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My Brother, Pathological Liar / Witness for the Prosecution
Everyone in my family knows that my brother is a pathological liar, so imagine our surprise when he turned up as the star witness in a murder trial. Every since he was a little boy he would just lie to lie. Big stuff, little stuff, it didn't matter. He would say he was going to Walgreens and then go to Rite-Aid. Why lie about something so insignificant, but that was who he was. He somehow didn't know how to just tell the truth without embellishing or flat out making up totally bogus lies like after visiting me when I lived in California he came back home to Virginia and told everyone that I was pregnant and expecting a girl. He would tell these lies as if no one would ever put two and two together and come up with four. So this is definitely not the kind of person you would expect to be the star witness in a murder trial, but he definitely was and the guy he testified about got life and this is how it all happened.
We live in VA in a city of about 100,000 folks which is much smaller than it sounds, so it didn't take long for the news to get out. My cousin Kim was at the beauty parlor, sitting under the dryer, when she happened to glance up from the Jet Magazine and there was my brother, in an orange jumpsuit, pointing into the camera. When I picked up my phone, she shouted, "Turn on channel 13!," so I did and I saw the tail end of my brother's testimony about how the alleged murderer confessed his crimes to him -- a total stranger that he met in a jailcell -- on a fateful Saturday night when they were locked up together for about twelve hours. That same image of my brother, in an orange jumpsuit, pointing to the camera also ran on the front page of the "Local News" section. Both of my unmarried sisters, who still carried the family name, were horrified that their younger brother could be so easily linked to them.
I actually felt a bit guilty because the reason my brother was in jail on that Saturday night was because earlier that day he had been stopped for a minor traffic violation while driving my car (which had expired tags). Normally, this should have been a situation where the driver would have received a ticket, but my brother had some outstanding warrants on his license and so off he went to the pokey. A few days later when he got out my brother shows me a newspaper article about a psychologist whose wife had been found rolled up in a rug in their house after he had reported her missing a few days earlier. My brother's so excited he can barely tell me what happened, but finally he tells me how the guard escorts this guy to the cell and according to my brother, "He was acting real strange. Whistling and looking around like he didn't know where he was. And then he told me, I did it. I killed her."
"Just like that, he told you he did it! You lying!"
"This is a man's life. I wouldn't lie about something like this." My brother looks sincere and that's the thing about him, if you don't know him he seems like a regular, normal decent guy. But I know him and I know he will lie about any and everything because that is who he is. I won't even get into the time he had everyone thinking he was getting married which included asking his three sisters to get fitted for purple bridesmaid dresses being made by a woman who lived in a purple house.
Fast forward a few months later and my brother has gone to trial and is now doing about a year for a bunch of b.s. like non-payment of child support and traffic violations in the city jail. He's called on to testify in the murder trial. My brother identifies the good doctor and tells the jury what was confessed to him and, miracle of miracles, the man is convicted of first degree pre-meditated murder and my brother gets some major time chopped off his sentence and he's out.
Now, here's the deal, all the circumstantial evidence suggested that the doctor planned the murder down to the most minute detail and because there was no physical evidence the prosecution really needed my brother's testimony and my brother, the pathological liar was the perfect witness -- sincere, articulate and right on time.
Finally, the only reason I don't lose any sleep over this is because I believe the doctor did kill his wife, even though I know for certain that he did not confess this to my brother. He committed the perfect crime and would have gotten away with it except for the fact that he had the bad luck to end up in a jailcell overnight with my brother, a life long pathological liar. I don't know what this episode says about truth, justice and the law but that is what happened when my brother, a known liar became the star witness for the prosecution in a murder trial.


text:
Includes 50 images, with
captions of the botanical names. Select from a number of
image transition effects. Use your favorite image as
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Relax, and enjoy the colors of Spring, anytime!
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Features of the Beautiful Iris Screen Saver:
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"TRICONS" (TRansparent ICONS): Unique Feature
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TxDOT has a responsibility to the public to maintain the highest ethical standards when conducting business.
TxDOT adopted its ethics policy to comply with Section 572.051(c) of the Texas Government Code.
We depend on two reporting programs, the Compliance Division and the Texas State Auditor's Office Hotline, to investigate potential fraud. Each enables employees and citizens to anonymously report suspected fraudulent activity.
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The TxDOT Watch reporting system allows individuals to anonymously report suspected unethical and illegal activities within the agency in one of two ways:
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You can also report alleged fraud, misuse of and/or illegal acts involving state resources by calling (800) TX-AUDIT (892-8348) or by visiting the Texas State Auditor's Office Hotline. State resources include:
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text:
Transform your photos into one-of-a-kind, hand painted masterpieces!
Fredericksburg Cross by Ana Villaronga - 10" x 8"
Luster Photo Paper
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Fredericksburg Cross poster by Ana Villaronga. Our posters are produced on acid-free papers using archival inks to guarantee that they last a lifetime without fading or loss of color. All posters include a 1" white border around the image to allow for future framing and matting, if desired.
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All prints ship in durable cardboard tubes.
Fine Art America is one of the largest, most-respected giclee printing companies in the world with over 40 years of experience producing museum-quality posters and prints. All of our posters are produced on state-of-the-art, professional-grade Epson printers.
We use acid-free paper with archival inks to guarantee that your posters last a lifetime without fading or loss of color. All posters include a 1" white border around the image to allow for future framing and matting, if desired.
Posters ship within 3 - 4 business days in durable cardboard tubes.
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The side window at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Fredericksburg, Texas.
Ana Villaronga is originally from Ponce, Puerto Rico. She has been residing in Houston, Texas since 1983. Her studies in art include: architecture, photography, art history, graphic and interior design. Her training is from both Texas A&M University and The University of Houston. Ana's latest work is landscape photography from the South Texas region. Her past series' have been mixed media works on paper and canvas. Most of her works are included in private collections throughout Texas. Ana's works also take part in private collections as far as Italy, Norway, Holland, England, Venezuela and Puerto Rico. In 2002 the artist suffered a stroke, which left her blind in one eye. Her "See Studies", which she began the same year, interpret...
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We won't bore you with more unnecessary rambling about Hurricane Katrina and the fallout thereafter. If you're looking for the Ars insight, check out Hannibal's post from the front page and the forum thread attached to it.
In case you haven't already donated yet or are looking for some more incentive to donate, we have a few links you can check out to aid in hurricane relief that are actually Apple-related! The first one is from Apple itself — a link to donate to the Red Cross via the iTunes Music Store. Anyone who's ever donated to the Red Cross directly in the past knows why this is a good thing — with your information directly in the Red Cross's hands, you will never stop receiving mail, e-mail, and phone calls from them in the future. Donating through Apple means that Apple will keep your information confidential while still allowing you to help out with hurricane relief efforts.
The second link is through Balooba Software, creators of Safari Prairiefire, BubbleGym, Babylooba, and the Mirror Widget. If you donate US$20 or more to the Red Cross, you can receive a free registration to any of the above software titles! Just e-mail them proof of donation and the name of which software you'd like.
Finally, Brainwave is donating 50% of all sales from pizz, a "revolutionary" powernapping software.
Our thoughts are with the hurricane victims and refugees, and here's to hoping that everyone's lives will get back on track sooner rather than later.


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Get Your Free Audiobook
Peter's War
Publisher's Summary
This riveting biography of a Massachusetts slave boy who fought in the Revolutionary War illuminates race relations in the Northern colonies, early battles of the revolution, and the experiences of black soldiers on both sides of the conflict.
Critic Reviews
What members say
- Roger
- 08-07-2010
Much has been written about the cruel irony of America being a land of freedom founded on the backs of slaves. Malcolm has uncovered some interesting stories about blacks, both free and slave, who fought on both sides of the Revolution. She uses these stories to explore a new perspective on that irony—on why, particularly, different slaves chose different sides. Her book, however, lacks focus.
In Malcolm's effort to give depth to these personal stories, she resorts frequently to surmise and supposition. In her effort to give context to the blacks' war-time experiences, she gives a disjointed account of various events in the Revolution, overemphasizing trivial details and omitting more important events. She never provides any analysis of how important black involvement was to the conduct of the war. Nor, other than through conjecture, does she analyze how important the example of black soldiers was to other blacks, to the anti-slavery movement or conversely to the hardening of racial attitudes. The result is superficial and unsatisfying.
In addition, the narrator's frequent mispronunciation of important names, such as that of Gen. Philip Schuyler, is greatly annoying.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
- Rick J. Mitchell
- 10-04-2010
The author apparently had multiple themes to pursue in writing this book, which left me constantly wondering which way the book was going. The attempt to build this book around the historical person (Peter), an 18th century slave in Massachusetts, was weak. The chronicling of Peter's life makes up for 10 - 15% of the book. The larger purpose of the book seemed to be to compile an almost complete history of the American Revolution into one audio book. It was like cramming two semester-long college history classes into six or seven hours of listening. Fortunately, I had recently done some reading on the American Revolution and had some context to put this book in. Still the avalanche of names, dates, events, etc. had my head spinning. Finally, there was a race-relations theme that would pop up every so often.
Moving past the multi-directional path of this book, it did provide some good insights into life during this period of time.


text: United Way Taiwan, a member of the global United Way system, is the largest non-profit organization of the kind in Taiwan, having raised more than NT $32million (USD 9.6 million) in 2006, which supported 519 programs around the country. With only 20 full time staff, the efficiency and the great fundraising achievement of United Way Taiwan are renowned within the global United Way network. Nevertheless, United Way Taiwan also cares about achieving a positive impact with other organizations and in the community. To do this, we conduct research and needs assessments in order to make the distribution more efficient and effective. United Way Taiwan supports a network of 647 social service agencies and their programs, which are evaluated every year.


text:
Silver 5 oz America The Beautiful Coins
America the Beautiful Silver Coins - The America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coin™ program, honoring the splendor of America's National Parks, is one of the most-talked-about United States Mint Bullion products ever released! The obverse of these 5 oz Silver bullion coins is nearly an exact replica of each quarter-dollar that has been released in the mint's America the Beautiful circulating quarters program.
To view available America the Beautiful 5 oz Silver coins or to get Silver prices, click on the image representing the Silver coins of your interest:
Learn more about the U.S. Mint, their history and their products.
Collect Silver ATB Coins OnlineThe National Park System was established through legislation spearheaded by President Theodore Roosevelt, who proclaimed 18 national parks by the end of his term. This practice was continued by later presidents using the Antiquities Act until there were more than 100 national parks and monuments. Forty-nine of these remain today, while others have been retitled or reclassified. Theodore Roosevelt can now be seen as one of the four faces on Mount Rushmore because of his tireless efforts to create a National Park System that would preserve America's most valuable treasures for future generations to see and admire.
To view available America the Beautiful 5 oz Silver coins or to get Silver prices, click on the image representing the Silver coins of your interest:
Learn more about the U.S. Mint, their history and their products.
Precious Metal Spot Prices
Last Updated: 5/27/2019 6:11:59 AM ET
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Silver 5 oz America The Beautiful Coins
America the Beautiful Silver QuartersAmerica the Beautiful Quarters nostalgically have an obverse of the 1932 portrait of George Washington. These US quarters have the historical inscriptions of "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," "LIBERTY," "IN GOD WE TRUST," AND "QUARTER DOLLAR." With history on the obverse, these Silver bullion quarters have unique reverses ranging from national parks, forests, and memorials. The United States Mint releases a new design 5 times a year. Future designs and release dates to at least 2021 can be found at www.usmint.gov. The first year of the ATB coin series was 2010.
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Start your quarter collection with 5 oz National Park Quarters from APMEX. This beautiful series is a great investment option due to its historical context but also its young series with guaranteed future quarters until at least 2021. With the face value of a quarter dollar, this investment is backed by the U.S. Government. Official uncirculated America the Beautiful Quarters are available.
We provide all of our customers with a refund, return and / or exchange on everything we sell including all bullion and certified coins. If for any reason, you have a problem, please feel free to call us. We will always do our best to accommodate you.


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The newly redesigned Breitbart.com is slowly releasing a story on Barack Obama that conservative muckraker Andrew Breitbart was touting in the days before his untimely death last week.
The story is being rolled out under the big title: " The Vetting," since in Breitbart's eyes, the mainstream media did not do enough digging into Obama's past ideological associations.
Here's the gist of the story: in 1998, Barack Obama attended a play about left-wing organizer Saul Alinsky. After the play, then-state senator Obama participated in a panel discussion on the subject.
Alinsky is a legendary figure for many on the left. A Chicago political activist, he authored the book "Rules for Radicals" which is still studied by political activists on all sides of the political spectrum. Alinsky dedicated the book the book to Satan: "the very first radical ... who rebelled against the Establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom."
Breitbart composed a column for the report, explaining its purpose:
The reason Newt Gingrich surged in the Republican primary contest in January is that he was attempting to do the press's job by finding out who the current occupant of the White House actually is. Millions also want to know, but the mainstream media is clearly not planning to vet the President anytime soon. Quite the opposite.
The reason that Obama's Alinskyite past, and his many appearances in political photography and video from the 1990s, are conspicuously missing from the national dialogue is that State Senator Barack Obama's reinvention as a reasonable and moderate Democratic politician could not withstand scrutiny of his political life.
Breitbart's team has discovered certain quotes from the play, and even found the director of the play, Pam Dickler, who has a video-tape of the play, but won't release it to the public.
But so far, there isn't much to the story yet beyond the play's poster, and what we know about the radical organizer who was the subject of the play.
We await more from Breitbart's last scoop.


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Guest, I have a big favor to ask you. We've been working very hard to establish ourselves on social media. If you like/follow our pages it would be a HUGE help to us. SoSH on Facebook and Inside the Pylon Thanks! Nip
May NHL News
Discussion in 'Rick Middleton's Pron 'Stache: Bruins Forum' started by cshea, May 7, 2019.


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Leased jet so full of pot smoke pilots wore masks.
Justin Bieber and his dad abused flight attendant: NBC
Justin Bieber's leased jet was so filled with marijuana smoke that the pilots wore oxygen masks, NBC News reports.
Bieber, his father, Jeremy Bieber and their entourage were heading to the Super Bowl in New Jersey as clouds around the young singer continue to darken.
NBC — citing an official incident report — said that the 19-year-old pop prat and his father were so abusive to a flight attendant she hid with the pilots in the cockpit. The captain warned his out-of-control passengers several times to stop smoking marijuana but was ignored.
"The captain also stated he needed to request that the passengers stop their harassing behaviour toward the flight attendant and after several warnings asked the flight attendant to stay with him near the cockpit to avoid any further abuse," the official report said.
"The flight attendant stated the passengers, including Bieber and his father, Jeremy Bieber were extremely abusive verbally and she would not work another flight with them."
Sources told the TV network that the pilots were forced to wear oxygen masks because they risked inhaling the marijuana and later failing drug tests.
The flight from Toronto arrived at Teterboro Airport — a mecca for the famous and wealthy — in New Jersey last Friday and was promptly searched after authorities noticed the stench of marijuana.
Bieber spent several hours in custody but was released when cops came up empty. None of the flight crew were willing to press charges against the father and son, NBC reported.
Meanwhile, Bieber's former girlfriend, Selena Gomez, 21, checked into an Arizona rehab facility last month and is blaming the Baby singer for her downward spiral.
RadarOnline.com reported that Gomez stayed at The Meadows for two weeks of treatment for alcohol, marijuana and prescription pills. The gossip site said the singer says she picked up many of Bieber's excessive habits while they were dating.
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text: A series of events about Peerless Rockville's Recent Past are happening in this DC suburb in Montgomery County, Maryland.The Recent Past refers to the middle decades of the 20th century, an era that shaped Rockville as we know it today. Many buildings of the recent past have reached the awkward age of being too old to be regarded as daring or innovative and too young to have achieved the status of a cherished landmark. This year, Peerless Rockville offers a slate of programs that explores the architecture of Rockville's Recent Past and the complex, sometimes contentious issues involved in documenting, understanding, and preserving a critical period in local, regional, and national history. Wednesday, January 25: Rockville in the 1950s: an illustrated talk by Eileen McGuckian, author of Rockville: Portrait of a City, and introduction to Rockville's Recent Past survey. 7:30 p.m. at Maryvale Elementary School, 1000 First Street, Rockville, MD Wednesday, March 8: Modernism in Rockville: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly Join us for a lively community discussion of local modern architecture of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Featured topics include the styles, influences, and characteristics of modernism in Rockville and a survey of noteworthy - sometimes controversial -- buildings and projects. Wednesday, June 14: Architects of Rockville's Recent Past Co-sponsored by Potomac Valley Chapter, AIA July: Tour of Public Architecture, with emphasis on Rockville's Recent Past In Rockville Town Center, starting at the Red Brick CourthouseSeptember: Twinbrook, a Recent Past residential subdivision (talk and tour), co-sponsored by Twinbrook Citizens Association Saturday, October 7 or 28: Colloquium on Rockville's Recent Past, co-sponsored by Preservation Maryland and the National Trust for Historic PreservationThis educational series is produced by Peerless Rockville, co-sponsored by the Rockville Historic District Commission, and funded in part by the Montgomery County Historic Preservation Commission and the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County. The series sponsors -- Peerless Rockville and the City of Rockville HDC --seek presenters, planners, and suggestions for speakers/presenters for these programs. Please contact Eileen McGuckian at 301-762-0096 or email@example.com ASAP with your information and ideas.


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What makes a Down's Syndrome person how they are.
Timmy has an extra chromosome, that's why he goes to special school.
by Ray Flynn May 11, 2005
what makes downies so special, one more chromosome changes the human body physically and mentally, also L.S has an extra chromosome. when somebody does something retarded yell out "GOOD WORK 47"
the extra chromosome explains why L.S is such a down syndrome and why he does things like a downie.
by 46 August 17, 2005
buy the domain for your cat blog


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The Works of John Owen (17 vols.) by John Owen
John Owen counts as one of the most influential and inspiring theologians of the seventeenth century, and Roger Nicole has called him the English language's greatest theologian. Logos is pleased to offer the Gold edition of John Owen's works in English with the original Latin treatises completely retained in portions of volume sixteen and the entirety of volume seventeen. Unlike modern reprints of... more


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The Triffids | DNO105 | Released: 02/20/07
In The Pines and Calenture, reissued by Domino nearly two decades after their original releases, are two very, very different albums. In The Pines was recorded in a Western Australian woolshed on a budget barely clearing four figures of Australia's woebegone dollar and the most expensive single item on the bill, as dutifully noted on the sleeve, was beer. Calenture was recorded in studios in London, Liverpool and Bath, with a major label?s money and a soon to be big-name producer. Two very, very different albums, by one very, very different band. Before embarking on the globe-spanning journeys on which In The Pines and Calenture gestated, The Triffids had, in 1986, banked the first of the succession of masterpieces, Born Sandy Devotional, a furious hymn to the desolation of the soul, set in the Australian outback. Born Sandy Devotional won gleaming reviews at the time, and again upon its re-release in 2006 ("A dazzling treasure," said Uncut. "One of the dozen greatest albums ever made," said The Guardian). The Triffids recorded Born Sandy Devotional in a studio in London, its blindingly intense reflections of their homeland perhaps partly fuelled by homesickness.
In The Pines was to serve as a reconnection. Back in their native Perth, The Triffids rented recording equipment, loaded their vehicles with musical instruments, eight-track recording equipment and the aforesaid beer, and went bush to Ravensthorpe, Western Australia, population 450, a 550 kilometre drive across the emptiness which had inspired Born Sandy Devotional. In The Pines seemed, at the time, an eccentric career move. The Triffids were widely believed, by their modest but fervent fanbase and a legion of crusading critics, to be but one determined, faithful leap from ascent to the stratospheres. Wandering off into the outback, much like one of the deranged characters that had inhabited Born Sandy Devotional, did not seem calculated to redeem the tantalising promise of that astounding album. The Triffids knew what they were doing, though: In The Pines is a thing of modest majesty, at once haunted by the desolation of its circumstances (the gothic folk waltz of the title track, the knelling, intense "Kathy Knows") and suffused with the infectious camaraderie of people making music for the joy of it (a rowdy singalong of Bill Anderson's country standard "Once A Day", led by Graham Lee, at what one can only suspect was the end of a very, very long day).
In The Pines has often been likened, in terms of both songwriting quality and spirit, to Bob Dylan and The Band's The Basement Tapes, and it is not unduly flattered by the comparison. This re-mastered reissue also makes clear that In The Pines, far from being a perverse diversion, occupies a logical position in The Triffids' canon. Its relationship to Born Sandy Devotional was always explicit, in its manufacture amid the very landscape Born Sandy Devotional painted, and in the appearance of "Born Sandy Devotional" the song, which was omitted from the album with which it shared a name. What is fascinating about this reissue beyond, of course, it being a bunch of great songs recorded by a shockingly great rock'n'roll band, is that In The Pines is properly revealed as the sketchbook from which The Triffids would create their most opulent, most ambitious album, Calenture. There was at least one hint of this on the original edition of In The Pines.
"One Soul Less On Your Fiery List," a melody as graceful as its title was cumbersome, reappeared on Calenture as "Hometown Farewell Kiss." This reissue reveals that the In The Pines sessions yielded three more songs that were held over for Calenture: "A Trick Of The Light," "Blinder By The Hour" and "Jerdacuttup Man." On the long drive home from Ravensthorpe and the (only marginally) longer flight back to Europe, The Triffids must have believed that they secreted considerable magic up their sleeves. They did. Abetted by producer Gil Norton (later to work with Pixies, Counting Crows and Foo Fighters among others) and occasional member Adam Peters, The Triffids sculpted an astonishing collection of gorgeous, glorious glacial pop songs, evocative of approximate contemporaries like U2 and Echo & The Bunnymen, as well as of the 70s-vintage orchestral pop standards written by Jimmy Webb for Glen Campbell.
Calenture, repackaged with an extra disc of demo recordings, was named after an arcane term for sunstroke; the album's bewildering failure to shift copies by the million suggested that that the record-buying public had fallen prey to precisely this affliction. Calenture roared into life with its opening track and first single, "Bury Me Deep In Love," a soaring ballad that still deserves to be remembered for more than soundtracking the wedding of Harold and Madge on "Neighbours." Despite starting with the bar set so stratospherically high, Calenture did not waver. "A Trick Of The Light" blossomed into a feather-delicate pop classic reminiscent of fellow under-rated Antipodeans The Go Betweens. "Jerdacuttup Man" McComb's channeling of the internal monologue of a centuries-dead British Museum exhibit drew from Celtic folk roots planted deep beneath the surface sheen of the album's production. "Holy Water," set to a shuffling drum machine, hinted at the always restless Triffids' interest in electronica, something explored further on the newly included b-side "Love The Fever" (and on as-yet-regrettably-unreleased covers of Madonna's "Into The Groove" and Pet Shop Boys' "Rent"). "Save What You Can," the album's closing track for which a new video has been shot is the perfect signoff, definitive David McComb, both ragingly passionate and coolly laconic. "Time is against us," he croons, "even love conspires to disgrace us, and things being what they are..." Two very, very different albums from one very, very different band and two chances to buy records this astonishing is one more than anyone should need.
CD-DNO-105 | Out nowOut of Stock
- 01. Suntrapper
- 02. In The Pines
- 03. Kathy Knows
- 04. 25 to 5
- 05. Only One Life
- 06. Do You Want Me Near Your?
- 07. Trick Of The Light
- 08. Once A Day
- 10. Jerdacuttupman
- 11. Just Might Fade Away
- 12. Better Off This Way
- 13. Keep Your Eyes On The Hole
- 14. Blinder By The Hour
- 15. Wish To See No More
- 16. One Soul Less On Your Fiery List
- 17. Born Sandy Devotional
- 18. Love and Affection


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Collins promoted to defensive coordinator
Geoff Collins
Geoff Collins has been promoted to defensive coordinator, Mississippi State head football coach Dan Mullen announced Jan. 4. Collins has served the past two seasons as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach on the Bulldog staff.
"Geoff is an exceptional defensive mind and his energy and passion are remarkable," Mullen said. "His experience as a play-caller and previous experience as a defensive coordinator will make this an easy transition."
Collins joined the staff in 2011 and immediately raised the bar at linebackers for the MSU squad in 2011, tutoring Cameron Lawrence to 123 total tackles, while former walkon Brandon Wilson reached 94 tackles in his first season under Collins' tutelage.
This past season, Collins had two linebackers finish in the top five in the SEC in total tackles; Lawrence (120) and Benardrick McKinney (102). Lawrence has become the first Bulldog with 100-plus tackles in back-to-back seasons since 1994-95, while McKinney is in the top five in the country in total tackles by a freshman. With State not having had two players in the top 10 in the SEC in tackles since 1997, Collins' troops have accomplished the feat in each of his first two seasons in Starkville.
In his year before joining the Bulldogs, Collins' defensive unit led the Sun Belt in total defense, scoring defense, pass efficiency defense and turnover margin; all a remarkable accomplishment for a group that finished 119th nationally in total defense and 111th in scoring defense in 2009. The Panthers' sack totals nearly doubled, and the pass defense improved from 108th nationally to 32nd in 2010. For his efforts, Collins was a finalist for the Broyles Award - given annually to the nation's top assistant coach.
Collins made the move to FIU after a pair of seasons as the linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator at UCF. In his first season in Orlando, Collins helped UCF's defense rank second in Conference USA in total and scoring defense. Before joining the Knights' staff , Collins spent a year as the director of player personnel at Alabama. The previous year at Georgia Tech, Collins' efforts led to the Yellow Jackets best recruiting class in their storied history.
In 2002 Collins became the defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach at his alma mater, Western Carolina, and inherited one of the worst defensive units statistically in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision. In 2003, under Collins' direction, the Catamount defense emerged as one of the best in the nation.
In 2005, the Western Carolina defense was ranked No. 1 nationally in pass defense along with being ranked 18th nationally in total defense. Collins' unit also ranked first in the Southern Conference in total defense and pass defense along with several other defensive categories.
For additional information about Mississippi State athletics, please visit HailState.com.


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Though Bonzie just turned 18, the singer-songwriter has already established herself as a force to reckon with on the local scene.
Earlier this year she landed a coveted slot opening for Iron & Wine, and she has spent recent weeks embroiled in recording sessions alongside members of Tortoise at Steve Albini's Electrical Audio.
"It's definitely humbling," said the Wisconsin-born musician, who relocated to Chicago three years ago. "It feels great to be working with people I admire so much."
While it might appear success has come quickly to Bonzie, who will celebrate the release of her full-length debut "Rift Into the Secret of Things" with a concert Aug. 15 at Schubas, she's actually been performing in and around the city since she was 12 years old, landing gigs everywhere from Beat Kitchen to the Taste of Chicago.
By phone from her home in the north suburbs, the fast-rising singer discussed her decision to adopt a stage name, the power of dreams and whether or not she can be trusted with a secret.
I read that early on you used to tell people you were doing covers when you were actually performing original material.
Yeah. I did that for a while. I started writing when I was 10, and I wasn't sure what people would think of it--especially my family. My mom always used to tell me that music is a hobby, not a job. Nobody in my family was really an advocate for [music] ... so I didn't know that what I was doing was OK or made sense. I would tell people they weren't my songs so I didn't have to have my identity connected with whatever I was playing.
Does that explain why you chose to adopt the stage name Bonzie?
Yeah. Bonzie is a word I've had with me for a long time. I performed for several years under my own name, but I didn't like the feeling of it. There was something about it that felt egotistical to me, and music was never that sort of pursuit. Bonzie feels a lot better to go under, not only because it's a pseudonym but also because it doesn't subscribe to a language. There isn't a conventional definition of Bonzie, and it's more something where I can become its meaning.
How would you define the word at this point in your career?
It's basically a combination of syllables and sounds that looks and sounds interesting. It's more like an abstract idea.
You titled your debut "Rift Into the Secret of Things." Are you good at keeping a secret?
I think so [laughs]. If somebody tells me something in private, I usually keep it to myself.
You adopted the title from a passage in Henry David Thoreau's "Walden." How do you think you'd handle living in seclusion?
I think I would really like it. I've always sort of been drawn to being on my own. I write in seclusion, and I make songs when I'm alone. It's an interesting concept to put yourself in his shoes.
On the song "Data Blockers" you sing about "dreams on rotation." Have you had any recurring dreams lately?
Not lately, which is kind of different for me. I usually have recurring dreams that last for a month or so. Maybe since I'm so busy with the album release right now I haven't had any time for reoccurring dreams [laughs].
What's the most vivid recurring dream you can recall having?
They're usually very abstract, and it's usually not something I can verbalize. But I had one recurring dream where there were these different colored instruments and you couldn't see any detail. Everything was just a shape and a full block of color. Maybe I was trying to tell myself something? Maybe sometimes I pay too much attention to detail.
In "Catholic High School" you list a number of things you don't trust (politicians, religion, etc.). Is there anything you trust in without question?
I think you can trust in your instincts. I just think sometimes our perceptions are misguided because of things we're used to, but usually our instincts are right on about things.
Can you recall a time you followed your instincts and it didn't turn out for the best?
I'm sure it's happened before [laughs]. I'm not always right about things--I don't think anybody is--but for the most part it's been OK, and I haven't gotten into too much trouble yet. Knock on wood.
Bonzie, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 15 at Schubas. $7.
Bonzie personality test
Last album you bought? "It was the new Foxygen album, 'We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic.'"
Song you've listened to on repeat recently? "Not Sport, Martial Art" by Jim O'Rourke
Song you never want to hear again? "...Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears "I heard it so much growing up."
Best concert you've seen in the last year? "Probably the Polyphonic Spree at Subterranean. That was surreal. It was this ray of power beaming from the small stage. It was amazing."
New band you don't know personally that deserves to be big? "I would say the Orwells, although I do know them personally. They're awesome."
Favorite movie ever? "I'm really obsessed with 'Howl's Moving Castle.'"
Chicago's best music venue? "I have to say Schubas, although Chicago has a lot of great venues. I really haven't had horrible experiences anywhere in Chicago, which says something about how great the venues are here."


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In my last post 'How to improve communications using collaborative tools' I gave my view on the corporate environment needed to encourage internal communications professionals to welcome collaboration tools being used by employees. I also gave examples of collaboration tools that can help improve internal communications. This post covers how blogs can help improve internal communications.
A corporate blogging tool can help employees share ideas and opinions. It's not just used to comment upon internal communications. Blog posts can also help employees doing similar work or having a similar interest in different business units to save time and effort. Employees can find someone else's views who they do not know to help them solve a problem or speed up a task.
And blogs are something employees are becoming more familiar with on the internet and expect to see on their intranet. For example in the UK many of the BBC reporters blog what they report on TV and radio. There are also many bloggers who post on subjects of interest to employees, whether work-related or of personal interest.
The main point for internal communicators to understand is blogs are established, accepted, and understood on the internet by the same people, employees, who are the audience within an organisation who receive news. So, I recommend a few points internal communicators consider:
- Be accepting of this changing environment and welcome it as some progressive internal communicators have done successfully.
- Don't feel threatened and react negatively by asking for posts with different views to be removed.
- Widen your scope to include blogs in your communications planning.
- You communicate the corporate message but it is not the only message that can be communicated.
- Treat employees as people with opinions and views they have a right to express, be listened and responded to constructively.
- Take a wider, more strategic view, of all communications and communicators.
- Engage with bloggers and comment on their posts and explain your point of view.
- Posts on blogs can act as an early warning device of a small problem to be resolved before it becomes a much larger and difficult problem to resolve later.
- Posting and commenting on blogs increases employees' engagement. If they didn't care, why would they blog?
- Blog posts should help shape corporate values and future direction.
Contact me to find out how I can help you:
- implement a blogging tool
- have the right terms and conditions of use
- communicate better using collaborative tools
- improve engagement of employees
- measure the benefits to be gained
If you want further help from me please contact me or find out more about me and what I can offer.
My next post in this series will be on discussion forums.
Tags: blog, collaboration, communication, engagement, governance, intranet, social media, value


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Pantone Hotel is a boutique hotel in Brussels devoted to colour and designed around the famous Pantone Matching System. Although it opened last year, my obsession with visiting has not dimmed one bit so I decided I had to post about it. Designed by architect Olivier Hannaert and interior designer Michel Penneman, the building feels very similar to Pantone swatches with bright white features creating a canvas for saturated bursts of colour. Each of the seven floors is focused on a different hue so you can decide if you want to stay in a passionate red room or a tranquil blue one. I like how the room numbers are three Pantone swatch numbers. The hotel lobby is the cheerful heart of the colour drenched building and houses the biggest selection of Pantone licensed products worldwide. From the coloured glass on the exterior to the rugs of small vivid squares, I love how every detail has been thought of and that they all embrace Pantone swatches with wit and style. Maybe one day, we will have a conference in this embassy of colour and discuss the world of hue with a Pantone mug in hand?
(photographs © sven laurent – let me shoot for you except 5th from top by serge anton; all via pantone hotel)


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Five Cars Most Likely to Be Dumped
Most people buy a car with the goal of getting as much out of it as possible before trading it in. MarketWatch's Jim Jelter discusses five cars Americans are most likely to trade in sooner than planned. (Photo: Getty Images)
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
I ... the ... what stars are most likely to be used core market first ... by Amgen Jelter MarketWatch ... and twenty four seven Wall Street is taking a wicket Tribune data provided by auto industry analysts ... at Edmunds Dotcom's and J D Power ... to find out which colors are first to be traded off by their owners ... and water ... it turns out there are several common themes behind quick trades ... one of them is that these cars are not really big sellers to the deal ... another issue is dependability ... people don't hang on the cars to give them lots of problems ... at the same time some cars are prone to short-term ownership not because the problematic ... but because they're so cool ... this is the case for portion Landro ... both France and joined fierce loyalty with their owners to the flow comes sooner because they can't wait to get their hands ... on the next ... latest model with Ollie up for its ... newcomers to the market are also candidates for a wheat traded ... for example people who buy Buicks ... brand name its been around for a hundred years ... typically keeping longer than people who buy signs are smart cars so wish models get done first ... there are the top five in reverse order ... number five ... and I ... the average number of years on from the room ... only four point three ... dependability ... could be the main culprit ... according to J D Power ... and I ranks slightly worse than the industry average ... and only thirty two percent on the two said that they are in the market for another when ... compared with nearly fifty percent loyalty ... for toilet a ... number for the minute ... dependability has definitely been a challenge for the spirit ... of the thirty four models surveyed in J D Powers initial quality study ... mini ranks third worst ... number three on the list the site ... this is a car the really hasn't caught on in America and most sales numbers tend to lead to quicker turnarounds ... the average owner kids this card just under four years ... number two is kinda ... well initial dependability is close to the industry average problems to pile up when they reach about three years of age ... which is why owners typically trade in and after just three point eight years the number one on the list ... the record for the shortest time between purchase and traded ... goes to the tiny smart car ... on average than the back of a lot after just a shade over three years ... now this fits all the criteria ... it's not a big seller ... it's a relatively new brand ... and a dozen plays well in J D Power's performance to ... well it might be here ... when it comes to performance


text: Two hundred thousand Civil War soldiers were boys no older than 16, and an estimated 300 women were brave enough to disguise themselves as men and fight in the war. The average soldier weighed only 145 pounds due to poor diet, long marches, disease, and tough living, and earned about $15 per month more. ... Continue


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Deford 'astonished' to be selected for National Humanities Medal
When acclaimed sportswriter Frank Deford stands before President Obama to accept a National Humanities Medal at the White House on Wednesday, he won't have to summon any of the skills that have garnered him praise during a 50-year career.
Deford will only have to stick out his neck.
"Luckily I don't have to say anything. All I have to do is stand and present my neck, to have the president wrap a medal around my neck, so that's pretty easy to do. I think even I can manage that," Deford, 74, told Westport News on Monday.
Deford, a longtime Sports Illustrated contributor who lived in Westport for more than 38 years, was in the midst of moving to New York City in the spring when he received word that he was going to be honored with the National Humanities Medal.
"Obviously I was astonished. This isn't something you expect or that anybody expects. It came completely out of the blue. I was taken aback," Deford said. "We were in the process of moving from Westport at that time and the house was a mess. The trauma of moving and everything, it was an extraordinary moment."
The citation, which will be read by Obama during the medal presentation, credits Deford "for transforming how we think about sports. A dedicated writer and storyteller, Mr. Deford has offered a consistent, compelling voice in print and on radio, reaching beyond scores and statistics to reveal the humanity woven into the games we love."
Deford is among 12 recipients this year of the National Humanities Medal, which will also be awarded to such writers as Joan Didion and Marilynne Robinson.
At the same White House ceremony, the president will also present the National Medal of Arts to 12 recipients, including film director/producer George Lucas, plawright Tony Kushner and opera singer Renee Fleming.
Over the course of a half-century in sports journalism and commentary, Deford wrote extensively for Sports Illustrated; has been heard regularly on National Public Radio, and appeared on HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel."
A 1962 graduate of Princeton University, Deford began his career as a researcher at Sports Illustrated. He has been named National Sportswriter of the Year six times and is a member of the National Association of Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame. He won a 1988 Emmy Award for his writing on the Seoul Olympics and a 1994 CableAce Award for a documentary on tennis great and close friend Arthur Ashe.
He also served as editor in chief of The National Sports Daily, the first daily newspaper dedicated solely to sports, which published for 18 months in 1990 and 1991.
Deford discusses sports each Wednesday on NPR, contributes to "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" on HBO, and remains a contributing writer to Sports Illustrated, though he rarely writes for the publication.
"Mostly my life right now is writing for NPR and writing my (next) novel," he said.
He has written 18 books, including several novels that are not related to sports. He is currently working on a post-World War II novel that he described as a family saga. He said he wanted to write fiction again after last year's publication of his memoir, "Over Time: My Life as a Sportswriter."
"I wanted to get away from everything that had to do with me and everything that had to do with sports and sportswriting," he said.
Deford, who enjoys reading novels and history, said a varied career worked best for him, though he wouldn't necessarily recommend it to others.
"I know that I could not have remained a sportswriter if I hadn't jumped all around. I would have lost interest. And I didn't have the consuming interest to be an expert in a sport. So it was best for me to jump around, but I think everyone is different in that regard."


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Spaghetti with White Asparagus, Lima Beans, and Parmesan
White asparagus has never attracted my interest. I like bright green asparagus and white asparagus is always much pricier. Until today...when I found it at a local grocery store for $1/lb (vs. $3/lb for green). Sensing an opportunity and thinking about the white truffle oil I was recently gifted with, I decided it was white asparagus day.
White asparagus, I learned, is white because it is denied access to the light which allows the plant to produce chlorophyll and be green. I found I didn't feel good about this - Strike 1. The other main difference from green asparagus, apart from its milder taste, is that white asparagus must be peeled or it is tough and stringy. Strike 2.
But, happily, there was no strike 3. I parboiled the peeled asparagus in salty water, along with some frozen lima beans. I boiled my spaghetti rigati (yes, that's flat spaghetti with little ridges!) then sauteed the asparagus and beans in olive oil and minced garlic. Added four peeled and sliced white mushrooms, 1/4 lemon's juice, and a generous dash of white truffle oil. Added the cooked spaghetti to the vegetables, plus salt and ground Tellicherry Pepper (thanks Christine), a little more olive oil, a dash of balsamic vinegar then topped my plate off with grated Parmesan Reggiano.
The asparagus was mild and watery, the lima beans were dense and protein-packed, the mushrooms were succulent and garlicy, the lemon and white truffle oil were there, but in the background, and the Parmesan was salty and bold. And I just love that Spaghetti Rigati! Bon appetito!


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I have had many moments of resentment, bitterness, hopelessness, anger, negativity. When I mentioned this to Dr. S., his response was to offer to prescribe me antidepressants. It's such a medical response — more pills. "There's no reason you shouldn't be as happy as you can be," Dr. S. said in his always-calm voice, and I had to say, "Are you kidding? Can't you understand why a person in my situation right now might not be happy?" He just repeated the offer of antidepressants. I'd rather not go there for now. But I do think some counseling might be helpful. (Edited to explain: I am not opposed to antidepressants when they are the most appropriate treatment for depression, such as when it's clear there is a brain chemistry imbalance; but first I'd like to explore the possibility that my current frame of mind is situational, based on specific circumstances that I might be able to work through in therapy.)
My right lung is not working very well, after what it went through at the hospital, and my breath is really shallow and fast. I get winded at the slightest activity — coughing hard, walking across a room, turning over in bed. The right side of my back aches so much that I have trouble falling asleep. I have a nagging, persistent cough that is triggered just by my breathing and sometimes takes the breath out of me. These breathing problems seem to be getting worse, but I'm scared to call the doctor about them because I'm afraid I'll have to go back to the hospital. Even if that's for the best.
My hemoglobin level is borderline anemic, which may be one reason I'm so tired and lightheaded all the time.
I have a PET and CT scan on Monday, and while it would be officially great to learn that the last round of chemo worked, part of me secretly hopes it shows it didn't work because then I won't have to do another round of it. It was so hard, so toxic. I am still not over it, and it was three weeks ago. I don't have much of an appetite, and certain foods just don't appeal to me anymore. The next round is scheduled for next week, but I don't want to do it before Christmas. I think Dr. S. will let me postpone it. But ...
I'm hitting a wall in general when it comes to chemo. I just don't know how much more I can take. I am not a person who associates chemo with positive, tumor-killing thoughts. I saw it described in a recent newspaper article as "the scorched earth policy," and that rings true for me. I've had seven rounds of poison, and so far, it's only had minimal success. Stopping growth (or shrinking it, in one case) for a round or two but ultimately letting more new tumors slip through — tumors that are resistant to that particular form of chemo, so on with the next cocktail.
If this round is found not to have worked, the next option is Sutent, a pill form of chemo. It's been on the market for about two years, originally approved after showing success with gastro-intestinal cancers. I don't know how much success it's had with sarcomas. Meanwhile, it sounds pretty toxic. Can I handle it?
I have had moments when I just want to stop all treatment and lie down and let nature take its course.
And of course, that makes me feel like a bad mother, a bad wife. Who would willingly give up on her family like that?
But then I watch a silly-sweet movie like The Holiday, where Jude Law is a widower with two young girls, and he finds love with Cameron Diaz after thinking he'll never find love again, and it gives me this naive hope that maybe things will work out without me, that maybe I don't need to be so resistant to dying, if that's what the cards hold for me.
And I think about Matt Logelin, a flesh-and-blood widower, not some movie character, who is suffering so greatly but also surviving and, in some ways, perhaps even flourishing nearly nine months after his wife died, the day after giving birth to their daughter Madeline.
So, is it OK to give myself permission to die? Or should I keep on letting chemo drugs weaken me and make me miserable — but maybe buy some more time, maybe (though I'm doubting the odds) work a miracle? Or should I find some middle ground and take a break for a while with the intention of starting chemo again later? It's a question I really struggle with.
But I can't let the title question go without mentioning some of the things that bring me light.
Unexpected gifts, letters and cards from friends. And visits.
Hot baths, now entirely unencumbered.
I'm done with my antibiotics, and the infection seems to be gone.
My hair is still coming in. It's more than an inch long now! I actually washed it yesterday!
Books like Kitchen Table Wisdom by Rachel Naomi Remen and When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron, which help me delve into my suffering and negativity without judgment.
People in the medical community who actually show a human side, who look at me in the eyes and ask me how I'm doing — like they really mean it. And don't offer pills to address every concern.
A woman who comes over a couple of evenings a week to help out (play) with the boys and offer moral support, which enables Steve and me to do other errands around the house. She started out as a stranger and now is a friend, almost a surrogate grandmother to the boys. She brings cookie dough for me to make cookies with Daniel. On days when I'm feeling like a bad mother, she gives me hugs and tells me how sweet and wonderful they are, and how much she loves being with them.
My sister-in-law Sue, who takes time out of her busy family life and comes over every Monday to help me with the boys. We pay a nanny for that four days a week; Sue does it from the goodness of her heart. Her day has become so important to us, and the boys love her.
The fact that so many women I know are having babies soon. For some reason, this gives me such a sense of joy. It's a reminder of the full circle of life.
Acupuncture — the compassionate woman who administers it and the spiritual strength it gives me.
Our latest home-improvement project: a new, ultra-quiet bathroom ceiling fan and some new, professionally installed attic insulation to keep our house a bit warmer (done in tandem). Sounds super-sexy, doesn't it?
Small steps toward decorating the house for Christmas, and seeing Daniel's excitement over it.
And of course, the sweetness of the boys, and the incredible love and support of Steve, who is going out of his way to try to understand where I am these days and to give me all the space (or hugs and kisses) I need. Sometimes he just looks at me out of the blue, seeing something in me that I'm not seeing, and says, "I love you." I really was blessed with a wonderful family.
Oh — and I've been wearing this hat around in the past few days, so some part of me must be feeling feisty and fightin'. Right?


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|dental dictionary, medical dictionary
1. <dentistry> The act of breaking out, appearing or becoming visible, as eruption of the teeth.
2. <dermatology> Visible efflorescent lesions of the skin due to disease, especially an exanthematous disease and marked by redness and prominence, a rash.
See: exanthema.
Origin: L. Eruptio = a breaking out
(08 Jan 1998)
eructation, erudite, erumpent, erupt < Prev | Next > eruption cyst, eruptive, eruptive fever
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Social media at UTC
Social media has changed the way we communicate—both as an institution and as individuals. With tools such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Flickr, anyone with an Internet connection now has the ability to create a dynamic Web presence, update it from wherever they are whenever they want, and share their content instantly with friends and followers around the world.
Social media has given UTC and our various departments the opportunity to interact with on-campus audiences (students, faculty, and staff) as well as off-campus audiences (parents, alumni, fans, and friends) about what is important to them. We can better understand and respond to them, and in doing so, share the sense of community present on campus with a much broader array of people.
UTC supports the use of social media by departments and units in the course of their work to connect with students, fellow faculty and staff, alumni, fans, colleagues, and more. However, social media should only serve to supplement and not replace the official channels of communicating with your audiences. This document is designed to provide guidance, advice, and tips on how to do so effectively, safely, and within university guidelines.
What is social media?
Social media refers to online tools and services that allow any Internet user to create and publish content—from stories and short updates to pictures, video and more. The heart of social media, and what makes it "social," is the two-way communication, interaction, and sharing of information that takes place between users of the sites. Social media is not about talking at people, it's about talking with people.
Popular social media services include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google +, YouTube, Snapchat, LinkedIn, and Flickr. Social media is an increasingly central part of people's lives, with the sites above registering in millions or sometimes tens of millions of users. The dynamic created by social media allows people to get information from trusted sources in ways that previously were impossible. For a university, that means new opportunities to share and new challenges in ensuring that the messages we communicate are not only heard, but acted on, as well.


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19" MARIN LAGUNITAS 29" Hybrid Street Commuter Bike Frame Alloy Grey NOS NEW
Fixed Gear Bike Frames Spare
19" MARIN LAGUNITAS 29" Hybrid Street Commuter Bike Frame Alloy Grey NOS NEW
MARIN LAGUNITAS HYBRID/STREET BICYCLE FRAME SPECIFICATIONS: Manufacturer: Marin Model: Lagunitas Includes: frame only - comes as shown Frame size: " (15" version used for photos and weight) Compatible wheel size: 29" Compatible fork: 1 1/8" straight Dropout spacing: 130mm (10mm QR) Compatible brakes: V Headset compatibility: 1 1/8" straight/internal type Seatpost compatibility: Front derailleur compatibility: bottom pull Bottom bracket shell: 68mm wide English threaded (BSA) Material: alloy Color: Grey Granite Weight: 1900g* Condition: new - not in manufacturer's packaging *Approximate - our measurement SIZING: SEAT TUBE 19" - Center of BB to top TOP TUBE " - Actual, measured center of headtube to center of seat tube HEAD TUBE 6 5/8" WARRANTY INFO: We recently bought these frames from Marin. Marin had them as replacements for their warranties. We bought them on the cheap to save you money. As such, Marin will not cover any defects in these frames themselves. We will provide a 60 day refund or replacement (if available) should any defects be discovered. Damage that occurs through use will not be warrantied in any case. This frame is New Old Stock (NOS). This frame was part of a larger purchase of frames being held by the manufacturer to satisfy potential warranty claims. The original warranty period has expired so the manufacturer no longer needed to retain these frames. We are selling these well below original MSRP, there is NO MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY. We will warranty your frame for 60 days, either by replacement or refund at our discretion. We apologize that we do not have the geometry and original components specified for these frames. Unfortunately there is some information that we cannot provide, including but not limited to: model year, standover height, maximum tire width/clearance, rear suspension tra


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|Free Fallin'
|I Won't Back Down
|Runnin' Down A Dream
|You Don't Know How It Feels
|You Wreck Me
Sep 2018 • 63 songs
Jun 2015 • 1 song
Jul 2006 • 12 songs
Upon the release of their first album in the late '70s, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers were shoehorned into the punk/new wave movement by some observers who picked up on the tough, vibrant energy of the group's blend of Byrds riffs and Stonesy swagger. In a way, the categorization made sense. Compared to the heavy metal and art rock that dominated mid-'70s guitar rock, the Heartbreakers' bracing return to roots was nearly as unexpected as the crashing chords of the Clash. As time... Read more


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News & Events
For the Media
Clarkson University Students Named Finalists in National Electronic Media Competition
A video produced by a team of Clarkson University students was named one of five finalists in the Best Video Feature Segment category of the 2013 National Undergraduate Student Electronic Media Competition sponsored by the National Broadcasting Society.
The students researched, wrote, directed, shot, and edited "North Country Robotics: Building Leaders in Technology," a three-minute video feature about the FIRST Robotics Competition sponsored by Clarkson in fall 2012.
Zachary Durocher, a senior communication major from Ballston Spa, N.Y.; Ellen Heenan, a senior engineering & management major from Bridgeport, N.Y.; Chris Merrill, a junior communication and digital arts & sciences double major from Hannawa Falls, N.Y.; Caitlin Walsh, a senior digital arts & sciences major from Rochester, N.Y.; and John Warzala, a senior communication and digital arts & sciences double major from Schenectady, N.Y., created the video for an assignment in the COMM 330 Science Journalism course, taught by Communication & Media Professor Stephen Farina.
"The students really captured the significance and excitement of FIRST Robotics at Clarkson," said Farina, "The video team followed the work of robotics groups through to the climactic final event last December in Clarkson's Student Center."
The Clarkson team entered one of the two video feature categories in the NSB competition. Other teams nominated in those categories came from institutions such as the University of Florida, the University of Miami, Southern Cal, and UNC Chapel Hill.
"The announcement of our spot in the finals was a great surprise," said Warzala. "Looking back on developing the project, we spent a lot of time envisioning our final product and breaking it down into achievable steps to get there in time."
"It feels pretty good to have your hard work recognized like this," said Heenan. "Being finalists in a competition against some of these top schools is a reward in itself."
"I'm particularly happy about the award because this was the first time we offered the course and entered this competition," said Farina. "The outstanding work of this team sets the bar high for future students who will take this course and follow this path. I can't wait to teach the course again!"
Clarkson's communication program is one of the most open and flexible on campus, integrating communication, design and technology. It offers a framework of core communication skills with in-depth specializations in allied fields, like digital arts, computer science, business, biology and psychology.
Clarkson University launches leaders into the global economy. One in five alumni already leads as a CEO, VP or equivalent senior executive of a company. Located just outside the Adirondack Park in Potsdam, N.Y., Clarkson is a nationally recognized research university for undergraduates with select graduate programs in signature areas of academic excellence directed toward the world's pressing issues. Through 50 rigorous programs of study in engineering, business, arts, sciences and health sciences, the entire learning-living community spans boundaries across disciplines, nations and cultures to build powers of observation, challenge the status quo, and connect discovery and engineering innovation with enterprise.
Photo caption: A video produced by a team of Clarkson University students was named one of five finalists in the Best Video Feature Segment category of the National Undergraduate Student Electronic Media Competition. Back row: Caitlin Walsh and John Warzala. Front row: Chris Merrill, Zach Durocher, Ellen Heenan, and their professor, Stephen Farina.
[A photograph for media use is available at http://www.clarkson.edu/news/photos/comm-330-nbs-2013.jpg.]


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Haiti partnership projects on display
The Dartmouth
October 2, 2013
Incorporating elements of engineering, global health and visual design, the Dartmouth/Haiti Partnership Exhibition, which debuted in the Hopkins Center's Strauss Gallery last Tuesday, truly embodies an interdisciplinary approach to art. Curated by studio art [and engineering] professor Jack Wilson, the exhibit offers enlightenment on the many projects concerning Haiti that the College has been involved in since the 2010 earthquake.
Wilson, who is teaching an "Integrated Design: Engineering, Architecture and Building Technology" class, was inspired by Dartmouth's impressive response to the 2010 earthquake. Working with Partners in Health, a group co-founded by former College President Jim Yong Kim, Dartmouth sent health care providers, medical supplies and monetary donations to the relief effort.
After learning of impactful initiatives led by the Geisel School of Medicine, the Tucker Foundation, Student Assembly and the Dartmouth Coalition for Global Health, Wilson said he sought to become involved in the cause and has now introduced a studio arts perspective to Dartmouth's initiatives.
Several of the posters examine Haitian rural and urban architecture. Others describe the $300 House project, which brings affordable housing to victims of the earthquake. Last February, Dartmouth hosted a workshop for designers, builders, physicians, politicians and other professionals to develop prototypes for the house's infrastructure.


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Middlebury could be poised for a resurgence in job growth with families moving back into town to fill vacant school desks, enliven athletic programs, create a need for home construction, fill stores with shoppers, prompt retail growth to meet local needs and infuse the community with the energy inherent in a town that has a vision for sustainable prosperity.
But, as in all things in business, such growth won't happen without commitment and a willingness to invest.
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MIDDLEBURY — United Way of Addison County has reached 60 percent of its $775,000 goal in its 2010-2011 fund drive, nicely ahead of last year's pace as the campaign enters the critical holiday giving season, officials said on Thursday.
It was in September that local United Way launched its annual fund drive to aid the county's many nonprofit human service agencies. Organizers set the same goal as last year — a threshold of $775,000 that the United Way fell $40,000 short of realizing for 2009, in large part due to the sluggish economy.
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If white cattle, Bagot goats, and Sevastapol geese were whales or dolphins, pandas or white tigers, or even blind albino fish the length of your little finger, they might be protected by law. But these beasts are all examples of domestic species that have been nudged out of farmyards by "improved"—which often translates as more fashionable—breeds ... to the extent that they've become endangered. In fact, many of our tame animals face extinction simply because such creatures have to please the fickle fancies of humans to survive.
Most farmers find they can't afford to go on raising unpopular—and thus unprofitable—animals, and zoos won't accept tame species unless the creatures look exotic. Animal preservation societies ignore our endangered livestock breeds because such beasts aren't wild (although few would be very tractable pets). So there are no heart-tugging documentaries, no boycotts of governments that approve the slaughter of rare livestock, nor even "Save the Tamelife!" bumper stickers to bring the cause of vanishing domestic breeds to public attention.
An Irreplaceable Gene Bank
You may be surprised to know that some farm animals have actually passed from popularity to extinction in as little as six years! In this century, for example, more than 20 separate British livestock breeds have ceased to exist ... while six species of pigs were allowed to die out in just 20 years.
Nor is the problem confined to England alone. Since World War II, Denmark has—in the name of progress—systematically killed off all its "obsolete" livestock, and France was in the process of doing so, too ... till some concerned Britons explained the possible consequences of such acts. Now the French are actually seeking out endangered tamelife to preserve, as are the Dutch and Austrians. But many other major agricultural nations—including our own—are doing nothing.
One Man to the Rescue
Fortunately, a few people are aware of the problem. Joe Henson, for example, is an English farmer who—with a partner—grows rye and barley on 2,000 windswept acres of Oxford University land in the Cotswold Hills. About ten years ago, Joe found out that his country's Zoological Society planned to slaughter the ancient livestock kept at Whipsnade Zoo to feed the institution's lions and—at the same time—provide more space for wild animals.
Henson—who had for years been fascinated by old domestic breeds—offered to shelter any Whipsnade sheep and cattle that the Royal Agricultural Society or Reading University (Britain's premier agricultural college) hadn't room for.
Since he knew it would be expensive to keep the animals, Joe created a "farm park," where visitors could pay to picnic and to peer at historic British livestock. This enterprise enabled him to gradually gather in more remnants of old breeds. In fact, today he maintains 8 rare species of cattle, 12 of sheep, two of goats, four of pigs, four of horses, and 15 of poultry ... all in all, the largest such collection—public or private—in his country. And Henson, more than any other one person, urged into existence the Rare Breeds Survival Trust: a unique, non-profit organization dedicated to finding and preserving unwanted, endangered domestic breeds.
Seaweed-Eating Sheep
The Trust's first major project was the saving of the Orkney sheep, which is the world's only ovine breed that is able to thrive on seaweed. Introduced to Scotland by the Vikings—and common throughout the Highlands until Bonnie Prince Charlie's defeat—the animals no longer exist on the island whose name they bear. Almost all the survivors were found on St. Kilda Island, where they were isolated from commercial flocks by a stone wall that kept them on the beaches. But that wall was rumored to be crumbling, and the shepherds were said to be thinking about slaughtering the Orkneys to keep their other flocks pure.
Joe Henson visited St. Kilda and found the wall intact, but he thought the rare sheep were no less endangered for all their well-enclosed security. "If something like hoof-and-mouth disease had swept the island," he explains, "all of its animals would have had to be put down ... and the seaweed eaters would have become extinct."
So Joe moved some of the sheep to his farm, where they learned to eat grass. The first lambs, however, had longer bones than those of their sires and dams, and Henson realized that new grazing conditions would radically alter the beasts' shape over the years. So the Rare Breeds Survival Trust spent all its initial funding—some 10,000 pounds—to buy an entire island in the St. Kilda group and move some of the Orkney sheep onto it.
Now that the breed is established not only there, but on the Cotswold farm and on St. Kilda itself, it should survive ... and careful crossbreeding among the three colonies can probably keep the species' bloodlines strong. At Henson's farm, some Orkneys are also being crossed with a related variety, the Flemish Landrace, to supplement the Orkney gene pool.
Strange, Big, and Beautiful
St. Kilda Island once had its own "native" sheep breed, which was probably another Viking introduction. None survives on the island, but the animals are still found elsewhere. Black and multihorned, they are strange enough in appearance to attract the attention of zookeepers. Still, only 250 of the animals existed when Henson assembled a flock at his park.
Some beasts of the Soay species—Europe's oldest-known sheep, which has remained unchanged since Neolithic times—also survive only on other islands in the St. Kilda group. Lambs of the breed are, at birth, almost certainly the world's largest in proportion to their mother's body weights, and the species may someday be in demand again. Henson and other Trust members made a point of assembling several flocks.
The prettiest sheep in Britain—without a doubt—are the Jacobs, said to be the breed in the Book of Genesis that provided the fleece for Joseph's "coat of many colors." The British animals descend either from sheep that swam ashore from the Spanish Armada or from animals that arrived in the dowries of Continental brides of English farming gentry centuries ago. After World War II, the British Wool Marketing Board (a state monopoly) no longer bought mottled fleece, making the Jacobs suddenly an endangered breed. Fortunately, the Trust discovered that several city park departments—as well as a number of private estates—are keeping Jacobs flocks to use as "living lawn mowers."
Other Endangered Livestock
Warwickshire Longhorn cattle—which are almost twins in appearance to the beasts Neolithic artists painted on cave walls in France—were, like Jacobs sheep, believed to be endangered. But the Survival Trust was able to find several breeders who still raise the Longhorns (which, incidentally, are among the ancestors of our "traditional" Texas breed). Although they're considered too rangy by most modern butcher shops, the "obsolete" cattle do have an exceptionally high growth rate and will be wanted—at least as bloodstock—if and when British housewives again demand leaner beef.
Some rare breeds, the Trust discovered, had been neglected too long: Only one Norfolk Horn ram remained in all the British Isles, and no ewes. The Norfolk Horns are therefore considered extinct, at least in Britain. All that have been found are some Norfolk-Suffolk and some Norfolk-Manx Loughtan crosses.
In order to prevent another such tragedy, Henson is already assembling a flock of Southdown sheep ... a native English breed rapidly dwindling in its homeland, but still popular all over the rest of the world. In fact, the Survival Trust is continually looking abroad for examples of this and other rare British breeds. Tamworth and Berkshire pigs, for instance, were so few in number in Britain that they were becoming hopelessly inbred ... until the Trust was able to bring home fresh lines from Australia.
"Recently, we got a letter from a woman in Kenya," Henson recalls, "whose grandfather, years ago, had taken a flock of old Scottish Dumpy chickens down there. The family had kept the flock going, and now it had about 100 hens. She wanted to know if we were interested in having some. Were we! Only ten of the birds still existed in Britain, and she had 100!"
Saving endangered poultry, he says, has always been a problem ... "unless you have something with feathers growing out of its head and a tail about eight feet long, which will be of interest to zoos." The average British bird fancier doesn't favor old utility fowl—like the Light Sussex, the Utility Rhode Island Red, or the North Holland Blue—which tend to eat more than do newer varieties. Therefore, such species are often endangered in Britain, though some are still numerous abroad ... and the Trust, of course, wants to import enough birds to keep the rare breeds going.
Help From Homesteaders
Interestingly enough, Joe has found that British communal farmers are also helping to preserve many types of endangered livestock.
"A good number of the 'back to the land' people get in touch with us," Joe explains. "Often, ten families or so will get together, buy one of the more ramshackle stately homes, and produce their own food on about 20 acres. Such individuals are finding that a lot of the traditional livestock survive without as much cosseting as the 'improved' breeds require.
"These men and women are the kind of people—and there are many of them in your country too, I believe—who are attracted to such beasts as the Dexter cow ... the traditional Irish house cow. Half the size of, say, the Friesian, it produces half as much milk—or half as much meat—on less than half as much food."
Because of the work of the Survival Trust, a lot of rare old breeds are being scientifically evaluated for the first time. Recently; for example, a white Chartley Park bull—a member of a breed that dates back to Britain's Roman occupation—was picked at random from a herd and put on test at the British National Agricultural Center.
"It was done largely as a joke," Henson admits. "The animal was being compared with bulls that had been selected for growth rate for generations, the best animals that had been bred that year ... in short, the nation's top beef bulls.
"Amazingly enough, the Chartley calf matched all the competition for weight gain per day. And not only that, but—when his excess back fat was X-rayed—the testers found that the beast had less fat than any other bull in the test ... which means that he'd probably produce more lean meat than any of the others. So now the Agricultural Center is testing Longhorns, Gloucesters, and all the other rare breeds.
"As a matter of fact, a Longhorn just beat all the modern breeds for live-weight gain per day ... and, at the end of the test, the 'outdated' bull—unlike the more modern animals—had not yet attained his full growth!"
You Can Get Involved
The Rare Breeds Survival Trust keeps a priority list of breeds the organization hopes to save. What matters, Joe says, isn't just the number of survivors, but rather the number of bloodlines ... the number of viable males ... and the animals' geographical distribution.
"You might find only 300 of a breed left," he explains, "but if they're scattered all over the country—and if there are enough bloodlines—the breed can be considered secure.
"On the other hand, there are 3,000 North Ronaldsay sheep, yet the breed is considered rare because the beasts are almost all on one island." Henson has recently installed a small flock of the animals at his farm park.
There are a dozen similar parks in Britain now ... some on farms and some on the grounds of stately homes. Six of these, including Henson's, are approved Trust "Survival Centers." The Trust also keeps lists of members who are willing to raise herds or flocks on their land, but not to open their acreage for public show ... and the organization has friends and members all over the world—people like you—who keep an eye out for rare livestock.


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Matrix Badge
So, last year I spent close to 100 hours laying out my smallest circuit board, even to this date. The only problem is that I couldn't get it to work. I think I figured it out. I made the mistake of designing the board around a quad flat no-leads, or QFN, Propeller Chip microcontroller. In hindsight, I should have used a quad flat package, or QFP. QFN's are notoriously difficult to solder, and still often develope solder bridges. A solder bridge is a when two or more adjacent pins develop a 'slick' of solder that bridges the pins, making them electrically connected.
Cut to a few days ago. I got 4 boards in the mail from Advanced Circuits. A couple weeks before that I put in a new order for my matrix boards, with a few minor tweeks to the original design. This time I elongated the pads for the QFN prop chip. Hopefully this will wick the extra solder away from the Prop's pads and help prevent bridges. We'll see.
I realized I have explained what the boards do; here's a summary:
- Parallax Propeller chip
- 64 0603 surface mount LED's arranged in an 8x8 row/column matrix
- Two choices of lithium polomer battery
- On-board battery charging when plugged into USB, via MAX1555 chip
- USB programming via FTDI FT232RL chip
The point of the board is to allow the user to program it to display messages on the 64 LED's. Another possibility reccomended to me on the Propeller forum is to Program it to play Conway's Game of Life.
I've been extra busy in school these days, so I'm not sure when I'll get a change to solder up one of the new boards. But I'll be sure to post my results here. For now, I'll leave you with a photo of the tightest (in both senses) board I've designed.


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Aztecs' hard-throwing Stephen Strasburg, once considered too 'soft,' is now the consensus choice to be the top pick in June's major league draft
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Stephen Strasburg
Position: Pitcher
Year: Junior
Age: 20
Size: 6-4-½ / 225 pounds
Bats/throws: R/R
High school: West Hills
2008 recap
Olympics: 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA. Won bronze medal.
Barely 10 minutes into his first conditioning workout at San Diego State, then-freshman Stephen Strasburg was sprawled in the ice plant, throwing up. The workout was still in its warm-up phase.
Demonstrating that a catcher always supports his ace, Aztecs catcher Matt Parker said, "It was a pretty tough warm-up."
Strasburg was hardly the picture of fitness at the time. At 6 feet, 3½ inches, he weighed 249 pounds. His cheeks were pink, his stomach flabby.
Dave Ohton, the Aztecs strength coach, saddled him with a nickname.
Two and a half years later, Strasburg stands 6-4¼. He weighs 225 pounds. His waist is so slender in contrast to his broad shoulders that if this pitching gig doesn't pan out he might try modeling.
His fastball has jumped from 90 mph as a senior at West Hills High to 101 mph. He struck out 23 in one game last April. He keeps a bronze medal stashed inside a safe at his mother's home, courtesy of being the only collegian selected to the U.S. Olympic team last summer.
Barring injury, Strasburg, 20, is expected to be taken first overall in the June amateur draft by the
Watching Strasburg pitch in an SDSU scrimmage last month before official practice commenced, scouts huddled behind home plate at Tony Gwynn Stadium could barely contain themselves.
"You gotta put a cocoon around him."
"The best amateur I've ever seen."
"Pretty amazing, isn't he?"
Amazing, yes. Amazing that a guy who was not drafted out of high school, a guy whose toughness was questioned, who was told he should consider quitting SDSU's program as a freshman, is now the most talked about amateur pitcher in years. The rap against Strasburg at West Hills was that he was soft. Soft physically. Soft mentally.
"We always felt if we hung in there with him, we were going to get him," said El Capitan High coach Steve Vickery. "To be honest with you, most times we did. It might be a bad call by an umpire, a teammate booted a ball. Then he'd lay one over the plate, give up the big hit and we'd score several runs. He just got frustrated and distracted easily."
Strasburg, though, had an advocate in SDSU pitching coach Rusty Filter.
"Rusty's the one who felt like he had a high ceiling," Aztecs head coach Tony Gwynn said. "I was kind of skeptical when I saw him pitch in high school. . . . I didn't quite see the same thing (Filter) saw."
Said Filter: "He was a big guy with a good breaking ball, good command, threw a lot of strikes. I thought he would help right away."
First, Strasburg had to make it through the fall 2006 conditioning, which was not a pretty sight. He threw up early and often. Teammates had to hold him up after some running drills.
After about five weeks, Strasburg finally completed a workout, although he failed to meet time deadlines on some runs.
"I really appreciate you staying on me and pushing me," Strasburg told Ohton at the end of the session.
"No problem," Ohton said. "That's what I'm supposed to do."
"I think it's helped me," Strasburg added.
Rather than compliment Strasburg on his perseverance, Ohton said: "You know what I think? I think you should quit."
Ohton was serious.
"Very rarely have I had an athlete, in all the different sports, not be able to complete a workout after a month," said Ohton, who's in his 24th season at SDSU.
"When he said that, maybe he was right," said Strasburg, reflecting on his reaction to Ohton's statement. "But when I really thought about it, when I thought about what I wanted in life, what I wanted to achieve baseball-wise, I wasn't quitting.
"I knew I needed to face reality. If I was going to be successful at this level, I had to really get in shape."
Besides, that "soft" label kept rattling around his brain.
"It (ticked) me off, a lot of people judging me, whether it was scouts or opposing teams," Strasburg said. "It fuels a fire."
Turns out the numbers on the scale created an inverse relationship with the numbers on the radar gun. As one decreased, the other rocketed. Ninety mph morphed into 94 mph as a freshman. The Aztecs' closer that season, Strasburg saved seven games, striking out 47 in 37 innings. Opponents' batting average: .141.
Then came his sophomore season, the fastball touching 101 mph, the 23 strikeouts against
In an effort to find out what it's like facing Strasburg, a call was placed to the University of Utah. But on this occasion, Utes coach Bill Kinneberg wouldn't let his players meet the media.
"We gave him enough publicity that night," Kinneberg said.
"The ball just comes out of his hand, and the next thing you know it's on you," said USD third baseman Victor Sanchez, who went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts last year against Strasburg. "You have no time to think about it. He's the real deal."
Strasburg's hands are dirty, courtesy of yard work, having just yanked crab grass from the infield.
Strasburg is popular among his teammates because while he's months away from becoming a multimillionaire, he's still one of the guys. He lives with two teammates and two others who played baseball at SDSU.
"He won't talk about the draft unless someone asks him," said third baseman Erik Castro, one of Strasburg's roommates. "He's focused on the team."
Said Strasburg: "I owe everything I've done so far to the program. To the coaches, to my teammates. Without them, I wouldn't have been given the opportunities I've been given."
Ask Strasburg about his 2009 goals, and wins, strikeouts, ERA or signing bonus don't enter the conversation.
"Get to the regional," he said.
There will be much celebrating at Montezuma Mesa if that comes to pass. The Aztecs baseball team hasn't advanced to the
"That does bother me," Strasburg said.
He hasn't taken out an insurance policy to protect himself financially in case of injury.
"If God wants me to play baseball, it's going to happen," he said. "If not, there's another path he wants me to follow."
He's not consumed by the prospect of being the first player taken in the draft.
"My goal isn't to be the No. 1 pick," he said. "My goal's to have a long, successful career in the major leagues."
Asked his impressions, Towers said, "More than likely, a front-end-of-the-rotation starter in the big leagues, and probably in a hurry. He possesses an incredible fastball. He has great size. The kind of guy who could dominate a lineup."
Towers said Strasburg has "excellent" command of his fastball, meaning he throws it for strikes throughout the strike zone.
About Strasburg's slider, the scout said, "It's got a good hard break on it. He's definitely a two-pitch pitcher."
Towers said it's "doubtful" Strasburg will last to the No. 3 pick, where the Padres will be selecting.
"I find it hard to believe Washington and Seattle will pass on him," Towers said. From the rumblings coming out of the nation's capital, Towers could have stopped at the Nationals. At baseball's general manager meetings in November in Dana Point, Nationals GM Jim Bowden said of Strasburg, "(He) looks like a National."
In the
Strasburg isn't all brawn on the hill. His senior year at West Hills, he was a member of the Union-Tribune's All-Academic team with a 4.37 grade-point average. He said he transferred nearly 30 units to San Diego State based on advanced placement classes. He's on pace to graduate in 3½ years.
Baseball, though, is his passion. Five days into college he moved out of his dorm because the partying kept him from getting eight hours' sleep before morning practice.
As you would suspect from someone with a fastball that has reached triple digits on the radar gun, he loves the strikeout.
"It's mano-a-mano," he said. "You got your guns blazing, they've got their guns blazing. It's the satisfaction of overpowering them."
"If there's a knock on him," Gwynn said, "I think it's that sometimes he's actually surprised when he gets hit."
"He's the hardest worker I've got on my club," Gwynn said.
His freshman year, after finally finishing the running portion of conditioning, Strasburg tried lifting weights.
He couldn't bench press 135 pounds. Now he presses it 21 times.
His vertical leap was 24 inches then. Now it's 33.
He leg pressed 550 pounds as a freshman.
"I've got (women) volleyball players who press 700 pounds," Ohton said.
Now Strasburg leg presses 1,200 pounds.
"I don't know where he got the perseverance, but it's inside him," Ohton said. "You don't teach that. You either survive and conquer or you're going to die."
For Strasburg, the memory of that insulting four-letter word drives him.
Soft. He was labeled soft.
Back inside the Aztecs alumni lounge, Strasburg is tossing a baseball with his right hand. He catches it, stops and says, "I'll always have some inner demons there. I've learned to embrace that."
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with trying to shove it in guys' faces," Gwynn said. "That makes his story even better for me. You didn't think I could. Now, here I am. What do you think now?"
Don Norcross: (619) 293-1803; email@example.com