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Here at CNS, we don't mind criticism (it comes with the territory), but it always helps if the criticism is well informed. Unfortunately, our critics sometimes choose to ignore or are totally unaware of other stories that balance out the one story that they didn't like. Here's just one example (of many) of a story the critics forget to mention.
Filed under: CNS

subset: commoncrawl


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"To say nothing, especially when speaking, is half the art of diplomacy. "
Stowe Vermont
World-class downhill slopes and chillingly steep "front four" mountaintop runs have made Stowe, Vt., a favorite destination for skiers. On a jaunt in summer, however, I discovered that this historic New England village has far more to offer than skiing. I also realized how dramatically the Green State differs from anywhere else in the country.
Vermont is a 9,600-square-mile swath of mostly independent-minded folks. Indeed, there have been movements for the state to secede from the U.S. and create the Second Vermont Republic.
Vermont's contrarian legacy, dating back 200 years, is part of what makes the state-and Stowe in particular-so interesting. Transplants from all over the country have rooted here to escape the commotion of cities and the strictures of more traditional ways of life.
That means you'll find a former financier from New Jersey working at the Morrisville-Stowe State Airport (seven miles from downtown), garnering an eighth of his former salary but endowed with a Walden-like perspective on the merits of a modest lifestyle. Or you'll meet a waitress from Brooklyn who traded rows of brownstones for cedar trees.
Yet such people are only part of Stowe's intrigue. Unlike the winters, when thermometers can visit minus territory, summers are ideal here-dry and with temperatures in the mid 70s. Moreover, there's so much to do in Stowe's off-season that I was hard-pressed to complete my itinerary, even after five action-packed days.
How much could there be to see in a laid-back, mountain town where "Moose Crossing" signs decorate the landscape and the most prominent landmark is the Community Church's tall steeple? Plenty, it turns out. There are natural water holes to plunge into, rivers to kayak down and miles of trails to explore, even by dog cart. Descendents of the von Trapps of Sound of Music fame are here, and some of them run the enchanting Trapp Family Lodge (see "Where to Stay"). Downtown Stowe is bustling with shops, galleries and historic buildings, while neighboring Waterbury hosts Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Factory (tours available, www.benjerry.com), the Vermont Ski Museum (www.vermontskimuseum.org, 802-253-9911), Lake Champlain Chocolates (www.lakechamplainchocolates.com, 802-241-4150) and the Cabot Creamery Annex (www.cabotcheese.com, 802-244-6334).
What's more, the 30 or so restaurants in Stowe-many on par with some of the best in the country-are part of the Vermont Fresh Network. That means everything is organically grown or locally produced. The lamb chop I ordered at Michael's on the Hill came from a local farm, as did the vegetables and cheese. Indeed, dining is one of the top reasons to visit Stowe. Even the local pizza is great.
You'd think with such an arrestingly beautiful landscape and so much to offer, Stowe would be clogged with tourists. But in summer, it's quiet. The roads that cut through cornfields and bucolic valleys are often empty, as are the trails. The only time we saw a crowd was in the Trapp Lodge's concert meadow at the Vermont Mozart Festival (www.vtmozart.org, 802-862-7352). Tourists and locals showed up in droves with picnic baskets and wine to listen to Beethoven under a starry canopy. (The festival was named for Vermont's similarity to Mozart's Austria, not for the composers it features.)
At Its Peak
When my husband, five-year-old daughter and I arrived, we checked into the Stowe Mountain Lodge- the first uber-luxury property of this size and caliber to go up in Stowe. It has generated a buzz among locals, who are curiously fathoming the breadth of amenities and services offered at the 139-room property for upwards of $450 a night. (A bellhop at another hotel sheepishly asked, "So what's it like to stay there?")
Staying at the lodge gives you proximity to the Gondola Skyride and mountains, an obvious advantage in winter (some lifts are out the door) but also in summer, when you can climb the 4,400-foot Mt. Mansfield, Vermont's highest peak. The reward? A view of three states, two countries and four mountain ranges. On a clear day, you'll spot New Hampshire's White Mountains, Vermont's Worcester Mountains, New York's Adirondacks and Quebec's Mt. Royale.
Several trails are at Mt. Mansfield's summit, which is shaped like an elongated human profile. One challenging trek takes you to the "chin," its highest point. There's also an excellent restaurant, the Cliff House, where we sampled local cheeses and a crepe stuffed with turkey from a nearby farm while gazing out floor-to-ceiling windows at the sprawling valley and silhouetted mountain ranges.
Our favorite aerial view, however, came from the 20-minute glider ride we took with Stowe Soaring (www.stowesoaring.com, 802-888-7845). Our pilot, a nurse by trade, flies the two-passenger airplanes as a hobby on her days off. "Every time I go up, I feel so lucky to be doing this," she said as she circled over the Green Mountains. My intrepid daughter felt lucky to experience it, too, and loved the loops and dives more than my unsettled stomach did.
You can also explore the pine and maple forests via kayak on the Lamoille River. Bert's Boats (www.bertsboats.com, 802-644-8189) rents the gear and the affable Ken "Bert" Roberts himself will guide you down the river, which courses through dairy farms and under a bridge. So smitten with Roberts was my daughter that she opted to canoe with him instead of her parents (probably wise, given our paddling acumen.) The tour began and ended at the Boyden Valley Winery (www.boydenvalley.com, 802-644-8151), a family-run operation that produces everything from award-winning ice wines to Bordeaux-style reds and hosts tastings in its restored 1825 carriage barn.
After leaving the winery, we spent some time exploring Stowe on foot. Several trails snake through the mountains, the most noted being the 5.5-mile Stowe Recreation Path that the first President Bush named one of America's "Thousand Points of Light."
We also took to the woods-by dog cart. Ken Haggett, a soft-spoken, long-haired carpenter, owns Peace Pups (www.peacepupsdogsledding.com, 802-888-7733), a dog-carting and sledding business. The dogs are instinctive runners, and as they get hooked up to the pulling line, they jump all over each other and bark in cacophonous unison. Dog carting is a bit like sleigh riding, except bumpier.
Stowe's resorts feature some well-appointed spas, but the beauty of visiting the town in summer is that you can experience its natural spas, too-melted snow that cascades down the mountains and pools into mineral-rich swimming holes of numbingly cold water. To me, these spots epitomize the best of the village-unique, organically beautiful, serene yet wildly invigorating-and accessible only after the winter thaw.
Traveler Fast Facts
What it is: A small New England town that's widely recognized for its alpine skiing, but is teeming with options for those who make the trek in summer.
History: Stowe once thrived on lumber and agriculture and later butter and milk, much of which was shipped to Boston. The several working farms that remain in the area receive ardent support from local businesses and residents.
Ambiance: Anything goes in Stowe, where the overall vibe is casual and progressive.
Getting There: While airline passengers arrive at Burlington International Airport,
40 miles away, you can land at Morrisville-Stowe State Airport, which is just seven miles from downtown and has a 3,701-foot asphalt runway.
Traveler Report Card
Accommodations (A-): You'll find a variety of accommodations here, from simple inns to a new plush resort, all tastefully appointed (see "Where to Stay").
Food (A): Most restaurants are members of the Vermont Fresh Network, the Slow Food movement and/or the Local First Vermont network-all supporting sustainable agriculture in the state. Almost everything on your plate is local, organic or both. Better still, chefs execute the meals with creativity and flair. Make time for Michael's on the Hill (802-244-7476), housed in an 1820 farmhouse and specializing in European fare; Norma's (802-253-8585), a bustling bistro with open kitchen and outdoor patio with arresting mountain views; and the Cliff House (802-253-3558), atop Mt. Mansfield, with panoramic-view seating and floor-to-ceiling windows. For pizza, Pie in the Sky (802-253-5100) is first-rate. For picnic fare, Harvest Market (802-253-3800) has a wide assortment of gourmet salads, entrées, desserts and wine.
Activities (A+): There are so many things to do in Stowe-from glider rides to swimming holes to outdoor concerts to dog carting-that you'll be hard-pressed to pack it all in. Downtown Stowe features shops, galleries and the historic Stowe Mercantile building with "made-in-Vermont" goodies and an old-fashioned candy counter. A 15-minute drive to neighboring Waterbury, Vt., will open up even more options, including Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Factory and the Cabot Creamery Annex.
Quietude (A): Stowe is known as a ski mecca, but few have discovered the beauty beneath the powder. That's good news for summertime visitors looking for quiet trails, open roads and empty pastures.
Where to Stay
Trapp Family Lodge, www.trappfamily.com, (802) 253-8511. Commanding some of the village's most stunning real estate, this 96-room hotel, founded by Captain and Maria von Trapp of Sound of Music fame, occupies a heavenly 2,400-acre property, with mountain views reminiscent of Austria. The tastefully decorated inn manages to give a nod to its legacy without being kitschy. Movie memorabilia and historic pictures of Maria and others line the walls. Deluxe yet homey accommodations are available in the inn, and also in fractional-ownership villas. Daily activities in summer range from Nordic walking and fly fishing to harp lessons and kids' nature hikes. You'll also find miles of biking and hiking trails and an outdoor pool next to a Highland cattle-studded knoll with sweeping views of the Green Mountains. In the evenings there are campfires, concerts in the meadow, singalongs and movies, including a fascinating documentary on Maria von Trapp.
Stowe Mountain Lodge, www.stowemountainlodge.com, (802) 253-3560. This is the newest and swankiest of all lodging options in Stowe. The amenities are mountain chic and the restaurant, Solstice, is hip and lively. The 139 condo-like suites are well-appointed, with bamboo linens, stone fireplaces and flat-screen TVs. Accommodations and attractions are still being built, however, so be sure to ask for a room away from any construction. (Our balcony overlooked the pool, but also a massive crane.) Proximity to a Gondola Skyride and a mini theme park is a plus.
Topnotch Resort and Spa, www.topnotchresort.com, (800) 451-8686. This 68-room hotel offers four-diamond luxury in a quiet setting with sweeping mountain views. An award-winning spa with vaulted ceiling and waterfall is a must, as is its top-rated restaurant, Norma's.
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Speak Up For Little Ones Who Can't
To The Reader's Forum:
Her children were in bed asleep. The late night news was over. Finishing up her preparation for the presentation to medical students for the next day, the mother reviewed some slides on a screen set up in her room. One of the slides was a dismembered victim of an abortion. Alarmed by a sudden sharp gasp behind her, she turned and saw her sleepy 3-year old son unexpectedly out of bed. Seeing what was on the screen, her little boy with great sadness in his voice asked, "Who broke the baby?" The little child saw what many adults fail to see. He knew instinctively what many "smart" people don't. It wasn't a blob, but a baby.
On the day when 20 children were murdered in Newtown, 3,000 children in their mother's womb went to their death at abortion mills across the nation. Since the 40th anniversary (January 22, 1973) of the Supreme Court decision on Roe vs. Wade, over 55 million preborn babies never came out of their mothers alive. And some radical advocates and even members of the hardened clergy have the audacity to celebrate a man-made "right" male "justices," not God, gave to snuff out defenseless innocent unborn human beings.
A mother struggling with the issue of abortion invested a tremendous amount of study in law, medicine, history, and Scripture to support her "pro-choice" view. She couldn't find any. Like C.S. Lewis who converted to Christianity, she "was carried kicking and screaming" into the pro-life position "by the sheer weight of the evidence." At 40 she got pregnant." She gave birth to a son. That son was the little boy who inadvertently saw the abortion and asked his mother, "Who broke the baby?" Her son's remark is the title of the book Jean Garton has written exposing the language tricks used by the abortion crowd who "tell it like it is not." "Who broke the baby?" asks the three year old. "Because of what you have taught me, my dear son," his mother wrote, "I pray for the blessing to answer, 'Not I.'" Will you add your answer of "not I" with the mother?
World-class guitarist Phil Keagy, who recently came to Jamestown, sings a lullaby called Little Ones, "Who will speak up for the little ones helpless and half-abandoned they've got right to choose life they don't want to lose. I've got speak up, won't you?"
The Rev. Mel McGinnis


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Oct 31, 2011
IT Pro Impact: Windows 8 (Non) Adoption
In the past, it's been even odds that IT teams would roll out new Microsoft operating systems within 24 months of release. But for Windows 8, all bets are off. Almost half of the 973 business technology professionals at organizations with 500 or more employees answering our October InformationWeek Windows 8 Survey say they're putting off the move as long as they can and sticking with Windows 7 and/or XP for the foreseeable future.
Why? Two reasons. First, they're saddled with a healthy list of other projects that are higher priorities to their constituencies. Second, all the usual concerns about compatibility are exacerbated by the increased use of tablets and smartphones for business purposes. "Compatibility" no longer automatically means "Windows running on an x86 CPU," because Android- and iOS-based systems running on ARM processors are more commonly used in business, too.
In fact, smart companies are getting themselves into a position where the underlying OS matters much less than it used to.
Microsoft's aggressive release schedule isn't helping matters, either. If you consider Vista's release in 2006 to be a non-event (and we do), then XP's tenure was nearly a decade. Now Windows 8 follows just three years after Windows 7, and most organizations have little or no interest in taking on the planning, migration and support costs of moving that quickly, especially since Windows 7 is an acceptable business OS. Bottom line, while IT teams look forward to improved security, added features and improvements to technologies like Hyper-V, they're much less interested in yet another new user interface. And that's bad news for Microsoft. (S3851111)
Research Report


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Skip to comments.Weiner says he is '100 percent not' sexting anyone right now
Posted on 08/02/2013 2:09:16 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
Weiner says he is '100 percent not' sexting anyone right now
NEW YORK Anthony Weiner said he is one hundred percent not having any type of online relationship right now and insisted again that his days of sexting are well behind him.
The Democratic mayoral hopeful told NBC New York that he has not sent lewd messages or pictures to women he met online for about a year and said he wants to move on and talk about other subjects.
"I just think at a certain point, OK, I think people know these embarrassing things about me, Weiner said. I think at a certain point now we have to have a conversation that goes to, alright, what else should people know?"
The interview was Weiner's latest as he struggles to regain momentum in his bid succeed Mayor Michael Bloomberg, ahead of the Sept. 10 primary. The former lawmakers poll numbers have plummeted in recent days after admitting that he continued to send sexual messages to at least three women he met online after a sexting scandal forced him out of Congress in 2011.
Weiner said Friday he had kept no records of the messages he sent women, telling NBC New York that he deleted everything. And he said he had felt guilty while engaging in those relationships.
"I didn't like when I was doing it, it was wrong to do, it was wrong to my wife, wrong period," Weiner said, referring to his wife, longtime Hillary Clinton adviser Huma Abedin.
Yet, as he has in recent weeks, Weiner acknowledged that other women could come forward with lurid details of online exchanges though he said he hoped that wouldnt happen.
I certainly don't like talking about this stuff," Weiner told NBC.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
So he's meeting them in person now?
And we are 100% NOT LISTENING.
(but maybe later tonight)
Switched to Skype (XXX live action)...
Weiner and the NYC scum who support him are exactly why those of us in Western NY would love to break up the state and let all those socialists/communists and degenerates have the kind of state they want and let us have one a little more civilized.
His arrogance is just a mirror of the arrogance and rude behavior on display every day in the city which never sleeps. It never sleeps because if it did some scum would steal it.
You mean like, "right" now?
What about now?
If he doesn't .like talking about all of this, then do us all a favor and retire from public life. Then he can go do God knows what and nobody would care.
the voters may well reject him on election day, if you can believe the polls.
That's like Obama saying he's 100% sure he's not raising taxes right now.
Of course he's not...but Carlos Danger, on the other hand....
"right now"
He's not pulling out...
Weiner says hes not sexting anyone "right now".....
What, his phone is re-charging?
Or later?
Did I ask?
Well, that settles it then. Move along, everyone.
It's like they used to say about my Uncle Bob ... when he wasn't drinking he was the soberest guy around.
It depends on what the meaning of "right now" is.
his blackberry keys are all gunked up.....
"Right now" depends on what the meaning of "is" is.
I was surprised to hear Siri's voice suddenly say, "Good morning, Mr. Danger."
In Clintonese how is his statement really interpreted?
What he means is that he is not sexting 100% of the time. Closer to 99% of the time.
It depends on what the meaning of the word is is and whether now means now.
He wasn't sexting anyone during the interview, but when it was over, he leapt into action...
What dat all bout, Weiner?
What about Carlos Danger?? Is HE sexting?
his phone was charging..
Curiously, O.J. famously proclaimed he was '100 percent not guilty'.
Not then? Okay.
(5 min later) How about now?
(5 min later) How about now?
(5 min later) How about now?
(5 min later) How about now?
i thought all the sexting was in front of him, not behind him.
What was he doing 5 minutes ago?
He's a goner for any "big time" political position. His advisors are now telling him the mayoral race is a no go. He'll soon drop out, Huma will wait a month or two and go into down low mode. The Clintons will make sure the financial problems are on HIM...and Huma will reappear at Hill's side in a few months. Oh, and in the mean while, he'll go into "rehab" (gag me). Then it's off to a whine fest at MSNBC or CNN where he can be a "voice of the people". Slimebag.
Oh, and he sure does look like Woodstock from the Snoopy cartoon!
This guy is COMPULSIVE. When he has to drop out of the race, old Huma flees, because he is of no use to her any longer and he faces the legal/financial problems with no JOB, he'll be doing this crap 24/7 to ease his stress.
"Right now? As in right this minute? No, I'm talking to you. Now excuse me..."
"he faces the legal/financial problems with no JOB, hell be doing this crap 24/7 to ease his stress."
Actually he has no legal problems, as nothing he did is technically illegal. Immoral yes, illegal no. As to financial problems, he had a stash of money in his prior campaign chests available to run this campaign, so he won't have any financial problems either. And he has his gov't pension and bennies from when he was in Congress, so Weiner is pretty well set up. Although if he and Huma get divorced he will have child support payments to make. Even this would be up for debate though; if Huma makes more than Anthony in salary, it could be the other way around. So, Anthony pretty much skates regardless of what happens.
Wiener's in between skanks.
We are so very proud of you, Anthony.
He'll probably audition for the part of himself in the porn flick that Sydney Leathers has made a deal to star in.
Which reminds me of none other than O.J. Simpson who was, according to himself, "200% not guilty!"
Dude, you sure you want to share that? Shouldn't you be embarrassed or something?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


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Knight's lawyer: Behavior led to Nelson's firing
A Fort Dodge dental assistant whose firing has attracted national attention lost her job because of her behavior and not because her mere presence made her irresistible, according to the attorney for the dentist who once employed her.
The attorney, Stuart Cochrane, of Fort Dodge, said the full facts of the situation involving Melissa Nelson and Dr. James Knight haven't become public because a lawsuit she filed never came to trial.
The situation gained national notoriety after the Iowa Supreme Court justices voted unanimously last month to uphold the action of a district court judge who dismissed Nelson's lawsuit.
Cochrane spoke exclusively to The Messenger recently after Nelson made a series of national media appearances. Knight and his wife, Jeanne, declined to speak to the newspaper, but Cochrane said they had authorized him to make a public statement.
"The message they would like to get across is that she was not terminated because she was – quote – 'irresistible,"' he said.
"It was clearly her conduct that got her terminated, and the conduct being her flirtatious behavior," he added. "And also, she chose to develop a personal relationship with him."
Watching Nelson repeatedly tell her version of events has been "exhausting" for the Knights, according to the attorney.
He said he doesn't believe Knight's Fort Dodge dental practice has been hurt by the situation.
"He's had a tremendous amount of support, both personally and professionally," he said.
James Knight hired Nelson in 1999. The situation that led to her dismissal developed over the last year and a half, according to Cochrane and the Supreme Court's 16-page ruling.
Cochrane said Nelson began wearing tight, low-cut shirts to work. He said James Knight directed her to wear more appropriate clothing, but she didn't comply.
"She's made a lot of mileage out of a claim that she always wore her scrubs," the attorney said. "Well, that quite frankly is just untrue."
He said that in depositions, other women who worked in the office said that Nelson did not wear scrubs every day and was known to wear clothing considered inappropriate for the workplace.
He added that in a deposition, Nelson acknowledged that James Knight directed her to wear other clothing to work.
Nelson and James Knight also engaged in some suggestive text messages and conversations.
"The reality is they both initiated texting and conversation," Cochrane said. "I will grant he said some things that he should not have in that context. He made some comments trying to be cute or funny."
He said there was an "ongoing dialog where she's initiating frequent discussions about her sex life."
According to Cochrane, in a deposition Nelson said James Knight never said anything offensive to her.
In the Supreme Court opinion, Justice Edward M. Mansfield wrote that Nelson did not remember ever telling James Knight not to send text messages to her and telling him that she was offended.
According to the Supreme Court ruling, Jeanne Knight insisted that her husband fire Nelson. Her reasons for that demand, according to the ruling, included the text messages, Nelson's clothing, her flirting with the dentist, her alleged coldness toward Jeanne Knight at the office, and Nelson's ongoing criticism of another dental assistant.
"The reality is he fired her because he and his wife decided that having her there was not good for their marriage," Cochrane said. "And that is not gender discrimination. Clearly, she was not terminated because of her gender. Every other person that works there has always been a woman. She was replaced by a woman."
Nelson was fired on Jan. 4, 2010.
She sued James Knight in Webster County District Court on Aug. 8, 2010.
In late 2011, Cochrane asked District Court Judge Thomas Bice for a summary judgment that would throw out the lawsuit. He said in a summary judgment case, the court reviews all the facts in a way that is most favorable to the plaintiff and determines if their lawsuit has any chance of succeeding at trial.
After considering the facts, Bice dismissed the case.
Early last year, Nelson, represented by attorneys Paige Fiedler and Emily McCarthy of Urbandale, appealed Bice's decision to the Supreme Court.
On Dec. 21, 2012, the justices issued a ruling upholding Bice's action.
"The Iowa Supreme Court has really, really taken an unjust beating on this ruling," Cochrane said. "What they've done is what we all expect them to do – apply and interpret the law."
Nelson's attorneys have asked the justices to reconsider their ruling. A response from the high court is expected in 30 to 60 days.


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Use your mind to add a smile to the season�and prepare for a pleasure-packed new year�with advice from the authors of the new book super brain.
Nothing is more of a downer than pressure to be happy, especially at the holidays. No one wants to be the season�s Grinch. But holidays�and even everyday events�can stir up a multitude of feelings, from sorrow for past seasons to unrealistic expectations of joyous childhood repeats.
The happiness answer lies in becoming the master of your brain, explain Dr. Deepak Chopra and Dr. Rudolph Tanzi in their new book Super Brain. �Your brain is not a noun, it�s a verb�it responds to the activity in your mind,� says Chopra, a world-renowned mind-body healing pioneer and the founder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing in Carlsbad, Calif. �So you are able to rewire your networks by the way you think, feel, reflect, speak and act.�
Since the brain is constantly evolving,�you can take control by systematically changing your thoughts and reactions and adopting new habits�and the hectic and emotionally charged holidays offer a perfect opportunity to practice. To keep your season bright now and lay the groundwork for a truly happy new year, Chopra and Tanzi offer these strategies.
Make one small change every day. �If you don�t use your brain in unpredictable ways, it gets lazy,� Chopra says, locking you into unhappy patterns�reacting angrily to a passive-aggressive comment, for instance. As an exercise, Chopra suggests changing your routine slightly every day, taking a different route to work or switching up your breakfast. �The more novelty there is for the brain, the healthier it is,� he says. At the holidays, you can also use this tactic to untangle yourself from traditions that bring more stress than joy. Try baking one fewer type of Christmas cookie, or skipping an annual gathering you�re not looking forward to in favor of something new.
Go with the flow.�Chopra calls this concept �infinite adaptability,� and says it�s�key to lifelong happiness. �The more you adapt, the more you have the willingness to let go of things you cannot control,� he says. Arguing with your sister about what to serve at a family dinner? View the idea of compromising with her as a positive, rather than as a defeat. (It doesn�t hurt to ask yourself, as Chopra and Tanzi suggest, �Would I rather be right or be happy?�) The holidays can be a crash course in adaptability, but try to carry that mindset into the rest of the year. Eventually, your brain learns�and remembers�that you�re happier when you�re flexible, and it becomes more automatic.
Take time for daily reflection.��Ask yourself who you are, what your purpose is, what you want, and what makes life joyful for you,� Chopra says. �People who are happy find meaning and purpose in their existence.� Over time, such reflection helps you become more aware of perceptions and preconceived notions, allowing you to catch yourself when you have a knee-jerk reaction to a situation, and remind yourself that you have the power to change your thoughts.
Shift your brain�s conversation. Instead of thinking, �I should buy gifts for all the kids� teachers,� reframe it to something like, �The teachers would likely appreciate an acknowledgment of all their hard work.� If you repeatedly associate one task with negative emotions, your brain begins to treat it as a fact rather than your opinion, and make those links automatically. Change the words, and you send your mind a message that there�s more than one way to view the situation.
Focus on the present.�Holidays, weddings, funerals�even the change of seasons�trigger both bad and good memories, and can set you up for either sadness or longing.
�Any time your emotional centers�are triggered, they bring associations with all the thoughts and feelings�you�ve had your whole life,� says Tanzi. But the emotions you focus on are your choice�not your brain�s. �Clear your mind by taking deep breaths and asking yourself, �What is most meaningful to me right now?�� says Tanzi. �Put your focus there, not on the negative or positive memories.�
Concentrate on others.�Making others happy is nourishment for the brain�and offers a distraction from ruminating about our own dissatisfaction with life, Tanzi says. �Instead of asking how you can get through this dreadful Christmas�dinner, ask �How can I help others�enjoy it?�� Tanzi says. The season of giving offers plenty of opportunities to lift others� spirits, but don�t stop there. Add volunteer activities to your New Year�s resolutions to keep the positive feelings flowing beyond the holidays.
Brought to you by: Spry Living


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Now that Secretary Albert Del Rosario shares my view that the Scarborough Shoal dispute should be submitted to the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) for peaceful resolution, the question is: how could the tribunal exercise jurisdiction without China giving its consent to do so?
The answer lies in the dispute settlement procedure of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS). These provisions are not only very long, but are recognized by scholars as amongst the most complicated provisions of the convention.
In a nutshell, the provisions on dispute settlement were made part of the "package deal" that state parties agreed to be bound when they became parties to the UNCLOS. In an effort to make all of the provisions of the UNCLOS a restatement of customary international law, each and every provision of the convention were agreed upon by states on the basis of consensus, and not just by a vote of the majority. Consequently, not only did the UNCLOS become the longest treaty to negotiate, it also became unique because of the rule that parties thereto may not make reservations on any of its provisions, including those dealing with dispute resolution.
The ITLOS jurisdiction was made compulsory and mandatory on all state parties in all disputes arising from the ""interpretation or application of any provision in the Convention". Because state parties to the Convention, including the Philippines and China, have already referred to the ITLOS these types of disputes, China need not give its consent anew if we were to bring the issue of the exercise of sovereign rights in Scarborough shoal, Recto Bank and even parts of the Spratly's to the tribunal.
Notice though that while Scarborough dispute, because it is one over fishing rights in maritime territory may- be brought to the ITLOS even without the consent of China, the Spratly's controversy, on the other hand, would still require China's consent. The reason is simple: because the Scarborough issue is purely a dispute involving water, it may be resolved wholly under the UNCLOS and as such, is an issue arising from an "interpretation" of the Convention's provisions on sovereign rights. By definition, sovereign rights refer to the exclusive right of a state to explore and exploit all natural resources found in the waters of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which is 200 nautical miles from the baseline of a country.
The issue in Scarborough is whether fishing by Chinese nationals there violates the sovereign right of the Philippines to exclusively engage in fishing in the area. A resolution of this issue would require the ITLOS to make a factual determination if the shoal is within the country's EEZ and whether the shoal, as China claims, is an island. If it were indeed an island, yet an issue to be resolved would be whether it is entitled to other maritime zones or just a 12 nautical mile territorial sea. In either case, the primordial issue would be which nation should be allowed to fish in the area of the disputed shoal.
The Spratly's dispute, on the other hand, is one that involves conflicting claims to both land and water territory. As such. UNCLOS cannot be the sole applicable law for the obvious reason that it deals only with maritime territories. The territorial dispute to the islands are subject to the rule they should pertain to the state that can prove a superior claim in terms of effectivities, or the exercise of the rights and obligations borne out of the exercise of sovereignty over disputed land territory. As such, disputes over islands are disputes beyond the "interpretation" of the UNCLOS rules on maritime territory. This is why China must consent anew to the exercise of jurisdiction by ITLOS in resolving the Spratly's dispute. It is because conflicting claims to land territory do not involve issues of interpretation of the UNCLOS and are hence, are not subject to the mandatory and compulsory jurisdiction of the ITLOS.
Recent events have proven that we are no match to China in terms of military firepower. It was fool hardy for Filipino policy makers to think that BRP Gregorio Del Pilar, our one and only battleship, can drive Chinese fishermen away from the area. In any case, resort to the use of force to settle international disputes are prohibited by both the UN Charter and the UNCLOS. I am happy that Secretary Del Rosario has finally declared that instead of a military solution, we have opted for a peaceful and legal resolution of the dispute. In this manner, we may yet repeat the feat of a boy named David that slew a giant named Goliath.
(Published in the Manila Standard Today newspaper on /2012/April/19)


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Shhhh, don't tell Max & Molly but I've been fraternizing with 'the enemy'*! My good friend Annette organises an annual Winter Raffle to raise funds for Rabbit and Guinea Pig Welfare, & I am one of several artists who have donated a prize.
* the bunnies, not Annette
After being found covered in blood & urine on a disused railway line, Annette's rescue rabbit, Wesley, was looked after by Rabbit and Guinea Pig Welfare. He now lives as a much loved & very well cared for house rabbit with his adoptive sibling, Arabella, & his new Mum, Annette.
Many rabbits & guinea pigs are bought as children's pets by people seeking the 'cute & cuddly' stereotype portrayed by the media. However, children often tire of them quickly & lose interest (usually by the time they reach around 6 months of age & are starting to grow larger & less cutesy) & every year thousands of them end up abandoned or neglected. Established in 1995, Rabbit and Guinea Pig Welfare in Rugby, England rescues as many of these animals as possible & rehomes them responsibly.
Every penny raised through the sale of raffle tickets will go directly to help abandoned rabbits & guinea pigs at the shelter. You can purchase your tickets here, to be in with a chance of winning one of 11 fantastic prizes.
The item I have donated as a prize is a tea towel rather aptly hand printed with my 'All Ears' design:
The printed image is derived from a photograph of my rescue greyhound, Max, wearing a pair of bunny ears (whilst no doubt dreaming of chasing rabbits!):
My towel is just one of a total of 11 prizes though, so let's take a look at what else you can win in the raffle…
Jeanette of Square Hare has donated her Celestial Hare, Dancing Hare & Faun brooches:
Pey of Peylu has donated a set of her Esme the Brown Bunny prints:
Jen of McGuinness Photography has donated a set of 4 of her Bunny Rabbit Photo Greeting Cards:
Carly of Naked Carly Art has donated her Original Rabbit Collage:
Alison of Eastwitching has donated her original watercolour painting, 'The Protector':
Eline of The High North has donated her Doggy Bag: (even my greyhounds would approve of this!)
Kirsten of Kirsten's Clay has donated her Snowshoe Hare Footprint Mug:
Debbie of Shaded Memories has donated her Snuggle Sweet Nothings 8×10 photo print:
Kim of Veganessa has donated her White Rabbit Brooch:
& last, but definitely by no means least, Annette of Dragon House of Yuen has donated her own life-sized Mother Hare textile ornament 'Ermine':
For more information about each of these prizes, please visit Annette's blog (where you will also find lots of adorable pictures & tales of her rescue rabbits, Wesley & Arabella). To purchase your tickets, please visit the Rabbit & Guinea Pig Welfare website where you can pay via PayPal.
& remember, I won't tell Max & Molly if you won't!


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Please Note: Baits and Jigheads not included.
Made in Alabama, the Yellow Hammer Rig is an umbrella rig with unmatched strength and durability. Featuring a heavy duty swivel in the nose, it'll run true and stand up to repeated abuse. The 75lb snap locks will keep your baits secure, and the light weight head is also constructed from durable 6000 psi material, and finished with natural baitfish paint schemes. Tie on the Yellow Hammer Rig today, and go to town on those suspended bass. Who knows you might catch a limit in one cast.
Professional bass angler, Paul Elias used an Umbrella-rig to run away with the win at the October 2011 Lake Guntersville FLW Tour Open. (The entire top-5 actually used Umbrella-rig as well). Dan Morehead also used the Umbrella-rig to win at the Kentucky Lake Everstart Championship, as did Scott Brummett at the Walmart BFL Wheeler Lake Regional.
**Don't forget to check your State's fish and game rules and regulations - a fully rigged umbrella rig is illegal in some States.
|Yellow Hammer
|Middle Wire Length
|Outer Wire Length
|Hammer Rig 5-Wire
0 Colors
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Customer Reviews
Comments: I purchased three of these and I was excited from reading all the good reviews. The yellow hammers arrived and they appeared to be better quality of all the other rigs I've purchased...tied it on and went fishing. First stop I started adjusting the first arm and the head cracked. The heads are too britle and will crack with the slightest adjustment. I now have two out of the three with cracked heads. Back to looking for a quality rig.
From: H.H: Greenwood, SC 11/25/14
Comments: Very durable bait. Of all the A-rigs I've tried this one holds up the best by far. If you get it hungup even the strongest swimbait hooks will give up before the components on this rig. I have been using 65lb braid and have been fishing with the same 2 Yellow Hammer rigs I originally purchased last November with no failures. Look great too!!
From: Chris: AL
Comments: Best A Rig out there! Very strong and Well built!
From: Chris: NC


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Here's how RW members rated this race (399 votes).
In short: Always one of my favourite local racesIn full: On arrival at race HQ I was directed to the car parks by an extremely friendly marshal. She told me that although it was a slightly awkward drive, there was a cut through route to walk back to race HQ. The instructions were basically turn right, right and right again into the car parks. Marshals were in position at each junction/roundabout between race HQ and the car park. Loads of parking space and a 10 minute walk back to race HQ. I really don't understand why people have been complaining about the parking and organisation!Yes there were a lot of people trying to register quite late. However with three long queues and potential for confusion amongst runners, the Race Director was present to make sure everyone was in the right queue. An announcement was then made that the start had been delayed by 10 mintues. On realising this I quickly put on both my chip and race number and made my way to the start. This was a fair distance away but made for an excellent warm up. I had entered on the day and was one of the last through at registration. I'm afarid those that miss even a delayed start can only have themselves to blame!In hindsight I probabaly was slightly nearer the back of the field at the start than I would have liked but that's life. With about 700 runners it was difficult to get going at the start but after about 2K runners had spread out considerably. I settled into the race and appreciated the countryside around me. Apart from a slight blip at around 7K (due to a sharp hill) I really got into my stride and pushed myself as much as I could. The last 1K was completely downhill and we finished back at race HQ. Despite the slow start I managed my fastest 10K for at least 4 or 5 years. Not sure how many other races could offer that with so many runners given where I started.Organisation was perfect. Can't wait to run it again!Date of review: February 13, 2013
In short: One of my favourite races. Very scenic and mostly flat with a short sharp hill at 7 k.ms Very well organised by Nice Works with a lot of encouragement by the marshalls In full: Well done to Nice Works for managing to arrange parking for 722 competitors at short notice. A friendly well organised and scenic race that I would recommend to all. Appreciate the lane at the start makes it difficult to overtake but apart from that small consideration no faults at all.Date of review: February 7, 2013
In short: Great Start to 2013!In full: My first time at the A&D yielded a warming PB over 10k, in spite of truly chilly conditions. I have attended Nice Work races before and, as ever with NW, for me this was a friendly and well-organised event. Credit is obviously also due to the kind people of A&D themselves as well for playing hosts.Sadly, some early reviewers have suggested that aspects of the day were not up to standard, which I feel to be unfair - event responsibility, of course, has to cut both ways. No runner should have been unaware of the time to get from HQ to the start (published in the race notes sent with their number); those with email addresses would have received the (sensible) guidance regarding parking in advance. The alternative arrangements were well administered on the day and directions to HQ from the parking were well indicated (in fact one of the 'to the start' signs is still present today, I noticed!).Race chip queues were long, but they turned over quickly and, with many runners joining the queue pretty 'late in the day', it seemed clear that the delay was announced specifically in order to accommodate those individuals.Not surprisingly, a cold day and the presence of a clubhouse meant a lot of people (both runners and entourage) headed indoors before and after the race, but navigation to the bag-drop was far from difficult.No rain (or snow, as was the case last year in Feb), nice scenery, great marshals, nice medal, free food, PB = top marks for me and I'm glad that the initial negative posts no longer seem to reflect the majority of opinion.Back in 2014.Date of review: February 6, 2013
In short: Fast 10k in the lovely countryside and completely traffic freeIn full: I was well informed of the changed parking arrangements and that all seemed great to me. It was definitely a better option to move the parking than being stuck on the field and it also meant no obstacle for runners at the end.Course itself is great, marshals brilliant and any congestion is a direct result of this race's popularity - perhaps a victim of its own success. If you allow plenty of time though, there are no issues.I am a huge Niceworks fan. There may have been a slight confusion over the provisonal result, but again they are trying to give people what they want - the results out quicker. If they hadn't people would moan that the results were delayed! I fear they can't win on that one!Would definitely recommend this race for all abilities.Date of review: February 6, 2013
In short: Lovely scenic race, good pb potential but start poorly organisedIn full: My first running of this event and enjoyed that overall experience. There was plenty of parking and the event was easy to find. I got there with plenty in plenty of time so didn't have to stand in the huge queue for timing chips. Disappointed to hear that the race was delayed by 10 minutes although not at all surprised given the huge queues as I left for the start. The race route was lovely and traffic free with great PB potential! I found the marshals all very friendly and encouraging around the course.Overall, an enjoyable race over a fast course with a friendly atmosphere; disappointment that race organisers weren't a little more proficient at the start!Date of review: February 5, 2013
In short: Well organised, well supported, friendly, scenic ... and it didn't rain! What more could you ask for?In full: I thought this was another triumph of organisation from Nice Work. A huge amount of work and preparation goes into staging events such as this and it is important to recognise this. It is very easy to criticise if something doesn't go quite according to plan, although I didn't notice it on Sunday.Runners are asked to get to the venue early so they can collect their chips. There was a queue which meant a short delay to the start of the race. This may be annoying for those runners who did arrive early and collect their chips, but cannot be helped.The weather has played a massive role in the organisation of races across the UK over the past few months with very wet and muddy conditions. Race organisers work incredibly hard to put on a good show and should really be applauded for their efforts. Without them we wouldn't have anywhere to go.Thank you Martin for enabling everyone to have another enjoyable Sunday morning out in the Kent countryside. I look forward to the next one.Date of review: February 5, 2013
Date of review: February 5, 2013
In short: Fa nDate of review: February 5, 2013
In short: Beautiful loation, lovely route, smooth organisation & delicious cakes!In full: Have done this race 3 times now & this was my favourite year. Great turnout but not too congested at the start, easy to register & great marshalls. The alternative car parking was well sign posted & plentiful, a short walk to the race but nice to get the legs warmed up, would only be a problem if you didn't leave yourself a sensible amount of time pre race! Will be there next year for sure. Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make it great.Date of review: February 5, 2013
In short: Friendly fun fast race - def on the list for next year!In full: This is the third time I've run this event and it always ends in smiles - massive thanks to the organisers. Although the parking was off site, there was tons of marshals on the roads and spaces, no queues at all! it took just a few mins to walk through to the start and the buzz of race HQ was once again fantastic. The mass walk to the start always gets the butterflies going and it seemed less congested in the first few k than normal (usually good for keeping me going off too fast!). water station had friendly faces, and support from marshals was excellent, no risk of getting lost ever! Will def be supporting this local event again and again. Thanks guys and well done all!Date of review: February 5, 2013
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Janine Keil serves as a Public Diplomacy Officer at theU.S. Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia.
It started with a story about Starbucks and ended with a photo of Juan Valdez. It was a $60 million day. Let me explain…
I'm here on a temporary assignment in the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá and had the good fortune of accompanying Ambassador William R. Brownfield, Liliana Ayalde, Director of USAID in Bogotá, and various other USAID staff and contractors on a visit to a town called Chinchiná in Colombia's coffee region for a signing ceremony to inaugurate a $60 million project supporting 30,000 hectares of specialty coffee, benefitting 25,000 of the country's poorest coffee grower families.
Ambassador Brownfield addressed a crowd of more than 1,000 people in Chinchiná and shared the story of the fictional "Stanley Starbucks," a savvy businessman who realized Americans would be willing to pay more for a decent cup of coffee. Tying this story back to the importance of specialty coffee in Colombia, Ambassador Brownfield explained how investing in specialty coffee projects helps Colombian coffee growers develop a more lucrative product, a product exportable to coffee shops like Starbucks around the world.
And what celebration of Colombian coffee would be complete without a visit by Juan Valdez himself? The afternoon's event served the dual purpose of inaugurating the expansion of Chinchiná's freeze-drying plant, and after President Uribe led a small group of VIPs through the new facilities, the whole crowd was treated to a beauty-pageant-like parade of women representing the world's coffee-producing countries, with Juan Valdez right there in the center of the action.
Though it's hard to compete with the legendary Señor Valdez, Ambassador Brownfield held his own, drawing much attention from a flock of eager journalists and cameramen asking questions on topics ranging from the prospects for the Colombia-U.S. Free Trade Agreement to the U.S. position on Colombia's largest insurgent group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). When you're the U.S. Ambassador, a day dedicated to coffee is still a day when you must still be prepared to address any and every aspect of U.S. foreign policy.
NB in Pakistan writes:
Providing help in the "agricultural field", to the third world countries is definitely one of the most productive assistance the USAID generously gives out to help the poverty-stricken people. I wish USAID would also give such assistance to my country too, in addtion to the so much it's already giving. Thank you America! GOD BLESS AMERICA!
Ronald in New York writes:
Re: Starbucks, Juan Valdez and the 60 million dollar day...
A good beginning for a legal economy in Colombia...
The USG should be driving the FARC out and eliminating the multi-billion illicit Coca economy and the violence, corruption and terrorism which have grown from the coca trade for decades.
When are we going to get serious about these threats?
Andres in Pennsylvania writes:
It is great to finally see a positive Colombia Story. Unfortunately many publications only show the negative stories because like tabloids, that is what sells.
Thank you U.S. for all the help you have given us, and we look forward for your continuous support when dealing with our crazy neighbor Chavez that is showing real sings of becoming a troublemaker in the region.
Let's work to make sure Juan Valdes and other positive symbols of Colombia are highlighted.


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Brief SummaryRead full entry
Species of Abraliopsis are small squids that are most easily recognized by spherical "black" photophores (usually three) at the tip of each Arm IV. The black appearance is due to black chromatophores that tightly cover the photophores but when the latter luminesce, the chromatophores withdraw from the photophores. This feature is shared with Watasenia scintillans from waters around Japan.
Brief diagnosis:
An enoploteuthid ...
- with large, black photophores at the tips of arms IV.
- with hooks of manus in two series.


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December 30, 2010
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B.J. Evans
Manager, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: 719-228-6800
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Jan. 30, 2008)
- USA Volleyball has announced that it has hired Danalee Corso to serve as technical coordinator and master coach for its growing beach volleyball program.
Corso, whose first day will be Feb. 1, will work closely with Ali Wood, USAV's director of beach programs. She will serve as the junior national team coach as well as provide technical assistance to the elite athletes who represent the United States in international competition.
Among her duties will be organizing youth and junior beach volleyball performance camps and coordinating the selection and training of youth and junior athletes for international tournaments. Corso will be called upon to begin developing an education program to certify and train beach volleyball coaches, similar to USA Volleyball's already successful Coaching Accreditation Program for indoor coaches. Wood, Corso and an administrative assistant still to be hired will work out of USAV's new beach volleyball office in El Segundo, Calif.
"Danalee's addition to the USAV family illustrates our commitment to grow the beach game by creating new programming and enhancing support," Wood said. "In addition to her strong volleyball experience, Danalee has a successful entrepreneurial background that will stimulate program development."
Corso added: "I am very excited about this opportunity to work with USA Volleyball. USAV has made an obvious commitment to the sport of beach volleyball and it's an incredible opportunity to be a part of a new and growing program."
Corso is the owner of the Aloha Ball Beach Volleyball School along with her husband Brian. She has been coaching beach volleyball since 1993 and has worked with teams that have competed both on the AVP Tour and represented the United States internationally including Rachel Wacholder/Tyra Turner, Suzanne Stonebarger/Michelle More and Nicole Branagh/Angie Akers among others.
"We are happy to be adding Danalee's experience and enthusiasm to our staff," said USA Volleyball CEO Doug Beal. "We will look for her to support our current senior-level national players as well as our future world champions and Olympians. We also look for her to have a major impact on beach volleyball education and the identification and training of beach volleyball coaches."
Corso has had an accomplished volleyball playing career. She played collegiately at Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles from 1989-93, where she also attained a bachelor's degree in marketing/entrepreneurship. She has played beach volleyball on the FIVB, AVP and WPVA tours. She also played indoor volleyball professionally in France.


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The Department of Mass Communications produces graduates who specialize in convergence journalism; public relations and advertising, or television-radio-film production. The curriculum combines three essential elements of learning:
- A theoretical approach to enable students to understand concepts of mass communications.
- A performance-based approach to develop skills and techniques to enable students to be proficient with communication technologies.
- An internship program to place students in off-campus learning environments working with professionals.


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Posted on Mon, 12/16/2013 - 11:33am by Anonymous
Our popular Sunday afternoon concert series begins January 5 at 2:00 p.m.
The Friends of the Library Present Moxie!
Posted on Wed, 06/06/2012 - 11:46am by Anonymous
The Friends of the Library present the annual Notes in Summer concert, featuring Moxie, on Friday, June 22, at 7:30 pm.
A look at this winter's fabulous concert series sponsored by the Friends of New Canaan Library.
Posted on Sun, 02/26/2012 - 3:57pm by Anonymous
Posted on Tue, 12/13/2011 - 11:44am by Anonymous
Check out New Canaan Library's Music Collection
Posted on Tue, 12/06/2011 - 3:58pm by Anonymous
Great music you might not have heard!
Posted on Wed, 03/30/2011 - 2:30pm by Anonymous
The Alan Besas Chamber Music Collection was given to the New Canaan Library in memory of Dr. Besas by the Waveny Chamber Music Society.
Posted on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 4:45pm by Anonymous
Tune in to Live365 stations with various software media players, as well as with hardware devices.
One great artist that shines above hundreds!
Posted on Tue, 12/14/2010 - 3:37pm by Anonymous
Can you guess the mystery musician?
NEW CANAAN LIBRARY | 151 MAIN STREET | NEW CANAAN, CT 06840 | Phone: 203-594-5000
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Sun: Noon - 5pm (Closed Sundays June through Labor Day)


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>Runner's World - My Event Ratings>
In short: Great race, friendly, well organised with beer & chocolate at the endIn full: It was great fun running most of this race, personally I wasn't too keen on the first or last 2 miles along the A24 but that is just me... at least that part was relatively flat.Great, friendly marshals (makes a real difference at the top of a hill) with good communications before and after the race by email and the website with the organisers.This is certainly one I would do again :)Date of review: October 19, 2011
In short: Wonderful scenery, superb organisation and great goody bagIn full: A great day out for all the family, free bouncy castle and climbing wall. 50% off Gore and Ronhill clothing, lovely food that was reasonably priced, wine tasting, beer tent, free goodness shakes.... Oh did I mention a run ? A beautiful 10k through pine trees, some hills (quite a few up and down bits) but nothing too horrible, put in to the mix friendly, encouraging marshals, well manned water stops and sunshine.The registration was very smooth, no queues, fun warm up. Starting in waves was a good idea it kept congestion to a minimum.I don't mind paying a bit more for a race if it is as well organised as this one and the t-shirt actually fits and is one I will wear ! It was also nice that the food and drink was not as expensive as some other events I have been to.Overall I think it was the friendliness of the marshals that deserves a special mention, by the time I went round hundreds of people had been round before me yet they were still shouting words of encouragement, clapping, smiling and waving. It does make a real difference :)Date of review: May 15, 2011
In short: Beautiful scenery through bluebell woods, killer hill at the endIn full: This was a very well organised beautiful run. Undulating.... The first 3 km was uphill and then quite gentle until the last 200m... Great atmosphere, running through the woods was lovely, out of the direct sun for most of the run, wide trails and dry. The last 200 m is up quite a steep hill.... Hope to be back next year !Date of review: April 18, 2011
In short: Great organisation, wonderful scenery and fun !In full: I ran the half marathon today and I'm really glad it hadn't been raining all week and the ground had dried out a bit... Still very muddy in places, but the views from the top make it all worth while :)I look forward to doing this again next year.Date of review: March 6, 2011
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Jean Moule last wrote for the Flight Training blog about a flight lesson in which she invited along her college professor. She is an emerita faculty member of Oregon State University, and a published
writer and artist. Visit her website.—Ed.
When and where will I fly? What kind of airplane and with whom? I have not found a regular airplane, CFI, flight school, or field since my one-year favorite shop closed. But it is March, and I am determined to fly at least once a month. I schedule with Lee in Independence. Great instructor and cool airplane.
In the cold wind coming cross-wise onto the airfield, we sit in the cockpit
going over the instrument panel of a Grumman Tiger AA5B owned by Jeanne's Flight School. We look at the checklist and Lee answers questions, even before we go into the building to grab headsets and begin to check the checklist. Ah, I see. One removes one's hearing aids before putting on the headsets. Got it.
Except for a glider, this is my first time in a low-wing airplane with a sliding canopy. Feels sort of like a luxury convertible car, tufted fabric seats and all. I told my CFI—my OLD CFI, 'cause that is what his car license plate says—that it reminded me of the time I drove my father's Maserati. Fits and feels a bit like a glove.
After I made my first radio call at a field without a tower, we were soon
airborne. I enjoyed the handling of the Grumman very much. I hadn't done any maneuvers in the air in a while. Mostly I just wanted to fly at the controls over the landscape. Lee encouraged me. Play with it, he said. I did a few steep turns and practiced power-off and power-on stalls. A nice review of some basics and I learned much because the airplane was new to me. Just a smooth little airplane with a great view.
We tootled over the Willamette River between Amity to the north and Camp Adair to the south. We stayed between the West Salem hills and the beginnings of the coast range. The cumulus clouds at about 5,000 feet and the late afternoon light toward 5 p.m. gave wonderful definition to the sky and the patterned fields, trees, and standing water. OK, got that needed dose of airtime.
It was a high-wind day, so I turned the ailerons into the wind for taxiing and did a crab on final before landing sideslip to align to the runway.
I smiled as Lee backed the airplane into the hangar of a house on the large airpark residential grid of runways and roads. I remember laughing the first time I saw homes with hangars. Here there are 200. What a community.
My only frown for the day was noting that Lee, like some, charged for ground school, while many instructors base their fee on the Hobbs time on the airplane. My lesson here: It is good to ask before you begin. Then the ending conversation is serious fun too.
I happily headed home, an hour drive away. I had just finished one story on CD and popped a new one into the player. The story opens with a man preflighting a Cessna. Cool, I think. I just flew and now I get a story about flying! Only, in the story, the airplane crashes. It is more ironic than a downer for me. I know it is a story, and I also remember the wise advice of my first flight instructor: Rather than get rattled by news of any crash or airplane incident, try to dig and find out what happened. This has led me to understand that most accidents in small airplanes are caused by pilot error. And two of them are at the top of my list to simply avoid.
First check, and if necessary, double-check that fuel. I remember checking the fuel with a CFI in California. There was plenty for the flight, however the company wanted the airplane full and sent the truck over to fill it. After the top-off, at the CFI's instruction, we checked the fuel again for water and actual amount. I appreciated the reminder that the pilot in command is ultimately responsible. I will also remember to check that fuel cap and think carefully about the distance and wind direction I plan to fly.
The other caution I have firmly in my mind is to stay away from sketchy weather—which is what did in the pilot in the story I listened to. He was in just too much of a hurry and flew into weather, instrument rating aside, that his airplane could not handle.
While I have much to learn, that advice to check out incident details keeps me ready to take to the air, air sorrows for others in story or for real, not keeping me away.
And of course, having really old CFIs who are solid pilots still in one piece, helps.—Jean Moule
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text: This set of slides was presented at the Smart Grid Advisory Meeting on June 23-24, 2009 in Red Bank, NJ. This presentation provides information about PNM Resources's demonstration project update on high-penetration photovoltaics through grid automation, energy storage and demand response. It includes the business problem to be solved and their requirements.


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Michele Anne (Krout) George
BRIDGE CITY, Texas – Michele Anne (Krout) George passed away May 8, 2013, in Texas, surrounded by beloved family members.
Born in Escanaba on Aug. 23, 1949, to John "Jack" and Ruth Krout, Michele spent her childhood in Gladstone where she attended All Saints Catholic School and graduated from Gladstone High School.
She attended Michigan State University and later graduated from Lamar University with a degree in education.
Michele married the late Larry George on June 14, 1969, in Lansing, Mich.
Michele raised her family in Bridge City, Texas, where she spent 23 years as an educator at Bridge City Jr. High School. Following her retirement from BCISD, she became the Director of Elementary Religious Education at St. Henry Catholic Church, where she taught religious education and also served on the parish board.
Michele is preceded in death by the father of her children, Larry George; her father, John Krout; and granddaughter, Meagan Watkins.
Those left to cherish her memory are son, Michael and wife, Missy; granddaughters, Kathryn and Kara of Mont Belvieu, Texas; daughter, Andrea Watkins and husband Jerome; grandsons, Jeromy, Jerrod and Matthew of Orangefield, Texas; and daughter, Ryann Dinger and husband Tim; grandchildren, Brynn, Mia and Logan of Bridge City.
Other survivors are her mother, Ruth Krout of Flushing, Mich.; sister, Joan Aue of Owosso, Mich., brother, John (Nancy) of Holland, Mich.; sister, Barbara (Scott) DePree of Lapeer, Mich.; and sister, Isabel (Mike) of Flushing, Mich., numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.
A funeral Mass was held on Saturday, May 11. Internment of her ashes will take place at Fernwood Cemetery sometime this summer.


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by Anton Shilov
Toshiba Corp. on Thursday announced that it would establish two new technology development centers for hard disk drives (HDD). The HDD advanced technology center will seek to accelerate development of higher density technology and the HDD manufacturing technology center will develop enhanced manufacturing capabilities. Both will open on July 16th.
In 2004, Toshiba introduced perpendicular magnetic recording technology (PMR), now the dominant technology for high areal density HDD, and in doing so realized significant advances in hard disk drive capacity. However the physical limit of PMR is widely recognized at around 1.6Gb/mm2 (1Tbit/in2) and densities beyond that will require further technology breakthroughs.
Toshiba, in cooperation with TDK and Showa Denko, is establishing an HDD advanced technology center to focus on innovation in future generations of higher capacity HDD by investigating promising technologies, including energy-assisted technologies and bit pattern technology.
By establishing a complementary manufacturing technology development center at the same time, Toshiba, in cooperation with TDK, expects to develop stable manufacturing methods for future cutting-edge HDDs and to achieve the very earliest launch of differentiated products.
Both new centers will be located in Toshiba's Ome operations.
Toshiba secures its position as a global leader in data storage by developing new generations of high density HDDs and by promoting optimized storage solutions in a changing industry environment drawing on its capabilities in HDD, solid state drive (SSD) and NAND flash memories including memory cards.


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The mission of the department of Student Health Services is to assist students in the pursuit of their academic goals and personal development by providing quality and confidential health care services. Striving to maintain a healthy campus community, emphasis is placed on the prevention of illness and the promotion of wellness through health education.
To fulfill our mission the Student Health Service staff will:
- Provide quality health care in a professional and caring environment;
- Adhere to ethical, professional, and legal standards;
- Offer health promotional activities to assist students in making healthy lifestyle choices;
- Refer students for services not available on campus;
- Monitor for and respond to public health concerns.


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3 Things You Should Know About Small Business: Feb. 6
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- What's happening in small business today?
1. USPS ceasing Saturday mail. Say what? Yup, that's right. In an effort to cut costs, the U.S. Postal Service says beginning in August it's going to stop delivering mail on Saturdays, according to Politico.
USPS will save $2 billion annually from the measure. The Postal Service plans to issue a five-year financial plan in early March, the article says.
2. Kauffman's "State of Entrepreneurship" Address. The Kauffman Foundation hosted its fourth annual "State of Entrepreneurship Address: Financing Entrepreneurial Growth" on Tuesday in Washington, D.C.
Guest speakers included U.S. Small Business Administrator Karen Mills, U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran and Kauffman CEO Tom McDonnell, among others, to discuss how financing entrepreneurship in the U.S. is a growing priority for a nation working to strengthen its economy.
Mills continued the conversation in a guest post on Forbes, where she emphasized that "increasing entrepreneurial activity is critical to our economic vitality and global competitiveness. And that it must be a centerpiece of America's growth agenda so that we reach our full economic potential."
A report by Kauffman notes that the rate of entrepreneurship fell before the Great Recession, making it even more critical, and difficult, to reverse the trend. The Kauffman event "laid out concrete ways the public and private sectors can work together to strengthen and expand America's entrepreneurial infrastructure -- from better financing of start-ups to making our supply chains more competitive," Mills writes.
3. Long winters bring cash flow issues to seasonal businesses. Extended winters can wreak havoc on the businesses that depend on warmer weather for the lion's share of their sales.
For seasonal business owners, it's crucial to make cash flow projections as part of your financial planning, Biz2Credti's Rohit Arora writes in his Fox Business article.
"This will enable you to predict your income and plan for lean times. Look back at your records from prior years to see when cash flow issues are most prevalent. Consider fixed expenses, such as rent and utilities, and your variable costs, such as salaries, inventory, and taxes and the times during the year when variable expenses will be highest," the article says.
-- Written by Laurie Kulikowski in New York.
To contact Laurie Kulikowski, send an email to: email@example.com.
>To submit a news tip, email: email@example.com.


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Parks Canada
Home > National Parks of Canada > Glacier National Park > Visitor Information > Avalanche Terrain Classification
Print friendly version (PDF, 56 KB)
The Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale (ATES) is a new development from Parks Canada, which offers an avalanche classification system based on the landscape – not the snow. The system presents two models: technical, and public communication.
The technical model has been designed for users trained and skilled in the subtle nuances of avalanche terrain. The public communication model is designed for communicating technical concepts to the public, who is largely unable to comprehend the technical details. Both scales represent the same thing – spoken in two languages.
The ATES can be applied at whatever scale is appropriate. Parks Canada has chosen to link with popular guidebooks, and apply ATES ratings to backcountry trips, which are well described in these books. This classification could however, be applied to any given piece of terrain – it is all a question of scale.
This is a brand new concept, and as such it is expected that this scale will evolve over time, as experience with using avalanche terrain ratings grows.
Click on Simple, Challenging or Complex below for a list of rated trips in the Mountain National Parks.
Any given piece of mountain terrain may have elements that will fit into multiple classes. Applying a terrain exposure rating involves considering all of the variables described above, with some default priorities.
Terrain that qualifies under an italicized descriptor automatically defaults into that or a higher terrain class. Non-italicized descriptors carry less weight and will not trigger a default, but must be considered in combination with the other factors.
Backcountry Avalanche Information


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Imagine for a moment that you are a child growing up in central Africa. Instead of sleeping at home with your family each night, you take shelter with dozens of other children. You hope you'll find safety in numbers. You pray that you will not be pulled out of your bed and abducted in the night by an armed militia -- conscripted into a life of violence, forced to brutalize your own family members, used as a sex slave, condemned to a life on the run from the authorities.
It's a living nightmare -- but thanks in part to last year's Kony video about the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), it's a reality that millions of Americans now know that for almost 20 years has tormented and terrorized children across Uganda, the DRC, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan.
It has to stop.
Last April at this exact time, I came to the Huffington Post and I talked directly with you about some common sense steps we could take to help end the horror of thugs like Kony. I was chairing the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and introducing new legislation which I asked you to help pass into law. You responded -- we mobilized the grassroots -- Congress moved quickly -- and the very last piece of legislation I passed as a Senator was the bill we'd talked about right here. As I was awaiting confirmation to become Secretary of State, the bill came to President Obama's desk and he signed it into law.
So the last piece of legislation I passed as a Senator is one of the first I'm now ready to deploy on an issue we care about deeply. Today I return to Huffington Post to announce the new steps the State Department is taking in order to tighten the screws on murderers like Kony -- and you should know you helped to make it happen.
Today, I am announcing a new weapon in our fight. Through the expansion of the War Crimes Rewards Program, the Department of State is offering up to $5 million for information that leads to the arrest, transfer, and conviction of the top three leaders of the LRA: Joseph Kony, Okot Odhiambo, and Dominic Ongwen. All three are charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Kony and his cronies have eluded capture for years. The LRA is broken down into small bands of rebels, scattered throughout dense jungle, hidden by dense canopy, controlling territory through tactics of fear and intimidation. We know they will not be easy to find.
But we know that rewards have a proven track record of generating tips that help authorities find fugitives and hold them accountable -- just look at the example of criminals and butchers from conflicts in Sierra Leone, the former Yugoslavia, and Rwanda, all brought to justice in part through the use of rewards.
Of course, Joseph Kony and the LRA are not the only fugitive criminals we are targeting in Africa. So today I'm also announcing a $5 million reward for Sylvestre Mudacumura, who has committed and ordered brutal attacks on civilians as the military commander the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). Several individuals accused of carrying out the 1994 Rwandan genocide belong to the FDLR.
Nineteen years after nearly one million Rwandans were killed in the 1994 genocide, nine of the men wanted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda for allegedly planning, organizing, and carrying out the genocide remain free. Today, I also want to remind people around the world that the United States government still offers rewards of up to $5 million leading to the arrest of these fugitives. Their names are Felicien Kabuga, Protais Mpiranya, Augustin Bizimana, Fulgence Kayishema, Pheneas Munyarugarama, Aloys Ndimbati, Ladislas Ntaganzwa, Charles Ryandikayo, and Charles Sikubwabo.
I know coming forward takes guts, particularly when we are asking for information about notorious criminals like Kony. Let me assure you that the security of our informants is a priority of the War Crimes Rewards Program. The United States does not announce the names of informants even when a reward payment has been made -- and we always make good on our payments. In the past three years alone, we have made 14 reward payments to individuals who have provided critical information.
Anyone with information can help bring these criminals to justice. Simply contact the U.S. government through any of our embassies or through our secure website. Stephen Rapp, our Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues and his staff in the Office of Global Criminal Justice are ready to receive and respond to tips.
To be clear, this is not a dead-or-alive bounty program. Information must lead to the secure arrest, transfer, or conviction of these people men in a court of law. We want these men to look into the eyes of their victims and answer for their actions.
Can it work? You bet it can. Two weeks ago, one of the most notorious and brutal rebels in the DRC voluntarily surrendered to our Embassy in Rwanda shortly after being named to the War Crimes Reward Programs list. Now Bosco Ntaganda is charged by the International Criminal Court with war crimes and crimes against humanity. I would have been announcing a reward for him today, but instead, he is sitting in a cell at The Hague. He realized it was better to face justice under the law than live on the run as a wanted man any longer.
I refuse to accept a world where those responsible for crimes of this magnitude live in impunity. We will keep working to hold them accountable and deliver justice to all the people they have hurt.
Nowhere will thugs and war criminals who terrorize children be safe -- not for long anyways.
And starting today, their lives on the run -- always looking over their shoulder -- include an even greater prize on their head.
Impunity is the enemy of peace. Accountability is essential to preventing atrocities from taking place in the future. We are putting all those who would violate these simple principles on notice: Your days are numbered.
Now, to all of you here who helped me push for action last April -- this April let's renew our commitment to bring every war criminal to justice. Onward.
Editor's Note: This entry originally appeared on the Huffington Post.
Henry in the U.S.A. writes:
I think that the consensus world-wide is that the number one war criminal at large today is former British PM Tony Blair, because of his role in manipulating the US and others into a pointless war of aggression against Iraq which killed over 100,000 and displaced millions. Archbishop Desmond Tutu and others have endorsed this conclusion. What will the US do to help bring him to justice?
Maureen in Massachusetts writes:
@ Secretary Kerry
I first read your article at Huffington Post and then again here at DIPNOTE. It is encouraging to see that a piece of legislation you chaired at the Foreign Relations Committee has come full circle and become law. Congratulations on the expansion of the State Departments War Crimes Rewards Program.
Thomas D. in New Jersey writes:
Secretary Kerry, you are to be commended for your strong advocacy for meaningful actions to protect the vulnerable children in certain parts of Africa from inhumane treatment and criminal abuse. You said it with conviction, with passion, no matter what the cause "It has to stop.â€
Those responsible for these atrocities in Africa are indeed criminals who have been emboldened to repeat their heinous crimes because there is no one willing or able to stop them. But they will not be stopped by words alone, nor solely by US Government rewards of $ 5 million. You are well-versed on the role legislation can play in giving our government effective tools to engage these enemies of humanity and neutralize them. But you also know that without a courageous commitment by the people of African nations and their governments the effort is likely to fail.
Mr. Secretary, please consider this. Right now there are thousands of American children and their parents who are suffering another "living nightmare.†Are they not equally worthy of a similar response from you? I refer to the American children who have been abducted to a foreign country by a parent and are retained there unlawfully and often subjected to emotional abuse and parental alienation. This situation is growing worse each year despite the treaty enacted to prevent it, The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Yes, it's true the treaty governs civil, not criminal remedies. Yes, it's true that these abducted American children are usually not terrorized by the physical forms of violence occurring in Africa. But clearly the abuse of abducted children and anguish of their left-behind parents are no less real, no less a "living nightmare.†Your fervor for protecting the children of Africa is commendable; what about the abducted children of the United States of America?
And what about the role of the US Department of State? As the Central Authority under the treaty, your department is charged with bringing effective support to the functions defined in the treaty, but a majority of left-behind parents are experiencing indifference and inept efforts. To be sure, international parental child abduction is a problem with some complexities, but compared with the situation in Africa and many other problems facing our government , it is amenable to solution if given realistic action by our federal government. It requires the US Government to have the courage of its convictions. It requires a leader who understands what that means.
Can it work? You bet it can.


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I have just experienced first-hand the importance of the type of water used to make a good pot of green tea. I was in Kyoto at a restaurant specializing in soba and was served a cup of water along with green tea. I tasted the green tea first and noticed a strange chemical taste. Then, I drank the water and it had that same taste, which was probably straight from the tap. Right then and there, I was convinced that the type of water used is very important if you want a great pot of tea.
I've read many posts that suggest using a Brita filter for purifying your water used to make tea. Does any water filter available in the marketplace accomplish the same thing? Would a Waterwise water distiller work as well or is it not recommended for tea? There are so many pros and cons about the best kind of water to drink for health and it must have an effect on the quality of tea we make, too. Any thoughts or recommendations?


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A catchy headline, and I believe more accurate than Oracle Puts the Squeeze on SMBs with MySQL Price Hike (Network World) and MySQL price hikes reveal depth of Oracle's wallet love [MySQL Jacking up MySQL Prices] (The Register). Slightly more realistic is Oracle kills low-priced MySQL support (again The Register).
First, let's review what Oracle has actually done: they ditched the MySQL enterprise Basic and Silver offerings. For Oracle, that makes sense. Their intended client base is "enterprise" (high end, think big corporates) and their MySQL sales and cost structure reflects this. It's not a new thing that came with MySQL at Oracle, because MySQL at Sun Microsystems and MySQL AB before it had the same approach.
A company simply cannot operate below its market – that is not simply a matter of choice, instead it is dictated by their processes and cost structure. Smart people like Clayton Christensen at Harvard Business School have done ample research on this, here I'll just give one simple example:
If you hire a sales person on commission and their quarterly quota is $100k, then they have to talk with clients that have at least a $10k-$20k potential (qualified leads), and they need to close (sign contract) with at least 10 within the period. They simply cannot spend any time on talking with potential $1k customers.
We may lament this state of affairs, but you can see how, given the choices made (sales person hired, commission system, quota), it's as inevitable as an apple falling when you drop it. The way I describe this at Upstarta: if a company wants different results, they need to make sure that their business processes and cost structure lead them in that direction. But the simple fact is that most companies don't have an internal feedback cycle that keeps an eye on these things, so they just go with the flow of consequences of common choices: aim for large(r) clients, grow turnover, get higher operational costs along the way – that in itself is a cycle and the only direction this particular one can go is up. As a natural consequence, over time old low-end offerings and clients need to be jettisoned – one way or another.
I say horay for Oracle to finally acknowledge this, since Sun Microsystems and MySQL AB before it did not (for whatever reason). This is years overdue. Whether the original MySQL company should have aimed to also serve smaller clients also is an entirely separate topic – and one which I covered at length previously (including internally in my time at MySQL AB), but it's very much a station long passed. Once you float upward in the market, you can't operate or move downward.
Now, are SMBs using MySQL actually getting squeezed by Oracle? They are not. There is no lock-in. This is about service contracts, not licensing. As we all know, MySQL is GPL licensed and internal use (even on a website or SaaS offering) is well within GPL parameters. There are a number of different companies offering service for MySQL, different types of service and delivery models and a corresponding wide range of pricing. So SMBs and anyone else has a choice, each can pick the type of service most suited to their needs. Let us celebrate and promote that freedom within the MySQL ecosystem, rather than being outraged about dropped apples falling!