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In case you've ever wondered what a group of dragonflies is called ...
About a kilometer east of Tweed "the Trail" crosses a sand bottomed creek. Pools of standing or slowly moving water in shady forested areas are combined with open sunlit patches created by the trail. This medley of habitats, very different than the river, lake or marshes, has its own collection of odonate species.
While it was on the wing I mistook this immature female Chalk-fronted Corporal for a species of Baskettail. Although this one is perching on a twig these small dragonflies (40 mm long) are more often seen sitting on the ground or on rocks.
Habits can be a good way to identify or at least narrow down dragonfly species. Springtime Darners (Basiaeschna janata) prefer to hang vertically when resting. At about 60 mm in length it's relatively small for a darner. The colors and markings of the males are the same as the female's.
The Stream Cruiser (Didymops transversa) is about the same length as the darner above but much more robust. This dragonfly's habit of perching on an angle, like the female in the next two photos, is typical of its species.
Both of our two local species of cruiser have a pale facial stripe and only one lateral thoracic stripe, making them easy to spot in the field ... other large dragonflies, such as darners, have two thoracic stripes (if any).
Male and female Stream Cruisers are similarly patterned. The male can be distinguished by its slightly flared abdomen and pale claspers.
A mating pair of Stream Cruisers
This is an immature female Mustached Clubtail (Gomphus adelphus). The markings and length (at 45 mm it's small for a clubtail) agree with the species account in my field guide. The colors threw me off at first, but eyes will turn green and the bright yellow on the body will change to grayish-green as the dragonfly ages.
The "7"-shaped pale marks on the upper thorax, the broken middle thoracic stripe, and particularly – the heavy black markings on the face – are the characteristic field marks of this species.
Many species of clubtails prefer to stay low when at rest, adopting a horizontal position on the ground, rocks or leaves like these two immature males. In the field males can be differentiated from females by their clubbed tails and claspers, visible even from a distance on the male to the right.
A closeup of an immature male's facial markings. Clubtail species can be hard to tell apart and it's often necessary to get a detail shot of the terminal appendages for a positive I.D. In this case the bold black cross-stripes on the face are sufficient.
An older male Mustached Clubtail ... this photo was taken about one month later than the others. Note the changes in color.
Obvious field marks aren't good enough to sort out three of our local Baskettail species, all are similarly patterned and about 45 mm long. The only noticeable difference between them is the amount of pigmentation at the bases of the hindwings (which can vary) and the presence or absence of a "T"-shaped spot on the top of the frons (no images of the latter, the dragonflies weren't co-operating). So let's have a closer look ...
Baskettail # 1
The hindwings have a generous amount of black at their bases.
Looking at the terminal appendages: we see that the cerci are constricted at their bases but there's no evidence of any teeth. Taken in conjunction with the relatively large amount of hindwing pigmentation we have to conclude that this dragonfly is a Common Baskettail (Epitheca cynosura).
Baskettail #2
Some black pigmentation is visible at the bases of the hindwings.
Views of the claspers from a couple of slightly different angles. A ventral tooth is barely visible in the first image, but this isn't necessary for an I.D. What is clear in both photos is that the cerci turn down at the ends, and – they definitely possess dorsal teeth. This is sufficient to identify this dragonfly as a Beaverpond Baskettail (Epitheca canis).
Baskettail #3
The hindwings have a small amount of pigmentation at their bases.
A dorsal view would be helpful but it's unneccessary because luckily I was able to obtain a good image of the claspers – the cerci definitely have a sharp ventral tooth. As always, the claspers are the final word as to species. This dragonfly is Spiny Baskettail (Epitheca spinigera).
A teneral male Brush-tipped Emerald (Somatochlora walshii), length about 45 mm. As a rule it's not a good idea to handle a teneral odonate, especially by its delicate wings. But this one is gravely injured (likely by a beaver, a dog or a hiker) and won't survive much longer. A pity this dragonfly in such rough shape, as it would have made an excellent subject with its amber-tinted wings and a thorax that looks like it's made out of colored metal foil.
The hairy claspers (which sustained injury as well) are visible in the field and leave no doubt as to the identity of this dragonfly.


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Audi shows off its latest models in with the help of Marvel
By Faiming_low on
19 Apr 2016
While the clip focuses more on Audi's Q7, viewers do get to see chase sequence between Bucky, Black Panther and Captain, with the latter taking the reigns of what we assume is a Shield-employed Q7. If we aren't, mistaken, most of the Audi SUVs shown in the clips are the faster SQ7 models too.
In the movie, Captain America will be seen piloting the SQ7 while Iron Man will be drive the new R8 V10 Coupe. The latest A4, the A7 Sportback and the Prologue concept will make their appearance in the movie too.
Viewed: 2,922 times

subset: commoncrawl


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Weekend in Photos: The Baltimore Edition
Every six months or so, I'm lucky enough to get together with a few of my scrappy friends. On a day-to-day basis, we tweet, call, email, and visit each other's blogs, but there is nothing like a real life visit to reconnect. This time, it was Keisha and Cindy and me. I love these gals. We just get each other.
We met in Baltimore where: we talked a lot (loudly); we laughed a lot (even more loudly); we walked a lot (while talking and laughing loudly); and we ate lots of amazing food (but hey, we walked it off!)
In conclusion: fun was had by all!
|Cindy's posing!
|They didn't trust me to do my share of the paddling. Sheesh!
|Love this shot of color in the edge of the sidewalk.
|When we saw this, we said, "If only Kelly was here. She'd eat one."
|Wondering if this was a public restroom?


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Hotel Liabeny
Salud 3, 28013 Madrid, Spanje.
Liabeny Hotel is strategically located in Madrid centre. At just 100 metres from the Gran Via and the Sun's Gate, The Liabeny Hotel is surrounded by cinemas, theatres, restaurants, monuments and museums. The establishment has 220 comfortable rooms equipped with full Bathroom, flat screen TVs and pay TV, as well as free Canal+. Furthermore, it has 5 meeting rooms, which are the perfect place to hold work reunions or exhibitions. In its restaurant 'Sensaciones', the client could chose between a rich offer of traditional dishes, and more elaborate ones, as well. An elegant hotel in the city centre with a perfect location which allows easy visit to the main touristic attractions of Madrid.
WiFi is gratis aanwezig.
Betalende overdekte parking aan het hotel (17.12 €), Reservatie verplicht.
Indien geen gebruikt gemaakt wordt van de reservering zonder te annuleren: 1 nacht te betalen.
Kinderen minder dan 2 jaar oud: gratis.
Voor oudere kinderen en volwassenen wordt 44.94 € per extra bed aangerekend.
Huisdieren zijn niet toegelaten.
Visa, Diners Club, Mastercard, American Express.


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|INVISIBLE MAN'S REVENGE, THE (director: Ford Beebe; screenwriter: suggested from the book by H. G. Wells/Bertram Millhauser; cinematographer: Milton Krasner; editor: Saul A. Goodkind; cast: Jon Hall (Robert Griffin), Alan Curtis (Mark Foster), Evelyn Ankers (Julie Herrick), Leon Errol (Herbert Higgins), John Carradine (Dr. Peter Drury), Gale Sondergaard (Lady Irene Herrick), Lester Matthews (Sir Jasper Herrick), Leyland Hodgson (Sir Frederick Travers), Ian Wolfe (Jim Feeny), Halliwell Hobbes (Cleghorn, Butler); Runtime: 77; Universal; 1944)
effects are
the unabashed
star of this film."
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
This was the fifth 'Invisible Man' Universal filmed in its ongoing series for the money making sci-fier. John Fulton's special effects are the unabashed star of this film. There was one very good trick photography shot of Jon Hall putting his invisible arm into an aquarium, the arm becoming visible like a bubble and then with water delineating his invisible face to make it visible to those he's threatening. But it is the script that does it in, as the Invisible Man is made into a heartless villain.
Warning: spoilers throughout the review.
Robert Griffin (Jon Hall) sneaks into London from Capetown on a ship, where he escaped from a prison psycho ward after murdering two people. He visits the home of his former partners in a South African diamond mine, Sir Jasper Herrick (Lester Matthews) and his wife Lady Irene Herrick (Gale Sondergaard). They were on a safari together in Africa and did not try to save Robert when he got into trouble, leaving him for dead five years ago. Robert has now come back to get his half-share of the wealth from the diamonds, but is told by the unscrupulous couple that they don't have the money because of bad investments. He then tells them he will instead take their estate, all the money they have, and their beautiful daughter Julie (Ankers) as his bride. Irene spikes his drink with some kind of sedative and they steal his legal contract he planned to use for proof, tossing him out of their house as an unwanted guest in full view of their servant, Cleghorn.
In the woods Robert's saved from drowning by a small-time con man, Herbert (Leon Errol). He tries to help Robert by going to Herrick's estate with a shady lawyer, Jim Feeny, and threatening to sue. But the chief constable, Sir Frederick Travers, is called by Sir Jasper and the two con men are dismissed. Robert fearing he will be arrested, goes on the run and happens by chance to come to the isolated home of an eccentric doctor, Dr. Peter Drury (John Carradine), who has experimented with a new serum and has made his dog Brutus invisible. Before you can say have some coffee, Robert is also invisible--which is the first experiment Drury ever did on a human. When he tells Robert to get some rest he wants to show him off tomorrow to the science world and get their accolades, Robert walks out and goes to exact revenge on the Herricks.
But first Robert forces Herbert to play darts in a pub for a wager of five pounds and wins because the Invisible Man cheats as he runs the darts up to the bull's-eyes. Robert also hears at the pub a reporter, Mark Foster (Curtis), say he's going after a story on the rumor that there's an Invisible Man. But what gets Robert's goat about the reporter, is that he's the man Julie is set to marry.
Robert goes as an Invisible Man to visit Jasper, as he frightens him into signing a confession of his misdeeds and signing over his estate to him. But when he also wants Julie, he's told he has to be visible to have her.
When Robert returns to Drury's lab and requests being made visible again, he's told that his blood would have to be drained out of some living person. When Drury says he's a scientist and not a killer, refusing to get Foster over to the lab--Griffin instead drains Drury's blood to make him visible again on a temporary basis, as he will need a constant supply of blood. Robert also burns down the lunatic doctor's house but Brutus, the dog, is now also visible and seeks revenge on Robert for what he did to his master.
In this episode it's not the invisible serum that makes the man insane, as the man is already mentally unbalanced.
This hokum story could have and should have been more entertaining, as it still had the presence of the legendary John Carradine. It was a far come down from James Whale's original Invisible Man.
Dennis Schwartz: "Ozus' World Movie Reviews"


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A raccoon ate my Cheetos, she said with a frown on her lovely 4 year old face. When you are available in to the empty house early in the morning and walk to the underside of the steps and see one thing furry run across the higher corridor, it kind of makes you wish to keep downstairs! If you're studying this text secretly hoping to find property in a particular location within the UK, you may desire to look at county by county home price evaluations. There will be individuals with Aquarian suns, but Venus in Pisces & Mercury in Capricorn.
The guidelines within the USA state that ALL the air in a prefab (or equal) house have to be totally vented (completely exchanged) every few minutes by a particular system constructed into the home. The Anderson House Office Building is open to the general public Monday through Friday, eight:00 AM – 5:00 PM, excluding state and federal holidays. With Sell My Own Home, you take your individual photographs and upload the small print of your own home your self. Those with many planets in The Tenth House will go far in life, whether for good or sick. The study of many philosophies and religions are additionally a matter of interest in this home.
If you can afford it, you must get your house listed with a web-based estate agent that advertises on Rightmove. I took an grownup evening guitar class at my native highschool years in the past in 'Beginning Guitar', One of the songs we discovered in school was 'House of the Rising Sun', and I cherished taking part in the chords. The furniture in this room was made particularly for Como on the time Charles Armytage purchased the home and estate in December 1864. I watched from the mid 70-s to the 80s as Warehouser, ITT Rainer & Simpson reduce down nearly every single harvestable tree on the whole west coast of the USA (from the late 70s to the mid 80s) and bought them as RAW LOGS (technically illegal) to Japan and the center east. Just shopping for a 3 bedroom terraced home in Bromsgrove (between Worcester and Birmingham).
Now place the entrance piece across the perimeters, making certain that the scored part of the front piece is going through down in the direction of the inside of the bat house. Owl´s are cosidered to be fortunate in Spain so I´m lucky to have had a pair nesting someplace very near to my house for the final 2 years. I do not assume the weather is the one purpose for the distinction in home costs however. Right after my dad got out of the service, my parents have been married in 1943 & began married life residing in a quonset hut home, in central Illinois, that they ordered and my dad and all of the kinfolk put the kit house collectively on top of a full block wall basement.
The fairly coastal village of Beer has three bedroom houses on the market from round £325,000, however you'll should be fast, because the cheaper houses rarely come in the marketplace here, and consequently get snapped up. The village is situated on the picturesque cliffs of the 95-mile lengthy Jurassic Coast, England's first natural World Heritage Site.


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though it was fantastic to also venture into seattle, and pike place market... my main purchases were really for the yarn and needles ;) so i thought today, i'll give you more details on what came home with me. yes? ok.
i believe i showed some serious restraint at the marketplace. haha i only wish i had the budget (and space) to bring home so much more. honestly the yarns were stunning! so many amazing vendors! i wish i could have had so much more time to browse (and i actually browsed a lot), and then set myself down just to knit at a cafe. ... hah wait, i kind of did that. but maybe i just wanted many many more days of that.
truthfully, my ideal life would be to wander into a beautiful cobblestone street, with a gorgeous yarn store, filled with my favourite yarns, heaps of sunlight, a cafe next door where i could sit, knit, and people watch, and sip the most delicious coffee ever.... and also a bakery, and a flower store on this perfect street. couldn't you just imagine?
but back to vogue. haha. i honestly loved browsing though all of the booths. i kept dissapearing from my group just to wander more. haha sorry girls! but they knew i wouldn't have gone far...
so down to the details... i wanted to be sure to purchase yarn i had never tried before, and yarns that weren't really easily accessible to me in victoria... i'm pleased to say i stuck with the plan. in fact only two skeins of this bunch are skeins i had recognized. the rest are all brand spanking new to me.
first up is the skein of anzula dreamy. let me tell you it is soooo dreamy! i almost grabbed a skein of the grey, but this skein of "bark" just kept staring at me. also.. i kind of have a thing for the yellow family...
this is a superwash merino, cashmere, silk blend that is soo squishy and so soft! at 385 yards i was thinking of maybe a lovely little (or not so little) shawlette? not sure. but oh so lovely!
i made sure to grab a skein of hazel knits. i've had this yarn on my radar for quite some time, and boy am i glad to have gotten some. i kind of wish i could have taken home more than one skein... haha but that's probably a given for all of the yarn that i saw :)
i brought home a skein of the artisan sock yarn. i had a hard time photographing this yarn (it also doesn't help that it's such a dreary rainy and dark day today).. there are so many hints of yellows, oranges, pinks and reds in this skein. so so pretty! "strawberry lemonade" is really the perfect name for it! i'm not sure what this will become, but i had to have it. with 400 yds, i have lots of options!
i totally fell in love with these two skeins of periwinkle sheep watercolors sock yarn. they were totally an impulse buy, but i don't care. the grey is called "suits him".. such a nice deep dark grey, still with mature depth to it. and the green is called "meagheen"... very springy. i love it!
whether i keep them together for a project or separate, the outcome will be stunning, i just know it! at a whopping 460 yds per skein i could do so much with this!
as you can probably tell by now, i was totally into the fingering weight yarn on this trip :) i just am loving the possibilities with all of this fantastic yardage!! and this skein of knitted wit cashy light is certainly no different.
the colourway is "black magic" and i guess you could say i was totally under its spell. i was not walking away without it.
and last but not least..
finally my first skein of brooklyn tweed yarn! i was very seriously surprised at how light the loft is! it's beautiful! but will i knit with it? hmm not sure.. this one might be worth something now ;)
haha jared actually said no one has asked him to sign a yarn skein before. us girls felt pretty special ;)
so there you have it! see? i think that's a lot of restraint! of course, i bought needles too... but i'll save that one for another post.. and yep, i did get a few pics of non yarn skeins... but i'll save that also for another post.
we're good with drooling over yarn today, right? yeah. i thought so.
i'm super pleased with my haul, and very excited to knit with it (eventually). i guess i'm into fingering weight projects now? it's ok. i'm totally fine with that. i'd love to hear what your weekend plans are! what do you have on your needles? come chat! xoxo


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Saturday, February 2, 2013
Tire ob thees sheet.
Forgheen' weenter.
I yam forgheen' freezeen'.
Y I yam tire' ob eadeen' forgheen' dry leabs arn the forgheen' terrace.
Wha' does the forgheen' groun' harg say?
Forgheen' groun' harg day.
8 comments:
Forgheen' snow tonight maybe, Estorbo? We read that the groun' harg said spring is coming soon.ReplyDelete
I would be swearing too, if I had to live in a place where it is so forgheen' cold. Do you need a sweater or a hat or boots?ReplyDelete
I can sen' ju sorm snow eef ju wan'. I yam realy forgheen' tire of thees whide storf thad mos' be shorvel' y shorvel' y shorvel'....ReplyDelete
Me? Tire' ob forgheen heat. Almost 40 degrees C.The Secretary says bad words, too.ReplyDelete
I'm with you, Bro. Hate this forgheen weather. Hang on for an early spring.ReplyDelete
We haven't had much winter, but I'm ready for spring, too!ReplyDelete
I'm sure the Smoothman has introduced you to another like-minded beingReplyDelete
And now it is time for the snowstorm of the century. So what am I doing at work? The orchids needed some warmth.ReplyDelete


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Stars descend on the French Riviera as the Cannes Film Festival gets set to start
Down the coast in glam Saint-Tropez, superstar designer Karl Lagerfeld hosted a presentation party for his short film Remember Now on Monday night.
And ahead of the screening of the movie, some of the A-list guests met up in the town's famous Place des Lices for a traditional game of boules.
Dressed in a Chanel skirt, black vest top and casual straw hat, actress Diane Kruger tried her hand at the French pastime, as did her hunky boyfriend Joshua Jackson.
But it was Johnny Depp's French partner Vanessa Paradis who seemed to be showing everyone how it was done, lifting her arms in triumph after making her play.
Other names at the fun bash included former Victoria's Secret model Karolina Kurkova, who stars in the movie, as well as Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall's 18-year-old daughter Georgia May.
Earlier in the day Back-up Plan actress Jennifer Lopez and her husband Marc Anthony were out shopping together, visiting the town's Pucci boutique.
On Friday, the couple enjoyed a family day out in Nice where they took their two-year-old twins Emme and Max for a ride on the carousel in the Monaco Gardens.


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Fall Fun
We are in PEPPER CITY!!! The peppers are in FULL production. We have Spanish padrones, jalapenos, serranos, 2 varieties of Anaheim (Joe E Parker and Big Jim) along with pasillas, tabasco, and then the sweet peppers!!! Right now we have an abundance of RED and sweet Sheepnose Pimento peppers. These little babies are on Slow Food's Ark of Taste list. Last week we were fire roasting the peppers and I thought I was in Albuquerque from the smell!
Our dill is very healthy and of course we are growing WAY more than we need! I guess I will go out and start collecting seeds for use during the year!
We are also in great melon production. Our favorite, Moon and Stars Watermelon, complete with big, black seeds, is so good this year. I will miss having a big slab of it in the fridge. The crop of hard winter squashes are just taking off. They aren't quite ready...but we are growing butternut squash, pumpkins, Sibley squash, also on the ark of taste.
This is a late year for us for eggplant. It is still coming on. I am finally going to make my caponata and see if I can successfully can it. Caponata is a Sicilian eggplant relish and I love it!
The peaches are at an end. Jeff picked the last of them from the tree and made a big batch of jam. I do my best to eat jam every day, otherwise our supplies will be too vast. I think we will see where we can sell it. Maybe we will sell some online.
The pears are here for another couple weeks, the tomatoes are starting to show signs of slowing, but are still wonderful!
Our "shoe peg" dent corn has finally tassled out at 14 feet! We are growing it for cornmeal. Yes, another attempt to do it all!!! We call it the "Field of Dreams" corn patch because you honestly could get lost in it!
Where did summer go? Was it on the fast track? I don't know about you, but I am so happy it is fall. Why? The farm slows down, the catering picks up, it is cooler (or at least it is supposed to be!) and time for slow-cooked "comfort" foods.
I had best get off the computer and out onto the farm to help Farmer Jeff with the chickens. They are all good, healthy and starting their annual molt. We have enough random feathers floating around to make at least one good sized pillow, but I don't think we could ever get the smell out! Yum, chicken feathers!
Labels: Ark of Taste, Caponata, Heirloom Tomatoes, Moon and Stars Watermelon, Sheepnose Pimento Peppers, Shoe Peg Dent Corn, Sibley Squash, Slow Food, Spanish Padrone Peppers


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Past Piano Scholarship Winners 2005-2011
From 2005-2011, the Dakota Foundation for Jazz Education and Schubert Club held an annual piano competition, which awarded three $500 scholarships to piano players in grades 9-12. These scholarships were made possible thanks to endowments to Schubert Club from three families. Past scholarship awardees include Javi Santiago and Joe Strachan, who are accomplished performers and composers who work regularly on the Twin Cities jazz scene.
After 2011, the piano competition evolved into an annual Jazz Piano Workshop, which awards scholarships to promising young piano players (grades 7-12) at varying levels of experience (beginner, intermediate and advanced). The scholarships awarded at the workshop now specifically fund lessons with esteemed local piano teachers, selected by DFJE. The Jazz Piano Workshop provides an opportunity for youth to work in small groups with two local professional pianists, as well as a featured nationally renowned jazz pianist.
Click HERE for more information about this year's Jazz Piano Workshop.
- Nicholas Lee, 18, Randolph High School, NJ, Jane Matteson Scholarship Award
- Sterling Overshown, 17 , High School for Performing and Visual Arts, Houston, TX, David Paulus Scholarship Award
- Quentin Tschofen, 17, Univ. of Minnesota PSEO/Spring Lake Park Lighthouse Program, Robbinsdale, MN, Marie Froelich Scholarship Award
- Quentin Tschofen, 16, Lighthouse Program, Spring Lake Park Schools, Jane Matteson Scholarship and Performance Prize
- Chantil Dukart, 18, Air Academy High School, Colorado Springs, CO, Marie Froelich Scholarship
- Kai Olstad, 17, Northfield High School, David Paulus Scholarship
- Joe Strachan, 18, Northfield High School, Jane Matteson Scholarship and Performance Award
- Chris Misa, Perpich Center for Arts Education, Marie Froelich Memorial Award
- Cody Peterson, Stillwater High School, David Paulus Memorial Award
- Jacob Wittenberg, 17, Henry Sibley High School, Mendota Heights, Performance Award
- Joe Strachan, 17, Northfield High School
- Kevin Kay, St. Cloud Technical High School, Mary Froehlich Scholarship and Performance Award.
- Javier Santiago, 17, Watershead High School, Minneapolis, David Paulus Scholarship.
- Joel Friedman 18, Perpich Center for the Arts in Golden Valley, Jane Matteson Scholarship.
- Jacob Wittenberg , 15, Henry Sibley High School, West. St. Paul, David Paulus Scholarship
- Joel Friedman, 17 , Perpich Center for the Arts, Golden Valley, Marie Froehlich Scholarship
- Javier Santiago, 16, South High School, Minneapolis, Jane Matteson Scholarship
- Jacob Siegel, 16, East View High School, Apple Valley, David Paulus Memorial Award.
- Elizabeth Stoiaken, 17, DeLaSalle High School, Minneapolis, Marie Froelich Memorial Award
- Micah Fitch, 18, Minneapolis South High School, Dakota Foundation Scholarship


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iguy to the rescue on a sick day2:33 PM
I am almost 99% sure I've had pneumonia for the last three weeks or according to web MD it could possibly be tumors. Also there is a slim possibility that I only have a chest cold and web MD brings out my psychosomatic side. Either way I only get about a day or two grace period until it is time for mom to just suck it up and get back to work. So what happens when mom is sick and the kids get sick too? Im not to proud to say it but TV is what happens... lots and lots of TV... and ice cream. And my new ipad could not have come more in handy than these last few weeks. Because of this handy contraption iGuy (iPad cases) I wasn't afraid to let my wiggly/sickly six year old play around with my new ipad. It was so nice I could dose off with my little inflicted companion next to me in bed while he kept busy watching cartoons on netflix and playing educational game. (Its so weird that when little kids get sick it doesn't look the same as when grown ups get sick. ) The great thing about the iGuy is that its drop tested approved plus it has these really cute little arms that double and perfect hand holders for little hands for a better grip. This cute little iguy can also stand up on his own as well. Ive already had a few of my friends ask me where I got the iGuy cover.
Somehow my son got better after about two days and Im still hacking up a lung in the mornings. But it was just Me, my little guy, and iGuy for two days strait. We really got to know each other and become friends. Now I just have to convince my son to stop faking sick so he can have more sick days in bed with mom and iGuy.
If you would like an iGuy for yourself... Good news... we are going to have a giveaway soon so keep an eye out for it and stop by and enter to win!
So stay well... but if the cold season get you to, may you have a wonderful TV day with lots of ice cream!


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Freestyle: Interview with Rashaad Newsome
Today, from our friends at Guernica, we bring you curator Laura Blereau in conversation with artist Rashaad Newsome. Newsome says, "I'm playing with gender and roles that are shifting as this elaborate allegory for transformation. The body can change. That's ultimate emancipation, to just completely change your body, to change your physicality." This article was originally published on March 17, 2014. Guernica: The kind of art that you create[…..]


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The South Carolina Whittle Families
Sixth Generation
17328. Eldridge Jay Whittle (Burris, James Sr., Joseph, Ely, Ruben) was born 4 Mar 1898 in Callihan, Conecuh, AL and died 17 May 1960 in Milton, Santa Rosa County, FL.
There are enough reports on Ancestry.com to assume Eldridge married Edna Earle Bass, and they had 5 children.
1 F i Annette Elizabeth "Boots" Whittle 2 F ii Edwina Whittle 3 F iii Dorothy Murl "Peggy" Whittle 4 F iv Edna Joanne Whittle 5 M v J Francis Whittle - born 1930.
17329. Thomas Jefferson Whittle (Burris, James Sr., Joseph, Ely, Ruben) was born 3 Apr 1900 in Callihan, Conecuh, AL and died 21 Sep 1972 in Milton, Santa Rosa County, FL.
Tom and his wife Charlie B. (unknown) are found on the 1930 census with 2 daughters.
1 F i Bettie J. Whittle - born 1927. 2 F ii Geraldine Whittle - born 1929.
181121. Calvin Louis Whittle (Burris, James Sr., John, Hartwell, Calvin M.) was born 2 Jul 1902 in Alameda County, CA and died 17 Aug 1998 in Diablo, Contra Costa County, CA.
Calvin's father succeeded in getting his son appointed to West Point in 1920.
Courtesy the Oakland Tribune - 14 Sep 1946
Calvin married Iris N. (unknown) and they may have had 2 children. There is also a record of his 2nd marriage at age 83 to Maria V. Villasantew (Walker).
18132. James Oscar Whittle (Burris, James Sr., John, Hartwell, Amos) was born 12 Apr 1878 and died 14 Feb 1931 in Batesburg, SC.
James Oscar was a farmer who lived in Ward, SC. He married Clara (unknown).The children of their marriage are:
1 F i Marrilla Whittle - born 1901. 2 F ii Beatrice Whittle - born 1903. 3 F iii Evie Lou Whittle - born 1904 and died 1989. 4 F iv Lillie M. Whittle - born 1906. 5 M v Curtis Whittle - born 1908.
18411. Jesse Clifton Whittle (Burris, James Sr., John, John W, Allison) was born Sep 1876 in Ward Township, Edgefield County, SC and died 25 Jun 1949.
Jesse and his wife Francis Mable Salters appear on the 1910 census with 3 children. Francis apparently died before the 1930 census, as Jesse is married to the former Bertha Day Fulmer. Three Fulmer children are available to help them on their farm. Ruby, J.C. and Mary are Bertha's children by Jesse, A.W.'s obituary confirms his mother as Francis Salters. Bertha died in 1984.
1 M i Clarence Wilbur Whittle - born 30 May 1901. 2 M ii Otis Clifton Whittle - born in 1907. 3 F iii Ethel Mae Whittle - born in 1909 and died in 1963. She married a McGee. 4 F iv Leveta Myra Whittle - born in 1914. She married a Eckert. 5 F v Edith Wilson Whittle - born in 1919. She married a Brown. 6 M vi George Cleveland Whittle - born in 1921 and died in 1961. 7 M vii Allison Wesley (A.W.) Whittle - born in 1923 and died 25 May 2007. 8 F viii Ruby Ellamae Whittle - born in 1926. 9 M ix Jesse Clifton (J.C.) Whittle - born in 1928. 10 F x Mary Helen Whittle - married a Sills.
18412. John Wesley Whittle (Burris, James Sr., John, John W, Allison) was born 12 Feb 1878 in Ward Township, Edgefield County and died 10 May 1964 in Blythe, GA.
On the 1920 census John is living with his brother Moses. Our thanks to Katrina G. Ray for providing us with information about John and his family:
"And here's another interesting twist to the story. John's first wife was Levita Baston, sister of Leona Baston who married Moses Whittle. Levita died shortly after their daughter, Lucille was born. By 1930, John married Leona's half-sister, Ruth C. Kilpatrick. Ruth and John had a daughter together, named Cora Dell."
Courtesy of Katrina G. Ray - July, 2008
1 F i Lucille Whittle - Married J. T. Hancock. 2 F ii Cora Dell Whittle - Apparently never married.
18415. Moses Culbreath Whittle (Burris, James Sr., John, John W, Allison) was born 14 Oct 1888 in Ward Township, Edgefield County and died 20 Sep 1960 in Keysville, Burke County, GA.
Moses is a farm laborer living with his older brother Jesse in 1910. He married a Georgia lady named Leona B. Killpotree and moved to Grovetown, Columbia County, GA before 1920. Our thanks to Katrina G. Ray for providing us with information about his family:
"Leona B. Killpotree is actually Leona Baston. She was the daughter of Cora Bruckner and Will Baston. Cora and Will had another daughter named Levita Baston, who married Mose's brother, John W. Whittle, and they had a daughter named Lucille, but by 1920, Levita Baston was dead, and John W. Whittle was living in the household of his brother, Moses.
Cora Bruckner Baston married Henry Kilpatrick after her first husband Will Baston died, and lived in the household of her daughter, Leona, and son-in-law, Moses, with another daughter from her second marriage, Ruth C. Kilpatrick in 1920. I can understand everyone's confusion here, with the second marriage of Leona's mother, having a half-sister with a different last name, and the mis-spelling of Kilpatrick, but Leona's maiden name was actually Baston.
I am kin to the Whittles through Cora Bruckner, who was my Gr.Gr.Gr. Aunt."
Courtesy of Katrina G. Ray - July, 2008
Three children have been found from census data and are verified by his obituary.
1 F i Lois E. Whittle - born 1917. She married Ralph Douglas Gay. Lois died 18 Sep 1995 in Augusta, GA. 2 M ii John C. Whittle - born 1919. 3 F iii C. Pauline Whittle - born in 1922. She married Johnnie Williams.
18421. Preston Lewis "Press" Whittle (Burris, James Sr., John, John W, Floyd) was born 20 Jan 1885 in Saluda County and died 16 Oct 1955 in Aiken County, SC.
Preston married Essie Derrick. He is selling automobiles on the 1930 census and Essie is working at the cotton mill.
1 F i Etta Whittle - born in 1913. 2 F ii Elmira Whittle - born in 1921.
Courtesy of Brenda Laney - 14 Sep 2014
18423. Jacob "Jake" Whittle (Burris, James Sr., John, John W, Floyd) was born 29 Apr 1890 in Saluda County.
Jake andd Annie (unknown) are raising their children and both are working in a cotton mill in 1930.
1 F i Lola M. Whittle - born 1912. She married a Pennsylvania man named George W. Chesney and they are living with Jake and Annie in 1930. 2 F ii Arretta Whittle - born in 1918. 3 M iii Edward Whittle - born 1920. 4 F iv Louise Whittle - born in 1925.
18428. John Wesley Whittle (Burris, James Sr., John, John W, Floyd) was born in 1902 in Saluda County and died there in May 1962.
John Wesley is found on the 1930 census at Ft. Screvan, Chatham, GA. He was a career US Army veteran. John married Angelina Alonzo and they had one daughter. Both John and Angelina are buried at Shiloh Methodist Church cemetery, Saluda, SC.
1 F i Linda Ann Whittle - married a Long.
18429. James Albert Whittle (Burris, James Sr., John, John W, Floyd) was born in 1907 and died in Aiken County, SC in 1979.
James married Ola Mae Barton. Their children are:
1 M i Billy Whittle 2 M ii Bobby Whittle 3 F iii Helen Whittle - married a McGee. 4 F iv Oni Whittle - married a Saltz.
184210. Floyd Tracy Whittle, Sr. (Burris, James Sr., John, John W, Floyd) was born 30 Dec 1909 and died 15 Jun 1994 in Augusta, GA.
Our thanks to Mark Anthony Whittle for providing this information about his grandfather. "Floyd married Hassie Elizabeth Rodgers of Saluda County in April 1929. He worked in cotton mills, welder in shipyards, and carpenter in commercial construction."
Courtesy of Mark Anthony Whittle - June 2008
1 F i Doris Elizabeth Whittle - born in Aiken, SC February 2, 1930, died in Saluda County December 24, 2004. She married Melvin Turner and they have 2 children. Buried in Shiloh Methodist Church cemetery, Saluda, SC. 2 M ii Floyd Tracy "Jack" Whittle, Jr - born in Aiken, SC August 7, 1931, died in Saluda County June 27, 2007. Buried in Shiloh Methodist Church cemetery, Saluda, SC. 3 M iii Roland Wesley Whittle - born in Aiken, SC March 2, 1938, died in Saluda County January 29, 2000. Buried in Zoar Methodist Church cemetery, Saluda, SC. 4 M iv Thomas Edward Whittle - born August 12, 1942, lives in Honea Path, SC.
18511. James Benjamin Whittle (Burris, James Sr., John and Elijah, William Manchester, Levi Burdette) was born 26 Dec 1876 in Batesburg, SC and died 10 Nov 1935.
Our thanks to Brenda Laney for providing this account of James Benjamin Whittle.
"James had a photography studio over Mr. Harris' drugstore in Batesburg from about 1901 until 1907 or 1908. His studio was mentioned in the book, "Partners With The Sun, South Carolina Photographers 1840-1940" by Harvey S Teal. Then he worked for the Post Office as a mail carrier."
Courtesy of Brenda Laney - April, 2007
"He married first, Claudia Rikard, born 3 Apr 1887, daughter of John and Roseanna Rikard. Claudia died 6 Apr 1924 and is buried Batesburg Cemetery, Batesburg, SC. They had 3 children."
1 M i James Woodrow Whittle - born about 1920. He lived in St. Petersburg, Florida in 1954. 2 F ii Ruby Whittle - born 11 May 1920 and died May 1987. She married a Mitchell and lived in Augusta, GA. 3 M iii David L Whittle - born 21 Aug 1923 and lived in Washington, DC in 1954.
"James married second, Sara Elizabeth Goff Adams. According to a relative (who remembers James, Claudia & Elizabeth), James asked Elizabeth to come and help with the children, they fell in love and got married. Elizabeth was born 23 Oct 1876 and died 6 Aug 1954. She is buried Batesburg Cemetery, SC. There were no known children from either of Elizabeth's marriages."
18515. William Furman Whittle (Burris, James Sr., John and Elijah, William Manchester, Levi Burdette) was born 31 Jul 1886 in Batesburg, SC and died 31 Aug 1982 in Columbia, SC.
Our thanks to Brenda Laney for providing this account of William Furman Whittle.
"William Furman Whittle retired from Richland Mills in Columbia, SC. He was a charter member and lifetime deacon of South Beltline Baptist Church. Broadway Baptist Church, where he attended most of his life, was sold to the University of South Carolina and the congregation moved and became South Beltline Baptist. W F Whittle went by "Furman" and was called "Uncle Bub" by his siblings and their families. He was an "inventor" at home and whenever the church needed something, he always seemed to have it. He used a commercial fan to cool the house in a hallway upstairs at the house they lived in. Although the family teased him about it, it really worked well. He always told us that he had never been sick in his life except for having the flu in 1932. He died in 1982 at the age of 96. Furman and Ida had been married 68 years when Ida died in 1978. Three of his four sons served in World War II. All saw combat and all returned home safely. Furman never learned to drive and never had a driver's license but he did buy a car one time. We asked if he was going to learn to drive. He told us no but when he asked someone to take him somewhere he would have a car for them to drive."
Courtesy of Brenda Laney
William Furman Whittle married Ida Catherine Day, born 5 Jan 1891, daughter of James Day and Mary Rish. She died 6 Nov 06 1978 and is buried at Greenlawn Memorial Park, Columbia, SC with her husband. William and Ida were married on 2 Jan 1910.
Courtesy of James Benjamin Whittle - Whittle Photography, Batesburg, SC
The children of William Furman Whittle and Ida Catherine Day are:
1 M i Lee Odis Whittle - born 25 Mar 1911. 2 M ii William Thurman Whittle - born 8 Oct 1913. 3 F iii Vinira Oclee Whittle - born 28 Mar 1912, died 25 Jul 1912. 4 M iv James Edward Whittle - born 21 Aug 1916. 5 F v Frances Ruth Whittle - born 27 Jan 1919 and died 14 Oct 1969. She married Thomas Eugene Strickland. 6 F vi Mary Vedilia Whittle - born 18 Apr 1922. She married (1) Bye Moore (2) Don Grenade. 7 M vii Lee Roy Whittle - born 30 Oct 1924, died 13 May 1925. 8 M viii Calvin Whittle - born 3 May 1927.
18611. Horace Manchester Whittle (Burris, James Sr., John, Meady, Luther) was born 22 Jul 1886 in Aiken, SC and died in Graniteville, SC in 1920.
Based on information posted by his granddaughter on Ancestry.com, Horace married Minnie Lee Booth. Horace and Minnie are on the 1910 census. Minnie told the census taker that she lost her first child. Neither Horace or Minnie are found in 1920, the parents of the granddaughter are presently unknown.
23571. Charles Bert Whittle (Burris, James Sr., Ira, James Wesley, Charles Brown) was born 22 Oct 1910 in Columbia,SC and died 18 Mar 1981.
Charley spend most of his life in the finance department of the US army. He married Reba Quattlebaum but no children are listed in his obituary.
Courtesy of Brenda Laney - 2015
23572. Harold Whittle (Burris, James Sr., Ira, James Wesley, Charles Brown) was born 23 Mar 1913 in Columbia,SC and died after 1947.
Harold wrote his own biography. He was in the USMC and was almost everywhere. He wasn't always a "good boy" but he had a mission.
Courtesy of Brenda Laney - 2015


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About us
Models, pricing & options
Photo gallery
Video gallery
Available now
The E-series
How we build guitars
Ordering & delivery
Lifetime warranty
Guitar buyers guide
The E-Series
Own a unique custom acoustic guitar, handmade entirely from English grown timbers.
Our signature guitar spec is the 'E' series made entirely from English grown timbers. The soundboard, bracing, fretboard, bridge – every fine detail is crafted from English grown timbers.
Our tonewoods are chosen carefully, creatively and intelligently fulfilling the characteristics of an articulate guitar.
Our English guitars easily match the performance of our guitars made from traditional materials, but carry the special quality of being made in England from all English woods.
This spec can be applied to any of our models. For example, the TG becomes the TGE.
E-series gallery
Click through the images to learn about some of the timbers we use
Bog Oak fretboard
English Elm Burr Rosette
Bog Oak bindings and English Walnut back and sides
Red Western Cedar soundboard
Spalted Beech headstock veneer
English Walnut bindings and Yew back and sides
English Yew soundboard
Bog Oak, Walnut and Yew rosette
Bog Oak back and sides
Ash neck
Cherry back and sides
English Sycamore headstock veneer
Bog Oak back and sides
Monterey Cypress soundboard
English Spalted Apple back and sides with bog oak binding
E-series tonewood options
Learn more about some of the English wood that we use on our guitars
English Walnut
A rich-chocolatey colour, English Walnut (Juglans regia) is a fine looking timber. Open grained with a golden sap, this timber can also have characteristics such a flame and curl.
English Walnut is a medium density hard timber and projects a warmth in its tap tone.
The sets we have are sourced from fallen trees around England that have been sold by private land owners to timber merchants, so it may have even lived in someone's back garden once upon a time.
Bog Oak
5,000 year old Bog Oak is definitely the UK's most rare and precious timber and its use as a guitar timber is steadily growing in popularity. The history in how it came to be is quite remarkable. You can read about it in a
blog post
we dedicated to this amazing wood.
Bog Oak has a weight ratio of over 900 kilos per cubic metre and between 35-40 annular rings per inch, so it is comparable to some of the world's most highly-valued and sought after tropical hardwood.
And when it comes to the aesthetics, it's black and just oozes 'cool'. When Oak is quarter sawn, it often has some attractive grain figure running through it too.
English Yew (Taxus baccata) is a gloriously beautiful timber and a native species in England. The timber can often be quite knotty so finding high-grade Yew is harder and highly prized.
The colour of Yew can vary widely from oranges to yellow, dark streaking and even pink around areas exposed to iron (nails in trees for example)
It is classed as a softwood but maintains a strong and hard feel that will deliver a warm but articulate tone.
English Apple
More associated with Cider in England, the apple tree also delivers a fine timber that can most definitely be used in guitar making.
The timber is fairly dense and hard so a punchy tap tone is produced when excited. Colours range from warm oranges to deep purples and greens.
London Plane
This current batch of London Plane has been sourced from trees around the prestigious Berkley Square in Chelsea London. This timber has very similar characteristics to Maple, but can be quite easily distinguished by the distinct 'flecking' pattern within the grain structure.
A fairly dense and reflective timber, London Plane makes for an excellent tonewood with a very striking look.
Rippled Chestnut
Felled in Cambridgeshire, the sets of Rippled Chestnut that we currently have are truly one of a kind.
The texture of this timber is soft and fine, and would make a very warm sounding guitar. The distinct spalting and ripples found throughout this batch of timber would be most certainly make for a very unique guitar.
Interested in finding out more?
Check out our
models, pricing and build options page
to see all the different choices you can select for your custom guitar.


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Broadcast International says that video encoders built on its CodecSys Video Compression Software and multi-core processors will change the video world. BI says that it can deliver HDTV broadcasts on 90% of PCs and 300 million mobile devices at 3 Mbps or less.
"We use more than one codec...but we use them in a single encoder. Each is good at something in particular, like dark or bright scenes, or slow-motion or fast motion scenes. The system takes a look at the outputs and selects the one that uses least bandwidth and then recombines the outputs. It then checks the final scenes to see how a human eye would perceive it and makes sure the video is of high enough quality," said Tiede.
BI also says that in the future they will be able to get HDTV to 1.5 Mbps. The new codec could represent considerable cost savings in reduced bandwidth for satellite, cable TV, mobile Tv and other providers. The currently used codec for HDTV requires 19.4 Mbps to deliver HDTV.
Via BI


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The Principles on Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit-Sharing
A framework to help gardens and herbaria develop policies and procedures on access and benefit-sharing.
Background to the Principles
Set out in a one-page document, the 'Principles' aim to give guidance on all aspects of botanical institutions' work related to getting access to material, and sharing benefits arising from use of the material. They were developed by an international group of 28 botanic gardens and herbaria from 21 countries. They provide a framework upon which individual institutions can design their own policies on the CBD – taking into account the particular work that garden does, and the particular laws and regulations of its national government.
The Principles:
- are wide-ranging and general in their approach
- apply to all botanical institutions, large and small
- apply to gardens and herbaria with both living and preserved collections
- cover how to get prior informed consent for acquiring material from in situ conditions, and from other ex situ collections, for instance through exchange with other institutions
- outline procedures necessary for the use, exchange and supply of material
- recommend that institutions develop a transparent commercialisation policy
- set out obligations to share benefits from the use of material by an institution
- cover the importance of curation and tracking by an institution as a basis to complying with new obligations under the CBD and national law
- represent a voluntary commitment by gardens and herbaria
If your organisation is interested in endorsing the Principles then please email firstname.lastname@example.com
The Principles
Click for Principles on Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit-Sharing developed by 28 botanic gardens and herbaria from 21 countries worldwide (also available in Chinese, French, German, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish). The list of institutions that have endorsed the Principles can be seen here.
A document providing the Common Policy Guidelines and Explanatory Text to the Principles can be downloaded here (7mb). The explanatory text provides additional information on issues that were raised and discussed during the project and explains why the project participants settled on the language of the Principles and Common Policy Guidelines.


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Douglas Board of Selectmen
Government Study Workshop Minutes
March 5, 2008
Approved November 18, 2008
Call to Order: Chair Mike Hughes called the workshop to order at 6:05 pm in the Resource Room at the Municipal Center.
In attendance: Vice Chair John Bombara, Paula Brouillette, Mitch Cohen, Scott Medeiros, Executive Administrator Mike Guzinski
Chair Announcements: No agenda, open discussion what we're trying to accomplish and leave having some concrete tasks accomplished. Hold the meeting to 2 ½ hours max.
-Executive Administrator: Start with the position we work with most often. Give Mike (Guzinski) some direction, hand over responsibilities as soon as possible, transfer more authority in different degrees, either by Bylaw, Change of Government, act of a Charter, Ballot questions, Town Manager. Need a bylaw, not a policy, that clarifies Mike's expanding role, and this Boards changes. It makes sense for bylaws to be developed that solidifies what the Administrators role is, adds stability and consistency that is the position, regardless of who's on the Board.
-Board of Selectmen: Take a more active roll initially, review recommendations and findings presented by the Government Study, focus on Selectmen Policy to be reviewed and feedback provided by Mike Guzinski how to proceed, and whether the Board feels they can conceivably be changed or not.
-Charter Commission: Haven't formally decided we need one, an 18 – 24 month process, ease transition by making changes as we go along and see how it works out. Biggest concern is education to the public, their reception and / or even comfortable with the change.
Mike Guzinski The risk with a Charter, is you go through a two year process, it could fail at a ballot vote then back to square one. If you build a base of bylaws which essentially establishes the basis of a charter and it fails, you can fall back on the bylaws. Without a Charter the bylaws are the base laws of the community short of what the state law says and sets up your system of government unless there's a state law that prohibits it for your operational government.
Treasurer / Collector Positions / Finance Department: Lengthy Discussion
-Treasurer: Right now works from MGL, if appointed would be under local control
-Audit done by DOR: Recommends a Financial Department, part might be in positions but we're looking to create a financial organization. Mike Guzinski Will look how to proceed and the steps you would take with some of the recommendations in the study and end up with a Financial Department
-Conversion: The two positions be converted from elected to hired, as any other department head and responsible to the Town Manager. No legal reason why you can't go that route. Elected Officials do not come under the purview of this Board, under state law they would continue to the end of their current term and stay in those positions unless the appointing authority made a change. If a new person or incumbent is elected, they would be considered an elected official for the next three years until the end of their term, unless a special election is held before the annual. Making those positions appointed evolves around making sure we have qualified people in those two very important positions in Town.
-Consolidate: The two positions, structure the Finance Department to hire someone in the role as Finance Director responsible for that department and report directly to the Town Administrator. Once an official is appointed, unless there's a bylaw that grants them certain protection, a simple bylaw can eliminate or create positions so you can consolidate and make the system more stable.
-Finance Team: Accountant, Treasurer, Collector, Assistant Assessor.
Mike Guzinski As far as an overall plan, if you were to have a bylaw in place go into effect the same time you were to make any kind of change from elected to appointed officials and creating a finance department, it would answer all financial questions.
-Finance Director: Basically would report to the Executive Administrator, all of the functions of the Accountant, Treasurer, Tax Collector, and those people underneath them would report to the Finance Director.
Consensus of the Board: Focus on the Finance Department and those positions is a great start. We all want it to be successful. Mike Guzinski will develop a timeline for this process to be ready for November: schedule meetings, meet goals and cross off steps as they're completed before the next election. Simultaneously work on the structure of the Finance Department and look at a bylaw that modifies the Executive Administrator's position and converts it to a full Town Manager or his maximum authority in regards to management.
-Mission Statement: Mike Guzinski to get some examples and simultaneously work on the Administration and the Board of Selectmen to develop and adopt one.
-Charter and DPW: Pros and cons for future discussions.
Adjournment: Motion- Scott Medeiros made a motion to adjourn at 8:02 pm. Seconded- John Bombara. All-aye.
Respectfully submitted;
Jane L. Alger
Administrative Secretary


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Since the outbreak of the international financial crisis, China has steered its macro-economic policies so as to expand domestic demand, stimulate imports while stabilising exports, and promote balanced global trade. The results have been noticeable. Between 2008 and 2010, China's imports soared by 23.3 per cent, creating a trillion-dollar market for the rest of the world. At the same time, its trade surplus shrank from nearly $300 billion at its peak in 2008 to $107.1 billion as of the first three quarters of 2011, decreasing as a percentage of GDP from 6.5 per cent to 2.2 per cent. In short, China has become an important factor in promoting balanced global trade growth, and world economic recovery.
This growth in imports is the result of a rapid transformation of our economic model. In recent years, China has actively expanded domestic demand; promoted an economy driven equally by consumption, investment and exports; worked for greater liberalisation of trade and investment; continued to provide stronger policy support for increasing imports; and strived for balanced trade. We have phased out import licensing requirements for more than 800 tariff lines, and abolished customs duties on goods from 95 per cent of the world's least-developed countries. At a time when the financial crisis was sweeping the world, our government also organised more than 30 large trade missions to buy from abroad.
This strategy, together with the sustained and rapid development of our economy, has provided a market for the rest of the world of unprecedented scale. China is now the largest export market for Japan, Korea, south-east Asia, Brazil and South Africa. It is the second-largest export market for the EU, and the third largest for the US. For many American and European businesses, it was orders coming from China that enabled them to restart production after the crisis hit, and put their employees back to work.
Today, world trade is still not balanced, which is an outcome of industrial divisions among different countries in the course of economic globalisation. Tackling the imbalances in global trade is a complex and long-term issue, which calls for concerted and unremitting efforts from all sides.
As China implements a more proactive strategy to open up its economy, our imports will exceed $1.7 trillion this year, and amount to roughly $10 trillion over the next five years, on a par with our exports. Yet it is a cause for concern that particular countries are disregarding China's efforts to promote balanced global trade, and have been politicising economic issues, using protectionist trade and currency arrangements to bash China for political reasons. Such attempts will not help resolve their own domestic strife; rather, they could negate our efforts to expand imports, crush global market confidence and cast a dark shadow over the recovery prospects of the world economy.
The financial crisis has been dragging on for three years, causing huge damage to the world economy – and to developing economies in particular. In many countries, the pace of recovery has slowed; the world is poised at a complex, sensitive and unstable juncture.
History tells us that moments of critical crisis call for strengthened international co‑operation. Only through co‑operation can we ensure growth, and only through co‑ordination can we achieve stability. We hope that other countries can adopt a longer-term vision and a more open mindset, engage more in co-operation and partnership and less in the blame game, and join together to sail in the same boat through the current difficulties. China stands ready to work with other countries to strengthen dialogue and co-ordination on macro-economic controls, resist trade protectionism, disperse the haze cast by the global financial crisis, and promote a robust, sustainable and balanced world economy.
Chen Deming is the Chinese minister of commerce