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It's December 20th. You've gotten most of your shopping out of the way, but you still have some unfinished holiday business. Whether you're a procrastinator, broke, found out that your nephew's girlfriend will be showing up to Christmas dinner after all, haven't the foggiest clue what to get the receptionist at work, or need to round out a couple gifts, this list will inspire you to make something awesome that will be totally worthy of gifting.
Although you can probably knock out several of these projects with your existing supplies, there are probably a few that will require a special trip. If you want some more ideas and inspiration, check out my Pinterest boards titled "Cheapskate's Guide to DIY Christmas Gifting 2012" and "Holidays 2012" (which includes general entertaining ideas, as well as holiday specific pins).
With that being said, here's the list of ideas. If you have any ideas you'd like to add, please drop a comment.
1- Coasters! There are a zillion different tutorials out there. Here are some fun looking ones: etched tile coasters (I think that you could use this tute as a basis for glitter embellished coasters- just glitter the etched parts), beer cap coasters, Scrabble tiles coasters, Perler bead coasters, scrap yarn crocheted flower coasters, and painted cork coasters.
2- Glittered stuff! The holidays are all about glitz, glimmer, and decadence. Glittering is a great, inexpensive way to introduce some shimmer and sparkle into your gift giving. On my glittered tealight holder tutorial, I give you the basics on how to glitter up your life. Glue, glitter, and spray with clear coat. It's really that easy. The only difficult part is finding more things to glitter!
3- The old crafter's standby: a scarf. Luckily, knitting looms are popular right now and make a bulky scarf super fast & easy to knit. I knocked this one out in maybe ten hours; it's a honeycomb scarf knitted with one skein of Woolease Thick n' Quick.
4- Glittered animal ornaments. I am loving this "spray painted animal figures" trend, and these ornaments are the best.
5- Hot cocoa in a labeled mason jar. The great thing about this one is that it really works for any sort of mix in a jar and any of these gifts are quick and perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth.
6- Embroidered felt ornaments. Easy to put together, easy to customize, but note that they are deceptively time consuming (depending on the amount of detail involved).
7- Beaded bracelets; simple bracelets are totally trendy and are pretty easy to make, even if you're like me and tend to drop beads everywhere. Check out these tutorials for some inspiration: DIY beaded bracelet, sliding knot adjustable bracelet, wrapped leather bracelets, or diy fishtail braided anchor bracelet.
8- Block prints. Block prints are fun and easy to make; however, since carving the blocks can be a little time consuming, I recommend these if you're planning on either selling the designs or making a lot of prints for a lot of people.
9- Silk screened designs. I scored two jars of Speedball silk screen ink at the thrift store for only $.99 each (I love you, Philly Aids Thrift!), and I can't wait to try this! (Check out this post on Craftster for silk screening tips and tricks.)
10- Baked goods/candies. One caveat: if you don't bake often, do at least one test run before giving them out. When your baked goods are amazing, people assume they're a thousand times more difficult than they really are. When they're subpar, people think you half assed it. Some recipes/tutorials: chocolate covered pretzel rods, fleur de sel caramels, caramel & chocolate dipped marshmallows, sriracha salt, snickerdoodle blondies, and peanut butter kiss cookies (with a twist! hot pink dough + Hershey's hugs = a hot pink zebra cookie).
11- Personalized coffee mugs. I haven't yet tried this project, but it's on the list of "OMG GOTTA MAKE 'EM!" (Pair them with #5, #6 or #10 for an extra special themed gift!)
12- Personalized gift box. For this specific one, I was rounding out my baby second cousin's Christmas gift when I realized I had some gift boxes in my stash. I quickly sketched out her first initial, transferred it onto the lid using carbon paper, painted a base coat for the M (using a Sharpie paint pen), then glittered the blue section. Once the blue dried, I glittered the M, marked the bottom of the lid on the box, and glittered the gold section. I added some complimentary ribbon and some metal charms with hot glue, sprayed the whole thing down with clear coat, and it was ready to be stuffed with little presents. If my five year old cousin's reaction is any indication, most five year olds will think this gift is baller as shit. When she saw it, she shrieked "IT'S GOT AN 'M' ON IT. THAT MEANS IT'S FOR MEEEEEEE!" And, well, any crafter can tell you that type of reaction is about the best thing you can hear.
13- Kitchen (or otherwise) art. Lightweight, paper mache' letters can be found at any craft or art supply store, but if you have a workshop with the proper saw, you should easily be able to sketch out and cut these letters out of lightweight wood, sand, and paint.
14- Christmas stockings! There are about a bazillion different stocking tutorials, but I've gotta point out these upcycled stockings made out of old sweaters. They are adorable!
15- Etched drinking glasses! Yeah, I know, this is the third craft involving glass etching cream, but I love it. It's an easy and relatively inexpensive way to customize glass or mirrors. This is a fun one to combine with coasters and an alcohol related baked good. (Unfortunately, you need a week for this pepper vodka to fully infuse, so you're out of luck for Christmas Day, but you're in luck if you need a New Year's hostess gift!)
16- Canned goods. Yes, Virginia, you can can foods in the winter! The linked post includes links to a ton of seasonally appropriate foods to can. (Note: YMMV depending on your area. Don't forget to quickly research which foods are in season before taking on this project.)
Hopefully, these ideas will give you a jumping point for your extremely last minute Christmas crafting. Good luck and happy crafting!


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Eric Chavez, fill-in superstarBy
It was just a footnote in last night's win over the Rangers, but Eric Chavez hit another homer as he fills in for the injured Alex Rodriguez. The no-doubt blast — it cleared the home bullpen and landed in the right field bleachers — was his 13th homer of the season, raising his season line to .293/.350/.540 in 220 plate appearances. That looks an awful lot like the .275/.350/.496 batting line he put up during his glory days with the Athletics from 1998-2005.
"It's hard to argue with what he's done," said Joe Girardi about his temporary third baseman after last night's game. "He has been great for us. He's in the middle of one rally, adds an add-on run later on to make it 6-2, and those runs are important because you can give (David Robertson), (Rafael Soriano) and some of your guys a day off. You might say 'You won by six runs,' but any time you can do that, it's important when you're in a stretch of 20 days in a row."
The Yankees plucked Chavez off the scrap heap last season and he did a decent job for them off the bench, hitting .263/.320/.356 in 175 plate appearances while missing a bunch of time with a foot injury. It was his most playing time in five years due to all those back and shoulder and neck problems, and his value stemmed primarily from his knack for the big hit — Chavez put up a .416/.468/.537 line with runners in scoring position and had a number of big, late-inning knocks. He was a solid role player, that's pretty much it, but this year he'd become so much more.
The difference between Chavez this year and last year is the power production, which I'm sure is even surprising Chavez and the Yankees at this point. His .247 ISO is the second highest of his career, and his 20.3 HR/FB% is a career-best since the data started being recorded in 2002. Although the friendly confines of Yankee Stadium are surely helping him out, Hit Tracker classified eight of his 13 dingers as either "Plenty" or "No-Doubters." Those are balls that landed at least 50 feet beyond the wall. Three of the 13 were opposite field jobs out to left, and all three came on the road (one at CitiField, two at Comerica Park). So yeah, not all of these homers are squeaking over the short porch.
I wish I could find the link now, but I remember seeing an interview with then-pro scouting director and current assistant GM Billy Eppler last summer where he mentioned that when the Yankees look for part-time players, they target players who used to be stars because they know what it takes to perform at a high-level on a daily basis. For some reason that quote stuck with me. Chavez doesn't have the resume of Andruw Jones or Ichiro Suzuki, but he was very much a star-caliber player back in the day. He hit for average, hit for power, got on-base, and played a world class third base for a half-decade on a contending team. This guy knows what he's doing, and he's paying huge dividends for the Bombers this summer.
Girardi has done a pretty good job of keeping Chavez rested, but it can't be easy to sit him on the bench for a day or two when he's hitting like this. He's the oldest 34-year-old in the league given his injury history, so maintaining that delicate balance between keeping him productive and keeping him healthy will be one of the skipper's biggest challenges going forward. Chavez has turned himself into one of the more indispensable players on the team with his performance, stepping up in a huge way when A-Rod went down. I also think he's one of the easiest-to-root-for players the Yankees have had in quite some time, and not just because he's mashing at the plate.
79 Comments»
It's too bad that Chavez can't play everyday. It makes me wonder if he would actually be a better play than A-Rod if he could play everyday.
If he could play everyday and hit 30 HR's there is a very good chance he wouldn't be on the Yankees. Enjoy what he's giving the team and hope he wants to stay for a similar playing time structure next year regardless of paycheck.
It's tough to say because Girardi has kept him away from LHP, and he has a huge platoon split over his career (picking up McGehee seems like another shrewd under the radar move).
If he is playing everyday, besides the wear and tear, his numbers would come down from facing lefties.
Ya know people talk a lot about Chavez's fragility but Arod can't play everyday either. He falls apart too. I hope we see Chavez at 3b a few playoff games and let Arod dh.
Agree. Chavez has done more than they possibly could have hoped for. Wonder if his body will allow him to keep playing past this year. Andruw Jones on the other hand………… well, lets not go there
Hopefully he will be back next year. I like him a lot.
Not so sure what's wrong with Andruw Jones. He's a 4th OFer/DH with a .760 OPS. Sure, his BA isn't that great, but he hits for power, doesn't hurt the Yankees in the field. Remember, these are bench/role players. Chavez is an anomaly for a bench pickup, not the norm.
Jones strikes out way too much. A guy like Melky Mesa can fill that role for a whole lot less
Oh my gosh, I really hope this is sarcasm, because if you think Jones strikes out too much, just wait for the Melky Mesa show.
Because Mesa would have the strikeouts without the .760 OPS.
If you think Jones strikes out too much, I don't see how the answer can be Melky Mesa. There's a chance that he would be a far inferior hitter, and he would almost certainly strike out more than Jones does. Andruw is cheap enough where I don't understand why people are expecting much more than what he's doing.
Gotta be a joke. How could you possibly know this?
adruw jones has 175 abs and 12 hr. wtf more do you want in a 4th OF/rh bat of a platoon? he is a part time player signed to be a righty power bat. and is doing that.
for reference, the dude who leads ML in HR, adam dunn, has 33 hr in 404 abs….he strikes out a bit too. and id take him this yr without hesitation.
I believe NY was hoping more for the 2011 version of Andruw when he batted .286 vs. LHP. This season he´s hitting a meager .218 vs. LHP. That´s shit poor.
His BA can be corrected in a short hot stretch. Not too worried about it.
The grass is always……something.
not sure if serious or prospect colored glasses got you down… either way, not likely.
Jones is what he is at this point, and that is a fringe HoF player in the twilight of his career just looking to get a ring and help out in a reduced role.
See also: Ibanez, Chavez, Ichiro, Lowe
Found the Eppler Link:
This made me sad.
". . . when the Yankees look for part-time players, they target players who used to be stars because they know what it takes to perform at a high-level on a daily basis." And now you know why Derek Lowe is in the Yankee bullpen.
Seems like the philosophy is working for the most part.
Eric Chavez is the best FA signing Cashman has ever made. When Alex returns Chavez should be the DH vs righties not Ibanez, period. You can't have his bat sitting on the bench in October.
Just like Ichiro was his best trade ever?
I'd say Sabathia was probably his best. And if you count international free agents, then Cano. Chavez is a great pick up, but calling him Cashman's best signing ever just isn't true.
I still think Mussina is Cashman's best signing. I suppose if you consider the Sabathia contract over now because of the whole opt-out issue it might be him, but since technically he signed an extension I think Sabathia is still being evaluated. Particularly with the 2 DL stints this year, putting CC over Moose is jumping the gun in my opinion.
Yeah, I think I'd go with Moose for now too.
Maybe, but Sabathia is a better pitcher than Moose. I love Moose though. Forgot about that signing. Damon's was pretty good, too.
I humbly disagree that CC is the better of the 2. Check out their 1st 12 seasons ( which is how long CC been pitching) if you go by WAR Mussina is slightly ahead. Mussina was also a solid postseason pitcher. Long live Moose!
It's Eddard's M.O. He says outlandish things, often contradicting himself from one post to the next, with wild mood swings from one day to the other depending on a Yankee win or loss the day before. Then he doesn't post again to any responses. I'm starting to think it's completely an act. Nobody could be this much of a dullard on a daily basis. If it is an act, I have to say, he's brilliant at it. If it's not, and he truly believes the nonsense he writes, YIKES!
Who cares? He can do whatever he wants.
LOL @ you for being 'the guy that has it all figured out'.
I stand corrected. I thought nobody could be more of a dullard on a daily basis. Thanks for contributing your 'thoughts' and proving me wrong.
It's RI$P's M.O
I actually think Eddard is another of RI$P's handles he uses on here.
He can do whatever he wants. And it makes him subject to responses from other people, who, similarly, can do whatever they want.
You're something, you are.
I'd go with Sabathia as well. It was the guy he wanted for years, he wasn't going to be swayed, he went and got him.
Chavez wasnt even his best FA signing this season. That would be Kuroda.
The Return of the man they call Andy Petitte was the best Cashman signing ever.
That said, Chavez was Cashman's best scrap heap signing ever.
Not bad for a "square peg"…
We made it this far without a mention of the best baseball .gif of the year? For shame RAB
I'm pretty sure it was in one of the Open Threads several days ago.
I meant this far in this Ode to Chavy.
That one is good, but I like the Mark Reynolds one better.
I haven't seen that one till now, and i'm glad you put up the link.
COuldnt hold back the laughter on that one.
for real, that is absolutely priceless. Chavy's expression is awesome.
Alot of folks here are too young to remember, but Chavez's sudden, unlikley late-career revival — just when the Yankees needed something like it — reminds me of Catfish Hunter's second half in 1978. Catfish had seemed hopelessly done, especially after an early season bombing at Fenway. But a doctor did an unusual arm manipulation, and Catfish came back almost like the 20-game winner of old. He was close to undefeated down the stretch — a stretch where, obviously, every game counted, since the Yanks and Sox finished the 162-game season tied — and even won the clinching game of the Series.
It;s worth noting that Cat was never much after that — 2-9 in '79, after which he retired. So maybe you don't want to expect too much of Chavez from here on. But it's great to watch him perform at this level one more time after it seemed he was done. And, from his point of view — thinking he could just as easily be sitting home retired — he must feel like he's dreaming.
I remember the 1978 season one of the most memorable seasons ever.
Dig this:
2nd half of the season
Guidry 12-2 1.48 ERA
Figueroa 13-3 2.46 ERA
Catfish 10-3 2.88 ERA
combined 35-8.
Hunter´s father passed away in 1979 and then Munson´s tragic end took the wind out of Catfish´s sails and so he retired. He was only like 32-33 yrs old.
" I also think he's one of the easiest-to-root-for players the Yankees have had in quite some time, and not just because he's mashing at the plate."
Totally agreed.
My only concern is Chavez's health but sure enjoy his play!
The fact that he has an injury history is really the only thing that makes him a Yankee. If he didn't have that injury history, he wouldn't be a bench player right now to A-Rod. So yea, I take that injury history as a positive for the Yankees because thats why they have someone as good as Chavez as a backup. Plus, Chavez is great, I love how after one season with the Yankees, he was like Yankees or retirement. It says something about the team to get that kind of loyalty from a guy who spent just one year with them, same goes to Jones who signed with the Yankees with more lucrative chances in the market.
Had to break out a temporary new handle for today with Hiroki pithcing and that triple by Ichiro last night.
"It says something about the team to get that kind of loyalty from a guy who spent just one year with them, same goes to Jones who signed with the Yankees with more lucrative chances in the market."
This was not the case for the Yankees during the "down years" of '80s and '90s. The Yankees had to over pay to get players to come in. Now, it seems they can almost underpay for players that can contribute, but are past their prime. They want to win and the Yankees provide them with that opportunity in what seems to be an enjoyable environment.
This bench is awesome. Cashman gets far too much shit for nothing, he's done a hell of a job.
Totally man-crush.
Funny how here in México the media roots for Adrian Gonzalez as a succesfull mexican player in MLB, and they have never done that with Chavez, not even when he was good with Oakland.
I was living in Oakland during Chavez´ best years and I have to say he was much loved by the Latino community/fan base.
I love it when he blows a kiss to Erica after every great play.
Chavez is really Plouffy?
Probably not, but a little bit of weed = a bit less DL.
True dat.
Precious. Chavez is mah boo, yo.
"I wish I could find the link now, but I remember seeing an interview with then-pro scouting director and current assistant GM Billy Eppler last summer where he mentioned that when the Yankees look for part-time players, they target players who used to be stars because they know what it takes to perform at a high-level on a daily basis. "
it's a great idea if you can get these guys to buy in to that role and the Yankees have done a great job of that….Chavez, Jones, Ichiro, Ibanez….now Derek Lowe. It's good because older ex-every day players can often still play well in spurts….they just can't do it every day…..also gives you experience and professionalism in the clubhouse. No question that it's helped the Yanks the last couple of seasons…..they have created this culture where these guys want to play for the Yankees….pretty cool
It's like All-Star Weekend all year, only with better uniforms, no Tony LaRussa, and the games actually mean something.
Come October, how do you get both Chavez/Ibanez in the lineup vs RHP? Only logical way is to bench Swisher and his .100 average in the postseason, unless ARod is still hurt.
Start Ibanez in LF and Chavez at DH. In the later innings, put Ichiro in LF.
I don't know, just thinking out loud. In the playoffs, I'd probably rather have Ichiro's glove. These things tend to work themselves out though.
Depending on how Ichiro's doing with the bat I wouldn't mind either Ichi or Raul in LF.
Love when people bring up postseason stats. Love it.
Swisher's past postseason performance doesn't really mean anything. It's almost entirely due to unlucky BABIP, and it's not over enough PA's to be meaningful anyway.
A-Rod's post-season stat line from 2004-2008 says hi.
Thrilled with Eric Chavez on a daily basis. He's been an indispensable part of this team. I hope he chooses to continue playing next year.
But it won't be for 900k plus incentives next time.
And that's just fine. There's no $189M budget cap in place for next year. Hopefully he'll be worth more than $900k + next season as he is this season. But as much as I love what he's doing this season, I hope the Yankees don't need him to do as much next season.
I seem to remember Chavez only wanting to play for the Yankees last year. After reading that article about what he's gotta do everyday just to play, I think Chavez is gonna go to a team he really wants to play for. I think he'll be back, unless someone offers a large deal.
I'm sure he'll want to come back. But if he asks for too much, will Cashman pay? Or will he just be glad they got this 2012 out of him for a bargain price?
People here on RAB and within the analyst community have laughed when the Yankees have invited the likes of Chavez, Ibanez, Jones, Thames, Garcia and Colon to camp. They'll laugh again next year when the Yankees invite another seeming has-been to camp. Some will never make the roster, but a few will help by providing league-average to above-league-average production.
Chavez is off the charts. He's clearly done something so he can once again rotate his hips to generate power, something he hasn't done in at least five years. He was useful last year, he's a tremendous value this year.

subset: commoncrawl


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Okuma® ReFlexions Casting Telescopic Rod
Item # WX2-225289
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- Details & Specs
Okuma® ReFlexions Spinning and Casting Rods strike the right mix of balance, power and flexibility.
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State Model, as available in the Shopping Cart. Order ONLINE Now!
- Model No.: RX-C-7101M-T
- Application: Casting Telescopic
- Rod Length: 7'10"
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- Rod Power: Medium
- Line Wt. (lbs.): 10-20
- Weight: 6.6 ozs.
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The DCA presents an evening of hands-on learning and fun as you prepare several scrumptious pasta dishes under Chef Barbour's expert tutelage.
Students will make their own fresh batch of pasta, followed by Sausage Bolognaise, Creamy Alfredo, and Crab Ravioli in Red Pepper Cream. The class will enjoy these creations together with a salad and perhaps a glass of wine (BYOB).
Throughout the evening, Chef Barbour will offer techniques that may be applied many ways, along with helpful ideas and hints throughout.
Buon appetito!
- This event was rescheduled from Oct 29th due to the storm. Please call to sign up for this new date!
DCA members $60, public price $75. Class size is limited to 12 students. Reservations are required. Please contact the DCA at firstname.lastname@example.com, or within our office hours of 9am-3pm at (203) 655-9050.


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Jefferson Community College and Community Action Planning Council of Jefferson County will offer early childhood development courses for child care providers who wish to work toward a child development associate credential and earn an associate degree.
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Mouse-Motor Americana
The pushrod-wielding small-block has gone high-tech
The success of the small-block Chevrolet engine is a tale that is well-known on the racetracks and the back-roads all over North America.... more
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Definitely Not Your Father's Olds
15th Anniversary Special
"I swear I actually heard my father having an aneurysm," said Chris DeBaker. It was 1999. Chris had just asked his father for $2,000 to purchase a 1983 Hurst Olds. "First... more
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GM Futurliner to be offered at B-J Scottsdale
Proceeds to benefit the Armed Forces Foundation
A 1950 General Motors Futurliner, currently owned by Arizona collector Ron Pratte, will be up for sale at the 2015 Barrett-Jackson Auction in January 2015, with 100 percent of the proceeds benefitting the Armed Forces Foundation.... more
Eric Kaminsky - July 11, 2014 10:52 AM - Comments
Worth the Wait
Poncho Lover gets Dream Wagon 40 Years Later
You might want to watch out what you wish for when you are only 2-1/2 years old. Dave Dembowski of Boise, Idaho, says his father wrote his first sentence in his baby book. "He said it was, 'I like that Pontiac... more
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Part 1: Applying road race technology to a street/strip motor
As eclectic as the enthusiast community is, no one can deny that the standard performance benchmark is the quarter-mile.... more
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Solstice Appreciation
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It's hard to believe that Jim Whitmer of Oklahoma City isn't a dealer since he recently sold four of the six Pontiac Solstice coupes he bought with his 401K. Whitmer, 70, is a retired accountant. "I've... more
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Early Days of the Tempest
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1916 Cadillac
Multiple Award Winner Offered at Mecum
Mecum will be offering a 1916 Cadillac Town Car at the upcoming sale in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The auction will be held July 24-26 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center. The... more
Larry Jewett - June 25, 2014 11:22 AM - Comments
POCI Meet
Gathering of the Faithful
In the summer of 1974, I drove a 1953 Pontiac from Staten Island, New York, to Wichita, Kansas for the Pontiac club's second convention. The Chieftain Deluxe sedan purchased for $175 made it with only a broken shock that... more
John Gunnell - June 25, 2014 09:52 AM - Comments
Connolly Carries Camaro to Win
Gray Motorsports GM Products in Pro Stock Finals
Dave Connolly and the Gray Motorsports Pro Stock team put together an amazing set of passes on race day at the second annual NHRA New England Nationals, and their strenuous efforts were rewarded as Connolly powered the Charter Communications... more
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- The National Weather Service reports that there will be a chance of rain or freezing rain before 1 p.m., then a chance of rain. Skies will be cloudy with a high near 37 degrees. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. At night, skies will be mostly clear and the temperature will dip to a low around 18.
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- Shelton resident Christina Lavigne has been named to the Dean's List at Providence College for the Fall 2010 semester. To qualify for the Dean's List, students must achieve at least a 3.55 grade point average with a minimum of 12 credits. Congratulations on the hard work, Christina!
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If you are bored of travelling through the beaten track but would still like to make a short but worthwhile weekend trip, then simply make your way towards Pangappara just 13 kms from Punalur and Anchal towns close to Kollam. Paangappara is exclusively meant for the adventurer in you. The path (in fact there is literally nothing of that sort in a civilised sense!) to Paangappara, which is a huge rock, can be reached only through one side of the mountain. All the other three sides are too steep to approach. This obscure but beautiful place is located in the Vilakkupaara village, which is also Oscar award winner Resul Pookutty's native place. On reaching the top one can have a breathtakingly beautiful view of Sahya mountain ranges. Surely, you are bound to experience that 'on top of the world' feeling! Once this place was a thick forest area and dwelling places of wild animals can still be found there.
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Latest Example of Obama Lying About Spying
There is no spying on Americans," and "We don't have a domestic spying program." This morning, New York Times national security reporter Charlie Savage gave the latest example of just how brazenly the president is lying:On Tuesday, President Barack Obama told Jay Leno that "
The National Security Agency is searching the contents of vast amounts of Americans' e-mail and text communications into and out of the country, hunting for people who mention information about foreigners under surveillance, according to intelligence officials.
The N.S.A. is not just intercepting the communications of Americans who are in direct contact with foreigners targeted overseas, a practice that government officials have openly acknowledged. It is also casting a far wider net for people who cite information linked to those foreigners, like a little used e-mail address, according to a senior intelligence official.
While it has long been known that the agency conducts extensive computer searches of data it vacuums up overseas, that it is systematically searching — without warrants — through the contents of Americans' communications that cross the border reveals more about the scale of its secret operations.
As is the custom, we are learning about this latest intrusion into what used to be protected by the Fourth Amendment not because the Obama administration is voluntarily kick-starting some "debate," but because "a senior intelligence official" leaked inside information to a motivated investigative reporter. In fact (and also as is the custom), we don't know for sure the Constitution-bending legal theory the government is using:
There has been no public disclosure of any ruling by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court explaining its legal analysis of the 2008 FISA law and the Fourth Amendment as allowing "about the target" searches of Americans' cross-border communications.
The president's smug lies, like National Intelligence Director James Clapper's bald-faced untruthing in front of Congress, suggest a National Security culture accustomed to doing and saying anything without fear of adverse consequences. It's a reminder that the entire legal edifice of nat-sec secrecy was built on an ass-covering lie.
The Fourth Amendment was written by leaders of a country much more vulnerable to attack and intrigue than ours, yet the Founders understood that the purpose of establishing co-equal branches of government was to limit the ability of any one branch to accumulate (and therefore abuse) unchecked power. When the executive branch effectively bars the public from knowing that it can be spied on, from knowing whether it is being spied on, and from even knowing what legal theory the feds are using in the conduct of their spying, then co-equal government is a dead letter. The legislative branch cannot be responsive to public opinion when the public is prevented from having one.
So no wonder the president is willing to get called out for lying rather than actively advance the truth about our national security state. The more Americans slowly begin to realize the extent of their unfreedom, the more they rebel against it. As the press thinker Jay Rosen recently put it, "Can there even be an informed public and consent-of-the-governed for decisions about electronic surveillance, or have we put those principles aside so that the state can have its freedom to maneuver?" The answer, for the last 12 years, has been the latter. May that continue to change.
Editor's Note: We invite comments and request that they be civil and on-topic. We do not moderate or assume any responsibility for comments, which are owned by the readers who post them. Comments do not represent the views of Reason.com or Reason Foundation. We reserve the right to delete any comment for any reason at any time. Report abuses.
I'm sure Politifact will get right on this, once they finish their articles on why Republicans are the biggest liars ever for describing Benghazi as a 'scandal'.
BOOOOOSH did it first!!!!11!!1
The misdirection campaign was always about the CIA annex and the gun-running operation. The administration feared an Iran-Contra-like scandal so close to the election. Many Republicans fell for the bait because they support arming the Islamic rebels in Syria.
First time I've read someone stating that the CIA was involved in gun-running in Benghazi like it was a known fact. Is it a given now?
To be fair, you're quoting Newsmax.
The article is written by Rand Paul
At the bottom of the article:
Sen. Rand Paul is the junior Republican senator from Kentucky. He submitted this op-ed for publication on an exclusive basis to Newsmax Media.
Ah. Most of the time I see the "Newsmax headlines" ad here, the headlines seem to be almost tabloid-fodder.
The Constitution is not a suicide pact - the Social Contract is a suicide pact.
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Didn't you get the memo? We're fucking slaves from the time the Doc slaps our ass.
Hah, that's a good one.
In fact (and also as is the custom), we don't know for sure the Constitution-bending legal theory the government is using
Oh, of course we do, it's obviously the "fuck you, that's why" legal theory.
They just deemed it a tax.
You'd have a lot less to post if you only posted when Obama told the truth.
One article a year is a little light for a journalist.
reason writers aren't here to write articles for H&R; they're here pimp their latest books.
Are any of the books worth a look?
I wouldn't know. Has anybody bought any of them?
Declaration of Independents was OK. I wouldn't rush out and buy it. I thought Sullum's book Saying Yes was quite good. A very different and refreshing perspective on how and why people use drugs than you usually see.
Leno should have put Obama under oath.
So when exactly are impeachment proceedings going to start? Not against the President, of course, because he hasn't said anything under oath (though he has repeatedly broken his oath. I'm talking about all the liars in his administration who did lie under oath to Congress. They're going to be impeached, right?
How about an indictment of Obama at least, for initiating military action against Libya and then ignoring the War Powers law that required him to notify Congress in a timely fashion?
Let's see how far down the front page of CNN we have to go to find this...
"This man cost the Navy a submarine"
"5 things to start your 'New Day'"
"Are these your Powerball numbers?"
"Powerball's luckiest numbers are... [video]"
"Flowerpot Munchkin from 'Oz' dies"
"'Wizard of Oz' behind the scence [video]"
"Photos: 85 people we've list in '13" (Lady Liberty not included)
"Tiger fakes out autograph seekers"
"From sexting with Weiner...to porn [video]" (The video link is misleading)
"Amanda Seyfied 'not against porn' [video]"
"He's wiping his face with...what? [video]"
Finally, under the "Politics" section: "What Obama told Leno"
But wait! Although the article discusses whether Obama and McCain had a "bromance", it mentions nothing about NSA spying.
So even when the truth does come out, no one pays attention. Why do they even bother lying in the first place?
Surprised there wasn't something about Trayvon Martin in there.
Still, at least now we can thank God that [celebrity] is for/against [cause] -- I don't know how I would have gone on without CNN alerting me to this vital fact.
Is porn a cause now?
No...not the flowerpot Munchkin!
Not just a lie, a lazy lie.
I remember when politicians used to lie to us with conviction and aplomb. You're barely even trying to make it seem like you give a shit, Mr President.
Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one trying to make this abusive relationship work.
When the executive branch effectively bars the public from knowing that it can be spied on, from knowing whether it is being spied on, and from even knowing what legal theory the feds are using in the conduct of their spying, then co-equal government is a dead letter.
That letter has been sitting in the Topeka post office dead letter bin since 1962.
Up is down, black is white, right is wrong, and lies are the truth with these scumbags. How far have we fallen, and how much lower can we go?
It's during times like this that I remember way back in 2008: http://reason.com/archives/200.....-your-vote
Thanks a lot guys. You really showed those Republicans.
Oh please. Obama is a disaster but McCain/Palin would've been worse. Also, most of those naming Obama were not really supporting the guy as much as repudiating 8 years of Republican catastrophe. Not really sure what point you're trying to make.
I would like to see if the same logic is going to fly in 2016. Eight years of Democratic governance means the Democrats need to be punished......right?
Well no, we need to elect the right democrats. Just like communism never failed, because the right people were not in charge of it.
The worst employment and growth rates since Roosevelt, setting up a dismal business environment for generations to come at the mercy of a system of mandarins empowered by Obamacare and other means of lawless regulatory expansion, so no, Obama is the worst president in terms of domestic policy in the nation's history.
I wasn't just referring to domestic policy. Way to move the goalposts.
You think developments in the Middle East would be worse? Our relationship with Russia, China and the rest of the world would be worse? The economy would be worse? Would McCain have solved the Guantanamo issue by simply killing everybody instead?
McCain/Palin COULDN'T have been worse. This is just about as bad as it could be. Obama has been a disaster on an epic level.
Plus, if McCain was in office, he'd be kept in check by a critical media. Obama has had free reign as everybody trips over themselves to fawn over the guy.
McCain would've started at least one more full-fledged war. Obama's foreign policy is sh*te, but at least he's not nuking Tehran.
Except you have no way of actually knowing this.
And Iran is so 2009. If McCain went anywhere it would have been Syria. Duh.
Sounds like the same nonsense Johnson used against Goldwater. And look, we got the Great New Society Deal from both! Yay!!
Hey, you can't expect them to waste their votes.
Bruce Bartlett? Why did they ask that fucktard's opinion about anything? He's a fiscal conservative by self-proclamation only. Lessee, we still love a progressive income tax and we gotta have the welfare state. But didn't Reagan and I do a great job back in the day?
As for the rest of Reason, how ironic that they protested against Bush by voting for... Bush.
..."suggest a National Security culture accustomed to doing and saying anything without fear of adverse consequences."...
Certainly true, but what about Obozo's royal pronouncements on when and where a law is to be enforced?
Barack Obama told Jay Leno that "There is no spying on Americans," and "We don't have a domestic spying program."
Holy fucking shit. This assclown sincerely believes that he can say anything, no matter how demonstrably false, and we'll be stupid enough to buy his bullshit. Un-fucking-believable.
There is at least one fusion center in every state where the CIA, FBI, NSA and local law enforcement gather their resources and each is ran by its own domestic intelligence chief (imagine 50+ Ollie Norths doing their own goddamned thing). We know from public documents that at least one of these centers, the Houston based one, that they developed contingency plans to assassinate members of the Occupy movement if a riot broke out.
Does anyone really doubt that these guys fully capable of wet works have not engaged in domestic assassination and not just made plans to do so? Investigative journalist should be scared shitless. If you have a story on this evil regime in the works, drive a seventies model car, don't walk your dog in isolated areas, and don't order food anywhere where you can't see the kitchen and you don't know the cooks personally.
"This assclown sincerely believes that he can say anything, no matter how demonstrably false, and we'll be stupid enough to buy his bullshit."
When the powerful elements of media look the other way, when a large chunk of the population simply doesn't give a shit, when the opposition is incompetent - then yes, he CAN say anything.
Latest Example of Obama Lying About Spying
Oh, come on. That was at least 12 hours ago. I'm sure he's lied about it since then.
"Obama Lied, Liberty Died"
I'm practically giddy with delight at the continuing contortions of my lefty Facebook friends, as they just keep trying to justify domestic spying, only to be forced to backpedal like crazy when their fearless leader explains that none of that has gone on on his watch. I was acting in self defense, your honor, and anyway it wasn't me.
And the ongoing chorus of "I'm not worried because I've got nothing to hide" is sounding worse by the day. Because even if my objection was based on personal fear rather than on principle, well, I have a son in the Marines, in counterintelligence, in Afghanistan, and a daughter whose boyfriend is of Pakistani descent (he grew up in Dubai), with immediate family members still living in Pakistan, so, yeah, maybe I have nothing personally to hide, but I'm pretty sure the NSA wants to check, just in case.
The President and the NSA keep insisting that they only collect communications data when one end of the link is outside the U.S. When is someone going to challenge these assholes to explain how my communicating with someone outside the U.S. voids my 4th Amendment rights?
If you're talking to someone outside of America, obviously you're not an American when they spy on you.
But you don't understand. It's OK now because Obama personally anguishes over every intercept. He cares. He really does.


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"The death of Msgr. Bluyssen has affected me deeply. He was the bishop who ordained me a deacon and a priest. At my consecration as bishop he was one of the concelebrants. My appreciation for him is great. For seventeen, he was bishop of 's Hertogenbosch with all the beauty, but also with all the difficulties that this office brings with it. His kindness, tranquility and wisdom have helped him in his task. As bishop emeritus he continued to follow and sympathise greatly with the Church, the diocese of Den Bosch. In addition, he loved to study, wrote books and celebrated life with family and friends. Of course, like many others, Msgr. Bluyssen suffered through developments in the Church, but he was able to see them in a larger perspective. I will also miss the paternal presence of Msgr. Bluyssen at diocesan celebrations, which he always tried to attend. I am confident that Msgr. Bluyssen is now with the Lord, together with Mary and the saints. After all, like we do, he believed in a God of the living, and not in a God of the dead."
Words from Bishop Antoon Hurkmans, second successor of Bishop Johannes Willem Maria Bluyssen, who died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday morning, as his heart surrendered after a life of 87 years in the service of the Church.
Bishop Jan Bluyssen hailed from Nijmegen and was ordained in 1950 by Bishop Willem Mutsaerts, and served as a parochial vicar in Veghel before studying spirituality in Rome. Returning to the Diocese of 's Hertogenbosch, he taught at the diocesan seminary in Haaren and also became spiritual director there. On 28 October 1961, Blessed Pope John XXIII appointed him as auxiliary bishop of the diocese, serving with Bishop Willem Bekkers, the ordinary. Bishop Bluyssen was made the first and to date only titular bishop of the see of Aëtus in modern Greece. After the unexpected death of Bishop Bekkers, Bishop Bluyssen was appointed to succeed him in October of 1966. The photo above shows the bishop shortly after his appointment, returning from a post-conciliar meeting in Rome. Bishop Bluyssen served until he offered his resignation for health reasons in 1983. This was granted on 1 March 1984.
Bishop Jan Bluyssen was the last surviving Dutch Council Father. Towards the end of the Second Vatican Council, he attended several sessions and was involved in several post-conciliar meetings on the liturgy. Bishop Bluyssen was the last bishop to be consecrated in the pre-conciliar rites. It is then perhaps paradoxical that he is considered a member of the more progressive wing of the Dutch bishops in the 1960s and 70s, who did most to change the liturgy and the Church in the Netherlands as a whole.
As a bishop, Bluyssen was continuously affected by health problems surround his heart, which ultimately led to his early retirement in 1984. Following his retirement, Bishop Bluyssen devoted himself to writing, of which his memoirs, Gebroken Wit (Broke White), published in 1995, are most notable.
The years of Bishop Bluyssen's episcopate were turbulent ones in the entire Dutch Church. The Second Vatican Council had started an unintended chain reaction in which everything was questioned, from the way parishes should function to how the liturgy should be celebrated, even to what the Church and faithful should teach and believe. Bishop Bluyssen was often allied with the more progressive movements, questioning much with them and trying to put the new thoughts into practice. In the seventeen years that he was ordinary, Bishop Bluyssen closed the seminary in Haaren and saw the number of active priests, as well as new seminarians, drop dramatically. Bishop Bluyssen made sure that things remained quiet in his diocese in the time surrounding the special Synod on the Dutch Church that Pope John Paul II convened in 1980. Partly in response to these developments was the appointment of his successor, Bishop Jan ter Schure, who was generally far more conservative and in line with Rome.
Bishop Bluyssen was deeply conscious of his own limitations and failings. This sense of reality, his esteem for people as carriers of the faith and his own modesty made him hugely popular, both during and after his time as ordinary of 's Hertogenbosch. The more formal and serious side of being a bishop, which Bishop Bluyssen described as "being bound to the Gospel, bound through loyalty to Christ, whose task I am called to perform … which comes to me via and through the Church", was coupled with his being a positive and winsome conversationalist.
With the death of Bishop Jans Bluyssen the Dutch Church has lost a good man, a true man, with good and bad sides, a man of faith and a man of the people. Despite his failing health, he remained a integral part of his erstwhile diocese, for far longer than the 17 years he served as its bishop.
On Tuesday, the bishop will lie in state in the bishop's house, where faithful may visit on Tuesday evening, and Wednesday afternoon and evening. A Vespers for the repose of Bishop Bluyssen will be offered on Wednesday evening at 7 at the cathedral basilica of St. John. His funeral will take place on Thursday from the same church, starting at 11.
Photo credit: [1] Paul Kriele, [2] Peter van Zoest/ANP Historisch Archief, ANP, [3] Wim Jellema/wimjellema.nl
On Tuesday, Bishop Dominique Rey gave an update about the Sacra Liturgia conference taking place next month in Rome. There are some interesting points he made which make this conference of special importance to anyone with some interest in the liturgy and its celebration. And, to be honest, as Catholics we all do, whether we're aware of that or not. But let's let the good bishop explain (with some emphases by me):
"Thank you for your presence this evening.
Sacra Liturgia 2013 is an event that follows on from the Adoratio 2011 Conference that I organised at the Salesianum in Rome two years ago. Inspired by the Year of Faith called to mark the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council and following on from the Synod on the New Evangelisation, I wanted to bring together key cardinals, bishops and other noted experts in the liturgy from around the world to underline the fact that formation in the sacred liturgy and its correct celebration is of the first importance in the life and mission of the Church.
I would like to emphasise this point: grace has a primacy in all our activities. The liturgy is the continuing action of Jesus Christ in His Church. It is where we encounter Christ and receive the power of the Holy Spirit to strengthen us for Christian life and mission. The New Evangelisation must be founded on the worthy celebration of the liturgy, and for that we need good liturgical formation.
This event was also inspired by the liturgical teaching of Benedict XVI. We are holding the conference in Rome, at the Pontifical University Santa Croce, in order to be close to Peter, and our delegates hope to join with our new Holy Father, Pope Francis, at the Mass of Saints Peter and Paul in St Peter's Basilica.
The conference itself will be a time of shared reflection, study and celebration on different aspects of the liturgy and the mission of the Church. The programme is published on the conference website, but I would highlight the Keynote address of His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith: "The Sacred Liturgy, culmen et fons vitæ et missionis ecclesiæ" which will in many ways set the tone for the different and specific presentations that will follow.
The liturgical celebrations of Vespers and Holy Mass in the Basilica of St Apollinare will be in both forms of the Roman rite: there does not need to be any opposition between the two. The correct celebration of both have their rightful place in the Church of the New Evangelisation.
At this time we expect delegates from approximately 25 different countries. They include bishops, priests, deacons, seminarians and religious as well as lay men and women. Facilities will be available for delegates to listen to translations in French, English, Italian, Spanish and German. There is more information on the conference website www.sacraliturgia.com in each of those languages…"
Liturgy. Important stuff.
Cardinal Ranjith will give his address on the first day, in the evening of 25 June, with only the celebration of Vespers and the introduction, both by Bishop Rey, preceding it. The Latin bit of the title of this address means "source and summit of the life and mission of the Church": an apt description of the liturgy from which many other topics flow.
It looks like Bishop Rey has a very clear purpose with this conference. I think it's therefore apt to start a short series of profiles on some of the speakers with him. Hopefully I'll be able to get it out sometime tomorrow morning.
Lastly, for those wondering why I choose to pay such specific attention to this conference: firstly, I myself am interested in the liturgy, so this conference is quite up my alley, and secondly, I was asked to do so. I am quite happy to respond to such request, and grateful that my little blog has apparently been noticed enough to warrant such a request.
There is beauty in dying: if we have to die, it is best, we feel, to do so at home, in the place where we belonged in life. For Bishop Reinhard Lettmann this became true early this afternoon. After celebrating Mass around noon, he passed away, aged 80, in Bethlehem, in the country which had become his second home.
Similarly providential, it seems, the 150 or so deacons and priests who were gathered in Münster fr a day of meeting and study broke up their assembly and offered Vespers for the deceased emeritus bishop.
Bishop Lettmann was bishop of the Diocese of Münster from 1980 to 2008.
A priest since 1959, the native Münsterian held a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Gregorian University and worked as a stenographer on the official documentation of the Second Vatican Council. In 1973, Msgr. Lettmann, who was administrator of the cathedral of St. Paul at the time, was appointed as auxiliary bishop under Bishop Heinrich Tenhumberg, with the titular diocese of Rotaria. Christo tuo venienti occurrentes became his episcopal motto: "Rushing forward to meet Christ coming".
In 1980, Bishop Lettmann succeeded Bishop Tenhumberg, who had passed away a few months earlier. Within the German Bishops' Conference, he was a member of Commission on Ecumenism, and he was also a member of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. I addition to these and his pastoral duties, he was also a prolific author on various topics.
The obituary on the website of the Diocese of Münster characterises Bishop Lettmann as a "builder of bridges, one the one hand between people, on the other between people and God. He was open towards people, showing tolerance and patience. … He was always confident in dealing with complicated procedures, he loved conversations and encounters with people, but he also always drew strength from voluntary solitude, from silence and prayer."
Photo credit: Michael Bönte
The cardinals have wrapped up their final General Congregation and we are now only one day away from the big event. And to think that only one month ago Pope Benedict surprised us all with his announcement that he would abdicate. It's been quite the ride.
Now to look forward to the coming days. In his blog – a companion piece to that great resource GCatholic.com – Gabriel Chow presents the main events of the conclave. Apart from tomorrow, a typical conclave day will consist of four voting rounds – the "scrutinies" or ballots.
Tomorrow, the first day of the conclave, is taken up by several preparatory events. In the early morning the cardinals will move from their current lodgings all over Rome to the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where they will live throughout the conclave. Rooms were assigned by lot. At left a view of the simple suites available to the cardinals.
At 10am tomorrow, the cardinals, electors and non-electors alike, will offer a Mass "Pro eligendo Romano Pontifice", or for the election of the Roman Pontiff. The Dean of the College, Angelo Cardinal Sodano will give the homily and the Mass will be chiefly in Italian. The booklet for the celebration is available here.
Tomorrow afternoon, the cardinals will head to the Pauline chapel in the Apostolic palace. At 4:30pm, they will walk to the Sistine Chapel, where they will all take the oath and the first round of voting will take place. The cardinals will be seated according to precedence, as they have during the General Congregations, but they will enter the Sistine Chapel in reverse order. This means that James Cardinal Harvey, the junior Cardinal Deacon will be first, and Giovanni Cardinal Re will close the line. Dutch Cardinal Wim Eijk will be fairly forward in the line, after the 30 Cardinal-Deacons and 8 Cardinal-Priests that come after him in precedence. Immediately preceding and following him are Cardinals Betori and Duka. At right, a photo of workmen readying the Sistine Chapel for the conclave.
The long form of the oath, as presented below, will be recited by all cardinals together. Each cardinal will then come forward and, with his hand on the Gospels, confirm the oath.
"We, the Cardinal electors present in this election of the Supreme Pontiff promise, pledge and swear, as individuals and as a group, to observe faithfully and scrupulously the prescriptions contained in the Apostolic Constitution of the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II, Universi Dominici Gregis, published on 22 February 1996. We likewise promise, pledge and swear that whichever of us by divine disposition is elected Roman Pontiff will commit himself faithfully to carrying out the munus Petrinum of Pastor of the Universal Church and will not fail to affirm and defend strenuously the spiritual and temporal rights and the liberty of the Holy See. In a particular way, we promise and swear to observe with the greatest fidelity and with all persons, clerical or lay, secrecy regarding everything that in any way relates to the election of the Roman Pontiff and regarding what occurs in the place of the election, directly or indirectly related to the results of the voting; we promise and swear not to break this secret in any way, either during or after the election of the new Pontiff, unless explicit authorization is granted by the same Pontiff; and never to lend support or favour to any interference, opposition or any other form of intervention, whereby secular authorities of whatever order and degree or any group of people or individuals might wish to intervene in the election of the Roman Pontiff."
"And I, N. Cardinal N., do so promise, pledge and swear. So help me God and these Holy Gospels which I touch with my hand."
Unlike I mentioned before, the "extra omnes!" will then be called by the Papal Master of Ceremonies, Msgr. Guido Marini, and the doors be closed. Only then, will Cardinal Grech address the cardinals "concerning the grave duty incumbent on them and thus on the need to act with right intention for the good of the Universal Church".
The first vote can then take place, although this is optional. The first ballot may be postponed to Wednesday. It is expected that the cardinal will pray Vespers together at 7 and return to the Domus Sanctae Marthae half an hour later.
We will most likely see the first puff of smoke – if there has been a vote – from the chimney at 8pm, and no one expects it to be anything else than black.
Part of the events, such as the Mass, the walk to the Sistine Chapel and the chimney smoke can be viewed live via the Vatican player. I will share any other means of watching the proceedings via Twitter as they become available.
Photo credit: [1] Fr. Tim Finigan, [2] Vatican Radio
Marking the abdication of Pope Benedict XVI, which becomes effective in the evening of 28 February, all Dutch and Flemish dioceses will be offering a thanksgiving Mass for his pontificate. With the exception of Haarlem-Amsterdam and Antwerp, all will do so on the day of abdication itself.
The two metropolitan archdioceses, Utrecht and Mechelen-Brussels, will feature the most extensive celebrations. In Utrecht, a Mass will be offered at 12:30 at St. Catherine's cathedral, which will be followed by Holy Hour, a sung Rosary, Vespers and Benediction at 6. Whether Cardinal Eijk will attend this day is unclear. Mechelen-Brussels will offer no less than three Masses, all at 8pm: In Brussels by Archbishop André-Joseph Léonard and auxiliary Bishop Jean Kockerols, in Louvain (St. Peter's) by auxiliary Bishop Leon Lemmens, and in Waver (St. John the Baptist) by auxiliary Bishop Jean-Luc Hudsyn.
The other thanksgiving Masses will take place at 6pm in Bruges (by Bishop Jozef De Kesel), at 7pm in Groningen (Bishop Gerard de Korte), Breda (Bishop Jan Liesen) and Roermond (Bishop Frans Wiertz), and at 8pm in Ghent (Bishop Luc Van Looy) and Hasselt (Bishop Patrick Hoogmartens). All Masses will be at the respective cathedrals of the dioceses, except in Breda, where the Mass will be offered at the chapel of the Bovendonk seminary in Hoeven, and Hasselt, where the Basilica of Our Lady will host the Mass
The next day, 1 March, auxiliary Bishop Jan Hendriks will offer a Mass at 7:30pm, and on 3 March, Antwerp's Bishop Johan Bonny will offer one at 5pm.
In addition to these Masses, parishes, communities and other societies may of course also mark the abdication with Masses or prayer services.
As we enter the home stretch towards Christmas, let's take a look, like we did last year, at the traditional O antiphons:
Today we entered the final week before Christmas, the week of the O antiphons. In the Church's prayer, the Liturgy of the Hours, the Vespers antiphons of the Magnificat, named for their beginning with the exclamation "O", look towards the coming of the Lord with fervent hope and prayer, and they do so by using Old Testament titles for the Saviour. Father Z created an informative page about these antiphons.
Today we pray:
O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodidisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem, fortiter suaviter disponensque omnia: veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.
[O Wisdom, who came from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end and ordering all things mightily and sweetly: come, and teach us the way of prudence.]
May the incarnation of God, who is Wisdom, guide our path and our actions. May He teach us the way of our salvation in Him.
From the German diocese of Münster comes the news of the passing of Bishop Alfons Demming, retired auxiliary bishop of that diocese, on 31 October. He died after a long illness which already lay at the basis for his early retirement in 1998, at the age of 70. A close friend of Bishop Reinhard Lettmann, bishop of Münster from 1980 to 2008, Bishop Demming was seen as a man of the people, especially in his area of responsibility within the diocese, the region of Borken-Steinfurt. In his episcopal career, which began with is consecration in 1977, he was cathedral administrator of Münster's St. Paul's cathedral and a member of the Pastoral Questions commission of the German Bishops' Conference. Bishop Demming served with or under three Bishops of Münster: the late Bishop Heinrich Tenhumberg until 1979, the aforementioned Bishop Lettmann and since 2008 Bishop Felix Genn.
Bishop Genn will celebrate the requiem Mass at St. Paul's on Thursday, while Wednesday's Vespers will be prayed for the deceased bishop.
Bishop Demming was titular bishop of Gordus in modern Turkey.
Photo credit: Diocese of Münster.
As accidentally announced on twitter yesterday, the news may now be revealed properly. Amsterdam's "cathedral on the IJ" – the strikingly domed St. Nicholas church that greets visitors arriving in the nation's capital as they exit the central train station – has been elevated to the status of basilica minor. The actual elevation is set for Vespers on the eve of 9 December, the day on which the festivities marking the 125th anniversary of the new basilica's dedication will be rounded off. Archbishop André Dupuy, the apostolic nuncio will then read the official document in which the decision is outlined.
Haarlem-Amsterdam's Bishop, Msgr. Jos Punt, together with the parish council of Amsterdam's St. Nicholas parish, made the official request to the Congregation for Divine Worship in July. This congregation motivates her decision to grant the request with two arguments: the veneration of Saint Nicholas of Myra, patron saint of the city of Amsterdam; and the devotion to the Miracle of Amsterdam, which is still remembered annually by a night-time silent procession through the city's heart.
Bishop Jan van Burgsteden, the retired auxiliary bishop of Haarlem-Amsterdam who is responsible for the pastoral care in the parish, said: "This is the witness of a inspirational and missionary parish community. We hope that the Church and community may grow and flourish further in the years to come." He referred to the many volunteers who kept the St. Nicholas alive and thriving, even when secularisation forced the closure of many churches.
The elevation of the St. Nicholas raises the number of Dutch basilicas to 24, of which three are in the Diocese of Haarlem-Amsterdam. The Archdiocese of Utrecht has eight, the Diocese of Breda three, Roermond six, Rotterdam one, and 's Hertogenbosch three. In the Caribbean Netherlands, the Diocese of Willemstad has one basilica.
The title of minor basilica is an honourific, a recognition of the import of a church building and of its value for the Catholic value using it. It also means that the church in question plays an exemplary role when it comes to pastoral care and liturgy.
The Diocese of Rotterdam has published a Prayer for Faith for the upcoming Year of Faith. In the menu on the left of this page, the diocese presents the prayer in three languages: Dutch, English and Spanish. Starting on 11 October, new translations into languages that are spoken in the diocese will be added.
In an invitation to the faithful in his diocese, Bishop Hans van den Hende writes the following about prayer:
"This year I would like to be, in a special way, united in prayer with you. Faith is a gift from God which He places in our hearts. With the Prayer for Faith we join the disciples in Luke 17:5, who persistently ask for more faith; so we too can give witness in word and action that the Lord is our hope and our strength."
Below, the text of the prayer in English. Use it, perhaps, in your Vespers or some other regular moment of prayer.
Almighty and merciful God,
Your Son Jesus lived among us and shared our lives.
We trust in you even though we can not see you.
Give us more faith in your presence.
Almighty and merciful God,
Your Son Jesus taught us to pray.
We may call you our Father and ask you anything.
Give us more faith in the power of prayer.
Almighty and merciful God,
Your Son Jesus taught us to love.
We should love both you and our neighbours as we love ourselves.
Give us more faith in your love.
Almighty and merciful God,
Your Son Jesus taught us to serve.
We can serve you by serving our neighbour, who is made in your image.
Give us more faith in the path of service.
Almighty and merciful God,
Your Son Jesus taught us to forgive.
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Give us more faith in forgiveness and reconciliation.
Almighty and merciful God,
Your Son Jesus died and rose again.
We thank you because your love is stronger than death.
Give us more faith in your eternal life.
Almighty and merciful God,
Your Son Jesus taught us to be open to the Holy Spirit.
We ask you for the inspiration of your Spirit.
Give us more faith in the working of your Spirit.
Almighty and merciful God,
Your Son Jesus built your Church on the faith of the apostles.
We honour you through liturgy, catechesis and our help to the needy.
Give us more faith in your Church as your instrument on earth.
Almighty and merciful God,
Your Son Jesus has promised us that He will come again.
We can become closer to you by remaining true in faith.
Give us more faith in your future and completeness.
Our Father …
Ever since the announcement of the Year of Faith, which starts in October, the Dutch dioceses and bishops have been planning and organising a number of events to mark the occasion. Here follows a short list, sorted by date, of events and announcements concerning the Year of Faith:
3 July: The Diocese of Breda publishes a special diocesan magazine about the Second Vatican Council, including an informative poster (front page at right).
4 July: The Diocese of Haarlem-Amsterdam will offer several courses in the vein of the Year of Faith throughout 2012 and 2013. Courses include 'What is faith?', 'the Second Vatican Council', 'Christian art', 'Theology of spirituality' and and an impulse day on the missionary Church.
5 July: The Dioceses of Rotterdam and Breda announce a joint magazine on the new evangelisation. Publication will be in the summer in Breda and around Christmas in Rotterdam.
18 July: The Diocese of 's Hertogenbosch present its two-year course 'Growing in faith' in the light of the Year of Faith, as a means to rediscover the joy of the faith.
19 July: The Archdiocese of Utrecht sends the informative poster about the Second Vatican Council, that was created by the Diocese of Breda, to all her priests, deacons and pastoral workers. In his accompanying letter, Cardinal Eijk writes, "I hope that you, also in your own parish, will be willing to give form to the Year of Faith in a suitable way."
September, October, November: The diocesan magazine of Haarlem-Amsterdam will devote issues to the Year of Faith.
11 October: The Diocese of Breda opens the Year of Faith with a pontifical High Mass offered by Bishop Liesen. The Diocese of Haarlem-Amsterdam will do likewise at the Shrine of Our Lady of Need in Heiloo. Clergy and pastoral workers are afterwards invited to attend a lecture on faith in postmodern times.
12 October: The Dutch Bishops' Conference organises a symposium on the Second Vatican Council, focussing on the four Apostolic Constitutions, in Utrecht. Clergy and pastoral workers throughout the country are invited. Preceding the symposium is a pontifical High Mass, and a Vespers celebration will close the day.
14 October: The Year of Faith will be opened in the Diocese of Roermond with a pontifical High Mass.
12 April: A study day on the Second Vatican Council will be held at the Tiltenberg in the Diocese of Haarlem-Amsterdam. Auxiliary Bishop Jan Hendriks will contribute.
While this list is far from complete (much may be added in the coming months), one thing is striking: much is aimed at priests, deacons and pastoral workers. Events for lay faithful, while present, are much less in evidence. This may point at two things: firstly, that clergy and pastoral workers are expected to communicate the content to the faithful in the pews, and secondly, that it is the clergy and the pastoral workers who need the Year of Faith just as much, if not more, as we lay faithful do.
And although many more events may (and should) be organised for and by Joe Faithful, this last option may not be that far-fetched…


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If you are in the New York area please come and see me talk at Tekserve this Friday, May 4 from 4:00PM – 5:00PM. I will be doing a presentation as part of their Creative Friday's series. I'm going to give you 10 absolutely killer tips to make your music and music career better. You will see/hear some DAW tricks, analog hardware ideas, inspiration tips, promotion tips and more. If you don't know Tekserve is a legendary Apple Store in Chelsea. It's a really fun place to visit and shop. Please come I would love to meet you in person! Tekserve is located at 119 West 23rd Street, New York NY 10011.
"Join us at Tekserve at 4 p.m. on Fridays for special art exhibitions, musical performances, video screenings, readings, and more – all by artists from the New York City community. Each showing will feature an interview and demonstration of the creative process, so you can learn about the digital tools artists are using to make the art of today." – Tekserve
For more info: tekserve.com/learning-events/creativefridays.php
This entry was written by live performance and tagged Event, Tekserve, The Horrorist, Things to Come Records. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
Earlier this year I did a remix for German artist Tomas Tulpe. He's an interesting person and I am pleased my remix of Ich Tanz auf Dich appears on his brand new album Hatschi! (scroll the audio player down to get to an audio clip). You can read a very thorough review of the release at Reflections of Darkness (link). I hope to meet Thomas in person during my upcoming Berlin week.
"…The final of the album is the HORRORIST remix of 'Ich tanz auf dich'. This version of the song is faster, alienated and put into a technoid electronic format perfectly fitting to the dance halls. This one surely will become a collector's item, not many will love it, but if you do, then you'll love it a lot! And so, one of the trashiest albums ever found the way into my ears was ending. My reactions reached from rhapsodic excitement to tired yawning and moaning while listening to 'Hatschi!' over and over again. Except of 'Ich bin ein Grufi' all songs could be heard through internet here and there already. 'Ich tanz auf dich' and 'Disco' will be stuck in the ears of the people who ever heard it forever. My conclusion: Buy the album if you like experimenting. It is worth it! But don't be miffed if it does not flow from beginning to the and. And first of all, don't take this album serious!" – reflectionsofdarkness.com
For more info: tomastulpe.de/hatschi
Buy the album: Amazon
This entry was written by music and tagged Germany, The Horrorist, Things to Come Records, Tomas Tulpe. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
For quite some time I've been wanting to add a hardware effects unit to my live show exclusively for vocals. While Ableton is an incredible live tool I don't want to be fiddling with pixels while I sing (scream). Although I could have a dedicated MIDI controller set up just for my vocal effects I don't want to complicate my set up further as I already have a controller for synth/drum parts and Ableton is running a HD video in sync with the live show. I'm a huge fan of TC-Helicon. If your a reader of the blog you know Voicemodler for Powercore was my favorite plug-in and I recently picked up a Voiceworks Plus in my studio. I had my eye on Helicon's live voice boxes for a bit but honestly they seemed a little pricey and complicated or too large. I am at my very limit as far as suitcase weight goes. I overlooked a January Namm announcement they made for a box they are now selling called the Voicelive Play. What I really like about this box is that I can set up presets, name them and click through them easily as my show and songs progress through a live set. The great feature that made be buy the unit is the HIT button. Basically it's a second layer of effect(s) that you turn on for say a chorus or break. Watch the smartly produced aka easy to watch and learn from online manual above to get into everything this $250 box can do. If your a Sound on Sound subscriber you can read their review of the Voicelive Play here: link. See you at the show!
"Whether you're at the top of the charts – or just a dreamer with a microphone, VoiceLive Play gives you hundreds of song & artist presets to choose from, helping you create amazing vocals. Featuring automatic backing harmonies, vocal double tracking, pristine EQ and compression, lush reverbs, hard-tuned robo-voice – all the the goose-bumps-on-your-arm effects that make today's Billboard hit vocals "pop". If hundreds of presets wasn't enough, you'll be able to download new and exciting artist presets each month for free via VoiceSupport." – tc-helicon.com
For more info: tc-helicon.com/products/voicelive-play
This entry was written by live performance and tagged live performance, TC Helicon, vocals, Voicelive Play. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
Here's something for the obsessive record collector to do with his free time: catalog your vinyl on Discogs. I would really like to do it too but as time accelerates I don't want any of the past to steal from the future. Maybe I can get someone to do it for me? I never knew you could export your collection as a .XLS file… good stuff.
"Learn how to quickly catalog, appraise, and sell your records online using a free site called Discogs." – Cnet
For more info: discogs.com
This entry was written by Uncategorized and tagged cnet, collection, Discogs, records, Vinyl. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
One of the first and great Electronic Body Music compilations was Welcome to the Technodrome (1989). I loved the track on it called Aimless by Typis Belgis. By the wonders of the internet I discovered another song by the band called Dark Horse. Discogs has an album listed called Deodorant Voor De Derde Oksel which was released on cassette. If anyone has it I would love to hear it!
"Typis Belgis began in the late 80′s as a dark underground electronic bodytobodymusic-project between Hans P1. , Rik S'ex. and Thierry V6. . After making several compilations and numerous gigs they are considert as being one of the founders for what's later been called New Beat and other styles of electronic music. After they split up, rumors of a possible comeback were never been confirmed." – padas2
For more info: discogs.com/artist/Typis+Belgis
This entry was written by music and tagged EBM, electronic body music, Typis Belgis. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
AfroDJMac has released his latest Ableton Live pack (link). This time it's for the Roland Juno 106. An old friend of mine Jay Serken let me use his 106 in my studio for years. It was eventually stolen. I used save a row of patches each just slightly different than each other. Next I would have Cubase (then on an Atari ST) send patch changes every to the Juno every 16th note. This would emulate an analog sequencer changing CV filter. You can hear the 106 going though various guitar pedals and my Electrocomp-101 on most of my early records.
"Ableton Live Pack of 22 instruments created with the Roland Juno 106 Polyphonic Analog Synthesizer. Each instrument was sampled from a custom patch on the Juno 106 and contains 8 macro knobs with its own unique effects to further twist and manipulate this diverse collection of sounds." – afrodjmac.spinshop.com
For more info: vintagesynth.com/roland/juno106
This entry was written by Ableton Live, sounds, synthesizer and tagged AfroDJMac, Juno-106, Roland Juno-106, synthesizer. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
Another absolutely legendary store is closing down in NYC. I've been to Bleeker Bobs countless times. A good chunk of my record collection comes from Bobs. I supposed it's inevitable but the news saddens me. After my parents divorce my mother had a new boyfriend (now her husband Doug). To get my brother and I out of their hair on the weekends they would give us $100 to go record shopping. There were about 10 stores on our village walk including St. Marks Sounds, Vinylmania, Discorama, Rebel Rebel, Tower, Second Coming and Bleeker Bobs. As the 80s ended and I went to college, EBM/Industrial records started to dry up and I started making my own music. These factors ended my vinyl shopping spree. I think fondly of spending time with my brother and finding the music gems which I still cherish today. Be sure to read the article in The Stool Pigeon (link) for Bob's history.
"Landmark Greenwich Village record shop Bleecker Bob's is closing down after more than 40 years in business, and the only person in new york who doesn't know is Bleecker Bob… A long CD rack, installed in the nineties, runs down one side of the store. It looks out of place now, like an arcade game in a library. Art deco clocks hang at the top of the walls in rows. Many of them have stopped. And there are crates and crates and crates of hand-labelled, meticulously catalogued records. But forget about the records for a minute…." – The Stool Pigeon
via The Stool Pigeon and Kevin W Fitzgerald
photo credits: bytegirl24, J Blough and nyperson
This entry was written by music, political and tagged Bleeker Bobs, New York City, NYC, record shop, record store. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
It's Friday night. It's time to walk the line…
"I walk the line between good and evil." – Alien Sex Fiend
For more info: discogs.com/Alien-Sex-Fiend-I-Walk-The-Line…
This entry was written by music and tagged 1986, Alien Sex Fiend, Goth, gothic. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
Look at the map above. That pin far away from everything is Novosibirsk, Russia. It's Siberia and it's where Mark Hawkins started a mini tour. He also shot the above 20 minute film. His footage shows Siberia as industrial, cold and alcohol fueled. Basically just what I think of when I think of Siberia. It's amazing Mark performed there. My eyes were glued to this video. I'm not sure I could handle a tour like that. I froze my ass off just watching this.
"Techno artist Mark Hawkins' tour of Siberia, Russia including dates in Novosibirsk and Krasnoyarsk, a visit to a school in the remote town of Nazarovo and an 11 hour nighttime journey on the Trans Siberian Railway."
For more info: signalsfromsouthwark.com
This entry was written by live performance, video and tagged Mark Hawkins, Russia, Siberia. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
Look at this beautiful iPad granular sampler called Borderlands from Chris Carlson. I can see many of these futuristic interface elements influencing other pro-audio app developers. We live in a great time being able to touch our sounds like this. I can't wait for this to be released.
"The audio files can be moved and resized using typical single and double finger gestures. Currently the orientation of each rectangle may be toggled by touching the object with a third finger. A grain cloud can be created by double tapping anywhere on the interface. This immediately opens the cloud for editing, exposing a number of parameter regions around the cloud. Each region can be dragged or thrown between a hard coded min and max value. Users may edit the number of voices in the cloud, duration of each voice, overlap of the voices, playback rate or "pitch" of the voices, and the frequency of an LFO controlling the pitch of each voice. This view may be hidden by double tapping on the grain cloud again. Several discrete parameters are available as buttons at the bottom of the interface. These include the grain direction (random/forward/backward), the window type (hanning, exponential decay, exponential growth, sinc), and the stereo distribution of the grains (two modes – unity preserves the original spatialization of the audio file, stereo pans grain voices left and right sequentially." – Chris Carlson
For more info: modulationindex.com and ccrma.stanford.edu/~carlsonc…
This entry was written by iPad and tagged Borderlands, granular, iPad, sampler. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.


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QUESTION: I am refinancing my mortgage and was told there were no out-of-pocket costs. Now as we approach the closing, the lender wants me to pay several hundred dollars. What's the deal?
-Several readers
ANSWER: When you get a mortgage loan, you often have the option of adjusting the interest rate by either paying discount points for a lower rate or receiving money back in return for a higher rate. In a refi with no out-of-pocket costs, you actually are receiving a premium back from your lender in exchange for a slightly higher interest rate. This premium is being used to offset your closing costs.
Because some of these costs are based on your individual situation, you might have to bring a few hundred dollars to closing to balance everything out. Some of the fees being charged to you have to match what you were promised in the beginning, such as the state transfer taxes and the bank's origination charge. Other fees, such as the appraisal and title insurance, can't increase by more than 10 percent.
Finally, other charges, such as your land survey and homeowner's insurance, can change without limitation to reflect their actual cost. You have to be an educated consumer, even if your loan was advertised as no cost to you. You should talk with the closing company to see if you can get any credit for showing an old survey or submitting the title insurance policy that you got when you bought the home. As with any transaction, shop around and negotiate prices with all the vendors.
Gary M. Singer is a Florida attorney and board-certified as an expert in real estate law by the Florida Bar. He is the chairperson of the Real Estate Section of the Broward County Bar Association and is an adjunct professor for the Nova Southeastern University Paralegal Studies program. Send him questions online at http://sunsent.nl/mR20t7 or follow him on Twitter GarySingerLaw.
The information and materials in this column are provided for general informational purposes only and are not intended to be legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is formed. Nothing in this column is intended to substitute for the advice of an attorney, especially an attorney licensed in your jurisdiction.


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Jordan Valley:
JVIC/IDEA Commons
IDEA Commons is an initiative headed by Missouri State University with the support of the City of Springfield and the Springfield Building Development Corporation (SBDC) to redevelop a portion of Springfield's Center City into a new type of urban research park that will be blended with residential, office, retail, entertainment, and industrial land uses, and supported by University programs. The IDEA Commons planning area encompasses approximately 88 acres within Center City, bounded by East Chestnut Expressway to the north, Water Street to the south, North Campbell Avenue to the west, and Jordan Creek to the east.
In 2010, the City of Springfield Department of Planning and Development drafted a plan to help coordinate future planning and development efforts within the IDEA Commons planning area. Several public meetings held during the planning process to solicit community input. On October, 4, 2010, the IDEA Commons Plan (3.1 mb) was officially adopted as an element of the Springfield-Greene County Comprehensive Plan.
Form-based Code
One of the recommendations in the Plan is to explore the possibility of adopting a form-based code zoning district for the area. Form-based code zoning districts encourage mixed-use development and include a strong design element to create an urban setting that accommodates mixed uses. An important step in preparing the form-based code district is to get input from the public on the design components that will comprise the code for the IDEA Commons. A design charrette was held, Aug. 31 - Sept. 9, 2010, during which City staff engaged local design professionals, property owners, and other stakeholders. For insight into the ideas presented, review the final report from the design charrette closing session (5.2 mb).
Infrastructure Deficiencies Inventory
A stated objective in the IDEA Commons Plan is to
"upgrade public infrastructure to provide complete streets; adequate water and sewer service; storm water facilities; and public open space and other amenities."To meet that objective, the Plan recommends the City
"develop a plan for infrastructure improvements that is coordinated with all service providers and private development projects."
Staff has begun the process of developing a plan to coordinate infrastructure improvements inside IDEA Commons. It recently completed an infrastructure deficiencies inventory (5.1 mb) that specifically exams the current condition of sanitary sewers, stormwater facilities, streets and sidewalks, and public utilities (water, natural gas, and electricity). The information contained within this report will help staff and area stakeholders identify and prioritize needed infrastructure improvements.
Additional Resources
- Background Report - August, 2010 (6.6 mb)


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Here are the top five headlines for Oct. 23.
- Marching Band Festival: The Pride of Malverne High School, also known as reigning NYS Champions, will be performing in the Newsday Marching Band Festival tonight (6 p.m.) at Hofstra University. Lynbrook will be performing Thursday night around 7:30 p.m.
- West Hempstead BOE: The West Hempstead Board of Education will hold a special business meeting tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Chestnut Street administration building to consider one docket pertaining to the appointment of per diem substitutes and medical personnel. The board is expected to go into executive session, so the public will not be permitted to sit in on the meeting. The Space Utilization Committee meeting originally scheduled for tonight has been moved to Oct. 30.
- Lock Your Cars: After a recent string of reports from residents in Malverne saying that someone stole items from their unlocked vehicles, the village's police chief is once again urging everyone to lock their cars. Click here for the story.
- Charity Softball Game: Who won this year's charity softball game between the Lynbrook Fire Department and Lynbrook Baptist Church? More importantly, how much did both teams raise for Operation Wounded Warrior? Look for photos and a recap later today.
- Presidential Debate: President Barack Obama and GOP Candidate Mitt Romney sparred for a third time Monday night in the final presidential debate. Who do you think won this round? Click here to let us know.
For more local news Follow us on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for the daily newsletter| Post an announcement or event


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Originally published on Fri September 21, 2012 11:31 am
This is TELL ME MORE, from NPR News. I'm Michel Martin. We're going to start the program today talking about that secret recording of Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney making what he, himself, has now called inelegant remarks to a group of wealthy donors about Obama voters, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and his connection to Mexico.
And we are going to continue our conversation about this, with two respected analysts whom we turn to, from time to time. I spoke with them earlier. Mary Kate Cary is a former speechwriter for President George H.W. Bush. She's now a blogger and columnist for "U.S. News & World Report." Maria Teresa Kumar is the president and CEO of Voto Latino. That's a nonpartisan group that encourages Latinos to get involved in the political process. Previously, she was an aide to the House Democratic Caucus.
Originally published on Fri September 21, 2012 11:32 am
I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. Coming up, Leo Manzano came home from the London Olympics with a silver medal. It was a proud moment for his family and for the country, but how he displayed that pride landed him in a little hot water. We're going to talk to the runner about that and how he made history in London. That conversation is in just a few minutes.
Originally published on Tue September 18, 2012 12:03 pm
Leo Manzano became the first American since 1968 to win an Olympic medal in the men's 1500 meter run in the London Games this summer. But he got a lot of criticism for carrying both Mexican and American flags during his victory lap. For Hispanic Heritage Month, Manzano speaks with host Michel Martin.
If you find yourself with the unenviable task of checking Mom or Dad into a nursing home one day, or if you're signing yourself in, chances are you'll find a document tucked inside the stack of admissions papers that says you agree to arbitrate disputes, should they arise, rather than take the case to court.
Originally published on Tue September 18, 2012 1:16 pm
The emergence of video secretly recorded in May, in which Mitt Romney speaks scornfully of President Obama's supporters, has sparked the inevitable comparisons to controversial comments President Obama made in 2008.
The birth this week of a giant panda cub at Washington's National Zoo brings back fond memories and generates new excitement for Morning Edition supervising senior editor Kitty Eisele.
For the past few years, Turkish Airlines has been the official airline of soccer's FC Barcelona, home to such famous footballers as Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta. Well, apparently the Barca boys haven't been happy with the service.
Originally published on Tue September 18, 2012 12:01 pm
Watching the first 20 minutes of Saturday Night Live's season premiere in Denver, I counted at least four ads by the Obama campaign and liberal groups backing the president. Just one ad countering their message was aired in the same span by the Romney campaign.
Originally published on Tue September 18, 2012 10:12 am
The French magazine Closer must hand over all digital files of photos containing snapshots of a topless Kate Middleton and refrain from republishing any of them or face fines of $13,000 a day.
According to France 24, a French court ruled today that:


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Professor, Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures, The Ohio State University
Old system (until Spring quarter 2012)
Special thanks to Mark Swofford for preparing the book excerpts so that they can be read on a variety of browsers! Mark's guide to romanization-related books in English is a superb resource.
Last Updated on 6 August 2013


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