels: Joe Cocker, RIP
Forgotten Singers and Songwriters ? Gene Thomas!
via Gene Thomas ~ the original by Darlene on 7/14/10
-This article was originally posted on Russ & Gary's "The Best Years of Music"
Forgotten Singers and Songwriters – Gene Thomas!
July 11, 2010
I do not know whether anyone reads my little stories, but I think this one is interesting. I own a series of CD's called the "The Golden Age of American Rock and Roll". Now I was transferring some of the music on Volume 5 to MP3′s (this series is excellent and has some rare songs) when I found something confusing.
Let's be honest up front; I had transferred some music to mp3s. But as I was putting the CDs back in their cabinet, I noticed a track listed on the back of the CD cover called "Sometimes" by Dale & Grace.
Now, if only I had looked at the liner notes for the CD, a "mistake" I am about to share with you would not have happened; but in the end it turned out to be a good mistake.
Playing the mp3 "Sometimes" did not sound like Dale & Grace! Windows Media Player said the writer was Gene Thomas, so this got me going and I started some investigation. Well, after a large number of hours I discovered that this song was actually written and recorded by Gene Thomas in 1961, not Dale & Grace.
There is very little on the Internet about Gene Thomas, so I broadened my search to include "Facebook". Then, on a whim I sent a facebook message to a Gene Thomas and would you believe I found the correct person!
So what I am about to post to our Blog is really, Gene's very own words and comments. I have never met Gene, but he has been very kind and forthcoming to me, a total stranger, and that says a lot about his character.
Forgotten Singers and Song Writers
Gene Thomas
Gene Thomas working the crowd
A personal email from Gene Thomas
to me, Gary Copeland:
I was born in Palestine ,TX.(at home) Dec. 4th ,1938. father was a carpenter, among other things. Grew up on the move, as my family moved a lot, following work. changed schools constantly & after parents divorced when I was 12, my father was awarded custody of my sister & I. Lost interest in school. Ran off to live with my Mother in a small E.Texas town. Eventually dropped out of school in the ninth. Worked odd jobs as a teen in the 50′s. Having become intrigued with music as a young boy,I left to come back to Houston to play music. Not knowing how to go about recording nor finding any hope. Gave up & married. One day while visiting my -then wife's-cousin, he heard me 'plinking' on his wife's new organ, & asked if I'd like to cut a record. I said "Of course" & basically forgot about it. Later however, we did go to a local studio where we recorded "Sometime" which I had written a couple of nights before.(March 7, 1961-recording date)
Long , long story short. no one in Houston ,TX. would play it. After a couple of months we took it to a small station (Texas city) From there it made it's way to KPAC , a station that covered a large area.(Beaumont, Pt.Arthur,Orange, Tx.) Made # 1 in 3 weeks on their top 20. from there it spread to become # 1 in all major Tx. cities.
All this time I was working as a shipping clerk. Our distributor set up a deal with United Artists. the song had played out in the gulf coast by then. Still, with little promotion , it crept it's way to a wide area -slowly. By Oct. 61, it had hit in California,and in such diverse places as Jamaica ,where it was # 1.
It eventually reached # 53 in Billboard Pop charts., in spite of lack of momentum. Roy Orbison heard it on one of his trips to the Houston area & contacted U.A. & asked to produce a session on me. And did —one in 62 & one in 63. We had little luck tho. One "Baby's Gone" reached the 80′s (don't recall the exact #) .He pretty well gave up ,due to lack of promotion by U.A. (It was # 1 for 5 weeks in Houston for instance)
Back in Houston, I began focusing more on writing, due to the fact, I didn't like any of the songs offered by the Nashville publ. Remember. if you're low priority on a record co's roster, you get offered the lesser tunes.
In ' 67 I wrote a song titled "Go with Me' & recorded it as a duo (Gene & Debbe) . It reached the billboard charts( don't recall the # -60 something I think?) Good enough to land a contract with Acuff-Rose in Nashville. Wrote & recorded "Playboy" which reached # 17 in Billboard Pop charts.( On the TRX label) Earning a BMI award & Gold Record. had a couple of other small chart. songs. But no equal to "Playboy'
I wrote for Acuff- Rose and had quite a few artists record my songs. The biggest of which was Don Gibson & Dottie West's "Rings Of Gold" in 69. reached # 2 in country charts. ( BMI award) & Glen Barber's "Kissed By The Rain-warmed by The Sun' # 24 in Billboard Country charts.
Well, I'm running on & on here, and I'm sure you're not interested in all this. BUT- my career (as it were) has been one mixed bag. Ha!
Today I'm mostly retired & living in a small town in Texas with my wife of 33 years. I'm not in the best of health. Okay but not tops. (diabetes & such) . I make only very, very rare appearances, such as one coming up the end of this month. The 'oldie' show-up thing you know.
Ironically, the biggest (tho-unknown) song I've written is a song titled "Lay It Down) Big overseas for 30 some yrs. It has been recorded by Kenny Rogers, Waylon Jennings, Lonnie Mack-my favorite, on his early "Hills Of Indiana' album" Buffy Sainte Marie. Tina Turner & so on.
well I guess I'll let you up & let you ponder all this mess. wish you well, in making some kind of sense of it. This is difficult for an old one-fingered typist.
take care & thanks,
P.S The original official title was/is "Sometime" but actually should have been "Sometimes" in order to be correct. Don't know what happened there, but I guess "Sometime" it will remain. Kinda like your oldie glitch with the Dale & Grace thing, I guess.
Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to Gene Thomas ~ the original using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
On the night of August 27th 1990 Stevie Ray Vaughan died on a fog shrouded hill at Alpine Valley in East Troy, WI.
By Robert Santelli
On the night of August 27th 1990 Stevie Ray Vaughan died on a fog shrouded hill at Alpine Valley in East Troy, WI. Had Stevie Ray Vaughan not suddenly surfaced in the early 1980s, guitar in hand and a nearly uncontrollable urge to play it, then the blues might have willed him into existence. These, after all, weren't the best times for the blues, which had been the bedrock of all American music for nearly a century. MTV was making pop music more physical and visual: Think Michael Jackson and Madonna. Most of mainstream rock was all about big sound, arena shows and elaborate stage sets. And new wave, though it rebelled against rock's more ornate sounds and superstar mindset, was as style-conscious as it was interested in a simpler approach to making records. The blues connected to none of this.
The 1960s had been the music's last golden age, a time when masters like Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and B. B. King played to eager young rock audiences fascinated by its emotional power, and guitar kingpins like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Duane Allman, Johnny Winter, Carlos Santana and Mike Bloomfield – a member of The Paul Butterfield Blues Band – collectively created a new hybrid: blues rock. From blues rock came heavy metal and the likes of Led Zeppelin. But in the 1970s, rock also became increasingly diversified, with other new sounds and styles running rampant. It got crowded, with glam, country rock, Southern rock, singer-songwriters, funk, punk, reggae and disco all competing for attention and fans. This left little room for blues, and by the end of the decade, its status as a vibrant, relevant music tradition was being seriously questioned. What the blues needed most was an exciting new artist, one knowledgeable and passionate about its long and important history in American music, yet original enough to make a new mark. It needed someone dazzling enough to grab the attention of rock fans who had lost interest in the blues, yet authentic enough to keep longtime true blues fans in his camp.
The music turned not to Chicago nor Memphis nor the Mississippi Delta – the traditional wellsprings of great blues – but to Texas, and in particular, to Austin, where it found Stevie Ray Vaughan. Texas already had a rich blues tradition before Vaughan arrived on the scene. In the 1920s, Blind Lemon Jefferson became one of country blues' biggest stars. A decade later, T-Bone Walker introduced the electric guitar to the blues, dramatically changing its sound and scope. Lightnin' Hopkins' vast recording catalogue reflected his blues virtuosity on both the acoustic and electric guitar, while players like Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Johnny Copeland, Freddie King, and Albert Collins brought blues closer to R&B and rock and roll. Then, in the 1960s, Janis Joplin, Johnny Winter and ZZ Top contributed to the blues-rock explosion. Vaughan's name would be added to this distinguished list of legendary Texas blues artists.
Born in 1954, Vaughan was raised in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas. His earliest and most important influence was his big brother, Jimmie.
"We shared a room that had a little record player in it," recalled Jimmie. "He listened to the records I listened to – Jimmy Reed, Bill Doggett, Lonnie Mack. He watched me play the guitar. And he got hooked."
Jimmie left home at age 14 to pursue a music career, arriving by 1970 in Austin, a college town with plenty of music clubs and a small but growing blues community. Before he left, he gave 11-year-old Vaughan one of his electric guitars and the batch of worn blues records they had listened to together.
"I gave him my Fender Telecaster. It replaced the cheap ones he'd been messin' with," said Jimmie. "He fell in love with it. I don't think he ever put it down."
Vaughan quickly found that the guitar was an ideal emotional outlet, and that the blues was a music language he could easily translate on guitar. After high school, he joined Jimmie in Austin, anxious to grow his guitar talent and to play the clubs where Jimmie's group, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, were tearing it up.
"Stevie saw that the Fabulous Thunderbirds were playing every night in Austin," Jimmie recalled. "And that's what he wanted to do: play every night, anywhere you could. The idea was to play."
Vaughan played guitar with the Austin band the Cobras, but he was meant to be a bandleader, where he could more fully define the blues sounds he heard in his head. He formed the Triple Threat Revue with African-American guitarist W.C. Clark and local blues-rock singer Lou Ann Barton.
When Barton and Clark left to pursue solo careers in 1978 and 1979, respectively, Triple Threat became Double Trouble. Now, with Chris Layton on drums and eventually Tommy Shannon on bass, Vaughan had his launching pad in place. "He was sorta like the rocket booster that you put on the spaceship to make it go a little further," explained B.B. King, one of Vaughan's early supporters.
Layton was the perfect drummer for Vaughan: young, aggressive, and a blues lover. Bass player Shannon brought big-time experience to Double Trouble. He had played with Johnny Winter and knew the ups and downs of stardom. Vaughan also benefited greatly by being in Austin. Blues giants like B. B. King, Albert King, and Muddy Waters were finding work in Austin's blues clubs, particularly Antone's, which had become the centerpiece of the scene. Vaughan often opened up shows for his heroes, then later jammed with them, picking up advice and ideas.
Vaughan might have remained merely a local or regional blues king had fate not intervened. In 1982, Double Trouble manager Chesley Milliken gave his friend Mick Jagger a live tape of Vaughan and the band. Impressed, the Rolling Stones singer invited Double Trouble to play a New York party, giving Vaughan valuable exposure far from Austin. That same year, legendary soul producer Jerry Wexler heard Vaughan and Double Trouble and got them on the Montreux Jazz Festival bill in Switzerland. That's where David Bowie and Jackson Browne heard Vaughan; Bowie invited Vaughan to play guitar on his Let's Dance album, and Browne offered up his California studio so the band could cut some demo tracks.
Finally, John Hammond, the man who signed Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and many other greats to Columbia Records, brought Vaughan and Double Trouble to Epic Records, a subsidiary of Columbia. Texas Flood, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble's debut album, came out soon after, earning critical acclaim. Showcasing Vaughan's striking guitar solos and featuring the crackerjack backing of Layton and Shannon, the album won two Grammys and numerous other awards.
The band's followup, Couldn't Stand the Weather, included "Voodoo Child," the Jimi Hendrix classic that Vaughan made his own. Incessant touring lifted the album and brought in more fans. Keyboard player Reese Wynans, who'd briefly played in a band with future Allman Brothers Dickey Betts and Berry Oakley in the late 60s, was added to the group, broadening their sound. Vaughan was now being hailed as the "next Hendrix" and the "savior of the blues," a term not entirely an exaggeration.
To their credit, Vaughan and Double Trouble were careful not to act the part. Regularly, Vaughan praised those great blues artists who came before him, and, whenever possible, he shared the stage with them. Albert King, in particular, was grateful for Vaughan's rise to stardom and his friendship. The pair even recorded together.
Two more studio albums, Soul to Soul and In Step, sandwiched a live album, Live Alive. More touring meant more time away from Austin and brother Jimmie, who had hit it big with the Fabulous Thunderbirds. The brothers were now blues royalty. But the fast life didn't suit the Vaughans, particularly Stevie. Drinking and drugs began to get in the way of his music and his ability to cope with stardom. His marriage failed. His career faltered. He continued to rely on his guitar to get him through the increasingly frequent rough patches, but it was clear he needed help.
Fortunately, he got it. He entered rehab, cleaned up, clarified his vision, and renewed his passion for the blues. In Step, released afterward, was a major success. A long anticipated album with Jimmie, Family Style, was completed. The Vaughan Brothers, as they would bill themselves, seemed poised for even bigger success when tragedy struck.
On August 27, 1990, Stevie Ray Vaughan was killed in a helicopter crash just outside East Troy, Wisconsin, after performing with Jimmie Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy and Robert Cray. He was just 35 years old.
Despite a quarter century since his passing, Vaughan's presence is still felt – and missed – in American music. Nearly every blues artist today claims a Stevie Ray Vaughan influence. His intense performances, powerful solos, and deep, passionate love of the music keep his blues flame burning. Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble received 18.3 million votes
Waylon Jennings : June 15, 1937 - February 13, 2002. Rest in Peace.
Bob Rohan's writings doing great
Great news! I have hooked up again with my old pal Sam Kindrick of Action Magazine out of San Antonio and he is running Buffalo Gals in this newspaper and on line! Since I am self syndicated, adding a newspaper to the roster of papers that run the comic regularly is cause for celebration! I use to draw cartoons for Sam back in 1975 when I lived in Austin. Sam is receiving awards now and will turn 80 in October. He is incredible.
Labels: Bad Bob Rohan, Fiddle Player, The Texas Musicians Blog, Writer
John Ostertag is a connection of mine on MySpace.
All Thats Left By John Ostertag
All Thats Left By John Ostertag
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The information in this column is intended for informational purposes only, and does not constitute medical advice or recommendations by the author. Please consult with your physician before making any lifestyle or medication changes, or if you have any other concerns regarding your health.
As regular readers of this column already know, Vitamin D is a very hot molecule in the world of cancer prevention research. While there have been contradictory results among various clinical research studies regarding the proper role of Vitamin D in the prevention of cancer, there is a growing tally of clinical and laboratory research studies suggesting that higher levels of Vitamin D in the blood may be associated with a lower risk of developing certain cancers. Now, another clinical research trial, just published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, adds further weight to the theory that Vitamin D may, in fact, significantly reduce the risk of developing certain cancers.
This study involved 2,465 women who were scheduled for diagnostic mammograms. Blood levels of Vitamin D were measured in these women prior to performing their mammograms. Of these nearly 2,500 women, 142 were subsequently confirmed to have a breast cancer. An additional 420 women participating in this study were matched with the newly diagnosed breast cancer patients in terms of age, menopausal status, and other factors known to play a role in breast cancer risk. (This group of 420 women turned out not to have breast cancer, following their mammograms, and so they served as a "control group" for this prospective clinical research study.)
As with several previous Vitamin D cancer prevention studies that I have previously reviewed, the results of this study were quite interesting. After analyzing their data, this study's authors determined that the women with the highest levels of Vitamin D in their blood experienced a 48 percent reduction in the relative risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer when compared to the women with the lowest levels of Vitamin D.
The evidence for a potential protective effect of Vitamin D against cancer is, arguably, strongest for colon and rectal cancer. However, there is a growing body of research hinting at a potential protective effect for Vitamin D against breast cancer, as well. (As is virtually always the case for disease prevention research, however, there have been several research studies that have failed to identify a cancer prevention benefit for Vitamin D.)
Clearly, additional research is necessary to ferret out the appropriate role of Vitamin D in cancer prevention, and large prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical research (with long term follow-up of patients) will be necessary to resolve the conflicting cancer prevention research data with respect to Vitamin D. Meanwhile, given the stronger data for Vitamin D and colorectal cancer prevention (and for cardiovascular disease prevention, as well), Vitamin D remains, essentially, the only vitamin for which there is at least moderate clinical evidence supporting a potential cancer prevention benefit.
As always, before starting a new vitamin supplement, or other nutritional supplement, I encourage patients to see their personal physician first.


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Is there available any tool for PHP which can be used to generate code for consuming a web service based on its WSDL? Something comparable to clicking "Add Web Reference" in Visual Studio or the Eclipse plugin which does the same thing for Java.
I've had great success with wsdl2php. It will automatically create wrapper classes for all objects and methods used in your web service.
Bombs trying to parse VMWares vimService wsdl – Tim Mar 21 '12 at 19:33
Update: link has been changed and now works, pointing to github, so users passing by should not skip a working link because of an old (very useful, at the time) comment :) – Erenor Paz Feb 17 '17 at 9:02
In PHP 5 you can use SoapClient on the WSDL to call the web service functions. For example:
$client = new SoapClient("some.wsdl");
and $client is now an object which has class methods as defined in some.wsdl. So if there was a method called getTime in the WSDL then you would just call:
$result = $client->getTime();
And the result of that would (obviously) be in the $result variable. You can use the __getFunctions method to return a list of all the available methods.
This is good but to get quickly started use wsdl2php-interpreter – Vikas Khunteta Dec 13 '14 at 16:50
I have used NuSOAP in the past. I liked it because it is just a set of PHP files that you can include. There is nothing to install on the web server and no config options to change. It has WSDL support as well which is a bonus.
This article explains how you can use PHP SoapClient to call a api web service.
Well, those features are specific to a tool that you are using for development in those languages.
You wouldn't have those tools if (for example) you were using notepad to write code. So, maybe you should ask the question for the tool you are using.
For PHP: http://webservices.xml.com/pub/a/ws/2004/03/24/phpws.html
HI I got this from this site : http://forums.asp.net/t/887892.aspx?Consume+an+ASP+NET+Web+Service+with+PHP
The web service has method
Add which takes two params:
$client = new SoapClient("http://localhost/csharp/web_service.asmx?wsdl");
print_r( $client->Add(array("a" => "5", "b" =>"2")));
Say you were provided the following:
<x:Envelope xmlns:x="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/" xmlns:int="http://thesite.com/">
<s:Envelope xmlns:s="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
<s:Body xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
<authenticateLoginResponse xmlns="http://thesite.com/">
Let's say that accessing http://thesite.com/ said that the WSDL address is: http://thesite.com/PortalIntegratorService.svc?wsdl
$client = new SoapClient('http://thesite.com/PortalIntegratorService.svc?wsdl');
$result = $client->authenticateLogin(array('LoginId' => 12345));
if (!empty($result->authenticateLoginResult->RequestStatus)
&& !empty($result->authenticateLoginResult->UserName)) {
echo 'The username is: '.$result->authenticateLoginResult->UserName;
As you can see, the items specified in the XML are used in the PHP code though the LoginId value can be changed.


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RCRA Summer Day Camp
Week Six: August 10th – 14th, 2020
Are you looking for an amazing experience this summer? Our summer camps offer a unique and engaging opportunity for kids from the ages of 6 – 15 at all levels of riding. At RCRA we have the ability to tailor the camper experience to each person's riding level. Join us for our day camp or overnight camp which includes two riding lessons a day, horsemanship skills, basic horse first aid, games, crafts and much more
Summer Camp 2020 Registration form
Please complete registration form, can be e-mailed back when filled in to email@example.com or faxed: 905-898-6539