text:
Smith River
Experience a multi-day float trip on the Smith River if you are lucky enough to draw a permit in the annual lottery. Noted for its spectacular scenery and renowned trout fishing, the Smith River is unique with only one public put-in and take-out site for the entire 59 miles.
Open all year
24 hours/day
791 Clear Range Road
White Sulphur Springs, MT 59645
Latitude/Longitude: (46.803 / -111.182)
Get Directions »
Montana's Aquatic Invasive Species Laws
Mailing Address:
Smith River State Park
c/o FWP Region 4 Headquarters
4600 Giant Springs Rd
Great Falls, MT 59405
Email: email@example.com
Smith River
Mandatory Food Storage Regulations »
Floater Information for Permit Holders »
Smith River State Park offers gorgeous scenery in a remote setting. Renowned trout fishing is just one of the recreational opportunities that make a float trip on the 59-mile Smith River an unforgettable experience.
The Smith River is so popular that a permit is required to float it. The permit process allows visitors a quality, multi-day float in relative solitude.
Reservation Line
If you aren't awarded a permit, you still have a chance to float the Smith River by calling the Smith River Reservation Line at (406) 454-5861 beginning March 9, 2020 (between 8am and Noon, Monday through Friday) to request any remaining launch dates or cancelled permits. Unsuccessful applicants can also book a trip with one of the eight authorized Smith River outfitters listed below.
Smith River State Park has one put-in point (Camp Baker) and one take-out point (Eden Bridge) for the entire 59-mile stretch. The river is accessible only by non-motorized watercraft, including; rafts, canoes, kayaks and drift boats. Rowers and paddlers should have at least intermediate level skills. On average, visitors take four days to float the river.
From May 15 - July 15 floaters can stay on the river a maximum of four nights only. To help preserve the unique quality of the Smith River canyon, overnight camping must take place at designated boat camps.
Since the Smith River flows through a remote canyon, there are some things to keep in mind for this adventure; there are no public services from Camp Baker to Eden Bridge. Floaters must carry their own food, water, safety, camping equipment and a fishing license. It is advisable to bring all the drinking water you will need for the duration of your trip, as there is no drinking water available at the put-in location of Camp Baker. Also, Camp Baker does not have trash dumpsters, but one is available at the Eden Bridge takeout point along with aluminum-recycling bins.
Application Information
Application Period for the Smith River Private Float Permit has closed. The lottery was open January 2 – February 13, 2020. Application details for next season will be available late December 2020.
There are 3 ways you can apply for the Smith River Private Float Permit lottery:
- Apply online, beginning January 2, 2020, through the FWP Automated Licensing System.
- Download and print out a paper application, available January 2, 2020. Mail completed application to the address on the form, or
- Pick up a paper application at any FWP office. (See locations)
- There is a $10 nonrefundable application fee.
- All applications must be POSTMARKED or submitted on or before Thursday, February 13, 2020.
- Up to 15 people can float with one permit.
- A person applying for a Smith River permit must be a minimum of 12 years of age at the time they submit their permit application. There is no age restriction to participate on a Smith River float trip.
- Peak Season Waiting Period – A person who receives a permit through the lottery for a launch date during the time period of May 15 through July 15 (peak season) will not be allowed to apply for a permit for this same time period the following year. This restriction pertains even if the permit is cancelled. They may still apply for launch dates outside of the peak season, accompany another permitted trip on any date, or acquire a cancelled permit for any date.
Permit results will be posted at myFWP beginning March 2, 2020, and FWP will notify successful applicants by email. FWP does not notify unsuccessful permit applicants.
If you aren't awarded a permit, you still have a chance to float the Smith River by calling the Smith River Reservation & Information Line at (406) 454-5861 beginning March 9 (between 8am and Noon, Monday through Friday) to request any remaining launch dates or cancelled permits. You can also book a trip with one of the eight authorized Smith River outfitters, listed below.
In addition to the regular private float trip permits, FWP issues one Super Permit each year through a separate lottery (see information below). The recipient of the permit will be allowed to launch on any date of their choosing for that year.
Important Dates - 2020
January 2, 2020 – Application period begins for Smith River Private Float permits and Smith River Super permit.
February 13, 2020 – Deadline to apply for the Smith River Private Float permit, post-marked on or before this date. The Super Permit lottery remains open until April 1.
March 02, 2020 – Permit drawing results will be posted online at MyFWP. FWP will notify successful applicants by email.
March 9, 2020 – Beginning March 9 and throughout the float season, prospective floaters may call the Smith River Reservation Line at (406) 454-5861 between 8 a.m. and noon on weekdays to request any remaining launch dates or cancelled permits.
April 1, 2020 – Deadline to apply for the Smith River Super Permit lottery.
April 6, 2020 – Smith River Super Permit drawing.
The Smith River Super Permit lottery deadline has passed. It was March 15, 2018.
Purchase a chance for the Super Permit January 2 - April 1, 2020, through the Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) online Automated Licensing System and at any FWP office or license provider. This is a good option for another chance for a float, if you aren't awarded a permit in the regular drawing.
Montana State Parks issues one Super Permit each year through a separate lottery from the Private Float Permit lottery. The recipient of the Super Permit will be allowed to launch on any date of their choosing for that season. Float fees are not included with the Super Permit and must be paid when registering at Camp Baker. There is no limit to the number of chances someone may purchase ($5 per chance). The money from the sale of Super Permit chances will directly benefit the Smith River Corridor Enhancement Account.
Reservation Line
If you aren't awarded a permit, you still have a chance to float the Smith River by calling the Smith River Reservation Line at (406) 454-5861 beginning March 9, 2020 (between 8am and Noon, Monday through Friday) to request any remaining launch dates or cancelled permits. Unsuccessful applicants can also book a trip with one of the authorized Smith River outfitters listed below.
Be a good steward and help protect Montana's public lands by following these rules and regulations:
Camp Baker
- Camping limited to 14 days per 30-day period.
- Food, garbage and other attractants must be stored in a bear-resistant manner when unattended, day or night.
- Fires permitted in designated fire grates only.
- Fires must be completely contained within the fire grate and fully extinguished.
- Motorized vehicles restricted to roads and parking areas.
- Preserve natural and cultural resources – do not remove or damage.
- Discharge of firearms, weapons or fireworks prohibited.
- Heed Camp Baker quiet hours: 10 PM to 7 AM.
- Pack In - Pack Out. Do not litter.
River Corridor
- River floating requires a permit year-round.
- Floater fees required year round.
- Commercial outfitting restricted to authorized Smith River outfitters.
- Camping allowed in designated sites only.
- Camping limited to 4 nights while on the river (May 15–July 15).
- Food, garbage and other attractants must be stored in a bear-resistant manner when unattended, day or night.
- Fires permitted in designated fire grates only.
- Fires must be completely contained within the fire grate and fully extinguished.
- Pets are prohibited; exceptions include legitimate service dogs and hunting dogs used for lawful purposes during legal hunting seasons.
- Preserve natural and cultural resources – do not remove or damage.
- Feeding and harassing wildlife is prohibited and unsafe.
- Discharge of firearms and weapons prohibited in boat camps. Fireworks prohibited on all public land within river corridor.
- Pack In – Pack Out. Do not litter.
Smith River State Park and River Corridor Biennial Fee Rule, 2018 ( 753 KB)
The Smith River is a special place. As a visitor, you have the responsibility to be a steward of the land and the fishery, as well as respect private property and the experiences of other floaters.
- Plan Ahead and Prepare
- Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
- Dispose of Waste Properly
- Leave What You Find
- Minimize Campfire Impacts
- Respect Wildlife
- Be Considerate of Other Visitors
- Learn more »
Angler & Boating Ethics – River recreationists can avoid conflicts by being considerate of all users.
Respect Private Property – Approximately 80% of the property through the Smith River corridor is private property. The success of Smith River State Park & River Corridor depends upon cooperation with private property owners.
Learn more »
Fishing Ethics – Be aware of how you can prevent the spread of aquatic disease and exotic species, and protect waterbirds.
The following list of commercial outfitters are the only outfitters currently permitted and authorized by both Montana FWP and the U.S. Forest Service to provide float trips on the Smith River. It is illegal for any unauthorized outfitter or individual to provide commercial services to Smith River floaters (This does not apply to vehicle shuttles or bed and breakfasts).
If you wish to hire the services of an outfitter, do not apply for a private permit in the drawing, since each outfitter is allocated a specific number of launches for specific days of the week and month. Outfitter launch calendar
- Blackfoot River Outfitters (BRO)
- John Herzer
- 4555 Mallard Way
- Missoula, MT 59808
- Phone: (406) 542-7411
- Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Website: blackfootriver.com
- Blast & Cast Outfitters (B & C)
- Todd France
- P.O. Box 824
- Ennis, MT 59729
- Phone: (406) 682-4420
- Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Website: blastandcastoutfitters.com
- Glacier Guides/ Montana Raft (GG)
- Mark O'Keefe & Denny Gignoux
- P.O. Box 330
- West Glacier, MT 59936
- Phone: (800) 521-7238
- Email: email@example.com
- Website: glacierguides.com
- Lewis & Clark Expeditions (L&C)
- Mike Geary
- 270 Tuke Lane
- Twin Bridges, MT 59754
- Phone: (406) 459-2030
- Email: email@example.com
- Website: hwlodge.com
- Montana Angler Fly Fishing (MAFF)
- Brian McGeehan
- 76 Lucille Ln
- Bozeman, MT 59718
- Phone: (406) 522-9854
- Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Website: montanaangler.com
- Montana Flyfishing Connection (MFFC)
- Joe Sowerby
- P.O. Box 17701
- Missoula, MT 59808
- Phone: ( 406) 370-2868
- Email: email@example.com
- Website: montanaflyfishingconnection.com
- Pro Outfitters (PRO)
- Brandon Boedecker
- P.O. Box 621
- Helena, MT 59624
- Phone: (800) 858-3497
- Email: email@example.com
- Website: prooutfitters.com
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) provides this list of private services (shuttles, equipment rentals, and accommodations) solely for the convenience of the recreating public. In providing this list FWP assumes no liability whatsoever for any loss incurred by anyone, including any person who may choose to make use of these services nor does FWP make any express or implied warranty or representation of competency or fitness of these services.
Shuttles and Equipment Rentals
- All River Equipment
- Dana Corson
- 201 N Hannaford (office); 2920 Billings Ave (rental delivery and pick-up)
- Helena, MT 59601
- (406) 431-1815
- E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Website: allriverequipment.com
- Services offered: All River Equipment specializes in sales and rentals of self bailing rafts and NRS raft accessories, kayaks, stand up paddle boards, canoes, bear resistant coolers, camp gear, dry bags, camp kitchen gear and logistic services at the best prices around. Smith River packages are available and All River offers equipment drop off and pick up services.
- The Base Camp
- 5 W. Broadway
- Helena, MT 59601
- (406) 443-5360
- E-mail: email@example.com
- Website: thebasecamp.com
- Services offered: Great selection of rental kayaks, canoes, stand up paddle boards, PFD's, paddles and throw bags. Our store has a variety of dry bags, gloves and water accessories, and quality outdoor clothing and footwear to outfit your trip on the Smith River. We sell UDAP Bear Spray, and IGBC approved bear resistant Yeti coolers and UDAP Food Storage Bear Fences.
- Castle Mountain Grocery
- Shane Sereday
- White Sulphur Springs, MT 59645
- (406) 547-3731
- E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Website: facebook.com/castlemountaingrocery
- Services offered: IGBC approved Counter Assault bear fences for rental or purchase. Full grocery and drug store. Pre-made sandwiches, burger patties, homemade brats, precooked ring sausage. Flies, fishing tackle and bait. Camping supplies.
- Charlie's Think Wild Shuttle Service
- Charlie Meeks
- P.O. Box 282
- White Sulphur Springs, MT 59645
- (406) 547-6338
- E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Website: charliesthinkwildshuttleservice.com
- Services offered: Vehicle shuttles.
- CrossCurrents Fly Shop
- Chris Strainer, Jennifer Harris
- 326 N Jackson
- Helena, MT 59601
- (406) 449-2292
- E-mail: email@example.com
- Website: crosscurrents.com
- Services offered: Full service boat and equipment rental and sales only. Rentals include new to one year old AIRE and NRS self-bailing rafts with NRS adjustable rowing and fishing frames, inflatable kayaks and canoes, personal pontoons, SUP boards, flat bed trailers; river camping equipment including dry bags, dry boxes, super coolers, cots and shelters; and fly fishing gear including Orvis rods, reels, waders, and boots. Multi-day rental specials offered.
- Craig Madsen's Montana River Outfitters
- Craig Madsen, Tim McKnight
- 923 10th Ave North
- Great Falls, MT 59401
- (406) 761-1677 or 1-800-800-8218
- E-mail: email@example.com
- Website: montanariveroutfitters.com
- Services offered: Rentals, shuttles and sales of rafts, catarafts, canoes, kayaks, inflatable kayaks, personal pontoons, SUP boards, trailers, IGBC approved Yeti Coolers and UDAP Bear Shock electric food storage fences. Our rafts are state of the art, self-bailing boats complete with Smith River specialized and adjustable NRS rowing and fishing frames, with multi-day discounts. Complete river camping and fishing equipment rentals are available. Vehicle shuttles can be provided, as well as full service pick up and drop off service for people and equipment. Deluxe rental packages are a popular option, which include boats, camping, cooking gear, food packed in coolers and delivered to the put in and picked up at the take out.
- Explore Rentals
- Will Casella
- 32 Dollar Drive
- Belgrade, MT 59714
- (406) 922-0179
- E-mail: email@example.com
- Website: explore-rentals.com
- Services offered: NRS, Star, and Smithfly rafts professionally rigged for Smith River trips. IGBC compliant bear fences, coolers, dry boxes and bags, cooking kits, camp furniture, river shelters, and the most extensive inventory of rental camping gear in Montana. And rental cars to tow your boats up to the river!
- Hatch Adventures
- Stephan Morris
- 81549 Gallatin Rd, Unit #5
- Bozeman, MT 59718
- (406) 223-4224
- E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Website: hatchadventures.com
- Services offered: NRS raft rentals, camping gear and everything you need for a memorable Smith River trip. Our NRS Outlaw rafts are fitted with a comfortable NRS fishing frame and come inflated on a trailer for easy transport. Lockable bear proof cooler, PFDs, patch kit, 3 oars and dry bag included with each rental. Smith River packages are available.
- Outdoor Supply and Rental
- Tobey McGuirl
- 2307 Brooks St.
- Missoula, MT 59801
- (406) 541-6727
- E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Website: outdoorsupplyandrental.com
- Services offered: Raft and camping equipment rental and sales including: rafts with rowing and fishing frames, kayaks, canoes, trailers, camping equipment including tents, sleeping bags, pads and dry bags. Smith River trip multi-day rental specials offered.
- Rubber Ducky River Rentals
- Marlie Anderson; Sissy Hampton
- 15 Mount Baldy
- P.O. Box 808
- Livingston, MT 59047
- (406) 222-3746
- E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Website: riverservices.com
- Services offered: Boat rentals only, including: rafts with rowing and fishing frames, kayaks, canoes, catarafts, trailer, and equipment rental and sales. Smith River trip rental specials offered.
- Smith River Shuttle
- Jody & Caroline Cox
- 1699 Millegan Rd
- Great Falls MT 59405
- (406) 866-3522 or 1 (866) 500-3522
- E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Website: smithrivershuttle.com/
- Services offered: Vehicle shuttles, minor repairs. We wash and detail every vehicle we shuttle. Original owners/operators since 1996. Located ½ mile from the Eden Bridge take-out. You float, we drive. Clean car when you arrive!
- The Trail Head
- 221 East Front St
- Missoula, MT 59802
- (406) 543-6966
- E-mail: email@example.com
- Website: trailheadmontana.ne
- Services offered: Offering the largest selection of boats and river supplies for sale and rent in Montana—including highest quality AIRE or NRS self-bailing rafts; Mad River and Wenonah canoes; Wilderness Designs, Dagger and Perception kayaks; AIRE and Alpacka pack rafts; SUPs and pontoon boats. IGBC approved as bear resistant aluminum dry boxes and Yeti coolers; PFDs, oars, throw ropes, dry bags and more.
- Twin Sisters Trading Company
- Alaina Gordon & Bodie Morrison
- 14 South Central Ave.
- White Sulphur Springs, MT 59645
- (406) 547-3259
- E-mail: email@example.com
- Website: twinsisterstrading.com
- Services offered: NRS raft rentals (drop off and pick up options), portable IGBC approved electric bear fence rentals, bear resistant IGBC approved cooler rentals, fly shop, sporting goods, gifts, and other wares.
Restaurants & Lodging
- All Seasons Inn & Suites
- 808 3rd Avenue SW
- P.O. Box 318
- White Sulphur Springs, MT 59645
- (406) 547-8888
- Reservations: (877) 314-0241
- Fax: (406) 547-2573
- E-mail: email@example.com
- Website: allseasonsinnandsuites.net
- Services offered: hotel, open 24 hours, continental breakfast, free WI-FI, business services, free floater parking, ice, large sulphur-free hot tub, and guest laundry.
- Buffalo Girls Cafe
- Maggie Johnston & Erin Millard
- 112 E Main St
- White Sulphur Springs, MT 59645
- (406) 547-2280
- Reservations: (877) 314-0241
- E-mail: email@example.com
- Social Media: Listed under "Buffalo Girls Café" on Facebook and Instagram
- Services offered: Services offered: Specializing in fresh, comfort food with house-made products. In addition to service in the restaurant, we provide breakfast and lunches packed for outdoor enthusiasts on the go. Breakfast is available from 7am-2pm M-F and 8am-2pm Sat. & Sun., and lunch served from 11am-2pm daily. For more information, follow us on Facebook, call 406-547-2280 or stop in when you're in town..
- Gordon's Highland Motel
- 410 East Main
- White Sulphur Springs, MT 59645
- (406) 547-3880
- E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Website: gordonshighlandmotel.business.site
- Services Offered: Clean, comfortable standard rooms and cabin that include refrigerator and microwave, or fully equipped kitchenette, as well as rooms with up to 4 beds. Also available, group rates (by reservation only), free floater parking, wireless internet, satellite TV.
- Heaven On Earth Ranch
- Vic Anderson
- PO Box 389
- Ulm, MT 59485
- (406) 866-3316
- (406) 799-0461
- Services offered: Bed & Breakfast (Mile 28) – Golf, ice, firewood, cabins. By reservation only.
- Willow Creek Cabins
- Connie Townsend
- PO Box 504
- White Sulphur Springs, MT 59645
- (406) 580-6928
- E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Website: willowcreekcabinsmontana.com
- Services offered: Two large cabins each sleeping 12 (6 bedrooms), full kitchen, and 2 bathrooms. Free Wi-Fi and secure, private parking. Two private, stocked fishing ponds. 5 miles from White Sulphur Springs.
Smith River Boat Camps GPS Data ( 68 KB)
Launch Choice Reports
See how many Smith River Permit applicants applied for specific dates on the calendar the previous year, including first, second and third choices and the grand total.
- 2020 Launch Choice Report ( 133 KB)
- 2019 Launch Choice Report ( 16 KB)
- 2018 Launch Choice Report ( 22 KB)
- 2017 Launch Choice Report ( 23 KB)
- 2016 Launch Choice Report ( 17 KB)
Smith River Management Plan ( 6.0 MB) – To ensure that the resources are protected and the Smith River experience remains high, this plan directs the long range development and management of the river corridor.
2019 Smith River Annual Report ( 1 MB) – A summary of visitor use statistics, management activities and resource and social conditions on the Smith River corridor during the 2019 field season.
Smith River State Park and River Corridor Biennial Rule, 2018 ( 384 KB) – Fees and administrative rules for private, commercial and landowner float trips in Smith River State Park.
In honor of Montana State Parks' 75th anniversary, Montana artist Monte Dolack was commissioned to paint "Smith River in June." The painting was made possible by a generous gift from the Lee and Donna Metcalf Charitable Foundation and was donated to Montana State Parks. A commemorative poster of the painting sold out and is no longer available.
The painting was unveiled in a ceremony with artist Monte Dolack (left) and Governor Steve Bullock. The original artwork hung in the state capitol throughout Montana State Parks' 75th anniversary year.
Enjoy this short 4 minute film about Monte Dolack's creation of "Smith River in June." Justin Lubke and Story Road Films produced the film short in partnership with Montana State Parks.
Governor Steve Bullock and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks established an Advisory Council that advises the Department on issues related to management and stewardship of recreational, natural and cultural resources associated with Smith River State Park and River Corridor.
Next Meeting
- March 27 meeting has been cancelled. New meeting date TBD.
- May 30, 2019
- 10:00 am
- FWP Headquarters
- 1420 East Sixth Avenue
- Helena, MT 59601
- Meeting Agenda ( 52 KB)
Previous Meetings
May 30, 2019
- Meeting Agenda ( 52 KB)
August 1, 2018
- Meeting Agenda ( 56 KB)
October 11, 2017
- Meeting Agenda ( 56 KB)
March 23, 2017
- Meeting Agenda ( 13 KB)
- Meeting Notes ( 90 KB)
September 20, 2016
- Meeting Agenda ( 13 KB)
March 22, 2016
- Meeting Agenda ( 115 KB)
September 22, 2015
- Meeting Agenda ( 115 KB)
March 26, 2015
- Meeting Agenda ( 115 KB)
January 13, 2015
- Meeting Agenda ( 115 KB)
October 20, 2014
- Meeting Notes ( 597 KB)
- Meeting Agenda ( 110 KB)
September 16, 2014
- Meeting Notes ( 77 KB)
- Meeting Agenda ( 24 KB)
- Triel Culver, Citizen Representative
4332 Ridgewood Lane South
Billings, MT 59106
Term ends: September 30, 2020
- Jane Kollmeyer, Citizen Representative
2440 LeGrande Cannon Rd.
Helena, MT 59601
Term ends: September 30, 2020
- Joe Lamson, Citizen Representative
612 Touchstone Court
Helena, MT 59601
Term ends: September 30, 2020
- Colin Maas, FWP Parks Division Representative and Council Chair.
4600 Giant Springs Road
Great Falls, MT 59405
(406) 454-5857
- Mike Meloy, Corridor Landowner Representative
PO Box 1241
Helena, MT 59624
Term ends: September 30, 2020
- John Metrione, US Forest Service Representative
Lewis & Clark National Forest
Belt Creek Ranger District
Neihart, MT 59465
406-236-5511 ext. 5102
- Mary Sheehy Moe, Montana State Parks & Recreation Board Representative
Great Falls, MT
(406) 868-9427
- Ned Morgens, Corridor Landowner Representative
600 5th Ave, 27th Floor
New York, NY 10020
Term ends: September 30, 2020
- Joe Sowerby, Outfitter Representative
PO Box 17701
Missoula, MT 59808
Term ends: September 30, 2020
- Charter ( 152 KB)
Frequently Asked Questions
- Boating
- Camping
- Canoeing
- Fishing
- Fly Fishing
- Kayaking
- Rafting
- Swimming
- Tent Camping
- Wildlife Viewing
Some amenities are seasonal. Check with the park for availability.
- Campsite
- Grills/Fire Rings
- Maps
- Parking
- Pack-in/Pack-out
- Toilets (Vault)


text:
Oscar de la Renta Fall 2013 Nail Polish
Peep (and Preorder) Oscar de la Renta's Fall Nail Hues Before the Show
Usually you have to wait until after the runway show to get a glimpse of the hottest nail colors for next season, but for Oscar de la Renta, you can get a jump start on your Fall polish collection right now. The brand is releasing three new nail colors inspired by his Fall 2013 fashion collection (for which the show takes place later today). Covet is a deep wine color, Dare calls to mind Oscar's island upbringing, and Asphalt is a glittery gray shade. Perhaps the hues are a hint at the palettes we'll see strutting down the Oscar de la Renta runway today, but you can preorder your favorite shade now on oscardelarenta.com for $22 each. And tomorrow the shades will be available worldwide. Besides, it's never too early to get your Autumn color combinations squared away.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
We've got a lot of good things going for us here in America, like religious freedom and rap music. But we get cheated out of a lot of really great cars.
Take Audi for example. Here in the U.S., we can't even get an A3 with a manual transmission and all-wheel-drive, let alone truly insane cars like the twin-turbo V10-having RS6 Avant wagon. Don't give me any of this "But nobody would buy it!" guff. I want my grocery-getters to be overly expensive and packed with Teutonic craziness.
Things are getting better for us, though. In the last dozen years or so, we've seen the Subaru WRX and STI, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and Nissan GT-R get imported stateside. And the recent announcement that the Ford Fiesta ST is coming here gives me hope that we'll see even more awesome foreign cars shipped over to the land of baseball, apple pie and gun crime.
So here's my question: Which foreign car would you like to see come to your country?
As for me, I'm pretty partial to the entire Citroën lineup, particularly the DS3 Racing and the C6, pictured above. I love Citroën's unique, quirky style and history of innovation. They look like nothing else on the road. I have no idea if anyone in America would buy them, but I'm jealous of nations that do get them.
How about you guys? What car from another country do you covet? For those of you outside the U.S., do you feel cheated out of the Mustangs and Camaros we take for granted?


text:
Ohio Northern University welcomes high school seniors to campus for Experience ONU Day on Monday, Feb. 18.
Prospective students will learn about specific Ohio Northern programs; meet with current students, faculty and staff; and attend informational admissions and financial aid sessions. A complimentary lunch and campus tour also will be provided.
Participants can immerse themselves in the total collegiate experience by visiting actual classes, talking with current students, meeting with deans and faculty members, having lunch in the dining hall, and getting a glimpse into the daily lives of ONU students. Registration for Experience ONU Day closes on Monday, Feb. 11.
Interested students can register for either event by calling 888-408-4668 or visiting www.onu.edu/visitus


text:
Fans of the sitcom Friends will no doubt remember the episode called "The One with the Jellyfish", where Monica is stung while on a trip to the beach. Joey remembers a Discovery Channel programme on how urine can help stings and bites, and so being a true friend he offers to pee on the sting for her. Unfortunately he gets stage fright and cannot squeeze out a drop, leaving Chandler to do the heroic deed.
As with Monica's jellyfish sting, you often hear that urine helps with snakebites, and indeed BBC World Service listeners from Cameroon, Sri Lanka and Burma have been in touch with me to ask whether this is true.
Before I explore this myth further, here are some quick facts and figures about snakebites. As many as five million people are bitten by snakes every year, many of them in sub-Saharan Africa, and South and South East Asia. The good news is that only a small minority of those bites are fatal. The bad news is that this still means 125,000 people are killed by snakebites every year, half of whom are in India.
Avoidance tactics
It might seem blindingly obvious, but the first piece of advice given by reptile and amphibian experts (or herpetologists, to give them their formal name) is to try to avoid getting bitten in the first place. Leave snakes alone if you see them, wear long trousers and shoes or boots in areas where they are common and shake out your footwear before putting them on in case there's a snake hiding inside.
But even with these precautions it is still possible to encounter a snake accidentally. In Costa Rica last year I was shown poisonous yellow eyelash vipers, which camouflage themselves perfectly by weaving in and out the yellow and red blooms of heliconia plants. The flowers are so beautiful that visitors often touch them admiringly and occasionally to their horror find themselves holding a poisonous snake.
So if you get bitten, should you somehow find a way to urinate on the bite? The simple answer is no, because this will waste valuable time that would be better used getting you to the nearest hospital to receive antivenom. It is not that urine is useless, it just doesn't help snakebites. Urine contains urea, which softens the skin and is contained in many creams, such as those for cracked heels. It is also an antiseptic, which is why some people find it helpful to bathe leg ulcers in urine. But even these qualities are not enough to help neutralise the toxins in snake venom.
So if urination does not help, how about other popular claims, like sucking out the venom or tearing up your shirt to make a tourniquet to stop the poison spreading?
Unfortunately, sucking out the venom will not work either, because you are unlikely to get all of it out before it begins to spread. Even trying to cut the bite out with a knife can increase the risk of severe bleeding, as the venom may already be stopping the blood from clotting properly. Tourniquets used to be recommended, but they can damage the tissue surrounding the bite. However, it is worth gently immobilising the limb in the same way you would if it was broken, because the less the limb moves, the slower the spread of the venom.
Leave it!
Do not endanger yourself or waste time by killing the snake to take to the hospital for identification, but any distinctive features you can remember will help the staff to assess whether it might be poisonous. What markings did you see? What shape were the eyes? Did you see fangs? What shape was the head? Were there pits between the eyes and nose? If the snake is dead you could take it with you, but do not handle its head. It may still bite you on reflex, even when dead, so it is usually best to take a picture with your phone instead.
One man who is determined to reduce the number of deaths from snakebite in India is Dr Ian Simpson, a British herpetologist who has worked with the WHO and helped to draw up India's first national protocol for treating snakebites. The idea is to get antivenom out to rural areas, because delays in reaching hospitals are the biggest cause of death. He is frustrated by the number of people he meets who go to traditional healers for treatment instead of heading straight to hospital. Many people visit healers and subsequently recover from their bites, but Simpson says this is because the majority of snakebites are not actually poisonous.
In Costa Rica a biologist gave me one last piece of advice about what to do if bitten by a snake. The poison circulates around the body in your bloodstream, so the lower you can keep your heart rate, the slower the poison will spread around your body. His advice is to keep very calm on your way to hospital so that your heart does not begin to race, despite knowing you have received a bite that could prove lethal. Good luck with that one!
And as for jellyfish stings, rinsing with saltwater or vinegar can relieve the pain of some stings, while fresh water makes them worse and urine makes no difference. So I hate to be the one who tells you this, Monica, but Joey and Chandler needn't have bothered trying to pee on you after all.
If you would like to comment on this story or would like to suggest a myth for Claudia to investigate, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter.
You can hear more Medical Myths on Health Check on the BBC World Service.
All content within this column is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. The BBC is not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based on the content of this site. The BBC is not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites. Always consult your own GP if you're in any way concerned about your health.


text:
September 22, 2017Armenia
Talks later this year between President Serzh Sargsyan and President Ilham Aliyev can reduce the likelihood of renewed armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
May 15, 2017Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia's stability is not under immediate threat, but questions about the Kingdom's fate in longer-term will persist.
October 13, 2016Thailand
The long-reigning Thai king's tacit support of military coups over the last decade undercuts his past image as a force for stability.
December 19, 2012Syria
Reducing the risk that chemical weapons will be used in Syria, considered a nightmare scenario, requires a comprehensive prevention strategy from the international community, writes CFR's Paul Stares…
April 7, 2014Genocide and Mass Atrocities
Has the world progressed since 1994 in stopping mass atrocities? Concerted efforts by states, institutions, and NGOs make them less likely, write CFR's Paul Stares and Anna Feuer.
August 15, 2011Conflict Prevention
New efforts by the Obama administration to prioritize the prevention of atrocities can only make a difference if authorities are able to surmount challenges ranging from bureaucratic inertia to fickl…
April 13, 2012International Organizations
An examination of the World Bank's evolution as a global health actor and Jim Yong Kim's career in public health raises questions about how he would handle the role of president, writes CFR's Laurie …
January 11, 2011Haiti
The cholera epidemic that has added to the list of Haiti's post-earthquake miseries is a reminder that what Haiti needs more than anything else is good governance that would lead to better infrastruc…
February 19, 2010Democratic Republic of Congo
With the death toll in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo likely exceeding six million, the UN peacekeeping force needs beefing up, and both the Rwandan and Congolese governments should punish …
February 9, 2009Emerging Markets
CFR Senior Fellow Laurie Garrett says the recent Davos economic forum failed to provide any blue print for reconciling the financial crisis and development aid needs. She predicts donor nations will …


text:
Toyota Texas Bass Classic Brings Big Benefits to TPWD, Local Economy, Lake Fork Fishery
OutdoorHub 04.29.14
The Toyota Texas Bass Classic (TTBC) world championship bass tournament will return to Lake Fork May 9—11, 2014.
Designed to showcase one of the best trophy bass lakes in the world and the fisheries management that developed it, the TTBC has raised over $1.75 million for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) fisheries programs. This year's tournament is expected to bring in an additional $250,000 in funding for the department's youth fishing and outreach programs.
The TTBC was conceived on Lake Fork during a fishing trip involving professional angler Kelly Jordan and then TPWD commissioners T. Dan Friedkin and Donato Ramos. The first two TTBC tournaments were held on Lake Fork in 2007 and 2008 before moving to Lake Conroe.
The TTBC is much more than just a fishing tournament. The partnership between TPWD and Toyota and the Toyota Texas Bass Classic is designed to support programs that encourage people, especially youth, to get outdoors and fish. An Outdoor Adventures Area will feature displays and outdoor activities that give attendees opportunities to experience fishing for catfish, archery, kayaking and more. Sampling is encouraged at the barbecue cook-off, and visitors can test-drive the latest ATVs and Toyota trucks. Country music concerts by top entertainers cap each day's events.
The TTBC also gives financially supports TPWD's Neighborhood Fishin' Program, which regularly stocks fish into 16 urban-area lakes that allow people to fish close to home. The newest Neighborhood Fishin' Lake is Woldert Pond in Tyler, just down the road from Lake Fork. Some 85,000 people a year fish in Neighborhood Fishin' ponds, and about half those are youth or people new to fishing.
Another program supported by the Toyota Texas Bass Classic is the Texas division of the State-Fish Art Contest. Students in grades K-12 submit drawings of fish and compete for scholarships. Artwork from that contest appears on Toyota Texas Bass Classic tickets. Research shows that students who take part in this contest are more likely to become interested in fishing. More than 1,100 youths entered the Texas division of the State-Fish Art Contest just ended, more than any other state.
The partnership between TTBC and TPWD exemplify TPWD's core messages. Everything is connected. Everyone does play a part. But when you have a big bass on the end of your line, life isn't just better outside, it's AWESOME! Nowhere in Texas is that more likely to happen than on Lake Fork, and the reasons are the partnership between TPWD and the Sabine River Authority (SRA), geography, and TPWD's management of the lake.
Lake Fork's outstanding bass fishery was made possible by a number of factors. Fork is located in a watershed that provides important nutrients to the lake, and TPWD and the SRA cooperated to build on that base. Much of the timber was left standing in the lake, and Florida largemouth bass were stocked into farm ponds in the reservoir basin prior to impoundment. Progressively restrictive harvest regulations have protected fish of breeding size. In recent years, TPWD has partnered with SRA and the Lake Fork Sportsman's Association to enhance fish habitat.
Lake Fork has produced 256 of the 557 entries into the Toyota ShareLunker program, an angler recognition and selective breeding program that uses angler-donated 13-pound or bigger largemouth bass to produce fingerlings for stocking into Texas public waters. Fork produced 33 of the 50 biggest bass ever caught in Texas, including the current state record of 18.18 pounds.
Conservation is at the heart of TPWD fisheries management, and the TTBC tournament format furthers that effort. Fish 16 to 24 inches long are weighed on the water and immediately released; anglers are allowed to bring one fish over 24 inches to the weigh-in. Fish brought to the weigh-in are cared for by TPWD biologists and returned to the lake.
The payoff for these efforts can be seen in the local economy. Lake Fork's economic impact on Wood County is estimated at more than $23 million annually, and the 2008 TTBC brought 30,000 people to the area and generated nearly $2 million for the local economy.
"None of this can happen without public support," said Dave Terre, TPWD's Inland Fisheries Chief of Management and Research. "By attending the Toyota Texas Bass Classic, you are also supporting TPWD programs such as Neighborhood Fishin' and the State-Fish Art Contest. In addition to helping make possible these programs that benefit your own family today, you will play a part in passing on the traditions of fishing and good management of our natural resources to future generations. They and we thank you."
Information on the 2014 TTBC is posted at www.toyotatexasbassclassic.com as it becomes available. Videos of previous tournaments can be viewed on YouTube.


text:
Here are some sample texts from Weigh and Win
Tip No. 6: Use your palm to determine the size of a protein (fish, meat, etc.). Use your fist to measure carbs (fruit, potato, brown rice, etc.).
Tip No. 3: Eating 5-6 healthy, portion-controlled meals a day keeps your energy level up, engages your metabolism and trims your waistline!
Mid-afternoon snack: Any fruit of your choice (carb) and a piece of string cheese (protein)
Exercise: 15 minutes cardio (your choice of type) 2 min. warm up, 11 min. continuous cardio & 2 min. cool down. Do more if you're ready. Enjoy!
Thousands of Coloradans are being paid to lose weight, in a free program open to anyone in the state.
The payments of $15 to $150 have persuaded some 23,000 residents to sign up for the program called Weigh and Win. It's meant to help reduce the extra weight sapping the health of half the state's residents.
"I weigh 50 pounds less than when I started" 10 months ago, said Clint Findley, a 911 database manager from Lafayette. He now regularly works up a sweat lifting weights, biking and doing pushups. The program sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, also texts him tips on healthy eating and exercise. They are tailored for the challenges he identified when he signed up.
"It's helped me change my behavior," Findley said. He now substitutes nuts and raisins for snacks of ice cream and M&Ms, and often works out in his basement with yoga and other strength-building exercises that require no equipment.
Findley has been paid only $15 for his first quarter of success in the program and $30 per quarter after that.
"I'm not going to be able to afford Harvard for my kid," he joked.
But with encouraging messages and regular weigh-ins at one of 40 kiosks set up across the state, "it seemed like someone was watching," he said.
"It's not just me, in my bathroom" looking at the progress on the scale, he said.
About the same time he started the program, Findley also discovered he had a thyroid issue affecting his weight. He's trying a gluten-free diet, which gives him an excuse to refuse sweet treats.
Kaiser Permanente is paying for the program for anyone in the state, along with the $68,000 in rewards to date, as a community health project. Katie Hamilton, the Weigh and Win manager, described the program as a highly automated, relatively low-cost way to tackle Colorado's obesity problem.
Weigh and Win includes daily coaching by text or email, based on preferences stated by the participant. If someone says they need to work out at home, they'll get a message suggesting triceps dips using a coffee table, Hamilton said. If the person reports having no time to exercise, they'll be given a suggestion to take the stairs, ride a bike for errands, or park farther away from work so they are forced to walk more as part of their daily lives. If lunch is a problem, they can get a heartening text just before noon.
"We have certified personal trainers on staff, available by phone or email," Hamilton said. The staff can help when participants hit a plateau, or if they don't like the food choices in suggested menus.
On Sundays, the email includes a grocery list for a week of healthy meals and snacks, along with easy recipes. For example, one quick breakfast recipe calls for splitting an English muffin, topping each side with a slice of tomato and a piece of low-fat cheese, then baking for 3-5 minutes.
The effort started 18 months ago with just four small kiosks where participants weigh in. There are now 40 kiosks in locations ranging from recreation centers to clinics to American Furniture Warehouse stores. The kiosks can be found along the Front Range from Fort Collins to Pueblo, and in Alamosa, Grand Junction and Routt County.
Kaiser Permanente is looking for partners to help fund more kiosks elsewhere in the state, at a cost of $7,000 each, Hamilton said. But with weigh-ins required only four times a year, participants can travel to check in.
Coloradans do not have to be covered by Kaiser Permanente to sign up for the free program — anyone can sign up. Payments are offered only to people who have a body mass index of 25 or higher, indicating they are overweight, Hamilton said. A 5 percent weight loss in a quarter pays $15, and a 10 percent loss pays $30. The payments rise to $150 a quarter for a 30 percent weight loss. After being paid for a full year of maintaining the lost weight, the baseline weight is re-set at the new level.
So far, Coloradans have lost 53,000 pounds. That may not seem like much for nearly 23,000 participants — an average of 2.3 pounds per person. However, Hamilton said many of those only recently signed up. "The average weight loss is 17 pounds if you stay for a year and weigh in," she said. Only 1,165 people have been in the program for a full year so far.
Hamilton has noticed that people often take a couple of tries at it before they get serious. "It's common to have them say, 'Can you restart my e-mails? I'm ready now.'"
"We still have 22,000 people receiving our e-mails, and that's really powerful," she said.
Weigh and Win is based on a workplace wellness program from a company called Incentahealth, and that program is now being evaluated by the National Institutes of Health.


text:
Search Results
First Day Cover commemorating the 50th anniversary of the discovery of insulin
- 1971
Cachet depicts Frederick Banting and Charles Best with a description of how they isolated and refined insulin as an independent hormone.
- Artist Ray Webber
- Contributor British American Bank Note Company
- Subject Postage stamps, Best, Charles Herbert, 1899-1978, University of Toronto, Commemorative postage stamps, Banting, Frederick Grant, Sir, 1891-1941, Science on postage stamps, Canada, Nobel Prize winners, Medical scientists, Cachets (Philately), First day covers (Philately), Physicians
First Day Cover honoring Ernest Rutherford
- 1971
Cachet includes two depictions of Lord Rutherford and text, "World Famous Scientist Pioneering in Radioactivity and Nuclear Physics." The research program in the field of radioactivity undertaken by Rutherford at…


text:
Davida Ninety Two Helmet - Silver (SMALL)
Davida Ninety Two Helmet
A lightweight open face helmet weighing just over 1100g, the Davida Ninety Two is our smallest–profile helmet, manufactured to the highest quality control required by British Safety Standard certification BS 6658: 1985 Type B. Made with a fiberglass composite shell reinforced with Kevlar, a polystyrene shock absorption liner with additional protection around the ears and a detachable leather lined interior trimmed with fabric, the Davida Ninety Two is a modern safety product which also combines traditional styling.
The Ninety Two has been especially designed to be a close fitting helmet to give a quieter ride and prevent lift at speed. This fit is achieved by making the helmet width below the ears slightly narrower than at the temples.
The Davida Ninety Two range of helmets have a small profile shell and manufactured to BS 6658 Type B Standard.
- British Safety Standard BS 6658: 1985 Type B certified.
- Lightweight fiberglass composite shell
- Polystyrene shock absorption liner.
- Detachable fully leather lined interior
- Goggle Strap Retainer.
Sizing in cm
Extra Small 53-54, Small 54-56, Medium 56-58, Large 58-60, XL 60-62, XXL 62-64


text:
Mets hold off Marlins to end skid
Miami, FL – David Wright went 3-for-5 with a solo homer and scored three runs as the New York Mets edged the Miami Marlins, 7-6, to avoid a three-game series sweep at Marlins Park.
John Buck added three hits, including a two-run double, and Jordany Valdespin had a three-run pinch-hit homer for the Mets, who had dropped six straight games entering the contest.
Dillon Gee (2-4) gave up four runs on nine hits over five innings to earn the win. Bobby Parnell spun a perfect ninth to pick up his third save of the season.
Wright played despite a stiff neck.
"That's why he's the captain because he rises when you need him," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "He's the guy everybody looks at to lead the way and today he did it again."
Chris Valaika drove in two runs for the Marlins, who had five players with multi-hit games. Juan Pierre, Greg Dobbs, Justin Ruggiano, Marcell Ozuna and Nick Green had two hits apiece for Miami, which had a three-game winning streak snapped.
A.J. Ramos (0-1) was charged with the loss after giving up Valdespin's homer in the sixth. Starter Wade LeBlanc was tagged for four runs on eight hits while striking out four over 5 2/3 innings.
Miami took a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Gee issued walks to Pierre and Dobbs to put runners at first and second with one out. Ruggiano followed with a base hit to right field to score Pierre. After Ozuna flew out, Valaika doubled to left to clear the bases.
"I was very happy with the way we came out swinging the bats," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. "Guys were aggressive. We jumped on them."
Wright clubbed a leadoff homer in the third to get the Mets on the board. It was his third home run of the season.
New York used a four-run sixth to take a 5-4 lead. Wright doubled then moved to third on a Lucas Duda ground out. Marlon Byrd plated Wright with a base hit to right.
LeBlanc was then removed after giving up an Ike Davis base hit, and Valdespin greeted Ramos with his three-run shot to put the Mets in front.
Buck added a two-run double in the seventh inning to give the Mets a 7-4 edge.
With runners on first and second in the bottom of the seventh, Ruggiano smacked a base hit to left field. The ball took an odd hop and bounced over Duda's head in left field allowing two runs to score.
The Marlins put a runner in scoring position in the eighth, following Green's double to right field, but were unable to push him across and Parnell retired the side in order in the ninth to lock down the win.
Game Notes
New York went 3-for-8 with runners in scoring position ... Buck leads the NL with 27 RBI ... New York hasn't been swept by the Marlins since Sept. 8-10, 20089 at Citi Field ... New York has dropped three straight series ... The Marlins open a 10-game road trip in Philadelphia on Thursday.


text:
Regular price
Lightweight Supima Cotton Tee
Individually shot
Cut in a vintage relaxed fit
100% Supima Cotton
Made in Los Angeles, California
Dry clean recommended
Fits true to size. Take your natural size.
For a narrower fit, we recommend ordering one size down.
Model wears a size medium. Model measurements: 6' 2", 155 lbs.
Ground shipping anywhere in the U.S. is offered free of charge.
We invite you to try on items within your own home. Should an item not fit properly, we will happily exchange them for the correct size of the same style.
Please see our complete shipping and return policy here.


text:
Markets shored up by China's 7.5 percent growth
Relief over China's economic growth rate shored up stock markets Monday despite weaker than anticipated U.S. retail sales figures.
China, the world's second-largest economy grew 7.5 percent from a year earlier in the second quarter. Though the figure is down on the previous quarter's 7.7 percent, there had been fears it might fall below 7 percent. A sharp drop would hurt companies around the world that have become increasingly reliant on breakneck Chinese growth to boost earnings.
"Despite the fact that the China growth figure represents an extension of the overall slowing trajectory, being the ninth slowdown in the past ten quarters, equity markets seemed broadly relieved," said Brenda Kelly, market strategist at IG.
Following a 1 percent rise in the Shanghai Composite Index to 2,059.39, European stock markets posted solid gains. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares closed up 0.6 percent at 6,586.11, while Germany's DAX rose 0.3 percent to 8,234.81. The CAC-40 in France ended 0.1 percent higher at 3,878.58.
In the U.S., the Dow Jones industrial average was up 0.1 percent at 15,479, while the broader S&P 500 was steady at 1,680.
Wall Street was not as strong as futures markets had been predicting. That was due to news that U.S. retail sales only grew 0.4 percent in June from the month before. That was half the rate expected and may mean downward revisions to U.S. second quarter growth forecasts. Retail sales account for around 70 percent of U.S. economic activity.
"After today's report, there is a very real possibility that Q2 GDP will be less than 1 percent for the second time in the last three quarters," said Dan Greenhaus, chief global strategist at BTIG.
Though the figures suggest the U.S. economy is not growing as quickly as anticipated, they may mean the U.S. Federal Reserve starts reducing its monetary stimulus later. For weeks the Fed's monetary stance has been the main driver in markets. The Dow and the S&P 500 struck all-time highs last week partly on an indication from the Fed that the monetary stimulus may be in place for longer than previously expected. At the moment, the Fed is buying around $85 billion of assets in the markets, and that's helped prop up stocks for months.
Some comfort came from forecast-busting earnings from Citigroup. The bank made $1.25 per share during the second quarter, beating the $1.18 per share predicted by analysts polled by FactSet.
It's a busy week on the U.S. corporate reporting front. Other reports expected this week include Coca-Cola, Goldman Sachs, Johnson & Johnson, Bank of America, Google and Microsoft. General Electric caps off the week Friday.
The dollar has faltered in recent days as expectations of a tightening in the Fed's policies have eased. It clawed back some ground Monday, with the euro 0.2 percent lower at $1.3037. The dollar was 0.7 percent higher at 100.06 yen.
Earlier in Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 0.1 percent to 21,303.31 and Sydney's S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.1 percent to 4,981.10. South Korea's Kospi rose 0.3 percent 1,875.16. Japan's financial markets were closed for a public holiday.
Oil prices gave up some recent gains. Benchmark crude for August delivery was down 97 cents at $104.98 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract gained $1.04 to $105.95 in New York on Friday, driven higher by continuing tensions in Egypt and a sharp drop in U.S. crude stockpiles.


text:
DAYTONA BEACH -- Kevin Harvick may be a lame duck driver but both his wings were working at full strength Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway.
Harvick, who will leave the No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet to drive for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014, won the Sprint Unlimited At Daytona, leading the most laps and staving off two challenges on the last lap.
�It was a great day for our Chevy,� said Harvick, who stalled his car during the victory lap. �I'm glad to get Speedweeks started off the right way.�
Harvick beat second-place Greg Biffle, driving the No. 16 Ford, by .149 seconds. Joey Logano, making his debut in the No. 22 Ford, was third. Biffle was attacking at the top of the track, while Logano made a run on the bottom. Both were blocked by Harvick.
�I could see those guys,� Harvick said. �I knew from (my position at the) top there, I could guard the bottom.�
An estimated 60,000 race-starved spectators braved bitter cold conditions to watch the race. It was 50 degrees when the 75-lap race started and dropped from there, with the wind howling at times.
�I'm proud of all the efforts at RCR,� Childress said. �This is the start of a long, long 10 days here. Looking forward to the end of the week.�
It was Harvick's third win in this event, formerly the Budweiser Shootout, and Childress Racing's record eighth win.
Harvick averaged 177.538 mph and was one of five drivers who swapped the lead nine times in the 75-lap run, which was broken into 30, 25 and 20 lap segments. Harvick led three times for 40 laps, including the final 13 over the 2.5-mile tri-oval.
�You got to be patient driving these cars,� Harvick said.
There were only 12 stock cars running at the finish after a Segment 1 melee in Turn 2 knocked six cars out of competition.
Tony Stewart, who led the first segment, and Marcos Ambrose touched and continued, but it caused a ripple effect through the 19-car field.
Nine cars were involved. Some of those taken out by the fray included Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch.
�We hadn't gotten going yet,� Busch said. �It's unfortunate. I wanted to learn some things.�
Another brand-name driver, who had a short night, was veteran Mark Martin, driving the No. 55 Toyota.
�I saw a car sideways, then the cars higher on the racetrack tangled for some reason,� Martin said. �I got squeezed. We didn't get very far along there.�
It was that crash that helped Biffle decide not to force the issue when trying to pass Harvick on the last lap. Biffle said he could have made a run off Turn 2 but thought better of the move.
�I looked, but I thought it would be sparks and parts flying,� Biffle said. �We learned a little bit. We got a ways to go on our 500 car.�
Race fans had a lot input into how the Sprint Unlimited would be raced. The fans voted for the race to be broken into segments of 30, 25 and 20 laps.
The fans voted for a four-tire pit stop and they voted not to eliminate cars from the last segment.
Terry Labonte turned 13 laps then retired in the No. 32 Ford.
This race marked the competitive debut of NASCAR's highly touted Generation-6 stock cars, which replaced the �Car of Tomorrow� cookie-cutter design. The �Gen-6� cars have a much stronger resemblance to their street-model namesakes.
Carl Edwards won the pole position and Martin the outside pole based on a fan vote. Unfortunately, both drivers were involved in a multicar crash during Friday's practice and went to backup machines.


text:
Auditor says he can't approve education program
The Republican told the House Appropriations Committee he can't approve the Mississippi Adequate Education Program formula, as required by law, because his office has found unreliable numbers on attendance, students receiving free lunch and other items.
The MAEP formula is based partly on average daily attendance. But Pickering says different districts have different attendance policies, which means schools may get the same amount of money even when students at some schools attend for longer or shorter times than those at other schools.
Pickering says it's possible some districts are inflating numbers for attendance or free or reduced-price lunches to get more state money.


text:
Education/Community Engagement Rubrics
Evaluating Community Engagement Programs: Suggested Evaluation Guidelines
If your orchestra has a community engagement program -- or is thinking about starting one -- but does not have the resources to include an evaluation component, these guidelines will help you benchmark progress and test alignment between your goals and what has, in fact, been achieved. Use them as a starting point, and fine-tune them to meet your orchestra's specific needs.
Making Outstanding Education Concerts: What You Play and What You Say
At a recent League seminar, taught by Thomas Cabaniss, animateur of The Philadelphia Orchestra, and Lucas Richman, music director of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, the participants developed a number of tools that should have value to those with responsibility for the development of youth and family concerts. On the assumption that outstanding youth concerts must have artistic and educational goals that are in alignment with one another and that appeal to contemporary audiences, the following materials may be of value.
- Goals and Trends
- Education Concerts Planning
- Scripts and Repertoire
- Education Concert Rubric
- Sample Programs
Growing the Capacity of Artists Who Teach
As education departments continue to grow, there has been an increasing reliance on musicians who can reach out to the community, requiring teaching and communication skills that extend far beyond artistic talent. In order to assist education staff in growing the capacity of their artists in this area, the League has developed these guidelines to suggest benchmarks for excellence. Orchestra education personnel are encouraged to adjust and fine-tune this document to maximize its usefulness in individual orchestras.


text:
The site is undergoing scheduled maintenance on Saturday December 5th. Intermittent outages may occur from 7:30 a.m to 10:30 a.m.
Additional Info: Temperature Rating: -50 to 80 deg C (-58 to 176 deg F)
Phone: (866) 600-6040
Email: email@example.com
Our eCommerce Help Desk representatives are available for technical support from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT
© Copyright 2020 Carlton-Bates. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy


text:
R. Crumb celebrates his 67th birthday at the ToonSeum with a special screening of Terry Zwigoff's critically-acclaimed documentary Crumb, an intimate look at of one of America's most infamous and influential artists. Crumb's frank, acerbic, and often hilarious comics and illustrations have been a vital part of the American art scene since the 1960's. From his early work in Zap Comics to last year's masterpiece Book of Genesis, Crumb has spent much of the past 40 years sharing his often controversial take on sex and politics, jazz and blues music, and the importance of comics as an artform. Zwigoff's film, packed with humor and pain, is widely regarded as one of the best biographical documentaries ever produced.
Thu, August 26, 7:30pm
Admission is a suggested $5.00 donation. Guests will receive a free R. Crumb gift while supplies last. This event is recommended for mature audiences. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
ToonSeum of Pittsburgh
945 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA


text:
Monday Results:
* From 8-10 p.m. ET, "The Biggest Loser" (2.4 rating, 6 share in
adults 18-49, 6.3 million viewers overall) maintained 100 percent of its rating last week for the show's time-period season premiere, despite the addition this week of competition from original comedies on CBS. In the time period, "Biggest Loser" tied for #2 on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in adults 18-49 and is #2 outright among those networks in adults 25-54.
* From its first half-hour to its fourth, "Loser" grew by 19
percent in 18-49 rating (to a 2.7 from a 2.2), the biggest gain over those two hours on ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox.
* Week two of "Loser" matched the show's year-ago second episode
in 18-49 (2.4/6 on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012 from 8-10) and is up 9 percent versus last year's finale (2.2/7 on May 1, 2012), despite the move of the show from its long-time home on Tuesdays to new night running head-to-head against ABC's "Bachelor," CBS's comedies and Fox's "Bones."
* From 10-11 p.m. ET, "Deception" (1.6/4 in 18-49, 4.2 million
viewers overall) maintained 80 percent of its premiere rating last week (2.0), despite this week facing original competition from CBS's "Hawaii Five-0" for the first time. "Deception" matched NBC's average in the time period last season in 18-49 rating (1.6)
* In adults 18-34, "Deception" finished within a tenth of a point
of #1 among the slot's three dramas on ABC, CBS and NBC (with a 1.3 rating, behind "Hawaii Five-0's" 1.4) and in women 18-34, "Deception"
tied for #1 among those three dramas (1.8, tied with "Castle").
In Late-Night Metered Markets Monday night:
* In Nielsen's 56 metered markets, household results were: "The
Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 2.6/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.8/7; and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 2.5/7.
* In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49
Wednesday results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 0.8/4; "Late Show," 0.8/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.9/4.
* From 12:35-1:05 a.m. ET Wednesday night, ABC's "Nightline"
averaged a 1.4/5 in metered-market households and a 0.4/2 in 18-49 in the Local People Meters.
* From 12:35-1:35 a.m. ET, "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.4/5
in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.2/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.5/3 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.3/2).
* At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.9/4 in
metered-market households with an encore and a 0.3/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.
For the Week and the Season:
NBC has delivered year-to-year increases during the primetime week of January 7-13, gaining versus the same week last year by 10 percent in adults 18-49 and 4 percent in total viewers while ABC, CBS and Fox were each down year-to-year in both categories, according to "live plus same day" viewing data from Nielsen Media Research.
For the Week:
* The "70th Annual Golden Globe Awards" tied for #2 for the week
among primetime shows on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox and tied for #1 among non-sports shows on those networks.
* The 6.4 for the Golden Globes equals the highest rating for any
non-sports primetime telecast on ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox since ABC's Academy Awards on Feb. 26, 2012.
* Also ranking in the top 30 in 18-49 were NBC's "Biggest Loser,"
"Chicago Fire," "The Office" and "SVU."
Here are "live plus same day" weekly averages for Week 16...
Week 16 Adults 18-49 vs. Same Week Last Year
Net...Week 2011... Week 2012...Diff
CBS...3.7...3.3...Down 11%
ABC...2.2...1.9...Down 14%
Fox...3.2...2.9...Down 9%
Week 16 Total Viewers vs. Same Week Last Year
Net...Week 2011... Week 2012...Diff
NBC...6.586 million ...6.837 million...Up 4%
CBS...13.940million...13.279 million...Down 5%
ABC...7.027 million ...6.355 million...Down 10%
Fox...8.588 million ...7.665 million...Down 11%
Season to date, NBC is up 20% in 18-49, having moved from a tie for #3 at this point last year to #1 this year, and up 17% in total viewers.
It's the first time in nine years (since 2003) that NBC has been #1 outright at this point in the season.
NBC's 3.0 season average is its highest rating at this point in the season in five years (since 2007).
NBC's lead of 0.3 of a rating point so far this season (3.0 vs. 2.7 for
#2 CBS) matches the biggest for any network at this point in the season in 10 years (since NBC led by 0.6 of a point at this time during the
2002-03 season).
In addition to being up for the season by 20 percent in 18-49 (3.0 vs.
2.5), NBC is up 17 percent in total viewers (8.7 million vs. 7.4
million) and up by double-digit percentages in all other key categories.
NBC is the only network among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox that's up versus year-ago averages in 18-49, total viewers or any other key measure.
Here are "most current" season averages thru 16 weeks...
Season to Date Adults 18-49 vs. Last Year Net...Season to Date 2011... Season to Date 2012...Diff NBC...2.5...3.0...Up 20% CBS...3.2...2.7...Down 16% ABC...2.5...2.3...Down 8% Fox...3.0...2.4...Down 20%
Season to Date Total Viewers vs. Last Year
Net...Season to Date 2011... Season to Date 2012...Diff
NBC...7.404 million ...8.657 million...Up 17%
CBS...12.285 million...11.383 million...Down 7%
ABC...8.541 million ...7.965 million...Down 7%
Fox...8.353 million ...6.718 million...Down 20%
NOTE: All ratings are "live plus same day" from Nielsen Media Research unless otherwise indicated. Season figures are averages of "live plus seven day" data except for the two most recent weeks, which are "live plus same day."


text:
Repair / Upgrade Kits
Repair, upgrade, and other various kits for the DIYer!
Console5 kits are assembled and tested by referencing real hardware, not derived from inaccurate schematics or service manuals.
Capacitors are appropriately sized and will typically fit inside existing shielding and case designs. With few exceptions, our kits use higher temperature and meet or exceed OEM requirements.
Our demands are high - we use our own kits to refurbish and upgrade hardware.


text:
I was asked about the expected performance of my upcoming rpix86 emulator on the Atari800 thread. Instead of hijacking that thread, I think it would be better for me to create a new thread specifically for rpix86, so here it is.
The performance expectation for a non-overclocked Raspberry Pi currently looks to be around a 486/20 machine. This is somewhat slower than what I think RPi should be capable of, so there are probably some bottlenecks in my code that I just haven't found yet. Or perhaps simply running the Linux OS causes a big hit on the available CPU power. The DS2x86 version for a 400MHz MIPS processor (without an operating system) runs Doom at 5.1 fps, and the current rpix86 version (on Raspbian Wheezy) only at 5.5 fps, even though the ARM processor should be almost 2x more efficient per MHz than the MIPS processor. My Android tablet with a 1.3GHz quad-core processor runs Doom in ax86 at 27.5 fps, so I think 5.5 fps is slower than what it should be.
My plan is to run some cycle counter tests in the near future to see where the performance problems are. Also my CPU core is still using plain ARMv5 assembly, so using some of the new instructions for ARMv6 could bring some performance improvements.
rpix86 version 0.19 released June 28th, 2015!
You can download the new version from the Raspberry Pi store: http://store.raspberrypi.com/projects/rpix86 or alternatively directly from my web pages: http://rpix86.patrickaalto.com/rdown.html
New users, be sure to read Ben Garrett's tutorial for rpix86 installation and usage at http://ipggi.wordpress.com/2013/04/23/r ... r-computer


text:
How Nikky Finney Found Her Own Path To Poetry
As a young woman, Nikky Finney decided to pursue what she said was the only life she ever wanted. A couple of weeks ago and a couple of decades later, she reached a new pinnacle few poets get to when she received the National Book Award. "Head Off & Split" tells stories in vivid, sometimes exuberant, sometimes searing language. It's her fourth collection. Nikky Finney now a poet by anybody's standard and anyone's definition. Well, if you write verse, when did you assign yourself the title poet?
Give us a call, 800-989-8255. Email, firstname.lastname@example.com. Join the conversation at our website. That's at npr.org. Click on TALK OF THE NATION. Poet Nikky Finney also a professor of creative writing at the University of Kentucky and joins us from a studio in Lexington. Welcome to TALK OF THE NATION and congratulations again.
NIKKY FINNEY: Thank you so much, Neal. Good to be here.
CONAN: Have you had a chance to catch your breath?
FINNEY: No, sir.
FINNEY: I don't think that's going to happen for a while. In fact, I love the idea of trying to catch my breath, like running behind it or in front of it or somewhere else. It's a good feeling.
CONAN: What's changed for you since you won the award?
FINNEY: Everything. The people who come up to me and say we were sitting in front of our computers, streaming the National Book Award. We had bowls of popcorn and Coke and beer. And when you won, it was like the room went up into this great cheer. You know, so the people have just constantly coming up, the notes, the cards, the well-wishers. I haven't been able to write a poem in the last two weeks. That's different because I usually try to write every day. My mother calls me five times a day instead of three times a day now...
FINNEY: ...to make sure all is well. Everything has changed, Neal.
CONAN: It's interesting you try to write every day. Writers write. Poets sit in - a lot of it is putting your butt in the chair every day, isn't it?
FINNEY: You have to sit in the chair. You have to do it that way. You learn sitting in that chair what's working and what's not working. You learn what - that you have to, you know, omit some things. You have to take things out. You have to revise. It is the art and craft of making a poem that brings me to the chair every day still.
CONAN: Revision, it's interesting you note in the start of "Head Off & Split" that some of these poems appeared in slightly different form in various other places. Even after they've been published, you revise.
FINNEY: Yes. Yes. Absolutely. Some poets might choose not to do that, but I think that a poem is a live thing and because I'm constantly changing, the poem is constantly changing also.
CONAN: You - we played a clip earlier where you said you made your decision to pursue poetry at age 19. Did you at that moment declare yourself: I am a poet?
FINNEY: I don't think I said it with such declaration. I think I said it quietly to myself, but I wanted to find the path. I did not come to poetry through a very traditional manner. I loved poetry as a child in a small Southern town in South Carolina, but there weren't any poets around. I didn't know how to do it. And so I kept meeting people on the path, on the trail to say, OK, put this piece into the puzzle. This is, you know, put this in your pocket. And so as I continued up that road, past 19, my pockets got full.
I met more people. I've turned left there and went up two blocks and then turned right there. And so I didn't - there was no great declaration, just the sort of dedicated steps toward trying to learn the path that I needed to be on to do what I wanted to do.
CONAN: Was there a singular moment where you said, well, I guess I'm a poet now?
FINNEY: I don't remember that singular moment. I think that it's an accumulation of many moments, the first time I had a reading, the first time a poet or a teacher gave me a poem, red-marked up, back. And I sat and the poet said to me - Nikki Giovanni said to me once: Finny, up under all this red is something beautiful trying to happen. And I said, OK. OK, let's take two more steps. And so it was, like, an accumulation of many years and many steps. Someone asked me, after the acceptance speech: When did you write that? And I said, I've been writing that speech my whole life: a word here, a phrase there, a history lesson there, all of it is an accumulation of a life lived, I think.
CONAN: Well, we'd like to hear from those poets in our audience about when was that moment they thought they could call themselves poet. 800-989-8255. Email: firstname.lastname@example.com. But you mentioned your childhood, and I was wondering if you could read a poem from your book, "Head off & Split," that I think refers to that childhood: "Liberty Street Seafood."
FINNEY: Certainly. I stand in line. Behind me, the hungry stretch and wiggle out the door. Sterling cake bowls nestle in ice, mullet, striped bass, whiskered cat, rock shrimp, steel porgies, blue crab. No eel till Christmas. Mother muscles, flat-faced flounder, sleeping snapper, whiting, one sea turtle, lazy fishermen. In his fishmonger-owner apron, Randy is white, round as blowfish, conducting this orchestra of desire.
Members, the cut boys and the lined up who come every day and wait in between frozen ice and hot oil. The cut boys are well-suited in fish scale and high up on risers above us. They sing out with their knives. Stationed inside, tiny cutting boots, slashing this throat and that fish tune, veritas. Those who are exquisite at beheading always occupy a throne. One has a giant afro. Another's hair is finely braided backward, like flattened rows of corn. The half straight-ends of his thick, black wool curl up his neck like one, large, thin. The last one has shaved and greased his head for duty.
Old men who sit around outside the front door tease. Early on, they named him dolphin. He is playful, jumpy, slick, far more endangered than the other two. All three wear the heavy, rubber smocks of men who use their hands to kill and feed. All three hold knives longer than their Johnsons. For now, they are safe. The wet wood engulfs them from the waist down. Cleaned fish, their handiwork, will soon be on display at 96 dinner tables south side.
We pass the time by lying. How you do? Fine. Alabaster fish scales streak and dot their hair like Mardi Gras keepsakes. Fish petals float into the wet air. Black, Indian, Zulu, sequined, smelly, bloody scales settle across three sets of brown hands, arms in muscle shirts, scales thick as white evening gloves. The cut boys turn each fish over like one-eyed fabric dolls.
One-half is Mama Helen's(ph) eyelashes. He is the jittery dolphin on the loose. A hand-me-down afro pick sits in number two's back pocket. This one with a tail always on his neck, has a fist always on his comb, circa 1975, belonging to his brother, thrown under the jail, up under in Upstate Connecticut. The cause: a bad fight about a chica gone jugular.
These cut boys shine jewel and scale, stationed before a wall of black and silver ways and means. Eastern star daughters and North Star slaves stare out of the hungry through their notched eyes. They whisper and laugh, loving how we wait on them. Three black boys in hip-hop haute couture, in suits of bloody rubber smocks standing side by side, making $3 an hour beheading and detailing fish, their long knives whacking pine all day. Fish eyes roll. So Friday is made. The white man reaches for the money, faces the hungry, his back fully turned, their knives just above his head.
CONAN: "Liberty Street Seafood." This is Nikky Finney, from her book "Head Off & Split," which just won the National Book Award. And it also relates to the title of the book.
FINNEY: Absolutely. I - in fact, the title came - I walked into Liberty Street Seafood. Mama sent me for fish, like she had done a million times. And the fishmonger standing there, I have my fish in a silver bowl. I'm handing the fish over, and he goes: head off and split. And suddenly, in the life of the poet, I changed from the daughter to the poet in that second. And I'm thinking: That is a beautiful metaphor for something I need to write about. I go out in the car. The fish is in the newspaper on the seat. I'm looking for a pencil on the floor, and I write it down. And five years later, "Head Off & Split" is born.
CONAN: We want to hear from out listeners who write poetry, when they thought of themselves as poets. 800-989-8255. Ashley's on the line from Oklahoma City.
ASHLEY: Hi. Thank you so much for taking my call. I love TALK OF THE NATION. I listen to it every day.
CONAN: Oh, thank you for that.
ASHLEY: No problem. The time I knew I was a poet is when I wrote something, and it scared me. I would say poetry bravery, because you have to revisit places that you don't want to, that you (unintelligible), that you're scared of. And when you can pour that out and articulate it, that's when I knew I was poet. That's when I felt like I have - there's some validity to the words that I have inside of me.
CONAN: Nikky Finney, that seems as a good a definition as any.
FINNEY: Oh, that is - Ashley is right on the money. She just said it beautifully. I feel the same way about some things that I have written in my life. She's absolutely right about that. And sometimes, one of the things we give our students, as poetry teachers, is that assignment: Write about something that scares you. Don't be afraid to look at it. Don't look away. And, you know, to talk about what Ashley's talking about, this book is also built upon that premise of nothing looking away. Don't just hand me the fish back all beautiful and ready to eat. Let me have to cut the head off. Let me have to look at the cold, dead eyes of the fish. Let me understand where the fish has come from and from how far, and what does it look like. So Ashley's right. She's right on the money on that.
CONAN: Ashley, is there a poem in your desk drawer that you've never shown anyone?
ASHLEY: There is. There's so many. There's so many letters I've written. I've written - I'm working on a project right now with one of my friends, and we're writing suicide notes. And not that we've thought about it, it's just that being able to say something and don't have - and you don't have to worry about - you don't have to stand up or answer for those words. You can just say them and put them out into the universe, and those are there.
CONAN: Well, put them out into the universe, Ashley.
ASHLEY: Yes. I...
CONAN: Thanks very much for the call. Good luck.
ASHLEY: Thank you. Thank you so much.
CONAN: We're talking with National Book Award-winner Nikky Finney. You're listening to TALK OF THE NATION, from NPR News.
And let's go next to Dave, Dave calling from Tucson.
DAVE: Hi, there.
CONAN: Go ahead, Dave.
DAVE: Good to hear Nikky, and good to hear you, too, Neal. First realizing when one is a poet, that's a tall order, because there's the voice inside yourself that's saying, I'm writing poetry. And when it's on the page - and when I was first published, somebody said, well, you're a poet. So I've to kind of disabuse myself sometimes of what is the notion of being a poet. First, as a - who an individual is that writes poetry that's worth reading or reading to others. And it's always a struggle to go ahead and not to think I'm a poet, versus sitting down and writing, because writing is the whole ball of wax. Now, I would have a question to ask about: How do you fight the battle about self-censorship, when you got a subject matter that you know that is going to turn into a poem, and you're working it, but then you wonder about the ramifications of - once it gets to the world?
FINNEY: I really don't worry about the ramifications. I know I used to when I was much younger. But I really feel like - I've been doing this 30 years, and I don't worry about the ramifications. I really pay attention to the words on the page. I want to honor the process of writing the poem. I want to tell the truth. I want to tell it beautifully. I don't really think about the people who are trying to get on my shoulder to say, don't say that.
DAVE: Yeah.
CONAN: Dave, thanks very much.
DAVE: Thank you.
CONAN: Nikky Finney, could we ask you to read another one?
FINNEY: Absolutely.
CONAN: How about "Hash Marks"?
FINNEY: Perfect. "Hash Marks." Drayton Hall Plantation, for South Carolina and its corridor, a shame. The blue-bonnet children had a wall. The swimming swamp dogs, too. Their hash marks of height play peek with the same canary sun, plantation measurements of progress. See? This is them on two legs. This is higher one here on four. On this tour, every visitor but one gets misty-eyed concerning the preservation of the pencil lines.
Where is the wall that brims the height and progress of the Negroes? Sheet rock record of cross cutbacks, split hymens, slit bellies, sold-away sons, no recording from the precise recorders of these, to honey other calculations that grandfather time. What is here for me in the big house is suspended, afloat in bee amber, each long drawn, lost, longing, root-cellared, pickled, airtight, dunked in blue glass jars, wax-dripped tops, shout and twist.
CONAN: "Hash Marks," another poem from "Head Off & Split." The book is dedicated to the late Lucille Clifton. And I think, of all the poems in that book, this one reminds me most of her.
FINNEY: Mm-hmm. Oh, Neal, you are so - you are a poet. You are a reader of poetry. You are giving yourself away. Lucille Clifton had another poem about a plantation in South Carolina that she visited. And so my inspiration for this poem came precisely from that poem of hers. So that was a great feed right there. That was perfect. Yes, yes, absolutely. She was a great inspiration of mine. I had the pleasure and honor of interviewing her in her home in Columbia, Maryland several years before she died.
I remember the moment that I decided - you asked me this before, and I thought, well, there was this other moment that involved Lucille Clifton. I was in Strand's Book Store, and I found Lucille Clifton's book "Generations." And it had both photographs of her family, as well as poems about that family. And I said to myself in that poetry aisle: You can do this? You can put photographs - another love of mine - with poems? And, thus, my idea for my second book, "Rice," came into my imagination, where I combined pictures of my family with also stories of growing up in South Carolina in the 1960s.
CONAN: Nikky Finney's fourth book, "Head Off & Split," got the National Book Award a couple of weeks ago in New York. Nikky Finney, again, congratulations and good luck to you.
FINNEY: Neal, thank you so much for this moment. I really appreciate it.
CONAN: Nikky Finney, also a professor of creative writing at the University of Kentucky. And she joined us from a studio in Lexington.
On Monday, we'll look at the difficult choices facing the United States on Syria. Join us for that. I'm Neal Conan. It's the TALK OF THE NATION, from NPR News.
Copyright © 2011 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio record.


text:
Hammond endorses governor's recommendation to add $1 million to FHSU's budget for next year
With the Kansas Legislature now up and running in its 2014 session, Dr. Edward H. Hammond, president of Fort Hays State University, urged lawmakers to support Gov. Sam Brownback's recommended budget.
"Overall, we are very pleased with the governor's budget recommendation," President Hammond said. "His recommendation would restore the 'salary cap' reductions from the 2013 session that cost Fort Hays State $276,176."
Seeking to cut state funding for universities, the Legislature last year took money from universities that either over spent or under spent their salary budget lines. Universities that paid their employees more than the state budgeted for personnel saw their salary funding cut by the amount of the additional employee pay. Universities that spent less state money than they were budgeted for salaries, generally due to open positions, had their salary line reduced to what they actually spent.
"At FHSU, the Legislature cut what we spent to hire faculty to cover increased enrollment," the president said. FHSU has seen its enrollment soar from about 5,800 students in the year 2000 to just over 13,500 at the end of the fall 2013 semester. "Obviously, with our tremendous growth, it has been necessary to hire more faculty," he continued. "The governor did not think it was a wise decision to cut a university that hired more faculty to cover increased enrollment. Conversely, he thought it was a wise decision by us to increase our enrollment and hire more faculty to serve those students."
President Hammond said Gov. Brownback's recommended budget also included funding for expansion of the new Information Systems Engineering Bachelor of Science Degree Program at FHSU. "The additional $760,111 would permit us to support 100 students in the program, which will provide much-needed workers to service networks, provide network security and support information systems."
Students started enrolling in the new program in the fall of 2012. Enrollment doubled to six this year and is expected to increase steadily. The program is one of only two in the United States and one of few worldwide. It was approved by the Kansas Board of Regents in 2011, and its founding director, Dr. Houssain Kettani, was hired in August 2012.
Also FHSU is home to the Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science, which allows 57 high school juniors and seniors, at present, to live on the Hays campus and accumulate both their high school diploma and 68 hours of college credit. The anticipated expansion of the Information Systems Engineering Program would include a KAMS-like summer program for high school students who are interested in information systems engineering.
"We have the facilities and staff in place to offer this summer program for the best and brightest high school students from across Kansas," the president said.
Last year, the Kansas Legislature took the unprecedented step of passing a two-year budget, so the budget for Fiscal Year 2015, which begins July 1, is actually already in place. In effect, Gov. Brownback is recommending amendments to that budget.
"This would add about a million dollars to the FHSU budget," President Hammond said, "and allow us to prepare some of the skilled workers who will be needed if the Kansas economy is to grow as planned."


text:
flower tote
Vanessa Skinner Christenson
my daughter has followed in my footsteps with her love of handbags. this cute tote was created especially for her but i've been known to take it when she's not around and use it as my own little bag. :)
starting your petals
you will need:
-an art canvas tote
-1/8 yard of each fabric.
-equal amount of the fusible pellon webbing for each shade of fabric.
-frixon erasable pen
-thread close in color to the shade of each of your petals
use this template to create your petals.
trace your petals
using your template trace on your pellon fusible webbing 20 petals leaving at least 1/2" between each petal.
-then place your fusible webbing ontop of your first 1/8 yard of fabric with the right side of the fabric facing up at you.
-using your drawn lines as your guide, sew ON the petal lines.
-you are going to do this for all your petals.
-from your light pink shade of fabric sew 3 petals
-from your medium pink shade fabric sew 7 petals
-from your dark pink shade fabric sew 9 - 10 petals (i only used 9 but if you want to place the last one because you want to add more fullness to the flower do so!)
cut out petals
now you are giong to cut out all your petals leaving at least 1/8" seam allowance.
turn inside out petals
-once you have your cut out petals, gently pull your interfacing away from the fabric.
-with scissors, cut a small long slit in the middle of the webbing.
pull out corners
-turn inside out, use a straight pin to pull out those pesky points.
start placing your petals
-start placing the lightest petals in your right hand bottom corner.
keep going!
-grab the other shades and start fanning out your petals by placing them in between and slightly under the first set of petals.
*play around with your placement! (if you notice i started off with only 6 of the medium shade petals but in the end i added the 7th one. it's your call!
- after all of your petals are placed where you want them grab your iron and on the highest setting press your petals onto the bag.
*make sure you steam is off! the steam will melt webbing on the surrounding petals before you adhere it to the bag.
*hand applique petals onto bag
now i know hand applique sounds scary but really we're not going GOING there we're just adhereing the petals down onto the bag by appliqueing crucial parts of the petals. oh and by the way applique isnt that scary when you do it this way either. it's kind of cool.
- make your first stitch by bringing the needle up through the inside of the canvas bag, its tip emerging a tiny bit to the side of one of the petals. (i started with the outer most petals on the points.)
-insert the needle back into the canvas, right next to the place where it emerged.(NEXT to it not right through the same place)
-you'll want to place your next stitch about 1/2" from the first one. normally in applique you would want much smaller stitches but because we've alreay "glued" them down your stitches dont have to be that small just in the crucial places.
-only go about halfway down with your needle and bring it back up about 1/4" from your first stitch. (the picture above shows what i am describing, just in a different part of the petals)
find more projects on my blog:
Discussion 8
This tote bag is so pretty. I'm not the greatest at sewing so I used felt and a glue gun instead! It worked great and I can't wait to give it to my sister as a gift.
This is very cute! I love the colours! I am just puzzled, however, because you used fusible interfacing but didn't fuse it in any of the steps! I thought perhaps you were going to sew and turn to get the finished edges and then fuse. Just curious!!
Ooh this is so cute. I adore the ombre colors of the petals. Your daughter has great style and it looks like she has a successful career ahead of her.


text:
Trying to figure out how you're going to get to The Whitsundays and then get around the mainland and the island? Here are our travel tips!
Whitsunday Coast Airport at Proserpine is the best airport to fly into if you're holidaying at Airlie Beach. The Great Barrier Reef Airport on Hamilton Island is the best option if you are predominately staying on Hamilton Island.
You can also fly into Mackay Airport and take the 1hour 45minute road trip north to Airlie Beach on the Bruce Highway.
Drive south from Cairns to north from Proserpine along the Pacific Coast Way on the Bruce Highway to find Airlie Beach.
You can catch the Tilt train from Brisbane to Proserpine and from there catch a transfer into Airlie Beach.
To fully appreciate the Whitsunday Coast, getting a hire car is the best option. With Airlie Beach is your base, there are a bunch of day road trips that you can plan to explore the surrounding mainland areas:
From the Port of Airlie or Shute Harbour at Airlie Beach you can catch island transfers to Hamilton Island, visit the Whitsundays Island and the iconic Whitehaven Beach or cruise around the Whitsundays.
You can also hire a bareboat and captain your own crew. This gives you ultimate freedom to charter your own course around the islands and explore hidden cays and islets. Tell me more about sailing.


text:
There was a lot of ugliness out on that supersized Olympic slopestyle course Sunday -- crashes, splashes, face plants, even a cracked helmet.
As she so often does, Jamie Anderson made things look beautiful again.
The world's most consistent rider came through big under a huge amount of pressure -- "I was freaking out," she said -- riding clean on the rails and stomping down three high-flying jumps on her second, and make-or-break, trip down the mountain. She scored a 95.25 on that run to make America 2 for 2 in slopestyle's colorful and treacherous debut on the Olympic stage.
"It's kind of a big deal," said the gold medalist, who earlier this winter had conceded she was heading to Russia with some reservations about what the Olympics really stand for. "This is The Event."
Enni Rukajarvi of Finland won silver and Jenny Jones took bronze to give Britain its first Olympic medal on the snow.
A heady piece of history for Jones, the 33-year-old, one-time ski resort housekeeper from Bristol, who was unapologetic in revealing she prepared for the big day by watching "Downton Abbey" back at her place in the athletes village.
Jones calls Anderson a "hippie," and it's true, the 23-year-old from South Lake Tahoe, Calif., likes yoga and meditation -- and granola every now and then.
"I think it's fair to say Jamie marches to the beat of her own drummer," American coach Mike Jankowski said. "She likes to do things her way out here."
Much as she wanted to relax while getting ready for her final run, she said it was, indeed, a little disconcerting standing at the top of the mountain, watching rider after rider take a fall. Of the 24 runs in finals, no fewer than 17 of them included a hand drag, a fall or worse -- and that wasn't counting Austrian Anna Gasser's failed climb back up the first embankment after she was given the 'go' sign a second too soon.
Isabel Derungs of Switzerland fell off a rail and face planted into the snow.
Silje Norendal, the Norwegian who handed Anderson one of her few losses two weeks ago at the Winter X Games, fell off the first rail, bobbled on the second, then washed out completely on her second jump.
Worst of all, Sarka Pancochova of the Czech Republic lost it on the first jump of her second run, the back of her head slamming against the snow. Her body skittered down the hill, flipping side to side, with her legs flopping like a rag doll.
Somehow, she got up and rode down the hill under her own power. When she got there, she showed off a pencil-wide crack that ran the length of her helmet.
"Well, it seems broken, but that's what they are for, right?" said Pancochova, who was not seriously injured, according to team officials.
Against that backdrop, and overcast skies, Anderson, who lost her balance and nearly fell on the final jump of her opening run, reached the starting gate for the second.
"I was just visualizing, like, seeing myself already landing and coming down here," she said. "Just trying to believe."
She made a mini-Usain Bolt pose, as if getting ready to arch an arrow, pounded on her snow pants, then took off.
On a course thought by some to be too tough for women, where even Anderson fell and hurt her back during training, she was almost flawless.
She executed her half-rotating jumps on and off the rails -- the most technical part of these runs -- without problem, then set up for the show: Cab 720 jump with a grab, switchback 540 with a grab, frontside 720. That's three jumps with a total of 51/2 rotations and two fancy grabs of the snowboard. The landings: All perfect. Everyone knew it, including Anderson, who spread-eagled her arms as she crossed the finish line.
Anderson will celebrate with five of her sisters, a brother, a niece and her 80-something Bavarian neighbor, Gabriela, who she calls her "spirit grandmother."
SNOWBOARDING: Jamie Anderson wins women's event for U.S. sweep
There was a lot of ugliness out on that supersized Olympic slopestyle course Sunday -- crashes, splashes, face plants, even a cracked helmet.