text:
Leland Townhome Rental Photos and Description
2 bedroom 2 bathroom Townhouse with access to lake Leelanau
Enjoy your vacation in this spacious, fully-equipped 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom townhouse. Featuring riverfront views, a great kitchen with an island, a queen bed in the master bedroom and 2 twin size beds in the upstairs bedrooms. Includes washer and dryer.
Located in the center of Leland and only 3 blocks from downtown, the property offers a boat dock with access to Lake Leelanau and convenient to shopping, watersports, and entertainment.
- Suitability:
- Minimum Age Limit for Renters
- children welcome
- non smoking only
- pets not allowed


text:
Peter Friedman has been training as a baseball pitcher his entire life. He and his best friend A.J. have always planned on making and dominating their high school team. But you can't always count on your plans to work out. Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip is one teen's journey to figure out what Plan B is.
Marcus, the new kid in town, wants to tryout for the undefeated high school football team in Pop, by Gordon Korman. While training by himself at a local park, he meets Charlie, a massive 50-something-year-old man with powerful football skills that he shares with Marcus. Estranged from the teammates who don't want to accept an outsider, Marcus's growing friendship with Charlie gives him a sense of belonging. But Marcus also begins to see that something about Charlie isn't quite right. For an old guy, he's a charismatic prankster who acts like a big kid, can't remember Marcus's name and runs away at the first sign of trouble. Then Marcus discovers that Charlie is actually a former NFL linebacker known as "The King of Pop."
A middle-aged woman is forced to return to a home state she'd rather forget…and come to terms with a past filled with the shadows of her mother--a once vibrant femme fatale now suffering from Alzheimer's.
1201 Caroline Street | Fredericksburg, VA 22401 | 540-372-1144
Copyright © Central Rappahannock Regional Library - Powered by Drupal
CRRL does not disclose, give, sell or transfer any personal information about our visitors.
Contact Us

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Attention Shawn Mendes fans – This is a special announcement.
Retweet to win!
Quiz! How Well Do You Know the Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt 1 Actors?
Are the odds in your favour?
Quiz! How Well Do You Know Your Mean Girls Quotes?
Take the quiz!
Download Your Taylor Swift Bingo Card and Start Playing Now!
Play now!
May 4th, 2012
With today's sad news on the passing of Beastie Boys member MCA, we're reminded of some great moments the hip hop artist spent at MuchMusic along with his band. From freestyling live on air with Mike D and Ad-Rock in 1986, to performing at the 2004 MMVAs, to shutting down Queen St. in Toronto for an hour-long special edition of Much On Demand, the Beastie Boys have been some of MuchMusic's favourite guests over the years.
MuchMusic will be airing RIP MCA: A Beastie Boy Remembered this Sunday, May 6 at 10 pm ET. Celebrating the life and legacy of Adam "MCA" Yauch. From pioneering rapper with the Beastie Boys to social activist for Tibetan Freedom we go back into the MuchMusic vault to tell his story.
To celebrate the life of Adam Yauch we've put together our most memorable moments with the MC below.
[videoembedws clipid=478686]
Check out pics from the 2004 MMVAs and the Beastie Boys 2006 MOD appearance.
Tags: beastie boys, News
Posted on Friday, May 4th, 2012 at 4:48 pm by Allison and is filed under Blog, News.Tweet


text:
Senior Member
xKing Icyene
Gragas, I play Gragas any time I mid and I love him. Morde used to be my main, I would use him every time i went mid. Gragas has alot of mobility, high range, and cant melt a team with a Q+R barrel combo. Not to mention the sustain!
@Lategame- Morde has a slightly stronger late game but Gragas is more nuke but definitely more squishy, but its hard to out lane him.
Sky Mence
Ended up with morde.
© 2014 Riot Games, Inc. All rights reserved. Riot Games, League of Legends and PvP.net are trademarks, services marks, or registered trademarks of Riot Games, Inc.


text:
DANVILLE — It was a matter of living up to tradition and breaking out of a slump. It was also the last time that Knox County's two fiercest foes will meet, head-to-head, on the same field as Mid-Buckeye Conference rivals.
That was all the motivation that the Danville Blue Devils needed to shut out the visiting East Knox Bulldogs, 5-0, in MBC softball action on Tuesday.
Things heated up in the home half of the first inning when one-time East Knox student Kaelin Clement, batting leadoff for the Blue Devils, started things with a bang. Clement, showing little sentiment for her old school, crushed a solo home run to put her team on top right away. For Clement, who was 3-for-4 with two RBIs, it was a relief.
"I haven't hit the ball in a while," said Clement. "It felt good."
For the rest of the story
The rest of this article is available to Mount Vernon News subscribers. To continue reading, please log in or purchase a subscription. Click here for the May 1, 2013 e-edition. The article will only be available for thirty (30) days.
Contact Geoff CowlesEmail
Copyright The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
You have a unique medical history. Therefore, it is essential to talk with your doctor about your personal risk factors and/or experience with anemia. By talking openly and regularly with your doctor, you can take an active role in your care.
Here are some tips that will make it easier for you to talk to your doctor:
US Preventive Services Task Force
. US Department of Health and Human Services. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality website. Available at:
. Accessed February 2007.
Last reviewed September 2012 by Kari Kassir, MD
Copyright © 2010 EBSCO Publishing All rights reserved.
Still have questions? Contact firstname.lastname@example.com. We are happy to assist you!
The #1 daily resource for health and lifestyle news!
Your daily resource for losing weight and staying fit.
We could all use some encouragement now and then - we're human!
Explore your destiny as you discover what's written in your stars.
The latest news, tips and recipes for people with diabetes.
Healthy food that tastes delicious too? No kidding.


text:
August 4, 2014
For the second year in a row, some University of Colorado students were treated to free bus rides after the Regional Transportation District failed to temporarily suspend their discounted student bus passes for the summer months.
July 30, 2013
During Phil Washington's tenure, RTD has undertaken a remarkable number of innovative, cost-effective and customer-focused initiatives to build projects and improve service.
November 30, 2011
Through the town hall series, RTD will randomly call more than 400,000 people through innovative telephone technology and invite them to participate in the telephone forum. This allows board members to reach out and speak directly with members of the community.
August 26, 2010
The $1 billion East Corridor commuter rail line is part of the FasTracks Eagle P3 project, an innovative public-private partnership that also includes the Gold Line to Arvada and Wheat Ridge and a segment of the Northwest Rail Corridor to south Westminster.
Join the Metro E-Newsletters and receive the latest news in your e-mail inbox once a week. SIGN UP NOW!
View the latest eNews
Express Tuesday | Express Thursday | University Transit
Factors in Transit Bus Ramp Slope and Wheelchair-Seated Passenger Safety Nearly 3 million U.S. adults are wheelchair or scooter users1, and as the population ages this number is expected to rise. Many wheelchair users rely upon public transportation to access work, medical care, school and social activities.
Mass Transit Capital Planning An overview of the world-class best practices for assessing, prioritizing, and funding capital projects to optimize resources and align with the organization's most critical immediate and long-term goals.
The Benefits of Door-to-Door Service in ADA Complementary Paratransit Many U.S. transit agencies continue to struggle with the quality of ADA service, the costs, and the difficulties encountered in contracting the service, which is the method of choice for a significant majority of agencies. One of the most basic policy decisions an agency must make involves whether to provide door-to-door, or only curb-to-curb service.
More white papers
The full contents of Metro Magazine on your computer! The digital edition is an exact replica of the print magazine with enhanced search, multimedia and hyperlink features. View the current issue
Copyright © 2014 Metro Magazine. All Rights Reserved.


text:
Got Homework?
Connect with other students for help. It's a free community.
acrossMIT Grad StudentOnline now
laura*Helped 1,000 studentsOnline now
HeroCollege Math GuruOnline now
Here's the question you clicked on:
- 0 viewing
Group Title
Test!!!!!!!!!! Need help now!!!!!!!!
- one year ago
- one year ago
allibear2012 Group Title
Test!!!!!!!!!! Need help now!!!!!!!!
- one year ago
- one year ago
This Question is Closed
allibear2012 Group TitleBest ResponseYou've already chosen the best response.0
Of the following statements, which one best shows the difference between a short story and novel? A novel has several settings and moods, while a short story usually has one setting and mood. A novel has a short and distinct plot, while the short story has several smaller plots. A novel has only one setting and mood, while a short story has several settings and moods. A short story has several conflicts, while the novel has only one main conflict.
- one year ago
See more questions >>>
Your question is ready. Sign up for free to start getting answers.
→ View Detailed Profile
is replying to Can someone tell me what button the professor is hitting...
- Teamwork 19 Teammate
- Problem Solving 19 Hero
- Engagement 19 Mad Hatter
- You have blocked this person.
- ✔ You're a fan Checking fan status...
Thanks for being so helpful in mathematics. If you are getting quality help, make sure you spread the word about OpenStudy.


text:
Franklin Cottage Rental Photos and Description
2 Bedroom, 2 1/2 Baths, Kitchen, Laundry, Fenced Yard W/ Deck On Deadend Street
Perfect for two couples, travelling pet owners and families with children. Each bedroom has private bathroom with walk-in shower, pedestal sink and private water-closet. Each bedroom has a brand new luxury memory-foam mattress with soft linens and blankets. The backyard is privacy fenced with a raised deck and small grill. The kitchen has new microwave, fridge, stove, dishwasher, coffee maker. The dining room seats 4 comfortably. The family room has 2 comfy chairs and a sofa for reading or watching the high-resolution flat screen TV. Complementary Wi-Fi. A screened porch offers another quiet place to sit. Laundry room located in 1/2 bath. We love well-behaved pets.
- Suitability:
- Long-term Renters Welcome
- Minimum Age Limit for Renters
- children welcome
- non smoking only
- pets considered
- wheelchair accessible
About Elizabeth Knizley
We live nearby on a horse farm.
Why Elizabeth Knizley chose Franklin
Battlefield Cottage was built on the actual ground where the Battle of Franklin raged.
The little brick cottage was built in the 1930's. While development of a civil war battlefield would not happen today, much of the the Franklin battlefield was lost to commercial development in the immediate decades after the war. Today, preservationists are reclaiming the historically significant sites. In 2006, land bordering the southwestern end of the Carter House property (steps from Battlefield Cottage) was acquired with help of the Civil War Preservation Trust and local organizations. This site saw tremendous fighting and was part of a brief Confederate breakthrough. After the purchase, a house, out-buildings, and a swimming pool were removed. During excavation of the original Federal entrenchments some human bones were found.
The area around the intersection of Columbia Ave. and Cleburne St. (steps from Battlefield Cottage) has seen a serious renewed effort since 2005–06 to reclaim that area for the center of a future battlefield park. The location of the former Pizza Hut is now the home to Cleburne Park. The property where the Carter Cotton Gin was located during the battle was purchased in 2005. In 2008 the property behind this location and where the Federal line crossed Columbia Ave. was purchased and in May 2010 the property east of the Gin location and where part of the Gin may have stood was also purchased. A Domino's Pizza in a small mini-mart at the northeast corner of Columbia Ave. and Cleburne St. still stands in the center of the key battlefield area, but is scheduled to be removed.
Preservation organizations plan to reconstruct both the Carter Cotton Gin and some of the Federal entrenchments before the 150th Anniversary of the battle on November 30, 2014, as part of the Civil War Sesquicentennial


text:
The Texas Legislature, when it meets in January, will be grappling with very serious issues. Criminal justice reform, immigration, tax policy, transportation -- lawmakers will be making decisions that will shape the state's future for years to come. State Representative Jason Villalba of Dallas, a ... More >>
In the 2013 legislative session, state Representative Roland Gutierrez from San Antonio amended an education bill to require the Texas Education Agency to find out whether bigger Texas school districts would be better. In a word, no. See also: State Rep. Jason Villalba Threatens to Split DISD if i ... More >>
Redrawing school district lines is a controversial issue that has been getting plenty of attention this year from Baton Rouge to Salt Lake City. Now state Representative Jason Villalba says he might propose splitting Dallas ISD into separate districts during the next legislative session if smaller r ... More >>
With around 2,000 students in the district's three campuses, Argyle ISD is a small, quiet district located smack dab in the middle of Denton and Fort Worth, off Interstate 35. And this school year, some teachers at Argyle ISD have a secret: Several of them have a guns hidden away on their bodies whi ... More >>
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott rejected a request from Republican state Representative Jason Villalba to investigate Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins' use of asset forfeiture funds to make good on a February 2013 traffic accident Watkins caused. Abbott told Villalba that he can't in ... More >>
When the Sandy Hook school shootings occurred in December 2012, Jason Villalba had one toddler and one child in kindergarten. Like all parents, Villalba felt an urgent need to offer better protection for his kids. Unlike most parents, Villalba had just been elected to his freshman term in the Texas ... More >>
When we left you on Friday, there was a glimmering hope that Texas Republicans might consider adopting a more middle-ground approach to immigration, in an attempt to appeal to Hispanic voters. According to state Representative Jason Villalba, a more moderate stance would be critical to the survival ... More >>
"Unless we adjust, we as a party are at tremendous peril of vanishing forever." This was Jason Villalba, the state rep from Dallas, over the phone today, imagining the doomsday scenario that could break his Republican party, if far-right members don't shuffle toward the center aisle on immigration. ... More >>
North Dallas state Representative Jason Villalba has been taking a certain amount of heat lately for courting the California hot-sauce-maker, Huy Fong Food Plants, trying to sell them on the idea of relocating to North Texas in order to escape local environmental complaints in the company's hometow ... More >>
For a glimpse at how a Republican can turn a relatively moderate stance on immigration into a winning (or, at the very least, not suicidal) political issue, look at State Representative Jason Villalba. Read the meditation he penned for The Dallas Morning News in which the 42-year-old wonders how to ... More >>
On Monday, Dallas Police Chief David Brown briefed the City Council on changes the department's use-of-force training regimen. Before, training sessions were required once every two years; now, it's quarterly or bi-monthly. To oversee the training, Brown added several high-ranking officers to overse ... More >>
When Denton City Councilman Kevin Roden first made his pitch to bring Sriracha to North Texas last October, it seemed like an impossible long shot. What chance did a lone municipal official, bearing no tax breaks or economic development incentives, have of convincing the manufacturer of the most del ... More >>
In this week's Dallas Observer we profile 30 of the metro area's most interesting characters, with new portraits of each from local photographer Stanton Stephens. See the entire Dallas Observer People Issue here . There's something different about state Representative Jason Villalba, something that ... More >>
The couple started arguing on Saturday, around 3 in the morning, in a house near Fair Park. The man told the woman he hadn't forgotten their past arguments, all the times she had "disrespected" him. He shoved his palm hard against her face and forced her down against a desk. She fought him, pushing ... More >>
Back in December, freshman state representative Jason Villalba, who hails from North Dallas, got a lot of attention for his plan to file a bill allowing Texas school teachers to carry guns. The bill, which he's calling the Protection of Texas Children Act, would allow certain school district employ ... More >>
In the wake of last month's shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School and the subsequent proposal by local state Representative Jason Villalba to arm specially trained teachers, DISD spokesman Jon Dahlander dismissed the idea that Dallas teachers will soon be roaming the halls packing heat. He did l ... More >>
Freshman state Rep. Jason Villalba has spent much of the past couple days scrambling to respond to the sudden media attention sparked by his announcement that he would file a bill for the coming legislative session allowing teachers to carry guns. He talked to the Morning News yesterday, and yesterd ... More >>
Jason Villalba, the newly elected state representative from North Dallas, is starting his legislative career with a splash. Villalba announced today that he will introduce the Protection of Texas Children Act, the innocuous-sounding title of a bill that would allow Texas school districts to designat ... More >>
As we reported earlier, newly elected state Representative Jason Villalba announced his intention to file legislation allowing Texas school districts to arm trained faculty and staff members. "School marshals," I think he calls them. In case you were wondering whether we might see ol' Coach prowlin ... More >>
We knew it already, but Ted Cruz is Texas' next U.S. Senator. Sure, he still has to face Democrat Paul Sadler in the November general election, but this is Texas, where so long as you promise to cut taxes and put a big 'R' somewhere near your name, you're good. The victory, unthinkable a few months ... More >>
Jason Villalba, a Haynes & Boone attorney, is the new Dallas County GOP vice-chairAnderson Cooper, for one, will be disappointed, but Debbie Georgatos is no longer part of the Republican Party's local leadership team. The avant-garde filmmaker and would-be Beat poet has resigned her post "as ... More >>
It's gonna be hard for Edward Okpa to get much traction in the mayor's race when he's being ignored by The News and several groups sponsoring forums.Turns out the Dallas Chapter of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly isn't the only organization minimizing the mayoral candidacy of Edward ... More >>
Courtesy Haynes and Boone, LLPJason Villalba, chair of the Dallas Chapter of the Republican National Hispanic AssemblyIn case you haven't seen the updates to Friday's item about tomorrow's mayoral debate at Thomas Jefferson High School, Dallas Chapter of the Republican National Hispanic Assem ... More >>
Photo by Patrick MichelsTom Leppert[Update at 5:50 p.m.: We just heard from Kunkle, who says our item was the first he'd heard of Okpa's exclusion from the debate. Kunkle subsequently called Villalba, and while he stopped short of threatening to pull out of the forum, he strongly urged him to ... More >>
Photos by Patrick MichelsThere wasn't much silence at all from the crowd at Franklin Stadium last night. Check out more photos here in our slide show.As Sam noted yesterday, the local Republican party shelled out three grand for a proper venue to accommodate the mammoth crowd they expected at the ... More >>
While President Obama drops by the Highland Park home of lawyer Russell Budd this evening to raise dough and break bread with local Dems, Republicans are rallying at Franklin Stadium next to Hillcrest High School to ... well, to do what? "It's not just complaining about the Democrats," says ... More >>


text:
Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine Weigh-in Photo Gallery, courtesy of Esther Lin and Showtime. read news >>
Check out Showtime's post-fight interviews with the Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine main card winners. read news >>
Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine quick results on Saturday, January 12. The main event features Nate Marquardt vs. Tarec Saffiedine. read news >>
If you missed the live stream, check out the Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine weigh-in video now on MMAWeekly.com. read news >>
Friday's Strikeforce "Marquardt vs. Saffiedine" weigh-ins will stream live on Sherdog.com at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT. read news >>
You can watch the Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine weigh-ins live on MMAWeekly.com, Friday at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT. read news >>
Two title fights are likely landing on the promised "stacked" Strikeforce show in January, and it appears both the middleweight and welterweight titles will be defended. read news >>
Former Strikeforce welterweight champion Tarec Saffiedine made his Octagon debut against Korea's rising star Hyun Gyu Lim at UFC Fight Night 34. read news >>
All drug test results came back clean following last Saturday's Strikeforce card in Oklahoma City. read news >>
Saturday night's Strikeforce swan song averaged just 310,000 viewers, making it the promotion's least-watched event since September 2011. read news >>
Five fighters from Saturday's Strikeforce "Marquardt vs. Saffiedine" card have been issued medical suspensions by the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission. read news >>


text: Lynn's 50th Surprise party View full-size image < previous next > Is this photo a winner? "My wife recently went through several career changes recently and she is now a local radio broadcaster for a classical music station. I needed a T-shirt that would represent her lively spirit and she does put the "broad" in broadcasting! Thanks CustomInk!" - Grengle (Jan 27, 2014) Share this photo on: Twitter Facebook Pinterest Similar Photos: event celebratory | birthday | 50th | 50th birthday | surprise party Feeling inspired? Visit the CustomInk Design Lab to start your own group order. Design Your Own comment by Guest - Jan 28, 2014 - back to the top AWESOME!!


text:
The captain of a Boeing 737-700 reported that prior to starting a descent, he received reports of moderate turbulence in the area of the arrival airport. He said that he instructed the cabin attendants to secure the cabin early in anticipation of turbulence during the approach. The injured flight attendant related that before the flight crew initiated the descent, the attendants were asked to ready the cabin early in anticipation of turbulence. She said that as she walked to the back of the airplane, and just before she was to be seated, she noticed that a few remaining service carts located in the aft galley were not locked down. She stated that as she locked down one of the last remaining service carts, 'the floor just fell out from under my feet, my head hit the ceiling, and I landed back on the floor, on my right leg.' The flight attendant sustained a broken right ankle.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
Index for Nov2000 | Index of months


text:
Recently added item(s)
You have no items in your shopping cart.
You'll love Daniel E. Greene: Essential Lessons in Oil Painting if:
In this magazine download presented by The Artist's Magazine, learn the insider secrets from master realist Daniel E. Greene in oil painting. Learn how to mix color to make realistic skintones and find must-have palette pointers. Read how Daniel E. Green uses a combination of photographs, sketches, and models to depict lifelike New York City subway system. In addition, discover how to layer value and color as the secret to loose, evocative portraits in oil pastel.
Your price:
You save: $1.49 (50%)
In Stock
Click on image to zoom
Be the first to review this product
Your price:
You save: $#{save}
You're missing something...
We wouldn't want you to be left out. There are manymore resources, materials and exclusive deals. Sign up. Don't miss out!
We aren't looking for followers. We're looking for artists!
We're looking for people who share our passion, who want to learn and contribute to a growing, thriving art community. People who find joy in creating and inspiration in the work of others. Join Us!
Join our Fine Art Community


text:
Life-Enhancing Research
New Center at UAlbany will Help Pinpoint Oral Health Access Disparities
The University at Albany School of Public Health will launch an Oral Health Workforce Research Center, which will become one of only five such health workforce research hubs in the country uniquely focused on the oral health workforce.
Expand Your Worldview
Art History Students Journey to Serbia to Restore Ancient Roman Mosaic
Two UAlbany undergrads from the Department of Art and Art History traveled to Serbia this summer to work on a pilot internship restoring mosaic pavements from the Sirmium Roman Imperial Palace in the historic town of Sremska Mitrovica.
Video: Students Dedicated to Promoting Sustainable Foods
Whether it's working to bring healthy eating options in the dining halls or increasing locally sourced foods on campus, UAlbany students have taken the lead on bringing the concepts of sustainable farming and food production to the campus community.
Primed for Career Success
UAlbany Hosts Digital Media Workshop for Catskill High School Students
UAlbany recently gave students from Catskill High School's media program the chance to get hands-on experience working with digital media experts in a professional setting. The day was an outgrowth of President Robert J. Jones' nine-county tour last year.
We Attract the Best Minds on the Planet
Expectant Mothers Take Note: Pregnancy Food Cravings May Be Psychological
Though reports have shown 50 to 90 percent of pregnant women experience food cravings, a University at Albany study found little evidence of craved foods balancing nutritional deficiencies. Instead, it suggests pregnancy cravings to be mostly psychological.
The University at Albany Foundation
Fr. Kevin Mullen, Daniel Nolan and Phoebe Bender Honored as Citizen Laureates
Former president of Siena College, president and CEO of Hugh Johnson Advisors LLC, and a leading area volunteer to be honored by The University at Albany Foundation at 35th Anniversary Awards Dinner, Thursday, Nov. 6., beginning 5:30 p.m. in the SEFCU Arena.


text:
Spotlight Article:
A Case Study in Coordination: Energy Star Partners and HVAC Contractors
Over the past 17 years, more than 1.4 million new homes have been certified to earn EPA's Energy Star label. The Energy Star Certified Homes program, together with its thousands of partners, has transformed the ...
Keep Reading
A Case Study in Coordination: Energy Star Partners and HVAC Contractors
premium CONTENT
Over the past 17 years, more than 1.4 million new homes have been certified to earn EPA's Energy Star label. The Energy Star Certified Homes program, together with its thousands of partners, has transformed the ... [continue reading]
Green the Orange
premium CONTENT
Students at Syracuse University experience a Multifamily Performance Program up close and personal. [continue reading]
Energy-Efficient Homes
premium CONTENT
Houston may be a standout in the market, but it seems that energy efficiency programs and DOE standards are lifting all homes to better efficiency. [continue reading]
Energy Star for Homes 3.0
premium CONTENT
Energy Star is probably the most widely recognized energy efficiency brand in North America. A recent study cited it as the second-most trusted consumer brand, right behind the Good Housekeeping seal. Critics of that study ... [continue reading]
California's Advanced Homes Program
premium CONTENT
California is slowly moving toward net zero energy construction, defined as building structures that produce as much energy on-site as they consume. The Long Term Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan of the California Public Utilities Commission (... [continue reading]
Lakeland Habitat for Humanity
free CONTENT
Soon all Habitat homes will meet Energy Star standards. A Habitat affiliate in Florida is already exceeding Energy Star standards in some of its new homes. [continue reading]
Near Net Zero Energy House
premium CONTENT
Results are in for a full year of energy generation and use at the Near Net Zero Energy house, in Colrain, Massachusetts, developed and built by Rural Development, Incorporated, (RDI) of Turners Falls, Massachusetts (see &... [continue reading]
Pennsylvania Embraces Home Energy
premium CONTENT
Rising energy prices and environmental concerns have increased interest among consumers, design professionals, and the trades in green building technology and energy efficiency—or green energy, for short. In response to this combination of ... [continue reading]
Kevin Farrell
A Pause for Reflection: After 30 Years, Conservation Services Group Considers the Future of Energy Efficiency
In early September, Conservation Services Group (CSG) celebrated its 30-year anniversary with more than 200 guests. During the celebration at the ...
Ely Jacobsohn
Congratulations to the Home Performance with Energy Star Housing Innovation Award Winners!
Winners for the Department of Energy's 2014 Housing Innovations Award were announced on September 23rd during a special event ...


text: I know that His Grace would also prefer that all fighters who plan on attending the war and are able attend this practice as well. If you're not attending the war but can make the practice, your presence will help ensure that our army is as best prepared as possible for the comming conflict. Centurion Morgan Buchanan ----- Original Message ----- From: "Todd Marsh" <todd_marsh at comcast.net> To: <Ansteorra-announce at ansteorra.org>; <rosenfeld at yahoogroups.com>; <blackoakkeep at yahoogroups.com> Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2004 7:12 PM Subject: [Ansteorra-announce] Central Regional War Practice 2/28 > The General of the Ansteorran Army of Heroes, Duke Patrick Michael, has > requested that all regional and unit commanders attend a commander's meeting > at the Central region war practice on February 28th. We also plan a day of > melee practice, individual practice, and siege equipment testing. Please > join us. > > Centurian Llywelyn Gruffydd > Central Regional War Commander > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > On February 28th there will be a Central region war practice at the home of > Master Petruccio. It will start at 10:00am and end at 4:00pm. A small > donation is requested to cover the cost of the privy. There is room for > combat archery and siege engines, so bring them out for a pre-Gulf War > inspection. > > If you are planning to fight with the Central Region at Gulf War, please > join us at this practice. > If you can't make it, please email Llywelyn at Elfsea.net . This is the only > regional planning meeting scheduled before Gulf War. > > Centurian Llywelyn Gruffydd > Central Regional War Commander > > > Pat and Ronnie's Address: > 3053 PR 2282 > Quinlan, TX 75474 > 903.356.4443 > > Site: > 8718 CR 2276 > Quinlan, TX 75474 > > Directions from Dallas/Fort Worth > > Take I-30 East to Exit 68 (just across Lake Ray Hubbard) in Rockwall. At the > light turn right and go to the next light (approximately 100 yards). Turn > left onto 276 (to Quinlan and Lake Tawakoni). Take 276 to Quinlan. Once the > speed limit drops to 45 MPH start looking on the left for 5th Street (Noah > Cosby Printing will be on the corner). Turn left onto 5th and follow it > around. It will go north, turn west, and turn north again. This is CR > 2276. Take 2276 north approximately 1 mile until you see the mailbox for > 8718 on the left hand side of the road. This is the site of the fighter > practice. > > >From points East of Quinlan. > > Take your best route to SH 34 in either Greenville or Terrell (depending on > if you are north or south. Take SH 34 to 276 in Quinlan (a Dairy Queen is > on the corner). Turn west and continue to 5th Street. Turn right on 5th > Street. It will go north, turn west, and turn north again. This is CR 2276. > Take 2276 north approximately 1 mile until you see the mailbox for 8718 on > the left hand side of the road. This is the site of the fighter practice. > > > > _______________________________________________ > Ansteorra-Announce mailing list > Ansteorra-Announce at ansteorra.org > http://www.ansteorra.org/mailman/listinfo/ansteorra-announce >


text:
As I drove up to the horse ranch yesterday, I stopped to take some photos along Deep Canyon and looked up to see two vultures circling overhead. I usually see them while I'm driving my car, so this was an opportunity for me to stop and really take a look at them and take some photos. They effortlessly glided along the thermals rising from the canyon and I snapped these pics. Looking at the Sky on Friday for 072910.
My adventures in and near Deep Canyon, located near Palm Desert, CA and the pinyon mountains near it.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Vulture~Looking at the sky on Friday 072910
Posted by trav4adventures at 5:31 AM
Labels: vultures
3 comments:
Oh man, I'd have loved to see them! Good spotting.ReplyDelete
Bellissimo volo libero di quest'animale !ReplyDelete
In Italia è un'uccello super-protetto :-))
Nella mia montagna ce ne sono molte.
Buona giornata.
how majestic it is a breathtaking experience to see flying these kings of the skies. Gorgeous pictures!!!ReplyDelete
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Author Archives: Peter Rutland
Scotland: reflections on the referendum
The week before the September 18 referendum saw high drama, due to the release of a yougov poll on September 6 suggesting that the Yes vote had a 51% to 49% lead. The surge was in part due to a lackluster performance by Better Together's Alistair Darling in his second debate with Alex Salmond on August 25. Salmond had answers to Darling's economic questions about currency and the NHS, while Darling failed to come up with any arguments to appeal to Scots' sense of belonging and identity.
The Yes surge triggered a flurry of activity from the Better Together campaign, with the leaders of all three Westminster parties heading north of the border to plead their case. On September 15 David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband signed a pledge promising more powers for the Scottish parliament if full independence was rejected. Downing Street placed calls to business leaders urging them to speak out, and a string of corporate leaders made statements in the final week warning of the dire economic consequences of a Yes vote.
But the most noteworthy development was the extraordinary speech delivered by Gordon Brown's in Maryhill, Glasgow two days before the referendum. It was Gordon Brown's finest hour: Scotland's version of the Gettysburg Address.
Brown reiterated some of the economic arguments against secession. But his speech was remarkable for the passion with which he laid out the Better Together case on identity grounds. He eviscerated what he referred to as "the nationalists" for claiming to speak for Scotland, with some followers calling their opponents "traitors." He argued that the institutions of which the nationalists are most proud, such as the pound sterling and the National Health Service, were built together, as part of the United Kingdom. He pointed out that Scots and English had fought and died together for a common cause in two world wars. He argued for cooperation and solidarity over disparagement and division.
Seeing Brown performance raised the question of why he had not been given a more prominent role in the Better Together campaign from the outset. Veteran Scottish Labour politician John Reid explained that Alistair Darling had been chosen as the front man for the No campaign because he was a less partisan and divisive figure than Brown, and was more likely to be able to forge a common approach with the Conservative and Liberal-Democratic leaders.
Brown's speech was probably too late to sway any voters – exit polls (see below) indicated that while some 15% of Yes voters were undecided until the final week, only 9% of No voters had made up their mind in the last week.
Curiously, neither the BBC nor any other news organization bothered to pay for exit polls on election day. So the only source we have for analysis of the demographics of the rival camps is a poll sponsored by Lord Ashcroft. It makes for fascinating reading. 73% of those over the age of 65 voted No, and women were 6% more likely than men to vote No. 57% of No voters said the pound was one of the most important factors in their decision, vindicating Alistair Darling's focus on currency in the campaign, while the main driver for Yes voters was "disaffection with Westminster politics." Only 27% of No voters selected a "strong attachment to the UK and its shared history, culture and traditions" as a reason for voting No, while 47% said it was due to fear of the consequences of independence.
More broadly, the whole exercise raises some interesting questions for political scientists. What is the role of history and identity in shaping political decisions? While both sides made emotional appeals to voters' sense of identity, in the end it seems to have been bread and butter issues that won out.
The referendum drew some praise from around the world for providing an example of how to decide the fate of a country through a peaceful, rational deliberative procedure. The upsurge of public involvement in the campaign and the high (85%) turnout was taken as a sign that democracy is alive and well and can serve as a tool for resolving ethnic disputes.
However, there are also some troubling aspects to the referendum from the point of view of democratic theory. What right does a minority have to set terms for its participation in collective decision making? Under what circumstances should they be allowed to opt out of laws and policies that are applied to citizens living in other regions? Under what conditions does a group have the right to secede – and should that require the consent of the rest of the polity from which they are seceding? Most counties, including China, Russia, Spain and the United States, do not allow secession at all. Moral philosophers tend to argue that secession is only justified if some clear harm has been done to the minority seeking independence. No such direct grievances were present in the Scottish case.
Second, as my Wesleyan colleague Donald Moon has pointed out, neither side really knew what they were voting for. The Yes campaign could not provide definitive questions to whether Scotland would or would not be able to keep the pound or stay in the European Union. The No campaign also was unclear on what exactly was being promised by way of new powers for the Scottish parliament – not least because there was an immediate reaction from many Labour and Conservative MPs questioning the wisdom and fairness of cutting a special deal for Scotland without also giving more powers to England and Wales.
Ideally, one can imagine that if a referendum were to be a solid basis for dividing a functioning democracy, there should be a three-stage process. First, a vote on the principle of secession. Second, assuming the vote was positive, the convening of a constitutional convention which would hammer out the precise terms of the split. Third, a second referendum in which voters are given a chance to vote on independence, this time knowing more or less what it would entail.
The pros and cons of Scottish independence
Residents of Scotland will head to the polls on September 18 to vote on whether to preserve or dissolve their 300-year old union with the United Kingdom. It is a stunning example of the persistence of nationalism despite decades of assurances by liberals and socialists alike that globalization dissolves national identities and/or makes national sovereignty increasingly irrelevant.
In a global context, the Scottish independence movement is unusual because Great Britain has been unified for so long, and the union (in 1707) was voluntary and not a result of conquest. Also, there has been no repression of Scots by the English for centuries, nor any threat to their ethnic identity; and the UK is a well-functioning democracy with robust human rights and a high standard of living.
Elsewhere in the world, Matt Qvortup reports, there have been 49 independence referenda since Texas voted to secede in 1861, and most of them have been ended in secession, with an average Yes vote of 83%. In Britain there have been ten referendums since the vote on whether to stay in the European Economic Community in 1974, and in seven of those cases voters opted for change over the status quo. So to the extent that this broader pool of cases is relevant, the chances of a nationalist victory cannot be ruled out.
As election day approaches, Scottish voters realize that they are facing a momentous decision and the country is in a grip of intense and for some exhilarating debate. For a flavor of the issues, check out the pro-independence website Yes Scotland and its pro-union rival Better Together. For a neutral academic discussion site, see Future of UK and Scotland. For the pro-independence case, see the speech by Alex Salmond, First Minister of Scotland on March 4, 2014, or read this article by Neal Ascherson. A trenchant argument for preserving the union is made by Gideon Rachman in The National Interest. Various celebrities have weighed in, with pro-independence Sean Connery facing off against Edinburgh resident J.K. Rowling, who donated £1 million to the No campaign.
South of the border, the independence movement is often seem as something whimsical and irrational, the product of a nostalgia for a land of wild, free, poetic Highland past. In a concise summary of the debate, John Lloyd suggests that Scotland is torn between "heart and head," between a headstrong assertion of "who we are" and a rational calculation of collective self-interest.
Alternatively, the nationalist movement is portrayed as the creation of self-interested politicians – notably, Alex Salmond, the leader of the Scottish Nationalist Party – seeking power and a place in the history books. In this reading, independence is almost the accidental result of a sequence of short-sighted decisions by Labour politicians in Westminster – a failed devolution referendum in 1979, the creation of a Scottish parliament in 1998 – who had no inkling that their actions could lead to the break-up of the UK. (Just as Mikhail Gorbachev did not realize that glasnost and perestroika would lead to the collapse of the USSR.)
In her study of the break-up of Yugoslavia, Secessionist Movements and Ethnic Conflict, Beata Huszka argues that secessionist movements deploy one or more of three frames: ethnic security, democracy, and prosperity. Scots do not invoke any threat to their ethnic identity, so the case for independence depends on the latter two appeals – democracy and prosperity.
The democracy case hinges on the fact that Scots are more left-leaning than the English. Scots complain that they are repeatedly ruled by Conservative governments which would not have won power in an independent Scotland. The Conservative Party currently holds only 15 out of 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament. In the 2010 British general election, they won 17 percent of the votes in Scotland, and they hold just one of the 59 Scottish seats in the Westminster parliament (which is elected on the first-past-the-post electoral system, unlike the Scottish and European parliaments, which use proportional representation). After the 1997 Labour landslide the Conservatives did not have a single MP in Scotland.
More broadly, in a climate of increasing disillusion with the institutions of democracy (from banker bailouts, to phone backing, to MP expenses fraud) independence is seen as vote for social change and the reinvigoration of participatory democracy. For example, Hilary Wainwright argues that the referendum is "not even about nationalism" but rather is "an invitation to say no to a super power whose wars, most recently against Iraq, the Scottish people found abhorrent, and yet have been forced to join; a chance to say no to decades of social injustice and sacrifice at the altar of the global market by Conservative and Labour Governments at Westminster."
Scotland already enjoys a high degree of devolution of powers. It has its own legal, police and education systems, complete control over its National Health Service, and so on. It lacks autonomy in foreign and military policy – an important point given that Britain's controversial Trident nuclear deterrence submarines are based in Faslane, Scotland. It also lacks control over fiscal and monetary policy – a sensitive issue given the UK coalition government's commitment to austerity to forestall inflation and preserve the value of the pound.
The counter arguments to the democracy thesis are:
(a) any democracy is about winning some and losing some – and Labour governments have ruled Britain for half the post-war period.
(b) If you believe in social democracy and social justice, then these goals are more likely to be realized in the 60 million strong British community if Scotland stays part of the union. Thus the utilitarian principle of "the greatest good for the greatest number" argues for the preservation of the union. The Scots should make common cause against the London elite with their cousins in the struggling north of England.
Sometimes it is argued that Scottish secession would mean permanent right-wing governments in the rump UK. This is an exaggeration. Because Scotland has only 4.2 million voters out of a UK electorate of 46 million, it is quite rare for Scottish votes to swing an election (to Labour, from the Tories). It only happened twice since 1945 (in 1964 and 1974, and only for a total of 26 months). Additionally, in 2010 Scottish votes did deny the Conservatives a majority at Westminster, and forced them to form a coalition with the Lib-Dems.
(c) One issue is who gets to vote. The decision was made to restrict the franchise to people residing in Scotland. That gives the right to vote to 400,000 people living in Scotland who were not born there, but disenfranchises 800,000 Scots living elsewhere in the UK. (In contrast, in recent referenda in Montenegro and South Sudan emigres were given the right to vote.) The SNP promoted this approach presumably out of fear that diaspora Scots would be more likely to vote No.
Another contentious decision was to lower the voting age to 16 – Austria is the only other European country with such a low voting age. The SNP was gambling that younger, more impressionable voters would be easier to rally to their cause.
(d) There is also the classic liberal argument against secession (as laid out for example by Michael Ignatieff): that it divides people who were peacefully living together, forcing them to pick one identity at the expense of other identities and creating a downward spiral of action and response.
On the prosperity front, oil is central to the psychology of the nationalists. It was the discovery of oil in the North Sea that enabled the hitherto marginal Scottish Nationalist Party to capture 30% of the vote in 1974 with the slogan "It's Scotland's oil." Oil and gas revenue remains key to the economic viability of an independent Scotland, and hence to the political confidence of the nationalist movement. The problem is that oil only accounts for 15% of Scotland's trade, and other sectors of the economy would be hard hit by the uncertainty following independence. Leading banks have signaled that they would probably have to re-register in London, where most of their business originates, to conform to EU rules.
The main counter-arguments of the No campaign have focused on the pound sterling, Scotland's status within the European Union, and the question of budget subsidies.
Alex Salmond has tried to argue that "it is Scotland's pound too" and that an independent Scotland has the right to continue using the pound as its national currency. This is a somewhat unusual stance for a nationalist – historically, having your own currency was up there along with the flag and anthem as symbols of national autonomy. English politicians responded by insisting that London would not allow Scotland to print money to cover government deficits – citing the crisis in the Eurozone as a sobering example of what happens when monetary union runs ahead of fiscal union.
In the televised debate on August 5 between Salmond and former Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling, head of the Better Together campaign, the latter hammered home the currency theme, arguing that "even an eight year old can name a country's capital, flag and currency" but Salmond is unable to commit an independent Scotland to using the pound sterling, the Euro, or a new Scottish pound.
Salmond's clinging to the pound sterling is an example of his broader political dilemma. To secure more than 50% of the votes on September 18 he needs to win over wavering voters who are worried about the possible disruptive impact of independence and who do not share the fervor of the nationalist true believers. Hence his insistence that Scotland will retain the Queen as head of state and the pound as its currency, and will stay part of the EU and NATO. Speaking on the BBC on August 7, Scottish Conservative Ruth Davidson characterized his position as one where "everything will change but nothing will change."
On the European Union, the question is whether Scotland would automatically stay a member, or would have to apply for entry as a new applicant. The EU charter is ambiguous on the issue, but given the opposition of some EU members (notably Spain) to secession it is unlikely that Scotland would get a smooth passage to membership.
The budget subsidy issue arises because Westminster spends £1400 per head (15%) more on Scots than on residents of England (in part, this is seen as informal compensation for North Sea oil revenues). Thus for example Scottish students go to university for free, but English students have to pay £9,000 annual tuition (through state-provided loans). NHS patients in Scotland have free prescriptions while in England they pay £8 per item.
No survey over the past year has showed a majority favoring independence. The latest polls put the Yes vote at 46% and No at 51%, with forecasters confidently predicting a No victory. However, given the vagaries of turnout, and the uniqueness of the occasion, it is impossible to rule out a victory for the Yes campaign. And even if the referendum fails, a narrow margin of victory for union would mean that the issue would not go away. More devolution of policy responsibility is bound to follow – with likely pushback from English counties, triggering more calls for independence from north of the border.
Private nationalism
Nationalism Beyond the Parades
A traveling exhibition explores the personal dimension of a phenomenon usually associated with the public square.
By Peter Rutland, Transitions Online, 4 August 2014
Nationalism is back in the news, from Crimea to Scotland. Judging by an unusual and important exhibition that is travelling around Central Europe, artists might have more insights into the dynamics of nationalist belonging than politicians and journalists.
Some artists are engaged in the production of works that bolster national identity – the most striking recent example being Danny Boyle's orchestration of the opening ceremony for the London Olympics. But most contemporary artists, to the extent that they address nationalism at all, tend to subject it to ridicule and contempt.
A new exhibition, "Private Nationalism," takes a different approach. Rather than celebrating or denigrating nationalism, the curators invited artists from the region to reflect on how nationalism manifests itself in the fabric of personal everyday life. The exhibits cover the gamut of nationalist expression: anthems, names, monuments, parades, etc. The tone is ironic and sardonic, while still recognizing the emotional force of nationalist appeals.
The exhibition began earlier this year in Prague and Kosice, Slovakia, before moving to Pecs, Hungary, where it ended 15 June. The centerpiece in Pecs was Battle of Inner Truth by the Little Warsaw artist group (Balint Havas and Andras Galik): a floor display of several dozen miniature statuettes and figurines of monuments from across Hungary, ranging from socialist workers to medieval knights. It is disconcerting to see monuments in shrunken form, and set alongside one another – since usually they are seen in splendid isolation.
Continuing the monumental theme, Martin Piacek presented a dozen models for works commemorating The Biggest Embarrassments of Slovak History, ranging from the car bomb that killed a police whistleblower in 1996 to Czechoslovak President Edvard Benes signing the decrees expelling the Sudeten Germans in 1945. As an exercise in national humility, each country's history museum should have such an exhibit.
Kristina Norman's video Monolith is a gripping account of the debate over the Soviet war memorial in central Tallinn, eventually removed in 2007 at the insistence of Estonian nationalists. She uses Stanley Kubrick's 2001 – A Space Odyssey as a humorous framing device, with the bronze soldier zooming in from outer space. The film shows the powerful feelings displayed by the two sides: for local Russians Alyosha was a reminder of the victory over fascism, while Estonian nationalists saw it as symbol of occupation. Norman reminds us that a monument can have multiple meanings and that nationalism unleashes turbulent emotions, hard to reconcile between opposing sides.
At the opposite end of the spectrum from monumental art, Alban Muja's striking My Name, Their City consists of photos of young Kosovans holding pictures of the cities after which they were named. It was apparently not uncommon in Kosovo in the 1970s and 1980s for parents to name their children after cities in the Albanian motherland from which they were separated. (There are also a dozen Kosovan boys with the first name "Tonybler," in recognition of the British Prime Minister's role in their liberation.)
Other videos on display include a piece by Dan Perjovschi, showing the artist having the word "ROMANIA" tattooed on his arm, and then removing it 10 years later; and a witty film from Andras Csefalvay (Slovakia), in which a digitized talking dinosaur strolls through Budapest explaining the Darwinian perspective on nationalism.
The World Cup, of course, reminds us that soccer and nationalism are intimately connected. Janos Borsos and Lilla Lorinc use soccer as a metaphor for civil war. A video shows the two artists wearing an identical mask (a composite of their two faces) and facing off in a soccer game. In front of the video, several wooden carvings of a soccer pitch show various distortions to the "level playing field" – a mountainous terrain, a chasm between the two halves, and a pitch where one side's half was bigger than the other. In a simple but direct way it reminds the viewer that civil wars are about two sides claiming the same identity – and that despite that symmetry, the actual strengths of the two sides are invariably lopsided. The work adds a new dimension to understanding recent developments in eastern Ukraine.
Most of the works avoid politics per se. One exception is the piece by Szabolcs Kisspal in which he posts the replies he received from Hungarian radio stations when he asked them to play the Jewish anthem Hatikvah on 20 April 2014 – the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Bergen Belsen. He proposed using the recording of the camp inmates singing that was made by a BBC correspondent at the time. Only one of the stations complied, the others gave various spurious grounds for declining, such as the "poor quality" of the recording.
There was some controversy around the exhibition in Kosice because Slovak artist Dalibor Baca placed a flag of the former Czechoslovakia (and current Czech Republic) on the floor, for people to walk on. In the "velvet divorce" back in 1992 the Czechs had promised the Slovaks they would not use the old flag for their new republic but did so anyway.
From Pecs the show has moved on to Dresden (18 July to 1 September), and then it heads to Krakow, Berlin, and Debrecen, Hungary. The core consists of eight institutions from six countries, drawing upon 60 artists from 17 nations. Most of the pieces in Pecs were by Slovak and Hungarian artists: project leader Rita Vargas said it was difficult to recruit Czech and Polish artists, with the Czechs arguing the topic was passé. The Pecs exhibition also included pieces on the divided communities in Cyprus and Israel – a nod, perhaps, to the fact that Pecs, the "Gateway to the Balkans," was under Ottoman rule from 1543 to 1686.
Hungary is a logical place to ponder the resurgence of nationalism. Since 2010 the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been centralizing power in a manner that has alarmed Hungary's European Union partners. Orban has also embarked on an energetic campaign of nationalist rebranding: renaming streets, re-installing old monuments from the Hapsburg Empire, and introducing new school textbooks that celebrate the writers and achievements of interwar Hungary.
A new monument is being erected on Freedom Square in downtown Budapest to mark the occupation of Hungary by German forces in March 1944. The site is often ringed by protesters, who complain that the structure is intended to erase memories of the complicity of the Hungarian regime in the Nazi war effort up until 1944.
As Edit Andras explains in a catalog essay, nationalism is usually seen as a quintessentially public, collective act. Scholars have been slow to explore how it is reflected in private life, the pioneering work being Michael Billig's Banal Nationalism (1995). Alongside the familiar high politics of nationalist symbolism, the exhibits in "Private Nationalism" remind us that nationalism is a part of the daily life of ordinary people and a component of the complex and shifting character of individual identity in today's mobile, transnational world.
Putin, the First World War and Russian identity
By Glorifying WWI, Putin Ignores Its Tragedy
- By Peter Rutland
- Moscow Times, Aug. 04 2014
On Friday, Aug. 1, President Vladimir Putin took time off from making history, to reflect on history.
At a ceremony marking, to the day, the centenary of Germany's declaration of war on Russia, Putin spoke at the opening of a new World War I monument. In his statements, Putin appeared to be more and more explicitly embracing a deeply historical view of Russia's statehood — or what his critics would call an imperialist mindset.
Even the tone of the speech reflected this historical, almost imperialist outlook. Instead of the more inclusive "Rossiisky" adjective, which pertains to the Russian state with its multiethnic population, Putin made more frequent use of the more Slavic "Russky" to refer to the military glories of World War I.
But what stood out the most was Putin's explanation of Russia's part in World War I. Putin complained that in Soviet times World War I "had been written out of history as an imperialist war." Far from being an imperialist war, he argued, Russia had acted justly to "defend its Slavic brothers" and fulfill its commitments to its allies. This eerily echoes Putin's own justifications for annexing Crimea.
He even argued that Russia was on the verge of winning, thanks to the 1916 Brusilov Offensive, but "victory was stolen from the country by those who sowed dissension within Russia, who longed for power, and who betrayed the national interest." Putin, of course, was referring to the Bolsheviks, though by failing to mention them by name he was in effect turning the tables and writing them out of history.
From remarks earlier this year, it is clear that Putin also blames the Bolsheviks for splitting up Russia's empire. On April 16, during a televised phone-in, he condemned the Bolsheviks for giving Russian territory to Ukraine. He said "Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk and Odessa were not part of Ukraine in tsarist times; they were transferred in 1920. Why? God only knows."
But the issue of commemorating World War I had been on Putin's mind long before the current crisis in Ukraine. In a Federation Council meeting on June 2012, Putin complained that "it was called an imperialist war in Soviet times." He added that "there is no difference between the first and second world wars" because in both cases "people gave their lives for their country and should not be forgotten."
He suggested that Soviet leaders deliberately chose to ignore the war because they had capitulated to the Germans in 1918, an act that he called "national betrayal." Putin's anti-Bolshevik analysis, of course, drew a strong protest from Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov, who still defends the Leninist legacy.
In his December 2012 state-of-the-nation address, Putin came back to the theme, lamenting that there was not a single World War I memorial in the country and arguing that it is important "to remember that Russia did not start in 1917 or even 1991." The State Duma responded by promptly declaring Aug. 1 a day to commemorate the heroes of World War I and authorizing the construction of a monument, to be paid for mainly by voluntary donations.
In 2005, Putin famously referred to the Soviet collapse as "the greatest catastrophe of the 20th century." But it seems that he considers the collapse of the tsarist empire to have been equally catastrophic.
By his actions in Ukraine, and by his words over the past several years, it is clear that Putin is motivated not just by a desire to stay in power but also by a desire to fulfill his historic duties as a leader of the Russian state. This is, to put it mildly, strikingly different from the way that World War I is being remembered in the rest of Europe, where it is portrayed as a tragedy testifying to the futility of war.
Peter Rutland is a professor of government at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut.
Turmoil in Abkhazia
Abkhazia's Crisis Not Over Yet
Moscow Times, Jun. 09 2014
Last week saw the toppling of the president of Abkhazia in mass protests reminiscent of those in Kiev's Maidan Square. But while the new government may resolve some tensions, the breakaway republic's ambiguous relationship to Russia may lead to yet more problems in the future.
Abkhazia, a province with about 240,000 inhabitants, broke away from Georgia with help from Russia after emerging victorious from a brutal war from 1992 to 1993. In the wake of the August 2008 war over South Ossetia, Moscow formally recognized Abkhaz sovereignty but only Nicaragua, Venezuela, Vanuatu and Nauru followed suit. Abkhazia remains an isolated enclave dependent on Russia for contact with the outside world — and for subsidies that amount to 70 percent of its budget.
On May 27 demonstrators, variously estimated at 1,000 to 10,000 strong, stormed the presidential administration building in Sukhumi, forcing President Alexander Ankvab to flee to a nearby Russian military base. Russian presidential aide Vladislav Surkov flew in the next day for negotiations with the two sides. The parliament, which previously had supported Ankvab, then declared that he was unable to fulfill his duties and appointed its speaker Valery Bganba as interim president on May 31.
Ankvab had been elected in a more or less free election in 2011, but had grown increasingly unpopular due to corruption, unemployment and his tendency to micromanage Abkhaz affairs. The target of six failed assassination attempts, he had also reportedly angered criminal elements who still loom large in Abkhaz society. Ankvab was also criticized by opposition leader Raul Khajimba for giving passports to ethnic Georgian, mainly Mingrelian, residents in the southern Gali district, in part because of the fear that the votes of those 50,000 Georgians could sway the results of future elections.
Conspiracy theories abound, though, and the role of Moscow in these developments remains unclear. In an interview with Dozhd television on June 2, former vice speaker of the Abkhaz parliament Irina Argba blamed Russia for instigating the protests and failing to support President Ankvab.
However, no matter Abkhazia's current fate or Moscow's possible role in the protests that pushed out Ankvab, long term anxiety exists over Russia's ambiguous relationship with Abkhazia. Professor Kornely Kakachia of Tbilisi State University suggests that some Abkhaz fear that Moscow might follow up on its seizure of Crimea by annexing Abkhazia. There is also the perennial worry that at some point in the future improved relations between Russia and Georgia, a larger and more significant potential ally, might cause Moscow to abandon Abkhazia.
As a way to guarantee its independent status, Abkhazia has asked to join the new Eurasian Economic Union treaty between Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan which was signed in Astana on May 29. This is unlikely to happen, though, since neither Belarus nor Kazakhstan has recognized the sovereignty of Abkhazia, nor that of Russian-allied breakaway republics South Ossetia, Karabakh or the self-proclaimed Transdnestr republic.
Russian tourists are the backbone of Abkhazia's anemic economy, with roughly 1 million visitors per year, and oil company Rosneft is exploring for oil and gas under the Black Sea off the Abkhaz coast. The Russian government has been investing heavily in developing the transport infrastructure of South Ossetia and Abkhazia since 2010, as explained by Kommersant's Olga Allenova.
However, Russia's relationship with Abkhazia has not been all positive. According to a report last year from the auditing commission in Moscow, half of the $200 million spent in Abkhazia since 2010 had been stolen. Last year Moscow suspended payments, causing an acute financial squeeze. The Abkhaz government turned to Transdnestr, the secessionist region of Moldova, for a $6 million bridging loan.
The turmoil in Abkhazia is a small example of the way in which the recent dramatic developments in Ukraine cast a new light on Moscow's relations with all its neighboring countries and change the behavior of political actors, in ways that are hard to understand, let alone predict.
Peter Rutland is a professor of government at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, currently visiting Tbilisi.
A Paradigm Shift in Russia's Foreign Policy
Moscow Times, May. 18 2014
President Vladimir Putin's unwillingness to endorse the separatist referendums in eastern Ukraine on May 11 caused some confusion in Western capitals. The first reaction of most Western media was to suggest that it was just part of a deception by Moscow — just as Putin had initially denied any Russian involvement in Crimean separatist actions.
There are at least two ways to explain Putin's behavior during this evolving crisis. First, the conservative, "realist" position would argue that the main goal of Putin was to preserve Russia's "hard power" position by securing the Sevastopol naval base. Sevastopol is the only port on the Black Sea with berths deep enough to house Russia's Black Sea Fleet. Giving up Sevastopol would mean abandoning Russia's pretensions to be a naval power in the Black Sea and Mediterranean. It was pretty clear once Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted in February that any new nationalist government that replaced him would renounce the 2010 treaty extending Russia lease of the Sevastopol naval base through 2042.
It seems reasonable to assume that the siloviki — a pressure group that Putin cannot afford to ignore — insisted that Putin act to preserve Russia's military assets.
According to this analysis, Russia has been acting as a status quo power, trying to preserve the balance of power after the Soviet collapse.
People in the West may agree or disagree whether this was a desirable state of affairs. Some people in Washington will not be happy until Russia is pushed back beyond its 1780 borders. But an objective realist would probably conclude that Russia was behaving like any other status quo power.
But recent developments have made this realist perspective itself look quaintly anachronistic. It seems to have been displaced by a new approach which will be far more tricky for the West to deal with. Writing in the April 27 edition of Global Affairs, political scientist Igor Zevelev argued that Putin's thinking about Russia's place in the world has undergone a seismic shift over the past year — and especially over the past three months.
Putin appears to have decided to embrace ethno-nationalism and not state interests as the overarching rationale for foreign policy decisions. Defending the rights of ethnic Russians — and by extension Russian speakers — will henceforth be a central goal for Russian diplomacy. Russian leaders had paid some lip service to this dimension since the early 1990s but had never taken it very seriously. Even Russia's military intervention in defense of South Ossetia in August 2008 was more about protecting Russia's credibility as a military power than about preserving the rights of Ossetians and Abkhaz.
But the shift in rhetoric and thinking seems unmistakable, as evidenced by Putin's March 18 "victory speech" on the annexation of Crimea. And this comes against a background of parallel tectonic shifts in domestic policy — from the persecution of Pussy Riot and the "nationalization" of the elite through limits on foreign bank accounts to the dismantling of what remained of professional journalism.
Another sign of a paradigm shift is the appearance of members of Russian radical nationalist groups such as Russian National Unity among the leaders of separatist groups in eastern Ukraine, as political scientist Anton Shekhovtsov wrote in the April 28 issue of Open Democracy. These figures have had a very testy relationship with the government over the past two decades — sometimes favored by certain circles within the Kremlin but often suppressed. To see them playing a leading role on the front lines of Russian foreign policy is surely not accidental and represents a new and disturbing development. The fact that similar groups are operating on the Ukrainian side has just multiplied the potential for an explosive escalation of violence.
It is hard to say what exactly are the steps that the Ukrainian government could take to satisfy the new nationalist paradigm coming out of Moscow. In practice, Ukrainian nationalists had been unable to enforce a Ukrainianization program on Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine. Merely abstaining from changing the linguistic status quo may not be enough to satisfy the self-appointed leaders in eastern and southern Ukraine, who are also demanding a new federalist model. In the absence of a reliable court system and rule of law, there is a risk that an attempt to introduce federalism would be a recipe for endless squabbling and political polarization.
Western policy makers were already unhappy when they were trying to deal with Russia operating within the realist paradigm. They are now in for an unpleasant surprise. The new nationalist Russia will mean a far more unpredictable and conflict-ridden zone in the countries bordering Russia — unless, that is, diplomacy prevails and these disturbing developments are rolled back.


text:
How do you brew your morning cup of coffee?
- Ali G Feb 4, 2014 08:03 AM
I've been making coffee at home recently to save some money and also so I can use the beans of my choice. I have a couple of moka pots that are mostly used for espresso and also a french press. I like the french press, but don't care for the sludge at the bottom of the cup.
Lately, I started using the My K-Cup in our Keurig. This is super convenient since there is no water to boil and my wife only makes her coffee from pods, so its already on. However, I get mixed results and even after a thorough cleaning, it's been producing short cups for the past week.
I've been looking at an Aeropress or some other kind of single cup contraption (Chemex, Hario, etc). Just wondering what others use to make their coffee and what method or device do you prefer?
Used to grind with a ceramic Burr grinder then hario pour over but now I grind in the ceramic Burr grinder and use aeropress.
Bodum burr grinder, Bodum french press = fantastic coffee, every morning. Keurig, no matter the "flavor", is absolutely tasteless in comparison.
I should mention that I am not insinuating that the Bodum brand makes the difference, the burr grinder/french press combo is the key for my taste. I am sure there are many perfectly good brands available, that's just the set-up I have.
Jura Capresso E8. Grinds the beans and brews your choice of coffee or espresso or cappuccino (it has a spout to for steam to hot-foam the milk).
Not cheap, but hubby discovered it in Switzerland over ten years ago when it was just Capresso.
We bought the first machine from Williams Sonoma in South Coast Plaza, Santa Ana, and at first, they died after a couple of years. Williams Sonoma replaced them every time we had a problem.
After Capresso merged with Jura, our coffee maker has worked without a hitch for about eight years, I think.
They also have an excellent customer service organization in the U.S., webpage or 800 toll free telephone.
Oh, BTW (by the way) they do not recommend using Starbucks because the say the beans are too oily and mess up the inner workings of the machine.
French press for me and has been for many, many years. I have not the faintest idea of what brand the press I currently have is (I have gone through more than a few over time).
White enamel French drip pot in a skillet of hot water. pour one tablespoon boiling water over the grounds and stop until the dripping coffee stops. Add another tablespoon. as a general rule I use French market Pure Coffee but sometimes will use chicory. I think I am one of about 50 people who still use this method. no one else cares.
I have a Technivorm Moccamaster and a 12 oz Bialetti. If DH is around and I'm willing to drink caffeine (I am very sensitive to it so I usually stick with decaf), I make us a full pot in the Moccamaster, grinding the beans just prior to brewing. If it's just me (or I just need decaf), I use the Bialetti - I actually prefer the stronger style anyway, especially with decaf beans.
DH has an Aeropress that he keeps at work - it makes good coffee, but he has gotten lazy and ends up at Starbucks most of the time these days.
I use and love the Keurig. I used to go through all the rigamarole of french press, and then for a while I was using a Mellita individual cup pour through, but both were a pain.
The key for me was finding a type of Keurig coffee that I liked. They do have some nice strong blends that taste like coffee and not like brown water. Some of my favorites are Jet Fuel, Double Black Diamond and Eclipse.
I use my Dualit espresso machine on the w/ends and mainly have a macchiato or flat white. At work I've started using the Hario V 60 ceramic coffee dripper which produces a different style of coffee.
Still prefer the espresso machine overall ,but I prefer the Hario over using the cafetiere at work. Brews a fuller rounder flavoured cup than a cafetiere IMO.
Only issue is that every time a make a coffee I have to explain to people what I'm doing and how it works as no-one has seen one before.
A plain old one cup melitta with a brown paper filter. Coffee varies, but we grind in a very ancient Braun grinder.
re: magiesmom
All things being equal (including making sure the water temp is right), the pour-over delivers as good a cup as my Technivorm.
re: grampart
Or anything else.
Friends are always amazed at how good our low tech coffee is. And it packs very easily for travel.
We needed a new one about five years ago. I think it was $5.99.
re: magiesmom
Same, have tried them all. Simple paper filter suits us best.
Use Peets french roast from grocery store.
Single stovetop cup moka pot when I'm alone (usually most Mondays - Friday), French press when my girlfriend is at my place (most weekends.)
I either drink it black, or make a pseudo latte by heating up and frothing some milk then adding the coffee to it.
In spring and summer I often make iced coffee from what I brew in the moka pot. And sometimes I brew some coffee in the French press, let it cool, store it in a plastic container in the fridge and make iced coffee with that. Saves a lot of time in the morning when I do that.
I also have a mini-French press at work. I use that occasionally when I want a cup during the work week.
I discovered the Clever pour-over for coffee in the office, after one too many cups of disgusting swill that had been sitting there forever. This little device is like the basic Melitta with paper filter, but it lets you steep the coffee for a few minutes before it drips into the cup. I just grind beans at home. I don't know why it works so well but I've made converts of several people at work.
re: luciemom
Yes. I read about the Clever-drip on another site, checked out the review on Sweet Maria and ordered. As SM says, eliminates the sludge issue of a French Press and also the loss of heat during the brew time and eliminates the weakness of most pour-over - that the coffee starts dripping through immediately, before time has allowed for extraction. And as with any pour-over, you can be sure the water is at a proper temp for extraction.
And clean-up is much easier than with a French Press.
I also have a press, a Chemex and Gevalia auto-drip (the latter a gift from a neighbor for all I do for her) but use the Clever-Drip 99.44% of the time.
I have both a Hario hand operated burr grinder and a Krups blade grinder.
re: brucesw
My tricks to getting good strength with Melita pour over are:
- use a fine grind
- add the water slowly at first to wet the grounds
- keep grounds barely immersed in water
- wash and/or stir grounds that accumulate on edges back into the water.
Sometimes I'll steep the grounds in a sauce pan, and then filter then through the cone (or a small strainer if using coarser grounds).
In one way or other it comes down to steeping grounds just enough and straining them out.
I use aeropress because of convenience of preparation and cleanup, and the low cost of filters and the unit. I've had pour over vs aeropress at coffee shops and slightly prefer pour over. But I don't want a pour over setup in my kitchen. It's a cleaner tasting cup of coffee, at least with paper filters, than french press. It's also far easier to clean up.
At home, I use a Cuisinart Grind and Brew--I can put water and beans in the machine at night, set the timer, and have coffee ready when I wake up.
I keep a small French press at work (I grind a few days worth of beans at a time) and use that for my mid-morning cup. I find that if the beans are ground for the press (pretty coarse) and I leave the last bit in the press, there isn't too much sludge.
The Melitta cone filter for pour over, as mentioned by others in this thread, is also a great way to make a single cup.
re: iluvcookies
I have a six cup melitta for company
re: magiesmom
Mine's a four-cup, but I still use it to make a single cup. The mug I use is 20 oz and I fill it almost all the way.
Virtuoso conical steel burr grinder --> Chemex
At work, I use a retired Krups burr grinder --> Hario V60
My all-time favorite method of brewing is siphon. For me, it's too expensive and too finicky. But man do I enjoy a cup of coffee from a siphon from a few local cafes.
re: Raffles
Prior to my Keurig I use to be a percolator guy.
Weekends I use the Hario V60 glass pourover with cloth filters. Weekdays I use (don't judge!) a Hamilton Beach Scoop SS. I use burr ground french or colombian roasts. When I have a hankering for cappuccino I use a Bialetti Mukka Express stovetop.
Another Keurig lover here. DH drinks caff, and I drink decaf, and boy has this helped us.
I've also done the French press and while it's lovely and tactile and makes me feel like I'm elevating my coffee game, I'm just not that into coffee.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the hell out of my morning cup, but I don't think I'll be "cupping" anytime in this life, or caring if my beans came out of a civet's arse ;-)
re: monavano
I care! That they DON'T!
I've got a Nespresso machine and love it. I was gifted the cheapest model years ago by an aunt and upgraded to a "fancier" one a few years later.
My entire family's been converted, and when I serve Nespresso coffee/espresso to friends and dinner guests, I'd say half of them run out and get a machine too.
I worked as a barista for years during college, didn't get a Nespresso machine for convenience, but I truly love the results.
And I drink it black, on ice. Thick layer of crema on every cup.
I ADORE my Aeropress. During the week, I use a cheapie blade grinder...on weekends, a hand burr grinder. It really makes a great cup, while still using a paper filter to catch the sludge and oils that may or may not be heart-unhealthy. I also roast my own beans now, but the Aero makes even Eight O'Clock taste better.
re: Wahooty
I got an Aeropress for Christmas, and I have been enjoying it as well. I don't use it every day (I'm often not at home), but I'm liking what I get from it when I have the chance to use it.
I use a european stovetop espresso maker with a dark roast sumatra i grind.
Have you tried a different grind for your french press? I used to use one and really liked it, I never had noticable sludge end up in my cup. Sounds like the coffee may be ground too small/fine.
The old reliable from grad school 4 cup Mr Coffee brewing fresh ground Kauai Coffee Co in the cuisinart grinder.
re: autumm
Yep, mines is 12 cup and I brew a Kona blend, but waaaay better than what's at work and cheaper than Starbucks.
Rocky Rancilio and Technivorm Moccamaster.
I've been thinking about getting a Nespresso, just for the simplicity.
There's only two reasons people get sludge in a cup of French press:
1. The beans were ground too fine. Solution: don't grind the beans so fine. Don't panic if you see the occasional visible bean piece. Better that than powder.
2. You poured every drop of water -- including the water that was down under the screen after you pressed -- out of the pot and into the cup. Solution: don't do that. You're losing maybe a couple tablespoons' worth of coffee at most if you stop pouring before the pot is entirely empty: if that perturbs you, put in a couple tablespoons' worth more from the kettle when you pour the water in.
Do even one of those fixes and your sludge will be minimal. Do both and your sludge will be gone.
Oh, and: KitchenAid blade grinder, 8-cup Bodum Chambord, electric kettle, wooden chopstick for stirring. Comically oversized cup screenprinted with multi-colored psychedelic owls, known as Big Carl. Easy chair in living room, DVR with the previous night's Olbermann and Fallon, cat (tuxedo, elderly, male, mono-fanged).
re: Jenny Ondioline
I think that's very well put, Jenny. Funny how people will sometimes blame appliances/tools for poor results when the fault lies in the techniques employed. On the other hand, it's pretty rare when people say something akin to, "I hate this frying pan. Everything I put in it comes out overcooked."
re: Jenny Ondioline
I was never happy with the coffee I got out of my Bodum until I got a burr grinder.
re: brucesw
Burr grinders definitely take a lot of the guesswork out of it, it's true. But I like my blade grinder and don't feel like replacing it until I have to.
26 grams of Groundworks beans. 360 grams of fresh water at 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Delicious
At 4am I made my first cup...right from the Keurig. The dogs woke us up when the motion detector lights went on in our back driveway. I saw footprints in the deep snow and a hooded person with a flashlight casing our cars. Called the police. With a major snowstorm going on this idiot decided to hike up our long hill from the street carrying two buckets, hoping to fill them with loot from the 4 cars covered in snow.
After calling the police, Iimmediately pulled a Farberware urn from the closet and opened an emergency can of coffee from the pantry. Made 30 cups. During the next hour 4 different police cars and 7 police stopped to check the property and take reports. They all appreciated the freshly brewed coffee. Nothing open this early in our town. I opened a package of Dixie to go cups with lids and sent each one off with hot coffee and some of the cookies my youngest baked last night.
This was the first time I've used the urn to brew coffee in 4 months.
BTW>>>they caught the guy at 5:20 two blocks away removing items from an unlocked car in a driveway two blocks away. The idiot was tracked by following his foorsteps in the snow.
Since no one will be leaving the house today, I'll be making a 12 cup size Farberware pot of coffee around 8 for the family breakfast..........................
re: bagelman01
wow your police must not have much to do!
I'm an average joe these days and make my coffee in a Black & Decker plug in maker from wally world. And I'm happy with the cheapest Folgers on the shelf. I make it strong though.
However, I'd like to get a stovetop percolator. Percolators are easy to make coffee bitter without know-how so it'd be a learning experience but, the regular coffee makers don't brew true coffee. You need a very short boil time, I believe is what I've read.
I also want a French Press and an espresso machine. But I'm happy with any coffee that's not watered down.
re: Muddirtt
Love your post.
re: latindancer
Gotta love black Folgers with milk and sugar :)
I have a double shot expresso made in a starbucks machine. I use san migeul free trade coffee ground in a regular grinder. Weekends I make a bodum.
Mazzer Mini burr grinder and brew in a Melitta Clarity. The Clarity is no longer made. It looks like a Technivorm. This is the every day brew. When the wife is out of town I pull out the french press. She's not a fan of any sludge
My morning coffee is brewed by The Coffee Fairy :) DH makes espresso with Rancillio Audrey.
We do, however, have an Aeropress, and a single-cup Mellita cone filter. I like both. We had a tassimo for a while, but I've given that away.
The 12-cup electric drip, by Cuisinart, was our morning-coffee-maker of choice before our 3-week European holiday last year.
Short-cupping is the worst. Basically, try banging the hell out of it. Apparently there's a valve somewhere that gets stuck.
I also use the Keurig as you can guess, with the MUCH more environmentally friendly San Francisco Bay Coffee Company's Fog Chaser. (Their cups are something like 97% compostable and I get them on Amazon for under $30 for 80 cups.)
Bought Dh & myself a Keurig when I needed to switch to decaf. Previously we ground fresh beans for every pot and brewed in a Cuisinart Coffee on Demand maker. I
still would like to use fresh beans, but with the Keurig's
fill it yourself pod, I made the worse coffee and a much bigger mess than I like to deal with in the a.m. What's the secret to using this device? I followed the directions, but it was ghastly and messy. Help please!!
We decided to give the Keurig a break and bring out our old 12 cup Cuisinart drip coffee maker. So far, it's working out since we can get the volume of coffee we want. However, we are working through a bag of beans I got from a local roaster. My wife prefers a dark roast, but I've been enjoying a medium roast in the morning from better beans. I think I will still be buying a single cup option in the future. I'm leaning towards Hario V60 pour over or the Aeropress. This way we can each get the coffee we want, it just takes a little more work.
I might also try my french press again. I don't own a burr grinder and can't help but get sludge in my cup no matter how coarse I try to grind with my cheapo blade grinder.
re: Maggie19
Mine crapped out on me after many years of service.
re: waitress
Percolator lovers are a rare breed.
My little 10 cup Krups coffeemaker crapped out on me after nearly 20 years of service. Just bought a Cuisinart. Makes very good coffee. I also have a Bodum French press and use that occasionally. I find the Keurig K cups coffee a bit weak and expensive.
I have a Keurig machine and have a local coffee shop grind the beans appropriately. I usually buy some fancy-pants beans that cost way too much...I like my coffee dark and strong...but, after you dump a couple shots of whiskey in there, it doesn't really matter if you're drinking Folgers instant or Kona airmailed from Hawaii.


text:
Prospective boyfriends already knew never to cross Adele. Now, the superstar singer and proud new mom has made it even clearer: Mess with my family and you're going to pay the price.
Adele and partner Simon Konecki have grown increasingly frustrated by the paparazzi's stalking of Angelo, their almost 2-year-old son. And now, their suit against the photo agency Corbis Images UK has won Angelo a five-figure sum.
Adeles lawyer argued that though the singer chose a life in the spotlight, her son didn't, and doesn't deserve to grow up with flash bulbs everywhere. Many of his milestone moments, such as his first family outing and his first trip to playgroup, were photographed and published expressly against his familys wishes, said her lawyer, Jenny Afia.
The settlement will be held in a trust for Angelo, and Corbis Images UK agreed to never use the photos again. But the fight to protect their son is far from over. Adele, along with Konecki, will continue to do all they can to protect Angelos rights in relation to the paparazzi, Afia added.
It's all part of a bigger push to protect celebrity's children from enterprising photographers, as spearheaded by Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard's No Kids Policy, which calls for the boycott of magazines that publish pictures of them. In the spirit of Afia's comments, Shepard tweeted in January, "They shouldn't be punished for who their parents are."
Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield Give Papparazziand the WorldSomething to Think About
This Video of Kristen Bell Going Head to Head With Paparazzi Will Make You Angry
21 Celeb Couples Who Chose Unique Baby Names
If you've got kids or are just curious about the crazy stuff moms deal with, welcomethis blog is for you! Every day, you'll find fresh, tell-it-like-it-is posts on the issues moms are talking about, plus the latest news of the day on the baby-making front and beyond.Subscribe via RSS
No thanks, continue without linking accounts.Continue
Your information has been saved and an account has been created for you giving you full access to everything redbook.com and Hearst Digital Media Network have to offer. To change your username and/or password or complete your profile, click here.Continue
You now have full access to everything Redbook and Hearst Digital Media Network have to offer. To change your settings or profile, click here.Continue


text:
Video: Jamie Grace, "Beautiful Day"
Music Videos & Features
Jamie Grace ("Hold Me") has a new single out, called "Beautiful Day", that's way too catchy! We dare you not to tap your foot or smile when you hear it!
Little Drummer Boy
Join the FISH LISTENER CLUB to stay up to date on concerts, contests, events, discounts, and music news!!
Enjoy special offers from businesses you can trust!
Enter our online giveaway to win one of 20 "The Spirit of Christmas" digital albums.
Get a daily quote sent right to your phone!


text:
Neil Best leaves no stone unturned in the world of sports media.
ArchivesMore »
PSLs are proving unpopular with many Giants fans
Oh, my.
Given the reaction in my inbox to the Giants' announcement about PSLs Thursday . . . I shudder to think what is going on with John Mara's inbox today.
I'd e-mail him to ask, but I don't want to add to the flood.
Tags: giants


text:
Stay up-to-date with KAKE News:
WICHITA, Kan. — The man accused of leaving a baby in a hot car, resulting in her death, is now out of jail.
Foster father 29-year-old Seth Jackson was released on bond around 5 p.m. on Saturday.
During a bond reduction hearing Friday, prosecutors accused Jackson of being high on marijuana when he left the 10-month-old in the car.
Despite those allegations the judge granted Jackson's request to modify his bond amount.
Jackson's preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 13th.
Previous Story
The Sedgwick County District Attorney is alleging that a foster father was high while a baby was left in a hot car last week. She later died.
Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett read the allegations during a bond reduction hearing for Seth Jackson on Friday afternoon.
Bennett said that Jackson had run out of marijuana on the morning of July 24. That afternoon, he reportedly took two children to meet with his drug dealer where he bought more.
When he got home, Bennett said he left the 10-month-old girl in the car, went inside and smoked marijuana. He didn't realize the child was still in the car until more than two hours later, but she was already dead.
Since he believes Jackson was high on the day she died, he supports the higher bond amount. Even with the first degree murder charge, Bennett does not feel Jackson is a flight risk.
Jackson's adopted children are now in state custody. Other children he and his partner were fostering have also been removed from the home.
Department for Children and Families Secretary Phyllis Gilmore released another statement following Friday's developments:
"Should the allegations prove to be true, I am appalled that a precious, helpless child suffered such an unthinkable death while her foster parent was allegedly using drugs. We expect parents to protect and care for their children. We expect even more of our foster parents. They have a duty to put the children in their care before themselves always and provide a loving, safe environment. This incident is a rare exception to the otherwise strong record of foster care safety in Kansas. Drug use is not tolerated among our foster parents."
Previous story:
A Wichita man has been charged with murder in connection to the death of a baby who was left in a hot car.
The 10-month-old girl died after being left in a car for about 2 hours last Thursday night in south Wichita.
In court Wednesday afternoon, 29-year-old Seth M. Jackson was charged with first degree murder, or in the alternative, second degree murder. His bond has been set at $250,000.
Jackson is not to have contact with any children who were under his care or anyone on the witness list, including his partner and mother.
Secretary Phyllis Gilmore of the Kansas Department for Children and Families released the following statement after charges were filed:
"We remain deeply saddened that this child suffered such a horrific death. We support the charges filed in this case, and we will aid in any way possible the prosecution of the defendant."
Previous story:
Police have made an arrest in connection to the death of a 10-month-old girl who was reportedly left in a hot car.
Around 6:40 p.m. on July 24, emergency crews were dispatched to the 1500 block of south Topeka for an overheated child. EMS crews arrived and pronounced the girl dead minutes later.
Police say the child was in a car sitting in the street outside the home. The young girl had been in her car seat in the back seat of the car with the windows rolled up for two to two and a half hours.
The girl was the foster child of two men who lived at the home. One of the men had picked up the child from a babysitter at 4 p.m., then went home. The second man was in the backyard at the time. Police say a 5-year-old was also in the car, and that somehow the baby was forgotten. Police say the men thought the girl was downstairs, and didn't realize she was still in the car until something on TV jogged their memories shortly after 6:30 p.m.
It was approximately 90 degrees outside when crews arrived, but police were unsure how hot it was inside the car.
Shortly before 1 a.m. Friday, officers arrested 29-year-old Seth M. Jackson. He was booked for aggravated endangering a child. Police expect to present the case to the district attorney's office next week.
Jackson and the other man, 26, have two adopted children and four foster children, including the baby girl they were trying to adopt. The others range in age from from 3 to 18 years old. Police have since taken a five and seven-year-old into protective custody. The other children are still with family members.
The Department for Children and Families (DCF) current foster care contractors have been instructed to inspect all foster homes associated with TFI, a former contractor. It's contract wasn't renewed in July 2013. All future placements with TFI have been suspended pending the outcome of the DCF investigation.
This is the first heat-related death in Wichita in 2014.
The U.S Department of Transportation on Thursday launched a new public service campaign educating parents of the dangers of leaving kids in hot cars.
So far this year, including this incident in Wichita, 18 children have died after being left in hot cars across the nation. The "Where's Baby? Look Before You Lock" Campaign reminds Americans that it's never OK to leave a child alone in a car.