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Andre Dickens
City Council Post 3 At-Large
In your opinion, what are the three greatest issues (problems or opportunities) facing Atlanta?
Job Creation and Retention continues to be a major focus for our city as we work our way out of the recession. As the City of Atlanta continues to strive to be the preferred place to start and own a business, we must take care of our existing businesses as well as our local entrepreneurs by ensuring advocacy for and access to the myriad of local, state and federal programs available to small business owners. By increasing the job opportunities at all levels, we can continue to lift the individuals who are more experienced, while also filling positions for less-skilled workers. In addition to creating jobs, making sure that there is equitable access to these new opportunities is also key. Workplace equality is not only good for business; it's good for Atlanta. Looking long-term, I will also advocate for programs to help our unskilled workers acquire a pathway out of perpetual poverty by equipping them with training and knowledge. If we invest in the future and help people by giving them the tools to break prior trends, I believe our entire community will benefit. Rising tides lift all boats.
The second issue is safer neighborhoods, which I believe everyone deserves. Although we've seen a reduction in crime over the past few years, I think we still have room for improvement. People don't "feel" safe and most of us either know someone, like me, who has been the victim of crime and/or have experienced it first hand. (*My home was burglarized and one of my campaign staffers was recently mugged in Midtown.) I believe the challenge with creating safer neighborhoods is that the solution must be integrative and scalable over time.
Collectively, we can achieve public safety goals through a combination of 1) increased police presence (as a crime deterrent, visibility helps build community trust,) 2) removing blight and vacant properties that are a haven for crime, 3) initiating programs for youth to decrease petty crimes and lastly, 4) improving our school system by instituting best practices that have proven to be effective in cities facing similar challenges.
The third, but not least, issue is higher ethics in government. The current office holder has proven to have numerous ethical challenges. It is time for us to no longer tolerate unethical behavior – in any form. Some may argue that there are no absolutes, but to me, as a public servant the bottom line is about acknowledging right from wrong – even in so called, gray areas. You are either trustworthy or not. Ethics is knowing the difference between what you "can do" by virtue of position, and what is "right to do."
As stewards of the public's trust, I believe the onus is on elected officials to avoid conflicts of interest and comply with all ethics codes and regulations. The city's ethics code was strengthened in 2002 to ensure citizens that officials are acting in their best interest. I strongly support upholding the code of ethics and being accountable to the people of Atlanta in both word and deed.
Describe briefly your qualifications for holding this office.
I received my BS in Chemical Engineering from Georgia Tech and will complete a Masters of Public Administration from Georgia State this fall.
I currently work at Georgia Tech as an assistant director in the Office of Institute Diversity managing the graduate recruitment program, incoming freshmen programs, the African-American Male Initiative, and other programs that aim at improving retention and graduation rates of students. I have authored and been funded on several grants that led to job creation and student development. I manage numerous budgets in excess of $500,000. I report my expenses and performance outcomes to the Georgia Board of Regents annually.
Previously, I worked as a chemical engineer and chemical salesperson. I became salesperson of the year for a multi-national firm because of my ability to negotiate and manage the interests of hundreds of clients. My engineering background aids me in the solving complex problems, making process driven decisions and "building" things to fill a need.
Along with my sister, I co-founded City Living Home Furnishings in Atlanta, which grew into a multi-million dollar business with two locations and over 20 employees. My experience as a small-businessman and Georgia Tech administrator will offer a more compelling profile to voters who want someone who can effectively manage the city's finances and help Atlanta retain and recruit businesses of all sizes.
From a leadership standpoint, I been the president and vice president of the Underwood Hills Neighborhood Association in northwest Atlanta. I have been the rep for NPU-D where we worked on numerous zoning and land use matters, and was a founding member of the Northwest Communities Alliance where I helped to ensure smart growth occured along the northwest corridor. We formed a coalition of neighborhoods to strategically and carefully craft an agreement with a master developer, Wal-mart, and the community. I also work with the Westside Communities Alliance, Southwest Atlanta Youth Business Organization, Youth Enhancement Services, Pentorship, and numerous other community based organizations that look to improve the condition and education of Atlanta's youth and seniors.
Other relevant experience includes being a proud alum of the United Way VIP program which trained me on how to fund, manage, and grow non-profit organizations. I am also an alum of the American Institute for Managing Diversity which trained me on how to manage the similarities, differences, and tensions within any group of people, organizations, or ideologies. Both of the experiences have prepared me with transferable knowledge and skills to become an effectual public servant who understands Atlanta's diverse community of stakeholders.
Last but not least, I am an ordained deacon, Sunday school teacher, and finance chairperson for my church, New Horizon Baptist Church. These roles have deeply influenced the core of my personal fabric by keeping me in tune with the human condition – the challenges, trials, and triumphs that people face daily. Because of this lens, I have learned to listen more closely, show patience in finding creative and sustainable solutions, and understand the value of collaborating to find the sweet spot between the faith-based community, business community, and the people.
What events or experiences caused you to decide to run for this office?
I am running for Atlanta City Council Post 3 because I love Atlanta. This city has given me the opportunity to get a good education at Benjamin E. Mays High School and The Georgia Institute of Technology, to own my own small business, to live in Underwood Hills a neighborhood that is safe and healthy, to worship at New Horizon Baptist Church and to work as a young professional at GA Tech helping to mold our next generation of leaders. Currently I am a student at Georgia State University finishing my masters in public administration (exp 2013). I set out 2 years ago to learn more about the inner workings of public policy and how to run a government before bidding for office.
I offer myself for public office with great humility and anticipation that I will have much to learn. Likewise, I'm also confident that I have a lot to offer as an engineer, a small businessman, from my experience in higher Ed and a deeply faithful person.
I truly care about the future of the city and believe we can build on the successes of those who precede us and learn from missed opportunities. I've seen how we can grow when we work together and stifle when elected officials are not responsive to serious constituent concerns.
While I agree Atlanta is a great city, I decided to run for office because I believe in more – we deserve an even better Atlanta. We deserve safer neighborhoods, good paying jobs, and ethical government. The current office holder has proven to have numerous ethical challenges. It is time to say to unethical leaders that there is no more room to "wiggle" ethics from an absolute to a grey area. For voters in Atlanta who agree with a basic premise of right from wrong, I want to give them a viable alternative.
Please identify up to five organizations or individuals who are actively supporting your candidacy.
1) Former Mayor Shirley Franklin
2) Michael Koblantz, Northwest Communicites Alliance
3) Former State Rep Ralph Long
4) Shelitha Robertson, Attorney
Describe how you think that your candidacy will improve upon what the current officeholder has accomplished in the past.
Our government is based on a few very simple ideals. One of these ideals is that the people must trust their government. Without that trust, our system just doesn't work. The people – you and me – start to lose our faith in the very fabric that binds us together.
Unfortunately, some politicians do things that erode our trust in the very foundations of government – they forget that it's our government; it's not their government. They don't play by the rules. They ignore the laws. They try to do things that specifically weaken your oversight of your government by attempting to weaken our Ethics Laws.
Unfortunately, the incumbent is one of those politicians who has lost the trust of many voters because of his constant ethical problems in his personal and professional life. I believe I can better represent the people of Atlanta.
I want to work with you to improve economic opportunity for all Atlantans. I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to start a business with my sister that grew to 20 employees and nearly $3 million a year in revenue. We recruited, hired, trained and promoted people within our company. We understood that the company could only be as good as our people, so we invested the time and resources necessary to ensure that our employees had the skills to succeed in the workplace.
In the years to come, we will need to do a better job serving the city with fewer resources. I know I don't have all of the answers, but I know that by working with the people and organizations like yours, we can create the right solutions for our city. We need to be accountable to the people. We must also better engage the public as to their vision of the city. I believe that using key learnings from my personal experiences and professional experiences as an entrepreneur and at Georgia Tech, I can help build an even greater Atlanta.
On difficult votes, how would you manage collaborating with your colleagues on citywide issues versus representing your own constituents?
Post 3 At Large is a citywide seat. While I must live in districts 9, 10, 11 or 12, I represent the entire city. I see the role of the at Large seat as one that works with district representatives to create shared growth across the city such that all areas and stakeholders of Atlanta reach their fullest potential. I will listen to my colleagues and all constituents while promoting the best practices discovered across the whole city. My diverse background in business, education, and the community will serve me very well as I strike a balance between them all to find optimum solutions. While I am a team player, I am an independent thinker that seeks input from all sources before making decisions, particularly the difficult decisions that we will face. As an engineer, I am analytical and process driven with the belief that process is just as important as outcomes.
What is your vision for the city of Atlanta and what can we do to maintain our competitive edge?
I want to work with people across Atlanta to make this the greatest city we can be. We have some of the greatest assets a city can hope to have: some of the greatest universities, the world's busiest airport, among the highest concentrations of Fortune 500 companies, a phenomenal quality of life. Our city changed the world because of our leadership role in the Civil Rights Movement.
In the new millineum, we will need to be even better and implement the best practices of others. We need to do a better job of ensuring that every Atlantan has the opportunity to do great things. I believe we are all endowed with value and that we all want to contribute to a better society through the work we do.
I want to work with you to make Atlanta the greatest place possible for economic opportunity – whether that means building a company or getting a good paying job. If you work hard and play by the rules, I believe there should be a path for upward mobility for you here. I want entrepreneurs to look at Atlanta as the best place to start and build a company. And I want a workforce program that meets the needs of our people and our businesses for 21st Century job training and career development.
I also believe that we must do the hard work of ensuring that the children who are raised in Atlanta have access to a world class education and the greatest opportunities on this planet. As a father, I want more for my children than I had for myself.
I believe we must set high goals for our city and that we must work with the public to attain those lofty aspirations.
We need only to look to leaders like Atlanta's own, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Benjamin E. Mays to know that we are a city of dreamers, but we must be dreamers with shovels in our hand! We can also look to leaders who heeded that call to know that we are a city capable of getting the (hard) jobs done. It is our legacy. Working together, I want to help make that our future.
In your opinion, what are the three greatest infrastructure problems facing Atlanta over the next four years?
1. The estimated $1 billion of above ground infrastructure backlog of repairs needed for the city's streets, bridges and sidewalks
2. Completion of the multi-billion water and sewer consent decree
3. Continued investment in Hartsfield-Jackson airport
How would you pay for these improvements?
In order to be a world-class city, we must invest in safe and walkable roads, bridges, and sidewalk infrastructure. Mayor Reed has referred to this as "above ground" infrastructure and estimated Atlanta's backlog to be as large as $1 billion. This issue, like our water and sewer challenges when they first were presented, does not come with a dedicated source of revenue. However, it's vital that we address infrastructure, as Atlanta's brand would suffer irreparable damage if a bridge were to collapse or a building fell because of disrepair. I would advocate for exploring our funding options, including the possibility of investing a portion of the MOST tax in above ground infrastructure and voting on a new bond referendum that takes advantage of the city's improved financial condition and the recovering economy. Whatever Atlanta does, the money must be well-spent and the project effectively managed to keep the public's trust.
Secondly, we must continue meeting deadlines and budgets for the ongoing water and sewer consent decree. The city has done a commendable job of managing the consent decree and those efforts must be continued for the "below ground" infrastructure. The best way to ensure the project's continued solvency is managing the project with transparency, so that city leaders can strongly advocate for continued passage of MOST taxes. This sets Atlanta up nicely to leverage our well-documented record of making local investments before requesting national ones, in our quest for continued federal support.
Thirdly, we must continue innovating and investing in Hartsfield-Jackson Airport to ensure that it remains dominant and competitive. That includes planning for another new terminal and runway in the long-term. I have read about the ongoing master planning process, and I believe that the best way to keep our airport at the top is working with the airlines and FAA while preserving our strong bond ratings so municipal investors will have the confidence they need to continue to invest.
As a first-time candidate, I acknowledge that I don't have access to all the information that incumbent council members have at their disposal. However, I believe that creative and data driven-decisions will serve our city best, and if elected, I am committed to helping to solve our infrastructure challenges.


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Delicious lineup: 9 new ballpark foods you have to try
SUNRISE DOG (Kauffmann Stadium, Kansas City Royals): Start your game off with breakfast. This jumbo hot dog is topped with a fried egg, bacon, cheddar and white sausage gravy.PHOTO: Aramark
APPLE PIE NACHOS (Coors Field, Colorado Rockies): Nachos are a stadium staple, but this is a sweet spin. Cinnamon sugar chips are topped with apple pie filling, shredded cheese, whipped cream and caramel.PHOTO: Aramark
SPAM GRILLED CHEESE (Minute Maid Park, Houston Astros): Is anyone quite sure what SPAM is made of? Oh who cares, get some cheese and Texas Toast and you've got a fantastic twist on a classic.PHOTO: Aramark
LOBSTER POUTINE STAK (Fenway Park, Boston Red Sox): Poutine is all the rage now, so of course it's made its way to one of America's great cathedrals for the game. These steak fries are covered with lobster meat, cheese curds, bisque and chives.PHOTO: Aramark
BRAISED KIELBASA REUBEN (PNC Park, Pittsburgh Pirates): It's Pittsburgh -- you better believe there's going to be a heart-stopping sandwich. This one comes with kielbasa and the traditional Reuben elements of sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and a house sauce served on marble rye bread.PHOTO: Aramark
HARRY THE K'S PASTRAMI SAUSAGE (Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia Phillies): Named for the late great broadcaster Harry Kalas, this dog come with pastrami sausage, hickory smoked bacon, red cabbage and Tarragon mustard.PHOTO: Aramark
SURF & TURF KEBAB (Fenway Park, Boston Red Sox): Seafood or beef? Why choose just one? The skewer comes with shrimp, marinated steak tips, fresh green and red peppers on a roll.PHOTO: Aramark
SHORT RIB CHEESE CURDS (Kauffmann Stadium, Kansas City Royals): Simple and delicious. These curds come with a chipotle ranch dip.PHOTO: Aramark
CHURRO "DESSERT" POUTINE (Rogers Centre): It's the ninth inning, time for dessert! Head north of the border for these churros served with vanilla ice cream and warm caramel sauce.PHOTO: Aramark
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If you get taken out to a ball game, there's more to enjoy than peanuts and Cracker Jack to enjoy.
Every year, ballparks double down on unique eats, and this year is no different. As Opening Day approaches, here are nine innings worth of new dishes.


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Entries in 'rock band' (10)
Opinion: Guitar Hero and Rock Band struggles highlight PS4 and Xbox One's biggest challenge
If you're a fan of plastic instruments, the last week's headlines haven't made pleasant reading.
Harmonix cancels Rock Band 4 PC, 'disappointed' game missed crowdfunding goal
Developer Harmonix has ditched the PC version of Rock Band 4.
Harmonix opens $1.5m crowdfunding effort to launch Rock Band 4 on PC
Rock Band 4 developer and co-publisher Harmonix is asking for whopping $1.5m to bring Rock Band 4 on PC.
There's a Rock Band VR game coming to Oculus Rift
After bringing its Rock Band franchise back this year, Harmonix is now set to launch the IP on Oculus Rift.
'Rock Band 4 captures the genius of the original Rock Band and Guitar Hero'
Led Zeppelin waited 27, Pink Floyd held on for 24 and Blur took 16: in comparison to rock and roll reunions, the five-year gap since the last Rock Band game ...
VIDEO: Rock Band 4 has a release date
Rock Band's encore will return to rocking this October.
Who will go to Rock Band's reunion tour?
There was a time when everyone was playing Rock Band and Guitar Hero. And then they stopped. All of them. At the same time.
We'll avoid an arms race with Guitar Hero, says Harmonix
The creator of Rock Band has vowed not to saturate the market with games when the franchise returns this year.
Is VR going to change the world? Find out in this week's MCV
Now that consumer virtual reality headsets are finally on the horizon, are they really going to change the world as firms like Oculus would have us believe?
New Rock Band in development for PS4, Xbox One - report
A new Rock Band effort is reportedly in the works for Sony and Microsoft's latest consoles.


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Our pick-of-the-month with Midtown Scholar Bookstore examines the life of Hermann Rorschach, the famous test he devised, and its endurance in today's world.]]>
This April, fracking regulations and clean water provisions are making statewide headlines again. If you want to go beyond the news reports to understand the human stories that lie beneath, let PEN/Hemingway Award-winning author Jennifer Haigh (Dickinson '90) be your guide.
Haigh's latest novel, HEAT AND LIGHT, charts the contested relationships between Pennsylvania's farmers and drillers, activists and agencies, citizens and corporations--on the most intimate, personal level. She trains her writerly lens on women and men's diverse ways of experiencing family and community in the fictional Bakerton, inspired by her Cambria County hometown. The characters' intertwined, emotionally resonant stories, spanning the 1970s to nearly the present day and undergirded throughout by a keen sense of place, reveal profound truths about their social and interior lives--and our own.
Deeper than Americans' addiction to fossil fuels, sharper than the clash of agriculture versus the energy industry, the fractured connections between parents and children, friends and lovers, and husbands and wives are at the crux of this riveting novel.
Forty years ago, Bakerton coal fueled the United States. Then the mines closed, and the town wore away like a bar of soap. Now Bakerton has been granted a surprise third act: it sits squarely atop the Marcellus Shale's massive deposit of natural gas.
To drill or not to drill? Prison guard Rich Devlin leases his mineral rights to finance his dream of farming. He doesn't count on the truck traffic and nonstop noise, his brother's skepticism or the paranoia of his wife, Shelby. Meanwhile his neighbors, organic dairy farmers Mack and Rena, hold out against the drilling--until a passionate environmental activist disrupts their lives.
Told through a cast of characters whose lives are increasingly bound by the opposing interests that underpin the national debate, HEAT AND LIGHT depicts a community blessed and cursed by its natural resources. Haigh offers a dispatch from the heart of Pennsylvania in a work of searing moral clarity, a courageous and necessary book.
Imperfect men and women aspire to better themselves and their families, grapple with small lies that become dangerous secrets, fend off addictions, fight off assaults, feign to help one another, act with selfish abandon, offer grace and forgiveness, spur or spurn retribution, struggle with the consequences of past and present choices, tragically fail to value what should matter most, and in rare cases demonstrate the compelling heroism of following their convictions at momentous turns.
In the grooves, fissures, and strippins of the story, Haigh recalls the determinative moments in her characters' lives. A Middletown ranch house on the morning of Three Mile Island's meltdown. A 1970s Penn State campus assault. A Houston billionaire's penthouse, a Baltimore junkie's hovel. Against the backdrop of farmhouses and taverns, in a prayer-filled Main Street church or in a protest-riven University quad, these women and men's ordinary heartaches and heart's-desires come into sharp relief.
Haigh's crisp language, finely crafted metaphors, and powerful voice have earned comparisons to Sinclair Lewis's social novels. HEAT AND LIGHT is reminiscent, too, of Upton Sinclair's OIL! She has recast the historical and contemporary evolution of Pennsylvania's coal, nuclear power, and natural gas industries as classic Americana fiction.
Among the most remarkable chapters are those relating Three Mile Island's accident and its aftermath, through the viewpoint of the Biblically-entrusted procedural Handbook and the unconcerned eyes of a seven-year-old boy. Her vividly drawn characters ply readers' emotions and invest us in their longings, their moral lapses, their desperate exit-strategies, and their last-ditch attempts to recalibrate their daily lives when disasters loom.
Read-with-us this spring! Then join other WITF /Midtown Scholar Pick-of-the-Month book club readers on Saturday, October 14, when the Midtown Scholar Bookstore welcomes author Jennifer Haigh as a keynote speaker at the 2017 Harrisburg Book Festival.]]>
Not every extraordinary event is the result of skill, talent, or perseverance; calamity occurs at random times and in random places. Author and economics professor Gary Smith explores the role of luck in both our daily lives and broader society in "What the Luck?: The Surprising Role of Chance in Our Everyday Lives".
The concept of "regression to the mean" is frequently misunderstood, and Smith's clear, understandable, and witty writing style helps him guide the reader through confusion about the role of chance and how random variations influence so many choices and perceptions of truth. Through his relatable examples, we can see through fallacies, change the way we see our lives, and learn to rely less on random chance.
"Regression to the mean" seeks to explain, with statistics, the role of luck in our day-to-day lives. Failure to appreciate and understand luck and chance can impact decisions in sports, education, medicine, business, politics, and more. It can lead us to see illness when we are not sick and to see cures when treatments are worthless. Teaching methods in our schools, and training methods in our corporations and military, are developed and implemented based on a lack of understanding of statistics and the regression to the mean. Perfectly natural random variation can lead us to attach meaning to the meaningless.
Smith's previous bestseller was "Standard Deviations: Flawed Assumptions, Tortured Data, and Other Ways to Lie with Statistics". Gary Smith is the Fletcher Jones Professor of Economics at Pomona College in Claremont, California. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from Yale University and taught there as an Assistant Professor for seven years. He has won two teaching awards and has written (or co-authored) eighty academic papers and twelve books.]]>
If you need a break from the angry and divisive rhetoric of this political season, you're probably ready to laugh and gasp at the antics of American political leaders of the past. Alternatively, if you yearn for a return to a simpler time of civility, competence, and decorum, you may be shocked to discover no such time really existed. Either way, you can explore it all in Political Suicide: Missteps, Peccadilloes, Bad Calls, Backroom Hijinx, Sordid Pasts, Rotten Breaks, and Just Plain Dumb Mistakes in the Annals of American Politics by Erin McHugh.
From Andrew Jackson to Rod Blagojevich, Warren Harding to Anthony Weiner, it's hard to overstate how amazing, bizarre and dumb the actions of our nation's elected leaders have been throughout history. Some scandals involve bad decisions, some show true corruption, and others the embarrassing and humiliating public baring of private peccadilloes. Modern recording equipment leave evidence on tape that would have been mere rumor in the past, and today's smart phones just seem to make things worse for everyone involved. And the old lesson that "the cover-up is worse than the crime" is one that has to be learned again and again.
* The "Petticoat Affair" was a battle among the wives of some of the most senior men in in Andrew Jackson's Cabinet, as they worked to socially ostracize Secretary of War John Eaton and his wife Peggy, who had grown up in her father's boarding house and bar in Washington and was considered to be "unfit" for DC society. It led to the complete reshuffling of Jackson's Cabinet, the rise of Martin Van Buren - eventually to the Presidency, and the loss of Vice President John C. Calhoun's dream to succeed Jackson. Reflecting later, Jackson said he would "rather have live vermin on my back than the tongue of one of these Washington women on my reputation."
* The Teapot Dome Scandal of the 1920s involved bribery, no bid contracts, the first Cabinet Secretary to ever be sentenced to prison, and a break-in at the office of the Senator overseeing the subsequent investigation. Imagine what the social media coverage would be like today.
Erin McHugh is a former publishing executive and the award-winning author of more than twenty books of popular nonfiction, trivia, and history, including Like My Mother Always Said...: Wise Words, Witty Warnings, and Odd Advice We Never Forget and A Good Book for a Bad Day. She has written for Bloomberg News, TimeOut New York, and GreenSource, and is a contributing writer at Better Homes & Gardens. She lives in New York City.
--Aaron's Books]]>
Almost every parent, teacher, administrator, and elected official has a strong opinion on what is wrong with our nation's public schools. But there seems to be little agreement on how to make things better.
Sir Ken Robinson, professor emeritus at the University of Warwick in the UK, and one of the world's most influential voices on creativity and human potential focuses on this critical issue with "Creative Schools: The Grassroots Revolution That's Transforming Education". In this book, Robinson and co-author Lou Aronica reject the testing model so prevalent in today's school in favor of a highly personalized, organic approach that promotes critical thinking and a love of learning ahead of memorization of specific facts and formulas.
Standardized testing is big business, and that factor has an outsized influence on education reform. Robinson uses anecdotes, observations and recommendations from professionals on the front line of transformative education, as well as case histories, and groundbreaking research challenge the reader to re-consider the real nature and purpose of education.
"Creative Schools is one of those rare books that not only inspires and brings a new sense of possibility to the goal of transforming education, but also lays out an actionable strategy. Ken Robinson is leading a daring revolution to change how we understand schools, learning, and most importantly, the passion and talent of our students. This is a global game-changer and I'm in."--Brene Brown, author of the recent national bestseller "Daring Greatly"
Robinson's 2006 TED Talk on education is the most viewed in the organization's history, and his previous books "The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything," and "Finding Your Element: How to Discover Your Talents and Passions and Transform Your Life" were international bestsellers.
--Aaron's Books]]>
A group of young animal friends gather with Miss Bingo the flamingo to read and enjoy nursery rhymes, which leads to making up their own rhymes and stories. This inventive and whimsical new picture book "Make Way for Readers" was written by Judy Sierra and illustrated by G. Brian Karas.
The characters truly come to life with colored-pencil illustrations and they enjoy Mother Goose and other favorites in a way that leads to giggles among readers young and old. The text is perfect for young readers to read to even younger book lovers, and it demonstrates the way a good story can capture a young group of friends whether or not they already know about kittens and mittens, Miss Muffet, her tuffet, and sugar, and spice.
Judy Sierra is a past winner of the E.B. White Read Aloud Award and holds a PhD in folklore and mythology from UCLA. Her previous beloved books include "Wild About Books", "Suppose You Meet a Dinosaur: A First Book of Manners", and "The Secret Science Project That Almost Ate the School". She lives in Portland, Oregon.
Acclaimed artist G. Brian Karas is well known for his work in numerous picture books, including "Muncha! Mincha! Muncha!", "Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla", and "If You're Not Here, Please Raise Your Hand: Poems about School". He lives in upstate New York.
--Aaron's Books]]>
Author and magazine editor Janice Kaplan spent a year working to approach every day and every situation with gratitude. The changes she was able to make in her own life, combined with the lessons she learned from interviews with researchers and celebrities are contained in "The Gratitude Diaries: How a Year Looking on the Bright Side Can Transform Your Life".
Soon after she left her position as Editor-in-Chief of Parade magazine, Kaplan began working with the John Templeton Foundation on a research study about how Americans view gratitude. Through this work, she began to understand how important this approach to life can be, yet how few of us embrace it. This led her to decide - while at a New Year's Eve party she was definitely not enjoying - to apply these lessons to her own life each day and see where she might end up by the next New Year's Eve.
After only a short time, Kaplan began to understand what researchers meant by being able to re-wire one's own brain patterns to focus on gratitude rather than problems. "I quickly realized that gratitude wasn't the same as happiness--it has a much deeper resonance ... It requires active emotional involvement-- you can't be passively grateful, you have to stop and feel it, experience the emotion."
Kaplan guides the reader not only through her own experiences, but also through the research of leading experts about how a person's decision to be emotionally involved in a positive way can make an impact on a marriage and other family relationships, as well as one's outlook on money and careers, and even the impact one the body's health. The changes she makes in her own life convince her own friends and family to embrace similar practices.
Her interviews with celebrities like Matt Damon, Daniel Craig, and Jerry Seinfeld add another fun and informative element to the conversation.
On the importance of gratitude, Kaplan likes to refer to the quote from the great Roman orator Cicero: "Gratitude is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all others."
This month's pick is part of WITF's Transforming Health project. Through September the public is invited to participate in "A Summer Read," a unique program that encourages residents to visit local libraries to borrow "The Gratitude Diaries" and hold discussions with their book clubs, friends, family and colleagues. The "Summer Read" campaign will culminate with a special Author Event featuring Janice Kaplan in October.
For more information visit TransformingHealth.org.
--by Aaron's Books]]>
In 2011, educator and philosopher Cornel West partnered with public television and public radio host Tavis Smiley on a "Poverty Tour" to highlight the plight of the impoverished population of the United States. The 18-city bus tour led to a week-long special on the "Tavis Smiley" show on PBS and then to the book "The Rich and the Rest of Us".
In this challenging but accessible book, Smiley and Dr. West argue that dwindling opportunities in an increasingly paralyzed nation should force all of us to confront the underlying conditions of systemic poverty in America before it's too late. They place the fight to end multi-generational poverty in the context of our nation's greatest fights for social transformation, including the abolition of slavery, woman's suffrage, and the labor and civil rights movements, and they build on the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., whose work was so heavily focused on economic inequality.
With 150 million Americans persistently poor or near poor, the highest numbers in over five decades, Smiley and West challenge the reader to re-examine their preconceived notions of the cause and effect of poverty in this nation and they issue a "manifesto" with the steps necessary to eradicate it.
Tavis Smiley is the host of "Tavis Smiley" on WITF and PBS stations across the country, as well as and Public Radio International's The Tavis Smiley Show. He is also the bestselling author of numerous books.
Dr. Cornel West is considered one of America's most provocative public voices on the racial, economic and philosophic issues of our times. His writing, speaking, and teaching weave together the traditions of the black Baptist church, progressive politics, and jazz. He recently left a prominent post and Princeton University to return as Professor of Philosophy and Christian Practice at Union Theological Seminary in New York City.
--Aaron's Books
The June Pick of the Month is part of WITF's Chasing the Dream: Poverty and Opportunity in America project. It's a multi-platform public media initiative that provides a deeper understanding of the impact of poverty on American society. Funding for this initiative is provided by The JPB and Ford Foundations. With additional local support from Capital Area Intermediate Unit, the Community First Fund, Lancaster-Lebanon Habitat for Humanity and ReStore and Tri County Community Action. Learn more at witf.org/ChasingTheDream.
As WITF's Chasing the Dream coverage continues, we invite you to a free public forum. Thursday June 9th from 6 to 8pm at the Public Media Center in Harrisburg. What's it like to live within poverty's grip? What can communities do to ensure affordable housing and quality education is available for all? Be part of this important conversation. Register online here.]]>
In the summer of 2013, National Public Radio star Scott Simon tweeted to the world: "Mother called: 'I can't talk. I'm surrounded by handsome men.' Emergency surgery. If you can hold a thought for her now." From there, he kept up a very public social media conversation about his mother's illness and ultimate death from lung cancer that stirred passionate conversations about grief, sadness, and privacy.
In his book Unforgettable: A Son, a Mother, and the Lessons of a Lifetime, Simon relates his decision to make his grief public in real time, and his response to critics who thought his mother deserved a more private death. Simon's memories of his life with his mother are laced with her humor and strength. Giving voice to the experience we all have of confronting our parents' deaths, Unforgettable is one man's tribute to his mother's colorful life and graceful death, but it is also a powerful portrait of the universal bond between mother and child.
In one real-time message, he summarizes their relationship and their current circumstances: "I am getting a life's lesson about grace from my mother in the ICU. We never stop learning from our mothers, do we?"
During that summer, Simon became a public voice for people who wanted more public acknowledgement of death, dying, and grief. He began to advocate for honesty and openness during the process, the ability to recognize and honor grief, and importance of friends and family to say farewell to the dying rather than denial. He pushed back against those questioning whether he was violating his mother's privacy or dignity, explaining that they both knew how public their journey was, and that neither had any regrets.
After she died, Simon sent his final messages. "My mother died and I mourned. That's as much a part of life as love and taxes. Why be quiet about it?"
The tweets Simon sent from his mother's bedside as she lay dying in a Chicago hospital room garnered media attention from The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Today Show, and more. Simon's mother was a glamorous woman of the Mad Men era who worked in nightclubs, modeled, dated mobsters and movie stars, and was a brave single parent. Unforgettable relates her life and death with eyes wide open, and shows how real death is for everyone, regardless of our attempts to ignore it.
Scott Simon is one of America's most admired writers and broadcasters, having reported from all over the world and from many wars. He is now the award-winning host of Weekend Edition Saturday. With over 4 million listeners it is the most-listened to news program on NPR. Simon has won a Peabody and an Emmy for his reporting and also has over 1.2 million followers on Twitter.
--Aaron's Books]]>
In "The Opposite of Spoiled", Ron Lieber - the popular "Your Money" columnist for the New York Times and bestselling author - offers parents insights into how to talk openly with children throughout their lives about money and to teach them to be more generous, less materialistic and "the opposite of spoiled". No matter the reader's income level, Lieber offers every parent a guide to improving their children's understanding of money.
Lieber, who is a father as well as a personal finance columnist, believes good parenting includes a recognition that children are always aware about money and they have questions that need to be answered about what the family truly values. Parents who are reluctant to pursue these discussions lose the opportunity to model basic financial behaviors.
The Opposite of Spoiled is written in a warm, accessible voice and uses examples from families with a range of incomes. It offers practical advice on how to handle the basics where parenting, childhood, and money connect, including: the tooth fairy, allowance, chores, charity, saving, birthdays, holidays, cell phones, checking accounts, clothing, cars, part-time jobs and college tuition.
Before joining The Times in 2008, Lieber wrote the Wall Street Journal's "Green Thumb" personal finance column, was part of the start-up team at the paper's Personal Journal section and worked at Fortune and Fast Company magazines. He is the author or co-author of three books, including the New York Times bestseller "Taking Time Off". He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, fellow New York Times reporter Jodi Kantor, and their daughter.
--Aaron's Books]]>
Beloved radio host Diane Rehm has been a fixture on public radio since 1979. Her connection with her guests and her audience is legendary. Now, in her deeply personal and moving new book "On My Own" she shares her own story, through the long drawn-out death (from Parkinson's) of John, her husband of 54 years, and of her struggle to reconstruct her life without him.
Diane was recently a special guest on WITF's Smart Talk and discussed with Scott LaMar her book and her life since John's death. The full interview can be heard here.
John's unnecessarily extended death - he begged to be helped to die - culminated in his taking matters into his own hands, simply refusing to take water, food, and medication. His heroic actions challenged Diane to become personally involved in the "right to die" movement that is slowly taking shape in our country. With the brave determination that has characterized her whole life, she is finding a meaningful new way to contribute to the world.
With John gone, Diane was indeed "on her own", coping with the inevitable practical issues and, more important, with the profoundly emotional ones. What to do, how to react, reaching out again into the world struggling to create a new reality for herself while clinging to memories of the past. Her focus is on her own roller-coaster experiences, but she also solicited the moving stories of such recently widowed friends as Roger Mudd and Susan Stamberg, which work to expose the reader to a remarkable range of reactions to the death of a spouse.
Diane is the host of "The Diane Rehm Show", which originates on WAMU 88.5 FM in Washington, D.C. and has a weekly listening audience of 2.5 million people. It can be heard on WITF 89.5 & 93.3 every weekday, starting at 10:00 a.m.
--Aaron's Books]]>
World-renowned historian Eric Foner provides the reader a profound and important new window into pre-Civil War America and the conflicts related to slavery that rippled through both the South and the North in Gateway to Freedom: The Hidden History of the Underground Railroad. The dramatic story of fugitive slaves and the antislavery activists who defied the law to help them reach freedom.
Foner won the Pulitzer Prize for History, Lincoln Prize, and the Bancroft Prize in 2011 for The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery. He also won the Bancroft Prize in 1989 for his book Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution.
Now, building on fresh evidence, the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian reconfigures our understanding of the national saga of American slavery and the perilous road to freedom. He brings memorable characters forward for their first appearance on the historical stage amid the controversy over fugitive slaves that inflamed the sectional crisis of the 1850s. This is the story of the courageous effort to fight slavery by "practical abolition," person by person, family by family. Foner makes especial use of a detailed record of slave escapes secretly kept by Sydney Howard Gay, one of the key organizers of the Underground Railroad.
The Underground Railroad grew from the work of the Vigilance Committees, formed in in Northern cities in the 1830s and 40s by free blacks and white abolitionists to protect fugitives and fight kidnappings. Slave catchers and gangs of kidnappers roamed these cities, especially New York City, seizing free blacks, often children, and sending them south to slavery.
The vigilance committees began collaborating to guide fugitive slaves up to Albany, Syracuse, and Canada. Forced to operate in secrecy by hostile laws, courts, and politicians, the Underground Railroad agents helped thousands of fugitive slaves reach freedom between 1830 and 1860.
Eric Foner is DeWitt Clinton Professor of History at Columbia University. In 2006 he received the Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching at Columbia University. He has served as president of the Organization of American Historians, the American Historical Association, and the Society of American Historians. He lives in New York City.
--Aaron's Books]]>
Exploring the latest discoveries in psychology and neuroscience, alongside numerous insights from the "messy minds" of well-known artists and visionaries, "Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind" tries to explain what the most creative people among us do that sets them apart, and how each of us can stimulate our own creativity.
Researcher Scott Barry Kaufman and writer Carolyn Gregoire collaborated on an incredibly popular 2014 Huffington Post article "18 Things That Creative People Do Differently" www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/04/creativity-habits_n_4859769.html , which generated five million views and 500,000 Facebook shares in one week. From there, they developed this well-researched and engaging book which reveals what we know about creativity, and what anyone can do to enhance this essential aspect of their lives and work.
Engaging and lively, "Wired to Create" explores the attributes and habits of highly creative people in each chapter, including: Daydreaming, Taking Time for Solitude, Seeking out New Experiences, Nurturing Emotional Sensitivity, Turning Challenges into Opportunities for Growth, Following Passions, Practicing Mindfulness.
Stories and insights come from such creative luminaries as Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Marcel Proust, David Foster Wallace, Thomas Edison, Josephine Baker, John Lennon, Michael Jackson, video-game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, and many others.
Comparable to "Quiet", Susan Cain's recent bestselling study of introverts. "Wired to Create" allows those with a creative mind, and those who aspire to develop one, to see themselves in a positive light and enhance their strengths, even though they are not always the most conventional ones.
Scott Barry Kaufman, Ph.D., is Scientific Director of The Imagination Institute in the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania, where he investigates the development and measurement of intelligence, creativity, and personality. He is the author of "Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined". He writes the blog Beautiful Minds for Scientific American, and regularly gives keynotes and workshops on the development of intelligence, creativity, and human potential.
Carolyn Gregoire is a Senior Writer at the Huffington Post, where she reports on psychology, mental health and neuroscience. She has spoken at TEDx and the Harvard Public Health Forum, and has appeared on MSNBC, The Today Show, The History Channel and HuffPost Live.
- Aaron's Books]]>
Ten years ago, noted scholar Philip Tetlock gained international attention with a landmark study demonstrating that experts' predictions are only slightly better than chance, whether on global or local issues. But Tetlock is more interested in an underreported conclusion in his same same study - some people do have real foresight.
So who are the people that understand what is likely to happen, and how can we all get better at making predictions? Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction is Tetlock's answer, co-written with author Dan Gardner. For the past decade, Tetlock has worked on the Good Judgment Project, studying ordinary people who are able to sift through trends and seemingly unrelated information to draw more accurate conclusions about upcoming events than experts in their field.
In its review, Kirkus described Superforcasting this way: "In this captivating book, Tetlock argues that success is all about the approach: foresight is not a gift but rather a product of a particular way of thinking."
The Good Judgment Project involves tens of thousands of ordinary people--including a Brooklyn filmmaker, a retired pipe installer, and a former ballroom dancer--who set out to forecast global events. Some of the volunteers have turned out to be astonishingly good. They've beaten other benchmarks, competitors, and prediction markets. They've even beaten the collective judgment of intelligence analysts with access to classified information. They are "superforecasters."
Tetlock demonstrated that good forecasting doesn't require powerful computers or arcane methods. It involves gathering evidence from a variety of sources, thinking probabilistically, working in teams, keeping score, and being willing to admit error and change course. Superforecasting offers the first demonstrably effective way any individual, group, or public or private entity can improve our ability to predict the future--whether in business, finance, politics, international affairs, or daily life.
Philip E. Tetlock is the Annenberg University Professor at the University of Pennsylvania and holds appointments in the psychology and political science departments and the Wharton School of Business. Dan Gardner is a journalist and the author of Risk and Future Babble: Why Pundits are Hedgehogs and Foxes Know Best.]]>
Historian Wil Haygood, best known for his groundbreaking look behind the scenes at the White House in "The Butler," now highlights the life and legacy of the key legal mind of the Civil Rights movement in Showdown: Thurgood Marshall and the Supreme Court Nomination That Changed America.
Thurgood Marshall arguably changed our nation's legal system more before he even joined the Supreme Court than when he served on it. He brought down the separate-but-equal doctrine, integrated public schools, and fought for human rights and human dignity. "Showdown" is an important new work that details the life and career of one of the most transformative legal minds of the past one hundred years.
Haygood uses the framework of the dramatic, contentious five-day Senate hearing to confirm Marshall as the country's first African-American Supreme Court justice, to study not only Marshall's life and legacy, but also the numerous politicians, lawyers, activists, and others who shaped--or desperately tried to stop--the 20-century civil rights movement, including President Lyndon Johnson; Congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr., whose scandals almost cost Marshall the Supreme Court judgeship; Harry and Harriette Moore, the Florida NAACP workers killed by the KKK; Justice J. Waties Waring, a racist lawyer from South Carolina, who, after being appointed to the federal court, became such a champion of civil rights that he was forced to flee the South; John, Robert, and Ted Kennedy; Senator Strom Thurmond, the renowned racist from South Carolina, who had a secret black mistress and child; and Senator James Eastland of Mississippi, the head of the Senate Judiciary Committee, who stated that segregation was "the law of nature, the law of God".
Haygood is currently a Visiting Distinguished Professor in the department of media, journalism, and film at Miami University, Ohio. For nearly three decades he was a journalist, serving as a national and foreign correspondent at The Boston Globe, where he was a Pulitzer Prize finalist, and then at The Washington Post. "The Butler: A Witness to History" was the basis for the award winning film "The Butler". His biographies of Adam Clayton Powell Jr., Sammy Davis Jr., and Sugar Ray Robinson have also garnered wide acclaim.


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Norway: Terror now
Blaming Islam for terrorism is like blaming Christianity for the senseless slaughter committed by a Norwegian Christian fundamentalist (A Nation Of Peace Shattered - Front Page, July 23). Now I know how some Muslims must feel when the insane actions of a few get attached to the faith of the many.
Rev. John Van Sloten, New Hope Christian Reformed Church, Calgary
A Norwegian official, after the recent bombing and shooting: "It seems it's not Islamic-terror related. This seems like a madman's work." John McCain, when asked if Barack Obama was an Arab: "No, ma'am, he's a decent family man." Perhaps there is a trend here?
Sally Reid, Victoria
There is no excusing the vicious terror attacks in Norway. Only a seriously perverted mind could conceive of murdering innocent people for the sake of any cause.
The cause in this case is likely Islamic immigration to Europe and the Americas in the past few years.
Electing left or right-wing parliamentarians is a valid and democratic way to induce political change. Resorting to terrorism is not, no matter the perceived injustice.
Len Bennett, Montreal
Terror then
The publication of the picture of the destruction of the King David Hotel (A Moment In Time - July 22), and the loss of 91 lives therein, brought back sad memories.
As someone who had been brought up to deplore anti-Semitism in all its forms, I was confronted with a challenge to my support for Israel as a state. No country had been more receptive to the Jews than Britain.
At its root was violence and terrorism. Sadly, "sow the wind and reap the whirlwind."
Malcolm Muth, Port Dover, Ont.
Crime beat
While Jeffrey Simpson lambastes the federal government for its refusal to consider the evidence of falling crime rates when pushing its "tough on crime" agenda, he fails to commend them for consistency (Tories Judge Evidence Of Falling Rates As Inadmissible - Comment, July 23).
Consistency in government policy is so rare. Yet this government is an evidence-free zone when it comes to prisons, safe injection sites, asbestos, the climate crisis and environmental assessments. Surely, it should be commended for that.
Or perhaps not. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen."
Elizabeth May, MP, Saanich-Gulf Islands, B.C., Leader of the Green Party of Canada
Police-reported crime statistics should not be treated as being equivalent to the Canadian crime rate. It is encouraging to see police-reported crime show a further decline (PM's Agenda Decried As Crime Falls - July 22).
This must, however, be tempered by the results of the Canadian Criminal Victimization Survey, which showed that crimes being reported to police actually decreased to just 31 per cent in 2009 from 34 per cent in 2004. Over two-thirds of Canadian property and violent crimes are never reported.
Bernie Magnan, chief economist, Vancouver Board of Trade
On the lam
Now that the federal government has compiled and publicized a list of 30 most-wanted "suspected" war criminals (Tories Release List Of Most-Wanted War Crime Suspects - July 22), I look forward to Jason Kenney and Vic Toews releasing similar lists of most wanted but already "clearly identified" income-tax evaders, environmental polluters and workplace safety law-ignorers.
The lists would no doubt be much longer, and the treasury returns could also be much greater. Then again, the "satisfy the conservative voter" payback would be non-existent.
Harvey Krahn, Edmonton
Those iconic Jets
I can't say I much like the Jets' new logo (Jets Logo Takes Military Look - Sports, July 23): It looks like it was designed to please Don Cherry.
But even if it wasn't, I just wish the designers had taken what seems like the obvious step. If they had to go on about heritage and history, and if they had to have a symbol of a jet on the logo, why didn't they select the Avro Arrow?
Nigel Brachi, Edmonton
Selectively great
As John Allemang scans the field of greatness (A Question Of Greatness - Focus, July 23), his reflections are largely limited to just one part of the global ballpark: Europe and North America.
Alexander the Great gets consideration, but not Genghis Khan, whose empire was far greater than any person before or since. The Borgia and Medici popes get a quick look from the coach, but not Buddha, who was a pretty heavy hitter. Lincoln, Pericles, and Churchill are among the candidates for history's Cooperstown, but not Gandhi or Mandela. Like the so-called World Series, this world is unnecessarily small.
Daniel Wood, Vancouver
Red River woes
No one begrudges the need in Alberta's Special Areas for water for domestic and livestock use (Quenching An Age-Old Thirst - July 23).
But Special Areas have a land mass of some 5 million acres with a population of only 5,000. Irrigating even part of this arid land is nothing short of an irresponsible use of water.
An old agreement with Saskatchewan and Manitoba apportions 50 per cent of all eastward flowing waters that cross interprovincial boundaries. In the past the Red Deer River has subsidized the Bow and Oldman Rivers to meet the apportionment, because the Bow and Oldman help irrigate Alberta's southern regions.
It is no wonder there is concern all along the Red Deer River basin.
Lorna Watkinson-Zimmer, Red Deer, Alta.
Stiletto attack
Somehow your article on cottage style (Cottage Style Grows Up, Goes Glam - Style, July 23) ended up in the wrong section; it should have been in Comics.
If anybody showed up at our cottage in that little checked cotton dress and four inch heels, she would be laughed off the dock.
Paula McPherson, St. Catharines, Ont.
Remembering Elwy
After reading your obituary of Elwy Yost, TV Ontario host (Movies Came To Life On Saturday Nights - July 23), I got the giggles remembering his interview with a senior citizens' kazoo band.
While 30 or so seniors hummed through their vibrating toy kazoos, Elwy, with a twinkle in his eye and barely able to control himself, stood in front of them and congratulated them for their fine music. A priceless moment.
Warner Winter, Toronto
A sentence in a letter to the editor by Bernie Magnan on Monday should have read, "Over two-thirds of Canadian property and violent crimes are never reported," but, owing to an editing error, did not.Report Typo/Error
Follow us on Twitter: @GlobeDebate


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I was amazed to see all of the adult webcams and sites that are offered on the world wide web. A friend of mine had told me how she was making a great income at home by creating her own adult website. She had explained how it took very little money and the hardest part was creating the perfect website and to keep the traffic coming in on a regular basis. I kinda laughed at her and thought she was losing it!
I am not laughing at her anymore, last year alone she had made almost 30,000 just from home and on her own time. She is getting financially stable enough to where she has her house almost completely paid off and is going to quite her day job. She plans on continuing with her website for as long as she can and just keep banking in on the money.


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Seven languages in seven weeks : a pragmatic guide to learning programming languages
- Responsibility
- Bruce A. Tate.
- Language
- English.
- Imprint
- Dallas, Tex. : Pragmatic Bookshelf ; Farnham : O'Reilly [distributor], c2010.
- Physical description
- ix, 302 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.
- Series
- Pragmatic programmers.
Available online
Engineering Library (Terman)
|Call number
More options
- Author/Creator
- Tate, Bruce, 1965-
- Bibliography
- Includes bibliographical references (p. [297]) and index.
- Contents
- Introduction
- Ruby
- Io
- Prolog
- Scala
- Erlang
- Clojure
- Haskell
- Wrap-up.
- Publisher's Summary
- Ruby, Io, Prolog, Scala, Erlang, Clojure, Haskell. With Seven Languages in Seven Weeks, by Bruce A. Tate, you'll go beyond the syntax-and beyond the 20-minute tutorial you'll find someplace online. This book has an audacious goal: to present a meaningful exploration of seven languages within a single book. Rather than serve as a complete reference or installation guide, Seven Languages hits what's essential and unique about each language. Moreover, this approach will help teach you how to grok new languages. For each language, you'll solve a nontrivial problem, using techniques that show off the language's most important features. As the book proceeds, you'll discover the strengths and weaknesses of the languages, while dissecting the process of learning languages quickly--for example, finding the typing and programming models, decision structures, and how you interact with them. Among this group of seven, you'll explore the most critical programming models of our time. Learn the dynamic typing that makes Ruby, Python, and Perl so flexible and compelling. Understand the underlying prototype system that's at the heart of JavaScript. See how pattern matching in Prolog shaped the development of Scala and Erlang. Discover how pure functional programming in Haskell is different from the Lisp family of languages, including Clojure. Explore the concurrency techniques that are quickly becoming the backbone of a new generation of Internet applications. Find out how to use Erlang's let-it-crash philosophy for building fault-tolerant systems. Understand the actor model that drives concurrency design in Io and Scala. Learn how Clojure uses versioning to solve some of the most difficult concurrency problems. It's all here, all in one place. Use the concepts from one language to find creative solutions in another-or discover a language that may become one of your favorites.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)9781934356593 20160611
Bibliographic information
- Publication date
- 2010
- Title Variation
- 7 languages in 7 weeks
- Series
- Pragmatic programmers
- 9781934356593 (pbk.)
- 193435659X (pbk.)
Browse related items
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AIDS Issues Update Blog
Dispatches from the fight against homelessness and AIDS
Housing Works Elected to UNAIDS Coordinating Board
Posted by Sunny Bjerk , January 09, 2013
Image courtesy of unaids.org
Dear Friends,
I am pleased to tell you that Housing Works has been elected as a representative to the NGO delegation of the Programme Coordinating Board of UNAIDS at the Programme Coordinating Board's December meeting. I will be representing Housing Works in that role over the next two years.
If you are unfamiliar with the "PCB," it is the governing body of UNAIDS. Its membership includes 22 UN member states, 12 UN sponsoring organizations, and, unlike any other United Nations entity or program, five NGO seats that are shared among 10 NGO's who rotate as an alternate representative. The 10 NGOs are selected from five regions of the world. Housing Works is one of two North American representatives.
NGO's generally serve for two or three year terms. NGO's on the PCB cannot vote, but they can participate in debate and can propose "decision points." By tradition, the Board makes its decisions by consensus, making the right to vote less important. Also by tradition, the NGO delegations operates by consensus as the voice of people living with HIV, key at-risk populations, and organized civil society.
I am proceeded in this position by the MSM Global Forum, ably represented by George Ayala, and am currently serving with Ebony Johnson, who represents the International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS.
Housing Works applied for this role with a couple of goals in mind. First, we would like to ensure that HIV/AIDS is included in substantive ways in the United Nations' post-2015 development goals. Second, we would like to see UNAIDS promote housing and other structural interventions that need to be implemented along with biomedical approaches if the disparities in the AIDS pandemic are truly to be addressed. Third, we see this as a forum for grappling with the human rights injustices, particularly those impacting on the LGBT community, people who use drugs, sex workers, and homeless people, that perpetuate the epidemic.
I would like to take advantage of this list to broaden C2EA's awareness of the role of international bodies such as UNAIDS in the fight against AIDS, the role the United States plays in these bodies, and the role that these bodies can play impacting on US policy, both domestic and international. Moreover, I am supposed to be representing you. So I would love to hear from you.
Charles King, President/CEO Housing Works
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Hawaii island police are investigating an attempted robbery at the Waiakea Villas complex in Hilo on Oct. 31.
About 8 p.m., police received a report from a 49-year-old Hilo man that while walking in the complex toward his vehicle in the parking lot, he was accosted by a man who brandished a weapon and demanded money. After the victim refused the demand, the suspect fled the area. The victim was not injured in the robbery attempt.
The suspect is described as a local male in his late 20s, about 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing about 200 pounds with a light mustache. He was wearing a black T-shirt, dark shorts and a cap embroidered with the words "BJ Penn."
Police are released a composite drawing of the suspect. Anyone who may know the identity of the suspect or who has any information on this incident is asked to call the Police Department's nonemergency line at 935-3311 or to contact Detective Dean Uyetake at 961-2379 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call CrimeStoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona.


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Windows 7 HP (64bit)
Intel Core i7-2600 Quad 3.4Ghz
8GB DDR3 1333Mhz RAM
Nvidia Geforce GTX 550TI
So my main problem is I want to upgrade my Video Card, Im currently running a GTX 550TI and want to upgrade to the 660.
When I had the computer built, I had the 600w PSU put in on purpose (Even tho HP said 460 was enough) becuase I wanted to be able to upgrade in the future. Judging by what Ive been able to find on the internet. The 660 requires 24 Amps on the +12V rail and a 450W PSU. Im not entirely sure how to find this out other than what is displayed on the side of my PSU
Do I have enough power to "power" my new 660? I dont want to damage anything and have been told that with the 75Ws from the PCI slot and the 1x6 Pin connector that I should be all right but Im just not sure. Amps confuse me to death, or at least, my psu does =p (Also wasnt sure where to post this )
Ive read on tomshardware that the 550ti required 24Amps, but at the same time none of those rails say 24 amps so im soo bumfuzzled lol


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Gold Imports by India May Top 100 Tons for a Second MonthPrabhudatta Mishra
Gold imports by India, the world's largest consumer, are set to exceed 100 metric tons for a second month in May as jewelers rush to beat central bank curbs on overseas bullion purchases by banks, a refiner said.
The biggest slump in gold prices in more than three decades on April 15 spurred banks, traders and jewelers to import more than 100 tons last month, said Rajesh Khosla, managing director of MMTC-PAMP India Pvt. Purchases this month will match April's imports, he said. MMTC-PAMP's refinery in northern Indian state of Haryana can process 100 tons of gold, 600 tons of silver and make 2.5 million pieces of coins a year, he said.
The Reserve Bank of India, or RBI, will issue guidelines by the end of this month to restrict banks from importing gold on a consignment basis as it seeks to reduce domestic demand and curb a record current-account deficit, the central bank said on May 3. Banks will be allowed to buy on a consignment basis to meet only genuine needs of exporters of jewelry. The bulk of the imports by banks now is on a consignment basis that doesn't require them to fund the purchase, RBI said.
"The imports this month look as good as in April as everyone is trying to import as much as possible before the RBI guidelines are issued," Khosla said in an interview in New Delhi yesterday. "The price looks good, let's import,' every jeweler seems to be saying. Time will tell whether they were right or not?"
Supply Shortage
Retail buyers flocked to jewelry stores and bank outlets in India to buy ornaments and coins after gold plummeted 14 percent in two sessions through April 15 in the worst slide since 1983, causing a shortage in supplies. The Reserve Bank has said the current-account shortfall, exacerbated by bullion imports, and consumer-price inflation above 10 percent are among risks that constrain room for further interest rate cuts to revive economic growth from the lowest in a decade.
"At current prices, it looks the imports will be more than last year," said Khosla, whose refinery is a venture between state-owned MMTC Ltd. and PAMP SA of Switzerland. "If the central bank wants to restrict, imports will fall."
India's gold imports dropped 11 percent last year to 860 tons from a record 969 tons in 2011, the World Gold Council estimates. Demand for jewelry and investment fell to 864.2 tons in 2012, the second straight year of decline, it said.
Transitory Impact
"The net impact on Indian gold imports as a whole would very much depend on how quickly affected banks can adapt to the new requirements and the capability of others to fill any gaps this might create in the market," UBS AG said in a report today. "The impact, if any, is expected to be transitory in any case, and overall import volumes would ultimately be determined by underlying demand.
India has tripled import taxes on gold from as low as 2 percent in January last year after the current-account deficit, the broadest measure of trade, widened and the rupee slumped to a record against the U.S. dollar. Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram has blamed the deficit on a ''passion'' for gold, saying the gap is a greater concern than the worst budget deficit among the so-called BRIC nations. The deficit widened to $32.6 billion in the last quarter of 2012.
While bullion has rebounded from a two-year low of $1,321.95 an ounce on April 16, driven by coin and jewelry demand from the U.S. to China and India, it is 24 percent below the record $1,921.15 reached in 2011. Gold for immediate delivery was 1.1 percent higher at $1,468.45 an ounce at 5:57 p.m. in Mumbai.
Stabilizing Prices
''The global price of gold seems to have stabilized at current levels,'' Khosla said. ''Further increase in the price depends on economic recovery in the U.S. and Europe.''
Gold fell into a bear market in April as investors sold the metal in favor of riskier assets, spurred by expectations that the global economy was recovering. Holdings in the SPDR Gold Trust, the biggest bullion-backed exchange-traded product, fell 0.4 percent to 1,057.79 metric tons yesterday, the lowest level since March 2009, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Gold imports by China from Hong Kong more than doubled to a record in March as buyers in the biggest consumer after India boosted purchases. Mainland buyers purchased 223,519 kilograms (223.52 tons), including scrap, compared with 97,106 kilograms in February, Hong Kong government data showed yesterday.
Festival Demand
Retail demand for gold in India was good ahead of the wedding season and the Akshaya Tritiya festival on May 13, Bachhraj Bamalwa, a director and former chairman of the All India Gems & Jewellery Trade Federation, said yesterday. Jewelers are paying between $10 an ounce and $12 an ounce over the London cash price to secure supplies, compared with $2 an ounce before the price slump, he said.
Akshaya Tritiya festival is considered by the country's more than 900 million Hindus as the traditional day to buy precious metals. Bullion is bought during festivals and marriages as part of the bridal trousseau or gifted in the form of jewelry by relatives.
The appetite for gold continued to be ''very strong'' in India and an index of physical flows showed demand five times that of a 12-month average, UBS said on May 3. ''Appetite is likely to hold up as we get closer to the Akshaya Tritiya festival,'' it said.


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There is a some irony in the world when it comes to people being fat or skinny. On one side you get countries that have individuals who are hungry with no food to eat and then you also get the countries where people are obese and overweight. The issue of obesity has been growing by leaps and bounds, and there are many reasons for this.
Lack of physical activity
With the advancement of technology, there are many ways that people can perform tasks with less effort. While this is a good thing, it also makes people lazy, and a human body is meant to be active in order to work well, The body's metabolism slows down when there is less activity, and therefore, it does not break down food properly and will not burn fat.
Carbohydrates or fat is used by the body as a form of energy and if this source of fuel is not made use of the body will store it for a time when it will require energy. In such cases, you will see a person putting on more weight.
Unhealthy food
The food we eat directly affects our body, and this is no secret. People have become used to eating fast food and not healthy home cooked food. Modern society has made people busy, and, therefore, time constraints have not allowed people to take care of their health.
In such situations, you must find a way to keep your body healthy. You can do this by opting for some weight loss supplements. However, you must only go for products that are made with natural ingredients.
How do you know if you are overweight?
Many people do not realize this but being overweight does not mean just being heavy. You can also weigh more than you should if your bone density is high and you have more muscles. However, being overweight with too much fat is what can cause multiple health issues.
Accumulated fat over a period of years will cause your midsection to grow, and the extreme case of this is what's called obesity. To check if you are overweight, you should calculate your BMI or Body Mass Index. It considers your height, weight, and age to verify if you are the right weight.
Whatever you do, you must try to live a healthy lifestyle. Exercise and healthy diet has no replacement, and if you can stick to a good routine, you can avoid all the complications that come with being obese.


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Off the Beaten Track: Boulder City Amersfoort2014-05-18 Share Tweet
It may not be as romantic as Paris, as cool as Berlin, or as beautiful as Amsterdam, but my home town Amersfoort is still worth a visit if you want to go off the beaten track.
Amersfoort, locally known as boulder city (thanks to a local legend involving a nobleman, a bet, beer, and a buried rock), is a quiet little town smack in the middle of the Netherlands. Located between the urban centers of Amsterdam and Utrecht, and the rural forest area of the Veluwe, it has everything a photography lover needs.
Medieval gate with towers and turrets? Typical Dutch canals? Check? Serpentine alleys and frivolous masonry? Check. Check. Large church tower without a church? Check. Wait — what? Yeah, our pride and glory, the Onze-lieve-vrouwe-toren (Tower of Our Lady) lost its church during the French rule in the 1800s. It was used as an ammunition depot and exploded. It left a nice square though, the perfect spot for a summer drink in one of the cafes surrounding it.
But, let's continue our tour. It's not all ancient stuff. We got swept up in the march of civilization, too. Modern architecture? Check. Museum of Modern Art? Check. It's worth checking out the museum, as they have changing exhibitions with international artists that are often quite good. And you're allowed to take pictures.
Restaurants? Bars? City beach? Check, check, and check. My favourite part of town is a bit of industrial heritage. It's a collection of gorgeous brick factories and workplaces that used to belong to the National Railway, and now houses all kinds of creative industries. It´s the perfect place for a little photo safari.
So next time you visit the Netherlands, skip Amsterdam, Leiden, and Utrecht, and come on down to Amersfoort. I'll be happy to show you around.
written by stratski on 2014-05-18 #places #trip #location #city #netherlands #holland #urban-adventures #amersfoort #select-type-of-location


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Camp Nah-Jee-Wahbased on 0 reviews (review)
Camp Directors - Update this ListingCamp Location: Milford, Pennsylvania, United States
Ages: 6 to 11 years old
Gender: Male and Female
Camp type:Day and Overnight
Session dates:
Cost (range): $500 - $1,000 a week
Contact Person:
Phone: 570-296-8596
Mailing Address:
Camp Website
Camp's Description
Nah-Jee-Wah - ages 6-11; offers a fantastic athletic, arts, aquatics and adventure training program which enable children to grow and develop into well-rounded individuals. Friendships and memories are life-long and our staff are top-notch!
Campers live in cabins which house 10 to 12 children. There is one bunk counselor for every five children. Each cabin is equipped with bathrooms and showers and wooden bunk beds with built-in ladders and guard rails.
Camp chefs and bakers prepare nourishing, tasty meals in our modern, kosher kitchen. During lunch and dinner there are salad bars with lettuces, fresh vegetables, beans, a variety of special salads as well as hot pasta and sauce. A vegetarian alternative is made available at every animal based meal as well. All foods are prepared in accordance with dietary laws.
We offer trips to


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News and Rumors
Pirates Interested in Many Bats
News and Rumors
Jon Paul Morosi mentions on Twitter that the Pittsburgh Pirates are interested in many bats right now, according to a source. He mentions one name as Omar Infante, a utility player for the Florida Marlins. Infante has a .266/.314/.330 line in 406 at-bats this year, playing second base. In his career he's played second, third, short, and all three outfield positions. He's making $2.5 M this year, plus up to $1 M in performance bonuses based on plate appearances. He does project as a Type B free agent, so he could possibly fetch the Pirates a first round comp pick in the 2012 draft. As for his short term value, he doesn't profile as anything more than a bench option for the Pirates.
We've heard that the Pirates also have Jason Kubel as their top target, but that the Twins don't want...
This content is for Pirates Prospects subscribers only. Subscribers get access to all of our daily articles on the Pirates and their minor league system, with live coverage throughout the system on a daily basis. Our lowest rates are $2.22 per month under our Top Prospect Plan, which also gets you a 40% discount on the 2017 Prospect Guide. Subscribe today to access all of our daily coverage of the Pirates' system.
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Tim is the owner and editor in chief of Pirates Prospects. He started the site in January 2009, and turned it into his full time job during the 2011 season. Prior to starting Pirates Prospects, Tim worked with AccuScore.com, providing MLB, NHL, and NFL coverage to various national media outlets, including ESPN Insider, USA Today, Yahoo Sports, and the Wall Street Journal. He also writes the annual Prospect Guide, which is sold through the site. Tim lives in Bradenton, where he provides live coverage all year of Spring Training, mini camp, instructs, the Bradenton Marauders, and the GCL Pirates.
Or, Buster Douglas vs. Tyson. But, unlike Buster analogy, we…


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Contact Us | Site Map | Home
It seems like every time you turn around today you see a new catchphrase, slogan, or lofty claim. At First Bank of Dalton we operate differently. From your first savings account to planning for retirement, we will walk with you every step of the way. As your financial partner you will receive prompt personal attention to your financial needs.
Remember when you could pick up the phone and talk to a banker you knew? As a First Bank of Dalton customer you will have the unique opportunity to develop a lasting relationship with banking professionals who really care about you, and your success. Not just selling you a bunch of services you don't need.
First Bank of Dalton is a locally owned and managed bank, and decisions about your financial requests are made by local people who live and work in your community. As a local bank we understand what you need to be successful and can customize a solution to meet your financial needs.
We understand we have a responsibility to our community and we work to make our community the best it can be. When you bank with First Bank of Dalton, you are supporting your community. Your money is reinvested locally to support our businesses ad community.
These principals are the reason we are here and we strive every day to serve our customers in a way that proves First Bank of Dalton is "your bank for life."
To report a lost or stolen Visa check card or ATM card during non-banking hours, please call 1-800-500-1044. To report a lost or stolen Visa credit card call 1-800-423-7503.
For more information regarding FDIC insurance coverage visit www.fdic.gov.
24 Hour Telephone Banking Access: 706-277 - INFO (4636)
Main Office Phone: 706-226-5377
Mailing Address: PO Box 459, Dalton, GA 30720
Calhoun Office Phone: 706-629-1500
Mailing Address: PO Box 2075, Calhoun GA 30703


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Create a free account to check out faster, store multiple shipping addresses, view and track your orders in your account, and much more.
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Of all the beauty sins, avoiding sunscreen is the worst. But it's hard to get excited about products that can leave us feeling a bit greasy and, even worse, have a very distinctive "eau de SPF." The perfect solution: a sheer mineral sunscreen that provides UVA and UVB protection and goes on dry. Did we mention that it's water-resistant and as easy to apply as your translucent powder?
I have been a Bare Minerals user for almost 8 years and and love mineral powder foundations. I was happy to try this one but the texture was rather gritty. Bare Minerals (it perhaps my be unfair to compare) is very smooth and creamy to the touch. The coverage of this product was light and rather nice. I just wish it wasn't so gritty.3
I have such a hard time with SPF lotions. I like to use a particular face lotion and I don't like the version with SPF, but that leaves me in a tricky spot as someone who doesn't use foundation and doesn't want sun damage. The colorescience pro sunforgettable is pretty much everything that I wanted! It doesn't make me break out, it doesn't make me look like I have a ton of anything on my face, and it keeps me from getting sunburned. Plus, it's so easy to put on that I'm much more likely to reapply... it's definitely helped me get less sun damage.4
I love this product. Not only did it allow me to carry a non greasy SPF product in my purse, it was easy and quick to apply. I used it on my kids without complaint from them. As a melanoma survivor I am looking for skin protectors that are convenient and effective. This product is pricy but worth the money.4
I love how easy and portable this to tuck into your purse! I have tried many different mineral powders, and some powders are more course, and not as refined as this powder. This powder is so fine it is the perfect finish to reduce shine. It does not replace a foundation in terms of coverage, but is a great finish on top of coverup or foundation. I highly recommend this product.4
This product is great. I love the sunblock without the grease! I use it over my moisturizer that already has SPF 30 in it as well. I only gave it 4 starts because I have not had it on in intense sun exposure yet so we will see. Also, would love it to come in a few more shades. Brilliant though!4
I wear a SPF under my makeup every day but I carry this in my purse for touch up in case of being in the sun more than expected so that I can instead of just powdering my nose powder AND add SPF. Living in south florida it is easy to get more sun than you realize and this is in a great portable package. My only complaint is the price and I took a star off for that.4


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GMO Sugar Beets Are A-OK, Says USDA
Genetically modified sugar beets just got a sweet pass from the USDA yesterday. The agency announced that the crop poses no pest risk and would therefore be deregulated, much to the disappointment of groups like the Center for Food Safety, Organic Seed Alliance, High Mowing Organic Seeds and the Sierra Club, that challenged the agency in a lawsuit stretching back to 2008, on the premise that not enough research had been done over the environmental impacts of the genetically engineered crop.
"We're definitely disappointed, and we think the USDA has made the wrong decision," Paige Tomaselli, staff attorney for the Center for Food Safety tells TakePart.
If you think the ruling doesn't impact you, think again.
MORE: Kashi's GMO Controversy Rages On
Nearly 95 percent of the U.S. sugar beet production is grown from genetically modified seeds -- a swift change from 2005 when they were first approved for planting. More than half of our domestic sugar production comes from sugar beets, the remainder comes from sugar cane.
"With this decision, farmers and distributors can freely move and plant [Roundup Ready] sugar beet without further regulatory oversight," writes the USDA.
While the agency's announcement focuses on pest risk, Tomaselli says there are other very serious concerns including the increase of superweeds caused by resistance to the herbicide glysophate, and cross contamination of non-gmo crops like organic table beets or Swiss chard, often grown in the same regions.
"The USDA admits [GE sugar beets] are going to cause increase glysophate resistant weeds. They're saying that they don't have the authority to regulate Roundup Ready sugar beets and we disagree," says Tomaselli.
Whether or not it will trigger a new round of litigation is still unclear.
Since the original lawsuit, planting of genetically engineered sugar beets was suspended by a federal judge, and later, allowed by the USDA to avoid a sugar shortage, a situation that had worried the food industry. With the deregulation complete, however, expect widespread planting of GM sugar beet to continue.
How do you feel about the steady trickle of GMOs into our food supply?


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| MSHA's Accident Prevention Program
Miner's Tip
Hazards of Acetylene Gas
|Mine Type: All Mines
|Category: General Safety and Maintenance
- Acetylene is chemically unstable which makes it very sensitive to conditions such as excess pressure, excess temperature, static electricity, or mechanical shock. Exposure to any of these conditions can cause it to undergo a violent, explosive decomposition reaction. If this reaction or ignition occurs within the torch base or supply hose it can propagate back into the storage cylinder causing it to explode violently.
- Acetylene is very easy to ignite. In fact, the energy from a static spark capable of igniting acetylene is lower than for any other fuel gas except hydrogen. The static charge developed by walking across a carpet floor on a dry day can be 1700 times greater than that needed to ignite acetylene! When unburned acetylene gas is discharged from a torch, static electricity can be generated at the torch tip. If the tip comes in contact with a ground path, a static spark capable of igniting the gas can occur.
- Acetylene burns at a very fast rate. The very fast burn rate can accelerate the rate at which pressure is generated in an explosion beyond what would occur for other fuels. This makes acetylene explosions more violent than those of other fuels.
- Acetylene forms explosive compounds with copper, brass, copper salts, mercury/mercury salts, silver/silver salts and nitric acid. Under no circumstances should acetylene gas come in contact with unalloyed copper, except in a torch. Any contact of acetylene with high-alloyed copper piping will generate copper acetylide, which is very reactive and may result in a violent explosion. Also, an explosion hazard will result if the gas comes into contact with silver bearing materials such as those used in silver-brazed pipeline joints.
- For additional detailed information on the hazards of acetylene, visit: http://www.mshas.gov/alerts/hazardsofacetylene.htm
|Tag #
|If you have a tip you would like to pass on, you can e-mail it to firstname.lastname@example.com. If your Miner's tip is selected, you will receive credit in this space.


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Westlake High School's jazz band ''Hey Uncle Ray'' performs at the 2012 Westlake Family Fun & Food Festival. (American Press Archives)
Last Modified: Thursday, April 11, 2013 9:52 AM
By Cliff Seiber / American Press
WESTLAKE — It's time to flip the Bosco Burgers and clap for the Cajun and country music as the annual Westlake Family, Fun and Food Festival pops up on the St. Bosco Catholic Church grounds Friday-Sunday, April 12-14.
The theme of this year's celebration is "Rodeo Round-Up."
"In addition to all of the excitement of games, food booths, auctions and bingo, we have live entertainment on stage throughout the weekend," said festival chairman Milissa Thibodeaux. "Festival queen and visiting queens from other events around Southwest Louisiana will also walk across the stage."
The action will begin at 5 p.m. Friday and close at 5 p.m. Sunday.
Activities will include carnival games, fun jumps and slides, pony rides, a petting zoo, bingo, and two auctions, Thibodeaux said. There will be a kid zone, face painting, arts and crafts, a country kitchen, and plants for sale.
"To entice your appetite, the festival offers some of the best food in the area such as tacos, nachos, funnel cakes, shrimp on a stick, boudin, chicken strips, etouffee, ice cream and cotton candy," Thibodeaux said. "A sweet shop filled with all sort of homemade goodies will satisfy the sweet tooth."
On Saturday afternoon a washer-throwing contest and a horseshoe-throwing tournament will be held. A live auction will be at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Also on Sunday, barbecue dinners will be for sale, as well as two contests.
Bands will be Jessie Taylor, Clayton Rougeou and the Wild West Show, Ramblin Cajun Band, Kathlyn Johnson & Band, Ed Jardell & the LA Scramble Band, and Mark Reeves Band.
• St. John Bosco Catholic Church is at 1301 Sampson St.
• Silent auction closes at 5:15 p.m. each day.
• For more information, contact Thibodeaux 660-6071 or email@example.com.
• 5-6:30 p.m., Jessie Taylor.
• 6:30-close, Clayton Rougeou & the Wild West Show.
• Noon-5 p.m. and 6 p.m.-close, bingo.
• 12:15 p.m., introduction of queens.
• 1 p.m., horseshoe and washer-throwing contest.
• 1-4 p.m., The Ramblin Cajuns Band.
• 6 p.m.-close, Kathlyn Johnson & Band.
• 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Ed Jardell and the Louisiana Scramble Band.
• 1 p.m., live auction.
• 2-5 p.m., Mark Reeves Band.
• 3-5 p.m., bingo.


text: Who doesn't enjoy that title???!!! Ever since my daughter could walk, she loved hanging out with me in the garage, whether it was just tinkering around...or one of her favorite activities, making venison jerky, summer sausage or the like. Well, she's almost 10 now and other interests occupy a great deal of her time...nail polish, make up, dancing, boys....stuff that makes little girls happy, and make Dad's trigger finger itchy. So when she asked me late this week if we could make deer jerky, it was not only a surprise, but a welcome invitation. Our set up yesterday morning as we would grind and marinade the meat overnight. My homemade dehydrator makes 6-7 lbs of jerky, so we had 4lbs of venison and 2 lbs of pork/fat. Yes, this deer is almost 3 years old. I found these 2 packages buried while cleaning out my freezer. Typically most people would just throw this meat out, but knowing it had gone from field to freezer with my own hands, I knew it wasn't freezer burnt. I'm going to miss these times as she grows older and it isn't "cool" to hang out with Dad anymore. With everything chopped...it was time to start stuffing through the grinder. Everything ground through the medium and fine plates, then marinated and wrapped to absorb all that flavor overnight. I had brewed a nice malty brown ale a few weeks ago, so it was time to keg that batch....the perfect addition to the jerky. This one went straight from primary fermenter into cornelius keg. Hydrometer reading of 6.7% abv on this batch. So into the kegerator for forced carbination, and chill overnight. So fast forward to today....back to the jerky. The Cabela's Jerky Blaster makes short and quick work of putting the jerky into nice uniform strips. Into the home made dehydrator... It takes about 6 hours total for the jerky to dry to the right consistency. So in the mean time I took the liberty of doing a few quick projects...like wrapping all my folding/nesting handles with stripped paracord. Whenever jerky is drying in the garage, my bud is never too far away. And the yield from the day....nesters cup in the picture for scale... With the jerky done, it was time to hook up the CO2 and tap the keg. And the finished products of both my efforts....yes, it's a lot of work, but not only is rewarding knowing I made this by hand...when compared to actual cost of purchased jerky and craft beer, the price difference of doing it yourself is staggering. So a great late afternoon snack and some BCUSA....nothing finer. Thanks for looking