text:
Problems after wicking
I've been growing African Violets for many years and should be an expert by now but still struggle with many of my plants. Big box store african violets aside, I'd say only 20% of my violets grow well. I seldom have one die, they just grow terribly, i.e. leaves become stiff and waxy, center leaves become very small and tight; if they do manage to squeeze out a bloom, it's VERY small, and feels like wax. For years I thought I had bugs but now realize it's some sort of cultural problem. Example: Awhile ago I ordered 24 pairs of leaves. I potted them up for wicking but then kept them under a plastic lid. As the plantlets grew and space allowed, I'd put them on a reservoir under the same lights, where nearly all of them proceeded to do as described above. Today I had an "Aha" moment. I'd thrown some away due to poor growth and when I went to take some out of the the covered area, I realized that as long as they were being watered individually they were growing beautifully...looked like perfect small plants (minus flowers). So, my question to you experts....what is happening once I get them on the reservoirs to cause them to go downhill? The same thing happens to most of the violets when I buy plants from the violet show or plants I buy online. The only thing that keeps me going is that there are some that are beautiful. I've had one China Doll for probably more than 10 years and it has perfect foliage and is rarely without blooms. It's babies (started from leaves) also grow and bloom very well. Please help!
Just a guess here, but how are you fertilizing them? Apparently stiff, compact centres are caused by over-fertilizing. (I think I may have one or two with that same problem).
Now I'll step aside and let the experts chime in....
Oh, and we love photos =D
Yes. I never realized that until I started 24 pairs of leaves and didn't have room to put all of them on wicks once they had babies. I've had to do that (put them on a reservoir) as I've weeded out other plants. Yesterday I threw away some plants and that made room for a new baby to go on the reservoir and while I was deciding which baby to take out, I realized how much better they looked than most of the ones on the reservoir, and I've always taken the best to put on the reservoir, but now they were looking horrible. It was quite an eye-opener into a problem I've struggled with for so many years.
First, although wicking is sometimes made to sound like the end-all and be-all, it does not work for everyone. It probably has to do with growing conditions and the practices of the grower. As Joanne says, it is good practice to let your soil dry somewhat at fairly regular intervals. For example-when my trays go dry, I wait until the next day to refill them. Plants must have an air exchange at the roots and when the soil is constantly moist, air cannot reach the roots through the pores in the soil.
I'm also curious as to your fertilizing practices. How are they different than the non-wicked ones?
I find my wicked plants need flushing more frequently than do my non-wicked ones.
And how long does it usually take for your plants to begin to grow oddly once they are put on a wick?
All my plants frequently get a chance to dry out before I either water them or refill their reservoirs. I don't fertilize often because the african violet soil I mix with perlite for my wicking mix already has fertilizer in it, and when I do, it's a very dilute solution. I considered the soil might be my problem until I thought about it...I gave the same issue with plants I buy from our local A.V. show and bring home and put on the reservoirs, so the soil isn't the problem. Linda, I'm not sure about how long - I'd guess two-three months maybe?? I'm wondering about my water. Even though I use the same water for all my violets, the ones on wicks are in constant contact with it. I have quite a few of my babies to a friend that lives a few miles from me and when I saw hers a few days ago, they still look fine. She lives in Phoenix and I'm in Glendale. Different water supply. As I said, I do have some plants that look great but in comparison to how many I throw away, it's a small amount. I appreciate your help with troubleshooting this...the Phoenix African Violet Society has their annual plant sale next month and I'd love to figure this out before I go.
AZ, I read on this forum about finding out what is in your water supply by contacting the city, county or municipal water dept. or looking on their website to learn what chemicals are used in the water. Several members of the Forum advised against using tap water if it has chloramine, unless the water is treated to remove the chemicals. A product available from pet stores can be used to neutralize the chloramine. However, your plants do not show any evidence of damage in your photos. I just purchased the product, in droplet form., to treat the water. Perhaps once you find out what is in your water supply, such as any minerals, you can search on this forum for additional information. There are also posts on how to check the pH. Joanne
This post was edited by fortyseven on Wed, Jan 15, 14 at 20:44
If your local tap water does not have chloramine, but only chlorine, that is easier to remove. If water is poured into a container that is left open, the chlorine will evaporate within 24 hours. Or you can use a Brita filter. You should be able to find a report on what is in the water on line, or call the water dept. (Perhaps compare your water quality to Phx.)
This post was edited by fortyseven on Wed, Jan 15, 14 at 20:47
Here is a website of basic info that I like. It might have some tips for you about lighting, watering, etc.
If you are using the same water on both good and bad, then that wouldn't be the problem, I wouldn't think. I keep coming back to the fertilizer. The plants may be from your AV show but the soil may not be right for your conditions as everyone's are different. I would try to mix a batch of your own soil using 1/3 each of peat,(not Michigan peat) perlite and vermiculite. This is pretty much the standard for wicking. I would fertilize very weakly on a three week rotation and then plain water for the fourth week.
I am suspect of the fertilizer in your potting soil. Many, many on here have had trouble with such soil.
Another thought: do you top water your 'good' violets? If so, you are regularly flushing out the fertilizer build-up (salts) that can harm your violets. If you do not flush out your wicked violets regularly; once a month or so, you will get a toxic amount of salts that will affect growth.
Also, your fertilizer should be one with non-urea based Nitrogen. It will state as such on the label. Some people have no problem with urea N but I noticed a big difference on my plants when I switched.
I think I would re-pot your wicked ones with the soil-less mix, go easy on the fertilizer and flush them out regularly. If your soil and/or fertilizer is the problem, your violets should start showing normal growth. If not, we go back to square one!
Keep us posted.
I DO NOT think this problem is from wicking or fertilizer. I also have been growing AV,s for over 10 years. I am having the exact problem. I do not think I have any pictures, but your photo is just like mine.
In 2012 I started tossing all my plants, but saved 1 or 2 leaves for re-starts. They are all growing new plants BUT some are showing the same tight centers and curling leaves. I have sprayed with everthing thing I could get but none of it helped. Some of the new starts are fine and starting to bloom, but others still have the same defect.
I am going to look for some pictures I may have taken.
Why not send your e-mail and picture to Dr. Jeff Smith and we can see what he has to say.
I get plants looking similar to yours from too much light. When I moved to natural or less light the tight centers started growing out. I was wondering if your wick plants were closer to the lights since they are on reservoirs. I would try moving one to less light.
Also, I used to use a mix with fertilizer and so I only gave a very weak fertilizer after they were in the mix a while. But I decided that I didn't think the fertilizer in the mix lasted as long as they said. So after about a month I started fertilizing more than I had been and got results. I got tired of trying to figure that out for each plant, so I stopped using that mix and switched to Fafard which has no fert (with added perlite) and I like it much better since its simpler to figure out how much fert to use.
What a distressing problem for you. Is there any chance that the water gets too cold? I wouldn't think the water quality is an issue since it is used for all, unless a concentrated amount in the reservoir creates an unbalance. Have you considered mites? I realize you feel it isn't a bug problem but I've had a number of plants that looked like your affected ones & they were mite ridden. Hopefully this isn't your case but its a thought.
I sure appreciate all your brainstorming. I think I'll take a few of my wicked plants off my light stand, flush them, and then start using our drinking water, which we get from the local water store. If they improve, then I'll know it's either the water or the lights causing the problems. I attached this picture to show you that some of my plants are thriving. The one with the pink blooms is China Doll and like I said earlier, I've had this one >10 years and she and her babies do great. The other two I've had a least a couple years and are NOIDs.
Hi Az and Cork
My second "best guess" is too much light ...
Also, suggest you not toss out otherwise healthy plants, give them a chance to come around.
It is possible to get a light meter. Perhaps someone on the Forum will advise. Joanne
This post was edited by fortyseven on Wed, Jan 15, 14 at 20:50
I had thought about insects, also, but since the problem is just with the wicked violets that doesn't seem like it would be an issue. Also, there is the dreaded virus; that would affect the violets and their offspring as Cork has said, but again, it's just the wicked plants.
Have you tried taking leaves from these affected plants? How have they grown?
Also, as Perle said, make sure your lights aren't too close. About twelve inches from light to top of the plants is a rule of thumb.
Also, if it were me, I would not use bottled water. Many on here have had problems with it because it has been processed to the point that it has no necessary nutrients for plants. If your water was the problem, all of your violets would be affected.
I like your plan to remove from the lights and flush.
You can take your plants to your local extension agency and ask for a diagnosis. Different states have different procedures, but most will not return your plant and will charge a small fee for diagnosis.
I have heard many good things about Fafard. Unfortunately, I can't find it near me or I would try it.
The rest of your plants look lovely!
Linda, I've thought for years that plants did better when I started them from a leaf, thinking they were raised in my environment and culture (or lack of - haha) but out of these 24 pairs of leaves, hardly anything has grown well once placed on a reservoir. I just checked the distance and they are closer than 12" but the babies that are doing well are further away and have a plastic cover over them but they do tend to be a little on the leggy side. (they are in a sheet cake plastic tray.) If it was too close to the lights, I think they'd all have the problem but some that are closest are doing fine. I think some violets are just more tolerant than others and maybe that's why some can tolerate being close to the lights or can tolerate my water. Otherwise I don't know why some do so well and others don't. Every Cool Lady and Starry Night, for example, is horrible, while every China Doll is fine and for years I did well with Mulberry Jazz and Fiery Sunset. Rob's varieties do well for a year or two then fail. I repotted 16 of them and am anxious to see if they improve. I'm sure I'll be looking at them many times a day to check for improvement. What about pH?
Do all the wicked plants have the rusty coloured layer on the topsoil? Maybe there's something about wicking that makes the fertilizer come out of the soil more? Just wondering because some of my violets are in an already fertilized mix, plus my perlite has traces of fertilizers too. And I just set some of them up for wicking... I never thought about it much, but if it's going to be a problem, I better go shopping for new av mix ;-)
The rusty layer is likely fertilizer salts that need to be flushed out. (Back to the fertilizer again!) The fertilizer is rising to the top as the water is coming from the bottom. I didn't notice this accumulation until Karin pointed it out. I would re-pot at this point since it is so heavy with a mix that does not have fert. in it.
Fertilizer accumulation can cause all sorts of funky growth including dark spots, hard growth, dead crowns.
Another clue: you mentioned Rob's. A lot of people on here have problems with Rob's plants or other hybridizer's plants. Ma's plants do not do well for me while I can grow Rob's just fine. It has to do with the growing conditions you can provide and, I suspect, the climate where you live. An example: even though I grow in 'controlled' conditions in my basement, my plants are subject to cold temps. and lower humidity in the winter and blazing temps. and high humidity in the summer. The Buckeye and Newtown series grow like weeds for me. Interestingly, these series come from hybridizers within 25 miles of me.
Looks like everything is pointing to the fertilizer. I'm surprised, because my reservoirs frequently dry up and when I refill them I always add water to the top of the violets to re-wet their soil and then finish filling the reservoir. But, the rusty color can't be ignored. I rarely fertilize so it must be from the potting soil I'm using. I think I'll try to track down some Fafard - I've never heard of it but maybe I can order some on Amazon. Thank you all so so much...you've been so helpful. This is a problem that has robbed so much of the joy of growing violets and if I can get it solved, I will be thrilled.
Ok, I am officially shocked. I just realized that fafard was the mix I had bought at a nursery, and it was cheaper than any other av mix I had bought before... I guess I'll be buying more, even though it makes me sneeze :-)
I was debating on trying their orchid mix and sphagnum moss as well....
I saw a You Tube video by "Soo Neaty" who shows separating babies then wrapping the roots in sphagnum moss before inserting into a mound of potting mix inside a pot, I have been intending to ask about that or do some research.
This post was edited by fortyseven on Wed, Jan 15, 14 at 23:10
I mixed it with perlite and added some water to it - it's been fine ever since. I think it may just have been a bit on the dry side when I first opened the bag, and the dust was what got to me...
Anyhow, I don't remember which plants are in what mix, and they are all doing well, so I think it's not making THAT much difference in my growing conditions...
Here is more of my thinking. You live in Arizona and I live in Ohio ��"No way the water can be the same or our growing conditions can be the same.
I have used water from my dehumidifier for many years because we have a water softner. I save it in 5 gallon buckets all summer. This fall I ran short of water and started using rain water. No chlorine.
Lights -- My lights are about 12 inches above some of my violets. Other table, the lights is 17 inches above the plants. One rack has lights on 10 hours a day, the other rack has 12 hours. Table is on about 12 hours a day. I put some of the problem plants in a window to see if any change would happen. I call this my âÂÂlast chanceâ section before they go into the trash. The 5 or 6 plants have been there for 5 months and still look the same BAD.
Fertilizer -- I change brands every week. Measure very carefully, ü teaspoon per gallon. I water once a week and clear water on the sixth week.Soil -- I mix my own which is the basic 1-1-1.
I still thing something else is going on, but not sure WHAT???
I buy violets from Jack's on EBay. His plants are beautiful. I asked him what he uses for potting and he said Fafard #2 with more perlite added. This doesn't seem to match up with what I see on Amazon number-wise but when I asked a local nurseryman about it, he knew just what I was talking about.
Cork, AZ,
From RachelsReflections.org
under "problems"--
"Tight Centers can be caused by
....too much light move away from light
....pests (mites) use pest control
too much fertilizer..... leach or repot or water with solution of 1 tbsp of Dolomite lime per gallon for a few weeks then go easy on fertilizer after that.
root bound... pot up in size"
On this forum in 2009, Korina wrote about having tight, brittle crowns on AVs. In trying to browse older posts, I did not find the cause. Perhaps Irina, who was active on the forum at the time, recalls something about it.chlorine takes one week to evaporate. Charcoal filters help
This post was edited by fortyseven on Wed, Jan 15, 14 at 23:24
Your plants look like they are suffering from culture problems. The one at the top right and the top middle looks like the least affected. I think if you experimented a bit, they would be fine.
Difficult to tell from pictures, but I don't think it's pest, just culture.
Are you growing on a windowsill? It's been very cold here in Ohio lately. I would consider that, as well.
Considering how many plants you have, a few runts probably don't count...
My 'gardening-philosophy' has always been to try and make my plants happy, but not to go out of my way to do so - if they don't do well in my conditions, then maybe they aren't meant to be grown by me...
Unless I really, really like them...
Wow that's a whole lotta plants!!! Your Rebel's Breck is beautiful as well as Gillian. I don't believe I've ever had a violet with white flowers. With trying to solve my problems I repotted 16 poorly-growing plants and put them in natural light and will top water. I was attempting to raise the lights on one shelf of my stand when the S hook slipped out of my hand and fell INSIDE the light - I had to take that light off the stand until I can get a new S hook and decided to let that be another experiment - no light on that shelf which has all the violets on wicks. Now to wait...the hardest part.
Depending on where you attach the s-hook to, you can bend a piece of wire coat hanger or a chain link to make it work...
Of course, I'd probably be stubborn and take the light fixture apart ;-p
I bought a new S-hook...afraid what might happen if I take the light fixture apart ;) This morning I went to the monthly meeting of our local Africa Violet club. They agreed it's probably the fertilizer in the soil I've been using and the lights, also...apparently 11 hours a day is too long to have the lights on ...oops! I had actually increased it to that length awhile back thinking maybe that's why I wasn't getting as many blooms as I thought I should. The lady that hosted the meeting today had the most gorgeous violets - I didn't know whether to be encouraged or give up! She had an Arctic Frost that was so beautiful. I've never been a fan of white flowers on violets but this one changed my mind. Anyway, I need to get some peat moss without fertilizer - something our Home Depot doesn't have - and repot all my violets. I've been surprised that a few of the 16 I repotted earlier this week, stopped wick watering and put in natural light have actually shown some slight improvement; I expected it to take several weeks but I really think the leaves on the ones that weren't as far gone have softened up a bit.
Home Depot, (and Lowe's), have exactly what you want. It is called peat moss, sphagnum peat or Canadian peat or even 'the brown kind'. (Do not get Michigan Peat AKA 'the black kind'). It is outside with the mulch and the big bags of potting soil. It is usually in white packaging and comes in a block. It will break up when you use it. It contains no fertilizer.
Here is a link that might be useful: peat moss
Just a thought on your AV club experience. Remember that everyone there, including the woman with the 'Arctic Frost' was once where you are now. It's true that some people are better at growing but we have all killed more plants than we care to think about while we were learning. And if anyone tells you they never killed any plants, it's 'Liar, liar, pants on fire'. So, don't get discouraged!
I have a friend that is experiencing the same problem right now - just as AZ. More of it - she popped her plants out of the pots - and the roots look like carrots. it happened after she moved her collection to wicks. She did her home work and the lab test excluded any pests or diseases. Right now she is addressing the water and soil tests. Her base mix is Promix BX.
I am thinking that wetting agent they add to the soil - makes it not good for wicking - it becomes too wet
I will post the update.
Hi I read a while back not to use a wetting agent with AVs. I think I had used it on two and they did not do well.
Today, as I posted on another thread, I bought a water meter from Ace hardware store. It looks like a thermometer that is simply stuck in the soil, it will indicate if the plant needs to be watered. It has a separate reading for AVs. If it is a useful tool, I will post an update.
Hi Irina
I got it as a precaution
because the culture in my home drastically changed once the heater has to be on most of the day. the pots dried out faster than I was expecting. I have to check them every day now.
I recently managed to kill two violets within two weeks by letting them get too dry then overwatering and they got crown rot. One was a variegated violet I had waited for six months for it to bloom. It had a very tiny root system. The other was one that was just setting bud for the first time. It had a substantial root system. Both were one-of-a-kind., and one cannot be replaced.
I haven't used it yet, but if it is a winner, I will let you know!
Joanne - use Linda method - plus spray the wilted plant with tepid water. But it happens to all of us.
What should be mediated is - plant do not die from root rot in 2 hours. It takes days while you could reroot the crown, later - take the leaves and put them down - and before it is totally wilted - sometimes you can restart it with the wedges of leaves- if this is the only thing that is still healthy.
Usually all the disasters happen when I do not have time to look at my plants...They do so much better if you look at them often with a loving approving eye!
What are the plants that are NOT replaceable?
Plants are mostly replaceable - you Joanne - are not. Do not get sad! Wrinkles are not necessary!
Irina, You are so encouraging, one of the plants is Rebel's Dolores.
Thanks for the tip on misting with water. And you are correct, a combination of things caused me to not pay the usual attention to my plants.
I am repotting and following your advice about putting Marathon granules in the top soil.
I am getting my collection back down to a size that is manageable for frequent attention. Joanne
This post was edited by fortyseven on Tue, Feb 4, 14 at 13:58
Hi, AZ,
I have got everything under control now, so
I would love to take you up on your offer for a leaf or two of Fredette's China Doll. I can offer you small plants in exchange. I sent you an email to let you know what I have ready. I think it is ok to ship now. We had a little touch of winter for the first time, but it is not very cold.
Instead of tossing the problem plants away I would suggest you to change the soil and water according to the wet/ dry cycle and observe the changes. I had a few plants from my friend that also exhibit the same problem and they're on a wicking system as yours. The plants dramatically improved after I changed the soil and put them on my wet/ dry watering cycle. Previous the soil was mostly pearlite and vermiculite and now it is perlite and peat moss.


text:
Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta and Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter have no public or media events on their schedules.
Brig. Gen. Stephen Clark, of Air Force Special Operations Command, will conduct a press briefing at 9:30 a.m. EST in the Pentagon Briefing Room (2E973). The briefing will provide the results of the U.S. Central Command investigation into the 25-26 November engagement between U.S. and Pakistani military forces across the border. Journalists without a Pentagon building pass will be picked up at the River Entrance only. Plan to arrive no later than 45 minutes prior to the event; have proof of affiliation and two forms of photo identification. Please call 703-697-5131 for escort into the building.
Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta announced today that the President has made the following nominations:
Air Force Brig. Gen. Mark A. Ediger has been nominated for appointmentto the...
Check Other Events
for additional listings, including air shows, band concerts, Congressional
hearings, reunions and much more.
AFRICOM Commander Talks About Growing Challenges
℠2015 - Commander U.S. Africa Command General David Rodriguez says his command...
Air Force Tech Report Features E-3 Sentry
℠2015 - On this edition of the Air Force Tech Report, we learn more about the...
Carter Speaks On Partnerships At State Department
℠2015 - Secretary of Defense Ash Carter stressed the need for departments to...
End of Iwo Jima Remembered 70 Years Later
℠2015 - U.S. and Japanese Veterans gather to remember those who lost their...
Contacts Additions and corrections for Today in the Department
of Defense are invited and should be directed to the press desk by calling
+1 (703) 697-5131 or +1 (703) 697-5132.
Media Questions News media representatives with questions for the
Department of Defense may reach our press desk by calling +1 (703) 697-5131. Media
representatives with questions after work hours should call +1 (703) 678-6162 for
Public Inquiries All others are invited to contact our public
inquiries section by phone or U.S. mail or through the web. See our comment
page for details.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Trick Kick – like foosball with real people
By C.C. Weiss
February 14, 2013
Can't get your proper fill of football (or, if your prefer, soccer) by living vicariously through the Ronaldos and Messis of the world? Consider table foosball frat boy play? Perhaps the new Trick Kick mini soccer game will do the ... trick. Billed as the world's one and only original indoor mini kick soccer game, Trick Kick provides a new way of experiencing the world's most popular sport.
Unlike other indoor soccer iterations, which rely on large gyms and organized leagues, Trick Kick is a recreational game designed to be played by anyone, anywhere. Similar to an office putting green, the Trick Kick playing field rolls out into an 8.2 x 4.6-foot (250 x 140-cm) surface. The small aluminum perimeter walls help to keep the downsized ball in play since you won't have anyone to "throw in" to.
The game invites footballers – and wannabe footballers – to bring their tightest skills and compete head to head. There is an official set of rules, including playing to 10 and switching sides at 5, but this seems like a game where players will quickly improvise their own rules – we see the one about not touching the upper body getting thrown out quickly when two aggressively competitive, partially inebriated gents are involved.
While the tiny field won't exactly provide the fitness and excitement of a standard soccer game, going head to head in such tight quarters with a tiny ball is sure to improve your footwork and coordination. It's also a more physical alternative to indoor competition like darts, foosball and air hockey. Perhaps best of all, drunken Trick Kick matches should be a hell of a lot more fun to watch at the bar than billiards or foosball.
The Salzburg, Austria-based organization behind Trick Kick, FITKA, calls itself the world federation of mini kick soccer. That's right: there's a world federation of mini kick soccer, and it fancies this little game a sport worthy of regulation and tournaments. FITKA's self-proclaimed jurisdiction covers all aspects of the sport: overseeing national leagues and tournaments, marketing Trick Kick gear and events, promotion, branding, etc.
The organization envisions mini soccer serving as a way of getting children (and adults) off their computers and smartphones and into something that is fun, (real life) social and active.
Even if you think indoor, close-quarter soccer sounds like the lamest, most boring game ever invented, we're guessing you'd be tempted to jump on that green and kick that tiny ball deep into the net if you saw a Trick Kick field laying there. Given soccer's popularity around the world, you probably wouldn't be playing alone for long.
There's no listed pricing on the Trick Kick set yet, and its website only lists one distributor: German sports supplier Royalbeach.
The video below shows the setting up of the Trick Kick playing field and some close-quarters action.
Source: Trick Kick, Fitka
That looks fun- and ideal for small British pubs as it doesn't take up much space.bergamot69
15th February, 2013 @ 06:27 am PST
Stubbed toes galore! Count me out.Bruce H. Anderson
15th February, 2013 @ 08:29 am PST
Or Login with Facebook:
- Features
- Reviews
- Aircraft
- Architecture
- Around The Home
- Automotive
- Bicycles
- Children
- Computers
- Digital Cameras
- Electronics
- Environment
- Games
- Good Thinking
- Health and Wellbeing
- Holiday Destinations
- Home Entertainment
- Inventors and Remarkable People
- Laptops
- Marine
- Medical
- Military
- Mobile Technology
- Motorcycles
- Music
- Outdoors
- Pets
- Robotics
- Science
- Space
- Sports
- Telecommunications
- Urban Transport
- Wearable Electronics
- 2014 Action Camera Comparison Guide
- 2014 Smartwatch Comparison Guide
- 2014 Windows 2-in-1 Comparison Guide
- 2014 Smartphone Comparison Guide
- 2014 Full Frame DSLR Comparison Guide
- 2014 Tablet Comparison Guide
- 2014 Superzoom Camera Comparison Guide
- 2014 iPad Comparison Guide
- 2014 Entry-Level to Enthusiast DSLR Comparison Guide
- 2014 Small Compact Camera Comparison Guide


text:
A multi-station martial arts practice device with multiple practice board supports with differing board orientations and a base non-permanent installation in a practice facility.
1. A martial arts training device comprising:
a base unit, said base unit having a substantially planar floor resting surface, said base unit having an interior void for reversibly encasing ballast material;
an elongate support column, said support column having a proximal end and a distal end, said support column being attached to said base unit at said proximal end of said support column and extending vertically along an axial centerline in a direction substantially opposite said substantially planar floor resting surface of said base unit, said elongate support column being cylindrical;
a board support assembly, said board support assembly being substantially cylindrical in shape, said board support assembly having a lower end and an upper end, said board support assembly having a recess sized and shaped for telescopic reception of said support column;
a first training station, said first training station being attached to and extending radially from said board support assembly, said first training station adapted to support a martial arts training board in a position perpendicular to said floor resting surface such that the plane of a face of the board is spaced from the axial centerline;
a second training station, said second training station being attached to and extending radially from said board support assembly, said second training station being positioned substantially perpendicular to said first training station, said second training station adapted to support a martial arts training board in a position parallel with said floor resting surface;
a third training station, said third training station being attached to and extending radially from said board support assembly, said third training station being positioned substantially perpendicular to said second training station, said third training station adapted to support a martial arts training board in a slanted position with respect to said floor resting surface; and
a fourth training station, said fourth training station being attached to and extending radially from said board support assembly, said fourth training station being positioned substantially perpendicular to said third training station, said fourth training station adapted to support a martial arts training board in a position perpendicular to said floor resting surface.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to athletic training devices.
2. Background Information
Martial arts training and skills retention require frequent and time-consuming practice. Many martial arts disciplines require the successful demonstration of the breaking of boards, or the like, by hands, feet, or both. The ability to demonstrate this technique comes only with extensive, repetitive practice.
Regrettably, �board practice� tends to require involvement of at least one other person (one who holds the board), and, as a practical matter, two other persons. This is a problem because such people are not always available. Even if others are available, holding boards while another repeatedly breaks them is the concept of fun for but a few.
Some effort has gone into providing for solo board practice. For example, the following U.S. patents reveal devices which are designed to hold boards during martial arts practice: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,662,630; 4,757,989; 4,889,334; 4,973,045; 5,415,371; 5,476,433; 5,665,035; 5,277,679; 5,863,279; 6,149,553. Each of these approaches are deficient in at least one of two primary respects: (1) they are designed to hold only one board, on one position; and/or (2) they are not designed to adequately absorb inadvertent impact to the device itself.
The significance of the first noted deficiency is fairly evident. Board-breaking exercises in martial arts involve, as previously mentioned, actions by both foot and hand. In addition, the position of the to-be-broken board may be different for either. A device which holds merely one board, even if it is adjustable for differing positions or orientations, slows progress considerably. This, in turn, actually proves to be a disincentive to practice, particularly for youth.
As for the second noted deficiency, one should note that practice, particularly in training, will involve less than perfect execution, perhaps much of the time. Quite simply, the practicing individual may simply miss the board entirely, and strike the holding device itself (particularly for kicking exercises, where fine control is a later developed attribute. Clearly, injury to the trainee by inadvertent contact with the board holding device is to be avoided.
Despite the referenced measures to provide opportunities for solo martial arts practice, there still exist deficiencies and resulting needs in this area.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved martial arts training device.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved martial arts training device, particularly useful for solo practice of board breaking exercises.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved martial arts training device, particularly useful for solo practice of board breaking exercises, which afford simultaneous practice opportunities involving boards held at differing positions or orientations.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved martial arts training device, particularly useful for solo practice of board breaking exercise, which device is designed to absorb some degree of impact to the holding device itself, such as in the event of inadvertent striking of the device during practice.
In satisfaction of these and other related objectives, Applicant's present invention provides an improved martial arts training device, particularly for use in board breaking exercises. The device, depending on the particular embodiment, includes board mounting means for holding a plurality of boards in like or differing positions or orientations. In addition, the device includes a shock-absorbing support structure which allows some degree of shock absorption when/if the device itself is impacted during practice or training. Further still, the device, by its design, lends itself to portability, requiring no permanent installation or structural requirements or modifications to a facility in which the device is to be used.
With reference to
Device 10 includes a base/pedestal unit 14 and a board support assembly 16.
Base/pedestal unit 14 includes a base member 18 which, in the preferred embodiment, is a hollow structure with filling orifice 20 through which water or sand may be introduced into base member 18 to provide weight and stability. Conversely, such filling material may be removed from base member 18 when device 10 is to be moved from one location to another.
Base member 18 includes a flat resting surface for resting on a floor surface during use of device 10.
Base/pedestal unit 14 includes a support column 22 which extends along the extended axial center line of base member 18, opposite its flat resting surface. Support column 22 is sized and shaped for telescopic reception into recess 24 of board support assembly 16.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the transition from base member 18 and support column 22, is of bellows-like construction, so that support column 22 can �give� in response to impact of support column 22 (or, in actuality, to board support assembly 16 which, in use of the present invention will engage support column 22). It should be noted, however, that even a non-corrugated juncture will not render the present invention substantially less �forgiving� of impact, a there is no rigid engagement between device 10 and any floor or wall surface. Of further note is the fact that alternative shock-absorption designs may be incorporated into the present invention, including alternatives to the corrugated transition structure, and may include (as additions or alternatives), for example, a slightly rounded floor surface for base/pedestal unit 14.
Further still, support column 22 may be made detachable from base member 18, such as by threaded or bayonet mount configurations (not shown in the drawings), particularly in view of shipping considerations.
Board support assembly 16 is, in the preferred embodiment, formed of molded plastic. This addresses concerns of manufacturing expense, as well as safety and weight (for facilitating portability). It should be understood, however, that alternative embodiment in which any of the cited components are made of metal, for example, would certainly fall within the scope of the present invention.
Board support assembly 16 includes, in the preferred embodiment, four stations 26, 28, 30, and 32. Each station is formed substantially by arms or projections 34 which extend outwardly from the central core of board support assembly 16. Of course, units with fewer or greater numbers of stations may be manufactured, however, it is believed that the present four station model is optimal.
Station 26 includes board support means 27 for holding a board 38 in position for executing an ax kick (horizontally oriented with the intended break line being oriented as if the shaft of an arrow pointing at the user).
Station 28 includes board support means 29 for holding a board 38 in position for front kicks or palm heel strikes (vertically oriented with the intended break line being substantially perpendicular with the plane of a floor surface on which device 10 rests and the plane of a face of the board is spaced from the axial centerline of the support column).
Station 30 includes board support means 31 for holding a board 38 in position for a front kick or upward elbow strike (slanted downward relative to a floor surface).
Station 32 includes board support means 33 for holding a board 38 in position for side or round kicks (vertically oriented with the intended break line being substantially parallel to the plane of a floor surface on which device 10 rests).
In each instance, board support means 27, 29, 31 and 33 are, in one embodiment of the present invention, in the form of rails with end stops on the same respective end of each pair of rails, the rails being configured for sliding engagement with boards 38. In such an embodiment, board support means 27 are attached to projections 34 through interaction of integrally molded features, through mechanical engagement of nuts, bolts, etc., or in any other conventional manner a fabricator sees fit. Alternative embodiments of the present invention may involve, instead of separate, attached rails, detachable elastic straps which hold boards in-place or yieldable tabs or other integrally molded recesses or engagement features with which practice boards 38 are engaged.
Each board support means may support a practice board 38 in a respectively unique orientation or position, or any two or more stations may duplicate the board orientation or position of another station, depending on the manufacturer's preferences. The preferred embodiment, however, does involve stations, each with respectively unique positions as previously described. Of further note is the fact that any one station may also include two boards, one on its outer face (as depicted for stations 28, 30 and 32), and another on a top surface (such as depicted for station 26). This will enable the elimination of one station from the product design, without sacrificing the number of board orientations provided by any one embodiment of the present invention.
Use of device 10 is straightforward. Practice boards 38 are placed at such stations as are appropriate for the moves which a user chooses to practice. Boards 38 are slid into position as shown, and the maneuver is practiced. Upon breaking one or all boards 38, they are reassembled and replaced for further practice or training.
Because of the inherent shock-absorbing characteristics of device 10, accidental impact by a user of any portion of device 10 adjacent to boards 30 is much less likely to render injury than such a misstep with presently available units as discussed above.
Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a limited sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as alternative embodiments of the inventions will become apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description of the invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claims will cover such modifications that fall within the scope of the invention.
Patent Citations
Legal Events
Original Image


text:
beach canvas prints, footsteps canvas prints, blue canvas prints, scenic canvas prints, landscapes canvas prints, nature canvas prints, expressonism canvas prints, illustration canvas prints, footprints canvas prints, shore canvas prints
Corner Detail: Stretched canvas print with 1.5" stretcher bars and mirrored image sides. Also available with black sides, whites sides, and 5/8" stretcher bars.
Bring your artwork to life with the texture and depth of a stretched canvas print. Your image gets printed on one of our premium canvases and then stretched on a wooden frame of 1.5" x 1.5" stretcher bars (gallery wrap) or 5/8" x 5/8" stretcher bars (museum wrap). All stretched canvases ship within 3 - 4 business days and arrive "ready to hang" with pre-attached hanging wire, mounting hooks, and nails.
Stretched canvas prints look beautiful with or without frames.
Fine Art America is one of the largest, most-respected giclee printing companies in the world with over 40 years of experience producing museum-quality prints. All of our prints are produced on state-of-the-art, professional-grade Epson printers. We use acid-free papers and canvases with archival inks to guarantee that your prints last a lifetime without fading or loss of color.
It is a journey that matters and not the destination !! An illustration of the journey of life !! Got the opportunity to click this when we left this footprints on that lonely island. Place: Dunny Point, Bet Dwarka, Gujarat-India.
I was eight when I was introduced to the amazing world of art by my mother Preeti (Swati Desai), an art tutor and after that I have never looked back! I am from Gujarat and currently residing in Mysore, India. A management grad and working with an IT major, I dedicate most of my free time in perusing my passion. Learning is an endless process and I keep experimenting with color mediums and styles in my own unique way. My style of painting includes semi-abstract and contemporary art with bold colors. I mainly work in Oil and Arylic mediums. Recently I have started learning palette-knife painting. I love to express my thoughts and imagination in an artistic way.I believe that this wonderful world will keep inspiring me and I wish to...
Our return policy is very simple:
If you're not happy with a purchase that you made on FineArtAmerica.com, for any reason, you can return it to us within 30 days of the order date. As soon as it arrives, we'll issue a full refund for the entire purchase price. Please note - Fine Art America does not reimburse the outgoing or return shipping charges unless the return is due to a defect in quality.
Fine Art America sells thousands of pieces of artwork each month - all with a 100% money-back guarantee.
If you've hesitated to purchase artwork online in the past, why not give us a try? You have nothing to lose!
We take great pride in the fact that 302,125 artists have chosen Fine Art America to fulfill their orders, and we look forward to helping you select your next piece!
Customer Service: 877-807-5901
(Call Any Time - 24 Hours Per Day)
All canvas prints ship from our production facility within three business days of your order.


text: OverviewBack to top of page HoMedics - Rechargeable Cordless Speakers and Docking Station for iPod HMDX-S50 - HOLIDAY PRICED Code#:72121 Manufacturer:HoMedics Packaged Ship Weight:4 Experience the freedom ofultimate stereo sound with HoMedics Rechargeable and Cordless Speakers with Docking Station for iPod. Best of all you can take this wireless unit anywhere, up to 100 feet. Charge your iPod® while it's dockedRechargeable speakers play up to5 hours on full charge2 wireless speakers - take anywhere,up to 100 feetUniversal iPod dock fits all docking iPod modelsIndividual volume controlEnhanced Acoustic Resonance - Precisionsound that is true to your musicLine in allows you to attach non-dockingiPod models, CD players and other mp3 players


text:
You will discover that South Africa is one of the most beautiful countries in the world and rated as one of the top destination in the world.
All SA Volunteers staff members are passionate about voluntourism and this reflects in everything they do. We adhere to strict codes of conduct and always strive to provide high levels of service to our volunteers and volunteer work projects.
Every volunteer's contribution is appreciated and makes a difference to our world. We want to ensure that while you are
volunteering abroad and experiencing life in Africa, you will leave behind a legacy!
The TEFL`s 4 week intensive course on an island in Thailand offers both practical training and classroom sessions to equip you with the knowledge and skills required to teach English to non-native speakers. Practical training as a teacher will be done at an International English school and at a local Thai school. Being immersed into this `real school environment` will give you the confidence required to teach on your own, once you qualify.
The benefits of doing some teacher practices at the International School, means that you not only get practice teaching Thai students, but also children of many nationalities
This is an opportunity for high school students aged 16 to 18 years old to experience South Africa`s many cultures rather than as a tourist. We offer high school programs from 3 months minimum to a whole school year. Our students study at a high school in Cape Town and will be part of a South African host family. Making friends in South Africa is the perfect chance to get to know a different reality, improve your English, learn and broaden your horizons
NEXT: About Volunteer Projects in South Africa
Horse Trails Volunteer Project
Our horses live a natural life with the wild horses of the area. This means that there are no stables for the animals at night as they sleep in ...Horse Trails Volunteer Project details
Thailand TEFL course- Creating passionate teachers in Thailand
The TEFL`s 4 week intensive course on an island in Thailand offers both practical training and classroom sessions to equip you with the knowledge ...Thailand TEFL course- Creating passionate teachers in Thailand details
Big 5 Safari
Cape Point Route Tour
Whale Watching Tour (July – Dec)
Cultural / Cuisine Tour
more details
Dear Diary
Life offers you a few gems every now and then - THIS was one of those for me! An incredible way to see a beautiful country and give something back. Thanks a million SA Volunteer!!
more details
web site by web guise


text:
Self-censorship isn't the
Self-censorship isn't the same thing as the government censoring us.
Michael and the mods here work for the collective good all the time here in the sake of the collective good, such as by shutting down racist threads even if they are quite popular around here.
- Login to post comments


text:
While sprint car racing will be the main attraction as it always is at the Knoxville Raceway, other motorsports events dot the July calendar at the half mile to wet the pallet of any motorsports fan.
Keywords: Deery Brothers, Harris Clash, IMCA, Knoxville Raceway, Modified, NTPA, Sport Mod
A bipartisan effort in Kentucky is moving to treat drug addicts rather than jailing them. Is this a good idea?
View Results
call: (641) 842-3161 | (641) 628-8672


text:
- Award-winning customer service
- Free shipping on orders over $50
- 30-day no-hassle returns
- Authorized distributor
- 100% secure shopping guaranteed
Heater Core for 2002 Volkswagen EuroVanWe have 1 Items In-stock. Select your vehicle's Submodel to continue.
ProRad Direct Fit Heater Core
ProRad Direct Fit Heater Core
ProRad Direct Fit Heater Core is the perfect replacement part of choice when it's time to restore your Heater Core. General performance wise, it would work as proficiently as the genuine heater core that came with your vehicle as it was released out new from the factory. Replacing automotive parts is a simple fact of life when fixing or modifying your vehicle. Eliminate the threat of unanticipated breakdown and potential harm to your various other automobile components by changing your aged and worn out heater core.
- Meets and exceeds OE specifications
- Easy installation process
- Provides reliable performance and lengthy service life
- Free Ground Shipping
- Low Price Guarantee
- Anticipated Ship Out Time: Same day - 1 business day
- Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.38 x 1.63 in.
- Inlet Size: 0.75 in.
- Outlet Size: 0.75 in.
- 6 Cyl 2.8L | GLS, MV


text:
I resented the 95-minutes of my life I was giving to this garbage, and Cox for thinking it was worth showing the world at all.
From midnight movies to directorial debuts, intriguing indies to challenging foreign films, there's loads to choose from at Tribeca. So to help you get some idea of just what's in store for this vibrant film festival, we've collected a selection of trailers and from its lauded line-up. Take a look, and get your tickets while you can!
The Tribeca FIlm Festival wrapped up a week ago, but we're still kicking ourselves for missing out on the big closing night event-- a special screening of Scorsese's The King of Comedy, with DeNiro, Lewis and Scorsese all on hand to talk about the 1982 cult classic. Jerry Lewis was an icon of comedy by the time the film was made, but these days he's basically a legend
This week we are shocked and horrified to learn that Michael Bay apologized on behalf of Armageddon, and aim to set the record straight on its greatness. Katey talks about her experience at the Indie Grits Film Festival, David is feeling more optimistic than ever about the Tribeca Film Festival, and we ask for your help in supporting our friend Ed Douglas in his fight against cancer
Prescription drug abuse isn't as attention-grabbing as bath salts, and not as glamorized as meth, but as the documentary Oxyana movingly depicts, it's just got as much power to destroy. Taking its title from the nickname acquired by Oceana, West Virgina, Oxyana is a portrait of modern rural American life as completely transformed by drugs, in this case a legal prescription painkiller that has paralyzed an entire generation
Whether you know and adore Elaine Stritch for her decades-long Broadway career, her distinctively boozy and brassy singing style, or her wickedly winsome guest appearances as Jack Donaghy's mom Colleen on 30 Rock, Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me is an absolute joy.
The film's most telling moments were when Haneke confesses that he channels his own fears and anxieties into his work, which is sometimes autobiographically inspired, as a form of therapeutic catharsis, and when he admits, "In cinema, the viewer is always the director's victim."
As its plot progressed I was able only to follow its broadest strokes. Ultimately, not even the smoking hot sexual chemistry of its leads (Jean Dujardin and Cécile De France) could save this confounding thriller.
The absolute last thing the Internet cat meme phenomenon needed was a feature-length documentary that's happy to participate in, not examine, the madness. Given access to a variety of people who have turned our world into one that includes the phrase "cat-lebrities," Eisner and Andy Capper come away with nothing. Maybe even less
As someone whos working on some short films of her own, I know that theres nothing more helpful that attaching a name to your project and, for Rachel Dratch, all she really wanted was to be part of a film playing in a festival, so she and Teacher of the Year turned out to be the perfect match.
Regardless of whether or not you know what youre getting into when catching a new movie, theres no way to prepare yourself for such raw performances like the ones you get from Marguerite Moreau and Bitsie Tulloch in Caroline and Jackie. In honor of the films world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, Moreau sat down to chat about working on a film with just an outline, working in a highly improvisational environment, sustaining notably long takes and more.
Im not as politically savvy as Id like to be, but isnt that part of the reason folks running for office have campaigns? Yes, the ultimate goal is to get votes, but theyre educating the public on their policies in the process. Now the question is, what happens when scandal swoops in and steals that spotlight? Thats where folks like Chris Lehane and characters like Kerstin (Jamie Chung) and Dimitris (Richard Schiff) step in.
Sure its all about The Avengers right now, but come next year, Superman will be back in the spotlight. While discussing his Tribeca Film Festival release, Knife Fight, Man of Steels Dr. Emil Hamilton, Richard Schiff, took the time to talk about shooting at Edwards Air Force Base. While on location, Schiff was in impressive company. The real Navy SEALs and a bunch of guys played the extras.
How about a feature film involving a cop running frantically through a packed nightclub, music booming, and vicious fights and scuffles breaking out all over the place? Oh, and an in-motion car battle, too. Sounds like a blast right? Of course, but it also sounds like quite the challenge for director Frédéric Jardin. Its been a little while since Jardin directed a feature film, but hes certainly back in full force.
When you can a pitch that goes, A kid from Glee wrote a script and I want you to read it, director Brian Dannellys skepticism is certainly justifiable. After reading Chris Colfers Struck By Lighting, Dannelly was certain nobody would make this movie nobody except for him. Even though Carson can be totally unlikeable and dies in the beginning of the film, Dannelly found it quite appealing that Struck By Lightning was far more about the experience rather than the goal.
David Darg and Bryn Mooser are busy guys. Not only are they active aide workers in Haiti, continuing in the effort to restore the country after the devastating 2010 earthquake, but with the help of executive producer Olivia Wilde, theyre busy spreading the word through short films, too. After premiering Sun City Picture House at the Tribeca Film Festival last year, Darg, Mooser and Wilde are back to give Baseball in the Time of Cholera the same honor.
The film stars Eric Bana and Olivia Wilde as Addison and Liza, a brother sister duo who just robbed a casino. They get the cash and are seemingly in the clear until their getaway car crashes, killing the driver and leaving Addision and Liza without a way out. They opt to split up, Addison heading into the snow-laden woods and Liza hitting the road until an unsuspecting motorist, Jay (Charlie Hunnam), gives her a ride to the nearest hotel and takes it upon himself to keep her company.
Tribeca also has a reputation for reaching out to the community at large, hosting an annual street fair and free outdoor screenings of classic films, and for The Avengers they're reaching out in an even bigger way, inviting local police, firefighters and first responders to attend the screening and meet the cast
Sexy Baby focuses on Nakita, a former porn star, and the effect she has on Laura, a plastic surgery patient, and Winnifred, a middle school student, amidst the rise of a new sexual landscape via the cyber age. The piece explores what its like to be a woman, girl, teenager, parent and more in a world overrun with sexting and hardcore porn available in an instant on the web.
New York City's biggest film festival is preparing to once again take over lower Manhattan this April, and this year they'll be doing it with the help of Jason Segel and Emily Blunt. The Tribeca Film Festival announced today that the new comedy The Five-Year Engagement
Its getting increasingly difficult to keep the found footage style fresh and Grave Encounters proves it. While the film does have a rather unique tone in terms of how it blends horror and comedy, ultimately, its a recycling of past shaky cam-style films.
Grave Encounters is far more than just another found footage film to the writing-directing duo, The Vicious Brothers; its their opportunity to push the sub-genre one step further. While some of the ghosts in the film were enhanced with CGI in post, much of what we see on screen was physically there.
World, watch out for Abigail Breslin. Thanks to nine years of work, we know shes a talented actress, but Janie Jones really proves shes on another level, not only because it reveals shes an incredibly talented singer, but because she takes a subpar script, breathes some life into it and manages to make it somewhat enjoyable.
As nerve-racking as it was for Abigail Breslin to adapt to singing and playing the guitar in Janie Jones, one of the most jarring changes was that of the actor playing her dad. Alessandro Nivola stepped in just days before shooting began and only met Breslin the day before the camera rolled
Saint has two things working against it; its subtitled and foreign. No, theres nothing wrong with requiring an audience to read some text or with a film coming from another country; the problem is the subtitles are often illegible and a number of the jokes
tribeca film festival Stories 1 to 25 of 64NEXT PAGE >


text: POPSUGAR Celebrity Leonardo DiCaprio Pictures of Leo by Celebrity 8/18/10 0 Shares Like us on Facebook Previous Photo 1 of 3 View on One Page ADVERTISEMENT ( more slides) Next Share This Link Copy 1 Pictures of Leo Previous Photo 1 of 3 View on One Page ADVERTISEMENT ( more slides) Next Read More Leonardo DiCaprio Leonardo DiCaprio 170+ Celebrities You Should Be Following on Instagram! 36 Celebrity Selfies You Didn't See Coming Spend the Night at Leonardo DiCaprio's Palm Springs Pad The Hot Oscars Parties You May Have Missed Get the scoop with our daily newsletter Enjoy the latest news on the celebs you love. A Listers Young Hollywood Movies TV Sign up with Link Love Shailene Woodley: "I've eaten ants, and that was great" — Us Weekly Vanessa Hudgens explains why she's ditching Coachella — HuffPost Celebrity Things are only getting messier in Jeremy Renner's divorce — Lainey Gossip Chelsea Handler comes forward with a surprising confession — Dlister Ashton Kutcher is totally "punking" people again — ET Get a sneak listen of Adam Lambert's new single — JustJared Jennifer Lopez is still rocking that famous booty — Hollywood Tuna Nashville teases Christina Aguilera's upcoming guest spot! — Pink Is the New Blog This DWTS dancer is sporting serious cleavage — The Superficial Latest Celebrity


text:
If you have comments, suggestions or other feedback on this blog, feel free to contact me at kurtblumenau at gmail dot com, in addition to using the Comment function on any individual post that rouses your interest.
2 Responses
Hey Kurt!!! This is awesome that you have decided to tell the family story in a very unique way. You were wondering who was blowing the hits over from facebook…well it would be your fellow high school classmates like myself and I got the link from Erica Daniels…we all share and are hoping to see you for the reunion in July :) Keep up the great writing.
on May 12, 2011 at 7:11 pm | kblumenau
Wow! Thanks very much for your support and kind words. Still up in the air about the reunion but maybe I'll be there.


text:
Pope Francis announces a Holy Year of Mercy to highlight the Catholic Church's "mission to be a witness of mercy."Read More
A Catholic in the Diocese of Salina would be hard-pressed not to be directly affected by one of the ministries supported by the Catholic Community Annual Appeal.Read More
At Easter, we have a chance to explore how the experience of Lent, the power of repentance and renewal can help us recommit to a new life as Christians.Read More
Join Bishop Weisenburger on a 10-day pilgrimage to visit many of the historic basilicas of northern Italy.
See our Feb. 27 issue of The Register focusing on rural life and faith.
Seminarian Luke Thielen will be one step closer to the priesthood when he is ordained a transitional deacon on April…
This year's theme for our Catholic Community Annual Appeal is "Lift Up Your Hearts." El tema de este año para…
Salina — Both Lien Tran and Andrew Hecker say they have found a home in the Catholic Church.
"It felt like God had his hands in this. It just came naturally, as if it were meant to be," Tran said.
She became a Catholic two years ago as part of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. Her fiancé Andrew will follow suit at this year's Easter vigil April 4.
Hecker will be among 190 individuals formally joining the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Salina.
The couple's backgrounds and journeys to full communion in the Church are strikingly different.
Tran, 21, said her family were Buddhists but that she grew up a non-believer.
"In high school I was atheist. I'd only been in a church once," she said.
She moved with her family to Salina from Reading, Pa., when she was 16.
It was after enrolling at Kansas State University-Salina that Tran said she felt something missing.
"I hit a low point in college," she said. "I was living alone in the dorms and I felt I needed something. I asked to go to a Catholic Church with a friend."
She said she immediately felt at home at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Salina.
Father Keith Weber, pastor at St. Elizabeth, agreed to instruct Tran separately because a conflict kept her from attending the regularly scheduled RCIA classes.
It was during that time that she met and began dating Hecker, and soon he began joining her at Mass at St. Elizabeth.
What is it about Ash Wednesday that it exerts such a pull on the lives of Catholics?
There are three days within the Church's liturgical year that are guaranteed to bring people to a church service. The first two are Christmas and Easter. They are the two most important feasts in Christianity, marking, as they do, the birth and resurrection of Jesus. The third day is Ash Wednesday.


text:
Aloha there at this site, where you can use epic ringtones for your smartphone. Today we have a ringtone of "Giggity Goo" by Family Guy as well as 2609 other ringtones by Family Guy. You can listen to all 4 Family Guy – "Giggity Goo" ringtone variations available here and download it for free to your computer. You can also select other 72 albums produced by Family Guy for all time. "Giggity Goo" is referred to , and we have a huge amount of tracks absolutely for free. And finally, we have collected lyrics for this track and you can view it here as well. So feel free to browse, listen, download ringtones at Audiko.net. Make your phone sound cool!
Family Guy Giggity Goo Ringtone
Albums by Family Guy
Top ringtones by Family Guy
New ringtones
- Major Lazer - Mash Up The Dance (Mungo's Hi Fi Remix)
- Christian Franke & Edward Simoni - 18 - Der Apfelbaum (Dance Version Edit)
- Eminem - Ed Sheeran & Rudimental Bloodstream
- Brad Paisley Feat. LL Cool J - Accidental Racist [Featuring L
- Meerkat - 321 we have lift off simples
- meercat - 321we have lift off simples
- The Hollywood Prime Time Orchestra - Equalizer
- tough love - So Freakin Tight
- schnuffel - KuschelSong - Schnuffel
- Elvis Presley - Baby, What You Want Me To Do


text:
This is a vintage Bromwell's 3-cup sifter. It features hand painted apples on a white enamel background and a metal crank with a red wooden knob. This sifter looks like it has never been used. There is a small dent in the metal that my camera could not even pick up. It does not detract from the sifter's otherwise excellent condition. Beautiful!
Item ID: RL-03285
2 other shoppers have this item in their Cart or Wish List.
Eclectic Vintage Collectibles ~ Purses ~ Jewelry ~ Glass ~ Books ~ Toys ~ Ephemera & Holiday Items
Welcome to Vintage Vault: PLATINUM-rated and one of Ruby Lane's "Top 50" Most Visited Shops! Offers welcome.


text:
First Tulips blooming
Please indugle me as my fingers type out a great loud cheer. Many of up are still waiting for the snow to thaw.
But the first tulips are blooming here near Dallas TX. It is coming. Anemones are right behind them. Crocus have been up for a while and daffs started with the earliest Rnjnveld Early sensation and ice follies has starts with several others. Yippee! I planted 2300 tulips this year counting about 200 species babies. I know that I am mad, but many of you share the blissful madness of spring bulbs.
there, now I can get back to tasks at hand...just needed to shout a bit.
Four kinds of daffodils blooming and counting, hyacinths in glorious fragrant beauty too. I am convinced that spring has truly arrived (early spring). My husband came in last night and said, I have some news that will make you very happpy....next week-end is the beginning of Daylight Savings Time! :)
iris gal, I planted viridifloras last year too, and was also underwhelmed. The pictures in magazines are so gorgeous....:(
I just got my first few dwarf catab dutch iris this week. First time planting them and they're so vivid. Too bad my pic doesn't really show their intensity and the yellow inside (and ignore my pitiful pansies in the background :)
Yes, Spring has sprung. Have plenty of tulip leaves up, some as high as 8" and daffys that will be blooming soon. Also, my nearly dead Catmit plant I got on clearance and planted in late fall is popping up with some very healthy leaves !!
Still have much more to plant, tho, since I 'gutted' my garden in the fall and am starting over. Still have mud :(
bonnie aka brit5467
Here is a link that might be useful:
Hi All
Here is a link to Picassa photos of this year's tulips. Snow fell last night. Today was supposed to be gorgeous but instead it is just plain cold. The last pics were the snow last night
To those of you up north...it's on its way
Here is a link that might be useful: March 21st 2010 Tulips!
Spring is definitely making its way slowly North. :) I found buds on two of my tulip varieties today, even though some of the others are barely an inch tall. Hyacinth buds are almost ready to open, I can see their colors through the outer layer, same with the squill. The only things blooming already are crocuses and a few of my neighbor's daffodils. The irises are quite a bit slower - the have 3 inches of leaves but no sign of flower buds. A lot of the berry bushes too are just starting to leaf out.
I continue to be puzzled by my muscari - the leaves survived the winter under 2 feet of snow, and just started growing again, now they are really long, and no sign of flower buds. *scratches head* anyone else in zone 6 with muscari?
I love the orange, yellow & white tulip combination. Names?
And the blue anemone with the white pansy edged with the anemone color. Priceless!!
Love Cantab. Darn, they just want more winter chill here :-(
thank you all
Iris gal: the mix is 4 emperor tulips. I believe Colorblends sells then as Tang Dynasty. I got them as a special from VE 100 each of Orange Emperor, Sweetheart, Yellow purssima and White Emperor. The orange in the mix comes up first for me.
Those little pansies (sometimes called panolas) were a big box find. Not labeled, tiny plants in November they are a big slpash of color. Got lucky with the anemone blend of colors too.
Appreciate the tulip names. I have some salmon ranunculus blooming and the color adds greatly to my garden. The tulips would be perfect. I'll check with Colorblends this fall. Thank you.
Just lovely pictures. I don't do many spring bulbs in my garden, but my neighbor started growing some a few years back and I began to encourage her like mad. I can't imagine what I'd do if you were my neighbor. I'd be in spring heaven for sure....... My dafs are all blooming now, with Tet e Tet finishing up and the split cup Cassata not far behind. I planted a few new Jonquils last year called Golden Echo and they are in full bloom right now. Nicely fragrant too. Muscari are doing well, with Muscari Ocean Magic looking very serene with her sky blue flowers. A different color from the old standard dark blue. They'd look nice planted together I think. I did manage to plant a few tulips, but they aren't up yet, so still something to look forward to.


text:
Your Letter: The flu is Obama's fault?
I'm always amused by the lengths some people will go to blame all of their problems on someone else. A recent letter in this paper went so far as to blame President Obama for not curing the flu. Might as well blame him for the rain last week, or our upcoming winter. I haven't gotten a deer yet, it must be Obama's fault!
Are you a newspaper subscriber but you don't have a Digital Access account yet? https://secure.forumcomm.com/?publisher_ID=40&event=subscriber/lookup.
You will need your subscription account number and phone number. Not sure if you have an account? Email us at email@example.com and we can help you.


text: ← full menu prev next coconut h2o - Taste it Description Coconut water is a great alternative to mass-produced and processed-sugar laden electrolyte drinks. Coconut water contains high amounts of potassium and other electrolytes that the body needs after losing water from strenuous exercise. Nutrition Facts Serving size 8 fl oz (240 ml) Servings per container about 2 AMOUNT PER SERVING Calories 45 Calories from fat 0 % Daily Value Total Fat 0g 0% Saturated Fat 0g 0% Trans Fat g 0% Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 10mg <1% Total Carbohydrate 10g 4% Dietary Fiber 0g 0% Sugars 10g Protein 0g Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 0% Calcium 2% Iron 0% *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Fun Facts 100% juice Kosher Cold-pressed Shake away separation Perishable-Keep refrigerated Drink within 3 days Made with local love


text:
OSI-Approved Open Source (448)
- GNU General Public License version 2.0 (67)
- GNU Library or Lesser General Public License version 2.0 (66)
- Apache License V2.0 (11)
- BSD License (10)
- Apache Software License (7)
- Eclipse Public License (7)
- Common Public License 1.0 (3)
- GNU General Public License version 3.0 (3)
- GNU Library or Lesser General Public License version 3.0 (3)
- Artistic License (2)
- MIT License (2)
- Mozilla Public License 1.0 (2)
- Open Software License 3.0 (2)
- W3C License (2)
- Zope Public License (2)
- Other License (8)
- Linux (445)
- Windows (441)
- Grouping and Descriptive Categories (358)
- Modern (63)
- Solaris (16)
Top Apps
- Audio & Video
- Business & Enterprise
- Communications
- Development
- Home & Education
- Games
- Graphics
- Science & Engineering
- Security & Utilities
- System Administration
A powerful, cross platform, SQL database system22,803 weekly downloads
Easy-to-Use business intelligence (BI) for all11,212 weekly downloads
JavaVi - vi/vim editor clone
jVi is a vi/vim editor clone built on top of the javax.swing.text package. Available for NetBeans and JBuilder. jVi is designed to quickly and easily integrate into many disparate java based desktop apps, from IDE's to mail-news readers.3,912 weekly downloads
dcm4che, a DICOM Implementation in JAVA
dcm4che is an implementation of DICOM and IHE actors in Java. Homepage: http://www.dcm4che.org, Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/dcm4che?hl=en, Wiki: http://www.dcm4che.org/confluence, Issue Tracking: http://www.dcm4che.org/jira2,112 weekly downloads
Openbravo ERP
Openbravo 3, the agile ERP, is a modular, ready to use, 100% web-based open source business management system written in Java, that automates all of the core business processes for small and mid-sized companies.1,402 weekly downloads
FCKeditor (retired)530 weekly downloads
Network Packet Capture Facility for Java
jpcap is a set of Java classes which provide an interface and system for network packet capture. A protocol library and tool for visualizing network traffic is included. jpcap utilizes libpcap, a widely deployed system library for packet capture.351 weekly downloads
openQRM - Cloud Computing Platform
This is for legacy releases only! Please see http://www.openqrm.com !220 weekly downloads
HAPI (pronounced "happy") is a Java-based HL7 2.x parser with support for traditional (ER7) and XML encoding. HL7 (www.hl7.org) is a messaging standard for healthcare information systems.290 weekly downloads
Colorer Library
Colorer provides source text syntax highlighting services. It colorizes source codes in editor systems (more than 200 syntaxes). Uses powerful HRC format(XML, RE, context free grammas), allowing to support any language. Available as Eclipse plugin.130 weekly downloads
SMC - The State Machine Compiler
SMC takes a state machine stored in a .sm file and generates a State pattern in 14 programming languages. Includes: default transitions, transition args, transition guards, push/pop transitions and Entry/Exit actions. See User Manual for more info.80 weekly downloads
Red5chat is an opensource project of a video chat written in Action script AS2 (flash7) using the RED5 flash server. It allows private/public chat with audio and video through an Flash interface106 weekly downloads
JGAP is a Genetic Algorithms and Genetic Programming package written in Java. It is designed to require minimum effort to use, but is also designed to be highly modular. JGAP features grid functionality and a lot of examples. Many unit tests included.103 weekly downloads
Java port of Mozilla charset detector
Java port of Mozilla's automatic charset detection algorithm. See... <a href="http://www.mozilla.org/projects/intl/chardet.html"> http://www.mozilla.org/projects/intl/chardet.html </a>for the details of the orginal code and Author.47 weekly downloads
2D barcode PDF417 library
A library to generate the bidimensional barcode PDF417. The generated result is a byte array representing the barcode image that can be included in the users application.63 weekly downloads
iSQL(IndependentSQL)-Viewer is a JDBC 2.0-compliant application that is designed to exploit JDBC Features for all compliant drivers. Support for Interactive Transactions, Running Batches, Schema Viewing, and support for various import and export filters.252 weekly downloads
openLCA Framework
professional open source software for LCA47 weekly downloads
Mozilla Widget for Java Swing38 weekly downloads
VCS to ICS Calendar Converter
The VCS to ICS Calendar Converter allows you to convert VCALENDAR files (for example generated by Nokia nbuexplorer or Microsoft Works) to the newer iCalendar format, used by Android and iOS for example. It allows the parsing of events and todo's.59 weekly downloads
SISC is an extensible Java based interpreter of the algorithmic language Scheme. SISC uses modern interpretation techniques, and handily outperforms all existing Java interpreters (often by more than an order of magnitude).42 weekly downloads
Zimbra Collaboration Suite
Zimbra is an open source server and client technology for next-generation enterprise messaging and collaboration. Please see www.zimbra.com for the latest news and downloads.46 weekly downloads
JTransforms is the first, open source, multithreaded FFT library written in pure Java. Benchmark results show better performance than FFTW. The latest version is available at http://github.com/wendykierp/JTransforms.34 weekly downloads
Overactive Logistics
Overactive Logistics is a freight forwarding software solution being developed for the cargo transportation industry. It runs in both web based or stand alone modes and provides a graphical user interface with rich client capabilities.49 weekly downloads
An open-source implementation of the Java Network Launching Protocol (JNLP). This will bring JNLP functionality to almost any platform that supports Java.85 weekly downloads
cpDetector is a proxy for codepage detection of documents. It delegates to multiple instances that try to detect the codepage by different techinques. A command line executeable is shipped that allows to sort documents by codepage.56 weekly downloads


text:
Caroline Wozniacki "Danish Delight" Picture Thread v2
View Single Post
Apr 24th, 2013, 10:28 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 9,311
Re: Caroline Wozniacki "Danish Delight" Picture Thread v2
Thanks Jimmie Sorry U only got too see her one day, It sad that she had too Bomb out early like that she really need too get it together she have too much potential as a player too be wasting like that , she has too really improve her game ASAP IMO anyway i know u not her biggest fan nomore but comeback & post again
Team USA
Serena Williams (XVIII) | Venus Williams (VII)
S. Stephens | M. Keys | A. Riske | C. Vandeweghe | J. Hampton | T. Townsend | V. Duval | S. Vickery | S. Crawford
L. Chirico | Cici. Bellis |T. Black | H. Black | J. Daniel | M. Gordon | S. Kenin | W. Osuigwe | M. Shishkina | G. Faith Andrews
View Public Profile
Find More Posts by Trey
View Blog


text:
WH: High gas prices not only reason to tap reserve
Discussion Policy
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Monday, March 7, 2011; 1:29 PM
WASHINGTON -- The White House says a decision on whether to tap into the strategic oil reserve would be based on more than just the price of gasoline, now averaging $3.50 a gallon.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said Monday that there other factors to consider, including whether there's been a major disruption in the flow of oil.
President Barack Obama's chief of staff said over the weekend that the administration was considering releasing oil from the 727 million barrel reserve to deal with the spike in prices.
Oil prices climbed to near $106 a barrel on Monday. Intense fighting between Libyan government forces and rebels are raising the prospect of a prolonged cut in the country's crude exports.


text:
AT&T's Doomed T-Mobile Bid Is Dead
AT&T's highly controversial $39 billion bid to become the biggest carrier in the United States by swallowing T-Mobile is over, eight months after it started. »
AT&T's highly controversial $39 billion bid to become the biggest carrier in the United States by swallowing T-Mobile is over, eight months after it started. » 12/19/11 5:01pm 12/19/11 5:01pm
The AT&T-Mobile merger is cooked, basically. Yesterday's turkey. AT&T's withdrawing the deal's application to the FCC and is looking at throwing Kardashian-sized $4 billion at the breakup fee. But wait! According to the New York Times, AT&T's got a secret, last-ditch plan to save the merger. » 11/29/11 2:10pm 11/29/11 2:10pm
Uncle Sam says no to AT&T eating up T-Mobile: The Department of Justice has filed an antitrust suit against AT&T, Bloomberg reports. Things just got real. » 8/31/11 10:40am 8/31/11 10:40am
Last week, a partly redacted document about the AT&T-Mobile merger was oh-so-briefly posted on the FCC's site by Arnold & Porter LLP, a law firm working on the deal for AT&T. Outlining some of AT&T's confidential LTE plans, it was quickly taken down. Well, here it is. » 8/15/11 8:00pm 8/15/11 8:00pm
Lately, anytime the gaping maw of AT&T opens, no matter what it's talking about—puppies! or unlimited data (boring) or financial data—it has to slip in at least a tiny reference to how badly the T-Mobile merger has to happen, or all of our phones are going to explode and the puppies will die and go extinct forever. » 8/12/11 5:50pm 8/12/11 5:50pm
If you've still got an unlimited AT&T data plan that you're holding onto for dear life to stream gigs and gigs of Spotify and Netflix and god knows what else, your life is about to suck a lot more. » 7/29/11 4:15pm 7/29/11 4:15pm
There is plenty of comedy gold to be mined from the impending obliteration of one of the four major national carriers and the further consolidation of the telecom industry. These videos aren't quite there, but oh well. [Save the Internet via BoingBoing] » 7/22/11 4:40pm 7/22/11 4:40pm