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Darkwood Fables – Gothic Trappings in the Forest
As the cool autumn air creeps in again, it only feels right to come back to our long tradition of Lab Projects, our initiative to experiment, collaborate and innovate to see just what can be done with the art of embroidery. While many of our recent ones have been done with our own Urban Threads artists, we thought we'd revisit the spectacular level of grandeur from the Clockwork Natura Gown, and work with another amazing alternative designer.
For this challenge we were excited to work with the dark and lovely stylings of Scoundrelle's Keep, a local seamstress and designer who has been working Urban Threads embroidery into her fashions for quite some time. We were so impressed with what she was doing with UT embroidery, we just had to invite her to do an exclusive project with the newest fall collection, Gothic Nouveau. It was perfect, because she certainly has a flair for the dark and the dramatic, and that's just what we were going for with these new designs.
With this Lab project, we wanted to really explore what clean and elegant embroidered shapes can do to enhance apparel. Big, bold designs in multi-colors are fun and eye-catching, but sometimes you want your embroidery to become part of a piece, instead of just an accent on top of it.
We designed the Gothic Nouveau collection to be simple, dark and timeless. One color, with a focus on elegant shapes and motifs that could be easily used on different areas of apparel and projects to bring them to life. This time, instead of just a gown, we invited her to try and create a couples set, a matching creation that shows these designs can be used for everyone. It's especially refreshing to get a creation for guys into the mix!
She of course, did not disappoint, and is here today to talk about this amazing couples collection that just seemed destined for dark wanderings, romance, and a dance in the woods…
What is your story as a designer?
I fell in love with corsetry over a decade ago, and their unavailability at the time really spurred me into action, trying to make one for myself. Those early attempts snowballed, and I am now comfortable with their creation and design, so much so that I can say I've made well over a thousand of them.
I branched out into entire outfits and accent pieces, always with an eye to higher-end gowns and outfits, and I love each look I make. I design and create for brides, and I create for costumes and personal wear. Its a broad range, and I love the people I meet through this career.
What kinds of fashions do you gravitate to when you're creating?
A lot of people seem to shy away from saying that they are alternative fashion, but I don't mind at all. I mean, my designs definitely will never fit in the mainstream fashion world, and I wouldn't try and tone myself down to be accepted as such. I love the dark, the fantasy, the details. I love a smooth curve, accenting the body's natural gifts and going far beyond.
I love being a fairy godmother, helping women (and some men!) transform into the ideal they've always been dreaming of. Victorian and steampunk, even rococco and nouveau, all of it inspires me in different ways.
What was your concept of this dress and vest?
We decided that the theme should be "masquerade," and I really felt that it flowed naturally through these pieces. I wanted a female who was elegant, dark, aloof, and powerful, and a courtier that played well to vying for her hand for a dance.
As a special treat for this project, I got to revisit my modeling role and try on another amazing embroidered creation. This time I was joined by the dashing Leo Bruslavtsev, who does a darn good job of making embroidered goods look fierce. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the mad fashion talents of Scoundrelle's Keep. If you're as in love with this outfit as I am, you can visit her online store or check out her facebook to get your own embroidered creation.
Of course, be sure to also grab your own Gothic Nouveau designs (on SALE for a limited time) to get working your own dark and magical creations for this spooky season, and dare to create something worthy of a storybook fantasy in the woods.This project is part of The Lab, a UT initiative to experiment, collaborate and innovate to see just what can be done with the art of embroidery. Check out all of the past Urban Threads Lab projects here.


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Discussion in 'The Trash Can' started by martyross, Dec 8, 2012.
I don't suppose there are any youtube videos of v/m's fd yet?
Big improvement. What is it with the Russians showing it from above grrrr? I think they have to tweak that ending and I agree with whoever mentioned the leg kicking part .. can hardly wait until Canadians now. I'll be at worlds too so I'm really excited about that
It's not so much my concern as it is my pointing out the obvious. V&M and D&W have the same base value, the difference is in the GOE awarded and 67% of that difference is down to the choreographic lift. There is a 0.86 difference between their TES scores, 0.58 of that amount is down to the choreographic lift. Even judges who showered V&M with 2s and 3s in GOE for all their other elements gave 1, 0, -1 for that lift. They don't like it and I think it's because it doesn't move well or at least that is the appearance after the really dynamic lift that precedes it so it kind of ends on a whimper. I don't think it's selling out or losing your artistic integrity to realize that your vision might need to be adjusted. Sometimes you buy a beautiful piece of furniture knowing exactly where you are going to place it but when you bring it home you are disappointed to see it blocks the light. So you are disappointed but you really love the piece itself so you move it and discover it's not quite what you imagined but you still love it and it brings you great joy. Just move that lift and let the light of the program shine through to the end.
Btw..I´m deliberately ignoring the PCS and will wait to see what that is like later in the season before freaking out.
T/S's FD
Now that I've seen it, I actually like the new circular step sequence. However, I prefer the old straight line step sequence (so unfortunate that COP is flawed in the way it assigns levels since I think the original straight line step sequence is more difficult).
And I agree with others, that choreo lift is too difficult to get good GOEs on and they should revisit that.
This is why I'm not panicking so much at this stage of the season. Every time they take it out there it's smoother and gets more and more beautiful to watch. I miss Tessa doing her mad twizzle in the middle of their diagonal but I do like the ending of it.
Well, I'll be unpopular along with the two of you and take my lumps along with it.
I'm sorry, even with the lift that should probably be changed I thought even with all the tweaks that are done each year to the marking system the basics remain. CoP is a marking system in which each team starts with a base score but can rack up points by doing other things correctly. Each segment provides that opportunity. Even if the judges are having issues with the lift and the execution of it, V&M are doing so many other things at such a high standard that continously having D&W outpoint them (higher choreography scores, really?) it's ridiculous. Especially this season.
It's true that V&M build as the season progresses but what they skated this weekend was more than enough to give them a victory at least in the FD.
Even many big names and icons in the icedance world have commented on V&M's programs (Carmen in particular) and how their skating is the best in the field. It's not just us whiny V&M. fans. I mean not even coming closer in the FD?
I say this gently because I understand that you prefer Carmen over Notre Dame, but I have to roll my eyes at this and as I see this, this almost an insult to D/W's integrity. What you are saying is that V/M should automatically win because they have a better program without actually taking into account the actual skating? Truth this, D&W's skated the heck out of that program, especially Charlie. You're also insinuating Tessa and Scott SHOULD benefit from decisions prior to any teams have skated
Also, are you really saying that D&W win because the US Figure Skating is politicking? Like the USFS really has the money to do that....
Allow me to back at you. Everybody is politicking. The US fed is certainly no exception.
And yes, we DO take into account the actual skating when we say that Carmen should win.
It's a piss off that Davis and White won today. Especially with program components. If it doesn't change by 4cc I'll explode.
I wanted to postiive rep you for this, but I can't right now. I completely agree with you.
Abso-freaking-lutely. All feds politik and the USFS is no exception. And, yes, we also take into account the actual skating when we say Carmen should win.
I agree that everybody is politicking.
My concern is with the COP and the judge's interpretation of COP.
The easiest one to tackle is the choreo. In my mind, the choreo mark should be independent of performance. In essence, the choreo mark should have already been assigned even before the skaters skate (and we know the judges already know the choreo for all the top teams). However, it seems to me the choreo mark always correlates with performance to some extent. Unless the judges are saying that T/S's choreo is not as interesting, complex, or novel as M/C's. To that, I have no words.
I posted this elsewhere but it's depressing (and scandalous) that Virtue and Moir lost PCS to that hideous program of Davis and White's.
I don't know what to think about this season. I don't know if the marking of Davis and White is to make up for last season's worlds results (where a lot of people thought Davis and White should have won with DF), is it because the judges are planning on giving Virtue and Moir the world title so they are throwing D/W the "GPF bone" (like last season), or are they setting D/W up to win worlds (remember no Canadian judge on the panel in London) and so giving them these kind of marks and point difference over Virtue and Moir means it won't be a surprise or scandal if V/M lose to D/W by the time Worlds in V/Ms hometown rolls around.
What I'd like to know is what Marina Z is doing and saying behind the scenes.
One of my big fears after the manufactured controversy over V/M's win at Worlds last season was that they would pay for it politically this year. I'm starting to think I was right on target with that fear. At this point, due solely to poltiics, I'll be shocked if they win again internationally this season.
Guys, I don't think we have to panic yet? Yes, it bothers me too. Yes, what they are doing is not being appreciated, but there's time. Remember all this negativity affected their performance last year. Let's try to focus on the positives: both programs grew. The free dance even gained more than 5 points, that's good. It is a program that can keep growing. You know who should feel sad? C-L. I do not get the Grand Prix judges, which is why I ask again: are these judges allowed to be on international-level panels such as the 4CC, Worlds and the Olympics?
You guys I'm actually happy they scored at least 108 I thought they might get 105 cuz the judges refuse to see this incredible, artistic program for what it is. It's so frustrating! I hope that Tessa and Scott don't start making all these changes to the programs like they did last year. Lets be honest they might say all they want that scores doesn't matter, but come on we all know they want to win. And actually this will just motivate them even more.
How did the crowd react to their performance by the way?
And pani try to enjoy the rest of your trip! And I'm praying Scott doesn't decide to give any side interviews this year lol.
Btw, I don't like the changes the made to the diagonal sequence. If they are still only getting level 3, what's the point of changing it??
Didn't they get level 2 previously?
When V/M win, other camp cries Skate Canada politicking hard. When D/W win, this camp cries USFSA politicking hard.
Politicking is expected, except this camp can give solid reasons on why V/W wins when they do(unison, edge work, etc) and other camp can only say they skated well and skated fast. I still have not read a convincing argument anywhere on why D/W won every PCS marks.
Italian link to V/M's FD
You haven't read a convincing argument because there isn't one. It's a load of crap.
You know what I'm not even upset (anymore). I think them losing is a blessing in disguise, I expect great things the second half of the season!
I think Rafter means that the goal was to get full levels and the new sequence didn't help them there. I miss the old one, it had more attitude, but I like the ending here too.
Now, I tend not to mention D-W much, but here's something I find puzzling: find me a step they haven't done before. Even last year, Funny Face for all the bad rep it got, still offered something new skating wise. Let's go back to this year: new steps, intricate choreography, new lifts all skated clean vs. a free dance that's basically been performed before. So the thing here is that yes, D-W are very smart and very good at selling steps they can do over and over again and, hey, they do it well. That's not the judges' fault, that's all on the system. If you compare both frees element by element, I can see D-W taking the spin and I am perfectly okay with that. But when you compare the step sequences, the thing here isn't that one is better than the other (which is the truth), the thing is that one team is basically doing the same steps and being rewarded for it because they skate them really well, while the other is still struggling to perform new steps as if they were as old as time, you see? That's not on the judges. We might think this is unfair, that politics are involved, whatever, but it's simple logic: a team skated cleaner than the other. Now, what I do find illogical is the PCS, especially the choreo marks because you would think originality means something there. But I trust my team and I think both programs have more room to grow than those by D-W.
I learned my lesson and I'm not panicking until after Worlds. They skated beautifully IMO but I agree as I said after COR (then kinda backtracked) but the "kick" thingy has to go, it's not something I'd miss and it hasn't really been performed smoothly yet at least it always looks 'flawed' to me. The ending I will be devastated if they change it but they gotta do what they gotta do. Again I like and respect D&W but there's just no way in my mind the FD should even be close V&M were on today, and their FD is the one that will be remembered, D&W's to me is just another FD. Samson and Delilah was their best and this just seems like a rerun.
The Italian commentators liked it very much again. I am little bit busy with yet more work, but I can translate it tomorrow
Guys look at the intensity: http://photos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/s720x720/197928_4594903882354_1715079663_n.jpg
Wow. Just wow.
I mean you can only when you look at that and realize they didn't get the highest interpretation marks.
I know some people like to make little digs that Scott gets annoyed with his scores but it has to be frustrating to know you put that much intensity into your work and it isn't noticed by the nine people who control your fate.
That's just awesome. Maybe we should send this pic to the judges and write on the back 'What the heck more do you want?'
Just watched the SD. I like the old ending better why'd they change it? Please don't tell me that was one of the problems the judges had... I'll throw a massive in just in case.

subset: commoncrawl


text: You asked for them, so here they are. Some of Copper's best deals, bargains, free stuff and everything else related…all in one place. Who doesn't like deals, bargains and even some free stuff every now and then? In addition to the amazing Colorado ski deals located here, Copper also offers FREE Parking, FREE Cat Skiing, Kids' Night Out!


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This is a question for those that extract honey not crush and strain. As your hive counts go up to anywhere above 10 how do you recover your honey supers? With a few hives it is easy enough to shake and sweep your bees off. But as you grow your hive count it becomes unsustainable.
Bee escapes are not an option as SHB are to large of a problem in my area.


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|2013-09-17, 20:48
|Link #402
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: The Netherlands
Last edited by chaos_alfa; 2013-09-17 at 22:43.
|2013-09-18, 01:45
|Link #405
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Philippines
Hello, new here. Been rereading the manga and came across chapter 35. I must say, I hate that chapter as I see Mike's death again. I don't know just came to like that character and was expecting the 2nd most skilled scout to have more action. Frikkin ape.
|2013-09-18, 08:22
|Link #406
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: UK
The comments of comparison of Norse Mythology to this story got me thinking.. could it be that Bernholdts' power comes from the hot Norse depths of Muspelheim and Reiner's hardening ability comes from the ice-y depths of Niffleheim's? Has anyone ever seen steam coming off of Reiner (If so it could be frost steam)? I notice Reiner sounds like rain-er (cold rain) and Bernholdt sounds like burn-hold, and in the last manga I read he used steam to scald the soldiers off his collosal body.
I played a game called Tales Of Symphonia Dawn Of A New World and that was about King Ratatosk keeping the gates to Niffleheim and the demons inside closed..hmm..
Also I notice there deformities reflect there distinguishing features i.e Ymirs, ugly and my opinion probably both male and female (loves her/himself for example, NOT HISTORIA!!), Bernholdts super tall and Reiners erm.. cold and hard?? hahaha ;-)
|2013-09-18, 19:15
|Link #408
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: UK
Just been watching the first few again and there's an awful lot of mentioning of fever and disease.. but feel free to say "F*** off" noo way!"
I'm sure Erens mother died of the disease..and that the walls are symbolic of Erens cell walls, and the whole thing is a Nordic play on the internal war between white blood cells and disease "the titans" the titans keep saying we have to do this..well disease just will do that to survive
The big thing that made me think it is that they kept saying in the manga "If Eren goes, its all over"..and when he died, his dad injected him with the dangerous antidote..it rained immediately as he died, as the syringes juice poured in..also maybe Armin is his physical brain and/or sat at his bedside with Mikasa saying "Don't die" "Please don't die"..they keep saying that over like I've heard people say to there sick relatives in hospital beds..
I think the bit of him wrapped in the blanket is the real world perhaps, when he did wake up with his borrowed strength.
Its a bit like Bowser's Inside Story..perhaps..
Anyways, I'm a care worker so I'm probably just influenced by that, and sorry for all my posts.
|2013-09-18, 20:55
|Link #409
Them Feels~
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: United States
|2013-09-18, 22:33
|Link #410
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: UK
The scene where Eren is in the titan and has the dream that he's at home wrapped in blanket and that Armin is outside at the window could be partially real life and him coming back round slightly, from his fevered sleep, perhaps because Erens titan is invoked by adrenaline.
I think the key his Dad gave him is the info on how to piece the cure and the tools he's been given by his Dad's injection together to create an antigen or cure from the titan disease.. I could be totally wrong but have noticed a lot of references to it being a cruel world and everyone's just trying to survive, evil ones like Reiner and Bernholdt included, who as viruses, are just made to kill, as they say in the manga that they are "ordered to kill, and don't like doing it" but a disease does infiltrate in this manner.
|2013-09-18, 23:18
|Link #411
Them Feels~
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: United States
|2013-09-19, 12:09
|Link #412
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2012
that.......is an interesting POV ... It would be a nice change from the usual shounen without plot. But i wonder if the author started this way, will he really continue holding on this idea or just go on in a non ending shounen like bleach? And the reason the time seems to pass normally what could it be? Was he put in a cryogenic sleep and that explain the 1 ch title??
|2013-09-19, 19:59
|Link #413
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
the mysterious Grisha.. possible link to annie, bertholdt, and reiner
To start my theory off... the colossal titan appears after grisha says he got some meeting in the inner walls and departs.. the titan invasion then begins we know that the colossal titan and armored titan that break the walls are reiner and bertholdt.. they infiltrate the walls later as recruits in training.. after the invasion.. we see grisha in a scene crying while he injects Eren with the serum to transform into a titan and gives him the key to the mysterious basement that supposedly gots all the answers. Grisha then disappears randomly.. and we hear nothing about him again. He must have some connection with that invasion I think.. he maybe the one who possibly turned annie, bertholdt, and reiner into titans.. and maybe apart of a group outside the walls. Seems maybe grisha had second thoughts bout his role in all this as we can see him clearly crying as he gives his son this power.. maybe regret for some actions of his that maybe linked to this group. The motives of this group so far are not totally clear.. they wanted to destroy the walls.. when finding eren is a titan they suddenly shifted to wanting to capture him.. since we know grisha has had all this knowledge all along and hid it from everyone . His knowledge of the titans.. the serum he injects into eren and the mysterious basement that supposedly has answers to everything going on with the titans or who knows what's down there.. grisha of coarse disappears as I said.. he is maybe in this group or organization outside the walls, why? no answers yet its really unclear.. and why do they want to destroy the walls and possibly mankind inside the walls who knows.. maybe they know something that the people inside the walls don't .. like maybe grisha and that group knows bout for example the titans inside the walls and the whole truth that the wallots or wallets lol are hiding what or who is this group is still unknown.. but I believe assuming grisha has something to do with this isn't far off.. since so far he's the only one ( besides annie, bertholdt, reiner, the wallots or wallets , and even maybe ymir) whos been revealed to us knowing something bout the titans.. he must know something to be able to turn his son into a titan afterall lol
Last edited by Gol D Roger; 2013-09-19 at 20:03. Reason: ...
|2013-09-20, 11:47
|Link #414
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
So anybody have any ideas on the whole Ilse and Ymir similarity?
Ymir 3 years ago:
Spoiler for Ymir and Ilse:
Ilses comment about herself:
Spoiler for Ilse:
It's one thing to resemble each other, but Ilse even says she IS Selfish.
I mean it's clear enough to understand:
Ilse resembles Ymir.
But we have Ymir looking like her evil twin and the two apparently having a similar trait.
And we do know when Hanji and Levi arrived, they found her jacket and armband.
I mean, we saw the Titan only biting off her head, yet she doesn't seem to have been devoured?
Besides, if you think about:
Ymir looked the most like Ilse 3 years ago, pretty much her twin.
The Titan MUST have seen Ymir as a Human, when?
It makes sense to me to some extend that Ymir looks like Ilses Twin 3 years, and the Titan mistaken them.
Just saying, could Ilse have died 3 years ago and the Titan seen Ymir 3 years ago as well as that is when they resembled each other the most?
As for the Titan, Titans tend to have some traits with their human forms.
Probably just a coincidence but a crying titan or at least depicted as crying blood - Crybaby Dazz, everytime we saw him he cries - Dazz portrayed with "Yeah...this may be all just a sham...." - Dazz being saved by Ymir 3 years ago.
Last edited by Kiltias; 2013-09-20 at 12:00.
|2013-09-21, 03:58
|Link #415
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
They don't look alike. But we do know people inside Titans are unconscious. We saw this with Eren dreaming of his old life and almost killing Mikasa. There is a subconscious link with reality. Armin woke Eren up stabbing him.
Here could be similar. This guy remembers Ymir and is dreaming of her. But his actions led to killing what he thinks is Ymir or of the same ethnic race as Ymir.
But if we account for Connie's mom turned Titan by the Monkey Titan there is a possibility of semi-consciousness.
My theory is that feelings of affection or loneliness correspond to eat or kill for a mindless Titan. Emotions of persons inside Titans would explain why there are deviants.
Ymir has been a Titan for 60 years. And from what she can read her civilization at has ocean fishing of herring and canning technology.
Five years ago Ymir woke up after eating Berik, a fellow warrior of BRA.
|2013-09-21, 07:25
|Link #416
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Age: 26
I have a question. I'm sure it was discussed lots of times by now but since I'm not a full fledged manga reader yet, I want some confirmation.
The titans inside the walls, are they human shifters?
Because they look a lot like collosal titan and none of the brainless titans looks like them. All of them have skin while Wall Titans don't.
If that's the case, it could explain quiet a bit. I for one definitely would be pissed off if my friend/relative was imprisoned inside a wall.
|2013-09-21, 08:02
|Link #417
Wrath of Her Fury
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Earth's last post of defense
Probably yes. They are tall enough to fit inside the wall and have the height to reach 50 meters. The polished crystalized walls like of a marble are the extracts of their skin-hardening ability.
What if these titans just voluntarily sacrificed themselves to protect the last of humanity? It could also explain the cult that knows the history of the walls.
|2013-09-21, 08:03
|Link #418
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: The Netherlands
|2013-09-21, 08:31
|Link #419
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Age: 26
Also a s possibility but dose not explain why humanity are such ass holes and do nothing to actually help.
They know so much about the titans yet still refuse to corporate and let thousands of innocent die.
Soldiers are just being sacrificed.
The further series go, the less sympathy I have for humanity apart from survey corps that are being used.
|2013-09-21, 10:07
|Link #420
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
the same its just wrong that the strongest people are far away from the battlefield and just look from far in safe place...eat and laugh.... its like they hope that if titans eat all those peoples on front lines they would fill themselfs and will go away.... so those inside the inner walls would have priority to procreate with as many woman they can to rebuild the human race...
we still never saw the king/royalty itself... is there even a king or is it all a lie... maybe the king itself is a titan...a king to that... and all those mindless titans want to just retake the king from humans prison...
I guess if people knew what the church was hiding all this time the soldiers would turn against them so better to have them be eaten by titans then create a revolution... but it would be nice to see people tossing all people from wall church to titans to eat ^^
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Four U14 Rush players have been called in to U14 National Team camp May 12-19 in Portland, Oregon by Head Coach April Kater. Goalkeper Kelsey Brann, Defender Kimberly Rodriquez and Midfielder Sarah Piper from Texas Rush and Forward Civana Kuhlmann (Colorado Rush) will be part of the 48 player pool. The majority of players in camp this coming week are getting their first experience with the national program.
Congratulations girls and good luck in Portland!
For a complete list of players invited to camp, please click here.


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Search for missing woman continues after items found
WARSAW, Mo. - More than 200 volunteers continued the search for a missing Buckner, Mo. woman who went missing in Benton County July 13.
Hellen Cook, 72, has been missing for nearly two weeks when she wandered away from a home in Warsaw. She suffered from Alzheimer's and her family and authorities believe she may have become confused and attempted to walk back to the family's other home in Buckner.
Investigators located a number of items that may or may not belong to Cook, but they would would not elaborate on the items, according to WDAF. Authorities said they are in the process of trying to determine if they are in any way related to Cook.
Volunteers told ABC 17 News Cook's shoes and scarf were found in the search and possibly a pair of boots that may belong to her. They say helicopters and boats have been a part of the search Thursday.
Updates can be found on a Facebook page set up by Cook's family and friends.


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Meet Our Faculty
The Philosophy Department has four full-time faculty members with a wide range of teaching and research interests. They play an active role in the community, both at the College and beyond. The department's strengths include Applied Ethics, Philosophy of Mind and History of Philosophy.
Raymond Devettere
Professor of Philosophy; Director of Values-Based Education; Wyant Professor
Ph.L., Ph.D., University of Louvain; M.A., B.A., St. John's Seminary
Michelle Maiese
Chair, Department of Philosophy; Associate Professor of Philosophy
Ph.D., M.A., University of Colorado; B.A., Northwestern University
Ryan Mott
Assistant Professor of Philosophy
Ph.D., M.A, University of Colorado, Boulder; M.A., University of Massachusetts, Boston; B.A., Wheaton College
Thomas Wall
Professor of Philosophy
Ph.D., M.A., Boston College; B.S., College of the Holy Cross


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The Protection and Advocacy for Assistive Technology Program: Annual Report describes the activities of, and outcomes produced by, the PAAT Program during the 12-month period ending Sept. 30 of the fiscal year covered. It is based on data collected through a Program Performance Report (PPR) form approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
Fiscal Year 2005
For more content - including tools and downloadable data, visit out web portal at rsa.ed.gov or click on one of the links below.
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Try one of these impressive lamb recipes for grilled leg of lamb, lamb chops, and lean ground lamb.
Coriander-Thyme Lamb Chops with Yogurt SauceLamb loin chops look like miniature T-bone steaks and are much leaner than lamb shoulder chops. If you can't find them, you can substitute 2 (4-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks.
Lamb Souvlaki with TzatzikiSkewers always make meals more fun! Cubing makes this lamb kabob is oh so tender and just the right amount of doneness without drying out. Serve skewered between grape tomatoes and Tzatziki sauce for dipping.
Lemony Grilled Lamb Kebabs with Peppers and OnionsServe these savory Grilled Lamb Kebabs with Mint and Scallion Relish and lemon wedges for a satisfying weekend meal.
Grilled Apricot-stuffed Leg of LambThe dried apricots swell and soften with the Moroccan-spiced juices of the roasting lamb.Ras el hanout is a Moroccan spice mix available at upscale grocery stores or Middle Eastern markets. You can make your own blend with ground cardamom, coriander, ginger, turmeric, freshly ground black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, saffron, allspice, cloves, and mace.
Grilled Lamb Chops with Wheat Berry, Strawberry, and Lacinato Kale SaladServe grilled lamb over greens for a hearty and unique salad. Lacinato kale, often called dinosaur kale because of its crinkled, bumpy texture, grows year-round in the Pacific Northwest.
Grilled Lamb Chops with Roasted Summer Squash and ChimichurriDress up grilled lamb chops for summer by serving them with roasted yellow squash and zucchini and topping with a tangy, fresh parsley sauce.
Butterflied Leg of Lamb with Pesto AioliLeg of lamb is a little like roast beef in that it is best served warm, but it also tastes mighty good at room temperature. Pesto alone is a classic accompaniment for grilled lamb.
Grilled Lamb Chops with Nectarine Thyme JamYou couldn't ask for a better partner for lamb's mildly earthy flavor than nectarines, used here in a quick jam and sizzled on the grill.
Grilled Rack of Lamb with Saffron RiceOnline reviewers rave about the superb flavor of the tender lamb, and declare this a perfect recipe for a dinner party.
Grilled Lamb Chops with Romesco SauceA classic Romesco Sauce tops easy-to-prepare Grilled Lamb Chops for tasty summertime dinner from the grill.
Grilled Lamb Loin with Cabernet-Mint Sauce and Garlic Mashed PotatoesShow off your culinary prowess with this chef-inspired recipe featuring tender lamb slices served over a bed of creamy mashed potatoes accompanied by a rich wine sauce.
Rosemary Grilled Lamb ChopsSimplicity shines in this super-flavorful lamb chop recipe that has only 6 ingredients. You can marinate the chops a day ahead, and then grill for about 6 minutes for an easy weeknight entrée.
Grilled Lamb with Chocolate Mint SalsaThis salsa is good with any hearty meat, but especially lamb. Because the mint is so potent, we've added parsley to mellow it a little.
Grilled Lamb Chops With Lemon-Tarragon Aïoli and Orange GremolataThe chops are simply seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper, but the over-the-top flavor comes from the lemon mayonnaise topping and the sprinkling of parsley, garlic, and orange rind.
Slow-Grilled Leg of LambRub the leg of lamb with an herbed mustard paste, marinate for at least 2 hours, then cook slowly over a low temperature to get the best flavor and juiciest meat.
Grilled Lamb and Halloumi KebabsThese meat and cheese kebabs turn into a flavorful and hearty salad when tossed with fresh herb leaves. We like to serve the salad with a side of hummus.
Curry- and Ginger-Rubbed Lamb Chops with Apricot-Lime SauceSeveral of our online reviewers said that the tangy sweet sauce was so good that they wanted to lick the plates. The Indian-inspired curry-ginger rub and the apricot sauce are versatile enough to be used on pork chops as well as lamb.
Indian-Spiced Lamb KebabsThe key to good kebabs is using very lean but tender meat; the top round is ideal (ask your butcher to cut it for you). A simple raita--—a sauce of yogurt with chopped cucumber and mint--goes well with this, as does naan flatbread warmed on the grill.
Grilled Lamb Chops with Cherry Port SauceWe used port, a sweet fortified wine, to create a vibrant sauce for the lamb. The unique flavor of port is hard to match, but if you need a substitute, use a fruity red wine or 2/3 cup pomegranate-cherry juice and 1/2 teaspoon sugar.
Grilled Lamb Chops with Turkish Grape SauceChef Burak Epir of Pilita Grill restaurant in San Carlos, California, serves this Turkish-style sauce over lamb meatballs skewered with chunks of eggplant. We've grilled lamb chops instead, for a faster but equally delicious version.
Grilled Lamb T-Bone SteaksEspecially in our eat-less-meat era, a lamb T-bone steak, also called a loin chop, makes a right-size serving for one person. Chef Alex Seidel of Denver restaurants Fruition and Mercantile Dining & Provision likes to add pecorino to the plate--both for looks and for added savoriness.
Greek-Style LambThis easy weeknight lamb dish is ready in less than 30 minutes. While the lamb is grilling, steam a pouch of rice in the microwave, and let your family know that "dinner is served."
Grilled Lamb Kebabs with Pistachio-Mint SalsaAn unusual salsa, made with easy-to-find Middle Eastern ingredients, transforms ordinary kebabs into something exotic.
Lamb Burgers with Fennel SaladTake a break from beef burgers and make patties with ground lamb and turkey breast, Greek seasoning, feta cheese and olives. Serve in pita rounds instead of buns, and top with a Mediterranean salad of fennel and mint combined with yogurt, sour cream, and a bit of honey.
Greek Lamb with Herbs and GarlicInsert garlic cloves into the leg of lamb and marinate overnight in a mixture of red wine, lemon juice, thyme and rosemary for maximum flavor.
Spicy KofteThis ground lamb mixture grilled on skewers is a specialty of the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Combine the lamb with onions, herbs, and bread and blend in a food processor. The bread serves as a binder so that you can shape the mixture into logs and place on the skewers.
Hungry for More?


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A North Liberty business weathered difficult times to survive and grow. Express Limousine Service and Black Diamond Limousine, owned by Mart Hutt, celebrated 30 years in business on Feb. 14.
Iowa City Press-Citizen article here
The company's diverse fleet and years of experience have earned it many achievements.
Weather and mass transit delays always create additional problems, but 50,000 TNC vehicles ratchet up congestion.
Pinnacle Car Services, Inc. recieved the accolade from the Greater Bentonville Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce.
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At Gemvara, we believe that the jewelry you wear should be as unique as you. Every beautiful Gemvara Christmas Gift Ideas: Sterling Silver Multistone Pink Tourmaline Jewelry design will be made just for you. Gemvara uses only the highest quality materials to craft your Christmas Gift Ideas: Sterling Silver Multistone Pink Tourmaline Jewelry with meticulous attention to detail. Our precious metals are recycled or responsibly mined. Pink tourmaline inspires as the gem of intuition and creativity with a fresh and flattering lipstick pink color. Gemvara's pink tourmaline is cut for maximum brilliance.Gemvara is proud to offer sterling silver jewelry crafted in Argentium silver, which is 96% pure, 100% recycled, and resists tarnish up to ten times longer than traditional sterling silver.Our wide selection of Christmas Gift Ideas: Sterling Silver Multistone Pink Tourmaline Jewelry by talented designers means you can find rings, earrings, and necklaces that are exactly your style. You can also shop by style, choosing our RG, Eclipse, or Simple Collections. Our gemstone experts carefully choose each of the beautiful gems in our multistone styles to complement each other.When our work is done and you open that box, you'll see your design is even more beautiful when brought to life in the finest precious materials.
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The Russian connection: See all our coverage | Read about our investigation
Adam SerwerSep. 26, 2011 9:24 AM
Court papers filed by the Department of Justice late Friday afternoon accuse the Texas redistricting plan signed by Governor Rick Perry of being drawn in a way that minimizes the impact of the minority vote. According to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, certain covered jurisdictions with a history of discrimination in voting—including Texas—must submit changes in election law to the Justice Department for "preclearance."
Referring to Texas' congressional redistricting plan, the filling states that while "The United States has not yet determined whether the proposed plan has any purpose or purposes that are prohibited by Section 5," that "it appears that the proposed plan may have a prohibited purpose in that it was adopted, at least in part, for the purpose of diminishing the ability of citizens of the United States, on account of race, color, or membership in a language minority group, to elect their preferred candidates of choice to Congress." The crux of the Department of Justice's argument is that, deliberately or not, two districts in Texas, 23 and 27, have been altered so as to reduce the influence of Latino voters in those districts. Since the Voting Rights Act prohibits changes that would have the "purpose or effect" of discriminating against minorities, DoJ is saying the plan violates Section 5.
As for whether or not this impact was by design, DoJ says they aren't ruling it out, but that the "investigation is on-going."
Samantha OltmanSep. 26, 2011 6:30 AM
For a man whose path to musical success started with him alone, sick with pneumonia and a broken heart, in a hunting cabin in the woods of Wisconsin, Bon Iver's Justin Vernon has become quite the rockstar. Since 2008, when Jagjaguwar Records released his debut indie-folk album, For Emma, Forever Ago, he's been lauded by critics, adored by fans, and even sought out by Kanye West, who asked him to collaborate on West's latest album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
But even now, Vernon doesn't have many of the standard trappings of a music god. Tall and bearded, he looks more like a dude you'd find drinking PBR in a small-town bar more than a guy you'd expect to see touring big venues in support of his second album. Vernon seems to feel that way a little, too. Facing the sold-out crowd at Berkeley's Greek Theatre last Thursday, he kept on repeating how awed and lucky he was to be there.
[Read more]
Lauren EllisSep. 26, 2011 6:30 AM
When Esquire published its list of "50 Songs Every Man Should Listen To," one reader responded that the editors had left out one crucial band for the XY set. It was That Handsome Devil, a gonzo-punk outfit out of Boston, whose music sounds as if a jowling, snarling creature had crept down from the rafters to join Mr. Toad on his wanton hell ride. But on the band's second (or fourth, if you include EPs) album, The Heart Goes to Heaven, the Head Goes to Hell, the musicians are in full control of their Haunted House-macabre sound. "Charlie's Inferno" is an unintentional nod to the TV show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. "Adapt" sounds like a back alley fist fight about to bust out. "Inside You," finds lead singer Godforbid mastering that clinging-to-the-bottle drawl the band's become known for. When I caught up with Godforbid last Friday, he regaled me with talk about hustling beer at Coney Island, milking tall tales, and his struggle between pure intentions and royal douchebaggery.
Mother Jones: One of my favorite tracks is "How to Get Money." Any tips for readers who are broke and pissed off?
Godforbid: [Laughs.] If I had gobs of cash I'd have plenty of ideas. But I've given all my tips up on that track. Well, there's an insane hustle in New York. I've got three jobs to keep the wheels spinning. But you can get creative with it; there are always fun little hustles out there. You can take beers and sell 'em down at the Coney Island Beach. Just walk around with a cooler and have a buddy walk 20 feet in front of you to cop watch. You can sell them for whatever price you'd like because people are just too lazy to stand in line.
MJ: What sort of work are you doing?
GF: I don't have many commodities other than the fact that I can write and perform. I've got three jobs where I'm making the same amount of money I would if I were 16. I press records at Hit-Bound Records, but it's hard working in a hot factory like that. I've got to meditate for a bit, turn into a robot for eight hours, to be able to do that job. And I do janitorial work for a plastic surgeon—you'll find fat globules and blood spatters, but it makes for good song writing. And depending on the gig, I'll do construction here and there.
Hannah LevintovaSep. 26, 2011 6:00 AM
In foreign policy vocabulary, the word "famine" pretty much functions like an expletive. Two months ago, the UN brandished "the F-word" when it declared two parts of southern Somalia official famine zones. Soon, four more regions were bestowed with the dreaded title.
This curse word of sorts, though, can't be tossed around lightly. Before using it, the UN requires serious number-crunching to show that at least 20 percent of households in an area face extreme food shortages, that acute malnutrition exceeds 30 percent, and that the death rate is more than two people per 10,000, daily. Given its weight, a declaration of "famine" is a serious call for global awareness and aid. And yet, while reports of other natural disasters have jam-packed American news-pages, "famine"— this rare word, for what is supposedly a rare natural calamity—has barely flickered across the daily newscycle.
All this is why Thomas Keneally's latest book—Three Famines—couldn't have come out at a more appropriate time. In it, Keneally, the Booker Prize-winning author of the novel Schindler's List, has set out to prove that famines are borne of man-made disasters, not natural ones. Sure, natural flukes are the starting point, he writes, but it's politics that feed famine's terrifying momentum. If you follow the situation in Somalia—where tallies of the starving are going up, not down, and where Western aid stands blocked by militant group al-Shabaab—you'll get the sense that Keneally's hypothesis is legitimate even before he's launched into the evidence.
Sep. 26, 2011 5:57 AM
Tech. Sgt. Sam Pastor fires an Mk48 Sept. 10, 2011, at the off-base firing range near Forward Operating Base Mehtar Lam, Afghanistan. Pastor is a vehicle maintainer with the Laghman Provincial Reconstruction Team. (US Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane)
Kevin DrumSep. 26, 2011 1:29 AM
I just finished reading The New Deal: A Modern History, by Michael Hiltzik, and I can't recommend it highly enough. I'm a friend of Michael's, so feel free to take this with a grain of salt if you want, but it's really terrific, an energetically written and eminently readable history that makes all the right tradeoffs. At a little over 400 pages, you're not going to get every last detail of the New Deal, but you're going to get all the high points, narrated with vigorous prose, a clear-sighted appreciation of just what motivated FDR and his allies, and a modern understanding of what they actually accomplished. And unlike the doorstop histories, you'll finish it quickly enough to be left wishing for more.
And you'll meet some new friends. All the usual New Deal architects are there — Raymond Moley, Frances Perkins, Harry Hopkins, and, always, the redoubtable Harold Ickes — but Hiltzik also spends more than the usual time on a few of its lesser known figures: Benjamin Cohen, the genius legislative drafter; General Hugh Johnson, the force of nature who ran the NRA for a year and probably destroyed it long before the Supreme Court did; George Warren, the eccentric Cornell economist responsible for FDR's peculiar decision to tinker with the price of gold in 1933; Martin Dies, the red-baiting foe of the WPA whose "Dies Committee" would become famous as HUAC during the McCarthy era; and a variegated cast of other misfits and less familiar faces. Because of this a few things get short shrift — the labor movement comes most to mind here — but for the most part the omissions are modest. The big ticket items are all here.
Hiltzik also devotes a full chapter to the almost complete inability — or unwillingness — of the New Deal to help black Americans, the "most forgotten man," in T. Arnold Hill's words. With only narrow and fleeting exceptions, nearly every New Deal program was transformed, either in law or in practice, to insure that only whites would benefit from them. "The Tennessee Valley Authority might have the ability to raise an entire region out of near-medieval poverty," Hiltzik writes, "but black Americans were not permitted to reside next to the white dam workers....Almost every federal settlement, work relief camp, and construction crew that accommodated blacks did so on a racially segregated 'Jim Crow' basis" — and this was nearly as true in the Northern states as in the Southern. This aspect of the New Deal has gotten more attention in recent years than it used to, but nonetheless deserves wider recognition. Hiltzik delivers that.
This is also a timely book. One of the most striking things that shines through Hiltzik's narrative is the political similarity of the 30s to our current era. There's the intense hatred of FDR among the affluent, with their insistence that unemployment remained high only because he was destroying business confidence and strangling corporations with excessive regulation. There's the emergence of a lunatic right convinced that FDR was subverting the constitution and establishing socialism, ironically combined with a progressive left that became increasingly disillusioned with his centrism and political accommodation. There's the modest size of the early New Deal stimulus, which was too small and too brief, animated as it was by a skepticism of Keynesian ideas even among much of the left. There are the racial underpinnings of much of the opposition to the New Deal, coming from Southern Democrats hypersensitive to anything that might undermine the authority and influence of white power. There's the overriding folk belief in balanced budgets, which seemingly affected everyone from the president to the lowliest janitor. Sound familiar?
The Great Recession of 2008 was milder than it could have been because we learned so many lessons from the Great Depression of the 30s. But its continuing hold, and the possibility that we might yet fall into a second recession, is largely due to the lessons we haven't learned. The New Deal teaches them to us all over again.
Kevin DrumSep. 26, 2011 12:59 AM
Dave Weigel explains why Rick Perry failed so miserably in this weekend's Florida straw poll:
Walking through the walls of the Orange County Convention Center, you hear these words and phrases over and over again.
Perry. Immigration. Illegals. Tuition. Illegals. He didn't do as well as he could have. Why?
Almost every conversation I walked into was on the question of why Rick Perry approved a law that let young non-citizens get in-state tuition rates at Texas schools, and why he had characterized the program's critics as heartless.
Walking through the walls of the Orange County Convention Center, you hear these words and phrases over and over again.
Perry. Immigration. Illegals. Tuition. Illegals. He didn't do as well as he could have. Why?
Almost every conversation I walked into was on the question of why Rick Perry approved a law that let young non-citizens get in-state tuition rates at Texas schools, and why he had characterized the program's critics as heartless.
Obviously this is a huge deal with the Republican base. But I think Perry's real problem is that Thursday's debate badly shook up a GOP establishment that was pretty uneasy with him already. It's not so much that Perry spoke in platitudes — all candidates do that — or that he muffed a few lines — any candidate can do that too — or even that his policy positions were unacceptable. Hell, he'll figure out how to fight back on the tuition for illegal immigrants thing eventually, and he'll get his foreign policy act together too.
But there was a bigger problem: Perry looked like he didn't think he needed to even care about any of that stuff. He muffed his attack lines because he hadn't bothered to study them. He wasn't prepared for the tuition fight because he figured that he could just repeat the same old explanations and flash his thousand-watt smile at the audience. He didn't know what to say about Pakistan because he figured any sort of good ol' boy BS would do. It always has before, after all. So he's apparently spent the past month doing....nothing.
That's just way too Palinesque for the political pros. He looks like a guy who's had such an easy time in Texas that he doesn't really think he's going to have to work for the nomination — or the presidency. Gentleman's Cs have always been good enough, and he figures they'll be good enough again. So he's got nothing except a single set of sound bites for every occasion, and he's not prepared to put in the time and effort it takes to sound even minimally ready for prime time when he's taken out of his comfort zone.
That's a scary thought for Republicans. The economy is bad enough that Barack Obama is seriously vulnerable, but even with a bad economy he can beat somebody who's convinced that his winning personality is enough to see him through any troubles. When Perry first announced his candidacy, he had the aura of a political animal willing to do whatever it takes to win. Now he looks like he's willing to do anything except actually work hard. That's a sure way to lose in November, and that's why the GOP establishment is suddenly so nervous.
Kevin DrumSep. 25, 2011 12:34 PM
If you're interested in reading a bit of background on Solyndra now that it's become a political football, the LA Times has a pretty good piece in today's paper:
To grasp the saga of Solyndra's rapid rise and even faster fall, one has to understand the dazzling appeal of its product. The company's advancement in solar power was hailed as an invention so brilliant that it blinded everyone to the truth: Solyndra never had much of a chance in a fast-changing market.
"It was revolutionary," said Walter Bailey, a former Macquarie Capital investment banker who specialized in green technology and visited Solyndra in 2008. "You had some of the smartest money in the world getting behind it. It was a real company with a huge factory and an extremely unique product.
"The only problem," said Bailey, now a senior partner at boutique investment bank Focus Capital in New York, "was that it never penciled out."
To grasp the saga of Solyndra's rapid rise and even faster fall, one has to understand the dazzling appeal of its product. The company's advancement in solar power was hailed as an invention so brilliant that it blinded everyone to the truth: Solyndra never had much of a chance in a fast-changing market.
"It was revolutionary," said Walter Bailey, a former Macquarie Capital investment banker who specialized in green technology and visited Solyndra in 2008. "You had some of the smartest money in the world getting behind it. It was a real company with a huge factory and an extremely unique product.
"The only problem," said Bailey, now a senior partner at boutique investment bank Focus Capital in New York, "was that it never penciled out."
There's nothing in this piece about the politics of Solyndra, just a straight-ahead explanation of who they were, why their technology was so dazzling, and why they failed. It's worth a read if you're not already up on all this.
BBC EarthSep. 24, 2011 3:00 PM
This post courtesy BBC Earth. For more wildlife news, find BBC Earth on Facebook and Posterous.
When we are at work, doing the same thing day in day out, it is easy to grow complacent about the risks that are involved. But when the daily grind involves diving to the depths of the ocean with very basic equipment, complacency could prove fatal.
The Philippines ranks as the 11th highest of the world's top seafood producers, with some coastal communities deriving up to 70 percent of their income from fishing. It is no wonder that with such high stakes risky practices are commonplace.
Pa'aling divers of Palawan, Philippines.
Some of the most dangerous techniques are adopted by the Pa'aling divers who inhabit the Palawan province. Diving down to 40 meters, these 100 strong crews take their lives in their hands on every trip. Supplied only with thin makeshift tubes of compressed air fed from a rusty generator on the surface, there is the potential for air supplies to become tangled and to become trapped. Not only this, but also decompression sickness, commonly known as 'the bends', a serious condition caused by the men ascending to the surface too quickly is also a serious concern. Sadly the benefits do not outweigh the risks with each fisherman reportedly earning an average of $25 for a week's work.
Another occupation that risks life and limb is that of the goose barnacle collectors of northern Spain. Traditionally a female profession, today the job is mostly carried out by men. These fearless collectors of this strange looking shellfish, battle with ferocious crashing waves (also known as Atlantic Rollers) and jagged rocks to gather their prize. At up to 200 Euros per kilo it is easy to see what the attraction to this lifestyle is.
Collectors battle huge waves on the Galician cliffs, Northern Spain.
Located on the cliffs and rugged boulders of the Atlantic coastline, these barnacles, known locally as percebes, are only accessible when the tide goes out. So cautiously, collectors navigate their way to the most inaccessible areas armed with only a modified crowbar and a few trusty ropes, if they choose to use them. With an average of five deaths every year, it is hardly a surprise that it is considered one of the most dangerous occupations in Spain.
Finally, a job that many would agree can be as terrifying as it is rewarding: fatherhood. In some communities such as those from the Zanskar region of the Tibetan Plateau the terrors are more than emotional, they are physical too. Especially here, where the school run is an epic six-day trek along the semi-frozen river Zanskar.
Children and parents travel down a Himalayan ice river, Zankar, India.
Each year after the winter holidays, fathers and their children begin their journey. They travel along what the locals call the Chadar, a frozen winter highway that provides a passageway through mountainous gorges when the roads are closed by snow. In the spring the smooth firm ice can start to give way, rapidly turning the trip from a habitual pilgrimage to a perilous expedition.
These three communities are testament to man's ability to adapt to and conquer even the most extreme environments. While they may be dangerous, let's hope these incredibly diverse cultures that have developed continue to thrive.
Aaron RossSep. 23, 2011 4:29 PM
A man holds a Bahraini flag outside the White House.
Less than three months after including Bahrain on a list of human rights offenders requiring the United Nations' attention, the Obama administration seems to have changed its mind. The US now believes Bahrain is "an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East," according to a statement from the Defense Department, which intends to sell $53 million worth of military equipment and support to the Gulf state, including bunker buster missiles and armored vehicles.
"This is exactly the wrong move after Bahrain brutally suppressed protests and is carrying out a relentless campaign of retribution against its critics," said Maria McFarland of Human Rights Watch, which flagged the sale yesterday. "By continuing its relationship as if nothing had happened, the US is furthering an unstable situation."
McFarland was referring, of course, to the Bahraini government's crackdown earlier this year against peaceful protesters, primarily Shiites, who momentarily captured the West's attention with their demands for greater political, social, and economic rights from the ruling Sunni monarchy. In response, state security forces killed over 30 people and arrested some 1,400 more. Many were reportedly tortured.
The heavy-handed tactics succeeded in crushing the initial wave of protests, but the situation remains volatile. Police continue to violently repress anti-government activists; on Friday, they fired rubber bullets and tear gas at protesters during a demonstration ahead of tomorrow's parliamentary by-elections.
With the exception of its statement at the UN and tepid condemnation from the White House, the US has refrained from publically criticizing its longtime ally, which hosts the Navy's Fifth Fleet. In 2010 alone, the US approved more than $200 million in arms sales to Bahrain. Although the proposed $53 million deal is the first since last November, it will almost certainly go through, a Defense Department spokesman told Mother Jones. That's because Congress would have to pass specific legislation to stop the sale—an unusual, if not unprecedented, action.
How exactly selling arms to this island kingdom of around a half-million citizens will "contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States," as the Defense Department announcement claims, is unclear. The State Department, to which DOD referred that question, has yet to respond.* But whatever the explanation, McFarland argues, the move casts a shadow on the US's professed support for the ideals of the Arab Spring. "It will be hard for people to take US statements about democracy and human rights in the Middle East seriously when, rather than hold its ally Bahrain to account, it appears to reward repression with new weapons," she said.
* Update: A State Department official did eventually respond via email to point out that the sale of such weapons improves Bahrain's capability to counter armored threats and that the State Department continues to closely monitor the human rights situation inside Bahrain.
Copyright ©2017 Mother Jones and the Foundation for National Progress. All Rights Reserved.
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Vance is an amazing, Nice and very charming person. He is always flashing his smile and loves to laugh. He loves to do anything that is energetic. When you see Vance he will always make you smile.
by K33P 1T R3AL March 10, 2015
The Urban Dictionary Mug
One side has the word, one side has the definition. Microwave and dishwasher safe. Lotsa space for your liquids.Buy the mug
iam the vance at video games
by senior bacon July 31, 2006
(noun) - A person of such exquisite balance and grace that they defy the laws of gravity. They are often seen casting spells of charm on girls by simply flashing their brilliant smile. On the weekends they occasionally consume coal and excrete pure diamonds. They tend to urinate liquid gold within five hours of drinking soda, and bullets after drinking alcohol. They spend their free time crafting prosthetic limbs out of superlight-titanium alloys, which they fit to amputee veterans.
Example1: "Holy crap! Vance just saved Chuck Norris' life!"
Example2: "That's not possible! Vance just pressed to a handstand and then walked on his pinkies up the stairs!"
Example2: "That's not possible! Vance just pressed to a handstand and then walked on his pinkies up the stairs!"
by Twirl Matzah January 06, 2010
Cleveland Steamer Plush
The vengeful act of crapping on a lover's chest while they sleep.Buy the plush
A sexual procedure wherein a man inserts his index and/or middle finger(s) discretely into a woman's vagina while other people are in the room; all of which are completely oblivious to the sexual actions occuring across the room.
Man1: Did you hear about so-and-so and what's-her-face last Friday night?
Man2: No, what happened?
Man1: So-and-so totally 'vanced' her at that-one-guy's house!
Man2: No way!
Man1: Oh yeah, he totally 'vanced' her.
Man2: No, what happened?
Man1: So-and-so totally 'vanced' her at that-one-guy's house!
Man2: No way!
Man1: Oh yeah, he totally 'vanced' her.
by Jack Beddingfield April 20, 2009
A nice guy who is usually too nice for his own good. Is normally an on and off pyromaniac and addicted to making things explode. Willing to do something very stupid but knows when to stop. Usually very nice to others and protective of friends. Is also usually attracted to Asian women and will be more than willing to give a lap dance to any girl he is attracted to. Is also usually sought after by gay men and almost every kind of woman. Will be dedicated to the girl he is with and will be willing to stop any of his bad habits (being a Pyromaniac), especially for her sake and will treat her as best as he can, which will be pretty damn well.
"Oh my god, who's that hot guy over there?"
"That's my boyfriend, Vance. Be jealous bitch."
"That's my boyfriend, Vance. Be jealous bitch."
by chance22 January 05, 2012
really really HOT and amazing guy with a 12 inch dick is a good listener and would make the best boyfriend ever extremely caring people either love him or hate him but is an all round awesome guy he has friends that are pricks most of the time and only hangs out with them because he feels sorry for them enjoys dance music and hates grunge he may say that he doesn't have a girl on his mind but he always has one special girl on his mind has the best fashion sense ever and makes girls want him with one glance yet he will only truly care for one he is very unique and HOT
by ezioauditore101 November 29, 2011
by Lindsey Lee April 25, 2006


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Hi all,
I have written a chess program using bit boards in C# and almost done with move generation(Castling still incomplete).
I have also written a PERFT function which gives me the following statistics for the starting position on the chess board:
- 20 Nodes ---> 10 ms ---> 2 kN/s
- 400 Nodes --->11 ms ---> 36 kN/s
- 8902 Nodes ---> 18 ms ---> 494.56 kN/s
- 197281 Nodes --->477 ms. ---> 413.59 kN/s
- 4865609 Nodes ---> 4372 ms ---> 1112.9 kN/s
- 119060324 Nodes ---> 307920 ---> 386.56 kN/s
This is my very first bit-boards chess engine so don't know much about the speed, however when compared to my previous 0x88 chess stats this is definitely a winner.
When I compared these stats with Sharper (amazing chess program), I realized that it is much more faster than this, It computed Perft(6) in 132 ms without hash tables.
So I would request some one with experience in chess programming or in c# to review my code and let me know where I am going wrong or what can be done to optimize it.
I shall post my code if any one is ready to review the same.
Please note, that there are no visible bugs.
Also if any one is aware, kindly post some kind of profiling tool which will help me to understand the coding efficiency better.
I am using Visual Studio 2010 as my IDE and C# as the language.


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FDA Approves First Generic Versions of Cymbalta »
"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the first generic versions of Cymbalta (duloxetine delayed-release capsules), a prescription medicine used to treat depression and other conditions.
Aurobindo Pharma Ltd., Dr. Reddy's La"...
Read the FDA Approves First Generic Versions of Cymbalta article »
Effexor Patient Information including How Should I Take
In this Article
- What is venlafaxine (Effexor)?
- What are the possible side effects of venlafaxine (Effexor)?
- What is the most important information I should know about venlafaxine (Effexor)?
- What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking venlafaxine (Effexor)?
- How should I take venlafaxine (Effexor)?
- What happens if I miss a dose (Effexor)?
- What happens if I overdose (Effexor)?
- What should I avoid while taking venlafaxine (Effexor)?
- What other drugs will affect venlafaxine (Effexor)?
- Where can I get more information?
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking venlafaxine (Effexor)?
You should not take this medication if you are allergic to venlafaxine or desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), or if you are also using a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) such as furazolidone (Furoxone), isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam), or tranylcypromine (Parnate). You must wait at least 14 days after stopping an MAOI before you can take venlafaxine. After you stop taking venlafaxine, you must wait at least 7 days before you start taking an MAOI.
Do not take venlafaxine together with desvenlafaxine (Pristiq).
To make sure you can safely take venlafaxine, tell your doctor if you have other medical conditions, especially:
- bipolar disorder (manic depression);
- cirrhosis or other liver disease;
- kidney disease;
- high blood pressure;
- glaucoma;
- seizures or epilepsy;
- a bleeding or blood clotting disorder;
- high cholesterol;
- low levels of sodium in your blood; or
- if you are switching to venlafaxine from another antidepressant.
You may have thoughts about suicide while taking an antidepressant, especially if you are younger than 24 years old. Tell your doctor if you have worsening depression or suicidal thoughts during the first several weeks of treatment, or whenever your dose is changed.
Your family or other caregivers should also be alert to changes in your mood or symptoms. Your doctor will need to check you at regular visits for at least the first 12 weeks of treatment.
FDA pregnancy category C. Venlafaxine may cause problems in a newborn baby if the mother takes the medication late in pregnancy (during the third trimester). Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.
Venlafaxine can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Do not give this medication to anyone under 18 years old without the advice of a doctor.
How should I take venlafaxine (Effexor)?
Take exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not take in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label.
Venlafaxine should be taken with food. Try to take venlafaxine at the same time each day.
Swallow the controlled-release capsule (Effexor XR) whole, without crushing or chewing. To make the medication easier to swallow, you may open the capsule and sprinkle the medicine into a small amount of applesauce. Swallow all of the mixture without chewing, and do not save any for later use.
It may take 4 weeks or more for your symptoms to improve. Keep using the medication as directed and tell your doctor if your symptoms do not improve after 4 weeks of treatment.
This medication can cause you to have a false positive drug screening test. If you provide a urine sample for drug screening, tell the laboratory staff that you are taking venlafaxine.
Do not stop using venlafaxine suddenly, or you could have unpleasant symptoms. Ask your doctor how to avoid these symptoms when you stop using venlafaxine.
Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
Effexor Patient Information in Detail
- What is Effexor?
- What are the possible side effects?
- What is the most important information I should know?
- What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking?
- How should I take?
Additional Effexor Information
- Effexor Drug Interactions Center: venlafaxine oral
- Effexor Side Effects Center
- Effexor Overview including Precautions
- Effexor FDA Approved Prescribing Information including Dosage
Effexor - User Reviews
Effexor User Reviews
Now you can gain knowledge and insight about a drug treatment with Patient Discussions.
Here is a collection of user reviews for the medication Effexor sorted by most helpful.
Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Emotional Wellness
Get tips on therapy and treatment.


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Eastern Michigan University
EMU Mobile for iOS and Android
The EMU Mobile application is an easy way to stay connected with everything Eastern Michigan and is available for IOS or Android. The mobile application provides features such as:
- Grade access
- Class Schedule
- Campus Map
- EMU News
- EMU Events
Getting Started
- Download Ellucian Go from Google Play or the Apple App Store.
- Select Eastern Michigan University from the list of schools. You will only need to do this once.
- Click on Sign in and enter your NetID* and password to access your classes and grades.
For help with EMU Mobile, please contact the Help Desk at email@example.com or 734.487.2120.
*Formally my.emich username
Division of Information Technology
118 Pray Harrold
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
Phone: 734.487.3141
Fax: 734.481.9290


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Reading Health System eliminating nearly 400 positions
210 jobs to be cut through layoffs, 181 through attrition, officials say
WEST READING, Pa. - One of Berks County's largest employers is trimming its workforce in an effort to save money.
Reading Health System will lay off 210 employees and leave another 181 positions unfilled through attrition, officials announced Tuesday. The layoffs represent 2.7 percent of the health system's workforce.
"These reductions-in-force, while painful to those affected and difficult for all of us who have worked side-by-side with these colleagues, are nonetheless necessary so that we might strategically reallocate resources into areas of greater growth and importance for the community," said Clint Matthews, president and chief executive officer of Reading Health System.
Some of the job cuts are the result of the health system's new $150 million electronic health records system, Reading HealthConnect, which provides patients and health care providers with instant access to information and eliminates the need for many staffers who previously processed paperwork, officials said.
The health system will also refine its employee retirement program in two ways.
Effective July 1, new hires will be eligible for a defined contribution retirement savings plan in which the health system will annually contribute two percent of base salary and match 50 cents of every dollar, up to four percent of an employee's savings, officials said.
Current employees will see no change in their benefit plan until July 1, 2016, at which time they will transition into a new contribution retirement savings plan. The health system will annually contribute two to six percent of base salary, based on years of service, in addition to matching 50 cents of every dollar, up to four percent of an employee's savings, officials said.
The changes, officials said, will have no impact either on current retirees receiving pensions or retirees who are not yet receiving pensions.
"Such strategic adjustments of our resources, including not replacing positions resulting from attrition and moving toward a defined contribution retirement savings plan, are necessary to enable Reading Health System to remain financially and operationally strong, and remain a regional health care leader for the long-term," Matthews said.
Other money-saving changes the health system has made in recent months include a reduction in overtime costs, decreased use of agency staff, and unfilled support positions.
While officials said the measures will not affect patient services or care, patients will benefit by the health system's investment of the money it saves.
"Specifically, the savings from these positions, the majority in support and non-clinical roles, will be redirected toward continuing to invest in sophisticated medical equipment and adding experienced clinical professionals, including surgical specialists for our new state-of-art surgery center," Matthews said.
The health system employs more than 4,000 people on its campuses throughout the Greater Reading area, making it the county's second largest employer behind East Penn Manufacturing in 2012.
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Allentown, PA 18102
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This Week's Circulars
Latest from the newsroom
- Lehigh Valley 69 News
- One Tank Trip Patrick Manwiller / 69 News


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RSVP for the Free Williamsburg Holiday Party with The Hundred in the Hands, DJs Whitney Fierce and Sheena Beaston
You have nothing better to do on Thursday night. I'm making that a firm full-on fact right now, because you will instead, be present at the Free Williamsburg holiday party. It's got some backing love from SPIN Magazine as well as Newcastle Brown Ale. Our buddies The Hundred in the Hands are performing, and my grrrrll Whitney Fierce and I will be tag teaming on the 1's. And the 2's. Or on my laptop. So, you know... it's free, and rad, and you should probably go.
Want to go? RSVP here.
See you nerds Thursday.
mp3: The Hundred In The Hands - Pigeons (Screen Tests Remix)


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Almost one in one hundred babies is born with a heart problem (congenital heart defect or disease). Many of these defects can be diagnosed before birth, allowing for extensive counseling with a physician and timely access to cardiac treatment to give your baby the best chance for a good outcome. Hundreds of families each year trust experts with the Fetal Heart Program within the Herma Heart Center at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin to provide the best possible care through pregnancy, birth and beyond for babies with congenital heart disease.
Finding out that your unborn baby may have congenital heart disease is frightening. As one of the nation's top fetal heart programs, we've helped thousands of families receive the expert care and support they need. If your baby's condition requires immediate care after delivery, we will work with the Fetal Concerns Center to coordinate all of your care needs before and after the birth of your child.
The Herma Heart Center is 3-star rated (the highest rating possible) for congenital heart surgery by the Society for Thoracic Surgeons (STS) and ranked among the top five pediatric heart programs in the country by U.S. News and World Report. Our surgical outcomes are consistently ranked among the best in the country, including the best published survival rates worldwide for treating hypoplastic left heart syndrome, an uncommon and complicated congenital heart disease. We are committed to providing the best care for you and your baby.
When you come for an appointment with the Fetal Heart Program providers at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin or one of the outreach locations in Green Bay or the Fox Valley, a nurse coordinator will initially review your medical history. A fetal echocardiogram will be performed by one of the fetal cardiologists. If a problem with your baby's heart is found, the fetal cardiologist will explain in detail the diagnosis, care options, and possible outcomes.


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High Desert 2013: Fiery year of crime, challenges
Some court cases, controversies end, others erupt (or linger on)
BEND, Ore. - Violent crime, storms and wildfires captured headlines throughout 2013 on the High Desert -- and while all three proved deadly in tragic fashion, there were also good-news items to lift spirits, from a badly injured, recovering pit-bull mix to governments succeeding in requests to voters and a pair of Central Oregon athletes reaching new heights on the world stage.
Some years lend themselves to neat, orderly lists -- one or two obvious biggest stories of the year in Central Oregon, followed by ones that also captivated attention for months if not all year. But this was a very busy year on many fronts, so here's a more all-inclusive, encyclopedic memory-jogger of the year that was.
The online world can carve its own path, of course, which helps explain how the top-viewed news story on KTVZ.COM wasn't local but regional -- it was about that AMBER Alert and manhunt for the California killer who abducted 16-year-old Hannah Anderson, rescued after a chance sighting in the Idaho wilderness in August, when FBI agents shot and killed James Lee DiMaggio.
No. 2 -- and sparking 279 comments during one story's week of updates -- was the late-November fatal shooting of Tyler Keinonen, 31, by Bend police Office Erick Supplee as Keinonen left a home that had been the focus of a drug raid hours earlier.
Third was the late-August chase and shooting of a 34-year-old Texas man, William Edward Hall, by OSP troopers after they say he drew a gun during a traffic stop, triggering a chase over Santiam Pass and through Sisters, to the Cloverdale area. District Attorney Patrick Flaherty later said an investigation found that officers fired 20 shots, four of which hit Hall -- but before those bullets could take his life, he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The fourth-viewed story was the search and eventual sad outcome of the hunt for a missing Bend man, Jonathan Sullivan-Shipley, whose body was found by a hunter near Chemult after almost three weeks, and whose death was ruled a suicide.
No. 5 on the KTVZ.COM most-viewed list was the frightening, 330-acre Stagecoach Fire northeast of Gilchrist in northern Klamath County that miraculously spared a cabin thought lost, thanks to defensible space. A La Pine man was arrested and accused of leaving a campfire unattended on BLM land that sparked the blaze, which prompted evacuation of 120 homes in two subdivisions south of La Pine.
No. 6 was a story on the frigid cold snap that hit the High Desert in early December, with record or near-record lows, like 32-below in La Pine, gelled school bus fuel to delay or cancel classes, broke many sprinkler and water pipes and canceled Bend's Christmas Parade for the first time ever.
No. 7 on our most-clicked list was a mid-October crash that killed two Sisters residents when the driver swerved to avoid a deer and lost control of his car on rain-slickened Hwy. 20 west of Sisters.
No. 8 was a 100-acre-plus Browns Creek wildfire that forced the evacuations of hundreds of campers near Wickiup Reservoir in late July.
No. 9 was the 51,000-acre Sunnyside Turnoff Fire on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation that cost more than $5 million to put out and also forced evacuations, including the Kah-Nee-Ta Resort, which was then used as a base for firefighters.
No. 10 (when stories are combined) was the tragic string of three deaths in the Oregon woods among crews that fight fires or support those who do, including contract tree-faller John Hammack, 58, of Madras, a well-known long-time rodeo cowboy who was struck by a falling tree-top on Aug. 1 while helping on a small fire about seven miles west of Sisters. Another man was injured by the falling snag.
Firefighter Jesse Trader, 19, of Albany, died days later when his water truck overturned on southern Oregon's Big Windy Fire complex, and on the day of Trader's memorial service, another contractor, Kevin Hall of Ontario, died of a medical emergency while working on an Eastern Oregon wildfire.
Crimes, solved and unsolved, capture attention
Possibly the biggest Bend story of the year, in terms of one-day drama, was a string of early-morning arson fires on March 6 that heavily damaged the Trinity Hall of Trinity Episcopal Church. By year's end, there still was no word of suspects or any arrests.
Another big Bend story that promises lasting impacts in coming years across the High Desert was OSU-Cascades' selection of a west Bend campus site for its four-year expansion.
An iconic piece of Bend -- Mirror Pond -- continued to spark controversy all year, as the silt problem defied easy solution of community consensus while turning parts of the pond into more of a swampy wetlands. Some sought restoration and others thought removing the dam to make the area more natural was the ticket. And then the century-old Pacific Power hydroelectric dam that formed the pond sprang a leak. The pond was lowered for an inspection -- and when the utility said it wanted to hand off the dam, rather than fix and operate it, talks ensued and the pond's fate continued to be murky.
Water also was at the heart of another Bend political debate that began well before 2013 and lasted all year long. There were more delays and a continued court fight, but toward the end, glimmers of hope in talks toward a possible compromise to resolve the years-old dispute over the city of Bend's proposed water pipeline replacement project.
Political issues that prompted tumult in Washington, D.C., also had serious impacts on the High Desert, from the spring sequestration cuts and the October federal government shutdown to the trouble-plagued rollout of the Cover Oregon health insurance Website. Also, several Central Oregon runners were near the Boston Marathon finish line when two blasts rocked the area in April.
The war in Afghanistan may be winding down, but it continued to hit home hard on the High Desert, as in May, an IED killed five troops in an armored vehicle, including Spc. Brandon Prescott, 24, of Bend.
There was better news on the Central Oregon economic front, as the recovery from the Great Recession solidified in reduced unemployment, fewer foreclosures and plenty of housing starts and sales. The signs of growth also were back in other ways, such as major road projects under way on the south end of Bend, at Reed Market and Murphy roads.
Also among the top-headline stories of the year in Central Oregon, and surely among the most emotional was the survival saga of Chance, a dog dragged and severely injured by a car in Terrebonne last July -- what appeared at first to be intentional but investigators insisted was a tragic combination in which the dog apparently jumped or fell out out of the window and was then dragged by its leash beneath a car. Details released by the DA didn't convince many it was a tragic accident, but all marveled and greeted the dog's return to health.
Several court cases drew headlines, including the mid-January guilty pleas and late-April sentencing of disgraced Bend real estate agent Tami Sawyer and her former police captain husband, Kevin, who avoided trial with a plea deal and were sentenced to years in prison -- nine for her, two-plus for him -- for fraud, money-laundering and other crimes. They also were ordered to repay nearly $6 million to investors they defrauded, but when victims might see any of that money is hard to say.
Another long and controversial Bend criminal case ended in June, when Bend resident Bret Biedscheid got a 90-day jail term in the hit-and-run crash that killed Anthony "Tony" Martin as he crossed NE Third Street with his bike on Jan. 26, 2011.
While some cases reached a conclusion in 2013, there were several new deadly crimes on the High Desert as well, including the late January arrest of a La Pine man, Lawrence Loeffler, 86, in the shooting death of his wife of 39 years, Betty, 83, which brought a jury conviction and life prison sentence in September. Not much later, in early February, came the arrest of Luke Wirkkala in the fatal shooting of David Ryder at a Bend home.
The drumbeat of violent crime continued to make news through the year, including the late-April fatal shooting of Devon Moschetti, 19, during a rabbit-hunting outing south of Madras. Montana Silk Marlatt, 24, was arrested on murder and manslaughter charges in that case.
In early July, a Deschutes County sheriff's deputy fatally shot Cindy Shepard after going to a home to investigate a report of suspicious activity. DA Patrick Flaherty ruled the shooting justified after the woman ignored verbal commands to disarm and fired several shots, then raised a shotgun toward deputies before the fatal shooting by Deputy Mike Sundberg.
A violent storm of heavy rain, hail and lightning in late August raked the region with 6,500 lightning strikes in a day, destroyed crops and did other destruction in Jefferson County, but the biggest tragedy was the death of Madras farmer Bret Hemenway, whose wife Connie also was injured when lightning struck the large tree the motorcyclists had taken shelter under during an intense thunderstorm north of Madras.
Another tragedy hit the area around that time, as a Prineville man allegedly ran a stop sign and struck a motorcycle on Highway 97 south of Madras, fatally injuring Jefferson County EMS Chief Don Heckathorn. Gerald Green surrendered to face charges of criminally negligent homicide and felony hit-and-run.
Late August also was when Joshua Leo Jokinen was arrested in the killing of Cloverdale horse breeder Carolyn Burdick, 78, who was fatally hit on the head with a shovel at her home.
Late in the year, a familiar, if hidden face returned to the headlines, as the "Big-Belly Bandit," as some came to call Bend's serial bank robber, struck for the first time in nearly a year -- but his third holdup of the same downtown Home Federal Bank branch in 18 months, and fifth overall, police believe. Officers were following up on every lead they could in hopes of stopping him from striking again.
A pair of elections brought good news for local agencies, as in May, voters approved a new Bend-La Pine School Bond and five years of funding for Deschutes County 911 and the La Pine Rural Fire District The November election saw new room taxes and other money measures pass -- and Culver schools get a long-sought bond measure by the barest of margins.
Wild weather, in the form of strong winds also made news in early December when gusts sent a tall Ponderosa pine toppling and crashing through the Ski Inn Restaurant in downtown Sisters, fortunately causing no serious injuries.
The sports world brought some great news for two Central Oregonians on the global stage, as 2012 Olympic decathlon champion Ashton Eaton captured another gold medal, this time in the world championships in Moscow. And Chris Horner gave hope and a lift to middle-aged cyclists everywhere when the 42-year-old Bend resident became the oldest competitor to win the Tour of Spain.
Central Oregon travelers, for business or pleasure, could look to the skies for other good news, as Redmond Airport landed a new non-stop American Airlines flight to LAX.
The coming year promises to bring its share challenges and triumphs as well, from the upcoming Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia to the already heating up May primary and November general elections, and a worrisome long dry spell toward the end of 2013 that could bring the "D word" -- drought -- and related issues back before us in 2014.


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Santa is coming! Santa is coming! The aftermath of Santa leaves boxes and paper that fill your recycle bin and garbage through Valentine's Day. Why not build a play structure out of the bits instead?
My husband and I built snowmen we found on Pinterest for our kids this Christmas. We found a large, medium, and small box for each child, filled the boxes with their Christmas presents, and then wrapped them in freezer paper we had from last year's Christmas gifts. As a final touch, I crocheted a Cars scarf for my son, and am finishing up an Adventure Time Jake Scarf for my daughter. But after the kids dismantle their snowmen on Christmas morning, what are we going to do with the boxes?
Yes, boxes are one of the best toys ever, but they take up a large amount of space when nobody is playing with them. Why not cut a cardboard box into pieces and make slits so the pieces fit together but can store flat? This is just one idea from Inner Child Fun — they have many more.
Continue Reading "And a Thrifty New Year: Tips to Reuse, Upcycle, and Craft Away This Holiday Season" »