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Related Links
Here are 5 (or more) good personal reasons you should
1. Giving makes you HAPPIER. According to a study conducted in 2008 by Harvard Business School professor Michael Norton and his colleagues, participants reported being happier when they gave money to others, than when they spent it on themselves.
2. Giving makes you HEALTHIER. Researcher and stress relief expert, Lauren E. Miller, has found that giving can have the following physiological benefits:
- Increased immune system
- Improved cognitive performance
- Increase in energy
- Lower heart rate
- Balanced cortisol levels, resulting in less internal stress
- More likely to live a longer and more satisfied life
- Decreased stress hormones
- Lower blood pressure
3. Giving makes sense for your TAXES. If you itemize your deductions, you probably already know that charitable contributions can lead to tax savings, and who doesn't want to save money on their taxes?
4. Giving makes you more LIKEABLE. Giving sparks a sense of gratitude within us. Research by Nathaniel Lambert, of Florida State University, found that expressing gratitude to a friend or romantic partner strengthens our connection to that person. In addition, happiness researcher, Barbara Fredickson, has found that "when you express your gratitude in words or actions, you not only boost your own positivity but [other people's] as well."
5. Giving makes you part of a unique GROUP. Supporting a specific cause creates an inherent connection with others who give to the same cause. Whether being associated with that group gives you a sense of responsibility, belonging, honor or prestige, it can have a highly positive impact in your life.
Secret Reason #6: Giving to USU makes you an ANNUAL USU ALUMNI MEMBER. Now when you give to Utah State University you will also receive an Annual Membership to the Alumni Association, equipped with all the benefits available to our annual members. Visit our Annual Membership webpage for more details.


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Snow and ice-covered Mount Baker, located in northern Washington, is the highest peak in the North Cascades (3,286 m or 10,781 ft) and the northernmost volcano in the conterminous United States. It is the only U.S. volcano in the Cascade Range that has been affected by both alpine and continental glaciation. The stratovolcano is composed mainly of andesite lava flows and breccias and was largely formed prior to the most recent major glaciation (Fraser Glaciation), which occurred between about 25,000 and 10,000 years ago.
The most recent major eruption at Mount Baker, about 6,700 years ago, was accompanied by a major flank-collapse event that caused lahars to rush down the Nooksack River and then eastward into Baker Lake. In 1975-76, Sherman Crater, immediately south of the summit, exhibited signs of renewed volcanic activity as a result of magma intruding into the volcano but not erupting. This activity resulted in monitoring that was more intense than previously applied at any other Cascade Range volcano and produced important baseline data against which recent research has been compared. Sherman Crater has been the site of increased steam emission since 1975.
Although monitoring was increased as a result to the 1975-76 activity, much of it has been dismantled and monitoring at Mount Baker is now insufficient due to the threat that renewed activity would pose to nearby communities and regional infrastructure. Mount Baker is one of several Cascade volcanoes that are high priority to have their monitoring systems enhanced in the coming years.

subset: commoncrawl


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Buy for$11.45(2 items)
Written by Guest on 04.05.2011 at 19:39
01, 02, 03, 09 would have created an excellent EP. Yep, I have a 'fillers problem' with this one. When their last album moved quite flawlessly onwards by bringing groovy madness and hypnotic vortexes, this one just dwells too long at the desert repeating some 'ok this is nice, but go on, please' -stuff.


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"The work of Catholic Answers was instrumental in bringing me back to the Church. With the help of God's grace, I was then able to help bring my wife back too. Keep up the good work!"
~ Daniel, Harrogate, Tennessee
0 results sorted by popularity
"Use your pleasure with me. A reprieve or even a pardon upon your conditions I utterly refuse."
~ Thomas Whitaker, Venerable, imprisoned English priest; steadfastly declining all inducements to abandon his Catholic faith and become Anglican, just before his execution.


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Sure, the quality is awful and all that, but who here doesn't ever go to YouTube to find music? I find myself doing it quite a bit, sometimes just to listen to some old pop songs for the laughs, but most often to listen to artists you don't find anywhere else. Be it true cover songs or someone playing the Game of Thrones theme on a violin, YouTube is full of music you don't get elsewhere, and I frankly prefer a lot of it to what comes out of the studios these days. Justin Bieber may have been discovered on YouTube, but I won't hold that against it.
A very neat app for these situations is PVSTAR+ for Android. It allows you to create playlists of YouTube videos, and then play them using many of the same controls you get in a normal media player. It even supports background play, so you don't have to keep the screen on. Using the app fully requires an internet connection, however there is a caching system in place for offline use. It's not all there, unfortunately, as you have to play the videos for them to be cached, and even then I've had mixed results. The app also has a few quirks, like some videos simply failing to play without a good explanation, and the need to "catch up" when just switching back into the app from using background play/the screen being off (due to it switching video back on – there should be a delay on this in my opinion).
Despite a few issues, it does what it claims, and it does it pretty well. I've found myself using it more and more simply because of the convenience factor, as it's much easier than downloading videos using video downloaders (which isn't complicated, but takes time). The app is available in both a free ad-supported version and a $4.40 ad-free version.
Download: Google Play


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'Enough Said' at Callicoon Theater
October 23, 2013 —
CALLICOON, NY — The Delaware Valley Arts Alliance and the Callicoon Theater will present director Nicole Holofcener's new film, "Enough Said," starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Gandolfini, opening Friday, October 25 at the Callicoon Theater.
A divorced massage therapist, Eva (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is dreading her daughter's impending departure for college. She meets Albert (James Gandolfini) a sweet, funny and like-minded man also facing an empty nest. As their romance quickly blossoms, Eva befriends Marianne (Catherine Keener), her new massage client.
The New York Times calls it "One of the best-written American film comedies in recent memory." And USA Today says it is "One of the most perceptive and engaging movies of the year."
"Enough Said" is rated PG-13 and will screen Friday, October 25 through Thursday, October 31, at 7:30 p.m., with matinees at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Admission costs $10 ($8 admission on Mondays and matinees; $7 for children under 12 at all shows). Call 845/887-4460 or visit www.ArtsAllianceSite.org.


text: My ds is 15 days old and he is very gassy. He is loud when he poops or passes gas. His little face scrunches up and turns red and he cries when trying to do either. I have cut out all the things I think could be causing the gas, except dairy. I have heard differing opinions on milk and dairy causing gas in babies. He cries mostly at night, but often during the daytime, too. I hold him, put him in the cradle swing, rub his tummy, push his legs up, but nothing seems to help. My hubby is buying Mylicon now to try as well. Any other suggestions? My heart is just breaking that he hurts and I can't fix it. Thanks!


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I want a strong a realyy strong opponent I will be using my Himura Kenshin biography which needs updates as I just mastered ice and everything is allowed
-isnt strong-
Kill/steal allowed? D:
No neither are
Cool, im in if it's unofficial. Casshern Kiyoshi in sig. You can have the first move if you wish.
Its all yours
come to candy mountain charlie
Originally Posted by Kenshin...
Its all yours
"Who are you, and where are you from, shinobi..?"
As Casshern views you enter the battlefield, he creates an opening in the sky which drops down a huge amount of mud straight down onto your position.
(Doton: Nentsuchi Otoshi) – Earth Release: Sticky Earth Drop
Rank: B
Type: Supplementary
Range: Short – Mid
Chakra cost: 20
Damage points: N/A
Description: The user creates an opening within the sky, which drips down onto the opponent a large amount of mud, covering them. It's normally followed up by Lightning release: sixteen pillar bind to create a giant oven around the opponent and then using Fire release: Firing biscuit technique to ignite the oven, hardening the mud and immobilizing the enemy target.
As you deal with the mud, Casshern then continues to perform a single hand seal, implanting his chakra into your brain. The chakra will remain dormant until activated.
Genjutsu: Kyuumin Shobatsu(Illusionary Technique: Dormant Punishment)
Type: Supplementary/Offensive
Rank: A
Range: Short-Mid
Chakra Cost: 30
Damage: 60
Description: The user will channel their chakra into their opponent's chakra via the Rat seal. The user's chakra will then remain dormant until the victim uses a technique B-rank or above. The resulting amount of chakra needed will cause the user's chakra to activate like a switch to cause the affects of the illusion. As the victim begins to channel their chakra for the technique they use, they will see several spiked chains shoot up and restrain them, wrapping all around their body and dragging them to the ground. The chains will gradually become tighter and tighter and the victim will feel the spikes of the chains sinking deeper into their bodies and also the lack of air from being restricted. Eventually, after so much tension, the victims will fall unconscious.
~This technique remains dormant for 3 turns only
~The technique (if activated) will render one's opponent unconscious after 2 turns.
~Can be used 3 times per battle
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A near-missSeptember 12,2013
A near-miss
On Aug. 31, my son, his wife and two children were traveling from Montpelier to Johnson around 3:20 p.m. Approximately three or four miles north of Worester they came around a curve to find a young man in a black, or dark blue, sporty car in their lane. The driver was passing two vehicles. His vehicle hit my sons car on the drivers side front fender, ripping off the mirror and breaking the windshield, forcing my sons car into the guardrail.
The young driver left the scene. The two cars he was passing didnt stop, either. If anyone knows this young driver, who was wearing a dark baseball cap, and has front end or drivers side damage to his car (may have red paint residue on it), please contact me at 802-479-0653.
Fortunately, my son and his family had only minor injuries, but it could have been much worse. Names of those responding will be kept confidential. Thank you for any assistance you may provide.
Dolly Bisson
BarreMORE IN LettersMSNBC news analyst Rachel Maddows report on the election of Republican Rutherford B. Full StoryThe Barre Historical Society wishes to thank all the many people who made the Rise Up Bakery... Full StoryI was so pleased to see the picture and the write-up of the kittens and children at the school in... Full Story
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Training in Tanzania
|Training in [[{{#explode:Training in Tanzania| |2}} {{#explode:Training in Tanzania| |3}} {{#explode:Training in Tanzania| |4}}]]
|Pre-service training will probably be the most intense period of your Peace Corps service, as you will need to gain the knowledge and experience necessary to successfully serve as a Volunteer in just 10 weeks. While the training period will be extremely busy, it should also be a time of excitement, discovery, and self-fulfillment. The effort and challenges of adapting to a new culture will draw on your reserves of patience and humor but will be handsomely rewarded with a sense of belonging among new friends.
|[[Image:Flag_of_{{#explode:Training in Tanzania| |2}}.svg|50px|none]]}}
See also:
For information see Welcomebooks
Training is an essential part of Peace Corps service. Learning to live and work in a new culture and environment can be quite challenging. The goal of pre-service training is to give you enough skills and information to allow you to live and work effectively in Tanzania.
The five major components of training are technical skills, cross-cultural adaptation, language, personal health, and safety and security, which are presented in an integrated manner. You will live with a Tanzanian family and interact daily with Tanzanians during most of your training. You will also have opportunities to work with and learn from Tanzanians in real-life experiences. Education Volunteers will spend three weeks at an internship school near their host family's home. Environmental Volunteers will have the opportunity to learn directly from farmers in the villages where their training takes place. Health Volunteers will be able to gain valuable experience in schools and health facilities near their training site. The training period can be both stressful and exhilarating. You will confront a new culture, work to gain fluency in a new language, learn new professional skills, and build support systems with others who are going through the same roller-coaster of adjustments. You will need patience, flexibility, energy, and good humor to get the most out of this rich experience. You will find the Peace Corps' training staff ready and willing to accommodate your needs and help you get off to the best possible start. The Peace Corps anticipates that you will approach training with an open mind, a desire to learn, and a willingness to become involved.
Technical Training
Technical training will prepare you to work in Tanzania by building on the skills you already have and by helping you develop new skills in a manner appropriate to the needs of the country. The Peace Corps staff, Tanzanian experts, and current Volunteers conduct the training program. Training places great emphasis on learning how to transfer the skills you have to the community in which you will serve as a Volunteer.
You will review your technical sector's goals and will meet with representatives of the Tanzanian agencies and organizations that invited the Peace Corps to assist them. You will be supported and evaluated throughout the training to build the confidence and skills you need to undertake your project activities and be a productive member of your community.
Language Training
As a Peace Corps Volunteer, you will find that language skills are the key to personal and professional satisfaction during your service. These skills are critical to your job performance, they help you integrate into your community, and they can ease your personal adaptation to the new surroundings. Therefore, language training is the heart of the training program, and you must successfully meet minimum language requirements to complete training and become a Volunteer. Tanzanian language instructors teach formal language classes six days a week in small groups of about four people. Kiswahili is also introduced in the health, cultural, and technical components of training.
Your language training will incorporate a community-based approach. In addition to classroom time, you will be given assignments to work on outside of the classroom and with your host family. The goal is to get you to a point of basic social communication skills so that you can practice and develop language skills further once you are at your site. Prior to being sworn in as a Volunteer, you will work on strategies to continue language studies during your two years of service.
Cross-Cultural Training
As part of your pre-service training, you will live with a Tanzanian host family. This experience is designed to ease your transition to life at your site. Families go through an orientation conducted by Peace Corps staff to explain the purpose of pre-service training and to assist them in helping you adapt to living in Tanzania. Many Volunteers form strong and lasting friendships with their host families.
Cross-cultural and community development training will help you improve your communication skills and understand your role as a facilitator of development. You will be exposed to topics such as community assessment and mobilization, gender and development, nonformal and adult education strategies, and political structures.
Health Training
During pre-service training, you will be given basic medical training and information. You will be expected to practice preventive healthcare and to take responsibility for your own health by adhering to all medical policies. Trainees are required to attend all medical sessions. The topics include preventive health measures and minor and major medical issues that you might encounter while in Tanzania. Nutrition, mental health, safety and security, setting up a safe living compound, and how to avoid HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are also covered. All Volunteers receive training on basic HIV/AIDS information as well as strategies and approaches for awareness and prevention activities they can carry out in their communities.
Safety Training
During the safety training sessions, you will learn how to adopt a lifestyle that reduces your risks at home, at work, and during your travels. You will also learn appropriate, effective strategies for coping with unwanted attention and about your individual responsibility for promoting safety throughout your service.
Additional Trainings During Volunteer Service
In its commitment to institutionalize quality training, the Peace Corps has implemented a training system that provides Volunteers with continual opportunities to examine their commitment to Peace Corps service while increasing their technical and cross-cultural skills. During your service, there are usually three training events. The titles and objectives for those trainings are as follows:
- In-service training: Provides an opportunity for Volunteers to further develop their technical, language, and project development skills while sharing their experiences and reaffirming their commitment after having served for three to six months.
- Midterm conference: Assists Volunteers in reviewing their first year, reassessing their personal and project objectives, and planning for their second year of service.
- Close of service conference: Prepares Volunteers for the future after Peace Corps service and reviews their respective projects and personal experiences.
The number, length, and design of these trainings are adapted to country-specific needs and conditions. The key to the training system is that training events are integrated and interrelated, from the pre-departure orientation through the end of your service, and are planned, implemented, and evaluated cooperatively by the training staff, Peace Corps staff, and Volunteers.


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Goliad County Sheriff's Office deputies arrested Louis Michael Flores, 49, at approximately 10:30 a.m. Tuesday and later arrested Torivio "Toby" Gutierrez Jr., 40, at approximately 3:30 p.m. Both have been charged with the murder in connection with the death of Christoval Lee Garza on July 4.
Garza's body was found by a resident near Warrick Road in the early morning hours of July 4. An autopsy ruled Garza's death a homicide from blunt force trauma to his torso.
Flores and Gutierrez are being held without bond.
More on this story coming to mySouTex.com.


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Early Childhood Program Fund Run supporting Germantown Jewish Centre's Pre-School Scholarship Fund
Sunday, April 28 at Forbidden Drive & Northwestern Ave.
Registration begins at 7:30 AM, Run at 9 AM and Walk at approx 9:45 AM
Find more details and register online at ecpfundrun.com. Early bird registration through April 12 ($25 per adult and $10 per child), after which registration fees rise. Advanced registration appreciated, but you may also register at the event itself.


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Im just sittin on my computer right now and listening tot he game in the backround. I know sooner or later when I decide to walk over to check the score they're gonna be down 20+ points...
Dwight Howard
Curry lost
Curry will outduel Dwight Howard offensivley
we have a faster team without zach....our small lineup will be interesting against the majic....jamaal starting off good....4/5....i wish he wud juss let the game come to him for the remainder of the game n get everyone else involved....9 first quarter points are good ....i think he's gonna try catch fire agian n go back to his sparatic shooting
Im just sittin on my computer right now and listening tot he game in the backround. I know sooner or later when I decide to walk over to check the score they're gonna be down 20+ points...
Hell yeah you know it. Old School Hip hop was the best **** and aint nobody messin with it. Gangstarr is also one my personal favorites.
yo I'm watchin the game on my comp an its FSN Florida n they were talking bout that foul on Nate n they were like that was very very very close to a flagrent and If that not a flagrant then I don't know what is.
how biased can you be?? he was clearly going for the ball that was great foul I think
Damn player-centric usernames straight to hell.
and somebody tell me why malik rose is in the game??
Damn player-centric usernames straight to hell.
It is hard to believe that there was a day where Eddy Curry badly outplayed Howard in a head to head matchup. Interesting move by Isiah keeping Curry in the game with 4 fouls. I also dont understand why Nate's not in the game.
Gms, coaches, players may change but as long as Dolan is in charge the results will stay the same.
!!!! Arroyo just got away with a 8 second violation in the backcourt!
Collin looks mad ****ed up with the baldie.
Curry is depressing.
Lee is hardcore, no 'mo.
Crawford is mad wreckless...I would love to have a laugh and look at Isiah's playbook. It's probably a bunch of zig zags and isolation for Crawford.
Lewis is mad soft.
Orlando crowd is normally not this loud, but it happens to be Latin Nite with a ****load of Ricans.
Magic with Arroyo > Magic with Nelson
Arroyo has the best chemistry with the starters...he plays poise and doesn't turn the ball over.
Reddick is garbage.
Chandler should be the starting SG, Balkman at SF, Lee @ PF and Morris @ C, with Robinson running the offense.
word metro nd MSG 100%right
Damn player-centric usernames straight to hell.


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Freedom Newspapers
In the spirit of the holiday, we pursue the answer to a simple question: Could our forefathers possibly have envisioned the America that exists in 2010, where independence is thwarted at virtually every turn?
Could they have foreseen the long lines at airports brought on by security checks? Or the invasive full-body scanners that detail imagery best shared inside one's bedroom?
Could they have anticipated random roadblocks hunting for people who choose not to use seat belts or dare have a drink at some point in the day?
Could they have dreamed of a time when parents discouraged children from wandering their neighborhood in search of recreation because of the potential risks of straying too far from home?
Could they have imagined government that could have become so inept and overbearing so as to hamstring several generations of Americans, either by depriving them of livelihood through taxation or by overdependence on welfare?
Could they have imagined the American military entering upon the soil of other sovereign nations in quests to influence democracy?
Could they have imagined a country so bound by regulations so unwieldy that no one truly understands their extent or content?
The answers, of course, are all no. No one in 1776 could have imagined anything that was going on in 2010. Not even Thomas Jefferson was so prescient.
Which leads us to our point. America, still the greatest democracy on earth, has a long way to go to improve on freedoms of its countrymen. Even with the best of intentions, every time we enact new laws, act on new concerns or attempt to save ourselves from the unknown, we manage to restrict our liberties a little bit more.
How odd it is that those founding fathers, in their brave struggle for independence, set in motion a chain of events by which the country, but not necessarily its residents, escaped suppression.


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Ryan Rowland-Smith, C&S Hall of Fame (2010)
Last season, I created the Cook & Son Hall of Fame and inducted Mariners bullpen catcher and former big leaguer Jason Phillips as the first member as a way to honor and say thank you to Phillips for being so incredibly nice to me and Tim and making the 2009 season extra special.
In May, I mentioned in a entry about our first Mariners game of the season (and our last game ever seeing Griffey play) that I we had an amazing interaction with Mariners pitcher Ryan Rowland-Smith, which followed an amazing interaction that we had with him last September in Toronto. Since that game in Baltimore, I have had plans to induct RRS as the second member of the C&S Hall of Fame, like Phillips based on his going above-and-beyond the call of duty in terms of fan friendliness.
But, in the meantime, my favorite player of all-time (and Tim's second favorite behind Ichiro), Ken Griffey, Jr. retired. I have known all along that I would induct Griffey into our little Hall of Fame as soon as he retired, as the first player to go into the C&S HOF based on his on-field achievements. So, with his sudden (and personally sad) retirement, Griff jumped RRS in order of induction.
But now it is RRS's turn.
Without further adieu, Tim and Todd Cook are happy to announce the induction of Ryan Rowland-Smith as the third member of the C&S Hall of Fame, and the second member inducted based on above-and-beyond the call of duty fan friendliness:
Let's recount the extreme coolness of Mr. Ryan Rowland-Smith.
Our first encounter with RRS came in August 2007 at Tim's second career Mariners game and first career road game. It took place at Baltimore's Camden Yards (at a time when they had no ice cream helmets!) and it was very brief. RRS pitched 1 innng in relief as the Mariners extended their record to 2-0 in Tim's two Mariners games.
In 2009, Tim hit his stride as a baseball fan. He was finally old enough and had enough energy to go to batting practice and still stay awake for an entire MLB game. By September, we had collected a bunch of baseballs from BP, many tossed up to us by our beloved Mariners.
But there was one problem. All of the baseballs had either been tossed to me or handed to Tim. This made Tim feel downright childish (of course, he was only 3 years old). Late in the season, he started telling me that HE wanted to catch a baseball at game. My thought was that I could get Jason Phillips help us with Tim's request.
So we headed to Toronoto in late September 2009 with a goal of having Tim catch a baseball in his own glove, most likely thrown by Jason Phillips. But there was no BP! So when I ran into and chatted with Phillips before the game, Tim was off in the kids play area with his mom.
Tim and my wife joined me in the field level seats shortly thereafter and we hung out and watched a bunch of the Mariners pitchers warm up. Enter Mr. Ryan Rowland-Smith.
After playing catch with Garrett Olson, RRS set his glove down right by the foul line and headed over to the seats to sign some autographs. I could see that his warm up baseball was in his glove. When he got to us, I asked him if we could get our picture with him. He was extremely nice and was more than happy to pose for this picture:
While setting up that picture, I asked RRS if he would throw the ball in his glove to Tim. He agreed. Now, this next sentence I have re-written about 10 times and just can't properly convey the feel. But I was struck by RRS's tone and demeanor during this exchange. He conveyed the feeling that there never could be any doubt about my request, of course Tim had to have that baseball.
In the pictures below, RRS had just retrieved the ball from his glove and thrown it to Tim. But Tim dropped it! RRS picked it up and signed it and handed it back to Tim:
RRS then went on signing. He was still standing right next to us when someone didn't have a pen. He asked if anyone had a sharpie. At the same time, Tim told me he was sad because he didn't catch the ball. I handed a pen to RRS and asked him if he would re-throw the ball to Tim so he could try to catch it again.
Of course, he would. He signed the girl's baseball and then grabbed Tim's baseball, walked all the way across the warning track, and tossed it to him again. And Tim caught it! It was a great moment made possible by one incredibly nice Aussie.
I should mention that at some point during these exchanges with RRS, I told him that it was excellent that he was No. 18 and I mentioned that I was No. 18 when I played baseball. In fact, I am still to this day No. 18 in my softball league.
He asked me why I liked 18. I didn't have a good answer. I just do. I think the genesis of it was that I just thought it was a cool looking number on the back of Darryl Strawberry's jersey back in the day. He didn't mention why he picked 18, but I later read on his (now inactive) blog that the M's just gave him the number and he thought it was cool because the best pitcher on a team in Japan is usually No. 18. I have no clue if that is true, but I do note that Diasuke Matsuzaka wears No. 18. (I just found this blog entry on this topic).
Anyway, lets fast forward to March 2010. Spring Training was in full swing. I was busy planning out our 2010 baseball season. One of the topics on my list was to figure out my 2010 game uniform. If you haven't noticed, I wore essentially the exact same thing to every game in 2009: green cargo shorts, button up M's jersey, M's official 2009 game undershirt, and white/blue M's hat). I was wondering if I should switch it up for 2010. I think I must have been watching an M's spring training game on MLBNetwork at the time with RRS pitching or maybe I was watching an internet video clip interview of RRS. Whatever I was watching, I got a flat out ridiculous idea.
In my defense, it was probably really late at night and I was probably really tired. But whatever the reason, I typed out the following letter to RRS:
The next day, I went to package up the letter in an envelope and send it off to the Mariners spring training facility in Peoria, Arizona. A little embarrassed, I showed it to my wife and we agreed there was a essentially a 100% chance that I would never hear anything from RRS in response to the letter.
I mailed it off, didn't tell anyone else about it, and went on living life.
Eventually, we met up with the Mariners in Baltimore for the first time of the 2010 season. It was a damp May day with no BP. So we had a lot of time to kill before the game started. Tim was sitting on my shoulders as we stood in the CF seats just watching the activity around the ballpark.
Soon, RRS came walking from the dugout through CF. He was on his way to the bullpen:
I'd basically forgotten about the letter. Not really forgotten that I sent it, but figured it was a moot point and a done deal. I'd already noticed on TV that the Spring Training jerseys were also being used as the M's BP jerseys. So weeks earlier when I noticed that fact, I officially gave up any hope (not that I ever actually had any) of my letter bearing fruit.
I had just read on his twitter page (@hyphen18) that he'd buzzed his hair. He was about 100 feet away when I called out, "Hey, Ryan, let's see the new hair!" Without looking up, he laughed and took off his hat. Then he put his hat back on and looked up at us. Instantly…and I mean instantly (no hesitation whatsoever)…he pointed at us and exclaimed, "Oh, hey, man!"
He changed his course and started walking over to us:
…we shared (approximately) the following exchange:
RRS: You wrote me that letter (sizing up a sheet of paper with his fingers), right?
TODD: Yeah!
RRS: Sorry, I didn't get back to you. I didn't know how to get a hold of you.
[NOTE: If you are a professional baseball player, you should not feel obligated to apologize for not getting in touch with some random dude who asks (literally) for the shirt off of your back! Seriously, RRS is ridiculously nice!]
RRS: So, whats the deal? I mean, do you still want it?
TODD: ARE YOU SERIOUS!!!? Of course, I do! Oh, my gosh. Are you serious!? I sent the letter but never thought there was any chance you would actually say yes! I mean the letter was ridiculous!
RRS: Oh, no. No problem, man.
[NOTE: This conversation had a very similar vibe to the "could you throw Tim that baseball" discussion. The vibe was almost like, "Hey, you asked for my jersey, of course I'm gonna give it to you. Why would you ever doubt it?"].
RRS: Okay. Well, where are you going to be?
TODD: (not really understanding the question) I don't know, here? Wherever you need me to be?
RRS: Will you be in Seattle at all?
TODD: Yeah, but not until the very end of the season. We're coming in for the last series of the season to be there in case Griff retires.
[NOTE: I really wanted to be at his final game, and this actually ended up being the last time we saw Griff play].
RRS: Why don't we meet up there? I only have one of them. So I can't give it to you or I won't have one. But if we're in Seattle I can just get a new one.
TODD: Oh, yeah. I noticed they are your BP jerseys.
RRS: Yeah. So I need it for BP. But I can just get a new one if we're in Seattle.
We chatted a little more, but I can't really remember what exactly we said.
About half an hour later…
…we ran into each other in the infield and RRS posed for another picture with Tim and we chatted again briefly.
After this game, I was estatic. WOW! Ryan Rowland-Smith said he would give me his jersey! I mean, that's ridiculous. I couldn't wait! Ah, I wasn't going to be in Seattle until the end of the season!
I decided I should make this as easy as possible for RRS. Ideally, I wanted to get it straight from him at the ballpark. But that could be complicated. So I sent him another letter thanking him for being so incredibly nice and generous and awesome. I included a stamped return envelope (a big one) in case he just wanted to mail the jersey. I also gave him a list of all of the Mariners games we would be in attendance for over the rest of the season.
Within one week from mailing that letter, my wife called me at work to let me know that I got a big envelope with my own writing on it. I couldn't wait to get home that night!
Care to guess what was in that package? Yep, my new official Ryan Rowland-Smith AUTOGRAPHED spring training / batting practice jersey…
The jersey, by the way, is HUGE! Size 52! RRS is 6'3″ and I am a mere 5'11". He needs a lot more fabric to cover his frame! If untucked, the jersey is like a dress on me.
Here are some screen shots of RRS wearing the jersey during spring training 2010:
And here I am playing the role of RRS while pitching to Tim in our backyard:
I've had the jersey about a week and a half now and I still cannot believe it. Who has ever thought of writing to a professional baseball player and asking for his jersey? And who has ever heard of it ACTUALLY WORKING!?
By the way, the jersey has a few small scuffs on the bottom on one side. I think its cool that it shows some actual "wear-and-tear." When I opened it, my wife asked, "Is it all sweaty and dirty smelling?" The Answer: No. It was washed and (as my wife and I have referred to it) "Mariner fresh" smelling!
THANK YOU, RYAN ROWLAND-SMITH! (And not just for the jersey, but for being such a down-to-earth, genuine, nice guy). Best of luck to you for a long and successful career, hopefully all with the Mariners!
In a C&S Hall of Fame first, Ryan Rowland-Smith has issued a brief (140 characters or less) induction acceptance speech via his twitter page:
"Thank you Cook and Son for my induction into their hall of fame! http://alturl.com/753w enjoy the jersey."
Why don't I just show you it? Here you go:
A very kind gesture, but all the thanks go to RRS. And a big congratulations for a strong outing yesterday — see the box score here. Hopefully this outing (five innings, 4 hits and 1 earned run) proves to be the first building block to a successful final four months of the season.
7 Comments
Todd (and Tim, i assume your dad reads this too you)-
I've noticed your blog for awhile, but never really read every word. Mostly I would sit on the computer with my 2 1/2 (sept. 27) son Kendrick and look at your pictures. I'm glad that i'm getting all the details of your adventures now.
As you may be able to guess we are Angels fans. (Yes Kendrick is named after Angel 2B Howie Kendrick) I hope you keep reading this post despite our fan allegiances (ha ha). Living in Utah it's hard to get t many MLB games, but my wife is really understanding and lets our family vacation every year be to a MLB city. It helps that her dad lives in Orange County. We've gone to Angels games (3 total) and then went to Arizona last month. A trip to Minnesota is in the works.
As for RRS I think that is AMAZING! I've always believed that if you can have a personal experience with MLB players, they very quickly jump towards the top of the "favorite player" list. And the fact that he shouted out to you on twitter is even better.
We decided to make our own adventure a week ago and caught a AAA baseball game in Salt Lake. It was great. Anyways, we can't wait for your next great adventure.
Your friends,
Phill and Kendrick Morgan (@pjmorgan11)
GREAT STORY. I am also a M's fan, but grew up a Dodger fan. I still have my autographed Steve Garvey ball that he hit me with during batting practice in San Diego. Several years later, I got him to autograph it. We used to go to the LA airport when the team would return to LA from road trips when Vin Sculley would always announce "the Dodgers will arrive in LA _________ hours after the last out", so off to the airport we would go. Most of the guys were great and very nice. There were a couple, who will remain nameless that would refuse to sign, but all in all, most were very pleasant.
These guys usually dont realize what an impact their courtesy has on fans. Glad to hear that RRS is such a nice guy. Figured he was, since he is so down-to-earth on his twitter.
Hope your son enjoys your stories for a long time to come!
TODD-Making memories brotha, WOW..What a story. Blogg'n is best when you've got great stories to tell. Congrats to you both. Ryan R Smith you've set the bar so high now all the other pro-ballplayers are gonna get clotheslined. Good for you…D
hopw he plows through for a nice career. if not theres no way you will forget his hospitality.
Awesome story man! That is almost unbelievable! All the way down to the twitter shout out, great start to finish. That really brings a new dimension to the enjoyment of the game of baseball! What a story you'll have for YEARS!
WoW! That's better than any ttm that I have ever gotten (except for maybe Pete Rose) The next time you have a chance to get his autograph, you should get him to write HOF (Hall of Fame) 2010 under his signature. That would be pretty funny. Odd coincidence is that he signed a card for me in the mail during spring training. Maybe he wore that jersey. Nice story
Wow — I'm way behind in my comment responses! Sorry.
Thanks for finally leaving a comment. Glad you've enjoyed sharing in our adventures even if you just look at the pictures some times. That's no problem. Player interactions are very memorable. I have a number of them from my childhood — notably, Harold Reynolds used my glove for pre-game warmups once in 1991 — and they definitely stick with you. Hopefully Tim will remember some of what we're doing…if not, he can always read about it here…that's why I'm writing the blog, actually.
Thanks for sharing your story about Garvey. Very cool. Its always nice to get a ball autographed by player who hit/threw it to you. RRS is definitely down to earth. It really seems like he appreciates how lucky he is to play pro-baseball and doesn't take his situation for granted. That's probably why he has a good following from all over the world on Twitter.
Thanks, man. Awesome line about setting the bar high and others getting clotheslined. Love it.
I hope so too. He had a great start last weekend — 6 innings and zero runs. Hopefully he can build on it.
I agree on all account. Its awesome.
Ah, man. That's a great idea! That would be hilarious and awesome. The bad part is that I JUST GOT HIS AUTOGRAPH LAST WEEKEND and I hadn't had a chance to see your comment yet because we were on the road. We'll see the M's next in August, maybe I can work the "HOF" signature then. Thanks for the idea.


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Winter Backpacking: Your Guide to Safe and Warm Winter Camping and Day TripsOriginal Price:$19.95 Current Price: $6.99Backpacking in the winter months can be exhilarating, refreshing, and—with the help of this book—remarkably safe and comfortable, too! All it takes is some good planning and learning some tricks to keep warm, dry, and happy. Learn More
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Slicing Up the Stock and Bond Pies
Step 1: Can My Portfolio Allocation Reduce Risk Without Lowering My Return?
Once you have decided on your portfolio allocation among the three major asset categories–stocks, bonds and cash–your most important work is over. Yet, your portfolio at this point is only broadly sketched. It is now time to rough in a few details.
To review the major risks facing the three asset categories:
Classroom Steps
Step 1:
Can My Portfolio Allocation Reduce Risk Without Lowering My Return?
Step 2:
Why Should I Diversify Between Large Stocks, Small Stocks, and Foreign Stocks?
Step 3:
How Can I Use Different Types of Bonds to Reduce Interest Rate Risk?
Step 4:
How Do I Determine the Right Allocation for My Portfolio?
- Business and industry risk
is high for both stocks and bonds, but can be eliminated by diversifying among different stocks with different industry groups.
- Inflation risk
for bonds is high, but can be reduced by including stocks in the overall portfolio;
- Liquidity risk
is high for stocks and bonds, but within an investor's portfolio it can be reduced by including cash (money market and short-term certificates of deposit).
That leaves stock market and interest rate risk as the major risks facing investors. Stock market risk is due to the volatility of the overall market, which can cause even attractive stocks to drop in price. Interest rate risk is due to the sensitivity of bond prices to changes in interest rates–rising interest rates cause existing bonds to drop in value.
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Rolling Stone founder and editor Jann Wenner and photographer Annie Leibovitz are as much legends of 20th century pop cultural history as are the people they wrote about and photographed. Their famous careers have intertwined ever since Wenner gave Leibovitz her first RS assignment — a John Lennon cover shoot — in 1970.
"It's a really interesting relationship," said Amanda Potter, the Wexner Center's educator for public and university programs. "It's hard to imagine Rolling Stone without Annie's photography. And it's hard to imagine Annie's photography without the Rolling Stone influence."
Wenner and Leibovitz will discuss their relationship and more at Friday's Wexner Prize conversation event. During the hour-and-a-half-long chat (tickets are $20), Wenner will ask Leibovitz questions about her career's highlights and struggles.
The live interview is a precursor to the weekend's festivities celebrating Leibovitz's win of the Wexner Prize, an elite award given to very few living artists whose artistic achievements are innovative and influential.
Leibovitz and her team composed the short list of people they thought would be qualified to interview the artist while complementing her stories of the industry and her career with his or her own. Wenner was the winner.
"It's nice to see that they're still friends after more than 40 years. They're so inextricably linked," Potter said. "That was the heyday of music journalism in so many different ways. It will be interesting to hear their thoughts on the evolution of music journalism and photography."


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Information on caring for floral arrangements, making mini-desserts with citrus fruits and making knitted jewelry will be the featured topics on "Creative Living" at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday and noon Thursday.
Michelle Robertson, a floral designer, will share some tips on making sure your beautiful arrangement stays that way for as long as possible. She is the manager of Hestand's Floral and Gifts in Portales.
Eleisha Ensign is the executive director of TexaSweet Citrus Marketing Inc., and she will demonstrate some healthy, delicious mini-desserts for kids as she focuses on the health benefits of eating grapefruit. She'll also talk about nutrition, varieties, selection and storage of grapefruit. She's from Mission, Texas.
Ava Green is a designer, and her company is Terri's Yarns and Crafts in Sevierville, Tenn. She's going to demonstrate how to make knitted jewelry, and she'll show lots of beautiful pieces of jewelry she's made.
Information on pears, making wire-edged ribbon flowers and using the computer to make home decor will be the featured topics on "Creative Living" at noon Tuesday and 2 p.m. Saturday.
Registered dietitian and spokeswoman for Northwest Pear Bureau Pat Baird will talk about different varieties of pears, share ripening techniques and tips to prevent browning, as well as discussing nutrition. She's from Greenwich, Conn.
Author and designer Helen Gibb will show how to make beautiful lilies from wire-edged ribbons and tell ways to display them. Her company is Helen Gibb Design Inc. in Louisville, Colo.
Decorating expert Deborah Durham, a representative of Hewlett-Packard, will show how to use the computer, scanner, digital camera and printer to create rugs, frames and place mats featuring your favorite household pet. Durham lives in Santa Fe.


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2004: Ahmed Yassin, the Palestinian co-founder of Hamas, is assassinated when an Israeli helicopter gunship fires a missile at him as he is being wheeled from early morning prayers in Gaza City, Gaza Strip. The strike also killed Yassin's bodyguards along with nine bystanders and left 12 more people injured. Yassin, a 67-year-old quadriplegic who was nearly blind, had used a wheelchair since a sporting accident at the age of 12. An Islamist Palestinian paramilitary organization and political party, Hamas has been characterized by the European Union, Israel, Japan, Canada and the United States as a terrorist organization. The assassination was condemned by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, the UN Commission on Human Rights, the British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and many Arab world leaders and sparked protests throughout the Middle East.
2001: Animator William Hanna, who co-founded the Hanna-Barbera animation studio with Joseph Barbera in 1957, dies of throat cancer at the age of 90 in Los Angeles, California. He's seen here in a 1977 publicity photo.
1997: The Comet Hale-Bopp has its closest approach to Earth, passing within about 122 million miles.
1997: Tara Lipinski, age 14 years and 10 months, becomes the youngest woman to win a world figure skating title. Less than a year later, in Nagano, Japan, she would also become the youngest individual gold medalist in the history of the Winter Olympics.
1995: Cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov returns to Earth after setting a record of 438 straight days in space on the Mir space station.
1994: Animator, film director and producer Walter Lantz, best known for founding Walter Lantz Productions and creating Woody Woodpecker, dies of heart failure at the age of 94 in Burbank, California. He's seen here in 1990.
1993: Cleveland Indians pitchers Steve Olin and Tim Crews are killed in a boating accident on Little Lake Nellie in Clermont, Florida. Bob Ojeda was seriously injured in the accident, in which their boat struck a pier. It was the first death of active major league players since Thurman Munson in 1979.
1992: USAir Flight 405 crashes into Flushing Bay shortly after liftoff from New York City's LaGuardia Airport. Of the 51 people on board, 27 were killed in the accident, including the captain and one of the cabin crew members. The crash led to a number of studies into the effect that ice has on aircraft and several recommendations into prevention techniques.
1991: High school instructor Pamela Smart, accused of manipulating her student-lover into killing her husband, is convicted in Exeter, New Hampshire, on charges of accomplice to first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and witness tampering. She was given a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility for parole.
1990: A jury in Anchorage, Alaska, finds former tanker captain Joseph Hazelwood innocent of three major charges in connection with the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, but convicts him of a minor charge of negligent discharge of oil. He was fined $50,000 and sentenced to 1,000 hours of community service.
1989: Goalie Clint Malarchuk of the Buffalo Sabres suffers a near-fatal injury when another player's skate accidentally severs his carotid artery during a game against the St. Louis Blues. Malarchuk needed 300 stitches, yet he spent only one night in the hospital. He returned to practice four days later.
1980: "Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)" becomes Pink Floyd's first, and only, No. 1 single in the United States.
1980: People for Ethical Treatment of Animals is founded by animal rights activists Ingrid Newkirk and Alex Pacheco.
1979: The National Hockey League votes to accept four World Hockey Association teams, the Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, Quebec Nordiques and New England Whalers, as new NHL teams for the 1979-1980 season. The merger agreement ended the seven-year existence of the WHA and re-established the NHL as the lone major league in North American professional ice hockey.
1978: Karl Wallenda, the German acrobat who founded The Flying Wallendas, an internationally known daredevil circus act that performed death-defying stunts, dies at the age of 73 after falling off a tight-rope between two hotels in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He's seen here, second from left, in 1965.
1976: Actress Reese Witherspoon, best known for movies such as "Election," "Legally Blonde," "Sweet Home Alabama," "Walk the Line" and "Water for Elephants," is born Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon in New Orleans, Louisiana. Witherspoon won an Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild Award for portraying country music legend June Carter Cash in "Walk the Line."
1972: Congress sends the proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution to the states for ratification. The proposed amendment, designed to guarantee equal rights for women, ultimately would fall short of the three-fourths approval needed to be ratified.
1967: Muhammad Ali knocks out Zora Folley in the seventh round in New York City to retain his The Ring, WBC and WBA World Heavyweight titles. The match would be his final title defense before being stripped of his titles and having his boxing license suspended on April 28, 1967, for refusing to be drafted to Army service. He would later be sentenced to five years for draft evasion, a decision that was eventually reversed by the U.S. Supreme Court. During the ensuing controversy, he wouldn't box for more than three years.
1965: Bob Dylan's album "Bringing It All Back Home," his first featuring electric guitar, is released. The album would reach No. 6 on Billboard's Pop Albums chart, the first of Dylan's albums to break into the U.S. top 10. The lead-off track, "Subterranean Homesick Blues," also would become Dylan's first single to chart in the U.S., peaking at No. 39.
1963: The Beatles' first album, "Please Please Me," is released in the United Kingdom.
1962: Barbra Streisand makes her Broadway debut at age 19 in the musical "I Can Get it For You Wholesale" at the Shubert Theater. The role would earn her a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical.
1960: The first laser is patented by Arthur Schawlow and Charles Hard Townes under the title "Masers and Maser Communications System." What distinguished this invention as the first laser is that it was the first to operate in the visible light spectrum. The patent was assigned to the Bell Telephone Laboratories, where they had done the research.
1959: Actor Matthew Modine, best known for his roles in movies like "Vision Quest," "Streamers," "Birdy," "Full Metal Jacket," "Married to the Mob," "Memphis Belle" and "And the Band Played On," is born in Loma Linda, California.
1952: Sportscaster and commentator Bob Costas is born in New York City.
1948: Broadcast journalist Wolf Blitzer, a CNN reporter since 1990 whose team's coverage of the first Gulf War in Kuwait won a CableACE Award and made him a household name, is born in Augsburg, Germany.
1948: Andrew Lloyd Webber, the award-winning composer of musicals such as "The Phantom of the Opera," "Jesus Christ Superstar," "Evita," "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" and "Cats," is born in London, England.
1946: The first American-designed rocket to reach space, WAC Corporal, climbs to 50 miles after launch from White Sands Proving Ground in New Mexico.
1940: Haing S. Ngor, a survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime and their labor camps who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for the 1984 movie "The Killing Fields," is born in Samrong Yong, Cambodia. Ngor, a trained surgeon and gynecologist who was forced to conceal his education and training when Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge seized control of Cambodia in 1975, was imprisoned in a concentration camp along with his wife, My-Huoy, who subsequently died giving birth. After he was freed, he worked as a doctor in a refugee camp in Thailand before coming to America in 1980. Besides his debut acting role in "The Killing Fields," he also appeared in other movies and TV shows, most memorably in Oliver Stone's "Heaven & Earth" and the "Vanishing Son" miniseries. He was shot to death on Feb. 25, 1996, at the age of 55 outside his home in Los Angeles' Chinatown neighborhood.
1935: Actor M. Emmet Walsh, best known for movies like "The Jerk," "Blade Runner" and "Blood Simple," is born in Ogdensburg, New York.
1933: Dachau, the first Nazi concentration camp, opens on the grounds of an abandoned munitions factory near the medieval town of Dachau, about 10 miles northwest of Munich in the state of Bavaria, Germany.
1931: Actor William Shatner, best known for playing Capt. James T. Kirk in the original "Star Trek" TV series and seven movies, is born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Shatner is also known for his TV roles in "T.J. Hooker," "Rescue 911," "The Practice" and "Boston Legal."
1930: Pat Robertson is born Marion Gordon Robertson in Lexington, Virginia. The former Southern Baptist minister is best known these days as a best-selling author and the host of "The 700 Club." He is also chairman of the Christian Broadcasting Network and unsuccessfully campaigned to become the Republican Party's nominee in the 1988 presidential election.
1930: Composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, who has won an Academy Award, eight Tony Awards, eight Grammy Awards and a Pulitzer Prize, is born in New York City. Sondheim's most famous works include "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," "Company," "Follies," "A Little Night Music" and "Sweeney Todd." He also wrote the lyrics for "West Side Story" and "Gypsy" and has written material for movies, including the 1981 Warren Beatty film "Reds" and the 1990 movie "Dick Tracy," for which he won the Academy Award for Best Song for "Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)." He's seen here in 1970s publicity photo.
1923: Mime artist Marcel Marceau, most famous for his persona as Bip the Clown, is born Marcel Mangel in Strasbourg, France. He died at age 84 on Sept. 22, 2007.
1920: Actor Werner Klemperer, best known for the role of Colonel Klink on the sitcom "Hogan's Heroes," is born in Cologne, Germany. Klemperer and his family fled Germany in 1935 and he began a professional acting career on Broadway after serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. He earned Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for each year of "Hogan's Heroes'" six seasons, winning the award in 1968 and 1969. He died from cancer at age 80 on Dec. 6, 2000.
1912: Actor Karl Malden, best known for the 1970s crime drama "The Streets of San Francisco" (pictured, at left, with Michael Douglas) as well as movies like "A Streetcar Named Desire" and "On the Waterfront," is born Mladen Djordje Sekulovich in Chicago, Illinois. Malden, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for "A Streetcar Named Desire," also appeared in movies such as "One-Eyed Jacks," "Baby Doll," "How the West Was Won" and "Patton." He died at age 97 on July 1, 2009.
1908: Author Louis L'Amour, best known for his 89 novels, most of them in the western genre, is born Louis Dearborn LaMoore in Jamestown, North Dakota. He died of lung cancer at age 80 on June 10, 1988.
1895: The first motion picture shown on a screen is presented by the Lumière brothers (Auguste Lumière on the left and Louis Lumière on the right) in Paris, France. The film the Lumières shot specially for the occasion shows workers leaving the Lumières' own factory in Lyon, which made all kinds of photographic products. The workers streamed out, most on foot and some on bicycles. Several more such screenings followed before the first public performance, at the Grand Café in Paris on Dec. 28, 1895. The Lumières soon began opening cinemas in London, Brussels, Berlin and New York.
1894: Hockey's first Stanley Cup championship game is played at Victoria Rink in Montreal, with the Montreal Hockey Club beating the Ottawa Hockey Club 3-1.
1887: Comedian and actor Chico Marx is born Leonard Marx in New York City. The oldest of the Marx Brothers comedy team, he was known for his adopted persona of a dim-witted albeit crafty con artist, seemingly of rural Italian origin, and sported a curly-haired wig and Tyrolean hat. He died from arteriosclerosis at the age of 74 on Oct. 11, 1961.
1832: German writer and scientist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, best known for his tragic play "Faust," dies at age 82 in Weimar, Germany.
1790: Thomas Jefferson takes office as America's first secretary of state.
1765: The British Parliament passes the Stamp Act requiring that many printed materials in the colonies be produced on stamped paper produced in London and carrying an embossed revenue stamp. The act, which caused bitter and violent opposition in the colonies, would be repealed a year later. Seen here is a 1765 proof sheet of one-cent stamps required for newsprint.
1622: Algonquian Indians kill 347 English settlers around Jamestown, Virginia, a quarter of the colony's population.
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University/College Articulation Agreements
Conestoga College: Biotechnology Technician Diploma
Students who complete Conestoga's Biotechnology Technician Diploma with an average of 75% or better shall be eligible to enrol in the Honours BA Biology program. Those students applying for BSc Biology, BSc Biochemistry/Biotechnology or BSc Chemistry must have also achieved a minimum of 60% in MHF4U before they apply.
As part of this agreement students will receive advanced standing credit from Laurier for: BI110, BI236, BI276; 0.5 unspecified junior Division A credit; and 1.5 unspecified junior Division C credits. In addition, students may receive credit equivalent to the following Laurier courses provided they have a minimum 75% grade in each of the Conestoga courses listed in parentheses: CH110 (must have both CHEM 1000 and BIOT 1055); CH202 (for either BIOT 1080 or BIOT 1085); and 0.5 senior MA credit (must have both MATH 1760 and BIOT 2030) which may be used in lieu of MA240 or MA241 where required by the specific Laurier degree program. However, at most 5.0 transfer credits will be allowed in total, although the Faculty of Science reserves the right to revise specific course equivalencies should program requirements or course offerings change at either institution.
Note: BI111 and CH111, which are prerequisites for all senior courses in their respective disciplines, are only taught in the Winter term. Students are strongly advised to consult with the undergraduate advisor in the academic department offering their specific program (Biology for the BA or BSc Biology programs; Chemistry for Chemistry or Biochemistry/Biotechnology BSc programs) prior to registering for Laurier courses to ensure optimum use of their transfer credit.
Conestoga College: Three Year Software Engineering Technology Diploma
Students who have successfully completed Conestoga's 3 year Software Engineering Technology Diploma with 75% average or better will be eligible for admission into the Honours BSc Computer Science program at the Laurier Waterloo Campus.
These students who have completed the 3 year Software Engineering Technology Diploma with 75% average or better will be admitted to the BSc Computer Science program. Laurier will specify what courses must be completed rather than specifying transfer credits.
Students complete 2.5 years at Laurier, during which time they must complete 25 half credit courses.
Conestoga College: Post Degree/Post Graduate Certificate in Human Resources Management and a previous Diploma
Students who complete Conestoga's Post Degree/Post Diploma Graduate Certificate in Human Resources Management, and a previous diploma with a combined average in the two diplomas of 75% or better shall be eligible to enrol in the Honours Leadership program at Laurier Brantford. These students will receive 5.0 senior credits for their Post-Degree/Post-Diploma Graduate Certificate in Human Resources Management consisting of 4.0 senior OL credits including OL250, OL260, OL311 and OL312; 2.0 senior miscellaneous credits in Leadership; 1.0 miscellaneous senior credit and the requirement to complete an online course will be waived. Up to an additional 5.0 credits at the junior or senior levels may be awarded depending on the student's initial diploma. The specific credits that comprise the additional credits for the initial diploma shall be determined by the registrar of Wilfrid Laurier University, in consultation with representatives of the Leadership program.
Conversely, Conestoga College agrees that students enrolled in the Honours Leadership (OL) program who have successfully completed the required 100-level and 200-level courses in Leadership with at least a 5.0 GPA in these courses shall be eligible to enrol in the post-degree/post-diploma Human Resource Management program through Conestoga College. Upon successful completion of the program with an average of 70% or better, the student will receive transfer credit as outlined above.
Academic & Related Dates 2013/2014
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The 12-megapixel Canon EOS 450D (Rebel XSi in the US) features live view, 9-point AF and a 3in LCD.
Canon EOS 450D Review
Feature-wise, Canon seems to have cherry-picked the best elements of its recent 40D and 1D series models and packed them into the 450D. A jump in resolution, a larger LCD screen dominating the rear and the now almost obligatory live-view functionality all tick this year's shopping list of features, resulting in a model with much of the functionality of its enthusiast siblings combined with the portability and ease of use of the 400D. It certainly promises a lot, but in the face of strong competition can the 450D pull off enough tricks to help Canon maintain its market lead?
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Compare the Canon EOS 450D with other products
CMOS and DIGIC III
The 450D is Canon's 19th EOS DSLR. It features a 12.4MP sensor with an effective pixel count of 12.2MP, and continues the company's use of CMOS sensor technology. Keeping to the same dimensions as the 400D, the sensor applies a 1.6x conversion factor to any mounted lens with the mount accepting both EF and EF-S designated optics.
The DIGIC III processor employed in Canon's most recent compact and DSLR models lies at the heart of the camera, and is responsible for image processing as well as maintaining a fast operational speed. It now processes 14bit Raw files before saving them in Canon's proprietary CR2 format, with JPEG capture and a combination of the two offered alongside.
Advanced Metering
Metering is carried out by a 35-zone SPC (Silicon Photocell) system, offering evaluative, partial (9% of frame) and centre-weighted average options, as well as the somewhat overdue spot option. Canon has included spot metering in its enthusiasts and professional models, as well as in its compacts, but never before on a model pitched at the entry-level market. This covers approximately 4% of the frame, and all of these have been complemented by two additional features: Highlight Tone Priority and Auto Lighting Optimiser. The former is claimed to extend the dynamic range of highlights to retain detail and provide a smoother tonal gradation, while the latter corrects brightness and contrast while processing images, for example, for backlit subjects.
Exposure Options
The standard Auto and PASM exposure modes are joined by six scene settings and an Automatic Depth Of Field (A-DEP) function – all of which are accessible via the mode dial. Colour options come in the form of Canon's Picture Style settings – such as Landscape, Portrait and Monochrome – as well as three customisable profiles allowing you to set your own sharpness, contrast, saturation and colour tone parameters.
ISO Range
Sensitivity may be adjusted over a range of ISO 100-1600 in one-stop increments, with the further options of high-ISO and long-exposure noise reduction offered. An Auto ISO option is also present, which adjusts the camera's sensitivity up to a maximum of ISO 800, and while this isn't the most expansive of ISO ranges we've seen, it should suffice in most lighting conditions.
Autofocus Sensor
Canon is said to have made improvements to the autofocus sensor, which features an f/2.8 centre cross-type point around which eight further points are situated. Burst shooting, meanwhile, is claimed to allow a capture rate of 3.5 frames per second for up to 53 large JPEGs, ix Raw files or four Raw+JPEGs, before running out of steam.
Live View
The 450D is Canon's first consumer DSLR to offer live view, with 'Quick' and 'Live' modes to enable autofocusing. The former uses previously seen phase detection – which analyses light intensity between different subjects in the frame to achieve autofocus – in between a temporary mirror blackout, while the new Live mode employs the slower method of contrast detection, giving a real-time feed and negating the dropping of the mirror. The 30fps video feed is displayed on the camera's 3in LCD screen, which is said to be 50% brighter than that of its predecessor though staying with the same 230,00-dot count. Histogram and grid options may also be displayed while shooting, while the camera
may also be tethered to a computer with a live view displayed on the
monitor via the bundled Digital Photo Professional software.
Dust Removal
The EOS Integrated Cleaning system first seen on the 400D works on the principle of the three R's – albeit not the traditional kind – reducing, repelling and removing dust. Aside from a vibrating low-pass filter in front of the sensor, an anti-static coating stops dust from sticking to it while even the body cap is said to have been redesigned to stop dust from being generated by its wear. A further facility, Dust Delete Data, maps any dust that may have formed as shadows on the image, before removing it via the aforementioned software.
Redesigned Viewfinder
Presumably as a response to the sensor-based stabilisation offered by other DSLR manufacturers, Canon has opted to stabilise the 18-55mm kit lens bundled with the body. The viewfinder has also seen a redesign, being slightly larger and brighter, and with information such as sensitivity settings and black and white shooting now displayed alongside the
exposure level indicator.
Switch to SD Memory
Canon has adopted SD media as the 450D's recording format, which, although a
dual option together with CompactFlash on the 1D series, has never been the sole media type supported by its previous triple-figured EOS models.
Dimensions and Construction
One of the first things that strikes you about the 450D is how little 'camera' there actually is, which makes carrying it around convenient and unobtrusive. Together with SD support and live view, this will no doubt smooth the transition for compact owners upgrading to a DSLR.
The body of the camera itself is constructed from a stainless steel frame encased in a semi-matt plastic chassis. In many ways it resembles that of the 40D, with the bulk of the built-in flash flowing with the contours of the top-plate. Overall, the body feels and looks smooth, with the rubberised grip and thumb-plate providing a firm and comfortable hold.
Larger LCD
Something that certainly makes an impression is the enlarged LCD screen, which has pushed all of the buttons to its top and right hand side. The familiar five-button menu pad immediately separates the camera from the scroll-wheel enabled models higher up the EOS line, and is used in conjunction with the front command dial to navigate the menu system. A dedicated ISO button has been shoehorned between the mode dial and shutter button, while a thumb rest separates the AE lock and AF point selection button from the remainder of the rear's controls.
Button Layout
These fall to the right-hand side of the LCD, with metering, AF mode, Picture Style and Drive mode options assigned to the menu pad's directional buttons. The Direct Print button that Canon insists on most of its cameras has been coupled with the more useful White Balance function, while exposure compensation, playback and delete controls complete the arrangement. The menu and display buttons, meanwhile, lie to the top left of the LCD screen, with the only other feature of note being the LCD proximity sensor below the viewfinder, which senses when to activate and deactivate the LCD screen.
Menu System
Canon's implementation of the tabbed and colour co-ordinated menu system segregates shooting, reviewing and other options, making their selection, for the most part, speedy. The menu system has been expanded to accommodate the functionality and features now on offer, with seven separate menus and 13 Custom Functions now available.
Additionally, shooting information can be viewed in one of four different colour themes, which, along with the Custom Functions and My Menu option, continues the camera's inclination to be customised to the user's preferences.
Familiar Interface
As with the feature set, the upgrades regarding performance can be taken as refinements and tweaks of what was here previously. As such, Canon users will no doubt be familiar with the interface and pleased with the extra options available, though those new to the system might not be so enthusiastic, for reasons which I'll cover later on.
Kit Lens AF
Despite the lack of a USM motor in the kit lens, focusing speed is, overall, generally good. The usual challenges such as monotone, detailess areas and low light levels can give the AF system a little to chew on, at which point the lens hunts and demonstrates just how noisy it can be (something also true of the mirror). Otherwise its performance isn't great, but still good.
Memory Buffer
Shooting continuously using a Lexar 4GB Class 6 SDHC card, Raw+JPEG images managed, on average, to be captured at just under the promised four frames before the buffer began to slow it down. Raw images alone also just fell short of the stated six, with an average performance closer to five. JPEGs met and even exceeded their 53 frame limit, at a rate of 3.5fps when shooting static subjects in a studio environment, but employing AI Focus for moving subjects in more impromptu situations slowed this figure down, as the camera attempted to track the subject.
It's also worth bearing in mind that settings such as Highlight Tone Priority and Noise Reduction have an effect on processing times, and therefore burst rates; with high-ISO noise reduction activated, for instance, I could only manage to shoot two large JPEG frames before the buffer slowed things down.
Shooting in Live View
Setting up the camera for live-view shooting and changing its settings can be a little frustrating, with options spread over the Live View Function Settings and Custom Functions options, rather than one 'live view' menu. Additionally, the Display button toggles between displaying shooting information and a histogram (or both), but enabling and disabling the grid requires you to go to the appropriate menu system to do either, and takes an unnecessary amount of time. Thankfully, using live view is much breezier.
The 'Live' mode, using contrast detection, is considerably slower than the Quick mode, but giving a real-time view makes it useful for still-life photography, or any situation where a tripod may be used. I particularly found this mode useful when magnifying into the area before manually focusing on fine detail. The fixed LCD doesn't quite make it as versatile as competitors with tilting types, but you do benefit from the larger LCD screen in comparison to these models.
Minor Menu Grumbles
In the absence of any major flaws, it's perhaps just a few minor operational points that let the camera down. These relate to where certain options are positioned within the menu system and their ease – or rather difficulty – of access. A prime example is the Picture Style settings, which can be chosen and changed easily enough via the lower menu pad button, but altering any of their parameters – such as toning effects, filters or sharpness adjustments – requires a trawl through the main menus.
A far simpler solution would have been to allow adjustments once the Picture Style menu is up – as is the case on the 40D – and though you may not need to change sharpness and brightness on a continuous basis, experimenting with the different filters and toning effects can take an unnecessarily long time. Admittedly the model is aimed at a different market than that of the 40D, but its inclusion here wouldn't have been too difficult.
'My Menu' Shortcut
The only way to quicken access to these controls – as well as to the Highlight Tone Priority, Auto Lighting Optimiser and Mirror Lock up which are also all inconveniently rooted within the Custom Functions menu – is for their individual assignment to the My Menu menu. Setting up a customised menu is, of course, of benefit (and indeed, one of the finer options available on the camera), but it's not something everyone will do and highlights how inaccessible the menu system is to begin with.
All of this is admittedly nit-picking at an otherwise competent system; these issues won't put someone off buying the camera, they just take a little getting used to. It's clear that the camera is all about being customised to the user's shooting habits and needs, and once configured it's fantastic to use. I still feel, however, that Canon has added features without considering their access within the menu system as a whole. Nevertheless, a little experimentation and a thorough read of the manual will pay dividends in the long run.
Image Quality
Tone and Exposure
Studio tests show that the camera has an impressive dynamic range, with exposures in general being pretty much spot on – even when strong backlighting is present. There were a few occasions where highlight detail was lost though the Highlight Tone Priority does a good job of toning this down, and found itself useful under harsh, midday light.
White Balance and Colour
White balance is also generally accurate, and performed well in both natural and artificial lighting. Occassionally, there was the odd slightly warm magenta cast, but this is not unusual. When used in conjuction with the Standard Picture Style setting, colours can look a little flat, though; using the Landscape Picture Style mode helps inject a little more warmth into images, while saturating blue skies and foliage.
Canon's DSLRs have previously demonstrated how well they can control noise, and the 450D is no exception. This is where the camera really excels and even when noise does appear it's just a fine-textured cast of chroma noise. Detail holds up better than expected at ISO 1600, with slight contrast and sharpening adjustments bringing a bite back to images. High ISO noise reduction does a good job of removing some of the noise without softening detail too much, particularly in shadow areas. Such an impressive performance is relative to the limited sensitivity range on offer, though, and so it would have been nice to see a further ISO 3200 option which, judging by these results, would have a lot of potential.
At the default 'Standard' mode, JPEGs show a distinct softness and general lack of detail. The excpetion to this is in highlit areas, where the camera manages to do a good job of regaining an adequate amount of otherwise blown-out detail. For JPEGs it's advisable to increase the sharpening slightly in the Picture Style menu while Raw images benefit from a little sharpening in post-production. Fringing and traces of moiré, meanwhile, appear subdued rather than completely removed.
Sharpness and Detail
The sensor is capable of capturing clean and detailed images, even more so with a quality lens in front of it. The 18-55mm IS kit lens does seem more capable than Canon's previous kit incarnations, but soft, washed-out detail still prevails, even when stopped down. Centre sharpness is good, but corners aren't too great.
Operational quirks aside, there?s little to dislike about the 450D. The evolution of the EOS line has resulted in a refined model, with ample features and image quality to match. Low-light shooting can be carried out in confidence thanks to the great noise control, while its size and weight, together with its revised interface, are likely to appeal to the younger generation and first-time DSLR buyers.
I like the little touches Canon has made ? such as including the sensitivity in the viewfinder ? and while it lacks any standout feature whose performance sets it apart from its competition, it can be relied upon to perform consistently. As an all-round DSLR it delivers, and with Canon?s arsenal of compatible lenses and accessories, it provides a perfect starting point to building a more-than-capable DSLR system.


text: MTA vows to help struggling schools, but calls education bill flawed The Massachusetts Teachers Association, while expressing strong reservations about key provisions of the education bill passed by the Legislature on January 14, is vowing to continue doing everything possible to promote efforts to turn around the state's neediest schools. "The MTA applauds the fact that for the first time in a major education bill, the Commonwealth is recognizing the necessity of going beyond the school building to help create the supportive and healthy environment that is crucial to help students learn," said MTA President Anne Wass. "On the down side, we believe the bill falls short of what is needed to set up the kind of collaboration that's essential if we are to mount our best effort to turn around struggling schools. "We feel the Legislature squandered the opportunity to produce a bill that would have been a winner on all counts," Wass continued. "There are many positive elements in the bill, but some aspects of the legislation simply won't work. Eliminating collective bargaining in certain situations does nothing to improve schools; it fails to ensure that educators' experience and expertise will be brought to bear as we face the challenge of helping our neediest students." The MTA opposed the conference committee version of the bill, calling for it to be defeated in both chambers. Earlier House and Senate versions of the bill included language that promoted collaboration in chronically underperforming schools and districts by protecting educators' collective bargaining rights and providing for a balanced dispute-resolution process. But the legislation that emerged from the conference committee and was approved does not contain adequate protections in these areas. Instead of ensuring a fair system through which differences can be ironed out between administrators and educators when contract changes are proposed in chronically underperforming schools and districts, the bill cuts educators – the very people who know best what is needed in these schools – out of the process, giving ultimate decision-making power to the commissioner of education. The MTA is strongly urging legislators to revisit the dispute-resolution process and make appropriate changes as the plan is implemented. "Collaboration, mutual respect and trust are essential ingredients in turning around struggling schools. We will fight to make sure everyone understands that as we move forward," Wass said. "This attempt at education reform will only succeed for our students if teachers in chronically underperforming schools are involved in a meaningful process through which they collectively bargain over changes and are treated fairly."


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/ NRCS and partners invest in conservation for Mississippi River health
WASHINGTON, Feb. 15, 2013 – The USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service is investing $58 million this year in the health of the Mississippi River basin, making a total of about $288 for the initiative to reduce nutrient and sediment run-off.
More than 640 small watersheds are part of the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative, which is in its fourth year, said Tom Christensen, the central regional conservationist who leads the program across the 13 states involved.
Through the cooperative conservation partnerships, NRCS works with hundreds of local organizations and conservation experts to focus the funds to help the greater efforts of USDA and other federal agencies improve water quality in the river.
Previous conservation on cropland in the upper river basin reduced edge-of-water sediment losses by about 61 percent, nitrogen by 20 and phosphorus by 44, according to NRCS' conservation effects assessment project, showing how effective conservation is for the basin's health.
"We achieved a partnership approach to targeting the resources to the most vulnerable acres in the watershed," said Christensen. "Those are the acres with the most sediment and nutrient losses."
Producers and landowners work with NRCS to begin voluntary conservation practices to improve water quality, restore wetlands, enhance wildlife habitat and sustain agricultural profitability in the basin.
In addition to its vital role in providing drinking water, food, industry and recreation for millions of people, NRCS has identified the basin as a top priority due to water quality concerns, primarily related to the effects of nutrient loading on the health of local water bodies and, eventually, the Gulf of Mexico.
"We work within the context of the individual producer's operation," said Christensen. "We make sure the conservation solutions are practical, economical and sustainable over time."
Although working with individuals, the program ensures the focus is not too narrow and employs this type "systems approach" to nutrient and sediment reduction, he said.
Ensuring the program will continue to be feasible for the landowners is the key, said Christensen.
"Sustaining the conservation system over time is where we'll yield the biggest benefits," he added.
The program is also being evaluated this year to ensure it continues to focus on the best targeted efforts.
"Rural America faces a variety of challenges, and the Mississippi River basin is an example of how conservation in small watersheds can help improve a much larger system," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "This initiative continues to build on the success of our producers, partners, and other state and federal agencies whose combined efforts have seen a tremendous amount of growth and improvements for wildlife and agricultural production. These efforts offer conservation solutions that are practical, economical and sustainable."
USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service helps America's farmers and ranchers conserve the Nation's soil, water, air and other natural resources. All programs are voluntary and offer science-based solutions that benefit both the landowner and the environment.
Follow NRCS on Twitter. Checkout other conservation-related stories on USDA Blog. Watch videos on NRCS' YouTube channel.
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text: Throughout my brief journey on this world, I've come across some amazing people in my travels — and Amanda Mathews is at the top of that list. Amanda is the co-founder of Love Is A Seed, an inspirational/second-to-none jewelry company based out of Corpus Christi, Texas. Amanda granted me a rare interview that I am [Read More…]


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Christmas movies are supposed to be heartwarming parables that entertain us while simultaneously teaching us the invaluable tenet of selflessness. Christmas is not about presents, the Grinch teaches us, it's about being together. Christmas is not a time for selfishness, A Christmas Carol teaches us, it is a time to set right past wrongs. Christmas is not meaningless, A Charlie Brown Christmas teaches us, it is a day to reflect on the life of Jesus and be thankful we were not born hydrocephalic. But one Christmas movie doesn't want to teach you kindness or charity, or any of that crap; it only wants to teach you spite and how to commit hate crimes. It's called Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and here's what it wants you to learn:
Lesson #4 Santa Claus Does Exist, and He is Sick of Your Crap.
All of Santa's little elves spend the whole year working, building toys for good little boys and girls. But spot-welding dirt-bikes for needy redneck children does not leave a lot of free time for the elves, so you can imagine they cherish what little they do get. And how do they spend this priceless free time? Why, penning a lovely ode to their kindly master, Santa Claus, of course! They toil away composing and practicing, and when they're all finished, they ask Santa if he'd like to come listen to a song they wrote for him. To which he replies that he's "busy, so they better make it quick."
Santa's probably just stressed. We all get stressed around the holidays. He gets a pass on that out of character rudeness. But something's still amiss here: All during the song, the conductor elf keeps turning around and shooting apprehensive looks at Santa, like he's expecting to feel the sting of a whip at any moment. It's easy to see why: All throughout the performance, Santa grows increasingly moody and unhappy, slumping in his chair and glowering at the singers.
"Yeah, great. Call me when you've learned Freebird."
After they've finished their heartfelt ode, the elves turn to Santa and ask hopefully: "How did you like it?" To which he brusquely responds, "Well, it needs work. I have to go,' then storms out and slams the door. That's like giving your dad a drawing to put up on the fridge, only to have him criticize your sense of perspective and ability to use color to evoke emotion.
But it turns out that was Santa's version of "polite." He doesn't actually think the song needs work, nor does he think it's the thought that counts. No, he actively and passionately hates the damn thing. When he hears the elves singing it again later - like some sort of pixie spiritual to dull the pain as they slave away on his production line - Santa has the following exchange with his wife:
And that's like giving your dad a drawing to put on the fridge, only to have him crumple it up, throw it in the trash can, then urinate in the trash while forbidding you to ever draw under his god damn roof again.
Lesson #3 Being Different Does Not Make You Special
In the movie, we learn that Rudolph's father is tragically ashamed of his own son. This is mainly because Santa has emotional problems and had previously informed him that a birth defect like Rudolph's nose would preclude the boy from ever being on his sleigh team - the sleigh team apparently being the Reindeer equivalent of JV football. Out of desperation, Rudolph's dad tries to cover up the defect.
The father grows more and more frustrated as the attempts to hide his son's nose fail, until finally Rudolph tells him that he doesn't want to cover his nose at all -- the defect doesn't bother him, you see, he's comfortable with who he is. And besides, the nose cover is painful and uncomfortable. Instead of learning a heartwarming lesson about respecting his boy's individuality, Rudolph's father grabs him and tells him coldly that "there are more important things than comfort - Self Respect." Then shoves the shame-cover back on his child's face.
The implication being that, if anything, it is Rudolph who's letting the family down by failing to feel the appropriate amount of shame at his own handicap. That's right: The reindeers in Santa's workshop follow the same brutal, emotionless code of conduct as the Spartans from 300. Rudolph should probably count himself lucky they didn't just leave him out for the wolves.


text: Quick question. I have strep throat and am on penicillin vk. Baby (7 month old) got a fever a few days later and her doc put her on amoxicillin. Now she has diarrhea and I am thinking she is getting way too much antibiotic!! Has anyone ever been on an antibiotic with their nursing baby on one two.


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