text:
Mission Statement
The purpose for the Eagles Nest's Christian Service Center is to provide a place for soldiers to have fun and fellowship. It's a place that soldiers can come and be themselves. A place where friendships are made that last a lifetime. The Eagles Nest is committed to teaching solid biblical principles and developing good character. This ministry is FREE of charge to all soldiers and is provided for soldiers by supporting churches and individuals like yourselves, that love the military.
Open from 5:00pm-6:45pm
Mid-week Prayer meeting starts at 7:00pm at local church.
Bible Study at 7:00pm
Pizza Night starting at 6:00pm and then devotions and games.
Devotions, Game and Movie Night
5:00pm until 9:00pm
Lunch at 1:00pm
Dinner for all single soldiers who have attended Chapel or Church Services.
Outings to various venues in the area
For transportation to the Nest, Call: 931-431-2428
Copyright 2013 Designed by: Kellie Hansell for The Eagles Nest Christian Service Center


text:
Chief Cathy Lanier to hold community meeting
December 31, 2013 - 03:59 pm
Decrease Increase Text size
(WJLA) - D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier says she wants to set the record straight about the recent arrests of two veteran officers.
Chief Lanier will hold a community meeting next Thursday, January 9th at 7th District headquarters in Southeast at 6:30 p.m.
Officer Linwood Barnhill Junior is accused of running a prostitution ring involving teenage girls. Officer Marc Washington was charged with production of child pornography. His body was pulled from the Potomac River in early December. Both officers were assigned to the 7th district.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Hillsborough Commissioners won't examine domestic partner benefits - what are your thoughts?
Sean Kinane about over 6 years ago
You heard about this on the WMNF Evening News. What do you think? Post your reactions.
In a 5 to 2 vote today the Hillsborough County Commission, county staff remains banned from researching the option of offering domestic partner benefits to county employees â a measure originally championed by former Commissioner Ronda Storms.
Recently elected Commissioner Kevin Beckner said he made the motion to get rid of the 2004 rule against discussing domestic partnership benefits because it was the only way for a the conversation on equal healthcare rights for county employees to proceed.
Contrary to the bulk of the discussion from other commissioners, the issue was not about whether Hillsborough County should adopt domestic partnership benefits, Beckner said, but whether the commission should get rid of the Rhonda Storms-era ban on even considering it.
Commissioner Jim Norman says that because Beckner was being direct, he deserved a direct response to the motion.
Commissioner Mark Sharpe quoted President Obama in asking for American families and the government to tighten their belts because of the economy. Sharpe made an impassioned speech about why he opposed Becknerâs motion, calling it âirresponsibleâ considering the countyâs budget cuts.
Sharpe told Beckner they should work together to address the healthcare issue separately from the issue of domestic partnerships.
Board of County Commission chair Ken Hagan and Board members Al Higginbotham and Kevin White voted against Becknerâs motion to lift the ban.
Beckner asked Christina Swanson, the countyâs director of employee benefits, to estimate how much a domestic partner benefit would cost the county or how many employees would take advantage of it.
Swanson says that other counties spend up to 1.25% more on health benefits when they add on domestic partner benefits. She also says that because of the rising cost of health insurance and budget problems, the health benefits of all employees may be cut.
Both county administrator Pat Bean and county attorney Renee Lee said that Hillsborough is legally bound to the 2004 action of the Board to forbid any study of domestic partnership benefits until it is overturned.
The only support Beckner got came from Commissioner Rose Ferlita, who supported Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio when she extended domestic partner benefits to city employees, though she said that newly-elected Becknerâs timing was âatrocious.â
Before the vote on Becknerâs motion failed, five members of the public spoke against it, while four spoke in favor. Several members of the audience wore a sticker that read âExplore Equality.â Cathy James says that most of the employees at her company that receive domestic partner benefits are in opposite sex partnerships. Of those who opposed Becknerâs motion, some cited economic concerns, while others, like Donna Koonse, stated moral reasons.
After the vote, Beckner said he thinks that the Board of County Commissioners âshould be able explore issues without being âhandcuffed by the decision of prior Boards.â
A television reporter asked Beckner about the appearance that he was pushing a âgay agenda.â
Rev. Phyllis Hunt, senior pastor of Metropolitan Community Church in Tampa, said she is âdeeply saddenedâ that the County Commission would not lift the limits on exploring domestic partner health care benefits.
One of the five people who spoke against lifting the County Commissionâs ban on asking county staff to research domestic partner benefits was Terry Kemple, president of Community Issues Council, or CIC. Yesterday, Kemple sent an email to CIC members congratulating them on putting pressure on the Commission to reject Kevin Becknerâs proposal to lift the ban.
Kempleâs email quotes two emails from what he called âthe aide to one of our commissionersâ whoâs name he did not release in order to, quote, â protect the source.â Kemple would not tell WMNF who the commissioner or the aide is.
The aide emailed Kemple that, quote, âyouâre doing a great job,â because the commissioner had received 10 emails in support of Becknerâs motion and 258 in opposition.
Beckner said that one-third of the messages that his office had received were in favor of his motion and that the unnamed commissionerâs aide should not have got involved in that manner.
Kemple said that the aideâs actions were appropriate.comments powered by Disqus
CommentsIt was the right thing to do
It was the right thing for Kevin to do, regardless of outcome, because it shows the people of Hillborough County the thinking of their commissioners. If you like how they think vote for them, and if you don't, elect another Kevin Beckner. Keep the dialog moving forward, Kevin!
When we will reach a day where there is REAL equality? I'm straight, but it's very hypocritical to deny, not even discuss, these issues. Bravo, Kevin Beckner.
We're aiming too low
Forget domestic partnership benefits and go for legalized marriage for all.


text:
The late Ming and early Qing (around the mid-17th century) was a period of drastic change in Chinese history, during which a number of artists created painting and calligraphic works that had a great impact on the development of Chinese painting and calligraphic art. Starting from tomorrow (December 24) to May 1, 2011, visitors to the Hong Kong Museum of Art will be able to appreciate about 80 paintings and calligraphies of that period.
The exhibition, "Nobility and Virtue - A Selection of Late Ming and Early Qing Paintings and Calligraphies from the Chih Lo Lou Collection", features paintings and calligraphic works by artists who lived in a time of transition and who were forced to contemplate drastic changes. They expressed their uneasy resignation, spiritual ideals and lofty aspirations through paintings and calligraphy that came in a wide array of styles, ushering in a new mainstream painting tradition. The works on display are all from the Chih Lo Lou Collection.
Jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Chih Lo Lou Art Promotion (Non-profit Making) Ltd, the exhibition was officially opened today (December 23). Officiating guests included the Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Raymond Young; the Chairman of the Chih Lo Lou Art Promotion (Non-profit Making) Ltd, Mr Ho Sai-chu; former Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal, Mr Andrew Li; Convenor of the Executive Committee of the Hong Kong Culture Association Ltd, Dr Lee Kok-Keung; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Mrs Betty Fung; and the Chief Curator of the Museum of Art, Mr Tang Hoi-chiu.
The Chih Lo Lou is a private collection assembled by Mr Ho Iu-kwong (1907-2006), who had a passion for Chinese paintings and calligraphy that began in the postwar years when Chinese artifacts were draining out of the country. Ho could not bear to simply look on and, resolving to preserve his national heritage, started to acquire masterpieces. The name of the collection, meaning "bliss", expresses the pleasure that one gains from viewing ancient masterpieces and also alludes to a common Chinese saying that it is bliss to do good deeds. The masterpieces in the Chih Lo Lou Collection, especially those from the late Ming and early Qing, are highly regarded by scholars and art circles around the world.
The years straddling the late Ming and the early Qing witnessed a dramatic change in politics, society and the economy which left their mark on the development of arts and culture. Chinese painting in particular ebbed and flowed against this backdrop with a large number of accomplished painters dedicated to perpetuating the great tradition and to bringing about a transformation. On one end of the painting spectrum, there were the eccentric artists with their unconventional works; on the other, there were the relatively orthodox ones with their synthetic paintings. The myriad styles so produced have combined to impress the world with the profundity and diversity of Chinese painting.
This most important period is highlighted in this exhibition, which features painting and calligraphy gems by such masters as Huang Daozhou (1585-1646), Lan Ying (1585-ca. 1664), Xiao Yuncong (1596-1669), Chen Zizhuang (1597-1647), Kuang Lu (1604-1651), Fang Yizhi (1611-1671), the Four Monks (also known as Hongren (1610-1664), Kuncan (1612-1673), Zhu Da (1626-1705) and Shitao (1642-1707)), Gong Xian (1619-1689), Zha Shibiao (1615-1697) and others.
Devastated by the tumultuous dynastic change, these artists continued to pledge allegiance to the Ming and to live as loyalists of the vanquished empire. Some of them put up staunch resistance until death, others withdrew from public service to demonstrate their unwavering loyalty, still others retreated to the cloisters and devoted themselves to painting. Their stylistically varied and yet unique works reflect not only their times but also the artists' resignation, reclusive ideals and uncompromised dignity. It is with these admirable artists in mind that the exhibition is entitled "Nobility and Virtue".
To deepen public knowledge of Chinese painting and calligraphy, the Museum of Art has invited scholars from different countries to give a series of talks during the exhibition period. For details, please see the Museum of Art's website at http://hk.art.museum. In support of the exhibition, a fully illustrated catalogue is now available at the Gift Shop of the Museum of Art.
The Museum of Art is located at 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. It is open from 10am to 6pm from Sunday to Wednesday and Friday, and from 10am to 8pm on Saturdays. On Christmas Eve and Chinese New Year's Eve, the museum will close at 5pm. It is closed on Thursdays (except public holidays) and the first two days of the Chinese New Year. Admission is $10 and a half-price concession is available to full-time students, senior citizens and people with disabilities. Admission is free on Wednesdays.
For further information, call 2721 0116 or visit the Museum of Art's website.
Ends/Thursday, December 23, 2010
With his native land falling into alien hands, Hongren (1610-1664) became a monk when he was 38. He vented his nostalgia for his lost homeland in painting, calligraphy and writing. The "Scarlet Lodges" in this picture were painted when the artist, then 46, was on a visit to Mount Huang. The scantily textured motifs in light colour are primarily geometric and angular in form. The man-made trail, temple and boat contrast markedly with an absolute absence of men, inviting the viewer to share the sheer sense of solitude and tranquility that has claimed the heart and soul of the painter in seclusion.
"Landscapes depicting poems of Huang Yanlu" is a work by the late Ming monk Shitao (1642-1707). He was inspired by the poems of his friend Huang Yanlu (1661 - ca. 1725), who celebrated the picturesque landscape on his travels in Fujian and Guangdong. Author of the famous saying, "To travel extensively in search of the most wonderful landscapes", Shitao had his eyes fixed on the wonderful in his attempts to draw creative inspiration from extraordinary landscapes. In this painting, he chose to employ a variety of techniques to enhance the poetic and amazing. His landscapes can be meticulous or expressive in style, portrayed with a dry brush or washes, or lightly coloured or simply in ink.
Wars and disturbances taking place in the interim years between the Ming and Qing periods severed the contact between the Suzhou painter Huang Xiangjian (1609-1673) and his father, who was posted to Yunnan. Huang set out for Yunnan to look for his parents and the family was finally reunited after one and a half years. When Huang was back in Suzhou, he reproduced the scenery he saw on his travels in the painting, "Journey to find parents". His work captures the geography of Yunnan and Guizhou, characterised by conical hills extending to the horizon, or rapids underneath a great fall across which travellers have to navigate gingerly. On account of these exotic scenes and the courageous journey he made to bring his parents to safety, Huang is remembered in the history of painting.
The opening ceremony of the "Nobility and Virtue - A Selection of Late Ming and Early Qing Paintings and Calligraphies from the Chih Lo Lou Collection" was held today (December 23) at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Picture shows the officiating guests cutting the ribbon at the opening ceremony. They are (from left) the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Mrs Betty Fung; Convenor of the Executive Committee of the Hong Kong Culture Association Ltd, Dr Lee Kok-keung; Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Raymond Young; the Chairman of the Chih Lo Lou Art Promotion (Non-profit Making) Ltd, Mr Ho Sai-chu; former Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal, Mr Andrew Li; and the Chief Curator of the Museum of Art, Mr Tang Hoi-chiu.
Touring the exhibition are former Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal, Mr Andrew Li (third left); Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Raymond Young (second right); and the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Mrs Betty Fung (right)


text:
'American Inventor': Is it really that taxing to lift a toilet lid?
"Welcome back to American Inventor," intones host Nick Smith. "The judges saw thousands of inventors in Chicago and New York, but chose only the best as finalists." The producers, however, chose to spend the bulk of their time showing us the worst, the most crazed, and the most clearly deluded people in each city. Also, either a lot of people are inventing urination-related devices, or the editing staff figured visuals of toilets equal television gold. Ain't reality TV grand?
I've invented a spoiler detector. Hey, look, it works!
Dear editing staff: Look, it's great that you want to get a job cutting the inspirational human-interest filler stories for the next Olympics, but do you mind dialing it back a bit? When you start playing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" when a woman with a hard-luck story gets four yeses, you've officially gone too far.
Also, one of the folks behind this show must really hate New York, because once again, they took great pains to point out how many crazy people flock to that city. The first New York contestant featured tonight took styling tips from the Unabomber and thought he could change the world by getting men to pee into a funnel so they wouldn't have to lift the lid of the toilet. And he wasn't even the worst of them.
No, that title goes to Darrell, a crazed inventor who boasted of having more than 300 ideas -- and attempted to unload all of them on the judges. Listen, Darrell, they're not looking for ideas in bulk -- they're looking for one really good idea. How proclaiming that cancer did not exist in the 1900s -- excuse me? -- constitutes an invention is beyond me. Your inflatable headband was pretty awful, too.
Second craziest man on the show? George Foreman, who says yes to almost everything, no matter how absurd. George, did they explain that this competition was not about picking the person with the best attitude or the most touching story? Because seriously, you said yes to some really stupid products.
Good ideas
The 6-in-1 brassiere, a backless bra for women who cups overfloweth. The inventor, Elaine, is poised, professional, and wearing the product -- which gives the judges and the camera opportunity to ogle her ample assets. Still, it's a great idea: Any woman with more than an A cup will tell you that backless clothing is fraught with peril. I'd buy it.
The Wingman, a sort of portable dating site. Plug in your characteristics, and it will find others in your immediate area who share your interests. Peter loved it, but I'm thinking it's not so much an invention as an idea at this point -- the inventor doesn't have an actual product or any software yet.
The Claw, a bike-hanging device that grabs your bike instead of making you wrestle it onto a hook. The claw itself is pretty cool, but what really made it was the presenters -- one in a white lab coat, the other in a suit, doing a full-on Popeil-inspired demo. They'd obviously spent some time watching the master at work, and I appreciated that.
The Speaker Vest, which incorporates speakers so the deaf can feel music -- sort of the equivalent to headphones for hearing people. Great idea, and the judges love the inventor, but Federally Mandated Snide British judge Peter Jones is concerned about whether this would ever reach a mass market. I have to agree with him. It burns!
Bad ideas
Easy-squeeze ear plugs. "Is your invention a balloon that sticks in the ear?" asks Jones. Yes. Yes it is. Next!
A hands-free flashlight on a flexible tube that you can drape around your neck. Not a bad idea, per se, but I'm pretty sure I've already seen something just like that at Home Depot.
You know those big round baby seats you put your kid in when they're just starting to walk, so they can push themselves around without actually having balance yet? A guy showed one of those for adult roller skaters. Yes, he looked like a dork. Yes, anyone using it would look like a dork.
Dear god, what were they thinking? Ideas
Apparently, there is a subset of men who find the thought of manually lifting the toilet lid far too taxing. That's the only way I can explain two separate ease-of-peeing devices -- the aforementioned funnel, and a hands-free toilet lid operated by a pedal like a garbage can. Dudes, you don't even have to sit down to pee. Forgive me if I don't have much sympathy for your toilet-seat traumas.
A TV remote with a massager attached, so men don't have to sacrifice channel surfing when their wives want backrubs. "I can't think of anything less romantic than my man rubbing me down with a remote," says Sarah Blakely. I agree.
In the end, the judges chose the finalists for each city: Elaine Cato's backless bra from Chicago, and Craig Forest and David Moeller's bike Claw in New York. I could see both of these products in a store near you. But will they be good enough to win?
Did the judges make the right choice? Would you buy The Claw? The bra? Or have you been searching for a product that takes the toil out of toilets?


text:
Welcome from West Texas!
I`m Bruiser 160, I just wanted to introduce myself. I have been posting since the middle of June after I picked up my PT145 Mill Pro.
In memory of Connie Ann Johnson, July 9,1962- March 31, 2011
In memory of Calvin "P`nut" Hicks, August 22, 1950- August 14,2014
U.S. Army 1969-1971. R.I.P. P`nut
Welcome from the Florida panhandle
[glow=blue,5,400]*State of Florida Weapons & Firearms Statute Ch. 790 link below*[/glow]
*"When seconds count, the cops are just minutes away"*
~Colt .38 Special Official Police~Taurus PT145 3rd Generation~
Welcome to the forum, from Toledo, Ohio!
There are hundreds of millions of gun owners in this country, and not one of them will have an accident today. The only misuse of guns comes in environments where there are drugs, alcohol, bad parents, and undisciplined children. Period.
Ted Nugent
NRA Memeber - GOA Memeber - Buckeye Firearms Association Memeber
Welcome from Tampa. FL.
Enjoy the stay.
Welcome from Michigan!
Taurus - PT940
Taurus - 85UL
Ruger - Mark III Target
Kel-Tec - PF-9
Knight Rolling Block
Marlin 336A
Marlin Camp 9
Hi-Point 993 W/AIT Stock
Remington 870
Welcome From Central Arizona.....Bruiser Glad that you are here..look around, jump in and have fun...
Taurus Tracker 627 .357 4" and now a Smith mod 36 .38
and lots of Guitars
Guns only have two enemies; rust and politicians.
Praise God with trumpets and all kinds of harps. Praise him with tambourines and dancing, with stringed instruments and woodwinds.
Praise God with cymbals, with clashing cymbals.
Let every living creature praise the LORD. Shout praises to the LORD!
Welcome to the forum from Alabama
Taurus PT145 .45 cal
Taurus PT140 .40 cal
Taurus 689 .357 4" ss
Ruger P944DAO .40 cal
NAA .22mag minipistol
Remington 742 30.06
Mossberg 500 12 ga.
Walther P22
Welcome from the KY, Horse Country!!
Board Of Directors KC3 http://www.kc3.com/index.html
NRA Member, GOA Member, NAGR member
Welcome to the forum
All your firearms needs. Retail guns at wholesale prices.


text:
Your One Stop Phoenix Arizona Real Estate Source
Realty AZ Central is your one stop real estate portal where you can learn about Phoenix real estate market trends, search for homes, and find the most qualified real estate agents in the Phoenix Arizona market. We provide advice and guidance to buyers and sellers through the Valley, with an emphasis on the following cities: Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Tempe, Queen Creek, Anthem, Surprise, Peoria, Scottsdale, and Central Phoenix. We have a rich history in the Phoenix real estate market dating back to the early 1900′s (see About.) We pride ourselves in offering outstanding customer satisfaction, and we are so confident in our recommended best of the best Phoenix real estate agents, that we offer a $1,000 agent guarantee.


text:
Police forensics experts examine the scene following an explosion outside the Athens stock exchange on September 2, 2009 in Athens, Greece. The bomb hidden in a stolen van exploded outside the stock exchange slightly wounding one woman, damaging the building and setting eight vehicles ablaze. A second bomb exploded outside a government building in Thessaloniki. (Photo by Milos Bicanski/Getty Images)
Search This Weekend's Events
CTnow.com, 285 Broad St., Hartford, CT 06115
A Hartford Courant website


text:
How some young stars have fared after arrests
Posted: January 30, 2014 at 5:53 a.m.
Justin Bieber's arrest last week on suspicion of driving under the influence and other offenses adds his name, and mug shot, to the gallery of stars who enjoyed early success and ended up in handcuffs.
This story is only available from our archives.
Style, Pages 29 on 01/30/2014
« Previous Story
TCM prepares for awards with 31 Days of Oscar
It's award season on TV and cinephiles are in tall cotton. Read »
Next Story »
People & Places
Brothers attain Eagle Scout rank Garrett and Greyson Snell, both of Bentonville, are new Eagle Scouts. The scouts are members of Troop 36, sponsored by First Christian Chur... Read »


text:
Christmas is coming to Cockington Court
Posted: November 20, 2012|
Carol singers, stilt walkers and a samba band will help to kick off the 'Christmas at Cockington Court' festivities next month and there will even be a special visit from Santa!
Those visiting the Court on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 December will be in for a real treat when he Christmas at Cockington Court event takes place.
In partnership with Born Hectic, a premier organiser of Christmas events in the West Country, there will be more than 30 food and drink stalls, face painting, a samba band, trumpet player, choirs and jugglers. There will also be a lantern parade from 4-5pm on Saturday 8 December and stilt walkers 'The Funny Fairies' on Sunday 9 December.
Father Christmas will be flying in on Saturday 8 December for the opening of his Winter Wonderland Grotto where he will be introducing youngsters to his muddled-up elves and their 'we believe' jars of magic sparkle. The magical Grotto described by many visitors last year as the best they had been to, will be located in the Kitchen Gallery at Cockington Court Craft Centre. It will be open daily for visitors to explore and write their letters to Santa and the man himself will be making special appearances, armed with sackfuls of presents on:
* Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 December
* Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 December
* Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 December
The Grotto will be open at 10am-12pm, 12.30pm-2pm and 2.30pm-4pm each day. The cost of the Grotto will be £1 per child to include a small gift. During busier times, families may be given a special 'holly leaf' ticket for a particular time to visit Father Christmas.
Those looking for that unique and special Christmas gift can visit the 21 quality craft studios at the Court throughout December offering jewellery, glassware, wooden toys, ceramics, bags and sewing kits, prints, textiles, beauty products, sculpture, paintings, furniture and blacksmith leatherwork, as well as the Devon Guild Shop and a tempting chocolatier.
There will also be glass blowing and blacksmith demonstrations as well as the usual galleries and tea room facilities available from 10am-4pm until Monday 24 December.
Torbay Council's Executive Lead for Culture and the Arts and Regional Board Member for Arts Council England South West, Cllr Dave Butt, said: "It has been another exciting year for Cockington Court and we want to finish the year with a bang and really showcase all that the Court and Craft Centre has to offer.
"The Christmas event will really encourage residents and visitors alike to get into the festive spirit and perhaps sing along with a few carols or pop in to see Santa whilst buying presents for loved ones."
Director at Cockington Court Craft Centre Marissa Wakefield said: "We are really excited to be working in partnership for our Christmas event with leading event organisers Born Hectic and also Creative Torbay.
"For the first time we have a two day event bursting with entertainment and fun. We invite everyone to bring along a lantern to light up for the parade on Saturday 8 December at 4pm which will be accompanied by a samba band.
"Cockington Court has so much to offer to everyone and is such a stunning venue to purchase those unique Christmas presents from a vast range of items direct from the makers."
Further information on the festivities at Cockington Court is available at www.cockingtoncourt.org.


text:
David Moody's HATER, an apocalyptic thriller in the vein of World War Z and the 28 Days Later film series, to John Schoenfelder at Thomas Dunne Books (World).Rights sales
John Shirley's BLEAK HISTORY, to Ed Schlesinger at Pocket, in a nice deal, by Paula Guran (World).
McSweeney's contributor G. Xavier Robillard's CAPTAIN FREEDOM: A Superhero's Quest for Truth, Justice, and The Celebrity He So Richly Deserves, to Carl Lennertz at Harper, for publication in Jan 2009, by Helen Zimmermann at the Helen Zimmermann Literary Agency.
David Niall Wilson's THE DECHANCE CHRONICLES: Vintage Soul, in which a sorceric trouble-shooter and his crystal-mage girlfriend try to save a centuries old vampire and stop a rogue sorcerer before he can cast one of the most dangerous spells ever created, to John Helfers at Five Star, for publication in 2009, by Robert Fleck at Professional Media Services (World English).
Rhyannon Byrd's next three titles in the BLOODRUNNERS series, in which a powerful family finds themselves treading a fine line between passion and survival when enemy packs threaten their security, again to Ann Leslie Tuttle at Harlequin, in a nice deal, by Deidre Knight of The Knight Agency.
Sarah McCarty's REAPER'S JUSTICE and REAPER'S VOW, beginning a Western werewolf romance series in which deadly men move beyond the hell they've been living and head West in search of who they once were, yet barely remember, to Cindy Hwang at Berkley Heat, in a two-book deal, by Roberta Brown of the Brown Literary Agency.
Rachel Caine's Morganville Vampires #5: GHOST TOWN and #6: GOOD LOOKING CORPSES, in which an early-admission college student sets out to discover the secrets of the isolated, creepy town of Morganville and its night-dwelling citizens, to Anne Bohner at Berkley, in a nice deal, by Lucienne Diver of Spectrum Literary Agency (NA).
Aaron Starmer's DWEEB, about the five smartest boys in the eighth grade who are framed for stealing bake sale money and imprisoned in a small room beneath Ho-Ho-Kus Junior High and must use all their nerdish powers to expose a conspiracy involving fast food, standardized testing, and a school full of overachieving zombies, to Jodi Keller at Delacorte, by Elisabeth Weed at Weed Literary.
Aprilynne Pike's AUTUMN WINGS, a four-book series about an ordinary girl who discovers that she is a faerie sent to guard the gateway to Avalon in the mortal world, and when she is thrust into the midst of a centuries-old battle between faeries and trolls, she's torn between a mortal and a faerie love, as well as her loyalties to both worlds, to Tara Weikum at Harper Children's, in a significant deal, in a pre-empt, by Jodi Reamer at Writers House (World English).
Holly Black's WHITE CAT, a novel for teens about a fairy, and DOLL BONES, a middle-grade novel, to Karen Wojtyla at Margaret K. McElderry Books, for publicaiton in summer 2010 and summer 2011 respectively, by Barry Goldblatt (NA).
Chinese rights to Daniel Wallace's MR. SEBASTIAN AND THE NEGRO MAGICIAN, now sold in ten territories, to Shanghai Translation Publishing House, by Gray Tan at Jia-Xi, on behalf of Markus Hoffmann at Regal Literary.
Foreign rights to F. G. Cottam's THE HOUSE OF LOST SOULS, a creepy ghost story which moves between the present day and 1920s Britain, to DTV in Germany, Civilliazao in Portugal, Amber in Poland, and Hikmah in Indonesia.
Film rights to Marie Phillips' debut novel GODS BEHAVING BADLY, optioned to Ben Stiller's Red Hour Films ("Zoolander," "Dodgeball," "Starsky and Hutch," and "Blades of Glory"), for development as a comedy series for television, brought to Red Hour's Jeremy Kramer by Gail Mutrux and will be produced in partnership with her Pretty Pictures ("Kinsey").
Film rights to the Tom Swift book series, spanning over 100 books, to Albie Hecht's new digital studio Worldwide Biggies.


text:
Find the perfect hotel in St. Anthony using our hotel guide provided below. Find cheap and/or discounted hotel rates in or near St. Anthony, MN for your personal leisure or group travel. Discover the most favored St. Anthony Minnesota hotel/motel rooms. Review the St. Anthony hotel list below to find the perfect lodging. We also have a map of the St. Anthony hotels. Coordinating a group? Get St. Anthony Group Hotel RatesThe St. Anthony center is approximately 2 miles from Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church and 2 miles from Bell Museum of Natural History.
St. Anthony Hotels/Accommodations
Next 20 St. Anthony Hotels > [1 - 20 of 50]
Next: See My St. Anthony Hotels with Pricing >


text:
PORKANDCORN: A Man & His Duck Explore South America
View Single Post
Joined: Jan 2011
Location: Portland, Oregon
Oddometer: 296
playa renaca, chile to villa alemana, chile (dakar search)
i lied. i was all set and ready to go this morning, heading to mendoza, argentina and got held up trying to reprogram my bikes computer to metric/kilometers instead of english/miles. i went back into the room for a pit stop, and bear had found out that there was a Dakar spectator zone right on my route to mendoza between the cities of villa alemana and limache. previously, i thought i'd have to trek way north to catch it, so now i'm back on the dakar path.
we spent the day scoping out the areas that it is traveling through. there are supposed to be 10,000 spectators spread over the course for the day. the dakar "mass" basically rolls in and out of small towns, draining them of resources: water, gas, food, lodging. so we are prepped with food, water, spare fuel and posting to the adv motorcycle forums to find the coordinates of the spectator zones. the racers are supposed to be blasting through early in the morning tomorrow around 7 or 8am.
we basically made a big hundred mile loop and wound up in vina del mar at a new hostel, hungry for internet connections to figure out where to go and what to do. earlier today, we were at a hiper lider (south american name for super walmart) looking for internet, and while i was in checking on that, some guy came up to bear and told him that he and 30 other bikers would meet us back there tomorrow morning to lead us out to the spectator zone. that works too!
today was frustrating for us both, driving in a big circle, ending up back at the beach where we've already been. but it yielded that rider connection, so if they show up, we are set. i'm still posting to forums for the actual coordinates as a backup.
i'll probably watch the races until noon, then take off for the portilla hotel that i was supposed to arrive at tonight. one day burned to see the dakar rally: worth it.
beach club, playa renaca, chile
, on Flickr
sunset over playa renaca, chile
, on Flickr
sunset over playa renaca, chile
, on Flickr
morning prep under piero's hotel, playa renaca, chile
, on Flickr
brazilian bikers at piero's hotel, playa renaca, chile
, on Flickr
another day of hostal parking, vina del mar, chile
, on Flickr
2012 Triumph Tiger 800xc, Black
- Portland, Oregon USA
*PORKANDCORN: A Man & His Duck Explore South America
*Obsessive-Compulsive South America Trip Preparation
*Portland-BC-Alberta & Back on a 2012 Triumph Tiger 800xc
View Public Profile
Visit porkandcorn's homepage!
Find More Posts by porkandcorn


text:
About Us
Contact Us
Testimonials/Privacy Notice
The purpose of Airport ShuttleUSA is to consistently provide our customers with the highest quality, cost effective ground transportation services available.
We will continue to build a successful organization by establishing a strong foundation of loyal individuals, hotel and corporate customers who, in every interaction with our staff, will come to recognize the two basic principles which underscore our business philosophy:
Our most important asset is our customer.
Our most important resource is our people.
Take charge of your travel expenses and take Airport ShuttleUSA to your closest airport and other destinations.
Now serving:
Orlando International Airport
Atlanta-Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport
Call for a quick quote taking you from your driveway to the runway.


text:
Green Bean and Three Onion Saute
2 comments | Leave Comment
Green Bean and Three Onion Saute
- Prep Time : 10 min
- Cook Time : 20 min
- Ready Time : 30 min
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large shallots, peeled and sliced
- 1 large red onion, peeled, halved and sliced
- 1 large Spanish onion, peeled, halved and sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 pounds green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add shallots, onions and garlic and sauté 6 to 10 minutes or until softened and lightly browned, stirring every few minutes. Add green beans and 1/3 cup water and cover. Cook 10 minutes or until beans are crisp and water has evaporated. Stir in red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and transfer to a serving bowl.
About Jamie Geller
2 Responses to Green Bean and Three Onion Saute
Good day. I'm a Filpino caregiver in Israel. Just want to request for a simple kosher dish for 86 yrs old lady. Thank youso much.


text:
SOVA Center Combats Hate Crimes and Extremism in Russia
Hate crimes and hate speech are on the rise in Russia. According to statistics compiled by the Information and Analytical Center "SOVA," 87 people were killed in Russia as a result of hate motivated violence in 2008. The number of injured is reported as 378, but with the comment that statistics for the North Caucasus, where such violence is on the increase, is excluded for lack of ability to compile and verify.
Compiling statistics and tracking instances of hate crimes is just one of the activities of the Information and Analytical Center "SOVA." Founded in 2002 by staff of the Panorama Center and the Moscow Helsinki Group, and led by longtime rights activist Aleksandr Verkhovsky, the group determined to focus on the rise of nationalism and xenophobia in Russia in society as well as within official institutions. Religion and its role in society and politics is also an area of research where SOVA has produced valuable analysis. In the past few years, SOVA has become the leading source of expertise on these issues in Russia.
Part of SOVA's routine work includes monitoring of the press. In the absence of clearly defined libel laws in Russia, the state and business interest controlled media tend to reflect the authoritarian tendencies of the owners. In a country where the media is still regarded by the ruling elite as an instrument of propaganda, nationalistic and populist messages undermine any nascent democratic developments. SOVA has been particularly active in an area fraught with misunderstandings and deliberate manipulations—the definition of "extremism." In its analysis of Russian federal laws on combating extremism, SOVA has provided expert analysis highlighting areas of legitimate concern for potential terrorist activity, but also showing how the legislation has been written for use as an instrument of political pressure and manipulation, particularly against nongovernmental organizations and individuals who are not sanctioned by the government.
SOVA's materials have been used by independent analysts and reporters and have also reached various government offices in Russia. The Center is actively involved in the Working Group on Opposing Racism, Xenophobia, and Discrimination of the President's Council on Civil Society and Human Rights, the Expert Council of the Human Rights Ombudsman, the State Duma Working Group on Opposing Extremism, and two commissions of the Public Chamber. The Center's expertise is such that it is able to influence deliberations within these bodies despite being independent of the government.
With NED support, SOVA has become a leader in the field, and has been able to convene roundtables of organizations in Moscow working on the same issues and reach out to young people in the regions who are interested in learning how to monitor and combat extremism and fascism. The Center maintains an informative award-winning web-site www.sova-center.ru.
SOVA has become the premiere center for publications on anti-Semitism, racism and discrimination in Russia and its materials are used by the Council of Europe and the United Nations. The Center publishes books as well a special reports and periodic monitoring reports. By providing such a wealth of objective information, SOVA is making a contribution to changing the political culture in Russia, despite overwhelming obstacles.
As the global economic crisis continues to spread, its repercussions in Russia are likely to increase the sense of frustration and hopelessness that is often at the root of violence against racial, ethnic and religious minorities. SOVA is well poised to continue working with both civic activists and governmental officials. Reporting on the rise of neo-Nazi activities recently, SOVA itself has been the victim of threats from these groups.
Utility Menu
Primary links
- Where We Work
- |Fellowships
- |Publications
- |Research
- |Democracy Stories
- |Events


text:
A control loop for controlling a process or plant which controls the process or plant via an actuator. The control loop receives from the process or plant a signal representative of the process or plant output. The loop includes a nominal controller that generates a control signal for the actuator which is used only in the absence of a predicted disturbance to the process or plant signal from a disturbance mode controller unit having a neural network conditioned for predicting and indicating a disturbance.
1. A control loop for controlling a process having an output signal to control the process having an actuator, connected to the actuator for effecting control of the process, the control loop having an input signal representative of the process output, said control loop comprising:
a nominal controller, having a first output for controlling, and connected to, the actuator, having a first input for receiving a signal representative of a process output, second input and third inputs,
a disturbance mode controller unit (DMCU) having a first input for receiving a signal representative of the process output, having a second input connected to the first output of said nominal controller, having an output connected to the second input of said nominal controller, and having a third input; and
a periodicity indicator having an output connected to the third input of said disturbance mode controller unit; and
said disturbance mode controller unit comprises a disturbance predictor unit having a neural network which contains likelihoods of expected disturbances with reference to said periodicity indicator, and in view of the signal representative of the process output at the first input of said disturbance mode controller unit and the first output of said nominal controller for controlling the actuator, at the second input of said disturbance mode controller unit, to predict a time and extent of an expected disturbance, and provides on the output of said disturbance mode controller unit a signal indicative of any predicted imminent disturbance, which enters the second input of said nominal controller; and
said nominal controller, having a setpoint signal at the third input of said nominal controller and the signal representative of the process output at the first input of said nominal controller to generate the output for controlling the actuator, in absence of the signal indicative of any imminent disturbance, and in presence of the signal indicative of any imminent disturbance, the said nominal controller generates its output from the signal indicative of any imminent disturbance from said disturbance mode controller unit, for controlling the actuator.
2. A control loop as set forth in claim 1 wherein said DMCU employs a signal from said disturbance predictor to said nominal controller output for a period of time selected by a user unless the process output varies from the setpoint by a user selected amount within said user selected time period.
3. A controller as set forth in claim 1 wherein the DMCU is a neural network trained in simulation on expected disturbance models.
4. A controller as set forth in claim 1 wherein a DMCU output is a signal indicating only whether or not a disturbance is predicted.
5. A controller as set forth in claim 1 wherein a DMCU output is a signal indicating the profile of y predicted by the DMCU, wherein Y is at least one output variable vector.
This invention is particularly useful for controlling plants and processes of various kinds, where some regularly occurring disturbance affects the output of the plant or process. As the ordinary worker in the field of controls will readily recognize the invention described herein as application to any field of control technology from heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems to chemical processing plants, navigational systems, and so on.
A method is described which provides, in the preferred embodiment, using a model based predictive control framework to improve regulatory performance, particularly those processes that are subject to periodic or cyclic disturbances.
Such examples might include temperature disturbances affecting distillation columns (in oil refineries) due to ambient temperature variations over the course of a day (solar cycle), continuous grinding mills subject to feed disturbances near feed-bin changeover times, etc.
Perhaps the primary benefit to using a model that predicts disturbances in feeding this information into the control loop is that processes which are controlled in this way can perform more closely to their constraints. Using the example of a continuous grinding mill, the neural network would be trained on plant data indicating that (using this example) required power consumption to the grinders occurs each time a new ore car is unloaded into the process. Based on the grinding rate, or the size of the ore car, or some other criteria known to the plant operator, a neural net can be trained to expect the occurrence in the change in power requirement for the grinder.
There are many other examples which could be cited for using inventions of this type to improve the performance of the process under control and increase yield by allowing operation of the plant close to the equipment constraints.
Model-based predictive control (MPC) techniques have gained widespread acceptance in the process industry over the past decade due to their ability to achieve multi variable control objectives in the presence of dead time, process constraints and modeling uncertainties. A good review of various MPC algorithms can be found in "Model Predictive Control: Theory and Practice--A Survey", Automatica 23 (3), (1989), Garcia, Pret, & Morari. In general, these algorithms can be considered optimal control techniques which compute control moves as a solution to an optimization problem to minimize an error subject to constraints, either user imposed or system imposed.
In general, an MPC algorithm can be described with reference to the multivariable process. For example, one modeled by the equations:
x=f(x,u) (1a)
y=g(x,u) (1b),
wherein x is the state variable vector, u is the manipulated variable vector and y is the output variable vector.
There are two broad steps: a prediction step and an optimization step. In the prediction step, at every time step (k), the model is used to predict the plant output over a number of future intervals. This is called the prediction horizon. This prediction is corrected by adding the difference in the outputs from the plant and the model to the predicted output. The predicted output is then subtracted from the desired output trajectory over the prediction horizon to give the predicted error. In the optimization step, the minimization of the predicted error subject to the constraint(s) is performed (usually by a least squares minimization, although other techniques may be used) with the computer control moves being the decision variables. Constraints are specified as direct bounds on the decision variables (called manipulated variable constraints) or as constraint equations, usually based on the process model (output constraints). The first computed control move is implemented on the plant and model, then the steps are repeated for the next time step k. It is within the contemplation of the invention that one or all constraint variables of the one or all constraints are predicted.
It is important to know that in the above procedure, feedback information is utilized. At each and every time step this is used again and again to correct the predictions. However, in conventional MPC schemes it is assumed that the current measured disturbance remains constant over the entire prediction horizon because there is no process information in the future. This is called a constant additive disturbance assumption. It is well known that conventional MPC is a special case of the linear quadratic formulation. Looking at the MPC in a linear quadratic framework, the constant additive disturbance assumption suggests that all disturbances effecting the process are random steps that effect each output independently. In many, if not most, applications, this adversely effects the regulatory performance of a standard MPC controller. To counter this linear quadratic formulation, researchers have used a Kalman filter design to obtain estimates of the states and hence the predicted outputs. A review of known methods for dealing with this is provided in the reference "Model Predictive Control: State of the Art" CPC IV-Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Chemical Process Control, Padre Island, Tex., pp. 271-296 (1991), Ricker.
A combination of an MPC controller with the neural network as explained in this invention provides for a substantial improvement in overall controller design. It may be referred to herein as a Hybrid controller which may include other controller types besides the MPC), or a Hybrid MPC controller.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a hybrid predictive/nominal control loop, including the processing plant in accord with the preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIGS. 2 and 3 are graphs of disturbance prediction of the trajectory of y compared to the trajectory of y built into the nominal controller, preferably the MPC type, all in accord with the preferred embodiments of the invention.
FIG. 4 is a graph of the output and load variable trajectories for the conventional MPC and the Hybrid predictive/MPC controllers.
FIG. 5 is a graph of the manipulated variable trajectory for the Hybrid and MPC controllers corresponding to FIG. 4 in time.
This invention provides for a controller for controlling a process which has an output signal which controls the process through an actuator that's associated therewith. The controller also receives as input a signal representative of the plant or process output.
In a minimum configuration, the invention requires a nominal controller which in the preferred embodiment is an MPC controller that generates an output which can be used for the controller output signal but which output is only used by the process in the absence of predicted disturbances to the process.
The controller also has a disturbance mode controller unit which determines whether a disturbance model output should supplement a nominal controller output to generate a controller output signal to the plant. Of course, a disturbance predictor unit in the preferred embodiment having a trained neural network, understands the likelihood of expected disturbances or disturbance patterns and produces output calculated to adjust the process to setpoint as the disturbance occurs.
The disturbance mode controller unit employs the signal from the disturbance predictor unit as well as the plant or process output signal in a comparative manner. By making a comparison over a selected period of time the disturbance controller unit determines whether or not a disturbance is actually occurring and, if one is not occurring, returns control to the nominal controller for the plant.
Variations of the invention include the use of an on/off output from the disturbance model in the neural network, or several disturbance models, each of which have an output to the disturbance mode controller unit which uses the difference between the plant output signal and the predictive information from the various disturbance models to determine which of them, if any, to use to supplement the nominal controller output.
Referring first to FIG. 1, a control loop having a hybrid predictive/nominal controller therein is indicated by the numeral 10. In the preferred embodiment the nominal controller is in box 20 and is of the MPC variety and the predictive controller (DMCU 14) is a neural network trained on the inputs and outputs in the loop 10 and a disturbance model relevant to the plant or process 2. The plant or process 2 can be anything controlled by a controller, as would be well understood by those of ordinary skill in this art.
The output of the plant appears on line 3 which, in the vernacular of the industry, is considered a signal representative of its output, also and more commonly known generally as "y". ("y" can be an output variable or a set of output variables. In one case, where only the disturbance affected variable is affected, no part of the y output is sent to the nominal controller. In most complex controlled systems, other output variables will exist that will influence the nominal controller. See the Air Conditioner example in the Detailed Description for more detail about "y".) This indicator of plant or process output is fed to the disturbance processor 19 as well as the controller box 20. The output of the nominal controller is on line 6. The disturbance processor 14 is preferably a neural network trained to understand either with reference to time 15 or some other periodicity indicator, when and to what extent the disturbance is expected to occur. If the periodicity of the disturbance is related to y then y may be the only input necessary for the DMCU 14 (Disturbance Mode Controller Unit). The output of the DMCU 14 appears on line 5.
There are several different ways in which this control by the DMCU can be achieved. In a preferred embodiment, the predictive model or neural network looks at the plant output y and compares it with the expected plant output occurring prior to the event of an oncoming disturbance. Based on the input(u)/output(y) data used to train the neural net, its output (which will appear on line 5) can be used to predict one or more affected control variables or one or more constraint variables, each represented in its own controller within the main controller block 20. Another preferred embodiment can also use the input of an external event, such as that of the movement of time, here illustrated as input from clock block 15.
A short discussion of constraint and control variables is in order here. A constraint variable is one on which the limits of machine performance lie. For example, a fan can only turn at a range of revolutions per minute, and is constrained beyond that range. A feed pipe can only allow a certain volume of fuel to pass through it in a given amount of time and is thus constrained by a flow rate variable. A control variable is one which the controller can affect, such as the size of the opening of a valve, for example, or the directly related rate of flow through an associated pipe. Thus a constraint variable may also be affected by a control variable.
The output of the trained neural net 5(or other predictive model if one other than a neural net is used) simulates the disturbance affecting the process over the prediction horizon at each time step. This output 5 may take any form compatible with the form of the controller box 20. Ordinarily in the preferred embodiment the output is the prediction vector profile of the constraint variable based on the disturbance model the DMCU was trained on (or based on the disturbance model and computational iterations if a computational DMCU is used rather than a neural net). If the predicted disturbance does not materialize, the neural network will respond to that fact because the output y will not be as predicted. When the dissonance with the trained in model becomes apparent to the neural net, it will remove the expected disturbance profile from its output, and if properly trained, can also remove the effects of its error, by compensating output. In a computational DMCU, a monitor will need to be established that checks the output y for some predetermined time to determine whether the disturbance predicted by the iterative model has occurred, and some other model for corrective action could also be added on the nonoccurrence of a predicted disturbance.
In the real-world application of this to a control situation, say to an air conditioning system, the DCMU would be programmed or trained to expect the occurrence of substantial and increasing heat load during the day, and subsequent decreasing heatload as the sun headed for the horizon in the west. If the day is very overcast, the predicted disturbance will not develop and the DMCU will notice this, since the output of the air conditioned space will not show the expected rise in temperature for the no control move situation (or, of course, the flat or decreasing temperature level of the conditioned space with the addition of the disturbance predicted control response situation).
This example is a case where the only output "y" may be temperature of the space. Where this is the case, using FIG. 1, line 4 should not provide any information to the nominal controller. However if the nominal controller were to account for humidity, the "y" output of the space representing humidity (which, let us assume, is not related to the predicted disturbance that the DMCU accounts for) is connected as input to the Nominal Controller but this humidity signal does not, in this example, get sent to the DMCU.
An alternative preferred embodiment would send either a "I predict a disturbance" signal or, in the alternative, a "no disturbance is predicted" signal on line 5. In implementation this would be a logical 0 or logical 1. In such an implementation, the disturbance and non-disturbance responses would have to be programmed or trained into the nominal controller 20, in which case it would not look like a standard MPC controller, rather it would be able to send out an appropriate u for the case where a disturbance exists or where one does not, in response to the DMCU input from line 5. Numerous similar variants can easily be constructed by one of ordinary skill in the art once the basic idea of supplementing a standard controller with the predicted output y expected from a predicted disturbance. In other words, it is believed to be an incorporated invention to place a model of the effect of a potential disturbance into the controller block 20, and have the DMCU merely predict its occurrence. The function of an external clock like that in block 15 in FIG. 1 could be to provide an additional input besides the output y from the plant for such systems to predict the coming of a disturbance.
Training for neural networks to accomplish these tasks is not difficult but should be done, preferably in simulation representative of the situation into which one wishes to place the inventive controller. Background literature that demonstrates that this is within the competence of those of ordinary skill includes "Neural Networks--A Tutorial for the Power Industry," Proceedings of the American Power Conference, 1990, Mathur and Samad, and the literature cited therein.
FIGS. 2-5 describe the profiles or trajectories of the relevant variables on the occurrence of a disturbance. Referring first to FIG. 2, the disturbance D occurs at time=k, the origin of the graph 40. This graph 40 is of the prediction of the output u from the controller in the loop. The dotted line 43 shows no response to the predicted disturbance at time k because it has not yet affected the output y from the plant or process. This line 43 represents the prediction the conventional MPC would produce at time k. By allowing the conventional controller to employ the y predicted by the predictive DMCU, the output u will follow line 41. The actual variance from setpoint is described by line 42.
In FIG. 3, the same graph moves to (or is redrawn with the origin at) time k+2. The disturbance is noticed by the conventional MPC (without a DMCU, as in the prior art MPC). Thus it's response is shown as line 44, anticipating a control move with a model error e2. The model error of e1 at time k+2 for the MPC configured with a predictive DMCU in accord with this invention is in addition to the error e2, allowing the model corrected by the neural net disturbance predictor to bring the process or plant to setpoint 7 in a more timely manner, assuming the occurrence of the actual disturbance is close to the predicted one.
FIG. 4 shows the output and load profiles in graph 45. The hybrid MPC (in accord with the invention) produces the plant output profile of line 49, because it knows (predicts because of its training or model) the coming occurrence of the increasing load line 46. The conventional MPC will produce a plant output profile of line 48 because it takes it until the disturbance has occurred to respond. Thus it can easily be seen that the disturbance response (known as disturbance rejection) is for most situations better for the inventive hybrid MPC than for the conventional MPC when the predicted disturbance to the load occurs.
In FIG. 5 the graph 47 again demonstrates the relative efficiencies of the hybrid MPC and the conventional, although this time with respect to controller output u. line 51 represents the u output for the hybrid MPC in accord with the invention and the line 51 represents the u output of the conventional MPC, in response to the load change profile in FIG. 4, line 46. FIGS. 4 and 5 are both drawn on the same time scale.
The invention thus described is taken as limited only by the following claims.
Patent Citations
Non-Patent Citations
Referenced by
Legal Events
Original Image


text:
On August 2nd, 2013, I stole my parent's car, again, and drove to Ottawa to try and find Kristen. I don't remember any of it, but what I do remember, was feeling guilty for having written a book about all the people in my life I knew. That, and the withdrawal from smoking pot everyday, caused me to make the suicide attempt (falling backwards off a 30 something foot bridge). I've always had a major fear of heights.
I was in a coma for 2 days, I'm trying to remember what the hospital was like. I'd wake up, take medication that the nurses brought in, had a meal I can't remember. I can't remember the patients in my room, but one guy was hooked up to a ventilator. His heart stopped a few times and nurses rushed in to revive him. There was a room with a TV that me and my family spent time in. I watched the entire Australian Open with my brother. Some friends visited too. I liked going for food, and believe it or not, luckily, the time passed really quickly. I was left with a few scars from falling backwards off the bridge. I broke both my hips, was left with a few puncture marks from damage to my ribs, and I have a scar on the right side of my skull from when they had to operate to relieve extreme swelling. And miraculously, I could walk again and had normal memory. I had to go to physiotherapy, where I worked with some wonderful people. There was Cindy, who worked on my memory. We talked and I really liked her style. There was Sarah, who pretty much did the same thing. There was Agnes, who did physiotherapy with me, helped me to get my legs moving via elepticals and treadmills, including balance and posture and abdominals. There was my social worker, who talked to me about getting disability, and a few others. Unfortunately I got into bad habits again, such as overeating and smoking. But I went to the gym every other day with Doug, until he had his first born baby.
So in retrospect, falling off a bridge left me with minimal damages.
It took me months after getting out of the hospital to realize how gutless it was to jump or fall backwards off a bridge to my parents. Can you just imagine what it would be like if I was paralyzed from it, or worse, dead.
When I got out of the hospital I looked at what I'd been working on the last 2 or 3 years and tried to get a few publishers. I don't remember anything about driving to Ottawa or jumping off the bridge, but I just remember how guilty I felt about writing about all my friends. My brother Doug's paramedic co-workers pitched in and bought me an Ipad. I got into Candy Crush to pass the time, and a number of other games. I also got into billiards, embarrassingly after watching a movie. Can you really blame me though? I had nothing else to do.
Guilt seems to be a theme in my life. What is it? Guilt is an emotion that occurs when a person believes that they have violated a moral standard that they themselves believe in. So all these times I felt guilt, when Kristen gave herself to me, when I jumped off that bridge, I felt that I was morally wrong?
I went on a date on POF once, We walked in, looked around, and found the girl. I brought a friend and she brought 2. I made small talk, and found out they were taking the same courses in college. I tried to pay more attention to the girl I was there to see, and my friend left. "He probably won't be back for a while" I said and ordered a few drinks. I was charming, I have to admit, but she wasn't the girl for me.
I also persued other girls. When you're a guy and you're young, you never stop with girls. That's one thing I learned. I havn't had experience with girlfriends, so it's understandable that I wanted one.
I had help from medication though, which I should credit to a lot of success. Get this, since my suicide attempt, I developed insomnia. Ya, I can't sleep without my night pill. Get this though, since my accident, if I drink and take my night pill, I am violently ill. I drank 3 beers and had my night pill and was violently sick for 2 hours. But if I don't take my pill, I can drink litres of liquer, and feel fine the next day after getting 2.5 hours of sleep. It's just one of those things science can't explain. I went on a week or two light binge and suffered for a few days because of it. The devil finally caught up to me. I don't expect you to give any respect for these things, I'm just saying. These are noteworthy things, they are my reality. But I realize that I have responsibilites like golfing with my Dad and / or getting a job at a factory or Tim's working 40 hours a week. You can't get away with reckless behaviour, no matter how hard you try.
I don't take my profession for granted. Writing for a living, are you kidding me? But somebody's gotta serve people coffee, and I accept that I might be that person. To be completely honest, I think I'd rather interact with people than spend all my time alone.
Sobriety isn't difficult at all. People only give in because they have the option. Take the option away and people won't miss it. Passing the time when your sober is easier than you'd think.
Chapter 16
One day I woke up, after a bit of a binge, and just decided randomly that I was going to try and quit smoking. Well maybe after 5 minutes of discomfort I was 90% of the way done to quit smoking. Whenever I thought about smoking I got a bit of joy, knowing how much fun I'd had from smoking. For God's sake, I'd been pumping nicotine into my system for a decade (10 years) now. Whenever you want to smoke, just don't do it. Refuse to do it, take the pain. With pain, comes pleasure, I learned that from 5 minutes of discomfort.
Don't piss off the government. If you do, you'll quickly realize that they'll put in an effort to piss you off. You should never try to go up or down a class. What you were born as, what class you were, should be what you die as. There's a reason why you were that class to begin with. See me, I maybe tried to jump a class, but the reason I did so, was because in high school, Doug bailed on our lifestyle, which was so much fun, to go up a class. If he didn't do that, neither would I have. I'd be middle class / lower class. Lower class, middle class, upper class, the people are all the same, once you get to know them.
I was in a good mood so I did what I wanted, which happened to be work, so sue me. The weathern patterns were moderate the past 7 days.
Everyone got the picture, do what we are supposed to do.
Understand that once in a lifetime situations only come once.
If you decided to have children, you will be recieve joy from it.
Every once in a while, indulge in life's simple fun.
Seek guidance if you're unsure of yourself. From who you ask, well loved ones of course, someone who is aware of your situation. And don't be afraid to be yourself. Look towards family for inspiration. Realize a few things you need to know.
Always have a smile on your face, your problems will disappear.
Just think to yourself, where was I 5 years ago?
Things are more ordered now, and you should show grattitude.
Get back to good routines, I have a feeling your routines are improving every day. Think about your dreams, are they acheivable? Will they requre tireless work? If not, good for you at the current time and place. Maybe start planning for the future, say 5 years, and go from there. Nobody said you couldn't dream big, no matter how big or small you dream, that's still a gift, the ability to dream. Talk to people, speak your mind, just to see where it goes from there. Now is time for the actual writing.
I was 23 and still finding myself. I had lucked out and got into insurance, ie, family friends' suggestions. For beginners, I'll introduce myself. Melanie Laurel. And in my life's experience I'll say this much, enjoy it while it lasts. How I got into insurance, school. I tried not to get bored, friends school work etc. So it was nice that I stumbled upon a nice situation, gentleman wise. He was my dream man at one point in my life, so I should say I'm lucky. I spent many hours in my life thinking about him.
I'm tricking you into thinking I'm a writer.
I can't wait for the summer sun to finally get here. It's been I can't remember when since it's been here last. I had a good tan once, and I maybe plan on getting one again. I saw a picture from Doug's wedding, and I gotta say, it's a really great picture. I'm the best looking guy that I personally know. Maybe Doug's friend Daryl Eaton might be better looking. You decide.
I was never the best dresser though, neither were my friends. I had maybe 4 or 5 or 6 or 7 nice clothes, but I just never considered fashion to be very important. Which is funny because that's all certain girls care about from a young age.
I'm sort of a panzy when it comes to rollercoaster amusement parks, but I go about once a year.
I havn't done much travelling in my life. Travelling seems to be a passion of a few girls on plenty of fish, a dating website.
I seemed to excel at random things, like math and writing, mostly because my Mom and Dad bought me a multiplication and division game when I was in grade 4. That game might have been the only reason I excelled in school. As for writing, I never would have imagined I would have turned into a writer. I guess I should thank Kristen for that. Just think, the very first thing I ever wrote on my own was that religious confession of extreme anguish and suffering, because of that I achieved a level of bliss and enjoyment I never could have imagined. Maybe pain and joy are synonymous. You put yourself through pain, and you get joy as a result. I'd like to take the time to pyscho analyze myself. I was born into middle class because of my parent's hard work, and their parent's hard work before them. Even when they sent me to 3 mental hospitals, trying to tell me it was all in my head, I knew that most of it was real. I'm smart, but I have to be to be a distinguished writer.
Cool words. Divinity, innocent, learning, weary, magical, tragic
Awake, shake dreams from your hair my pretty child, my sweet one. Choose the day and the day's divinity. A vast radiant beach cooled jeweled moon, and we laught like soft, mad children. Smug the wooly cotton brains of infancy. The music and voices are all around us. Choose they croon the ancient ones, the time had come again choose now, they croon, beneath the moon, beside an ancient lake. Enter again the sweet forest.
Memories of times come in handy. Peace. One thing I found out about myself, is I'm patient. I talked about things and then I saw them come true in real life. So how do I see the future. Slow, not like the past, unique, continue like this for say, 2 years, until I see results/rewards. I'm sure I'll see fortune in things. If not, that is a bit unfortunate. What do you want to read about?
She bought a new dress for the occasion, a friendly get together, we knew each other for years now, countless years, well whatever time it was, we were together. A kashmir time. Of fine knitten sweaters, dresses, cool shirts, whatever we had. It was essential and well timed. It was 2016. It was an ode to party legends.
Say I went to a concert, a recent famed writer. I stayed clear, things went smoothly. Like, the shots I had been today that day. I made the arrangements and it happened. Word to the wise, if you want to meet someone, and made several calls, you can meet that person, in person. The timing said everything I had to say. So fine. You notice things that are cool. You feel happy. You scratch your head. You feel innocent.
Shadows formed wooden trees from the porch light, trees were tall and cool, mirrors, myself looking as I always did. So fine.
Sorry, it's getting too personal right now. Let's talk kids for a little fun. I told you that I visited my brother today? Now I know why I'm so cool, partly because of him. Partly because of my name and my look and my history and my "accident" everytime I get high now, it's like I'm on coke. How convenient for me. Getting high with a little from my friends. I just need someone to love.
If you happen to have a few strange talents, analyze them and decide if they're worth continuing. My Dad and I listened to 70's Rock N Roll driving to various sporting events.
The first concert I went to, Motley Crue, somebody was passing a joint around in the crowd and I took a hit. Ya I passed out and took a mean spill.
What's puzzling you, is the nature of my game…
Chapter 17
I'll lay out my cards for you. I'm a writer, I'll write everyday till I'm dead, I'll explore many a people's lives and write about their experiences. I'm a smart guy. I always was a smart guy, in school. I guess I credit alot of my success to doing good in school.
Teacher leave those kids alone.
A few people were telling me how their teachers in grade school grabbed them and they said, "If you touch me again, I'll kick your fuckin ass". They were the ones who taught the teachers a lesson.
Play the cards you were given in life. If they were good, good for you, if they were poor, you'll draw good cards next time.
You usually don't have to decide how to play your cards until you're 25, but if you're a pregnant teen, you will realize you played your cards wrong.
But even that sometimes can pay off for you. You just never know what life will have to offer. So if you're young, and you want my advice, don't practise bad habits, always look on the bright side of things, radiate positivity, and whatever else you can think of.
Go over your options in life. Choose the right one.
Try to pick good names for your kids, that can have a large effect on their life. Imagine having the name, say, Johnny Depp, he is deep. And if you don't have a good name, just think a name you'd like for yourself, and start going down that life path.
I also realized something that drove me crazy. Me and Kristen and the Twilight movies. I didn't really like those movies. I didn't like a number of things about those movies. Vampires. What are they? I don't know, because they aren't real. What are you supposed to be tricked into thinking animals live forever. There were a number of similarities regarding me and Kristen and that movie, and I didn't appreciate it. It kind of made me paranoid, delusional, and all that shit. What movies do I like? Wedding crashers is good enough. Most movies are good enough, as long as they are 3 stars or 3.5. 4 Star movies should be on your watch list. You might learn a valuable life lesson, something that people actually went through and discovered what life is really about. Lesson's that you only learn once. And if you go back a few years, a few days, a few minutes ago, and knew that, you would have avoided tricky situations. Hopefully my book has provided you with a few of them. But a lesson I already know I might run in to, is selling out. I refuse to sell out. If my book doesn't make any money and I have to work 40 hours a week selling and serving coffee, I'd rather have that than to have my book be successful. But I trust the people. How can I possibly not? They've given me so God Damn much. And that's the thing about being social, you can find out things about people by spending time with them. Things that they learned personally and socially, life lessons. You'll get them.
Preferences and tastes, tell kids their might be a santa clause, heroes come and go but legends never die, party like legends, I throw a lot of game changers, I'll be blunt, a lot of girls really like Paul and Griff, I had really cool friends, kids have a lot of energy, their a lot of work, things you do catch on, Maybe write a book for famous people.
My next life is gonna be average, it'll be good.
This life was actually bad at times. I had problems socializing because of substances.
Scandalous, deep, rad, glad, cool, unique, free and costly, game changing,
I'll get this to you somehow…
Music is a big passion of mine, my Dad got me into it. I like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, the Beatles, the Stones.
My brother just had his first baby girl. I saw her today. She is learning quickly. She said she wanted a pony today! How adorable! I ate way too many hot jalepena peppers, like a cup or 2 full, and went through hell from that.
I went to church every Sunday when I was a kid. I didn't mind it. I'll try and remember it. I didn't think about heaven or hell. My grandma is religious, so are my parents.
I wasn't aware of much when I was young.
In grade 2 they tried to skip me a grade but I didn't want to. I was mildly bullied a few times by my friends. I bullied a kid who was very tough, and jokingly he called me Lennox Louis. My first game of hockey I got a shutout. My first time having sex was with a lively girl, at another high school's after prom party. My first time kissing a girl was a mess, her fault. Oh right, preferences and tastes. Aging doesn't bother me, as long as you were hot at a place and time. I don't have a favourite haircolour, or eye colour. Body types. I'm not really into big breasts, though the last girl I was with had gigantic ones. I have never really enjoyed my sense of touch. I like to think, so fine, to myself. Everything lights up instantly. This basement I'm writing in, I'll describe it to you. The walls are a difficult colour to explain. Browish orange. But there's side wooden panellings, and a lot of things in my basement. I also like using the state of mind, wooden, to really make the wood stand out.
My family is really outgoing, you can't get a word in when they're drinking. Enless you speak over someone, which I am really not into. I'm into chillin.
There's time for work and there's time for play. No work, no fun. You know how much work is involved in 2014? Endless work. Endless hours. Whether it's physical work, or mental work. There's always work.
It's nice to take some time off though. No stress. That's the thing about taking engineering like I did, countless hours of work and play. It was pretty intense physical stress and mental stress. Having time off meant I was partying, and I did that for a year and a half. I took the next 5 years off. The thing about doing many hours of work is, you find tricks after a while. Which could have saved you many hours to begin with. I'm gonna call that a rule.
What else qualifies as a rule, common sense comes in handy. Experience comes in handy.
I'm looking forward to having kids, because I know I'm ready. You can't stay young forever, eventually you will want to replace your aging self with a younger more youthful version. You can still teach them common sense, simply by practising common sense yourself. Kids have a lot of energy, which is why you may want to put them in sports. That's what soccer is there for, they run around for an hour, and sit still for 5. If you lose faith, just remember, you were that age once. I didn't like gym class in high school, because you'd run around and sweat and then have to sit in a classroom sweaty. I found it uncomfortable. You should always show self-control. Indulge sometimes in earthly pleasures, and remember to show self-control. If you have an ego problem, go and get professional help via your community. Go with what people your age are doing. If they are watching TV, so should you. Trust there are reasons for the way things are.
Focus on something that makes you feel at ease. Always make sound choices. Watch an inspiring movie for whatever mood you're in. Rely on friends and family in times of dispair.
I'm going to tell you a story now. The story of Richard. He was popular, because he was fun. He was a talented guitar player, and was into things because of his maturity. He found a nice girl who shared his views and they talked intimately.
"I'm worried about my friend Blake"
"So am I"
"He seems to be on the right path, but I feel he still has a craving for partying"
"Ya I'm glad we are through that phase in our life"
I'm going to tell you another story now. Of complexity, simply put, maturity. Jordan worked his whole life to put food on the table. 40 hours a week, 51 weeks a year. He never thought life was going to be like this.
Cool words: Even, arduous, breast, mysterious, gentry, durable, indestructable, timely, lazer, glaze, phase, erase.
Where was I 5 years ago? I was sitting at a table, maybe to check if I was stable, but I was more than able, to tell fables.
Look at yourself in the mirror. Would you say you correctly represent the image given out? I have a feeling the answer is yes.
You should depict you're partner in life based on your looks. Go after someone the same class and appearance that you are. If you are ugly, don't fret. Always stay away from people who make you uncomfortable. If they're your kids, just remember, your parents never beat you.
Please, continue. How I feel, I feel like I can do anything, as long as its with accordance of my life plan. Congratulate people if they've earned it.
Or don't. That's fine. Like a CD case. Or a coffee mug, or the can of pepsi, or your socks. Keeping your feet warm. Hydrate. Keep an eye out for tricky situations. Avoid tricky things. You're smart. Find things out about yourself you didn't know before. I just found out I don't have a lot of energy. Didn't know that about myself. Also I notice things I'm doing is affecting a lot of people. Under pressure, you always do the right thing. That's nice. Keep yourself busy. Enjoy food. Hydrate. Can you really just write non-stop. Let's find out, don't take your night pill. It's 9:11 when I wrote that. Find out more things about yourself and use that knowledge to get involved in relationships. Find out what things you need to work on. My Dad needs to work on being happy for me, because I'm going to be successful in 7 months. My brother needs to keep doing what he's doing. My Mom needs to keep doing what she's doing. My dad needs to remember to relax. My love needs to remember to stay patience, but have fun. What you need to remember is go back to your favourite page and read it again. What you need to do, is mentally experiment with things. Rely on your gut instincts. Pressure. Peace.
The way you say "I'm a good person".
So you think you can tell heaven from hell, blue skies from pain, can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail, a smile from a veil, did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts hot air full of the cool breeze, did you exchange a walk on part in a war for a lead role in a cage. How I wish, how I wish you were here. Running over the same old ground.
Who are you to wave your finger, you musta been out your head, I hold deep in muddy waters, you practically raise the dead, rob the grave to snow the cradle and burn the evidence down.
Wow, another life changer. I go through 2 a month. I'm disappointed in myself. I had it right before, I was just tricked. Foolish dramatic behaviour. If there's any justice in this messy world, it will haunt me. Sorry, powerful stuff. Back to writing I should start another story. The Charming Dreamer.
I was so God Damn depressed. I slept 14.5 hours a day, more. I prayed that death would come my way in 40 or 45 years. I just prayed for death. Then I don't know why, I didn't take my night pill, and boom, my mnd exploded. Constant thinking for 12 hours. I figured I couldn't have sex unless I was serious about that person. Tick tock, tick tock went the clock, as sure as night as sure as day it would tick away. I thought about a lot. I managed to stay in a quiet room, at night, and experienced a miracle. I went from being morbidly depressed to having 100 thoughts a minute, all from not taking my night pill. I had no idea I had insomnia when I was taking my night pill, but found out over the next week that this was for real. I was so amazed. And then I took my night pill the next night and went back to being severely depressed. No thoughts. I went from being a thought a second, to barely having any. I went on like that for weeks. Weeks before I didn't take my night pill, I drank 5 beers and went in the other room and started drinking from liquer bottles. And then I went home and my parents were in the basement, and I took my night pill and instantly puked on my couch I slept on and the rug. That was the other strange part of having insomnia. I would lay on my couch, and get 2.5 hours of sleep and I'd have to try to keep myself busy for the remainder. Either that or be pathetic, from depression. Well, my parents got the idea that I couldn't drink anymore, it was quite the opposite as I learned from hanging out with Paul, one night I was 17 drinks, beer, then vodka, then beer and so on. Luckily I didn't take my night pill and I quickly realized there was an upswing to having insomnia, I had super human drinking abilities. I could drink litres of liqeur and not feel sick, and after 17 drinks I could wake up after 3.5 hours of sleep and start drinking again. Like I said, unreal drinking abilities. But then I took my night pill and all was lost again. One time I managed to stay up for 48 hours, and worked out, and ate and, get this, lost 50 lbs in one day, and gained it back the next day. Ya, I gained and lost 50 lbs in 72 hours. What I realized was, that all the muscle and fat in my body, turned to water, and I gained back the muscle and fat over the next 50 hours. Unreal. This defies the laws of Science (which I'd done several times previous to this event). I couldn't believe it, I weighed myself at Walmart, 115 lbs. WHat? The day before this I was 170, ya, the next day I was 165. I never told anyone about this but it's had very adverse affects on my body's behaviour. After not sleeping one night, I went to the gym the very next evening with Doug. "This year I'm the one who's gonna be getting married down south" I said. I was constantly saying positive things on me and Doug's ride home from the gym. I can't believe it to this day. My other meds don't have any effect on me, which I quickly realized from finishing my book and then becoming very clumsy without intention, that they don't do anything. I'm sure they do something healthy for my body. But mentally, they aren't viable. I told my social worker about my insomniac experiences. Also, I started doing extremely well at my physiotherapy, like I memorized 30 things put into groups of 4 and Cindy was dumbfounded. I also made my physiotherapist laugh when she asked, "What do you want to do?" and I pointed to my skull. I was working out 3 times per week, with my fitness enthusiast brother. I was listening to music, and got into some silly things. I went back to see my friend Paul in Toronto, and one walk from the bar, after me convincing him, he smoked me half a small joint. And boy did I make the girl serving drinks wonder about me. She said, "Of the thousands of people I've met in my life, I've never met anyone like you" I went to one brain injury association meeting, but it was too depressing to go back. My social worker told me to apply for disability, seeing as I had brain damage from jumping off a bridge in Gatineau, Quebec. I was already receiving money from the government, just enough to keep myself afloat. I made new hobbies, but I had no friends. I was a loner. And then I started writing again, which I should thank my drug dealer for.
I was on a short leash with my friends and family. My brother found out I was smoking again and put me in place, but my parent's lied to Doug when I continued to do it anyway. I smoked way too much weed once, and embarrassingly, went on a long drive, following traffic lights, and turned around getting on the highway once I hit Peterborough. I went through mood swings, not take your night pill, be up all night, and have a good day, to take your night pill and have a bad day. Though it didn't take more than a month for my night pill's to not cause me depression. I'll go over Christmas for you. I was depressed on Christmas Eve, and stayed up all night Christmas mourning, and opened presents with my parents and Doug hours after sunrise. I got my parents thoughtful gifts. I got my Dad a golf coupon book, and my Mom a book on some kid who was mentally handicapped, but then grew up to be a genious. They didn't get me nice things. They got me work out clothes, grey and black tight shirts for working out, workout short. And that's it. I never got good Christmas gifts. Christmas for my Mom's side of the family was 3 hours of me thinking of things to say, but my drinking family fired off comments for 3 hours straight. Christmas dinner was nice. My uncle told us about his plans to marry his girlfriend, who my Grandma didn't like. It was to be in September 2014, in Scotland. My cousin talked often, which was sort of annoying. I decided 2 or 3 times to just interupt people in my family to get my opinions in. It was rediculous. Me and my friend went out to a few bars, and I impressed his Grandpa, who was a drinker, by having a few beers in the mourning and a few glasses of champaigne. My friend slept on his air mattress til the evening, and I slept awkwardly on a small couch. We went out that night, walking from his place, and boy had it been a bad winter. Like hell froze over. We talked on the train about interesting topics. We had a lot of smokes. He smoked more than I did, but was very adament about me getting high. My Uncle had a few poker tournaments. And me and my friend spent time at his uncles, where I smoked his weed behind his back, and surprisingly, wasn't high at all. I had some groundbreaking thoughts, which were the start to me thinking about writing again. I told a girl I wrote a 65 page book, and she told me to keep writing. I sent my manuscript to a few publishers, and I put my original book online. But it actually highlighted my deviled, elitist behaviour, so I gave up on that for a way. It took me a long time to realize key things, like not selling out, and how gutless I was to do that to my parents. A lot of my ideas weren't good. I went to my weed dealers when I had hockey on Monday nights. I had bad thoughts of girls. I tried to give a few girls a chance but they said, "Fuck you Blake" and I never persued the other after asking her to the movies a week before Valentine's day. Who was I to give girls I wouldn't have stuck with the idea that I was interested in them. I tried to go back to school. I handed my resume to my old work, I handed a resume to a factory a town over. But no luck.
About 4 months after I got out of the hospital, I realized what I had put my parent's through, was the absolute most gutless thing ever done. If there was an 85% chance that I would be paralyzed permenantly, or a vegetable, why the fuck would I do it. To put my parent's in that position. Think about it, if I wasn't so lucky, they would have had to feed me, bathe me, help me go to the bathroom, put me to bed, wake me up in the mornin. All because I had had a suicide attempt. There's no doubt in anybody's mind except my own that it was a suicide attempt. How dare I put my parents through having to look after me, every single day, until they die. What kind of a sick son of a bitch was I?
I went back to my weed dealer's house for a couple bowls. I smoked wayyyyy too much weed though. 2 normal sized bowls, way too much. I went to Macdonalds after, ordered a cheeseburger meal, and a girl who worked at MacDonalds sat behind me. Well I don't know why, but I got up and sat across from her. This was a fucking bad idea. I couldn't fucking talk, I completely embarrassed myself. I didn't ask questions, I didn't say anything, I just sat there while she talked to me. Well I had no response to any question she had. It was an epic fail. All because I smoked way too much weed.
How can I go on living this way? I was unbelievably lucky to have come out unscathed. I imagined, and continue to imagine, every day, what life would have been like if I was paralyzed from the neck down, or if I had been so badly brain damaged that I was a vegetable. My parent's would have had to take care of me, bought handicapable cars, just because I was the most gutless prick EVER. How could I live with myself? Surprisingly though, it gave me perspective. Whenever I'm alone, or with my parents, I sit there, not moving a muscle, just to get an idea of what it would have been like. So gutless.
I went to see a doctor every week, which I don't recall what for. I was given an appointment to see a neuro psychologist. The testing was very hard, more difficult than university engineering. I tried though, and only got half way through the testing. Was that testing really necessary? I booked an appointment 2 months later and finished it up quickly, not stressing myself like I did the first time.
I'll try and remember other things nows.
I went on Facebook alot.
Facebook. Facebook is fun. That was one of my posts. On a scale of 1-10 how much do you believe in world peace. 10. Fantastic day today. You should take more chances. Luck comes and goes. Have you noticed that all people in favour of birth control are already born. You can't be good and bad, you have to choose one. Have fun on St. Patty's day everybody, I'm staying in. Ya I know, not cool, but I'll make it up to you. Drinking wine, white wine. Wow, I'm bored. And then I made a bunch of posts for Famous girl, then realized that she sold out and got famous through acting and music. Like I said before, I refuse to sell out.
I also had a few other crushes. It's one thing to be young, it's another to be young and handsome. But I would have given a lot to very ordinary girls. But nobody took a chance on me!
I liked a few photos, one was, "Chase you? I don't even chase my liquor". I looked at my display pics, they are actually really cool.
The supernatural has always interested me.
I gained weight from having nothing to do. But after overeating for a bunch of days, I just got less hungry. My face was starting to get fat.
I've never had the desire to go to New York or California or any of those cities.
You can tell a lot about someone from the things their into. If they're into animals, they might feel guilty about being human. If they are into music, maybe they are afraid of real life. If they're into sports, maybe they just like sports.
Writing. The english language is inherently Christian.
Partiers, they enjoy earthly pleasures. Overweight people, they enjoy indulgence. Adults, they enjoy experience. Children, they enjoy innocence.
I don't know what else to write about.
I guess what I'm saying is I have writer's block, but I'm going to try to get this book finished today because it's Monday, April 7.
The reason I was trying to get with "Famous girl" was because I was tricked.
| Email this Book
| Add to reading list


text:
Tag Archives: sequins
Sporty Chic: Elina Halimi at Tommy Hilfiger FW2014
Loved this classic American sportswear look on Elina Halimi outside the Tommy Hilfiger show in NYC. There's a twist though: that fairisle sweater by Saint Laurent is embellished with pale sequins. Celine bag.
Sam and Cailli Beckerman at Jeremy Scott SS2015
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, the fashion got wild at the Jeremy Scott show. Sam and Cailli Beckerman of Beckerman Blog mixed Moschino bags and Sponge Bob visor with sequins and painted jeans. Cailli Beckerman actually painted the Beavis and Butthead cartoons on those jeans herself – impressive!
Olivia Palermo at Dior Cruise 2015
Olivia Palermo looked beautiful as usual at the Dior Cruise show on Wednesday. A Spanish style fringed bolero jacket is a great topper for evening over a sheer white top, but Olivia added a little edge to the outfit with a black leather skirt with a slit up one side.
Eva Chen at Prabal Gurung FW2014
Indre Rockefeller at Derek Lam
It may snow again in New York today. We can't take any more winter! Therefore I'm going to try to focus on the cheerful colors worn by Indre Rockefeller at the Derek Lam show, where she mixed a cherry red coat with a pink top with sequin flowers. There has got to be spring around here somewhere.
Miu Miu Mirror Paillette Dress, Outside Prada
On 57th Street and Fifth Avenue in New York, the shop windows are sparkling right now with rhinestone embellished shoes (Miu Miu) and mirrored backdrops for mirrored dresses (Naeem Khan at Bergdorf Goodman). This Miu Miu mirror paillette dress seen outside the Prada show would be an irreverent and fun take on holiday party dressing. The dress is sheer, but I like how she has worn black underneath to keep it simple. Pair it with sexy sheer black stockings in cold weather. (more…)
Blue Sequin Sweater, Outside Marni
Jessica Hart Outside Milk Studios
Model Jessica Hart lingered outside Milk Studios after a friend's presentation.
Food note: The People's Pops, the artisanal popsicles sold at Chelsea Market across the street, have been extremely popular with the fashion crowd.
Street Chic: Black Vintage Jacket and Sequin Shorts, Jazz Age Lawn Party
At this weekend's Jazz Age Lawn Party on Governor's Island, there was a surprising crossover between 1920s looks and goth in several of the guests. Both aesthetics are related to Steampunk and involve a lot of attention to detail, vintage, and a love of costuming. The mashup was pretty brilliant on this young woman, who wore a black vintage jacket with her black sequin shorts and black hat, nicely contrasting with cherry-red lipstick. Very cool personal style.
Joanna Hillman at Donna Karan
Joanna Hillman looked particularly glamorous at the Donna Karan show in a long, silver sequined skirt by J.Crew. It works beautifully for daytime when paired with a black blazer.
Balmain SS2011
Before there were slim cut cargo pants on every retail floor on every corner, there were slim cut cargo pants on the runway at Balmain. This French label spearheaded the military chic trend that has resonated with consumers over the past few seasons. Slightly androgynous but always sexy, Christophe Decarnin's designs have quite a following, as evidenced by the cool crowd outside the Le Grand Hotel.
A fabulously tough look. Note the camouflage – a pattern that appeared on several fashion-forward editors. (more…)