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Muddy watersMay 04,2014
The rejection of 35 school budgets by voters on Town Meeting Day persuaded some legislators that they had to do something to contain school costs. But they had it wrong. In rejecting those budgets, the voters had already done something. That is how our system is designed to work.
By forcing school boards to go back to the drawing board and find ways to reduce their budgets, people in nearly three dozen towns had enacted the very limit that legislators erroneously believe is the responsibility of the Legislature. And the effect of those rejections will not be limited just to 35 towns. The looming threat of voter rejection has been hanging over the heads of school boards all across the state, which have done a good job of containing budgets through these last few difficult years.
Much confusion about taxes and education has been muddying debate in Montpelier this year.
Rep. Johannah Donovan, chairwoman of the House Education Committee, is quoted as saying, I think its pretty clear that the system we have right now cannot be sustained financially. To address that, were going to have to become larger districts, so we can share resources and teachers.
First, its not exactly clear that the system is unsustainable. What other enterprise in business or government is able to restrain spending over the years by 3-4 percent? The number of students is dropping, which suggests that budgets should also drop, but buildings are not getting smaller. Nor is it true that we can suddenly decide to do without second-grade teachers.
The second part of her statement has a surface reasonableness to it, but it doesnt make sense. Share teachers? Does that mean the second-grade teacher in Calais is going to get in her car and teach a second shift in Plainfield? We already share teachers when necessary and practical. Music and art teachers commonly move from school to school. Nor has anyone identified areas where larger school districts can enforce the kind of cuts that would achieve meaningful savings. There are only vague promises about efficiencies.
There are other sorts of confusion about taxes. A bill passed by the House last month would create an education income tax. The idea is to take pressure off the property tax. The income tax is progressive in that it takes more from the wealthy and less from the rest. The property tax is regressive in that it takes a larger percentage of income from middle-income and poor people than it does from wealthy people.
We divide up our revenue sources in different ways because different taxes behave differently and have different effects. The property tax is more or less stable year to year, while the income tax fluctuates more dramatically as economic conditions change. Thus, the property tax provides a good steady stream upon which schools can rely.
Yet the regressive character of the property tax puts a burden on middle-income taxpayers, creating a reason to shift school spending to the income tax. The trouble is that when one tax rate gets excessively high, it can send the message that the state is overtaxed. Also, the property tax draws revenue from out-of-staters who own property in Vermont but who pay no income tax here.
Most significantly, the income-sensitive provisions of the present system already protect middle-income taxpayers by introducing progressivity to the property tax. It is not an income tax, but property-tax payers get a break based on their income. Where is the imperative for change?
Beside that, if the Legislature wanted to introduce an education income tax, all it would need to do is to increase the General Fund contribution to the Education Fund. The General Fund draws from the income and sales taxes.
Another reason for the Senate to be skeptical about creation of a new education income tax is that the income or payroll taxes are likely to take a major hit in the next couple of years when the state introduces its new single-payer health care plan. Gov. Peter Shumlin has been slow to unveil a plan for financing that system, but its hard to see how a higher income or payroll tax, or some combination, wont be required.
Shumlin will have to sell that tax hike by showing how it will be offset by the elimination of health insurance premiums. It is a tradeoff that makes sense, but it will still be a hard sell. If the income tax were already under pressure from an extra demand for education revenue, taxpayers might be reluctant to drive the income tax even higher.
Legislators seem compelled to do something anything! to fix education this year. But they have failed to define the problem clearly or to match it with a reasonable solution.MORE IN PerspectiveAlong with many Vermonters, immigrant farm workers in the Green Mountain State watched with... Full StoryVermonters have waited patiently for almost nine months now an exceedingly long period of time,... Full StoryBricks. The wall was full of bricks. Full Story
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Worst ETFs In 2012? Consider Last Year's Losers In 2013
Written by: Gary Gordon
Tickers in this article: AMJ IEZ MLPI MLPN OIH REMX SLX TUR XES XME
NEW YORK ( ETF Expert ) --There's a tendency in the financial media to wrap up calendar years with a focus on the "winners" and "losers." Inevitably, a large number of unsophisticated investors will allocate money to the so-called best performers, while avoiding any commitment to the underachievers. Herein lies one of the biggest mistakes that ETF enthusiasts make. Specifically, they view success through a prism of calendar-year data, ignoring genuine momentum found in relative strength or price ratios or even May-over-May performance. In fact, a calendar-year obsession has enormous potential to mislead. Keep in mind, it's not uncommon for worst performers in one year to reverse course entirely. In 2011, iShares MSCI Turkey (TUR) lost a staggering -36.6%. In 2012? TUR was one of the best unleveraged ETF performers with an eye-popping 65.6% gain. Recognizing that 2012 "losers" may reverse course in 2013, I identified three ETF spaces that may do just that. Each of the asset areas discussed below under-performed broader large-cap equity benchmarks (i.e., S&P 500 , MSCI All World) on a year-over-year basis. By the same token, each demonstrated greater relative strength than these benchmarks over the last five trading sessions. 1. Pipeline MLPs. Whether aggregating individual companies via exchange-traded fund or exchange-traded note, pipeline master limited partnerships offer something that few investment types can: about a 5% or better yield with about a 5% average company growth rate. Yet, 2012 was brutally unkind to the pipeline MLPs/energy sector due to falling demand, falling prices, regulatory fear/burden and fiscal cliff dividend tax uncertainty. As recently as Dec. 30, JP Morgan Alerian MLP ETN (AMJ) was below a 200-day trendline. A few trading days later (Jan. 3), with the "cliff resolution" removing dividend tax uncertainty, things look very different.
This is not to suggest that everything is hunky-dory for the asset class. There is environmental resistance to allowing the Keystone Pipeline to be built. The White House has hinted at additional tax reform in the debt ceiling debate, which may reintroduce uncertainty to the asset class and its structure. Even a 10-year yield that manages to move another 50 basis points higher could threaten a favorable spread (300 basis points). Nevertheless, I would still be intrigued by a minor pullback in funds like Credit Suisse MLP 30 (MLPN) and UBS Alerian MLP Infrastructure (MLPI) . 2. Strategic Metals and Industrial Metals. Year-over-year, SPDR Metals and Mining (XME) is down -5%. For believers in hard assets, that's a particularly jagged pill to swallow. And yet, ever since China announced a steadfast commitment to support 7.5% GDP going forward, accompanied by several months of manufacturing segment expansion, materials and metals have moved steadily higher. In truth, China is more likely to grow at 8% and its factory sector hasn't been this strong since May of 2011. With the world's largest economy being the primary engine for global growth, and with demand for industrial/strategic metals surging, look for the possibility of enhanced capital appreciation. Market Vectors Strategic Metals (REMX) and Market Vectors Steel (SLX) are worthy of placing on your watch list.

subset: commoncrawl


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BRIEF BLOG INTRO: I'm a man on a mission to convince you that music is a Super Power, and that life is worth living, no matter how many obstacles are placed in your way. And that you can accomplish great things if you just push ahead and don't let anyone tell you no.
I'm a singer/songwriter and actor from Texas who is "Living in the Bonus Round" in New York City-- having cheated death from AIDS. (In a game show, the Bonus Round is where time speeds up and the prizes are better.) Accepting my death changed me. Now, I'm consuming life as quickly and as fully as I can, while still taking time to breathe and appreciate every single day as an utter miracle.
In 2013, I turned 60 and I created a set of goals, all of which came true, including composing -- and performing in -- a Mass, recording a solo album (selling 10s of copies), headlining to a sold out house at a major night club in New York City (while getting great reviews). Now I'm out to redefine theater and cabaret. I update a few times a month these days, and I don't spam. So it's easier to keep up with me by following by Email. When this blog began, it was to track my death. I'm told it was the first AIDS blog. You can start at the gruesome beginning if you want. Or just jump in and maybe we can learn some life lessons together. Welcome to the Bonus Round. I'm Steve [SHACK-lin] and we're just getting started.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Jeff Kinman has passed.
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WVU to host Kansas tonight
West Virginia will host Kansas tonight for a Big 12 Conference matchup at the Coliseum.
The game will be nationally televised on ESPN with a 9 p.m. start as the second game of "Big Monday".
The Mountaineers (9-10, 2-4 Big 12) are coming off an 80-66 loss to Oklahoma State on Saturday.
Sophomore guard Jabarie Hinds (7.9 ppg), freshmen guard Eron Harris (7.7), senior forward Deniz Kilicli (7.5) sophomore guard Gary Browne (7.1) and sophomore forward Kevin Noreen (2.6) were the starters for Saturday's contest.
Harris has been the team's top scorer, averaging 15.3 points per game in the last three games for the Mountaineers.
Sophomore guard Juwan Staten and junior center Aaric Murray lead the team in scoring at 9.6 points per game.
Staten leads the team in assists with 55 and has tallied 23 steals.
Sophomore forward Keaton Miles (3.4) and senior forward Dominique Rutledge (3.1) also will also see time off the bench for WVU.
The Jayhawks (18-1, 6-0) have won 17 games in a row and are coming off a 67-54 win over Oklahoma on?Saturday.
Kansas is led by freshmen guard Ben McLemore, who is averaging 16.2 points per game.
Center Jeff Withey (13.0), senior guard Travis Releford (12.7), senior Elijah Johnson (9.5) and senior forward Kevin Young (7.3) round out the projected starting lineup for Kansas, which will face WVU for the first time in school history.
Witney is the top rebounder for the Jayhawks (8.4), followed by Young at 6.7 per game.
Sophomore guard Naadir Tharpe (5.3) and freshman forward Perry Ellis (5.2) are the first couple of players off the bench for Kansas.
The Jayhawks become the fifth men's basketball program with at least three NCAA titles to play at the Coliseum.
They also will be the 13th opponent with a Top 3 ranking to play at the WVU Coliseum, and in Morgantown. The last was No. 2 UCLA on Feb. 10, 2007, with WVU winning, 70-65
The West Virginia sports department has asked fans attending the game to take part in the first-ever "Stripe the Coliseum" event.
Fans can find a detailed map of the color layout on the school website at www.wvu.edu.
West Virginia will travel to Texas Tech at 1:30 p.m. Saturday for a Big 12 Conference matchup, and then return home on Feb. 4 to host Texas at 9 p.m. on ESPN for another "Big Monday" matchup.


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I'm very happy to a doing a cooking demo and book signings Saturday and Sunday, Sept, 27 and 28th in Portland at Oregon's largest plant-based food event!
- Free samples of hundreds of different foods!
- Speakers
- Cooking Demonstrations
- Ask the Experts
- Family and Teen Activities
- Restaurants
- Non-Profit Organizations
- Film Screenings
This is the Ultimate Chocolate Lovers Dream Come True with over 80 of the finest craft chocolate and confection companies, culinary demonstrations, seminars, and more. Fran is thrilled to be presenting two chocolate demos with tastings on the Culinary Stage: Sat Oct 4th at 10am and Sunday Oct 5th at 4pm. Her cookbook, Vegan Chocolate will be available for purchase too.
I'll be the featured author at this year's Walk for Farm Animals. I will have copies for Vegan Chocolate and More Great Good Dairy-Free Dessserts for sale at a discount, and a percentage of sales will be donated to Farm Sanctuary.
The Walk for Farm Animals raises vital funds for Farm Sanctuary's lifesaving work and brings together thousands of people to change hearts and minds about farm animals. Will you join us in New York to support compassion for all?
- Early adult registration is only $15
- Event-day registration will be $25
- Children under 18 are FREE!
- Guest Speaker: Gene Baur, Farm Sanctuary's President and Co-founder
Walk Details
Central Park (Merchant's Gate)
October 18, 2014
Check-in: 10 AM
Yoga Stretch: 10:30 AM (provided by Derek Pashupa Goodwin)
Walk: 11 AM – 2 PM
*We will start the 2.25 mile route at 11 AM and will walk for about 1 hour. Celebration to follow.*
Directions and Parking: The New York Walk will be held at Central Park. You can enter "4 Columbus Circle, New York, NY" into your GPS for directions to the general area. We will meet at Merchant's Gate which is at the Columbus Circle entrance to the park (SW corner). For a visual guide, we will be at the red box on this map . The closest subway station is 59th Street – Columbus Circle (A, C, D, 1). You may plan your trip using public transportation at MTA.info. For those parking, you can visit this site to find the best parking rates for the area.
Entertainment: Musical entertainment to be announced.
Children's Costume Contest: This year we will be holding a children's costume contest at the New York Walk! Participants must be ages 12 and under and you may come dressed as anything you wish (it does not have to be animal oriented). Participants will be judged on realism and creativity! Extra points if it looks like you are having loads of fun! The winner will receive a prize, and there will be runner up prizes as well! We look forward to seeing what the younger generation of farm animal lovers will surprise us with! Any questions, please contact Farm Sanctuary: email@example.com.
Book Signing: Fran Costigan, "Queen of Vegan Desserts!" Fran is an internationally recognized culinary instructor, author and consultant whose innovative recipes marry healthy eating with sumptuous tastes. A professionally trained pastry chef, Fran worked in both traditional and vegan kitchens before moving into teaching over 22 years ago. She will be selling her books, Vegan Chocolate: Unapologetically Luscious and Decadent Dairy-Free Desserts and More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts Naturally, at the Walk. Please bring cash to purchase.
Walk Information
The 2.25 mile Walk route can be found here. The Walk will be held rain or shine. Dogs are welcome at this event.
All funds will support NY Coaltion for Healthy School Food's work to get healthy, plant based meals in schools as well as the coalition's nutrition education programs.
American Bean Products
Candle Cafe, Candle 79, Candle Cafe West
Forks Over Knives
Fruit Bliss
Lunch Hour
Power Plant Life
American Bean Products
Angelica Kitchen
Candle Cafe, Candle 79, Candle Cafe West
DF Mavens
Fran Costigan
Fruit Bliss
Jay Kitchen
Laura Dardi
Mediterranean Gyros Products
National Kale Day
Rama Sushi
Regal Vegan
Treeline Cheese
Ayala's Herbal Water
D'Vida Green Smoothies
Tumeric Alive
Wolaver's Organic Brewing
Ithaca City School District Child Nutrition Program
Jennie Steinhagen – Volunteer
Lunch Hour Movie
Whole Foods Market/Rick Marquardt
Silent Auction
Gift Bags
This Festival brings together an amazing array of vegetarian natural food providers, top national speakers and chefs, and educational exhibitors in a fun and welcoming environment. It is a chance to talk directly to food producers, learn the newest items in the marketplace, taste free food samples, shop at show special discounts, or simply learn what vegetarian foods are available and where you can find them!
Whether you are a longtime vegetarian or vegan, or someone simply wanting to add more delicious plant-based foods to your meal repertoire, or if you are just curious what it's all about, you are welcome here! We offer you free admission, free food sampling, free speaker presentations, free parking and a T stop across the street.
You also can learn of ways to help animals and protect the environment, and enhance your health and well being. There are activities for kids, too!
I'll be doing a baking demo on Sunday. The time is TBD.
Everyone loves chocolate—and being vegan doesn't mean you have to go without it! What better expert to teach you the ins and outs of sweet, vegan chocolate-y goodness than Fran Costigan, author of "Vegan Chocolate: Unapologetically Luscious and Decadent Dairy-Free Desserts"? You'll also learn how to make gluten-free variations for some of the recipes. Your decadent menu includes: Intensely Chocolate Trifle; Sacher Torte; Blackout Cake; and Eclairs.
Please RSVP to Assistant at FranCostigan.com if you plan on attending.
My vegan chocolate demo, after dinner on Friday night, Feb 6th kicks off this sensational weekend as you explore the divine world of chocolate at Mohonk Mountain House. If you love chocolate, this is the time to visit the mountaintop! Get the best recipes, advice and samplings from those who have made their chocolate passion a lifetime pursuit. Chocolate infused Mohonk—two great things mixed together to create the ultimate chocolate obsession.
ART OF CHOCOLATE SPECIAL—15% OFF OUR REGULAR RATES. BOOK NOW! When making reservations, be sure to specify THE ART OF CHOCOLATE. Inclusive rates feature bountiful breakfast and lunch buffets with dinner as a traditional served meal, afternoon tea and cookies, and most activities, including use of the indoor heated swimming pool in our Spa wing.


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By Sharna Johnson: Freedom Writer
Surveillance footage from Friday's Clovis bank robbery did not produce a viable image of the suspect, according to Bill Elwell, special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Albuquerque office.
Lt. Roger Grah of the Clovis Police Department also said no new information surfaced over the weekend to draw officials any closer to the suspect.
But officials said they remain optimistic about an arrest.
"We've had cases where we haven't had a shred of evidence and then we get a break," Elwell said.
Forensic evidence, community tips and other developments can quickly turn an investigation around and identify a suspect, Elwell said.
The branch of the New Mexico Bank & Trust at Hilltop Plaza shopping center was robbed just before 11 a.m. Friday. A man placed a device on the counter and told clerks it was a bomb; he then calmly walked out the front door with a bag containing an undisclosed amount of money.
Witnesses to the robbery described him as a slender white male around 6-foot-2, between 30 and 40 years old with dark hair.
He wore a baseball cap with blond dreadlocks sewn into it, one witness said.
The bomb scare subsequently closed down the shopping center for more than two hours until members of the Cannon Explosive Ordnance Disposal team determined the device to be non-explosive, according to police.
Bank clerks were able to slip "bait" money into the stolen cash as they were gathering the money at the robber's demand, according to a police report filed Friday.
"Bait" money is cash where the serial numbers have been pre-recorded, Elwell said. Most banks keep bait money on hand. The cash is unaltered and undetectable, but the numbers are entered into the National Crime Information Center's database and can be referenced by law enforcement, Elwell said.
Often money will turn up in unusual ways that attracts attention in the weeks or months following a robbery, he said.


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Yee Ha! Super progress! You two are becoming an amazing breastfeeding team!
Yee Ha! Super progress! You two are becoming an amazing breastfeeding team!
I have been reading your posts about Penga and I am so excited for all the progress. It is amazing!! I wish the best for you and your family. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Please keep us updated!
Tracy...Mommy to my two beautiful girls - Kinzie Marie, 1/19/01 and Ryan Renee, 2/1/07
Married to Danny, an amazing husband and father - 3/22/03
Age Ticker
Breast milk is better than any udder milk!
My opinion is that anybody offended by breastfeeding is staring too hard. ~David Allen
My little May baby just turned THE BIG ONE!
Formally known as kaykate23
any updates, i'm hoping all is great! post some updates soon as possible. i'm know your last post stated you would be taking her home as of tuesday. did all goes as planned... finally!


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Photo courtesy Save Hickory Ground
The Poarch Band of Creek Indians denied some of its members and members of the Hickory Ground Tribal Town access to the ceremonial ground to pray for the ancestors who were buried there. The sacred site is under construction for the new Poarch casino.
Poarch Band Blocks Ceremony on Sacred Hickory Ground
Gale Courey Toensing
The Poarch Band of Creek Indians blocked access to the sacred Hickory Ground by a group of traditional Creek Indians who planned to hold a prayer ceremony on Valentine's Day for their ancestors buried there. Instead the group prayed in a nearby parking lot joined by pastors from local churches
The Poarch Band officials refused to allow the group onto the sacred site in Wetumpka, Alabama, because it is under construction for their new $246 million casino. A day before the planned ceremony, Poarch officials announced they "reserved the right to restrict access to a construction site for safety reasons."
The attempted ceremony was organized by Save Hickory Ground members who oppose the casino construction on the sacred site. The Poarch Band excavated 57 sets of human remains from the burial ground to accommodate the new casino, according to court documents.
The traditional Creeks attending the ceremony included Wayland Gray, a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation who traveled from Oklahoma to attend the ceremony, and William Bailey, the Mekko, or Traditional Chief of the Hvsosv Tallahassee ceremonial ground of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, who formerly served on its tribal council.
"Today we were denied access to the property to pay respects to the ones dug up and the sacred place that's being desecrated by the Poarch officials," Gray said in a video on the group's Facebook page. "Today we had a couple of preachers with us. They were going to pray and provide moral support because they too are against this, just like every human should be. If the Poarch win this it's bad for all people because it will set precedent that it's ok to build on sacred places and dig people up for financial gain."
The confrontation is the latest event in a long running struggle between the Poarch Band and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation over Hickory Ground, an historic Muscogee (Creek) Nation Tribal Town that includes a ceremonial ground, a tribal burial ground and individual graves. The Muscogee Nation says the casino construction is a desecration of the sacred site. Hickory Ground Tribal Town was the Muscogee Creeks' last capitol before the tribe was ethnically cleansed and removed to Oklahoma following Andrew Jackson's 1830 Indian Removal Act. The Poarch Creeks remained and cooperated with the Americans.
In December, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma, Hickory Ground Tribal Town, and Muscogee traditional chief Mekko George Thompson filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Poarch Band and others to stop the construction of the casino. A central claim concerns the excavated human remains of Muscogee ancestors in violation of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and other federal laws. The lawsuit is pending.
Sam Deer, a Muscogee (Creek) Nation citizen, told the Montgomery Advertiser, that the traditional group was not against gaming. "Some people say that we're against gaming but we're not against the gaming casino, we're against where it's being built. We've never heard of people digging up graves… for their financial gain. This is what you would call a want; it's not a need, it's a want," Deer said. The burial ground is "an eternal resting place" for the ancestors, Deer said. "They said they dug up 57 people but our people lived here for hundreds and hundreds of years and I'm positive that through those years more than 57 people died here… My understanding is last April they dug a hole and threw all the bones in there and covered it back up. That kind of behavior took place overseas during the wars when they had mass graves, but I thought it was over. I see that it's happening here in Wetumpka, Alabama, where Hickory Ground once was."
Gray said the Save Hickory Ground group will continue its efforts to stop the desecration of Hickory Ground. "We are not done here. We came here to pay our respects to our ancestors and sacred place on the property. Today we came in peace and gave the Poarch a chance to do the right thing the Native way and allow us to pay respects to our ancestors and sacred place."
The group planned to return to Hickory Ground on February 15.
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Just to let the people
Just to let the people involved know...this is a case study in our tribal repatriation classes within the Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). Following closely what the outcome will be.
Are we really surprised? The
Are we really surprised? The poarch ghoul leadership, you know those identity thieves who have stolen Mvskoke culture and history and been lying to public about who they are from day one, and that would be the day their treasonous ancestors became Americans to ally with Andrew Jackson to steal land from Creeks...we can expect no less, their federal recognition fraud was all about making money at whatever cost, never about Creek culture...so they used the sympathy and guilt of the white folk in Alabama and played Indian that the state mistakenly gave them this place believing they would protect it from development....well folks...ghouls cant change behavior...the US must terminate this nightmare and may I suggest to the state of officials of Alabama, if you want Creeks in Alabama then you should come ask Creeks to return...
why does no one have respect
why does no one have respect for the dead and money is the peoples down fall remember the white buffalo calf woman's story and remember the pipe. the wrath of the dead shall be the down fall of the casino
First I've heard of this. I
First I've heard of this. I am Poarch Creek; my family is from Uriah, and my cousin is active there on the reservation. I am proud of those who challenge us to maintain our traditional values in the face of temptation and greed.
These are sacred burial
These are sacred burial grounds and should not be disturbed for any reason by anyone. But to disturb and move them for for something like a casino is totally sacrilegious. The one thing any person who passes on from this world should be guaranteed to know is that their final resting place will be left intact for time in memorial.
d0nt they habe a alw were no
d0nt they habe a alw were no sacred land can be touched' also the un was invold in na land and bbc love natives maybe they can help dal no more
This ground should be kept
This ground should be kept sacred. Don't we have enough Casino's? Sam Deer is so correct in his statement above. Grave sites should be respected as those who are laid to rest there should also be respected.
I was to understand that the
I was to understand that the escavation was done with archeological reverence to the remains and that the area has been farmed and used over the years and that the traditional Creeks said it would be ok if the Poarch band paid them some of the revenues that were gained by the casino. It seems everyone just wants a little piece of the action.
@ Philip Hice ~~~
@ Philip Hice ~~~ Please let us know who told you this. Because they were lakse (lying to you). The written position of the Hickory Ground people has been, all along, that this sacred site should be restored to its original state. Period. They have not asked for money. They have not asked for a "share." They have not asked for damages. No one who is truly a member of Hickory Ground would ever even say such a thing. You obviously do not know them. Anyone who would say something like that was definitely not authorized by any leader or member of Hickory Ground, much less by the entire group. These are a very religious people. Please respect that.
@ Philip Hice ~~~
@ Philip Hice ~~~ There was no archeological reverence whatsoever here. This was rushed, "salvage" archeology. The students were working right in front of the bulldozers. Bones were partially wrapped in old newspapers, placed in plastic buckets and stored in an unlocked building. Only 57 remains were found on a site where thousands of people lived over thousands of years -- not only the Hickory Ground people, but other Muscogee people as well in earlier times. Where people lived, people died. And where our people died, we buried them. The archeologists hired by Poarch had no understanding of Muscogee culture whatsoever. When the Hickory Ground people asked them in a public meeting if they had found the "circle" (that marks the most sacred part of their ceremonial area), the archeologists responded "What's that?" The place the archeologists claim is a ceremonial area is not: it is too small, there are burials there, it is not oriented in the standard direction,, and there are burials present. After years of requests by the Hickory Ground people to reinter their ancestors where they had been taken from, Poarch reburied (they say) the bones in a mass grave on the same day their "invitation" was received by mail in Oklahoma -- no Hickory Ground or Muscogee people had any chance to observe, much less participate.
@ Philip Hice ~~~
@ Philip Hice ~~~ Please do not compare some farmer unknowingly plowing for crops with the deliberate heavy excavation of a site where the descendants are actively contesting any desecration. If he had known, the farmer might not have wanted crops from a cemetery.
@ Phillip Hice ~~~
@ Phillip Hice ~~~ You have totally misunderstood. Poarch was offering money. Hickory Ground only asked that the burials be returned to the spots they were taken from. Someone is not explaining thing to you correctly. The Hickory Ground people's position all along, whether in writing or verbal, has been to return this site to its natural state.
Unfortunately; GREED and
Unfortunately; GREED and IGNORANCE, go hand and hand.What SHOULD have meaning; is LOST FOREVER, when it comes to $$$$$, the ruination, of Society.May the Creator; continue to bless; those who came before us and made the Ultimate Sacrifice, so we could have a better Life.Shame on those; who have lost their way. WAKE UP....


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August 28, 2013 —
BETHEL, NY — Join the Delaware Highlands Conservancy for its Tree Identification Workshop on Saturday, September 7, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at the conservancy's office in Bethel.
Join Amanda Subjin, the conservancy's stewardship and education coordinator, for a walk on woodland trails on the 119-acre protected property. Attendees will learn how to identify common trees and forest plants in the Upper Delaware River region and about the conservancy's plans for expanding outdoor education opportunities on the property. Melinda Meddaugh, land protection coordinator for the conservancy, will be available to answer questions about the property's conservation easement, which protects this piece of farm and woodland from development and subdivision.
This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Call 570/226-3164 or email firstname.lastname@example.com [1] to register and receive directions. Visit www.DelawareHighlands.org [2].


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The Geography Blog focusing on all things geography: human, physical, technical, space, news, and geopolitics. Also known as Geographic Travels with Catholicgauze! Written by a former National Geographic employee who also proudly served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Ireland and Czech Republic See Palestine Through Their Own Geopolitical History
The Republic of Ireland took great pride in being the European spearhead for United Nations' recognition of a Palestinian state. The Irish nationalist movement and by extension the Irish government has long sympathized with the Palestinian movement. Irish nationalists see similarities between the centuries-long occupation of Ireland by the English and the Israeli occupation of the ethnic Palestinian territories. Similarities extend also to 1949, the year the Arab war against Israel failed (destroying the chance for a Palestinian state controlling all of the old mandate) and Ireland left the Commonwealth of Nations and became fully independent. Ireland therefore viewed advocating for a Palestine as continuing the fight for national sovereignty which freed the Irish and other ethnic groups.
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic was the only European country to vote against the United Nations' recognition of Palestine. The geopolitical explanation is that the Czechs remember the pain and suffering caused by appeasement through cutting up and dividing a country. Nightmares of the France and the United Kingdom giving into Hitler's demands for first the Sudetenland and then the rest of the country drive the Czech's support for territorial integrity on Israel's terms.
3 comments:
- Dina said...
Oops, a little typo. You meant 138 in favor.
I stayed up late to watch the UN session live on my computer. History in the making. Let's see what will come of it.
Well, Czechs motivation seems to be simply to along with US... 4 years ago they forgot and ignored historical "pain and suffering caused by appeasement through cutting up and dividing a country" when they recognized unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo... it seems ok to dismember Serbia, but Israel is different matter...
- Dina said...
Did you see the U.N.Twitter typo just before the voting?! --
"On Day of Solidarity with Palestinians, Ban Ki-moon stresses urgency of reaching 1-state solution."


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Diabetes is a dangerous condition, which is caused by the high level of Glucose in the Blood. The Glucose is produced by the Pancreas. Insufficient production of Insulin can cause Diabetes.
Image by : wikimedia
Types of Diabetes
There are 2 types of Diabetes
- Type 1 diabetes.
- Type 2 diabetes.


text: March to Support Public Higher Education! MTA members are urged to show their support for public higher education in Massachusetts by participating in one of the rallies or marches taking place from the Berkshires to the State House October 2-7. The MTA Executive Committee has voted to endorse the March Across the State to Defend Public Higher Education, which is sponsored by PHENOM (the Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts). PHENOM works to unite faculty, staff, students and alumni across all 29 public college and university campuses to advocate for a well-funded and affordable public higher education system in Massachusetts. "This is a great endeavor," said MTA President Paul Toner. "It will do a lot to put public higher education front and center in the fall campaigns and help us build for the spring legislative season." The dramatic 100-mile walk is designed to draw attention to the funding crisis in public higher education. It begins on Saturday, October 2, at 11 a.m. at Berkshire Community College. After events and rallies at numerous locations, the walk will end with a big rally at the Massachusetts State House on October 7 at 1:30 pm, a day on which there will be actions all over the country in defense of public education. You can read all about the march at www.phenomonline.org.


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10 cute/ferocious shots of dogs underwater
Published On: Oct 24 2012 08:55:43 AM PDT
Seth Casteel is the photographer behind a quirky collection of images of dogs caught in the act of diving, swimming, splashing and generally goofing off in the water. His new book is "Underwater Dogs," a 132-page coffee-table book dripping with drenched dogs.
The views expressed are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. By posting your comments you agree to our Terms of Use.


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DD hasn't had any green poops (no mucous or blood either ) since I stretched out my block feeding to 6 hours per side. I posted earlier about her pulling off in what seems like frustration that there is not milk pouring out like it was before.
She has also started sleeping 8-9 hours at night and, surprisingly, my breasts are not engorged at all. One does become fairly full when I don't start off with that side in the morning. When she does finally eat from that side is the only time she eats happily without constantly pulling off.
Am I doing something wrong? Should I shorten the block feedings? I am just afraid that I am going to wake up one morning and find that the well has gone dry.
Before I started the block feedings she was eating every 3 hours for 30-45 minutes. Now she will eat every 1.5-2 hours but only for 10-20 minutes. (except for when she eats from that very full side)
Something in the back of my mind is telling me that my supply is dwindling.


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Richard J. Wolfenden, 82, of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., formerly of Indiana, died peacefully Friday, Nov. 16, 2012, from complications of severe Parkinson's after a decade long battle with the disease.
Richard was born in Indiana on Aug. 2, 1930 to the late Gilbert and Edith Buchanan Wolfenden, where his late father was a former State Senator, and Chairman of S&T Bank.
After Richard attended Mercersburg Academy, a prep school, he graduated from Lafayette University with a Liberal Arts degree. While studying at Lafayette University, he was a member of Chi Phi Fraternity, where he served as president. After graduating from Lafayette, Richard was commissioned in the U.S. Army and spent several years as a General's aide in Korea. Richard had a successful career in New York City as an advertising executive. He resided on Manhattan's East Side on Gramercy Park where he always loved to sit in the park and read his beloved books. Richard then decided to leave New York City and advertising for a new career and attended the Episcopal Theological Seminary in Lexington, Ky., from which he graduated but was never ordained. He then headed south to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., where his aging parents had relocated in their retirement. Following his move to Ft. Lauderdale, he purchased Wicker World of Las Olas, a famous old wicker shop that old Ft. Lauderdale residents will remember. Mr. Wicker, as he was known, became president of the Las Olas Association for several years. After his historic Wicker World building was gobbled up by progress, he closed Wicker World and donated the entire inventory to charity. Richard was an accomplished amateur musician, playing both piano and organ. This love of music and his involvement with the Broward Center classical music series led to his continued philanthropy by donating the Theatre Organ to the Broward Center for The Performing Arts in his parents' name.
Richard is survived by his niece, Elaine Cockroft, of Boston; two nephews: George Wolfenden, of Orlando, Fla.; and John Wolfenden, of Cincinnati, Ohio; and his friend, Steve Day.
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text: Overview A Healthier U hosts a number of health and wellness events throughout the year. From educational sessions on nutrition to individual retirement counseling forums, Drexel University and Drexel University College of Medicine encourage students, faculty and staff to participate in these events. See the Walking Maps page for more info regarding walking clubs. Drexel Human Resources also provides administrative support for all HR services and functions at Drexel University's separate, not-for-profit subsidiary, Drexel University College of Medicine.


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Course Listing for Illinois Virtual High School Announced
Springfield - Governor George H. Ryan and the Illinois State Board of Education announced today that students will have a choice of 16 classes and 10 Advanced Placement review courses through the Illinois Virtual High School. The online courses will begin in January for the spring 2001 semester.
Registration for the new pilot program, which opened December 19 with an IVHS satellite teleconference, will run through January 19. Students in public and non-public schools as well as home-schooled students can participate, but they must enroll through their local public school district. Enrollment for AP review courses will run February 1 through February 28.
The IVHS curriculum offerings are designed to ensure all students meet the Illinois Learning Standards. The cost for each semester-long course is $300 per student. Review classes for Advanced Placement tests are $49 per student. The following online courses are available:
The IVHS is part of Governor Ryan's Venture Tech program and was announced in his 2000 State of the State/Budget Address. When fully operational, the Virtual High School will serve thousands of students throughout the state. Future courses will be provided from a number of sources, with several taught by exemplary Illinois teachers.
The Illinois Virtual High School is made possible by a partnership with eCollege.com. The company will serve as the portal for student registration and will provide access to online courses, academic services and help desk support. In addition, IVHS is brokering with Class.com, Apex Learning.com, Florida Online High School, Learningstation.com, Aidex.com, and the Kentucky Virtual High School, to offer pre-built online courses.
For more information check IVHS's website at www.ivhs.org


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Celeb mug shots: Oscar stars behind bars
Published On: Jun 14 2011 07:24:29 AM PDT Updated On: Feb 03 2013 11:00:00 PM PST
An Oscar win, or even a nomination, might give you the necessary career boost in Hollywood, but it won't keep you from going to jail. Just ask these celebrities.
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Welcome to the CRG Discussion Forum!Forum registration problems: Make sure you enter your email correctly and you check your spam box first. *Then* email KurtS2@gmail for help.
Isn't that covered under the "SS equipment - $263.3" at the top of the option listing ? I can't find my White Book to compare the price to the option, but it looks correct for anything 396 up to and including an L78 - Regards,Steve


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Four people suspected in a Rock County home invasion are being held in the Rock County Jail following a police chase and manhunt in Sauk County Monday.
The suspects are awaiting court appearances after investigators said they found 21 long guns in the suspects' vehicle Monday. Twenty of those guns were stolen from the victims of Friday's home invasion, according to the Rock County Sheriff's Office.
Capt. Todd Christiansen, of the Rock County Sheriff's Office, said the victims are breathing a sigh of relief as the people accused of breaking into their home at gunpoint are no longer on the run.
"They're pretty shook up as to what happened to them," Christiansen said. "They were very relieved they were taken into custody. And we got some of their property back, so that was helpful."
The suspects are identified as Christopher A. Kimps, 24; Jesse D. Adams, 22; Kayla L. Pearson, 21; and Sarah H. Buckingham, 20.
Sheriff's officials said the four people are suspects in a Rock County robbery Friday where up to 30 guns, cash and a pickup truck were stolen from a home in the town of Fulton.
Police said a man and his wife were home when two men wearing dark-colored ski masks entered the house through an unlocked door, held both homeowners hostage at gunpoint, and demanded access to a safe.
The Rock County Sheriff's Office said the robbers took several long guns, handguns and some ammunition, along with an undetermined amount of cash, and got away in a red 2011 Ford F-250 Super Duty pickup, which also belonged to the couple.
Tips led authorities to Sauk County in their search for the suspects. After a police chase in Lake Delton on Monday and a three-hour manhunt in the woods, all four suspects were taken into custody.
"Twenty guns were in the vehicle. We're still missing some," Christiansen said.
Investigators said they also recovered another gun, possibly used during the crime. Christiansen said there was concern the suspects were only getting started on a crime spree.
"We also had been receiving information throughout the weekend that they weren't going to go down, they weren't going to stop," Christiansen said.
Christiansen said evidence seized on Monday could connect the suspects to other area crimes.
"We located in a separate vehicle and another firearm on Saturday and that came back stolen out of Walworth County. Walworth County is looking at them now as suspects in numerous burglaries over there," Christiansen said.
The four suspects are scheduled to be in Rock County Circuit Court on Wednesday.
Adams was arrested on suspicion of robbery, burglary, false imprisonment, theft, party to the crime of operating a vehicle without the owner's consent, party of the crime of battery and on a probation violation.
Kimps was arrested on suspicion of robbery, burglary, false imprisonment, theft, operating a vehicle without the owner's consent, party to the crime of battery, fleeing an officer and on a probation violation.
Pearson and Buckingham were arrested on suspicion of party to the crime of robbery, party to the crime of burglary, party to the crime of false imprisonment, party to the crime of theft, party to the crime of operating a vehicle without the owner's consent and party to the crime of battery.


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We mentioned a Bike Shop Girl cycling team for 2011 and with much discussion, planning and "crayon on napkin" design we are ready to reveal!
Welcome to em:pwr cycling
Yes, this is the team for all teams. If you are a sponsored rider or a recreational cyclist we are for you.
em:pwr cycling. em:pwr yourself. em:pwr others.
Our mission is simple, empowering ourselves and others to get on a bicycle to ride or to go faster and smarter on that bicycle. We aren't elitist (even though some of us are fast), we will ring the cowbell for any and all cyclist. Creating a global community of like minded cyclist, and creating a portal to find knowledge or motivation to go that much further by bicycle!
Are We Preaching to the Choir?
If you are reading this you love bikes or have some interest in them. We are creating a force across the land that will bridge the gaps of beginners, women, children, men or fans.
Join Us!
Leave a comment below with an email address or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com to get on the list.


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P. Blackk undoubtedly brought a high energy level when he performed a brief, three-song mini-set during a November showcase at Circus. But given the time constraints, the local rapper didn't have a chance to go deep, and his songs were limited to chest-thumping boasts and brash dismissals of haters.
Expect the talented MC to utilize a much wider color palette when he hits Ace of Cups on Tuesday, Dec. 24, pairing these cutting tracks with a more studied, introspective side that emerged earlier this year on Two.
"I want to know what my future holds," he spit on "The Break-Up Song." If he continues to strike a balance between the tough and the tender he should expect big things.


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State Achievement Examination opened opportunities for students:
Immediate Release
Date: November 15, 2001
For Information Call
The state's first-ever Prairie State Achievement Examination (PSAE) can lead to opportunities for students that some might not have dreamed were possible, State Superintendent of Education Glenn W. McGee said in reporting results for the ACT Assessment and WorkKeys tests administered as part of the PSAE.
"The main purpose of the PSAE is to provide a good measure of student achievement of the Illinois Learning Standards," McGee explained. "Along with that measure students get two bonuses - a composite score from the ACT Assessment, one of the nation's premier college-entrance examinations, and scores from two WorkKeys, tests that are used by many employers."
"Regardless of the directions students choose after high school, the PSAE has equipped them with valuable tools to help make those choices."
"Over 10,000 students who would not have taken the ACT in previous years scored at least an 18 on the test. That score will gain them entry into many colleges and universities in the state and nation. Clearly, the PSAE-ACT has brightened the opportunities for success for these students."
"Almost 43,000 additional students took the ACT this year than in previous years," McGee said, "and that included over 6,000 who received extended time because of their disabilities." All eleventh-graders in Illinois public schools were for the first time required to take the ACT - at state expense - as part of the PSAE.
"Despite the increased numbers, the ACT performance of Illinois students remains strong, with a very respectable average composite score of 19.4 - a score that is also higher than a number of other states where only college-bound students test."
ACT reported previously that 2001 graduates of public and nonpublic high schools in Illinois achieved average composite scores of 21.6, compared to the national average of 21.0 for all ACT-tested graduates.
McGee listed several items of interest from the PSAE-ACT:
* Thirty-three Illinois juniors scored a perfect 36 on the ACT taken as part of the PSAE. That alone would make Illinois the state with the most perfect scores. Combined with the other ACT administrations in the 2000-2001 school year, 58 Illinois students achieved perfect scores. The state with the next highest number of perfect scores was Michigan with 15. During that time frame, only 156 students throughout the nation recorded perfect ACT scores.
* Illinois eleventh-grade students demonstrated greatest achievement in mathematics, scoring an average of 19.8 on the mathematics portion of the ACT. The lowest average score was for English with a18.5. Other averages for ACT subject tests were 19.5 in reading and 19.5 for science reasoning.
* Students taking "core" coursework scored substantially higher on the ACT, with a composite average of 22.2 compared to 17.7 by those taking less than core. "Core" coursework is defined by ACT to be four or more years of English and three or more years of mathematics, social sciences and natural sciences.
* ACT scores reported by ethnicity show significant achievement gaps that are similar to those found with other statewide tests. Asian students recorded the highest composite ACT average with a 21.8; Caucasians 20.8; Puerto Rican/Hispanic 17.1; Mexican/Chicano 16.8 and African American 16.0.
Results of the ACT WorkKeys tests of Applied Mathematics and Reading for Information suggest that Illinois schools are preparing students well for the challenges they will face in the workplace. The Applied Mathematics assessment measures a person's skill in using mathematical reasoning to solve work-related problems. The Reading for Information assessment measures a person's skill in reading and using work-related information including instructions, policies, memos, bulletins, notices, letters, manuals, and governmental regulations.
McGee also pointed out important PSAE WorkKeys results:
* Reading for Information results indicate that 59% of Illinois students scored at a level that met or exceeded reading qualifications for 89% of all jobs profiled.
* Applied Mathematics results show that 61% of Illinois students scored at a level that met or exceeded mathematics qualifications for 85% of all jobs profiled.
"Students have to make difficult choices after high school that will have a profound impact on their future success," McGee said. "The PSAE, which includes the added value of the ACT and WorkKeys, gives students concrete information to guide them in making those choices. Students can focus on the opportunities available to them as a result of this vital information."
Students who took the first PSAE in April had the opportunity to retake it in October if they wanted to try to improve their scores.
The PSAE will be given to eleventh-grade students in the spring of each year. In 2002, the testing is scheduled for April 24 and 25.


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This Week At Phillies Camp
The big news out of Phillies camp this week was Roy Halladay throwing live batting practice to a few of his teammates yesterday. Although they were only tracking pitches, it did give Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez a chance to see Halladay in action. Another player who stood in was outfield prospect Dominic Brown. Brown told the media afterwards that because he was almost traded for Halladay, he felt compelled to take a few hacks off him. He did not have much success, but it may be safe to assume it was a personal victory for the young player.
It appears also that besides Jamie Moyer and Kyle Kendrick, there is one more competitor for the 5th starters spot in the rotation. Ryan Vogelsong, 32, began his big league career with the Giants in 2000 and was then traded to Pittsburgh the following year. In his 6 years floating between the majors and minors, Vogelsong's record stood at 10-22 with a 5.86 ERA in the majors with 315 innings pitched. After leaving the Pirates in 2006, he travelled to Japan in an attempt to improve and make a few dollars. Vogelsong grew up in the Philadelphia area and played ball at Kutztown University so he is thrilled to put on the Phillies uniform. His chances of making the team are likely slim, but as in baseball and life, anything is possible.
As Spring Training progresses, a sign that games are not far away is the Phillies annual Phan Fest, which will be held tonight at Bright House field in Clearwater. If you are in the Clearwater area, be sure to check out this event. Gates will open at 5:30pm and admission is free. There will be 2 sets of players there to sign autographs. The cost is only $15 per table for three players. The first table will have pitchers Kyle Kendrick, newcomer Danys Baez and the runner-up for Rookie of the Year, JA Happ. The second table has another newcomer, catcher Brian Schneider plus outfielders Ben Francisco and John Mayberry Jr.
Having attended Phan Fest for the last two years, I can tell you it is well worth the trip. Aside from the autograph tables, there is a play area for kids, a photo booth which will be with Darren Daulton this year, a silent auction, opportunities to buy game-used merchandise, the Phanatic and a fireworks display to end the evening. Last year, a few of the players including Ryan Madson, Chad Durbin and Brett Myers, brought their kids to the event and sat on the field to watch the fireworks. Of those three, only Chad was there for the autographs; the others came on their own to spend time with their families which was very touching to watch.
And the countdown continues…
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Photos by Jenn
*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin' Phils Phorum in the My Team Rivals network*
8 Comments
Sounds like fun! Darren Daulton, eh? He's been talkin' a lot these days. I heard him say some crazy things on the topic of steroids a few weeks ago… loved his long stringy hair back in the day.
Dodgers don't have fan fest. At least not yet but I did attend the All-Star Fan fest in July two years ago and I had a blast there!
What a treat it must be to have Roy Halladay at spring training playing for YOUR team. I'm jealous.
Roy Halladay is gonna be great for you guys. Imagine if you didn't have to get rid of Cliff Lee to get Halladay? Then your rotation would have a 1-2-3 punch: Halladay, Lee, and Hamels. Oh well, guess it just wasn't meant to be.
Ben Francisco may be my favorite Phillie. He kind of got a bad rap in Cleveland and not that I'm a big Indians fan, in fact I hate em but I would like to see him do well
If I knew about the fanfest perhaps I would have scheduled my first Spring Training trip earlier rather than later in March. It looks to be a good time especially since there is so much snow here in Philly.
Phan Fest sounds like it is worth going to. There actually is a charge for autographs?? I don't believe I have ever had to pay for an autograph.
I went to a Red Sox event similar to that yesterday, and I had the time of my life. Autographs are my favorite part of Spring Training; I love talking to the prospects.
I loved that story about Dominic Brown. What is he going to be up to in Spring Training? One of the things I love about Spring Training is that anything can happen–players can surprise you.


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Suite 2900
Los Angeles, California 90017
United States
|Areas of Practice
|1) Litigation
|Law School
|The University of Southern California Law School
|University of Southern California (B.A., 1983
|Most recent firm
|Hennigan, Bennett & Dorman LLP
|Relevant Jobs
3-6 Year Patent Litigation Associate (Downtown Los Angeles)
USA-CA-Los Angeles
LTL ATTORNEYS LLP is an AV-rated litigation boutique serving some of the most recognized corporations in the world. Our Los Angeles (Downtown) office is in immediate need of a mid-level patent litig...
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Junior Associate
USA-CA-Los Angeles
Small to mid-size Century City law firm is looking to hire a licensed California attorney in good standing for a full time employment position as a junior associate attorney. Minimum requirements fo...
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Trial Attorney Iii
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Trial Attorney The candidate leads or works directly on high risk and/or complicated legal matters, representing clients in trials or hearings before courts or agencies, including appeals and arbitra...
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A. Harrison Barnes is a well-known attorney throughout the United States. As a member of the Malibu community, Harrison is committed to serving the needs of Malibu residents and businesses in legal matters.
Benjamin P. Smith is a partner in Morgan Lewis's Litigation Practice. He is a trial lawyer with a particular focus on high-stakes disputes in the biotechnology, medical device, and internet industries.


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The Massive Scale Of Amazon's Distribution Operations, Revealed Through Startling Images
As the world's largest online retailer, it's no surprise that its biggest fulfillment center in Phoenix, Arizona is the size of 28 football fields.
That's because it's their goal to have everything anyone wants at any time.
Amazon has 80 fulfillment centers in the world to handle all of its orders.
Even though Amazon already has massive operations, it's still planning to open at least two new fulfillment centers in California over the next year or so.
And with the holiday shopping season in full force, Amazon hired an additional 50,000 employees to help with the expected demand.
Thanks to Imgur user SippingTea's incredible photos, we have a sense of what this incredible scale actually looks like.
Click here to see eye-popping images of Amazon's massive distribution centers > »
Disclosure: Jeff Bezos is an investor in Business Insider through his personal investment company Bezos Expeditions.


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Prom is one of the many highlights for seniors in high school. Saturday, senior citizens had the chance to relive the moment.
As part of a semester-long class project, some Viterbo University students wanted to show their support for the local community by hosting a prom at St. Joseph Care Center in La Crosse.
Residents enjoyed getting professional pictures taken as well as some dancing, music and food.
The students said the event was a great way to give back to some very special residents.
"This just gives this side of the building something really special to look forward to, and it brings family members in," said Britny Ferris, a sophomore at Viterbo. "So they get time with their families and it's just really special for them, that people are recognizing them and that they are here, and it just brings the community together and even closer."
Local businesses also helped with the event by donating the flower, the photography and the entertainment.
Residents also participated in the crowning of the traditional king and queen of the prom.


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11th Annual Satchmo Club Strut
Aug 05 - Aug 06, 2011
The Satchmo Club Strut takes place one extraordinary summer night when we close Frenchmen St to traffic and the clubs feature special performances in the spirit of Louis Armstrong, to benefit New Orleans Jazz Celebration's outreach programs. Strutters have the option of purchasing a general admission wristband that allows them entrance into most of the clubs (except Snug Harbor) or a VIP wristband which also gives entry into balcony parties overlooking the fun on the street with catered food and special performances, and into Snug Harbor on a first-come basis.
Many more artists coming soon!
500-600 Blocks of Frenchmen St and surrounding area
New Orleans
United States
Featured Artists
Do you know more details about this event? Add them!


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Saving Mr. Banks is a pleasant movie, filmed with grace and directed with care, about the making of Mary Poppins.
It contains two outstanding performances, by Emma Thompson and Colin Farrell, and a performance by Tom Hanks as Walt Disney that is strange enough to be interesting.
The film is too intelligent and well-crafted to dismiss and too good to hate. Some people will love it, and at worst, most people will like it a little.
And yet Saving Mr. Banks seems like a snow job.
Maybe everything in it is true. Maybe Walt Disney really did have the patience of a saint. Maybe Pamela Travers (the author of Mary Poppins) really did curl up in bed holding a stuffed Mickey Mouse. And maybe she really was deeply moved by the finished movie.
Saving Mr. Banks has the self-conscious whiff, if not of mendacity, of public relations.
But you can't really expect unbounded spontaneity when a studio makes a movie about its own founder and about its own movie — especially one about to have its 50th anniversary in 2014.
Saving Mr. Banks is set in two time periods, in the early 1960s lead-up to the Oscar-winning movie but with frequent flashbacks to Travers' childhood in the early 20th century.
The 1960s scenes are much more entertaining, but the early scenes have an integrity about them. As directed by John Lee Hancock, Farrell doesn't necessarily play Travers' father as he really was but rather as the father that was recorded in a little girl's memory — impossibly handsome, unconditionally loving and tragically flawed.
That bond is the most poignant thing in the film. It goes a decent way toward ennobling the adult Travers, who isn't otherwise sympathetic. She has a brittle personality and is either under the constant misapprehension that she is being attacked or that the world is in a conspiracy to annoy her.
The casting of the naturally likable Thompson softens the impression, but it does make one imagine that Travers was a piece of work.
The shifts back and forth through time constitute a clumsiness of the screenplay, which Hancock and cinematographer John Schwartzman handle with panache.
As the two story threads come together, the movie improves and becomes less scattered. Yet even then, the specific way in which the past exerts its influence seems too easy and neat.
Hanks doesn't quite seem like Walt Disney but more like Tom Hanks in a wig and a mustache. His Midwestern accent goes in and out.
There is no believing him for a second, and yet, like the movie stars of the classic era, Hanks automatically gets a special exemption because there is no disbelieving him, either.


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Mid-Week Interlude
I'm actually working at my office today – those of you who are not academics apparently have to do this every day, correct? That blows my mind … – and since my P.O.S. desktop decided to be barely functional today, thus greatly limiting my ability to actually work on my research, I thought I'd knock out a blog post.
First, I have good news about the cyclist who was hit by a car over the weekend. Â Apparently she's fine, other than some bumps and bruises. Â I'm really glad to read that she was wearing a helmet at the time she was hit. Â I think the longest I've ever biked without wearing my helmet is about three blocks, when I biked home from Victory Bicycle Studios after picking up my bike (I had forgotten to bring my helmet). Â It always bugs me when I see people biking without helmets.
Anyway, perhaps not surprisingly, some local cyclists are using the accident as a example of why we need more bike lanes around town. Â While I support bike lanes on every street all over town 100%, I don't think that bike lanes would have helped here. Â It looks like the main causes of the accident were driver inebriation – he apparently blew a B.A.C. of 0.155, almost twice the legal limit – and the time of day. Â She could have been riding in a bike lane or in the middle of the road, but if it's late and the driver is hammered, it's really not going to matter too much. Â But yes, we need more bike lanes anyway. Â Especially on Madison. Â Ahem.
Speaking of bike lanes on Madison Avenue, here's an editorial from last week's Flyer about that very topic, written by Eric Vernon, the owner of the Bar-B-Q Shop. Â While I agree with many of Mr. Vernon's statements, particularly that the city could have done a better job informing the business owners about the proposed changes to the street at the outset, it's hard for me to swallow this:
The reality is that nobody representing Madison Avenue business interests has expressed absolute opposition to the concept of bike lanes.
I mean, maybe that's not an inaccurate claim because he so carefully chose his words. Â "Absolute opposition"? Â Maybe, maybe not. Â But people who are not at least very opposed to something don't participate in letter-writing campaigns to local officials to that end. Â Especially letter-writing campaigns that are laced with inaccuracies. Â I do recall from the meeting back in February that Mr. Vernon seemed like a reasonable guy, so maybe I'm inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt on some of his points. Â But I find his allegation that "bicyclist and pedestrian groups have been kept informed about plans for bike lanes since 2009 … " really hard to believe.
I also don't think the portrayal of the controversy about the bike lanes to be the media's fault.  (It's a common response, it seems, to blame the media when statements made by you or your allies incite the very reaction a reasonable person could have guessed they would.)  I have no doubt that the businesses on Madison have in fact "spent decades developing long-lasting relationships with families in Midtown."  But Mr. Vernon fails to describe what about the reporting was inaccurate.  Frankly, I can't recall a single public statement issued by the concerned businesses on Madison where bike lanes were ever presented as a reasonable alternative.  It's always been shared lanes, i.e. the status quo.  If I'm wrong here, please correct me in the comments.
In other local cycling news, this letter appeared on the CA's website this week. Â It's loaded with common misconceptions: cyclists don't obey the law, cyclists don't pay for roads. Â The fact of the matter is that, yes, cyclists do obey the law (at least, as much as drivers do)Â and we do pay for the roads, via state and local sales and property taxes. Â Just because we don't pay gas taxes … oh wait, we do, because almost every cyclist I know also has a car. Â And drives it.
Meanwhile, here's a much nicer letter explaining why we need bike lanes in Memphis.
I've discovered a couple of new biking blogs you should check out. Â The first is Bike Fancy, which is mostly a photo blog of stylist people on bikes. Â The second is Bike Commuters, which appears to be a catch-all site for (duh) bike commuters. Â I'll be digging into each this week.
Also, it's time to vote for the Best of Memphis over at the Flyer. Â You can do so here. Â I've already cast my vote for best local bike shop (top secret!) and favorite local blog (same!). Â This blog is not listed in the blog category, and I'm not saying you should write it in and vote for it, but you certainly can. Â Just sayin'.
Alright people, that's all I have for now. Â See you all soon.


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Every article about comedy should start with a joke. Here's mine:
Knock knock.
Who's there?
Me, Kristi Harrison.
What do you want?
The UPS guy accidentally delivered your package to my house and I brought it over.
Thanks, can you leave it on the porch?
Get it? Maybe I should let you in on the punchline. One, I'm homeless, and UPS doesn't deliver to the ditch where I lay my head at night. Two, there's a severed hand in the box. Tragedy + straight up lies + dismemberment = comedy, just like Patton Oswalt promised.
Amputations aside, from the moment we laugh at our own farts until the day we die (hopefully not from a horrifying fart disease), finding humor is what keeps most of us sane along the way. That's why it's easy to assume that comedy is a one-way street filled with joy and hilariously tiny clown cars. It's not. Comedy, like the Force, the moon, and what we now know about Michael Jackson, has a light and a dark side. And sometimes it feels like the dark side is winning.
4Comedians Are Sadder Than Everyone Else
Tommaso Altamura/iStock/Getty Images
Get a bunch of professional comedians in a room and you're probably going to be looking at a sad sack of potatoes. Or worse, a bunch of psychos. A study from the British Journal of Psychology found that comedians are more likely than others to admit to being easily distracted, antisocial, and compulsive and have less interest in connecting with other humans. Most of us would look at those qualities and say, "Sooo, comedians are kind of introverted?" Psychologists look at them and say, "CRAZY!" Probably because psychologists are still mad about flunking out of comedy school. Not good, either way.
Holloway/Stone/Getty Images
"They said my jokes needed a quick PUNch up. So I PUNched/KILLED them."
Antisocial traits aside, think of the comedians who have struggled with drugs, alcohol, and depression. There's not enough space in this article to name them all, so let's restrict our list to the Jerrys for quick examples: Lewis, Seinfeld, and Jerry of "Tom and Jerry." Slapstick comedian/perpetual goofball Jerry Lewis wrestled with depression so hard that he claimed he would have committed suicide if not for hearing the laughter of his children running down the hall while he held the gun in his mouth. Jerry Seinfeld flippantly said a version of the same thing in a New York Times interview a few years ago. And as we've covered before, Jerry the Mouse straight up entered a suicide pact with his frenemy Tom.
Turner Entertainment
The writers thought suicide by mutual vivisection would be too harsh.
I know what you're thinking: It makes sense for comedians who are famous for their observational humor to be extra vulnerable to depression. These people can't turn off the compulsion to keep digging at the world until they hit a truth, and comedy is how they spin that truth into something they can live with. That's why Chris Rock once called comedy "the blues for people who can't sing." Which kind of explains a lot, John Belushi-wise.
Universal Studios
As if we needed a reason for The Blues Brothers to make sense.
Speaking of John Belushi, it's not just witty standups questioning the trivialities of everyday life who are prone to mental illness. Physical comedians like Charlie Chaplin, Jim Carrey, and needless to say John Belushi all struggled with their brain demons. There's actually something even more depressing about the guys whipping their bodies around to make you laugh. If comedians were protesters, the slapstickiest ones would be that Buddhist monk who set himself on fire to get attention for his cause. This is the part where I remind you to keep Richard Pryor jokes to yourself.
This is all terrible information for professional comedians, but what about everyday schmucks who just happen to be funny? Bad news, funny guy. You might be in trouble, too. A 70-plus-year longitudinal study of gifted children found that the kids who were described as funny by their parents, friends, and teachers were more likely to die earlier than their boring, unfunny peers. In other words, if life has dealt you a sharp tongue and quick brain rather than looks or money or an ass that won't quit even when the sun goes down, too bad, sucker. You're still going to die first. Enjoy being the jam in a coffin sandwich, jokers!
There is an upside to this equation, and I'm taking it to heart. You should, too.
3Being Funny Isn't as Useful as Being the One Who Laughs
John Howard/Digital Vision/Getty Images
The same people who conducted that 70-year study above also came to an interesting conclusion about the kids who were described as funny. Getting that kind of attention when you're a child requires a certain personality, specifically a loud, outgoing, look-at-me kind of personality, one that might grow up to be more risk-averse and eight-bally. Think back on the class clown of your group growing up. Was he or she really funny, or just loud?
Pamela Mullins/Pam3la Art & Photography/Moment/Getty Images
Looks like we've got ourselves a future Sam Kinison here!
It's probably not fair to make life expectancy predictions based on how many people laughed at your classroom armpit farts. (Besides, some of us never figured out how to make armpit farts, so I can't imagine a more terrible measure of humor.) Here's the good news: Once you grow up, there's more to having a sense of humor than being the funny one on stage. Appreciating humor in others and in life itself is physically good for you, according to science. One study followed the medical records of 50,000 Norwegians for seven years. After ruling out placing banana peels on the floor and recording what developed, researchers assessed the subjects' sense of humor with three quick questions. (No, I don't know the questions, but I'm calling B.S. if one of them wasn't about a chicken crossing a road.)
damircudic/Vetta/Getty Images
Answer: What's a chicken?
Everyone in the study was categorized into two groups by their sense of humor -- not "You're hilarious, you're in this group," but "You get it, you're in this group." In other words, subjects were grouped by their appreciation of humor, not how funny they were. Here's the crazy part: Over the course of the study, the mortality rate was 20 percent higher for the people who couldn't or wouldn't get the jokes on the quiz. Does that mean some Norwegian scientists straight up murdered people who didn't laugh at their jokes? Probably not. The people with a less-developed sense of humor were probably less equipped to deal with the stresses of everyday life. But for real, we'll never know. They might have been murdered.
A totally different study of patients suffering from end stage renal failure found even higher numbers: Those with a good sense of humor were 31 percent more likely to survive the two years of the study. We're talking endgame psychology here -- these people are getting poisoned to death by their own bodies. And for some of them, the difference between living and dying came down to how hard they could laugh at life. As someone who has specifically asked to have my persistent, shrill, horrifying cackle of a laugh edited out of Cracked podcasts, this is great news, because being on the laughing end of comedy is not only easier but healthier in the long run.


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The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award a Girl Scout can earn. Only open to girls in high school, this award comes with perks. As a Gold Award recipient you distinguish yourself in the college admissions process and may be eligible for college scholarships and exclusive summer job opportunities. College not for you? Gold Award recipients who enlist in the service often receive a higher rank because they have earned this prestigious award. Learn all about what it takes to plan a successful Gold Award Project. Questions about the award and its requirements will be answered here. This workshop is strongly suggested, but not required.
Who: Girl Scout Seniors-Ambassadors
Cost: $5


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There was a spool of what looked like some kind of cord but with it were several sticks of something with fuses sticking out of one end. The sticks looked very much like dynamite.
So the resident did what any sane person would do. He called the sheriff.
The man told deputies that his father probably had brought the cord and the explosive sticks home with him about 30 years ago while he was working in the oil field.
Deputy Lt. Ronnie Jones said the man's father had worked in the oil field back when explosives were not as tightly regulated as they are now.
Deputies recognized the cord as detonating cord, commonly known as "det cord."
Jones said the cord, by itself, is highly explosive and the BCSO's special weapons and tactics team uses it to blow open doors.
"Apparently the father had brought the items home one day and had stored them in the shed where they had sat for about 30 years. The items found in the shed included six sticks of explosives that looked similar to dynamite and a spool containing approximately 500-800 feet of highly explosive det cord," the deputy said.
Carrizales was informed of the discovery and he directed the responding deputy to take photographs of the items and send them to Corpus Christi.
Members of the CCPD's Bomb Squad looked at the photos and confirmed that they were older and highly explosive.
"Considering that explosives can deteriorate and become unstable over time, the area was secured and the CCPD Bomb Squad met with the deputy at the residence," Jones said.
The bomb experts placed the items in a special container trailer and took them to the BCSO firing range at the Bee County Exposition Center.
The bomb experts safely exploded the two items using det cord they had brought with them. Deputies and the bomb team made sure they were a safe distance from the items when they blew. But residents several miles from the range reported hearing the larger blast when two pounds of new det cord were used to destroy the old cord.
Jones said the bomb experts told deputies that nothing would remain of the items set off in the explosion. That proved to be true. Nothing was left.
One of the bomb technicians estimated that the explosion at the range was probably five times more powerful than the recent terrorist blast in Boston.
Carrizales said he was not surprised that someone in Bee County would find old explosives left over from earlier days in the oil field.
"Oil field workers in the '70s and '80s would sometimes bring home explosives to use around house or ranch for removing debris or tree stumps," Jones said.
Carrizales urged all county residents to use extreme caution if they should find anything that they suspect is an explosive. Anything that looks suspicious should be reported to the sheriff's office so that the experts can be called in to dispose of the material.
Gary Kent is a reporter at the Bee-Picayune and can be reached at 358-2550, ext. 120, or at email@example.com.


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Parking Meter Attendant Pleads Guilty To Pocketing Quarters
By editor • May 13, 2014
Originally published on May 13, 2014 5:30 am
Good morning, I'm Steve Inskeep.
Cincinnati police finally caught on to Marc Corsmeier. He was a parking meter attendant. He collected quarters people fed in and he now admits keeping $50 per week for himself. Fifty dollars per week for eight years is around $20,000. The Cincinnati Enquirer says police caught Mr. Corsmeier after a tip from a convenient store owner. Corsmeier used that store and apparently he always paid in quarters.
You're listening to MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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See the world in a magical new way. Peer through the lensto experience endless optical fun. Four cool styles to choose from.
Recommended for ages 3 - 6.
See the world in a magical new way. Peer through the lensto experience endless optical fun. Four cool styles to choose from.
Recommended for ages 3 - 6.
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text:
Walk through a barrio in Managua, Nicaragua, and it awakens all your senses. The heat of the day descends like a fiery cloud every day at mid-morning and hovers over you with its hot breath. You never want to be far from clean water. Not an easy task. The chickens squawk, an occasional beat-up truck kicks up dust and you do your best to avoid the dog feces on the rut-sculptured street where the children are kicking a half-inflated soccer ball. It's like this every day. Except for today.
Today, Dr. Carl Ross and Nursing Grad Lee Folk are leading us through this morass of displaced, disenfranchised people, when someone calls Dr. Ross's name. He turns and smiles. It's someone he knows. Children peek over a fence; a young mother approaches with a sickly child; a woman appears in a doorway with her arm in a cast; a man with a scar the length of his bare chest waves and grins. He's happy because he's still alive, he believes, thanks to Dr. Ross.
He knows them all. And they know him and they know the nursing students from RMU who descend like angles two or three times a year to bring care and hope and help heal their wounds, ease their afflictions.
We're there to scout a location for a commercial. But that chore takes a back seat to more important duties, and our crew stands aside in awe.
It's like this all day, but we manage to find the ideal location for our commercial. Because we have an important story to tell. David and his trumpet. How it was stolen by a barrio gang. How Lee Folk managed to surprise him with a new one. How David played for us with all his heart, and how this event changed his life. And Lee Folk's life, also.
We wondered how we could be in a place so poor, so ravaged, so unforgiving, and yet not want to leave. David's mother and sisters embraced us and their tears spoke with an eloquence that surpasses any poetry.
We're home now, but every one of us wants to return. We've made lasting friends. Hopefully, if you're an RMU nursing student, or want to be, you can someday join us. We'd like that.
Robert Morris University. All rights reserved.


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Unfortunately, not everyone is thankful for mom
(Editor's note: I received such positive feedback that, one year later, some of this column is the same. Names have not been changed to protect the innocent – which was never me).
I was a 24-year-old sports editor of the Santa Maria Times, my dream job, so to speak.
I had done my senior internship there before graduating from Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo.
I was handed the job based on two recommendations.
I had taken a list of my works to that job interview and I remember the boss saying when he didn't care about those articles already published, "I don't care what you have done. I care what you are going to do."
I had been on the job all of about three months.
I called my mother and wished her a Happy Mother's Day 28 years ago.
After talking to her for a bit, my Aunt Sandy, my mother's sister-in-law, got on the phone and told me to get home and do so quickly.
My mother had cancer and was preparing to die.
Of course, that wasn't the same mother who, four months earlier, told me she was OK.
I had been offered the job and was preparing to turn it down because of her health.
"I'm doing fine," she said. "I'll be OK. You take the job."
Anyway, I walked into the hospital room and my mother looked terrible because that's what cancer does to you.
My aunt told me it was the best she had looked in a while.
My mother lasted a few more days and, about 4 a.m. with only my sister and I in the hospital room, my mother took her last breath.
She was 46.
My mom and I were really close.
Sis and I lived with her after our parents were divorced because my father was an alcoholic.
My mother went to all of our games.
She laughed with us and disciplined us.
She also laughed at us.
My mom was tough.
She let me have my rope, just enough to play with or hang myself because of my stupidity.
She never allowed excuses. She didn't want to hear them and never cared to listen.
My mother was there to call my bluff, show me the correct path and make sure I called her if I was going to miss curfew.
My mother made sure I was respectful.
My mother never talked to coaches about playing time, or lack thereof.
My mother never talked to coaches about their philosophies.
My mother never talked to coaches about how hard they were working us.
And, if I came home and complained about any of those things, she wanted no part of the conversation.
She told me it was my choice to play and my choice to work hard or not and the more I worked the more I would play.
My mother never talked to teachers about my grades.
They were my grades, not hers.
I miss my mom.
I miss that she missed out on four grandchildren – three great boys and a precious girl.
I knew my mother was a strong woman, but I never really knew how strong until I had multiple conversations with other people about my father and his alcohol problems.
My mother did not miss a football game, basketball game or track meet.
She was always there.
She often sat on the other side during football games because she refused to listen to parents.
For some reason, she thought it was OK to hear that from the other teams parents because she did not know any of those players and didn't take it personally.
One Friday night, I caught a pass, turned up the sideline and went 78 yards for six points.
My mother, on the other side, jumped up and screamed for me.
People looked at her like she was nuts.
"That's my son," she said and nothing else was said.
When I chose to show a basketball official that he was No. 1 toward the end of a game because he whistled me for my fifth personal foul, my mother got home and blistered me and did so rather well.
When my father blistered me years before that, it was always with a belt and those marks eventually went away.
This time, my mother blistered me with her words and they still resonate with me.
Words are powerful weapons.
My mother was mad for what I did.
But, what bothered her was something that was said in the gymnasium as I was leaving the place.
Two men sitting in front of my mom made some sort of comment on how I was raised.
They didn't know the lady behind them, who could hear their conversation, was my mother, and the one who did the raising.
"I could handle what you did," she said. "I couldn't handle what they said."
Yep, I still remember the conversation 35 years later.
Since I know how much my mom loved to laugh, it makes it harder knowing she missed a lot of laughs with her three grandsons and granddaughter.
My wife missed commiserating with her mother-in-law while looking at me and asking, "Was he always like this?"
My wife, also a great mother, had no idea the elevator ride she was about to partake in when she said "Yes" and "I do."
We have gone from the basement to the penthouse a number of times with many stops between the destinations.
My wife shakes her head at what I do or what comes out of my mouth and I know wishes she could look at my mother and ask that same question again and again – "Was he always like this?"
My mom had a wonderful heart and that's what I will remember.
(Mathison, a Weirton resident, is the sports editor of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times and can be reached at email@example.com)


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rock lee looks like he's in drunken fist ,, drinking to much egg nog ^_^
It looks awesome.
Sasuke is so sexy in this Winter outfit :D
Who gave Lee too much sake? >.>
yaa:overjoy::overjoy:. Whats with sasuke's hair? and where is kakkashi?
Last edited by uchihamad; 12-07-2012 at 03:43 PM.
i was just about to do this exact same thread :D
Lol, it's awesome!
Lol. It is awesome.
I can't wait for Christmas.
Favorite time of the year.
Narutos orange santa suit.
Glad you guys like it! :D
Happy to see Rock Lee:D
Originally Posted by Kiritsugu
Who gave Lee too much sake? >.>
Who could be? The Number One Hyperactive, Knucklehead Ninja.
I like how the strongest hokage sticks out the most.
VERY awesome! Well done!!!! :D
^_^ " Christmas Time , We Shall Make a Thread Singing Christmas Carols :ghehe:
Needs more cowbell.....
Yeah, it's very nice
Sakura is done. You can't see her anymore at all . Proven. lol _O-
Originally Posted by MrSimple
Sakura is done. You can't see her anymore at all . Proven. lol _O-
LOL. True, where is Sakura?
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SOHO Sees Through the Sun
March 9, 2000 -- A week's advance warning of potential bad weather in space is now possible thanks to the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft. With a technique that uses ripples on the Sun's visible surface to probe its interior, SOHO scientists have, for the first time, imaged solar storm regions on the far side of the Sun, the side facing away from the Earth.
Like the unanticipated arrival of hurricanes before the advent of weather satellites, a group of previously hidden solar storm regions can rotate suddenly into view as the Sun turns, blazing away with explosive eruptions. The new technique, which uses the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) instrument on SOHO, gives a warning by creating a window to the far side of the Sun.
Right: An active region on the side of the Sun facing away from the Earth (the far side) causes sound waves, represented by blue arcs, that travel through the interior, bounce once off the surface, and reach the side facing the Earth (the near side). The waves generate ripples on the near side surface and are reflected back toward the active region. An active region reveals itself because it possesses very strong magnetic fields that speed up the sound waves. Waves that pass through an active region have a round trip travel time about twelve seconds shorter than the average of 6 hours. The difference becomes evident when sound waves shuttling back and forth get out of step with one another. LInks to 400x437 jpeg.Credit: NASA and the European Space Agency
"We've known for ten years that in theory we could make the Sun transparent all the way to the far side," according to Dr. Charles Lindsey of Solar Physics Research Corp., Tucson, AZ, and Dr. Douglas Braun of NorthWest Research Associates, Boulder, CO, authors of a paper describing the research to be published in the journal Science on March 10. "But we needed observations of exceptional quality. In the end we got them, from MDI on SOHO."
Ripples on the Sun's surface used to image the interior are caused by sound waves reverberating through the Sun. Analysis of solar sound waves is the science of helioseismology, and it opened the Sun's gaseous interior to investigation in much the same way as seismologists learned to explore the Earth's rocky interior with earthquake waves.
|Parents and Educators: Please visit Thursday's Classroom for lesson plans and activities related to this story.
The MDI instrument is the most elaborate of three helioseismic instruments on SOHO. It measures rhythmic motions at a million points across the Sun's visible surface.
Computers can interpret the motions in terms of sound waves travelling through the Sun. The waves are affected by the various layers of gas and different motions that they encounter. The MDI has already revealed many unknown features of the solar interior, including hidden jet streams circling the Sun's poles.
Left: TBS three-panel image, showing absolute magnetic field strength of the same feature (upper left) one-half solar rotation before, and (upper right) one-half solar rotation after the (below, center) holographically imaged farside region. Links to 576x461 pixel jpeg. Credit: NASA and the European Space Agency
The technique of helioseismic holography used by Lindsey and Braun examines a wide ring of sound waves that emanate from a small region on the far side and reach the near side by rebounding internally from the solar surface. An active region reveals itself because it possesses very strong magnetic fields that speed up the sound waves. Waves that pass through an active region have around-trip travel time about 12 seconds shorter than the average of six hours. The difference becomes evident when sound waves shuttling back and forth get out of step with one another.
MDI data for March 28-29, 1998, revealed on the far side a sunspot group that was not plainly visible on the near side until 10 days later. Observations for 24 hours were more than sufficient to detect the sunspots, which means that routine monitoring is a realistic possibility.
SOHO is a cooperative project between the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA. The spacecraft was built in Europe for ESA and equipped with instruments by teams of scientists in Europe and the USA. The far-side helioseismology research was funded by the National Science Foundation and NASA.Web Links
Additional Graphics -- including animation of a farside active region with coronal mass ejection.