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Monday, January 23, 2012
If I were sponsored....
All of this made me wonder how it would look if I were actually sponsored by brands that I use on an everyday basis. I think we'd come up with a fairly wild assortment of logos, and a notable few that would look wonderfully out of place at any trail race. Here is my dream list of sponsors.
How could I survive, let alone train, if not for the amazing, calorie filled, delights of Taco Bell? I can't even count the number of times I've had a workout, and the first thing I eat afterwards is a scrumptious burrito, nachos, and mexican pizza. Gotta replish those glycogen stores!
Men don't need nipples, but since we have no choice but to have them, why not protect them? Johnson and Johnson band aids never fail to save my tatas from the unbearable risk of chaffing due to sweat, moisture, cheap fabrics, and the perky cold.
Now this would actually be a cool brand to be sponsored by, along with rival brand Quicksilver. Nothing says fashionable than showing up to a race in my trademark Hawaiian boardshorts. I have toed the line to more races in my blue floral shorts than other other pair of pants. Short shorts? Heck no! Boardshorts say I'm stylish, laid back, but I also want to protect the thighs from the often rugged nature of the trail.
Laugh if you want, but I'll be laughing my way to a PR. I won my first ever ultramarathon after eating several(more like four) delightful confections for a pre race breakfast. These 200-300 calorie gems have won their way into my heart, record books, and stomach. The coffee ain't bad either.
Why waste another $1.00-$1.50 on the same boring chocolate flavored gels? I mix things up by putting a small jar of this pure gold in my drop bags. Just a little scoop gives me twice the calories of a gel, plus the carbs and protein. Combine it with its partner in crime, peanut butter, and it's a match made in heaven.
The ultimate pre, or post run cocktail! It has the sugar for carbs, salt for electrolyte balance, and alcohol to dull the senses long enough to sign up for another ultra. Margaritas are also excellent for aleviating pain in the later miles of a race, or at least allowing to forget how much pain you were actually in. The only downside is that margarita is not an actual brand, though getting Jimmy Buffet to sponsor me would be pretty sweet. A good IPA is also a nice substitute.
Last, but certainly not least! The same food that got me through college is the same food that gets me on the road to race recovery. You can find noodles for as cheap as 10 cents, or as high as (gasp) 50 cents a bag. It's got all the sodium and carbs you need to recover strong for the next run.
Well, that's all I can think of for now. In case you're wondering if I really use the above brands, the answer is yes. My nutrition is terrible, and I like a good drink every now and then. If you happen to know anyone working in the marketing department for any of the above companies, please give them my info so I begin representing their brand as soon as possible.
My new slogon: "Mike Runs on Dunkin". It's got a nice ring to it :-)
5 comments:
- Jocelyn said...
Nuetella should soooo have running sponsors! let's start an application and send it to them...
- January 23, 2012 at 1:03 PM
- Jocelyn said...
Nuetella should totally have running sponsorships! Let's send them an application...
- January 23, 2012 at 1:04 PM
- Mike Bailey said...
Jocelyn, I am finding out more and more athletes use Nutella. Super ultramarathon stud Kilian Jornet stated in a recent interview that Nutella is one of his favorite training foods. I will let you know about the application...because, I am seriously thinking about asking for a sponsorship. Lol!
- January 24, 2012 at 5:59 AM
- JenWa098 said...
Okay, I just stumbled upon your blog while trying to rename my own...I laughed my ass off. I am directionally challenged (I get disoriented at "the mall") and I love your choice of sponsors...Mind if I "follow" you? I am a merely a lazy, beginning runner...
- January 28, 2012 at 6:08 PM
- Mike Bailey said...
Welcome to the family of directionless runners! Of course you can follow me. It's not like I've ever turned anyone down :-)
- January 29, 2012 at 7:05 AM


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Milk punch, in one form or another, is a popular adult beverage in the deep south during the winter months. An old fashioned drink that has been around forever, it is still enjoyed in many households from the Mississippi Gulf Coast up to the Delta, and is served at most every restaurant in New Orleans. Thanks to the multitude of celebratory events of the season, including those surrounding Christmas, New Year's, and, of course, Carnival season, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy one.
Usually served in the wee hours of the morning as a tummy soother following a long night of over-indulgence, a milk punch is intended to be slowly sipped to help pleasantly greet the sunrise of the morning after. It is rich and delicious, and like it's close cousin eggnog, a bit deceptive, so be careful. It is easy to forget it too contains liquor.
Some people make milk punch with bourbon, others with brandy. I prefer my milk punch with bourbon and with ice cream included, but some folks leave that out. Either way is perfectly proper.
The Punch Bowl Mardi Gras Milk Punch recipe is by the gallon, so increase it as needed to fit your own punch bowl. As always, adjust, taste and adjust for sweetener and for liquor strength. That recipe also happens to fit conveniently into a gallon jug for toting along to the parade route, should one be so inclined. Just soften the ice cream, whisk everything together and funnel into the jug.
Mardi Gras Milk Punch
From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish
1/2 cup of half and half
2 teaspoons confectioners sugar, or to taste
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 1-1/2 ounces of bourbon or brandy
2 small scoops vanilla ice cream
Grated nutmeg
Swirl ice in a highball glass to chill the glass; dump and reserve the ice to use with shaker. Place the half and half, sugar, vanilla extract and bourbon in a shaker; cover and shake well to mix up everything. Add ice to the shaker and shake just to chill the drink well. Strain into the glass. Place 1 or 2 scoops of ice cream on top and grate fresh nutmeg over that.
One Serving
I prefer to do these by the glass myself, but they can be done big batch. Of course you will need to whisk it in the punch bowl occasionally, or if it's in a jug, shake it up before pouring a glass, since it will tend to separate after sitting.
Punch Bowl Mardi Gras Milk Punch
From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish
2 quarts of half and half
1/2 cup of confectioners sugar, or to taste
3 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 quart bourbon whiskey, or to taste
1 quart vanilla ice cream
Grated nutmeg
Put the half and half, sugar, vanilla extract and bourbon in a small punch bowl. Whisk to blend. Add scoops of ice cream on top of the milk punch and grate nutmeg on top. Can also be served in a pretty pitcher or whisked together and poured into a gallon jug for transporting to the parade. Making it big batch, you will need to whisk it or shake it up occasionally since there will be some separation. Some people also like to freeze it in a jug overnight and let it thaw for a few hours in the fridge or a cooler.
Makes about a gallon - multiply as needed for your punch bowl
Source: http://www.deepsouthdish.com
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Check These Out Too!
Hot Buttered Rum
Spiked and Spiced Hot Chocolate
Café au Lait

subset: commoncrawl


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Mrs. Payne was born July 26, 1926, in Hico to Archie and Lydia (St. Clair) Samford. She married James Allen Payne and was a housewife.
She was preceded in death by her husband, James Allen Payne, a son, Thomas Ray Stark; her parents, Archie and Lydia Samford; seven brothers, Elton, Alva, Charlie, Noyle, Wilmeth, Wesley and Archie Meade Samford; and four sisters Ala Hicks, Leota Rathke, Mary Lou Hale and Mary Etta Bateman.
Survivors include four daughters, Karen L. Brown of Austin, Nancy J. (Mike) Coquat and Sharon L. Jones, both of Three Rivers, and Rita K. (Allen) Trojcak of Refugio; four sons, Fred W. (Christine) Stark of Beeville, Earl W. (Linda) Stark of West Columbia, James K. (Monica) Stark of Tuleta and Roy Allen Payne of Woodsboro; a sister, Margaret (Nathan) Crisp of New Braunfels; 17 grandchildren; numerous great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
Visitation was held Tuesday, May 21, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Roberson Funeral Home in Three Rivers.
The funeral service was conducted Wednesday, May 22, at 11 a.m. at First United Methodist Church in Three Rivers.
Honorary pallbearers were her grandsons: William Allan Stark, Bobby Heathcoe, Wesley Stark Kolb, James Tré Coquat, Cameron Allen Payne, Lance Allen Trojcak, Stephen Ray Jones, Keith Ray Stark, Joshua Douglas Jones, Christopher Troy Stark, and Trenton Allen Payne.
Roberson Funeral Home


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Unlike typical desk lamps, which are often heavy and unwieldy, this little light is easy to move around: Keep it next to your computer, place it on a stack of books or hang it on the wall. Handcrafted out of white oak, the minimalist lamp looks like a modern-day candlestick—for nights when you're burning the midnight oil.
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This clever sharpener, designed to look like a wind-up key for clocks, will get your pencils pointy in no time. Made of nickel-plated steel, the playful tool adds a sense of humor to your desk whether it's in your office or at home. Tick-tock!


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Music mogul Simon Fuller has been named the most successful UK music manager of all time by Billboard Magazine – beating Led Zeppelin's manager Peter Grant and The Beatles' Brian Epstein into second and third place respectively.
Simon Fuller owes much of his recent success to Pop Idol, which spawned more than 100 other versions including American, Canadian and Australian Idol. Add each winning contestants' sales figures to those artists already on Fullers' books – The Spice Girls, Annie Lennox, S Club 7 etc – and it's easy to see how he won. Fuller has successfully managed 500 number one singles and 240 number one albums worldwide with 116 million sales in North America alone.
Last year, Time Magazine named Fuller as one of the 100 Most Influential People In The World – like or loath his music, the man, and the figures, demand our respect.
By Tom Porter


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Way back in August 2007, members of the The River Reporter editorial staff asked me to write a sustainability column. I felt woefully unqualified. What did I know about environmental issues? But I plunged in, viewing it as an opportunity.
I have learned a great deal, and gradually made lifestyle changes, none of which have caused hardship or sacrifice. In fact, simplifying my life seems to have enhanced it.
For instance, in my personal campaign to save the boreal forests, I have eliminated most paper products and replaced them with rags, handkerchiefs and cloth napkins. I buy Marcal Small Steps tissues and toilet paper made from "100 % recycled paper, not trees" as the label reassures me. Every time I receive a piece of junk mail or a catalog, I call the customer service number and ask to be removed from the mailing list. I do most of my banking online and stream videos, eliminating Netflix envelopes that have to be trashed. I've also begun downloading books to my iPad Kindle app.
I've made other small adjustments. I avoid unnecessary driving, try to recycle everything recyclable, am pretty diligent about using my reusable bags, always carry my stainless steel water bottle to avoid buying bottled water and make my own detergent. I haven't had a television in my home for almost 20 years, thereby avoiding its continual messages that promote consumerism and other unsustainable practices as a way of life.
I had been an almost-vegetarian for about 20 years. I sometimes ate commercially raised chicken and turkey. I ate fish. Two years ago, I decided to eat only chicken raised on a farm I knew. Last month, while I reading Jonathan Safran Foer's "Eating Animals," I made a commitment to completely eliminate animals from my diet.
You can find an excellent summary of the deleterious environmental effects of eating flesh at nytimes.com/2008/01/27/weekinreview/27bittman.html. In that article, Professor Gidon Eshel, geophysicist at the Bard Center for Environmental Policy, summarizes the issue: "When you look at environmental problems in the U.S., nearly all of them have their source in food production and in particular meat production." Due to humanity's enormous and ever-growing appetite for meat, factory farming generates unimaginable cruelty, huge energy costs, pollution of land and water from animal waste, an increase of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, increased incidents of heart disease and cancer, and starvation in underdeveloped countries.
We enjoyed our first completely vegetarian Thanksgiving. I feel good boycotting an environmentally destructive industry: no sentient beings suffer to satisfy my personal desires, and I have turned my back on an industry that is laying waste to nature, lying to us about the environmental costs of the products they sell, threatening our health and showing a cruel disregard for life.
When I review all the small changes I've made over the past four years, I feel really good. If I can do it, anyone can. For 2012, I invite you to consider instituting a few lifestyle changes to facilitate sustainability for all living things.
Our small, cumulative efforts make a big difference.


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P.S. Drop by our Pregnancy.org "wall" and say hi anytime! We love hearing from you! ("Friend" us while you're there by clicking on the star beneath our avatar! Need help? Drop me a note at [firstname.lastname@example.com]firstname.lastname@example.com[/EMAIL]!
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Regardless, if you need to set the header 'Location:' before closing the session; explicitly close the php script with "exit()" or "die()" functions. Remember that when a php script ends, the session automatically are going to be closed.
Sessions are a simple way to store data for individual users against a unique session ID. This can be used to persist state information between page requests. Session IDs are normally sent to the browser via session cookies and the ID is used to retrieve existing session data. The absence of an ID or session cookie lets PHP know to create a new session, and generate a new session ID.
Sessions follow a simple workflow. When a session is started, PHP will either retrieve an existing session using the ID passed (usually from a session cookie) or if no session is passed it will create a new session. PHP will populate the $_SESSION superglobal with any session data after the session has started. When PHP shuts down, it will automatically take the contents of the $_SESSION superglobal, serialize it, and send it for storage using the session save handler.
By default, PHP uses the internal
files save handler which
is set by session.save_handler.
This saves session data on the server at the location specified by the
session.save_path configuration directive.
Sessions can be started manually using the session_start() function.
If the session.auto_start directive is set
1, a session will automatically start on request startup.
Sessions normally shutdown automatically when PHP is finished executing a script, but can be manually shutdown using the session_write_close() function.
Example #1 Registering a variable with $_SESSION.
if (!isset($_SESSION['count'])) {
$_SESSION['count'] = 0;
} else {
Example #2 Unregistering a variable with $_SESSION.
Do NOT unset the whole $_SESSION with unset($_SESSION) as this will disable the registering of session variables through the $_SESSION superglobal.
You can't use references in session variables as there is no feasible way to restore a reference to another variable.
register_globals will overwrite variables in the global scope whose names are shared with session variables. Please see Using Register Globals for details.
File based sessions (the default in PHP) lock the session file once a session is opened via session_start() or implicitly via session.auto_start. Once locked, no other script can access the same session file until it has been closed by the first script terminating or calling session_write_close().
This is most likely to be an issue on Web sites that use AJAX heavily and have multiple concurrent requests. The easiest way to deal with it is to call session_write_close() as soon as any required changes to the session have been made, preferably early in the script. Alternatively, a different session backend that does support concurrency could be used.
Regardless, if you need to set the header 'Location:' before closing the session; explicitly close the php script with "exit()" or "die()" functions. Remember that when a php script ends, the session automatically are going to be closed.
as metioned in 5th paragraph:
"Sessions normally shutdown automatically when PHP is finished executing a script, but can be manually shutdown using the session_write_close() function."
It's important to note that , "session shutdown " and "session invalid" are not equivalant. when a session shutdown, its session file is still valid in 24min by default (session file still exists in session path) .
In subsquent access to this site ( ensure that this session file still exists ) ,this session will be resumed by session_start().
Despite the warning about not being able to use references inside the session space, I've done it in the past and apparently completely successfully. That is, I can do something like this:
if (!$_SESSION['favorite']) {
$_SESSION['cow'] = "Elsie";
$_SESSION['favorite'] =& $_SESSION['cow'];
echo "We set cow = '$_SESSION[cow]' and favorite =& cow ($_SESSION[favorite]).
Reload the page to see if both change when one changes later.
";
} else {
echo "Having re-entered the session after initial settings were made: cow = $_SESSION[cow] and favorite = $_SESSION[favorite].
";
$_SESSION['cow'] = "Bessie";
echo "We reassigned cow = $_SESSION[cow] and our restored reference variable favorite = $_SESSION[favorite]
Note the presence of the &s in the var_dump below.
";
echo "

If you reload, the test will begin again.";
unset($_SESSION['cow'], $_SESSION['favorite']);
yields the following after the second request:
Having re-entered the session after initial settings were made: cow = Elsie and favorite = Elsie.
We reassigned cow = Bessie and our restored reference variable favorite = Bessie
Note the presence of the &s in the var_dump below.
array(2) {
&string(6) "Bessie"
&string(6) "Bessie"
If you reload, the test will begin again.
I've found this ability very useful and storage efficient in the session data.
As mentioned in the documentation, using session_write_close() shuts down the session. It is particularly useful if you want to use header('Location: SOMEURL'); to a URL within the same scope of the current script, that will load the session. Why?
When you use this header directive, the browser is requested to redirect the user to the given URL. If that URL is in the scope of the script where header() is called (let's say, same URL), the requested URL "COULD" load the session BEFORE it has actually been shut down in the previous script, and you might end up with the session from the previous request, reverting all modifications to session in the the last script.
if (!isset($_SESSION['hello']))
$_SESSION['hello'] = 'world';
// session is now closed, it's safe to redirect
// if not closed, $_SESSION['hello'] may not be set properly
// when loading the page again
// (in this very case, calls to this script could loop for a while)
header('Location: ' . $_SERVER['PHP_SELF']);
If a session is not saving and you have verified that session_start() is being called, then double check capitalization. $_session can store variables but will not be treated like a session or cause an error.


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"I have been listening to you on EWTN for about one year now. I left the Catholic Church 42 years ago and have been attending Protestant churches. After many struggles during this last year, I finally went to confession on Sunday. Thank you all so much for helping me on my journey home."
~ Peggy
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"Love men, slay error; without pride be bold in the truth, without cruelty fight for the truth."
~ Augustine of Hippo, prescribing sincerest love for the erring with keen repugnance for the error to which they cling, anticipating the very definition of true civic tolerance, as detailed in the article Religious Toleration.


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Teen Moms
According to the West Virginia Kids Count organization, more than 46 teenage girls (ages 15-19) out of every 1,000 in West Virginia gave birth during 2011. To put this into another perspective, one out of eight babies born in the state are born to a teen mom.
The fact that rate is higher than the national average (34 per 1,000) is troubling enough. But in some counties, the problem has increased during the past few years.
When teenagers have children, the consequences can be severe and lingering. For example, about one-third of girls who drop out of high school say they did so because they got pregnant.
Poverty rates for both mothers and children in such situations are higher than for other segments of the population. And especially for younger girls, the risks of bearing unhealthy babies are higher.
As the report noted, the rate of babies born to teenagers in West Virginia during 2011 was 46.3 per 1,000 girls. That makes teenage pregnancy a statewide problem.
Kids Count offers several suggestions for reducing the rate. They include ensuring schools provide comprehensive sex education, giving young people "a credible vision of a positive future," helping adults work with children to curb the problem, and creating "community-wide action plans."
Learning more about why some counties have lower rates of teen pregnancies would be an excellent first step. Why is Gilmer County's rate (22.3 per 1,000) more than 20 points below the state average? And why is Gilmer's rate so much lower than neighboring Calhoun's. Why is Pleasants County's rate (30 per 1,000) so much lower than its neighbor, Tyler County's (52.5)?
Our population is among the most unhealthy in the country. Unless we can reverse these trends, it seems we will be doomed to repeating this pattern.While the teen birth rate is not the root of the state's problems, it does play a big part. The state's dropout rate is already too high and as long as that continues to be the case the cycle of poverty will continue.
Concern about teen pregnancy is nothing new. Clearly, however, despite decades of initiatives by government and in schools, success has proven elusive. A good next step, then, would be to find out precisely why teen pregnancy rates differ so much from county to county and attempt to use that information to curb the problem.


text:
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Manuals & Brochures
1Note: Triple and quad layer BDXL discs can only be used in BDXL drives.
212x BD-R and BD-R DL write speed achieved using certain media. Refer to the media support list.
3For more information on 3D playback system requirements and to download a BD and 3D advisor utility, visit www.cyberlink.com.
4PowerRead is not guaranteed to work with all disc conditions or under all PC environments.
5PureRead2 is not guaranteed to work with all disc conditions or under all PC environments.
6HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) display device is required only for playback of high-definition copy protected content (for example, a Hollywood Blu-ray title). For such content, the connection between the PC and the display device must be made using a digital DVI, HDMI, or DisplayPort cable.
Note: Auto Quiet mode and PureRead can be configured as well as enabled and disabled with the Pioneer BDR-2207 Drive Utility. The utility is provided on the CyberLink software disc, but is not automatically installed with the CyberLink software.
Pioneer and the Pioneer logo are registered trademarks of Pioneer Corporation.
Intel and Core are trademarks Intel Corporation, registered in the U.S. and other countries.
AMD and Radeon are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
BLU-RAY DISC and the Blu-ray Disc logo are trademarks of the Blu-ray Disc Association.
Cyberlink, Cyberlink PowerDVD, Cyberlink PowerDirector, Cyberlink Power2Go, and TrueTheater are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cyberlink Corporation.
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SERIAL ATA and its Design Mark are trademarks of Serial ATA International Organization.
Microsoft, Windows, and Vista are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.
NVIDIA and GeForce are registered trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation.


text:
Sorry, Tommy
Last night, with Coop at the Blind Pig, I was so sure Tom Glavine would get his 300th win. The occasion felt momentous. Glav had 30 friends and family in the stands. I had my camera.
Alas, Tommy, this wasn't your time. Your kids and wife went from this:
Unfortunately, to this:
Don't worry, buddy. We've got faith for next time.
For the full photo album, including many a screen cap, and some of the Blind Pig friends and family, click here.
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Not Glav's fault. The bullpen blew it. The fact that 'pens are so important and that fewer and fewer complete games are pitched nowadays is one of the reasons 300 wins will be even harder to get in the future. Sometimes, when you want something done right, you have to do it yourself!


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by Anton Shilov
Western Digital on Tuesday started to officially sell internal hard disk drives with capacities up to 3TB. The new hard drives belong to Caviar Green family and hence do not provide high performance, but are designed mostly for data storage purposes. In order to address systems with non-EFI firmware (the vast majority of PCs already in use), WD will bundle a special controller that will allow usage of 2.5TB and 3.0TB drives on older computers.
The hard disk drives (HDDs) with higher than 2.19TB capacity have to use 4KB sectors (up from 512 bytes on the vast majority of current drives), 64-bit operating system, new logical block addressing (LBA) standard along with new UEFI (universal extensible firmware interface) replacement for BIOS (basic input-output system). While it is not hard to install a 64-bit operating system onto any more or less new personal computer, changing a mainboard with BIOS onto a mainboard with UEFI is a problem for a majority of PC owners with systems older than one year. One of the solutions is to utilize a special controller for large-capacity hard disks.
WD is bundling its WD Caviar Green 2.5TB and 3TB hard drives with an Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI)-compliant Host Bus Adapter (HBA), which will enable the operating system to use a known driver with correct support for large capacity drives.
WD Caviar Green 3TB hard disk drive is based on four 750GB platters. The drive features Serial ATA-300 interface, 64MB of cache, and comes in industry-standard 3.5" form-factor. Western Digital declares 15ms average read seek, 5.5ms average latency. The spindle speed of Caviar Green 3TB is slightly higher than 5400rpm. WD claims that the novelty can consume up to 10.75W to spin up the drive, up to 6.25W during seek, up to 5.5W in idle mode and up to 1W in stand by.
WD Caviar Green 2.5TB hard drives (model number WD25EZRSDTL) and 3TB hard drives (model number WD30EZRSDTL) are available now in the U.S. at select resellers and distributors. MSRP for the WD Caviar Green 2.5TB hard drive is $189 and the 3TB hard drive is $239


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Assessor can correct valuations
By John Wickline
Staff Writer
The Upshur County Commission has granted approval for the county assessor, along with the Property Tax Division of the state Tax Department, to correct any valuations for real and personal property and mineral accounts through Feb. 1.
Any adjustments sought after Feb. 1 must go through the county commission, which will be holding its annual Board of Equalization and Review hearings.
The commissioners will start the hearings at 9 a.m., Feb. 1 to review the property books. No appointments will be taken on that day.
Other BOER hearings will be held at 9 a.m. on Feb. 6 and at 1 p.m. on Feb. 7. Hearings on mineral accounts only will be held at 9 a.m. on Feb. 12. The commissioners will return to regular BOER hearings at 9 a.m. on Feb. 15, followed by hearings at 1 p.m. on Feb. 21, at 9 a.m. on Feb. 22 and at 9 a.m. on Feb. 27.
To schedule an appointment or to receive further information, contact County Administrator Willie Parker at 304-472-0535 or by email at firstname.lastname@example.com.
In other matters, the commissioners approved a $700,000 contract with the West Virginia Development Office. The money will be used for a waterline extension project in the Adrian Public Service District. The project previously received a $200,000 allotment from the state, which was used to pay for the engineering study. The project is expected to cost around $1.5 million.
The commissioners also announced that a public hearing regarding a minor boundary adjustment which would bring the West Virginia National Guard Armory into the Buckhannon corporate limits will be held at 10:30 a.m., Jan. 24 in the commission chambers.


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yes i know
how could it have been distroyed
things could happen you never what this universe can do
*thinks for a moment* somthings not right i need to get the planetary star map
here look at my ring
*universe map in real time*
*finds reach* no that cant be right it says everything on reach has been wiped out by......
by what?
*zooming the mapin to ground level on reach*
look now remeber this is real time
*shock noooooo its ben glassed by the covanent
reach has been distroyed
the covanet they distroyed it *has a sad expreshion under helmit*
h-how they did then they are coming for the halo soon right...and how can they how
*looks at the map* because the pillar of autom is on its way here from escaping reach
ecsape reach?
yes its in an escape route
i wonder
*routes it under ground*
the pillar of autom is headed right for the ring
how do we get there?...come on there must be a way
we need somthing with a slip space drive and the pelcians dont have one we would need another ship like the savana thats in working condition
Forum Rules


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Zoning guidance questioned
Given the fact that Tom Shepstone is a paid spokesperson for the gas industry, it's not surprising that he suggested that the Town of Delaware rewrite its zoning ordinances in such a way that it happens to make it easier for gas companies to build noisy, polluting, dangerous compressor stations in the town. What is surprising is that the town is paying him (by keeping him on the payroll as town planner) to advance the interests of his corporate masters. It's even more surprising that some residents of the town are willing to overlook this glaring instance of conflict of interest and accept Shepstone's word that he really has the best interests of the community at heart.
Shepstone's claim is that by zoning in compressor stations, the town can recommend protective measures such as enclosure requirements and noise limitations which the federal regulatory agency might choose to respect. He neglects to state the obvious fact that a zoning rewrite like the one proposed will encourage the industry to site compressor stations in the town, and that the town already has the ability to negotiate restrictions if and when a company applies for a zoning variance.
Moreover, the proposed new regulations do not cover all the known problems associated with compressor stations: contaminated air, low-frequency noise that can cause serious illness; and accidents that drive people from their homes. If the town really wants to protect its residents, it can adopt strict noise and air contamination ordinances that apply to all industries without creating special zoning allowances for compressor stations.
Bruce Ferguson, Callicoon Center, NY
Roy Tedoff, Hortonville, NY


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What would it be like to orbit a black hole, or even to fall into one? You can find out by exploring the world of black holes in an award-winning Web site created by a team led by Roeland van der Marel, an astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Md.
The Web site won the top prize for 2005 in the Pirelli INTERNETional Award competition, the first international multimedia contest for the communication of science and technology on the Internet. The award covers interactive audio visual formats such as flash animations, CD-ROMs, and Web sites.
Awards are given in five categories: physics, chemistry, mathematics, life sciences, and information and communications technology. Van der Marel's Web site won the award for physics and also beat the other category winners to claim the top prize. His team created the black holes Web site with the help of a NASA education and public outreach grant.
The award-winning interactive Web site is entitled "Black Holes: Gravity's Relentless Pull." The public-friendly site, filled with animations and graphics, rescues black holes from the realm of science fiction and puts them back into the domain of science. The site can be explored on Hubblesite (http://hubblesite.org/go/blackholes), the Internet home of Hubble Space Telescope news.
"Our goal is to show that even the most mysterious of things can be understood with the combined application of human thinking and powerful technology," van der Marel explains. "We want to convey the importance of scientific thought and hope to instill, especially in the younger generation of viewers, an appreciation for learning and an interest in science."
Van der Marel and his collaborators will receive their prize during a ceremony May 16 in Rome, Italy. The winning team also consists of Gijs Verdoes Kleijn, formerly of the Institute and now at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, and Educational Web Adventures of St. Paul, Minn., led by David Schaller, which was responsible for the design and development of the Web site.
An international jury selected the Pirelli award winners from 1,000 entries from more than 50 countries. The jury included Riccardo Giacconi, winner of the 2002 Nobel Prize in physics and former Institute director. Launched in 1996, the award is sponsored by the same Italian company that makes Pirelli tires.
Van der Marel is an expert on black holes and the structure of galaxies. His research, which includes using the Hubble telescope to study galaxies, has contributed to the discovery that supermassive black holes exist in the centers of most galaxies. He earned a doctorate in astronomy in 1994 from Leiden University in the Netherlands. In 1997, he received a fellowship at the Space Telescope Science Institute, the Hubble telescope's science operations center. He is now a member of the Institute's science staff and is also an adjunct associate professor at nearby Johns Hopkins University.
Donna Weaver
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.
(Phone: 410-338-4493; E-mail: email@example.com)
Roeland van der Marel
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.
(Phone: 410-338-4931; E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com)


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5 exotic destinations that speak English
Explore the world without learning new language
Robert Louis Stevenson, the renowned novelist and travel writer famous for books such as "Treasure Island" and "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," once said, "There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign."
If you have ever traveled to an exotic land with a language you do not speak, you know just how foreign and alien the language barrier can make you feel.
Unfortunately, not understanding the local language can also steal from you one of the greatest joys of traveling: meeting new people and making friends from different cultures and backgrounds. So what can you do if you enjoy visiting exotic destinations, want a taste of the local culture, but don't have the time to learn the language of every country you visit on a two-week vacation?
Simple. Find exotic destinations where the locals already speak English. Pure genius. Check out our list of five exotic destinations where, surprisingly, language will not be of a problem.
First up: Dónde se habla Inglés en América Central?
Welcome to Belize, the only English-speaking country in Central America.
The country is home to stewed chicken with rice and beans, the red-footed booby bird, endless white sand beaches and the largest coral reef in the Western hemisphere. All of which makes it a natural destination for nature lovers, beach bums, snorkelers and scuba divers.
Culture enthusiasts will enjoy Belize's 900-plus Mayan archaeological sites. If you visit only one Mayan ruin, make it the Mayan Pyramids of El Caracol. The view from the top of its 140-foot pyramid over an endless sea of emerald-green high-canopy jungle is something you will not forget in a hurry.
However, maybe Belize is just not exotic enough for you. How about the farthest East country you can visit before you run into yesterday?
Are you ready to time travel?
Kiribati is the easternmost country in the world. Travel east from Kiribati and you will cross the International Date Line and run into yesterday. The official languages of Kiribati are English and Gilbertese.
This isolated nation was untouched by foreign influences until the 18th century, when American and British ships first landed on its shores. Since then, Kiribati has established itself as a world-class destination for travelers looking for classic Pacific beaches, a tranquil and serene way of life, game fishing, surfing and World War II relics.
However, if you are planning to visit Kiribati, don't waste time. Tragically, Kiribati is set to be the first country to disappear due to rising water levels caused by global warming.
Our next destination takes us to one of the cradles of civilization where, happily for us, English is widely used.
Have you got a safari hat handy?
The official motto of Kenya is Harambee, which in English means "all pull together."
It is a fitting motto for a country consisting of more than 70 tribes that speak more than 30 languages and countless dialects. Fortunately for you, English is the official language along with Swahili, both of which are used as a trade language between the melting pot of cultures that make up Kenya.
So, forget your phrase books and translation phone apps. Climb Mount Kenya, go on a safari, trek along the Rift Valley, visit a genuine Masai village or relax at one of Kenya's popular beach resorts without worrying (too much) about the language barrier.
Our next stop takes us to South America. We know what you're thinking: an English-speaking country in South America?
Is the rainforest calling your name?
If you want to visit South America, explore the Amazonian rainforest and follow in the footsteps of famous explorers such as Sir Walter Raleigh and David Attenborough, but the only words you know in Spanish are "fiesta" and "siesta," Guyana is the destination for you.
The republic of Guyana has one of the largest unspoiled rainforests in the world and a huge wealth of animal and plant diversity. This small and sparsely populated South American country is the only mainland English-speaking country on the continent.
Guyana was a British colony from 1841 to 1966, and still preserves its colonial heritage. For instance, 90 percent of its population speaks English and all drive on the left side of the road.
Our next exotic English-speaking destination does not only have English as its official language, it is (surprisingly) one of the top five countries in the world with the largest English-speaking populations.
Does it get more exotic than the Far East?
Although there are more than 76 major languages and 500 dialects in the Philippines, English is the country's official language. It is the language used in schools and universities as well as by most newspapers, radio and TV programs.
The Philippines has been a popular destination for foreigners for centuries, although, until recently, it was rarely with peaceful goals.
First, the Spanish colonized the Philippines in the 16th century. In 1898, it became the United States' first and only colony. In the 1940s it fought for its survival against Japan and finally, in 1946, regained its independence.
Now, this huge archipelago of more than 7,100 islands attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists in search of its famous beaches, its picturesque high altitude rice terraces and Old-World cities, which still retain 18th century architecture from the Spanish conquistadors.
Distributed by Internet Broadcasting. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Elliot Miller- Champ
Ade Gardner-SL
Matt Gardner-Champ
Ryan Shaw-SL Academy
Craig Calvert-Champ
Peter Lupton-champ
Liam Campbell-champ
Kyle Amor-SL
Shaun Lunt-SL
Lee Mossop-SL
Oliver Wilkes-SL
Liam Harrison-Champ
Ben Harrison-SL
Graeme Mattison-Champ
Brad Singleton-SL
Ewan Dowes-Champ
Andrew Dawson-Champ
Countless more young cumbrians in sl academies at the moment, couple of class SL players there! Cumbria doesn't do to bad, considering that the population of the player pool is less than a quarter the size of Leeds on its own.
You have only given me six actual Superleague first XV11 players and you have also had to add in Barrow lads to get it to six.
Pontefract is a bigger hot bed of SL professionals than the whole of Cumbria.
Any idea why this may be?
Edited by The Parksider, 06 January 2013 - 12:11 PM.


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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Air and Radiation (6604J)
July 1992 (revised)
Indoor Radon and Radon Decay
Product Measurement Device Protocols
TABLE OF CONTENTS Disclaimer
Significant Changes in This Revision
Radon and Radon Decay Product Measurement Methods
Section 1: General Considerations 1.1 Introduction and Background 1.2 General Guidance on Measurement Strategy, Measurement Conditions, Device Location Selection, and Documentation 1.3 Quality Assurance Section 2: Indoor Radon Measurement Device Protocols 2.1 Protocol for Using Continuous Radon Monitors (CR) to Measure Indoor Radon Concentrations 2.2 Protocol for Using Alpha Track Detectors (AT or ATD) to Measure Indoor Radon Concentrations 2.4 Protocol for Using Activated Charcoal Adsorption Devices (AC) to Measure Indoor Radon Concentrations 2.5 Protocol for Using Charcoal Liquid Scintillation (LS) Devices to Measure Indoor Radon Concentrations 2.6 Protocol for Using Grab Radon Sampling (GB, GC, GS), Pump/Collapsible Bag Devices (PB), and Three-Day Integrating Evacuated Scintillation Cells (SC) to Measure Indoor Radon Concentrations 2.7 Interim Protocol for Using Unfiltered Track Detectors (UT) to Measure Indoor Radon Concentrations Section 3: Indoor Radon Decay Product Measurement Device Protocols 3.1 Protocol for Using Continuous Working Level Monitors (CW) to Measure Indoor Radon Decay Product Concentrations 3.2 Protocol for Using Radon Progeny Integrating Sampling Units (RPISU or RP) to Measure Indoor Radon Decay Product Concentrations 3.3 Protocol for Using Grab Sampling-Working Level (GW) to Measure Indoor Radon Decay Product Concentrations Glossary References
While we try to keep the information timely and accurate, we make no expressed or implied guarantees. We will make every effort to correct errors brought to our attention. The material and descriptions compiled for these pages are not to be considered Agency guidance, policy, or any part of any rule-making effort but are provided for informational and discussion purposes only. They are not intended, nor can they be relied upon, to create any rights enforceable by any party in litigation with the United States.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThis document represents the cumulative efforts of many dedicated individuals within the radon measurement community and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Several key components of this document were prepared by the authors acting as interpreters of the substantial field experience and technical knowledge provided by these individuals, and their assistance is gratefully acknowledged.
SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THIS REVISIONThis protocol document updates and supersedes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) document entitled, "Indoor Radon and Radon Decay Product Measurement Protocols," and issued in March, 1989 (U.S. EPA 1989a). The updating reflects new information, new procedures, and new measurement devices, including a new interim protocol for unfiltered track detectors. The EPA's testing recommendations are summarized in Section 1.2. This measurement strategy reflects the changes made in the most recent edition of "A Citizen's Guide to Radon" (U.S. EPA 1992a). More information is also provided in the EPA measurement guidance document, "Protocols for Radon and Radon Decay Product Measurements in Homes" (U.S. EPA 1992c). Guidance on radon measurements in schools and for real estate transactions is also available (U.S. EPA 1989b, 1992b).
This edition contains some clarifications and new information on quality assurance. The addition of a Glossary provides definitions and formulas for several of the technical terms used in the document, including accuracy, precision, and the values used to quantify these parameters.
The two previous editions of these protocols (U.S. EPA 1986, 1989a) used the value coefficient of variation (COV), defined as the standard deviation divided by the mean, as the expression used for the goal (at 4 pCi/L or 0.02 WL) of 10 percent for precision. The COV should decrease with increasing concentration. This edition explains that there is a variety of ways to calculate and express precision, including the COV and the relative percent difference, defined as the difference between two duplicates divided by their mean. It is important to monitor precision over the entire range of radon levels that are encountered routinely in the measurement program, and that a systematic and documented method for evaluating changes in precision be part of the standard operating procedures. While a limited precision error is desirable (e.g., COV of < 10% at 4 pCi/L), it is most important to maintain the total error of any individual device (including both errors in precision and accuracy) to within ± 25 percent of the "true" radon or decay product concentration for concentrations at or above 4 pCi/L (0.02 Working Levels when the equilibrium ratio is 0.5).
To limit errors in accuracy, this edition recommends that users calibrate their measurement systems at least once every 12 months. Participation in the former National Radon Measurement Proficiency (RMP) Program did not satisfy the need for annual calibration, as this Program was a performance test, not a calibration procedure.
The 1986 and 1989 versions of the measurement protocols recommended that known exposure measurements, or spikes, be conducted at a rate of a few percent of the total number of measurements. These measurements are those for which the detectors are exposed to a known radon concentration in a calibration chamber and analyzed routinely. The results are used to monitor the accuracy of the entire system. This edition clarifies this recommendation, specifying that spikes be conducted at a rate of three per 100 measurements, with a minimum of three per year and a maximum required of six per month. This reduces the number of spikes necessary for large users and clarifies the need for spikes by all users.
A significant change in this version of the Measurement Protocols is the requirement that all devices used for measurements in homes, schools, or workplaces be deployed for a minimum of 48 contiguous hours. It is important to understand that this minimum measurement period applies to all cases when the result of the measurement is given to a homeowner or building official to determine the need for further measurements or remedial action. The exceptions to the 48-hour measurement period are for those cases when the results will not be reported to a homeowner or building official, but will be used by a mitigator or researcher within the context of their project or research. For example, in-progress diagnostic measurements made in the process of performing mitigation can help to determine points of radon influx. Results of these measurements will be used to assist the contractor to better understand the dynamics of radon within that building, and will be part of a series of measurements, including pre- and post-mitigation 48-hour measurements. Radon researchers testing the effects of mitigation techniques, measurements methods, or strategies may also need to perform measurements of flexible durations.
The Agency has implemented a requirement for a minimum measurement period for several reasons. First, it will help ensure consistency among measurement programs, thereby ensuring that measurement results of at least a minimum quality become the basis for decisions by homeowners, school officials, and others responsible for authorizing further measurements or mitigation. This will become increasingly important as radon is measured in more and different types of buildings, and as a more diverse group of people, many without technical backgrounds, find the need to compare and understand these results. Second, a minimum measurement period will guarantee that a certain number of hours, including daily radon cycles, will be incorporated into the result reported to the persons responsible for making a decision about that building.
A period of 48 hours for the minimum measurement period is a policy decision that was arrived at after careful scrutiny of the possible options. It is important that the complete measurement result includes the effects of daily fluctuations in radon levels, so the minimum period needed to be a multiple of a 24-hour day. The Agency deems a single 24-hour period as too short because of the possibility of unforeseen circumstances occurring during the 24 hours; this possibility is diminished if two 24-hour periods form the duration of the measurement. One possible unforeseen circumstance is the improper implementation of closed-building conditions. A longer measurement period increases the chance of identifying such occurrences and helps minimize their impact. Finally, it was deemed important to include two daily cycles so that periods of low and high radon concentrations are well represented in the overall result.
There may be some situations when it is impossible to terminate the measurement at exactly 48 hours; therefore, a grace period of two hours will be allowed. A measurement made over a period of at least 46 hours is sufficient and is considered a two-day measurement. This grace period applies to all measurement methods.
Concerns have been raised regarding the requirement of a minimum distance of 30 inches from the floor for placement of detectors. The change from 20 inches to 30 inches was made in the March 1989 Protocols (U.S. EPA 1989a). This distance is not thought to be critical, so this version again recommends a minimum distance of at least 20 inches. In addition, the 1989 edition was not specific regarding the minimum distance between the measurement location and an exterior wall; this revision clarifies that distance to be about one meter, or three feet. Suspended detectors should also be about six to eight feet above the floor (i.e., within the general breathing zone).
Sections 2.6 (Evacuated Scintillation Cells), 2.7 (Pump/Collapsible Bags), and 2.8 (Radon Grab Sampling) of the previous protocol document (U.S. EPA 1989a) describe methods that share common features. For this reason, the three measurement methods are combined into one section in this revision. In addition, the Appendices A and B of the previous document are now part of their corresponding protocols. The radon grab sampling and pump/collapsible bags methods are not appropriate for purposes of determining the need for further measurements or for mitigation because they do not comply with the 48-hour minimum measurement period.
This revision also reflects the method designations used in the former National Radon Proficiency (RPP) Program. A two letter code for each method has been adopted, although ATDs (AT), RPISUs (RP), and EICs/ECs (ES or EL) may still be referred to by their traditional acronyms. The current designations are as follows:
METHOD CATEGORY Abbreviations Common RMP
Continuous Radon Monitors CRM CR Alpha Track Detectors ATD AT Electret Ion Chambers
Short Term
Long Term
Activated Charcoal Adsorption Devices
(formerly called charcoal canisters)
CC AC Charcoal Liquid Scintillation CLS LS Three-day Integrating Evacuated Scintillation Cells SC Pump/Collapsible Bag Devices
(24 hour sample)
PB Grab Radon Sampling
Scintillation Cells
Activated Charcoal
Pump-Collapsible Bag
Unfiltered Track Detectors UTD UT Continuous Working Level Monitors CWLM CW Radon Progeny Integrating Sampling Units RPISU RP Grab Sampling - Working Level GW
Go to Top of Page
Section One || Section Two || Section Three || Glossary || References
Created: July 26, 1999


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Want to see what I got for free?
Here is a shot of the baseballs I was able to snag this past season. I was lucky enough to get over half of them autographed. I realize that autograph collectors say your only supposed to use brand new MLB baseballs, but I prefer to use the ones I snag. To me, they're more personal.
Instead of coming out of a box, each one of my autographed baseballs has two stories.
How it was snagged, and how it was tagged.
I'm all about a good baseball story.
Here are the names of the players whose autographs are on the baseballs shown above.
Clint Hurdle – 2
Troy Tulowitzki – 2
Ian Stewart – 1
Jeff Francis – 1
Jorge De La Rosa – 2
Taylor Buchholz – 1
Franklin Morales – 1 (My first autograph this year at Spring Training) Rockies Ball
Micah Bowie – 1 (My second autograph at Spring Training this year) Rockies Ball
Ryan Speier – 1 (My third autograph obtained at Spring Training this year) Rockies ball
Joe Koshanski – 2
Aaron Cook – 2
Ubaldo Jimenez – 1
Ryan Spilborghs – 3
Glendon Rusch – 1
Omar Quintanilla – 1
Cedrick Bowers – 1
Greg Reynolds – 1
Chris Ianetta – 4 (he signs before almost every game)
Juan Morillo – 1
Steven Register – 1
Clint Barmes – 1 Rockies ball
The Rockies balls are non MLB baseballs with the Rockies logo on them. I'm not thrilled with those so I won't use them anymore.
So here are the totals.
31 autographed baseballs all snagged by me except the 4 Rockies balls = 27 baseballs.
17 unsigned baseballs snagged by me. For a grand total of 44 baseballs for the season.
Here's a shot of everything I've accumulated from this past Rockies season. Other than the ticket price to get into Coors Field (which was mostly Rockpile Tickets at $4.00), I didn't pay a cent for any of these items. (click on the picture to expand)
I figure I've got another twenty years of snaggin and bloggin in me, maybe more.
Just like wine or Kimchi, I get better with age (in my mind).
Imagine what this collection will look like in twenty years?
Nuggets game tonight at 6pm. I'll have a blog entry up for that tomorrow..Thanks for checking out the Rant…D
3 Comments
Hey D,
I think getting the balls that you snagged autographed are way more cool than using purchased balls. The autographs I've gotten from the players themself mean more to me than one I could purchase. To actually have been there when they signed the autograph is so much fun. (I'm jealous that you got 3 from Spilly, I never was able to get his autograph.) Nice collection!
Nice job on the collection! Everything seems a bit better when it comes for free (unless it's a wrinkled Nuggets shirt that looks like it has flower laces on it). Doing it with the kids make it even better. Keep up the good work.
Sorry to hear about Matt Holliday. I know he was real good to you guys (ballhawks) out there. Billy Beane never ceases to amaze me. I'll be seeing Matt Holliday Sunday, Nov. 23rd at an autograph signing in Chicago (I caught his 19th career homer a few years back and will be getting it signed). Looking forward to that. It's expensive but I've gotta do it.
Stop by my blog and check out my freebies edition. I will continue to do the same.
Keep "ranting!"
Rockieluv, it's funny, for me Spilly was a hard one to get. Then the last month the kids and I managed to get his autograph three seperate times. He is a great guy and I got to shake hands with his dad one day in the Pavilion, another cool dude.
What's the haps Happy? Nice job on snaggin Hollidays homer. Too bad you have to pay for the autograph. To tell you the truth, Matt only hit 25 home runs this season ( and not all of them at Coors) and the dude rarely took batting practice. I think I only saw him once this season at BP, but he was crushing them…Thanks both of you for your support…D


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We all know it's just around the corner—but I'm still looking for signs of spring at every turn. There are so many celebrations and traditions connected to the change of seasons... some familiar and others that conjured up memories skewed by time, with a twist.
When I was a child, spring was the great lead-in to summer vacation and the countdown to the end of school. Sunday school was no exception, and springtime ushers in the "fun" Jewish holiday, Purim, touted as one of the most joyous celebrations in the Jewish calendar. It's been a while since I celebrated and my facts and figures were lacking, so quite naturally, I took to surfing the web to get them straight.
According to www.holidays.net [2], "The name of the holiday (Purim is the Hebrew word for "lots") refers to the plot of the King's advisor Haman, to draw lots for which Jews to kill first. Queen Esther saved the Jewish people from the evil Haman's 'lots' plot by revealing it to the king."
To the best of my recollection, there were noisemakers, costumes, pastries and a grand story of Good vs. Evil, but apparently I have forgotten about the details—another historical attempt to wipe the poor Jews off the planet. I do recall readings from "The Book of Esther," which is traditionally read twice during the festivities, once at night and again the next day, and that the holiday usually rolled around sometime near the vernal equinox.
As kids, there were parties, costume parades and the retelling of the story, replete with hisses, boos and the requisite noisemakers (graggers) that would fill the air every time the evil Haman's name was mentioned. Adults celebrated as well, but in a vastly different way, more in keeping (IMHO) with St Patrick's Day. According to the website, Purim is "so joyous, in fact, that rabbis have actually commanded adults to get drunk" on the holiday.
News to me, but worthy of investigation, so I read on. "You might think that the origin of this practically pagan-sounding ritual is fundamentally hedonistic; however, both ancient and modern Jewish sources cite a rather esoteric explanation for drinking on Purim: Alcohol sublimates rational thoughts and precludes inhibitions."
That much I knew, but still wasn't making the connection of actually encouraging combining cocktails and making noise, so I continued my search. Naturally, enlightened educators downplay this tradition, especially among underage revelers, so I searched for deeper meaning.
"The advantage of the altered state is that the drinker is truly humbled once they are stripped of their intellectual cynicism. With alcohol in their system, drunken Purim partiers are paradoxically enabled to appreciate that only a higher power can truly discern between good and bad."
I even cruised one site that pronounced "drink till you drop" as the official mantra of Purim, replete with rationale.
Sunday, March 20 is the day. At precisely 7:21 p.m. (EST) the sun will cross directly over the Earth's equator. This moment is known as the equinox, which means "equal night," because day and night are about equal in length all over the world during this period. Infoplease.com informs that "there is no shortage of rituals and traditions surrounding the coming of spring" and that "early peoples celebrated for the basic reason that their food supplies would soon be restored."
The great Sphinx points directly to the rising sun that same day. Nowruz, the Persian New Year, begins. Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon following the equinox—but before that, I'll be lifting a glass, making noise and shaking my fist at the dastardly villain Haman, while dressing up and hitting the streets of Monticello, desperately searching for a party to crash.
Having no shortage of food (thankfully), I need to stock the bar, invite a few friends over and make sure that they know that "the rabbi made me do it" before getting the party going. I'm looking forward to the delicious Hamantaschen, shaped like the tri-cornered hat that bad-boy Haman sported back in the day, while plotting to kill the heroes of yet another cautionary tale. I'm looking forward to telling my neighbors that yelling and screaming in the streets is "a commandment" and starting a new tradition, under the guise of "just doing my part" to spread the joy.


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I was encouraged when in I read Susan Freinkel's book, "Plastics: A Toxic Love Story," that manufacturers of polar fleece garments, such as Patagonia, REI and The North Face, are hungry for recycled PET plastic bottles. They prefer to make fleece from cheaper recycled bottles rather than using more expensive virgin polyester made from our dwindling supply of petroleum. It takes about 25 recycled bottles, otherwise whisked away to a landfill, to make one garment. (If the label doesn't say the garment is made from recycled fleece, it's not.)
My enthusiasm fizzled when I read about a study indicating that microfibers from our clothing flow from sewage treatment plants into our water, our oceans and our beaches. These teeny-weeny plastic pellets absorb pollutants "including DDT, polychlorinated biphenyls and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (some of which are constituents of crude oil)." After laundering, a single garment can "shed" as much as 1,900 plastic fibers from one millimeter to 10 micrometers small. Fleece sheds the most. So… recycled PET bottles don't end up in landfills if they are made into textile, but they do end up in the ocean.
Forget diamonds—plastic truly is forever.
This example underscores the complexities of choosing wisely if one is environmentally conscious. We must consider cradle-to-grave effects, or the life cycle, of any object we buy. From raw materials to manufacturing to disposal, what is an object's total environmental footprint?
The fleece conundrum made me realize that in my attempt to live an eco-conscious life, I don't often consider what's in my closet, a topic that could fill a voluminous book or two: one about fashion (or lack thereof), the other about the environmental costs of said fashion. We've all heard about social justice issues when it comes to our T-shirts and tennis shoes, but what about the eco-effects of the pesticides, herbicides and chemicals used to create our clothing?
For example, my closet and bureau is filled with cotton clothing, but I've never really considered the negative environmental impact of conventionally grown cotton. Showing up frequently on the Internet is the fact that "cotton is considered the world's 'dirtiest' crop. Cotton covers 2.5% of the world's cultivated land, yet uses 16% of the world's insecticides, more than any other single major crop."
On the opposite end of the spectrum, and absent from my closet, are garments manufactured from hemp. Widely considered the most ecological and versatile plant in the world, hemp is used to make clothing, paper, body care products, shoe polish, furniture oil, insulation and varnish. You can even drink hemp milk. It grows without pesticides, herbicides or fungicides, and is biodegradable. Why everything that could be made with hemp isn't made with hemp but with less eco-friendly sources deserves a column all its own.
In the next few columns, I'll write about textiles like lyocell (brand name Tencel), bamboo, ramie, wool and hemp to help us find our way out of the toxic closet and into a more sustainable wardrobe.


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"I will take responsibility," said Hoelscher, who is authorized to purchase equipment at Contractors Building Supply and Equipment. "I want the people to know I am no longer associated with the fire department."
Darrell Phillips, Normanna fire chief, said that now it is a matter of fighting the civil lawsuit which seeks $8,235 for leased heavy equipment and purchased smaller items, plus 18 percent interest on the debt and legal fees.
"We are going to try and fight it as far as the fire department," Phillips said. "It makes us look bad though."
Phillips offered assurance that department was not going anywhere.
He said that he has reviewed the items leased and purchased, as has Hoelscher.
Hoelscher said Wednesday afternoon that it was he who rented the heavy equipment, which included a backhoe and bulldozer, from the Corpus Christi company.
"The fire department itself had nothing to do with it," Phillips said. "We will have to fight the case in court, because our name is on there."
Phillips said that the department being listed as the renting party was a mistake – something that Hoelscher also confirmed.
"Evidently, someone down at the office put it on our account," Phillips said. "What can we do with heavy equipment? The fire department itself had nothing to do with it."
The rental paperwork lists a job site on Colony Road – an address different from that of the fire department.
"(Hoelscher) has a ranch that he manages next door," Phillips said. The contracts also contain no purchase order number, which is required as stated in the credit application with Contractors Building Supply and Equipment Company, he said.
While the bulk of the lawsuit comes from the renting of heavy equipment, a small portion is for the purchase of hard hats, safety glasses and vests – $142 worth.
"We use that," Phillips said referring to the fire department. "I have no qualms with that $142."
Phillips said that on Thursday he paid that portion of the bill.
That bill's not being paid was a mistake on the department's part, Phillips said.
As far as a second recent lawsuit, County Judge David Silva said the award was the result of a default by the Normanna fire department and Hoelscher.
The plaintiff, SAT Radio Communications Ltd. dba Industrial Communications, is located in San Antonio, and it provides equipment like radios, satellite phones, GPS tracking, SCADA, mobile video recorders and emergency equipment such as sirens and light bars.
According to the suit, Hoelscher and the NVFD owed the company $2,081.85 for items. The company also sought another $1,750 in attorney fees and all court costs.
Silva said Hoelscher and NVFD officers failed to respond to the suit after the defendants were served with court papers on March 22.
The case went before Silva's court on July 13, and the judge awarded the company $1,744.05 and $750 in attorney fees.
Hoelsher said that he would pay the judgment as a result of that suit.
"I will take care of it, because I forgot to file an answer to the petition," he said adding that a payment plan has already been worked out.
Hoelscher said Wednesday that, in light of the recent events, he has left the department.
"As of today with all this in the paper, I, Albert Hoelscher, no longer have dealings with the Normanna Volunteer Fire Department."
Jason Collins is the editor at the Bee-Picayune and can be reached at 358-2550, ext. 121, or at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Women's health: Prevent top threats
By Mayo Clinic News Network
Many of the leading threats to women's health can be prevented -- if you know how. The top causes of death among adult women in the U.S. include heart disease, stroke, cancer and chronic lower respiratory disease, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Take the first step to protect yourself by talking with your doctor about your risk factors for these conditions. Then get serious about reducing your risk.
Manage chronic conditions and get recommended screenings
If you have health problems, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes, that increase your risk of heart disease and stroke, follow your doctor's treatment recommendations. Also be sure to consult your doctor about when you should have mammograms and other cancer screenings.
Adopt a healthier lifestyle
While you can't eliminate risk factors such as family history, you can control many other risk factors for heart disease, stroke and cancer. For example:
- Don't smoke. If you smoke or use other tobacco products, ask your doctor to help you quit. It's also important to avoid exposure to secondhand smoke.
- Eat a healthy diet. Choose vegetables, fruits, whole grains, high-fiber foods and lean sources of protein, such as fish. Limit foods high in saturated fat, added sugar and sodium.
- Maintain a healthy weight. Losing excess pounds -- and keeping them off -- can lower your risk of heart disease as well as various types of cancer.
- Get moving. Include physical activity in your daily routine. You know exercise can help you control your weight and lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. But did you know that it may also lower your risk of certain types of cancer? Choose activities you enjoy, from brisk walking to ballroom dancing.
- Limit alcohol. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so only in moderation. For women that means no more than one drink a day. The risk of various types of cancer -- including breast and liver -- appears to increase with the amount of alcohol you drink and the length of time you've been drinking regularly.
- Manage stress. If you feel constantly on edge or under assault, your lifestyle habits may suffer -- and so might your immune system. Take steps to reduce stress -- or learn to deal with stress in healthy ways.
Prevent chronic lower respiratory diseases
Many women don't realize that they're at risk of illness and even death from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease — which includes bronchitis and emphysema. Don't be caught off guard. To protect your respiratory health:
- Don't smoke. If you smoke, ask your doctor to help you quit. Also avoid exposure to secondhand smoke.
- Steer clear of pollutants. Minimize exposure to chemicals and outdoor air pollution.
- Prevent respiratory infections. Wash your hands often and get a yearly flu vaccine. Ask your doctor whether you need a pneumonia vaccine as well.
The bottom line
It's important to understand the common health risks that women face, but don't feel intimidated. Instead, do whatever you can to lead a healthy lifestyle — including eating a healthy diet, staying physically active, quitting smoking and getting regular checkups. Simple preventive measures can go a long way toward reducing your health risks.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/womens-health/WO00014/NSECTIONGROUP=2
Distributed by Internet Broadcasting. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Nancy Pelosi Offers Shooting Condolences
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi is offering her condolences over the mounting loss of life from Friday's shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., which reportedly has left 27 people dead, including 18 children. "No words can console the parents of the children murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School or describe the pain and shock of such an unspeakable tragedy. No words can comfort the loved ones of those brutally taken from us today. All Americans share our prayers and our grief over these horrifying events," Pelosi says. "We are all stunned, shocked, and distraught by this tragic shooting, by this violent act, and by the loss of so many young children. Our hearts go out to the … Continue reading


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|Jessica Spotswood, Anna, me, and Andrea Cremer
|Marie Lu, Anna, me, and Beth Revis
And of course, the loot:
One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
19 Responses to "In My Mailbox (58)"
Awesome haul, Tara! Reading (err..listening to) Born Wicked right now and really diggin it! Enjoy all the new things! xoxo
YAY, Wanderlove! I hope you love it. And I'm so jealous of your adventure to Anderson's. In a couple years, I'll be joining you guys, you know
Looks like a great event, thanks for sharing the pics.
WANDERLOVE = MY NEW OBSESSION. I hope you enjoy!
ooh, awesome haul! I can't wait to read In Honor! Enjoy.
You have bangs! THEY ARE CUTE.
I've been hearing good things about Born Wicked, so happy reading!
Y'all are too adorable at breathless reads.
OOO One For The Murphys looks SO GOOD. OMG.
ALSO, Wanderlove. Anna is right, it is AWESOME.
Happy reading!
Oh I wish the Breathless reads tour would one day come to Seattle! I want them to come here so much!
Happy reading
I just finished Wanderlove! I hope you enjoy it– I think it's something special!
That's so cool you got to meet those authors! I can't wait to read Born Wicked, Legend, and Across the Universe. And Abandon is awesome!
Happy Reading!
Looks like it was a fun signing! Thanks for sharing some pictures
Wanderlove is so, so good! I hope you enjoy it,
I'm so jealous of Born Wicked and Legend! I hope you enjoy everything you got this week! Come check out my IMM!
Born Wicked has the prettiest cover! Good IMM this week!
Check out my IMM
I really need to read Wanderlove. It's showing up on blogs everywhere I look! Born Wicked is AWESOME, hope you love it as much as I have. Enjoy!
Okay, how do you find out about all these book tours!?
In Honor and Wanderlove look great, adding them to my TBR! and Born Wicked is a must! I can't wait to get it
Pics look great, thanks so much for sharing!
Enjoy your new books!
YAY! What a fun event to have attended! Hope you enjoy all your new reads!
Here is my IMM
Happy Reading,
Lindsay @ Turning the Pages
Born Wicked is absolutely fantastic! Happy reading :]
That Breathless Reads Tour looks like it was a lot of fun! And what a great haul! I got Legend this week, too, and all your others are on my TBR list! Happy reading!


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Liliana Castillo
Nearly 90 percent of New Mexico schools missed the latest targets for boosting student achievement, the Public Education Department reported Friday as it announced plans for replacing the federally-mandated system for rating schools.
A total of 720 schools, or 86.6 percent, failed to make "adequate yearly progress" under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. That's up from 76.7 percent, or 634 schools, last year.
Two out of the Clovis Municipal Schools' 16 campuses that were tested met AYP.
Out of the 4,428 Clovis students in Grades 3-8 and Grade 11 who took New Mexico Standards-based Assessments, which AYP is based on, 48.4 percent were proficient in math and 54.8 percent were proficient in reading.
in Curry County, Texico, Melrose and Grady schools did not meet AYP for the 2011-2012 school year. Melrose, however, made AYP at the elementary, junior high school and high school levels, but the district is reported as not meeting AYP.
Melrose Superintendent Jamie Widner said it must be a mistake.
"We will make it as long as we can," Widner said. "I've said before that there will come a time when we won't meet it but right now, I'm glad we do."
Under a new law enacted this year at the request of Republican Gov. Susana Martinez, the state plans to assign grades A to F to schools based mostly on student performance.
"The message couldn't be clearer: Our children need education reform now," Public Education Secretary Hanna Skandera said in a statement. "Educators know almost 87 percent of our schools aren't failing, and that's why we need reforms like our A through F grading system."
Widner said he's interested to see how the A through F grading system will work on a small district like Melrose.
"I'm curious about it but I"m proud of our school. We have a great teaching staff and super kids and that's why we got it," Widner said.
In Texico, 290 students took the tests and 63.7 percent were proficient in math and 68 percent were proficient in reading.
In Melrose, 118 students took the tests and 68.9 percent were proficient in math and 65.7 percent were proficient in reading.
In Grady, 59 students took the tests and 49 percent were proficient in math and 64.7 were proficient in reading.
The federal school rating system has long been subject to criticism from educators who consider it too rigid because it takes a pass-or-fail approach rather than measure the progress that students or schools might be making. The system imposes higher student achievement targets each year, making it highly likely that school ratings worsen annually.
"AYP is not a measure I place a whole lot of faith in," CMS Superintendent Terry Myers said.
Myers said the results were to be expected because standards for NMSBA and AYP were "ratcheted up" this year. The change also makes results from 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 incomparable because the rating system changed.
"Everyone was hit with a double whammy this year," he said. "We expected less campuses to make it but it is clear that this is simply not a fair way to measure schools."
Myers said schools were not informed that standards would be changed for the NMSBA until about a month ago.
Myers said 10 of Clovis' 16 campuses that were tested improved in reading and six improved in math and that the high school improved in both areas.
Myers said the results are preliminary and districts have until Aug. 5 to appeal them.
Texico Assistant Superintendent Dennis Roch said the district was disappointed that the schools didn't have bigger gains.
"We've been hovering at the 70 to 75 percent proficient mark and a few years ago that was considered proficient," he said.
Roch said the numbers mean the district has to strive for growth each year.
"We certainly have some work to do. We're not making any excuses and look forward to raising our scores next year," he said.
Texico High School met AYP in both math and reading. Texico Junior High School didn't make AYP in math in one subgroup, students who are classified as economically disadvantaged, and Texico Elementary didn't make AYP in reading in the same subgroup.
Said Portales Superintendent Randy Fowler: "I've not seen our scores but I am sure we did not make AYP this year. Our district hasn't been an AYP school in several years.
"What we will do is look at the test scores and look at the positives and see where we've improved and areas where we still lack and we will focus on improving in those areas next year," said Fowler. "That is our goal is to constantly improve."
Floyd Superintendent Paul Benoit said his schools showed progress, particularly the middle school, although only the elementary school made AYP. The goal of No Child Left Behind is to have all students proficient by 2014, he said, but more and more New Mexico schools are failing to make AYP.
"It's an impossible task to have 100 percent proficiency," Benoit said.
In Floyd, he said, the elementary school showed improvement in three of four subgroups. The middle school made significant gains in math for four of six subgroups, and three subgroups made progress in reading.
At the high school level, a new group of students is tested every year, so it's hard to tell if gains were made, Benoit said. However, he said, Floyd High School's scores were at or above the state average, based on his preliminary analysis.
"Our goal this year is to continue making the gains that we have," Benoit said.
School personnel aim to help 100 percent of students improve, even if they're not proficient, he said.
Elida Superintendent Jim Daugherty was pleased with student performance.
"I have not seen the AYP scores yet because I have been out of town but my understanding is we passed," said Daugherty. "I'm just happy that our schools met them and we just do the best to educate ours kids and we will just continue to provide a good education."
In Portales, 1,582 students took the tests and 40.2 percent were proficient in math and 47.5 percent were proficient in reading.
In Dora, 149 students took the tests and 44.1 percent were proficient in math and 54.9 percent were proficient in reading.
In Elida, 71 students took the tests and 57.1 percent were proficient in math and 58.9 percent were proficient in reading.
In Floyd, 121 students took the tests and 40.7 percent were proficient in math and 49 percent were proficient in reading.
New Mexico Public Education Secretary Hanna Skandera said the state will ask the federal government this fall to allow the state to use its own school rating system rather than continue with the federally mandated model.
Under the current system, schools are evaluated mainly on student performance and participation in math and reading tests administered in grades 3-8 and 11. Other factors in the ratings are graduation rates for high schools and attendance rates for elementary and middle schools.
A school will not meet the adequate yearly progress goal if any one of several subgroups of students — black, white, Hispanic, American Indian, economically disadvantaged or poor, special education and students with limited English language skills — fail to meet performance or participation targets on tests.
The latest test results showed a continued "achievement gap" among ethnic and racial groups in New Mexico. White and Asian students typically fare better in tests than Hispanics, Native Americans and blacks. For example, 67 percent of white students were proficient in reading this year compared with 44 percent for Hispanics and 35 percent for Indians.
Under federal law, states are to increase their performance targets each year until 100 percent of students are proficient on tests by the 2013-2014 school year.
To make the progress goal this year, a school with kindergarten through eighth grade needed 65 percent of its students to be at proficiency or above in math — up from 51 percent last year. Seventy-five percent needed to meet the performance standard in reading, up from 64 percent last year.


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Get an overview of this hotelDallas hotel near Restaurant Row
With a stay at Best Western Plus Dallas Hotel & Conference Center in Dallas (Park Central), you'll be convenient to Medical City Hospital and Northwood Club.
This eco-friendly hotel is within close proximity of Richland College and Valley View Center.
Make yourself at home in one of the 160 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and microwaves. Your room comes with a pillowtop bed. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and cable programming is available for your entertainment. Private bathrooms with shower/tub combinations feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers.
Don't miss out on recreational opportunities including a 24-hour fitness center and a seasonal outdoor pool. This hotel also features complimentary wireless Internet access, concierge services, and wedding services.
Grab a bite to eat at the hotel's restaurant, which features a bar, or stay in and take advantage of room service (during limited hours). Quench your thirst with your favorite drink at a bar/lounge. A complimentary hot/cold buffet breakfast is served daily.
Featured amenities include a 24-hour business center, express check-out, and complimentary newspapers in the lobby. Planning an event in Dallas? This hotel has 3500 square feet (325 square meters) of space consisting of a conference center and meeting rooms. Free self parking is available onsite.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!Opens in a new window
Best Western Plus Dallas Hotel & Conference Center
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
The Best Western Plus Dallas Hotel & Conference Center is situated in the heart of the North Dallas Park Central Business District. Galleria Mall is about one mile away, "Restaurant Row", with its 150 eateries and entertainment venues, is within two miles. The Dallas Arboretum/Botanical Garden and the John F. Kennedy Memorial are within 11 miles, and downtown Dallas is within 12 miles.
The hotel's Garden Café serves American cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A complimentary hot buffet breakfast is available daily. The Lobby Lounge is open for happy hour and light fare. Guests can swim in the outdoor pool (seasonal) or work out in the fitness room.
Complimentary wireless Internet access is available throughout the hotel. The hotel also offers 4 ample meeting/conference rooms and a 24-hour business center.
- 24-hour front desk
- Number of floors - 6
- Bar/lounge
- Free breakfast
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Concierge services
- Conference space
- 24-hour fitness facilities
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Elevator/lift
- Express check-out
- Computer station
- Free WiFi
- Library
- Meeting rooms
- Multilingual staff
- Total number of rooms - 160
- Luggage storage
- Restaurant
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Year Built 1984
- 24-hour business center
- Conference space size (feet) - 3500
- Conference space size (meters) - 325
- Number of meeting rooms - 4
- Conference center
- Free self parking
- Outdoor seasonal pool
- Wedding services
Family Friendly Amenities
- Family Hotel
- Free Wi-Fi
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Free self parking
Room Amenities
- Air conditioning
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
- Private bathroom
- Free toiletries
- Free local calls
- Cable TV service
- Cribs/infant beds available
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Coffee/tea maker
- Free weekday newspaper
- Desk
- Hair dryer
- Daily housekeeping
- Iron/ironing board
- Free WiFi
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Pay movies
- Premium TV channels
- Shower/tub combination
- Phone
- Room service (limited hours)
- Pillowtop mattress
- Connecting/adjoining rooms available
- Rollaway/extra beds (surcharge)
Where to Eat
Garden Café - American cuisine in a casual setting. Open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The hotel provides a complimentary hot buffet breakfast daily from 6:30 AM to 9:30 AM. Children menu is available.
Lobby Lounge - Beer, wine, cocktails, bar menu. Open daily.
Room service - Available 6 AM-10 PM daily.
Start your day with a free hot/cold buffet breakfast, available daily from 6:30 AM to 9:30 AM. You can order up room service during limited hours.
Nearby Things to Do
Guests of the Dallas Hotel and Conference Center can relax in the outdoor swimming pool (seasonal) and work out with cardio- or strength-training machines and free weights in the fitness room.
The recreational activities listed below are available on site or nearby; fees may apply.
- Golfing nearby
- Golf lessons available nearby
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please note them at check-out when you book your room.
- Accessible bathroom
- In-room accessibility
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at 2 PM
Minimum check-in age is 21
Check-out time is 11 AM
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Kids stay free! Children 18 years old and younger stay free when using existing bedding.
- Rollaway/extra beds are available for USD 10 per stay.
- Cribs (infant beds) are available.
- Pets not allowed (service animals welcome)
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
Debit cards not accepted
Only service animals are allowed
Optional extras
- Rollaway bed fee: USD 10 per stay
Hotel Name
- Best Western Dallas
- Best Western Dallas Hotel
- Best Western Hotel Dallas
- Best Western Plus Dallas
- Best Western Plus Dallas Hotel
- Best Western Plus Hotel Dallas
- Dallas Best Western
- Dallas Best Western Hotel
- Hotel Best Western Dallas
- Plus Dallas
- Best Western Plus Dallas Hotel And Conference Center
- Best Western Plus Dallas Hotel Dallas
We should mention
Children 18 years old and younger stay free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding. The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation.


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A native of Bellefontaine, Ohio, award-winning editorial cartoonist Jeff Stahler graduated from the Columbus College of Art and Design. He resides in Columbus, Ohio, with his family.
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text:
Comic Party Revolution
What We're After is Superhuman Baseball!
Episode 3 | TV-14
Rivals Eimi and Yuu are booked for the same table for the upcoming ComiPa, and sharing for these two is not an option. To settle the matter, the girls unleash all their secret weapons at a baseball game showdown of epic proportions!
Official Site: www.funimation.com/shows/comic-party-revolutionHide Details


text: In this special episode, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW highlights amazing tales of rescues, near misses, and beating the odds with treasures that have endured wars, natural disasters, fires and more. A French Blue John urn that remains largely intact despite multiple gunshots is appraised for $3,000 to $5,000. Other highlights include a New Orleans Chess Table that held strong through Hurricane Katrina and hotel stationary — bearing the names of three of the four Beatles — that escaped a fiery end.


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Summer Nights Wall Mural
Artist Erin Borzak
Scientists may have perfected the art of the hologram, but we've perfected the art of teleportation… Well, sort of. Our removable, adhesive wall murals have the ability to transport you to your favorite city, foreign land or modern art museum. Made from the same Fab-Tac material we use for our wallpaper.
+ Printed On Self-Adhesive, Woven Polyester Fabric
+ Vibrant, Water-Based, and Non-Toxic Inks
+ Guaranteed Easy & Clean Removal
+ Guaranteed to Restick 99 Times
+ Printed in Music City, USA
+ Every Purchase Pays An Artist.
Please note: Mural panels are 23" wide and 96" tall.
4 Panel: 93" wide x 96" tall (236 cm x 244 cm))
6 Panel: 140" wide x 96" tall (356 cm x 244 com)
8 Panel: 186" wide x 96" tall (457 cm x 244 cm)