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Rare sighting of Mexican long-tongued bat
Staff Report
AUSTIN–Something batty is going on in Dripping Springs, and just in time for Halloween.
When Jim Yantis stepped out on his porch October 17, he noticed a bat
roosting on the house. Yantis, a nature lover, said he quickly noticed
something different about this bat.
"His head reminded me of a dog's head," Yantis said. "I knew it was a
special bat so I took pictures of it. When it got dark that Sunday, I
caught it flying off behind me."
Yantis' speculation about the creature's unique nature was correct.
It turned out to be a male Mexican long-tongued bat, a species that has
only been documented four times in Texas.
"I'm sure this is a new species record for Hays County," said Diana
Foss, an Urban Wildlife Biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife
Foss, also a member of the Houston Bat Team, said it is unusual to spot this type of bat in Texas.
"The long nose marks it as a nectivore and not an insect eater like most of the other 31 bat species found in Texas," Foss said.
She said this particular species is thought to follow agave blooms north.
"This one may have found some convenient agave blooms near Mr. Yantis' home," Foss said.
The only record of the Mexican long-tongued bat in the state prior to
2000 was in Hidalgo County. These bats have been found in Cameron
County and Midland since that time, and were spotted in El Paso three
years ago.
Bats are noted for their insect-eating habits. These tendencies are
significant because they keep the moths that impact grain supplies under
control. A good number of bat species are nectivores in the tropics,
and important plant pollinators.
Bob Locke of Bat Conservation International said the Mexican
long-tongued bat is not only a significant pollinator of agave, but of
some cacti from Arizona and New Mexico south into Venezuela.
They tend to be small colony roosting species, usually found in small groups along crevices, Locke said.
"Their name comes from their tongue, which can be 1/3 the length of their body," Locke said.
The bat was found dead late the morning of October 18. The specimen
will be kept at the Texas Department of State Health Services lab in


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Top 10 business ideas & opportunities for 2013
Top Ten
We've selected 10 new business ideas that will provide entrepreneurs with plenty of inspiration in 2013. Spotted from countries all around the world, these businesses offer a taste of what's to come in the year ahead.
We hope that you'll find these concepts as inspiring as we do, and that they spark even more innovation in the year to come!
1. Brazilian fashion retailer displays Facebook 'likes' for items in its real-world storesOne of the problems brick-and-mortar retailers have with Facebook likes is that – by their very nature – they're visible online, rather than in stores. In order to bring them into the real world, Brazilian fashion outlet C&A installed displays on their coathangers to inform shoppers of the popularity of each item. This blurring of the boundaries between online and offline customer interaction is something that may set successful brands apart as the web integrates further into our daily lives. Read more about Fashion Like »
2. Cardboard bicycle can be built for less than $15Bicycles are probably the most eco-friendly form of urban transport around, but how can they be made even more green? That was the question Israeli entrepreneur Izhar Gafni asked himself before coming up with his working cardboard bike, a lightweight device costing between USD 9 and USD 12 to create. Despite its primary material being recycled cardboard, the bike can hold around 300 pounds. Gafni has proved that even when an idea works well, there is always room for improvement. Read more about the Cardboard bike »
3. Battery-free lamp for developing nations is powered by gravityMany of us may take electric lights for granted, but there is a considerable portion of the world — around 1.5 billion people — who live in poor, remote areas and have to rely on dangerous kerosene alternatives. Currently being funded through an Indiegogo campaign, the GravityLight hopes to change that by offering a cheap lamp that runs on an entirely renewable resource. The device is attached to a weight, which when lifted for a few seconds harnesses enough energy to power the light for 30 minutes. Operating without batteries, the GravityLight contains no deteriorating parts and means owners don't have to spend money to keep it running. Hoping to make a big difference in developing countries, the idea has already raised over 500 percent of its initial funding target. Read more about GravityLight »
4. In the UAE, coffee chain's cup sleeve is printed with the hour's top headlineAnother innovation looking to integrate the web into the offline world this year was Y&R Dubai's marketing campaign for the UAE-based Gulf News. Y&R adapted coffee cup sleeves that it prints for its client Tim Hortons to include headlines tweeted by the newspaper in the previous hour. The company recognized that drinking coffee and reading the newspaper go hand in hand and also included QR codes to enable customers to read the rest of the day's news on their smartphone. According to figures released by Y&R traffic on the Gulf News website grew by 41 percent. Read more about Y&R Dubai »
5. Digital wallet combines users' credit cards and selects the best oneMany credit card companies offer a variety of deals on their products in order to entice customers, meaning that many end up with more than one account in order to make the most of different offers. Rather than making card holders keep track of which card would be best for each purchase, Wallaby enables them to upload all of their cards' details, which are accessed via the single Wallaby Card. Depending on what is being bought, at what time and how expensive it is, the Wallaby Card selects the best account and charges it. Freeing up wallet space and allowing customers to easily take advantage of the best deals available to them, Wallaby is carving its own space in the growing world of smart credit cards. Read more about Wallaby »
6. Cardboard packaging includes directions for turning it into something newPackaging that is discarded once a product has reached its destination still causes environmental headaches for brands and Netherlands-based company Joolz set out to do something about it. Considering cardboard is a sturdy enough material to be turned into a bike, the company attached instructions to its baby stroller packaging to enable parents to create homely items such as chairs, lamps and birdhouses. In October, we also saw Australian brand DIY Living go down a similar route with its packaging, perhaps indicating that this kind of eco-thinking could yet solve the problem of waste in the manufacturing industries. Read more about Joolz »
7. Airline lets passengers choose seat partners based on social media profilesIndicating how much social media is becoming a major part of many businesses' strategies, Dutch airline KLM this year rolled out its Meet and Seat program, enabling travelers to choose their seats based on the online profiles of those sharing their flight. Customers can make a match by offering their Facebook or LinkedIn data, depending on whether they're looking for a potential personal or business relationship. The use of social media is surely set to grow ever more prominent in the future – and we could see this kind of model applied in many other industries in 2013. Read more about Meet and Seat »
8. Trackers embedded in athlete's apparel provide live in-game data for coachesAnother trend which has grown over the past 12 months is the idea of the quantified self – learning about ourselves through data analysis. We've seen many new products which help to catch information about sports, one of the most comprehensive being adidas' miCoach, a suite of products to help sports professionals and trainers work out exactly how to improve performance. Using trackers placed onto players' kits, the miCoach delivers metrics on speed, pace, heart rate and more in real-time. The system can also monitor entire teams at the same time, giving coaches the ability to make smart decisions during play. Given the emergence of products such as Babolat's Play & Connect tennis racquet, it may not be long before devices like these become a necessity in professional sports. Read more about miCoach »
9. App enables musician to control concert lighting and sound through crowd's smartphonesWhile new technology has often been the bane of major record companies over the past decade, artists seem to have readily embraced it's possibilities. One such musician is Dan Deacon, who teamed up with Wham City Apps to create a way to take over the smartphones of live audiences. Those attending a Dan Deacon show in support of his album America could download the app, which enabled their phone to respond to sonic prompts, changing the color of the screen or playing sounds in addition to those coming from the stage. The app allows for a greater deal of interactivity between the musician and the crowd, making for a more engaging experience. Read more about Dan Deacon »
10. In Berlin, stand-alone hotel room comes with local guided experiencesConnecting each other in new and novel ways seems to have been a theme for businesses in the last 12 months, perhaps most appropriately in the hospitality industry. Operating out of Germany, Plus One Berlin now offers tourists not only an apartment to stay in, but also a knowledgeable local resident who can show them around the city. Travelers can see profiles of each of the 28 locals on hand in order to choose which one they'd like to accompany them. The idea makes city exploration a more unique experience, as travelers increasingly look for more than generic package holidays. Read more about Plus One Berlin »
1st January 2013

subset: commoncrawl


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Posts Tagged 'cvt'
About a month ago, Youtube user gearfreezone (assumed to be associated with Fallbrook Technologies, makers of the Nuvinvi hub) posted 9 instructional videos for the NuVinci 360 which is a continuously variable transmission hub. They cover wheel building, sprocket installation, and shifter installation to name a few.
I've embedded all of the videos at the Hubstripping page about the NuVinci 360 for quick reference.


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Lisa Benson Cartoon courtesy of Townhall
The big story today – Obama exploiting children to advance his anti-gun agenda….Here's his list of executive orders.
Michelle Malkin: Prop-a-palooza: The Use and Abuse of Kiddie Human Shields:
The president of the United States will release a binder full of new gun-control executive orders on Wednesday. Instead of standing alone, bearing full responsibility for the imperial actions he is about to take, President Obama will surround himself with an audience of kids who wrote to him after the Newtown, Conn., school massacre. This is the most cynical in Beltway theatrical staging — a feckless attempt to invoke "For the Children" immunity by hiding behind them.
What has happened to the deliberative process in this country? Public debate in Washington has deteriorated into Sesame Street sing-a-longs. We are already inundated with logical fallacies: argumentum ad populum (it's popular, therefore it's true); argumentum ad nauseam (if you repeat it often enough, it'll become truth); argumentum ad hominem (sabotage the person, sabotage the truth); and argumentum ad verecundiam (if my favorite authority says it's true, it's true).
To that list we can now add "argumentum ad filium": If politicians appeal to the children, it's unassailably good and true. The Obama White House has shamelessly employed this kiddie human shield strategy at every turn to blunt substantive criticism and dissent.
During the legislative battle that rammed the federal health care takeover through Capitol Hill and down our throats, President Obama and the Democrats piled up youth props around them like bunker sandbags. Nancy Pelosi wore babies like Wonder Woman bracelets, one on each arm, to deflect troublesome questions about costs and constitutional concerns.
Michelle links to a story she wrote in 2000 about what she calls "the most notorious examples of poster child abuse involving an ailing 7-year-old girl named Jennifer Bush." <<<Hit that link – it is worth reading in full. It's a tale that in a sane world would have served as a warning to politicians to beware the personal anecdote – aka sob stories.
Six years ago, Jennifer's mother wrote a widely-publicized letter to the White House. "Do you know what it is like to choose between purchasing groceries for the week to feed your family or buying needed medications for your chronically ill child?" Kathleen Bush asked.
Pale and wan, young Jennifer suffered from unidentified chronic digestive problems and myriad ailments from birth. She had her gall bladder, appendix, and fragments of her intestines removed. Those organs were replaced with a tangled cable of feeding tubes that constricted Jennifer's 43-pound frame. Surgeons threaded a catheter into the girl's heart. After 200 hospital visits and 40 operations, the Bush family had racked up medical bills worth more than $2 million.
Puzzled doctors and nurses scratched their heads over Jennifer's 33,000-page medical file. The media ran maudlin profiles of the family. With TV crews in tow, saintly mother and sickly child headed up to Capitol Hill to campaign for Clinton-sponsored health insurance mandates.
Politicians unquestioningly embraced the Bushes and their tale of need. Hillary cuddled with seven-year-old Jennifer for the cameras; their mugs were splashed on the pages of USA Today and newspapers across the country. Shamelessly coached, Jennifer gave the Clintons a lucky silver dollar "to bring you good luck so everyone can have good insurance." In another pre-programmed, kiddie-sized soundbite, Jennifer dutifully told the press: "I pray every night that I can get better – and that everyone can have insurance."
Long after all that positive media attention, it was discovered that the child was being poisoned by her depraved, welfare cheating mother. She was removed from her family in 1996 and thrived. The mother was sentenced to five years in prison on two counts of aggravated child abuse and one count of fraud.
She also pled guilty to a separate count of welfare fraud for misrepresenting $60,000 in assets on Medicaid forms. "There was probably more abuse in this single case," lead prosecutor Bob Nichols noted, "than in all of the child-abuse cases I've prosecuted in my life combined."
The little girl who was held up as the poster child for more government spending on health care would be be the poster child for LESS government spending if the MSM were interested in reporting the truth instead of promoting left-wing agendas.
Gateway Pundit: At Least Six States Will Take Legislative Action Against Obama's New Gun Control Laws (Video):
At least six states say they are seriously considering taking some sort of legislative action against the government on the new gun control laws. They include Alabama, Missouri, South Carolina, Montana, Texas and Wyoming. Many more sheriffs around the country are also calling for action.
Via America's Newsroom:
What is so interesting about this is what Rogers (who hails from the great state of Texas) is upset about; Obama's lack of leadership and association with corrupt financial interests. Hmmm. She has a point there.
The response from Democrats? Wait for the tolerance… They pulled her campaign funding. She won her primary anyway.
Via Your Black World:Kesha Rogers is no longer getting any form of backing from the Democratic Party. The woman who once had aspirations of running for Congress, has lost the support of the party for committing a serious political sin: Calling for the impeachment of President Obama.
Nile Gardiner, the Telegraph: Barack Obama slaps Israel in the face – yet again:
The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg has an eye-opening piece for Bloomberg that reveals in stark terms what President Obama really thinks of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as Israel itself. As The Telegraph's Middle East correspondent Robert Tait reports:
The damning assessment of the Israeli prime minister, relayed by senior White House officials to an American journalist, Jeffrey Goldberg, is the most graphic sign yet of the toxic relationship between the two men, who have clashed continually over the stalled Middle East peace process.
Writing on the Bloomberg website, Goldberg quoted Mr Obama as repeatedly saying, "Israel doesn't know what its own best interests are" in response to a spate of recent announcements for thousands of new Jewish settler homes in east Jerusalem and the West Bank on land the Palestinians want for a future state.
… "If Israel, a small state in an inhospitable region, becomes more of a pariah – one that alienates even the affections of the US, its last steadfast friend – it won't survive," Goldberg writes, paraphrasing Mr Obama's words. "Iran poses a short-term threat to Israel's survival; Israel's own behaviour poses a long-term one." Mr Obama also believes the Israeli prime minister is a "political coward" who is incapable of making concessions to the Palestinians because he has "become captive of Jewish settler lobby".
President Obama's contempt for Netanyahu is already well known, as he amply displayed in a private meeting with then French president Nicolas Sarkozy at the G-20 in November 2011, where he reportedly told his French counterpart in reference to the Israeli PM: "you're fed up with him, but I have to deal with him every day!" Obama refused to meet with Netanyahu when he visited the United States in September last year, while finding the time to appear on the David Letterman show, and has a long track record of snubbing the Israeli PM.
LaborUnionReport: Group Calls For Corruption-Tainted Attorney To Resign From Obama's Union-Dominated NLRB:
You know, the last time a member of Obama's union-tainted National Labor Relations Board was urged to resign, it created quite a stir:
Union-backed Labor Secretary Hilda Solis opposed the idea, while South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley supported the idea of crippling the job-killing NLRB.
In fact, union-bought Democrat George Miller was so apoplectic over the union-inspired suggestion that 'It's Time To Close The NLRB For Renovations' that he ordered an [gasp!] investigation.
For the record, though, Tuesday's call for the NLRB's corruption-tainted attorney Richard Griffin to resign did not come from me.
The Workforce Fairness Institute, however, is calling for the NLRB-member Griffin to resign.
"The time has come for Richard Griffin to put aside his commitment to rewarding his fellow Big Labor bosses to the detriment of American employees and employers, and resign his post as a member of the National Labor Relations Board. The recent complaint that names him as a defendant and details his role in an embezzlement scheme clearly makes him unsuited to serve as an unbiased arbiter deciding matters that significantly impact American workers and small businesses," said Fred Wszolek, spokesperson for the Workforce Fairness Institute (WFI).
Rick Moran, The American Thinker: Obama exaggerates deficit savings:
In his news conference on Monday, President Obama bragged about his deficit reduction prowess. He claimed to have already cut spending $1.4 trillion. If you combine that with $600 billion in tax hikes from the fiscal cliff deal plus interest savings, it "adds up to a total of $2.5 trillion."
But a closer look at the numbers shows that Obama is exaggerating how much deficit reduction he's actually achieved, and is being decidedly Pollyannaish about the nation's still massive long-term budget gap and what will be needed to close it.
Wrong Budget Trajectory.
The Hayride: The 'Sandy Relief' Bill Passes…
Fiscal restraint, in Boustany's terms, is defined by spending twice on items unrelated to the main subject matter of a bill than the actual subject matter of the bill. Or whatever Boehner tells him to vote for, perhaps.
The Sandy bill is significant in this respect – Boehner had vowed, while he was attempting to head off a Republican revolt to deny him another term as Speaker, that he wouldn't go against a majority of Republican House members in pushing a bill.
But he did, just tonight. There were 49 Republican "Yes" votes, 179 Republican "No" votes. Boehner has now sold out the GOP caucus which re-elected him. His promise didn't even last two weeks.
And because of that, you can have zero faith that Boehner will hold the line against Obama on either the debt limit or the continuing resolution which passes for a budget. It's over; Boehner has fulfilled the prophecy Jeff Landry made on his way out of Congress that he would lead the GOP to the loss of the House thanks to poor, uninspired leadership. Going against the majority of your membership to force through a bill with 67 percent of its spending being unrelated to the subject at hand is poor, uninspired leadership by any reasonable definition.
As an aside, if you're in Louisiana, you can wind your watch by the prediction that the Times-Picayune's Jarvis DeBerry, who has used the Sandy relief issue to take two cheap shots at those Republicans who actually care about restricting spending to what is being voted on in the past week, will gleefully hammer away at them a third time – regardless of the $34 billion in pork the bill contains.
Because as he said this morning…
Mulvaney said the $51 billion bill is loaded with pork. It would be hard to imagine a bill of that size that isn't. Lawmakers routinely seize opportunities such as this to fund projects that they'd never be able to fund individually.
So it really doesn't matter that the politicians in Washington, who have put the country at risk of another downgrade by the bond rating agencies through unrestrained profligate spending, continue speeding down the road to Greece. That's over DeBerry's head. All he knows is Republicans are mean and they voted against Sandy relief.
This is an editorial columnist at what used to be a major newspaper.
But it's worse than that. Because not only is the public polluted with imbecilic opinions in major "flyover country" papers like those DeBerry inflicts on the Picayune's readers every day, the output is even worse in Washington. We ran across this piece at The Hill by John Feehery, a Republican "strategist" and former longtime House leadership staffer, entitled "Time To Purge." It's about how Boehner should kick the 12 Republican members who voted against his re-election as speakership out of the party.
Sunshine State Sarah: "Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking":
Some people without brains do an awful lot of legislating, too.Remember all the controversy over the House refusing to pass the Senate's version of the Hurricane Sandy relief bill, because they said there was too much pork in it?
The Democrats screeched that the Republicans were heartless jerks, and Chris Christie lost his freaking mind, holding a theatrical press conference in which he declared that the House Republicans were a bunch of meaniepants who hated New Jersey.(OK, so what Christie actually said was, "The House majority failed the most basic test of leadership…and they did so with callous disregard to the people of my state." But my version was funnier.)Anyway, where were we? Oh, yes.Hooray, the House Republicans refused to be bullied! They stuck to the principles of fiscal conservatism! They resisted the pressure from the Left and the MSM and the Overemotional Sturdily-Built New Jersey Governors, and they rejected the Senate's Sandy relief bill for being a pork-filled pile of crap……and then they turned around and passed their very own pork-filled pile of crap.
Sure, they want to listen to "We the People," but maybe not so often. The site doesn't amount to much more than an occasional earned-media tool that occasionally earns a non-answer from the White House, but earned media and public shaming can occasionally be helpful, as in the case of this petition which asks the Senate to pass a budget.
But don't worry. The fact that the most "engaged" White House in history doesn't want to be overburdened with engaging with you is a measure of great success for— who else?— the White House!


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The Cerulean warbler (Dendroica cerulea) is an uncommon songbird found in the canopies of mature deciduous forest stands in the eastern U.S. Its population has declined steadily over the past fifty years as a result of several factors including habitat loss due to the conversion of forests to other land uses, fragmentation of forests and nest parasitism by expanding populations of brown--headed cowbirds. The warbler eats insects and makes its cup-style nest high up in the tree on a horizontal limb far from the trunk. The song is a three part, musical, rising buzz tzeedl tzeedl tzeedl ti ti ti tzeee. They move very quickly while foraging from branch to branch high up in the tree.
Surveys were conducted at 75 sites in both northeastern and southeastern portions of Oklahoma using a recording of a singing male. If a Cerulean warbler responded to the call, an attempt was made to confirm breeding and to take habitat measurements. Six adult males and three adult females were found at four sites on north--facing slopes in the Ouachita Mountains, near ridge tops approximately 2,300 feet in elevation. One pair was observed carrying food and was later seen with fledglings confirming breeding for this area. The plant community where Cerulean warblers were present can be characterized as having large trees and a high percentage of shrub and ground cover. Dominant tree species on these sites include black walnut, white oak, mockernut hickory, and red maple.
The State Wildlife Grants Program provides federal money to every state and territory for cost-effective conservation aimed at preventing wildlife from becoming endangered. This program is administered by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and continues the long history of cooperation between the federal government and the states for managing and conserving wildlife species. For more information, visit www.teaming.com.
Hackberry Flat WMA
The jewel of southwest Oklahoma hosts thousands of bird species
More information can be found at this link:
Early morning and late evening are the best times for birder to visit Hackberry Flat in southwest Oklahoma which is known as a birder's paradise! Located just outside Frederick, Hackberry Flat is a restored wetland and operated by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. The best way to view birds here is by driving the gravel roads that run along the dikes. Two observation towers provide great viewing on this flat terrain. The black-necked stilt, American avocet, and snowy plover nest in the wetland as well as such grassland songbirds as the dickcissel, grasshopper sparrow and both the eastern and western meadowlarks. With its close access and more than 190 species of bird identified, this area is known as a birders paradise! More information regarding the Bird Route in Loop 13 and the Great Plains Trail of Oklahoma can be found at this link: www.greatplainstrail.com
For information or wetland conditions
contact Kelvin Schoonover, the area
biologist, at (580)335-5262.
Written by Brett Cooper, Graduate Student, Oklahoma State University.
Save the Date: 2007 Wildlife Expo, September 28--30, Lazy E Arena
This month is a great time to hang hummingbird feeders. Participate in the Oklahoma Wildlife Diversity Program's Hummingbird Survey by recording the first and last observations of hummingbirds in your yard.
To enter your data online, click here.
Time to Plant for Butterflies
This is also a great month to start nectar plants to attract butterflies. Planting a planned butterfly garden should include both the host food plants for the caterpillars and nectar plants for adults. The best way to attract adult butterflies is to plant masses of nectar producing flowers together. A few native annual nectar plants include impatiens, Indian blanket and lantana. Some perennial nectar plants are columbine, sunflower, and zinnia. Common caterpillar host plant include peas, clover, hollyhock, willow, and cherry. These and other host plants can be found in the book "Landscaping for Wildlife."
To learn more or order your own copy, click here.
The WILDLIFE DIVERSITY PROGRAM monitors and manages the state's wildlife and fish species that are not hunted or fished.


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Madsteez for Sesame Street @ Known Gallery
Neff is proud to announce in collaboration with The Seventh Letter: Sesame Street. A one of a kind collection of Sesame Street inspired art by some of the biggest names in the art community. The show will be taking place at Los Angeles' Known Gallery. All of the art pieces will be available for public display April 28th at 6pm-11pm & April 29th at 11am-9pm. Proceeds from the event will benefit City of Hope Department of Pediatrics.
Featuring Artists:
Aaron De La Cruz, Amanda Lynn, Anthony Lister, Augustine Kofie, Axis, Carlos Donjuan, Dabs & Myla, Dame, Danny D, Ewok, Franco Vescovi, Jaime Oliver, Jasper Wong, Jeff McMillan, Joe King, Kelsey Brooks, Leo Eguiarte, Madsteez, Mambo, Mark Dean Veca, Matt Nichols, Mr. Cartoon, Munk One, Nate Van Dyke, OG Abel, Patrick Martinez, Persue, Pose, Revok, Rime aka Jersey Joe, Sage Vaughn, Sever, Slick, Stash, Todd Bratrud… More artists to be announced..
For more information please email Mychael Clack at firstname.lastname@example.com


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VIDEO: USA tops Puerto Rico in exhibition
HANG TIME NEW JERSEY — LeBron James was always taking the summer off from competitive basketball. Kevin Love decided to do the same just before the U.S. National Team opened training camp in Las Vegas last month. But there are still reasons for Cavs fans to watch the FIBA World Cup, which begins Saturday in Spain.
The Cavs are one of two teams that will have four players taking part in the World Cup. Kyrie Irving, of course, will start (at least some games) at point guard for the United States. He'll face new teammate Erik Murphy, playing for Finland, in the USA's first pool-play game.
Murphy, who was acquired in a trade from Utah last month, may not necessarily be on the Cavs' opening-night roster. Only $100,000 of his $816,000 contract is guaranteed, the Cavs are already over the 15-man roster limit, and they've yet to sign Shawn Marion.
Irving has already faced Brazil's Anderson Varejao in an exhibition game. And he could go head-to-head with his Cleveland back-up — Australia's Matthew Dellavedova — in the knockout round.
The Rockets are the other NBA team that will have four players at the World Cup. James Harden, the Dominican Republic's Francisco Garcia, Lithuania's Donatas Motiejunas and Greece's Kostas Papanikolaou will all represent the Rockets in Spain.
Papanikolaou is one of five incoming rookies at the tournament. The others are the Bulls' Cameron Bairstow (Australia), the Nets' Bojan Bogdanovic (Croatia), the Jazz's Dante Exum (Australia), and the Pacers' Damjan Rudez (Croatia).
Croatia's Bogdanovic is not to be confused with Serbia's Bogdan Bogdanovic, who was selected in this year's Draft by the Suns and will play at least two years in Turkey before coming to the NBA. The Serbian Bogdanovic is one of six guys taken in the last two drafts who has yet to come over.
The others are Alex Abrines (OKC, Spain), Arselan Kazemi (PHI, Iran), Joffrey Lauvergne (DEN, France), Raul Neto (UTA, Brazil) and Dario Saric (PHI, Croatia). (more…)


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Tyler Police Searching For Vandals Who Targeted Crown Kia/Volkswagen in Tyler
Tyler Police are searching for the individuals responsible for shooting 13 vehicles overnight on the lot at Crown Kia/Volkswagen on Troup Highway in Tyler. The building itself also received damage from bullets. Bullets were found inside the vehicles and inside the dealership. There are no reports of injuries and the dealership is open for business today.
Police believe the shots came from a vehicle driving down the road. Anyone with information is asked to call Tyler Police.


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A little blog about life, family, food, and living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Garden Tuesday
21 comments:
- Marjie said...
I have an ancient rhodo right outside my kitchen window. During some roof repairs a few years back, a sheet of plywood blew right off the roof and sheared off half that puppy. It's baaaackkkk! See? I'd have defended you. I love all the colors in rhododendrons, and I especially love the fact that they require no work! Your carrots and berries look great; I'm so jealous!
- May 5, 2009 at 11:01 AM
- Spryte said...
The greens are so green!
- May 5, 2009 at 11:18 AM
- noble pig said...
Yeah what's with all the rain going on there....especially today and the wind....but I love me some green!
- May 5, 2009 at 1:56 PM
- The Blonde Duck said...
I can grow cactus. And jalepenos. That's all I got.
- May 5, 2009 at 2:13 PM
- Claudia said...
But you are so wonderfully green! We finally had some thunderstorms. In the space of an hour, Minnesota turned green. (Love that nitrogen) Buds finally appeared on a burning bush (so it's not dead) and one of our rhodies started to open. Tulips tomorrow. But I want your lush green.
- May 5, 2009 at 6:20 PM
- Tatersmama said...
I love me some rhodies, but they don't grow in this climate! I've slowly been adding more and more cuctus and succulents to the garden, as well as certain Aussie natives that don't require much water... but I miss the flowers more than anything.
Can you send me a bucket of water? We can only shower every two days (for 5 minutes at a time) and it's getting old fast!
- May 5, 2009 at 6:40 PM
- Katherine Aucoin said...
Gorgeous pictures. You're a talented photograhper and kitchen goddess!
- May 5, 2009 at 6:50 PM
- Lisa said...
Goprgeous garden! We haven't had sunshine in over a week.
- May 5, 2009 at 7:15 PM
- Pam said...
Beautiful. Now if only the sun would shine.
- May 5, 2009 at 8:48 PM
- Mediterranean kiwi said...
it rained cats and dogs in hania the other day - we are so thankful for it, as it gets very warm and stays like that from spring to summer.
a good spring shower revitalises us in spring.
- May 5, 2009 at 10:28 PM
- Pam said...
It's raining here too, everyday! On my blog, I did a post on drying herbs. My oregano goes crazy, I have to literally yank it out. It is the bully of my herb bed.
- May 6, 2009 at 3:33 AM
- OhioMom said...
First on drying herbs .. I have a gas stove so I just wash and dry them well and lay them on paper towels on a large cookie sheet, pop in the oven (the pilot light provides the perfect warmth) .. do not turn on and/or preheat oven and forget they are in there :) They should be sufficiently dry within 3 days or less, strip leaves off stems and place whole leaves in a glass jar and store until needed.
Waiting on azaleas and rhodies here :)
- May 6, 2009 at 4:40 AM
- Lynda said...
Beautiful photos! I love this time of year!
- May 6, 2009 at 8:32 AM
- Lo said...
Aw. Look at those gorgeous gardens. That oregano is calling my name.
Up here in the northlands (OK -- OVER here) things haven't quite greened up yet. But, I'm waiting. Patiently. :)
- May 6, 2009 at 2:35 PM
- Cheryl said...
Oh my gosh your garden looks much better than mine! Thanks for all your good wishes, we are doing surprisingly well.
- May 7, 2009 at 8:30 PM
- Robynn's Ravings said...
Love the rhododendron story. Ain't it grand bein' right? LOL
Your yard looks damp and lovely and inviting. Would love to sit on the porch with you drinking Americanos (I'll bring them) and watching the rain water your yard!
- May 8, 2009 at 8:32 AM
- Bridgett said...
I would love to come to your house just to be in your garden. Mine has absolutely taken off the last couple weeks with the heat. Your is absolutely stunning, Paula!
- May 8, 2009 at 8:35 AM
- Manggy said...
Hah, I'm sure the plants are very appreciative of the rain... At least they're not burning away like they are here! I can't wait to see what becomes of those berries :)
- May 8, 2009 at 8:38 AM
- Cathy said...
Isn't spring wonderful! Everything is budding out and looks lush and green. Great photos, by the way.
- May 8, 2009 at 1:48 PM
- Bren said...
i don't think i've ever tasted greek basil? how is it?? so lucky you're able to have a lush garden! Happy Mother's Day!
- May 10, 2009 at 7:34 PM
- Jan said...
To dry herbs, I just hang them from hooks in my kitchen ceiling and leave them to do their own thing. When they're fully dried, strip the leaves and put them in an air tight container. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. :-)
- May 18, 2009 at 6:21 PM


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Charles Durning, a Tony Award-winning actor whose prolific work in films and television included supporting roles in the classic comedy "Tootsie" and the TV sitcom "Evening Shade," died Monday. He was 89.
Durning, a decorated veteran of World War II, died of natural causes at his home in Manhattan, according to his longtime agent Judith Moss.
A seasoned former member of Joseph Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival whom Papp once described as a "stocky, tough Irishman," Durning had a breakthrough role in the hit Papp-produced 1972 Broadway play "That Championship Season" when he was 49.
Durning's Drama Desk Award-winning performance as one of four former high school basketball players who reunite with their old coach led to his being cast as the corrupt police lieutenant in "The Sting," the Oscar-winning 1973 movie starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford.
Durning went on to appear in movies such as "The Hindenburg," "The Choirboys," "The Muppet Movie," "North Dallas Forty," "Starting Over," "True Confessions," "Sharkey's Machine," "Dick Tracy" and "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"
As a supporting actor, he was nominated for two Oscars: in 1983 as the governor in "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" and in 1984 as the Nazi colonel in "To Be or Not to Be."
His TV credits include "Queen of the Stardust Ballroom," the landmark 1975 made-for-television musical in which he played the mailman who reaches out to Maureen Stapleton's lonely widow on the dance floor.
As the small-town doctor on "Evening Shade," the 1990-94 series starring Burt Reynolds, Durning earned two Emmy nominations as a supporting actor.
More recently, Durning played the father of Denis Leary's New York firefighter in the TV series "Rescue Me" — a recurring role that earned him the last of the nine Emmy nominations he received since his first for "Queen of the Stardust Ballroom."
Durning's first love was the stage, which included his Tony Award-winning performance as Big Daddy in the 1990 Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."
"If I had my druthers, I would do only stage work," he told the Asbury Park Press of New Jersey in 2000 during a break in rehearsals for "Glengarry Glen Ross" in Princeton and only two months after completing a tour of "The Gin Game" with Julie Harris, with whom he starred in the 1997 Broadway revival.
"You make the money in movies and TV so you can do theater," said Durning. "I do a play a year … somewhere."
Born Feb. 28, 1923, in Highland Falls, N.Y., Durning was one of 10 children. Five of his sisters died of smallpox and scarlet fever. His Irish immigrant father, who lost a leg in World War I, died from the effects of mustard gas exposure when Durning was 12.
With his mother struggling to support her children by working in the laundry at the United States Military Academy at nearby West Point, Durning dropped out of high school at 16 and got a maintenance job at a Pennsylvania munitions factory before working in slag heaps, selling coal.
He later worked as an usher in a burlesque theater in Buffalo, N.Y., where the laughs he generated when he filled in for a drunken comedian helped spur his desire to perform.
In the Army during World War II, Durning was in the first wave of soldiers to land on Omaha Beach during the D-Day Normandy invasion in 1944. He was taken prisoner during the Battle of the Bulge and reportedly was one of the few survivors of the massacre of American POWs at Malmedy, Belgium.
For his service, he was awarded three Purple Hearts and a Silver Star.
After the war, Durning underwent a long period of recovery from his physical and psychological wounds.
"I'd like to have a decade of my life back," he said in a 1994 interview with the Washington Post. "I dropped into a void for almost a decade. It's your mind that's hard to heal. There are many horrifying secrets in the depths of our souls that we don't want anyone to know about."
Decades later, Durning began participating in the National Memorial Day Concert in Washington, D.C. He also narrated the 1994 Discovery Channel documentary "Normandy: The Great Crusade."
"It was very emotional experience for me," Durning told the Associated Press at the time. "I had to stop a couple of times; I couldn't go on."
Durning, who completed high school after the war, once said that he always wanted to act.
"I became enamored of acting the first time I saw [the 1933 movie] 'King Kong,'" he told the Washington Post, adding that when he first saw James Cagney in a movie, "I just went crazy."
A postwar stint studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, however, did not bode well for his future as an actor.
"They told me, 'You're too short, too fat and have no talent,'" Durning said in a 1977 interview with The Times. "I was a dreadfully shy person then and this shook me to the foundations. I thought they knew what they were talking about."
To support himself, he worked a variety of jobs, including taxi driver, construction worker, plumber's helper, elevator operator and night watchman on the New York docks. He also taught ballroom dancing off and on for about five years.
In 1960 he made his professional acting debut as a member of the road company of "The Andersonville Trial."
In 2008, the same year Durning received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Screen Actors Guild's honored him with its Lifetime Achievement Award.
Durning, who was married twice, is survived by three children: Michele, Douglas and Jeanine.
His family plans a private memorial service at Arlington National Cemetery.
McLellan is a former Times staff writer.


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Harry Reid says he will be "conciliatory"
After a successful Election Night maintaining - and increasing - his Democratic majority in the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid held a morning-after news conference to pronounce his willingness to compromise with his Republican colleagues, and he insisted on the need to reach a deal on the "fiscal cliff."
"I'm not kicking the can down the road," Reid said about the pending tax increases and budget cuts known as the "fiscal cliff" that Congress and President Obama must address in the coming weeks or risk economic challenges.
"Of course" a deal is possible with the House and Mr. Obama, Reid said, adding that he had a "pleasant" conversation with House Speaker John Boehner this morning and a "nice conversation" with President Obama last night about moving forward on fiscal cliff negotiations.
House Speaker John Boehner indicated earlier this week that a comprehensive deal during the lame duck session of Congress is not likely, but that a temporary "bridge" to avert the dramatic jolt to the economy.
Congress is returning to Washington next week to work on unfinished business, including the "fiscal cliff."
As the debt ceiling is expected to be reached around the New Year as well, Reid said Republican's won't succeed at threatening to shut down the government to lift the debt ceiling. "They tried it before," Reid said, referring to Republicans who refused to lift the debt ceiling without large spending cuts in 2011. "If it has to be raised, we'll raise it."
Maintaining the status quo government - a Republican House and a Democratic Senate and White House - Reid said he is "going to do everything in my power to be as conciliatory as possible." But he cautioned that he won't be "pushed" around.
He placed some responsibility with his Republican colleagues, inferring that they have been closed to compromise. "Compromise is not a dirty word," he said.
"It's better to dance than to fight," he added. "It's better to work together."
Reid said the election proved that Americans want a "balanced" approach of tax increases and spending cuts to deal the deficit. Exit polls show that 60 percent of voters want the wealthy to pay more in taxes.


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Veteran restaurant marketing executive Michael Branigan has joined artisan frozen treat chain Bruster's Real Ice Cream as vice president of marketing and product innovation.
Founded in 1989, Bruster's has more than 200 locations in 18 states, serving ice cream, waffle cones, shakes, cakes, and pies that are made fresh on site each day.
Branigan previously served as vice president of marketing at Sizzler USA, where he was credited with helping to lead the venerable steakhouse's post-bankruptcy turnaround. His marketing tenure also includes bd's Mongolian Grill, Damon's Grill, Hooters of America, American Restaurant Group, and Carl's Jr.
Branigan is playing a key role in devising a brand relaunch strategy that will be introduced in May, says Bruster's CEO Jim Sahene.
"Mike's experience helping to shape and grow a variety of successful restaurant concepts, combined with his endless energy and passion, make him a great choice to lead our revitalization efforts," Sahene says.
Bruster's strong franchise community and products Branigan describes as "simply amazing" attracted him to the brand.
"This is a rare opportunity to help a really great, small company grow into a true industry powerhouse," he says. "I am on a mission to bring Bruster's unique frozen treats to more neighborhoods here in the U.S. and overseas."
The five times weekly e-newsletter that keeps you up-to-date on the latest industry news and additions to this website.


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No sooner does September check in than local stage productions flood in.
The honor of kicking off the 2011-12 season goes to the Costa Mesa Playhouse. This weekend it revives Noel Coward's ghostly comedy "Blithe Spirit." That's the antique chuckler about the guy who must put up with two wives, one of whom is dead but very much in the picture.
Orange Coast College launches its new season next weekend with "Seascape for Shark and Dancer," billed as a "quirky comedy about a destructive relationship."
That show will run from Sept. 9 to Sept. 18 in OCC's Drama Lab Theater.
On the weekend of Sept. 16 to Sept. 18, South Coast Repertory will headline a busy three-show revival of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice." The romantic comedy focusing on a vintage English family will run through Oct. 9 on the Segerstrom Stage.
Neil Simon once went through a "B.B." period with a trio of autobiographical plays. In between "Brighton Beach Memoirs" and "Broadway Bound" he penned "Biloxi Blues," which will arrive at the Newport Theatre Arts Center on Sept. 16. It centers on Simon's alter ego, Eugene Jerome, and his experiences in Army basic training.
That same weekend will find Vanguard University launching a world premiere, "Americans All," written by retired Orange County Judge James P. Gray, a columnist with the Daily Pilot. It's described as an inspirational musical revue in a high school classroom.
SCR returns to the spotlight the weekend of Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 with "How the World Began," a new play centering on a New York biology teacher attempting to crack the hard shell of beliefs in Plainview, Kan. This one runs through Oct. 16 on the Julianne Argyros Stage.
Everyone's favorite ogre is now the centerpiece of a musical comedy. The Segerstrom Center for the Arts will present "Shrek the Musical" from Oct. 4 to Oct. 16.
Orange Coast College will be set for a little sleuthing from Oct. 14 to Oct. 23 when "Sherlock Holmes" arrives at the Drama Lab Theater. Vanguard University has the stage version of "To Kill a Mockingbird" ticketed for an Oct. 28 opening.
That same weekend will find two other local productions opening — "The Trip to Bountiful" at South Coast Repertory and a return visit from the original comedy "Earthlings Beware" at the Costa Mesa Playhouse.
TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot.


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- New Site: RoadTripsUK.com
- Two new sites
- New crossdresser site
- New Site!
- New BBC Interracial Site
- RocksPornChix.com Launched
- New TS / Shemale Site
- New Ladyboy Site
- Another new site
- GILFadventures Hosted...
- New Site Alert
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- New Facial Site
- 46 Downloadable Tube...
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New Site: RoadTripsUK.com February 16th, 2019
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