text:
- http://www.createspace.com/3693096
LOOK FOR STEVE JOBS' (d. 10/05/11) MEMOIR in about two weeks, October 24, 2011. The title of the book is Steve Jobs. The previous title was iSteve: The Book of Jobs. His biographer is Walter Isaacson, an author who has written a biography of Benjamin Franklin. The publisher is Simon & Schuster, and they accelerated the release date from the previous November 21st. I am sensitive to this publishing acceleration concept, in that I have a memoir on file with CreateSpace Publishing, and I am waiting for editors to release my proofs. Deadline is Friday, October 14th.
According to an article in last Friday's New York Times, October 7, 2011, Section B (Business), Steve's biographer asked him why he, so private a man, had consented to the questions of someone writing the memoir. The article said he gave forty interviews. Steve's reply was, "I wanted my kids to know me. I wasn't always there for them, and I wanted them to know why and to understand what I did."
That's pretty much it– an individual desires to leave an account of the life lived as best the individual could figure out how to live. We can't even be sure that our children, our spouse, our siblings, our cousins will read the book of our life slanted our way. But we know that a few friends will, and that if the promotional writing on Amazon.com is effective, some strangers will. That is the job before me– to post some marketing verbiage on the CreateSpace site that will at the appropriate time transfer to Amazon.com. I look forward to holding my first book, approximately 5-1/4 inches by 8 inches, more than a couple of hundred pages, in my hand, a memoir entitled Ann, Patricia, Zelma, Beulah: Our 42,224 Days, and imagining loved ones and strangers alike reading it.
I am interested in the fact that Walter Isaacson, Mr. Jobs' memoirist, chose to write a book about Benjamin Franklin. My book in two volumes about the life of Ben Franklin is entitled Benjamin Franklin: A Biography in His Own Words. It was published in 1972 by Yale University Press. Thomas Fleming and Editors of the Newsweek Book Division finished the writing Ben Franklin began. In the front of the book there is some interesting reading. The legend is that in 1788, friends urged Ben to complete the task of his famous Autobiography, begun a quarter of a century earlier. Ben's writing was interrupted by the Revoution. Ben told his friends he was too busy living his life to write about it. (This cuts close to home!) Ben Franklin died in 1790 having written about only the first half of his extraordinarily long and active career. He bequeathed his papers to his grandson William Temple Franklin. More than a quarter of a century passed before he produced Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Benjamin Franklin in three volumes in London in 1817. I must share a fascinating anecdote found in the Introduction of my Volume 1: As was already mentioned, Ben laid aside his writing that was begun in 1771. It was in the form of a long letter to his son William, and it was autographed. The British occupied Philadelphia in 1777, and they requisitioned the house that Ben (arch-rebel) owned, for officers' quarters. In the confusion of the time, the manuscript was thrown out, but rescued from the street by the sheerest chance– an old friend of Ben's saw it lying in the gutter and recognized the handwriting. Encouraged by friends who read the manuscript, Ben resumed writing at Passy, France in 1784, where he showed portions of it to his French friends, among them M. Le Villard, mayor of the village. Not giving you all the details of the trading of manuscripts between Le Villard and Ben's son, I will close with the fascinating fact that our American patriot, our founding father's memoir was first published in French in 1791! It was promptly translated into English.
Many thousands of letters and other papers had been given by Ben's grandson to a friend, Dr. George Fox of the Philadelphia area. Those manuscripts descended to his son, who stored them in a stable, and from time to time would extract samples to give to his housequests. Eventually he gave the entire collection to the American Philosophical Society. Finishing the tangental interest in an American hero of the past, I return to write more about a hero of today, the late Steve Jobs of Palo Alto, California, CEO and co-founder of Apple, Inc., home based in Cupertino, California, producer of the iPhone, iPod, iMac, and iPad.
The iPhone 4S, released October 4, 2011, the day before Steve Jobs died, is the newest of the Apple frequent-product-cycle refreshers. It is a smartphone I want to own. I am eligible for an upgrade, and have completed research comparing the Android Galaxy 2 at the Sprint retail store with the iPhone I really want, being a MacBook Pro satisfied user, and being the only one in my family who has not owned one. I hope to have the 4S in my hand on Friday, October 14th, the same watershed day my memoir proofs are promised from CreateSpace Independent Publishing Company. Taking my time to consider this phone in comparison to the best-selling worldwide Android on Google's operating system (ironically, I am a Google stockholder), I settled on the choice of elegant design with which Apple is associated. Steve Jobs in the 1970s emerged as a rescuer of our culture's design possibilities that were termed "boring" by architectural minds. Steve said that the technology the public was being presented with (by Microsoft) lacked good taste. Perhaps Jonathan Ive, Apple industrial design chief since 1996, should be acknowledged. He is said to be a background worker who revitalized the line of Apple products and is known for attention to detail.
From what I understand, the new iPhone 4S has a faster microprocessor than the 4. Time will tell if I get interested in apps. If so, my new phone will run them at high speed. I know already that I want the app that measures decibels of sound. Now, can I get a heart-rate monitor on this smartphone? A feature I definitely am into is photography by phone handset, and the 4S has a more powerful camera than the 4. Otherwise, this new edition is the 4, a great phone, say retail people. I enjoyed selecting a red case, and it wasn't easy, considering the large selection of protective boxes and covers, and then I exchanged it for white. Soon I will enter a bright new world, kissing goodbye my Sprint Instinct of four or more years, a great little handset.
STEVE JOBS GOT HIS LIVER TRANSPLANT IN MEMPHIS IN 2009. His hospital was Methodist University Hospital and his surgeon was Dr. James Eason. Steve moved into a stately house to live in on Morningside Drive of midtown, remodeled to lessen noise of traffic from East Parkway and FedEx jet noise from the overhead flight pattern. The new liver gave him thirty more months of life, and Steve spoke so highly of his children that we imagine him back in Palo Alto at home talking with them and exchanging hugs in those last months. Steve was quoted as saying that having four children was 10,000 times better than anything he had ever done.
Any readers out there buying memoirs on Amazon.com this fall and winter– Steve's, or mine? It would be so nice if you posted a comment! Thank you for considering the idea.
MY MOTHER, LOUISE, A 1940s BEAUTY
For some photo buffs of old photographs, good-looking, fashion-conscious women who came of age in 1940 hold a mystique. In my mother's case, south-central Texas girls finished high school at age seventeen, and knew they could attract an ambitious man, even if war service had to be factored in to a marriage. This was a time in American history when young ladies pulled up their nylons that were not pantyhose and fastened them to restraining undergarments (girdles and garter belts). Slim ankles did not go unnoticed, accented by pumps and gracefully hanging skirts that graced the tops of calves. And who wouldn't appreciate the cascades of curls or waves swept back with bobby pins? My mother's face, fascinating for its hazel eyes, skin tone, and countenance, resembled the young Katharine Hepburn (b. 1907, d. 2003), Hollywood star, recipient of four Academy Awards.
President Obama's American Jobs Act
On television this evening at 6 PM Central Time, viewers heard President Barack Obama address a joint session of Congress in the U.S. House of Representatives. The speech was not a state of the union address, but rather an urgent dealing with a stagnant economy in a time of severe partisan disagreement, a "political circus," to use Mr. Obama's words. The first such speech, in the past, was about health care. The purpose of tonight's speech was stated by Mr. Obama to be "Put people back to work; put money in their pockets." He also stated that our economic recovery will be "driven by business and workers." He asked, "Can we actually do something to help the economy?" His plan is titled American Jobs Act.
Unfolding the specifics of the American Jobs Act legislation tonight, and it incudes writing by Republicans, the president said he will give a tax cut to small businesses if they hire, and also if they give raises to employees. A comment by a political analyst after the speech put a damper on that– reminding that businesses hire based on business rather than tax relief; i.e., if businesses get more business, they hire. However, Representative Eric Cantor, R, VA, Majority Leader, stated to CBS's Bob Schieffer that he could agree with the president on small business tax relief.
Other specifics Mr. Obama mentioned were getting teachers back to work and hiring veterans. Also, that young people need the hope and dignity of a summer job. Middle-class taxpayers will again receive a $1,500 tax cut, if Congress passes this legislation right away, which they should do, Mr. Obama repeated many times. He stated that he will release a debt plan one week from Monday September 12th, saying, "We have to reform Medicare/Medicaid to strengthen it."
The anecdote about Warren Buffet added interest, in that he asked the government to fix the unfairness of his paying taxes at a lower level than his secretary, attributable to tax breaks and loopholes. Mr. Obama stated that government should not give an advantage to big corporations who can afford lobbyists. Instead, give an advantage to companies who put people to work. "Keep loopholes for the wealthiest? he asked, "or help the middle class? We can't afford to do both."
Talk of returning manufacturing to the United States had the sound of the ring of truth, an idea whose time has come (back). The president wants to speed up the patent process for inventors. He wants South Koreans to drive Fords, Chevys, and Chryslers. He has brought together a Jobs Council for developing ideas, such as training ten thousand engineers per year so that we are competitive with China and Europe for the long haul. Just as Abraham Lincoln, in the middle of the Civil War, initiated construction of transcontinental railroads, created the National Academy of Science, and thought up land-grant colleges, so must we now let go of a rigid idea of government and look farther down the road.
Mr. Obama closed with the assurance to big business that although he will allow deregulation if the regulation does not pass a common sense test, he will not wipe out basic protections Americans have counted on for decades. He is a definite "NO," to stripping away collective bargaining rights. It was an effective half-hour speech wherein the president said what needed to be said. Some of his closing words were "Let's meet the moment!", and "Let's get to work!" Bob Schieffer's last comment was that in regard to President Obama's tone, Mr. Obama believes the people are with him.
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, My View From Out East Over Twenty-six Years
Going back through files in Word to finalize chapters for the publication of my memoir, I decide to post some of the writing about Memphis on patnotes.com, writing that is neutral in flavor or slanted toward the positive. I have to admit, after reading this particular post, I must have a fondness for, and enjoy living in Memphis.
A reason for posting the Memphis writing on the first day in September is that Labor Day Weekend is upon us, and people may be visiting relatives and friends in Memphis. Labor Day is the public holiday of the US and Canada held in honor of working people on the first Monday of September. Labor Day is celebrated on May 1st in some countries. If you are a patnotes.com reader and headed to Memphis, write me a comment, please. I would enjoy hearing from someone out there, now and then. Thank you very much!
Memphis, Tennessee, my home for twenty-six years, is tree rich. Tall, straight trees, deciduous and otherwise, abound. Memphis is reputed to have the longest growing season of any major city. This means that a twelve-year-old tree can get up to thirty feet in height, as compared to, say, Texas, a place of less plenteous soaking rains. Even before the 2011 drought, Texas trees would tend to scratch out a height of a dozen gnarly feet in the same number of years. Memphis rains come in any style. They come gently, come as soakers, come as downpours, and come as severe thunderstorms. They sometimes come with straight-line, gale-force winds, and occasionally with the twisting winds as do the tornadoes of Texas and Arkansas or the hurricanes of Florida. Lightening lights up the sky, and the thunder booms and frightens, and yet, from my perspective, all seems well, for the most part. This is different from the Texas big-sky gully-washers that scare people to death and yet do not end the droughts. Memphis is much farther east than Dallas, my city of birth and rearing, and much farther east and north than San Antonio, my second home because of in-laws there that we visit several times a year, and it being our home for five years in the 1980s. My opinion of the climate of Memphis, Tennessee is that these unexpected variations in weather through the four distinct seasons are a strong point of marketing this city. I enjoy the changes the weather here brings to daily life.
Going back to the descriptive trait of tall trees, I will bring up a negative resultant trait: the grey squirrel population. It is worrisome, the number of healthy, muscular, bushy-tailed mating pairs that populate the numerous tall trees. If only these invasive pests could be the cute red squirrels of Britain of the past! What a difference a property-owner would feel if the scampering, tree-spiraling, acorn-burying critters were the slower, red-coated animals, very much favored in England, now overrun by the large greys.
I like to contrast where I live to New York City, which claims to be green, yet long ago cut down its trees to build skyscrapers, except for Central Park. The Big Apple does have claim to other parks, and does indeed have a lighter ecological footprint than one would imagine. New Yorkers are said to have a smaller carbon footprint than other states because New York City dwellers do not keep cars as a rule, a big factor in air pollution, a big factor in the footprint. To my way of thinking, a city's carbon footprint is related to how alert and at the ready the movers and shakers of a place are. Mayors, Governors, investors in the private sector, well-run conservation societies for land and structures, and leagues for grassroots influence make a difference. Sometimes when I try to overcome a burgeoning tree-squirrel population, in a battle for the dominance of my property, I think of those supremely urban New York City folks, walking among the skyscrapers and riding the subways, and their talk of soot tracked into their homes on their shoes. What a contrast to the lawns and streets of Memphis, Tennessee. I wonder if Central Park affords New Yorkers complete satisfaction in communion with wildlife and wild plants.
When it comes to gardening and yard work, Memphis's wild violets, a groundcover so rampant as to illustrate the concept of perfect natural selection, reign supremely and ubiquitously over well-tended gardens and manicured yards. The wild violet is a four-stemmed, heart-shaped-leafed weed. A yard-worker in Memphis has two options for pulling them up by the roots: you pull by the mature root ball (when the plant says you can), because it has lived sufficiently, or you use a forked thin probe, a "weeder." There may be one exception—sometimes a dozen or so of the wild violet babies can be rolled up out of damp soil, several at a time, because their tender roots have not dug deep. It is dexteritously satisfying to the gardener to grab the mature stems of the five-inch green plant low down close to the moist soil and feel the roots let go. I have pulled so many of these at one sitting (I sit on a wooden wine box), that the tips of my fingers become sore and my brain indelibly printed with the image of the plant. I have drawn it, watercolored it, and sent the art to a friend on a postcard. The wild violets grow in between cracks in the brick walk, and they grow all through the landscaping– nestling in with the Creeping Jenny and Ajuga groundcovers. Wild violets find their way into potted plants—it is irrational. They pop up in a fertilized, herbicided, mown front yard of grass. These lively and tenacious green critters, sweet when looked upon individually, are entirely too aggressive. I suppose the Texas equivalent would be the Spanish moss in trees.
Having established that my city is green, green in the sense that a Memphian meets nature coming and going, I progress to describing a business view of Memphis, a view that a Chamber of Commerce or public relations firm would release: Memphis is America's distribution center, having sprung to life almost two hundred years ago on the banks of the Majestic Mississippi River as a gateway to middle America. Memphis was the cotton planter's launch pad to the world. In about 1870, fifty percent of all U.S. cotton crops were bought and sold here. Cotton turned the wheels of the Southern economic engine at every step of the way.
Memphis is promoted as excellently suited for companies wanting to consolidate inventory at one multi-regional base. Many millions of tons of logs and other bulk commodities are shipped out of Memphis on barges every year. "Memphis is the largest hardwood lumber market in the world . . . and The National Hardwood Lumber Association was founded in Memphis in 1898 and sets grading standards for hardwood lumber. The inspection school trains more than 240 students each year," states a 1984 promotional booklet published by BellSouth Corporation.
The most famous public-trading company in Memphis is Federal Express, whose multitude of airplanes come and go seemingly continuously out of a hub near the Memphis International Airport, a medium hub size facility, home base of Delta-Northwest Airlines. For a Memphian lunching on the patio of Bosco's, a midtown pub and grill situated in the flight pattern, she or he would count nine Fed Ex planes overhead during a one-hour lunch.
Another well-known company relocated to Memphis from Connecticut in recent history—International Paper. Thought of as a conservative group of white-collar workers, the administrative branch of the company built an alluring campus of blue-toned highrises. The pretty surroundings, obviously with tall trees, have peaceful walking paths, flowerbeds, and shrubs for workers and persons doing business there to enjoy.
There is much development in medicine and the health sciences in Memphis. New buildings have increased the outreach. The University of Tennessee Health Science Center serves our state and the entire country in the training of doctors, dentists, nurses, physical therapists, and other health providers. The faculty have achieved a high ranking among medical schools. Regarding hospitals, our "Med," serving three states, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas, is known for cutting-edge technology and for treating trauma cases in rapid time. Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center has expanded and built a state-of-the-art treatment center. Many other strengths abound in Memphis: a vibrant downtown emphasizing residential restorations, an excellent baseball stadium for Redbirds, feeder team to St. Louis Cardinals, The Peabody Hotel—"The South's Grand Hotel," Beale Street for Blues Music, bars, and strolling late at night, Grizzlies NBA Fed Ex Forum, Trolley Ride from the bluffs to "The Pinch," an old émigré neighborhood near St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The trolley passes the National Civil Rights Museum, one of a kind in the world. The downtown area has Mud Island featuring a paved miniature Mississippi River, a Mark Twain-themed museum, an outdoor concert arena, and a monorail to transport you to the island. Furthermore, downtown has a stunning Chinese Art Museum on Main Street, near the antique Orpheum Theatre, which has a gilt ceiling and immense glass chandelier. The Cannon Symphonic Hall is modern and thoroughly appreciated by music lovers and ballet goers. Out east, in a suburban area approximately a dozen miles from downtown, the Wolf River Trail has been built with private money. This is a wonderful outdoor-exercise addition to the popular Shelby Farms, a huge preserve with buffalo, too many geese to count, Patriot Lake with canoeing and paddle-boating, and hiking and biking trails.
PATRICIA'S FAVORITES – SIGHTSEEING (updated 03/11)
1) Lobby of The Peabody Hotel, "The South's Grand Hotel"
Whether or not you see the trained ducks march to or from their Italian Marble Fountain, carved all from one piece and topped with a live floral magnificent display, come to this space, so memorable architecturally and for people-watching, listening to piano, and sipping a beverage. Be sure to look up at the ceiling!
2) Trolley Ride: On June 29th of 2007, ran until 1 AM
Stand at any corner on Main or Riverside; trolley runs every 10 or 12 minutes all day, every day; fare = $1
To "Ride The Loop", which gives you a look from "The Bluffs/Bluffwalk", get on the Yellow Line, between "The Pinch" District (north) and G. E. Patterson (south), where Arcade Restaurant (540 S Main) serves, near National Civil Rights Museum.
3) Chinese Art Museum in Peabody Place Museum, 119 S. Main Street, Pembroke Square, Concourse Level, 901 523-ARTS, www.belz.com, 10 AM – 5:30 PM and Noon till 5 on Sat/Sun.
See a breathtaking private collection of the Belz Family– Fu Dogs, Jade, rich woods, reds, so beautiful!
4) Cotton Museum, 65 Union Av., 901 531-7826, $5, Tues-Sat 10 – 5, Sun Noon – 5; Cotton ran the Southern economic engine. This museum is new.
5) The Orpheum Theatre, west of Beale Street, has been restored to old grandeur with gilt walls and a magnificent crystal chandelier. Film series in summer.
6) Redbirds Stadium, Union St. @ 3rd & 4th is a local source of excellence architecturally. As I understand it, private money built it, and it got all the state-of-the-art designs. Memphis' AAA Redbirds feed the St. Louis Cardinals.
7) Completed in 2011, Wolf Trail, Humphreys Blvd. @ Shady Grove/Baptist Women's Hospital area, attracts walkers, bicycle riders, moms with babies in strollers, dogs on leashes, and nature lovers in general. A beautiful bridge of Ipe wood, rusted iron, and silver wire span the Wolf River.
8) The Racquet Club, Sanderlin between White Station and Mendenhall, hosts a professional tennis tournament each February. It is easy to park for $5 nearby, walk to the facility, and buy a ticket for the day or night, priced at $30 or $40. I get up-close-and-personal with famous players.
9) Lifetime Fitness Center of Collierville, Just north of the intersection of Poplar and Houston-Levee Rd., this big place has many members. I spend several hours each week with inspiring coaches in dance class or core work, or just riding the elliptical machine and doing mat work.
1) Huey's for a juicy "World Famous" Burger; try the thick breaded red onion rings; try anything for "Pub Grub"; extra-casual; so casual you can write on the walls.
2) The Rendevous, for barbeque, has astounding "Southern" Black Culture effects. This restaurant is amazing, attracting dignitaries constantly. It is in an alley near Holiday Inn Select.
3) "Daily Grill" at The Westin offers a comfortable meat & veggies dinner or lunch with excellent service. You look out at the Fed EX Forum.
4) Encore has one of the best chefs in town and is elegant and pricey.
6) Paulette's (formerly in midtown) is a local treasure for French Country Fine Dining. 901 260-3300. Relocated to River Inn, 50 Harbor Town Square (in downtown) March of 2011, (riverinnmemphis.com).
7) Boscos, for a thin-crusted pizza and Famous Flaming Stone Beer, 2120 Madison Av., 901 432-2222.
8) Swanky's Tacos, Poplar @ Kirby, southwest corner, never disappoints foodwise, and has a lively vibe. Their enchilada plate is good.
9) Humdinger's, behind Chick-Fil-A on Poplar @ Massey, serves African-spiced fillets of fish: Tilapia, Red Snapper, and other. Sauteed zuchinni and other sides are delicious as well.
10) Interim Restaurant, Sanderlin near Mendenhall, across from The Racquet Club, has a pretty bar area out front of dining area. Dining room shows well because of its modern kitchen on view to diners. 901 818-0821, 5040 Sanderlin Av.
About Louise
What makes a writer write? We are geared for reflecting, and we value putting language onto memories, and some of us do it for the sake of helping others keep tuned to the positive traits of their humanness, such as kindness. Writers in the memoir genre may involve ourselves in nuanced descriptions of a childhood memories, which helps readers tap into their feelings of love, appreciation, or other emotions about their mothers or parent figures. If I write human-interest stories (interesting enough to attract readers) that build a backstory on behalf of mothering, I will have helped our society's next generation.
It is hard to put language on the intense love daughters have for their mothers. One could start by saying that we daughters came out of our mothers' bodies and suckled from our mothers' breasts, which says quite a bit. And then, we suckled our own babies and understood the unique bond. But beyond those biological realities, it is next to impossible to describe what it feels like to be a daughter thinking about her mother, living or deceased.
I cannot imagine a mother of reasonable health unable to identify the immense positive emotion that accompanies the carrying, birthing, suckling, and rearing of a baby. And even beyond those wonderful experiences, a mother of a daughter stands to gain something great later– another woman friend for life. The two have an eternally braided history.
My mother was good at being neighborly, and she was a strong communicator as a sibling, disciplined in regular telephoning. Mama was the seventh of seven children. Like clockwork, she would put in a phone call to some of her brothers and sisters or their spouses. "Tell everybody hello!" was a common expression among our relatives, used to close out every phone chat. "I love you" was also freely spoken in our family.
Mama Dialogue: Mama, we had warmth between us. It stemmed from your keen eye and ear. You were a constant psychologist/psychoanalyst, never missing anything of the heart. You were not in a hurry. Your key trait was availability. Your children and husband had you 110%. Nothing interested you more than giving attention to your children and husband. If we needed guiding or correction, you had the background of the issue at hand, because you had been alert to its development. The things that you did were plain and simple good mothering. I do not know how to thank you or detail to anyone what it has meant. Even when my older sister Glenda and I have tried to describe your skill in mothering, we end up sounding like elite braggarts. We just thank our lucky stars for you and Daddy, and the love that you gave each other that created us and our little sister, who we got to "mother" along with you beginning in 1956.
The kind of love for mothers by their daughters I am attempting to describe is akin to the gratitude someone might feel toward an insightful physical therapist or chiropractor that has a healing gift. Although never licensed as a nurse, Mother's nursing orientation showed itself frequently to me, a school kid who caught every sore throat that came along. Every cold and flu season I was one infection away from going to the hospital to have my huge tonsils taken out. This went on from first through third grade. Once my fever was so high I lay in bed talking about the things I saw on the wall that were not really there. Much later I learned the term—"hallucination." What I knew at that tender time was simply that Mama watched me when I was at home sick, missing school. Whether sore throat, ear ache, three-day measles, three-day measles again, red measles, or chicken pox, I went to bed, and Mama watched me closely, checking my temperature with a mercury thermometer under the tongue and bringing me liquids ranging from water, to chicken noodle soup, to warm Jell-O. These accompanied my saltines for easy digestion. In those days, tonsils were swabbed with merthiolate on a six-inch-long wooden Q-tip by some mothers. I had that kind of mom-nurse.
In the years before school, Mama, without a shadow of a doubt, checked on me, keeping me from harm, as she went about her remarkable sewing. She had a gift for it and loved it for many years. She did so many things to make a clean, happy home out of that little house on Avenue I, the house I was born into, and that my sister Debbie was born into eight years later. It was a good neighborhood. What a kind and engaging family Carl, Nadine, LaWanda, and Sandy were. We would never be able to express the huge good fortune lasting two generations that was the experience of living next door to that family.
There, you now have a few words from my memoir about my mother, Zelma Louise.
Happy 50th Birthday, Mr. President!
President Obama yesterday experienced his fiftieth birthday, and I hope that he had some pleasantries to take his mind off trouble in the country and the world. The job of being the American President right now is a big one. Having a birthday can be fun, at any age. May he enjoy some fun in honor of his life for the coming days, and even, as a close friend says, celebrate for the entire "season" of your birthday!
PROPERTY MAINTENANCE: Ninety-foot Trees Artfully Trimmed
Caring for outdoor property can be richly rewarding. Our summer of 2011 investment in the artfulness and health of our tall trees proved to be a memorable spectator experience, almost like watching performance art. For three days, we observed a skilled Tree Crew work to beautify old oak trees of almost a hundred feet in height. The climber deftly pruned the small limbs and foliage, as though the trees were sculptures, and then his ground crew, with ropes and chain saws, gently swung any big limbs he cut onto the ground, sawed them small for carrying, and rid the yard of all debris efficiently. My husband and I photographed the crew extensively. I post a couple of photos for your enjoyment.
I have a habit of searching through a book I've had for forty years, Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, for a poetic turn of phrase. For this post in patnotes.com, I read a dozen or so quotes listed in the index under the word "trees." Nothing interested me much except these sentences by a Japanese writer, Matsuo Basho (1644-1694). He lived a short life, a fact making these lines meaningful:
"My body, now close to fifty years of age, has become an old tree that bears bitter peaches,
a snail which has lost its shell,
a bagworm separated from its bag;
it drifts with the winds and clouds that know no destination."
in Anthology of Japanese Literature, edited by Donald Keene (1955)
Children Playing
A Comment On The New York Times Article Of July 18, 2011
Subject: "Safety-first" Playground Equipment– Does It Stunt Emotional Development?
This particular New York Times article, "Grasping Risk In Life's Classroom," gives me a launching pad for publishing a three-thousand-word story here at patnotes.com. The original story written by me, "To Neutral," was carefully edited and re-edited by me throughout a year or so. Just like the other short story here at patnotes.com, this second story received no prize or praise, it was simply submitted to the mid-south magazine contest. The story that beat it out and won a thousand dollars was set in New Orleans, the protagonist was male with a lazy streak, flaunting a trait of nonproductivity, and the author was rather well known in the mid-south. My story, "To Neutral," is set in the southwest, in Texas, a few decades ago, features a tomboy type of female teenager, and deals with her unquenchable desire to take a risk in outdoor play, just like the confident high-school football players that she observed were doing.
Isn't that just like The New York Times to give a writer (John Tierney) a revisitation of the concept of liability on the school playground? It is the newspaper of newspapers in the sense that such thoroughly researched writing about minor topics can be found daily. We readers know, when we take the time to consider it, the problem of risk management to avoid injury is a problem present through the decades. How do parents, teachers, older sisters and brothers, and others watch over and protect active, healthy children equipped to spread their wings and experience mastery?
The article's title is: "Grasping Risk in Life's Classroom,"
and the photo caption reads:
"LIVE AND LEARN: A bad fall may mean
a child is less likely to have a fear of heights later in life,"
and on the second page, the heading reads:
"Life's Classroom, The Ever-Safer Playground."
Up front in the article, the quote set in a larger-size font hooks the reader:
"Efforts to regulate playground equipment may stunt a child's emotional development."
The excellence of the writing in The New York Times gives readers ideas for conversing. I discussed this particular article with my husband, who was an "all-boy" type of kid. He got a broken arm playing outdoors. He remembers this risk-versus-safety conflict as a kindergartener of the 1950s– teachers set firm restrictions against climbing to the heights of the monkey bars. This succeeded in making playground time boring, he recalls.
The article quotes someone saying, "I grew up on the monkey bars in Fort Tryon Park, and I never forgot how good it felt to get to the top of them." He grew up to be the Park Commissioner. Someone was quoted as saying "I think monkey bars and tall slides are great. As playgrounds become more and more boring, these are some of the few features (going missing) that can give children thrilling experiences with heights and high speed."
My memory went to my own determination to raise independent, brave, and imaginative children. Our first-born, a daughter, climbed high, very high in a magnolia tree in the backyard. She went up so high (about thirty-six feet), we really did not know what to do when we saw her. Yell out "Get down?" What good would that do? She became a fearless equestrian. She taught a tall young Thoroughbred how to go into the hunter show ring.
Our other child, a boy, as a tot tumbled off a high metal slide in a nearby park, which we renamed "Pokehead Park." As I recall, his righting of his consciousness took less time than when he sailed off a low bed head first he was jumping on at home. That bedroom tumble was called a concussion, and our little boy could not be allowed to go to sleep for a number of hours– doctor's orders. One further outdoor memory of risky business is of climbing a slightly dilapidated fire tower on a country road in middle Tennessee. The higher we four went, the more we, parents and two children, held each other's hands and the handrail. The scariest view was to look down between the wooden steps. Once on the top weatherbeaten platform, we could breathe again, and prepare for the descent, equally as scary as ascending.
Let us get on with the telling of the adventure story of Marty, strong-willed girl with time on her hands and a big imagination, during one hot Texas summer. Previously titled "Rhapsody On Ravine And Vine," I renamed the story "To Neutral," and I present it here:
Long ago, a tree grew a branch across a ravine toward the east sun, even though its roots grew the other way. Growing around the branch was a thick rough vine, one like Tarzan of the old movies would swing from. For an imaginative girl, the scene seemed straight out of the Amazon forest. The girl doing the imagining lived at the ravine's edge. She was the Arins' second daughter Marty, who took extraordinary notice of that tree. She logged many auspicious observations from the family's backyard tree house. "Don't you swing on that vine, Martera Jean," Nadine, Marty's mother, cautioned. Nadine's mother Memaw helped marshal more nurturing force to tame Nadine's second-born—Marty the adventurer, Marty the strong and the quick.
A second-born girl, in her own mind, urgently needs to separate to be different from her older sister. Marty's sister LaWanda sat indoors playing the piano. Thus, outdoor activity attracted Marty like a magnet. From Marty's perspective, a ravine in her own backyard required exploration. You climbed down, one way or another; you were a lucky dog if you had access to a rough, natural place. It provided opportunity for deep solitude. People who lived in the urban cove or attended the nearby high school were not looking for an Amazon-warrior adventure. But Marty had three wild and crazy girlfriends who would scuffle down the ravine's side with her by rappelling, a rope flung over, sculling with a stick or two, and bracing feet against deep-rooted rocks. It was a feat so few girls would attempt, especially LaWanda. The two sisters would banter, "The thing to remember is to step fast so you don't roll."
"Yeah, well, I'll go down there when the creek runs dry!"
"The creek is dry. I'm not asking you to rappel somethin' slippery."
"Let's just leave it as what attracts you 'rappels' me!"
"Well, if you would rappel down you might not be so repelled!"
LaWanda loved words and loved to make people laugh. She was a busy twenty-something, out on her own, with a fiancé, and too much at stake to risk her neck for an urban jungle expedition. Not Marty. From her tree-house perch, she observed the high-school football players who would come to the tree, grab the vine they had tethered, and swing to the other side, thirty feet away. "If they can do it, so can I!" she reasoned, hearing their howls of laughter after the daredevilry. Seeing them flexing their oversized muscles and beating their chests before they grabbed the vine and sprang off the edge, she thought of them first as monkeys, who then transformed into ghosts riding to the other side. She told her ravine friends who risked scraped elbows, palms, and knees that one day she, too, would ride that ravine. She just knew that one day she would go up, stand under that tree, reach for the vine, and jump. It would be the ride of her life.
She meant it. It was a matter of timing. On the day that was the Day of Days for the Arins family, Marty went. She pushed off against the steep side clutching the thick vine in no ordinary grip; the rough-edged vine became her umbilical cord to continued life above the dry creek bed twenty feet below. Prior to doing the act, she had considered the horizontal along with the vertical: the propulsion had to be huge; she had at least thirty linear feet to traverse. A sufficient push would give entrée into the in-group of the tall, the brave, the experienced. She had watched these elite riders rise up from their mighty thrusts and make it across the ravine. Through two seasons, as she sauntered in the creek bed, emotionally bonding with the vine-wrapped tree, seeing it against pale skies, she analyzed the flight trajectory, twenty feet up, thirty feet across.
A summer breeze blew gently. "I'm riding that ravine," Marty announced, darkly, to Martha, Rita, and Leta. She separated, and went to the fabled post. At the edge, she hunkered down into reliable shoes, lucky shoes, the best sprinting shoes, toes to the starting block. Toes ready for the push of a lifetime, Marty untethered the vine and tugged firmly on it. It was long, and had a foot left over like a tail.
Marty went, even though doubts gathered like storm clouds: "Don't Marty, MARTY!" and her ears reverberated her mother's voice of warning, "Don't you do what those boys're doin'!" She went anyway, springing off, engaging the flight . . .
OH! The thrill! . . . She floated through the air . . . OH! . . . the freedom, the one true, free act philosophers talk about that lasts for a lifetime! Oh, to push off and sail, to have a perfect float, that was her desire. "Now I am the ghost . . . a faint trace of who I was . . ." she mouthed, glancing at the dry landscape under her, littered with rocks and broken limbs. She was sailing, sailing against the wind, high above the dry bed below.
Now for the flight's finish: brain, in red-alert mode, fires synapses, tricky business here . . . "Stretch toes to the approaching edge, get those sneakers a toe-hold . . . c'mon, c'mon toes, get long and get a hold . . ." "What?! . . . NO! . . . NO! . . . Can't!! Goll-ee . . ." No toe-hold. She was short, the push insufficient, job not done. "Help us, Hannah!" Marty cried, having no landing, no way to cross, no touching down on the other side. Short flight, short shrift . . . the ride across to the other side got eclipsed. Marty would be a human plumb line hanging straight. Hands would be aching. Palms would rub raw. It wouldn't be long and the ground would come up to meet her.
"Ugh" . . . thrusting, scooting higher up the vine . . . alarm bells went off in her head, "OH! . . . Thrash, thrust, propel yourself, girl!" She saw the plain picture of a terrible scene, "Goh . . . uh . . . ah . . .al . . . lee!" No possibility of momentum. No chance to touch the other side. No redoing the thing. No going back. The creepy finish approached, stiller, and stiller. Marty, neutralized, was left hanging. A scary predicament was at hand, literally. All she had was the rough vine scraping raw palms. She held on. Nothing else to do.
The girlfriends yelled. Nadine was in the house. Would she come, they wondered? "Nadine! Help! Memaw! Help!" But those two ladies were old. What could they do—drag a mattress out the back door and throw it down the ravine? Stupid thought.
Everyone knew LaWanda's fiance drove an ambulance. "Get Howard on the phone!" "She can't hold on long!" "Go call him; hurry up!" Marty's palms were moistening. She squirmed and threw one hand over the other, wincing, as seconds ticked by. She was at zero looking down at the spot where she would drop. It was just a matter of time. She wondered how soon LaWanda and Howard could rescue her. "Stupid thought. LaWanda can't get down this cliff. What's Howard gonna do in the next two minutes before I slip off the end?"
She tried to articulate more thoughts: "My life could be over real soon; nothing is available; friends are watching . . . I am hanging in the air utterly, completely neutralized . . . sliding . . . off the end . . . "Ah, Mama . . . Oh, Jesus . . . it was all happening fast! ARGH!" . . . the fall came, onto a limb-littered streambed strewn with rocks, the wrong bed in which to tend the injury sustained—a fractured right elbow. "Ugh . . . foolish . . . foolish . . . why did I bend my arm!" A few thoughts raced on. All 130 pounds of dead weight went onto the arm, arm screaming louder than the girls' voices. Nerve endings went crazy. The lights in Marty's awareness flickered and went out, she a plangent heap against an unfriendly floor. Nadine came with Martha to look over the edge at her unconscious daughter. She saw Marty's head bleeding. "Lord, what are we gonna do?" said Nadine. "Call Howard. He'll bring a stretcher. He'll need Rex."
The two men got to Marty, not without tricky maneuvers and LaWanda's unwieldy attempts at going down. They strapped Marty onto the stretcher, and then the bigger challenge began—where to scale the slope. They settled on using Marty's rappelling rope, weathered, but tied in a good spot. Would it hold two men and some dead weight? Good team training and with luck holding, the men got halfway up the slope then, "Oh, my gosh! Grab her!" Marty's sixty-degree-angled body, flat-out against the canvas, slid through the straps, almost leaving the frame. Howard grabbed a handful of her hair, and kept on grabbing it, all the way up the slope. Marty felt her scalp's screams subside as the men strode across the acre of backyard, into the street to the ambulance. A couple of slight jostles and she was loaded and off, siren blaring out the terrible predicament all the way to the Methodist Hospital. The young, defeated Amazon warrior got all the help she needed to survive the ordeal. In terms of ancient mythology, however, this warrior had passed muster. She had done the deed.
Thirty-plus years later, in a talk with a friend from the old, first neighborhood, Skyline Heights, the one before the suburban ravine neighborhood, Marty still remembered her screaming scalp, a handful of her hair in Howard's hand, as he, Rex, and LaWanda rescued her on a stretcher. "It hurt! Pat, I'll never forget my screaming scalp! Man, it hurt! It took my mind off my broken arm! If I were a crier, that would have been crying time for me!"
"Why did you do it?" Patrea, the early girlhood friend, asked her. "Pat, I know something about myself. I get a feeling and I can't stop it. Sometimes I have to go do something. Can't stay the same, can't let go the feeling. So I go on and do the thing," Marty answered. "Maybe you need meds!" Patrea joked.
"Naw . . . it's not like that."
"How come I didn't know about it; I didn't know that second neighborhood!"
"We were older. I was in high school. Neighbors changing neighborhoods had already separated us. There was a lot of change going on. You know, those Sixties."
"Yeah, I know the Sixties. Well, we should have held onto each other. Even if it was by the hair!" Patrea guffawed.
"We had to grow up– Avenue A where we played was . . . small homes . . . you know, nowhere to disappear in houses that small. Our mothers beautified them, and our daddies stood up those flocked trees at Christmas."
"Yeah. You used to knock on my door every day. When I was at your door, I would ask Memaw if you could come out and play. We pretended we were ranchers, fixing the miniature horses in the flowerbeds left and right of your front porch. We arranged those little rubber horses for hours. I don't remember what we said galloping the horses and riders across, back and forth, ranch to ranch. Marty piped up, "Probably, 'See ya later, pardner; I'm headin' to town.' It was a safe neighborhood; nobody got hurt; well, wait . . . Glenda crashed skating downhill and got a bloody ankle. We wore the skate keys on a string around our necks, remember?" Patrea nodded, and continued, "Well, I should'a stayed by you; I guess I was shallow, pursuing popularity . . . maybe you wouldn't have taken that risk . . . with your life . . . were you restless? Did you miss me?"
"You had your friends; I had mine . . . you were in the junior high then. What surprised me was that LaWanda actually went down that slope with Howard and Rex when they came to get me! She nearly somersaulted, but Howard caught her by her belt. They both fell down; Wanda got pretty scratched up, and she was already bawling. They kept telling her, 'Sit more; bend your knees!' but she just flailed around until she got to me . . . my wild and crazy friends said you would have thought she was saving herself, she was so intent! She tried to hold me onto the stretcher, but she was bleeding; oh, it was messy! Without Rex, . . . Whew! I don't know. But, I can still use my arm. This scar on my head is small."
"Yeah, the arm scar gets looks, I guess. I never broke my arm. Here– a present. It's a little horse and rider . . . made in Germany; it's from an upscale toy store. Open the card first; it has the coolest quote." The card Patrea gave Marty pictured two smiling girls posing, one a little taller, dressed exactly alike, except for their shoes. It read: 'In a friend you find a second self.'
"Thank you." Marty opened the present. "It's so cute. I'm going to play with it." She galloped the little horse and rider by rocking her hand across the end table. "Yeah, after I got out of the hospital, Wanda morphed into a SU-PREME nurse, after the surgeon put the pin in my arm and all."
"She's your only sister. She was a pretty capable big sister, I remember."
"Still is. Mostly, she knows humor. She juiced me up, laughing so much. She did the same thing when I landed flat on my back.
"Oh, no! When was that?"
"I got thrown from a horse."
"What was the horse's problem?"
"It didn't want to be ridden any more." Patrea asked for a few details, as fitting in polite conversation, then realized their time was at a close. "I'll hear more about that later," she said.
"Humor is disappointment turned on its head," Marty commented, drawing down the pleasant reconnection time.
"Wanda sees humor; she truly does. Humor . . . I would say . . . It is liquid refreshment– like a prime juice. It leaks out through the healed cracks of brokenness."
"Oh, nice! You majored in English, didn't you?"
"It's true, people in pain may feel they're in a desert place, thirsty . . . or hungry," Patrea continued, "The LaWandas of the world are the decanters. They decant the premium juice– humor. Not the ordinary human juices, you know, saliva . . . but the prime human juice– humor."
"Yeah, I get your metaphor."
It was LaWanda who got Martera and Patrea back talking after so many years. Those talks evolved in no time from "What is your last name now?" to talk of riding a horse in a dream, gloriously. At the end of the face-to-face time, Marty trotted the gift her old friend had selected, "See ya later, pardner. I'm headin' to town."
"Make sure you don't try to jump the ravine up ahead."
"Oh, I think I could ride that ravine."
I DEDICATE this gardening/yardwork post to my late cousin Sue who kept an immaculate home and patio with flower garden in the Dallas, Texas area. The loving gardening and yardwork effort was rewarded with the community honor of Yard of the Month. Needless to say, her hospitality was sublime. Sue was so pretty, with an alluring humble nature, and a voice that engaged your interest. She will be greatly missed by her husband, caregivers, and three daughters. She was adored by her granddaughters, and a help to those coming her way.
In a later post, you may see a couple of attractive young women's faces from the forties, as were Sue, her sister Lavona, my mother Louise, her sisters Inez and Eunice. Others of that era were named Dorothy, Tressie, and Blanche. I enjoy the sound of those names.
In the family portrait below, one I have enjoyed viewing through the decades, Sue is the little girl on the right. Her parents Euell and Blanche stand behind her. Louise and Glenn anchor the other side.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Gardening Equipment: Waterproof Gloves and Ice Water, Covered
Pleasant colors that attract you and good quality in tools, such as pruning shears, help create enjoyment in gardening and yardwork. Care of property is a good thing.
Consider these words from Ralph Waldo Emerson:
"When I go into the garden with a spade, and I dig a bed,
I feel such an exhilaration and health that I discover
That I have been defrauding myself all this time
In letting others do for me what I should have done with my own hands."
"Garden" by Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), American, Harvard graduate, authored a book NATURE and other books, sermons and addresses, poems, and more. An essay "Self-Reliance" is reputed to have once been the most often quoted essay in American literature. Hmmm . . . does that put him up there at the level of Abraham Lincoln?
Many things the garden shows,
And pleased I stray
From tree to tree
Watching the white pear-bloom,
Bee-infested quince or plum.
I could walk days, years, away
Till the slow ripening, secular tree
Had reached its fruiting-time,
Nor think it long.
Solar insect on the wing
In the garden murmuring,
Soothing with thy summer horn
Swains by winter pinched and worn.
[The end]
I have in my blog a desire to express interest in the goodness of the individuals in my family. Being older and in the memoir stage of life, I see the gentleness of the matrix in which I was fortunate to be reared, so long ago, when the times were slower, more deliberate.
Researching Francis Bacon (1561-1626), scholar in philosophy and scientific method, I found a statement that said he considered his essay writing a kind of gentleman's hobby. This English major was reminded (assuming that I learned it in college originally) that Bacon wrote during the Tudor period (1484-1603) and beyond to the changeful Stuart England (1603-1700). I have enjoyed, through the years, studying the Stuart monarchs, because of our ancestor coming through Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon, involved in Charles I's court. My reason for including this old essay by Bacon is that it talks of a character trait not much mentioned in this day and time—goodness. Over the recent years, emphasis on goodness seems to have become supplanted by emphasis on lies, crassness and insults, and violence. Perhaps there is a strange wake-up call, or skin-thickening hidden benefit, difficult to find. My first memoir, Beulah, Zelma, Patricia, Ann, came out of a desire to counter this seeming cultural trend and present goodness in family life. The strain of goodness through one-hundred-sixteen years in four women got a grip on my writerly, reflective self. Retired from public school teaching, I wanted to be with this material, and the desire has held over several years.
Before posting Bacon's essay on goodness, which I located online, I got rid of a couple of dozen meaningless commas. I do not know why so many commas were stuck in. They hampered the clarity of the sentences. Also, to help patnotes.com blog readers who may tend to jump up for the dictionary, I suggested a couple of substitute words, and they are in parentheses. All the italics are mine. This essay goes on longer than many readers would care about, and thus I have broken it in about two halves, posting the first.
Francis Bacon's essay: Of Goodness And Goodness Of Nature
I TAKE GOODNESS in this sense, the affecting of the weal (public good) of men, which is that the Grecians call philanthropia; and the word humanity as it is used is a little too light to express it. Goodness I call the habit, and goodness of nature, the inclination. This of all virtues, and dignities of the mind, is the greatest; being the character of the Deity: and without it, man is a busy, mischievous, wretched thing; no better than a kind of vermin.
Goodness answers to the theological virtue charity (substitute "love"), and admits no excess, but (does admit) error.* The desire of power in excess caused the angels to fall; the desire of knowledge in excess caused man to fall: but in charity (aka love) there is no excess; neither can angel, nor man, come in danger by it. The inclination to goodness is imprinted deeply in the nature of man; insomuch, that if it issue not towards men, it will take (go out) unto other living creatures; as it is seen in the Turks, (by past reputation) a cruel people, who nevertheless are kind to beasts, and give alms to dogs and birds; insomuch, as Busbechius reporteth, a Christian boy, in Constantinople, had like to have been stoned for gagging in a waggishness a long-billed fowl. *Errors indeed in this virtue of goodness, or charity, may be committed. The Italians have an ungracious proverb, Tanto buon che val niente: so good, that he is good for nothing. And one of the doctors of Italy, Nicholas Machiavel, had the confidence to put in writing, almost in plain terms, that the Christian faith had given up good men in prey to those that are tyrannical and unjust. Which he spake (this) because indeed there was never law, or sect, or opinion did so much magnify goodness as the Christian religion doth. Therefore, to avoid the scandal and the danger both, it is good to take knowledge of the errors of an habit so excellent.
Seek the good of other men, but be not in bondage to their faces or fancies; for that is but facility, or softness; which taketh an honest mind prisoner. Neither give thou AEsop's cock (rooster) a gem, who would be better pleased, and happier, if he had had a barley-corn.
[First Half Installment of Francis Bacon's perspective on concept of goodness]


text:
Read all posts tagged Foreign Policy
ViiV Healthcare and the Medicines Patent Pool Expand Access to Latest HIV DrugsPosted byon April 4, 2014 at 5:05 PM EST
A recent agreement between ViiV Healthcare (a joint venture of GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, and Shionogi) and the Medicines Patent Pool marks a significant step forward in ongoing efforts to achieve both access to medicines for developing countries and the promotion of innovation to develop more of these life-saving treatments.
Beneficial Ownership Legislation ProposalPosted byon April 4, 2014 at 12:05 PM EST
President Obama's budget includes a legislative proposal to help law enforcement investigate shell companies that are used by money launderers, corrupt officials, tax evaders, and drug lords to hide millions of dollars offshore.
Wrap Up: President Obama's Second Day in the NetherlandsPosted byon March 25, 2014 at 4:53 PM EST
President Obama finishes the second and final day of his stay in the Netherlands, the first stop on a five-country trip to Europe and Saudi Arabia.
President Obama Travels to the Netherlands, Meets with World LeadersPosted byon March 24, 2014 at 3:12 PM EST
The President starts his week-long trip to the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, the Vatican, and Saudi Arabia.
Advancing Global Nuclear SecurityPosted byon March 24, 2014 at 1:25 PM EST
World leaders gather at The Hague for the third Nuclear Security Summit, an opportunity to compare notes on how far we've come and chart the course ahead as we work to keep sensitive materials — the building blocks of nuclear weapons — from falling into the wrong hands.
Promoting Regional Security and Protecting Human Rights in UgandaPosted byon March 24, 2014 at 12:32 PM EST
The United States has deployed CV-22 Ospreys, refueling aircraft, and associated support personnel to augment U.S. support for the African Union (AU) Regional Task Force's counter-Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) mission.
West Wing Week 3/21/14 or, "24 Soldiers"Posted byon March 21, 2014 at 5:30 PM EST
This week, the President celebrated St. Patrick's day alongside the Prime Minister of Ireland, continued to work toward a diplomatic resolution to the conflict in Ukraine, hosted Palestinian President Abbas, awarded 24 Medals of Honor, and traveled to Florida to speak on the importance of supporting working families.
President Obama Updates the American People on the Situation in UkrainePosted byon March 20, 2014 at 5:15 PM EST
President Obama updates the American people on the situation in Ukraine and the steps the United States is taking in response.
Ambassador Rice Meets with Governors from NigeriaPosted byon March 19, 2014 at 10:07 AM EST
National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice welcomed 12 governors and one deputy-governor from Nigeria to the White House to discuss areas of strategic importance to both the United States and Nigeria.
President Obama Announces New Ukraine-Related SanctionsPosted byon March 17, 2014 at 12:53 PM EST
President Obama announces new measures intended to send a strong message to the Russian government that there are consequences for their actions that violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
- &lsaquo previous
- …
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- …
- next &rsaquo

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Bump
Welcoming a new baby brings a lot of new changes. You're going to need some help with money matters, estate planning, family car buying, home organization, meal planning, finding family friendly spots and more!
The most trusted name in Surrogacy Escrow Services. Our goal is to distribute the funds we manage in a timely manner and eliminate some of the stress associated with the surrogacy process. To learn more call (619) 583-5110 or visit AllisonMcCloskeyEscrow.com now!
Our California law firm represents pregnant employees and working moms who have experienced discrimination, wrongful termination or unfair treatment in the workplace.
Mommy Deal: Visit BWLaw.com for more information about your rights and to request a free case evaluation.
"Your class really helped Carey feel empowered and he felt a lot more confident in supporting me the way I needed and wanted to be supported. I took lots of childbirth classes and yours was the best. Britta, you are a master at what you do." Mother, Alecia Moore (aka P!nk)
Mommy Deal: Mention The Bump for $25 off any service!
FreshMommy is a gourmet, calorie-controlled, fresh diet delivery meal program that caters to the needs of late-stage pregnancy and postnatal women seeking nutritionally balanced and healthy meals to help maintain good health and nutrition for them and their babies. Your meals are delivered daily!
Mommy Deal: Take 10 percent off any Freshology meal program, plus get free delivery. Gourmet, calorie-controlled meals are delivered fresh to your door daily. Our FreshMommy program caters to late-stage pregnancy and postnatal women.
Little Lily's Kitchen is a personal chef service that provides nutritious, delicious and thoughtful food to new moms and their families. When the time comes, you will have a lot to think about. Let us help. Packages are more affordable than you may think.
MotherBees seeks to provide nourishing and healthful food for all mothers around the globe. We aim to provide better-tasting, fresher and loving food the way nature intended it to be.
Mommy Deal: Include the word: BUMP at checkout for free delivery on your first order!
S is for Sanity: The sane mommy is a place where moms can come together to share advice, parenting tips, experiences and stories. We take pride in gathering knowledge and delivering it in the form of quick, easy to read, whimsically illustrated parenting books. Our stories take the stress out of parenting; sanity is always just a few pages away.
Mommy Deal: 15% off S is for Sanity
ScholarShare is California's 529 College Savings Plan, offering a wide variety of investment portfolios, low fees and tax-free, qualified withdrawals for use at most colleges, universities and trade schools. ScholarShare. It's how Californians save for college.


text:
Watch this Author's files
hi John.
i'm pretty new in matlab. so maybe i'm going to do a stupid question.
i have my data already in a matrix form.
tipically 200x200.
i cannot use your function because it expect 3 vectors and nodes ...
can you help me ?
basically i have this surface, results of observation (along x and y there are categorical variables) and i'm expecting a monotonic decreasing surface ... i got it but with some outliers ... i think your function can help me.
any suggestion ?
Contact us


text:
Use code HA9MWXdetails >* To Save 10% on orders $249 or more. Use promotion code HA9MWX during checkout. Discount does not apply to shipping charges, delivery surcharges, duties or customs fees and cannot be combined with any other offer. Promotion cannot be used on previous orders. This promotional offer may be modified or terminated at any time. Offer expires 12/27/2014 at 11:59pm ET.
Cool after with Phantom Mask Lemonade Drink Mix after your event.The Phantom Mask Lemonade Drink Mix displays a mysterious white phantom mask on a black background. Personalize the 2 inch white sticker on the Phantom Mask Lemonade Drink Mix with your custom information. Each packet of lemonade makes 8 ounces of a refreshing cool drink anytime. Add this Personalized Phantom Mask Lemonade Drink Mix to gift bags or scatter on tabletops for your guests to take home. Assembly required.


text:
Search results for kim kardashian kris humphries wedding
For The Love Of Money: "Madame" Kris Jenner Is
Pimpin' Pushing Kimmy Cakes And Kanye To Get Hitched On Camera!
It's all about the Benjamins
Wanksters: Kris "The Dumped Hump" Humphries Wants Kimmy Cakes To Disclose Whether She Spent Any Of "Their" Bread On Yeezy!
Uhhhh dude, unlike you, he can actually afford her.
You Can't Be Serious: Kris Humphries Has Advice For Kanye About Kim, "You'll Need Lots Of Patience With Her!"
Apparently "Gold Digger" is his favorite song! Who knew?!?!
When Pigs Fly: Kimmy Cakes Vows To Keep Her Love Life Private And Off Her Reality Shows
Sorry but we can't take anything she vows to seriously!
As Seen On TV: Kim Kardashian Fights Kris "Dumped Hump" Humphries' Attempt To Film Divorce Trial
Well, isn't this just ironic?
Put On Blast: Kris "Dumped Hump" Humphries Refuses To Give Kim Kardashian A Divorce Until She Publicly Admits The Marriage Was Fake
Looks like "The Hump" isn't signing those papers until Kimmy Cakes admits she's a fugazi liar and the wedding was a sham!
The Saga Continues: Kris "The Hump" Humphries Demands That Kimmy Cakes Account For Ever Penny They "Earned" During Their 72 Day Matrimony
Better watch it Kim, Kris ain't humpin' around…
Kimmy Cake's Divorce Drama: Kris Humphries Won't Sign Them Papers, Wants $7 Million For His Pain And Suffering
In the words of Gansta Boo…"Where Dem Dollas At???"
Who's The Fraud??? Kimmy Cakes And Kris "The Hump" Agree To Annulment, But Only After One Of Them Admits To Being A Fugazi Liar…
Just get fawking divorced already and move on with your lives! SMH
Til' Cancellation Do Us Part: The Best And Worst Of Reality TV Weddings
Yeah they say "I Do"…but only on cam-e-ra…only on cam-e-ra.
No Money, Mo' Problems: Kris "The Hump" Humphries Says He Doesn't Really Care About The $7 Mili… All He Wants Is An Annulment From Kimmy Cakes!
You need waaaaaaay more people Kris…
Makin' It Rain On Them Hoes: Kris "The Hump" Humphries Demands That Kimmy Cakes Kick Back $7 Milli Or Be Embarrassed In Divorce Court!
Kris is dead azz serious about getting SOMETHING out his short-lived marriage
According to TMZ reports:
Kris Humphries is secretly demanding $7 MILLION from Kim Kardashian to walk away from their marriage … TMZ has learned.
Sources directly connected
Right Or Wrong??? Kris Humphries Thinks Kimmy Cakes Should Return All The Wedding Gifts That They Were Given
Why the hell is Kris still even worried about this broad?!?!
Lawsuits: Kardashians Being Sued Over QuickTrim Amid Claims That It's Dangerous And Does Not Make You Slimmy Trimmy Like Khloe And Kimmy
DUH — you can't blame Kimmy Cakes if you're still a chubby lumpkins…


text:
El Paso Gas Prices Drop
POSTED: Thursday, January 21, 2010 - 10:34am
UPDATED: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 - 2:26pm
El Paso - - El Paso gas prices have dropped for the first time this year but we still pay more than any major city in the state.
AAA says prices at the pump fell $.02 across Texas this week for $2.60 a gallon. That is $.14 lower than the national average.
El Pasoans are paying $2.63 a gallon. Gas is going for $2.60 in Dallas. You will find the cheapest prices in Galveston and San Antonio at $2.57.
Comments News Comments
Post new Comment


text:
Philosophy and Fancy
The last axis that distributions tend to fall along isn't exactly philosophical, but it still is a real consideration. If you're putting together a distribution, who is your end user?
A distro put together for a hacker will, by default, install a raft of security-auditing and coding tools, and perhaps a handful of black hat tools as well, just for fun. These utilities almost always are available on other distros, but rarely do they install by default. Slackware is aimed squarely at this demographic.
On the other hand, a distro designed with the end user in mind might install some games, an office suite, a media player or two and a handful of toys, but generally its goal is to not overwhelm users with options. Give users one tool that works reasonably well and a good package manager, and let people fill up the corners as they need to. A small footprint and an idiot-proof setup is the name of the game here. Xandros and Linux Mint are prime examples of this type of targeting successfully taken to its logical extreme.
Power users are another animal entirely. These users want to be able to tinker with the system right up to the end of their expertise, and one tool for one job is never enough. After all, when was the last time you saw a perfect tool? Power users want it all and know how to milk the last bit of functionality out of their systems. They want an OS that is heavily optimized, that crashes rarely (if ever), and that they can control down to the process level without necessarily having to get their hands dirty. Systems designed for power users tend to be both slick and decadent, armed to the teeth with the kind of tools that would make most end users crawl into a straitjacket and whine for their mommies. The studio distributions, such as PlanetCCRMA and 64 Studio, tend to be this variety.
The administrator is the last major species of user, and distros designed for these users tend to be thin on flash and heavy on function. They also tend to run in environments where no end user would ever dare to tread, like server farms, render clusters and data centers.
The plethora of Linux distributions can be enough to make anyone's eyes glaze over, and it's tempting (particularly for a newcomer to the F/OSS world) to chalk up the diversity in distro design as just another symptom of a fractious, political hacker culture with more time than sense. The reality is a little different. The axes outlined above demarcate the major design considerations that distro packagers have to weigh, and where you put your pin on each axis also generally will have knock-on effects in terms of what kind of hardware you want to support, whether and when you will ship kernel source, whether you ship with a modular kernel, what kind of package manager you'll use, and how you'll manage the community that springs up around your product.
Likewise, understanding these considerations can help make the F/OSS space look a lot less like a battleground or a junkyard and lot more like what it really is: a rich ecosystem, more than a bit jungle-like, of different designs evolving to serve different economic and ecological niches, always filled with interesting experiments—some of which succeed handsomely.
Dan Sawyer is the founder of ArtisticWhispers Productions (www.artisticwhispers.com), a small audio/video studio in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has been an enthusiastic advocate for free and open-source software since the late 1990s. He currently is podcasting his science-fiction thriller Antithesis and his short story anthology Sculpting God. He also hosts "The Polyschizmatic Reprobates Hour", a cultural commentary podcast. Author contact information is available at www.jdsawyer.net.
- « first
- ‹ previous
- 1
- 2
- 3
As Linux continues to play an ever increasing role in corporate data centers and institutions, ensuring the integrity and protection of these systems must be a priority. With 60% of the world's websites and an increasing share of organization's mission-critical workloads running on Linux, failing to stop malware and other advanced threats on Linux can increasingly impact an organization's reputation and bottom line.
Sponsored by Bit9
Most companies incorporate backup procedures for critical data, which can be restored quickly if a loss occurs. However, fewer companies are prepared for catastrophic system failures, in which they lose all data, the entire operating system, applications, settings, patches and more, reducing their system(s) to "bare metal." After all, before data can be restored to a system, there must be a system to restore it to.
In this one hour webinar, learn how to enhance your existing backup strategies for better disaster recovery preparedness using Storix System Backup Administrator (SBAdmin), a highly flexible bare-metal recovery solution for UNIX and Linux systems.
Sponsored by Storix
Trending Topics
|Android Candy: Google Keep
|Dec 19, 2014
|Handling the workloads of the Future
|Dec 18, 2014
|Dec 16, 2014
|diff -u: What's New in Kernel Development
|Dec 12, 2014
|Non-Linux FOSS: Don't Type All Those Words!
|Dec 10, 2014
|Computing without a Computer
|Dec 08, 2014
- Android Candy: Google Keep
- Readers' Choice Awards 2014
- Raspi-Sump
- Handling the workloads of the Future
- How Can We Get Business to Care about Freedom, Openness and Interoperability?
- Days Between Dates?
- Synchronize Your Life with ownCloud
- diff -u: What's New in Kernel Development
- Computing without a Computer
- December 2014 Issue of Linux Journal: Readers' Choice
Editorial Advisory Panel
Thank you to our 2014 Editorial Advisors!
- Jeff Parent
- Brad Baillio
- Nick Baronian
- Steve Case
- Chadalavada Kalyana
- Caleb Cullen
- Keir Davis
- Michael Eager
- Nick Faltys
- Dennis Frey
- Philip Jacob
- Jay Kruizenga
- Steve Marquez
- Dave McAllister
- Craig Oda
- Mike Roberts
- Chris Stark
- Patrick Swartz
- David Lynch
- Alicia Gibb
- Thomas Quinlan
- Carson McDonald
- Kristen Shoemaker
- Charnell Luchich
- James Walker
- Victor Gregorio
- Hari Boukis
- Brian Conner
- David Lane


text:
Dublin is located in Ohio.
Dublin, Ohio has a population of
Dublin is
family-centric than the surrounding county with
44.51% of the households
containing married families with children.
The county average for households married with children is 47.91%.
The median household income in Dublin, Ohio is
The median household income for the surrounding county is $114,183
compared to the national median of $53,046.
The median age of people living in Dublin is
37.6 years.
The average high temperature in July is 86
degrees, with an average low temperature in January of 18.5 degrees.
The average rainfall is approximately 37.9 inches
per year, with 19 inches of snow per year.
Real Living Anders & Associates
46 E. Main Street
West Jefferson, OH
Real Estate Agents & Staff
Real Living Darby Creek
32 S. Main Street
Mechanicsburg, OH
Real Estate Agents & Staff


text:
- Men's Fashion
- And Philosophy
Dapper Dan On:
- Copyright 2009-14
- Dapper Dan Magazine
Monthly Archives: February 2011
Rick Owens talks to Filep Motwary
Photography by Kacper Kasprzyk Rick Owens is probably the only designer in Paris who can be classed as a genuine phenomenon. Although he is never seen in any act of socializing, commercial networking or frivolous appearance, he is always … Continue reading
Filed under: Issue 02 Tagged Fashion, Interviews Leave a comment
Only 6,99
Photography by Ismini Adami Dapper Dan's presentation at the "Minimum, Magazines that say more with less" exhibition, held at the Hadrian Temple in Rome from 29th – 30th January 2011; curated by Angelo Flaccavento: An exploration of lo-fi language in … Continue reading
Filed under: Events Leave a comment
Ari Marcopoulos talks to Filep Motwary
Over a lengthy career, Ari Marcopoulos has continually shed his skin, like a serpent, to reveal another, shinier skin underneath. His photographs are naked and honest – what you see is what you get. He has been documenting American culture, and … Continue reading
Filed under: Issue 02 Tagged Fashion, Interviews, Photography 1 Comment


text:
Is your resume in need of a little disruption?
Startups are all about
making things work better.
Our resume writing service is all about doing that for your CV.
StartUpHire is the place to find Mobile jobs in and near Radnor. Review the list below of Mobile Radnor jobs. These Mobile jobs represent some of the most rewarding careers available. You can refine your job search for Mobile jobs in Radnor by adding a job title, company name, or keyword to the search box above … or click the "Advanced Search" link for more options. Don't see the employment opportunity you're looking for? Check back soon for more Mobile jobs in Radnor, or sign up for an email alert (link in upper left) to receive periodic updates on new Mobile jobs in Radnor, PA.
Hours: Full time Compensation: Salary Reports to: Director of Customer Services Summary ESM Solutions is looking to add a team member with 5-7 years of customer service experience to work within a dynamic SaaS-based software company environment. This individual will lead an11/17/2014 Warrington, PA Save This Job
ABOUT PEOPLELINX PeopleLinx makes social selling easy. Founded by early LinkedIn employees, PeopleLinx guides sales professionals to build relationships, attract qualified leads, and drive upsells using online social networks. Our technology maps to your sales process,11/17/2014 Philadelphia, PA Save This Job
Job Description We are looking for a rockstar intern to support our UI/UX team. Our ideal candidate will exhibit an ability to create elegant user-centered designs for both mobile and online platforms while balancing high-level, holistic reasoning with detail-oriented feature11/16/2014 Philadelphia, PA Save This Job
HTML5 developers at Zonoff are part of executing vision for Applications Everywhere. They develop user interfaces for desktop and mobile device browsers. Applications integrating back-end services to provide end users with access to their home automation installation and to11/16/2014 Malvern, PA Save This Job
Android developers at Zonoff are part of executing our vision for Applications Everywhere. They develop various user interfaces on mobile devices which integrate with back-end services to provide end users with access to their home automation installation - when inside or11/16/2014 Malvern, PA Save This Job
Android developers at Zonoff are part of executing our vision for Applications Everywhere. They develop various user interfaces on mobile devices which integrate with back-end services to provide end users with access to their home automation installation - when inside or11/16/2014 Malvern, PA Save This Job
ID 2014-1172 # of Openings 1 Job Locations US-PA-Exton Posted Date 10/29/2014 Category Information Technology More information about this job: Overview: iPipeline leads the industry in providing the next-generation suite of sales distribution software to the insurance and11/15/2014 Exton, PA Save This Job
Category: Domestic Minimum Experience: 0 - 3 years Required Education: Bachelors Degree Job Description The community using our open-source WebGL engine, Cesium, is growing fast so we are growing to support them! The Developer Relations role is at the intersection of11/11/2014 Exton, PA Save This Job
We are currently seeking a Sr. IT Recruiter to join our US Talent Acquisition team in our Newtown, PA office. This is a full time, perm position within EPAM. Our ideal candidate must have experience recruiting within all levels and various technologies throughout their career10/29/2014 Newtown, PA Save This Job
Department: Event Management Location: Philadelphia, PA Pay Type: Day Employment Type: Seasonal This is a part-time, seasonal position (September-November and February-May). This is an ideal position for those seeking supplemental income. The majority of events take place10/29/2014 Philadelphia, PA Save This Job
Common information: We are looking for an experienced Java Solutions Architect ? very senior technical consultant who is a critical resource when scoping, designing, and ultimately delivering a complex technical solution; a technology expert well versed in full stack modern Java10/29/2014 Lawrenceville, NJ Save This Job
Location: Princeton, NJ NIKSUN is the recognized worldwide leader in making the Unknown Known, by using next generation technology that revolutionizes the way networks and services are secured, protected and managed. The company develops and deploys a complete range of10/22/2014 Princeton, NJ Save This Job
Customer Enablement Specialist - Supply Chain, Business, Information Technology Customer Enablement Specialist Hours: Full time Compensation: Salary Reports to: Customer Service Support Manager Summary ESM Solutions is looking to add team members with an educational10/18/2014 Warrington, PA Save This Job


text:
U.S. chemical companies and petroleum refining plants may be able to save $100 billion in a 15-year period and improve their competitive edge in the world marketplace by developing innovative catalysts.
These are the results of a study commissioned by the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Conversion and Utilization Technologies program and conducted by DOE's Pacific Northwest Laboratory.Initial estimates indicate that U.S. chemical and refining plants could save $31 billion in capital costs and $69 billion in operating costs during a 15-year period applying a materials-by-design approach to catalysts, James Eberhardt, manager at ECUT Division program, said.
The study was conducted to estimate the energy and economic benefits of applying the materials-by-design concept to develop catalysts in the petroleum and chemical industries. Using this approach, scientists first design a material on a superconductor, then use this refined design to develop a material in the laboratory. PNL believes this approach can reduce research costs and accelerate the development of new materials.
A catalyst is a chemical substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself being consumed. More than 90 percent of all chemical manufacturing processes use catalysts.
Sulfur Production Up
In First 2 Months
Production of Frasch and recovered sulfur for the first two months of 1987 totaled 9.94 million metric tons, compared with 9.86 million tons in the same period a year earlier, the Bureau of Mines said.
Output of Frasch was significantly lower in the first two months of the year, compared with the corresponding period of 1986. Sulfur recovered by petroleum refiners was 13 percent higher than the quantity recovered in the first two months of 1986.
Shipments of elemental sulfur were averaging 9.56 million tons a year. This is a 4 percent decrease on total shipments of 9.91 million tons in 1986.
Producers' stocks at the end of the month totaled 2.80 million tons, compared with 2.75 million tons at year-end 1986.
Imports of Frasch and recovered sulfur for the year to date were estimated to be at the rate of 1.29 million tons a year, or 4 percent lower than the 1.35 million tons imported in 1986. Exports of sulfur for the two-month period were estimated at an annual rate of 0.92 million tons a year compared with 1.90 million tons in 1986.
Apparent domestic consumption of Frasch and recovered sulfur for the first two months of the year was estimated to be at the rate of 9.93 million tons a year.


text:
Our Featured Auburn, CA Partner:
Second Chance Bunnies, Inc
Pet adoption saves lives. Adopt a pet and you'll have a friend for life! Contact us, or contact another local humane society, animal shelter or SPCA.
PO Box 8185
Auburn, CA 95602
(530) 269-7764
Pets at Our Rescue Group:
Cities, Towns, and/or Counties We Serve:Sacramento County and Placer County. Where ever there is a need.
About Our Rescue Group:Second Chance Bunnies is a non profit organization located in the quiet foothills of
Auburn, California (east of Sacramento). Started in 2004, by Janet and Jerry Foster,
with the goal to:
- Provide a safe haven and loving (temporary) home to unwanted / surrendered bunnies.
- Socialize, litter box train, spay / neuter and adopt to loving homes.
- Educate owners on diet, health and housing requirements for these furry friends.
Second Chance Bunnies works with various rescues, shelters and other sourses to save
these unwanted bunnies / rabbits. We believe:
Every Bunny needs a Second Chance
Come Meet our Pets:Call for appointment to come and see our bunnies up for adoption.
Call 530-269-7764
Our Adoption Process:We have a questioneer to fill out and an application.
We have a 50.00 adoption fee.


text:
Sponsored By
Become a Sponsor
Spinitron Home
Member Logon
About Spinitron
KDHX's web site
SPINITRON home
Current playlist
Program schedule
KDHX's web site
BrowseArtists ·
Disks · Labels
Search the selected month
BBC Archive 1 buy it
DISK BY Iron Maiden merch
(legacy records 2002)
Songs from BBC Archive 1 logged in KDHX's playlists:
Run To The Hills Buy it!
Run To The Hills(live) Buy it!
Run To The Hills(Live) Buy it!
Sanctuary Buy it!
Transylvania Buy it!
Wrathchild Buy it!
Wrathchild(live) Buy it!
Wrathchild(Live) Buy it!
Copyright ©2014 Spinitron, LLC and KDHX. 'Spinitron', the speedy-vinyl
logo and the Spintron logotype are trademarks.KDHX contact: membership.


text:
The "trickster," composer John Adams once called it — the persona he evinces in pieces like his Chamber Symphony, which he described as a cross between Arnold Schoenberg and Wile E. Coyote. He's (understandably) tried to distance himself since from the notion that his pieces collectively fall into one of two categories, either jest or earnest, but still it's clear, once in a while, when he's up to his old tricks again.
Case in point: One might reasonably suspect that Adams has revisited the aesthetic of the Chamber Symphony with the titular piece on his new CD, Son of Chamber Symphony (Nonesuch Records). The original was one of a kind in Adams' oeuvre, suggesting a close study of such great American weirdos as Frank Zappa and Mexico-based player-piano fiend Conlon Nancarrow. The sequel (self-deprecating title notwithstanding) defies the Hollywood law of diminishing artistic returns while still offering all of Chamber Symphony's daffy pleasures.
The other half of the disc, the even more bluntly titled (or untitled) String Quartet, might not be in deadly earnest — it's too vivacious for that — but neither is it as jokey as Adams' other entry in the genre, the winning John's Book of Alleged Dances for quartet and tape. As the (un)title suggests, this quartet is a serious entry into the august genre, and as such it is impeccably written — how is so much going on between only four musicians? As with the Chamber Symphony, impeccably performed by crack new-music ensemble ICE, the St. Lawrence String Quartet gives the John Adams String Quartet a first recording that seems likely to remain the benchmark.
None of this will be news to new-music nerds for whom John Adams has been a household name since he wrote Nixon in China. Composer Donnacha Dennehy is not — yet.
Grá agus Bás, Dennehy's CD for Nonesuch, seems likely to change that. The title piece brings a David Lang-style intensity to the accompaniment of Iarla O'Lionáird's traditional Irish sean-nós singing, but with textures that blur the line between timbre and harmony. Dennehy's Dublin-based Crash Ensemble, conducted by hardest-working-man-in-new-music Alan Pierson, performs with requisite energy and precision, although I did find myself wishing the electric distorted guitar could have been let off its leash just a little and allowed, just barely, to drown out the other instruments once in a while.
Dawn Upshaw has claimed that her musical partnership with Argentinian composer Osvaldo Golijov has made her a better singer; her recording, on Grá agus Bás, of Dennehy's Yeats settings, That the Night Come, suggest that she may be right. The piece itself is exquisite, framing Upshaw's voice with spectral whisps of color, and Upshaw's performance reveals a singer willing to take real risks. Both these discs are must-hears — but Dennehy's is absolutely a revelation.


text:
Medicom has released the Birthday Bearbrick NOIR. The 50% Bearbrick comes in 12 versions, featuring the corresponding number on the front and the eyes are made of matching black Swarovski rhinestones.
Get Updates Daily.
Follow our Twitter feed
We'll update you as we publish on our site. You'll get an update instantly!Follow @highsnobiety
Get Updates on Facebook
We'll bring our best stories and photos direct into your newsfeed.
Follow us on Instagram


text:
Maria takes on 100k walk for hospital cancer unit
Posted: February 22, 2014|
A ROCESTER cattery owner is taking on a 100-kilometre walk in aid of the hospital unit which helped her through breast cancer.
In May, 55-year-old Maria Greasley, owner of Dove Flatts Cattery, in Barrow Hill will embark on her personal London to Brighton challenge in aid of the Burton Breast Care Unit along with her sisters Sharon Mccall, 54, and Julie Makins, 52.
The family team hope to walk a 'gruelling' 100 kilometres within a time frame of 33 hours and will walk through the night to achieve their goal.
Ms Greasley said: "In 2012 after a routine mammogram and further biopsy I was diagnosed with breast cancer.
"The care and support I received immediately after my diagnosis and during my treatment from the Burton Breast Care staff was superb.
They do a superb job and continually need to raise funds to enable them to continue and improve on their excellent work.
From my consultant Mr Bucknall, through to all of his nursing team, nothing was too much trouble.
"Each stage was carefully and sympathetically explained to me.
"As a thank you, once I had recuperated and felt strong enough I decided I would like to undertake a personal challenge to raise as much money as possible for the Burton Breast Care unit.
"I wanted to do something that would push me to the limit.
"I came across the London 2 Brighton 100-kilometre walk and immediately felt this was the challenge for me as I had never attempted anything on this scale before.
"The walk has to be completed in a maximum time of 33 hours and we will go without sleep for the night in order to complete the walk, so it really is a mammoth challenge.
"As soon as I mentioned the challenge to my sisters they both wholeheartedly supported me, so much so, they decided to join me on the walk.
"This is great news for Burton Breast Care unit as we now have to treble our fundraising efforts.
"Without your generous donations this will not be achievable, so please, dig deep and donate as little or as much as you possibly can.
"Every little helps.
"As part of our fundraising efforts, we will be holding a charity bag packing day at Tesco, Uttoxeter on Sunday, March 2 so please come along and show your suppprt."
Ms Makins said: "My sister and I wanted to support Maria on her chosen challenge and what better way to do that than by agreeing to complete the challenge with her.
"Having only ever completed in one Race for Life event before, this challenge really will be pushing me to the limit too."
Those wishing to sponsor 'Team Greasley' should visit their Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/maria-greasley or sign a sponsor form at the cattery. More information is available at www.london2brightonchallenge.com


text:
It's all about balance. If you're trying to keep up with a healthy lifestyle in 2014, the first thing you need ...On March 2, 2014 / By Catherine Mendez
By Deborah Moss, RD, CDN Did you make a New Year's resolution? If losing weight or changing your eating ...On February 27, 2014 / By Lucille Roberts Staff
The image of Halle Berry running on the beach, wearing an orange swim suit, is all that resonates with ...On March 26, 2013 / By Lucille Roberts Staff
© 2014 Lucille Roberts. All rights reserved.


text:
Suzi's Blog
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie for the Fourth of July from Ken Haedrich
Rhubarb is a funny word. "Getting into a rhubarb" is an old-fashioned yet common expression, one I have yet to find the origins of. Rhubarb has been cultivated for over 5,000 years, beginning in China where it began its life as a spice and medicine. Rhubarb, in the age of Marco Polo, was pricier than…
Read More »
Wonderful Food at the Portland Saturday Farmers Market
Suzen and I are in Portland, Oregon visiting relatives. We met with an old friend, Delores Custer, author of the fabled Food Styling book. Delores took us on a grand tour of the Saturday farmers market in the South Park Blocks of downtown Portland. Now, I do have a picture of Suzen and Delores…
Read More »
Baby Spinach Salad with Roasted Strawberries
Yes, that was Suzen earlier today on SiriusXM Channel 110. That's the Martha Stewart Living channel. The 3PM cooking slot was being hosted by our good friend Michele Scicolone. Michele is famous for her extraordinary array of cookbooks. Mostly Italian, it's true, but The French Slow Cooker is a best seller and a "best eater"…
Read More »


text:
Ivan, >> While you're in the neighborhood, could you also send a last call comment about that evaluation context issue please? > Sent to the email@example.com or to this list ? Last call comments are to be sent to email@example.com. -Erik -- Orbeon Forms - Web Forms for the Enterprise Done the Right Way http://www.orbeon.com/Received on Saturday, 21 April 2007 15:15:54 GMT
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.2.0+W3C-0.50 : Saturday, 10 March 2012 06:22:09 GMT


text:
You must log in to access this feature. Sign in with Twellow or Facebook to get started.
By signing in to Twellow, you indicate your agreement to our terms of service.
Simply connect with Facebook and kiss those password blues away,
or go here to reset your password.
When you are healthy you are sexy! Sexy people should also live healthy! We tweet about food, health, diet, body exercises. Follow us @sexyhealthytips


text:
STW Resources Holding Corp. Provides Corporate Update And Expanded Business Lines
MIDLAND, Texas, Oct. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- STW Resources Holding Corp. (OTC QB: STWS), has established itself as a water reclamation services company focusing on providing Total Water Solutions.
STW has researched and applied various technologies through agreements with several manufacturers, resulting in the engagement of the engineering services of BJJA ( Bob J. Johnson and Associates). BJJA has been occupied with the design and deployment of customized water processing systems throughout the world for over 35 years. "Our research, and our teaming with BJJA, have given STW the intellectual property to deploy some of the most efficient and economical systems being used today" stated Lee Maddox, COO of STW Resources. Based on source water specifics and certified results from STW's water processing pilot operations for various oil & gas producers in West Texas, STW is able to customize water processing systems to meet specifications desired by producers. STW's versatile business model is being utilized to build a foundation of revenues based on several related, practical business lines:
STW's future growth is based on five models:
Oil & Gas Industry: Reclamation of produced and/or flow back water to required specifications for on-site reuse. Contaminant removal systems for hydrogen sulfides, sulfates and other contaminants in source waters. Owner-operator model with per-barrel charge revenue stream.Brackish Water Facility: Reclaim brackish water to specifications necessary for re-use in the well drilling and completion processes. Owner-operator model with per-barrel charge, comparable to local fresh water prices, as a revenue stream. Integrated Systems - Sales and Consulting: Consultation on the design and construction of water reclamation systems and ancillary equipment. One-time sales fee model, and consultation is a recurring revenue stream based on contract. Municipalities: Consultation and Build-out of large scale desalination projects, including well development of on-site brackish water sources and evaporation ponds. Recurring fee-based revenue stream.
Select the service that is right for you!COMPARE ALL SERVICES
Action Alerts PLUSTry it NOW
Jim Cramer and Stephanie Link actively manage a real portfolio and reveal their money management tactics while giving advanced notice before every trade.
Product Features:
- $2.5+ million portfolio
- Large-cap and dividend focus
- Intraday trade alerts from Cramer
- Weekly roundups
TheStreet Quant RatingsTry it NOW
Only $49.95/yr
Access the tool that DOMINATES the Russell 2000 and the S&P 500.
Product Features:
- Buy, hold, or sell recommendations for over 4,300 stocks
- Unlimited research reports on your favorite stocks
- A custom stock screener
- Upgrade/downgrade alerts
Stocks Under $10Try it NOW
David Peltier, uncovers low dollar stocks with extraordinary upside potential that are flying under Wall Street's radar.
Product Features:
- Model portfolio
- Stocks trading below $10
- Intraday trade alerts
- Weekly roundups
Dividend Stock AdvisorTry it NOW
Jim Cramer's protege, David Peltier, identifies the best of breed dividend stocks that will pay a reliable AND significant income stream.
Product Features:
- Diversified model portfolio of dividend stocks
- Alerts when market news affect the portfolio
- Bi-weekly updates with exact steps to take - BUY, HOLD, SELL
Real Money ProTry it NOW
All of Real Money, plus 15 more of Wall Street's sharpest minds delivering actionable trading ideas, a comprehensive look at the market, and fundamental and technical analysis.
Product Features:
- Real Money + Doug Kass Plus 15 more Wall Street Pros
- Intraday commentary & news
- Ultra-actionable trading ideas
Options ProfitsTry it NOW
Our options trading pros provide daily market commentary and over 100 monthly option trading ideas and strategies to help you become a well-seasoned trader.
Product Features:
- 100+ monthly options trading ideas
- Actionable options commentary & news
- Real-time trading community
- Options TV


text:
Tech Helproom
It's free to register, to post a question or to start / join a discussion
Trouble viewing Google Earth in past few days
Likes # 0
Posted April 5, 2013 at 2:04PM
System XP SP3. Graphics Nvidia GeForce Ti 4200 with AGF8, driver NV4_disp.dll with Directx 9. Until recently all was OK with Google Earth but now when launching I get message that graphics card does not support Earth in OpenGL mode, will switch you to Directx. If I select OK another message tells me to start Earth in Direct x mode. Selecting OK it just drops out of the program. Has something happened to Google Earth in the past couple of weeks, as my PC has not been altered - as far as I know. Thanks.
Likes # 0
Posted April 5, 2013 at 2:26PM
Worth a read:
I had some problems in WQ7 with a Nvidia GTX 7800; updated driver seemed to work
Likes # 0
Posted April 5, 2013 at 2:27PM
Also here:
Likes # 0
Posted April 5, 2013 at 4:41PM
I have kust tried GE with the same Directx window.
Selected 'Yes' and GE re-started in a about 2 seconds. Far quicker than last time I used it--some weeks ago.
Reply to this topic
This thread has been locked.
Check out PC Advisor's other tech forums
Top 5 Most Popular
Best smartphones of 2014/2015: The 50 best phones you can buy in the UK - Best Android phones, best iPhones, best Windows Phones - best phones reviews
LG G3 review: Still the best smartphone of 2014
Fitbit Charge review: like a Fitbit Force but better (thanks to call notifications and auto sleep tracking)
16 best antivirus for PC and laptop UK: 2014/2015's best antivirus for protection, performance value, and best free antivirus
Motorola Moto G 2014 review: the benchmark budget smartphone gets a 5in screen but loses 4G