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Thu, Aug 22, 13 at 7:46
I am going to add to my collection of edible landscape this fall. I plan to purchase two blackberry plants (Apache and Natchez) and two pomagranite (Angel Red and Utah or Russian). I am in Northern VA; does anyone have experience with these varieties in zone 7 almost 6? |
Follow-Up Postings:
- Posted by river_city 7b (My Page) on Sun, Sep 22, 13 at 14:03
I'm growing thornless blackberry and wonderful pomegranate successfully in Richmond, although I'm near the James River. |
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Hello Sweet World :)
I am visiting home soon so the past few weeks have been spent catching up with friends, college and grad school classmates, and with the boyfriend. New York is so festive around this time of year and I absolutely love grabbing a cup of pumpkin spice latte and just walking around Manhattan. I've also been frequenting Sephora lately, maybe a little too often :)
The past weekend was one of my close friend's birthday so we went to ABV Wine Bar for dinner then back to her apartment for some wine and cheese aka best combo ever.
peanut butter & chocolate cupcake from Two Little Red Hens
ABV Wine Bar
Bar food
carrot cake from Two Little Red Hens
roof top view
Brie with honey and a sprinkle of black pepper
My friend's new tattoo

subset: commoncrawl


text: Weapons-free campus policy is available on the HR Web site St. Thomas Newsroom November 17, 2003 From Human Resources The University of St. Thomas Possession of Weapons and Firearms policy is now available on the Human Resource's Web site. Consistent with the university's long-held policy of maintaining a weapons-free campus, this policy prohibits the possession of all weapons on university property (except where the possession of a weapon is a requirement of an individual's job). Please click on the policies section of the HR Web page to read the entire policy. You may want to read the June Bulletin Today article about this issue. RelatedSt. Thomas to maintain weapons-free campus policiesUST Human Resources JobLine is backChange announced in process for Privileged Access Confidentiality Agreement formsBusiness Office updates student and employee check-cashing policies


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Associate Professor Tamara Davis
Australian Research Council Future Fellow
Dr Tamara Davis is a cosmologist interested in investigating new fundamental physics, such as the properties of dark energy and dark matter and the mass of the neutrino. A winner of the 2011 Australian Institute of Physics Women in Physics Lectureship, the 2011 Queensland Tall Poppy Award, the 2009 Australian L'Oreal Women in Science Fellowship and the Astronomical Society of Australia's Early Career Research Award, Dr Davis joined the astrophysics team at UQ to work on the WiggleZ Dark Energy Survey, which has mapped ~220,000 galaxies across half of the observable universe. She and the WiggleZ team are using that data to test our theory of gravity and try to figure out the nature of dark energy and dark matter.
Available Projects
Title | Body | Level |
Astrophysical constraints on quantum gravity |
The discovery of the acceleration of the universe showed that cosmological measurements can have a significant bearing on fundamental physics. The simplest explanation for the acceleration is that the universe is filled with dark energy that takes the form of a "cosmological constant". The... |
PhD Project |


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Test System Setup
Processor(s): Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 @ 3GHz (333MHz x 9)
Motherboard(s): ASUS P5K3 Deluxe (Supplied by ASUS)
Memory: 2 X 1GB Corsair XMS3 DDR-3 1066MHz 7-7-7-21 (Supplied by Corsair)
Hard Disk(s): Hitachi 80GB 7200RPM SATA-II
Operating System: Windows XP Professional SP2
Drivers: Nvidia ForceWare 158.22 and DX9c
Being a lower end card we've cut down on our usual array of benchmark runs slightly. There are no AA or AF tests and we have also removed Rydermark and Supreme Commander. Apart from that we have our normal layout which tests everything from synthetic to real world gaming, while also looking at power, sound and heat.
We have compared the 8400GS against the 8500GT, from a pricing perspective you're looking at around $20AUD / $15US extra for the 8500GT (about 20% more).
Version and / or Patch Used: Build 130
Developer Homepage: http://www.futuremark.com
Product Homepage: http://www.futuremark.com/products/3dmark05/
3DMark05 is now the second latest version in the popular 3DMark "Gamers Benchmark" series. It includes a complete set of DX9 benchmarks which tests Shader Model 2.0 and above.
For more information on the 3DMark05 benchmark, we recommend you read our preview here.
Straight away we can see that the 8500GT has a good lead on Zotac's 8400GS. It translates to around 25% faster at both resolutions so we will see if this carries on through the other tests.


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I've only recently become more interested/brave enough in growing bamboo. So I am quite the newbie, I am interested in starting small, not an entire grove or multiple groves etc.
As listed by Arborday.org (I provided the link) I'm in a zone 6 for hardiness, but as I've searched the few threads involving Michigan weather by other posters some of them have said 4 or 5, although I don't know if they were in a Northern part of the state or not. Some of the species that I've begun to admire are: Robert Young
I'm curious as to whether or not these species are at all subitble for my climate, I've done research but many websites list a varied description and recommended planting environment. I'd appreciate any adive or common sense tips that anyone has to offer. Whether it's a worthwhile pursuit for me in my current spot or if I should quit before starting or move to a warmer place. Also are there any books to recommend? |
Here is a link that might be useful: Link to my temperature zone from Arborday.org
Follow-Up Postings:
In your Zone most of those bamboo are going to have topkill in the winter or die. The hardiest is the Ph. nuda, which is hardy to -20F (in the ground). The two vivax are only hardy to -5F and are thin-walled and break under snow loads. The others are also probably not survivors in your winters. I suggest you try the nuda and see if it survives. Or do what I did: move from the Midwest to the West Coast! If you want to get data and hardiness ratings of various bamboo, go to the database at www.bambooweb.info Good luck. |
- Posted by erich_in_idaho 6 (My Page) on Sun, May 28, 06 at 2:20
I've had good luck with spectabilis here in zone 6. A couple of my vivax got some frost damage this past winter, but another one of them didn't |
Phyllostachys heteroclada Phyllostachys Aureosulcata "Spectabilis" Phyllostachys Aureosulcata (Harbin) Phyllostachys Bissetii Phyllostachys Nuda Any of these above are worth trying in zone 5/6. |
Much appreciated, thank you all. |
I have yellow groove bamboo (Phyllostachys Aureosulcata)in Cleveland Ohio and it is hardy here but I mulch really heavy in winter and bend over the canes as much as I can and the canes I cannot some lose there leaves but some stay green and come back every spring more vivid. I know someone here that has a gorgeous groove all year long with yellow groove with not much die back. I guess it would depend on the location in which you have it too. |
I have one in the ground, and one that I foolishly potted up in a whiskey barrel (I was feeling daring) Both are Yellow Groove as far as I know. The one in the ground did great, losing only a quarter of its leaves and not losing a single cane. The one in the barrel did not fare as well, in fact as far as I know it is currently dead. I have kept track of the coldest winter days here ( in St. Clair Shores) and the lowest temperature I've measured over the past 5 years was -2. This last winter our coldest night was 6 degrees (which means the last winter was roughly a zone 7 one here). ~Chills |
- Posted by bignews z6DC (email@example.com) on Thu, Jun 22, 06 at 12:43
I am testing to transplant my bamboos in Washington DC to cooler areas such as Western New York and Baffulo area. This morning, while walking on the street, I saw some bamboos growing in the front yard of a house on East Delavan Street in Buffalo. I talked to the owner, Howard, he told me that the bamboo leaves will become brown in winter, and grow back green in spring and grows very well. This is obviously much better than bamboos in Boston, MA, as the bamboos there would die out in winter. I saw some growing in Harvard Univ near the Chinese East Asian Institute, but in the winter, the bamboos would die out. He is willing to give me some. |
- Posted by misunshine_smiling 5 or 6 (My Page) on Mon, Jul 3, 06 at 2:09
hello i'm 1hr from ohio border i have a bamboo? or false Bamboo?? i can't find any info on..sorry i cannot post a pic It's very HARDY HERE! HAVE HAD IT 22YRS & CANNOT KILL IT..GOT IT FROM MY MOTHER & SHE HAd it @ my family home for 57yrs(she is now passed away=she was from Oklahoma & always brought back plants from her vacations) It grows very tall & unlike the thin slender leave bamboo, this Has large almost heart shape leaves the bamboo stalk is easyly broken & is hollow..has a white unbrella type flower cluster, very sweet smelling bees love it & gets 15 to 20 high, it just die back in winter & goes crazy again in spring...I love it a a privacy hedge & like all the other bamboo it comes up everywhere! but is not deep I can pull it easily... Can anyone tell its name & a site to show a pic & growing instructions |
What you've described is Japanese Knotweed, not bamboo. It's a rather invasive herbaceous perennial that has a scourge reputation with many gardeners. It's very hardy and will propagate from the smallest root sections. Simon |
I'm almost next door in Dearborn, and I think we're classified zone 6 still. I've had good luck with the Fargesias here. You'll likely be told it's too hot here for them to be happy, but it isn't if you have a shady spot for them. These are smaller clumping bamboos--no worries about spreading. If you want to start bambooing with something safe and small, try F. nitida or another Fargesia. |
that japanese knotwood is all over Massachusetts and it really is tough to get rid of. it does have a resrmblance to bamboo,but in the late fall it collapses and looks terrible,imho. |
- Posted by pyratejim 6b (email@example.com) on Sun, Sep 3, 06 at 14:06
I'm close to both "fori" and "chills" as I am in Sterling Hgts. Can I ask where you have gotten your boo's from? As I am just starting out, I am not finding a local nursery that can be of any help. Thanks, |
I bought my most recent bamboo from Needmore Bamboo. A couple of years ago I bought from a place near Cincinati, Burton Bamboo. I have had best results with bissetii. Planted in spring 2003, this years shoots are 12'+. The first winter it was killed back 75%. Each year it has less damage (though last winter was very mild). |
From an email I received from a nursery I have been talking with for bamboo plants in Sterling Hts., MI., z6b: My number one choice for your area and needs would be the Phyllostachys 'BISSETII'. Is a beautiful little bamboo with dark green canes and leaves that grows around 18 feet X 1 inch in diameter. It is cold hardy to around -15 degrees F. My second choice would be the 'SPECTABILIS' It doesn't get much prettier than this collector's species. The average mature size is 1.5 inch diameter and 26 feet tall. It is hardy to -15 F. Aggressive in full sun. Third suggestion would be 'Yellow Groove' Fourth choice would be Nuda is the most cold hardy species, a very sturdy bamboo with excellent wood qualities. One division of bamboo will start a grove, however if you are wanting a privacy screen fast then purchasing plenty and spacing as we recommended to get there fast. Plant 3 gallon size 3 to 5 feet apart, plant 2 gallon sizes 1 to 3 feet apart. Hope this helps some. |
- Posted by patrick_nh z4/5 NH (My Page) on Thu, Sep 7, 06 at 6:24
FWIW, my what I'm assuming is aureosulcata originally came from Boston's Franklin Park Zoo, where I never noticed any winter die back in the several years I was there. In zone 5, northern MA, I would ocasionally have winter leaf die back. Here in 4/5 it completely dies back, even in last year's mild winter, but springs back, at half the height and diameter that I'd known in Boston. |
Hey there anyone , I am here in michigan (Jackson MI) and would be interested in obtaining some Bamboo, I have a small quantity of "black" indoors in a pot. and I think my yellow groove that I obtained last year has died. please help anyone! |
Was the "Yellow Groove" planted outside? How big was it? Did you provide it with any protection? |
Here is a link that might be useful: Michigan Bamboo Company
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« June 2006 Table of Contents
The Buckhead Life Restaurant Group in Atlanta announced in January that it was taking its upscale Chops Lobster Bar concept nationwide. The first out-of-state location for the multi-concept restaurant group will be Boca Raton, Fla. Pano Karatassos, Buckhead founder and CEO, hired restaurant industry veteran Greg Carey as president and COO to lead the Chops expansion effort.
Carey is known for his trademark positive attitude, his passion for providing a superior guest experience and his dedication to his staff's professional development. Carey is challenged with making the 16-year-old Chops concept operational on a national scale, and on one level. The original two-story restaurant has the Lobster Bar on the lower level and Chops on the second floor.
Carey is well versed in the business of broadening restaurant concepts. His restaurant career spans three decades and includes positions at a variety of concepts, from quick casual to fine dining. Most recently, Carey held the COO position at P.F. Chang's China Bistro, where he led the company's growth from 12 to 50 restaurants.
Prior to Chang's he was COO for Rainforest Café in Minneapolis, which grew to 15 locations under his five-year-tenure. I spoke with Carey early in May to get an update on the Chops expansion, which is scheduled to kickoff in Florida by year's end.
Robinson: What motivated you to take the job with BLRG?
Carey: Honestly, it's a legendary restaurant group, even though it's 12 restaurants. Pano is a legendary restaurateur. I quite frankly wanted to go to a business that I could personally and positively impact but wanted to learn from someone like Pano, who could teach me more. That combination, plus the expansion vehicle, was critical in my decision-making process.
Buckhead has several different restaurant concepts. How did you decide to go national with Chops Lobster Bar?
The high-end steak and seafood [category] continues to explode: I's doing great. We wanted to jump into that niche, but with a unique point of difference. We're building a Chops Lobster Bar, a high-end prime steak restaurant and a prime seafood restaurant together under one roof on the same level.
Will the Chops interior be repeated in each location?
Visually, the two are very different. Chops' dining room will have dark, serious tones of a traditional steak house. The Lobster Bar side will have a tiled roof with a Grand Central Oyster Bar look. We're taking a lot of what we're successful with here.
Will the menu change
between dining rooms?
It's all the same menu. It will look and feel different, but the menu will have 30 fresh seafood items and all of the prime steaks.
What is the ideal site for a Chops Lobster Bar?
We have to go to markets with great demographics. Because of the style of restaurant, we need to go into sites and centers that reflect the operation. Since early January, when we posted that we're going on the road, I started getting deluged with opportunities from these great mixed-use developments happening around the country. [The ideal location has] shopping, great restaurants and phenomenal real estate.
Where are future Chops Lobster Bar locations planned?
We're focusing on Boca, getting it up and going first. We are talking to four or five developers. We feel like we want to be the dynamic restaurant in a market. In Florida, there may be three, maybe in Miami and Orlando. There won't be two or three in a major market. When we go to Vegas, we'll go with one. We don't have any desire to have multiple restaurants in one market.
How do you choose what markets are best for Chops?
There's not a restaurant operator who will tell you otherwise: It's great real estate. The great thing is, we've had [the concept] for almost 20 years - it's been a highly successful restaurant. We understand the concept completely. It's not a big deal to take this great concept on the road; we have the people and culture to develop it.
Real estate is the most significant driving force. It's expensive in many instances. But that's what we have to do. If we look at B locations, we will fail. Our focus is A sites, and those are difficult to find. I'm not worried about people, concept or culture.
How many restaurants will open on an annual basis?
I think we'll do one in 2007, then desire to do two a year in 2008 and thereafter. We hope based on our overall success to open in most of the major markets around the country, but we want to be focused on each restaurant from a foodservice standpoint. We'll do two a year and do it well; where we go from there, we'll have to see.
Will all seafood purchasing be done through Boutique Seafood, Buckhead's wholesale seafood
Rick [Berman] is very good. He's extraordinarily adept at sourcing great seafood purveyors in each market we'll go into. We'll do a combination of Boutique Seafood involvement and great local purveyors. The entire decision-making process is driven by quality. We want the best quality in everything we do.
What makes this national expansion different from others you've worked on?
The ones I've worked on have all been driven by quality. The thing that makes this different is, at this stage in my career, I just want to work with passionate, talented professionals. I have in the past, but this is near and dear to me, because anytime a restaurant company can bring something to the public that is unique and offers an upside and is fun and takes dining to another level, I get very excited. We did that at P.F. Chang's.
We'll be taking two concepts and marrying them together and bringing them out as one. No one has actually done it to the level we'll be doing it. I love that our group is trendsetting.
We need to keep asking ourselves: What can we do to improve the industry? We're doing that with Chops.
Who, or what, do you turn to for inspiration on a project like this?
I am a kind of manager who asks a lot of questions of a lot of people. I believe in a very interactive decision-making process. I like a lot of input. But when a decision has to be made, I'm not afraid to make it.
At BLRG we sit and talk and ask each other questions and really offer input. I'm a firm believer that a lot of smart people will ultimately drive the decision instead of one person.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Growing new businesses is probably the purest form of restaurateuring out there today. I love going into the existing businesses and the interaction I have with the field teams. I'm continually energized by sharing great concepts with the dining pubic.
The thrill of bringing great concepts to the masses and letting them flourish gets me going every day.
Would you change anything about the overall restaurant-
expansion process?
I don't think so. The basics are pretty well established. Expanding a concept has to do with believing it's the best vehicle you have. Secondly, it's making sure you're extraordinarily well organized around the vehicle. You have to have your ducks in line - you don't want to look like a new restaurant.
Siting, believing and executing, and the last part is continued follow-up to make sure everyone is focused and energized. Those steps will never change, and you can open up everything from fast food to high end with those consistent steps.
Editor Fiona Robinson can be e-mailed at email@example.com


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Now that it's been four years, my stash has grown to a box full of girly necessities. I love them all, especially my lipsticks; but among my not-so-huge lipstick collection, I always find myself reaching for my two Ever Bilena Matte Lipsticks. I find them the most reliable when it comes to staying power and giving my face an instant brightening effect.
- Good staying power. It last long enough until I decide to retouch, which is mostly at the end of my shift.
- It fades very slightly when you eat or drink, but it doesn't really wash you out. The stain stays pretty and you don't even have to retouch.
- Cheap! 145php for a quality product is such a steal.
- Can be found in every mall and Watson's outlet.
- Decent packaging. Not classy, but not cheap at all.
- Intense color payoff.
- Although matte, they are actually very buildable.
- The two shades I have compliment my skin very well (I'm medium with yellow undertones)
- Nothing, except that it's drying since it's matte.( A swipe of your favorite lipbalm underneath can prevent dryness)
I love it! My favorite lipstick finishes are satin and matte, since I'm not really a fan of anything glossy. So yes, I have a love affair with my matte lipsticks.
Yes! I'm planning to get two more shades: Skin (Nude) and Pink Mauve (Brownish Pink)
Have you tried using Ever Bilena Matte Lipstick?


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For the love of the last-minute
By Anna Mitchael
I was listening to the radio the other day when the DJ invited listeners to call in and tell him the date they finished their holiday shopping. One lady claimed she had put her final package in the attic for safekeeping on October 5. Another said she had wrapped it all up back in August.
Remember August? When most of us were just trying to avoid the pools of sweat that gathered if you stayed in one place for too long?
I see what's admirable about that level of organization. You avoid the crowds and the lines and hassling with salespeople who are fed up with forced cheer and are one candy cane length away from totally cracking up. But I'm not going in for tips from shoppers who were thinking of mistletoe last March. If I have visions of sugarplums in my head anytime before November, I want it to be because I'm hallucinating from the heat, not because I've decided to get a jumpstart on joy.
Why? Because part of the reason I love the holiday season is because the days seem impossibly busy. There's too much of everything, and I have to admit, I'm a sucker for excess. I like making it all happen just in the nick of time and will never, ever tie my last bow before December 24. Truth be told, that scurrying noise behind the tree on December 25 is not a Christmas mouse; it's me, Mom, dropping off a couple of presents I found hiding in Target bags stuffed (and almost completely forgotten) in the back of my closet.
If I had to do it — if someone threatened to tie me up by my toes or maybe take away my allotment of spiked eggnog, lest I not succeed — then I could probably get my shopping done in advance. But the thing that gets me about these overachieving holiday givers is that in order to have your presents wrapped up and ready to go, you've got to be the kind of person who buys holiday wrapping paper a year early.
And by the time the holiday wrapping paper goes on sale after Christmas, I can't be tempted, not even with spiked eggnog. I've lost all interest in carols and stocking stuffers and ornaments. I'm usually so maxed on the holidays that I'd put a thick wad of cash in one of those red donation kettles if the person asking for donations would promise to stop ringing the infernal bell.
Surely you know the post-Christmas clearance bins, overstuffed with rolls and rolls of paper that's marked down to a ridiculously low price. They are the same rolls we all paid triple for just the week before. They are the rolls Suze Orman would urge us to peruse and purchase. Of course, I realize that in 11 months I will be in need of those rolls and will probably have to make at least one-late night trip to a store to buy some, but in the post-apocalyptic — oh wait, I mean holiday — haze that sets in after the last tree needles have been swept up and the final slices of ham have been served in a sandwich, I can't seem to muster the energy to stock up on the savings.
This same lethargy hits me every year when the winter coats go on sale. After months of bundling up, the very last thing I want to think about is what I'll choose to bundle up in next year. I want swimsuits and sunglasses and items that encourage sunshine. Of course, when the swimsuits are on sale, I'm already thumbing through fashion magazines, wondering what fall will bring for the wide world of winter coats.
It's a vicious cycle, and quite frankly, it's one that I thought would break once I became a mother. I come from a long line of women who were well organized in their holiday gift-giving. At this moment my grandmother is probably pulling down bags and bags of bows that have been saved since the early the 1960s. Given, then retrieved after the presents were unwrapped so they could be reused and regifted, she now has a more extensive selection of bows than a Beverly Hills Chihuahua.
My own mother picked out a pattern of paper for each person in the family, then wrapped all of our gifts in our designated patterns. This made it easy to see which boxes went to which person (and to make sure you weren't the poor sap who got shortchanged on presents that year) but also made you feel that much more special because the present was individualized down to the wrapping.
I guess I pictured a switch that would flip, one that would send me in a flurry of advanced shopping for presents and stocking up on wrapping paper I could tuck away in a perfectly organized closet of gifting supplies.
But that switch didn't flip. Upon further investigation I discovered (eek!) it might not exist at all. The "Baby 411" book I refer to for the bulk of my parenting emergencies does not have any chapters on "building holiday traditions." I Googled a question about starting traditions around wrapping paper, and now it appears the cookies in my computer have been permanently set to show every ad ever made for wrapping paper (as well as, curiously, rap music.)
I guess some traditions are by design, but others do come about more naturally. I hope to pass down to my son a good-natured love of the holiday season, one that takes all the bells and whistles and annoying whistling of fellow shoppers in stride. Sure he'll end up with some newsprint on his hand after I improvise on the last couple of packages I didn't have enough paper to wrap, but maybe once he notices I put his presents in the sports section, he'll feel that extra bit of love.
Now if you'll excuse me, there's a candle around here somewhere that's supposed to simulate the smell of Christmas cookies baking in the oven. It's time to find some matches and get our holiday started right.
This column appeared in the December 2011 issue of the Wacoan.


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Election Day is upon us Tuesday, Nov 8, 2011.
What if you first realize after 5 PM that you forgot to mail your ballot?
Well there is one last thing you can do. Put it in a dropbox for voting by 8 PM!
You can also put it in a mail pickup box by 5 or 6 PM depending on the location. Ckeck for the last pickup time before you put it in a Post Office Pickup Box. It must have a stamp on it.
King County Elections Dropbox locations (no stamp needed) are listed below:
You can also go to King County Elections for locations and maps of drop boxes.Locations include:
Crossroads Shopping Center
15600 NE 8th Street
Bellevue, WA 98008
Federal Way City Hall
33325 8th Avenue South
Federal Way, WA 98003
Issaquah City Hall
130 East Sunset Way
Issaquah, WA 98027
King County Elections
919 SW Grady Way
Renton, WA 98057
Lake Forest Park City Hall
17425 Ballinger Way NE
Lake Forest Park, WA 98155Regional Justice Center
401 4th Avenue N.
Kent, WA 98032
Redmond City Hall
15670 NE 85th Street
Redmond, WA 98052
Tahoma School District Office
25720 Maple Valley-Black Diamond Rd SE
Maple Valley, WA 98038
King County Administration Building
500 4th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98104
Magnuson Park
6344 NE 74th Street
Seattle, WA 98115
Ballard Branch Library
57th Street & 22nd Avenue NW
Seattle, WA 98107
Remember -all ballots must be placed in Balot Drop Boxes by 8 PM today
The following includes the latest endorsements by the 36th District Democrats for the August 16, 2011 Primary and also for the November General Election:
Tim Kaine has sent out the following e-mail to Democrats announcing his decision to run in 2012 for US Senator in Virginia. Jim Webb, the current US Senator, has previously announced he would not be running for re-election.
Dear DNC Members,I am writing to let you know that I have just announced my decision to run for the U.S. Senate from the Commonwealth of Virginia in 2012. To that end, I am stepping down as DNC Chair, effective immediately.In the coming days, I will share some thoughts on my decision to run, my appreciation for the opportunity you gave me to serve as your Chair, and what we were able to accomplish together.In the meantime, I am sure you will be as supportive of the President's choice to replace me as you have been of me for the past two years. There will be more information about this important transition to follow.I will treasure the friendships I've made during my time at the DNC, and hope that we will maintain those friendships in the years ahead.It is an exciting time for the DNC. It is also an exciting next chapter for my family and me, as I embark down a new path on which I hope to serve as one of Virginia's U.S. Senators.Thank you for your hard work and support along the way and for all that you will do in the months and years ahead.With gratitude,Tim Kaine
Kaine also has a video up at http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mBX1TotZYtk announcing his decision.
The Citizens United ruling shows we must amend the U.S. Constitution
Our destiny – our laws and public policy – should be determined by people and the public interest — not by Wall Street banks and global corporations and their private interest.
In the Citizens United ruling (January 2010), the Supreme Court said that corporations have the same rights as persons to free speech, including political speech. This allows corporate entities to spend unlimited amounts to influence election outcomes and lawmaking. And they are doing it.
"One-person, one-vote" becomes "one-dollar, one-vote" — because of the power of money to purchase media, to influence election outcomes, and to influence laws with expensive lobbying.
- Corporate influence in Congress is why Wall Street banks got big bailouts and bonuses.
- It's why health care insurance premiums keep rising and prescription drugs cost so much.
- It's why oil dominates our energy policy -and why corporate farms and food additives dominate our food supply.
- And it's why factories are closed when global corporate owners can make more profit overseas – regardless of the impact on local communities and families.
Can Congress overturn Citizens United by law?
No. When the Supreme Court declares a law unconstitutional, as they did in Citizens United, that takes precedence over any law or act of Congress.
Congress can try to bandage the damage within the scope of the Supreme Court ruling. But so long as corporate wealth shares power equally with people – protected as "free speech" through court rulings – campaigns, elections and lawmaking itself will be auctions, "for sale" to the highest bidder.
Public financing for campaigns would partially offset the power of private wealth. But only an amendment to the constitution is durable as "the final word" to protect American democracy.
Can states take action to limit undue corporate influence?
States can amend their constitutions to prevent undue influence by wealthy donors and political speech by global corporations. And they should. Corporate charters granted by states can specify what a corporation is allowed to do. Some states and local cities are passing laws that limit corporate activity to the economic sphere only, and prohibiting corporations from engaging in political electioneering.
But such state laws might be overruled by the U.S. Supreme Court – using the same reasoning as in the Citizens United ruling – unless the Constitution is amended.
Constitutional amendments have been done before
In 1971, the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was adopted by 3/4ths of the states – within four months! — giving voting rights to anyone 18 or older. It was motivated by popular uprising resulting from the Vietnam War era: "If I'm old enough to be drafted, I'm old enough to vote!"
Boston Tea Party (1773) — a response to undue corporate influence
Our nation's founding began when the American colonies rose up against a corporate monopoly. The East India Tea Company used their wealth and power in the British Parliament to achieve tax preferences on imported tea – undercutting local business in the American colonies. In effect, this "WalMart-ization" of the tea trade led to the 1776 Declaration of Independence and the great American experiment in democracy.
Now, two centuries later, we have global corporations exercising their wealth and muscle in our democracy. It's time once again to reclaim the vision and promises of our nations' founding – and to amend the constitution to spell it out. People – not corporations, and not wealth and privilege – should determine our nation's destiny!
And we must amend the U.S. Constitution to clearly say so.
Craig Salins is Executive Director of Washington Public Campaigns, www.washclean.org
Republicans in the US Senate continue to block the nominations of Barack Obama. This tactic of obstructionism needs to be ended. If Congress wonders why Americans have such a low rating of Congress, this is a prime reason. Tactics like the filibuster and secret holds on nominations contribute to a dysfunctional government.
Of course this fits the Republican Agenda of trying to stop Obama's Agenda for Change. Repubicans hope Americans will blame the Democrats rather than them for the consequences of not getting things done because government posts and judicial seats are still unfilled almost a year and a half after Obama took office.
The New York Times in an editorial today notes that "there are 52 nominees on secret holds – all noncontroversial in committee debates." As the New York Times explains:
The United States Senate was supposed to have dropped its insidious tradition that let members put endless secret holds on nominations and other important matters. The abuse continues, more murky than ever.
The reform, adopted three years ago, required senators to identify themselves within six days of blocking a nominee, and to state their objection. That stricture has been routinely violated with cheesy gamesmanship. Members — mostly in the Republican minority — pass secret holds among themselves to foil the time limit.
At the end of March, Obama made his first Recess appointments to end the Republican Senatorial roadblock 15 of his appointments. But the roadblock still continues for many other nominees. The New York Times editorial noted that the Senate has confirmed only 45% of Obama's judicial nominees to date.
Americans need to contact their Senators and urge an end to this juvenile practice. Elections have consequences and the losers needs to acknowledge this and let the winner put their choices in place to do the people's business.
Five King County Council races are up for election this year. Officially filing for these seats is June 1 through June 5, 2009. That is only a month away. And so far according to the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission, the only candidates who have filed with the PDC and who are raising money are the 5 incumbents.
The incumbents are:
Position #1 Bob Ferguson
Position #3 Kathy Lambert
Position #5 Julia Patterson
Position #7 Pete von Reichbauer
Position #9 Reagan Dunn
The current composition of the King County County is 5 Democrats and 4 Republicans. Sure, voters last year passed the Republican sponsored measure to make the seats nonpartisan but that doesn't change the political stripes of the candidates. All that did was make it harder for voters to know what candidates really stood for. Republicans pushed for the change to make it easier for them to fool voters as to their political allegiances.
Of the incumbents running this year, Bob Ferguson and Julia Patterson are Democrats. Kathy Lambert, Pete von Reichbauer and Reagan Dunn are Republican.
Of the remaining King County Councilmembers not up for election this year, Dow Constantine, Larry Phillips and Larry Gossett are Democrats. Jane Hague is a Republican.
Both Phillips and Constantine are running for King County Executive to fill the seat being vacated by Ron Sims who is going to serve in the Obama Administration as the Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Housing and Human Services. Also running for County Executive are Democrats Ross Hunter and Fred Jarrett. Susan Hutchison is representing the hopes of the Republicans and was a supporter of Mike Huckabee for President last year.
Anyone wanting to run for King County Council this year and challenge the incumbents will have some catching up to do in fundraising. The incumbents are not sitting by doing nothing. Here are the figures for their contributions received followed by their expenditures to date.
Bob Ferguson $76,766 …$51,895
Kathy Lambert $49,458 …$15,875
Julia Patterson $86,825 …$16,803
Pete von Reichbauer $146,210 …$21,135
Reagan Dunn $229,810 …$126,970
Democrats are missing an opportunity to challenge the incumbent Republican candidates by not fielding opposition candidates. You can't increase the number of Democrats on the King County Council if you don't challenge the Republicans. Based on the past votes for Democratic Presidential candidates in King County, certainly one of these Republican occupied seats could flip Democratic if a real challenger emerged .
Two years ago Democrats missed an opportunity to pick off a Republican when they didn't file a candidate to challenge Republican Jane Hague who was arrested on a DUI. It looks like once again 3 Republican King County Councilmembers will go unchallenged.
The Primary this year is August 18, 2009. The General Election is November 3, 2009.
Some candidates are getting an early start on raising money for the 2008 statewide races. Financial reports filed for the 2008 statewide races show the Governor's race getting the most attention.
As of the latest reports filed with the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission for the period though Nov 30, 2007, Democratic Governor Chris Gregoire, has raised over $4,156,386, spent $1,368,739 and has $2,678,454 in cash on hand.
Republican Dino Rossi, who lost to Gregoire in 2004, is re-running and has raised $1,435,355, spent $525,748 and has $909,607 on hand.
Lt Governor Brad Owen, a Democrat reported raising $16,635, spending $6917 and having $9717 on hand. No Republican has filed yet with the PDC.
Attorney General Rob McKenna, a Republican has raised $635,617, spent $267,364 and has $368,252 in cash on hand. Although Pierce Count Executive John Ladenburg has been rumored to be considering a run for this seat, he has not filed with the Public Disclosure Commission.
Secretary of State Sam Reed, a Republican, has raised $230,899, spent $62,023 and has $168,875 on hand. He has no announced opponents at this time.
The current State Treasurer Mike Murphy, a Democrat, is retiring. Democratic State Legislator Jim McIntire is running for this seat. He has raised $33,945, spent $13,899 and has $20,046 on hand. Allan Martin is the Republican candidate. He has raised $21,530, spent $1786 and has $19,744 in cash on hand.
Commissioner of Public Lands Doug Sutherland, a Republican has raised $157,459, spent $15,370 and has $142,088 in cash on hand. Former Democratic Congressional candidate Peter Goldmark from eastern Washington is challenging Sutherland for this seat. Goldmark has raised $59,969, spent $29,197 and has $30,371 in cash on hand.
State Auditor Brian Sonntag, a Demcrat, has no opponent at this time. He has raised $27,432, spent $4054 and has $23,398 on hand.
Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler, a Democrat, has raised some $38,686, spent $12,046 and has $26,640 on hand.
Superintendent of Public Instruction, Terry Bergeson has raised $27,051, spent $1980, and has $25,071 on hand.
If only one name is mentioned in a race, it means no one else has filed with the PDC at this time.
None of these figures include money raised for independent expenditures in these races. In 2004, eg, the Building Industry Association of Washington, through its affiliated PAC called It's Time for A Change, made $1,053,251 in independent expenditures -most of it to support Republican Rob McKenna in his race for Attorney General. In addition $1.5 million came from out of state from the US Chamber of Commerce opposing Debra Senn in the primary.
Senn received $1,080,028 in contributions for her whole campaign. This approximately matched the $1,211,814 McKenna received directly to his campaign. The $ 2.5 million in independent expenditures supporting McKenna was more than both candidates raised together.
McKenna personally thanked the BIAW for their support on election night saying if it wasn't for the BIAW he wouldn't have been elected.
If you were hoping to find insight and inspiration on the Internet from local Washington State grassroots Democrats for the August 21, 2007 Primary you were bound to be disappointed. A close look at the websites of the local Democratic County and Legislative District organizations right before the Primary was disappointing to say the least.
The local grassroots Democratic groups were looked at first for how well they alerted people visiting their websites about the Primary. A second point of comparison was whether the organizations were using their websites to gear up for the Feb. 2008 Caucus and Presidential Primary next year. These are just a little over 5 months away.
The first step in evaluating the Grassroots Democratic organizations was to check whether or not they even had a website. The list of websites used was taken from the list on the Washington State Democrats website . Out of 39 county Democratic organizations, 11 (28%) did not have a website. Out of 49 Democratic Legislative District organizations in the state, 19 (39%) did not have websites.
Here is a summary of what was found when looking at the Democratic websites.
Washington State County Democratic organizations:
Washington counties – 39
county Democratic organizations with websites – 28 (72%)
August 21 Primary date mentioned- 10 on first page + 2 more in calender = 12 (31%)
counties with primary endorsements posted – 5 (13%) King, Pierce, Snohomish, Thurston, Whatcom
number including a link to endorsed candidates – 4 (10%)
counties listing Feb. 9, 2008 Caucus date – 3 (8%)
counties listing Feb. 19, 2008 Presidential Primary date – 3 (8%)
county Democratic websites with links to Presidential candidates – 6 (15%)
Washington State Legislative District organizations:
Legislative districts -49
Legislative district organizations with websites – 30 (61%)
August 21 Primary mentioned – 7 on first page + 6 more in calender = 13 (27%)
Legislative District organizations with Primary endorsements posted – 12 (24%)
number including a link to endorsed candidates – 4 (8%)
Legislative Districts listing Feb. 9, 2008 Caucus date – 6 (12%)
Legislative District organizations listing Feb. 19, 2008 Presidential Primary date – 2 (4%)
Legislative District websites with links to Presidential candidates – 4 (8%)
To be fair 5 counties did not hold a primary. Those counties are Asotin, Ferry, Garfield, San Juan, and Wahkiakum. But that still leaves 34 counties that did hold a primary election.
Why is website presence in a campaign important? Googling on "Democratic endorsements Washington August 21, 2007 Primary" yielded the following results on the first 2 pages:
47th Leg District Democrats
Lefty Blogs – Metropolitan Democratic Club
SEAMEC 2007 endorsements
47th District Democrats
the Stranger
King County Democrats
Wash Fed of State Employees
Googling on "Washington State Primary Endorsements" yielded:
Sierra Club (MajorityRulesBlog post)
the Stranger
36th Distrct Democrats
Washington State Women's Political Caucus
SEAMEC endorsements
Googling on "King County Democrats 2007 endorsements" yielded:
King County Democrats
34th District Democrats
47th District Democrats
Peter Sherman's website
46th District Democrats
Gael Tartelton's website
Jean Godden's website
the Stranger
Having endorsements on the Democratic websites and candidates receiving endorsements and listing them on their website drove traffic to these sites. This gives additional exposure to the Democratic Party and their endorsed candidates.
By way of comparison, googling on ""Washington State Republicans 2007 Primary" produced one relevant Republican hit to a right wing blog at the bottom of the second page. Typing in "Washington State Republicans 2007 Primary Endorsements" yielded little of the Republicans but brought up the following in the first two pages:
Washington State Stonewall Democrats
Washington Federation of State Employees
the Stranger
47th District Democrats
BlogNet News
Despite the lack of a strong internet effort by the Democrats in making and listing endorsements, where it was done it obviously had an impact on visibility of the Democrats.
There is a reason that the Republican presence is so minor in the google searches. Despite the untapped potential of the Democrats in using the web to get exposure and use the internet for organizing , they were far ahead of Republican Party efforts.
The Washington State Republican website has only county organizations. There are no Republican legislative district organizations listed.
The Republicans had only 15 county websites listed for the 39 counties in Washington State. And they seemed to be even less aware that a Primary was occurring. Only 4 listed the August 21, 2007 Primary date on their website and only 2 had endorsements. Regarding the Presidential Campaign only 2 had a link to the 2008 Republican Presidential candidates.
Just in terms of number of sites, the Democrat's 58 grassroots organization sites outnumbered the Republicans by almost 4 to 1. Now if they can just get some web savy and get links up for the General Election in November with endorsements listed and links to endorsed candidates they can have a much stronger presence on the web.
And they also need to copy the Democratic State Party's Road to the White House Presidential candidate's links and add them to their webpages. Island County Democrats have links with pictures of the candidates which is a nice touch. So do the Spokane Democrats. and the Walla Walla County Democrats. Whitman County, Thurston County and Mason County are the only other counties that currently have links to the Democratic Presidential candidates.
And I could only find links available on the websites of the 1st , 6th, 44th and 45th District Democrats.
One additional element that the Democratic organizations should add to their websites is the free fundraising link for Democrats by ActBlue. ActBlue is set up to raise funds for all the Democratic Presidential candidates. John Edwards for President, for example, using the ActBlue website has raised $3,599,983 from 44,058 donors.
MajorityRulesBlog recently set up an ActBlue page for all the Presidential candidates. You can click on the link to see what one could look like for the Democratic organizations. Each organization would get exposure and credit for funds raised for the candidates.
Darcy Burner is a Democratic candidate for Congress in the 8th Congressional District in Washington State. She narrowly lost in 2006 to Republican incumbent Dave Reichert. She is already running hard to beat him in 2008.
She is continuing her challenge not by being timid but by speaking up for her principles. Witness this just released web ad posted on U-Tube where she talks about the recent vote by many Democrats in Congress to support Bush's expanded warrantless wiretapping in the name of fighting terrorism. She asks at what price do we give up the principles embedded in our country's Constitution.
Watch it and ask yourself – isn't this someone we need in Congress? Too many, including Democrats, are willing to cave in to fear at the expense of weakening protections in our Constitution. We need more elected officials willing to defend the Constitution.
To support Darcy Burner, you can go to her campaign website and make a contribution today.
Bill Sherman has picked up the endorsement of the Seattle Times in the August 21, 2007 Democratic Primary. Sherman is running for King County Prosecutor and has one opponent.
The primary this year is a month earlier than in the past because the Washington State Legislature this year passed legislation to move the date to August. While this helps candidates who win the primary have more time to transition to a general election ballot, particularly if there is a close primary vote, the voting date in August falls on the lazy summer days of August when many folks take vacations before school starts.
Sherman ran last year in a crowded field as a Democrat for a vacant seat in the 43rd Legislative seat. He did not win then but he gained valuable experience and connections and support that is giving him a leg up on his current primary challenger, Keith Scully. Scully appears to be a good candidate but this is his first run for public office.
Both Sherman and Scully were campaigning Saturday at the King County Democratic Picnic at Woodland Park in Seattle. Sherman is a Deputy Prosecutor with the King County Prosecutor's office and is currently on leave. Scully worked in the Prosecutor's Office previously.
The Republican candidate is Interim Prosecutor Dan Satterberg who was appointed temporarily to fill the seat when long time Republican Prosecutor Norm Maleng unexpectedly died.
Bill Sherman has also picked up endorsements from all the Democratic Legislative District Organizations in the county as well as the King County Democrats. The King County Labor Council and Machinists Local 751 are also supporting him.
The Times, in their endorsement of Bill Sherman notes that
"Sherman has worked in the prosecutor's office since 2003. He was a deputy prosecuting attorney in its Domestic Violence Unit before going on leave to conduct his campaign. He has prosecuted sexual-assault cases, gun crimes and juvenile crimes, and says he will focus attention on repeat offenders involved in drugs or domestic violence, will overhaul the fraud division and expand the offerings under victims' services. … Sherman is smart and well-spoken, …"
Bill Sherman is a personable candidate that seems at ease campaigning. It is refreshing to see new Democratic candidates emerge on the political scene that are well versed on the issues. Sherman would bring new life and energy to a Prosecutor's Office that already has a strong reputation. He is working hard to win the vote both in August and November.
Recent Posts
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Recently posted on the NPI Advocate
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Fri, Dec 13, 13 at 13:13
Follow-Up Postings:
- Posted by islandbreeze 6b MI (My Page) on Fri, Dec 13, 13 at 19:19
Wow! Very nice palm, definitely mature. I'm sure it cost a lot of $$$. I know 7 gallons aren't cheap, and that's way bigger than a 7 gallon...Looks like you guys are pretty cold too from the looks of the ice on the sidewalk. |
I sell this exact one for under $500 installed and with a 1-year warranty. |
- Posted by tropicalzone7 7b (My Page) on Sat, Dec 14, 13 at 11:26
Great looking Sabal Minor! I really like the short and full growing habit that it has. MIne is starting to grow taller than I had expected so I'm getting a little worried about whether it will outgrow its space or not. Sabals are one of my favorite palm genus! Thanks for sharing -Alex |
- Posted by tropicalzone7 7b (My Page) on Sat, Dec 14, 13 at 14:19
Wow! Those might be the biggest sabal minors i've seen in nursery pots! They look awesome! Thanks for sharing. -Alex |
- Posted by coconutmike Montreal 5b (My Page) on Mon, Dec 30, 13 at 14:09
Now thats a nice minor Mike, how old is it? I have several over 5', and 2 that look like they are starting to consistently grow from the same point and form a trunk. |
- Posted by coconutmike 5b (My Page) on Mon, Dec 30, 13 at 21:04
Yeah I have had it it only for a few years but it must be about 15 years old or even more. Sabal Minor Louisiiana . Here is another 5 footer above regular Sabal Minor came in a 30 Gal pot and gave be seed this year .. very small trunk. I have others about 5 -8 years old starting to form trunks diagonally along the soil line. I had some up to 7 feet tall this year but sent them to a buddy in BC. |
Very nice, glad to see them putting out inflo's that far north. Your protection methods are keeping them happy. |
- Posted by islandbreeze (My Page) on Sat, Jan 3, 15 at 16:19
Kokomo, how did everything fare? Please update us!!! |
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Android Releases: Snake & i-Dispatch
10th of June, 2013
Today I have the pleasure to announce the arrival of two of my Android projects into the Google Play Store today - The "Legend of Snake" which was a collaborative project with artist Nicholas Brooks and the employee job management application, i-Dispatch. In addition to covering these releases, I will be introducing a flash project in the works which we are now designing and implementing levels for.
The Legend of Snake is now available in the Google Play Store. It features six different backgrounds, 8 unlockable snake skins and a faster game mode in which you earn double points per score. It's based off of the same Android code I published to Github months ago - with the additions of graphics and the alternate game mode. It's available for free - so give it a try! This project was to familiarize myself with Android's process life cycle and graphics API.
I commenced work on the i-Dispatch (store | website | login) application back in April. 150 hours of programming later, and it's available for Intellitrac's clients. i-Dispatch is a "Mobile Job Dispatch System is suited to Tradespersons, Transport industry, and Service based industries". My role in this project was to succeed my predessessor and complete the application. Working alongside me and overseeing me, handling the server and database operations was Intellitrac's project manager, Mehmet. I have further work with Intellitrac which I will be glad to accept. Future projects include iOS programs and extensions to existing applications.
Getting back into game development is something I've been wanting to spend some time on - and so I've begun collaboration on a breakout-platformer flash game with a mate from America. International development teams have always intruiged me, and it's generally been a struggle to keep consistent contact with overseas development partners in the past, however so far communication has not been an issue so far and we are already into level design and implementation.
Beta Testing & Enjoyment
20th of April, 2013
Greetings users of the internet. This past month has been incredibly busy and has warrented a shifting of priorities. Android: The Legend of Snake is in the beta testing phase at the moment - specifically we are looking at the users' reactions to the controls and how the application handles different screen sizes. Nicholas, the artist for this project, has provided me with additional skins and backgrounds for the player to unlock progressively as rewards for achieving certain score milestones.
The project nicknamed 'PartyPigeon' has been put on hold since we are waiting for the design and graphics to be prepared.
The freelance contract I mentioned briefly on my last post has been progressing well, and the client would like to extend my service to them with an iPhone application. I am very happy for this opportunity and it would greatly aid my experience to further my abilities. Currently I work for Intellitrac.com.au as a general programmer, but my current project is continuing my predecessor's work on an Android management application, i-dispatch. I am thoroughly enjoying my time there and it's a genuine workplace experience.
Update: March Development
7th of March, 2013
Quite a few projects of mine are in the deeper end of the development and approaching private beta, if not release by the end of the month. The following projects are in the aforementioned stage;
Android: The Legend of Snake
In December I released the source code for a basic version of the classic mobile game, Snake. Since then I have been in contact with an artist from Canada, Nicholas Brooks whom has been producing some pixel art for an extended version. Some of his work include the 'All-Seeing Eye', 'Sink or Swin' and 'Serenity'. I've received his work earlier this week and will be implementing the new game mode shortly. Release due this month for Android 2.2+.
Android: PartyPigeon
As I said in my previous post, I've been working on a social networking mobile application specifically geared to meeting new people. The application functionality is extremely close to complete and we will be testing and evaluating it soon, with graphics to be implemented in the next week. Open beta to be released by the end of the month for Android. iPhone version to be available at a later date.
Android Widget: SC2 Ranks
A very popular widget for windows desktops among Starcraft II players is sc2Gadget. I've received complaints from friends that all the available applications on the Google Play store that they would use as a substitute do not function on their newer phones. I believe this is a golden opportunity to exercise my regular expression muscles and whip out a quick, useful widget.
In addition to these, I've been contracted to program and produce both a website and a mobile application for an upcomming wellbeing and nutrition brand.
Android Bug: View.findViewByID(int)
16th of February, 2013
Recently I've been working on a social networking application for Android 3 alongside one of my previous Information Technology teachers and encountered what seems to be an API bug. It has been previously posted about on public code forum Stackoverflow here.
In the Android API documentation, it states "Look for a child view with the given id. If this view has the given id, return this view". The problem with this, however, is that it disregards any qualification you use to call the function. For instance, if you call this upon a child view to find a unique instance of a view with an identical ID in other parts of the view tree it will return the first instance of the id created within the whole view tree. Performing a quick search about this behaviour shows that it has been encoutered before;
It turns out that the solution to this problem is to create the view dynamically, isolated from the main view tree, retrieve the instance reference, then add the view to the display list in any manner you wish.
Update: December Development
21st of December, 2012
My previous post outlined my development plans for the following two months. Since that post I have released some source code for two different platforms for the classic mobile game Snake, made plans for future projects and have begun re-establishing communication with a graphical artist from Canada to produce appropriate visual elements for these projects.
Pushed to GitHub mid November was the final revision of basic Snake in Actionscript 3 (AS3) for Adobe Flash. It is available for download here. Although basic, the code is quite flexible and allows for non-tile movement with a little modification. From this you may extend the application to produce angular snake; a redux of snake in which the left and right keys change the velocity only in angle by a small amount of degrees each frame.
Earlier this week I pushed a version of Snake exported to Android 2.2 (or above) in Java here. It uses a similar setup to the Android version, but with minor differences catering to the Android framework. It uses the onDraw method and Drawable interface and composition in conjunction with delegation to iterate down the display tree and draw each object to the extended View instance. Using the onTouchListener interface I capture the users' taps and divide the screen into two regions: if the user taps the left side, the snake will turn 90 degrees anticlockwise. If the user taps the right half, it will turn 90 degrees clockwise. This comfortable setup allows the user to use the game in landscape mode only, currently. Persistent storage is implemented by usage of the SharedPreferences class to store and retrieve the highscore.
In the following weeks I plan to produce Blackjack, Poker, Match cards and alike card games and compile them into a packaged casino game. With Android's graphics API this is easily achievable, especially with its methods for resizing bitmaps, making for easy view scaling.
Upcoming: Android Applications
29th of October, 2012
The market in Australia for mobile applications is flourishing. As businesses strive to stay competitive by marketing their products and services in this new field, the demand for convenient, easy-to-use apps that complement websites is rising. Application developer positions are, therefore, readily available in Melbourne. However, to get such a job, one must have a demonstrated previous experience with an accessible folio of good quality coding projects.
Mobile App development is a field I hope to break into and so over the next month or so, in between studying for exams, I have a few projects planned to entertain myself. Seeing as I own both a Motorola X910 and a Motorola Xoom, both of which run on Ice Cream Sandwich, I will be focusing on developing for Android.
My projects include;- Starcraft II Ranks Widget
- Match Cards
- Background Rotator
- Poker
- Blackjack
- Snake
By producing these six applications for a couple of versions of Android, with a number of different resolutions, I hope to create a basic profile demonstrating my ability.
I have dabbled with the Android API before. I used Eclipse as my IDE and pushed the application to my Xoom; the application handled some URL requests, parsed them to extract data points, pushed them to a MySQL lite DB for persistent storage to, finally, create a dynamic-scaling graph using the native drawing API.
Exam period is of course, a busy time, and I don't expect to get many of these completed by the end. However, the code from the three card games (and Snake) will be ported from already existing flash games that I've programmed in the past.


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Posted date [Nov-26-12]
Overview of Position:
Responsible for the direct purchase of materials and services required to support the ongoing operational, manufacturing and administrative functions of St Joseph Print.
Key Responsibilities & Duties:
- Address and follow-up on all inquiries from both internal customers and outside vendors
- Review and approve all dockets / requisitions to ensure the buying of the most cost effective product prior to ordering
- Purchase all requirements for paper, services and consumables as required
- Support company operations with an uninterrupted flow of materials and services
- Maintain positive, continuing relationships with new and existing vendors
- Support other departments of the company by supplying them with all the necessary information as it pertains to each individual job
- Complete month end reports
- Seek opportunities to improve current methods and efficiencies on an ongoing basis
- Maintain low inventory levels at all times
- Maintain accurate purchasing data, including historical records of all purchases, that can be accessed by all departmental personnel
- Review and authorize all vouchers for payment processing
- Track and document all additional costs
- Process claims related to defective or late deliveries that impede production
- Ensure that his/her workstation is kept safe, neat and clean at all times.
- Use or wear any equipment, protective devices or clothing required by the company;
- Report any defect in any equipment or protective device e.g. PPE, machine guarding which may be hazardous to either themselves or another worker
- Refrain from removing or disabling any protective device
- Report any injury, illness or hazardous condition/act immediately to their supervisor or manager.
- Participate in all required health and safety training
- Works within and adheres to all St. Joseph Health and Safety Operating Standards, including Operating Standard HS-010 Associate/Supplied Labour/Temporary Associate Responsibilities.
- Adhere to all company policies and procedures.
- Perform all job functions in a safe and healthful manner, abiding by and in accordance with all applicable Health, Safety and Environmental company policies and government legislation/regulations.
- Adhere to the Company's Quality System operating procedures
- Perform other duties as assigned by Management
Qualifications, Education and Experience Required:
- Minimum two to three years' purchasing experience, preferably within the printing industry
- Enrolment in Purchasing Management Association of Canada (PMAC) is an asset
- Good knowledge of overall printing industry and terminology
- Excellent oral, written and interpersonal communications skills
- Proficient in Word and Excel
- Detail oriented and attention for accuracy
Please submit your résumé in confidence to email@example.com.
Please quote "Purchasing Agent" in the subject line of your e-mail.
St. Joseph Print is an equal opportunity employer.


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Mounts and Racks
Jan 7, 2014 11:48 AM, By Bennett Liles
Middle Atlantic Products new TechPed series technology pedestal is a conference table support system that houses equipment and cables. The inner steel rack frame ships directly from stock, allowing integrators to begin the integration of the system immediately. The outer surfaces are shipped separately to the installation site or shop, and can be quickly and easily attached to the core structure to cover the metal and complete the installation. It's available in three sizes and a range of standard color choices; a custom millwork kit option is also available that provides detailed shop drawings for a woodworker to create a customized look for the TechPed and mounting hardware to attach it to the frame.
Peerless-AV designed the PRSS-UNV-S for projectors up to 50lbs. to have the easiest possible directional adjustments. The mount has separate roll, pitch, and swivel settings. It comes with pre-installed security screws to allow tilt-and-roll locking and tamper proofing. The open frame design lets cables be run through the mount, and there is a quick release thumbscrew mechanism for rapid projector replacement in high up-time environments. The finish is a powder-coat silver, and the mount is configured to secure the projector close to the ceiling and to hold its directional settings during maintenance.
Premier Mounts has the answer for installations in which a large display has to be hung in a wide range of possible angles. The AM500 articulating wall mount can hold a display up to 500lbs. and from 65in. to 82in. while allowing it to be pulled out from the wall up to 15in. for maintenance. The 90-degree rotation capability can facilitate landscape and portrait mounting formats. There is a choice of three mounting brackets to suit the width of the display and each can be installed with positive or negative tilt adjustment. The mount itself weighs more than 90lbs.
Rose Electronics' RackView series features several smart and compact KVM stations for controlling everything from KVM switches to servers. The units are housed in mountable sliding 1RU durable drawers that fit into any standard rack. RackView 8-Port DVI-I USB consolidates a KVM switch and KVM user station into one unit. The RackView High Definition offers full HD video. All RackViews include sliding rails and folding and locking mechanisms to ensure easy access while in use, and keep the keyboard and screen from blocking access to rack equipment when the console is closed.
Introduced as the perfect companion for the SnapAV Razor low-profile mounts, the Strong VersaBox contains and conceals equipment such as extenders, switches, and amplifiers in the wall behind a flatpanel display. It fits between standard wall studs and attaches directly with screws through the sides, or it can fit into an optional pre-construction bracket installed before the drywall. The box has rubber grommets around the cable holes and its vented cover tilts out for equipment access. SnapAV also produces several lines of pro AV racks including wall mount, cabinet, and floor-standing types.
The flatpanel monitor arm from Spectrum Industries comes in three sizes, and it permits a display with VESA mounting holes to be attached to a flat surface through a 3/8in. hole or by a clamp provided with each arm. The 95512 is rated for light duty and can hold monitors from 4lbs. to 11.5lbs., while the 95522 can take monitors from 10lbs. to 27.5lbs. The 95509 heavy-duty model fits monitors from 14lbs. to 31lbs. Once installed, the arm will allow the monitor to be horizontally extended up to 24in. and raised up to 16in.
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text: Mary J. Blige ft. Drake – Mr. Wrong [Music Video] 0 Jan 11, 2012 Mary J. Blige drops an official video to her latest single featuring Drake, Mr. Wrong… click to play video Posted by Ash Houghton Share this:Share Comments Post A Comment Leave a Reply Click here to cancel reply. Name (required) Mail (will not be published) (required) Website Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email.


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Behind Every Toy Hides a Real Heart.
None of us who are touched by Angus today really know what his life was like before us. All we know is that he came through New York City, was passed from home to home, unwanted, then trucked across the border to a Canadian dog rescue. That's where we found him, my wife and I. He is a mini Boston terrier. He was the angel that rescued my wife. That's how she puts it. So we adopted him. Shortly after that, I decided to invest a few hundred dollars and recreate Angus as a toy to give to my wife as a present. I made up a silly word that sounded like it should belong to a big toy line, Wugadogs, and thought she might like to use him as a pillow or perhaps prop him up next to the TV, but she posted a picture of the toy on Facebook. And now there are 4 Wugadogs released with many more to come. We've given hundreds away to rescues who auction them off to help abused animals. Given hundreds to hospitals. And just like the real Angus, all he wants is you to love him forever.
View Wugadog »


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Business Glossary
language in a state law stating the law expires at a specified date, unless renewed by act of the state legislature. Legislation in several states raising or abolishing interest rate ceilings on credit card finance charges contains such clauses.
a provision in a sales contract that sets a date after which the agreement is no longer in effect.
Example: Since the housing market was strong and the Andersons were attracting a number of prospective buyers for their house, they insisted on a sunset clause in the contract. This provision would allow them to offer the house to another buyer should the closing be delayed for any reason.
Copyright © 2004, 2000, 1997, 1993, 1987, 1984 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc. Reprinted by arrangement with Publisher.


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Select () or exclude () categories to narrow your recipe search.
As you select categories, the number of matching recipes will update.
Find exactly what you're looking for with the web's most powerful recipe filtering tool.
Sort by: Date | Rating | Most Helpful
"I just finished making this soup. I used only 1 1/2 qts of stock and used the heavy cream. I like a thick soup but it still wasn't as thick as I like it. I used baby portabellas and they were wonderful. I think I will try some rosemary next time to give it a little flavor boost. It for sure a basic keeper."
"this was SOOOOOOOOOO hot even I couldn't eat it and I LOVE hot foods. I used only one can of chipotles and doubled the mayo. We had to take the coating off to eat the chicken. I will NOT use this recipe again"
"This was wonderful! I followed to the letter except I added sliced muchrooms about 15 brfoe it was done. I had three "PICKY" teens come for dinner. Not even a scrape left for hubby, and they didn't smother it in Bar-b-que sauce. It was fork tender and sooooooo juicy! Thanks for a great keeper Jjortikka"


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Climbing on TV
Not to be outdone by Honnold's cameo, Chris Sharma has been in his own Italian ad. Sector watches filmed this piece in Spain. While the language is different, it's still a solid portrayal of rock climbing hitting the big time.
Gravity from Michael Eggert - "Pixelphile" on Vimeo.
Doritos has their own view on rock climbing. This one may be the most accurate of the three. I've certainly had this happen a few times, but my belayer is usually reaching for a piece of pie.
Keep your eyes out for more and more climbing related advertisements from big companies. Citibank had a casting call for climbers and the people in them made solid money for their work.


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My husband and I have recently purchased our first home. There is a shrub bed outside and I'm most certainly digging them up and starting from scratch. I've done my research on how to prepare my bed, but my question is, in someone's professional opinion, would the plants that I have picked out compliment each other?
Here is what I love: boxwood green velvet
And then I was wanting to throw in some seasonal pansies for a splash of color. I hate to spend the money on these plants if they don't compliment each other and I'm definitely a newbie when it comes to gardening so I was hoping someone could give me some insight as to what they think about putting all (or most) of these plants together in a bed. The bed is approximately 10 ft in length and 5 ft in depth. I definitely want short shrubs so that I can see over them when I sit on my front porch (this bed follows the line of the front porch). There is a walkway that divides the large planting area (described above) and a much smaller area where a small dead shrub currently resides. Any and all comments are greatly appreciated!! |
Follow-Up Postings:
The simple answer to your question is to visit a large nursery which stocks your plant choices, pull them out, place them together and see if the combined colors meet your vision. And, there is always the chance that your nursery visit will introduce you to other shrubs you may find more appealing. You might want to swap out the spring growing pansies during the hot summer and fall months with fibrous begonias. |
- Posted by gardengal48 PNW zone 8 (My Page) on Sat, Feb 19, 11 at 10:21
nandina's advice is spot on.....and the important question is, does it look good to YOU? One comment I would make is that the boxwood, barberry and spiraea all have a very similar mounding shape and small leaf size and texture -- they look very much the same other than foliage color. I might want to consider adding something that would offer more of a contrast in both form (shape) and leaf size. I also lean very heavily to mostly evergreen plant choices for a front or entry planting area so that it looks similar and attractive for as long a period as possible. I'm just not fond of bare sticks or empty soil in winter in the first planting area you or visitors are likely to encounter. But that's just me :-) |
If you love those plants, they will look good, and even objectively it sounds like a good basic selection. How you arrange them and what you add to round them out, as well as how you mulch and edge your bed, will make a great deal of difference. Landscaping doesn't offer many simple yes/no answers, and it also offers few guarantees. If you knew how much money I've "wasted" on plants due to unforeseen outcomes you would probably just pave the whole thing over :-) The thing is, your plants may look good together but they may also succumb to drought, cold, insects, or simply not grow at an even pace, so it's a bit like buying an expensive dog: you understand it is a living thing that comes with inherent risk. Your plan to keep to short shrubs is probably good as you've thought through the effect you want, but there may be other elements in your environment that determine the overall effect. In addition, and as you probably realize, some pruning may be required to keep them at that height, and also, the spiral junipers will have to be kept spiraled by you on an ongoing basis or it will simply become an upright juniper. So ask how to do this when you buy them. KarinL |
- Posted by missingtheobvious Blue Ridge 7a (My Page) on Sat, Feb 19, 11 at 18:50
Is anyone else concerned about fitting at least five shrubs plus some liriope and several pansies into a 5' x 10' bed? [I looked up two cultivars used for spiral junipers and found that they grow 1 1/2' and 2' in height per year, so I'm really wanting to call them small trees rather than shrubs.] Admittedly I don't have any real experience with shrubs which have to be pruned into submission a couple of times a year, so I really don't know how that goes -- particularly how small they can be kept without ending up with bald spots. Nobody seems to be worried about that, so maybe it won't be a problem. But the mature sizes for these guys -- even if there are only one each of the spirea, barberry, and boxwood -- certainly won't fit into a 5' x 10' area, even if the OP omits the liriope and pansies entirely. |
- Posted by gardengal48 PNW zone 8 (My Page) on Sat, Feb 19, 11 at 21:35
I dunno - one can actually fit quite a few shrubs into 50 square feet :-) Boxwood grows as slow as molasses and 'Green Velvet' stays pretty compact anyway. Dwarf barberry - like 'Crimson Pygymy' - is about 2'x'2 full grown. Others - like 'Bagatelle' - stay even smaller. The spiraea can get to be a decent size in time but spiraea is one of those shrubs that can be cut back virtually to the ground when necessary or desired without concern. Spiral-trained upright junipers also stay pretty narrow, provided they are maintained in their spiral form. IMO, height is not really an issue either with these for this space and I like the idea that something is at least providing some vertical contrast. I think they'll all fit fine and still have room for the liriope and annual color. |
Are you talking about one of each except two for the juniper? |
- Posted by missingtheobvious Blue Ridge 7a (My Page) on Sun, Feb 20, 11 at 0:33
Thanks, gardengal48. I have no experience at all with boxwood, and the one I looked up was listed for a mature size of 4-6' tall and 5-6' wide. Also, one of the two spiral juniper cultivars had a mature width of 4-6' -- but the other was listed as 10'! My only experience with junipers is with the prostrate Blue Carpets at my parents' former house; I used to weed and admire them, but they never needed to be trimmed! In the OP's plan, height is surely desirable, but there's the issue of either pruning the junipers till they're (maybe) bald so they stay short enough that they can be pruned to the desired spiral or letting them grow so they don't turn bald and then ending up with something too tall to prune (spiral or otherwise). Well, no garden lasts forever. And like ink above, I wasn't sure if the OP meant only one boxwood, spirea, and barberry, or multiples. |
- Posted by gardengal48 PNW zone 8 (My Page) on Sun, Feb 20, 11 at 10:44
There's boxwood and then there's boxwood :-) To be sure, many varieties DO have an ability to get pretty large but it takes them forever - boxwood seems to grow slower than just about any other plant I can think of. 'Green Velvet' is a cultivar that stays around 2'x2' or slightly larger. And we all know boxwood is immensely prunable. And while they do take some maintenance to keep them looking good and trim, spiral-trained junipers are just a form of topiary. The routine pruning and grooming they require has the effect of keeping the plants a lot smaller than if they were allowed to grow naturally.....much like a form of bonsai. And the repetitive pruning actually keeps the foliage very dense and quite lush. But I agree that planting in multiples in this case might crowd things a bit quickly but I think the OP could introduce pairs of at least the barberry and boxwood, although more maintenance in the form of pruning would be required and the pairing would result in a much more formalized (as opposed to natural looking) planting. |
I find the combo of yellow (spirea) and red (barberry) foliage looks better when accompanied by yellow and/or reddish pink flowers (dicentra "luxuriant" is one example) - good luck trying what works best for you! |
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Elizabeth Edwards Mastered Grace, Maintained Dignity
In the end, Elizabeth Edwards was about grace.
In the end, Elizabeth Edwards was about grace. » 12/08/10 10:07am 12/08/10 10:07am
Jimmy Dean, sausage baron, country music legend, television host and actor, has died at 81. Says his widow Donna, "He was amazing...He had a lot of talents." [CBS] » 6/14/10 2:40pm 6/14/10 2:40pm
While Lena Horne deserves as many written tributes as her death will inspire, let's take a moment to watch - and listen - to her amazing charisma in action: » 5/10/10 1:30pm 5/10/10 1:30pm
But you don't have to take my word for it! » 8/28/09 6:00pm 8/28/09 6:00pm
Influential dramatist and director Harold Pinter has died at 78 after a long battle with cancer. » 12/26/08 2:45pm 12/26/08 2:45pm


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The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art has been the premier West Coast spot for modern art since 1935, with over 27,000 works from Modernists and contemporary artists. Mario Botta's iconic building is a work of art in itself, with an oculus skylight, banded turret, and soaring atrium. SFMOMA exhibits painting, photography, sculpture, architecture, and media arts, including important pieces by well-known artists such as Henri Matisse, Ansel Adams, Mark Rothko, and Diego Rivera. Rotating exhibits feature contemporary artists such as the recent Face of Our Time, which showcased photographs from modern society around the world. In 2013, SFMOMA will launch a three-year expansion, doubling its indoor gallery space—the better to display acquisitions like the Fisher Collection of 20th-century masters.
Tune in on Wednesdays at 10PM ET for Top Chef: Boston, the 12th season of Bravo's Emmy-Award winning, hit reality series.


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(h/t Nonie Darwish)
Translated from video clip posted to YouTube, 17 July 2011
In the above video, Kuwaiti Shaykh Yasir al-Habib, a Shi'a, explains and justifies the Islamic practice of zawaj al-mut'a, or temporary marriage (lit. 'pleasure marriage'), which is in a sense Islamically-sanctioned prostitution. In the longer clip which I took this excerpted portion from, Shaykh al-Habib starts out by saying that Sunnis often try to embarrass Shi'a by saying that they're going to marry their sisters in a pleasure marriage.
Al-Habib responds by saying that, first of all, in Islam a brother has no authority over the actions of his sister. And secondly, he contends that Sunnis want him to deny pleasure marriage simply because some people find it repulsive, to which he counters that "the Messenger of Allah didn't find it repulsive." Then he turns the argument around, explaining that Sunnis attempt to deny pleasure marriage while accepting marriage with the intent to divorce, which is essentially the same thing.
He also brings up a hadith or saying from one of the companions of Muhammad, who said that, "We contracted temporary marriage giving a handful of the dates or flour as a dower during the life time of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and during the time of Abu Bakr until Umar forbade it because of Amr Ibn Huraith" (from al-islam.org). The last point about Umar forbidding it is where most Shi'a and Sunnis disagree--the Shi'a don't accept Umar as a legitimate caliph or successor to Muhammad, while the Sunnis do.
Subtitled video is above, transcript below:
I tell him, "Come on, if you're a man, then give me your sister in marriage, a marriage with the intent of divorcing after one night." I could imagine something like that, now that you mention it. You know? Now, even if you find this repulsive, the Messenger of Allah didn't find it repulsive. The Messenger of Allah approved this marriage by recognizing it. The Messenger of Allah permitted and authorized (temporary) pleasure marriages. Now even if they later put it in a written hadith that he later forbade pleasure marriages, the important thing is that it was present (during the time of the Prophet).
If the marriage was by nature considered repulsive by the Shari'ah, meaning it was not pleasing to Almighty Allah and His Messenger (PBUH), then the Prophet from the beginning would not have permitted it. Why did he permit it? I mean, it wasn't considered contrary to the honor of Muslim women. Why did he authorize his companions to marry Muslim women for a short time, and to "enjoy them (sexually)," [Qur'an 4:24] even with a handful of dates? A handful of dates is given to any woman to enjoy her sexually, that's it. If you say that this is adultery, then you're accusing the Messenger (PBUH) of adultery, or that he legitimized adultery. If you say this is repulsive, you're accusing the Messenger (PBUH) of being repulsive, or that the Messenger of Allah legitimized that which is repulsive, Allah forbid. Is it not so?
Pleasure marriage came to solve a societal problem. It doesn't mean that it always has to be applied. However, if my sister did that, according to its rules and laws, whether she were a widow and her husband had passed away, or she were divorced, and so forth; if she needed it (for whatever reason), then this marriage would be according to the tradition (sunnah) of Allah and His Messenger (PBUH). There is no shame in this. No shame at all.