text:
Try Prime
All Departments
Amazon Warehouse Deals
Apps & Games
Clothing & Accessories
Gift Cards
Grocery & Gourmet Food
Health & Personal Care
Home & Kitchen
Industrial & Scientific
Kindle Store
Livres en fran�ais
Luggage & Bags
Luxury Beauty
Movies & TV
Musical Instruments, Stage & Studio
Office Products
Patio, Lawn & Garden
Pet Supplies
Shoes & Handbags
Sports & Outdoors
Tools & Home Improvement
Toys & Games
Video Games
Shop by
Hello. Sign in
Your Account
Your Store
Deals Store
Gift Cards
en fran�ais
Your Store
Your Browsing History
Recommended For You
Improve Your Recommendations
Your Profile
Learn More
Unlimited FREE Two-Day Shipping, no minimum threshold and more.
Prime members enjoy FREE Two-Day Shipping on millions of eligible items with no minimum threshold.
Get started
Profile for garrett hendriks
> Reviews
Personal Profile
Content by garrett hendriks
Customer Reviews
: 3
Top Reviewer Ranking: 1,112,103
Helpful Votes: 23
: Learn more about the ins and outs of Amazon Communities.
Reviews Written by
garrett hendriks
Page: 1
Climate Wars
by Gwynne Dyer
20 used & new
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
As a counter point to the single star review:
May 26 2010
This review is from:
Climate Wars (Hardcover)
I'm writing this review to respond to the author of amazon's solitary negative review of this book that implies that Gwynne Dyer is nothing more than a conspiracy theorist, attempting to create a profitable hysteria:
This publication is primarily based on military strategies based on projections of climate change, strategies created by credible sources like the US military and the pentagon. These Strategies (one of the more famous called, "the age of consequence") are not the work of, "a spaced out out hippy," but of militarized powers, analyzed by a renowned PhD Military and Middle Eastern History commentator - who publishes a weekly column in several international newspapers.
I can appreciate any argument on the validity of sourcing, or the probability of occurrence of predicted events being quite low, or maybe even slights on the authors character that give reason for bias. I find this very useful pieces of information in a review, and quite frankly relevant. That said: discounting a work of this caliber as alarmist fiction denies that it is based largely in fact (and when it treads into speculative territory, it goes out of its way to acknowledge this) as well as it's primary use as the basis of exploring current conception.
City of Hawks
by E. Gary Gygax
17 used & new
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
Poorly thought out, and written equally as well.
Dec 7 2009
This review is from:
City of Hawks (Paperback)
Reviewing books I usually try to point out the good with the bad, but in the case of City of the Hawks, I'm not sure there is anything other than bad.
The style of writing employed makes a reader fill in much of the setting, passage of time, and any sort of background.
You would think this lack of defining detail would lead to a succinct read that sends you reeling through a fantasy world: it does not. In Gary Gygax's City of Hawks the plot is minimal, the action is poorly described the pacing indecisive between clumsy fumbling in dialogue, and leaping through time in events. In spite of all that there is nothing to the point this novel; it's nothing short of annoying to read. Mr. Gygax rarely repeats a single word; even though doing so would give paragraphs some flow where instead they're blotted with excess vocabulary and compensatory dialogue. The net effect of this is like being chased through a book by someone with a thesaurus, but no story.
The net result of this book is tremendously weak, and comes across like it's written by a twit with too much vocabulary and too little ability to use it. I would never consider a forgotten realms book high reading, though if you'd like a better version of this plot, read Elminster Making of a Mage by Ed Greenwood, while mediocre at bestits five times the novel this one is.
Stone Butch Blues
by Leslie Feinberg
14 used & new
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Singing the blues
April 29 2009
This review is from:
Stone Butch Blues (Paperback)
Leslie Feinberg's Stone Butch Blues is a dialogue from a butch named Jess from behind a wall too tall to see over.
Walls are built to close things off, to protect - sometimes to keep whats inside safe, othertimes to isolate people within. The protaganist Jess, had them built up around by others for not being something they could understand, and by herself to stay hard enough to stay in a world that didn't want her in it.
Jess tells about about never having the words to describe how she feels or to create her own voice and make it fit. Its hard to fit when you're trapped by the world outside gender, outside sex, and stuck walled into yourself.
I swallowed this book in two days - a quote I once heard is drumming in my head, "to live and die properly we must take back our words."
This is one of the only things I've read that has given me new words, made old words have meaning again. When I finished I felt like something in me I didn't notice took form, and had a voice, as part of me.
Page: 1


text:
The Elverta School District is pleased to announce the formation of Alpha Charter School. Alpha Charter School is a tuition free program offered by Elverta School District that allows you to go to high school using an online program delivered at Alpha School AND graduate with a diploma! This program at Alpha Charter is available to residents of the Elverta School District, Sacramento County, and surrounding counties including Placer, Sutter and Yolo Counties.
Beginning with the 2013-2014 school year, we will offer a full-time option for 9th grade students (grades 10-12 will be added in subsequent school years) who are looking for an alternative to the traditional environment. With Alpha Charter School, students and parents now have another option. We have insisted upon and will provide the highest academic rigor available.
The Alpha Charter School program offers:
Ø Flexible and Interactive classes delivered each school day at Alpha School.
Ø An online classroom with no distractions or peer pressure.
Ø One-on-one attention from California-certified teachers.
Ø Access to a state-of –the-art facility for hands-on learning.
Ø 24/7 student support system.
Ø A nationally and regionally recognized diploma.
Who is it for?
Whether you have a student who is charging ahead or falling behind, Alpha Charter School can help them learn at their own pace. It is the ideal program for 9th grade students who have joined us through the Jerry Manuel Foundation.
Our program is available to those in 9th grade students in the 2013-2014 school year (grades 10-12 will be added in subsequent school years) who are:
Ø Accelerated students who want to expand their options.
Ø Students with college preparatory goals that require accelerated classes unavailable at their local school.
Ø Traditional students looking for choices.
Ø Students with personal obligations or scheduling constraints.
Dynamic Curriculum
Alpha Charter School is a proud partner with Advanced Academics. This unique program is designed to utilize an online curriculum in a site-based class room environment that allows students to work at their own pace, receive immediate tutoring, participate in small group instruction, and receive individualized support from site-based and online California certified teachers who provide support via phone, e-mail, as well as our Student Achievement Coordinators on site. A virtual whiteboard is even available for those students who need additional assistance. Parents also have easy-to-access reports to monitor their students' progress. Students have full access to a rigorous, standards-based comprehensive listing of courses in the following subject areas:
Ø Math
Ø Social Sciences/Studies
Ø Science
Ø Foreign Language
Ø Language Arts
Ø Health

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Jordan Pinkston
Updated on Sept. 15, 2010
2009-10: Competed in one indoor meet, finishing seventh in the pole vault at the Saluki Fast Start with a height of 13-01.50 (2.80m).
High School: Earned all-conference accolades as a junior and senior and made the all-state team as a senior...Broke seven-year school record in the pole vault as a senior with a height of 10'3"...Finished in a tie for fifth at state and won the sectionals in 2009...Team MVP of the field events as a junior and senior.
Personal: Full name is Jordan Lauren Pinkston...Majors in architectural studies...Born Dec. 24, 1990 in Geneva, Ill...Daughter of Kenneth and Marcia Pinkston...Has one sister.


text:
I had an uphill climb this weekend in more ways than one. First off, I struggled my way through a few more chapters of Don Quijote in Spanish. Then I clamb my way up the seemingly vertical streets of Campo de Criptana, site of the famous knight´s strushie with the windmills.
In a life already dominated by Cervantes (living in his birthplace, hubbie working at the Cervantes Institute) here we went again. We drove past huge, streamlined, aerogeneradores, those wonders of eolic technology that are ever more present on the Spanish landscape, to visit their ancestors of stone and wood in the Land of Giants, Tierra de Gigantes, La Mancha.
We´d stopped off in towns such as Alcázar de San Juan, like most villages painted white and cobalt blue, the signature colour of the region, so as we left our stuff at our overnight accommodation, evening was threatening to ruin our view of the windmills. We hurried over the cobbled alleys up to the vast, natural esplanade where the windmills, much bigger than I had imagined, stood in no discernible relationship. We don´t mind being neighbourly, they seemed to say, but let´s not overdo it.
But we needn´t have worried. Dusk in Campo de Criptana falls, not against blackness, but deep blue, and the windmills were floodlit. We clowned around, tilting at windmill sails, immortalized our heads on a cut-out of Quijote and Sancho Panza, and checked out the one tourist shop, complete with its own cave house (visit 60 cents). The 360 degree, gold sunset over the vast plains of Castilla La Mancha took our breath away. Malassie inserted the phrase un vasto paisaje, a vast landscape, at every opportunity and later used it as part of the commentary of her upcoming Littlest Pet Shop "movie".
Little lights popped on along the side of the planicie. It was Saturday night, after all, and even here, in magical windmill land, Spaniards were heading out for a good time. There was a restaurant, Las Musas, with the scariest, lifesize, pair of "muses" you ever saw on its white walls.
There was an ancient tavern where my bottom all but touched the floor on a bench that was so old it might have to be dated by Carbon 14. There was an epicurean shop of fine manchego wines and cheeses with a profitable little sideline of Quijote armour for visitors to dress up in.
I declined. So did hubby, but he bought a lovely silver pin of the head "armour" worn by Don Quijote – a barber´s bacía, circular but for an arc taken out for the user´s hand. (It´s similar to this without the hanger).
We were cold now, but as we left, sturdier and stylish españolas in fur coasts and high heels were picking their way up the cobbled slopes of cantos rodados to these few nightspots at the top of the world. Criptana´s buildings are trimmed in cobalt blue, apparently to ward off evil, but what evil could befall these people fortunate to live at the foot of these guardian giants?
We spent the night in one of those blue buildings, not five minutes from Sardinero, Infante, Castaño, Burleta, Inca Garcilaso, Lagarto, Culebro, Pilón, Cariari, ….Yes, they have names, like fighting bulls. La Casa del Abuelo José (Granpa Joseph´s House) is a neat complex of self-catering apartments around a small patio. The flatlets are not only top-notch, but economical. (No, nobody´s paying me to say that). Malassie declared she wanted to live there forever.
We loved it too. My favourite touch was that instead of the customary Bible on the nightstand, there was a copy of the Quijote.


text:
Football Notes: Tigers Break Into Top 25; Epperly, Bhaya Both Honored
The Princeton football team entered the FCS Top 25 for the first time since 2006, and both Phillip Bhaya and Quinn Epperly earned individual honors as the Tigers prepare for their home finale and 136th meeting against Yale.
Princeton broke into The Sports Network Top 25 poll this week, moving to No. 25 after its 38-26 road win at Penn. This is Princeton's first time in the Top 25 since the conclusion of the 2006 Ivy League championship season, when the Tigers were ranked 18th nationally.
The win was Princeton's third this season over a Top 3 team in the Ivy League preseason media poll. The Tigers have both gone on the road and rallied to defeat No. 1 Penn (down 16 in the second quarter), No. 2 Harvard (down 7 in overtime) and No. 3 Brown (down 17 in the second quarter).
Epperly was named the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week for the fourth straight time and the fifth in the last six weeks. He is the first player in Ivy League history to win the Offensive Player of the Week award four straight weeks.
Epperly led the Tigers back from a 16-0 deficit to grab the victory at Penn. Epperly threw two touchdown passes and ran for two more scores to become the first quarterback in Ivy League history to rush for at least 16 touchdowns in a single season. He completed 71.1 percent of his passes (32-of-45) for 268 yards and added 53 rushing yards. Epperly, who remains first in the Football Championship Subdivision in points responsible for, is just the second quarterback in school history to have 20 touchdown passes in a season.
"Quinn showed toughness against a strong Penn defense last week, making plays at key points to help lead us to the win," head coach Bob Surace said. "I continue to be impressed at his decision-making, and he made some big throws to help lead us back at Franklin Field."
On the other side of the ball, Bhaya earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors for his achievements both on and off the field. A co-captain, Bhaya ranks second in the team with 53 tackles and shares the team lead with two interceptions.
"Phil has earned the CoSIDA Academic All District award because he has an exceptional work ethic," Surace said. "His leadership is not always vocal, but often a result of his effort on and off the field. We are excited that Phil receives this honor, as his valuable contributions the last four years are a major reason our football program continues to progress."


text:
Shrimp & Grits
Submitted By:
{HWTM} Rachel Rappaport -
for the grits:
4 cups shrimp stock
1 cup stone-ground grits (not instant)
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
for the shrimp:
1 lb medium sized shrimp, peeled
3 slices raw bacon, chopped
2/3 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large bunch green onions, diced
juice of 1/2 lemon
In a medium pot, bring the broth to a boil. Add the grits and stir continually for about 10 minutes or until all the broth is absorbed. Remove from the heat and stir in both cheeses. Keep covered until ready to serve.
Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a large skillet until crisp, then drain on a paper towel, set aside. Leave about 2 tablespoons of drippings in the skillet. Add the shrimp and saute for 1 minutes, then add the garlic, lemon juice and celery. Cook until almost totally pink and cooked through, then add the spinach and green onions. Cook 2 additional minutes or until the shrimp is totally cooked and the whole mixture is hot.
To serve: arrange some grits on a plate, top with the shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with the leftover bacon bits (optional) and serve hot.


text:
Your Government
The West King Merchant Association, comprised of merchants along W. King St. and its side streets, organized recently with about 24 members who are dedicated to the recognition of the West King St. business area.
Last year when W. King St. was improved with new underground utilities and a new roadway the already limited on-street parking was not replaced. Without much needed parking, merchants decided to seek assistance from the City of St. Augustine for increased signage and parking.
New signs were recently installed to help give a "branding of the area" stated Rob De Piazza, owner of Screen Arts. De Piazza designed the signs for the association which were presented to the city for approval.
The signs were installed to identify the boundaries of the business district with one sign placed at the corner of U.S. 1 and King Street facing east and the other placed at the corner of West King and Pellicer Lane facing west. The signs, pictured above are approximately 24" x 18".
The City of St. Augustine will soon sign a lease agreement to install a parking lot approximately mid-way on W. King St., between U. S. 1 and Palmer Ave. It's anticipated that the coquina lot will hold about 20 vehicles which will encourage and accommodate the public.
For more information contact the Department of Public Works at 825.1040.


text:
Old-Fashioned Peach Butter RecipeRead Reviews Be the first to add a review
- 14 cups coarsely chopped peeled fresh or frozen peaches (about 5-1/2 pounds)
- 2-1/2 cups sugar
- 4-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 cup quick-cooking tapioca
- In a large bowl, combine the peaches, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and cloves. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until peaches are very soft, stirring occasionally.
Stir in tapioca. Cook, uncovered, on high for 1 hour or until thickened. Pour into jars or freezer containers; cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 1 year.
Freeze option: Thaw peach butter in the refrigerator for 1-2 days; use within 3 weeks. Yield: 9 cups.
Reviews for Old-Fashioned Peach Butter
"Made this today. Turned out just as pictured. We liked the flavors, peach, cinnamon, and clove, but may cut back a tinge on the ground cloves next time I make it. Thanks for the recipe."
"Way too much cloves! First batch I followed recipe and pitched. Could not taste peaches over clove taste. Next time used half the amt of cloves as asked for and still could not taste peaches over closes. If I made this again (unlikely) would reduce to a pinch of cloves only."
"Fantastic! The only change I made was to use 1/2 white sugar & 1/2 brown sugar and decreased to 2 cups. I was able to use up a ton of peaches that weren't that good for plain eating....worked out great!"
"This was my first time making any kind of fruit butter, and I loved the results! I used fresh peaches, and didn't add any cloves (personal preference). I loved that it wasn't overly sweet, way less sweet than jam. It let the peach flavor really shine. I diced my peaches pretty large, so it was really chunky. I liked it, but I also think it would be good pureed after cooking (but before adding the tapioca) to make a smooth butter. One last note, I halved the recipe to fit in my 4 qt. slow cooker and it was the perfect amount for that size."
"I left this in the crock pot overnight and added the tapioca in the morning. The peaches were still very liquidy before adding the tapioca. The last hour is crucial in thickening. Even after the last hour, I had to purée the mixture. The butter thickened quite nicely after being refrigerated. The next time I would cook it for 1.5-2 hours on high to make it a bit thicker. I liked the flavor - its very strong despite decreasing the cloves."


text:
Where musicians get found.
Musobox is the free online directory for musicians: Show off your talent and ability. Need more gigs? Want to form a band? Musobox will help! Find out more
Find a Guitarist / Bass player / Drummer / Singer / Keys player and more...
Musobox is the free online directory for musicians to show off their abilities, meet other like-minded musicians and get paid gigs. If there's a singer needed for your band or a drummer wanted for a recording session then this is the place to come. If you are a guitarist looking for paid music work or help to find a band then we will provide the highest class of musician and we don't take a penny from you. If you are a bassist or keyboard player looking to fill your diary with gigs or a brass player looking for band members then you have come to the right place. Why not set up a profile, post a job and apply for paid gigs right now! The journey to a full diary of paid gigs is just a click away!
The site is run by musicians for musicians and we know how to help you forge a career in the music industry having done it ourselves for many years. We offer advice and help alongide the opportunity for gigs with some of our affiliate companies. We will ensure that you will be taken seriously with a Musobox profile. This online profile looks professional and concise with all the information you need to promote yourself efficiently including pictures, videos, biography and contact details for record companies or other musicians to get in contact with you. If you promote and share the Musobox link then you will also increase your chances of getting paid gigs.
We also promote and feature our favourite profiles, videos and audio on our social media and in the "who's hot" section. This means you receive the optimum amount of exposure all over the world, not just in the UK. Send us your music by dropping a file into our soundcloud drop box and at the bottom of the home page.
Scroll down for the latest news, blogs, and newest members of the site with all the tools you need to get your music career off the ground. Do it right now! If you are struggling to get paid gigs, get high quality exposure and really want to promote yourself then Musobox is the way forward.
Click here to start.


text:
Home | Contact Us | Site Map | Staff Tools | Classes | Newsroom
News from Unity
Stefanie King, M.D., a provider at Unity Family Medicine at Parkway and a part-time instructor at Highland Family Medicine with the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, is among a select group of physicians to receive a 2012 Pfizer Teacher Development Award.
The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Foundation recognized Dr. King with this award for her commitment to education in the field of family medicine, her scholastic achievement and leadership qualities.
Pfizer Teacher Development Awards spotlight those in active practice who give of themselves to teach, mentor and inspire residents and students. Each nomination is reviewed and scored by a panel appointed by the AAFP Foundation.
The award provides funding for each recipient to attend an activity of choice to further their professional development and teaching skills. This program is supported by a grant from Pfizer Inc.
Dr. King will be recognized for this achievement during the next meeting for the Rochester Chapter of the New York State Academy of Family Physicians at 6 p.m on. Thursday, October 18.
All queries and responses are strictly confidential.
Make a Donation | Find a Doctor | Jobs | Patient & Visitor Info | Services & Locations | About Unity
Care to Compare Reports | Classes | Newsroom | Privacy Notice


text:
Phone hackers in Australia are proving that ransom notes aren't a thing of the past, but they've modernized them a bit. According to CNET on Monday, hackers are using the Apple function 'Find my iPhone' to lock users out of their phones and other Apple devices and are then demanding up to 100 U.S. dollars to be paid to an anonymous PayPal account.
Apple's support forums are full of complaints (now 19 pages long for this issue) from people whose devices have been hacked by "Oleg Pliss." Because multiple devices are locked out all at once, 9to5Mac believes that the hacker (or hackers) has access to his/her/their victims' information via iCloud.
However, for users who have already set a passcode on your device, you're safe. A passcode can only be set remotely if there was no code in place to begin with.
According to a post on the forum, Applecare's advice has been to restore factory settings on the phone via iTunes while connected to a computer. So ultimately, the hacker's threat is "pay us money to keep all of your contacts and info as they are or lose everything".
It is curious that the hacker is only asking for such a small fee. There are plenty of people who would be completely lost without access to their devices and would likely be willing to pay a pretty large sum to get it back quickly.
By requesting such a relatively reasonable amount, it is likely that the hacker will make a decent amount of money off these people who just want access back. However, this kinda gives the hacker the go-ahead to keep all their information and just lock their phone out whenever they need to make a quick buck, assuming they can access the iCloud information again.
CNET notes that users in London and New Zealand have also reported being hacked, so just to be safe, now's the time to put a passcode on all your devices, and change your Apple ID password and all related security questions.


text:
June 19, 2013
STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford sophomore Inky Ajanaku is touring China with the Pac-12 all-star team. In the first edition of her blog, Inky's Chinese Adventure, she is checking in from Shanghai. Enjoy!
Hey Stanford fans!
We just got to our hotel after a 38 hour travel day and I am exhausted! We took a 15 hour flight from Los Angeles to some random city, which I can't remember the name. We then took two hour flight to Shanghai. Yes, it was as long as it sounds.
Right when we got off of the plane, the humidity hit us like a brick wall. We landed at about 4 a.m. and it was about 75 degrees. Our first Chinese test came when we got off the plane and had to go to the bathroom. I walked in and there was just a hole in the ground and no toilet paper. Thankfully, I brought some napkins from the plane, and I have been practicing my squats. It definitely makes you appreciate the USA!
After leaving the airport we spent about three hours walking around and touring Shanghai. I bought some Beats by Dr. Dre for about 15 bucks in the Old Shanghai market place! I'm looking forward to more shopping opportunities here.
After wandering around Shanghai we had a two hour train ride to yet another city which I can't pronounce, and then took a FOUR hour bus ride to get to our hotel.
I was ready to pass out by the time we got to our hotel, but we had to go get dinner before we could go to bed. Most of the team was not too accepting of the food, but I was starving and love Chinese food so I didn't really have a problem with it. When we finally got to our rock hard beds (this is not an exaggeration), I passed out and soaked up my first chance of horizontal sleep in 38 hours.
We will be playing our first match here in China soon. I am looking forward to getting on the court with the all-star team. Check back soon for more updates on my adventure in China!


text:
(Ivanhoe Newswire) – A new study shows that a chemical in seafood known to cause brain damage is also toxic to the kidneys, but at much lower concentrations.
The neurotoxin domoic acid, also called Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning, can be found in fish, clams, scallops, and mussels. The heat resistant and very stable toxin is becoming more noticeable in the coastal regions. Since the acid is expelled from the body through the kidneys, researchers looked to see if it might also have damaging effects on the organ. Then, they gave mice doses of domoic acid and found that the kidney was much more sensitive to the acid than the brain.
"We have found that domoic acid damages kidneys at concentrations that are 100 times lower than what causes neurological effects," study author, P. Darwin Bell, PhD, was quoted as saying. "Although the findings still need to be validated in humans, the researchers want to see heightened awareness and monitoring of domoic acid levels in all seafood. They also say the FDA may need to reconsider the legal limit of domoic acid allowed in food because of its kidney toxicity."
For more information, contact: Tracy Hampton, firstname.lastname@example.com
SOURCE: Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN), February 2014
Click Here for a free weekly email with Ivanhoe's latest Medical Breakthroughs.
[ Back to General Health Channel Home ]
Do you know if you are height-weight proportional?
Find out your Body Mass Index (BMI).
Click Here
How safe are your dietary supplements?Click here to find out with the FDA's list of supplements and drug interactions.
Home | What's
New | News Flash | Search/Latest Medical News | E-Mail Medical Alerts!
Ivanhoe FAQ | Privacy Policy | Our TV Partners | Awards | Useful Links | Play It Again, PleaseRSS Feeds | Advertising/Sponsorships | Content Syndication | Reprints
P.O. Box 865
Orlando, Florida 32802
Denotes Premium Content in Latest Medical News


text:
Proposed Changes to District Boundary Map Met with Gratitude and Few Concerns
Source: Sequoia Union High School District (seq.org)
January 22, 2014
Hang on for a minute...we're trying to find some more stories you might like.
Email This Story
In its first public meeting of the year, the Sequoia Union High School District Board of Trustees presented a map with redrawn school attendance areas for the district's four comprehensive high schools, garnering largely positive feedback from the community.
The board held many community meetings around May and October of last year to ensure that the revised map addressed the community's concerns, with superintendent Jim Lianides emphasizing the wish "to keep communities intact to the greatest degree possible." The proposed changes to the map respond to projected enrollment growth and revise an outdated policy that previously divided Ravenswood into three attendance areas.
Among other changes, the new map guarantees all students from Ravenswood and the Las Lomitas Elementary School District enrollment at M-A. In the past, students in these areas had frequently transferred or attempted to transfer to M-A from Carlmont or Woodside, and the changed boundaries reflect these trends.
"There was a very clear and unanimous voice requesting that that be done," said trustee Alan Sarver. "Their definition of community lay in the middle school that their children attended and keeping their cohort together."
Meanwhile, Sequoia picks up a portion of East Redwood City and North Fair Oaks formerly assigned to M-A in an effort to limit fracturing of 8th grade classes in Redwood City and to address enrollment growth. Assuming no future small schools or transfers, M-A's student body is projected to reach 2,643 students by 2020 with these proposed changes, with M-A staying the largest of the four comprehensive high schools.
Members of the North Fair Oaks community expressed concerns over the new boundary at 8th Ave, as it shifts residents on 6th and 7th Ave, streets in the Menlo Park zip code, out of the M-A attendance area into Sequoia's. However, the board noted that students in that area historically opt into Redwood City high schools over M-A. Trustee Chris Thompsen added that he was sympathetic to their concerns and that "I recognize there's no way to draw lines to satisfy everyone."
Other boundary changes include a shift in the line dividing Woodside and Sequoia boundaries to accommodate more of Woodside and to even out the current imbalance in enrollment between the two. Additionally, a portion of San Carlos currently in the Sequoia attendance area is to be assigned to Carlmont under the new changes.
Overall, the boundary changes generally met with approval. Several members of the community highly praised the new map; many were pleased with and "grateful for the consideration that has been given to East Palo Alto and East Menlo Park," said executive director of One East Palo Alto, Dr. Faye McNair Knox. "I think this process has been of the highest order."


text:
"Amphenol CTF media converter products blend the decades of experience in fibre optic and high speed copper capability. Media conversion is completed within each unit, allowing systems integrators to remove fibre transceivers and cables from circuit boards," said the firm.
There are three base products, all operating from -40 to +85°C, with more to come, and customised versions offered.
CTF-QUAD (right)
Standard quadrax receptacle connectors and inserts (1 tx or 1 rx per size 8 cavity)
Standard 1.25mm fibre ferrules
Plug/socket side is quadrax socket to ARINC-801 pin adapter for system fibre connection
DC to 10Gbit/s transmit and receive
PCB lead or flex connection
CTF-4G (left)
2 channel (2 tx, 2 rx)
D38999 series III shell size 13-4 M29504/5 fibre Interface
Up to 4.25Gbit/s
Built-in test and diagnostics
37pin nano connector
Up to 1G Ethernet, 4G Fibre Channel, PCI-Express 2.0 and DVI
ARINC-801, MT, PC tail copper options
CTF-10G (right)
1 Channel (1 tx, 1 rx)
D38999 series III shell size 11-2 M29504/5 fibre interface
Up to 10.3125Gbit/s fibre interface
Up to 3.125Gbit/s XAUI copper interface
Built-in test and diagnostics
12dB worst case between transmit power and receive sensitivity
Samtec EQDP copper PCB interface
Up to 10G Ethernet, 8G Fibre Channel, PCI-Express 3.0,and DVI
ARINC-801, MT, PC tail copper options


text:
Sep 26, 2011 9:03 AM
We love fall for it's "in between" weather. You know what we mean--one day it's 45 degrees and the next it's back up to 72. We neither sweat to death nor freeze our tushes off. But it makes dressing for the temps a hassle. We usually just brave it out with long sleeves, a lightweight coat, and a cute scarf like the Echo Addict Knit Muffler ($48). It's a lightweight knit so it's not going to provide a ton of heavy warmth but let's be serious, we're really just wearing it for it's casual style and adorable print!
If you've got a product or service that you'd like to promote on Outblush, click here to find out about our advertising opportunities.
Outblush is a blog for girls who love to shop. Our staff digs up the best clothes, home stuff, beauty items, and more. New items are posted every day — bookmark us and check out:


text:
52 Wochen
One photo each week in 2012.
Stefan Bucher
Born 1972. I often refer to photography as my earliest hobby. It became a creative path. The impact of light inside the camera is inevitable — an image is being exposed. As a photographer I am touched and changed by images. I communicate awareness for the mundane that reveals itself in everyone's own surroundings.
Comentario publicado.
Inicia sesión
o crea una cuenta para publicar un comentario.
Sitios de Blurb


text:
|[ < ]
|[ > ]
|[ << ]
|[ Up ]
|[ >> ]
|[ ? ]
Here is a complete list of the recognized syntactic symbols as described
in the
c-offsets-alist style variable, along with a brief
description. More detailed descriptions follow.
throws declarations and other things can appear
func-decl-cont and
switch block.
while line that ends a
while construct.
else line of an
else construct.
catch or
finally (in Java) line of a
catch construct.
c-syntactic-indentation-in-macros is set.
c-syntactic-indentation-in-macros is
extern block (e.g.
extern "C" {...}).
extern block.
inclass syntactic symbol, but used inside
extern blocks.
extern-lang symbols above, but
are returned for C++ namespace blocks.
module blocks.
composition blocks.
inclass syntactic symbol, but used inside lambda
(i.e. anonymous) functions. Only used in Pike mode.
lambda keyword and the function body. Only used in Pike mode.
Most syntactic symbol names follow a general naming convention. When a
line begins with an open or close brace, the syntactic symbol will
contain the suffix
-open or
-close respectively.
Usually, a distinction is made between the first line that introduces a
construct and lines that continue a construct, and the syntactic symbols
that represent these lines will contain the suffix
-intro or
-cont respectively. As a sub-classification of this scheme, a
line which is the first of a particular brace block construct will
contain the suffix
Let's look at some examples to understand how this works. Remember that you can check the syntax of any line by using C-c C-s.
1: void 2: swap( int& a, int& b ) 3: { 4: int tmp = a; 5: a = b; 6: b = tmp; 7: int ignored = 8: a + b; 9: }
Line 1 shows a
topmost-intro since it is the first line that
introduces a top-level construct. Line 2 is a continuation of the
top-level construct introduction so it has the syntax
topmost-intro-cont. Line 3 shows a
defun-open since it is
the brace that opens a top-level function definition. Line 9 is the
defun-close since it contains the brace that closes the top-level
function definition. Line 4 is a
defun-block-intro, i.e. it is
the first line of a brace-block, enclosed in a
top-level function definition.
Lines 5, 6, and 7 are all given
statement syntax since there
isn't much special about them. Note however that line 8 is given
statement-cont syntax since it continues the statement begun
on the previous line.
Here's another example, which illustrates some C++ class syntactic symbols:
1: class Bass 2: : public Guitar, 3: public Amplifiable 4: { 5: public: 6: Bass() 7: : eString( new BassString( 0.105 )), 8: aString( new BassString( 0.085 )), 9: dString( new BassString( 0.065 )), 10: gString( new BassString( 0.045 )) 11: { 12: eString.tune( 'E' ); 13: aString.tune( 'A' ); 14: dString.tune( 'D' ); 15: gString.tune( 'G' ); 16: } 17: friend class Luthier; 18: };
As in the previous example, line 1 has the
topmost-intro syntax.
Here however, the brace that opens a C++ class definition on line 4 is
assigned the
class-open syntax. Note that in C++, classes,
structs, and unions are essentially equivalent syntactically (and are
very similar semantically), so replacing the
class keyword in the
example above with
struct or
union would still result in a
syntax of
class-open for line 4 (27).
Similarly, line 18 is assigned
class-close syntax.
Line 2 introduces the inheritance list for the class so it is assigned
inher-intro syntax, and line 3, which continues the
inheritance list is given
inher-cont syntax.
Hitting C-c C-s on line 5 shows the following analysis:
((inclass 58) (access-label 58))
The primary syntactic symbol for this line is
access-label as
this a label keyword that specifies access protection in C++. However,
because this line is also a top-level construct inside a class
definition, the analysis actually shows two syntactic symbols. The
other syntactic symbol assigned to this line is
Similarly, line 6 is given both
inclass and
((inclass 58) (topmost-intro 60))
Line 7 introduces a C++ member initialization list and as such is given
member-init-intro syntax. Note that in this case it is
not assigned
inclass since this is not considered a
top-level construct. Lines 8 through 10 are all assigned
member-init-cont since they continue the member initialization
list started on line 7.
Line 11's analysis is a bit more complicated:
((inclass 58) (inline-open))
This line is assigned a syntax of both
inline-open and
inclass because it opens an in-class C++ inline method
definition. This is distinct from, but related to, the C++ notion of an
inline function in that its definition occurs inside an enclosing class
definition, which in C++ implies that the function should be inlined.
However, if the definition of the
Bass constructor appeared
outside the class definition, the construct would be given the
defun-open syntax, even if the keyword
inline appeared
before the method name, as in:
1: class Bass 2: : public Guitar, 3: public Amplifiable 4: { 5: public: 6: Bass(); 7: }; 8: 9: inline 10: Bass::Bass() 11: : eString( new BassString( 0.105 )), 12: aString( new BassString( 0.085 )), 13: dString( new BassString( 0.065 )), 14: gString( new BassString( 0.045 )) 15: { 16: eString.tune( 'E' ); 17: aString.tune( 'A' ); 18: dString.tune( 'D' ); 19: gString.tune( 'G' ); 20: }
Returning to the previous example, line 16 is given
syntax, while line 12 is given
defun-block-open syntax, and lines
13 through 15 are all given
statement syntax. Line 17 is
interesting in that its syntactic analysis list contains three
((inclass 58) (topmost-intro 380) (friend))
friend syntactic symbol is a modifier that typically does not
have a relative buffer position.
Template definitions introduce yet another syntactic symbol:
1: ThingManager <int, 2: Framework::Callback *, 3: Mutex> framework_callbacks;
Here, line 1 is analyzed as a
topmost-intro, but lines 2 and 3
are both analyzed as
template-args-cont lines.
Here is another (totally contrived) example which illustrates how syntax is assigned to various conditional constructs:
1: void spam( int index ) 2: { 3: for( int i=0; i<index; i++ ) 4: { 5: if( i == 10 ) 6: do_something_special(); 7: else 8: silly_label: 9: do_something( i ); 10: } 11: do { 12: another_thing( i-- ); 13: } 14: while( i > 0 ); 15: }
Only the lines that illustrate new syntactic symbols will be discussed.
Line 4 has a brace which opens a conditional's substatement block. It
is thus assigned
substatement-open syntax, and since line 5 is
the first line in the substatement block, it is assigned
substatement-block-intro syntax. Line 10 contains the brace that
closes the inner substatement block, and is therefore given the syntax
block-close. Line 13 is treated the same way.
Lines 6 and 9 are also substatements of conditionals, but since they
don't start blocks they are given
substatement syntax
instead of
Line 8 contains a label, which is normally given
label syntax.
This one is however a bit special since it's between a conditional and
its substatement. It's analyzed as
substatement-label to let you
handle this rather odd case differently from normal labels.
Line 7 start with an
else that matches the
if statement on
line 5. It is therefore given the
else-clause syntax and is
anchored on the matching
if. The
constructs in C++ and Java are treated this way too, except that
catch and (in Java)
finally, are marked with
while construct on line 14 that closes a
conditional is given the special syntax
do-while-closure if it
appears on a line by itself. Note that if the
while appeared on
the same line as the preceding close brace, that line would still have
block-close syntax.
Switch statements have their own set of syntactic symbols. Here's an example:
1: void spam( enum Ingredient i ) 2: { 3: switch( i ) { 4: case Ham: 5: be_a_pig(); 6: break; 7: case Salt: 8: drink_some_water(); 9: break; 10: default: 11: { 12: what_is_it(); 13: break; 14: } 15: } 14: }
Here, lines 4, 7, and 10 are all assigned
case-label syntax,
while lines 5 and 8 are assigned
statement-case-intro. Line 11
is treated slightly differently since it contains a brace that opens a
block -- it is given
statement-case-open syntax.
There are a set of syntactic symbols that are used to recognize
constructs inside of brace lists. A brace list is defined as an
enum or aggregate initializer list, such as might statically
initialize an array of structs. The three special aggregate constructs
in Pike,
({ }),
([ ]) and
(< >), are treated as
brace lists too. An example:
1: static char* ingredients[] = 2: { 3: "Ham", 4: "Salt", 5: NULL 6: };
Following convention, line 2 in this example is assigned
brace-list-open syntax, and line 3 is assigned
brace-list-intro syntax. Likewise, line 6 is assigned
brace-list-close syntax. Lines 4 and 5 however, are assigned
brace-list-entry syntax, as would all subsequent lines in this
initializer list.
Your static initializer might be initializing nested structures, for example:
1: struct intpairs[] = 2: { 3: { 1, 2 }, 4: { 5: 3, 6: 4 7: } 8: { 1, 9: 2 }, 10: { 3, 4 } 11: };
Here, you've already seen the analysis of lines 1, 2, 3, and 11. On
line 4, things get interesting; this line is assigned
brace-entry-open syntactic symbol because it's a bracelist entry
line that starts with an open brace. Lines 5 and 6 (and line 9) are
pretty standard, and line 7 is a
brace-list-close as you'd
expect. Once again, line 8 is assigned as
brace-entry-open as is
line 10.
External language definition blocks also have their own syntactic symbols. In this example:
1: extern "C" 2: { 3: int thing_one( int ); 4: int thing_two( double ); 5: }
line 2 is given the
extern-lang-open syntax, while line 5 is given
extern-lang-close syntax. The analysis for line 3 yields:
((inextern-lang) (topmost-intro 14))
inextern-lang is a modifier similar in purpose to
There are various other top level blocks like
extern, and they
are all treated in the same way except that the symbols are named after
the keyword that introduces the block. E.g. C++ namespace blocks get
the three symbols
namespace-close and
innamespace. The currently recognized top level blocks are:
extern blocks in C and C++.(28)
namespace blocks in C++.
module blocks in CORBA IDL.
composition blocks in CORBA CIDL.
A number of syntactic symbols are associated with parenthesis lists, a.k.a argument lists, as found in function declarations and function calls. This example illustrates these:
1: void a_function( int line1, 2: int line2 ); 3: 4: void a_longer_function( 5: int line1, 6: int line2 7: ); 8: 9: void call_them( int line1, int line2 ) 10: { 11: a_function( 12: line1, 13: line2 14: ); 15: 16: a_longer_function( line1, 17: line2 ); 18: }
Lines 5 and 12 are assigned
arglist-intro syntax since they are
the first line following the open parenthesis, and lines 7 and 14 are
arglist-close syntax since they contain the parenthesis
that closes the argument list.
Lines that continue argument lists can be assigned one of two syntactic
symbols. For example, Lines 2 and 17
are assigned
arglist-cont-nonempty syntax. What this means
is that they continue an argument list, but that the line containing the
parenthesis that opens the list is not empty following the open
parenthesis. Contrast this against lines 6 and 13 which are assigned
arglist-cont syntax. This is because the parenthesis that opens
their argument lists is the last character on that line.
Note that there is no
arglist-open syntax. This is because any
parenthesis that opens an argument list, appearing on a separate line,
is assigned the
statement-cont syntax instead.
A few miscellaneous syntactic symbols that haven't been previously covered are illustrated by this C++ example:
1: void Bass::play( int volume ) 2: const 3: { 4: /* this line starts a multiline 5: * comment. This line should get `c' syntax */ 6: 7: char* a_multiline_string = "This line starts a multiline \ 8: string. This line should get `string' syntax."; 9: 10: note: 11: { 12: #ifdef LOCK 13: Lock acquire(); 14: #endif // LOCK 15: slap_pop(); 16: cout << "I played " 17: << "a note\n"; 18: } 19: }
The lines to note in this example include:
func-decl-cont syntax.
defun-block-intro and
comment-intro syntax.
c syntax.
defun-block-intro. Note that the appearance of the
comment on lines 4 and 5 do not cause line 6 to be assigned
statement syntax because comments are considered to be
syntactic whitespace, which are ignored when analyzing
string syntax.
label syntax.
block-open syntax.
cpp-macro syntax in addition to the
normal syntactic symbols (
statement-block-intro and
statement, respectively). Normally
cpp-macro is
configured to cancel out the normal syntactic context to make all
preprocessor directives stick to the first column, but that's easily
changed if you want preprocessor directives to be indented like the rest
of the code.
stream-op syntax.
Multiline preprocessor macro definitions are normally handled just like
other code, i.e. the lines inside them are indented according to the
syntactic analysis of the preceding lines inside the macro. The first
line inside a macro definition (i.e. the line after the starting line of
the cpp directive itself) gets
cpp-define-intro. In this example:
1: #define LIST_LOOP(cons, listp) \ 2: for (cons = listp; !NILP (cons); cons = XCDR (cons)) \ 3: if (!CONSP (cons)) \ 4: signal_error ("Invalid list format", listp); \ 5: else
line 1 is given the syntactic symbol
cpp-macro. The first line
of a cpp directive is always given that symbol. Line 2 is given
cpp-define-intro, so that you can give the macro body as a whole
some extra indentation. Lines 3 through 5 are then analyzed as normal
code, i.e.
substatement on lines 3 and 4, and
on line 5.
The syntactic analysis inside macros can be turned off with
c-syntactic-indentation-in-macros. In that case, lines 2 through
5 would all be given
cpp-macro-cont with a relative buffer
position pointing to the
# which starts the cpp
See section 6. Macro Handling, for more info about the treatment of macros.
In Objective-C buffers, there are three additional syntactic symbols assigned to various message calling constructs. Here's an example illustrating these:
1: - (void)setDelegate:anObject 2: withStuff:stuff 3: { 4: [delegate masterWillRebind:self 5: toDelegate:anObject 6: withExtraStuff:stuff]; 7: }
Here, line 1 is assigned
objc-method-intro syntax, and line 2 is
objc-method-args-cont syntax. Lines 5 and 6 are both
objc-method-call-cont syntax.
Java has a concept of anonymous classes, which may look something like this:
1: public void watch(Observable o) { 2: o.addObserver(new Observer() { 3: public void update(Observable o, Object arg) { 4: history.addElement(arg); 5: } 6: }); 7: }
The brace following the
new operator opens the anonymous class.
Lines 3 and 6 are assigned the
inexpr-class syntax, besides the
inclass symbol used in normal classes. Thus, the class will be
indented just like a normal class, with the added indentation given to
There are a few occasions where a statement block may be used inside an expression. One is in C or C++ code using the gcc extension for this, e.g:
1: int res = ({ 2: int y = foo (); int z; 3: if (y > 0) z = y; else z = - y; 4: z; 5: });
Lines 2 and 5 get the
inexpr-statement syntax, besides the
symbols they'd get in a normal block. Therefore, the indentation put on
inexpr-statement is added to the normal statement block
In Pike code, there are a few other situations where blocks occur inside statements, as illustrated here:
1: array itgob() 2: { 3: string s = map (backtrace()[-2][3..], 4: lambda 5: (mixed arg) 6: { 7: return sprintf ("%t", arg); 8: }) * ", " + "\n"; 9: return catch { 10: write (s + "\n"); 11: }; 12: }
Lines 4 through 8 contain a lambda function, which CC Mode recognizes
by the
lambda keyword. If the function argument list is put
on a line of its own, as in line 5, it gets the
syntax. The function body is handled as an inline method body, with the
addition of the
inlambda syntactic symbol. This means that line
6 gets
inlambda and
inline-open, and line 8 gets
On line 9,
catch is a special function taking a statement block
as its argument. The block is handled as an in-expression statement
with the
inexpr-statement syntax, just like the gcc extended C
example above. The other similar special function,
gauge, is
handled like this too.
Two other syntactic symbols can appear in old style, non-prototyped C code (31):
1: int add_three_integers(a, b, c) 2: int a; 3: int b; 4: int c; 5: { 6: return a + b + c; 7: }
Here, line 2 is the first line in an argument declaration list and so is
given the
knr-argdecl-intro syntactic symbol. Subsequent lines
(i.e. lines 3 and 4 in this example), are given
|[ << ]
|[ >> ]
|[ ? ]


text:
Timothy Barnard
Visiting Assistant Professor, Film and Media Studies; Director, W&M Global Film Festival
Office: College Apts 8C
Phone: 757-221-1274
Email: [[tlbarn]]
Papers and Presentations
"Hollywood in the City of Lights: The Other American Presence in 1920s Paris." American Historical Association Annual Meeting. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 2006.
"Queer Aficion: Hemingway, Spain, and Transgressive Cultures of Empire." American Studies Association Annual Meeting. Washington, DC, November 2005.
"'Niggers,' Negrophilia, and Negritude: Black Marks on Hemingway's Parisian Modernism." Special Session Panel: "A Mutable Feast: Recontextualizing Expatriate Writing in Paris." Modern Language Association Annual Convention. San Diego, California.
Organized panel: "Anarchists in New York, Tarzan in Berlin, Hemingway at the Bullring: Foreign Makings of America, 1880-1920s." Paper: "Spain's Modern Spectacle of Tradition: The Cultural Contradictions of Bullfighting and American Spectatorship Abroad."
"Bullfighting, Watching, and Writing: Re-membering Lost Manhood in The Sun Also Rises." Panel: "Manhood and Memory." British Association for American Studies Annual Conference. University of Wales, Aberystwyth
"In Search of Greener Hills: Hemingway's Quest 'out past' the African Travel Narrative." Panel: "America in Quest: Real and Metaphorical Literary Travels." Spanish Association for American Studies.
"'Oh! He's Charming!' Proclaimed the 'Tragic Poetess': Hemingway's Love/Hate Relationship with Dorothy Parker and 1920s New York." Modern Language Association Annual Conference. New York City.
"'But photographs are very tricky. . .': The Camera in Hemingway's Times." Paper for peer seminar: "Literary Modernism and New Media." Modernist Studies Association Annual Conference. Madison, Wisconsin.
"Remaking American Manhood in the Wake of WWI: Gender Constructions in the Literature and Film of the 1920s." Invited speaker, Monroe Scholars Luncheon, The College of William and Mary.
"'The Whole Art of a Wooden Leg': Laurence Stallings and the Search for Creative Postwar Prosthetics." Panel: "Modern Bodies I: Bodies in Crisis." NYU Modernism Conference. New York City.
"The Exotic Costume Masculinities of Valentino and Hemingway: Spanish Bullfighting and the Complications of Modern American Manhood in the 1920s." American Studies Association Annual Conference. Detroit, Michigan.
"Nick Adams' Lesson in Redemptive 'Negro' Masculinity: The 'Africanist Presence' in Ernest Hemingway's Modernist Imagination." Disruptive Disciplines: A Joint Conference of American Studies an
"Ernest Hemingway's Modernist Pictures: Literature and Photography in an Age of Mechanical Reproduction." 4th Annual Comparative Literature Intra-Student Faculty Forum. University of Michigan.
"Pilar in For Whom the Bell Tolls: Hemingway's Most Ambitious Attempt to Penetrate, Portray, and Mix with the Other." Panel: "Feminist Perspectives on Hemingway and Steinbeck." Third International Steinbeck Congress.


text:
First Lady Michelle Obama, accompanied by daughters Sasha and Malia as well as her mother, are spending spring break in China. They landed in the country two days ago on Thursday, according to a Yahoo! News report on Saturday.
President Obama meets - and appears to charm - Queen Maxima of The Netherlands
The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge is going on until March 5: Kid Chefs needed
There have been reports that Michelle Obama's visit was to be non-political, and there were further reports that the press was being blocked from her visit. Yet, she and a massive entourage are reportedly traveling on the taxpayers' dime – or, make that, thousands upon thousands of dollars.
There are reports that the Obama entourage occupies hotel space of 3,400 square feet, costing $8,350-per-night. (Other than the extreme hotel costs, little about the expense of the trip has leaked out - yet.) The accommodations are at a presidential suite at a Beijing Westin Hotel.
Additionally, it has been reported that Secret Service agents have basically overtaken the elevators at the hotel to accommodate Mrs. Obama, her mother Marian Robinson, and the daughters. Inconveniencing other high-paying guests, the front and back doors of the hotel are blocked off with strict security screening everyone who enters. While there are reports that Mrs. Obama and her daughters are gracious, some workers claim that they are fed up with Marian Robinson's treatment of the staff.
While many persons are tired of the people in the United States who bash the Obamas for their extensive travel – openly labeled as vacations or otherwise – there are many who find the extensive travelling insulting and abusive to the nation's citizenry and to the nation's disastrous financial situation. The nation, at last count, is approximately 17 trillion dollars in debt.
On this trip, which was labeled as non-political, Mrs. Obama definitely spoke politics on Saturday. She spoke about freedom of speech – mostly the freedom of speech on the Internet and in the news media arena.
Less politically, she spoke on Friday to Chinese and American persons at Peking University. However, she reportedly broke into statements about the benefit of people hearing all sides of every argument – as somewhat critical of the news media. She said that people have seen that countries are stronger and more prosperous when the voices and opinions of all their citizens can be heard – obviously suggesting that that is not the case. In China, the Internet is censored so that its people do not hear or read of opposition to the Chinese government's policies.
Mrs. Obama went on to say, "My husband and I are on the receiving end of plenty of questioning and criticism from our media and our fellow citizens, and it's not always easy – but we wouldn't trade it for anything in the world."
Some would argue, however, that the Obamas do not receive much criticism from a media that is often on their side of issues.
Previously, it has been said that Mrs. Obama, accompanied by her daughters who are on spring break as well as her mother, is in China to highlight the importance of education and student foreign exchanges. From the few media quotes coming out of Mrs. Obama's public talks, it appears she is taking it upon herself to speak on other issues of her choice.
Current United States State Department data says that some 200,000 Chinese students are enrolled in United States institutions of learning while only 20,000 Americans are in China to study. On topic, Mrs. Obama has said in China that she believes more exchange student studying is needed.


text:
Despite attempts at comedy by way of beaver puns, Katy Perry still rules among the younger demographic. With an eternally playful persona and animated friends, how can she not? Perry will grace with the stage at the upcoming Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, joining continuous trending topic One Direction as the night's entertainment. We hope the two performers can team up for a collaboration of some kind, if only for Perry to show some gratitude for the shout-out in the the boys' "Up All Night," and thus inspire a remix ("Katy Perry's at the KCAs, she's at the KCAs"). 1D only made their U.S. television debut a few hours ago, yet still may need some lessons in adorable ways to get slimed—because nothing will get you unconditional love from Americans like taking green goop to the face like a champ! In-house favorites Big Time Rush, Miranda Cosgrove and Victoria Justice will all present awards, while Will Smith is scheduled to host, which feels 10 years too late until you remember the fact that there's a third Men In Black movie coming out soon (another discussion for another time). The Kids' Choice Awards telecast is slated for Saturday March 31 at 8 p.m. EST. Set those DVRs.
Katy Perry Is Still The Kids' Choice
Related To: News
The Popdust Files: big time rush, katy perry, kids choice awards, nickelodeon, one direction


text:
What makes us happy or unhappy, and why are some places happier than others?
On some basic level, it would make sense that sunnier people -- and places -- are happier, but surely human happiness isn't so simple.
Two studies shed light on the happiness of people and places, and teach us that expectations for the future matter a whole lot more than you might realize.
Unhappy places: Pretty consistently unhappy
A recent National Bureau of Economic Research paper investigates the oddly long-standing unhappiness of some places relative to others.
That Detroit is relatively unhappy these days may not come as a surprise, but if it's like most declining cities, it's been that way for decades, even when it was thriving. As the authors put it:
"These results are compatible with the view that unhappiness caused the decline or that declining cities have long-standing attributes associated with unhappiness."
So, maybe some places are just kind of miserable. It's just that people need to be compensated for living in a miserable place, maybe through higher income, more opportunities, or, in the case of a city on the decline, lower housing costs.
This makes sense: In the end, we know that subjective happiness isn't everything. If it was, we'd probably avoid having children: the authors note that new parents "typically report unusually low levels of happiness or life satisfaction."
This would go a long way toward explaining why New York, home to New York City, the country's unhappiest place, is losing so many residents in the wake of the recession. Perhaps those benefits just aren't cutting it anymore?
Or is there more to it than that?
But maybe it's not about pure economic benefits -- maybe it also has something to do with what we think we can achieve in a place. A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences pinpoints a link between happiness and our expectations.
Essentially, the results suggest that "momentary happiness is a state that reflects not how well things are going but instead whether things are going better than expected."
In other words, it's all about expectations. Maybe people in declining were unhappy during the heydey because they felt they could have been doing better, and maybe they feel unhappy now because things seem to be going worse.
Low expectations: The way forward?
This might lead you into thinking that having low expectations is the key to happiness, but the lead author of the study, Dr. Robb Rutledge, cautions against oversimplifying:
"It is often said that you will be happier if your expectations are lower. We find that there is some truth to this: lower expectations make it more likely that an outcome will exceed those expectations and have a positive impact on happiness. However, expectations also affect happiness even before we learn the outcome of a decision. If you have plans to meet a friend at your favourite restaurant, those positive expectations may increase your happiness as soon as you make the plan."
In other words, it's all about doing well relative to how you thought you'd do, but it's also about having something bright to look forward to.
So, no matter where you live, maybe now is the time to be grateful... and to start planning that next vacation.
Leaked: Apple's next smart device (warning, it may shock you)
Apple recently recruited a secret-development "dream team" to guarantee its newest smart device was kept hidden from the public for as long as possible. But the secret is out, and some early viewers are claiming its everyday impact could trump the iPod, iPhone, and the iPad. In fact, ABI Research predicts 485 million of this type of device will be sold per year. But one small company makes Apple's gadget possible. And its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early-in-the-know investors. To be one of them, and see Apple's newest smart gizmo, just click here!
Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


text:
San Diego, CA--- Before his death in 1901, Verdi "conceived of a home, a haven for retired opera singers and musician's without the means to provide for them". It was completed in 1899 and over the years became known as Casa Verdi. From the time it opened in 1902 it has housed over 1,000 singers, composers and orchestra musicians.
Can you imagine a retirement home filled with temperamental divas and crusty dirty old men all living under one roof?
Ronald Harwood's ("The Dresser") quasi comedy, "Quartet" currently playing at the Old Globe's Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre through Aug. 24th was inspired by a documentary about Casa Verdi and its residents. It was called "Tosca's Kiss". Harwood saw a play in that film and ergo we have "Quartet". Some might recall Dustin Hoffman directed the movie of the same name starring Maggie Smith.
In "Quartet" Harwood has created four flesh and blood characters, former opera stars in their own right, who are stuck between a rock and hard spot waiting for something to happen in a retirement home where all they have on their hands is time and memories.
He gives us a bird's eye view into some of the thinking, acting out and just plain silliness old folks do because they think they can. Mostly though it's about what they think of themselves and each other and their legacies. Not many in the opening night audience needed reminding of what we are like. We know!
Three have lived in this house in Kent, England for some time and pretty much know each others personalities, shortcomings and vulnerabilities. The fourth will arrive later upsetting the apple cart in more than one way; she truly thinks she is still the diva of her past life.
When we first meet up with them they appear to be busy writing and reading, listening to audio music, being nosy and plain pains in the butt. They are in a comfortable and somewhat elegant looking salon/music room surrounded by musical instruments, busts of famous composers, comfy chairs and desks, and odd pieces of furniture; some not related to each other. (Ralph Funicello). Most of the talk is just that, talk and not much action.
They humor each other and continue bask in the glory of the good old days. It helps that their newly released 'Quartet' from their "Rigoletto" CD oft times generates a little extra income plus they have the pleasure of listening to themselves on it one more time. This will prove to be a win/win for them after the dust settles.
Talk flows, gossip abounds and operas and stars of their past adventures are commonplace. Reginald or Reggie (Robert Foxworth) is the serious one of the group but does have his little moments that actually crack up the audience and breaks the monotony of sameness.
He is in the process of writing his memoirs. Foxworth, seen many times on the Globe's stages, is the anchor of this piece. His performance is fun to watch and perfectly timed.
Wilfred Bond or Wilf (Roger Forbes) has his mind on sex and how he can do it with Cecily Robson or Cissy (Jill Tanner), who is busy at the moment listening to a CD with headphones at her ears, never hearing Wilf, "Cissy, in all honesty, you have the most beautiful tits I've ever seen". "In fact your whole body causes me to pulsate with lust".
Cecily, or Cissy Robson (Jill Tanner), is a bit loopy, disheveled, forgetful and loveable. Hers is the most authentic and interesting character. If I had my druthers, I could have watched her ditsyness all night compared to Roger Forbes' Wilford Bond, who in his golden years is a bit over the top by going on and on about his libido: "I think about sex all bloody day and all bloody night". I'm assuming this trash talk is supposed to amuse but this reviewer got tired of it real fast. Forbes fills the role of Wilf with gusto and enthusiasm. But for the lines given him, he is a pretty impressive presence and interesting to watch.
On some level they appear to be excited to perform in concert for the rest of the residents on the occasion of Verdi's birthday. They don't quite know what that would look like in lieu of the fact that their voices might not be up to the task. They talk and plan and talk some more.
When they learn that a new resident is coming the room goes silent.
Cissy is the first to find out who and what the new person is, and show some irritation because no one bothered to consult her or them ahead of time.
After she announces that the newcomer is the famous soprano Jean Horton (Elizabeth Franz), Reggie's former wife and well-known diva, he too shows his indignation for not being informed ahead of time as well. He grows silent and grumbly.
Will they all be able to patch up their differences, stop acting like spoiled children, (which we older folks have a tendency to do) and sing together as the professionals they once were or not? Cissy wants it, the management encourages the 'quartet' to sing together again, but our spoiled diva Jean won't have any of it.
Some say that the mind is the first to go. Some say it's the legs. For Jean, and the others it's the voice. That's what has Jean bogged down and unwilling to face for fear of being ridiculed. Facing our own mortality is no easy task when you are past being a kid. Again, for most sitting in the audience on opening night, I'm sure that thought crossed minds many times.
After all, Jean was a Diva. For her, it took all three of her pals to convince her that she will be OK. Once she admits that to herself and to her colleagues that her instrument is not what it used to be she softens a bit and things lose their edge somewhat.
Finally Reg learns to get along with Jean, Wilf continues his sexual innuendos, Cissy will be Cissy; she knows no other way and the four will go about their business getting ready for their concert.
Before we have a concert, we need costumes. Two stage hands roll a huge chest out on to the stage. Vintage "Rigoletto" costumes from out of costume designer Charlotte Devaux deep trunk of old opera apparel appear and everyone is excited beyond excitement except Jean. Although she accepted to be in the group, she was not going to mend her costume to fit. That all gets worked out to everyone's benefit and I want to say that they all lived happily ever after but we know better.
Director Richard Seer has a very seasoned cast all doing their best to be their best. Between the four there are more years of experience than I can count. Each could, if they wanted to, retire now. They are of that age, but why when they can be doing this?
In the program bios, it notes that Forbes has been acting for over forty years, Ms. Franz) for over fifty, Jill Tanner worked at the Globe over thirty yeas ago in "Romeo And Juliet" (Jack O'Brien directed and he's been gone from the Globe officially since 2007) and Foxworth's acting career spans, well you can ask him, he's local and always a pleasure to see on our stage.
In any event, the characters in "Quartet" are doing their best to stay afloat amid a hostile outside environment where time and tide wait for no man. They manage to succeed most of the time. And yes they do perform in costume Verdi's Quartet from Act Three, Scene One of Rigoletto: Bella figlia dell' amore, to a standing ovation. For them it doesn't get much better.
Memories are made of this.
Mark Twain said, "Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter".
See you at the theatre.
Dates: Through Aug. 24th
Organization: The Old Globe
Phone: 619-234-5623
Production Type: Comedy
Where: 1363 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park
Ticket Prices: Start at $29.00
Web: theoldglobe.org.
Venue: Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre


text:
Michelle Obama trashes Trump FULL Commencement Speech At CCNY Graduation June 3 2016
- published: 03 Jun 2016
- views: 570500
Michelle Obama offered a scathing, barely veiled critique of Donald Trump on Friday as she delivered her final commencement address as first lady, warning graduates of City College in New York that while their diverse backgrounds are to be celebrated, they should beware of those who \"build up walls to keep people out.\" \"They seem to view our diversity as a threat to be contained rather than as a resource to be tapped,\" Obama said. \"They tell us to be afraid of those who are different, to be suspicious of those with whom we disagree. They act as if name-calling is an acceptable substitute for thoughtful debate. As if anger and intolerance should be our default state rather than optimism and openness that have always been the engine of our progress.\" Invoking her travels as first lady, Obama remarked that she has visited dozens of countries over the last seven years. \"And I have seen what happens when ideas like these take hold. I have seen how leaders rule by intimidation, leaders who demonize and dehumanize entire groups of people often do so because they have nothing else to offer. And I have seen how places that stifle the voices and dismiss the potential of their citizens are diminished, how they are less vital, less hopeful, less free.\" \"Graduates, that is not who we are. That is not what this country stands for,\" Obama continued, before alluding to Trump\'s Make America Great Again slogan. \"No, no, here in America, we don't let our differences tear us apart. Not here. Because we know that our greatness comes from when we appreciate each other's strengths, when we learn ...


text:
Mark Batterson, author and lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C., continues his prayer theme in "Praying Circles Around the Lives of Your Children" releasing April 22. Where parents learn what prayer circles are and how to pray "circles" of God's promises over their children's lives.
Batterson adopted the method of prayer circles from the "Book of Legends," a story compilation from the Hebrew Talmud and Midrash after he read the legendary account of "Honi, the Circle Maker."
Honi, a rainmaker similar to Elijah who successfully prayed for rain, lived on the outskirts of Jerusalem and spent his days in prayer inside a small hut. The people, when their land became dry and parched, begged Honi to pray for rain because they knew he was a man of great faith.
Honi agreed and the community joined him in prayer on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, where he bowed his head, extended his staff to the ground and turned "until he stood inside the complete circle he had drawn." That day the legend of the "Circle Maker" was born with a "prayer that saved a generation." To read the complete kids version: The Circle Maker for Kids: one Prayer can Change Everything
Reading Honi's story caused such a transformation in Mark's prayer life he shared this new method of prayer in several books. Praying Circles Around your Children, Draw the Circle: the 40 Day Prayer Challenge and The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around...Dreams & Fears.
In this new guide, Praying Circles Around the Lives of Your Children, he describes how to pray seven prayer circles of biblical principles around your children's lives. From praying a hedge of protection around them to passing on the blessings of God's promises. In addition to recognizing and taking advantage of "teachable moments" in your family's life and why he believes God's blessings often comes with "holy complications."
Batterson, a parent himself, considers prayer a parent's "secret weapon, yet it isn't a default position. He knows from experience being a praying parent requires the efforts of "design, desire and discipline." Yet, prayer is our "single greatest privilege," writes Mark, especially since a legacy of prayer is the "greatest legacy you can leave" behind.
Batterson's professional life, as lead pastor of one of America's "most innovative churches," would be considered the pinnacle of success. However, he defines success this way: "I want those who know me best to respect me the most"
That means Mark's family and I'm sure they do because he practices what he preaches with prayers that shape the destinies of his own children, and their children's children.
"Praying Circles Around the Lives of Your Children," by Mark Batterson, Zondervan, April 22, 2014, 224 Pages, Hardcover, 978-0310339731, $14.99
Midwest Book Reviews: April 2014
Twitter: @GailWelborn
FaceBook: Gail Welborn
Praying Circles Around the Lives of Your Children, by Mark Batterson
Mark Batterson has a surprising secret weapon to parenting: prayer. Batterson shares a perfect blend of biblical yet practical advice that will revolutionize parents' prayer lives by giving them a guide describing seven important ways to pray for their children, such as praying for a hedge of protection and forming prayer circles.
Using stories and experience, Batterson shares seven prayer circles that will help parents pray for their kids. In this book parents will learn how to:
- Create prayer lists unique to the their family
- Claim God-inspired promises for their children
- Turn their family circle into a prayer circle
- Discover their child's life themes
As Batterson says, 'I realize that not everyone inherited a prayer legacy like I did, but you can leave a legacy for generations to come. Your prayers have the power to shape the destiny of your children and your children's children. It's time to start circling.' This new version contains 15,000 words of brand-new content.
All In: You Are One Decision Away From a Totally Different Life, by Mark Batterson
The Gospel costs nothing. You can't earn it or buy it. It can only be received as a free gift compliments of God's grace. It doesn't cost anything, but it demands everything. It demands that we go 'all in,' a term that simply means placing all that you have into God's hands. Pushing it all in. And that's where we get stuck---spiritual no man's land. We're afraid that if we go all in that we might miss out on what this life has to offer.
It's not true. The only thing you'll miss out on is everything God has to offer. And the good news is this: if you don't hold out on God, God won't hold out on you. Readers will find Batterson's writing filled with his customary vivid, contemporary illustrations as well as biblical characters like Shamgar and Elisha and Jonathan and . . . Judas. No one has ever sacrificed anything for God. If you always get back more than you gave up, have you sacrificed anything at all? The eternal reward always outweighs the temporal sacrifice. At the end of the day, our greatest regret will be whatever we didn't give back to God. What we didn't push back across the table to Him. Eternity will reveal that holding out is losing out.
The message of All In is simple: if Jesus is not Lord of all then Jesus is not Lord at all. It's all or nothing. It's now or never. Kneeling at the foot of cross of Christ and surrendering to His Lordship is a radical act of dethroning yourself and enthroning Christ as King. It's also an act of disowning yourself. Nothing belongs to you. Not even you.
Batterson writes, for many years, I thought I was following Jesus. I wasn't. I had invited Jesus to follow me. I call it inverted Christianity. And it's a subtle form of selfishness that masquerades as spirituality. That's when I sold out and bought in. When did we start believing that the gospel is an insurance plan? It's a daring plan. Jesus did not die just to keep us safe. He died to make us dangerous.'
The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears, by Mark Batterson
According to Pastor Mark Batterson in his book, The Circle Maker, 'Drawing prayer circles around our dreams isn't just a mechanism whereby we accomplish great things for God. It's a mechanism whereby God accomplishes great things in us.'
Do you ever sense that there's far more to prayer, and to God's vision for your life, than what you're experiencing? It's time you learned from the legend of Honi the Circle Maker---a man bold enough to draw a circle in the sand and not budge from inside it until God answered his prayers for his people.
What impossibly big dream is God calling you to draw a prayer circle around? Sharing inspiring stories from his own experiences as a circle maker, Mark Batterson will help you uncover your heart's deepest desires and God-given dreams and unleash them through the kind of audacious prayer that God delights to answer.
Draw the Circle: The 40 Day Prayer Challenge, by Mark Batterson
Do you pray as often and as boldly as you want to? There is a way to experience a deeper, more passionate, persistent, and intimate prayer life. Drawing from forty days of true stories, Mark Batterson applies the principles of his New York Times bestselling book The Circle Maker to teach us a new way to pray.
As thousands of readers quickly became many tens of thousands, true stories of miraculous and inspiring answers to prayer began to pour in, and as those stories were shared, others were bolstered in their faith to pray with even more boldness.
In Draw the Circle, through forty true, faith-building stories of God's answers to prayer, daily scriptures and prayer prompts, Batterson inspires you to pray and keep praying like never before. Begin a lifetime of watching God work. Believe in the God who can do all things. Experience the power of bold prayer and even bolder faith in Draw the Circle.
Praying Circles around Your Children, by Mark Baatterson
Mark Batterson shares a perfect blend of biblical yet practical advice that will revolutionize your prayer life by giving you a new vocabulary and a new methodology. You'll see how prayer is your secret weapon. Through stories of parents just like you, Batterson shares five prayer circles that will not only help you pray for your kids, but also pray through your kids.
Batterson teaches about how to create prayer lists unique to your family, claim God-inspired promises for your children, turn your family circle into a prayer circle, and discover your child's life themes. And he not only tells you how, he illustrates why. As Batterson says, 'I realize that not everyone inherited a prayer legacy like I did, but you can leave a legacy for generations to come. Your prayers have the power to shape the destiny of your children and your children's children. It's time to start circling.'
The Circle Maker Prayer Journal Leather Bound, by Mark Batterson
Discover the power of bold prayer and even bolder faith in God's promises. Based on Mark Batterson's revolutionary, bestselling book on prayer, The Circle Maker Prayer Journal features inspirational sayings and plenty of space to record your prayers, God's answers, and spiritual insights.
Learn to pray powerful words according to God's will---and see the amazing results! Gather your prayers so you can go back and see how God has been answering since you started your amazing prayer journey. The Circle Maker Prayer Journal will be your guide to making your life goals a reality of answered prayers instead of just fleeting wishes. This handsomely bound keepsake volume will become your written record for dreaming big and seeing God answer. .
The Circle Maker Participant's Guide: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears, by Mark Batterson
The Circle Maker, a dynamic four-session small group Bible study, uses the story of Honi the Circle Maker, who prayer-walked until the rains came during a devastating first Century drought. This Participant Guide provides individual and group activities, between session personal studies, and additional background material that will enhance the experience of the video on The Circle Maker DVD (sold separately).
This story helps you and your entire church begin to identify dreams and future miracles you can draw prayer circles around. God, who still looks for circle makers whose bold prayers defy human convention and invoke divine intervention is waiting for those prayers... Mark Batterson not only teaches about big dreams and bold prayers, he lives it.
With stories of Honi, as well as reflections on modern day miracles as a result of prayer, The Circle Maker DVD and Participant's Guide will help you identify, discuss and put into practice the dreams and future miracles you need to draw circles around. Session include:
1. Becoming a Circle Maker
2. Little People, Big Risks, and Huge Circles
3. Praying Hard and Praying Through
4. Praying is Like Planting
All In Student Edition, by Mark Batterson
Halfway is no way to live. Quit holding back. Quit holding out. It's time to go all in and all out for God. The good news is this: If you don't hold out on God, God won't hold out on you. If you give everything you have to follow Jesus, you'll receive amazing spiritual rewards. But this reality also comes with a deeper truth: Nothing belongs to you. Not even you.
In All In: Student Edition, Mark and Parker Batterson explore what going all in can mean for your life, sharing unique illustrations and unforgettable stories, as well as compelling accounts of biblical characters. Throughout, they demonstrate the amazing things that can happen when you surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Mark Batterson writes: 'When did we start believing that God wants to send us to safe places to do easy things? Jesus didn't die to keep us safe. He died to make us dangerous.'
Soulprint: Discovering Your Divine Destiny, by Mark Batterson
There never has been and never will be anyone like you. But that isn't a testament to you. It's a testament to the God who created you. The problem? Few people discover the God-given identity that makes them unlike anyone else. Mark Batterson calls this divine distinction our soulprint.
God would like to introduce you to yourself.
In Soulprint, Mark pours the contagious energy he's known for into helping you experience the joy of discovering who you are...and the freedom of discovering who you're not. The wonderful fact is that your uniqueness is God's gift to you, and it's also your gift to God.
A self-discovery book that puts God at the center rather than self, Soulprint encourages you to recognize and explore the five defining moments in your life that will determine your destiny. Along the way, you'll find that you're not just turning the pages of a book. You're turning the pages of your remarkable, God-shaped, world-changing life.
The Power of Praying for Your Adult Children Book of Prayers, by Stormie Omartian
Stormie Omartian's bestselling The Power of a Praying series (more than 28 million copies sold) is rereleased with fresh new covers and new material to reach a still-growing market of readers eager to discover the power of prayer for their lives.
Just because your children are grown up doesn't mean they don't need your prayers. In some ways they need them more than ever.
Stormie offers you a gathering of heartfelt prayers from one of her most popular books, The Power of Praying for Your Adult Children. This little-but-powerful book of prayer and Scripture is ideally sized for mothers or fathers to pull from purse or pocket throughout the day for quick and meaningful talks with God about their grown children's relationships, faith, finances, struggles, direction, and parenting.
This compact resource unveils the power of prayer to protect, nurture, and guide. It offers parents the comfort, reassurance, and wisdom of God's promises for them and their adult child's life and future.


text:
In his latest novel "The Gas Hat: Seduction and Dismay in Marin County", former Spokesman-Review editor Richard Harlan Miller weaves a tale of crime, seduction and murder attempts that is dark, intriguing and surprisingly funny as he explores the lives of a group of quirky misfits trying to get by without working too hard in northern California.
Some readers may remember Miller as the author of "All You Can Eat," a novel about a vampire trying to live quietly in downtown Spokane that was published in 2011 by the Spokane-based Gray Dog Press. Miller was also recently selected as one of the winners in The Pacific Northwest Inlander's annual fiction contest. His short story "A Cage Match" should give readers some idea of what to expect from "The Gas Hat" because it is a nice sampling of his wicked sense of humor and fantastic prose.
Spokane-area crime fiction author Frank Zafiro wrote a review of "The Gas Hat" that gives people a good idea of what to expect from Miller's novel.
According to Zafiro, "This novel will fulfill the needs of many different readers. You want a literary novel? Check. Miller's flowing narrative and beautiful descriptions are captivating, and seamless in the story. They sneak up on you instead of bashing you over the brow with a pretentious 'See what I'm doing with my MFA, Mom!'
"You don't dig literary? Fine. How about crime fiction, then? Miller weaves a tale of murder for hire that will keep you worrying and guessing until the very end...an ending is a realistic and satisfying one."
It is hard to argue with Zafiro, since his novels such as "At Their Own Game" or "Chisolm's Debt" prove that he knows a thing or two about crime stories. In addition to everything Zafiro mentioned, the book is also a terrific ensemble comedy that has been compared favorably to "The Big Lebowski."
The protagonist of "The Gas Hat" is a young man named Casey who doesn't want much more in life than to drink and smoke marijuana with his friends at his favorite bar. His life becomes much more complicated after he gets involved with a woman named Marie. Marie manipulates several male characters in the story into doing her bidding because she needs money to pay a biker and failed Navy SEAL named Nicky to murder her father. Before long, Casey is helping Marie with some of her crazy schemes. Little does he know that playing along could lead to his own death.
The novel follows Casey, Marie, Nicky, Maries's ex-boyfriend Doug and several other characters through a series of episodes that may seem unrelated at first, but ultimately everything adds interesting wrinkles to the central plot. Marie has a plan to rob a bank that will probably not end well for Casey, especially considering that it involves the eponymous gas hat--a drinking helmet converted into a homemade explosive device.
After Casey and Nicky discover that Marie murdered Doug, they have to put their differences aside and figure out some way to stop Marie without getting arrested or killed. This leads the characters through a series of inventive plot twists that will keep readers guessing and keep them laughing even as the suspense builds.
The tone of the novel is somewhere between the Coen Brothers and Jonathan Lethem novels such as "Gun, with Occasional Music." Miller's characters speak in punchy, clever dialogue that is often laugh out loud funny, but his prose conveys an emotional distance that makes sense for people who get stoned as often as possible.
Casey has serious character flaws and he doesn't fully engage with the world around him, but it is hard not to love the guy anyway. Everything about him, from his hostility toward his mother's cats to his intense love of the music of The Moody Blues somehow feels right for the character and makes him seem more sympathetic even though he barely qualifies as the hero of his own story. Readers will want to see him succeed as he does his best to stay one step ahead of Marie and the authorities.
Miller adopts a slightly different, livelier tone in the sequences focusing on Nicky because he is a guy with serious anger issues and some strange ideas about right and wrong. This both make his wacky hijinks throughout the novel seem funnier and helps sell him as a serious threat to Casey and Marie. If Casey is kind of similar to Nicholas Cage's character from "Raising Arizona," then Nicky is the Lone Biker of the Apocalypse, the bounty hunter who confronts him toward the end of the movie.
Anyone looking for something a little out of the ordinary to read will probably enjoy "The Gas Hat." The book features wise bar flies, stupid criminals and delightfully odd Californians living in a version of reality that is both stranger and more appealing in some ways than the real world. Beginning with the foreword that gives a history of Marin County, Miller makes his setting seem weird enough that anything his quirky characters say or do is plausible. There is a playfulness in "The Gas Hat" that keeps the novel fun even after Marie starts killing people.
If readers in the greater Spokane area wish to be transported into Miller's slightly skewed universe, "The Gas Hat" is available now from Amazon in both paperback and Kindle ebook editions.
Suggested Links
- 'All You Can Eat' author Richard Harlan Miller book signing
- 'At This Point in My Life' is a thoughtful and compelling mystery
- 'The Financial Lives of the Poets' by Jess Walter
- Eight entertaining crime fiction novels by Spokane authors
- Nine great vampire tales available from the Spokane County Library District


text:
My, how things change. When I first moved to New York and started attending fashion week activities two years ago, a plethora of flat shoes on the runway would have been unthinkable. If you had even intimated that you thought it might be a chic thing to do, you probably would have gotten the hairy eyeball from one and all. And now, Spring 2014 shows freshly complete in New York, anyone who was anyone showed flats. Lots of them.
Months ago, Sally Lyndley, one of my favorite stylists, declared on Twitter that flats were the only thing that felt modern anymore. Sally's the sort of woman who tends to be on the front end of things, and it seems like more and more people agree with her sentiment every week. Fashion people have been wearing Birkenstocks all summer, and now the spring shows are full of flats, from trim, futuristic silver loafers at Rodarte to the Teva-style velvet sandals of a particularly goth Marc Jacobs show. Below, we've assembled some proof that you should start giving your poor ankles a break ASAP.
[Images via Vogue.com]


text:
ActiveWake.com has all of the new Slingshot Wakeboards and Boots in stock with free shipping. We have one of the largest selections of Slingshot wakeboards, bindings and accessories. Go take a look at all the new Slingshot Wake wakeboard packages. Check out the world famous FLEX that has made Slingshot one of the hottest brands to hit wakeboarding. Every Slingshot wakeboard is made in the USA by their manufacturer Moonshine MFG and the 4G graphics Slingshot came out with this year are insane.
Slingshot Choice Wakeboard + Option Bindings Package 2015 SALE
The 2015 slingshot choice is simple and affordable. With flex technology it gives you bigger pop and soft landings. Simple landings with continuous rocker and effortless transitions from edge to edge. The Slingshot Option bindings offer flex and are simple to get in and out of. Learn More
Slingshot Shredtown Wakeboard + Shredtown Bindings Package 2015 SALE
Designed by the crew that changed the game, the Shredtown pro model is back with an all new graphic and designed to take on any obstacle at the cable park. Paired up with the best park boots in the world this package will bring your riding to the next level. Learn More


text:
Last week, millions of you (literally!) supported your countries and favorite pop stars by participating in the first round of our 2012 Pop Olympics. We're super grateful for the enormous patience and dedication you showed during the occasionally buggy process, and we promise that this week will be a much smoother experience.
This week, the field has been narrowed from the initial 16 participating artists to your four finalists, vying for the title of World's Greatest Pop Star. They are: JUSTIN BIEBER (Canada), GIRLS' GENERATION (South Korea), TAYLOR SWIFT (U.S.A.) and THE WANTED (Great Britain). During the week, our four Pop Olympians will face off in a series of five musical competitions–a pop pentathalon–and, as always, you and only you get to determine the winner with your vote. Among the week's events: Best Song, Best Video, and Best YouTube Moment. You can vote in each event as many times as you'd like, and the voting for each will remain open throughout the week. The results will be tallied at week's end (midnight on Sunday, August 5), and on Monday, Aug. 6, we will announce the Gold, Silver and Bronze metal winners in the 2012 Pop Olympics.
And so, onto the first event: Best Song. Read through and take a listen to the tunes we've selected to represent our competing artists below, and then vote for who you think has the best song. The torch has been lit, the opening ceremony been completed, and now it's time for the real action to get underway.
Who Has the Best Song?
Justin Bieber - "Baby"
1,793 votes0%
Girls' Generation - "The Boys"
157,016 votes0%
Taylor Swift - "Love Story"
35,392 votes0%
The Wanted - "Glad You Came"
66,731 votes100%
Total Votes: 0


text:
The airline launched a new service from Madrid to Shanghai, and its winter 2016 schedule will offer 10 flights per week from London Heathrow to the Chinese city, an increase of three flights per week compared to its winter 2015 schedule.
Industry leader Maersk Line, along with MSC and 13 other container lines, might not be subject to further penalties stemming from a five-year European Commission probe, according to a report from Reuters news service.
The Ocean Carrier Equipment Management Association said that a key benefit of the terminal weighing approach is that shippers will not be required to perform any additional actions in order to provide the verified gross mass of containers.
Registration takes less than 1 minute.
The collision in northern Texas left one injured and three missing Tuesday morning.
German ocean carrier Hapag-Lloyd reached an agreement with United Arab Shipping Company on a merger that would make Hapag-Lloyd the fifth largest container carrier in the world.
Pacific Maritime Association President and CEO James McKenna said he expects to hear from International Longshore and Warehouse Union this summer on whether it wants to discuss the extension of the five-year labor contract.


text:
Facebook versus Google: The rivalry gets 'social'
14 Jul
Google has just launched its new social networking product, apparently with the aim of taking on Facebook. Ironically, on the face of it, the platform is very much similar to the latter, though the search engine giant vehemently refutes any such claim.
Google takes a dig at Facebook
This is a very interesting development. The unveiling of Google+, an online social network for what Google terms 'real-life sharing', adds another intriguing chapter in the prolonged battle between the two fierce rivals ostensibly to dominate the World Wide Web. Simply put it, Google is taking a clear and sharp dig at Facebook with its new social product. (more…)