text:
* * *
I've watched all the debates and I think Ron Paul is a kook on foreign policy. I've never cared much for libertarianism. I think it is naive, half-baked, virtually warmed-over liberalism, that doesn't comprehend the inherently social nature of both Christianity and human behavior. Domestically he is not nearly as bad, but the wacko foreign policy is the deal-breaker.
Dick Morris made a good point on Hannity tonight: that if Paul manages to win in isolationist-tending Iowa, he'll be "frontrunner" (heaven help us!), but then he'll have the bullseye on his back and all the attention, and he will be crushed like a rotten tomato when kooky details come out. This will probably effectively end his candidacy.
Basic rights apply to all and are not "state issues." E.g., the bill of rights. The right to life is the most basic of all and shouldn't even be an issue. So we need to pass an amendment establishing the obvious legally, once and for all. Same thing with the definition of marriage.
If we do the "states' rights" routine then we have a situation like slavery: with "death" states and "life" states: where a human life is protected here in this spot, and then you go five feet over a boundary and it's fair game for slaughter. This is some of the foolishness of libertarianism. No! We went through that with slavery, and this is far worse than that.
I just don't want a scenario where Roe is overturned and it goes back to the states. Then it is great in the red states, but abortion will remain legal in all the blue states. I remember back in 1972, when childkilling was legal in New York. I was in favor of it back then because I was a good brainwashed liberal and utterly ignorant as to what it was about (I thought we were talking about a few cells, etc.).
It has to be a constitutional amendment, to be done with, once and for all: establish the right to life, as it always should have been. It was such a casual assumption that it was simply stated initially as "self-evident," in the Declaration. I don't think the founding fathers could conceptualize an America in which people thought it was moral to kill a child in its mother's womb. It took the sexual revolution and the modern ultra-secular liberal mind to bring that horror and abomination about.
I didn't say that Ron Paul wasn't pro-life. I'm talking about ideal conditions and moral principles: that pro-life ought to be a federally-protected right. I'm arguing against the position that making it a states' rights issue is fundamentally superior to dealing with it on the federal level. Universal rights ought not be a matter of individual states, because they apply to everyone equally.
The slavery analogy does indeed apply because we would have states with abortion and others without it (that was the analogy: similar to the situation in the 1850s). It shouldn't be allowed anywhere, just as slavery shouldn't be allowed anywhere. Those who owned slaves fought ferociously to keep their so-called "right." Those with a vested interest in abortion fight ferociously to keep their so-called "right" too.
Of course I will rejoice if Roe is overturned. I agree that this is better in the short-term than how it is now. But I think we can't let up with that and should still push for a constitutional amendment. It may take another 20-30 years.
The easiest way to accomplish it would be for Christians to actually have a lot more children than secularists, and to raise them as good Christian disciples. If we did that, legal abortion would be completely over in 20 years. We would conquer by demographics. But unfortunately, we have bought the anti-life contraceptive mentality, and so we are little different from the surrounding pagan culture; hence abortion goes on and on.
The article I posted above about 80% of young evangelicals being sexually active supports my point exactly about how compromised we are with the sexual insanity of this culture, leading to abortion, since having sex sort of leads to babies coming into existence, even despite all the marvelous anti-life techniques and devices.
Now you're doing the Tweedle Dum / Tweedle Dee libertarian thing, huh?
I might have been [a Democrat] before the Dems made abortion their sole core value. But that happened a long time ago. I'm also not a Republican or Libertarian. I am allergic to party loyalties and ideologies. My rule of thumb in voting is that I will vote for what works (more or less, nobody's perfect) and is not intrinsically and gravely immoral. This year, that leaves only two candidates I'm will to consider: Paul and Huntsman. There's not enough space here, but for my philosophy of voting [see my recent article].
You don't think Paul's views on Iran and nuclear capability are kooky enough to be a deal-breaker?
I agree that we're not voting for a saint or a pope. That's why Gingrich's past sins are not troubling enough to me to disqualify him. And I accept his conversion to Catholicism as genuine, and haven't yet seen a good reason to seriously question it. People simply assume that it is some kind of ploy. I've seen no evidence of that at all, and it's quite Catholic as well (if we wanna talk consistent Catholicism) to extend charity and the benefit of doubt, even to a politician.
Newt's answers to the onslaught of attacks, on his site . . .
In any event, Paul will NOT be the GOP nominee, so a vote for him will only be in a primary. It will probably be Gingrich or Romney (whom you've classified as kook / liar and phony, respectively), so it looks like you'll be passing up the presidential slot on election day 2012. Don't imagine a non-vote from you (along with others who take your general position) would have much effect on the results in a blue state like Washington, anyway (Obama won it 58-41).
I disagree that votes are as inconsequential as your dramatic metaphor. The famous example is JFK in 1960, where if one person had voted differently on an average of one per precinct (I think that is what was said), it could have had a reversed outcome. And of course there is 2000 and Florida, where a few hundred votes would have swung the election. Or if Gore had carried his own state: those who knew him best . . . That's why I specifically mentioned your state, where your "non-liberal" vote would have less effect (since we're talkin' electoral college).
I did read your piece. The same letter [from Pope Benedict XVI, as Cardinal] seemed to give leeway for voting for non-perfect candidates, so it is debatable from the outset that you would necessarily be "support[ing] grave intrinsic evil" -- based on the reasoning in the letter. In other words, that particular principle (which is a good one) is not completely supported by the letter in question, by your own description and interpretation of it.
In my opinion, if you sit out on the presidential vote, it's the same as giving Obama your vote by default, since you have not voted against him. It seems to me that there ought to be a concern for booting out the rabid, extreme abortion advocate (not to mention his intransigent economic stupidity), even if it is a non-perfect candidate (which anyone besides Jesus and Mary is destined to be anyway).
There is more than one way to view anything: especially in political matters.
Argh. Okay. One last thing. It's just not true that abstaining or voting third party is voting for Obama. Voting for Obama is voting for Obama. The way we got to this pass was by being held hostage by Republicans who argued that failure to vote for them and their crappy policies was "really" a vote for this year's Dem bogeymen. We will be, forever, slaves of the party as long as we continue to play that game. I refuse. I will vote my conscience, since I can find no proportionate reason to vote for the candidates you mention, who plan to take my vote and use it to do things condemned by Holy Church.
It's not voting for him, but it is aiding him. Obviously, if it is roughly a 50-50 scenario and a bunch of opponents of Obama decide that they can't support the opposing guy, then 50-50 eventually goes 50-49 in Obamessiah's favor, and he wins, and the guys who sat out (if in large enough numbers) indeed contributed to that. I don't see how that can be denied.
This is how Clinton won in 1992. That was a third party. But say all the Perotistas sat out. Clinton would have still won 43-40 or whatever it was, if they wouldn't have voted for President Bush (the Elder) under any circumstance. Thus, conservative stupidity and shortsightedness and apathy on the abortion issue (Perot was a pro-abort) brought us eight years of President Clinton.
Non-voting from someone who is conservative like yourself is largely the same scenario. If enough people think like you (Paul or bust), then we'll have four more years of Obama. It won't be because of people like me who will vote for anyone the GOP puts up (including even the kook Paul). What then happens to the country (truly frightening to ponder) won't be on my conscience.
If we emphasize ourselves and our own conscience without any consideration of the tangible results (as you seem to be doing), then that is the fundamental libertarian error once again: extreme individualism with little or no concern for the actual results of non-action: evil triumphs when good men do nothing. It lacks the communitarian outlook. This is why it is wholly inadequate as a Catholic social philosophy. It's barely "social" at all . . . it fits great with Protestant sectarianism and (in large sectors) atomistic individualism, though.
Gingrich always does good, but it doesn't stop the avalanche of attacks. With fellow Republicans trashing him daily we're in great shape. I would think we'd have some semblance of sense and smarts, but I guess not. We'll break Reagan's 11th commandment ["thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow Republican"] right and left . . . It's still ours to lose, if we don't forfeit out of stupidity and wrongheaded in-fighting. Why is it that so many Paul supporters seem to think everyone else is Attila the Hun while their guy is Sir Galahad? A black-and-white, conspiratorial world, I guess . . .
I like Santorum, Bachmann, Perry, and Gingrich, and I think Romney and Huntsman ore okay. I don't think Paul is a good candidate because of his isolationism, which I consider equally naive and dangerous, and due to my general dislike of libertarianism. If Santorum is the very best, it doesn't mean much, practically speaking, because he isn't gonna win it. I think Gingrich is great, as stated in many of my posts. I don't think he's shady or dishonest. I believe he has had a genuine Catholic conversion. I don't think he's perfect. Reagan was the greatest Republican president since Lincoln. I don't favor Romney because I think he is moderate (to some extent) and has waffled too much. But I think he'd probably be a pretty good President, and infinitely better than President Obama.
Gingrich is solidly pro-life and pro-marriage. He's a good conservative. He made money as a private businessman. I have no problem with that. I don't see that it was unethical. He advised the mortgage companies to do other than what they did. The culprits in all that were Rep. Barney Frank and Senator Christopher Dodd. Republicans tried to prevent it to no avail, because they were in the minority.
[Steve Schell asked: "Why do you believe that Gingrich has had a substantive conversion experience? What do you base that on? How would you begin to demonstrate that point to me?"]
His report; what his closer friends say about him; the fact that he has written books and done documentaries about popes; his talking about the Eucharist on secular TV, and about repentance before God in debates.
Are you in the habit of questioning other conversions, like mine, or those in Surprised by Truth or on The Journey Home? I doubt it. Yet when it comes to a politician, we become all cynical. Why? That is the question here, not some foolish requirement of absolute certainty that a person is not lying through his teeth.
That is not thinking the best of a person, rather than the worst (1 Corinthians 13). It is a command to extend charity and not fall into cynicism, which is the leading trait of atheism and agnosticism, not consistent biblical Christianity.
As I have said before, if we want to play the game of questioning every convert or the genuine piety of someone, out goes St. Paul (killed Christians), and King David (murder and adultery), St. Peter (denied Christ three times), and Moses (murderer). All of a sudden, we have to throw out much of the Bible, based on attitudes that you display. Disagree with a man's policies if you wish, but don't judge his heart and casually assume that he is a liar. A double standard seems to be applied: we accept most converts' words as genuine, at face-value, while we are too often highly cynical of politicians' spiritual odysseys.
Beyond that, I think I have enough spiritual discernment after 34 years as a serious Christian, to make out whether someone is speaking genuinely about God or not. I can spot a fake a mile away: and that has been confirmed times without number (and is part of my work as an apologist who is on the lookout for counterfeits and errors and wolves in the flock). I don't see anything non-authentic whatever in Newt Gingrich's conversion. If I'm fooled and he turns out to be a wolf in sheep's clothing then I am, but I don't expect that to happen at all.
You're not likely to vote for Gingrich. I just want to see Christian, Catholic charity extended towards him, just like anyone else, in this matter of his religious life.
It's [Paul's foreign policy] called isolationism . . . it is a policy of non-intervention. Paul ain't gonna win: not even the GOP nomination, let alone the Presidency. So his followers have a choice of either getting behind the GOP nominee, or pouting and going third party or not voting and possibly getting Obama re-elected.
If that's what you guys want, you may very well get your wish, given the way Gingrich is now being treated by folks like The National Review. We can be stupid and sabotage our own chances, and fight ourselves to death if we wish, and let the country go bankrupt and become Greece in four years.
I would gladly vote even for Paul vs. Obama. I don't care who it is. If an aardvark ran again Obama, it would have my vote. It would get more done in a month in office than Obama has in three years. And even an aardvark (unlike Obama) knows that you don't kill your own offspring.
None of the other GOP candidates are evil incarnate. We have seven pro-lifers vs. an extreme childkilling proponent in the White House. It's a no-brainer by Catholic social principles. You (and other Paul supporters or "nobody else" partisans of any candidate) can be extreme if you like: the result will be Obama re-elected and disaster on many levels. We have to pull together to beat him. It's ours to lose. Unfortunately, we conservatives are more than enough stupid and foolish (politically) to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
We have good pro-lifers to choose from. Gingrich has a 99% rating from Nat. Right to Life. Santorum isn't perfect. He supported pro-abort Spector for Senator. He's still very good, but that was a black mark. This is not a time to play around and engage in mere abstract politics and supposed superior principles. Babies continue to die. Politicians aren't saints (did anyone labor under the illusion that they were?). The next President could appoint a Supreme Court Justice that may make it possible to overturn Roe. We were dumb enough as a country to elect Obama, when we had a great chance to overturn Roe. Now we have another chance, and no one talks about abortion at all, because the pocketbook is always #1 above anything else.
There is some realpolitik there. The problem is how to work together (if possible) with people with whom one disagrees (coalition-building). So there are pro-abort Republicans. How are they to be treated? Gingrich took the stand that they shouldn't be outright purged.
One could disagree with that without necessarily questioning the person's overall pro-life commitments. I would prefer that they be purged, myself, but I understand the outlook that says Republicans need to have a majority to get things done, and unfortunately, that includes some pro-aborts and otherwise liberal members: often from the northeast, etc.
Some people [i.e., Gingrich] actually have a productive record in Washington, and got things done! I know it's hard to believe; it's been so long . . . People have very short memories. I remember it as if it were yesterday. I remember the Reagan era too, and what was said about him, including by country-club Republicans in 1976 and 1980.
If we squish all of Obama's qualities together we get class warfare, widespread governmental corruption, 9% unemployment, rabid promotion of childkilling, the worst housing crisis since the Great Depression, Obamacare, and $5 trillion of new debt that our children and grandchildren get to pay off.
We will campaign by presenting facts, while Obama will campaign by contending: "my opponent is a scoundrel." Well, a guy might win by such "campaigning" if he had anything to brag about at all in his term. But with his abysmal record, it will be political suicide. Meanwhile, many Catholics continue to vote for the preservation of the wholesale slaughter of over 4000 children a day: self-inflicted terrorism. It's amazing.
Newt Gingrich [along with the other six Republican candidates] knows enough to know that killing babies in their mother's wombs ought to be illegal, which is something many Catholics and other Christians still haven't learned, since they continue to vote for the childkilling advocates, thus enabling the holocaust to continue: including a vast disproportion of African-American abortions: virtually a self-genocide (as Jesse Jackson used to talk about).
Detroit is flourishing under liberal government since time immemorial: about half our high school students don't graduate and can't read. 40-50% unemployment of young black men, families decimated in the inner-city because of Great Society paternalism and social engineering. High crime rates, rotten neighborhoods. We're just about to go bankrupt. Everything is hunky-dory. Let's do more liberalism: add fuel to the fire so it can get better.
[addressing a Catholic Democrat, who is also a deacon] Whether you have donated a heart and give 95% of your money to charity (praise God for all your good works) has nothing whatever to do with whether you uphold the abortion holocaust or not by your vote. It would be nice to have a serious, substantive discussion for a change with a Democrat. If you can't rationally defend your voting for pro-aborts, then don't. But insulting others and waxing paranoid is no answer.
[addressing a person very cynical about both parties and the entire voting and political process, as if Christians are soiled by any participation whatever in these things]
Do you honestly think anyone here is stupid and ridiculous enough to actually believe that a mere political party will "save" them? You come to this conclusion simply because I post a facts-based article about the history of conservatism and liberal smear attacks?
Yours is the ultra-naive dangerous view here, because you forsake your civic duty to elect the best political representatives that we can put in office. This attitude is why we have abortion today: because Christians didn't care enough about political involvement to prevent that outrage from happening in the first place.
"'The liberal media' is a myth" is perhaps the most absurd single sentence that anyone has written on this page in its eleven-month existence. Many studies have documented the far-left orientation of the media: far more so than the general public. We're talking in the range of 90% who are left-leaning, and almost as many who don't attend church.
This attitude of "to hell with all the politicians" will prove more dangerous to our society in the long run than even liberalism has, because it is the spirit of despair, cynicism, and apathy, which always goes against God's will. The Christian is the eternal optimist and idealist: looking ahead; looking to transform society with the gospel and the message of the fullness of the faith, in Catholicism. Jesus is Lord of all of life: not everything except politics.
How could Jesus say to "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's"? How could Paul tell us to "honor the emperor"? How could the state be called an agent of God in Romans 13? We vote in order to remake the government in the Christian image, as much as possible: to preserve justice, to protect its own people from tyranny.
The "English Reformation" was not from God. Nor was the French Revolution, or Russian. I like the idea of disobeying unjust laws, which is why I was in Operation Rescue from 1988-1990. There is a Law of God above all human laws. Doesn't make all human law bad; rather it means that some are unjust and immoral.
The American Revolution has been questioned on Christian grounds. I would defend it on the basis of nations having the right to self-govern, rather than be governed by a power lying across an ocean; in other words, an opposition to colonialism. The right to self-governance . . .
Constitutional Republicanism is not the same thing as egalitarianism. Catholics like the principle of subsidiarity. I think the key is to have an informed populace, so that voting is informed, not polemics and propaganda-driven. The answer is not to "diss" voting, but to have an educated people.
Meanwhile, 4000 babies are slaughtered every day. Those who don't vote are allowing this to continue, on the principle of "evil flourishes when good men do nothing." Our duty is to end this horrendous injustice and others by voting for people who will work to end them, and to provide for the poor, etc.
We can play pie-in-the-sky philosophical parlor games, but meanwhile there are very real injustices and sins that have the sanction of law, that we can change for the better. You sit on your hands on election day; millions of others who think as you do, do the same, and the babies keep dying because good men do nothing about it. The Bible is about concrete justice, not abstract philosophy.
Liberals have never smeared anyone. They don't even know how to do it. And I have some great oceanfront property in Kansas to sell. Any takers?
No one ever said they [conservatives] didn't [ever smear people]. But it is exponentially less than the liberals do. Conservatives need only tell the truth about liberal positions, rather than cowering in fear, as we usually do, out of lack of principle and self-confidence (from years of being derided outsiders). For many years now, liberals have been reluctant to even describe themselves by that word. They know it is political death. So they pretend to be "moderates." They know that the public by and large rejects their agenda.
There is no need to smear them at all. The truth is sufficient and ugly enough to defeat them in all but the bluest states. Bill Clinton actually did what he was accused of! That was not a smear. He lied, and he was caught.
John Edwards actually did have a child out of wedlock and lied about it. That's not a smear, either. Even The National Enquirer got it right.
President Obama actually did attend the church of a radical black liberationist preacher [Jeremiah Wright] for 20 years, and he DID know an unrepentant terrorist [Bill Ayers] and engage in Alinksy tactics, etc. He was the most liberal member of the Senate and gave us many idiotic "present" votes, and saw nothing whatever wrong with partial-birth infanticide, etc. All of that is true. The American people were snookered by his campaign rhetoric. This time he can't fool people because he has a terrible record to run on.
Whether Cain is guilty remains to be proven. Thus far not one shred of hard evidence has been offered. Running him out of town, strictly on anecdotal hearsay of several bimbos of questionable character is classic liberal methodology. Guilty until proven guilty. That's how much justice Cain got. Now we have to listen to blowhards put him down. Maybe he in fact did what is claimed. I'd be the first to condemn it if so. But I won't trash a man with no solid evidence or proof whatever for doing so.
[replying to someone who questions Newt Gingrich's conversion to Catholicism]
What gives you the right to judge a man's soul and his entire conversion as "fake"? On what basis? You're able to read hearts and minds? You have a beeline to God or something? He tells you things that other mortals have no inkling of?
Newt is guilty of big sins in the past; therefore his conversion can't possibly be real? Okay, that takes out St. Paul (murderer), St. Peter (betrayed Christ), King David, with whom God made an eternal covenant (adulterer and murderer), Moses (murderer), Matthew (tax collector for the Romans), etc. I'll admit that Newt is a wolf in sheep's clothing if you concede that Paul, Peter, David, and Moses all went to hell due to fake conversions . . . Deal?
How ironic that we may have the first real Catholic ever as President (religion meant little to JFK): a guy who has written books about popes and who talks about the Eucharist and the mass on national TV, and people simply conclude that his conversion is fake. The devil must be laughing his socks off over that.
As a convert who has himself had his own spiritual journey lied about (publicly) times without number, mischaracterized, with motivations entirely questioned, and little or no concern for actual fact and documentation, I can empathize with this more than a little. The sad thing is that it is Catholics who are often leading the charge in questioning a man's soul and trying to read his heart and judge him harshly.
I would say, sure, Gingrich is full of himself, but then, so are, I highly suspect, most politicians. You have to have a big share of (shall we say, charitably?) "self-confidence" to get up and listen to yourself speak and have folks hang on your pearls of wisdom for days, weeks, and months on end: be adored. Unless you are a very well-grounded person (in God), that could truly get to you after a while, and create hubris. It's the same dynamic as being a movie or rock star. We see what those things have done to hundreds of victims.
Many are assuming that his conversion is not genuine. People can actually change. I'm testimony to that myself, and I'm sure many of you are too.
Gingrich has a solid pro-life record. I went through this with McCain four years ago: people were saying he had a lousy record on the issue, and in fact he had an excellent one. The same with Gingrich. 98.6% Lifetime Pro-Life Rating from the National Right to Life Committee.
A candidate may not be absolutely perfect. Hence, both Bushes allowed abortion in cases of rape and incest. That's not in line with Catholic teaching, yet many of us voted for both of them because of the vast superiority to the Dem on the issue.
Capital punishment and abortion are not on an equal plane. The Church teaches that abortion is intrinsically evil, unlike capital punishment (which it highly discourages in recent documents but does not classify in the same way as abortion).
Therefore, it is quite different to vote for a pro-life, pro-death penalty politician, compared to voting for a pro-abort, anti-death penalty. According to the Church, it is far preferable to vote for the former. Anyone who votes for President Obama (or any pro-abortion candidate of either party) is participating indirectly in allowing the holocaust to continue.
Just be aware that if you vote third party, you could help Obama to be re-elected. This happened in 1992, when "pro-life" people were foolish enough to vote for pro-abort Perot, thus costing Bush the election and allowing Clinton to get elected. People can help allow evil to flourish in many different ways.
Newt is saying he doesn't support amnesty (nor do I: not in any blanket sense; we do have to respect laws or they will become meaningless). Rather, he is making necessary distinctions. I think conservatives gain by doing so. The backlash against Perry was because he went too far: saying we must pay all this college money, and if we don't agree, we don't have a heart. He apologized for it, but the damage was done, and it may have sunk his campaign.
Of course we must distinguish between "pro-immigration" and "anti-illegal immigration." I hold to both. There is no contradiction. How to deal with illegal immigrants now here is a third distinct problem. Virtually no one (no one I know of, anyway) is against immigration per se and no one is against securing the border.
Newt Gingrich's interview last night on Hannity was extremely impressive. I am excited about his candidacy more than I have been with anyone since Reagan. He really continues the same tradition. He noted how his policies in the 1994 re-taking of the House were the same as Reagan's: lower taxes, lower regulations, and encouragement of business and the entrepreneurial spirit. 11 million jobs were created as a consequence. And that was with a Democratic President . . . Newt also has the advantage of saying that he worked with the other party (in Washington: not just in a state, where it is a lot easier) and actually got things done: balanced budgets, reformed welfare.
One thing he said was excellent (paraphrase): "we shouldn't move to the center in a general election, but move the center to us, and present a stark contrast; then conservatives win." It's hearkening back to Reagan again. It will work. The landslide is ours to lose. This is our best opportunity to really make huge changes in Washington, since 1994 (and that revolution was led by Newt, so it's sort of deju vu all over again).
I have been lambasting Romney, but let it be stated that I like him personally, and would be happy to vote for him if he were the nominee. He's infinitely better than Obamessiah. But I think Gingrich is far preferable to him. That's what primaries are about: we make our case for "our guy." We've had a lot of good choices this year, and I am delighted that Newt is currently on top.
I don't think it is difficult at all for Newt to win over the moderates and independents and "Reagan Democrats", because Obama has already long since lost them. They have nowhere else to go. There is no reason for them to stick with Obama, when they forsook him two years ago. They will vote for "different" and "change" from the miserable status quo. All the polls show this. Plus, if he makes Rubio VP, we get tons of Hispanic votes and take Florida for sure: two very important things. If he makes Santorum VP, we take Pennsylvania: a crucial swing state. If he makes Bachmann VP, we get more of the women vote, some tea partiers who might be reluctant, and Minnesota. Lots of good choices this year. I think it will be a landslide. It's '80, '84, '94, and 2010 all over . . .
I think Newt is a solid mainstream conservative in the tradition of Reagan (not much different from Bachmann or Santorum), but an exceptionally thoughtful and idealistic one: hence, he may take somewhat different positions on occasion. I would expect this. I do the same, myself, with some issues. It shows that he is a thinker, not a clone or a sheep. To me that is a plus, not a minus.
As for passing bills, no problem: we're gonna take the Senate, too, and keep the House (probably win more seats). Things will get done because Newt is a go-getter, not the same old do-nothing nonsense that we have now in DC: with the House doing all the work and the Senate killing everything before it has any chance; and Obama playing golf and campaigning rather than making law.
Newt is an actual leader. He has also shown that he can work with the other party: because he did in the 90s. Newt has the proven track record in DC, and that is something Romney can't match. I don't care if Newt is an "insider" as long as he is the right kind of "insider": a true Reaganite progressive conservative (as I would describe the position): in the Jack Kemp mold as well.
He talked about the Eucharist and going to Mass last night, in a room of South Carolinians (probably 90% Protestant), and of writing books about Pope John Paul II and Reagan. He's a thinker, an idealist, a guy who actually gets things done, a Catholic convert, historian. All of these are great things. Most of the opposition to him seems to be merely personal dislike and noting past sins that he has long since repented of. Hence many have questioned the genuineness of his conversion (those who know him well: guys like Bill Bennett and Sean Hannity, do not at all).
Mormonism in a President is not a deal-breaker for me, either. All I have said about that is that it will hurt Romney with the evangelical vote and in the South: perhaps fatally so if he got the nomination. Thus as a purely political consideration, it is an important factor. I do think, though, that for most who have a problem with that, they would still choose him over Obama, if they are at all conservative or even moderate.
The Republicans who actually got things done in Washington in the last thirty years were the solid conservatives (panned as "far right" by liberals and moderates): Reagan and Gingrich. This is a matter of record. In foreign policy there is more consensus in the GOP, so Bush I and Bush II had successes there: but did very little domestically. They lowered taxes. And what was Bush I's downfall? precisely, trying to compromise with the Dems: raising taxes while getting an empty promise that they would cut spending (that never happened). That's how depending on unwritten promises from the other party works: a double-cross and a lost election because of it. But one can work with the other party and maintain one's principle and conservative views, as Reagan and Gingrich did.
"Middle of the road" is about as exciting and motivating as the same thing in music. If you sit in the middle of the road, you get hit by traffic coming from both sides; both directions. You gotta be on one side or the other to move ahead and make progress: can't straddle the line, trying to please everyone and satisfying neither in the end.
And that is one good reason of many to support Newt. He won't be attacked anymore than Reagan was. Who cares? That's like saying, "the sun is coming up tomorrow." He can deflect that, with facts and a smile and a good return jibe that is true, not distorted like the Dem smears about him will be. He's gonna kick butt and mop up . . .
There is no particular admiration here for big corporations, but it doesn't make me advocate socialism. That's a case where the supposed "cure" is worse than the purported disease.
If one goes too far into libertarianism, there is a large ground where it meets liberalism. That's why I've never cared for it. In some ways, libertarianism is even worse than liberalism, because it doesn't understand communitarianism and social responsibility. It is to politics what Protestantism is to theology and religion: individualism gone awry.
I for one, though, don't want to stop this [the "Occupy" mobs] at all. I'd love to see it continue right through to November 2012: a whole year of 1968 Democratic Convention riots (I remember seeing those on TV)! I think it would be fabulous. We would take about 47 states in the landslide victory. As it is, we'll probably win in a landslide, anyway (Dick Morris thinks so).
You gotta love it when the big advocates of free speech and right to express opinions, tried to shout down Karl Rove at a speech. I absolutely love it! I've always been a big fan of highly ironic absurdity.
Reminds me of the incident in the abortion rescues when some pro-abort goon had a woman pinned down, choking her, and at the same time saying, "stop interfering with women's bodies!" or some such . . .
So far I haven't seen any of these rich famous people who visited passing out hundreds of dollars. Maybe I missed it. Spread the wealth . . .
You can break a law if it is immoral, but it has to be done peacefully, and you take the consequences of it, without being a total jerk (fighting with the cops, rioting, etc.). Examples: civil right movement, abortion rescue movement that I was part of. I broke trespassing laws, because a higher law was involved: saving babies' lives. These guys are not peaceful or respectful of those around them. That's the difference.
These same kinds of clowns were out there when we were blocking abortion clinic doors: mocking us, and in some cases beating us. Left-wing radicalism never changes in its essential character: going all the way back to the French Revolution (or even the English so-called "Reformation").
I will always diss rabble-rousing mobs. It doesn't accomplish anything. You can only protest with class and dignity. Otherwise it backfires big-time, as we see happening now.
"Conservative" means to conserve traditional American values, including the right to life. It has the connotation of "tradition" in it, which is why it is a good word, that resonates with orthodox Catholics.
But the present status quo is legal childkilling and in that sense I am a radical or revolutionary against left-wing, anti-Christian ethics, which is increasingly becoming the norm in our society and indeed, in western "civilization" as a whole.
I'm actually more like a neo-conservative, but certainly with a lot of traditionalist elements. See my statement on politics on my Facebook profile. I voted for Pat Buchanan once in a primary. I don't care much for his isolationist policies (nor Ron Paul's). But Pat's a good guy. I respect him a lot. He's always a gentleman and disagrees with class.
Here is the article by Gingrich's daughter [about Newt supposedly serving his first wife divorce papers on her "deathbed"] Turns out the visit goes all the way back to 1980, and the woman (Jackie Battley Gingrich) is still alive. She had an operation for a tumor the day before, that was benign. They were already in the process of getting a divorce, that she requested.
So leave it to liberals to spread a rumor about their hated target supposedly abusing someone on their "deathbed" in 1980, who is still alive today; and completely distorting the actual facts of the matter. :-) The daughter was there. I think she can be trusted to give an accurate report.
The real test will come in SC and FLA, because some conservative "anti-Romney" will win Iowa and Romney will almost certainly take NH. So it'll be a tie, with the advantage going to the one who can take SC and FLA. If Romney by some fluke loses NH, he is already toast. The main thing about winning Iowa is "momentum." I think Romney will have big problems in the south, being a moderate, and because of his Mormonism. I believe his campaign will be essentially over once we go through the southern "Super Tuesday" (if that is still called that).
We will all have to get behind whoever the Republican nominee is gonna be. After all this primary "division" it'll be time to get united and defeat the Clueless Socialist / Social Divider.
Obama is history, no matter what lies he tries to throw, to get folks' minds off the issue. Their minds get back to the issue every time they look at their bankbooks and compare them to their bills. So try as they may . . .
All polling indications suggest this. He is even lower than Carter in mid-1980, and we all know what happened to him. He's completely lost the moderates and independents, and has decreased in almost every other category (having now alienated even liberal Jews, with his nonsense about Israel), etc. Swing states are NOT gonna vote for him again. Ohio won't. Pennsylvania probably won't. Virginia certainly won't . . . GOP just gained control of the state legislature there, showing the trend.
The Facebook discussion thread underneath the cross-posting of this post there, contains additional intense exchanges about Ron Paul's positions on abortion: particularly regarding the exception clauses (rape, incest, life of the mother). He allows for those, which is a "limited pro-choice" stance and not completely, consistently pro-life. His views are shared in this respect by Gingrich, Romney, Huntsman, and Perry, while Bachmann and Santorum are the only consistently pro-life candidates, who would disallow it in all cases.
More thoughts in another Facebook thread: mostly about the ridiculous, pathetic, savage conservative and Republican in-fighting that is taking place, and the intensely personal attacks against Newt Gingrich.
* * *


text:
1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield, CT, 06824
Phone: (203) 254-4000 ext. 2784 | Fax:
Website: http://www.fairfield.edu/cas/ws_index.html
Principal Staff: David Gudelunas, Director
Type of Organization: National Policy/Research/Education
Mission Statement:
The women's studies program offers opportunities to examine the lived experience of women from all cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds, and explore the contributions of women to politics, science, literature, fine arts and other fields.
Subject Expertise:
Women's studies
Annual Meetings/Conferences:

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Tonight, Sony is set to (probably) unveil the next-gen PlayStation 4 at an event in New York City. Here's how Sony's next system could succeed.
I'm not quite a pacifist—politically I think of myself as an "owl" rather than a hawk or a dove—but I do hate the idea of war, unless it's war in a video game.
This distaste for war extends to using the language of war to describe competition between firms in any given industry: the "smartphone" wars, the "console" wars, the "brown, sugary, carbonated drink" wars. That sort of thing.
Still, whether or not we call it a war, the next generation of video game consoles is going to be a tough fight for everyone involved.
Nintendo has already made its entrance with the Wii U, and the jury is still out on whether that gamble will pay off. Lower-power with asymmetrical gameplay options and a bunch of exclusives vs. what will likely be much higher-powered systems from their competitors is very much what we would expect from the makers of the Wii, but it's a risk.
Microsoft has a deep battle chest and will likely push hard for the "living room" space, doing its best to market the Xbox 8 as a universal entertainment machine which will more than likely have robust connectivity options between Windows 8 and Windows Phone devices.
Then there's the scrappers—the Steam Box, the nVidia Shield, the Ouya—and the mobile gaming scene, and the very real possibility that Apple will come out with its own TV sets and dig even further into the gaming market. In other words, there's no shortage of video game options. Even PC gaming is on the rise.
Sony may be making a very huge, hotly anticipated announcement about their upcoming next-gen PlayStation 4 (or Orbis) in just a couple of hours, but they—like everyone else in this market—are facing competition from all angles.
So what does Sony need to do to thrive in the next-generation of gaming, and what should it avoid at all costs?
1. The Price
Sony needs to keep the price of its next-gen system under control. A full-featured unit with a sizable hard-drive should not run for more than $400 (US.) A higher-tier option would be fine, as would a lower-tier "bare bones" option, but Sony should not cross the magic $400 number if it wants to stay afloat.
What Sony should avoid at all costs is a repeat of the PS3′s launch prices, or the broken pricing of the Vita and its memory.
2. Content is King, Queen, Jack, and Ace
I think it's fine that Sony is likely integrating Move into the controller for the PS4 and shipping each unit with a Move Eye, and the added touch-pad may be cool for some applications, but first and foremost Sony needs to focus like crazy on producing lots and lots of new content right out the gates, and especially lots of exclusives.
This is where Sony has led in the past, and is probably the only reason the PS3 remained competitive against the Xbox 360 in the United States.
Focusing on great content and a strong line-up of launch titles from Naughty Dog, Guerrilla Games, and other Sony studios would make this a hard-to-pass console. First impressions are everything.
What Sony should avoid at all costs is a launch line-up that's stretched out over six months like the Wii U. We're impatient and uncharitable and programmed for instant gratification.
3. Don't tinker too much with PSN
The PlayStation Network is free. Alternatively, PS3 owners can subscribe to the PlayStation Plus service which actually contains an enormous amount of value. Free games, early beta invites, demos…for basically the same price as Xbox Live, you get all sorts of goodies.
There's been some murmuring that Sony will move more toward an Xbox Live model, with payment for online game access required, and the possibility that streaming PS3 games via the Gaikai cloud service to your PS4 would be locked for non subscribers. I think this would be a huge mistake.
What Sony actually needs to do is market its add-on service better. What they need to avoid at all costs is turning the PSN into Xbox Live.
4. Better marketing
Speaking of which, Sony needs to ramp up its marketing. Microsoft has consistently marketed its console better than Sony, even though it's offered far fewer exclusives. Sony can still focus on the "core" gaming demographic, but it can do so while still appealing to a wider audience—without sacrificing the quality of games it offers.
What Sony should avoid at all costs is whatever it's been doing to market its Plus service and the Vita.
5. That controller better be comfortable
The one thing I think the Xbox 360 really has going for it is a more comfortable controller. It just fits better. It feels better especially for first-person shooters and, to be honest, most other types of games. Sony's DualShock is an okay, but not great, controller. Let's hope the PS4 has something way more ergonomic.
Better still, it would be great if Sony came out with a modular controller that allowed users to pop in and out parts to fit their hands better. Being able to move the thumbsticks and d-pad, etc. would be great.
What Sony should avoid at all costs is sacrificing the comfort of the controller for secondary features like touch or motion.
6. Make the system work with the Vita
This is more for the sake of the Vita, but a very, very simple way to make your Vita double as a controller and cross-play games would be a smart move. Right now, integration between the PS3 and the Vita isn't exactly simple for the average user (let alone talked about, thank you very much marketing team) but if the Vita was as easily connected to the PS4 as the Nintendo Wii U gamepad is to the Wii U, it could really be something.
I wouldn't be surprised if this were the case, given the touchpad on the prototype controllers.
Sony's new system will certainly have plenty of power, even if it's not on the same level as high-end gaming PCs. What Sony should focus on is bringing that power to gamers at an affordable price with lots of games to choose from right from the beginning.
Focusing on gimmicks, or aping the success of Xbox Live, will only turn loyal fans off to the idea.
Likewise, including anti-used games DRM in the machine would make no sense for Sony. No matter how you feel about GameStop, the impact of anti-used games would be felt far further than retail, affecting our ability to share or trade games among ourselves without doing anything to bring down prices on new games.
The PlayStation Meeting is taking place tonight in New York City, so hopefully we'll have many of our questions answers (and few of our hopes dashed.) Sony says it wants to cater to the hardcore set. I hope they do this with open arms because you simply can't go halfway on something like that.
Both Forbes staff writer David Ewalt and games contributor Carol Pinchefsky will be in attendance at the event this evening. I will be watching the live stream with the rest of you and will blog my thoughts. Paul Tassi will be live-blogging the event (along with Carol) and I suspect many other Forbes contributors will weigh in.
Unless, of course, this turns out to be an announcement other than the unveiling of the PS4, in which case…the internet will explode into mass hysteria.
Follow me on Twitter or Facebook. Read my Forbes blog here.


text:
Rachel Baldwin
Staff Writer
WILLIAMSON - According to criminal complaints acquired from Mingo County Magistrate Court, DUI related arrests have been on the rise lately in Mingo County, which proves that law enforcement agencies are cracking down on those that are caught operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol/and or drugs.
Steven Wolford, 33, of Old House Branch in Gilbert, was placed under arrest by Gilbert Police Chief M. Rasmussen and Mingo County Sheriff's Department N. Glanden on charges of operating an ATV over the center-line of a highway, DUI and conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance.
The police report states that the officers were dispatched by Mingo County 911 to the Gilbert Terrace location on a complaint of two males on an ATV that appeared to be intoxicated and were allegedly attempting to sell illegal narcotics. While en-route to the location, the officers passed a Yamaha Rhino that fit the description of the ATV in question. After turning and following the ATV in an attempt to execute a traffic stop, the riders were observed driving in an erratic fashion, crossing the center line of the highway and running off of the edge of the road. After completing the stop, the driver was found to have a strong alcoholic odor on his breath and failed to complete the series of three field sobriety tests administered by the officers.
At this time, the passenger, Daniel Johnson, 40, of Wharncliffe, was removed from the ATV and while speaking with the officers, a plastic baggie containing a green leafy substance known to be marijuana fell out of his pocket. At this time, a pat down of the defendant was performed and a small glass container wrapped in aluminum foil containing 15 small, blue pills known to be Oxycodone 30 mg tablets was found. Johnson allegedly admitted to ingesting Oxycodone, Xanax and smoked marijuana earlier in the evening. He was placed under arrest on charges of possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance, possession of a Schedule II controlled substance and conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance.
Both defendants were arraigned before Mingo County Magistrate Dee Sidebottom and were remanded to the custody of the Southwestern Regional Jail at Holden until which time they met the regulations and stipulations of their bonds (Wolford - $6,100 and Johnson - $15,000).


text:
New York, United States
AIIM Seminar: Putting Your Information in Motion
Date: May 21, 2013
Place: Hotel Pennsylvania
Address: 401 Seventh Avenue (at 33rd Str), New York City, 10001
Leading businesses want to digitize, socialize, and mobilize their information to drive speed, efficiency, responsiveness and engagement.
Achieving all of that is challenging enough without worrying about protecting those vital information assets.
How do you realize the process improvement benefits of mobile in a strategic and responsible way?
The AIIM Seminar Putting Your Information in Motion will show you how to:
- Tap into the cost and productivity advantages of mobile devices without losing control
- Leverage the cloud to run "app-like" solutions independent of platform
- Integrate social technologies with processes rather than just provide a "Facebook for the enterprise"
- Use mobile devices to push capture closer and closer to the point of content origination


text:
- Home
- News
- Sports
- Obituaries
- Place Classified Ad
- Special Sections
- Community Links
- Games
Kelsee Rae Schier, Antlers 2012 Football Queen competed Sunday, April 28th, in Oklahoma City at the 33rd Annual Oklahoma's Homecoming Queen Pageant.
This pageant is sponsored by America's Homecoming Queen, Inc. It is a scholarship pageant and will include interviews and an evening gown competition. If chosen as Oklahoma's Homecoming Queen she will represent the State in the National pageant at Disneyland this summer.
Kelsee was invited and acted as an Oklahoma representative to the 2012 Liberty Bowl and performed in the half-time show with the legendary musical group the Temptations. Over 200 Homecoming Queens from 39 states joined her in attendance on New Year's Eve. While in Memphis each Queen visited St Jude's research center and rode in the Liberty Bowl parade down Beale Street.


text:
Palmetto Health Heart Hospital is the Midlands leader in radial artery catheterizations. A dedicated radial artery suite, together with skilled cardiologists and specially trained cardiac nurses, results in improved patient satisfaction and medical outcomes. In the suite, cardiac nurses monitor patients while they rest in recliners before and after their procedure.
Numerous studies and clinical trials* have proven that catheterizations performed through the radial artery in the wrist rather than the through the groin's femoral artery offer the following advantages:
Most male and female patients—75 to 90 percent—qualify for the radial procedure. Those who do not are patients whose ulnar and radial arteries are not strong enough to independently supply the hand and patients with dialysis access in their arm.
Palmetto Health offers extraordinary heart care. If you've been told you need a heart catheterization, consider taking advantage of this advance at Palmetto Health Heart Hospital. Radialists on our medical staff who perform radial artery catheterizations are:
Matthew G. Cantrell, MD – Palmetto Heart
Barry J. Feldman, MD, FACC, FACP, FSCAI – Palmetto Heart
J. Kyle Hewett, MD, FSCAI – Palmetto Heart
Guillermo Pineda, MD, FACC, FSCAI – Palmetto Heart
Vince M. Vismara, MD, FSCAI – Palmetto Heart
Stacy H. Graham, MD – Columbia Heart
W. Joseph Hollins II, MD, FACC – Columbia Heart
J. William Phillips III, MD, FACC – Columbia Heart
Gopi Y. Shah, MD, FACC – Columbia Heart
William W. Stuck, MD, FACC – Columbia Heart
M. Timothy Wells, MD, FACC – Columbia Heart
*RIVAL (Radial Versus Femoral Access for Coronary Angiography and Intervention in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome trial.
2010 HORIZONS-AMI (Harmonizing Outcomes with Revascularization and Stents in AMI) trial
2009 PRESTO-ACS (Comparison of Early Invasive and Conservative Treatment in Patients with Non-ST-Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndromes) study


text:
Weber: A Wendat ThanksgivingWritten by Art Weber | | firstname.lastname@example.com
The fire blazed in the fireplace, though it was really more just a place for a fire. An indoor campfire.
No chimney, no hearth. Just seasoned split logs of maple and birch leaned carefully, pyramid-style, flaming in a shallow depression scraped into the middle of a rock-hard dirt floor.
The fire burned in the walkway, which stretched door-to-door the length of the longhouse. The longhouse is the traditional communal structure of the Huron people, one of the great native cultures of North America.
We call them Huron, the name given them by the first French explorers to come up the St. Lawrence River. It's a familiar name to Ohioans, where it survives as name for cities, counties, even a great lake. The culture left with the Huron people, who long ago moved on or were absorbed into the populace.
But this is Canada – Quebec — their native home. Here they call themselves and their language Wendat, the people of the great island. They call their land, just north of the city of Quebec, Wendake. The word means the great island. More than half the nation still lives in Wendake.
Thanksgiving is every day in Wendake, where traditional ways and beliefs survive comfortably alongside modern life. A Catholic Church fills with devout Wendat parishioners who also tell the Wendat story of a world created and a people saved on the back of a great turtle.
The huge longhouse – a replica built to modern fire standards that, though large, would have been dwarfed by its genuine predecessors – is built within sight and earshot of the roaring rapids of the Akiawenrahk River.
Outside in the darkness, the Akiawenrahk – the "river of a thousand meanders" — boils past before dropping over a great falls – Kabir Kouba – and into the deep narrow gorge, a place possessed of extraordinary natural beauty that is the inspiration for many Wendat myths and legends.
In the longhouse Okia, a Wendat storyteller and a guardian of the Wendat's ancient wisdom, shares those myths and legends.
Okia's face was harshly lit by the stark light of the flames, her words and gestures carried softly over the campfire and echoed in the dark recesses of the longhouse. The smoke wafted as freely as the fire burned, rising slow and free past three stories of sleeping racks, lingering in the rafters where it permeated the stretched skins of wolf and bear before searching for an exit in the roof of the big longhouse, the traditional communal structure of the Huron people.
She shared the ancient ways of her people, the stories filling the air like the smoke of the fire, her dramatic gestures swirling the rising wisps. She speaks of the Wendat's unbreakable bond with the earth, and shares the sacred story of the great turtle. She sprinkles her stories with the Wendat language, words rarely heard since the death of their language a century ago, only to be recently rebuilt, inspired by its roots in the language of the Mohawk.
The longhouse is just one example of how the modern Wendat have chosen a different path, shunning the gambling casinos that have become commonplace on so many native lands. Instead they have chosen to showcase their culture by constructing a four-star resort, which began by building a small hotel with every room focused on the natural beauty of the river.
Those who want to fully immerse themselves in the culture can add a visit to the museum, savor meals and drinks based on native fare and served in their extraordinary restaurant, and opt to participate in heritage storytelling, overnight in the longhouse, and hands-on traditional skills from the making of a birchbark canoe to crafting your own speaker staff and tending to a garden of the Three Sisters – corn, bean, and squash planted together on a mound, providing a healthy sustainable basis for Wendat agriculture.
Quebec has officially designated Wendake as a signature experience.
"We're not a hotel," said Jason Picard-Binet, Wendake's tourism and marketing coordinator. "We're a cultural resort. We have a museum, we have workshops, summer shows, and outdoor theater."
And it's all first class.
You can reflect on all that as you stare into one of several fires kept burning on the grounds outside Restaurant La Traite. If it's too chilly they'll even loan you a wrap of wolf or bearskin to ward off the cold.
Until then, Onhey – pronounced oo-nay – Wendat for goodbye, nice to meet you, safe travels.
Look for more information at www.TourismeWendake.com.
Tags: Akiawenrahk River, Akiawenrahk – the "river of a thousand meanders", Art Weber, birchbark, Canada, canoe, Catholic Church, cultural resort, Huron, Quebec, St. Lawrence River, the longhouse Okia, Wendake, Wendat, Wendat storyteller


text:
|12 posts found
Spotlight Poster
Joined: 3/11/11
I am wondering is rift worth playing? or is it just another biliant wow clone, with solo rush to cap, then pointless raiding where the raid gear has no real purpose? Purpose to me is maybe some faction vs faction land control-based pvp and NO seperate pvp gear, so everyone has to raid if they want the best pve & pvp gear.
I am pretty bored with most mmo's since wow, and looking for something that might be worth playing,
Here are some things I look for.
1: Does the game have raiding worth doing? as in, is raid gear the best gear for pvp? if yes, thats a major plus, because it gives a purpose to raiding where mmo's like world of warcraft there really is no point to raiding due to a lack of stuff to do with the gear.
2: Is Rift yet another mostly or all solo to cap then start to raid mmo? or are groups actually needed outside of instances/dungeons/raids?
3: Is crafting worthwhile? or is it like most mmo's where drops you get from mobs are pretty much always better than anything you can craft.
4: How is the pvp and what kind of pvp modes does the game have? plain stuff like death match do not interest me, I am more interested in team based pvp, whether it be Capture the flag, or land control that grants your faction bonuses.
5: Classes that actually feel a tad diffrent insted of just copy and pasted from 1 mmo to the next.. I beta tested rift way back, and unless it changed since beta it fails number 5, because the classes were pretty much copy and pasted from world of warcraft.
Any replies be apprecated.
Being a pessimist is a win-win pattern of thinking. If you're a pessimist (I'll admit that I am!) you're either:
A. Proven right (if something bad happens)
B. Pleasantly surprised (if something good happens)
Either way, you can't lose! Try it out sometime!
Login or Register to never see this panel
Advanced Member
Joined: 3/05/07
It depends on if you enjoy an instance lobby based game, or not.. Rift focuses on instancing more then anything, whether it be PvP, dungeons or raids.. It's ironic that the game is named after a feature that is suppose to be about open world rifts, but rift events are treated like a side distraction.. It reminds me of SWG without Jedi's.. WTF were you thinking Sony? LOL
Apprentice Member
Joined: 10/04/06
Why not give the trial ago and ask the players in the game.
Spotlight Poster
Joined: 3/28/11
It's a good, solid game about getting stuff. It's about raiding at endgame, but there are other things to do if you don't need the very best gear. While you can play this game solo, it is boring and tedious that way. It's a lot more fun with other players. Fortunately, the general community is much better than that in WoW, from my experience, so it's not hard to find a good guild and find some people to play with.
I'm not criticizing everyone who plays WoW, mind you, because I know there are some good guilds there too. It's just that the general population of Rift is much better, from my experience.
So Rift is a WoW-type game in many respects, but with a totally different art style that you may or may not like. It also has personal housing, which is a very cool thing WoW does not have.
If you want a good solid themepark with a good community, then Rift is worth playing. There's a free trial, so find out for yourself.
Elite Member
Joined: 8/27/04
Perhaps tomorrow will be better.
The most LINEAR quest game i have ever played along with Wiz 101.
No variation in game play,no choices to level in different areas,you follow those linear quests and that is your whole gaming experience.The crafting,idk why but it didn't feel like crafting,it felt more like i was doing more quests AGAIN .../sigh.
The RIfts/invasions are a good idea on paper,but become generic and repeating and not so fun after only a day or two.The Rifts really are the only way to feel like you are in a MMO world and not playing a run of single player quests.I cannot imagine how easy questing would be if i were in a group,they are definitely designed to solo.
After having played the master of the Hybrid [sub class] system in FFXI,all other games seem to do it real cheap,like just a bunch of choices thrown out there with no real design into the game.
Example having a choice of FIRE atrtacks means nothing,it is not like the creatures/mobs have elemental weaknesses,the game is just simply put shallow for depth.
I gave it three tries,first time,i figured maybe i didn't give it a fair shake.So a second try was warranted,got bored after day 3 and stopped playing.After several months ,i again tried for a third try and again got bored after day 3,i doubt i will ever try it again.
Novice Member
Joined: 8/21/12
It´s a really well made WoW clone with a few new features.
I would only reccommend it to someone who wants to play "The WoW model" without playing WoW cause they´re tired of the same old Azeroth.
But yes, it is linear like it´s nobody´s business.
Spotlight Poster
Joined: 9/21/12
Originally posted by Siveria
1. Rift's raiding and PvP is very much like WoW. If you thought WoW's raiding was pointless you will think the same here
2. Solo to cap. Vanguard and FFXI are the only two I can think of that arent that way now. Even EQ1 you can solo into your 60s easily
3. A slghtly better WoW crafting system. Slightly better because you can at least influence stats a little, but its still harvest, click, combine. Gear is slightly more useful than WoW, but not much
4. Again, think WoW. They also have a 3 team battleground, conquest
5. the new souls are a little bit better, but its tough to be unique these days.
Elite Member
Joined: 10/29/07
Originally posted by IfrianMMO
It is also a brilliant first MMO, and being linear is an advantge with new players.
But if you played Wow or any other themepark a lot you wont find much new in this game even if the specc system and rifts/invasions are new.Very well made but it just felt like I played it before a lot.
Still worth a trial for anyone unsure.
Apprentice Member
Joined: 4/09/07
1: Yes, the raiding gives you the best PvE gear! It also requires you to obtain each piece of the anterior gear set. I say PvE gear because there are amazing PvP gear as well.
2: You can solo all the way to the top. Although, you can choose to group for PvP, dungeon, zone events.
3: In many ways it is worth it. Especial apothicary (alchemy). I cant say for sure about armor and weapon smithing (i just dont know)
4: I do not know much about world PvP other than killing the enemy faction while out and about (PvP server). But there are plenty of warfronts that require a bunch of different team based actions.
5: The class system is something I really like about this game. If you can think of a way to fight there is a soul to go with it. Pets, squishy dps, squishy AoE, tank, tanky AoE, healer AoE, healer ST, healer with shield. The combinations are endless.
Novice Member
Joined: 7/28/12
Its a great looking MMO but nothing new.
If you like "tons of things to do" there is a lot, especially tied to the Achievments. A lot of non-combat pets, titles, and nifty little trinkets to turn you into things.
It is NOT optimized so prepare to turn graphics down or have a top end computer (I run an old Q9550 with SLI 560's and my frames range from 19 to 80+. Yes, its that eratic. Thats with High settings minus shadows).
The Rift community is HORRIBLE. I have played "ALL" the MMOs out there and I have never seen such a hate filled game. My wife says that I am getting older and this is "how kids act now". Seriously, when did being known as a troll get you into the end game guilds? There is also a large amount of CSM favortism, a lot like the Vanilla WoW, where guilds of CSMs use their powers to secure most all of the "server first" type achievments.
If you can get into a good guild, or join the game with 5+ of your friends, you will love it. It looks beautiful and there is a lot of Theme Park to see. If your starting from lvl 1, plan on a good year of things to do and most likely loving every bit of it.
If you plan on soloing, stick to a game where your already established, you wont miss anyhting here.
I just logged into Rift after a month hiatus and asked simply "Where should I start leveling". I was called every name in the book and told "go back to wow carebear".
I logged out and will check back when its F2P.
"GW2 is the Methadone to WoWs Heroin."
Elite Member
Joined: 6/10/09
Yeah, it's worth playing. You can try it free to 20.
The game play has elements from EQ2 and WoW, but with their own twist on it.
To answer your questions:
1. The raids are about as good as any others out there. I enjoyed them up to a point. Yes, the best gear is locked behind raiding as are some achievements and shinies.
2. You can solo or group. Most people either solo to cap or to public grouping and events to level. There are a lot of leveling opportunities. There are no new lowbie areas so you'll see more of the same when re-leveling or leveling alts.
3. Crafting is mostly worthwhile as a supplement to instance and barter gear. Some crafted consumables are nice.
4. There are warfronts and zergball instances called conquests. Conquests are currently capped characters only and consist of 3 artificial factions zerging each other. Warfronts are are small team based battles with different maps and objectives. PvP gear is for pvp mostly.
5. The classes and subsouls are mostly copies of EQ2 or WoW classes, but you can mix and merge them and have different builds. So you can fill multiple roles with one class. You can sort of customize, but outside of overland play people in raids and pvp expect certain builds or you will be a liability to the team.
If you like subscription themepark raid-centric games then this is the one I would recommend. As I've said it's free with restrictions up until level 20.
The good part is there are a lot of different types of activities to engage in including fishing and housing (Dimensions). The not so good part is that the game is raid centric and Trion does cater to the raiding guilds but that can be mostly ignored.
Apprentice Member
Joined: 12/19/10
I play Rift and think its a great game for what it does. That said, the amount of fail information in some of the replies in this thread astound me. Those who have played the game can easily spot out which people may have only spent a couple hours in the original beta and are replying as if they are long time vetarans of the game.
Based on what you are looking for, I would not reccomend this game for you. Have you looked into Aion? That sounds like it may be more to your liking.


text:
This is the first book of the Wildwood trilogy. Prue McKeel's life is ordinary until her baby brother is kidnapped by a murder of crows and taken to the Impassable Wilderness, a dense, tangled forest on the edge of Portland. No one's ever gone in—or at least returned to tell of it. But Prue and her friend Curtis dare to enter and uncover a world of warring creatures, peaceable mystics and dark figures.
Good Reads Categories:
Call Number:


text:
Securing Safe & Successful Societies
Securing safe and successful societies in the 21st century and beyond is a defining component of our research focus.
Scholars from a range of sub-disciplines at Queen's study the methods and outcomes of efforts to secure human, financial, political, and physical assets.
When catastrophic natural events — like tsunamis and earthquakes — and human events associated with political change occur, our security is threatened. Internet developments also bring risks and opportunities. Our researchers frame how these events will affect both individuals and society.
Themes in this area include:
Supporting democratic, economically viable systems of governance through active engagement in public policy
Centres/Institutes with this focus: Centre for International and Defence Policy,
Centre for Studies on Democracy and Diversity, Institute of Intergovernmental Relations
Improving the quality and effectiveness of information, including the security of communications tools, with particular focus on networks and telecommunications
Spotlight: David Lyon (Sociology), Director of Queen's Surveillance Studies Centre
Contributing to the secure design of infrastructure, with a focus on security of water and large resource extraction processes
Spotlight: Amir Fam (Civil Engineering), Canada Research Chair in Innovative and Retrofitted Structures
Spotlight: Ian Moore (Civil Engineering), Canada Research Chair in Infrastructure Engineering
See also: GeoEngineering Centre at Queen's-RMC


text:
Store baby's frequently used items, or items too adorable to hide away, in the Modo Open Cupboard's four spacious cubbies. Combine with the Modo Base Unit and Modo 2 Door Chalk/Corkboard Storage Cupboard to create your own unique, modern storage system.
The Modo Open Cupboard includes an anti-tip kit should you wish to attach it to the wall for additional safety. Available in espresso and white non-toxic finishes, the cupboard brings a generous amount of storage space that is sure to coordinate perfectly with your nursery.
* for use with the Modo Base Unit and Modo 2 Door Chalk/Corkboard Storage Cupboard
- Combine with Modo stackable storage pieces Base Unit and 2 Door Cork/Chalkboard Cupboard
- Made from sustainable New Zealand pine wood
- 1 year warranty
Safety Information
- Anti-tip kit included
- Non-toxic finish
- Lead and phthalate safe
- Model number: M6414
- Assembled dimensions: 29 x 14 x 24"
- Assembled weight: 32 lbs
- Made in Taiwan
Note: Other drawers and cabinets sold separately.
Gift Wrap not available.


text:
Sweet. Can't wait.
Angry Birds Seasons getting a Valentines update
The next update to Angry Birds Seasons will be a Valentine's Day special. Rovio has announced that the update will be coming in the next week.
The update will include 15 new levels, bonus content, surprises and fun, all in the spirit of Valentine's Day! So expect loved up birds and pigs, fluffy hearts and cupid arrows flying around your screen.
The app will be arriving for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, so keep your eyes peeled. Don't forget you can check our daily post, New and updated iPhone and iPad apps for more news on all your favorites.
[iTunes Link, thanks Gregory]
Have something to say about this story? Leave a comment! Need help with something else? Ask in our forums!
Reader comments
Angry Birds Seasons getting a Valentines update
Quality!! thats the romantic dinner with my girl cancelled on valentines day :)
Yeah, AB is getting a little overexposed. However, I eagerly await new levels. I've been going back (already have all golden eggs, 3 stars) and getting the mighty eagle acheivements. I think I have like 110 feathers.


text:
Ghostbusters lead slate of new Mud Hens promotionsWritten by Staff Reports | | firstname.lastname@example.com
By Chase Will, Toledo Free Press Staff Writer
"Ghostbusters," "Star Wars" and "Seinfeld" will be among the themes for promotional nights planned by the Mud Hens this season, as well as nights for knitters and dog-owners.
"Each game will have its own unique flavor," said Michael Keedy, manager of special events. "Each game offers a different experience and there is always something going on for everyone in the family."
The annual Opening Day pregame party will take place April 4 at Fifth Third Field. This event will include live music, drink specials and an all-you-can-eat buffet followed by a Downtown doubleheader, starting with the Mud Hens kicking off their season against the Louisville Bats at 4 p.m., and followed by the Walleye taking on the Fort Wayne Komets down the street at Huntington Center at 7:15 p.m.
Honoring the 30th anniversary of the "Ghostbusters" film franchise, Ghostbusters Night is a new addition this year. This event is set for May 30. Players will wear "Ghostbusters" uniforms, which will be auctioned off for charity after the game, with proceeds benefiting Northwest Ohio Relay for Life. The first 2,000 fans through the gates of Fifth Third Field will receive green blinking Ecto-colored glasses.
"Fans can expect "Ghostbusters"-themed costumed characters, special on-field skits, classic video clips, a "Ghostbusters" replica car and fun fan giveaways," Keedy said.
The "Ghostbusters" promotion has drawn a lot of national attention, said Nathan Steinmetz, manager of online marketing.
"That went everywhere. An hour after we put it out on Facebook and Twitter, Sports Illustrated called us," Steinmetz said. "There was no press release. We just pushed it out through social media and the biggest sports magazine publication was on the phone within an hour. That's pretty neat."
The promotion has especially struck a chord with fans as it was announced days after "Ghostbusters" actor and co-writer Harold Ramis died.
"That was not specifically timed to be on the heels of Harold Ramis' passing, but people were talking about 'Ghostbusters' again and it was at the top of everyone's minds," Steinmetz said. "No other team that I know of has done that jersey, so it had that unique factor and that sweet spot of nostalgia."
Star Wars Night
May 10 will be the return of the popular Star Wars Night, featuring costumed characters, "Star Wars"- themed music, a fan costume contest and a glowing Thunderstick giveaway for the first 2,000 fans to arrive.
Last year's Chewbacca jerseys worn for Star Wars Night also attracted national attention, Steinmetz said.
"We've established ourselves with this reputation for coming up with unique promotions," he said.
Also on May 10, Fifth Third Field's Pub 315 will host its first of four beer-tasting events from 6-8 p.m. The other three beer tasting events are June 13, July 3 and Aug. 15. Each event will feature offerings from several different brands and breweries. Attendees will receive a drink ticket for 20 2-ounce samples, a souvenir Pub 315 glass, an all-you-can-eat buffet and a raffle ticket. Tickets are $40, or $30 for designated drivers, and include a game ticket.
Superhero Night
After a successful 2013 event, Superhero Night will return June 28. There will be costumed characters throughout the ballpark, skits on the field and a fan costume contest with prizes, Keedy said. A new addition this year is a special superhero-themed jersey. These jerseys will also be auctioned off after the game, with proceeds to benefit The Miracle League of Northwest Ohio.
LEGO Night
July 10 will be LEGO Night, a new promotion this season.
"LEGO Night will celebrate the popular children's toy in a unique way," Keedy said. "The Mud Hens will even be giving away our own collectible Mike Hessman blockhead."
Christmas in July
Christmas in July will take place July 19, and will include 12 hours of Christmas at Fifth Third Field. In addition to an appearance from Santa, the Mud Hens will wear elf-themed jerseys during the noon game and Santa-themed jerseys during the 7 p.m. game. Jerseys from both games will be auctioned for charity.
"To our knowledge, it will be the first time a team has worn multiple specialty jerseys in one day," Keedy said.
Toledo Baseball History Night
On Aug 9, the Mud Hens will pay tribute to baseball history by honoring the 1939 Toledo Crawfords, a Negro American League team who played a season in Toledo. This year is the 75th anniversary of the Crawfords relocating to Toledo for a season in 1939 after winning Negro League titles in 1935 and 1936 with the help of future Baseball Hall of Famers Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and Julius "Judy" Johnson. In partnership with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, the Mud Hens will wear throwback Crawfords jerseys.
Seinfeld Night
Aug. 14 will include a special Seinfeld-themed event, honoring the show's 25th anniversary.
"Seinfeld Night is a promotion about nothing!" Keedy joked. "But, of course, fans can expect a lot of laughs and surprises throughout the night. Fans will also have a chance to meet Larry Thomas, who is better known as the Soup Nazi. Larry will be on hand to throw out the first pitch and meet-and-greet with fans during the game."
Hens & Hounds
Back for its second season is Hens & Hounds Night on Aug 26. Fans are encouraged to bring their dogs to the ballpark. "Pooch" Bag Dispensers will be given to the first 500 fans. Tickets for dog owners are $10 each and tickets for dogs are $8. All proceeds from dog tickets will benefit the Toledo Area Humane Society and Cutie's Fund at Lucas County Canine Care & Control. All dogs and owners will sit in the Home Run Picnic Terrace. Special water stations, minipools and designated restroom areas will be provided.
Stick 'N' Pitch
Stitch 'N' Pitch, tentatively scheduled for July 29, is a game geared toward knitters.
"We work with local knitting guilds to put together a package for them to come out and enjoy a game," Keedy said. "They sit in their seats and knit and work on projects with the backdrop of a baseball game. We've had groups of more than 100 come out."
Pink in the Park
Other events to look forward to include Pink in the Park for breast cancer awareness July 11, a '90s-themed concert night July 12 and a Jimmy Buffett tribute Aug. 7.
Walleye Hockey Night
For Walleye fans hankering for their hockey fix, Aug. 8 will be Walleye Hockey Night at the Mud Hens, featuring coaches, players and alumni available for autographs.
"We've done it the past two years and it's a really neat event," Keedy said. "It's kind of the official kickoff of the new Walleye season and gives everyone a little taste of excitement for the upcoming season. Especially with Winterfest, an outdoor hockey rink to be set up at Fifth Third Field in December, that's going to be a big thing."
Kid-favorite entertainment will include the ZOOperstars! on July 11 and BirdZerk! on Aug. 1.
"We have a very fun, creative marketing group. Everyone knows all ideas are welcome," Keedy said. "We organize all of our new ideas and account for all of our recurring events. We build the promotional schedule about six months prior to the start of the season."
Since new events are always being added, fans are encouraged to frequently check www.mudhens.com for changes or additions to the promotional schedule.
"We've got a loaded promotional schedule already, but people can expect things to be introduced throughout the season," he said.
Tags: and Julius "Judy" Johnson, BirdZerk!, breast cancer awareness, Chewbacca jerseys, Christmas at Fifth Third Field, Fort Wayne Komets, future Baseball Hall of Famers Satchel Paige, Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters Night, glowing Thunderstick giveaway, Harold Ramis, Hens & Hounds Night, Home Run Picnic Terrace, Huntington Center, Jimmy Buffett tribute, Josh Gibson, Larry Thomas, LEGO Night, Louisville Bats, manager of special events, Michael Keedy, Mike Hessman blockhead, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, nights for knitters and dog-owners, Opening Day, Pink in the Park, promotional nights, Seinfeld Night, Soup Nazi, Star Wars Night, Superhero Nigh, The Miracle League of Northwest Ohio, throwback Crawfords jerseys, Toledo Area Humane Society and Cutie's Fund at Lucas County Canine Care & Control, Toledo Mud Hens, Toledo Walleye, Walleye Hockey Night, ZOOperstars!, '90s-themed concert night, "Ghostbusters" replica car, " "Star Wars" and "Seinfeld"


text:
Home Page >
Resources >
Teachers >
Educator's Index >
Conflict & Cooperation >
Military Issues >
Veterans & Survivors
Want to learn more about The Civil War? Find an event near you.
Open Calendar
Get personal with the Civil War. Hear the Gettysburg Address, see Civil War artifacts and navigate the timeline and map.
Legal | About this Site | Contact Us | Site Map | News | Endorsements
PHS & PHMC Copyright ©2010-2015


text:
Each day we hear many voices.
We hear the voices of children as they play and grow and learn.
We hear the voices of friends and colleagues as they tell stories that make us laugh or make us think.
We hear the voices of news commentators to find out what is taking place around town and around the world.
We hear the voice of the announcer, telling us very sound reasons why we should buy the product that is being advertised.
Then there is another kind of voice, the kind we really would not like to hear, but which demands our attention.
"Bill, I'm afraid we've got to lay you off."
"What are you doing? Who ever thought you were capable of doing this job?"
"Mrs. Adams, this is Dr. Jones. Your test results are in and I'm afraid it is not good news."
"Mr. Smith, this is the police department. We have your son down at the station."
These are the kinds of voices that can change our lives, voices bearing bad news. If too many of these voices are heard it can cause us to feel overwhelmed. And if they continue without pause, they can cause some people to try to escape. If we try to escape, another set of voices, very seductive ones, begins to be heard.
"Come on. Have one more drink for the road."
"Here, try this pill. It will help you forget all about your problems."
"Come here. Let me take care of you for a while. Your spouse doesn't understand you like I do."
Whose voice do you hear? Whose voice do you listen to?
The Bible tells us that the Lord is our Shepherd. We are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Jesus himself is our Good Shepherd. We are to listen to his voice, just as sheep listen to the voice of their shepherd.
I think this is a wonderful analogy - us being sheep and Jesus being our shepherd. A shepherd knows his sheep. Individual sheep in a flock all look alike to the untrained eye. A good shepherd, however, can tell them apart.
A man who was tending a large flock explained this to a friend who expressed surprise at his familiarity with each animal. "See that sheep over there?" he asked. "Notice how its toes turn in a little. The one behind it has a squint; the next one has a patch of wool off its back; ahead is one with a distinguishing black mark, while the one closest to us has a small piece torn out of its ear." His friend had never stopped to think about how all the sheep might be different and that the shepherd would know all his sheep.
That is how it is with our Lord. He knows each of us —completely — with all our individual strengths and weaknesses, all our successes and failures. He watches over each of us with discerning love and sympathetic understanding.
Do you hear the Shepherd's voice calling your name? Listen to his voice. Listen to the voice that tells you that you are loved, that you are precious, and that you are a priceless treasure. Know the Shepherd, just as the Shepherd knows you.
The Rev. Mark Broadhead is Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview's pastor.


text:
Men's Vibram FiveFingers SignaItem #VFF138
VIP:$71.96 Get This Price
Loading product details ...
Reviews (3)
Need Help?
Product Description:
Men's VIBRAM® FIVEFINGERS® SIGNA :: If by land or by sea, meet your new adventure partner. Wade, climb, paddle - the men's Vibram® FiveFingers® Signa is designed to go where you go. Feet won't wrinkle up thanks to the lightweight, quick-draining outsole. And you'll feel stable even on unstable terrain thanks to the segments in the Coral outsole designed to grip the ground tight. Feet will feel fully protected with the abrasion-resistant upper. Get a super secure fit that'll keep your footwear in place with the hook-and-loop strap. Machine washable, air dry. 3.9 ounces
Category Type:
Features & Benefits:
Product VFF138 Review
Reviewed by 3 customers
Sort by
Comments about Mens Vibram FiveFingers Signa Cross Training Shoe:
Great barefoot shoe. I like the black, as you generally don't want to draw too much attention to a toe shoe. I wear these all the time, in the water and on the ground. No complaints.
Best Uses
Comments about Mens Vibram FiveFingers Signa Cross Training Shoe:
Just what i expected from these shoes. An extremely minimalist shoe.
Best Uses
Comments about Mens Vibram FiveFingers Signa Cross Training Shoe:
I will be using them for waterparks, the river, non-impact training
Your Help Is Here
Shop with confidence knowing your team of Fit Experts is waiting to answer all your questions. You can always find your perfect product and your perfect fit. Your Road Runner Sports Fit Experts will make sure you get exactly what you want and have tons of fun in the process! Give us a call, chat, or email!
Call 800-743-3206 to
Send us an email and count on a Fit Expert to reply to you as quickly as possible
You May Also Like


text:
Very practical and highly adaptable!
For example, this toy chain can be extended and wrapped around the stroller bar or the side of the bed. Equipped with 2 Vwelcro attachments.
All sorts of activities to discover: a leaf with the lovely sound fo crumpling paper, Sophie the Giraffe with a rattle, a ball with a little bell inside for baby to shake, and a tie for hanging up baby's binkie or a Sophie the Giraffe.
Adjustable Length: From 20 cm to 80 cm.


text:
Main Content
This item ships within one business day.
$4.99 flat rate shipping. See other shipping options.
There's nothing uptight here. Matix's Slack walkshorts are anything but stuffy. They feature an allover woven herringbone pattern and flatlock stitching at the hems for a look that's totally lax. They also boast a comfy modern fit, keeping your bottom half at the center of attention.
- 65% Polyester/35% Viscose
- Imported
- Single button & zip fly
- Size 30 has 9" inseam
- Two back welt pockets
- Two front pockets
- Woven Matix label
Other Customers also liked:
Special event items are produced by manufacturers only after the outcome of a game or event. These are advanced sale items and will ship immediately after they are received in our warehouse.
Manufacturer direct items are shipped directly from the manufacturer. These items are not available for international or expedited shipping.
Customized items can be personalized with options such as your name, your favorite number, and/or designs. Some options may be limited by league rules.


text:
- /
- Children's IKEA
- /
- Baby
- /
- Highchairs
Highchairs that suit your needs and style
Get your baby started with the world of food in safety and comfort with our range of highchairs. Our tough, stable highchairs come in different designs, colors and materials to help you find something that suits you and your baby. For babies, learning to eat by themselves is a big step in their development. It can also be really, really messy. So we've designed our highchairs to be easy for you to keep clean. As well as highchairs, we also have children's tableware, from bowls and bibs to training cups and feeding spoons. Whatever you need to make mealtimes easier for both you and your baby, it's worth taking a look.
Safe and versatile highchairs
All our highchairs come with safety belts in case your baby decides that dinner is over and wants to jump down and play. You can also go for our supporting cushion to help younger, smaller babies sit up. It's inflatable, so you can gradually let the air out as your baby grows. Check out our highchairs that come with a removable tray or where you can get a tray separately. With the tray on, babies have their own personal table and they can sit a little bit away from all those tempting or hot things on the dining table. If you want your baby to sit directly at the dining table, you can remove the tray.


text:
August 1, 2015
Investigators with the Leon County Sheriff's Office and Special Rangers with the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association continue to search for clues and leads that will lead them to who savagely shot and killed three calves.
Some of the dead cattle were owned by the Dudley Brewer Ranch along FM 831 near Buffalo and were discovered following Monday's early morning shooting. .
Leon County Chief Deputy Brent Walker says the fence had been cut and the calves were shot and loaded onto a truck, but it appeared one of the animals fell out and was dragged for several feet. An official with the game warden's office says the culprits then tried to butcher the animal on the side of the road, but left the animal in a ditch after possible being interrupted.
Days before the calves were found a similar crime happened at another ranch on the same roadway. Investigators believe both case are related.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Leon County Sheriff's Office at 903-536-2749.
To comment, the following rules must be followed:
Comments may be monitored for inappropriate content, but the station is under no legal obligation to do so.
If you believe a comment violates the above rules, please use the Flagging Tool to alert a Moderator.
Flagging does not guarantee removal.
Multiple violations may result in account suspension.
Decisions to suspend or unsuspend accounts are made by Station Moderators.
Questions may be sent to email@example.com. Please provide detailed information.
Click Here to access the online Public Inspection File
Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or email@example.com.


text:
Admission A to Z
These important pages do not fit into one category, but they can all benefit you at different points in the admission process - from investigation to enrollment! You will also find each page listed in the navigation bar on the left.
- Fall Cal Maritime Events Near You
- Application Process Deadlines
- Online Admission Application (Domestic)
- Online Admission Application (International)
- Admission Decision Appeal Process
- Viewbook
- EAP Early Assessment Program
- ELM/EPT Placement Testing Information
- Application Statistics
- College Portraits
- Admission Alumni Volunteers


text:
Want full access?
Current subscriber?Activate
Have an account? Login
CALLER-TIMES ARCHIVE The beginnings of the Harbor Bridge as seen from downtown in October 1957.
CALLER-TIMES ARCHIVE The north and south sides of the Harbor Bridge grow closer during construction in March 1959. Below, the old draw bridge, called a "bascule" bridge after the French word for "balance" or "seesaw," lies in the background.
CALLER-TIMES ARCHIVE Construction workers build the Harbor Bridge on July 23, 1959.
CALLER-TIMES ARCHIVE Eleanor Tarrant, winner of the Harbor Bridge naming contest, waits to drive the first car over the bridge at the dedication ceremony in 1959. Joseph Wolff, Chamber of Commerce president, sits beside her.
CALLER-TIMES ARCHIVE The first vehicle to officially cross the Harbor Bridge following dedication ceremonies was driven by Eleanor Tarrant. She was accompanied by her 11-year-old son Larry, chairman of the State Highway Commission Herbert Petry and County Judge Noah Kennedy. Tarrant's ashes were scattered at the foot of the bridge in 1998.
CALLER-TIMES ARCHIVE Cars cross the Harbor Bridge following its dedication and opening in October 1959.
CALLER-TIMES ARCHIVE A lone pedestrian walks along the Harbor Bridge in January 1964. Today, the 2.3-foot-wide sidewalk is protected by a knee-high barrier, but it's still a harrowing walk beside 55-mph-plus traffic. A new bridge could include safer access for pedestrians and cyclists, the transportation department said.
CALLER-TIMES ARCHIVE Traffic travels along the Harbor Bridge in this undated night photo.
CALLER-TIMES FILE Southbound traffic on U.S. Highway 181 was detoured at the base of the Harbor Bridge around an overturned tanker truck that in 2004 destroyed one of the support columns of Tancahua Street Bridge over Interstate 37.
TODD YATES/CALLER-TIMES Crews work last month near gusset plates, the flat pieces of metal that surround joints where steel beams meet. Corpus Christi's warm, salty air accelerates rust, which pushes the plates apart.
TODD YATES/CALLER-TIMES Traffic backs up on the Harbor Bridge last month. More construction delays and even closures of the entire bridge lie ahead if it isn't replaced, transportation officials say.
TODD YATES/CALLER-TIMES The Harbor Bridge has defined the city's skyline for 53 years.
TODD YATES/CALLER-TIMES When rust causes gusset plates to move apart, it can pop out the rivets and bolts that hold the plates together. The plates surround joints where steel beams meet.
TODD YATES/CALLER-TIMES The transportation department said the Harbor Bridge within the next 20 years likely would face a major reconstruction, including replacement of primary truss members — the steel beams that support the bridge's longest section of concrete deck, the surface that carries traffic. At 620 feet long, it's the section hanging directly over the ship channel.
CALLER-TIMES ARCHIVE The Harbor Bridge was fitted with decorative lights for the first time in December 1986.
TODD YATES/CALLER-TIMES The Texas Department of Transportation, the city of Corpus Christi, the Port of Corpus Christi Authority and American Bank partnered to add LED lights to the bridge. The bridge was illuminated in December 2011, more than a decade after the previous lights were turned off because of circuit failures and corrosion.


text:
Discover a selection of top forums assad rping on the internet. Come to share your passion on forums assad rping and meet other fans of assad rping. Then, why don't you create your own forum of assad rping ?
The most powerful star in the universe. The place where worlds are created, stars are born, legends die and Sailor Moon lives forever.
sailor, moon, galaxy, cauldron, bssm, pgssm, anime, manga, roleplay, #rping, tumblr, venus, mars, mercury, jupiter, neptune, uranus, pluto, saturn, star
Free forum : A Roleplay center for all of you Hetalia fans!Come in, pick a country, and enjoy Rping to your heart's content.
free, forum, hetalia, roleplay, center, role, play, axis, powers, hetalia:
We are here too have fun, Rpg and talk that's just who we are Welcome too Our Family
This site is for RPing all and any subjects or genres. So sit back relax and step into the world of fantasy.
madness, this, site, #rping, subjects, genres, back, relax, step, into, world, fantasy
Just my friend and I have some fun rping
spoofypuff's, magical, adventures!!, friend, #rping