text:
We take great pride in the quality and workmanship of our merchandise and want you
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No sales tax will be charged on your order (*except in CT, FL, MA, TX, AZ, CA, CO, IL, NV, NY, NJ, PA, WA state).
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A glittering halo of accent diamonds accentuates the center perfectly in this classic round diamond halo pendant to create a lively display of brilliance. The intricate basket and dangling accented bail further enhance the elegant appeal of this halo pendant. The pendant comes with an 18" cable chain.
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|Classic Round Diamond Halo Pendant in 14K White Gold
|Prong Metal :
|14K White Gold
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|0.45 - 3.50 Carat
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|Very Good
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|Lobster Claw Clasp
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subset: commoncrawl


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Today, 5 June 2011, Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, CGL, a professional genealogist in the Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania, posted the following message on several forums, including several genealogy mailing lists and social media sites:
I just received the following this morning:
"Vital Records Bill SB-361 is scheduled for an important vote in State Senate Public Health & Welfare Committee on Wednesday June 8th, 2011 at 10am in Room 461 of the State Capitol Building in Harrisburg (I only just found out about it). More can be found on this at the June 1, 2011 entry on our website under The Latest News: http://users.rcn.com/timarg/PaHR-Access.htm.
This bill just makes birth certificates over 100 years old and death certificates over 50 years old open records. It doesn't force them to be online, but making them open records is required before anything at all can be done. It is basically the same bill that passed this committee unanimously last year in the previous session. However, we cannot assume it will do so again. Your help is needed to make sure it passes again. Please visit, call, or at the very least email any or all of the committee members and ask them to vote in favor of this bill. If your state senator is on the committee so much the better. Be sure to let him or her know you are a constituent.
Please let your membership know about this. Thank you for your help.
Tim Gruber
If anyone can lend their support, please feel free to do so. The website Tim mentions is of the organization whose sole purpose is to get the PA Vital records opened up for easier access. It has information on why we need to do this, and who to contact.
Pennsylvania is one of only a few (less than ten) states that have refused to open their vital records to researchers, regardless of the age of the record. The state began their current vital registration program, for births and deaths, in 1906. All of these records, including those for people who died in 1906, are not considered public records by the state. This means that (1) there is no publicly available index to births or deaths within the state, from 1906 to the present; (2) researchers have absolutely no access to search any birth or death records, from 1906 to the present; and (3) researchers must provide detailed information on the deceased, including a specific familial relationship, in order to obtain a death certificate. And of course there are other implications for genealogists, as well.
Compare this policy with some of Pennsylvania's neighbors. In the state of Maryland, birth certificates become publicly available after 100 years, and death certificates become publicly available after 10 years. Birth indexes are available for viewing on microfilm at the Maryland State Archives even for the period during which the certificate is restricted (for births less than 100 years old). Death indexes are available online from 1875 through 1972 for Baltimore City, and from 1898 through 1968 for the rest of the state. In the District of Columbia, the seat of our federal government, birth certificates are restricted for 100 years, and death certificates are restricted for 50 years.
The open-access advocacy group quoted above only requests open access to death certificates older than 50 years as a start, the same as has been available in the District of Columbia (not to mention most other states) for many years.
For more information please visit the website for the People for Better Pennsylvania Historical Records Access (PaHR-Access). This website discusses the issues in great depth, and includes a list of "Ways You Can Help," sample letters, and other useful information.
If you live or have research interests in Pennsylvania, please get involved. As mentioned, there is a hearing scheduled for this Wednesday, 8 June 2011, in Harrisburg. Please contact the members of the State Senate Public Health & Welfare Committee immediately. We must make our voices heard, so that this bill will pass.


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Cruelty to animals and people abounds in an acclaimed children's novel set in an East Texas pine forest
The Underneath. By Kathi Appelt. Drawings by David Small. Atheneum, 311 pp., $19.99. Ages 8 and up.
By Janice Harayda
What were the Newbery and National Book Awards judges thinking when they named this novel a finalist for their prizes? That kids don't see enough repulsive characters in other media and needed a book about two more? Or that they have to get their New Age twaddle early so that they'll recognize it when they see it in The Secret?
The Underneath tells the linked stories of two hate-filled characters: a cruel gun-toting hermit and a poisonous shape-shifting serpent, who live deep in an East Texas pine forest. The hermit, known as Gar Face, avenges his abused childhood by shooting animals, getting drunk, and plotting to kill a giant alligator in a nearby bayou. He brutally mistreats his only companion, a lame bloodhound named Ranger. The serpent seethes over the loss of her daughter, who ran off with a shape-shifting hawk who changed into a handsome man. She, too, has one companion — the giant alligator that Gar Face wants to kill, "and he was not the snuggly type." That is the closest you will find to wit in this novel.
Like the snake, Gar Face has an Ahab–like fixation on vengeance, complicated by the arrival of an abandoned calico cat, who soon has kittens. Ranger protects the cats and warns them to stay in "the Underneath" – a crawl space under the hermit's shack — or face Gar Face's fury. Unfortunately, kittens are hard to manage: "There is also that whole thing about curiosity." This line is bad news for anyone who expects Newbery finalists to avoid clichéd themes like, "Curiosity killed the cat."
The Underneath is so drenched in sorrow that while it might pain some children at any time, you wonder how it will affect those who are suffering greatly because of the recession. The scant redemption comes in the last few pages and at the cost of more violence. One hate-filled main character remains unrepentant and meets a grisly death. The other gives up on revenge and acts kindly, if belatedly. The message is: When you feel bitter, you can keep on hating or you can choose to love. A worthy idea, certainly. But the final act of kindness is so unexpected — and so little foreshadowed – that it's as though Ahab had decided at the end of Moby-Dick to join a "Save the Whales" campaign.
In a sense, all the cruelty is beside the point: There's plenty of cruelty to children in the novels of Charles Dickens, and they're still worthy of readers, young and old. The problem with The Underneath is in part a lack of balance. Good children's books may have cruel adults, but those characters tend not to predominate as in this novel: Villains share center stage with better people. The absence of good people in major roles invests The Underneath — perhaps inadvertently — with a deeply cynical view of human nature.
What, then, could the Newbery and National Book Awards judges have liked about this controversial book, apart from its love-is-good message? Above all, a rich sense of place. The Underneath reflects a strong appreciation for the landscape of the Texas-Louisiana border — the birds and fish, the trees and plants, the marshes and bayous. A sense of landscape isn't enough to sustain a novel. But it's not nothing when so many children's books offer bland descriptions of classrooms and soccer fields (and, interestingly, it's something The Underneath shares with the 2007 Newbery winner, The Higher Power of Lucky, which vividly evokes the Mojave).
Kathi Appelt also writes clearly, although her book has some inane lines like: "The pain she felt was palpable." She weaves her several storylines together smoothly, if often repetitively, and maintains a fair amount of suspense given that two of her characters at times do little more than sit around plotting revenge.
But one aspect of The Underneath that may have appealed to judges isn't a virtue: It touches many ideologically fashionable bases. These include the idea that animals (and, in this book, other forms of nonhuman life) are morally superior to people.
After Gar Face commits a heinous act, the book asks: "What do you call a person like that? The trees have a word: evil." No, humans have a word, but you wouldn't know it from this story. Later we get more on the wisdom of trees, written in pretentious tones like this:
"For trees, who see so much sorrow, so much anger, so much desperation, know love for the rare wonder of it, so they are champions of it and will do whatever the can to help it along its way."
This is sentimental New Age goop, pitched to an age in which environmentalism often becomes substitute religion. The Underneath acknowledges that the hermit is evil. But it's trees — not wise people — who see that he is. The best children's books may have virtuous animals or trees, but they also have admirable humans. Charlotte's Web has Wilbur and Fern (and part of E. B. White's genius is that his novel has a girl named Fern, not a talking fern). In The Underneath the only good humans are part-animal shape-shifters who are not main but supporting characters. Even they die terrible deaths. Instead of hope, this bleak book offers children a variation on the cynical political axiom: If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.
Best line: "This Piney Woods forest in far East Texas is wet and steamy. Take a step and your footprint will fill with water."
Worst line: "Humans are designed to be with other humans, even those with mixed blood." That "mixed blood" refers to shape-shifters, creatures half-human and half-bird or -reptile. But the phrase comes across as an unintentional racial slur. Among David Small's illustrations (which strike me as just OK): Appelt says Hawk Man has "coppery feathers in his long black hair," but in a picture he appears to have a shaved head.
Recommendation? The Underneath has the most misleading dust-jacket copy I've seen on a children's novel this year, which begins: "A calico cat, about to have kittens, hears the lonely howl of a chained-up hound deep in the backwaters of the bayou. She dares to find him in the forest, and the hound dares to befriend this cat, this feline, this creature he is supposed to hate." Strictly speaking, that is accurate. But it gives a poor sense of what you will find in this book, which is not a sweet story about a cat and dog. Librarian Elizabeth Bird got it right when she warned that if you know children who can't read Charlotte's Web because they find Charlotte's death too disturbing, "boy oh boy is this NOT the book for them."
Editor: Caitlyn Dlouhy
Published: May 2008
Furthermore: The Underneath was a finalist for the 2008 National Book Award for young people's literature. It won a 2009 Newbery Honor Book citation from the American Library Association. The Underneath is the first novel by Appelt, who has also written picture books for children.
Note: I haven't read the 2009 Newbery winner, Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book, so I can't compare it to The Underneath. If you've read both novels, can you suggest what it has that Appelt's book doesn't? Or recommend a recent Honor Book that might have more to offer 8-to-12-year-olds? Thanks. Jan
One-Minute Book Reviews is the home of the annual Delete Key awards for the year's worst writing in books for adults or children. The 2009 finalists will be announced on Feb. 26 and the winners on March 15. Please bookmark this site or subscribe to the RSS feed to avoid missing these posts.
© 2009 Janice Harayda. All rights reserved.


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Special Notice!
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TBP & PU Staff


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NEW YORK — Shannon Burke is typical of many American shoppers these days. She's pouring money into her home and cutting back on everything else. "If we don't need it, we don't buy it," said Burke, a 33- year-old mother from Abington, Mass., whose two kids are mostly making do with hand-me-downs. "The money can be spent on our home. The more valuable our home is, the better it is for us in the long run." That's great news for companies such as Lowe's Cos. and Home Depot Inc. Both reported blowout second quarters as millions of Americans, drawing confidence from a recovering housing market, loaded up on dishwashers, bathtubs and wall tile. It's not so good for retailers selling clothes and other general merchandise. In recent weeks, chains from Wal-Mart to Nordstrom to Macy's missed sales estimates and cut forecasts. Several blamed the results on consumers struggling with higher payroll taxes and an uncertain economy. While those headwinds are weighing on spending, especially for low-income shoppers, many consumers are simply buying elsewhere. Having already updated their wardrobes, they're eager to replace aging appliances and cars after postponing such purchases for years. Ford and General Motors are benefiting from the best sales of light cars and trucks in the U.S. since 2007. It's not as though Americans suddenly have more money, said Poonam Goyal, a Bloomberg Industries analyst. It's that they're spending on things they deem a good investment. "They are more willing to invest in their homes," she said. When you buy "bigger-ticket items, you have less to spend on things like apparel." In the aftermath of the recession, retailers catering to a more well-heeled cohort have prospered because recovering stock markets made their customers feel wealthier. Since then, a broader array of retailers have benefited from an improving economy, rising employment and consumer confidence that has reached the highest level since before the downturn. Then this past quarter, retailers posted their worst earnings performance when compared with analysts' estimates since the end of 2008 as one-third of all chains, including Macy's and Dick's Sporting Goods Inc., missed projections, according to researcher Retail Metrics. Amid familiar comments about cautious consumers and payroll taxes, Macy's and Target Corp. said spending on cars and houses had hurt sales. "While emerging strength in the housing and automotive sectors is a long-term positive, the near-term spending on these big-ticket items is crowding out other spending," Gregg Steinhafel, Target's chief executive officer, said in an Aug. 21 conference call with analysts. With home values rising in her town, Burke decided to stop being a stay-at-home mom and took a job in corporate security in April. That boosted her household income to about $100,000 and since then she and her husband have spent about $4,000 on renovations at a Lowe's. Their most recent project was stripping wallpaper and painting every wall with an eye toward selling the 1953 three-bedroom house. Even Best Buy Co., in the midst of a turnaround attempt, is riding the housing wave. In the second quarter, appliances were one of the few bright spots for the chain. In the U.S., revenue from items like air conditioners and dishwashers rose 14 percent as store-wide sales fell 0.4 percent. Many appliances bought when the U.S. housing boom began 10 years ago are now reaching the end of their lives, says David MacGregor, an analyst for Longbow Research in Independence, Ohio. Now those are being replaced and account for more than half of sales, he said. Meanwhile, low interest rates, competitive lease deals and a crop of new models have given Americans an incentive to replace their vehicles, now the oldest ever on U.S. roads. With his daughter, a commuter student, returning for her sophomore year at Adelphi University, Rich Zweiback, 49, a salesman who lives in East Meadow, N.Y., said his family needed a third car. In August, he bought a black 2013 Hyundai Sonata, attracted to the sedan's sporty styling, extended warranty and features, such as Bluetooth. "Last year we kind of made do with two cars among three people but with the economy looking a little brighter this year and prospects looking a little brighter, we felt we could invest in a car," Zweiback said. "This is the only major purchase we're going to make — aside from college tuition." The family cut back on some discretionary spending, by skipping a summer vacation and eating out less. Consumers' shift in spending doesn't explain all the challenges retailers are facing. Wal-Mart has struggled to keep its shelves fully stocked. Macy's, the second-largest U.S. department-store chain, said it was too slow to discount. J.C. Penney Co., which reported a second-quarter 12 percent sales decline, is attempting a turnaround after former Chief Executive Officer Ron Johnson alienated core shoppers. Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and other teen retailers didn't get the fashions right. Still, retailers are struggling because spending on homes and cars has "crowded out discretionary dollars," Charles Grom, a retail analyst for Sterne Agee & Leach Inc. in New York, wrote in a note. With "little, if any real wage growth" the spending shift may persist beyond the second quarter.
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This post is not really genealogy related (unless my great-grandson happens across it 100 years from now). It is, however, a response to Randy Seaver's weekly Saturday Night Genealogy Fun at his Genea-Musings blog. This week, Randy's prompt asked readers and fellow bloggers to answer the following questions:
- What is your all-time favorite song? Yep, number 1. It's hard to choose sometimes. If you made your favorite all-time Top 40 music selections, what would be #1?
- Tell us about it. Why is it a favorite? Do you have special memories attached to this song?
- Write your own blog post about it, or make a comment on this post or on the Facebook entry.
I am an avid music fan, and in my younger days self-published a music magazine, and even reviewed music for other magazines. Perhaps a discussion of my musical interests would be appropriate. I must first preface this discussion by stating that I was born in 1976.
When I was a child, as children will, I listened to whatever my parents were listening to: most of this (that I can remember) consisted of Billy Joel. The first song that I remember hearing and thinking, "this is mymusic," when I was about 8 or 9 years old, was Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew's "The Show." Soon after this, the Beastie Boys, Run-DMC, and other Def Jam artists, and D.J. Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince confirmed that I loved hip-hop, and I have continued to do so for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, the genre has regressed quite a bit over the last ten years or so, and filthy, commercialized violence and hypersexualized nonsense.
My current musical interests are much more diverse: in my car's 6-disc CD changer are Michael Jackson's greatest hits (R&B), the greatest hits of Louis Prima (1940s-1960s New Orleans jazz), Bob Marley's Legend (roots reggae), and the newest disc by Jay-Z, Blueprint 3(hip-hop). But I would not consider any of these albums to contain my favorite song.
How does one define his favorite song? It would be much easier to create a top ten by genre – I have a top ten hip-hop songs, top ten R&B songs, top ten rock songs, top ten blues songs, top ten jazz/crooner songs, top ten reggae songs, etc. Trying to compare these songs to come up with one list would be like comparing apples to airplanes. Which I would prefer at any given time would depend on my mood at that time.
But none of this can excuse me from completing this mission…
I decided to choose one song, for reasons I will discuss below. First I would like to name a few honorable mentions:
(1) Frank Sinatra's "Young at Heart." I first heard this song in the late '80s or early '90s, in the ultimate "Corey" movie, starring both Corey Feldman and Corey Haim, with Jason Robards, Dream a Little Dream, and I instantly fell in love with the song. But the reason that it holds an honorable mention here is strictly personal: When my daughter was born in 2005, we discovered that when she was crying, my singing would calm her down. She seemed to also love this soothing song, and for the first three years of her life, I sang it to her every night when I laid her down to sleep. Even now, she will still sometimes ask me to sing it to her at bed time.
(2) A Tribe Called Quest's album Low End Theory. Had the mission this week asked for a favorite album of all time, it would have been a toss-up between this and The Beatles' Let It Be. Released in 1991, this album was the pinnacle of the career of a group who made a name for themselves by trying to elevate hip-hop music to a new level of consciousness. It culminates in the hit "Scenario," a collaboration between Tribe and the Leaders of the New School. "Scenario" basically launched the solo career of rapper/actor Busta Rhymes, and is one of the greatest hip-hop collaborations of all-time. You can even see Spike Lee in the video. I can still to this day, start at the beginning of this album and remember every word. (Don't challenge me 😉 )
All that being said (drum-roll, please), the winner is…
Method Man "I'll Be There For You/You're All I Need to Get By" featuring Mary J. Blige
For several reasons, this is my favorite song (at least as I write this):
- The song is a remake of the Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell classic from Motown. In choosing this song, I am also able to honor both Marvin Gaye (like myself, born in Washington, D. C.) and a living legend, one of the greatest R&B songstresses of all time, Mary J. Blige.
- This song was released as a single only, not appearing in this form on Method Man's album Tical. A version of the song without Mary J. Blige, but containing an additional rap verse, appeared on the album. The single version is far superior.
- Released in 1995, this song was one of the biggest hits of that year – a year I consider the peak of hip-hop. The genre improved every year until '95, then began its fall from grace. After 1995, the quality of hip-hop lyrics declined. The Bad Boy-Death Row beef that was portrayed as an East Coast-West Coast war, and the subsequent deaths of Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace aka Biggie Smalls/Notorious B. I. G. signaled a death-knoll for hip-hop as I had grown to love it. The rise of Master P's lackluster No Limit Records to the top of the charts was the final nail in the coffin. There have been some rappers in recent years with the talent and mind-set of those pre-1995 days, but when Lil Wayne captures the record for most records sold, you know that something is wrong. This song by Mef & Mary reminds me of what was once right.
- The song describes a devoted but not idealized love between a man and a woman. The dream of a man to have a realistic relationship with a woman based on mutual respect. The desire of a man to take care of his family. I can associate with all of these sentiments.
BONUS SONG: I wanted to mention another song due to its genealogical tone. Arrested Development's "Tennessee" (1992) describes a young man's search for his roots in the South.


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Creative Ways to Display Your Collections
Buy what you love
Tim Straker and Mike Ebright haunt flea markets and salvage yards for unique finds that connect to their passions. Not limiting themselves to the usual decorative items, they fill their Columbus, Ohio, home with pieces that speak of family history, personal interests or regional pride.
"We buy what we love and live with it for as long as we like," Tim says. Their dining room (left) and other rooms in their German Village home showcase their unusual collections. Click through our slides to find out how Tim and Mike display their finds -- with ideas you can use in your own home.
Quirky groupings
Tim's fascination with all shapes and sizes of vintage lightbulbs began with an old string of holiday lights painted by his mom and crackled by age. (Also, lightbulb inventor Thomas Edison was born in Ohio!) One way to display the bulbs: under a glass bell top.
Take-home tip: Don't shy away from collecting something that seems ho-hum, like lightbulbs. When you immerse yourself in the search, you'll discover surprising and intriguing variations.
Enlightening centerpiece
Tim's lightbulbs, in varying colors and shapes, create a striking focal point for the dining room table.
Take-home tip: Odd-numbered groupings, like the nine bulbs here, are more interesting than sets in even numbers.
A world of color
Tim and Mike created a playful fireplace display with cascading globes. (Glue holds them in place.) When they hauled home a carload, a passerby asked if the two were geography teachers.
Take-home tip: Look for versions of your collectible in different sizes; the variety of large and small examples will add interest to the grouping.
Under pressure
Tim bought his first vintage barometer years ago from a display in a Ralph Lauren store where he worked a summer job. Now he groups them on the buffet or hangs them.
Take-home tip: Look beyond an item's function to see its underlying stylishness. These barometers mimic the clean midcentury-modern lines of the homeowners' furnishings.
Eclectic displays
Deep-chocolate walls and modern retro furniture create a showstopping backdrop for eclectic collections in the dining room. "I like how multiples create texture," Tim says.
The vintage motel sign inspires memories of family lake vacations and cruises in Tim's beloved classic Century boat.
Take-home tip: Deep, rich colors recede to let colorful collectibles pop.
Paint-by-number paintings
A fond childhood memory came to life when Tim purchased a collection of paint-by-number artwork on eBay.
Take-home tip: Just about anything handmade inspires a sense of authenticity, even if it's not "high art."
Warming up the kitchen
Open shelving, white cabinetry and a strategically placed skylight keep the kitchen bright and friendly.
Take-home tip: "We use worn pieces to warm up our modern styling," Tim says. A salvaged industrial light fixture, for example, spotlights the kitchen island.
Historical leanings
Tim's grandfather was a chief engineer for A.E. Hull Pottery Company of Crooksville, Ohio. Tim's 400-piece pottery collection, displayed in a custom cabinet, is a tribute to that legacy. Favorites are prototypes his grandfather designed.
Take-home tip: Indulge yourself. Tim may never use all these pieces, but they have a place because they are meaningful to his family.
Subway-style tile walls
The glazed terra-cotta tile lining kitchen walls was fired in 100-year-old kilns at the Seneca Tile Company of Attica, Ohio. Bright kitchenware displays stand out against the muted wall color.
Take-home tip: Repeating a texture, like the glaze of this tile and these pottery pieces, ties together items from different eras.
Salvaged furniture mix
Bits of gold still remain on stools salvaged from a gold-leaf factory; they're paired with a custom leather banquette. A $20 garage-sale side table gains new status beside a rare midcentury-modern chair. Vintage advertising posters add to a retro feel.
Take-home tip: Tim encourages friends to mix various eras or pedigrees. "Even the tackiest pieces have a place when set in the right context," he says.
Entry wall creativity
See-through table and chairs on this entry wall in the living room allow collections, like the framed postcards, to take a starring role.
Take-home tip: Let some parts of your decor fade into the background. If everything says "Look at me!" nothing gets the appropriate attention.
Vacation memories
Mike collected vintage postcards from Buckeye Lake (home of the Straker family summer cottage) and created a personal framed piece of art.
Take-home tip: Just about any memento can be framed and turned into a hanging memory.
State pride
A pop-art-style cow painting, in a place of honor over the fireplace, reflects the homeowners' strong ties to Columbus, affectionately dubbed "Cowtown USA" for its agricultural heritage.
Take-home tip: Unique pieces will mesh beautifully if you remain consistent with frame style.
Boating collectibles
Tim and Mike couldn't pass up an English wet bar mimicking the shape of a boat hull. It anchors a corner of the dining room.
Boating is a family passion: Tim's family has collected and restored wood-hull Century motorboats at their Ohio lake cottage for years.
Take-home tip: Live large. If you love boats, don't settle for just a few little nautical knickknacks. Let your passions inspire furniture pieces, hardware, accents and more.
Bath collection flair
The countertop in the powder room -- along with the kitchen countertop and the curved accent wall in the living room -- feature mahogany wood like that used in vintage boats.
Other collectibles on display: A jar of campaign buttons and a grouping of old flashlights add personality to the powder room.
Take-home tip: It's OK to mix collectibles of different eras and themes. The campaign buttons and flashlights don't "go" together, but pair nicely here anyway.
Circus letter reproductions -- three "Z's" -- bring a whimsical touch to an upstairs bedroom.
Take-home tip: Make yourself laugh. Go ahead and make a joke with your collections.
Charming vignette
An old black-and-white photo, vintage alarm clock and trophy make a charming bedside vignette.
Take-home tip: Shape and contrast, like the shadows in this photograph, add interest -- even without the addition of bright colors.
Bookcase groupings
An upstairs hall bookcase houses old model boat kits, vintage flashlights, a framed Chris-Craft Boat advertisement -- and an unusual collection of rainbow-hue books.
Take-home tip: Repeat an accent color to tie things together. Here, spots of celadon green lead the eye from the lamp to the flashlights to the books.
Drawn to history
Tim and Mike were charmed by German Village's brick streets, gas lights, hidden gardens and restored brick homes built in the mid-1800s by German settlers, many of whom worked in nearby breweries. They've used local materials and craftspeople when updating their home, bringing warmth to their modern aesthetic.
Their latest find
Tim (left) and Mike bring home a new flea-market find, oversize letters likely from a former Ohio gas station sign.
Tim confesses, "Collecting can become addicting." But this is one addiction that's easy to live with.
(A version of this story appeared in Midwest Living® March/April 2010.)
Continue with more Midwest Living decorating ideas


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HOME STAR Incentives to Energize the Home Performance Market
May 03, 2010
A version of this article appears in the May/June 2010 issue of Home Energy Magazine.
Late last year, the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board—a panel of nongovernmental experts who advise the White House on practical solutions to the economic crisis—unanimously endorsed a plan to stimulate consumer demand for energy retrofits as a cost-effective way to put hundreds of thousands of unemployed Americans back to work in construction-related trades. This plan, known as HOME STAR, would provide direct incentives to homeowners who invest in efficiency improvements.
As we write this article, Congress is considering legislation that would authorize funding for the program and make HOME STAR incentives a reality for millions of American homeowners. Final details about the structure of the program won't be known until the legislation is signed into law, but here is an overview of the plan as it is currently taking shape on Capitol Hill:
HOME STAR is designed to stimulate consumer demand for energy retrofits by offering direct consumer rebates for qualifying home improvements. The short-term goal is to encourage rapid growth of the home performance retrofit market, and to boost sales of domestically produced manufactured goods used in home performance retrofitting. These rebates will be phased out as the industry gains strength and government incentives are no longer needed.
The proposal also allocates funding for consumer lending programs to help homeowners invest in energy efficiency improvements. Financing options will vary from state to state.
HOME STAR gives homeowners a choice of two types of incentive. The SILVER STAR path provides rebates for specific energy-saving measures, including air sealing, insulation, duct sealing or replacement, replacement of windows and doors, and installation of high-efficiency appliances and HVAC equipment. SILVER STAR rebates range from $125 to $1,500 per measure, with a benefit not exceeding $3,000 or 50% of total project costs (whichever is less).
The GOLD STAR path is a performance-based incentive that rewards predicted energy savings rather than individual measures. This option gives homeowners the freedom to choose the measures that are most suited to their particular home and budget. First, a BPI-accredited company or RESNET-certified rater conducts a comprehensive audit of the home and designs a customized retrofit plan for the homeowner; then the work is conducted by a BPI-accredited contractor. GOLD STAR incentive amounts are determined as a function of whole-home energy savings achieved via the proposed improvements. Consumers receive $3,000 for a 20% simulation-predicted reduction in energy use, plus an additional $1,000 for each additional 5% reduction up to a cap of $8,000 or 50% of total project costs (whichever is less).
At the request of the homeowner, HOME STAR rebates can be assigned to qualified contractors or retailers. This provision allows incentive amounts to be deducted from overall project costs at the time of sale, with rebates paid directly to the contractor or supplier following completion of the work and a simple paperwork review.
To prevent fraud and ensure quality, HOME STAR requires appropriate licensing for all participating contractors, plus BPI accreditation for GOLD STAR work. A percentage of all jobs will be inspected to verify proper installation.
HOME STAR was developed by a coalition of business leaders and contractors with boots-on-the-ground experience in the industry, including members of the home performance trade association Efficiency First. We continue to advise the White House and legislative leaders as the proposal works its way through Congress.
Jared Asch is the national director for Efficiency First, a nonprofit trade association that unites home performance contractors, residential energy consultants, building product manufacturers, and other key members of America's growing green-collar workforce.
Matt Golden is the cofounder and president of Recurve (formerly Sustainable Spaces). Founded in 2004, the company acts as a full-service resource for homeowners to improve the comfort, health, and efficiency of their home.
For more information:
To learn how you can get involved in the HOME STAR program, visit www.efficiencyfirst.org/home-star.
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It's a rule of retail life that you often have to work long past closing time while you clean up or do inventory for the following day. But Apple Store employees in France won't have to do this anymore. As reported by the AFP (hat tip to the Verge), Apple has been ordered to stop asking its retail employees to work past 9pm—closing time—and must now pay €10,000 in damages to the unions who complained about the practice.
Six French labor unions had filed a complaint against Apple for having employees work as late as 11pm in order to prep the stores for the following day. This sounds completely normal to those of us who have worked in retail in the US, but French labor laws forbid requiring employees to work between 9pm and 6am (as well as Sundays, all day).
There are exceptions, of course: employees are allowed to work late only if the work they're performing is essential to the country's economic activity, or if they're providing social services. (One could try to argue that cleaning up the store for new iPhone buyers is essential to France's economy, but the French clearly don't see it that way.) Because Apple had been violating the labor law, a Paris court fined the company €10,000 (about US$13,000) plus €50,000 (about US$65,000) for every new violation, and another decision on the case is supposed to come down from the court on April 16.
Update: We've received some clarification of French labor laws from an Ars reader who asked not to be named. He says: "[W]orking past 8pm is of course allowed in France, no matter what is your activity sector. But if you ask your employees to work at these 'night' hours, you must follow a different paying scheme as the 'day' hours. The night hours are payed more than regular over time, if you work several night hours your employer must assure you that you will not work the day after, etc."
He went on to explain that Apple retail was not giving its employees the legal benefits of being required to work at night, arguing that its night hours were exceptional/rare.


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Anglers reminded to remove ice shanties
Staff reports
Despite the fact that there is still plenty of ice on inland lakes and protected areas of The Great Lakes, anglers will be required to remove their shanties by midnight tonight.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources reminds anglers of the mandatory ice shanty removal deadline. Ice fishermen may still utilize shanties after that date, but must pull them off the ice at the conclusion of their outing.


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Request A Sample
Questions Answered In This Report
- How will the market drivers, restraints and future opportunities affect the market dynamics?
- What are the major trends in the market and the approaches companies can take to exploit these opportunities?
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No, you're not the only one who hasn't heard of him. After the Swedish Academy announced that the French novelist Jean-Marie Le Clézio had won the 2008 Nobel Prize in literature, Lev Grossman wrote in Time: "The sound of America's literary journalists searching Wikipedia en masse is deafening" www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1848582,00.html.
Le Clézio's selection may be the biggest surprise since the Italian playwright Dario Fo won in 1997. Not long after Fo won, the book editor of a major newspaper asked a group of us who were attending a National Book Critics Circle meeting, "Had you heard of him?" No hands went up. If you had asked me two days ago to name a French longshot for the Nobel, I would have said unhesitatingly, "Annie Ernaux," whose work I reviewed on Feb. 20 www.oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/2008/02/20/.
© 2008 Janice Harayda. All rights reserved.


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I bet you think I've fallen into a large hole around here and have lost internet access, huh?
Well, I have, kind of.
School started. Just last year I had 135 students a day (5 classes/high school) and this year? Oh no… this year I see 171 students (same five classes) and it's A LOT. Add that to the fact that the
baby youngest toddler is a moving, shaking, running, jumping, climbing and the eldest is well…. keeping up and you can see why I'm dead tired by dinner time.
We're back on the treadmill people. Up at 5:15, home by 5:00, dinner, play, baths, and bedtime…then school work. Bedtime comes around 11:40 or later. Seriously…this is going to be a long winter!
Top that with the fact that our house, just like yours I bet, has been hit by our lovely economic woes. Thankfully, we are both employed. However the loss of pay in the form of pay cuts (8% between the two of us) and double to out-of-pocket expenses for health insurance (EEK!) and we are in re-set mode.
We are intentional about the food choices we make. More than ever now as well. We have to stretch that dollar farther and we are still choosing to maintain a completely gluten free home. But as all of you know, that means some serious creativity.
Couple all of that with the fact that time to cook dinner is LIMITED. Kids (and parents alike) are wickedly hungry come 5:30. Providing snacks before dinner doesn't seem like a positive solution at all. We worry that then we are just giving them outs from dinner – and we want to eat all together as a family. THAT is important to us.
So.. I guess this post is a conversation starter. One that I hope will get you all commenting and helping with tips and pointers for ALL of us busy, working gluten-free families. What are YOU doing to save your brain, your money and your family (health and time together)?
Home-made GF Quesadillas – add eggs or avocado, etc too
See recipe below signature
I have limited tricks for getting dinner on the table quickly. This has a lot to do with my brain. I am NOT the one in my family who can open the cupboard, see what we have on hand and then whip out dinner. Nope. Especially not when there are two kids practically pulling my pants off as they try to get my attention after we rush in after work/daycare at 5PM. And, I don't do mania very well at all. (Can you believe I do mania REALLY well in the classroom – but just not at home? I don't get it either – but it is true.)
Sometimes I am organized enough on the weekend to layout a dinner menu for the week. I get organized after we pick up our box of veggies at the Farmer's Market on Sundays and start planning. Each meal we have to include things that are accessible to the kids – as I'm not a short-order cook and we're going to all eat together. Sometimes we make miso soup for them (they LOVE tofu) in addition to whatever we are having, but they usually just eat right along with us. Once I see what we have for the week, I can easily lay out dinner menus on the calendar at home (or the google calendar we share so I can see it on my phone or at work, if needed). I love those weeks. I know what I need to do, when, etc. It's so helpful when work things pop up last-minute or unplanned after-daycare doctor visits (my pediatrician should have a frequent-flyer coupon card for free coffee after 10 visits or something… I"m just saying…).
Sometimes I'm not so fabulously organized. And these are the weeks that are (1) most common and (2) the MOST stressful for me.
Like this week. Unplanned, but at least there is food in the fridge. These are the days that my husband finds to be the easiest. Seriously, in 3 minutes flat he can make a meal plan and get it started. Me? OMGosh – I have to know what's in the fridge for the WHOLE day before I can even begin to figure something out.
Take today, for example. I know there is ground turkey at home. I can make lettuce wraps or tacos or chili (oh wait… I don't have any beans on hand) … k then… I could make meatballs with rice (no pasta either), or. Dang it. I don't know. When my feet hit the kitchen, I will decide then.
More than just meal planning, however, is saving money. Cheap Gluten Free Eats! (Yes, they do exist.)
Here's the list I've been working with this last month. You can see I'm in need of some change-ups, people. One can only eat so many apples with peanut butter before you just don't want to even look at them again. So please. Let's work together on this.
Cinnamon Chex
peanut butter/apples or celery sticks
fresh fruit
hard-boiled egg
cheese & pears
cheese cubes
GF Granola
hard-boiled egg
Trio bar (my spendy snack)
Lundberg risotto + protein and veggies mixed in
Hard cheese & GF tortilla chips
rice noodle soup (so much cheaper!)
Fresh fruit
miso + tofu soup
small salad
yogurt smoothie
meat/cheese or avocado roll
meat/cheese or avocado roll
homemade GF torillas with eggs/cheese
homemade tortillas/quesadillas
grilled meats/fish and veggies/frui
What are your favorite cheap and convenient GF foods/meals?
Let's get talking, people!
PS. Making your own gluten free corn tortillas is SUPER easy (and much tastier, by the way). Use equal parts corn flour (masa harina or masa harina para tortillas) and warm water. You can also add a bit of olive oil or spices to your dough, if you'd like. (I added paprika and chili powder in the ones in the photo.) Mix the corn flour with the warm water slowly until it forms a soft pliable ball. Pinch off pieces and flatten in your hand to make tortillas (or thicker ones for sopes). Cook on a hot, non-stick skillet.


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How to Have a Winning Job Interview
Job interviews are one of the most hard things we go through. Its similar to a driving test; youre in the drivers seat and the recruiter is ready to pass or fail you. The difference amongst a driving test and an interview is that its hard to know for distinct what the recruiter is going to be looking for. It can afterward be hard to know how to prepare for the moment your sitting across from your interviewer. The in imitation of are some tips for coming out upon the winning side of the interview, and impressing the recruiter along the way.
Prepare for the difficult questions you will be asked. get not put your faith in your trusty wit to come in the works once brilliant upon the spot answers, it probably wont happen. look into what types of questions are typically asked in interviews, and plan answers ahead of time. Practice reciting the answers as well, you will tone more confident subsequent to them. make distinct to have stories of your achievements that will put it on the recruiter qualities their company looks for. different excellent resource for your arsenal would be to research the company and its values. You can thread your knowledge of the company into your answers.
The most important aspect of the interview is the first impression. So, make clear that you are dressed to impress, later than a countenance that shines. The like is an imperative: you must plot to be their early. collision likes to strike us when we are in a rush, in view of that manage to pay for yourself passable amount of time.


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This whisky presents notes reminiscent of slow spoonfuls of honey poured over fruit- rich, golden and mellow. It boasts flavors of almond and vanilla cream with smooth butterscotch. It is soft, buttery and sweet. It has a rich, full finish with hints of rich oak and deep velvet. The finish is long, reassuring and lingering.
A. You must be at least 21 years of age to order and a signature of someone at least 21 years of age is required upon delivery.
B. All products are sold in California, with Title passing to the buyer in California.
C. The customer is solely responsible for the shipment of alcohol and must abide by their local and state laws.
D. If the package is returned due to failed delivery, a twenty-five percent (25%) restocking fee will be deducted from your refund. Shipping costs will not be refunded.
E. If the package is returned to Globuzz damaged because of failed delivery attempts or refusal of delivery, you are responsible for the full cost of the order.
F. Spillage, minor damage and/or cosmetic defects are all possible to occur during transit. Globuzz does not take responsibility for minor damage.
G. Globuzz is not responsible for any lost shipments, including but not limited to packages lost because of hold requests or delivery rescheduling.
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text: A chill is in the air, and it is that time of year to find a special gift for any Mens South Carolina sports fan. At Fanatics.com, you can find officially licensed accessories for men, ladies, and kids. Be the star of the show with a South Carolina Gamecocks glove and scarf, or pom hat and mitten set, or texting gloves to showcase devotion to your team. Whether you're in motion or relaxing on the couch, team socks are the way to go for comfort and some fandom fun. The South Carolina logo socks are available in different lengths: ankle, crew, and quarter to fit your personal preference. Their themes range from food fare, mascot faces, team-inspired pep to traditional team logo and colors. Pick your winning gift from a women's sports tote bag, a men's leather wallet, a must-have watch, and more from Fanatics. If you like the ease of gift sets, we have University of South Carolina South Carolina Gamecocks stainless steel bottle and tumbler sets, travel tumbler and mug sets, or Fanatics pack-themed gift box sets. No matter what you select, a gift with your favorite team is a win-win scenario.


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In the wake of bruising fights in GOP ranks over the "fiscal cliff" and aid for victims of super storm Sandy, Congress started a new session Thursday with Republicans more divided than ever.
While their leader, Speaker John Boehner, held his position. But because of the divisions, his ability to speak for his membership in the House appears greatly diminished.
That could not come at a worse time for Republicans as they prepare for their next attempt to get more spending cuts out of President Barack Obama. They will try to use the debt ceiling — and Obama's request to raise it - as leverage, as they did in 2011.
But if the final days of this Congress were indicative of things to come, Republicans will have a rough time effectively using their majority in the House against Obama, who even Republicans acknowledge is at the top of his game following the Democrat's re-election in November.
The fiscal cliff battle to avert steep tax hikes and spending cuts that were due to kick in at the start of this year proved gut-wrenching for Republicans.
Obama's demand for a tax hike on the rich challenged a core principle that has guided Republicans for decades: No new taxes. Ever.
Yet, late on New Year's night, 85 Republicans in the House did just that, voting to raise income taxes on household income of more than $450,000 a year.
Some of the Republican Party's biggest stars were among the 85 — including Boehner and Paul Ryan, the 2012 Republican vice presidential candidate, who is seen as a conservative anchor.
But 151 House Republicans stood in defiance, leaving Boehner in the unenviable position of having to rely on opposition Democrats to pass major legislation.
Earlier in the fiscal cliff fight, Boehner suffered a humiliating defeat when his "Plan B" solution — which would have limited the tax hikes to income of $1 million a year or more, got so little support he had to cancel the vote.
No sooner had the fiscal cliff battle ended than Boehner found himself in trouble with other Republicans over aid for victims of Sandy, the second costliest storm in U.S. history, which smashed New York and New Jersey coastal communities in late October.
Legislation providing disaster relief to New York, New Jersey and other East Coast states was delayed. A House Republican aide said that given Republicans' frustration with the fiscal cliff bill and its lack of significant spending cuts, "it was not a good time to immediately vote on $60 billion in new spending."
"I don't enjoy saying this. I consider myself a personal friend of John Boehner's," said Republican Representative Peter King of New York. "It pains me to say this, but the fact is that the dismissive attitude that was shown ... toward New York, New Jersey and Connecticut typifies, I believe, a strain in the Republican Party."
Earlier, King had condemned House inaction on Sandy as a "knife in the back."
Republican Representative Michael Grimm, also of New York, said of Boehner's refusal to bring the disaster bill to a vote: "There was a betrayal. There was an arrogant judgment that is going to cost I think the trust of the American people."
Ironically, Grimm first won his seat in Congress in 2010 with the help of conservative Tea Party activists who sometimes show displeasure with disaster aid spending.
By midday on Wednesday, Boehner had changed course, promising a House vote by week's end on a $9 billion down payment in storm assistance, with a second bill providing $51 billion to be voted on Jan. 15.
Tea Party Effect
Paul Light, a New York University professor and a specialist on Congress, said the vote on the fiscal cliff bill could mark the start of a "major realignment" in the run-up to the 2014 congressional elections and the 2016 presidential race.
Republicans who voted for the legislation "are going to have to find a home. They're not going to find it with the Tea Party," Light said.
He said that Republicans who were uncomfortable with the Tea Party could begin aligning themselves more closely with a dwindling band of centrist Democrats.
Congressional Republicans, especially in the House, have been buffeted for two years by the Tea Party, which helped them win control of the House in 2010.
Boehner had to navigate Tea Party demands throughout the 2011 fight over raising U.S. borrowing authority or risking a historic government default.
In rapid succession, Tea Party-fueled battles were waged over infrastructure investments, farm subsidies, payroll tax cuts and the fiscal cliff.
At the core of the disputes was whether the government should be made smaller, forcing Boehner to balance that demand with the need to govern and keep the federal government operating in an orderly way.
For all the heartache over the past several weeks as Republicans fought with one another over whether to let taxes on the rich go up, many see better days ahead.
"By and large, people are probably happy to have it behind them. This was obviously the worst part of the fiscal debate," said one House Republican staffer, referring to the tax hikes.
The staffer added, "Republicans get to point out that we still have a $1 trillion deficit and ask Democrats what kind of spending cuts, entitlement reforms they are willing to do to fix it."
Republicans feel that will be an easier lift for them — one that they can sell to the American public as they move on to the fight over the debt ceiling.


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Front Runners List: Click to see list completion progress by climbers that log their climbs using Peakbagger.com.
Compare Climbers: Click to compare ascents of up to 5 climbers working on this list.
This list is often called the "Bass version" of the Seven Summits, after Dick Bass, the first to complete this list. When calculating continent high points, this list excludes all islands and only allows peaks on actual continental landmasses. The only way this list differs from the "Morrow version" of the Seven Summits is in the highpoint for Australia, which is the only continent where offshore islands have higher peaks than the main landmass.
Even though Mount Kosciuszko is a laughably easy climb by world mountaineering standards, this list has an unassailable purity to it and remains a worthwhile objective, even though the Morrow version of this list seems to have more favor among today's adventure travelers.
= Peak with Rank #1 on List;   = Other Peaks
This page has been served 1304449 times since 2004-11-01.


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I recently discovered a series entitled "31 Weeks to a Better Genealogy Blog," at the Tonia's Roots blog. This series is based on the Darren Rowse (ProBlogger) e-book 31 Days to Build a Better Blog. Unfortunately, I am coming into this about a month late, so I am playing "catchup." Once caught up, however, I plan to keep up with the series.
The activity for this assignment involves interaction with one's readers. There are four ways suggested:
- Directly email new readers who leave comments on your blog;
- Leave a comment on the blog of a reader who comments on your blog;
- Follow a reader on Twitter;
- Respond directly to comments on your blog.
I already read, and if appropriate, comment on the blogs of those who leave comments on my blog. I truly enjoy reading about genealogy from different perspectives.
I also follow many of my Twitter followers. Unfortunately for some, I have been trying to limit the number of people I follow. I currently have over 1500 followers and follow over 1100. It is simply not useful to follow this many people, and I have tried to go through and clear out all of the people that are either no longer active on Twitter, or do not often tweet items of interest to me. This is a long process (as you can imagine with 1100 following), so it happens in spurts, with no end in sight. But whenever I am able to finish the process of making this a more manageable number, I will probably spend just as much time building it back up again. I'm a glutton for punishment and social media.
I try to respond to most of the comments I receive on my blog, other than those that do not say anything more than "Great post" or other kind words. It is not that I do not appreciate all of these compliments, and I certainly enjoy knowing that certain posts are useful, educational, or just interesting to my readers. Perhaps a short "Thank you" note would be appropriate.
A different kind of comment, though, provokes more active responses from me. In general, I do not post ideas that are not thought-out ahead of time. I try to edit myself pretty thoroughly before I push that "Publish" button, including often scheduling them a day or two after I write them, so that I can go back and edit them again if further thoughts arise. These are habits from my non-blog writing. I always let an article sit before submitting it to a magazine publisher.
So when a commenter challenges one of my posts, I feel justified in arguing my position, always respectfully. In some cases, I will change my mind based on the points of the commenter. In other cases, I will convince the commenter of my point. Sometimes we can simply agree to disagree. This is ok too. But I feel that the constant dialogue between the blogger and his audience is the primary benefit of blogging. When two opposing sides are able to argue their respective opinions, it allows each to view the issue from a new perspective. If done productively, this can add to the continued development of our field.
I would add a fifth suggestion related to this last point, as a way to engage one's readers: the "response post." A response post is a post that either originates as a response to another blog or a comment on your blog. I have written several response posts to both other blogs that I have read, sometimes agreeing and sometimes disagreeing, as well as to comments left on posts in my blog. These response posts allow me to directly address opposing viewpoints or objections to a certain way of doing things.
This is the last week that I missed, and is therefore the last of the "catchup" posts. This series will now be posted on the set schedule that appears on Tonia's blog, every Sunday. I look forward to learning more about my blog and other successful blogs as I work through this series.


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2011-2012 Academic Catalog
All schools & programs
Graduation requirements and regulations for every academic program are provided in this catalog. Degree requirements and course descriptions are subject to change. In most cases, you will use the catalog of the year you entered KU (see your adviser for details). Other years' catalogs » Feedback?
- Allied Health (Health Professions)
- Architecture, Design & Planning
- Arts (in CLAS)
- Business
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- Journalism & Mass Comms.
- Law
- Liberal Arts & Sciences
- Medicine
- Music
- Nursing
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- Social Welfare
KU's academic units are listed on the left.
If you're not sure where your major is, start with Liberal Arts & Sciences.
The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression and genetic information in the University's programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Director of the Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access, email@example.com, 1246 W. Campus Road, Room 153A, Lawrence, KS, 66045, (785)864-6414, 711 TTY.


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Online State Resources for Genealogy contains links to thousands of indexes and images of original records that genealogists can use in the course of their research. Of course, the mutable nature of the Internet means that sites will come and go, pages will change, and resources will be added. Keeping up with all of these changes, and continuing to add newly-discovered resources, is a daunting task. But it is a task that I have committed myself to–continuously updating the listings over time.
Understanding this from the beginnings of the e-book, I promised all registered purchasers a complimentary update. To register, all you have to do is send a message to an email provided in the Introduction.
Unfortunately, I made a mistake.
Because I have not yet completed the next edition, I did not see the need to periodically check the email account over the past few months. Apparently the email account was marked inactive and all of the registration emails were deleted. I have remedied the situation for this edition, and will be finding a better method of registration for the next edition.
If you have purchased Online State Resources for Genealogy, please take a minute to send a new message to the registration email address provided in the Introduction. All registered purchasers will receive a complimentary copy of the next edition.
I have been working on the next edition and should have it completed soon. Many new resources and updated resources have already been added.
If you have not yet purchased the ebook, you can find reviews at the following sites:
Harold Henderson, CG, "More on line records from Michael Hait," Midwestern Microhistory blog, posted 10 February 2011 (http://midwesternmicrohistory.blogspot.com : accessed 9 July 2012).
Thomas Macentee, "Review – Online State Resources for Genealogy," Geneabloggers blog, posted 22 February 2011 (http://www.geneabloggers.com : accessed 9 July 2012).
Craig Manson, "Book Review: Online State Resources," Geneablogie blog, posted 5 February 2011 (http://blog.geneablogie.net : accessed 9 July 2012).
George G. Morgan & Drew Smith, "The Genealogy Guys Podcast #219 – 2011 April 9," The Genealogy Guys Podcast, posted 10 April 2011 (http://genealogyguys.com : accessed 9 July 2012).
Marian Pierre-Louis, "Book Review: Online State Resources for Genealogy by Michael Hait," Marian's Roots and Rambles blog, posted 30 January 2011 (http://rootsandrambles.blogspot.com : accessed 9 July 2012).
Randy Seaver, "Book Review: Online State Resources for Genealogy," Genea-Musings blog, posted 3 February 2011 (http://www.geneamusings.com : accessed 9 July 2012).


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Two announcements have gone out about some writing opportunities for genealogists.
First, the genealogy website Archives.com is looking for new writers. Their announcement reads,
The Expert Series is a collection of articles from top genealogists around the country. Every week we feature a new article aimed to help beginning and advanced genealogists alike solve common research problems, break-through brick walls, and learn how to improve their research techniques. It's a phenomenal, free resource for all and we'd like you to be a part of it!
We compensate our writers for the hours they spend writing on researching and give them a complimentary membership to our website, Archives.com.
What we look for in a writer:
- Author must be a professional or extremely experienced in their field
- Author must have excellent writing skills
- Sign a standard contract and W9 form
Please contact Ayme Alvarez at firstname.lastname@example.com if interested in writing for the Expert Series.
The second announcement comes from Michael John Neill, author of the very popular Casefile Clues newsletter:
Based upon reader surveys, we're going to start a "beginner" version of Casefile Clues on a trial basis–seeing if there really is enough interest and demand. I am looking for other writers who would be interested in contributing pieces to this version.
Anyone who is interested in writing for a beginning genealogist audience can email me at firstname.lastname@example.com and I'll send specifics and additional information when I return from Utah later in the week. I can't promise high wages at this point, but a tagline and website for each author will be included.
If you are interested in writing genealogical articles, these two new opportunities may be just what you are looking for.


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What we don't want to read if the the former governor of New York gets a book deal out of the accusation that he met with prostitutes
"What is it with those Democrats in the East?" a liberal friend in Seattle asked on the phone today. "First Jim McGreevey. Now Eliot Spitzer. Before that, Bill Clinton. The Democrats can't keep their flies zipped." And publishers can't seem to keep their checkbooks closed when it happens.
So here are some sex scenes we don't want to see in the book we may get from Eliot Spitzer, accused by law-enforcement officials of having met with a high-priced call girl in a Washington hotel.
All of the following lines come from The Confession, a memoir by the former New Jersey governor James E. McGreevey, who stepped down in 2004 after outing himself as a "gay American":
"I stretched out on the couch and placed my legs out over his knees … I then leaned forward and hugged him, and kissed his neck. His response was immediate and loving, just what I'd fantasized about since we first locked eyes."
"I pulled him to the bed and we made love like I'd always dreamed … boastful, passionate, whispering … "
"We undressed and he kissed me. It was the first time in my life that a kiss meant what it was supposed to mean – it sent me through the roof."
"Our first few times burned so fiercely in my mind I could hardly recall them even as we were still lying together. "
"'I love you … You make me so happy…. I've never, you know …'"
"He greeted me in his briefs. 'Did anybody see you?' he asked, closing the door quickly."
You can read more about The Confession (Regan, 2006) www.harpercollins.com, by McGreevey and David France, in "Who Writes Better Sex Scenes, Danielle Steel or Jim McGreevey?" www.oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/2007/01/08/).
Coming Friday on One-Minute Book Reviews: The winners of the Delete Key Awards for the year's worst writing in books. The Confession was a finalist in 2007 but lost to the grand prize winner Danielle Steel and runners-up Mitch Albom and Claire Messud.


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Get the Armchair quarterback mug.
some d-bag who is certain that he or she can make better decisions than the coaches or players while watching a competitive sport on television.
Watching football with Porter is a drag because he's an insufferable armchair quarterback; he doesn't know jack-shit about sports.
by Clydetheglyde July 18, 2008


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The home secretary must order a public inquiry into undercover police who spy on political campaigners or the family of murdered black teenager Stephen Lawrence will sue, human rights campaigners have been told.
In a statement to help launch the Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance in central London, Lady Lawrence said only "the most authoritative, public, transparent and legally robust framework possible" to investigate police actions will be enough to satisfy both her own and the public's concerns on this important issue.
Police chiefs have conceded that undercover officers were deployed to spy on supporters of her family's efforts to force Scotland Yard to investigate her son's racist murder properly.
Her lawyer Imran Khan said: "She [Theresa May] should order an inquiry and we are going to challenge it legally if she doesn't."
Claims the police tried to smear the Lawrence family in the aftermath of Stephen's murder are being investigated by two existing inquiries.
The allegations are being examined by an internal police investigation, known as Operation Herne, run by the Derbyshire chief constable, Mick Creedon.
Campaigners say they have "no faith" in Operation Herne or any of the other internal official inquiries to uncover the truth of the undercover infiltration that started in 1968.
Barrister Mark Ellison QC, who successfully prosecuted Gary Dobson and David Norris for Stephen's murder in 2012, is examining police corruption during the original investigation in to the killing.
It comes after undercover officer Peter Francis said he was instructed in 1993 to find information that could discredit the Lawrence family. He claims that he posed as an anti-racism campaigner in a hunt for "disinformation" to use against those criticising the police.
In her statement, read out by Khan, Lawrence said: "Only a judge-led public inquiry can perform that task. A police review and a review by an experienced prosecutor, no matter how carefully or thoroughly conducted, simply will not have the necessary level of credibility and authority to draw a line under these important issues."
Lawrence said that, along with members of the public, her fear is that a police or barrister-led review will only seem as though they are "shielding the police from public scrutiny".
She believes "very strongly" that an inquiry should cover a wide range of people who say they are victims of this type of surveillance, Khan said.
The new campaign brings together people who say they have been targeted by this undercover work. They include women who say they were duped into forming long-lasting relationships with undercover police such as London Greenpeace activist Helen Steel. She was one of the pair in the notorious McLibel case sued by burger giant McDonalds over a leaflet.
18-year-old Stephen Lawrence was stabbed to death by a group of up to six white youths in an unprovoked racist attack as he waited at a bus stop in Eltham, south-east London, with a friend on 22 April 1993.
It took more than 18 years to bring two of Stephen's killers to justice. An inquiry following the murder led the Metropolitan police to be accused of institutional racism and found failings in how the force had investigated the crime.
Khan said he feared that if Francis was called to give evidence behind closed doors that nobody would ever hear about it.
He noted: "One of the things that was instrumental in the public inquiry into Stephen Lawrence's murder was the ability to hold all of that out in the open and for officers to be held to account in ways that had never happened before.
"If we allow the home secretary to say there is going to be no inquiry into all of this, we are going to be left in a situation where the police can act with impunity, where Creedon can say 'I am going to go against you with the Official Secrets Act' and people will never know and be able to get to the bottom of what happened.
"There have been 20 or 30 years of undercover policing in this country, which has only just come out. It is shocking."
Steel, who is among a group of women who have launched a legal action against the Metropolitan police, says she was targeted in 1990 by undercover officer John Dines, who used the alias John Barker.
She believed they were "soulmates" and had talked about starting a family - but he was actually married and had adopted the name of a dead child.
Now describing the relationship as "a deliberate process of emotional manipulation," she told the campaigners: "He was seeking to draw me closer to him so that he could spy on me and my friends and seek to undermine the political movements I was involved with and, ultimately, seek to prevent change."