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Through our exceptional health
care services, we reveal
the healing presence of God.
What's NewGet the latest news on St. Mary's Hospital »
1912- St. Mary's historic partnership with Dean Clinic began, when Dr. Joseph Dean admitted the first patient and performed the first surgery at St. Mary's Hospital.
1926- With expanded facilities, a maternity ward opened and St. Mary's soon became known as "the Mother and Baby Hospital," regularly delivering more babies than any other Madison hospital. 1958- St. Mary's Hospital unveiled its plan for a comprehensive service line dedicated to heart and vascular care. A decade later, it became a full-fledged department, working in tandem with Dean Clinic to become regional experts in life-saving and life-enhancing heart care. For example, St. Mary's was among the first hospitals in Wisconsin to perform angioplasty (1980) and was a leader in a minimally invasive cure for atrial fibrillation (2005). 1968- A 13-bed Infant Intensive Care Unit (IICU)—only one of two in the state—opened at St. Mary's in cooperation with the University of Wisconsin, building a strong reputation as a regional medical resource. Two years prior, the John A. Hartford Neonatal Research Lab opened at St. Mary's to study infectious diseases in children and train medical personnel involved in perinatal care. The lab provided solid footing for establishment of the IICU, which, today, is called the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). 1970- The fledgling University of Wisconsin Department of Family Medicine and its residency program were welcomed by St. Mary's during a search for a physical location providing offices and teaching resources. In addition to the first clinic that was opened in 1971, medical residents gain instruction and mentorship from hospital staff and many serve clinical rotations on St. Mary's units. 1970- St. Mary's Hospital changed its name to St. Marys Hospital Medical Center to emphasize its greater range of services. In addition, the apostrophe was eliminated so as to honor all saints named Mary. This was in effect for 36 years, until 2006. 1972- St. Mary's laboratory, which had been in operation since 1912, began to serve the analysis needs of a wide array of local and regional clients. Today, St. Mary's Laboratory Services supports nearly 100 different hospitals, doctors' offices and other clients. 1983- Dean Health Plan Inc., an HMO insurance company, was founded as a subsidiary of Dean Health Insurance Inc. In 1995, St. Mary's parent organization purchased a 47% share of the plan and 5% of Dean Health System, marking the start of Dean's and St. Mary's integrated health system that encompasses clinic, hospital and health insurance. Together, they manage risks, costs and successes. In addition, Dean Health Plan owns Navitus, a pharmacy benefit manager. 1986- SSM Health Care System was established based on Vatican II principles, and St. Mary's aligned more closely with its sister hospitals in four states. Sister Mary Jean Ryan was appointed president of the organization, overseeing all of the hospitals and nursing homes that the religious congregation had built since the late 1800s. 1987- The congregational sponsor of SSM Health Care became known as the Franciscan Sisters of Mary. The name change resulted when the original Sisters of St. Mary (SSM) reunited with the Sisters of St. Francis of Maryville, Missouri (OSF). The two communities began as the Sisters of St. Mary, and then operated separately but along parallel lines for 93 years before reuniting as the new Franciscan Sisters of Mary (FSM). 1988- St. Mary's Hospital joined the alliance of sponsors for Home Health United, an agency established in 1986 to provide quality nursing care to people in their homes. The partnership also includes St. Clare Hospital in Baraboo and two other hospitals in Sauk County. 1989- St. Mary's Dean Ventures (SMDV) was formed, creating a regional network of community clinics and surgery centers linked to hospital care in Madison, Baraboo and now Janesville. 1990- A comprehensive program of continuous quality improvement (CQI) was implemented. 1991- Shared governance was introduced at St. Mary's, ensuring that nurses and clinicians have a meaningful voice in clinical decision-making as well as in shaping an environment that supports excellence. St. Mary's continues to serve as a model for clinical visitors and consultants nationally and internationally. 1998- A regional approach was adopted among SSM Health Care entities, and SSM Health Care of Wisconsin was created to oversee its holdings of two hospitals and two nursing homes as well as ownership interests in regional health care organizations, and participation in other alliances and strategies for growth. 1999- SSM Health Care adopted a new system-wide mission statement: "Through our exceptional health care services, we reveal the healing presence of God." 2001- Though fund-raising had been around from the start, and included work performed under St. Mary's Development Council, today's St. Mary's Foundation was established under the name of St. Mary's Hospital and Care Center Foundation, Inc. Its first capital campaign raised $2 million toward building a new facility for St. Mary's Care Center. 2003 – Building on a number of informal relationships with rural hospitals, St. Mary's and its parent organization, SSM Health Care of Wisconsin, embarked on a path of formal affiliations starting with Stoughton Hospital. St. Mary's affiliated hospitals today are located in Boscobel, Columbus, Dodgeville, Edgerton and Stoughton. 2004- St. Mary's declared its campus tobacco-free, joining the entire SSM Health Care system, which became the largest health care organization to ban the use of tobacco on its premises. 2006- The hospital reverted to its original name, St. Mary's Hospital, and reclaimed the apostrophe. 2008- St. Mary's Hospital went live with the Electronic Health Record (EHR) by Epic Systems. The computerized medical record improved care through greater levels of safety, consistency and cross-checking while eliminating unnecessary duplication. For the first time, medical records at participating clinics, hospitals and emergency rooms acted as one singular medical file. 2010- The last two Franciscan Sisters of Mary to serve St. Mary's retired, leaving the hospital's mission largely in the hands of lay people. Their departure marked 100 years of the congregation's service to St. Mary's Hospital, starting with the initial planning in 1910. 2012- In response to health care's changing landscape, SSM Health Care of Wisconsin and Dean Health System launched negotiations on an expanded partnership to serve patients even better and more cost-effectively.


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Obama Backers Warn March 31 Health Deadline Is Real
The Obama administration already confirmed that it's extending the deadline to enroll for health insurance, but that's not stopping President Barack Obama's former campaign organization from reminding people that the original deadline is real.
"I need your help, and it's easy," reads the subject line of an email Wednesday from Organizing for Action, formerly the Obama for America campaign organization that helped re-elect Mr. Obama. The email, which carries the signature of Barack Obama, tells people to forward the message to friends , family and neighbors to make sure they go to healthcare.gov and sign up for health insurance.
"For anyone who wants the peace of mind of having health care, or who wants to take advantage of the financial assistance available to millions of uninsured Americans, there's no time to wait," the email reads, "The deadline is March 31."
Technically, March 31 is still the deadline for getting coverage, but the Obama administration also announced Tuesday that people who have started online applications, but didn't finish them, will still be able to sign up after the deadline. It's unclear how long the extension will last and how many people will be able to sign up after the deadline.
Republicans are furious about the latest delay because they said President Obama is not adhering to the law by allowing the changes.
"Finally, last night brought us yet another delay of Obamacare — another deadline made meaningless," House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) said Wednesday. "You know, he hasn't put enough loopholes into the law already; the administration is now resorting to an honor system to enforce it. What the hell is this, a joke?"
Organization for Action's email to supporters doesn't provide clarity about what the administration's change means. But it may help remind people that there's a deadline at all, since a new poll found six in 10 uninsured people say they didn't know the deadline to start with, thought it had already passed, or believed it to be sometime after March.

subset: commoncrawl


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Monroe County Environmental Education Center will hold a winter bog walk at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Tannersville bog parking lot, Cherry Lane Road, Tannersville.
Participants should dress for the outdoors and possibly snow-covered trails.
The cost is $6 for nonmembers and $4 for MCEEC and Nature Conservancy members and children under age 12. Preregistration is required today.
To register, call 570-629-3061. For information, visit mcconservation.org.
Location, ST | website.com


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New Jersey Assemblyman Asks for Valentine's Day Redo
If being snowed in was your excuse for not having romantic plans last Valentine's Day, you might have a chance to redeem yourself.
A New Jersey assemblyman is asking for a "Half St. Valentine's Day" in August to make up for the terrible weather ruining the holiday this year.
State Assemblyman John McKeon introduced a resolution last week asking that Gov. Chris Christie designate Aug. 14 "Half St. Valentine's Day," a repeat of a holiday that presents "people around the world with the opportunity to exchange gifts of affection and appreciation with loved ones," according to the resolution.
The resolution was first reported by the Star-Ledger on Wednesday, which said it was inspired by a resolution passed in March in Roseland, a borough council in Mr. McKeon's district.
Citing the impact of the harsh weather on businesses during such a typically busy holiday, Mr. McKeon proposed the date, halfway between Valentine's Day this year and next year, as a way for businesses to "recoup losses and promote economic activity."
The resolution goes on to say:
The winter of 2013-2014 produced numerous snow storms and extremely cold days in New Jersey and caused many residents to change their Valentine's Day plans. As a result, many businesses were adversely impacted and saw reductions in customer traffic and revenues.
In an effort to assist businesses to recoup losses and promote economic activity, "Half St. Valentine's Day" was adopted in Roseland, New Jersey, to encourage residents to celebrate the half way point between Valentine's Day 2014 and Valentine's Day 2015. "Half St. Valentine's Day" will allow residents throughout the State to enjoy the spirit of Valentine's Day without the harsh conditions of winter and will create a positive business climate and promote economic activity in New Jersey.
Here's a reminder of some of the snowy, slushy conditions star-crossed lovers had to face on Valentine's Day this year:
John Mackay of the West Village enters a subway with flowers he had to pick up due to flower deliveries being affected in Manhattan on Feb. 13.
Men load a truck in an attempt to deliver flowers in time for Valentine's Day in Manhattan on Feb. 13.
A woman carries roses through the slush of Union Square on Valentine's Day.
A man holds roses in Union Square on Valentine's Day.


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News Archive
Pulgram-McSparran Collection Comes to UMMA
Collecting great works of art on a professor's salary may sound like a fairy tale. But Ernst Pulgram, professor of romance and classical linguistics at the University of Michigan from 1948 until his retirement in 1986, did just that, acquiring works by some of the most currently sought after artists of the twentieth-century. Together with his wife Frances McSparran, UM associate professor and chief editor of the Middle English Compendium, Pulgram built one of the most personal and exhilarating collections of Austrian and German Expressionist art to be found in private hands. Before his death in 2005, Professor Pulgram shared his longtime wish for this remarkable group of more than 40 drawings, paintings on paper, and several prints to remain at Michigan, and the Museum of Art is honored to announce this extraordinary donation by an extraordinary couple.
"It would be difficult to overstate Ernst Pulgram's generosity, sagacity, and cultural literacy," said UMMA Director James Steward. "He was a scholar and a gentleman in the most capacious sense. The warmth and commitment that he and Frances had and have for our University community is once again shown by their conviction that these exceptional works of art should be actively used and treasured here at Michigan. We are so grateful to him and to Frances for what is truly a priceless and transformative gift to the Museum of Art. "
"More than anything this gift honors Ernst's great appetite for seeing and collecting and his love of this University," said Professor McSparran. "Michigan was Ernst's academic home and he enjoyed a wonderful and happy scholarly life here. He felt the collection would make an important archive of materials for students and scholars and that the Museum would be enriched by it. I know it would give him enormous pleasure to know that we've fulfilled his vision."
Born in Vienna in 1915, Ernst Pulgram grew up in the wake of World War I. He completed his doctorate at the University of Vienna in 1938 and shortly thereafter left Austria following the recent Nazi annexation of the country. After arriving in the U.S. in 1939, Pulgram was drafted and served in the Pacific during World War II. He subsequently earned a doctorate in comparative linguistics at Harvard on the GI Bill and began teaching at UM a couple years later.
After the war, Professor Pulgram began returning to Europe, touring extensively in his car that sailed with him across the Atlantic. He studied at the American Academy in Rome, traveled on fellowships and sabbaticals, and established lifelong friendships with artists, architects, and scholars who encouraged his interest in art and music. He started to collect in the early 1960s and was particularly drawn to the artists and imagery that reminded him of home—the post-World War I era of the Vienna Secession—and to the purity and economy of line in works on paper.
A native of Ireland, Professor McSparran arrived in the U.S. in 1968 and remembers first visiting Pulgram's "quaint little cottage on the Huron River stuffed with art, with works hanging everywhere." The couple reviewed catalogues and traveled a great deal together in Europe, cultivating relationships with gallerists in Salzburg, Vienna, and London.
"Ernst had a very lively mind," said Professor McSparran. "He developed an expertise in the artists he was interested in and he bought with discrimination, taste, and focus—he had to on an academic's salary! He bought something because he loved it when he saw it. It's a very personal collection."
A signature component of the Pulgram-McSparran collection is work by the Austrian Expressionist artists Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. Among the other noteworthy artists represented are George Grosz, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Oskar Kokoschka, Emil Nolde, and Christian Rohlfs. As psychological documents of their time, these drawings, watercolors, and prints were considered completed works of art, not preparatory studies. The responsive properties of the media—stylus on paper or plate—allowed the artists a level of immediacy that resulted in works that are extraordinarily intimate and incisive records of a European society in decline—decadent, disenchanted, and spiritually bereft. The edgy, angular quality of line and figural distortion combined to create emotionally unsettling compositions that the Nazis branded as degenerate.
Though decidedly out of fashion when Professor Pulgram began collecting, works by Klimt and Schiele, in particular, have risen dramatically in market significance over the last decade. For instance, one 1910 Schiele drawing sold at auction for $5.7 million in February of this year. Klimt's iconic 1907 portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer was acquired for $135 million in 2006 and now hangs in New York's Neue Galerie.
The Pulgram-McSparran collection beautifully complements UMMA's significant holdings in European art of the period. The Museum plans two future special exhibitions that will feature the collection in its entirety—one of which will help launch the expanded Museum at its reopening in 2009, while the second will figure later in that year's exhibition schedule. Individual works will regularly feature in the Museum's collections galleries, subject to rigorous preservation criteria because of the fragility of many of the works. When not on view, the Pulgram-McSparran collection will be available to scholars, students, and other researchers in the Museum's future Ernestine Winston Rubin Study Center for Works on Paper.
Stephanie Rieke


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Driver allegedly smoked crack during east Houma police chase
Published: Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 2:10 p.m.
Last Modified: Friday, May 10, 2013 at 11:02 a.m.
A man led police on a chase through east Houma Thursday morning after carjacking another driver and while smoking crack cocaine, authorities said.
Chester Termain Jones, 33, of Maryland, was spotted pulling out of Daniel Turner Trailer Court off East Street about 10 a.m. by officers who signaled him to stop, Houma Police Chief Todd Duplantis said.
Meanwhile, officers were talking with a 74-year-old man in the 2100 block of East Tunnel Boulevard who claimed to be the victim of a carjacking. The man, who police did not identify, said the carjacker pushed him, forced his way into the 2000 Chevrolet Silverado and took off.
Jones, spotted driving the 2000 Chevrolet Silverado, would not pull over, Duplantis said. He led officers through several subdivisions and into yards, crashing into signs, fences and an AT&T utility box, the chief said.
At one point, Jones got out of the truck and started running, then returned to the truck and drove off, Duplantis said.
Police eventually were able to nab Jones, who confessed to the carjacking and smoking crack both before and during the chase, Duplantis said. A crack pipe was recovered from the truck, he said.
Jones is charged with carjacking, aggravated flight from an officer, aggravated criminal damage to property and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was booked into the Terrebonne Parish jail, police said.
The truck was towed from the scene but will be returned to owner, Duplantis said.
Staff Writer Katie Urbaszewski can be reached at 448-7617 or katie.urbaszewski
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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Vox Magazine review of the Death Dance show in Columbia, MO
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Vox Magazine review of the Death Dance show in Columbia, MO
By NICK BONEY & SPENCER WILLEMS
July 19, 2007 | 12:00 a.m. CST
A din of anxious conversation arose from the floor as the lights remained low. The doors to The Blue Note opened at 8 p.m. on July 3, but by well past 9 there was no sign of activity onstage. Of the more than 100 hip-hop aficionados in attendance, there was no discernible style or statement: Punks sporting mohawks stood shoulder to shoulder with baggy-clothed rap fans and sandal-wearing hippies with dreadlocks. The varying personalities present were indicative of a hip-hop for the people that is as avant-garde as it is expansively relatable.
The first performer took to the stage with nothing more than a microphone and an attitude. Two-time World Slam Poetry Champion Buddy Wakefield ranted and railed, interweaving complex political doctrines with his wry observations and messages of hope. The diverse crowd laughed and cheered to a performance that could be summed up in one word: intense.
O.G. - Original Gangster
Scratch - A musical note of definite pitch, created when moving a piece of vinyl back and forth in a rhythmic fashion under a needle on a turntable.
Beat - Music that accompanies rapping.
Slam Poetry - Aggressive poetry that is sometimes associated with hip hop styling and rhythm.
Indie hip-hop - Rap artists that are signed to independent labels.
Source: urbandictionary.com
Following Wakefield was the hip-hop stylings of Alias, a heavyset white-boy hailing from Portland, Maine. Alias, who has collaborated with headlining performer Sage Francis, struck out on his own with a fast-paced rhyming scheme that railed against everyone and everything but above all other whack MCs who are killing hip-hop ... just ask Nas.
The floor of The Blue Note began to swell as the final opening act, Buck 65, took to the stage with a trailer-trash outfit and a neck brace. He spent most of his set alternating between awkward dancing and extraordinary table scratching. The Canadian artist is more of an alternative within hip-hop, varying his vocal intonations and his Tom Waits-like gritty delivery to a method of storytelling that is seldom seen in hip-hop anymore. After songs about Civil War grave diggers and how lonely it is to be a centaur (as in, yes, half-man, half-horse), Buck 65 exited to enthusiastic applause.
As the lights came back upon the stage, a bulky figure head shaved, beard not emerged sporting cargo pants, collared shirts and a tie. He roared intensely to open the show and instantly began slam-dancing to the tune of a metal guitar. The tempo slowed and segued into Civil Disobedience, a popular selection from performer Sage (Paul) Francis newest album, Human the Death Dance.
Not your typical O.G.
Although Francis would look out of place at a typical hip-hop show, he fit right in with the indie-rap frame of mind, an aesthetic and musical style that rebels from the bling and tattoos of gangsta rap to experiment with accelerated tempos and literary lyrical creations. Over the course of two hours, Sage, backed up by a DJ, guitarist and bassist/accordion player, bombarded the audience with a slew of metaphors, similes, puns and absurdities. Sages method is a hybrid of creative styles and conventions: He combines the varying intonation and shifting tempos of a slam poet with the playful puns and symbology of the most advanced rappers and celebrated poets.
Francis has secured a unique position within rap music and has joined the ranks of other socially conscious members of hip-hops avant-garde such as Aesop Rock, Atmosphere and Black Star. The performance in Columbia was a display of social, political and interpersonal dissent, backed up by experimental and at times strange music. Francis and his cadre of indie-rappers left a lyrical impression in Columbia and continued on their trail of innovative rap, an effort made to piss off some and enlighten others with a revolutionary brand of hip-hop.
Francis is something of an aberration in the modern day hip-hop climate. Although he hails from a modest, Irish-Catholic neighborhood in the Northeast, its not his skin color that incites controversy but his highly stylized and often confounding delivery. Francis is not in the business of bass swells and $2 hooks. He is a wordsmith, an instigator and a poet. As an artist, he is devoted to the form and substance of his poetry and shies away from the current conventions of rap that have become more commercialized since the advent of hip-hops prominence.
Francis two-hour set not only featured many new songs from his most recent release but also drew strong performance from his earlier works. Crackpipes and Dance Monkey proved to be crowd favorites, but Sages renegade Makeshift Patriot, a song that laments the tragedies of Sept. 11 but also criticizes the politicizing of its aftermath and urges listeners to not waive their rights with their flags.
Francis considers himself a writer first and focuses on honing his craft more than achieving MTV or Billboard recognition. Sage had already established his fiery political and social wit in various lyrical circles. Already a celebrated slam poet, Sages natural ability for rhythmic depictions of images and relationships thrust him to notoriety within the rap free-styling community. (Whats free-styling? Think Eminem in Eight-Mile but with a brain.)
He won the Superbowl Battle in 1999 in Boston and Scribble Jam in 2000 in Cincinnati.
Fearing that he would be labeled as a free-style rapper, Francis smashed his Scribble Jam trophy a week later and focused on becoming a recording artist. Hes leery of being typecast in his career, and this paranoia manifests itself in songs and live performances that are constantly questioning what it is to be a hip-hop artist.
Fri Sep 14, 2007 4:55 pm
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Blind eye As we said Nov. 30 in "Groundwork for a tax increase," Gov. Dannel P. Malloy calculated his recent budget rescissions to produce the greatest public outcry and foster greater public acceptance of higher taxes. On cue, one liberal wag last weekend complained bitterly about, among others, the "massive" $241,000 cut for services for the blind and visually impaired and $15,000 for special training for the deaf-blind. Those seem like worthy expenditures. But perhaps if government wasn't spending more than $6 billion a year, almost a third of its budget, to support its legions of able-bodied, career government dependents who complain all their free money doesn't leave them enough for life's necessities — you know: cigarettes, illicit drugs, cell phones, tattoos, satellite TV, etc. — maybe taxpayers could better afford worthy services for the truly needy.
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He'll dream of thunderous adventures in these Thundercats PJs! The top features a large graphic of Lion-o wielding the Sword of Omens. The matching pants have an elastic waistband. Both pieces are made of soft, breathable material for all-night comfort. Flame Resistant 100% Polyester. Price: $12.99
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Barcelona Design
Category: Designers/Studios, Events/Exhibitions, Interviews / Studio,
Posted: Feb 24th 2014
No. of comments: 0
In conjunction with the upcoming BCN:MCR event we got in contact with four very talented (and very friendly) Barcelona studios who will be exhibiting at the event. Toormix, Twopoints, Atipus and Brosmind all boast a range of exciting, contemporary work.
As well as supplying some amazing imagery a few of the featured studios have also given some really inspiring advice for design students about to enter the industry.
Twopoints have some great advice about never giving up—
"A teacher of us once told us that life is a marathon, not a sprint. He said this when we just founded our studio and started our phd. Sometimes, when you get impatient and frustrated, because somthing goes slowlier than expected, you have to make sure to remember how much you achieved already and that a slow progress means slow progress and not no progress. Life is a marathon, not a sprint."
Atipus have a really useful note to remember when designing—
"There's one thing that we have learned over the years and that is to be empathetic with clients and care about their issues. Sometimes as designers we want all our work super designed and -lets face it- not all products need it. We are not talking about design quality here, all we mean is that often there are projects were design is not everything but a small part of it. We are not masters of the universe!"
You can check out some more work from these guys on their websites and if you can, why not go see them in person at the BCN:MCR event in March!


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The computer lab at Silverthorne Elementary is filled with the sound of mice. Computer mice, that is, as a group of first-graders click away. Their screens show snapshots of math problems or puzzles. Some of them are reading books, following along by sight and sound with the highlighted text, large padded headphones engulfing their petite heads.
As technology, particularly computers and the Internet, become more pervasive in the everyday world, the importance of teaching digital skills in the classroom increases. The problem is that technology isn't necessarily cheap. Some families can easily afford computers and Internet access while others cannot. Not having constant access to technology can put children at a disadvantage, one which schools across the nation have been struggling to mitigate.
Schools aren't the only ones working to solve the problem, however. In 2011, Internet provider Comcast created a program called Internet Essentials, which provides broadband service at a low monthly rate, computers for $150 or less and access to free digital literacy training. Those eligible for the Internet Essentials program are families with at least one child who participates in the National School Lunch Program and therefore qualifies for free and reduced lunch.
"Unfortunately, about 30 percent of Americans, many of whom are living below the poverty line, are living on the wrong side of the digital divide," said Comcast executive vice president David L. Cohen. "Those families face profound disadvantages."
Cohen said that the purpose behind the Internet Essentials program was to attempt to lessen the gap between students that have computers and Internet access and those that don't.
Since the program's inception, more than 150,000 families nationwide have signed up for the low-cost access. Denver is No. 6 six on Comcast's top 10 list of metropolitan areas signing up for Internet Essentials (6,100 families) and has the highest penetration rate of customers signed up for the eligible population.
"We couldn't be prouder with what we have accomplished, but we are not resting on our laurels," Cohen said.
Comcast is now expanding eligibility of its program to include parochial, private and homeschool students.
More than 1,000 students in Summit County qualify for free and reduced lunch and therefore the low-cost Internet Essentials program. While all school district classrooms provide access to technology, there's not much they can do for students who don't have computers or Internet connectivity at home.
"The digital divide is definitely alive and well in Summit County," said Dianna Hulbert, principal at Silverthorne Elementary. "Because kids, they might have Wiis and Nintendos and things like that, but they don't have the actual computer that's useful for research and word processing and all those kinds of things."
Silverthorne Elementary offers the chance for students to rent out laptops, for up to the entire school year, so long as Internet access can be provided at home. That's when programs like Comcast's Internet Essentials come in handy, Hulbert said. The school doesn't require parents to sign up for Comcast specifically, but lets them know that it's an option.
"Learning doesn't stop when the bell rings," she said. "A lot of times they'll be interested in a subject and we want them to be able to continue to pursue their interest and have those resources at home. We definitely want them to be inquirers and curious, and if they're really excited about it, we want them to be able to (learn more)."
Teaching students digital literacy is a priority and one that will embue them with skills useful later in life, says Bethany Massey, director of instructional technology at Summit School District.
"I always use the analogy of comparing it to reading literacy," she said. "If you're illiterate, it really impedes what you can do and how effective you can be at certain things, and I believe the same is true with technology."
This year, each school within the district developed its own technology team. The teams are working on refining a plan to improve technology learning and access in the classroom.
"The focus is student preparation for technology readiness for the future," Massey said. "Student achievement is the main goal. It's not technology for technology's sake - it's for student learning."
Back in the lab with the Silverthorne first-graders, tech support and substitute Tyler Bunnelle walks from monitor to monitor, assisting students with opening programs and navigating the screen.
Bunnelle said that though some of the children seem hesitant and unsure with computers at first, they quickly improve as time goes on. He also said the students seem to enjoy reading and math problems more on the computer than with an actual book or blackboard.
"It's a little more interactive and the immersion factor is going on," he said. "It just brings that fun element to learning."
First-grader Jazmine Lopez is eager to talk about what she does on the computer, both at school and at home.
"I have a computer, but my mom and dad work on it a lot," she said. "Sometimes I play on it. I play games."
Her classmate, Ava Miller, says that she also plays games on the computer. "I play fun and learning games," she said, claiming the math games to be her favorite. Typing was hard at first, but she says now she's good at it because she practices a lot.
"You can tell right away when you're in a class which kids have the technology at home and which don't," Hulbert said. "Initially, at the beginning of the year, kids that don't have that technology, we have to teach them, OK, here's how we get on the Internet."
Though the learning process doesn't necessarily take long, Hulbert says that not having continual access does slow the students' ability to understand and efficiently use the technology. Massey agrees that home access is important.
"That's always a benefit," she said. "Anything that we can do to support students getting access and extended hours is going to benefit them. Just like reading, the more access they have to books outside of the school day, the more it's going to benefit them."
The key to solving the problem, Massey said, is to keep access to technology as open as possible.
"We are getting technology into the hands of kids. It's one of those things, is there ever going to be a spot (where we say) 'ok we're finished?' No. Technology is constantly changing, it's changing over night, it's a moving target, and we're making sure we stay on top of that."


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STOCKTON - Police arrested two people after a high-speed chase in which the suspect vehicle drove into oncoming traffic on North El Dorado Street about 11 a.m. Wednesday.
According to police, an officer tried to stop a vehicle for traffic violations near Surrey Lane and Kentfield Road in north Stockton, but the driver failed to yield and sped away.
After a one-minute pursuit at speeds up to 60 mph, the pursuit was called off when the motorist began driving north in the southbound lanes of North El Dorado.
Police found the vehicle later in the first block of Dunmar Lane and searched the area, where they found the suspected driver and passenger. They arrested driver Thomas Spear, 25, on suspicion of evading, resisting arrest, probation violation and a police warrant. They arrested Jeselyn Bowers, 24, on a police warrant.
Location, ST | website.com


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TAHOE/TRUCKEE, Calif. — Woodward Tahoe at Boreal Mountain Resort recently announced it has partnered with the High Fives Foundation for the fourth week of its action sport camps. The partnership is part of a concerted effort from both sides to raise money to support injured action sports enthusiasts and promote the advancement of action sports in a safe and progressive manner. Moving forward, Woodward Tahoe will donate $100 to the Foundation for every camper who registers for the fourth week of camp, which runs from July 1-7, 2012.-
The High Fives Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to raising money and awareness for athletes who have suffered a life-altering injury while pursuing their dream in the winter action sports community. Since its inception, the organization has successfully raised funds, secured alternative treatments and aided in the recovery of more than 26 athletes. It is the mission of the High Fives Foundation to continue to grow and become a nationwide organization that effectively acts as an umbrella for those who participate in the winter sports.
Woodward Tahoe, an American Camp Association member, is the newest addition to the internationally acclaimed Camp Woodward training facilities and youth camps, which have provided training grounds and inspiration for generations of action sports and Olympic athletes throughout the U.S. and abroad. Woodward Tahoe summer camps are open to boys and girls ages 7-20 for full week-long camp sessions or individual instruction drop-in sessions. The camps will provide skate, BMX, cheer, dryland skiing and snowboarding campers the opportunity to train indoors in a brand new 33,000-square foot facility, and allow ski and snowboard campers to train on real snow. Woodward Tahoe will also be home to many professional athletes who visit the facility to train or to lead instructional programs for students.
The partnership is a natural fit for both parties. In addition to supporting injured athletes, the High Fives Foundation strongly advocates injury prevention through its B.A.S.I.C.S. Program Service, which is designed to promote safety and awareness through world-class fundamentals coaching and encourages action sports participants to start simple and work their way up. This program is directly aligned with Woodward's objective of achieving action sport greatness in a safe and progressive environment.- High Fives Foundation ambassadors, including Ian Compton (one of three headlining coaches), will also be on hand during week four of camp to work with the children and further convey the basic principles and best practices of training in a safe manner.-
"Many people just see the crazy stuff athletes are doing on TV or on the X Games, but don't realize the time and energy it took to get to that level," said Jon Slaughter, Woodward Tahoe's marketing director. "We want to join the High Fives Foundation in teaching our campers and all action sports enthusiasts that they can be just like those guys, but if they want to make it that far they need to be safe and always start with the B.A.S.I.C.S.."-
About Camp Woodward
Founded in 1970 in rural central Pennsylvania, Camp Woodward facilities host thousands of aspiring and professional action sports, gymnastics and cheer athletes from around the world, including current and future Olympians. The company recently expanded its properties to include training facilities for surfing, snowboarding and skiing, including Woodward Tahoe and Woodward at Copper Mountain, Colo.; summer camps at Woodward West in Southern California; and Woodward Beijing outside of Beijing, China. For more information on Camp Woodward, please visit www.campwoodward.com.
About the High Fives Non-Profit Foundation
The High Fives Non-Profit Foundation is a Tahoe-based 501.c.3 nonprofit organization dedicated to raising money and awareness for athletes who have suffered a life-altering injury while pursuing their dream in the winter action sports community. For more information on the High Fives Foundation, please visit www.highfivesfoundation.org.


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Two fire trucks responded and diners had to be evacuated as a fire caused Captain D's restaurant to fill with smoke Friday.
The Marietta Police Department received a call from Captain D's, 104 Pike St., around 7:33 p.m. saying that there was smoke in the building, said Capt. Jack Hansis of the Marietta Fire Department. There were about 15 customers inside at the time.
"By the time we arrived, the smoke had made it about halfway down toward the floor," said Hansis.
Article Photos
JASMINE ROGERS The Marietta Times
The Marietta Fire Department tried to determine the cause of a fire that broke out Friday night in an air handling unit on the roof of Captain D's restaurant. A manager from the restaurant could not comment on when the restaurant will reopen.
The fire broke out in an air handler, a unit on the restaurant's roof that handles heating and cooling, said Lt. Larry Bargeloh with the fire department.
Firefighters cut power to the building and accessed the roof via ladder. There they contained the fire with a large extinguisher, said Hansis.
The department investigated the ceiling space between the roof and restaurant and determined that it was undamaged, he said.
"We got it before it was able to get into the main building," said Hansis.
The fire was called as under control by 7:43, he said.
The restaurant's manager declined to say how many patrons had been inside, referring all questions to Captain D's corporate headquarters.
A crowd of five employees gathered outside also declined to comment.
All customers had vacated by the time the fire department arrived, said Hansis.
The extent of the damage is unknown, but relatively little smoke managed to get into the kitchen, said Hansis.
"Most restaurants have two of these air handlers on the roof, so most of the smoke was coming down one side," he said.
The cost to replace an air handler is about $5,000, Hansis said.
After containing the fire, the department began to ventilate the remaining smoke out of the restaurant.
Employees were allowed to re-enter the building to initiate clean-up shortly after 8 p.m., he said.
The department was still working to determine the cause of the initial fire, said Hansis.
It is unclear if the restaurant will open Saturday.
The restaurant manager said the health department would first have to inspect the site.


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Brazilian Court Orders World Cup to Give Players Cooling Breaks
SÃO PAULO–A Brazilian labor court on Friday ruled cooling breaks during World Cup matches are obligatory when temperatures soar, challenging FIFA, the tournament's organizer.
Judge Rogerio Neiva ruled that players must be given breaks when the ambient temperature – which takes into account humidity, wind and actual temperature – exceeds 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit).
The judge accepted the recommendation of labor prosecutor Pinheiro Valdir Pereira da Silva, who'd argued that players should be given breaks after about 30 minutes of play in each of the two 45-minute halves of a soccer match. FIFA faces a fine of 200,000 Brazilian reais (about $90,000) for every match where there is no break.
FIFA didn't initially respond to a request for comment on Friday.
Some of the venues for the tournament in Brazil are in some of the hottest places that the tournament has ever been played. Even though Brazil is in the southern hemisphere, where winter officially begins on Saturday, temperatures in tropical cities such as Natal, Recife, Salvador and Manaus are always high.
The dispute pits Brazil's extensive and demanding labor legislation against FIFA, the powerful governing body that runs world soccer.
It is evidence of the broad-ranging powers that labor prosecutors hold in Brazil, which are often applied ambiguously. The country's super-strict labor laws provide ample protection for people in formal employment, which estimates suggest are around 20% of the working population. Companies often complain that the laws, and their sometimes haphazard implementation, are one of the most unpredictable and heavy burdens of doing business in Brazil.
FIFA says that if the ambient temperature rises above 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit), then the match medical officer will recommend three-minute cooling breaks in each half, but that the decision to apply them ultimately rests with the referee.
"It's just really match-by-match analysis," FIFA head of media Delia Fischer told reporters at a briefing on June 13.


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Rick Turley, Coldwell Banker's president for the San Francisco Bay Area, was in China this week to tap into the growing desire affluent Chinese have for property in the U.S., especially Silicon Valley.
His two-city speaking tour is part of a new initiative the real estate giant is launching to attract Asian investors who want to invest in U.S. real estate or move here to launch companies and put their kids in good schools.
Before he left, Turley spoke with this newspaper about the initiative, the health of Silicon Valley's real estate market and the unusual career path he took before getting into real estate a quarter of a century ago. He now manages Coldwell Banker's 47 regional offices and 2,800 real estate professionals, but in a past life was an ice skating coach.
Q: You have an unusual career path for a real estate executive -- professional skater with the Ice Follies, competitive skating coach for a decade. How did real estate come about?
A: Though they don't seem that related, going from that competitive background to being a Realtor is not that uncommon. Just in Coldwell Banker, a number of our people competed at the same time I did in the '70s. My Burlingame manager, Leigh Whitten, and I coached at the same arena years ago and didn't know each other. Then we ended up at Coldwell Banker in two different cities and now I'm her boss and she's one of my top managers. If there's any lesson there to tap into, becoming a top Realtor takes a lot of drive, a lot of passion and you have to sharpen your tools and do it over and over again, not unlike a competitive sport.
Q: We've heard lots about Asian investors buying Bay Area real estate. You're about to fly to China to speak to groups of investors in Shanghai and Hangzhou. What are they interested in when it comes to investing in the Bay Area?
A: We're actually working on a pilot program to help more affluent Chinese who are looking to invest in key U.S. cities and possibly emigrate. We're partnering with an immigration company that is working with Chinese residents considering investing in the U.S., purchasing real estate and creating jobs here. Coldwell Banker is positioned in all the large metros that they're interested in on both coasts and Chicago and Dallas. They are very attracted to schools, to quality higher learning.
Q: This sounds like the wave of the future.
A: Exactly. This has happened on kind of a single basis here and there, where maybe a single agent has flown over and done a trade show. But this is the first time a company has recognized that we could provide a service and a clear path. I'm going to talk about six major cities of interest, of which San Francisco-Silicon Valley is probably highest on their radar.
Q: Maybe this is obvious, but why are they so interested in this region?
A: It's a real combination. Technology is on everyone's radar and they see the potential for growth. The technology and the universities such as Stanford also push the bar even higher for public schools, and they are very interested in public schools. Cupertino is high on the radar.
Q: So how is the Bay Area housing market doing? By some measures it seems to be leading the recovery nationwide.
A: Clearly, we're not able make any predictions, but we can simply state what we've seen in the last 12 months is very solid improvement in price and a very marked decline in inventory. If that continues to play out, we can predict that price will continue to go up. The good news for the Silicon Valley home seller is the appetite for their home is enormous. I think that whether it's the emigrating Chinese or any other buyer, it's getting harder. More and more people are losing out in multiple offers.
Q: The valley seems to be a pretty resilient market, considering all it has been through in the past decade.
A" Take a look at what happened in Silicon Valley. Even the tech bust in 2000 did very little to harm the real estate market. The financial crisis in 2008 definitely took the wind out of our sails, but far less in Silicon Valley than around the nation. And now, relatively speaking, we're so quickly seeing a return to some strong pricing that it speaks well for a long-term investment.
Think how really extreme the tech bubble in 2001 was, how many jobs were lost, that truly evaporated. You'd think that would wipe out a community's real estate for a decade. Instead, we just plowed right through that and took off. Those are the kinds of things I'm going to explain to the Chinese.
Q: You're involved with several charities, such as Habitat for Humanity. Is volunteering something you encourage in your agents?
A: Yes. Habitat for Humanity is our primary way to give back because we feel it is so related to what we do in housing. We're able to be some significant cash contributors to Habitat, and each of our offices once a year gets involved in a build. Agents will come out and build alongside the new homeowner, spending a whole day doing some flooring, framing some windows, painting. That's always our focus each and every year, plus a big financial fundraising drive.
Contact Pete Carey at 408-920-5419 and follow him at Twitter.com/petecarey
Rick Turley
Birthplace: Bloomington, Ill., 1953
Past jobs: 1974-86, professional ice skater; 1986-99, real estate agent and broker with Coldwell Banker in Sacramento; 1999-present, Coldwell Banker real estate management in San Francisco
Education: Studied business administration at Illinois State University
Resides in: San Francisco
Five things you didn't know about Rick Turley
1. He skated professionally with the Ice Follies, then coached ice skating for 10 years before going into real estate.
2. He became certified in scuba diving in his early '50s, and takes a diving trip every year.
3. He is an avid gymgoer, and does weight lifting every morning.
4. He was the real estate agent for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and first lady Maria Shriver when they were house hunting for a new governor's mansion.
5. He volunteers to build homes for Habitat for Humanity


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Medford police arrested Celeste Kathleen Patton of Central Point Monday night after receiving a tip that she had parked her Hummer on the sidewalk at the north Fred Meyer, then came out of the store on Crater Lake Highway with a bottle of wine and started drinking as she drove off.
The tipster dialed 911 at about 8:40 p.m. Monday and followed the Hummer as it reportedly swerved through traffic on Poplar Drive. When Patton, 36, turned left onto McAndrews Road, the Hummer veered onto the sidewalk and sheared off a light pole, police said in a news release.
The crash knocked a wheel off the vehicle, but Patton drove along on its axle for what police called "a significant distance" before coming to a stop.
Patton, of the 2500 block of Mistletoe Court, wasn't injured.
Patton was unable to pass field sobriety tests, police said. She was arrested on charges of driving under the influence of intoxicants, reckless driving and failing to perform the duties of a driver.
Police said she was under the influence of alcohol and prescription medication.
Location, ST | website.com


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The versatile specialist with excellent handling and operating economy.
4×2, 6×2, 6×4, 8×2 or 8×4
D11 or D13 (330 to 500 hp)
Volvo FH
Volvo FMX
Volvo FM
Volvo FE
Volvo FL
As you approach a new slope in the new Volvo FM, I-See is recalling information about its gradients in order to manage your speed and gear changes with maximum efficiency. As a result, you can save up to 5 percent fuel.
"If the truck hasn't driven the road before it simply downloads the data from the I-See cloud," explains Anders Eriksson. "And if the information is missing there, the truck will record the gradients while you are driving and upload them – so they're in the database for next time. This way you will soon have access to all the fuel saving data you could possibly need."
I-See works out how to make the most of the hill's kinetic energy and passes this on to the intelligent transmission, I-Shift. In all, it carries out six different manoeuvres to reduce fuel consumption. For instance, before the hill begins the truck speeds up to come further up the hill in the same gear, reducing the number of gear changes – and fuel consumption.
"This is the type of thing skilled drivers already do. But if you're driving a truck for eight hours, you're not likely to do it in quite the same way. With I-See managing the slopes you can concentrate on other aspects of driving instead," says Anders Eriksson.
Together with the cruise control's most efficient setting, fuel consumption can be reduced by up to 5 percent on stretches where I-See is used. How much this amounts to depends on how much you use I-See. And since it's self teaching, no maps or updates are needed. This, too, saves money.
Save up to 5% fuel with I-See
Volvo's Driver Development programme sharpens fuel saving techniques among drivers of all levels. But to sustain the savings over time, nothing beats the continual follow-up and advice of a personal advisor. Transport solutions manager, Jarkko Aine, outlines the new Fuel Advice service:
"The key to long term savings lies in systematic follow-up. Fuel Advice allows driving techniques such as speed adaptation and gear utilisation to be evaluated using data from the truck. It works as a subscription for as long as you need it.
The new service consists of Fuel Coaching, a Fuel Management Toolbox and Fuel Management Support. The idea is to provide the operator with the resources and continuity needed to sustain the fuel savings over time. "The best results are achieved when operators appoint their own Fuel Champion – somebody who can read the reports and pass on the feedback to the drivers,'' says Jarkko Aine. "This is what maximizes the savings, month after month. ''After each analysis, a report is conveyed to the driver with actions to take. And the fuel advisor who creates the report can be contacted if a query comes up."


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Menopause is the time when a woman's menstrual period ends. Menopause is considered complete when a woman has been without her period for one year. Menopause can occur any time between ages 40 and 60. On average, it occurs around age 52.
Menopause is gradual. The period of time leading up to complete menopause is called perimenopause. Premature menopause occurs before the age of 40. Menopause can also be surgically induced when the ovaries are removed.
Menopause is a natural process. Treatment is used to manage the symptoms associated with menopause.
Menopause is caused by a gradual decrease in a hormone called estrogen. Estrogen is released by the ovaries. The decrease in estrogen eventually stops the ovaries from releasing eggs.
Symptoms may include:
Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done.
Natural menopause is diagnosed when a woman has not had a menstrual period for 12 consecutive months. Menopause may need to be confirmed if it was caused by a surgical procedure. A blood test may be done to look for follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). High levels of FSH may indicate menopause.
Menopause is a natural part of life. It does not necessarily require treatment. However, symptoms and health risks associated with low estrogen can be treated. Symptoms include hot flashes or vaginal dryness. You may need additional treatment if you have (or to prevent) osteoporosis, which is a loss of bone mass.
Osteoporosis in Hip
Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.
Types of hormone replacement therapies include:
HRT is available as tablets, gels, skin patches, vaginal rings, vaginal tablets, injections, and pellets inserted into the skin.
There are a number of possible risks associated with HRT, such as:
A healthful diet during menopause can improve your sense of well-being. It may also reduce the risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, and certain cancers. The diet should be low in fat. It should include plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Your diet should also include enough calcium and vitamin D.
Caffeine and alcohol may increase your symptoms of anxiety and insomnia. They can also increase your loss of calcium. If you drink alcohol, only drink in moderation. Moderation is 1 or less drinks per day.
Smoking can increase the risk of early menopause, heart disease, and osteoporosis.
Weight-bearing exercises like walking and climbing stairs, and strength exercises may also decrease your risk of osteoporosis, especially in women who are inactive. Aerobic exercise may reduce some symptoms of menopause in women who are inactive.
Stress management may help ease tension, anxiety, and other menopausal symptoms. Deep breathing, massage, warm baths, and quiet music are examples of relaxation techniques.
Vaginal moisturizers and vaginal lubricants are used to help vaginal dryness.
Healthy Women
North American Menopause Society
Health Canada
Women's Health Matters
Menopause. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what. Updated January 15, 2013. Accessed April 18, 2013.
Menopause. Planned Parenthood Federation of America website. Available at: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-info/womens-health/menopause. Accessed April 18, 2013.
Menopause 101: A primer for the perimenopausal. North American Menopause Society website. Available at: http://www.menopause.org/for-women/menopauseflashes/menopause-symptoms-and-treatments/menopause-101-a-primer-for-the-perimenopausal. Accessed April 18, 2013.
9/30/2008 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what: Jacobson BC, Moy B, et al. Postmenopausal hormone use and symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux. Arch Intern Med. 2008;168:1798-1804.
1/30/2009 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what: Borrelli F, Ernst E. Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa): A systematic review of adverse events. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2008;199:455-466.
1/30/2009 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what: Kaszkin-Bettag M, Ventskovskiy BM, et al. Confirmation of the efficacy of ERr 731 in perimenopausal women with menopausal symptoms. Altern Ther Health Med. 2009;15:24-34.
4/14/2009 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what: Archer DF, Dupont CM, et al; Study 319 Investigators. Desvenlafaxine for the treatment of vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of efficacy and safety. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2009;200:238.e1-e10.
11/4/2013 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what: Moilanen JM, Mikkola TS, et al. Effect of aerobic training on menopausal symptoms: A randomized controlled trial. Menopause. 2012;19(6):691-696.
Last reviewed January 2015 by Andrea Chisholm, MD
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Copyright © 2012 EBSCO Publishing All rights reserved.
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"I know what I did was crazy. I've started to become very depressed. I didn't care about myself anymore. I felt like my whole world was collapsing around me. Ever since I lost my sister and my mother, two months apart from each other, I haven't been the same person. I come from a decent family; I've always worked, never been a trouble maker and graduated from high school. I have always respected the law, never been arrested and never committed any crime. I am so sorry for what my craziness of mind had me act upon today. I need help." – a client of the Mental Health Advocacy Program. This 54 year old man, arrested for robbery, lacked any supportive services, was unemployed, without food and lacked the ability to provide or advocate for himself.
The main objective of this program is to divert mentally ill & cognitively impaired offenders (often dually diagnosed with drug and alcohol abuse) from further adjudication and confinement. We believe that identifying these individuals early leads to potentially successful treatment and, as a result, decreased recidivism rather than punishment. Our team consists of a licensed psychologist, a coordinator and forensic case managers. Our goal is to secure mental health and/or psychiatric treatment, medical services, entitlement benefits, substance abuse services and referrals to long-term support. Very intensive case management support is provided within the first 24 hours of diversion and includes up to daily support as needed to insure that the client is stabilized and the appropriate case plan is developed and initiated. Short-term intensive services lead to a discharge plan, which includes provision for the immediate release of the client to supervised structured housing. The client may return home or to previous community housing if that is available and the Court is willing to agree.
Download our brochure: Mental Health Court Advocacy brochure


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About Us
All Languages
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The greatest gift is the
gift of the teachings
Rebecca Bradshaw's Dharma Talks
Rebecca Bradshaw
Donate to Rebecca Bradshaw
Rebecca Bradshaw is the guiding teacher of the Insight Meditation Center of the Pioneer Valley (www.insightpv.org) in Easthampton, Massachusetts, and one at the guiding teachers at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts. "My passion is encouraging students to drop into embodied presence, and grounding this presence in wisdom and lovingkindness. When a sense of love and kindness underlies our practice, we can explore life deeply in a truly integrated way, bringing together mind, heart, and body. Wisdom then holds it all in spaciousness. I especially enjoy connecting with young people in the Dharma, teaching students on longer retreats, supporting sangha on a community level, and sharing the dharma in Spanish."
-- Select from Rebecca Bradshaw's 111 talks --
1998-01-01 Meditación De La Respiración
1998-01-01 Meditación Del Amor Bondadoso
2004-08-15 Acceptance And Action
2007-10-12 Afflictive Emotions
2005-10-21 Anicca
2013-03-18 Appreciative Joy
2011-05-29 Assumptions About Love
2008-09-26 Balanced Effort
2013-04-27 Balanced Effort
2012-08-30 Being Ordinary
2012-04-19 Being With Emotions With Kind Heartness Awareness.
2015-07-29 Better Than, Equal to, or Less Than: Comparing Ourselves to Others (The Buddh...
2012-11-02 Boredom
2013-11-25 Brahmaviharas - equanimity
2014-11-14 Clinging and Non Clinging At the Six Sense Doors
2008-03-13 Compassion
2008-06-04 Compassion
2011-11-04 Craving - Tanha - Second Noble Truth
2015-11-20 Deeply Conditioned Patterns Of Perfectionism
2007-03-22 Drive Through That Town
2007-08-30 Drive through that Town: An Unconventional Look at the Four Noble Truths
2009-11-06 Dukka - Three Kinds Of Suffering
2005-10-07 Dukkha
2008-03-24 Equanimity
2001-06-09 Establishing Our Practice: Concentration And Mindfulness
2007-12-30 Forgiveness
2005-06-07 Forgiveness And Joy
2014-07-09 Forgiveness: Freeing the Heart of Anger
2006-07-01 Four Kinds Of Happiness
2011-06-09 Four Noble Truths
2013-11-22 Generosity
2010-03-15 Giving and Receiving with a Heart in Touch with Reality
2010-11-05 Gratification - Danger and Escape
2011-12-22 Gratitude and generosity
2010-11-19 Gratitude and Generosity
2015-07-08 Grief, Letting Go and Compassion
2015-07-08 Grief, Letting Go and Compassion
2015-05-31 Guided Equanimity Brahmavihara
2001-10-28 Happiness And The Greatest Happiness
2002-06-22 Happiness And The Obstacles To Happiness
2009-06-10 Happiness of Equanimity
2001-10-20 How Mindfulness Heals: Working With Thoughts And Emotions
2008-06-11 Impermanence And Equanimity
2014-10-28 Introduction To Brahma Vihara Practice and Guided Meditation
2012-10-30 Introduction to Compassion Meditation
2009-02-19 Joyful Generosity
2008-03-31 Karma
2013-07-08 Knowing your Buddhist Personality Type
2013-11-08 Knowing your Buddhist personality type can help you practice
2014-06-27 La Atención Plena y el Amor Bondadoso
2014-01-27 Living in delusion, living in truth
2013-11-14 Living In Delusion. Living In Truth
2011-06-02 Living With Metta, Dana and Sila Practice
2010-02-04 Making Peace with Deeply Conditioned Patterns of Heart and Mind
2013-10-29 Meditation Instructions - Emotions
2008-03-06 Metta
2008-06-12 Metta
2007-10-05 Metta
2007-09-25 Metta - Guided Meditation
2012-04-21 Metta - Neutral and Difficult Person
2012-07-02 Metta - self and easy people - teen retreat
2014-11-07 Metta and Compassion in our Vipassana Practice
2008-06-01 Metta And Its Challenges; Exploration Of The Classic "Hindrances" In Relation...
2015-05-25 Metta Instructions for Self and Easy Person
2012-04-19 Metta Meditation Introduction. Guided Meditation
2007-09-28 Mindful Awareness Of The Five Hindrances
2007-09-28 Mindful Awareness of the Five Hindrances
2016-07-29 Mindful awareness of thoughts and emotions
2010-10-24 Mindfulness
2013-10-25 Mindfulness and Investigation
2015-07-24 Mindfulness and Metta With the Hindrances
2010-06-06 Mindfulness Of The Body
2012-07-01 Mindfulness Of Thought And Emotion
2016-06-06 Mine development, ethics, and giving
2013-05-30 Morning Instruction - Mindfulness of emotion
2014-10-27 Morning Instructions - Anchor
2009-03-05 Not Even Waiting - the Practice of Patience
2015-04-14 Opening Talk
2003-06-17 Opening The Heart Of Compassion
2006-10-06 Paramis On Retreat
2014-11-28 Paramis On Retreat
2011-11-15 Questions and Answers
2001-06-23 Questions We May Ask
2008-06-07 Relaxation, Curiosity And Mindfulness
2015-11-12 Sankhara Dukkha
2015-11-27 Sila Makes Everybody Happy
2005-09-30 Skillful Effort
2012-02-02 Skillful Effort
2014-05-25 Spiritual Idealism, Dukkha and Compassion
2016-02-17 The Awakening Factor of Equanimity
2016-02-15 The Awakening Factor of Joyous Interest
2014-01-20 The Calming Factors of Awakening
2014-01-14 The Energizing Factors of Awakening
2001-06-14 The Four Noble Truths
2006-09-22 The Four Noble Truths (75% Of Them)
2009-03-13 The Gift Of Sila
2007-10-19 The Gratification, The Danger And The Escape
2011-07-11 The Greatest Disappointment Leading to Peace
2012-11-08 The Greatest Disappointment... Or Anicca and Letting Go.
2006-08-15 The Happpiness Of The Brahmaviharas
2009-03-30 The Parami of Metta
2009-02-26 The Power Of Renunciation
2009-02-12 The Practice of Patience
2000-06-24 The Red Pill Or The Blue Pill?
2009-06-03 The Responsive Heart
2014-10-31 Thought Based and Sense Based Reality
2009-07-30 Trusting Our Own Experience To Teach Us
2010-02-18 Understanding Thought
2010-07-11 Untangling Our Karmic Knots
2015-05-28 Viparinama Dukkha
2013-11-29 Wise Speech
Four Kinds Of Happiness
Described for teens four kinds of happiness the Buddha taught: living an ethical life, concentration, sense pleasures and peace.
Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center
Teen Retreat
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Bill Miller | May 27, 2007
By Bill Miller • Sunday, May 27, 2007 - 12:54
The global-warming juggernaut is creating climate refugees in northern settlements, where native residents once forced to abandon their nomadic ways are now faced with deserting villages where ragged wooden houses have to be adjusted regularly to level them on the shifting soil.
"We haven't sat down as a society and said, 'How are we going to adapt to this?' " said Michael Oppenheimer, a climate scientist at Princeton University and lead author of a recent report by a United Nations IPCC panel on the impacts and vulnerability presented by climate change. "Just like we haven't sat down and said, 'How are we going to reduce emissions?' And both have to be done."
Ian Forrester replied on Permalink
It's disgusting the way the deniers are closing their eyes
Anyone who is continuing to deny that there are dramatic human induced changes to the World's climate should be sent to live in the small towns in Alaska, the Pacific Islands and the many other places where the imprint of human influence is so obvious. For them to continue to deny, deny is almost criminal. It is a sorry reflection of the narcissist and greedy lifestyle that so many people are choosing.
Ian Forrester
John Dowell replied on Permalink
Back Then
How did these folks up north make out in the 1930s and 1940s when scientists say the Arctic was as warm as it is now? Wasn't that when we were just cranking up our narcissistic and greedy lifestyles?
I suspect if they can all hang on a bit longer, the Arctic will cool again as it did while we trampled the landscape with our big, sooty carbon footprints. Then, of course, Ian and the rest of the hair shirt crowd can take credit for having caused the cooling.
John Dowell, Denieralist, Despoiler of Gaia, Tree-Spirit Skeptic
Which scientists?
"How did these folks up north make out in the 1930s and 1940s when scientists say the Arctic was as warm as it is now?"
Which scientists said this? Where did you get this information, and what did you do to verify it?
Ian Forrester replied on Permalink
I think it was in the Ottawa Citizen
I think John must have read it in the Ottawa Citizen. It was probably on the same page as the article which called the recent season of skating on the Rideau Canal one of the longest on record :-)
Ian Forrester
John Dowell replied on Permalink
Actually No, Ian
I have seen several references in recent years but here's the latest, an article recently appearing in the Journal of Geophysical Research. Dmitry Divine and Chad Dick (2006) of the Norwegian Polar Institute report on their use of historical observations of ice cover in the Nordic Seas region
They say records of ice extent in the Nordic Seas region date to the mid-17th century, primarily in the form of ship logs and diaries early in the record and airborne and satellite observations later in the record. The data are sparse until the latter half of the 19th century when sealing and whaling in the region became popular. Data from 1850 to present are considered to be rather complete and the sea ice data for this period collectively represent one of the few data sets with direct measurements of climate conditions dating back more than a century.
Divine and Dick note the importance of the period from a climate change perspective, as the 150+ years include well-known "Arctic cooling (1880s–1910s, 1960s–1970s) and warming (1920s–1930s, 1980s–1990s) events as well as the recent significant reduction of ice extent.
Divine and Dick also note that "a similar shrinkage of ice cover was observed in the 1920s–1930s, during the previous warm phase of the low-frequency oscillation, when any anthropogenic influence is believed to have still been negligible."
So you see, Ian, the Arctic appears to go through cooling and warming cycles. Nothing to do with alleged AGW but you keep wearing your hair shirt if it makes you feel worthy of Mother Gaia.
Repeat after me, Desmoggers: The science is settled. There is a consensus. The science is settled. There is a consensus. OOOMMMMMMH The Goracle is our Messiah. OOOMMMMH
John, I'm guessing you got
John, I'm guessing you got your information from World Climate Report which is a global warming sceptic site with Patrick J. Michaels as Chief Editor.
What that site does is give an interpretation of what Divine and Dick are saying. The author of the post is not shown. What you have done, John, is misinterpret even what the sceptic website is saying. You wrote: "…the Arctic appears to go through cooling and warming cycles. Nothing to do with alleged AGW…"
But even the sceptic site says:
"…However, (and this is a big caveat) Divine and Dick point out that "debate continues over whether the recent shrinkage of ice cover gives direct evidence of global warming caused by human activity or is mainly a part of a secular cycle." The 30-year record of satellite sensing of sea ice "has shed light on the spatial and temporal patterns of seasonal and interannual variability in ice extent and concentrations, but is still too short for resolving the multi-year variability in ice cover."…"
In other words, they do not know if it is part of a cycle or evidence of global warming; or both. Like typical scientists, they are saying they don't know yet. They are not saying AGW has nothing to do with it. That is your misinterpretation, John.
Again, the sceptic site says: "…So, the recent decreases in ice extent are likely to be only partially related to anthropogenic causes…" So they have not dismissed AGW as a cause; just said it might be only one of the causes.
Here is the abstract of the paper by Divine and Dick, including this:
"…evidence was found of oscillations in ice cover with periods of about 60 to 80 years and 20 to 30 years, superimposed on a continuous negative trend…"
A "continuous negative trend" sounds like global warming to me. You know, like, there are cycles but there is also AGW. It's quite possible to have both at the same time.
It's too bad we can't read the actual paper, instead of the interpretation and quotations of selected parts by a sceptic website.
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Whalen's hosts a variety of music at April's battle of the bands
Posted by Kevin Bunch
News Editor | email@example.com
STANDISH — Visitors of Whalen's Inn April 4 had the opportunity to hear several bands and vote for the one they thought was the best as part of the International Space Monkey Alliance's "Gorilla Warfare" battle of the bands circuit.
Among April's bands were the James Roberts Band, rock band Lemon Frog, heavy metal band Operation 13, rapper Suubline, and acoustic pop and country musicians the Shannon Johnson Trio.
At the end of the night, Operation 13 led with 23 votes, Lemon Frog followed them with five votes, the James Robert Band and Shannon Johnson Trio had three votes apiece, and Suubline had one vote.
The next stop for the musicians will be Pinconning's Thee Olde Rendezvous on April 11 at 7 p.m. They will also perform at the Silver Derby Bar in Linwood April 18, and at Bay View Food & Spirits April 25 in Bay City.
The competition has been going on each month since February, and organizer Damon Dubois plans on running it through the year, culminating with the top five bands playing in December.
"The circuit is going great," Dubois said.
The current top five standings from February and March see Double Barrel Band with 99 votes, Distorted Waltz with 52, Darling Oranges with 51, the Matt Ryan Band with 41, and Blues Mobile with 32. The Matt Ryan Band won March's competition.
For more information, call 989-714-1721.
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James Bond Stars in Dewey Art Auction
James Bond may get to live twice, but law firms, alas, only go around once.
That's why dozens of collectors, movie fans and even a few lawyers were assembled Friday morning on the second floor of Adam A. Weschler & Son Inc. in Washington, D.C., for an auction of Dewey & LeBoeuf's vintage film posters and fine art.
The auction, which included more than 60 rare movie posters plus another 50 oil paintings and other works of art, brought in more than $100,000 for the failed law firm's creditors.
The big winners were the Italian poster for the 1967 Bond film "You Only Live Twice," which sold for $2,600, the French poster for Rudolph Valentino's 1926 silent classic "Son of the Sheikh" ($2,200) and Lucille Ball's 1949 comedy "Miss Grant Takes Richmond" ($2,000).
Bradley Stevens's "Twilight Reflections" sold for $5,500.
Among the 50 or so attendees were just a handful of Dewey alumni. Bankruptcy Beat talked to one former Dewey lawyer, Ryan Tyndall, now at Allen & Overy's D.C. office.
Tyndall, bid on a few pieces Friday but got shut out. He did score Bruce Richards's "Modern Living"—which depicts a house of cards that looks ready to collapse—for less than $1,000 at an earlier auction.
"It's hanging in my house, to remind me of what can happen," said Tyndall with a wry chuckle.
You can view all the items, along with the prices, each work fetched here.
Write to Patrick Fitzgerald at email@example.com.


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Charlie Niebling: Raid on renewable funds amounts to hidden tax
New Hampshire electric ratepayers should be outraged at the recent budget deal that includes a $16 million theft of funds dedicated to advancing clean, renewable energy technologies.
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Material Risks
One example of human-derived material is plasma. Despite the screening of blood donations, when a product is being manufactured from human plasma, there is potential for contamination by pathogens such as hepatitis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).Additionally, many biological drugs are manufactured in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) or murine cell lines. With these cell lines, it is rare for viruses to be absent. While these materials are well characterized and screened for viruses in advance, the cells commonly contain endogenous viral contamination, typically in the form of a retrovirus. This virus is detected and quantified using transmission electron microscopy as part of the bulk-harvest testing.
This risk is not limited to biopharmaceutical materials. Even products falling into the medical-device category can be affected, such as collagen preparations. Collagen is derived from animal tissues; therefore, there is a high probability that a viral pathogen may be present.
Viruses may also enter the process or product by adventitious means. For instance, a contaminated raw material may be introduced into the process, or viral contamination could have entered the cell culture from a human operator.


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November 28, 2005
The holiday season is in full swing, and some people are on the lookout for grinches. News 12 has a look at how often armed robberies happen where you live.
There have been some high profile armed robberies recently. But how do they compare to incidents in the past and what lies ahead?
Early in the morning, someone robbed a CVS store on Walton Way. Police say a man entered the drug store, pointed a gun at the clerk and demanded money. Just last week, police finally brought an end to a recent rash of robberies. Police say 18-year-old Michael Yarbray robbed four stores, including this Subway.
"Once we get to November close to Christmas, sometimes you will see a little spike in armed robberies," said Lt. James Young, Richmond County Sheriff's Office.
But Richmond County Sheriff's Lt. James Young says that in recent years, armed robberies are way down compared to dozens a decade ago.
"Back in my earlier days, it was kinda a given once you started getting closer to Thanksgiving you get ready for robbery stakeouts, you knew it was coming," Young said.
In November 2002, there were 21 armed robberies in Richmond County, 17 one year later. The stat went down in 2004 and so far this November, there have been 17. In Columbia County there's been just one armed robbery in the past three Novembers.
The main message from law enforcement is to always be aware and be on the lookout for where the intruder might be hiding.
News 12 tried to get armed robbery stats from Aiken County. The person who will provide those numbers was out of the office.


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When I get stressed out the first thing that comes to my mind is SEX! And if you are not around to take care of that I have to do it myself. I wanted to go swimming first but couldn't so I just started diddling myself, and you know what? It felt great and my stress level went WAY down. It helped even more when I got my vibrator in on the action. Maybe next time you can help!
Heather Summers is a sight for sore eyes!! Just look at this beautiful creature! She will cheer up anyone with that amazing face and sweet innocent smile. Oh ..not to mention those huge boobies, nice ass and little pussy too! I know you will love seeing Ms Summers soaking wet in the pool..and I mean WET in more than one way!
Heather Summers..the gorgeous blonde has a surprise to show you. First she strips out of her pink tank and white skirt, such a sexy summer outfit. She squeezes her big boobies and caresses the rest of her body in a very naughty alluring way. Next comes the G-spot toy that she can't resist. Sit back and enjoy the show boys and girls.
Sexy fireball Heather Summers is being paired up with the orgasm power of the Sybian today. She starts off sucking the hard cock before she slides on it. Her huge boobs are ready to burst from her sexy mesh black top as she mounts the Sybian. The expression on Ms Summers face is priceless. Enjoy the ride!
Heather invites you to watch her shower after a day of shooting at the Aziani studio. She gets her hot body squeaky clean, making sure to show you all her goodies. She pays special attention to her shaved pussy as she sprays hot water all over it. She finishes up with some oil..her skin just shines. Nice, smooth and soft.
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CORPUS CHRISTI – Texas A&M - Corpus Christi sophomores Ivy Baresh and Shayla Maldonado were named the Southland Conference Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, the league announced today. It marks the first career weekly honor for both Baresh and Maldonado.
"Ivy and Shayla had great individual weeks, and I'm thrilled for them to be recognized as Southland players of the week," head coach Tony Graystone said. "We've seen Ivy lead our team all season both as a hitter and defender. She is a true six-rotation player and played two complete matches on our road trip. She really took over against Southeastern La. and was the difference in that match.
"Shayla had missed a couple of weeks and has come back playing her best volleyball of the season. She was outstanding in both matches and made every play she was asked to make. I'm really happy for Ivy and Shayla and this is a well deserved recognition for both of them."
Baresh and Maldonado both had a career afternoon Saturday against Southeastern La. to lead the Islanders to a 3-1 victory. The two combined for 56 of the Islanders' season-match high 93 digs in the victory.
Baresh was tabbed Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Week after propelling the Islanders' offense this week to help the team win its fifth-straight conference match. On Thursday, the sophomore recorded 14 kills, nine digs and tied a career-high five blocks in a 3-1 win at New Orleans. The Arlington native then picked up her ninth double-double of the season at Southeastern La. with a career-high 21 kills on .311 hitting and matched a career-high 22 digs. She also tied a career-high three service aces. For the week, she averaged 5.00 kills per set and hit .262 in seven sets.
Maldonado was named the Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week after powering the Islanders' defense with 6.88 digs per set this week. She helped lead the Islanders to a 7-1 mark in conference play with back-to-back career matches. In her first conference start at the libero position, the sophomore tallied a career-high 21 digs to lift the Islanders to a 3-1 victory at New Orleans. On Saturday at Southeastern La., the Katy, Texas native had another impressive day with a career-high 34 digs, which was just three digs short of tying the Islanders all-time single match record for a four-set match. She also chipped in two of the Islanders' season match-high nine service aces. For the week, she registered 55 total digs.
The Islanders will be in action tonight in Thibodaux, La. to take on Nicholls in conference play. First serve is set for 6:30 p.m.
Click here for live stats and video of the match and for in-match updates check out Islanders Volleyball on Twitter (@IslandersVB).
For all the latest on Islanders Volleyball, like the team on Facebook (IslandersVolleyball) and follow them on Twitter and Instagram (@IslandersVB).


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A Look at Case-Shiller by Metro Area
Home prices extended a winning streak in December, making 2013 the best year for gains since 2005, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller indexes.
The composite 20-city home price index, a key gauge of U.S. home prices, was up 13.4% in December from a year earlier. All 20 cities posted year-over-year gains for all of 2013.
Prices in the 20-city index were 0.1% lower than the prior month, but that's mostly due to the weaker winter selling season. Adjusted for seasonal variations, prices were 0.8% higher month-over-month. Twelve of the 20 cities posted monthly declines, though on a seasonally adjusted basis only Cleveland saw a drop.
Though the gains have continued, the pace has slowed. "The strongest part of the recovery in home values may be over," said David Blitzer, chairman of the index committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices.


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You are now being redirected to sign in to your Single Single On solution
We are so excited you have chosen to join the Red Cross Club!
American Red Cross school clubs are youth service groups that help the Red Cross fulfill its humanitarian mission of preparing for, preventing and responding to emergencies. Working closely with our local chapter and your school advisor, your club will participate in Red Cross service projects that help your school, your community and the world.
Step 1: Create your online Volunteer Connection profile by submitting the information on this page.
Step 2: Activate your account. After you complete your profile application, you will receive an automatic email with a link to activate your account.
Step 3: Complete the Next Steps for Prospective Volunteers. Simply follow the checklist provided on your account home page to complete the following: online orientation, update your profile, read and agree to Red Cross policies, and print and return your parental consent forms.
Volunteer Services will guide you through the process one step at a time until you are trained and ready to begin volunteering with the Club. We look forward to meeting you soon!


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Disc Golf Clinic (for ALL ages)
Oct. 28 1-3pm
Lowry Field at Middle Park
Come on out, it will be a beautiful day!
Bring the little ones, we'll have foam discs and a mini-course set up for them.
Volunteers, please arrive at 12:30pm to assist w/ set-up.
See you there![/b]


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SSH Tunnel Manager
SSH Tunnel Manager is a tool to manage SSH Tunnels (commonly invoked with -L and -R arguments in the console). With SSH Tunnel Manager you can setup many tunnels as you wish, each one containing many port redirections as you wish. Once tunnels are configured, all you have to do is Start, or Stop the tunnels.
Required OS: not specified
Tags: network , security , system , utility
4 Opinions
SSHKeychain does the same thing, and also acts as an SSH auth agent, which is helpful for a bunch of other programs, like SSHFS and SFTP clients like Fugu.
I just noticed the website has only a powerpc version. Luckily the author's website has the source code so I quickly compiled an universal binary here:
Better than launching Rosetta for that!
Nice, but its documentation web page should be updated.


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Farmer Brown Shears His Sheep: A Yarn About Wool
by Teri Sloat, illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott
Order it now at Amazon.com
A Symphony for the Sheep
by Cynthia Millen, illustrated by Mary Azarian
Order it now at Amazon.com
Many of us enjoy children's books as much as—if not more than—the very children for whom they were intended. It's the same reason I suspect the new Wallace and Gromit film will have more adults in the audience than children. Great goodness and simple wisdom can be conveyed when a story is stripped of artifice, as most children's books are.
That's why I'm doubly delighted to present two children's books that tell the story of how fiber comes from sheep and becomes clothing. They tell a similar story in dramatically different ways, but both plant a fantastic seed in the reader's mind—and give me that undeniable urge to create.
Farmer Brown Shears His Sheep
The first book, Farmer Brown Shears His Sheep, is a whimsical, brightly colored romp through the life of a farmer and his mischievous sheep.
He rises one day, checks his calendar, and sees that it's time to shear the sheep. "Clip-clip, buzz-buzz, he took their wool and left their fuzz." But the sheep are chilly and confused—they want their coats back.
They follow him to Mr. Greene, who washes and combs the fiber. They follow him to Mr. Peale, who spins it into yarn. They follow him to Mrs. Muller, who dyes the yarn. That's where they stage their coup to take the yarn back—unsuccessfully.
Seeing how cold they are, Farmer Brown takes them home, gets comfortable in his favorite chair (with a steaming pot of tea by his side), and begins to knit. When he's done, they're brought back into the house to try on their new sweaters.
It's an adorable story in which fantasy mingles with reality and gender roles are tossed out the window. The illustrations by Nadine Bernard Westcott are marvelous, peppered with fine details such as jars of preserves on the kitchen shelves, a surprised cat peeking out from under a checkered tablecloth, a rubber duckie by the kitchen sink.
A Symphony For the Sheep
Cynthia Millen's A Symphony For the Sheep takes a more traditional folkloric approach to the same story. Only this time the sweaters are used to clothe family members, while the sheep graze peacefully on the hills outside.
The story is set in rural Ireland, where sheep graze and are shorn, fibers are washed and carded and spun, and yarns are woven and knitted into items to keep family warm. The classic hand-colored woodcuts by Vermont artist Mary Azarian almost make you smell the wood smoke and feel the brisk sea air on your face.
The book begs to be read aloud because Millen has written it in a musically poetic tone. For each part—shearing, spinning, weaving, knitting—there is a refrain written to represent the rhythm of that action being described.
In describing spinning, Millen writes, "Round and round the wheel is whirling. Up and down the treadle's churning. Pulling, plying, twisting, turning, whistling spokes of spindle swirling. Spinners work from sun to sun to spin the wool which must be spun."
One Destination, Many Roads
Although I have no children, I do have a stash of goodies to entertain nieces and other young visitors to my home. I'm happy to add these two books to my stash.
One is a cozy classic tale of fiber tradition, the other a bright and whimsical fantasy romp. Both serve as beautiful introductions for young children and sweet inspiration for adults.
Discuss this book in our forums
Order Farmer Brown Shears His Sheep now at Amazon.com
Order A Symphony for Sheep now at Amazon.com
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Tiger Woods made it look easy on a dreary day at Torrey Pines and wound up in a place he hasn't been in five years. He had the 36-hole lead by himself at one of his favorite PGA Tour stops in San Diego.
Woods didn't miss a shot during a four-hole stretch around the turn on the North Course that included a 5-iron to 5 feet for eagle and a wedge that one-hopped off the pin to set up birdie. It carried him to a 7-under 65 on Friday at the Farmers Insurance Open.
"I feel good right now," he said. "I'm leading the tournament."
Woods was at 11-under 133 and had a two-shot lead over Billy Horschel, with six other players at 136.
Already a favorite with seven wins as a professional at Torrey Pines, Woods had even more in his favor going into the weekend. He had a 74-0 edge in tour titles against the next seven players behind him.
Horschel, who had to go back to Q-school to get his card last year, had a 3-under 69 on the South Course to get into Saturday's final group.
"It's a good day, and I'm excited about tomorrow -- I get to play with Tiger," Horschel said.
Woods caught a break in the draw by playing the easier North -- it's about 600 yards shorter -- on a day of light rain, a late breeze and soft conditions. He kept the ball in play off the tee and got in trouble only once. That was on the par-4 eighth hole when he drove into a tough lie in the bunker, and it led to his only bogey.
There's a simple formula for playing the North -- make birdie on the par 5s and pick up a few more on the short par 4s. And that's just what Woods did.
"Drive the ball well here and you're going to probably have four iron shots into the par 5s," he said. "You sprinkle that in with probably four or five wedge shots in there, a round of 6 or 7 under par is definitely conceivable."
It is Woods' first outright lead going into the weekend against a full field since the Australian Open in 2011 (he finished third), and his first time atop the leader board at Torrey Pines since 2008.
He's coming off a missed cut in Abu Dhabi last week to start his year.
"Even though last week I played only two days, I felt like I hit the ball well enough to shoot a better score than I did," Woods said. "I had a couple of days to work on it, and I came out here and felt pretty good about it."
Brad Fritsch, a rookie from Canada, had a 67 on the South to lead the group of six players at 8 under.
The others were Casey Wittenberg, Steve Marino, Jimmy Walker, Josh Teater and Erik Compton, whom Woods referred to as "remarkable" for being a two-time heart transplant recipient and being on the tour.
Defending champion Brandt Snedeker didn't fare so well. After opening with a 65 on the North, he made only one birdie and twice took bogey on the par 5s on his way to a 75 on the South that left him seven shots behind.
Phil Mickelson finished bogey-bogey on the South for a 1-under 71 to make the cut on the number, though his work isn't over. There were 87 players who made the cut at 1-under 143, meaning there will be another cut to top 70 and ties Saturday.
The final two rounds move to the South Course, which played about 1½ shots harder Friday in the rain. The greens are more receptive, sure, but the course figures to play at full length in wet conditions and at sea level.
European Tour: Chris Wood shot an 8-under 64 for a three-stroke lead over former U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell and two others after the third round of the Qatar Masters in Doha.
Wood had five birdies on the front nine en route to a 15-under 201 total. The 142nd-ranked Wood is looking for his first tour win in his 115th event.
Simon Khan (66) and Alexander Noren (66) joined Campbell (68) in second, while Sergio Garcia (70) was four shots off the lead.