text:
I got a new article up on Suicide Girls today. No politics this time. It's about faith and getting disappointed in religious authority.
I got a new article up on Suicide Girls today. No politics this time. It's about faith and getting disappointed in religious authority.
Posted by Brad Warner at 7:09 AM
"But when it comes to the subject of having faith in religious authority figures, you can always count me out."
Really? How about when it comes to Dogen? Your teacher? I can't remember reading anything you've written that even questions anything either have said or written. Good article.
Anarchy is the ultimate in
individual responsibility.
I'm not sure, S.T., I hate to split hairs but I think there's a distinction between faith in a religious leader and use of a document.
I agree that this is touchy ground because, ultimately, unless you invent your own thing you will eventually have to decide to what extent you will rely on people who taught before you.
But he's always been clear that this stuff can be a guide, or a suggestion, but sooner or later people need to figure stuff out for themselves. So I took this as a heads-up about the cult of personality-- go ahead and learn what you can from people (or their teachings, whether it's "Shobogenzo" or "We Care A Lot") but ultimately you have to decide for yourself. [Be aggressive! B E aggressive!]
The French researcher Henri Laborit established in the '60ies that the brain is made of three different strata. The first being the hypothalamus, otherwise called the "reptilian brain". This drives mere reactions of survival: eating, and reproducing. And of course all that goes along with these.
Then you have the cortex, which we share with only the mammals. This more sophisticated brain allows us to organise in societies, based on the hierarchy of dominant over dominee. This is all rats and dogs have.
Then, some species, like elephants, dolphins and great apes like men, have a third level, the neo-cortex, which allows us to go further and cooperate, doing things which are not necessarily interesting at first sight, sometimes even detrimental, but which would allow for a greater benefit on the long term.
This is most developed in humans. It allows us to freely give, to help others without the hope of a reward, to obey certain rules even though nobody's watching, because it entails that, everybody doing it, it will make for a much better life for everyone.
Hume gave a good example of this, showing how farmers with fields that come to maturity with some discrepancy, by helping each other to harvest, lose nothing and gain a lot.
But Hobbes, who probably was not very attracted to peasantry, prefered to think that people only do what is of immediate benefit for them. Hence his immense popularity among the neo-cons.
All this being said, Laborit observed that most people make little use of their precious neo-cortex, other than using it for a justification of their relations of domination.
The "inner ruler" mentioned by Brad is that second brain, the cortex. But we become truly human only by using the neo-cortex to ensure harmonious and cooperative relationships. Lots of work impending...
"At one time, human nature was split in two,
an executive part called a god, and a follower
part called a man. Neither part was
Consciously aware."
--The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind
by Julian Jaynes
Excellent article Brad.
The military is another institution where people can be subservient and hand over the responsibility for their lives to someone else.
Sports teams fill that same function.
And I think trade unions do too – where the worker defers responsibility/blame to the employer.
Strangely, these groups are seen to be very masculine and tough… yet belonging to them requires being submissive and deferring responsibility for their own conduct onto others.
Isn't that strange?
Maybe we all feel like little children inside, wanting to be taken care of by somebody?
Be careful whom you follow
or you might end up
Torturing Democracy
Nuremberg, anyone?
Good post, Brad.
Well said, proulx michel.
You seem extremely loyal to your friends and teachers, to the point of seeing questionable musicians as being great artists, and quasi-scientific gibberish as unquestioned truth. If they are your pals, the people within your circle are given the benefit of your faith.
"I'm not sure, S.T., I hate to split hairs but I think there's a distinction between faith in a religious leader and use of a document"
So, faith in a document is OK, but faith in an individual is not? The fundamentalist christians will be happy to hear this. Like I said, it was a good article and I agree with most of it. I just question (!?) whether Brad applies this to himself and his own authority or that of his teachers. He may, I just don't see any evidence of it yet. As to relying on others, I like what some old dead guy said; "Be a lamp unto yourselves." Though I'm careful not to rely on what he said either. Perhaps a greater danger is relying on your own authority or the authority of your own experience(s). I try to question all authority, but especially my own.
Good post, Brad.
Still, we need sometimes road signs or teachers to help us. Still, we have to walk by ourselves through the door opened by religion or a teacher.
Reality is just as it is. And if someone is happy with his/her God, let her/him be happy. Believing in religions etc. ain't a bad or ignorant thing. And shit would happen without religions.
What counts is our thoughts and acts, what are we doing to help this world to something better.
Yes, the truth is inside us but sometimes we need some tools to get it out from there, to realize it.
That was a good article. Zen may became the most popular practice someday, because most religions don't quite match reality anymore.
Brad aims, fires, and misses the target. Different people have different levels of psychological and moral development. Kohlberg developed one theory of the stages of moral development. The authoritarian theory that Brad criticizes corresponds to the fourth of six levels. People can be found at all six levels both inside and outside of organized religion. Atheists and skeptics are no exception to this. I once argued with a skeptic who couldn't understand that an idea could be scientific and yet false. Science, you see, was THE TRUTH. This is no argument against skepticism, just against his level of maturity. And similarly, just because you find religious believers whose idea of God is that he is a cosmic cop whose beat is the planet Earth, it doesn't follow that all believers are this immature.
disappointed in religious authority? Wow... that's new.
"I once argued with a skeptic who couldn't understand that an idea could be scientific and yet false."
I didn't know turnips could be skeptical, Jinzang, but anyways, I suggest you desist from arguing with them.
jinzang, you are totally gay. did i guess right?
not there is anything wrong with that..
Please, read the Kalama Sutra most of what Brad talks about is here also.
"Hit a drum then wander on to the piano, hit a few notes, just wander around. So that's what we did and then put a bit of an echo on it. It's very free."
your SG article is an interesting ramble of thoughts
all over the page, going all kinds of whichaways
I didn't get a sense that you knew what you were talking about, as much as I had the sense you had something you wanted to say
kinda like a guy behind the wheel who just wants to go for a spin and ends up at a cul de sac, looking out over a ravine or what have you:
at the end of the pavement-- a different kind of order, called 'nature' meets our view
we say what we do is 'unnatural', but hey, we are part of 'nature' too, we can't NOT be a part of nature, we are inseparable from it/it from us.
Even in our most 'unnatural' of acts, it is still part of nature and at our most inhumane, it is still a human act, committed by a human.
you say religion causes guys to fly into buildings
That ain't religion
Religion gets you to straighten up and fly right
things get perverted and co-opted, religion is no exception (and in fact probably is the original 'sheep's clothing, if you will) and something else with it's own agenda and desired outcome lurks under the umbrage of 'religion'
religion is quite the cover up for a lot of land grabs and such
what could be more noble that to 'save the soul' of another while in the process of killing them, (sure beats going in with the intent to murder--how cold could that be?).
Faith? Feh!! I say forget the noun, which really does not exist--it's only an ideal after all
get to the adverb--that is a form of action and that is what we humans do, we embody (or should it be said we embody/mind)--not do you have faith? but are you faithful to? (to what?, to whom?)
religious authorities?
there is no one else who can be an authority on your relationship with (fill in the blank here with your favorite name for deity)
now church, or temple, zendo what have you: different thing: as soon as you own/rent a building or even if it is given to you, there is still upkeep and taxes and plumbing and painting and roofs. If you are ministering to the housebound, the elderly, the sick; if you are taking collections to keep up a food pantry or some such for those without--now you have to have an authority, be it a democratic governance, a board or whatever--things have to be organized somehow and organization means some entity, be it a person made leader or a group of persons must be 'in charge.'
Some people do this well, or well enough
some people just can't be trusted; power is addictive to them and they abuse it
I guess that leads me to the SM lingo you bring up again, the 'doms' and 'subs' (didn't you recently write or quote another's writing about SM 'tops' and 'bottoms' and the 'top' being responsible for the way the event goes and the bottom needing to communicate clearly what they want, etc...)
(These conversations with SG girls and the like must be quite stimulating)
At any rate
if I were to be faithful
to the sometime habit
of taking my coffee
my tea
seated outside
in the first light of day
and everyday
this habit
if I were to be faithful
to the practice of zazen
30 minutes or 15 or 40--whatever it is I have established as 'my' sitting time
no matter how I 'felt' about it
whether I wanted to or was in the mood or not
I did it
no more than allotted
no less
I would find that my faith in myself was well placed
that I was trust worthy
that I would see things through
and could count on myself
I would not let myself down
now I know what it takes
to do it about anything
for anyone
As Saint Bob once wrote (in his novel trilogy Schrodingers Cat)
"There is no governor anywhere; you are all absolutely free. There is no restraint that cannot be escaped. We are all absolutely free. If everybody could go into dhyana at will, nobody could be controlled -- by fear of prison, by fear of whips or electroshock, by fear of death, even. All existing society is based on keeping those fears alive, to control the masses. Ten people who know [this] would be more dangerous than a million armed anarchists."
How many times have you written "My teacher Gudo Nishijima said that what Dogen meant was...."
That's quite different to "I have found that....".
How many times have you written "My teacher Gudo Nishijima said that what Dogen meant was...."
That's quite different to "I have found that....".
For example: I was very skeptical of the (dogma) claim that sitting full-lotus was somehow superior to other positions. As my muscles allowed, I began to experiment. I found for myself that the claim was indeed true....for myself. Zazen seemed much more stable and clear in the lotus.
On the other hand, there are similar claims about hand mudra and eye focus. Again, I've experimented with these. But this time I find that there is no correlation for me. I've sat with eyes both focused and unfocused, with hands on knees and in traditional zen mudra. If anything, I found that these alternatives are better for more stable, clear zazen. So now I sit in full-lotus with eyes open but unfocused and often with my hands resting on knees.
There are many other similar examples I could give. But Brad does not seem to like this experiment and find for yourself approach when it differs with his own (or teachers) conclusions.
I confess I follow a what-works-for-you philosophy. It's what led me to zen in the first place and what has kept me practicing zen for decades. Zen is what works for me. I could care less what various teachers and their dogmas assert, whether it's Genpo and his Bigmind claims or Brad and his various claims about true buddhism and correct posture.
Excellent article, Brad. Best in a while. Kudos.
Nice of you to give him a chance. He's not even in office yet..
oh venereal master roshi buraduri wana-san sensei, please leave us an E.T.A. on your next book.
...pritty preez...
goddammit...lively up your selves...bitches!
Hi everyone:
The ETA for Brad's next book, at least on Amazon, is February 1, 2009.
Good timing on the book's release.. Now we can buy copies and give them out as valentine's presents.
book 3 sounds pretty tame
I'm waiting for #4 in which Brad reveals he used to be 'Brenda' before his sex reassignment after his operation, and that (s)he's finally coming out as a lesbian, even though she's now a he 'technically' speaking, and that (s)he's pregnant, having volunteered to be a surrogate for (gasp) Genpo, but all that comes out in #5!
Stay tuned for "Turning the Wheel of the Dharma!
no faith in church or state
but the kids are alright
In Hardcore Zen, doesn't Brad already address this? Question Everything.
I know he gets new readers all the time so it is probably good to re-address the situation.
As for "What Dogen Meant..." criticism - you OBVIOUSLY haven't read Shobogenzo or you are freakin brilliant. Because there is a lot of text in there that I ask myself "what the hell did he mean?" To have Nishijima there to answer those questions had to be great!
What if Gudo Nishijima is wrong - after all he's not Dogen....
What if Dogen is wrong - after all he's not the Buddha...
What if Buddha was wrong; after all he learnt from someone else!
But wait; there is a way out.
Buddha said "You can prove this stuff for yourself"
Taking the word of some guy alive or dead is at best only a temporary and expedient thing.
"Taking the word of some guy alive or dead is at best only a temporary and expedient thing."
Yep, yep, yep. Even if his name is Ven. Brad Warner.


text:
It was supposed to be one of the highlights of a full night of high school basketball.
It was supposed to be one of the highlights of a full night of high school basketball.
The undefeated El Dorado Wildcats came into the Roundhouse Friday night to face a McPherson High boys basketball team that was coming off a shaky win against Rose Hill Tuesday night in what was expected to be an athletic game between the two schools.
The Bullpups had other ideas, however, putting the buzzsaw to El Dorado in an 18-7 second quarter and never looked back on the way to a 65-40 AVCTL victory.
"I'll be honest, I was worried," MHS coach Kurt Kinnamon admitted after the win. "I was as mad at a team as I'd ever been (Thursday) night. (The varsity) played our junior varsity and went 0-for-10 and I thought 'holy cow, we're really setting ourselves up to get really walloped,' but I guess they were just playing possum."
The two teams went back and forth in first quarter, with McPherson able to use a brief run at the end of the period to take a 19-14 lead at the buzzer.
The second quarter was huge for McPherson, as the Bullpups opened up the throttle all the way with the 18-7 drubbing that left El Dorado getting more and more frustrated.
That frustration culminated in a foul on Keaton Sorenson by the Wildcat's John Scott, who immediately received a technical foul in the aftermath in an altercation under the rim with Kyler Kinnamon.
Sorenson and Kinnamon both received two free throws in the incident, making all four. Marcus Houghton would pick up the following in-bound and put up a beautiful floater in the lane.
McPherson was clutch on the foul line in the first half, shooting 70.6 percent on 12-of-17 shooting.
The second quarter rattled the Wildcats' confidence, as the Pups kept pouring it on in the second half, outscoring El Dorado 14-10 and 14-9 in the third and fourth quarters, respectively.
"I though we played very well tonight," coach Kinnamon said. "They were having some troubles keeping us in front of them, allowing us to break it down and get some easy baskets."
The Pups (8-1) shot 61.1 percent from the field in the second half and went 23-for-44 on the game, while holding El Dorado (7-1) to only 10-of-25 shooting from the field. McPherson only managed three from deep in the game, two of which coming from Peter Horton.
MHS went 16-of-23 from the foul line Friday night; El Dorado went 14-of-20.
For the Bullpups, Kyler Kinnamon had 21 points on 7-for-13 shooting, while Marcus Houghton and Keaton Sorenson both had 16. El Dorado was led by Travis House's 22, which included a first quarter dunk.
The Pups are now off until Thursday, where they will open up the 49th McPherson Invitational against Lawrence Free State. Tipoff from the Roundhouse Thursday is at 8:15 p.m.
McPherson — Houghton 7-12 2-4 16; Stos 0-2 2-2 2; Sorenson 7-9 2-6 16; Bahr 0-2 2-2 2; Kinnamon 7-13 6-7 21; Horton, P. 2-2 6; Gabel 0-0 2-2 2.
El Dorado — McAdoo 0-0 1-2 1; House 5-8 9-12 22; Riffel 1-2 0-1 3; Crain 2-4 2-2 7; Scott 2-4 0-1 5; Haury 0-2 2-2 2. Follow Chris Swick on Twitter @SwickSentinel or contact him by email at firstname.lastname@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Since seeing record capacity at their shelter, the Citizens Against Domestic Violence (CADV) organization in Camdenton has seen something new — a food shortage.
Since seeing record capacity at their shelter, the Citizens Against Domestic Violence (CADV) organization in Camdenton has seen something new — a food shortage. Based on their current needs, CADV is projects about 1,980 meals are served on average per month. With six months left in the year, the shelter only has $1,700 left in their grocery account.
"Our numbers in June were record breaking," Director Angie Fiene said. "We were so focused on building a new building. We knew it would fill up, but we didn't think it would so quickly."
Fiene also said that the staff expected an increase in their grocery budget but they did not expect the increase to be so drastic. According to Fiene, the budget tends to get low around November or December when the year is almost up, but it has never been this low so early in the year.
Last week alone, the shelter went through eight gallons of milk. With 15 children and five women currently in the shelter, the food situation is not going to improve anytime soon.
Fiene said their biggest needs are meat and basic items such as spaghetti noodles, sauce and canned goods. CADV strives to buy healthy items and does not buy soft drinks, chips or sugary products.
Donations can be made through gift cards or purchasing groceries and dropping them off at the shelter.
Other shelter needs include body wash, fabric softener sheets, air fresheners, paper towels, HE laundry detergent, women's jeans (sizes 4-14), large black trash bags, new women's and children's summer pajamas, gallon size freezer bags, dishwater detergent, 13 gallon kitchen trash bags, gift certificate to Walmart or gas cards, toilet paper and paper towels.


text:
Difference between revisions of "Shaxi"
Revision as of 14:45, 13 April 2012
Shaxi (沙溪; Shāxī) is in Yunnan Province.
Get in
There are no direct bus to Shaxi from Lijiang or Dali. To reach Shaxi, first take a long distance bus to Jianchuan (剑川) from either Lijiang or Dali (Xiaguan).
From Old Town Dali: Take either bus no. 4 or no. 8 to Xiaguan. From the last stop on bus no. 4, take a taxi to the north bus station (ke yun bei zhan, 客运北站). Bus no. 8 will stop outside of the north bus station. Long distance bus service to Jianchuan runs every 15-30 mins from 6:20am to 6:50pm, the cost of the ticket is ¥26 and it takes about 3 hours to arrive in Jianchuan (depending on traffic, road condition, and stops along the way). The whole journey from Old Town Dali to Jianchuan will take around 4.5-5 hours, including time waiting for the bus. It may also be possible to wave down the bus to Jianchuan from highway just east of Old Town Dali if you can read the Chinese characters for Jianchuan, it could save you the trouble of going south to Xiaguan first, but seating is not guaranteed. Or flag down any of the buses going to Shangri-la and get off in Jianchuan.
From Old Town Lijiang: From main road at the entrance to the old town (near the big water wheel), take bus no. 11 or bus no. 8 to the Lijiang long distance bus station (Lijiang ke yun zhan, 丽江客运站). Buy a ticket to Jianchuan which will cost ¥17 and take about 2-2.5 hours.
From Shangri-la: Take any of the buses going to Dali and get off in Jianchuan.
When you arrive in Jianchuan: There are mini-bus services just outside of Jianchuan bus station that take about 45 minutes to reach Shaxi (¥8). The bus departs from Jianchuan whenever it is semi-full with passengers. Try not to arrive in Jianchuan too late in the evening or else there may not be enough passengers to fill up a bus to Shaxi. It should also be possible to catch a mini-bus at the junction for Shaxi (Diannan), 8km south of Jianchuan. Hitching should also be possible if not preferable!
Get around
The main village of Shaxi (Sideng) can be easily toured by walking. It's also possible to visit the many other villages in Shaxi on foot, however, renting a bicycle would be a quicker and better option. Some of the guesthouses in Shaxi, such as Horse Pen 46 Guesthouse, the Dragonfly and 58 Yard, offer bicycle rental to Shaxi visitors. Hiking and horseback riding are the main options for a visit into the mountains around Shaxi.
Holidays and Festivals
Get out
Catch the mini-bus (45 mins, ¥10) to Jianchuan from outside the Shaxi bus station. There are daily buses to many other cities in Yunnan from the Jianchuan bus station. Price and schedule subject to change so better confirm with the Jianchuan bus station when you first arrive in Jianchuan.
Jianchuan and the roads that lead to both Lijiang and Dali are currently quite congested due to large scale road construction of the new Kunming Shangri-La Highway. On the road to Dali, be prepared for long traffic jams and white knuckle encounters with heavy lorries. If heading to Dali an interesting alternative with much better scenery is the X804 road down through Qiao Hou, Lian Tie and into Yangbi. Mini Buses leave Jianchuan at 7.30am and 1.20 pm everyday, arriving to pick up outside the stationary store in Shaxi Village about one hour later. The fare down to Yangbi is 25 RMB and the trip takes about four hours. From Yangbi Station, there are regular buses to Xiaguan (Dali New Town), Xiaohuayuan Qiqezhan every few minutes. The journey takes the old road and is about 40 minutes costing 10 RMB.


text:
Our core purpose is to record, preserve and promote the rich history and traditions of the Cincinnati Reds, honor on-field accomplishments and achievements, and create an everlasting memorial to baseball and the Cincinnati Reds. We also maintain a first-class facility where, through various dramatic educational exhibits, exciting initiatives, and special events, we ensure that noteworthy contributions to the Reds are properly recognized while inspiring and empowering new generations to achieve and perform to their highest potential.
Purchase your tickets ahead of your visit to the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum.
Wherever you're coming from, we're easy to find with many parking options.
Go behind-the-scenes at Great American Ball Park on a 90-minute guided tour.


text:
Operating instructions
The calendar view shows you an extract from the liturgical calendar:
The page view shows you one particular page for your chosen day:
The button at the top left opens the menu.
The left and right buttons move you back and forward by one day. The numbered button in the middle switches you between the calendar view and the page view.
The button at the top right lets you move from one page to another.
The calendar view
To go to a particular day, tap on the day.
To return to the page view without changing days, tap the number between the arrows.
To go to any date using the standard Palm date selector, tap on the heading that shows the name of the month.
The page view
To move backwards and forwards through the days, use the left and right arrows at the top of the screen.
To go to the calendar view, tap the number between the arrows.
To change which page you are viewing (Mass, Morning Prayer, etc), press tap the button at the top right and then pick the page you want from the list that appears.
The menu
To open the menu, tap the "Universalis" button at the top left of the screen.
You can choose the size and boldness of the font that you want Universalis to use. In addition, you can choose whether Universalis should display italic text using a synthesized italic font, or whether you prefer it to be displayed in bold. The synthesized font isn't very readable on old-style displays like the one in the picture, but modern higher-density displays manage it quite well.
This page lets you choose which local calendar you want Universalis to use. You can also set the following options:
Invitatory Psalm: You can decide whether you want the same Invitatory Psalm every day, or whether you want the psalm to change every day, going through the four permitted options, as the Universalis web site does.
Translations: For the Liturgy of the Hours, you can choose whether to use the Grail translation of the psalms or the translation that is used on the Universalis web site. (The scripture readings are always in the Jerusalem Bible version).
Translations: For the readings at Mass, you can choose whether to use the Jerusalem Bible and the Grail psalms (which are used in the UK and many other parts of the world) or the New American Bible scripture readings and psalms. The New American Bible option is only available if you select one of the United States liturgical calendars.
About Universalis
This page tells you what version of the program and database you are using.


text:
For crisp, contemporary walls, it's best to go blue, says Neil Jonsohn, a principal designer at Union 31 in Toronto. "I find people are generally using cooler paint colours to create a more modern space," he says. "And I'm seeing a lot of blue/grey tones in decor overall."
On the paint spectrum, blue is the coolest of hues, followed by violet and, sometimes, green. "We often talk about the 'undertones' of a colour," says Sharon Grech, colour design spokesperson for Benjamin Moore. "So a warm colour may have a red, orange or yellow undertone while a cool colour will have a blue or violet undertone." Since green is neutral, it can go either way, depending on the warmth of its undertone, she says.
Because there's something sort of sterile about blue, it's often used on bathroom walls. "Cool colours with blue undertones tend to be more transactional," says Brad Elkins, senior brand manager for Dulux paints. "They work well in task-based rooms - like bathrooms where you go in, take a shower, then leave."
That's not to say they can't make you want to stick around. "Greens, blues and purples create a calm, soothing feeling," says Mylène Gévry, marketing communications manager for Sico. "They're often seen in spas because they are so clean, fresh and calming." And, if you really want to make a dent in your to-do list, use green for the walls of your home office. "Green is a great way to boost productivity," Ms. Gévry says. "It's the colour of concentration."
Colours at the cool end of the spectrum can also come in handy in small spaces. "They're ideal when you want to increase the visual appearance of a room," says Alison Goldman, marketing communications manager for CIL. "Cool colours open up a smaller space and give it an airy feeling." The only downside is that they can sometimes make a room feel too cold, in which case all it takes to warm things up is a hot accent, Ms. Goldman says.
For instance, if you went with pale blue taupe on your bedroom walls, tossing a cozy throw the colour of egg yolk on the bed will add brightness and warmth to the room overall. "You just have to add contrast, and then ground the space as well," Ms. Goldman. "In a room with cool walls it helps to have darker colours toward the bottom of the room, such as a darker floor or furnishings, to ground the space so you don't feel like you're floating away."
Switching up your lighting can also create more warmth. "A common mistake people make is that they position all their lighting in the ceiling, usually about every four feet, so that it just shines down without adding warmth or depth," Mr. Jonsohn says. "To give a cooler room a warm glow, you need to include a variety of light sources at different levels, such as sconces, table lamps and task lighting."
To see how your colour of choice plays out on your walls, Ms. Grech recommends painting a test patch and checking in at various times of the day to see how it looks in different light. As for which cool hue to try, there are a number of fresh new options to choose from:
Nimbus Gray, Amethyst Shadow and Montpelier are three of the cool blues in Benjamin Moore's 2012 trend collection, says Ms. Grech. "While they're all on the grey scale, Montpelier is a steelier tone while Amethyst Shadow bridges between purple and blue." Meanwhile, Behr's Cayman Bay is a deeper blue with a slightly red undertone that keeps it from feeling cold. The company also introduced Aqua Breeze for 2012, "a cool, airy colour ideal for small spaces," says Nancy Bollefer, Canadian marketing manager for Behr. Dulux has also added some new blues to the mix "Crystal is a light blue/grey that would be ideal in a small bathroom," says Mr. Elkins. "And Mystery Sound is a darker blue/ grey that works well as an accent colour where it adds a little bit of life without overpowering a room."
You can't go wrong with grey this year, whether you choose warm or cool undertones. Some of CIL's top cool neutrals include Mansard Stone (a deep grey), Silver Quill (a light grey) and Seagull Grey, which is actually almost a taupe, says Ms. Goldman. Meanwhile, Dulux's Silver Quill is a little deeper. "It would be good in a kitchen because it's dark enough to allow for long-term ease of use," says Mr. Elkins. "And it's great for hiding things like fingerprints and dirt."
"Even though greens are considered cool hues, some take on a warmer patina when a touch of red or yellow is added to the colour itself," says Ms. Bollefer. "Behr's Cricket is a cool green warmed gently by yellow undercurrents." On the cooler side, Dulux's Winter Walk is a light green/grey that would work well in a kitchen, basement playroom or home theatre. "Garden greens, which are represented in Sico's One Small Seed colour theme, are typically cool," says Ms. Gévry. "Namibian Desert is one of the key cool greens from that theme and is perfectly suited to a quiet home office space."


text:
Nunn walk-in tubs offer safe bathing serenity
Don't struggle to get in and out of your bath ever again! Discover our luxurious line of walk-in baths.
Guardian Home Services offers walk-in tub or walk in shower solutions that are ideal for homeowners living in Nunn, Colorado who are looking for a safer more independent way to bathe. Walk-in tubs are perfect for individuals who are elderly or may be handicapped or living with limited mobility who wish to enjoy the freedom of living comfortably at home.
Guardian Remodeling is dedicated to providing Nunn seniors with the safest, most affordable walk-in bathtubs and walk-in showers in the industry with a level of customer service and reliability that can't be beat. Guardian Home Service has a reputation as one of the best shower replacement and walk-in tubs in Nunn Colorado. We would be honored if you were to hire us for your bathtub upgrade or replacement! Our walk-in tubs are available in a variety of custom-fitted sizes and styles, and can be installed with any of the following convenient features:
Premier Walk In Bathtub Safety Features
- Inward opening door (Inswing Walk-In Tubs)
- Outward opening door (Outswing Walk-In Tubs)
- Slip resistant flooring
- Hydrotherapy air jets and massage jets
- Comfortable built-in seating
- Safety handles and safety grab bars
- Chromo therapy Aromatherapy
- Heated Seat
Call Today For More Information
Bathtub Replacement
Our bath remodeling techniques involve creating a custom tub that fits into your existing space.
Shower Replacement
Our new showers are created one at a time and modeled after your unique bathroom, ensuring a perfect fit.
Bath Conversion
We can provide you with the bathroom conversion of your dreams.
Walk-In Tubs
We pride ourselves on installing walk-in bathtubs that are convenient and safe.
Custom Fitted
Exact measurements are taken so our bathroom renovation products fit perfectly over your existing fixtures.
One Day Remodel
Measured precisely, built by Luxury Bath, then installed in as little as one day.
Antibacterial Microban
High-gloss, durable acrylic is unbelievably easy to clean with just a simple spray cleaner and wet cloth!


text:
Matching funds required for state grant
By Michael Maresh
Journal Staff Writer
The latest assessment of the McElmo Flume is currently up in the air because of $4,600 in matching funds it needs to raise to receive a mini-grant from the Colorado State Historical Fund.
Cortez Historic Preservation Board President Linda Towle said the mini-grant would come from the historical funds and would be worth about $13,875; however, a 25 percent match would be required to receive the grant.
The Colorado's Scenic and Historic Byways Program has approached the Ballantine Family Foundation as a possible donor for the funding. This was after the previous Montezuma County Commission decided not to spend any funds for the assessment.
Towle said the Colorado's Scenic and Historic Byways Program turned in its request in early January and the Durango-based Ballantine foundation will make its decision sometime this month.
The grant funds would be used to assess the concrete and the steel structures of the historic flume.
Towle said she will be talking to the new county commissioners later this month, either to tell them the matching money was received or that the request was partially or fully rejected.
She said if the $4,600 is not received, she might ask the new commission (two new members took office Jan. 8) for the matching funds or to examine ways with them on how to get the money.
"I have not asked this group," she said. "I (would) have to talk to the new board to see where the funds would come from.
The McElmo Creek Flume, located just off Highway 160 near the Montezuma County Fairgrounds, was assessed in the summer to determine its condition, which was followed by a more detailed analysis to determine what to do next.
She said this assessment, which will take a few days to complete, would be the last one needed before coming up with what the cost would be to repair or rehabilitate the flume.
"You can only spend so much time addressing it before doing something," Towle said.
She said there is an idea how much it would cost to put the wood back on the flume, but added it would be foolish to do this if the concrete and steel would no longer support the structure.
When the Montezuma Valley Irrigation Company was formed in 1920, the system included more than 100 wooden flumes and 150 miles of canals.
Today, of the 104 constructed flumes, only the McElmo Creek Flume remains standing, though its condition has deteriorated over the years.


text:
University of Vermont
2012-2013 Catalogue
Requirements for All Undergraduate Degree Students
Undergraduate degrees are conferred on the recommendation of the colleges/schools. Specific degree requirements may be found in the catalogue sections devoted to the respective colleges/schools.
To be eligible for graduation, a student must have attained a cumulative grade-point average sufficient to meet the minimum requirements for the college/school in which the student is officially enrolled. Beginning with the class of 1984, the minimum grade-point average for graduation is 2.00. Grades in courses accepted for transfer credit are excluded in computing this average.
Every degree candidate must have taken thirty of the last forty-five credits in residence at the university before being awarded their degree. An exception to this rule exists for those students who have completed three years of pre-medical study in the university and are awarded their degrees after successful completion of one year of study in any approved college of medicine. Other exceptions to this rule may be made only upon decision of the dean or the appropriate faculty committee of the student's college/school. To earn another bachelor's degree, the student must fulfill the requirements of that degree. Please note: pursuing multiple majors within the same degree does not result in earning multiple degrees. Multiple bachelor's degrees are only conferred when the degrees are different: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Music, etc.
Beginning with the class entering during the fall 2008 semester, all undergraduate degree candidates must successfully complete the University Approved Diversity courses: one three-credit course from Category One (Race and Racism in the U.S.) and a second three-credit course from either Category One or Category Two (Human and Societal Diversity). These requirements will apply as well to undergraduate transfer students receiving bachelor's degrees from May 2012 onward. (See the "Courses Approved for Diversity Credit" under Courses in this Catalogue.)


text:
|Attention: DocWiki has reached EOL and will be decommissioned January 25, 2019.
From DocWiki
Many of the finest developers and engineering minds have been working on IPv6 since the early 1990s. Hundreds of RFCs have been written and have detailed some major areas, including expanded addressing, simplified header format, flow labeling, authentication, and privacy. Expanded addressing moves us from 32-bit address to a 128-bit addressing method. It also provides newer unicast and addressing methods, injects hexadecimal into the IP address, and moves from using "." to using ":" as delimiters.
This IP Version 6 information is intended for network professionals with good IP version 4 (IPv4) networking skills and knowledge. It is ideal for anyone, including account managers and system engineers, who is required to analyze IPv6 network requirements and develop strategies for the deployment of IPv6 networks. In addition to the content listed in the Resources and References section, you can also find information on IPv6 implementation details including the roadmap, software configuration, and Statement of Direction at http://www.cisco.com/go/ipv6.
Introduction: Rationale for a New Version of IP
IP version 6 is a new IP protocol designed to replace IP version 4, the Internet protocol that is predominantly deployed and extensively used throughout the world. IPv4 has proven to be robust, easily implemented, and interoperable, and has stood the test of scaling an internetwork to a global utility the size of the Internet today.
However, the initial design did not anticipate the following conditions:
- Recent exponential growth of the Internet and the impending exhaustion of the IPv4 address space
- Growth of the Internet and the ability of Internet backbone routers to maintain large routing tables
- Need for simpler autoconfiguration and renumbering
- Requirement for security at the IP level
- Need for better support for real-time delivery of data?also called quality of service (QoS)
Though the 32-bit address space of IPv4 supports about 4 billion IP devices, the IPv4 addressing scheme is not optimal, as described by Christian Huitema in RFC 3194, The Host-Density Ratio for Address Assignment Efficiency: An Update on the H Ratio. A good number of the initially allocated class A addresses are probably still not used, but are not likely to be reclaimed.
The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) first recognized the problem of eventual IPv4 address exhaustion around 1990 and predicted that we had about ten years to solve this problem. Interestingly, this prediction was made before the explosive growth of the Internet and the World Wide Web in the 1990s. Indeed, it is only very recently that the IP address "crunch" has become widely acknowledged.
The current IP address space is unable to satisfy the potential huge increase in the number of users or the geographical needs of the Internet expansion, let alone the requirements of emerging applications such as Internet-enabled personal digital assistants (PDAs), home area networks (HANs), Internet-connected transportations (for example, automobiles), integrated IP telephony services, IP wireless services, and distributed gaming. IPv6 is designed to meet these requirements and allow a return to a global environment where the addressing rules of the network are again transparent to the applications.
The lifetime of IPv4 has been extended by using techniques such as address reuse with Network Address Translation (NAT), classless interdomain routing (CIDR), and temporary-use allocations Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) and RADIUS/PPP. Although these techniques appear to increase the address space and satisfy the traditional server/client setup, they fail to meet the requirements of the peer-to-peer and server (home)-to-client (Internet) applications. The need for always-on environments (such as residential Internet through broadband, cable modem, or Ethernet-to-the-home) to be contactable precludes these IP address conversion, pooling, and temporary allocation techniques, and the "plug-and-play" required by consumer Internet appliances further increases the address requirements.
Temporary or semi-permanent connections such as dialup or cable modem/xDSL are being given either temporary IPv4 addresses or private addresses. Millions of the new technology devices such as wireless phones, PDAs, cars, and home appliances will not be able to get global IPv4 addresses any longer. Though we do not expect to ever see the last IPv4 address handed out, it is getting much harder to get IPv4 addresses.
IPv4 will soon reach the stage where you will have to choose between new capabilities or a larger network, but not both. So, we need a new protocol to provide new and enhanced features in addition to solving the IP address exhaustion problem.
Network Address Translation
Emerging countries are facing the IPv4 address crunch more strongly than Europe or the United States. Although the use of NAT has delayed the IPv4 address exhaustion, the use of NAT introduces some complications that can be overcome only with a new IP protocol.
In IPv4 networks, NAT is typically used to connect internal networks by translating packets between an internal network, which uses the private address space, as described in RFC 1918 Address Allocation for Private Internets, and the Internet. NAT uses only a few global (external) addresses even in a large internal network.
Limitations of NAT
Note that the use of NAT only delays the time of exhaustion of the IPv4 addresses but does not solve the real large-scale growth problem, because IP is now widely adopted as the applications convergence layer for non-computing devices. Additionally, use of NAT has many implications, as identified in RFC 2775, Internet Transparency, and RFC 2993, Architectural Implications of NAT. Some of these problems follow and can be solved only with a new protocol, such as IPv6:
With IPv4, only the endpoints handle the connection and the underlying layers do not handle any connection. However, when NAT is used, it breaks the end-to-end connection model of IP.
Because NAT must handle the translation of addresses and ports, NAT requires the network to keep the states of the connections. In case of failure of the NAT device or the links near the NAT device, the need to keep the state of the connections in NAT makes fast rerouting difficult.
NAT also inhibits the implementation of end-to-end network security. The integrity of the IP header is protected by some cryptographic functions. This header cannot be changed between the origin of the packet, which protects the integrity of the header and the final destination, where the integrity of the received packet is checked. Any translation of parts of the headers along the path will break the integrity check
With applications that are not "NAT-friendly," more than just port and address mapping is necessary to forward the packet through the NAT device. NAT must embed complete information of all the applications to accomplish this goal, especially in the case of dynamically allocated ports with rendezvous ports, embedded IP addresses in application protocols, security associations, and so on. Every new deployment of a non-NAT-friendly application will require the upgrading of the NAT device.
When different networks that are using the same private address space, such as 10.0.0.0/8, need to be combined or connected, as in the case of a merger, an address space collision will result. Though techniques such as renumbering or twice-NAT can resolve this collision, these techniques are very difficult and will increase the complications of NAT.
The ratio of internal/reachable to external addresses mapping must be large to make NAT effective. However, when there are many servers inside, the same protocol cannot be multiplexed on the same port using the NAT external address. For example, two internal servers using the same port (80) cannot use the same external outside address without changing the port number. Each inside server that must be reachable from the outside will start using one external address. Because there are many protocols that make nodes as servers and consume many external addresses, NAT is not quite as useful if the number of inside servers is large.
Meeting Future Network Requirements
Though the exhaustion of IPv4 addresses is the primary reason for the development of a new protocol, the designers of IPv6 added other new features and some critical improvements to IPv4.
IPv6 is designed to meet the user, application, and service requirements, and allow a return to a simpler environment where the operation of the network is again transparent to the applications.
The anticipated rollout of wireless data services has been identified as a key IPv6 driver. The wireless industry standardization bodies, for example, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (www.3gpp.org), Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (www.umts-forum.org), and Mobile Wireless Internet Forum (www.mwif.org) are considering IPv6 as the foundation for future IP services. Today, IPv6 services are available over IEEE 802.11 from some "hot-spot" locations.
The overall market adoption of IPv6 will be determined by the ability of the architecture to best accommodate Internet growth, new IP applications, and services. All these factors underscore the original rationale behind definition of IPv6 and the market drivers.
Evolution of Internet Protocol Version 6
IPv5 is an experimental resource reservation protocol intended to provide QoS, defined as the Internet Stream Protocol or ST. ST is not a replacement of IP, but uses an IP version number (number five), because it uses the same link-layer framing as IPv4. Resource reservation is now done using other protocols (for example, resource reservation protocol (RSVP)). IPv5/ST protocol is documented in RFC 1190, Experimental Internet Stream Protocol, Version 2 (ST-II) and RFC 1819, Internet Stream Protocol Version 2 (ST2) Protocol Specification - Version ST2+.
The original proposal for IPv6 proposed in RFC 1752, The Recommendation for the IP Next Generation Protocol was the Simple Internet Protocol Plus (SIPP) with a larger (128 bit) address space. The main author of SIPP was Steve Deering, now a Cisco Fellow. Following that proposal, the IETF started a working group and the first specification came in late 1995 with RFC 1883, Internet Protocol, Version 6 (IPv6) Specification. RFC 2460, Internet Protocol, Version 6 (IPv6) Specification, by Steve Deering (Cisco) and Rob Hinden (Nokia), obsoletes RFC 1883 and is the present standard for IPv6.
IPv6 quadruples the number of network address bits from 32 bits (in IPv4) to 128 bits, which provides more than enough globally unique IP addresses for every network device on the planet. The use of globally unique IPv6 addresses simplifies the mechanisms used for reachability and end-to-end security for network devices, functionality that is crucial to the applications and services that are driving the demand for the addresses.
The flexibility of the IPv6 address space provides the support for private addresses but should reduce the use of Network Address Translation (NAT) because global addresses are widely available. IPv6 reintroduces end-to-end security and quality of service (QoS) that are not always readily available throughout a NAT-based network.
Features and Benefits of Using IPv6
In addition to meeting the anticipated future demand for globally unique IP addresses, IPv6 provides the following benefits to network and IT professionals:
- Larger address space for global reachability and scalability
- Simplified header format for efficient packet handling
- Hierarchical network architecture for routing efficiency
- Support for widely deployed routing protocols
- Autoconfiguration and plug-and-play support
- Elimination of need for network address translation (NAT) and application's layered gateway (ALG)
- Embedded security with mandatory IPSec implementation
- Enhanced support for Mobile IP and Mobile Computing Devices
- Increased number of multicast addresses
Larger Address Space for Global Reachability and Scalability
The availability of an almost unlimited number of IP addresses is the most compelling benefit of implementing IPv6 networks. Compared to IPv4, IPv6 increases the number of address bits by a factor of 4, from 32 bits to 128 bits. The 128 bits provide approximately 3.4x1038 addressable nodes, enough to allocate about 1030 addresses per person on this planet. Figure 1 shows the general format of an IPv6 address.
Figure: IPv6 Packet Header Format shows the IPv6 packet header format.
Description of IPv6 Packet Header
The simplified header is 40 bits long and the format consists of Version, Class, Flow Label, Payload Length, Next Header, Hop Limit, Source Address, Destination Address, Data, and Payload fields.
Hexadecimal "Hex"
At its simplest, hex numbers are base 16. Decimal is base 10, counting from 0 to 9, as we do in decimal, and then adding a column to make 10. Counting in hex goes from 0 to F before adding a column.
The characters A through F represent the decimal values of 10 through 15, as illustrated in Figure: Hex Characters A Through F Represent the Numbers 10 Through 15.
Figure: Hex Characters A Through F Represent the Numbers 10 Through 15
Counting in hex goes as follows: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 1A 1B 1C 1D 1E 1F 20 21 and up, as far as you want to go.
Addressing Description
Let's look at an example of IPv6 address. The address is an eight-part hex address separated by colons (:). Each part n can equal a 16-bit number and is eight parts long, providing a 128-bit address length (16 * 8 = 128),
Addresses are n:n:n:n:n:n:n:n n = 4 digit hexadecimal integer, 16 * 8 = 128 address.
1080:0:0:0:8:800:200C:417A Unicast address
FF01:0:0:0:0:0:0:101 Multicast address
Addressing Methods
Included in IPv6 are a number of methods:
- Unicast
- Multicast
- Anycast
Note that there is no explicit notion of "broadcast" in IPv6.
Unicast is a communication between a single host and a single receiver. Packets sent to a unicast address are delivered to the interface identified by that address, as seen in Figure: Unicast Sends Packets to a Specified Interface.
Figure: Unicast Sends Packets to a Specified Interface
Multicast is communication between a single host and multiple receivers. Packets are sent to all interfaces identified by that address, as seen in Figure: Multicast Sends Packets to a Subnet, and Defined Devices Listen for Multicast Packets.
Figure: Multicast Sends Packets to a Subnet, and Defined Devices Listen for Multicast Packets
Packets sent to an anycast address or list of addresses are delivered to the nearest interface identified by that address. Anycast is a communication between a single sender and a list of addresses, as shown in Figure: Anycast Sends Packets to Specified Interface List and Can Contain End Nodes and Routers.
Figure: Anycast Sends Packets to Specified Interface List and Can Contain End Nodes and Routers
Some of the benefits of IPv6 seem obvious: greater addressing space, built-in QoS, and better routing performance and services. However, a number of barriers must be overcome before the implementation of IPv6. The biggest question for most of us will be what the business need is for moving from current IPv4 to IPv6. The killer app has not appeared yet, but it may be closer than we think. The second consideration is the cost-it may not have much to do with hardware replacement cost. All the larger routers have upgradable OSs IOS; the only necessity is the commitment to upgrading IOS. More likely to do with training and support of minor IP devices such as printers and network faxes, they will support the new address space. IPv6 has schemes to support old and new, however, so this may not even be a barrier. The last issue to consider is training: This will need to happen sooner or later because we all need to start thinking about 128-bit addressing based on MAC addresses in HEX. This involves all new ways of addressing and will be an uncomfortable change for many people.
This conclusion may seem negative, but the greater good will overpower all the up-front issues. The issue is not whether you will have to move to IPv6, but when! We all need IPv6; the increased address space is needed for the growth of IP appliances that we are starting to hear about weekly. IP-ready cars are already shipping today. This requires mobility, which is addressed in IPv6.
Of course, a number of very important features have not been discussed in this section, including QoS, mobile IP, autoconfiguration, and security. All these areas are extremely important, and until IPv6 is finished, you should keep referring to the IETF Web site for the most current information. Several new books on IPv6 also are starting to show up on bookstore shelves and should provide the deeper technical detail on address headers and full packet details.
Review Questions
Q - What is the main reason for IPv6 being developed?
A - The main issue surrounding IPv6 is addressing, or the lack of addressing. Many people believe that we are nearly out of the four billion addresses available in IPv4. IPv6 could be the solution to many problems, but IPv6 is still not fully developed and is not yet a standard.
Q - How many bits does the new expanded addressing provide?
A - The expanded addressing moves us from 32-bit address to a 128-bit addressing method.
Q - What other benefits does expanded addressing provide?
A - It provides newer unicast and addressing methods. Expanded addressing also injects hexadecimal into the IP address and moves from using . to using : as delimiters.
Q - What are the new addressing methods included in IPv6?
A - Unicast, multicast, and anycast.
Q - What is unicast?
A - Unicast is a communication between a single host and a single receiver.
Q - What is multicast?
A - Multicast is communication between a single host and multiple receivers.
Q - What is anycast?
A - Anycast is a communication between a single sender and a list of addresses.
For More Information


text:
NFC / EMV Test
Near Field Communication (NFC) standards cover communication protocols and data exchange formats, and are based on existing short range RFID HF technologies working at 13.56 MHz. The number of NFC enabled devices continues to grow with hundreds-of-millions available in the market. NFC products appear in many form factors; smartphones and point-of-sales terminals, consumer-electronics such as portable speakers, headphones, remote controllers and health devices. While many applications benefit from NFC's added value, electronic payments are becoming consumer-mainstream. There are many commercial contactless card payment deployments worldwide with smartphones and electronic-wallet trials and deployments also emerging. To make these applications successful, it is necessary to test conformance and interoperability with NFC/contactless infrastructure. Industry bodies such as ISO, EMVCo, NFC Forum and GSMA are developing and maintaining programs to ensure device conformance and interoperability.
Payment schemes have incorporated contactless technology as a fast and secure method for transactions. EMVTM contactless payment standards share a common ISO technical foundation to NFC mobile devices. The payment industry has develop their own EMV Level 1 standards which leverage existing ISO 14443 Type A and B technologies. EMV standards enable type-approval of Cards, Terminals and Mobile devices.
The NFC Forum has also completed technical and test specifications that enable developers to successfully test and certify their NFC devices in Card Emulation Mode, Reader / Writer or Peer to Peer modes. The NFC Forum liaises with the payment industry to align test plans and base its technology on common ISO proximity and vicinity standards.
In cooperation with its partner FIME, Keysight offers NFC and EMV conformance test tools. FIME test bench, based in Keysight's NFC Test Set, is qualified for EMV Level 1 PICC/Mobile RF certification test.
As a world leader in test and measurement solutions, Keysight Technologies offers an extensive set of modeling, development and test tools to help ensure the quality of systems and components. Accelerate Wireless Design and Test with Flexible, High-Performance Platforms
Keysight RF and Digital Learning Center - A commitment to learning with industry experts
Refine the List
By Type of Content
- Technical Support
- Training & Events
By Product Category
All Product Categories
Modular Instruments
- Reference Solutions
- Modular Instruments
No matches available for these refinements. | remove all refinements


text:
(NP) – A soft and dark solo piano piece, communicating a lonely sadness with hints of perseverance. Let it set the mood for a touching scene in a film or game!
Don't forget to stop by our profile for more great production tracks or to get in contact for custom audio work or for edits for all our existing tracks!
Some of our other best works / sellers:
- Epic Cinematic Trailer Music - epic, promotional, empowering, energetic
- One Fine Day - uplifting, motivational, confident, corporate
- Turn It Up - uplifting, motivational, positive, corporate
- Time's up! - evil, aggressive, raw, brutal
- Metal Pack - heavy, aggressive, evil, fast
- Corporate Feelings Pack - uplifting, motivational, happy, corporate
- Fight for Freedom - epic, war, empowering, energetic
- The Final Stand - epic, metal, energetic, powerful
- Rise Of A New King - epic, promotional, empowering, energetic
Those are just some examples of our steady growing catalogue, which contains hundreds of high quality songs / loops and sound fx!
Follow our RSS feed to be notified when new files are uploaded! Or simply "follow" us here on Audio Jungle or Twitter!
Thank you for supporting our work!


text:
Spruce Tree Coffee House has finally sold. Sharon King, long-time Spruce Tree barista, is now holding the torch.
The lavender house tightly tucked away on Main Street has been a happy sight for coffee drinkers since 2006. A little over a year on the market, and previous owner Charlie Campbell has found his predecessor.
With the sale the name has changed to Spruce Tree Espresso House.
King, a former Cortez and Mancos business owner, has been an employee at Spruce Tree for six years. What started as a part-time, temporary position, turned into a permanent place with the Spruce Tree family. King and Campbell began discussing the possibility of King purchasing the business a while back, but she chose to go back to college instead.
But when the coffee house was still up for grabs, King decided the time was right.
"It was a natural transition to buy," King said. "I think Charlie (Campbell) wanted someone to keep the flavor and style of the place in which he started it. And I've been here all along."
Over a sit-down and a handshake, they struck a deal. On February 15, King took over.
"I'm excited but there is so much that goes into switching ownership," King explained. "He (Campbell) stayed on board after I came on in case I had any questions. He's been very gracious about the whole thing."
The first major change she inducted was a revitalization of the name - from coffee house to espresso house. As an avid espresso drinker, King knows espresso.
Which was one reason why she brought in a new espresso machine and a new brand of expresso.
"Charlie (Campbell) had a very dark, bold espresso that he was using and I brought in a lighter, fruitier one for people who like to just drink espresso."
Thus far, those are the only differences. She also tweaked the signage to fit her new name and upgraded kitchen equipment. King claims she is not as handy as Campbell so new changes and additions in the kitchen were necessary. She also hired more staff, brought in a few new tables and put a fresh coat of paint on the interior.
"Customers like how the place is," King said. "They notice everything that I do, so changes are subtle. I've tried really hard not to change the atmosphere."
She did, however, drop the beer and wine license from her establishment. She wants to be able to hire a younger staff, some who might need summer jobs, and she plans on bringing her daughters in to work as well. King spends her time on the floor, conversing with customers and overseeing the workflow. She currently has a staff of seven. One of her goals for the espresso house, is to accommodate people as quickly as possible.
"If we get busy I don't want any lines," she said. "As business increases staff will increase. I want to make us fast so we can get people in and out of here."
To also keep things running efficiently, King wants to transform the upstairs room to a conference area for non-profit organizations and boards who use Spruce Tree as a meeting spot. Fifteen to 20 people can take up her entire floor and she worries about that taking away space from other customers.
"It's great and wonderful that they choose this place to meet so I want to keep them in a more comfortable space."
King fits right in with the folks at Spruce Tree. Her familiar face helped with the business transition. She has always been a business owner - rarely someone's employee. In this case, both have paid off.
Other changes to Spruce Tree Espresso House may occur in mid-April or May. Patrons can look forward to a front patio and back patio expansion, and some fresh landscaping. King will extend the operating hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week, all year round.


text:
As some of you may know...just around the corner is Steelhorse's Annual Risk Classic---(Official Website located here.) We have been proud to in-part be a sponsor and promoter of the Annual Risk Classic. It is a terrific event by one of our own community members, and it is a great fit for our World Domination Club.
In the past, Conquer Club has had a few members participate in the event, carrying the website's banner. This year, we'd like to mix it up a bit, and thrown down a challenge to any members of the Conquer Club community that attend the Annual Risk Classic.
So what's in this community-wide throw down?
- The Challenge
- Place (make it to the final table) in any of the Annual Risk Classic's tournaments.
- Any and all Conquer Club community members that attend are eligible of course!
- 3 Months of Premium Membership, a General Achievement Medal, & bragging rights for being a strategy bad-ass.
So, think you are up to the challenge? Best of luck!
If you plan on attending the Annual Risk Classic, feel free to drop us a line in this topic, and when you are at the event, keep us in the-know via Twitter and Facebook!
And don't forget to keep an eye on the coming issues of the Conquer Club Dispatch for a spotlight of the Annual Risk Classic and Steelhorse!


text:
Tagged: CC Sabathia
Take a Step Back
As I said in an earlier entry, the next few weeks may be scarce interms of my entries, and most likely will not have game summaries and info on a daily basis. Still trying to get out a post every day or two about different topics. Since I have baseball games myself also, I did not get to catch the first few innings of each Yankee game, so that's another reason why I am behind.
As for this entry. I have a question for the O's. What the hell happened? The whole Boston series, the team looked legitimate. May have lost 2 of 3, but were in all 3 games, showed tons of patience and hitting, and kept up with positive starting pitching. The bad part was the bullpen, specifically Albers who blew the two games we lost in that series. The good part was that the bats were coming alive. We were having double digit hit games, multi-hit games for a lot of guys, and the bats of Markakis and Jones looked to be coming back.
The O's arrived back in Baltimore, and decided to just stick with the trends from the beginning of the season after beating the Yankees on Tuesday. While Sabathia and Burnett were on top of their games, specifically Burnett who pitched his best stuff in a long time (unfortunately it had to come against us), but why did the bats just die. At least against Sabathia we got some hits, but it just looked flat out horrible. We lost the touch that the guys were able to find against the Red Sox on Sunday and the Yankees on Tuesday to bring guys in who were on base and not rack up the LOB statistic. Wednesday went back to the old crap where we get hits all spread apart and not score. Last night was just horrific. We had 3 total hits, and the whole lineup just looked out of it, specifically Wieters. The last two nights he has look mezmorized at the plate. Not sure what is going on, but I am hoping Crowley can help him get back on track to hitting .300+. He dropped below .300 last night, which is hard to see when he was one of the positive aspects of our offense before. Wigginton continued his hitting with one hit in each of the two past games. Who would have guessed Cesar Izturis would be our hottest bat at any time in the season. More to come on him later. I want to write a post about it, but might wait to see how he does vs. Lackey tonight.
The bullpen went back to the 'Opposite Day' concept. Here is what the stats and happenings are for the bullpen guys:
-Albers has pitched 2.1 innings (1 IP Wed. and 1.1 IP Thurs.) and in those outings only let one hit thru and got a K. He looks to have gotten his fastball under control. That is a good sign since he is a guy the team is hoping to build with for the future in the 'pen.
-Castillo was brought up and had solid innings before yesterday of strikeouts and no runs. Unfortunately for him, he was brought in to face Robbie Cano, who smacked his 2nd HR of the night off of Castillo's low speed side arm on the 2nd pitch.
-Hendrickson and Meredith both pitched an inning on Wednesday. The difficult part of this one is that neither looked bad. They both looked on top of their stuff, just the Yankees lineup is overpowering and talented. Luckily, between the 2.1 innings they pitched, they only let up 1 ER, but had 7 hits combined. Would have been more runs but Hendrickson inherited some Guthrie allowed hits.
-Berken and Ohman came in for 9th inning pitching in the 2 games. Berken smoothly got 2 outs, and Ohman got 3 with 2 Ks and 1 H. Sad that they couldn't be for saves.
Just looks like the pitching is going downhill. Starters haven't looked stellar. Sorry to Matusz, but you threw some ugly pitches. Overall, still looked great, but against a team like the Yankees, you can't even give up one bad pitch without paying the price. Guthrie just was disgusting.
Hopefully this weekend the O's can rebuild on their offense and the power they have shown a little bit lately. My hopes are for Wieters to get back with it, Jones to have a 3-3 or 4-4 night (he sincerely needs it), and Markakis keeps the slugging up. The reason I think those things are most important are because they are the heart of the lineup and that has been troubling all season.


text:
Donald Audsley Ballew, 75, of Burlington, died at 6:40 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, at the Great River Hospice House in West Burlington.
Donald was born Sept. 9, 1937 in Hale, Mo., the son of Audsley McDowell and Gladys Rena Barlow Ballew. On Aug. 10, 1969, he married Julie Sue Hanson in Clarkson Valley, Mo.
Don worked 53 years in sales and was currently working for Stine Seed in Adel, Iowa.
He was a 1955 graduate of Hale High School. He graduated in 1961 from Central Methodist University in Fayette, Mo., with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Biology.
He enjoyed hunting, fishing, reading, and storytelling. He was a talented poet as well as a lover of music.
Survivors include his wife, Sue; three sons, Jeffrey (Kara) Ballew, Orem, Utah, Christopher (Selma) Ballew, Houston, Texas, and David Ballew, Burlington; four daughters, Sarah Behunin, Hazelton, Idaho, Emily (Tom) Ferguson, Wayland, Iowa, Julie (Michael) Schissel, Port Washington, N.Y., and Rebecca (John) McDermott, Cascade, Iowa; 28 grandchildren; two sisters, Marilyn Monson, Derby, Kan., and Nancy (Barry) Anderson, Chillicothe, Mo.; one sister-in-law, Bonnie Ballew, Dallas, Texas; and 19 nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and one brother, Dale Ballew.
The funeral service for Mr. Ballew will be 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013, at Thielen Funeral Home with Bishop Jonathan Snow officiating. Burial will be in Hale Cemetery in Hale, Mo., at 3 p.m., Tuesday. Visitation will be from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. with the family to receive friends from 6:30 until 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 7, 2013, at Thielen Funeral Home.
A memorial has been established for Great River Hospice. A photo tribute can be viewed and condolences can be sent to the family by visiting Don's obituary at www.thielenfuneralhome.com.
Arrangements are under the direction of Thielen Funeral Home, Burlington, Iowa.
Burlington resident Donald Audsley Ballew, 75, died Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013
Donald Audsley Ballew, 75, of Burlington, died at 6:40 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, at the Great River Hospice House in West Burlington.


text:
The gunman, Thomas Matusiewicz, 68, of Texas suffered from a bullet wound to the chest and a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, Delaware State Police spokesman Sgt. Paul Shavack said. Matusiewicz shot and killed his ex-daughter-in-law and her friend in the courthouse lobby just after 8 a.m.
The man who killed two women in the New Castle County courthouse Monday morning turned the gun on himself after the shooting, police said Tuesday.
The gunman, Thomas Matusiewicz, 68, of Texas suffered from a bullet wound to the chest and a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, Delaware State Police spokesman Sgt. Paul Shavack said. Matusiewicz shot and killed his ex-daughter-in-law and her friend in the courthouse lobby just after 8 a.m.
Christine Belford, 39, of Newark, had been engaged in a bitter custody battle with her ex-husband, Thomas Matusiewicz's son, David Matusiewicz, since their divorce in 2006.
David Matusiewicz served three years in prison for kidnapping the couple's three children and moving them to Central America against Belford's wishes between 2007 and 2009.
Belford's friend, Laura Mulford, 47, also of Newark, who was accompanying her to court that morning, was also killed during the shooting.
On the morning of Feb. 11, police said that the suspect Thomas Matusiewicz entered lobby of the King Street courthouse at around 740 a.m. with his song David, both of whom reside in Edcouch, TX.
David Matusiewicz and Belford were scheduled to appear in court that morning for a child support matter, police said.
Upon arriving to the courthouse the younger Matusiewicz proceeded through the checkpoint monitored by Delaware Capitol Police. His father remained in the public lobby area.
At 8:15 a.m., Belford and Mulford entered the public lobby area of the courthouse to also appear for the scheduled hearing.
Thomas Matusiewicz approached the two women as they were standing in the public lobby area and pulled out a .45 caliber semiautomatic handgun, firing multiple rounds at close range, and striking Belford in the upper body, police said.
Mulford attempted to run, but she was also struck in the upper body at close range.
Thomas Matusiewicz then turned his weapon in the direction of Capitol Police Officers that were in the lobby and fired multiple rounds as he attempted to leave the building.
Officers Michael E. Manley, 42, and Steven D. Rinehart, 50, were struck in the upper body, where they were protected by their ballistic vests, Shavack said.
During the gunfire exchange with officers, Matusiewicz suffered from a gunshot wound to his upper body.
Police said that he then turned the gun on himself and killed himself by shooting himself in the head. His body was turned over to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner where is cause and manner of death was ruled a suicide.
Belford and Mulford were both taken to the Christiana Hospital Trauma Center where they pronounced dead. Their cause and manner of death were ruled as homicides by gunshot wounds to the chest.
Manley and Rineheart, who were both shot in the upper body, striking their ballistic vests, were taken to the Christiana Hospital Trauma Center where they were treated and released with minor injuries.
Detective located David Matusiewicz in the courthouse after the shooting, where they interviewed him and determined that he was in violation of a federal probation violation. He was held for a hearing.
On Tuesday, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden said that a Family Court judge issued an order forbidding David Matusiewicz's wife, Lenore, 67, from having any contact with the children of Belford and her son.
The order states that she must stay 1,000 feet away from her grandchildren at all times and can have no direct or indirect contact with them.
"The children are safe," Biden said in a statement Tuesday. "We sought this no-contact order because we believe Lenore Matusiewicz is a danger to the children and should not have any contact with them. Her actions over the past five years have given us serious concern that she poses a risk to the children's safety."
In 2009, Biden's office prosecuted Lenore Matusiewicz for helping her son David in the kidnapping of his and Belford's three children.
Lenore and David had fled with the children to Canada, Texas, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica and eventually Nicaragua, where they were found by the U.S. Marshall's Service living in a motor home that Lenore had purchased, officials said. She was convicted of three counts of endangering the welfare of a child and sentenced to 18 months in state prison.
In addition to the international kidnapping charges, David Matusiewicz was also convicted of one federal count of bank fraud.
After serving time in federal prison and a halfway house, David Matusiewicz was released from federal custody in September 2012. Before being released, the Attorney General's Office successfully terminated his parental rights.
The courthouse was on lock down and King Street was closed off at Ninth Street, with dozens of law enforcement vehicles at the scene Monday, and remained closed Feb. 12 to allow police to continue their investigation and allow Capitol Police to prepare for reopening Wednesday.
Delaware State Police Homicide Detectives are continuing their investigation by conducting interviews, reviewing video surveillance, and collecting evidence from the crime scene, Shavack said. The total number of rounds fired has not yet been determined at this time.