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New Book Steps Into the World of Jane Austen With Stunning Crochet Designs
October 28, 2011 at 8:34 pm Leave a comment
Have you ever wondered what crochet projects would be resting in Jane Austen's WIP (work in progress) basket in her front parlor? Or, what garments she would fashion with hook in hand? Well, now there's no need to guess any longer because crochet designer Melissa Horozewski has just released a beautiful collection of designs inspired by Austen and her six literary treasures – Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park , Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion.
Austentatious Crochet features a range of enticing projects that include elements from the traditional Regency period with a modern twist. There's truly something for every crocheter in this collection – lacey shawls, regal tops and jackets, flirtatious dresses and skirts, "just for the fun of it" items like accessories and jewelry, home décor, children's wear, and even lingerie.
This book, though, is more than just a collection of lovely patterns, it is a treasure trove of interesting facts and trivia for the most discriminating of Austen fanatics, such as myself. Austentatious Crochet is sprinkled with memorable quotes from our favorite Austen characters, excerpts from Austen's letters to her sister Cassandra, beautiful period artwork, delicious recipes, and entertaining quizzes to gauge the measure of our love for all things Austen-related. For example, I quickly found myself immersed in words like huswife and learned the origin of common terms among stitchers, such as "cardigan" and "raglan sleeve."
Fortunately, I recently had the opportunity to get to know Melissa a bit more and interview her about the inspiration for this book. "Well, I love books and I am particularly captivated by craft books that are visually stimulating and that take me on a journey," she told me. "I wanted to do something like that using crochet as the medium, as sometimes crochet gets an unfair rap as being crafty. It is crafty, which is great, but it isn't just crafty. It can be artistic as well, and it can be just as fine as any other method of stitching out there. I enjoy Austen books and I know a lot of other people do as well. Stitching was a common occupation for women during that time-period, so it seemed only natural to marry the two."
In preparation for writing this book, Melissa reread each of Austen's books and everything she could find on Regency fashions, colors, and styles of clothing, as well as the history of needlework during that time period. In fact, she details in the book how Austen found great inspiration from her needlework. Although the period during which Austen lived predates the debut of modern crochet in Britain, there is evidence that she may have practiced a form of embroidery called tambour crochet. Interestingly, as Melissa points out in Austentatious Crochet, tambour crochet is referenced in both Mansfield Park and Northanger Abbey.
A Closer Look at These Austentatious Designs
For this review, I was hard pressed to pick my favorite designs from the book. But, finally I was able to settle on my top 6 – no, 7! Melissa was gracious enough to share a bit of commentary for each one – a glimpse into the story behind the design.
- Ball at Netherfield – This eye-grabbing, sophisticated top features a classic empire waist and panel insert with beautiful ribbon and button detailing for a Regency couture look.
"I knew I wanted to do a twist on the empire-waist gowns that were a staple of that time period, but yet it needed to be wearable today, so I took it up to the hip length and embellished it with all the fun accoutrements typical to that time period – ribbons and buttons," Melissa added.
- Jane Bennet Skirt – This flattering skirt boasts an A-line silhouette with a fun and flirty ruffle accent in the back.
"That color of blue appeared so often in the Regency fashion plates I viewed while researching [for the book] that I knew I wanted a design using that color," she explained. "Of course they would have never showed so much leg during the Regency period, but again the point was for this book to have a contemporary twist so that the designs would be completely wearable today. I wanted all the frills and adornments of that time period but again in a manner that someone would want to wear and I feel that the ruffles on the rear hem of this skirt add just the right combination of demure and flirtatiousness to the design."
- Eat Your Heart Out Willoughby – Featured on the cover, this top is a show stopper with its exquisite lace cuffs and delicate appliqués of violets, roses and leaves.
"This design originally did not have the floral embellishments on the front. It did have the ruffled V, but even with the ruffle, I felt it was lacking a certain something," Melissa commented. "I didn't fall in love with this top until I added the appliqués. Everyone at the photo shoot commented on it and the model adored wearing it, saying it was so light and silky. It was a natural for the cover shot."
- Dreaming of Mr. Knightly Pajama Set– this sexy chic lingerie set almost had me running to my hook right away – it's gorgeous, original and classy.
"Who doesn't dream of Mr. Knightley? And, that was the point behind this design," said Melissa. "A design that is fun and flirtatious but not overly provocative – much like Emma herself. I wanted to replicate a bit of the knickers and corset look we often see when people costume that era of time in movies and books."
- Off to Bath Capelet – What's cuter than matching lace capelets for a young girl and her favorite doll? Don't tell my daughter, but she may find this set waiting for her under the tree on Christmas Eve.
"My little girl, the model in the children's chapter of the book, always wants to wear her sleeveless summer church dresses well into the fall here in Wisconsin. She also loves to match her American Girl doll, so she was my inspiration for this design – a capelet that could add that extra touch of warmth. Bathwas a resort place for English families and Jane Austen lived there for a time as well during her life. Since this is a design for a child and her doll, Off to Bath is a spin on the phrase 'off to bed', " commented Melissa.
- Letters From Mr. Right – This design allows you to play with tambour crochet while making a detailed tri-fold pocketbook to hold those cherished love letters from that special beau.
"Jane often wrote letters and how we know so much about her as a person is through letters to her sister Cassandra," Melissa continued. "I knew I wanted a design that represented the fact that letter writing was such a key means of correspondence both for her and that time period. This design spun from a photo of an eighteenth century silk pocketbook I found while researching the book."
- Lizzy's Lace Mantelet – This lacey sweater is simply gorgeous and would quickly become a staple in anyone's wardrobe. Worked completely in the round, it is reminiscent of a beautiful doily yet fashion forward.
"Lace was a highly desired commodity back then and ladies often tried to create the look using several different methods, which in turn has created such a rich history of needlework," she explained. "I set out to design a piece that would showcase that skill and element of Regency fashion. I think this one turned out spectacularly well."
A Closer Look at the Designer
Like many of us, Melissa began crocheting at an early age and quickly found herself hooked for life. "My sister and I were raised by a single mother and each day after school we would walk to the hair salon where she worked and spend at least two hours waiting in a tiny breakroom for her to finish her shift," she recounted. "One day an older woman, who would come in each week to have her hair set, took pity on my sister and I. She invited us to take crochet lessons from her, so from then on, once a week we would walk to her house after school and sit at her highly polished dining room table learning to work with a hook and thread."
Melissa's first project was a heart doily that she entered in her local county fair the following summer after learning to crochet. "The doily received a large purple grand champion ribbon and though I haven't made another doily since, it got me hooked on crochet."
In her early teens, she originally turned to designing out of necessity. "In the late 80's, when I was in my early teens, there just didn't seem to be a lot of crochet garment patterns for teens. This was before the internet was in most households and as I lived in a very rural area, the nearest big box store was almost two hours away. A yarn store wasn't even on my radar [either], so my ability to find patterns was rather limited. That's when I started creating garments for myself, designing on the hook so to speak," said Melissa.
She later realized that she wanted to become a professional designer in her mid-twenties and put together several submission packages for Interweave, but was initially too nervous to send them to the editor. "As long as I never mailed them, it was a dream that could still be realized. If I sent them and was rejected, well then I thought that dream would be over," she explained. "It wasn't until I was in my 30's that I understood that crochet is as much art as it is craft or anything else; therefore it is very subjective and as such, rejection is inevitable. I gave myself permission to be rejected and to be okay with that. As it turns out, the first two designs I submitted were accepted."
Today, Melissa's designs can be found on the pages of Interweave Crochet, Inside Crochet Magazine, Crochet!, Crochet World and Debbie Macomber's Blossom Street Collection Books 1 and 2. She continues to find inspiration from her favorite literary characters, her family and loved ones, nature, fashion trends and interesting stitch patterns.
Copies of Austentatious Crochet can be purchased online at Amazon.
Entry filed under: Books on Hooks, Crochet in History. Tags: .
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Hi, Ciaran McCreesh <ciaran.mccreesh@...>: > I think I've removed all the TODO items and included everything that's > on the "possible" list for EAPI 3 now. I'd appreciate it if people > could give this a review before I send it to -dev@ and the Council. As far as I can see the commits are ok, although I wonder if "a use dependency" is correct. I learned at school that "an" is used in front of vowels, though I may have missed the exceptions because of sleeping in class. The explanations of the slot operators are a bit hard to read, maybe rephrasing (and splitting in more sentences) is the way to go here. Also I wonder if doexample and doinclude are good additions, but I have no strong opinion about it. Another thing: You should use \featurelabel not in a separate line but at the beginning of the fist line or at the end of the paragraph you want to mark, currently the margin marks aren't perfect. Something different: I pulled from the eapi-3 branch and made my patches apply on top of it: i) cheat sheet for EAPI 3 ii) pms.cls iii) better page layout They are not ready for shipping and I want to wait for EAPI 3 to settle. > 725d5ae..1c311de is formatting for the new margin labels thing. > This'll hopefully get modified before we go live with it. You want the page layout patches beforehand? V-Li -- Christian Faulhammer, Gentoo Lisp project <URL:http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/lisp/>, #gentoo-lisp on FreeNode <URL:http://gentoo.faulhammer.org/>
Updated Jul 18, 2012
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Maintenance Technician (Greenhouses) (Expired)
Unfortunately this job has expired and you can no longer apply for it.
But all is not lost, you can search for more jobs
Job Purpose
To ensure that all specialized greenhouse facilities are well maintained and operational at all times.
Key Performance Areas
- Assist Maintenance Manager with the development and implementation of a maintenance plan for Greenhouses;
- Conduct and/or oversee repairs to boilers, climate control system, irrigation, dosing and heating systems and pressure vessels.
- Conduct and/or oversee repairs to greenhouse structure – steel, doors, glass, vents, screens, vents, crop wires, etc
- Supervise the outsourced contractors working on maintenance programme in specialist areas;
- Manage and oversee use of company's maintenance equipment at the greenhouses e.g. roof washer
- Ensure tenants/operators adhere to maintenance where they provide their own maintenance;
- Ensure planned/scheduled maintenance takes place;
- Develop procedures for back-ups in key areas;
- Ensure that proper OHS standards are adhered to for all maintenance activities in the greenhouses;
- Assist the Maintenance Manager with the development and management of a maintenance information system with all records, parts, Operations and Maintenance Manuals;
- Manage stock of critical spare parts for respective machinery and plant.
- Assist Maintenance Manager in preparing Operations and Maintenance budgets.
Required Competencies
- Diploma in Engineering (Electrical or Mechanical) will be an advantage or equivalent trade/ technical experience;
- Must have the following skills and experience – co-ordination, Computer Aided Design (CAD); Communication (written and verbal) and Supervisory skills;
- Minimum of 3-5 years working with greenhouses (glass and plastic);
- Must be able to be and certified to work at heights/elevated positions 2 meters high and above.
- Must be willing to be appointed as a Section 8 OHS Supervisor.
- Code EB licence is essential and must be able and willing to drive company vehicles.
- Must be willing to be on standby and respond to call-outs after hours and on weekends as and when required.
- Previous experience as a grower using greenhouse methods will be an advantage;
- Must be familiar with Health & Safety regulations, procedures and standards;
- PRIVA experience will be a distinct advantage;
- Must be familiar with the irrigation, dosing and heating systems;
- Must be familiar with boilers, climate control systems, pressure and vessels;
Please only apply should you meet the above criteria.
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Buoyed by starting pitching, Cubs still looking to be more well-rounded
BY TONI GINNETTI firstname.lastname@example.com May 19, 2013 9:17PM
CHICAGO, IL- MAY 19: Starting pitcher Travis Wood #37 of the Chicago Cubs reacts after giving up a two-run home run to Juan Lagares #12 of the New York Mets scoring Ruben Tejada #11 during the seventh inning on May 19, 2013 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Brian Kersey/Getty Images)
Article Extras
Updated: May 19, 2013 9:42PM
The San Francisco Giants have won two of the last three World Series on the strength of dominating pitching.
Starting pitching is the best component for the Cubs, who still must improve defensively and hit more productively.
"There's no question that's where it all starts,'' manager Dale Sveum said. "You can use the Giants as an example and how deep their starters go in the game. There are so many different matchups you can do [at the end of games] when you get through those first seven innings, so many ways you can shorten the game.
"And when your bullpen sets up the way it is, it's a nice thing to have in your back pocket.
"What [the starters] have done is given us a chance in almost every game. The one thing we haven't had is hitting with runners in scoring position [down to .215] to get that fourth and fifth run in.''
In the last nine games, the Cubs have hit .333 (26-for-78) with runners in scoring position. That average had been .368 in the previous eight games before a 1-for-10 effort Sunday.
Cubs pitchers are holding the opposition to a .252 average with runners in scoring position.
Leading the way
David DeJesus has been on a hot streak, hitting .330 (38-115) in the last 34 games with 10 doubles, a triple, five home runs, 15 RBI, 13 walks and 24 runs scored.
He also is among the leaders in pitches per at-bat (4.9).
"It seems like he sees at least seven,'' Sveum said. "You're talking about one of the better leadoff hitters in the game. You can't ask for much more than his OPS [on base plus slugging percentage, now at .861].''
Age is a number
Sveum takes issue with calling the Cubs a young team.
"We have a couple young players, but you have guys who have played 300 to 400 major-league games,'' he said. "Everyone but [Anthony] Rizzo has three or four years in the majors and some in the minors under their belts.''
Starlin Castro, 23, is the team's youngest player but is in his fourth major-league season.
Roster move
The Cubs are expected to designate right-handed reliever Michael Bowden for assignment Tuesday, when Matt Garza will be activated. Bowden has pitched well enough with a 3.78 ERA, but right-hander Carlos Villanueva is moving to the bullpen.


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Makes 4 servings as a side dish
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 medium red bell peppers, cored, seeded, deribbed and chopped
- 3 cups fresh corn kernels, blanched (cut from 6 medium ears corn), two 10-ounce packages frozen corn kernels, thawed, or 3 cups canned corn kernels, drained
- 2 jarred jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro or fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the red peppers and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the corn and the remaining ingredients. Cook until heated through, about 1 1/2 minutes.
my notes
- Calories340
- Carbohydrates61 g (20%)
- Fat7 g (10%)
- Protein9 g (18%)
- Saturated Fat1 g (3%)
- Sodium1,176 mg (49%)
- Polyunsaturated Fat2 g
- Fiber8 g (31%)
- Monounsaturated Fat3 g
- Cholesterol0
recipe featured in
recipe at a glance
type: On a Budget, Quick & Easy
main ingredients: Corn, Jalapeño, Bell Pepper, Cilantro
cuisine: Southwestern, American
dietary considerations: Vegetarian, Vegan


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Hi everyone, I'm in the middle of my first home purchase and it is new construction (making the decision process so difficult!) It is a large open concept main floor, with the kitchen, dining room and living room in one open area. My dilemma is in choosing the kitchen colors. My cabinets will be painted BM Cloud White, my counters are a white/gray mixed quartz (I've attached an image, it is slightly darker in person). I will have an island in the middle of the L shaped kitchen. I think white on the island will create far too much white for the space. I am thinking about painting the island a gray. Would Revere Pewter be too light and lack a strong contrast? I was debating BM Fieldstone, but its just looking so blue. I can't see the colors in the space as it isn't constructed yet. Anyone have a gray island in their home? Any advice is greatly appreciated!! |
Follow-Up Postings:
- Posted by neshanicguy (My Page) on Tue, Aug 6, 13 at 13:56
Our counters are very similar. We went with Martha Stewart Mushroom. Love that color! |
I have Cloud White cabinets (love the color). I think your quartz will look nice with them. Personally I would avoid a blue undertone anywhere, but esp. with the creaminess of Cloud White. What will your floors be? I have dark gray quartz counters so I have good contrast and variety in the tones. I think a darker warm gray would be nice for your island. Good luck. Be sure to tell us what you end up choosing. Pics would be even better. |
I looked into Martha Stewart's mushroom and I really like it too! The darker tone of it looks really nice After hours and hours of research on the internet I thought Fieldstone might be a safe bet, but seeing the sample I painted in person, its not for me. It looks so beautiful in Sally's kitchen, but just doesn't quite work for what I was looking for. My floors are a rustic brown wood with no real obvious color undertones. They are somewhere in-between medium and dark. I'm going to start looking into some darker options! Thanks so much guys :) |
- Posted by michelle16 (My Page) on Thu, Aug 8, 13 at 21:17
I struggled with this too, i did the white dove, and then a section in stone harbor gray Bm. It;s alittle darker than the revere pewter, but not too dark. |
- Posted by robotropolis (My Page) on Thu, Aug 8, 13 at 22:27
I love dark grey so I'd almost be thinking like BM Deep Creek? A lighter one might be BM Sandy Creek Grey but maybe too greigish depending on your space? Willow Creek maybe? Maybe I'm just really into creeks. |
- Posted by HeatherL623 (My Page) on Thu, Aug 8, 13 at 23:48
I am buying new construction too and am in the process of picking colors. We are going with BM simply white cabinets with white carrara marble countertops and I am painting my island BM kendall charcoal. It's so pretty!! Do a search for kendall charcoal islands on houzz.com. I have an open floor plan as well and am going to paint my walls a light gray. I had looked at revere pewter but found it to be a little too beige for me. I bought a sample of ozark shadows and smoke embers to try out over the weekend! Hopefully j can decide soon so I can stop driving myself crazy :) Good Luck to ya! |
michelle16: Like your kitchen. Any other pictures? |
- Posted by pricklypearcactus (My Page) on Fri, Aug 9, 13 at 9:36
Oh michelle16, your kitchen is really lovely! I love the gray color you selected with the white. |
- Posted by michelle16 (My Page) on Fri, Aug 9, 13 at 13:27
Thanks guys, if you google the title almost finished...lots of pics there is a thread from this forum with lots of pictures. Backsplash should be coming soon! |
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text: When you are studying at BSM, you are stamping your career with the reputation of one of the premier management schools in eastern India. You get a career-oriented programme, the flexibility of choosing your specialisations, the scope of getting an international degree and recognition, the best faculty with prestigious qualifications from around the world, the highest academic standard with state-of-the-art academic and computational facilities, assistance in career planning and a host of challenging activities and opportunities for your personal development. It all sums up to one thing - you are studying with the best.


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The City provides many diverse services such as snow removal and fire protection. Information on most of these services can be found under the City's Department sites listed on the left. If you can't find what you are looking for, try our Search Engine or call the department directly. There is also a Services page that will help you find the appropriate listing.
Thank you for your interest. You can be assured that the City of Saskatoon is Striving For Excellence!


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Sac state (CSUS) nursing spring 2013 - page 7
Hey, is anyone applying to sac state for spring 2012? Do you think it will be easier to get into since they won't accept any non-sacstate students? What do u think the cut off will be? Sorry for... Read More
0Nov 16, '12 by ♪♫ in my ♥Quote from crebsCongrats. I remember when I got my e-mail... I jumped up and down and whooped it up... my kid thought I'd gone nuts. It's been close to 6 years but I remember it like it was yesterday.I just got my email! I'm in! Who else????? I know everybody who posted here is in! Post it!
Y'all are lucky to wear that Hornet green... we were sporting the Good Humor white :-) -
0Nov 16, '12 by dreambig2015Thank you so much for the positiveness Crebs! It really means a lot
I will keep everyone updated -
1Nov 16, '12 by kaiamcI was volunteering at the open house last night in the skills lab. I am super surprised that they released the acceptance letters early but congrats to those who made it in, and keep thinking positive to those that didn't get an immediate acceptance, I got mine a month after the initial one but they went pretty far on the alternate list for fall. Dreambig, I was alternate number 25 and made it is so I think number 7 sounds pretty safe. Ill cross my fingers for you.crebs likes this.
0Nov 16, '12 by hbadheshaHi you guys! I haven't posted hear in a while, and I just got my admissions acceptance so I came to check up on the forum again! I was wondering if any of you guys were moving into Sacramento and if you guys had looked around for apartments that would be suitable to live in. I'm so excited to start, but then again just as, if not more nervous. Let me know if any of you guys have any helpful information! Hope to hear from you guys soon
0Nov 16, '12 by crebsHi hbadhesha. Congratulations! I just moved to Sacramento (actually Elk Grove) so I don't know a ton about apartments and such, but I have heard of a complex called The Element that's supposed to be good for students. There are also some apartments that I think are reasonably close to the nursing building which are in university village. I think that's what it's called. Are you just moving to Sacramento? If that's the case I'm assuming you are taking some online courses this semester. Also, did you get the UC Davis EMR form?
To kaiamc, I got a UC Davis EMR form. Does that mean I'll be assigned to UCD or does everybody sign that same form? -
0Nov 16, '12 by hbadheshaHi crebs, I was thinking about moving into the Arden area since I heard there were a lot of break ins and such in the apartments close the CSUS. But I'll make sure to keep your suggestions in mind when looking. I am taking an online course this semester and yes, I will be moving to Sacramento for the first time; super scared! Lol. I did get the UCD EMR form, but I think that's just for everyone to fill out.
0Nov 16, '12 by dreambig2015For those of you that got accepted, did they give you a deadline to submit immunizations, health insurance proof, background checks, CPR etc..?
0Nov 17, '12 by ♪♫ in my ♥Quote from crebsI believe all you guys spend at least some time at UCD, as do folks from Merritt and ARC. It's interesting that they're having you fill out EMR forms because, at least in the ED, the students don't interact with the EMR. I know for the med students, that varies by unit, so perhaps it's that way for the nursing students as well.I got a UC Davis EMR form. Does that mean I'll be assigned to UCD or does everybody sign that same form?
0Nov 17, '12 by crebsQuote from dreambig2015There was no information about that stuff at all except for the CPR. This email said we'll get another at the end of the month that will have all that info.For those of you that got accepted, did they give you a deadline to submit immunizations, health insurance proof, background checks, CPR etc..?


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IssuesKnowledge TopicsLatest Posts
You are herePresident Ronald ReaganWhat an Umbrella Can Tell YouAn umbrella can tell a lot about his character. There are those who will weather the storm. Then there are those who manage their own storms. Finally there are those want the umbrella held for them. Read more » Posted under:
Grover Norquist Interview on Immigration Reform - "People are an asset, not a liability"The immigration reform bill, sponsored by U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) has sparked a lot of discussion around the country bring about the kind of national debate we have needed for a very long time. Recently, Americans for Tax Reform founder, Grover Norquist, testified before the Senate about the pending legislation and why immigration reform is needed. He opened his testimony with the statement, "People are an asset, not a liability."
This week, Norquist sat down with TexasGOPVote to expand on his thoughts on immigration reform, and I asked him about this comment and what it means in the context of immigration reform. Read more » Posted under:
The Rise of MediocrityDuring the Carter era and stagflation of the 70's, our economy may have sucked, but at least the entrepreneurs were busy starting news business. Apple and Microsoft began in the 70's before they exploded in 80's under the Reagan era. Reagan's economic policy liberated the entrepreneurs and as they say, the rest is history as the United States experienced a quarter of a century of economic growth. Instapundit Glen Reynolds observed, Posted under:
Tom Pauken's Farewell as Texas Workforce CommissionerFor the past five years, I've had the honor of representing you as Commissioner Representing Employers at the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). As many of you know, I'm leaving the Workforce Commission this month, but I will still remain involved in public affairs and support policies to encourage employment opportunities and private sector job creation. As I leave TWC, I am particularly proud of the rediscovery of the importance of vocational education in providing good job opportunities for young Texans and in meeting the demand for skilled workers in our state. Posted under:
Latinos Are Rising In Power, Much To The Dismay of Ann Coulter and The LikesI am often asked, why do you place yourself in a group, and box yourself in when you should assimilate into America. The answer is twofold. First, because of government categorization, Latinos have to select a box that gives us a sense of togetherness. Second, there are some extreme groups who often target Latinos with hate or negative stereotypes that fulfills their racist drive. So I place myself in a Latino group as a coping mechanism Posted under:
ThanksgivingsIt wasn't until I was overseas one year about this time that I realized just how special--and uniquely American--our Thanksgiving holiday is. Of course it was first celebrated by the Pilgrims about 400 years ago. However, it has also seen a revival of emphasis and solemnity during times of national struggles, unprecedented prosperity, wartime and in peace. Read more » Posted under:
If We Don't Fix the Immigration Problem - The Republican Party is DeadNow before all you noise makers on the extreme right get your knickers in a wad, this is not a story about amnesty. But it is a story about fixing a problem that should have been fixed in the last decade. It is also a story about learning how to communicate our message in a way that doesn't drive away people who should be aligned with our core values and principles. Immigration is a problem Democrats don't want to fix because it is an effective wedge issue to keep Hispanics, who share your same Posted under:
What Does a Real Recovery Looks Like?What does a real recovery look or should look like? Better than what we have seen over the past four years. Since 2009, we have technically been in a recovery, but as I have pointed out, this has hardly been a robust recovery. So what would a robust recovery look like? For one, simply looking at the early 80's during the Reagan era would be a start. In July of 1981, the economy fell into a recession just one year after a previous recession ended. To those who state that this present downturn was the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression often forget that Reagan inherited double digit inflation and the unemployment would eventually soar to nearly 11%, higher than Posted under:
It is Time to Vote Straight Ticket RepublicanFor decades, patriotic Americans have resisted the recommendation to vote "straight ticket", preferring instead to vote "on the candidate" race by race. There have been conservative Democrats that ran for and won office, remaining with that rapidly changing party in order to change it from within. That time is over. The dictatorial leadership of the Democratic Party at this point is both corrupt and evil to the core. They despise the shackles the Constitution puts on big government and plow full speed ahead in expanding chains on American industry. Posted under:
Sarah Palin: Case Study For Conventional CrapAt a work show, I once stood behind a man at the booth of a very large and well-known corporation that was advertising a position. Looking at the duties, the man was saying that he had done exactly those things in his work in a U.S. military service. The response was that unfortunately the position required a college degree. So here, a demonstrable grown-up who had done these things in a responsible position, could be put aside for a green college grad with a piece of paper. Pages |


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I proved a point with my Twenty20 hundred
Posted in Domestic Cricket
I'm still shocked that I scored a hundred in the Friends Life t20 against the Welsh Dragons last week. I still don't know what happened.
It was always an ambition to score a Twenty20 hundred but to do it I thought I'd have to hit lots of sixes - something which isn't my strength. I was wrong, though, and got there by sticking to the things I do well and I was really chuffed that my gameplan came off. I don't know if I'll ever get another one.
We were chasing 179, which is quite a big total but achievable at Taunton providing a couple of batsmen get in. Unfortunately, we lost a few early wickets and were 24 for three, but, in many ways, that meant we could be fearless and play some shots. It was almost a nothing-to-lose situation.
I was batting with Jos [Buttler] and as long as he is around you have a chance of chasing any total.
I managed to get off to a good start and hit a few boundaries early on - that really helped. It gave me the confidence to know I could hit boundaries throughout my innings. As the game went on, their field placings seemed to suit my game which meant I could keep hitting fours. I hit 15 in total and a six.
I've never been a big six hitter. I'm not strong hitting straight down the ground. I'm better square of the wicket, so cut shots and pulls or giving myself some room to flick it off my legs. Against the slower bowling, I look to sweep and reverse sweep to make the most of the square boundaries.
I finished unbeaten on 107 from 60 balls and we won with a ball to spare. It was the best I've played in limited-overs cricket, partly because it was a hundred in T20 cricket but also because it helped us win. The innings which win games always mean more, so sometimes a 30 not out to win a game can be just as valuable.
Hitting a hundred without being a big hitter proved to me that you can score quickly without hitting the ball in the air.
You look at other players around the world who do well in all formats, such as AB de Villiers and Jacques Kallis, they play proper cricket shots rather than smacking sixes. There are ways of scoring runs in T20 rather than just clearing the ropes.
Scoring that hundred also helped me feel I am part of the Somerset Twenty20 squad again. I was dropped for the first game, which was hard to take, so this makes me feel like a valuable member as we push for a place in the quarter-finals.
I feel I have a role to play. Playing around the likes of Buttler and (Craig) Kieswetter, there is an expectation on them to hit the big shots, so I have a different role and I think that works well. I'll target different parts of the field to them which might disrupt the opposition bowlers.
We are top of the Midlands/Wales/West group and are pretty confident going into our next two games against Northants and Gloucestershire. Those are two games we are looking to win.
On Tuesday night we play Northants, who have been struggling in this format - they have lost four out of five - while we are at full strength with Kieswetter, Buttler, (Richard) Levi, (Kevin) O'Brien and (Albie) Morkel, providing he passes a fitness test, all back. Hopefully we'll have a good win and be top by two points with a game in hand by the time we travel back to Taunton later that evening.


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Planning Christmas party for 18 ladies where the restaurant will let us bring the dessert. I purchased plastic cocktail glasses & we want to make something pretty and light to finish the dinner.
Problem is what can we make and refrigerate then transport and NOT have to keep refrigerated for a little more than one hour before it will be served. I think it would be unfair to ask the restaurant to refrigerate what we bring. Can anyone help? We are thinking lemon, lime or any light dessert that will look pretty in a glass perhaps with a little holiday garnish of some sort. Thank you |
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Take your mousse or parfait in a cooler in a bowl with some ice packed in the cooler and spoon it into the stemmed glasses after you arrive... Much easier than trying to transport 18 stemmed glasses full of stuff. |
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- Aug 18:
- Dr. Dustin Ballard — Medically clear: Don't take hips for granted
- Jul 27:
- Dr. Dustin Ballard's Medically Clear: Tackling Marin's prescription drug misuse
- Feb 9:
- Dr. Dustin Ballard: 'This American Life' and our use of acetaminophen
- Jan 19:
- Dr. Dustin Ballard: Promising ways to slow the aging process
- Dec 29:
- Dr. Dustin Ballard: Don't blame it on the shots
- Nov 17:
- Dr. Dustin Ballard: Giving thanks for T-U-R-K-E-Y
- Oct 27:
- Dr. Dustin Ballard: This is your brain on Krokodil and bath salts
- Sep 15:
- Dr. Dustin Ballard: Electronic Health Records showing potential
- Aug 25:
- Dr. Dustin Ballard: Bravo for broccoli! Benefits of eating the vegetable continue to grow
- Aug 4:
- Dr. Dustin Ballard: The house call may return with Affordable Care Act
- Jul 15:
- Dr. Dustin Ballard: Examining the trade-offs with CT scans
- Jun 3:
- Dr. Dustin Ballard: Stayin' alive with hands-only CPR
- May 13:
- Dr. Dustin Ballard: The murky realm of sensing sickness
- Apr 22:
- Dr. Dustin Ballard: Discovering how the human mind works
- Apr 1:
- Dr. Dustin Ballard: Do humans have an innate sense of sickness?
- Feb 18:
- Dr. Dustin Ballard: Feeling certainty in the gun violence debate
- Oct 23:
- Dr. Dustin Ballard: Eating better matters, won't break bank
I'VE GOT an idea. Just for fun, to get some kicks, may I suggest the following trifecta?
Start with a "Boa Constrictor Crawl" through a series of pipes up and downhill into freezing mud. Follow this with an "Arctic Enema," such that you jump into and swim through frigid water, and then finish with an "Electroshock Therapy Run" through a field of live wires (10,000 volts).
Sound totally awesome? If so, then I bet you're interested in participating in Tough Mudder NorCal (registration now open for 2014 at toughmudder.com/events/norcal-2014/).
Haven't heard of Tough Mudder? Well then, let me explain. The Mudder is a 10- to 12-mile obstacle course through a series of "MOB" (mud, obstacles and beer) runs. Billing itself as the "Premier Obstacle Course in the World," the event has exploded in popularity since its inception in 2010, now with more than 1 million participants worldwide.
Intrigued? Well, before you jump up to sign up, I suggest you take a look-see online at the newly released content of the Annals of Emergency Medicine. There you will find a case series compiled by Marna Rayl Greenberg and colleagues (http://bit.ly/1kkRFy4) that documents five severe medical complications (out of 38 people requiring emergency department evaluation) sustained during a two-day Tough Mudder event in Pennsylvania this past summer. Among them:
A 31-year-old male who had completed 20 out of 22 obstacles before developing seizure activity along with right-sided weakness and confusion. Ultimately, he was diagnosed with a stroke complicated by seizures.
A 28-year-old man with headache and confusion after sustaining multiple electrical shocks to the head while running through water. He was hospitalized for two days and treated for inflammation of the lining of the heart (called pericarditis).
A 25-year-old woman who went down after taking a shock to the chest just before the finish line. In the emergency room, she was incontinent of urine, dizzy and besieged by a racing heart. Ultimately, she was diagnosed with rhadomylosis (abnormal muscle breakdown because of overexertion) and hospitalized.
Reading these cases, you may wonder why these people risked their health for recreation. It's a fair question and, of course, the Tough Mudders are not alone. Many other thrill seekers join them: the big wave surfers and avalanche skiers, the marathoners and CrossFitters, and the free climbers and free divers. Their cohort also include the copycats of "Jackass" (if you decide to look these up, check out the "Toro Trotter" and "Alligator Tightrope") and, overseas at least, devotees of zorbing, coasteering and the Nevis Arc (the world's highest flying trapeze).
So, why are people drawn to such "adrenaline" pursuits? The simple answer, as you may have already surmised, is that for many, these activities fill a void left by the "mund-sanity" of modern life. But for others, their good health may depend on challenging themselves with a healthy dose of risk-taking.
Take CrossFit, an extremely intense workout ethos with a devoted following despite that it can, according to its founder Greg Glassman, "kill you." But for most CrossFitters, the risk is more than worth it because of the physical and emotional rewards. For these and other extreme sport participants, recreation is inextricably linked to cardiovascular condition, muscle mass, flexibility and adaptation, and thus it's a pretty good cure to the "smokadiabesity" that plagues much of sedentary America.
The Tough Mudder participant who conquers his or her fears along with the event also may garner confidence and optimism to face challenges elsewhere in life.
It used to be that psychologists, especially those influenced by Freud, saw risk-taking as evidence of a diseased mind. Nowadays, though, the perception is changing. According to sports psychologist Ken Way in an article for Intelligent Life magazine, "Personality studies and psychological profiling support the idea that those who regularly take on calculated risks tend to be the least anxious, the least neurotic. They are resilient people who manage their fear and still perform."
Contrary to popular conception, it is not so much that thrill seekers are taking risks for risks' sake, but that there is another reward at the end of it all. Whether it be physical fitness, increased confidence, an emotional boost or something else entirely, the risk is a means to a recognized end.
So then, that's the key: challenge yourself but do so with calculated risk. Know what you are getting into. It's sometimes easier said than done, but good advice indeed. Wear a helmet when you cannonball down Tamarancho, take a buddy with you when you surf the big ones, and know when to say "when" to the CrossFit challenge. The smartest mudder is the one who pushes through obstacles until the point that his body tells him to stop.
Keep in mind, as well, that extreme sporting events can put a strain on our emergency medical services. Tough Mudder organizers and others must do their part to ensure that that there is an adequate medical professional presence at and around their events to help manage the inevitable health hiccups. And participants should do their own risk due diligence.
So then, perhaps before signing up for the Boa Crawl, Arctic Enema and Electroshock trifecta you should make sure that you are signed up for health insurance. Now's the time — head on over to www.coveredca.com.
Dr. Dustin W. Ballard is an emergency physician at Kaiser Permanente San Rafael and the author of "The Bullet's Yaw: Reflections on Violence, Healing and an Unforgettable Stranger." His Medically Clear column appears every third Monday; follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/dballard30.


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Daily Archives: August 11, 2011
Tsunami Quilts
My guild, Hawaii Quilt Guild, is doing a collection for Tsunami victims from the March Earthquake in Japan. It is called "Operation Friendship". "Project Friendship is a plan to aid the people displaced by the March 11, 2011 earthquake and … Continue reading


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Tips to Reduce Excessive Charges / Water ConservationHome Maintenance Ideas
Tips for Efficient Lawn and Landscape Irrigation
Conservation TipsConserve water to help control rates. By working together as a community, we can make simple changes in our water usage that will have an impact on the water rate charged by the Detroit Water and Sewer Department. Here are ways you can help. Step One: Economize!
Step Two: Repair Leaks!
Step Three: Install Water Saving Devices
Step Four: Reuse Water
Click here for a list of 100 ways to conserve water! |


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VIDEO: Dover's Marching Band Performs Dover High School's Marching Band took to the field Friday night at halftime of the DIAA Football Tournament game with St. Mark's and performed Metallica's "Enter Sandman." Each week WDEL will bring you one of Delaware's top high school marching bands performance on the field at halftime! |
Copyright © Jan 28, 2015, WDEL/Delmarva Broadcasting Company. All Rights Reserved. Advanced permission from Delmarva Broadcasting Company required for publication or rebroadcast. |


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A nasty fall on a train platform puts Larry Mendte face to face with some widely held attitudes that seem to treat litigiousness as a given [Philadelphia Magazine via Common Good].
"Oh man, you are so lucky….You are going to make a fortune"
{ 4 comments }
- 1 04.22.10 at 7:41 am
Yeah, I'm not seeing it. Torts wasn't my best class, but there don't seem to be any overlooked banana peels or falling scales here.
- 2 04.22.10 at 12:53 pm
^^ Amtrak and Penn Station had a duty to take reasonable measures to keep their patrons safe from (and/or warn of) dangerous conditions on their premises (in this case, the slippery platform). They didn't, he slipped and fell on his face, and that's all you need for a modern slip-and-fall law suit.
And maybe he wants to go after the shoe maker/supplier/retailer, too, but products liability cases are more expensive to litigate.
- 3 04.22.10 at 2:20 pm
Poignant editorial. This past January my kid (age 6) slipped while climbing on the school bus; nasty gash, bled like Niagara Falls. After a bunch of stitches we got home to apologetic voice mails from the driver and sundry school officials. All of our friends asked if we planned to sue – like it was only a fool who would not sue. It was kind of creepy – not, "how's your kid?" or "how many stitches?" People repeatedly wanted to refer me to a friend who does personal injury law. Nope, no suit, no plans for one – and my kid now grabs rails whenever he climbs on to things.
- 4 04.23.10 at 1:15 pm
He never identified what made him slip. Which certainly makes his editorial odd.
New leather shoes could be one thing (of which he would be obviously aware).
Leaky oil from overhead mechanical equipment could be another.And that would lead to very different results.
Comments on this entry are closed.


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2014 Chicago Innovation Awards
Nominations for the 2014 Chicago Innovation Awards closed on August 4th. The 2014 winners were announced at the Harris Theater on October 30th and can be viewed here.
How can I be invited to attend a Chicago Innovation Awards event?
Events are by invitation only. You can sign up on our mailing list to receive invitations here:
When can I submit a nomination and when is the deadline?
- Nominations will open in May 2015
What qualifies me as eligible to nominate my product or service?
To be eligible for a Chicago Innovation Award, the product, service, or company nominated must be:
- Introduced within the past 3 years.
- Headquartered in the greater Chicago region, including the northern half of Illinois, southern Wisconsin, and northwest Indiana.
Can I nominate my own company?
- Absolutely! A majority of our nominations come from a company nominating their own product or service.
Is there a fee to nominate?
- No. There is no fee associated with submitting a nomination or winning an award.
If I nominate, will I be able to attend the Nominee Reception?
- Yes, all nominees are invited to attend the Nominee Reception on September 3rd, 2014.
If I submit a nomination, and then later have an important update about my product/service, is it too late to submit this information?
- No, please send all updates to firstname.lastname@example.com.
How do I know if I am a finalist or a winner?
- We will contact you directly to let you know if you are a finalist or a winner.
Nomination Criteria
What criteria does the judging committee look at when evaluating nominees?
The judging committee looks at the following criteria:
- Did the product/service meet an unmet need?
- How unique is the product/service? Is this the first of its kind? If not, how is it different or better than existing products/services?
- What new value has been created for the end user?
- What financial evidence or market acceptance information does the product/service have to support it? What is its quantifiable evidence of success?
Nomination Timeline
What is the timing of the nomination, judging and event process?
The Chicago Innovation Awards process operates as follows:
May 1st to July 31st, 2014: Nominations are open and can be submitted through our website. | |
August and September: Judges convene to review nominations. During this time, you may or may not be contacted to provide more detailed information on your nomination. | |
Early September: All nominees are invited to attend the Nominee Reception at Park West on September 3rd, 2014. | |
Late September: Judges determine and announce the top 100 nominees. The top 100 nominees are invited to "The Practical Innovator" at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management on September 23, 2014. | |
October: People's Choice Award voting begins online for the top 100 nominees. The nominee with the most votes will be the winner of the People's Choice Award. Over 30,000 votes were received for the 2013 People's Choice Award. | |
Late October: Winners are announced at the Chicago Innovation Awards Ceremony on October 30th at the Harris Theater. If your nomination is selected as a winner, you will be contacted a few weeks prior the awards ceremony. |
What is the People's Choice Award?
2014 will mark another year of the Chicago Innovation People's Choice Award. After the judges have selected the 100 most innovative nominations, they will be posted to our site for public voting. In 2013, over 30,000 votes were received from the public.
Are nominees involved in the Innovators Connection?
Yes! All nominees will be considered for the Innovators Connection, which matches our region's most innovative companies with the needs of large corporations.


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Valpo residents voice ideas about schools
By James D. Wolf Jr. Post-Tribune correspondent April 22, 2013 10:40PM
Updated: May 24, 2013 6:22AM
VALPARAISO — Residents had their say about this year's school board appointment interviews, and they focused on board transparency, reclaiming the school's reputation as the best and looking to education's future.
Valparaiso is one of the few school corporations in the state that have an appointed board and residents told the council at Monday's meeting what they believe is important.
One resident and teacher wanted to know how the new board member would conduct the search for a new superintendent differently, given that there have been three superintendents in about five years, the current one a temporary situation.
Former Principal Steve Cronk said when he taught in Valparaiso, "We were open and very public" and "We talked about being the best."
Everyone worked together on the board, administration and teachers, but now Valparaiso doesn't have the respect around the state anymore, he said.
Debbie Fray said she left teaching because of the lack of respect
Richard Wheeler wanted residents to be able to ask question after hearing the candidates instead of having to submit them beforehand and wanted board members that will let Indianapolis know that we're not happy with education being funded by sales taxes because of a property tax cap.
Teacher's union president Juanagene Nietert said she wanted someone who understands education and is "willing to go down and talk to state legislators."
Landon Davison, a Valparaiso High School Senior and President of the high school's Student Education Association, wanted to see students used as a resource instead of a novelty when they speak up.
The City Council will choose new school board members by the end of June. The process begins with people applying by noon on May 31.
The council will choose five candidates to interview, which will take place before the June 10 council meeting and then again involving the public before the June 24 meeting.


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jimripall | December 17, 2009
Here are two comments that I posted on this video's viewer comment thread:
azizip17-"This is my favorite Culture Club song. I consider this video [to be] a better alternative depiction of Mississippi 1870s since Black and White people in the real Mississippi 1870s weren't allowed to be socially equal like shown in this video. Thank you Culture Club, thanks to the producer of this video, and thanks also to jim ripall. This is a very high quality version of this video. It's much clearer than other versions found on YT. I've added it to my jambalayah collection of YT music video gems."
azizip17-Also, from wikipedia "Pan African Colors" -green, gold, and red are now found on the national flags of many African nations. They originate in Ethiopia; from where they also have relevance for the Rastafari movement. They were used on many ancient African flags, most notably in the bloom on the flag of Granada, the Moorish state in Spain...(Ghana was the first country to adopt the pan-African colours)"...Did Culture Club chose these particular colors for this significance?
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Copyright © 2010-2011 Azizi Powell; All Rights Reserved


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Wasted food equates to dollars lost from your pocket. Here's how to stop squandering money on uneaten meals.
Microwaves Features (continued)
Microwaves One-Touch Buttons and Sensors.
Microwaves have come a long way since the single-function on/off-button days. Even cheap countertop microwaves now have settings pre-programmed to achieve certain ends with the touch of a button: cook rice, fresh vegetables, or pizza, say, or boil water and heat up coffee.Newer innovations are now popping up in the countertop microwaves segment.
Microwave Defrosting.
One of the great home-cooking advances arrived with the microwave's ability to defrost a dinner straight from the freezer. A practical and welcome concept, certainly, but the execution has hardly been flawless. It's not unheard of, for example, to wind up with cooked edges on a lump of frozen ground meat and a partially frozen mid-section after the end of a defrost cycle. One of the common misperceptions about microwave ovens is that they heat from the inside out. In fact, notes the USDA, they cook to a depth of 1.5 inches, so frozen foods must continuously be moved around (flipped over, broken up) throughout the defrosting process.Defrosting is best done at 30% power, and virtually all countertop microwaves have a pre-set defrost button. Some of the best countertop microwaves up the ante a bit. On the GE JES1142SJ and Oster OGG61403, just key in the weight of the food item and the power level and time adjust automatically. The Panasonic NN-H765 features a proprietary function called Inverter Turbo Defrost, which is supposed to eliminate the hot and raw spots by delivering constant power at high, medium, or low levels rather than cycling on and off. The Kenmore 6633 provides an express defrost (you customize the time and power level) in addition to an auto defrost (pre-programmed settings for different types of food) that beeps midway through the cycle as a reminder to open the door and adjust (stir, break up, turn over) the food item. The LG LMA1180ST lets you choose a setting for poultry, steaks/chops, or ground meat.
Microwaves Indicators.
Almost all countertop microwaves emit a sound when a cycle is complete; a few follow up with a reminder beep a minute or two later. While some consumers are grateful for the prompt, others find it irritating. In fact, some reviewers of the Kenmore 6633 are delighted that you can turn off the beep altogether. The Amana AMC5143A lets you select among four different sound levels, and it can even play a little tune.Microwaves Turntable.
A rotating glass turntable is standard on today's countertop microwaves because it ensures more even heat distribution and better results. The turntables are easy to remove and wash, and many models let you turn off the carousel to prevent oddly-shaped cookware from getting stuck. The turntables are generally large enough to hold a dinner plate, and most measure 12 or 13 inches in diameter; the Panasonic NN-H765 boasts a 15-inch turntable, which is much admired by users who note on Amazon that it rotates with ease while holding a standard-sized baking dish.The turntable in most cheap microwaves rests on a ring or little feet set into the floor of the oven, but it's easy for it to slip out of alignment. Some pricey models, such as the Kitchen Aid KCMS1555S (starting at $308), come with a recessed turntable, which keeps it secure and leaves more internal space for food; among the countertop microwaves we researched, only the LG LMA1180ST provides this feature.
Microwaves Extras.
Some cheap countertop microwaves come with a few frills. Among those on our list, the Panasonic NN-H765 stands out: it features a "keep warm" function (ditto for the Amana AMC5143A), an add-a-minute function (ditto for the Kenmore 6633), a delay start (ditto for the Haier MWM12001SCG) and it scrolls user instructions in English, Spanish, or French across a small screen. Both the Haier MWM12001SCG and Oster OGG61403 sport handles on the door rather than push buttons, a feature that many consumers prefer. Back to top »There are several ways to get fit at home without going broke; try workout DVDs, a support group, and smartphone apps.
These 12 gadgets can help users save time and money in 2015.


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Central College is committed to its environmental mission, embracing sustainability initiatives across campus. We seek to be a community leading the way to create a campus—and a society—in harmony with the environment. From energy-efficient vehicles and buildings, to recycling, to water conservation, to renewable energy, and much more—our challenge is great, but so is our commitment.
Former President David Roe signed the Talloires Declaration on sustainability, and committed to LEED Certification for future buildings on campus.
Iowa's first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating by the US Green Building Council in 2003 for the Vermeer Science Center.
Earned LEED rating in 2004 for the "Pods" residential hall now McKee Hall.
Central is committed to LEED guidelines for all new campus construction and to an environmentally friendly campus including the Roe Center.
Central College is committed to recycling and we encourage our students to do their part as well.
Central currently uses several all-electric vehicles and two Toyota Hybrids. We hope to eventually power all of Central's vehicles with photovoltaics.
Central College is a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) http://www.aashe.org/ and the the Upper Midwest Association for Campus Sustainability (UMACS) http://www.umacs.org/.


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Regular Price: $6,000.00
Price as Configured: $3,499.00
The Somerset TV Lift Cabinet completes a vintage French country style with a fresh, clean, inviting feel that brings a sense of relaxation to any living room.
But not only does this TV Lift Cabinet look relaxing, its features deliver practical relaxation as well. Like all of our premium TV Lift Cabinet systems, the Somerset comes fully assembled with the TV Lift mechanism and unique infrared relay system installed and ready for use. Complete with a remote to display and put away a television set with ease, it's easy to see why we always say that this handcrafted solid maple cabinet is as much stylish as it is functional.
The Somerset TV Lift Cabinet fits televisions up to 60 inches and features six ventilated shelves to keep televisions and all electronics cool. Elegant brushed nickel pulls complete the bright, airy feel of the Somerset TV Lift Cabinet and the solid maple form ensures your television is safely stored.
There's no doubt that whether your cheering for your favorite sports team, hosting a party for family or friends, or just curling up with loves ones to watch a movie on a rainy day – the Somerset TV Lift Cabinet is exactly the thing you were looking for.
62"W x 26-3/4"D x 40-3/4"H
56-3/4"W x 4"D x 34-1/4"H
* Do not include TV's stand in your measurement.
80 Pounds
* Do not include TV's stand in your weight calculation.
When it comes to TV lift cabinet & TV stand delivery, our customers deserve nothing but the best. That is the essence of our FREE white glove in-home delivery.
Our delivery service offers everything you'll need to get your TV lift cabinet or TV stand delivered to your home in a safe timely manner, including:
However, your TV lift cabinet or TV stand delivery also comes with something more—the extra-delicate handling and care your furniture deserves—and an extra attention to detail you will appreciate. From the uniformed staff to the protective booties our delivery teams wear, it's an added value experience that continues to make us proud to be one the largest online retailers of TV lift cabinets and TV stands.


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New Revised Standard (NRS) | New International Version (NIV) |
4 You are beautiful as Tirzah, my love, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners. | 4 You are beautiful, my darling, as Tirzah, lovely as Jerusalem, majestic as troops with banners. |
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. (New Revised Standard Bible Version Online) | Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. (New International Version Bible Online) |


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Preservation Week Event
To celebrate Preservation Week, the Society of Rocky Mountain Archivists and the Denver Public Library Western History/Genealogy Department are providing short consultations for your family treasures with conservation experts.* Archivists at the "Ask an Archivist" table will be able to talk about organizing and storing your family materials at home.
Staff from the Denver Public Library Western History/Genealogy Department will be on hand to digitize your artifacts as part of the new Colorado social archive Creating Your Community. We can scan up to three items no larger than 8.5" x 11.7", a USB drive will be provided.
To guarantee a session with a conservator, make a reservation through email@example.com or call 303-275-2214. Walk-ins are welcome as time allows.
*experts in the conservation of books, paper, photographs, textiles, paintings and objects will be available. Objects larger than 36" can not be accommodated


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Squire Sanders opened the Northern Virginia office in 2001 to serve the expanding legal needs of Northern Virginia's dynamic business community. The region is well known for its many federal government contractors. It is the heart of the Washington DC metropolitan area's technology community, with a large and growing number of commercial IT, software and communications businesses. Northern Virginia is a highly desirable location for both US-based and international businesses seeking proximity to the nation's capital, access to a well educated and highly skilled workforce and a great place to live.
Squire Sanders is in an excellent position to serve the needs of the area's active local businesses. Our lawyers deliver diverse legal services in communications, commercial litigation, mergers and acquisitions, private and public debt and equity financings, real estate, employment law, government contracts and intellectual property. With a worldwide network of offices, our Northern Virginia office can represent local clients' interests anywhere in the world as well as represent international clients in matters throughout the Washington DC region.
Our corporate lawyers have extensive experience handling acquisitions and sales of companies performing government contracts and, together with our government contracts lawyers, have dealt with the many issues unique to federal government contracting. Our corporate finance and securities lawyers have represented clients in a wide variety of loan transactions involving diverse industries and in registered public offerings. Our intellectual property lawyers have a substantial patent prosecution practice representing US-based and international clients and support our trial lawyers in intellectual property disputes.


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September 11, 2009, 11:40 AM
By Tom Junod
"Was it fun?" I asked Bob Diamond.
It was one of those easy questions he didn't like. Hard questions he could answer with dignity, with his combination of priestly remove and priestly magnanimity.
The easy questions made him look a little queasy. He blanched a little bit, and his mouth tightened, like the knot of a skinny tie.
"I don't think there's any way you could describe anything we did over that period as fun," he said. "I think, in looking back, there's definitely things that we accomplished that we felt very gratified about — felt, gosh, given the situation, we really executed well. But there was no aspect of it — from the intensity, from vested interests on so many sides, from disagreements with people you trust and know well, to being frankly just plain tired — there was no aspect about it that could be described as fun. But we knew that when we started this process. We got on a plane Thursday night to come to New York. We understood the seriousness. We expected this to be one of the most intense experiences. We felt that if it wasn't something we were prepared to do, we should move aside."
They didn't move aside, of course. At no time did they ever move aside, and now Diamond was an American again. He moved to New York and went to work in the big building at 745 Seventh Avenue, which used to be the headquarters of an American investment bank called Lehman Brothers. Its facade used to throb with the color of lucre — Lehman green, in honor of all those employees who attested that they "bled green" — but now its pulse was Barclays blue. Dick Fuld used to go to work in the carved isolation of the thirty-first floor, but now Bob Diamond's office was made of glass and it was located in the corner of one of his trading floors. He had intended the purchase of Lehman Brothers to be "transformational" for Barclays, and for evidence of his success he didn't have to look much farther than just outside the walls that were his windows and the windows that were his walls. It wasn't just that Barclays Capital was now an American bulge-bracket firm in its own right; it wasn't just that out of the integration of Barclays and Lehman Brothers he had built what Jerry del Missier called a "flow monster" that kept capital moving with incredible efficiency. It was that in taking over Lehman Brothers, he had also allowed Barclays to be taken over, in what one Barclays trader called the "goddamnedest reverse takeover you ever saw." The culture at Lehman Brothers was American and aggressive, replete with its "animals" and its "killers," not to mention its jerks and assholes, and while Diamond cherished the culture he had built at Barclays from the beginning, he was willing to put it in play.
And so I asked him if the purchase of Lehman Brothers had been as transformational for him as it was for Barclays. Of course, being a journalist rather than a capitalist, I was thinking in sentimental terms — thinking that he might answer by speaking of what he'd lost, in terms of innocence, rather than what he'd gained, in terms of power and prestige. But his answer was right in front of me, as well as all around me. His jacket was off, slung on a chair. He was wearing a blue-striped shirt, with a green tie dotted with tiny emblems in the shape of Nantucket, where his father had once been the high school principal, and where he was flying that evening in a NetJet to spend the summer weekend at his mansion. His whole being was transformed and his innocence was the innocence of acquisition. He was transformed exactly as Barclays had been, and when, two weeks later, Barclays Capital announced — largely on the strength of its Lehman acquisition — a half-year profit of nearly $2 billion, Diamond's staid English bank stood with JPMorgan as one of the biggest investment banks in the world... or, as Ricci would have it, as "one of the big boys, for better or for worse."
What To Read Next


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Former Marion County Deputy Sheriff Sentenced to Fifteen Years in Prison on Drug and Gun Charges
Ocala, Florida - U.S. Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces today that U.S. District Judge John Antoon, II sentenced former Marion County Deputy Sheriff Nicholas M. Ragosta (40, Ocala) to fifteen years in federal prison for conspiracy, possession with intent to sell marijuana, and use of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. As part of the sentence, the court also entered a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $240,000.
Nicholas Ragosta was found guilty by a federal jury on January 6, 2012. According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, in May 2009, Nicholas Ragosta, Andrew Ragosta, and Robert Abbott came up with a plan to steal four hundred pounds of marijuana from Nelson Daniel Schena, who lived in Hialeah, Florida. This plan was finalized at a meeting that took place at Nicholas Ragosta's house. Abbott and Andrew Ragosta represented to Schena that there was a buyer in Marion County who wanted to purchase the marijuana. Because of this expected sale, Schena and two associates brought 400 pounds of marijuana, valued at approximately $240,000, from the Miami area up to Marion County on May 15, 2009.
Schena and his associates met with Abbott and Andrew Ragosta at Abbott's house on May 15, 2009. While at Abbott's house, the four hundred pounds of marijuana was placed into Andrew Ragosta's van. Schena was told by Abbott and Andrew Ragosta to follow Andrew Ragosta to the house of a buyer, who would then pay for the marijuana. Unknown to Schena, he and his associates were being lured to a location where the marijuana could be stolen. The travel route was pre-planned and a location had been scouted out for Deputy Nicholas Ragosta to make a traffic stop, while in uniform, and while utilizing his Sheriff's Office marked patrol car.
As had been planned, Andrew Ragosta made a rolling stop through a pre-determined stop sign, and Deputy Nicholas Ragosta, who was parked nearby, turned on his blue lights and conducted a traffic stop.
A confrontation ensued at the scene of the traffic stop and Deputy Ragosta drew his firearm after Schena exited the vehicle. Andrew Ragosta then drove away with the marijuana, and was followed by Nicholas Ragosta, who tried to make it appear that he was giving chase. The marijuana was later sold and the profits were divided among Andrew Ragosta, Abbott, and Nicholas Ragosta.
This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Marion County Sheriff's Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samuel D. Armstrong.


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Melissa RyanDelray Beach, FLHairCurly HairI Love This Hair DryerI had the T3, that started sparking and ended up in causing a fire, so I was in the market for a new hair dryer. I have thick curly hair that takes forever to dry. I saw the reviews for the Sedu Revolution Tourmaline Ionic TGR 4000i Hair dryer and was curious to how well it really worked. Le me tell you, I love this little hair dryer sooooo much, its small, light weight, and so powerful. Try it youll love it.posted Oct 9, 2008Link to this post
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Blog | Comments |
WoW | 19 Comments |
Recent Comments:
Breakfast Topic: Unfinished business {WoW}
Dec 12th 2006 8:48AM Hmm.. Unfinished business, eh? I can't say that I have a whole great deal of it. There's a hunter I'd like to get to 60, currently sitting @ 44. I'd like to get my Warlock to 60, too. I don't think that's happening though, but if the hunter makes 60, it won't keep me from trying.
Anything beyond that is just stuff that I'd like to do. I'd like to drop Twin Emps and C'thun. I'd like to finish off my AQ20 set.
Oh, and then there's the thing I said I'd do ages ago, and still haven't: I want to finish every quest currently in the game on my Shaman.
Dear Blizz: Here's how to fix LFG {WoW}
Dec 12th 2006 8:41AM As with one of the previous posters, I'm also going to take your commentary as worthless criticism. Limiting by spec is worthless, and if you really don't want a particular spec, then ask them once they're in your group. If you're that big of an ass about it, then you can most certainly throw them out once you find out that shaman is enhancement when you wanted resto or that priest is shadow when you wanted Disc/Holy. However, that was one of the greatest downfalls of FFXI, and I'd hate to see it come to WoW.
As to your gripe with Auto-Join, it's been said. Don't like it? Don't use it. There's plenty of folks out there, myself included, who want a system that they can set up and simply forget about. I used the tool extensively on the PTRs, and loved it. I wound up with several groups, which while varying in effectiveness, were all more than capable of handling whatever we happened to be going after. Most of the issues were due to the player behind the character, not the character.
As to the rest of it, it's no different than the hordes of trolls and QQers on the forums. It's a mishmash of half-hearted bunk that, while applicable in some sense, is just that. It's a bunch of excuses as to why you're not using the tool. It's there, it's functional, and it does work. As Nethaera has stated, numerous times on the forums, it's like any tool. It will only work if it gets used, and people like you not using it are the issue. Not the tool itself.
PTRs online... well, sorta. {WoW}
Nov 14th 2006 1:23PM Well, I'll let it be known that I'm way ahead of most people at this point. I found out that they were starting to spin up the PTRs last night at around 2330 Central, and started the download.. only to have it barf when there wasn't enough space on my drive. I cleared that up, had to re dl it, and still have it done.
Oh, and character copy? I did that last night at midnight, so hopefully it will take. The screens did say that it was for the 2.01 PTR. *fingers crossed, knocking on wood*
Oh, and @3: This has nothing to do with the expansion. Blizzard is pushing a pre-expansion patch, which appears to be 2.01, that will encompass nearly all, or possibly all the content which has been associated with the expansion that has nothing to do with Outland. This includes the new talents, spells under 60, hunter mechanics, and so on.
Breakfast Topic: How Much Do You Tip? {WoW}
Nov 14th 2006 8:22AM Depending on what it is, I've tipped anywhere from 50s up to 5-10g. However, of late, I find that all I'm really getting done are higher level craft combines, and in those cases, I'll let the crafter keep the extra mats. The exception to that being enchanting, since I have a hard enough time coming by mats to get that type of stuff done as it is.
Breakfast Topic: Two Years In {WoW}
Nov 1st 2006 11:26AM "The community is too diluted and that is why I am not compelled to play it as I once was. But it shall forever rank in my all-time hall of fame of games that marked where I was and what I was doing for a few years of my life."
I disagree with this wholeheartedly. Simply because the community is outrageously large doesn't make it any less personal. I've played EQ, FFXI and DAoC before WoW, and find WoW to be just as personal as any of those were. Server size is roughly comparable to how it was in FFXI at it's peak. I think your issue may be with your association, or perhaps even lack thereof. I run with an outstanding guild, with a core of 40-50 players, maybe a few more than that. Apart from them, I associate mainly with folks I've met in game and gotten to know, and people I know IRL. So, the issue isn't WoW, it's your playstyle.
As to myself, I started playing in beta shortly after hunters went into the game. Yea, back when you couldn't tame pets. I look back at it then, and now, and I'm nothing but impressed with the amount of progress that Blizz has made with the game. I look at everything coming up in the expansion, and am nothing but amazed. Along the way, I've rolled and deleted a few characters on PvP realms, taken a Shaman to 60, cleared MC, BWL, AQ20, and part of AQ40. I've taken a Rogue to 60, ranked up in PvP when I get bored with everything else. I've solo farmed alch recipes in UBRS, tested my skills of stealth and evasion picking the pockets of Ogres in Eldre'Thelas (I refuse to acknowledge it as Dire Maul). My pair of hunters are into their 40s. The Nelf has found a steadfast companion in a Broken Toothed cat, the Troll a Worg with a slight drool issue. I've travled Azeroth north to south and east to west, with stops in all places in between.
All in all, the journey has been wonderful, and I'm definitely looking to more of the same and even better in The Outlands.
Breakfast Topic: How Do You Choose a Guild? {WoW}
Oct 30th 2006 11:36AM I've had several guild over the course of playing WoW for the almost 2 years it's been out. I've joined some guilds by them finding me. Others I've joined after a mostly inguild run of . Recently, I've started running with Wraithsteel Legion, Azjol-Nerub H. They're very much a casual guild, but one that thoroughly enjoys running instances. Occasionally we'll have a tard night, and just about anyone that's on will raid up for a night of tardedness. This can be anything from rolling every alliance flight master on a continent, to ganking every leader in stormwind. Camping the WSG exit in Ashenvale is a good time, too.
So, if any of you crazy folks actually read this:
We are Wraithsteel, the Legion of the Night. In darkness we arrive, and by darkness we depart. All fall before the Legion!
Soloing in World of Warcraft {WoW}
Oct 27th 2006 4:30PM @Kaziel: I'm most certainly thrilled that blizz is both getting rid of the need for mods such as decursive and benecast, in addition to making them entirely unusable. Currently, there's a few bosses in the game that require you to do one of two things:
1. Build groups with characters in each to decurse anything that they could possibly get in an encounter. I'm not certain that's possible for bosses like Chromaggus, who is quite possibly the most annoying encounter currently in the game.
2. Spread your debuff removers throughout the raid, and have them watch a list of folks who need to be cleansed.. and then manually cleanse them. That essentially means you'll spend the entire fight decursing. Pretty retarded that it's necesarry, IMO.
So, in response, people created mods to take out the monotony. It appears to me from looking at the video coming from TBC in the handful of instances that I've seen that this has been addressed, and that cleansing isn't nearly as bad as it's been in the past.
@Mordicieus: I see it the exact same, but for different reasons. If you want to have a good shot at clearing BWL, you'll need T1. For most of AQ40, you'll want T2 or other gear out of BWL. It's simply how the game is structured. With that said, wanting to gear out isn't the issue. Real epeen wavers are the folks who go on and on about their world first kills, and rave on and on about how the 25 man raid cap is going to destroy their guild. Those are the folks to rant at regarding epeens.
The entire point of any MMO is character progression. Ultimately, without putting a cap on progression, this will come down to gear. City of Heroes is a good example of a game with a progression cap, btw. Eventually, you're max level, and that's it.
With WoW, you cap out, raid to progress your gear, to kill more bosses to get more gear to kill more bosses. And you know what? I'm fine with that. I love spending time with my guild, regardless of what we're doing, beit farming Nefarian or wiping on Huhuran because we're working out when we really should be turning on all the heat to nuke her down from 30%. That's what WoW is all about to me, and I'm sure it's the same for most of the folks posting here.
Breakfast Topic: Your First Class {WoW}
Oct 27th 2006 4:18PM First character was in closed beta, a Nelf Hunter, right after pet abilities went in. Shortly thereafter, I rolled an Orc Shaman and rolled him up to mid 20s along with the hunter.
At launch, I rolled another Nelf Hunter and another Orc Shaman. I played the hunter to around 24, got tired of not having any of my friends who also played to yack at, and picked up the shaman. He got to 60, raided MC all the way through, started BWL, and secluded himself away from the world for a time. Shortly thereafter, A newly dead rogue rose up in Tirisfal, and began his journeys through the world. Along the way, he's found that now ancient shaman, a troll hunter, and another newly dead; a warlock this time.
As to that nelf hunter, he wandered through Azeroth, freelancing where needed, until he found a rare companion in a Broken Toothed cat he ran across in the Badlands ^.~. He's since gone back into seclusion.
And that's the long and the short of it.
Soloing in World of Warcraft {WoW}
Oct 27th 2006 4:00PM "As for those who say that end-game raid instances take no skill, the only person who would be quantified to say that would be someone who has beaten Kel'Thuzad. Since this people who are mostly saying that end-game raid instances are not skill based, merely time sinks, it gives me the impression that you've not spent the time (by choice or by circumstance) going to these places, so how can you say that?"
This is quite possibly one of the biggest loads of crap I've seen in my life. Tell us then, have you downed Kel'Thuzad with your guild? If not, then how about C'thun? Twin Emperors? Nefarian? For that matter, have you personally spent the time wiping on any of the endgame raid bosses with your guild, assuming you have one? As I mentioned in a prior post, I most certainly have. I've done so with multiple guilds, for that matter, and on the same boss to boot. Skill only accounts for a small portion of defeating raid bosses, and time is right behind it for the least important parts of progression. Does it help? Most certainly, but it's not the be all end all by any means. The hardest part of beating any boss in any raid is getting 39 individuals to listen to one single person.
Want to know the real key behind the success of top guilds? The people you see there on world first kills listen. They do everything required of them, unfailingly and unquestioningly. They're willing to respec, spend hours farming consumables, anything for that slight edge. That's it. Nothing more, nothing less. Even then, it's not really all that extra stuff that pushes them over the top, just the ability to listen and carry things out precisely.
I'll illustrate my point using The Four Horsemen out of Naxx. I'll admit I haven't killed them, but watch a kill video. There's two things worth noting about the encounter.
1. There's nothing terribly hard about it. It's a tank and spank, with a few small twists, the most notable being the rotations required due to the 'Mark' abilities of the Horsemen.
2. It's really a gear block. Until you have the gear giving you the endurance to last through the whole fight, you really don't have a chance of beating them. All the tanks need at least 4/8 Dreadnaught, and I'm sure that the same goes for the rest of the raid as well. What's that mean? It's easier to do if you have more time to spend farming the lower bosses and have gone through AQ40 for all the gear in there.
So, as has been said; It takes time to farm the gear and a willingness to listen and follow instructions. Skill has been replaced with UI mods and addons, and after that, it's all about how much time you have on your hands.
Soloing in World of Warcraft {WoW}
Oct 27th 2006 3:45PM Having spent the hours upon hours wiping on bosses 'learning' them, I can honestly say that 'learning' a boss takes one or two wipes, tops. Beyond that, it's a simple matter of getting 40 people to press the right buttons at the right time, or bite the bullet on addons and install the ones that allow them to decurse faster, or heal faster/more efficiently, or whatever else. There's no skill in ANY of that. I've watched plenty of kill videos, from Death and Taxes, Risen, Nihlium, Fires of Heaven, and whoever else you'd like to bring up. It's 40 people relying entirely on addons to do 90% of the work for them. KTM, Benecast, Decursive, CT Raid Boss Mod. What skill is there in any of that? I'd say there's none.
Ultimately, once you have an instance on 'farm', then that's it. There's clearly no skill involved in that, and these are the same bosses. They don't change from the first time you fight them to the time you have them on farm, so what actually changes? It's not that you're more skilled for having wiped 50 times. You've simply memorized everything that could possibly go wrong, and learned to deal with it more efficiently. Learning efficiency has nothing to do with player skill in any way, shape or form. Claiming otherwise proves that you are simply full of yourself and are hanging on to a selfish desire to be better than anyone who puts in less time and effort wiping on bosses because they don't have the time to do so.
Oh, and Krit, I loved your comparison of AQ40 to Deadmines, although I think that Scarlet Monastary would be a better comparison, with the Cathedral wing being a good example of it. There's less bosses, to be certain, but I remember wiping in a very proportional manner on Lady Whitemane and High Lord Mograine figuring out that you beat him, kill her after she resurrects him, then kill her. There's a few other bosses in other lower level instances that are similar.
All in all, I think this of raids:
The hardest part of any 40 man raid I've ever been a part of is finding one person willing to pay attention to every last thing the boss does, learning their behavior, and then finding a way to get the other 39 to listen to everything they say to do in order to counter the bosses script. That's all there is to it, plain and simple. Beyond that, it's just a matter of time spent. The real skill shows in how few times you wipe on the bosses that don't exist solely to make sure you have adequate gear for the bosses beyond them, such as Princess Huhuran in AQ40 or Baron Geddon in MC.