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An Interview with Nasser Weddady
Your family owned slaves when you were growing up. What was that like? When did that start to bother you?
When my father received his inheritance the first thing he did was free his slaves- so my immediate family didn't own any slaves. However, some relatives did and also an integral part of our society. When I was young, I knew that something was not quite right about these people, but I didn't know what it was. Then as I got older I was introduced to the system and learned that they were slaves- that I was their 'superior'. It bothered me because it conflicted with what we were learning in school about people being equal.
What is the history of slavery in Mauritania? How did thousands of black Muslims come to be owned as slaves by Arabs and Berbers?
In ancient times, slavery was a widespread phenomenon all over the world. In our area slavery was a result of trade with neighboring black kingdoms. Slaves were also taken as the spoils of war, and invasions were made specifically for that purpose. The great irony is that Islam strongly discourages owning Muslim slaves, yet that quasi-prohibition was not observed in Mauritania. The excuse for this was the necessary role of slaves within Mauritanian society. Slaves acted as a manual labor force- they cooked, cleaned, herded camels, and farmed.
Why does slavery still exist today in Mauritania in 2006?
Well, first you have to realize that there's no such place as a slave market in Mauritania- the phenomenon is much more subtle. Slavery has been legally abolished three times, but the government doesn't enforce its own laws because it is afraid of offending the powerful Moorish slave owners. They try to keep the matter hushed up because they fear Mauritania's image would be damaged if the real situation came to light. As for the slaves themselves, they are raised with the idea that being a slave is part of their religious duty. Besides, if they left their masters, where would they go? They are uneducated and there are no social services to help them. Even the free descendents of slaves remain Mauritania's most under-privileged class. Much still remains to be done before these citizens can enjoy full equality.
Why did you become an anti-slavery activist? Why didn't you just accept the status quo?
I did not grow up in Mauritania. I've spent only 8 years there, and I've moved around quite a bit. So I was exposed to many influences during my own process of development, and I came to feel that slavery is profoundly wrong. I took its continued existence in Mauritania personally. It was a mark of how backward the country is. If Mauritania is ever to develop, ever to embrace modernity, slavery must be the first thing to go.
You're a member of the Mauritanian Anti-Slavery Group, SOS Slaves. What does your organization do?
SOS Slaves was founded in 1995, but it was banned in Mauritania until very recently. Our goal is to find, document, and expose cases of slavery. We advise those who approach us, and advocate for their rights. We assist them legally and practically. We work to focus international attention on the issue of slavery. Mauritania is a poor country which depends on foreign aid, so we inform foreign donor countries of the situation. The representatives of the international community within Mauritania have not been responsive, but we try to bypass them and reach world public opinion directly.
How has the Mauritanian government responded to pressure to end slavery?
The government pays lip service to the issue, but doesn't take any real action. The ruling military junta which deposed Colonel Taya is widely regarded by the big powers as progressive, yet they refuse to deal with the issue of deported black Mauritanians. They also won't undertake any investigation of the mass killings against that community committed by Colonel Taya's regime. Indeed, it's in the government's best interest not to, since any changes could undermine the hegemony of the Arab and Berber rulers.
Mauritania isn't the only Arab country that has racial tensions. Are you optimistic about the struggle for racial justice in the Arab world? Why or why not?
I would not say that things look bright for us. We face many difficulties. Often reformers get mired in the complexities of international politics and become less effective. It is hard to establish credibility since we are often identified with the West, and there is a certain mistrust of Western concepts and policies in the Arab world. Also, many Arab countries are still ruled by unelected, non-representative governments. Some owe their very existence to racial and ethnic tensions. However, there is a ray of hope now as more and more individuals begin embracing grassroots activism. There is more awareness. This is the kind of activism that produces real effects in the long run.
How did Colonel Taya manage to rule over Mauritanian society for over 20 years? What were the techniques he used?
He exploited tribal tensions to divide society, making himself the necessary arbitrator of tribal disputes. To this he added the repressive forces of the military and intelligence services. He gave commercial privileges to his tribesmen, so that a numerically negligible tribe became the depositors of the country's wealth. Also, in the second year of his reign he took over the licensing of Mauritania's rich fishing industry. He granted his supporters fishing licenses, changing them from paupers to millionaires almost overnight, and in the process causing an environmental disaster. Dictatorships don't function only by brutish force. And everything happened in full view of the international community, which did nothing to stop it.
You actually spent much of your childhood as the son of a diplomat living in Syria. What was it like to grow up in Syria under the Assad dictatorship? What sorts of repression did you experience?
Because of my father's diplomatic status, I was immune to most sorts of repression. However, I did witness a few incidents which affected me deeply. In the spring of 1982 there was a wave of terrorist bombings. My mother and cousin were attacked by paratroopers of the Defense Brigade ripping off their head-scarves with bayonets, out of fear that they might be hiding weapons and as a punishment for being religious. Later, in the beginning of 1985 there were rumors that President Assad was on the verge of death. I was in my house one night when suddenly every gun in Damascus started shooting- we thought that war had begun with Israel. As it turns out, the military was celebrating Assad's recovery.
What are the biggest challenges to economic liberty in the region, in your view?
The existence of dictatorships prevents the entrepreneurial spirit from taking hold in the region. Political regimes exercise a sort of monopoly over our economies, making them into a privileged sector. Corruption and incompetence add to the stagnation. Ironically, the biggest telecommunications contract in history of Mauritania was awarded to immediate family members of Colonel Vall, a supposed reformer, in collaboration with the Al-Basheer regime in Sudan. The only way to emancipate our economies is by giving guarantees to investors that they will be able to operate from a legal cadre and
that their investments will make returns. I'm convinced that the Middle East's economic struggles don't stem from a lack of resources or entrepreneurial spirit- rather, we are being smothered by our governments and their policies.
You mentioned that corruption is impeding economic progress in many Arab countries. Is that the case in Mauritania?
Definitely. For example, during the last military coup there was a scandal when it was discovered that the terms of the oil agreement signed with the Australians were highly disadvantageous to Mauritania. The new government arrested the oil minister, who was already known to be corrupt. However, he was released after a token investigation, presumably undertaken to pressure the implicated Australian company into signing a new agreement with more advantageous terms. In a later incident, it was discovered that the same minister who was responsible for providing falsified reports to the World Bank and the IMF over a period of five years admitted to his deeds to the World Bank and IMF as a reconciliatory measure was
in order after Taya's ousting. After all this, he remains in power in the transitional government. There is no accountability in our political system.
What has been the effect of oil on the economy of Mauritania?
The discovery of oil negatively affected the country and economy-at least before the beginning of its extraction. Colonel Taya exerted great efforts to remain in power until the beginning of oil production because it was thought that oil would tie him to Western interests so that no one could seriously consider unseating him. That had a negative effect on political life in Mauritania. Psychologically, the discovery of oil seemed to be a great boost to the country's morale. Mauritanians had been demoralized for 30 years, and it was a glimmer of hope. For two decades the government had had to follow the advice of the World Bank and the IMF, which demanded that it reduce expenditures by canceling social services. There was a total withdrawal from social security, food subsidies and health care. This caused great hardship for most Mauritanians. It also caused a return to tribalism, as people sought to provide for needs the government no longer met.
What are the biggest taboos that remain in the Middle East? How do you see them being addressed?
I think the biggest remaining taboo is self-criticism. I don't think that Arabs are solely responsible for all the region's problems, but we need to recognize our own faults and failures. I believe the recent Danish cartoon controversy illustrates the nature of these taboos. Everyone was up in arms because of a bunch of insignificant drawings, yet they are cowed into silence when Arabs die by the dozens in bombings each day. We will speak out against the faults of others, but not ourselves. However, I believe it is inevitable that these issues will be addressed by future generations. As long as these problems continue to exist, they will inevitably remain on the region's agenda. They can't be swept under the rug any more.
Who are your intellectual heroes? Why?
I admire Sophie Scholl and the members of the White Rose resistance movement who had the courage to speak out against the Nazis, even knowing they faced certain death. They showed courage in the face of tyranny. That's certainly not an enjoyable position to be in, but someone's got to do the job. I also admire Nelson Mandela. He had a consistent message and the courage to continue his struggle. When he got to power, he didn't go on a witch hunt, seeking revenge for
centuries of oppression. That impresses me.
As a young activist in your early 30s, what would you say to young people in the region who want to stand up for racial justice and intellectual freedom?
We are the only ones who can reform our societies. Don't kid yourselves- no one else can do it for us. It isn't an easy task, but the world has changed and now we have tools that our forefathers never had. In his science fiction series Dune, Brian Herbert writes that "Fear is the death of the mind". We can't let fear cloud our ability to think, to speak out and change our world.


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Richard Stallman, Farmers and the German CSU Party Unite Against Patents
Members of the Foundation for Free Information Infrastructure (FFII), the Piratenpartei (Pirate Party), Greenpeace, the Misereor Catholic organization, and farmers' unions against the European Patent Office (EPO) recently assembled at a rally in Munich, Germany. Demonstrators included Richard Stallman, who added his own testimonial to those united against the EPO.
Filed by U.S. agricultural firm Monsanto, a bio patent for a swine breeding process provoked the rally. A letter with more 5,000 signatures ended up at the patent office (EPO) in Munich in form of a protest march. Representatives from farmers' unions, Greenpeace, the Misereor development corporation of German Catholic bishops, other religious groups, and Richard Stallman attended the rally in the Marienplatz. Stallman spoke out on behalf of the German FFII about the shared interests software developers have with pig farmers: "Patents on plants and animals attack farmers as they do their work. Software patents attack developers as they do their work."
The pioneer of free software and founder of the FSF considered everyone to be affected by software patents: "Only a fraction of the businesses are farmers, but certainly most companies use computers, and they all are in danger." To clarify, he used the analogy of music composition, where composers write notes and implement pre-existing ideas with original ones in their works, much as programmers do with code. Stallman: "Even a Beethoven can't reinvent music from zero and make something people will listen to. Nobody is such a genius that he could reinvent computing from zero." Accompanied by applause, he characterized the EPO as a "corrupt, malicious organization" and implored everyone not to shy away from eliminating it altogether. He exhorted Europeans, "Every institution gets the respect it deserves."
Prior to Stallman's speech the Bavarian environment minister Markus Söder made a surprise appearance at the microphone. A member of the CSU party, he was greeted with jeers, but his avowals seemed to fit the occasion. He praised the recent decision by agriculture minister Ilse Aigner (of his own party) to ban cultivation of genetically modified (GM) corn and denounced the Monsanto patent: "Yes to life, no to patents" was his rhetoric. Later speakers, such as European Parliament member Friedrich-Wilhelm Graefe zu Baringdorf, got to the crux of the matter: "Keep in mind, European elections are just around the corner." He and speakers from the other organizations emphasized persistence when words aren't immediately followed by actions.
Issue 189/2016
Buy this issue as a PDF
Fedora 24 Released
The whole distro gets rebuilt on glibc 2.3
Canonical Announces Cross-Distro Support for Snaps
Ubuntu Vendor tries to solve app packaging and distribution problem across distributions.
ownCloud Forked
Founder of ownCloud launches the Nextcloud project.
HP Enterprise Unveils a Futuristic Computer
Will The Machine change the way future programmers think about memory?
CoreOS Announces Distributed Storage System
The new Torus distributed storage system is available under an open source license on GitHub
Google Beats Oracle in the Android Lawsuit
Juries decides Google's use of Java APIs Was Fair Use
Linux is the Largest Software Development Project in History
But if you are not using the latest Linux kernel, your system is insecure.
Linksys Says Yes to Open Source Firmware
Home routers will give room for custom firmware but still comply with FCC rules
OwnCloud Founder Resigns
Frank Karlitschek will continue to lead the open source ownCloud project
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS released
"Xenial Xerus" comes with a new packages format and several improvements for the enterprise.

subset: commoncrawl


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Based out of Los Angeles and recently dubbed one of XXL's 2012 Freshman 10, Hopsin is one of the fastest up and coming acts in hip-hop. • Rickshaw Theatre, 254 E. Hastings • Jan. 12, doors 8 p.m. • $25, VIP $50 at Zulu, Beatstreet, Ticketmaster, unionevents.com
Just announced: Hopsin
Hopsin (second from left), myfunkvolume.com
Recent Posts From This Author
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- Ramirez completes G-Braves' combined no-hitter
- Fresno's Tucker mashes third homer of night
- Hillcats' Mejia doubles to extend streak to 26 games
- Bregman nabs first Triple-A hit with Grizzlies
- M-Braves' Swanson drills triple in four-hit night
- Binghamton's Reyes makes diving stop at third
- Rochester's Walker blasts walk-off grand slam
- Phils' Hoskins ties MiLB lead with 22nd homer
- Wings' Beresford catches popup off Sano's head
- Spikes' Edman makes spectacular diving catch
- Red-hot Benintendi goes yard for Sea Dogs
- Rehabbing Lagares nails a runner at the plate
Houston outfielder Preston Tucker launched a trio of homers and plated eight runs as Fresno celebrated the Triple-A debuts of Alex Bregman and Teoscar Hernandez with offensive force.
In his 300th Minor League outing, but only his second start, Rob Wooten twirled six hitless frames for Gwinnett. Matt Marksberry and Jose Ramirez closed it out with three perfect frames.
St. Louis catching prospect Ryan McCarvel singled in the first inning, tripled in the fifth, doubled in the sixth and went yard in the eighth to complete the feat for State College.
Top White Sox prospect Carson Fulmer is coming off his best start of the year in which he spun seven two-hit innings. He looks to keep it going against the Shuckers at 8:05 p.m. ET.
Top shortstop prospects highlight the rosters revealed for the 2016 Triple-A All-Star Game, with Orlando Arcia (Brewers) representing the PCL and Trea Turner (Nationals) the IL.
Indians prospect Clint Frazier will lead the Western Division in his home park when the EL All-Star Game comes to Akron. Phils catcher Jorge Alfaro is among the Eastern stars.
Top Headlines
- Tucker's trifecta leads outburst by Grizzlies
- Wooten spotless in spot start in Gwinnett no-no
- Cardinals' McCarvel caps cycle with home run
- Braves' Swanson off to good second-half start
- Hoskins, Cozens keep blasting off for Fightins
- Atlanta's Allard starts to find groove in Danville
- Chatwood, McGee dominant for Modesto
- M's first-rounder Lewis snares Golden Spikes
MLB.TV: Live Now
Top Prospects
Fine and DansbyFresh off a trip to the Southern League All-Star Game, top Braves prospect Dansby Swanson swung a hot bat with four hits for Mississippi on Thursday. MORE »
The Toolshed
Moon shots in JuneYankees slugger Aaron Judge's big turnaround for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre headlines the prospect numbers of note for the month of June. MORE »
Featured Photos
Photos of the Week: June 29, 2016Vladimir Guerrero watched his son in the Minors while fans were treated to diving catches, scenic ballpark sunsets and even a tuba player last week. MORE »
Ben's Biz Blog
Hitting the halfway markBen Hill reports from the fifth stop of his 10-team Appy trip, Elizabethton's Joe O'Brien Field, where he met a dedicated staffer and "endless fountain" of E-Twins stories. MORE »
2016 Draft Tracker
Track the top 2016 MLB Draft picksGet the latest information on top 2016 MLB Draft picks and notable players, including where they came from, when they signed and where they're making their debuts. MORE »
Minoring in Twitter
Prospect leaves tickets for Taylor SwiftMets Minor Leaguer Nicco Blank crossed his fingers and invited pop star Taylor Swift to be his guest at a game in Brooklyn while Ben Verlander shared his paranoia of Florida alligators. MORE »
The Show Before the ShowListen in as MiLB.com writers Tyler Maun and Sam Dykstra break down Minor League Baseball's biggest storylines with guests from around the Minors including players, managers and player development experts. MORE »
MiLB.com Features
- On the Road: Finding fellowship in Greeneville
- Rockies' McMahon adjusting to new level
- Rays' Gillaspie making gains with Biscuits
- Rockies' Freeland one step closer to home
- Twins slugger Walker not 'trying to change'
- Toolshed: Braves' Toussaint under control
- Crooked Numbers: Weird, wild and wrong
- Toolshed: Top prospects calling for promotions
- Promo Watch: RailRiders runners lap it up
- Pirates' Eppler excels with attacking style
Stats LeadersComplete Minor League Stats »
On the Blogs
- Lookouts: Inside look at Twins' Stewart
- Frisco RoughRiders: May by the numbers
- Salem Red Sox: Devers continues to progress
- Curto: There are indeed ties in baseball
- Dash: The art of the outfield assist
- Hickory: When Bleier was a Crawdad
- Frisco: Ballpark bio of Hammons Field
- Shuckers chat with Brewers' farm director
- Louisville: The life of an umpire supervisor
- Crawdads: Manager Mintz on team's progress


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MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — World champion Sally Pearson has declared her Olympic intentions early, running the fastest 100-meter hurdles ever on Australian soil on a drizzly Saturday night in Melbourne.
Pearson won 19 hurdles races in a row last year, including her world championship win at Daegu, South Korea, before she tumbled over a hurdle at Brussels in her last race of the season.
Three races into her 2012 season, she flew out of the blocks and pulled away from the field to win in 12.49 seconds at the Australian Olympic trials, her fourth-fastest time. American Yvette Lewis was second in 13.22.


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A 60-year-old Rehoboth Beach man was taken into police custody April 13 after he allegedly crashed his vehicle into the Taco Bell on Coastal Highway.
Police said Gregory Pflug pulled his 2011 Honda Pilot through the Taco Bell drive through around 11:45 p.m. As he left the drive through and began to drive around the building, police said Pflug accelerated suddenly and drove over a flower bed, through an outdoor seating area, and into the northeast corner of the building. Police said Pflug then exited his vehicle and fled on foot, but was followed by witnesses and quickly apprehended by troopers responding to the crash.
Police said no one was injured during this incident, but the Taco Bell is unable to be occupied until structural repairs are made.
Police said Pflug was issued a traffic summons for driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, failing to have insurance identification in possession, speed exhibition, leaving the scene of a property damage crash, and failing to provide information at the scene of a property damage crash.
Location, ST | website.com


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In This Issue:
Feature 1 - 'Lockean Nation' at War
Feature 2 – Golden LEAF to Sue State?
Feature 3 - Lottery, Tax Increase Lose
Feature 1
'Lockean Nation' at War
"Terror masters" threaten the free world, Barone says
The United States — a symbol of the worldwide triumph of ideals championed by 17th century philosopher John Locke — today finds itself threatened by the "terror masters" of the Middle East, magazine writer Michael Barone said Thursday.
"One of the things we've seen in our lifetimes, our adult lifetimes, was a victory of the Lockean model worldwide against the Hobbesian model," of absolute monarchy espoused by philosopher Thomas Hobbes, said Barone, keynote speaker at a luncheon sponsored by the John Locke Foundation. Since the downfall of communism over the last decade, no "competitive ideas" to the Lockean model of natural rights, limited government, respect for property, and respect for human liberty, have arisen anywhere in the world, the senior writer for U.S. News & World Report said.
America's free society today is threatened by "a group of people who hate us and hate our way of life and… who have gained access to weapons that are capable of destroying very large numbers of people. And they are trying to use those weapons to destroy this happy ending, or this Lockean civilization," Barone said.
Citing President Bush's speech to the U.N. on Thursday, Barone said the "terror master" nations of Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Saudi Arabia, which supports terrorists, are waging war against the United States. "The question we obviously want to ask is: Why is Bush now going against Iraq?" Barone said. The answer is fairly simple: "We couldn't go against Iraq last winter because we were too busy in Afghanistan; we couldn't take military action in the spring because we lacked sufficient numbers of precision weapons; we couldn't take action in the summer because it was too hot in that part of the world, and now it's about to unfold," he said.
Bush made a strong statement to the U.N. by challenging the organization to enforce dozens of resolutions that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein has violated since the Gulf War, Barone said. "There has been a lot of debate in Washington and around the world, a lot of talk about American being 'unilateral,' taking action on our own," Barone said. But Bush knew that the only way to motivate the U.N. to punish Iraq was to threaten unilateral action by the United States if the organization failed to do its job. "If you want U.N. action, threaten to take action without the U.N., as Bush did in that speech," Barone said.
Barone said he thinks Congress will decide what to do with Iraq before the legislature adjourns in October. "I think we'll probably not see military action until after the election, based upon my conversations with people who are in some position to know what's going on in the Pentagon," Barone said.
Ahead of the Curve
• Last week, Carolina Journal reported that conferees from the House and Senate were planning to insert language in the state budget calling for a statewide lottery referendum. Since news about the questionable attempt surfaced, opponents of the lottery have expressed outrage over backroom maneuvering by legislative leaders.
Ran Coble, executive director of the N.C. Center for Public Policy Research, told the News & Observer of Raleigh that the idea was one of the worst he'd heard in his years observing the General Assembly at work. "It holds hostage the rank-and-file legislators' desire to finally pass a budget," Coble said. "The budget is the major item that is holding them here this long. By putting this provision in here it puts the rank and file in the position, 'Well, should I just give in and vote for the budget even though it has the lottery in there?'" Coble also challenged the legality of the plan, saying he hopes some legislators will challenge it or possibly file a lawsuit.
Wednesday, House Republicans did question House Speaker Jim Black about the lottery provision. Democrat Rep. David Redwine, a leader in the negotiations, told the N&O, "In the 18 years I've been here, there have been issues that crop up in conference reports that haven't been considered by either side."
But Rep. Richard Morgan, a six-term Pinehurst Republican and former Rules Committee chairman, said, "I sure don't remember that occurring previously. I wonder where you are getting it as a precedent that this has occurred before." The budget is expected to reach the House floor Tuesday.
Feature 2
Golden LEAF to Sue State?
Organization challenges legislature's seizure of funds
A memorandum, obtained through a document request to Gov. Mike Easley's office, reveals that Golden LEAF is considering suing the state for withholding the organization's tobacco settlement funds.
The memorandum, dated July 25, was sent to Valeria Lee, president of the Golden Longterm Economic Advancement Foundation, from the nonprofit's legal counsel, David Kyger of Smith Moore LLP of Greensboro. The memo was forwarded via electronic mail from Lee to Easley adviser John Merritt, who also serves on Golden LEAF's board of directors. The document is identified as a "position paper on General Assembly Proposal to Divert Funds from the Foundation."
Both houses of the General Assembly are negotiating a state budget for 2002-03. The state Senate's budget proposal would intercept $40 million of the tobacco settlement funds directed toward Golden LEAF, while the House plan would take $87 million. Under the Master Settlement Agreement between tobacco companies and the state, half of the money paid to the state is to go to Golden LEAF. A consent decree issued by Wake County Superior Court requires the money to go to Golden LEAF for "economic impact assistance…to tobacco-dependent regions of North Carolina."
In his memorandum Kyger said diversion of the funds by the state violates the terms of the court's Consent Decree. He wrote, "the Court ordered that amounts received by the State under the MSA were to be distributed only (emphasis Kyger's) as provided under the Consent Decree. The Consent Decree did not contemplate, and does not authorize, any diversion of that one-half to other recipients, or for other purposes."
When establishing the Golden LEAF (also required by the Consent Decree) under Session Law, the legislature included an exception saying money would go to the nonprofit corporation "unless provided otherwise by an act of the General Assembly before the installment payment is received in North Carolina's State Specific Account." That account is not under control of the state, but is a third-party escrow account from which funds are paid to the state — or Golden LEAF.
Legislators who think seizing the money is legal say the Consent Decree authorized the Assembly to create Golden LEAF, preceding and superceding the decree's requirements of payment to the nonprofit. The decree did not address the diversion of funds from the nonprofit, but the same court issued an "Acknowledgment of Legislative Approval" after the legislature created the nonprofit, stating the conditions of the decree were met.
Kyger wrote that the exception allowing for "an act of the General Assembly" to divert funds rendered the creation of Golden LEAF "hollow." He also contended that "such a reading would conflict with the unambiguous mandate of the Consent Decree that the Foundation receive fifty percent of North Carolina's MSA funds." He said "violation…of the Consent Decree might have far-reaching adverse consequences for the State."
Daniel McLawhorn, a lawyer with the state Department of Justice, also sent an advisory letter to Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue in April, saying the legislature has legal authority to redirect tobacco settlement funds before they are paid to Golden LEAF.
A June 21 article in the Winston-Salem Journal said "at least some of [LEAF]'s directors say they are willing to fight legislators' efforts to divert the settlement money in court."
Capital Quotes
• "We want to get out. It's the middle of September, we've been here since May, and we've been told we'll work through the weekend. And now he's going to play golf?"
— House Minority Leader Leo Daughtry, talking to The Charlotte Observer about the House schedule. On Sept. 11, the House was not scheduled to convene until 3 p.m. so House Speaker Jim Black could play a round of golf at the RJR Championships Senior PGA pro-am in Clemmons. Black had a 7:20 a.m. tee time with Senior PGA player Doug Johnson.
• "Using copyrighted material and putting a false caption on it to try and get elected is total garbage."
— Rep. Wilma Sherrill, R-Buncombe, commenting to Asheville Citizen-Times on a picture in the Mountain Guardian News and Opinion. The caption stated "Buncombe County Sen. Steve Metcalf (D) and Rep. Wilma Sherrill (R) are ecstatic as Gov. Mike Easley (D) signs a bill stealing even more money from North Carolina taxpayers!" The photo apparently came from the Asheville Citizen-Times, had been altered, and was of a ceremony transferring air credits to the state. Sherrill defeated Mike Morgan, the Mountain Guardian's associate editor, in the Republican primary.
• "I think it's terrible they did this on Friday when everybody is trying to leave for the weekend. They should have done it during the middle of the week."
— Faye Gordon, who works in uptown Charlotte, discussing a protest by the Metrolina Minority Contractors' Association with The Charlotte Observer. In January, a lawsuit forced the city to abandon its minority-owned business contracting regulations. The MMCA, upset that replacement regulations have not been adopted yet, requested a response from the city by Friday, Sept. 6. When it did not receive one, MMCA members blocked two intersections with construction equipment in uptown Charlotte at 5 p.m.
Feature 3
Lottery, Tax Increase Lose
Supporters of big government fall in primaries
Delays may have put North Carolina lawmakers in the unfamiliar position of facing primary challengers in the midst of a legislative session, but candidates' attempts to use support for a state lottery and a local-option sales tax increase to defeat primary opponents largely failed, according to a preliminary analysis of Tuesday's election results.
Before the primaries, John Locke Foundation President John Hood identified 12 legislative races where the state lottery issue divided either Democratic or Republican candidates.
These races included incumbent vs. incumbent contests, incumbents being challenged in primaries, and races without incumbents. In 10 of the 12 races, candidates running as lottery supporters lost their nomination bids.
Prominent examples of the trend included Rep. Edd Nye defeating Rep. Nurham Warwick in the House 22 Democratic primary, Rep. Ronnie Smith defeating former Rep. Bruce Ethridge in the House 13 Democratic primary, Sen. Phil Berger defeating Sen. Bob Shaw in the Senate 26 Republican primary, Sen. Ellie Kinnaird defeating Sen. Howard Lee in the Senate 23 Democratic primary, Rep. Jeff Barnhardt turning back a strong pro-lottery challenger in the House 75 Republican primary, and Sen. Charlie Albertson defeating a pro-lottery challenger in the Senate 10 Democratic primary.
"We've been told that those who oppose a state lottery in North Carolina are taking a grave political risk, given the public opinion polls and the well-financed interests who favor state-sponsored gambling," Hood said. "But if Tuesday's results are any indication, the lottery is not at all the winning political issue that its supporters claim it is."
He added that the only major counterexample was in House 64, where longtime Republican Rep. Cary Allred beat back a challenge from Keith Whited, who had contrasted his position against the lottery with Allred's support.
Another unifying theme in a number of legislative races, Hood reported, consisted of Republican candidates with experience in local government challenging GOP incumbents who earlier this year voted against giving localities the authority to levy an additional half-cent sales tax.
The N.C. House defeated the provision, which would raise the average sales tax rate in most counties to 7 percent for at least six months, but the N.C. Senate included it in its version of a new state budget, so the issue remains alive in current budget negotiations.
Challengers such as former Hickory Mayor Bill McDonald in Senate 44, Gaston County Commissioner Joe Carpenter in House 110, Stokes County Commissioner Barry Lawson in House 91, and Hickory Mayor Pro Tem Hamilton Ward in House 88 made support of a sales tax increase for local governments a key element in their campaigns. All of them lost to opponents of the proposed tax increase, including Sen. Austin Allran, Rep. Debbie Clary, Rep. Rex Baker, and Rep. Mark Hilton.
"When given a choice, voters seem to have sent a very clear and loud message on Tuesday: whatever the governor or state legislature do to local governments, don't raise our taxes because of it," Hood said.
On The Cutting Edge
Terrorism and Poverty
• "An understanding of the causes of terrorism is essential if an effective strategy is to be crafted to combat it," say economists Alan Krueger and Jitka Maleckova. One thing they found in a new study from the National Bureau of Economic Research is that there is no evidence that the cause of terrorism is poverty.
The researchers identify politically motivated violence or terrorism with hate crimes, which bear a resemblance in that "the target of the offense is selected because of his or her group identity, not their individual behavior, and because the effect of both is to wreak terror in a wider audience than those directly affected."
Their review of the literature found the occurrence of hate crimes is largely independent of economic conditions.
Furthermore, opinion polls conducted in the West Bank and Gaza Strip indicate support for violent attacks against Israel does not decrease with higher education and higher living standards.
Analyzing information on 129 members of Hezbollah who were killed primarily while involved in paramilitary actions in the late 1980s and early 1990s with a general population survey of similarly aged individuals in Lebanon, they found that education and poverty are statistically insignificant predictors of whether individuals become martyrs for Hezbolla. Indeed, having a standard of living above the poverty line or a secondary-school education or higher is positively associated with participation in Hezbollah.
Israeli Jewish settlers who attacked Palestinians in the West Bank in the early 1980s were overwhelmingly from high-paying occupations.
These terrorists were better-educated and had higher incomes than the general populations from which they came.
Reported in the Wall Street Journal, 8-21-2002.
Murder Rate and 911
• U.S. murder rates began a dramatic decline beginning in the early 1990s. The usual explanations given for the good news included more police and better policing, more prisons and the aging of the population, including the graying of criminals.
But one factor often overlooked has been the improvement in emergency responses.
A study led by Anthony R. Harris, of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, draws attention to the role the 911 number and improved trauma care have played in saving the lives of victims of attempted murder.
Homicides peaked in 1991 at 24,700, then dropped throughout the decade to 16,000 last year.
Without better emergency care, the 1999 total of about 15,500 homicides might have been more than four times that high — nearly 70,000 — the researchers estimate.
The study concludes that slow and steady annual declines — averaging 2.7 percent for deaths by knifing, 3 percent for deaths by firearms, 4.4 percent for deaths by poisoning and other means — all contributed to the precipitous decline overall.
Unlike in 1960, before there was a 911 number to call, a person shot during a robbery might have lain in place and bled to death, but today the victim would be swarmed over by a dozen or more medical personnel in the critical first hour, then whisked to a hospital, where a fully informed trauma team would be standing by.
Reported in the New York Times, 8-25-2002.
Insurance Regulation
• Proponents of insurance rate regulation argue that regulations protect consumers from paying too much for insurance by suppressing rates for high-risk individuals. However, a recent study shows that while rate regulation makes coverage more affordable for some, it increases the cost to the average consumer.
Rate regulation is associated with large residual markets, where insurers are obligated by law to insure high-risk individuals at affordable rates. Insurance providers lose money on residual markets because the revenue generated at suppressed rates is often much lower than what insurers spend recovering damages for high-risk individuals. When rates are raised to make up the deficit, the burden is borne by the average consumer.
The benefits of regulatory reform are clear. Before the 1999 rate reform of the auto insurance industry in South Carolina, it boasted a residual market of 40 percent — the largest in the nation.
After reform the number of insurers doubled, making more choices available to consumers. Competition drove down the average premium when compared to other states. The 40 percent residual market was greatly reduced as more insurers specialized in high-risk motorists.
The bottom line is rate regulation is an inefficient tool for protecting consumers from paying excessively high insurance rates. Regulating insurance rates to keep them low for all drivers, including high risks, actually drives prices up for the average consumer. Rate deregulation is the only solution that keeps rates low for the average consumers.
Reported in the The State Factor, July 2002.
Coming Up
• R. James Woolsey, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, will speak at a special John Locke Foundation dinner at 7 p.m. Oct. 30 at the Brownestone Hotel in Raleigh.
Woolsey is a partner in the law firm of Shea & Gardner in Washington, D.C. He returned to the firm in January 1995 after being director of the CIA for two year. He has been a member of the boards of directors of several corporations.
Woolsey has also served in the U.S. government as: ambassador to the Negotiation on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, Vienna, 1989-1991; under secretary of the Navy, 1977-1979; general counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services, 1970-73; and adviser (during military service) on the U.S. Delegation to the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT I), Helsinki and Vienna, 1969-1970.
He earned a bachelor of arts degree in 1963 from Stanford University (with great distinction, Phi Beta Kappa), a master of arts degree from Oxford University, and an LL.B from Yale Law School in 1968, where he was managing editor of the Yale Law Journal.
For more information or to preregister, contact Kory Swanson at (919) 828-3876 or [email protected].
Material published here may be reprinted provided the
Locke Foundation receives prior notice and appropriate credit is given.


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I have Gantt view in my portal which is built into SharePoint 2007/MOSS, but it does not have a print option.
Requirement: How do I Print Gantt view with a click?
- How to overcome this problem?
- Is there any coding option to print Gantt View?
- Is there any third party tool which provides me this option? (It should work on Site template)


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These are the things I prize And hold of dearest worth: Light of the sapphire skies, Peace of the silent hills, Shelter of the forests, comfort of the grass, Music of birds, murmur of little rills, Shadows of cloud that swiftly pass, And, after showers, The smell of flowers And of the good brown earth,- And best of all, along the way, friendship and mirth.
Henry van Dyke (1852 - 1933)
Contributed by: Zaady
Who seeks for heaven alone to save his soul, May keep the path, but will not reach the goal; While he who walks in love may wander far, But God will bring him where the Blessed are.
Every house where love abides And friendship is a guest, Is surely home, and home, sweet home For there the heart can rest.
If all the skies were sunshine Our faces would be fain To feel once more upon them The cooling splash of rain. If all the world were music, Our hearts would often long For one sweet strain of silence, To break the endless song If life were always merry, Our souls would seek relief, And rest from weary laughter In the quiet arms of grief.
Some people are so afraid to die that they never begin to live.
There is only one way to get ready for immortality, and that is to love this life and live it as bravely and faithfully and cheerfully as we can.
Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars.
There is a life that is worth living now as it was worth living in the former days, and that is the honest life, the useful life, the unselfish life, cleansed by devotion to an ideal. There is a battle worth fighting now as it was worth fighting then, and that is the battle for justice and equality: to make our city and our state free in fact as well as in name; to break the rings that strangle real liberty, and to keep them broken; to cleanse, so far as in our power lies, the fountains of our national life from political, commercial, and social corruption; to teach our sons and daughters, by precept and example, the honor of serving such a country as America. That is work worthy of the finest manhood and womanhood.
We may be able to tell how many stars are in the Milky Way; we may be able to count the petals of every flower, and number the bones of every bird; but unless faith leads us to a deeper understanding, a more reverent comprehension of the significance of the universe, God can be no more pleased with our knowledge than the painter is pleased with the fly which touches his picture with its feelers, and sips the varnish from the surface, and dies without dreaming of the meaning, thought, feeling, embodied in the colors.
Four things a man must learn to do If he would make his record true; To think without confusion clearly; To love his fellowmen sincerely; To act from honest motives purely; To trust in God and Heav'n securely.
Copyright © 2016 Gaiam, Inc.


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The board of directors for CASA of the Ninth Judicial District would like to thank all those who participated or helped in making the CASA's third annual Run for the Child such a success. We has 98 runners/walkers in the 5k race and 13 participants in the one mile fun walk/run.
Additionally, there were several others who participated by purchasing a T-shirt or who registered for the run/walk but were unable to come to the event.
The board is especially thankful for the major sponsors who helped pay for the event.
The benefit yard sale for Amber Howard, 15, who has a brain-stem tumor, was a great success.
I would like to thank the citizens of Roane County and Kingston for their help.
Thanks to Knoxville Coca Cola, Rockwood Walmart, Carmella Catering, McDonald's of Kingston, and a big thank you to Dotty and Kenny Pickell, Sue Kelly, John King, Kay Thomas and Bud Stout and a special thank you to Martin W. Cash.
Libby King
By CHARLES C. HAYNES
First Amendment Center
If only a fraction of the allegations are true, public school officials in Sumner County have been treating their school district like a missionary field for the Christian faith.
Nine students — who understandably wish to remain anonymous — have filed suit with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union seeking to end school promotion of religion.
Things started heating up in our corner of the world last week.
I don't think it had anything to do with Memorial Day and its unofficial heralding in of summer.
But I must admit, the constant humming of our chillers at the office last Monday reminded me that spring will soon be behind us.
I pretty much had the place to myself as I worked through some interviews, project deadlines and telephone calls on the holiday.
Our air-conditioning units were my only company when the sun really started bearing down.
Just wanted to send a quick note of what a wonderful teacher Debbie Hayes was when we were in her kindergarten class.
We still remember her taking Julie's class to her house for an Easter egg hunt.
Mrs. Hayes has always stood out in our memories because she was such a kind and caring teacher and made learning enjoyable.
She gave us and many others a good start to education.
We are not surprised that Mrs. Hayes has taught for 38 years without a blemish in her records.
They say shop Roane County.
Why not have a shopping mall at Airport Road, but better than Turkey Creeki n West Knoxville?
Build the stores up — not out.
Put in a parking garage so people shopping can have it easier to shop.
Make a park, hiking and biking trails.
Bring it a few miles down so you can see the valley. Maybe add an exit and entrance on I-40 at Black Hollow Road. That's just my opinion; what's yours?
Oma Morton
Gentle reader, how many of the right-wing radicals have you heard over the last several months make the claim that the country is broke? We know that you are too bright to fall for such malarky, but in order that you can refute this claim if you are confronted by one of these know-nothings, consider this:
Let us say that you've got $1 million, but because of current low interest rates your yearly income is less than $30,000?
You've got an income problem, but you certainly are not broke.
Neither is USA.
Copyright © 2016
The Roane County News is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Roane County and Kingston, Tennessee, and the surrounding area.


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Tuesday, May 1, 2012
DCWV/May Arts Craft Challenge!
46 comments:
Supah fun! I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with!ReplyDelete
Putting on my thinking cap! ;) Looking forward to seeing what gets created by everyone!ReplyDelete
how FUN! I cant wait to see 25 amazing projects!!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 1, 2012 at 8:55 AM
Are you allowed to use other embellishments as well, or is it restricted to just the materials provided?ReplyDelete
So fun!!! What a great idea!ReplyDelete
Oh my gosh. I love this stack!!!ReplyDelete
My email has been sent I hope you like the idea.
I just entered! Thanks for the fun challenge!ReplyDelete
sent in my design idea, So excited for this chance. Oh what fun it will be to see what people design for you.ReplyDelete
Sounds like a FAB and FUN challenge!! Looking forward to seeing 25 amazing projects!!ReplyDelete
Wow!!! This sounds like a very fun challenge. Can't wait to see what people will create. Wish I had more free time this month so I could submit an idea.ReplyDelete
This looks like so much fun! I already sent ya an email. Fingers crossed!ReplyDelete
This sounds fun!ReplyDelete
Fun idea!!! Can't wait to see the results of the first entries!ReplyDelete
Was just wondering, is this open to overseas participants too? And I'm new to this. Can someone help me out? How do I send a design idea? Do I have to draw it out first? or..?ReplyDelete
What a fabulous idea, will get my thinking cap on.ReplyDelete
Love it! Better get working on it!ReplyDelete
I just sent my email...this sounds like SUCH A GREAT IDEA!!!!!!!ReplyDelete
sounds like a real fun project, going to see if I can squeeze it in:)ReplyDelete
What a creative idea for a challenge! Got my project idea now I'm just going to email it to you! Hope you like it!ReplyDelete
Fun challenge! I better put my thinking cap on!ReplyDelete
oh no! I just realized it's for this month. There's no way I can enter. I'm hoping you will have this again in the next month or 2 :)ReplyDelete
ok.... the wheels are turning. Hope I can come up with something that would get those items sent to me. : )ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 1, 2012 at 5:16 PM
this is great! Such a fun challenge... Thanks!ReplyDelete
barefoot at sypfbi dot com
My head is spinning with ideas! Well, you know I am always up for a challenge so I will be emailing oth of ou soon. Thank you for he challenge.ReplyDelete
Fabulous challenge!ReplyDelete
wow! can't wait to see everyone's project for this challenge.ReplyDelete
Wow! What a great collection to work with. Now if only I could think of some project worthy :) Good thing I have a couple of days to think about it!ReplyDelete
Sweet duo, Im hoping to try my hand at this one!ReplyDelete
sent my idea, keeping fingers crossed...ReplyDelete
LOVE PAPER !!!!!! Sorry, couldn't help myself!!ReplyDelete
This is a nice opportunity to be creative! I love this kind of challenge, brain storming, think, think, think.ReplyDelete
Beautiful d/p's collection and pretty ribbons.
serious thought required before sending in an entry. love the look of this stack. another one added to my wish list.ReplyDelete
What a unique challenge concept. Good luck to all who are trying out for it.ReplyDelete
Well, I put on my 'brave' shirt and sent in my idea! But whether chosen or not, can't wait to what people create using this cute stack and these ribbons!ReplyDelete
I'd love to play along, however my time is not always my own. So I'm really looking forward to seeing the entries. Good luck to you all.ReplyDelete
Hugs, Jess
- Donna S.May 2, 2012 at 9:16 AM
Love that floral paper! Good luck to those that enter!ReplyDelete
What a wonderful challenge and great prizes. Looking forward to seeing the projects.ReplyDelete
I e-mailed my idea, hope I get an opportunity to work with you both.ReplyDelete
I sent my e-mail. This looks like a fun challenge and I can't wait to see the 25 projects next month!ReplyDelete
As soon as I read the challenge, an idea immediately popped in my head and I emailed it in already. Fingers crossed mine gets picked only because I am so excited to make it :) Good luck everyone who enters.ReplyDelete
Super challenge! Can't wait to see what everyone creates. Sent my proposal in. Thanks for a great opportunity. Love the stack and the ribbon.ReplyDelete
This sounds so awesome!! I am thinking~~ReplyDelete
Sent my idea in....love a good challenge. Thanks!!ReplyDelete
I would love to do tis challenge...I will need to brainstorm a bit here!ReplyDelete
That looks like a lot of fun!ReplyDelete
I know its late in the month and the 25 are probably already selected but I just e-mailed my idea.ReplyDelete
Can't wait to see what everyone comes up with


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The first is the new format for Books 2 Movies. The films screened in this program are based on children's books.
"We've expanded the program into all of Summit County, so we're also working with the Summit County Library system as well as the Park City Library," Wang explained. "Because we're not in the Park City Library building, the films will be screened at Miners Hospital, where the library is temporarily located.
At 3 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month, the films will be screened at the Miners Hospital and at the Summit County Library at Kimball Junction. Additional screenings in Coaville and Kamas will take place the first Thursday of every month at 4 p.m., according to Wang.
The Books 2 Movies film for September will be Rob Minkoff's "Stuart Little," rated PG.
"It's a live-action and animated feature based on the children's book by E.B. White," Wang said. "It's a great little film about a mouse adopted by a family who lives in New York. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, but lost that year to 'The Matrix.
In addition to Books 2 Music, the Park City Film Series will start another new free program for children that complement the dual-language immersion programs in the Park City School District, Wang said.
"On the second Saturday of every month, we will screen free French and Spanish films for children," she said. "They will all be subtitled in English, so those who are still too young to read quickly will rely on their caregivers and family members to read for them. We thought this would be a great opportunity to immerse students in French and Spanish culture through film."
The first film in that series will be a Spanish film called "The Dolphin," on Sept. 13 at 3 p.m. It will screen at the Park City Library and the Summit County Library at Kimball Junction, Wang said.
In addition to those children's offerings, the Park City Film Series will continue its free Tumbleweeds screenings, which are made possible by its partnership with the Utah Film Center. These screenings will be shown on the third Saturday of each month at the Miners Hospital.
The film on Sept. 20 will be Chris Butler and Sam Fell's animated "Paranorman," which is about a boy who can see and speak to the dead.
"It's not only a fun film, but is also about acceptance," Wang said.
With the exception of these changes, the Park City Film Series weekend schedule will continue in the Prospector Theatre.
The rest of the schedule is as follows:
"It's based on a true story about a mixed-race woman, Dido Elizabeth Belle, who was an illegitimate child of an officer in the Royal Navy," Wang said. "He brings her back from the West Indies to England and (she) is raised as an equal with her white cousins. Of course, this is in the 1700s and she is not really accepted by society."
"This is a special screening of Slamdance Film Festival films that are touring the country," Wang said.
The film, Pat Kiely's "Three Night Stand," will be preceded by a short film, "Pablo's Villa," by Matthew Salleh.
"Peter Baxter, Slamdance Film Festival executive director, will be here to introduce the films and Pat Kiely will be with us via Skype for a Q and A after the screening," Wang said.
"People have been using Spain's 500-mile Camino de Santiago as a religious pilgrimage for more than 1,000 years, and this documentary follows six different vignettes as they walk the road," Wang said. "You will see their inner journeys as well as the beautiful scenery."
"This is a documentary about the Master Sommelier exams," Wang said. "To pass the test, candidates have to taste a wine and know where it was made, what types of grapes were used and what vineyard they came from. In fact, one of the sommeliers in the film, Ian Cauble, used to work at the Park City Waldorf Astoria."
The screening is a benefit for the OM Foundation, a nonprofit based out of Orange County that was established by Bonner Paddock, to help children with disabilities and their families live lives beyond limits, Wang said.
"The screening is only open to those ages 21 and older," she said. "The ticket is $30, which will feature a wine and cocktail tasting and a screening of Bonner's film 'Beyond Limits.'
"Bonner, who has cerebral palsy, recently hiked to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro and is an incredible human being," Wang said.
"The film is a remake of 2004's 'Seducing Doctor Lewis,'" Wang said. "It's about a town that is dying, but has the opportunity to be revived by a big corporation. The catch is the town needs to have a doctor, so the townspeople try to make the town seem more than it is, to entice the doctor to stay. And, to say the least, the film is very funny."
This film is about a young nun named Ida who is about to take her vows, and her Mother Superior convinces Ida to visit her last living relative, an aunt, according to Wang.
"In doing so, Ida finds her family is Jewish and her family was murdered by the Nazis," she said. "It's a very powerful story with incredible acting. If you love film, this has all the elements that makes a great film."
Wang is looking forward to the Park City Film Series' new chapter at the Prospector Theatre and hopes it will attract new audience members.
"We have a lot going on and we are looking to achieving our mission of creative community through film," she said.
The Park City Film Series will start its 2014-15 season on Sept. 5, at the Prospector Theatre, 2175 Sidewinder Dr. Regular weekend screening tickets are $8 for general admission and $7 for students and senior citizens. A 10-pass punch card is available for $65. For more information and tickets, visit www.parkcityfilmseries.com .


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Faced with two murder charges, two attempted murder charges and now rape, Bass Webb has entered another in a long line of not guilty pleas.
Webb appeared in Harrison Circuit Court last week for an arraignment on a first degree rape and persistent felony offender indictments that were handed down Dec. 7.
Apparently uninhibited by a standing room only audience, the Cynthiana City Commission unanimously voted to approve liquor by the drink.
After hearing public comment, Commissioner Mark Mattmiller made a motion to approve the second and final reading of an ordinance allowing certain restaurants to sell mixed alcoholic beverages.
The motion was seconded by Amanda Moore.
Many of the observers, but not all, were opponents of the issue.
United States Marines Capt. Timmy Linville says bye to Afghanistan and Merry Christmas to friends and family.
A surprise party was given for the returning Linville at Central Christian Church on Dec. 23.
A 1997 Harrison County graduate, Timmy, 32, was recently deployed to Afghanistan, where he spent seven months helping piece together the troubled country.
"This is home for me," said Timmy during a phone interview. "It's nice to see snow for a change instead of sand."
Newspaper office closed Monday
The offices of The Cynthiana Democrat and Harrison Shopper will be closed Monday, Jan. 3, in observance of the New Year's holiday.
The office will re-open at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Derek Webber movie night rescheduled
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation has been rescheduled from Dec. 16 to Dec. 30. Free admission. All donations are being put toward the Derek Webber Scholarship at Licking Valley Campus. Movie starts at 7 p.m. at Rohs Opera House.
Author Ron Elliott takes notice of a Marine remembering a Marine.
Franklin Runyon Sousley was born in Elizaville, Ky., in Fleming County in 1925.
During World War II, Sousley was one of six men responsible for raising the flag on Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima.
The book "From Hilltop to Mountaintop" depicts the life of Sousley, who was made famous by the unforgettable photo by Joe Rosenthal.
Chapter 20 of the book tells the story of a fellow Marine, Tommy White, who took it upon himself to see that Sousley got the memorial he deserved.
December is certainly one for the record books. Snowfall totals for the month have equaled the average yearly totals for most of the state.
Despite snowfall after snowfall, Harrison County's major roads have been cleared for travel.
Trucks with scrapers and salt spreaders could be heard late at night and early in the morning breaking paths on snow-covered roads.
State, county and city crews worked diligently to make sure that motorists could get to work and even that holiday travelers could safely reach their destinations.
This week marks the end of the terms for several city and county officials.
These men and women have served our community to the best of their abilities. In many cases, they had but one vote, but they cast their votes where they felt they were needed, and not always the popular one.
For the city, Amanda Moore, Mark Mattmiller and Jimmy New will be stepping down.
One commissioner said that just as he was getting the hang of the job, the term ended.
The Region 7 super duals were held last week at Henry Clay High School on Wednesday and Thursday.
The Harrison County Thorobreds wrestled five matches on each day, a grueling schedule.
Lafayette was the surprise winner of the meet defeating perennial power Woodford County with the host Blue Devils finishing third.
Harrison County was in the middle of the pack winning five matches and losing six.
At the suggestion of one of the varsity coaches, I am going to do a series of articles on the assistant coaches of the various sports at Harrison County High School.
The first coach is Fillies Basketball assistant Kim Furnish.
Kim is the youngest child of Jim and Teresa Furnish and a 2002 graduate of Harrison County High School.
She played basketball at Harrison County for Coach Mac Whitaker and started on both the 2000 and 2002 Regional Champion teams.
The Harrison County Thorobreds are finishing 2010 by playing in a tournament in Bracken County.
The tournament began on Monday with the Breds facing the Lewis County Lions of the 16th region at 4:45 p.m.
The Lions brought a 5-4 record into the game with a line up that included eight seniors to face the inexperienced Thorobreds.
It didn't take long for the Lions to show their poise and senior leadership as they handled the Harrison County trap and press with little difficulty.
Copyright © 2016
The Cynthiana Democrat is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Cynthiana, KY and the surrounding area.


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13 comments:
Love Love Love that first top!! I'm seriously considering purchasing it... Thanks!!ReplyDelete
love the mushroom bowl!!ReplyDelete
i love that little bear! i thought it was real until i read on that these are from etsy. so adorable. that zip pouch is neat too!ReplyDelete
my friend found that same bowl at a thrift store for $12ReplyDelete
what a lucky find, so jealous
I like your eye and taste.ReplyDelete
Super thanks for your order :)
Love these Jennifer!!ReplyDelete
Oooh LOVE all these. :)ReplyDelete
that mushroom bowl is to die for. So jealous of the $12 thrift store find!!ReplyDelete
The mushroom bowl´s graphic is designed by Esteri Tomula (bowl is by Kaj Franck) I love it and I have it ! Rest is also nice, I love your taste :)ReplyDelete
that shirt on the top is perfection!ReplyDelete
Your blog is a visual treat! I am honored to be one of your Etsy faves!!! Thank you!!!!ReplyDelete
Fabulous round up! Loving those stripey shoes!ReplyDelete
xo Mary Jo
mmm the second row is my fave...ReplyDelete
thank you for your comments!
if you have any questions please email me via the 'contact' link.


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The 2013 survey is now closed. More than 1,000 women veterans took the time to fill out the survey and we thank them for sharing their experiences. In the coming months, CRB, CalVet, and the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls will release a series of publications that summarize the results of the survey. In the meantime, reports on previous iterations of the survey can be found here:
Information on the services offered women veterans can be found on CalVet's website:
If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Matthew Buttice, CRB Senior Policy Analyst, at (916) 653-6972 or


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Upcoming HTC smartphones for 2009 leaked mercilessly
Just when you thought you've heard enough about HTC for today, here comes news of their upcoming smartphones for 2009, which apparently have been leaked onto the web for people like us to feast upon.
Here are several HTC device designs that are said to be those of future models, most of which will probably run Android. As mentioned in an earlier report, HTC smartphone production in 2010 will be split between WinMo and Android, so at least one of these should be Android-based as it's scheduled for release in 2009.
The first one above looks like an HTC Touch Diamond replacement, which the second one below might be the new HTC Excalibur. Further down, there's something called the "Whitestone W" which looks like a full touch-enabled Internet Tablet. Hopefully, we'll learn more about these handsets come MWC in February.
PPCGeek via WMPowerUser


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For those privileged ones who caught Heart's performance last night at the Grand Wailea, we had ourselves a treat.
A stage with full band, lighting and the complete works, The Wilson sisters and their band graced the beach front in Wailea last night and brought all their best old tunes alive for us last night in South Maui.
Performing for a private event, but next to the pathway that fronts the pacific ocean and the beaches on Maui which are open to the public, the quiet buzz and rumor went around to us lucky ones and we made our way down to the beach in Wailea last night and got to experience the extraordinary talents of one of my all time favorite bands, Heart.
The Wilson sisters, while performing, included the group of us fortunate ones watching from the beach by waving to us and blowing us kisses and making us feel included in this amazing event.
They sounded as good as they ever did and it was fantastic to be there! it doesn't get any better than this!
What a treat. Five Stars all the way for this timeless, hall of fame group that rocked South Maui last night.
Oh yeah! We love living in paradise. Beachfront, great view from next to the stage area across the walkway in Wailea for a free Heart Concert. Oh yes, did I mention free?!
Oh Yeah! Life in Paradise. Please don't move here!
For Now...
Aloha Nui
Gaia Best


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10 Terrifying Medical Facts Of The US Civil War
Top 10 Intriguing Facts About Bitcoin
Your View: Tell Us What You Want
10 Lesser-Known Cases Of Kidnapping
10 Sensational Spider Species
10 Fascinating Archaeological Mysteries From Asia
10 Deliberate Historical Errors and Misrepresentations
10 Disturbing Stories From China's Horrific Cultural Revolution
10 Most Bizarre Courthouse Suicides
10 Surprising Ways Music Can Be Bad For You
10 Terrifying Medical Facts Of The US Civil War
Top 10 Intriguing Facts About Bitcoin
Your View: Tell Us What You Want
10 Lesser-Known Cases Of Kidnapping
10 Sensational Spider Species
10 Fascinating Archaeological Mysteries From Asia
10 Deliberate Historical Errors and Misrepresentations
10 Disturbing Stories From China's Horrific Cultural Revolution
10 Most Bizarre Courthouse Suicides
Top 10 Strangest Rock and Roll Covers
Rock ŌĆśnŌĆÖ roll has had shock value from the start. While few people still find ElvisŌĆÖ shaking hips offensive, rock retains its reputation for breaking the rules of decency and acceptability again and again. Sometimes, rock has even parodied itself. As such, here are the top 10 strangest rock ŌĆśnŌĆÖ roll covers of all time.
10. Sinead OŌĆÖConnor – Nothing Compares 2 U [Wikipedia]
In the age of shaved pop stars/negligent mothers, how many people still find Sinead OŌĆÖConnor to have much of an edge anymore? Her music wasnŌĆÖt all too particularly angry despite how it seemed back when it was released, and her hair, or lack thereof, has taken on completely new meaning. But no matter how desensitized we become, there is little quite as gut-punishing as seeing a pop star cover a Prince standard and follow it by ripping up a picture of the Pope.
Like the gutsy Sinead OŌĆÖConnor? Try out her new sound I'm Not Bossy, I'm the Boss at Amazon.com!
9. Mick Jagger & David Bowie – Dancing In The Street [Wikipedia]
The subject of considerable criticism since it was released in 1985, the Jagger-Bowie version of ŌĆ£Dancing In The StreetŌĆØ was at least well intentioned. The duo wanted to perform the song for the Live Aid charity concert, however, since both men were not performing at the same location, this was determined to be impossible. So a studio version of the song was recorded and a video produced before the concerts. The video is more responsible for the criticism than the song itself, as both men completely shed their ŌĆścoolŌĆÖ image in favor of Zuba Pants.
8. Chris Cornell – Billie Jean [Wikipedia]
When you take a singer whoŌĆÖs most famous exploits are fronting metallic grunge band Soundgarden and teaming with the power trio from Rage Against The Machine, youŌĆÖd expect nothing but heavy. However, the singer who wrote ŌĆ£Big Dumb SexŌĆØ also covered Michael JacksonŌĆÖs ŌĆ£Billie Jean.ŌĆØ The song is stripped down from itŌĆÖs original form, and is actually quite good. Cornell strips the song of much of itŌĆÖs camp, and creates an aura of desperation with the vocal. How this could happen is a head scratcher for sure.
7. The Sex Pistols – Substitute [Wikipedia]
The Who was one of the Pistols chief influences, however, to hear Johnny Rotten tear through one of Pete TownshendŌĆÖs songs is something of both amazement and terror. Perhaps nobody taught Rotten how to be subtle, but then again, that was RottenŌĆÖs main appeal. The rest of the band just thrashes away at the chords in a manner that truly defines the word ŌĆśpunk.ŌĆÖ
6. Johnny Cash – Hurt [Wikipedia]
ItŌĆÖs rare that you see a country star that started his career in the fifties cover a track by an industrial rock band in the 2000s, but that was just the case with the venerable Johnny Cash. Cash kept the arrangement of the song the same, only replacing a curse word with thorns. However, the song is strange because no one saw it coming. Stranger still, CashŌĆÖs version is now more popular than the Nine Inch Nails original, much to the displeasure of Nine Inch NailŌĆÖs leader Trent Reznor.
Show your devotion to Johnny Cash with a Finger Flippin' T-shirt at Amazon.com!
5. Mike Flowers Pops – Wonderwall [Wikipedia]
Few things are as reprehensible as the Mike Flowers Pops cover of OasisŌĆÖ super hit, ŌĆ£Wonderwall.ŌĆØ Everything that gave the original song itŌĆÖs charm, itŌĆÖs cozy chord progression, itŌĆÖs subdued vocal, has been completely removed in favor of Mike Flowers signature kitsch lounge-pop. WhatŌĆÖs really astonishing about the cover is not just the ridiculousness of the sound, but the fact it performed just as well as the original on the charts.
4. Pearl Jam – Last Kiss [Wikipedia]
The grunge revolution had long subsided by 1998, when Pearl Jam released their most famous cover as nothing more than a Christmas fan club single. The song blew up, and soon was made available to the general public. It seems ridiculous when you think about it that a band made famous by classic songs ŌĆ£Even Flow,ŌĆØ ŌĆ£Alive,ŌĆØ ŌĆ£Jeremy,ŌĆØ ŌĆ£Spin The Black Circle,ŌĆØ and ŌĆ£World Wide SuicideŌĆØ have had a #2 hit on the Billboard charts with a sung as mellow as ŌĆ£Last Kiss.ŌĆØ Eddie Vedder tries his best to make the song hard with his wailing near the end of the song, but the song is still more mellow than anything else the band has ever released.
3. Guns NŌĆÖ Roses – KnockinŌĆÖ On HeavenŌĆÖs Door [Wikipedia]
Guns NŌĆÖ Roses are hated for many reasons, but many critics wonŌĆÖt forgive them for their rendition of ŌĆ£KnockinŌĆÖ On HeavenŌĆÖs Door.ŌĆØ The band delivers it without any of the subtlety of DylanŌĆÖs original (or any of the other famous covers) and actually turns it into a borderline threat. ŌĆ£KnockinŌĆÖŌĆØ was one of the covers on the Use Your Illusion albums after ŌĆ£Live And Let Live.ŌĆØ All of this is likely lost on Axl who took this idea to the extreme, a Guns NŌĆÖ Roses trademark, by releasing an album full of covers of classic songs just a few years later.
2. The White Stripes – Jolene [Wikipedia]
White StripesŌĆÖ frontman Jack White is a unique breed. He loves his early blues just as much as he loves neo-pop and country. His band famously incorporates all of these influences and more into their sound, with absolutely mesmerizing results. None have been more mesmerizing than their cover of Dolly PartonŌĆÖs ŌĆ£Jolene,ŌĆØ a b-side on the ŌĆ£Hello OperatorŌĆØ single. Like the Raincoats cover of ŌĆ£Lola,ŌĆØ Jack White doesnŌĆÖt change the lyrics to reflect the gender difference between him and the original singer. ThereŌĆÖs few things as funny as Jack White singing, ŌĆ£IŌĆÖm begginŌĆÖ of you, please donŌĆÖt take my man!ŌĆØ with a straight face. Another version of this cover is available on Under Blackpool Lights DVD, which features White doing his best Robert Plant impression.
1. The Raincoats – Lola [Wikipedia]
ŌĆ£Lola,ŌĆØ already one of the strangest songs in rockŌĆÖs musical cannon (the song is about a man picking up another man who is dressed as a girl) was made even stranger when covered in 1979 by seminal grunge influencers the RaincoatsŌĆÖ debut album. The songŌĆÖs arrangement is giving a new personality with the minimalist approach of the band. While the original song was sung by a man (Ray Davies), Raincoats singer Ana da Silva decides not to change the words to reflect her gender. A great and certainly weird choice.
Contributor: Jason Hirschhorn
Technorati Tags: music, rock and roll


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Mohamed Sanu (twitter: @M0SAnu)
Position: WR
Height: 6-2 Weight: 215 lbs.
Throws: Right
Born: August 22, 1989 in New Brunswick, NJ
High School: South Brunswick
College: Rutgers (school history) (Sanu college stats)
Drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 3rd round (83rd overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft.
Weighted Career AV (100-95-...): 18 (5186th overall since 1950)
Other SR Links: College Football at Sports-Reference.com
Let people know you like this site. Sponsor this page for $35. Your message will replace this ad.
The research for this page was done by Scott Kacsmar.
Read his extensive three-part article (Part I - Part II -
Part III) for full details.
View complete leaderboards for game-winning drives and comebacks.


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- Motto : Unity makes the strength
- Capital :
- Sucre, constitutional capital city of the Plurinational State of Bolivia.
- La Paz, seat of government.
- Population : 10,389,913 habitants (Census 2012)
- Area : 1,098,581 km ²
- Currency : Peso Boliviano.
- The Bolivian elite sportsmen: Juan Carlos "Chavo" Salvatierra (motorcycle), Armin Franulic (automobile), Marco Antonio "the devil" Etcheverry, Ronald Raldes, Marcelo Martins (soccer), Bernardo Guarachi (climbing, mountaineering), Bruno Rojas (athletics)
"The Salar de Uyuni is baffling" You almost have the impression that you are running in the sky!" Were the words of Etienne Lavigne, director of Dakar, when he refers to this unique attraction, which is beautiful and magnificence. Definitely, it was the Bolivian landscape which captivated the Dakar organization to pass with the international competition through Bolivia.
Bolivia is located in central South America and has a privileged location that allows having a variety of climate and highlights, and is within the eleven countries with more biodiversity and ecosystems of the world. Bolivia bordered to the east by Brazil, to the southeast by Paraguay, to the south by Argentina, southwest and west by Chile and Peru.
"Salar de Uyuni" is the icon of tourism offer of Bolivia, considered the largest salt desert of the world, with an area of 10,582 km ². It is located about 3650 meters above sea level in the southwest of Bolivia, in the province of Daniel Campos, which is in the region of Potosi. Year after year Salar de Uyuni attracts hundreds of tourists from all around the world for being a unique and amazing destination in the universe.
Today Bolivia has 9 World Heritages granted by UNESCO: the City of Potosi, the Jesuit Missions of Chiquitos, the Historic City of Sucre, the Fort of Samaipata, the National Park Noel Kempff Mercado, the Spiritual and Political Center of Tiwanaku Culture, the Majestic Carnival of Oruro, the Kallawaya Culture and the Ichapekene Piesta: major festival of San Ignacio de Moxos.
The Majestic Carnival of Oruro reflecting the folkloric and cultural richness that exists in Bolivia, which was proclaimed by UNESCO as a "Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity".


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Operator: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Mead Johnson Nutrition Third Quarter Earnings Conference Call. My name is Fab, and I'll be your coordinator for today. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. Following the prepared remarks there will be a question-and-answer session. (Operator Instructions). As a reminder, this conference is being recorded for replay purposes.
At this time I would now like to turn the presentation over to Kathryn Chieger, Vice President Investor Relations of Mead Johnson Nutrition. Please proceed, madam.
Kathryn Chieger - VP, IR: Thank you, and good morning. Welcome to Mead Johnson's third quarter conference call. With me today at our global operations center in Evansville, Indiana are Steve Golsby, our CEO and Pete Leemputte, our CFO.
Before we get started, let me remind everyone that our comments will include forward-looking statements about our future results. Including statements about our financial prospects and projections, new product launches and market conditions that constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Keep in mind that our actual results may differ materially from expectations as of today, due to various factors including those listed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for 2009, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, quarterly reports on Form 8-K and registration statements. In each case as filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission and our earnings release issued this morning. All of which are available upon request are on our website at meadjohnson.com.
In addition, any forward looking statements represent our estimates only as of today and should not be relied upon as representing our estimates as of any subsequent date. While we may elect to update forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we specifically disclaim any obligation to do so even if our estimates change. Given that we are in the midst of the earnings reporting season, we will be respectful of your time and keep our call to 45 minutes.
That said, I will turn the call over to Steve.
Stephen W. Golsby - President and CEO: Thank you, Kathryn and good morning everyone. As Kathryn mentioned we're speaking to you from Evansville, where this week I was pleased to participate in the grand opening of our new Pediatric Nutrition Institute. This state-of-the-art facility, which includes a scalable pilot plant, will further enhance our research and development capabilities and enable us to accelerate the pace of product innovation, one of the key elements in our growth strategy.
Turning to our financial results. This morning we reported another excellent quarter. Non-GAAP earnings per share were up 8% in the third quarter to $0.57 on 15% constant dollar sales growth. We are very pleased with our earnings performance given higher commodity and manufacturing costs along with an 18% increase in operating expenses.
Higher spending was primarily behind demand generation investments in advertising and promotions, and for an expanded sales force in China and selected other emerging markets, as well as costs to build our standalone company infrastructure.


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Everyone needs a little bohemian low-key soul in their lives now and then. Arima Ederra's soft vocals on "Old New School Love" hit the spot precisely with her gorgeous lilting hypnosis.
Develops and implements integrated marketing strategies, digital, social, event and experiential programs for consumer brands, leveraging music and culture.


text: Farmers who own tractors that have been acting up should pay a visit to Messick. Featuring a selection of replacement parts and accessories for a wide range of tractors, Messicks has everything you need to keep your favorite farm vehicle in peak… condition.Customers interested in buying a tractor will be pleased to learn that Messick sells a number of quality pre-owned tractors. Construction workers are sure to appreciate the store's reasonably priced excavators, skid loaders and track loaders. If you can't afford to purchase a certain farming or construction vehicle, take advantage of the equipment rental services offered at Messick.


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Children with special needs such as attention deficit disorder, learning disabilities and autism have experienced more frustration and academic failure than most other children. In spite of this, some of them become successful college graduates. Sadly, most do not. Only about 57 percent of students with disabilities graduate from high school, and only about 10 to 15 percent of those who graduate from high school attend college. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of those students who begin their college experience eventually graduate.
Students who have the following personal qualities are much more likely to thrive in college. You can read more detailed descriptions of the qualities that insure college success online at the Frostig Center.
Self-awareness and self-acceptance
Successful individuals know they have strengths and weaknesses, and they emphasize their strong talents and abilities. At the same time, they do not see their weak points as major stumbling blocks or evidence of their inability to prevail. Instead, they acknowledge that every person has highs and lows and realize that success comes from emphasizing strengths and minimizing the effects of their less developed skills.
Proactive (as opposed to reactive) individuals believe in their capacity to achieve, they look for opportunities to grow, and they take decisive steps to make their goals and dreams a reality. They do not blame others for their problems; instead they take responsibility for their own part in their situation and realize they can change their circumstances with their own actions.
Successful people see their setbacks or failures as temporary, not as life-defining. They don't stop believing in their goals. When they encounter setbacks, they reevaluate. They make adjustments if necessary, but they do not give up.
Goal setting
People who are successful have learned how to set realistic, achievable goals. They have developed the capacity to set long-term goals and to break these long-term goals into bite-size pieces that represent action steps they can take to achieve their goal. They are flexible, being open to unexpected opportunities, yet they don't lose site of their overall goal.
Use of effective support systems
Both successful and unsuccessful individuals have support systems; however, the successful individuals have learned to seek support when they need it, rather than waiting passively for help to be offered. Further, they have learned to seek support from individuals who will give them guidance to achieve their goals, rather than weaken their chances of success.
Strong emotional coping strategies
Those who develop ways to reduce stress, feelings of failure, isolation, and the desire to quit, find the internal resources to persist until they succeed. Successful individuals have learned to identify situations that can trigger negative reactions, they can monitor their internal reactions to sense when negative responses are present, and they have a set of strategies to reduce these negative reactions so they can keep on track.
Taking specific action increases the likelihood of succeeding in college
Students need to be aware of specific action steps they should take to increase the probability they will be admitted to and graduate from the college of their choice.
Ideally, parents and children should begin to take specific action steps by the time the student reaches 8th grade. For the student, this involves taking the most challenging classes available, while maintaining strong grades and a great attitude toward academics. Completing extra or optional assignments in classes to stretch his or her knowledge, and pursuing activities about which the student is passionate such as sports, artistic, and/or volunteer experiences builds the self-confidence, proactive mindset and time management skills that characterize highly successful students.
Parents should encourage their child to learn from successful adults who are rich sources of information about the nature of their careers, the training they completed, and the strategies they use to be successful. Family friends, teachers, coaches, and neighbors are valuable allies to a student who is eager to learn about the kinds of opportunities available to them as adults.
Students should explore the world of work through paid jobs, internships, and volunteering. They will learn about the working conditions of specific jobs, develop the perseverance needed to commit to a challenging endeavor, and learn valuable interpersonal skills such as cooperation and functioning within an environment that requires meeting high expectations.
It is necessary for students to take a proactive role in their school careers. They should learn how to communicate their strengths and needs to adults. They should attend their IEP meetings and advocate on their own behalf.
Only a small percentage of students with special learning needs attend college, but parents have the opportunity to insure that their child is one of the successful ones. The most valuable step parents can take is to mentor their child to believe in their intelligence and talents and know in their heart they can meet the challenge of obtaining a college education. This belief supports the effective action steps that parents and students take throughout their school career to ensure a college diploma.
Dr. Kari Miller is a certified educational therapist and director of Miller Educational Excellence. She mentors special needs students to believe in their own success, achieve in school, and change their lives. She can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com. Visit her website to learn more about educational therapy for special needs children.


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Mar 21, 2013 9:16 AM
Summer hair is the worst. But whether it's tangled from driving with the top down or hopelessly crispy thanks to the harsh effects of chlorinated pool water, this Cricket Ultra Smooth Power Comb ($6) will blast through every kink and knot without yanking strands out of your scalp.
What's a Cheap Thrill? Just our shameless way of getting you to impulse buy! Cheap Thrill items are under $20, including shipping.
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:


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This idea comes from one of my all-time favorite gardening authors, Sharon Lovejoy. The book is Sunflower Houses: Garden Discoveries for Children of All Ages and if you have children in your life, this is the perfect gardening book for them.
Sunflower houses are just what they sound like: houses grown with sunflowers. Children and grandchildren will love helping with this project and watching their "house" grow. Here's all you need to do:
• Find an area in full sun where you want to grow a play house. Mark out a section of your yard or garden and dig out a small trench. My houses are usually 10 ft by 10 ft, but you can make them as small or large as you want.
• Work some compost into the soil in the trench to help loosen up the soil.
• You can use any type of sunflower seed, but it needs to be one that grows very tall. My favorite is "Mammoth Russian" and they can grow up to 12 feet or more in a growing season. You will also need some "Heavenly Blue" Morning Glory seeds - these will become the "roof" of your house. You can begin to plan your seeds at this time of year since we are past the last frost date.
• Now it's time to plant! I have taken a broken broom stick I use to plant my seeds; I have marked off the stick into inches so I can easily space my sunflowers to the appropriate growing distance. You want to plant your sunflowers from 8" to 12" apart in order to give them room to grow. Poke a hole into the soil about 1" deep and drop in a sunflower seed and a morning glory seed; cover with soil. Do this all around your trench, making sure to leave an opening for a door.
• Make sure to water your seeds every day in order to help germination and watch for those first green leaves to poke out of the ground.
• I have an old piece of carpet that I use on the inside of my "house" in order to keep the weeds down and cover it with a thick layer of straw to have something soft for the kids to play on.
• Continue to water the flowers every day and watch them grow. As the sunflowers grow up, the morning glories will climb up the sunflower stalks. In June, I usually plant gourds or mini pumpkin seeds at the base of each sunflower to help fill out bare spots in the heat of the summer.
• When the sunflowers are over your head, you will need some string or twine and a ladder. Gently tie the end of the string to one sunflower head and then crisscross wrapping each sunflower until you have a spider web of string across the top opening of the house. Within a matter of days, the morning glories will fill in this spider web and become the ceiling of the house.
This spring, my daughter and I helped the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill garden workers plant a sunflower house for their children's garden. This one has a door opening on three sides so the children can exit into other areas of the garden. It grew into an large house with a roof of morning glories and the children loved it. It has been such a big success and we are planning for a larger house next year.
Children (and adults) will have hours of fun playing in their natural house and it will become their own special hideaway. I like to place a chair in the house and watch all the wildlife - bees, butterflies, dragonflies and birds - visiting my "home." It's a peacefully way to end a stressful day.
**I would like to thank Sharon Lovejoy for the inspiration to my hobby of sunflower houses. It will be so much fun for me this year because I now have grandchildren who will love to play in my houses!