text:
Novelist. Journalist. Repository of Odd Information.
If you just can't get enough zombies, take a look at my new novel Boomtown Baby, the first chapter of which is available at jukepopserials.com. A new chapter will be added each month. If you like what you see, please leave me a "thumbs up," plus any comments you think I might find useful. I've been toying with this concept for more than a year, but I'm worried that the whole "zombie thing" may have run its course. At least that's what I hear from pretty much everyone I ask in the publishing industry. However, against all logic, I keep plugging away at this thing. Mostly because I'm in love with the characters. Anyway, give it a read and let me know what you think. And if you feel like recommending it to your friends ... I wouldn't mind that at all.
The Devil's Lawn Ornament
The inappropriate or excessive use of lawn statuary has caused many a neighborhood snit. That's because one man's cute little garden gnome, homey-looking concrete porch goose, or lifelike ten-point buck can be another's kitschy, property-value-destroying nightmare.
Given the discord that any one of those objects could cause if it appeared suddenly in a flower bed, it's not hard to imagine the havoc wreaked when Danny Van Istendal parked his own unique bit of statuary on the lawn of his Lumberton, New Jersey, home. According to reports, his neighbors called it demonic and despicable (among a great many other things), and accused it of frightening everything from neighborhood children to the horses at a nearby stable.
One can see their point. Van Istendal's lawn ornament isn't the usual bit of crudely made, side-of-the-road goofiness. It's an eleven-foot-tall, three-thousand-pound statue of a Sumerian fertility god. A really angry one, judging from the look of seething rage on its four-horned, red-eyed, skull-like head.
The statue came to Van Istendal by way of Hollywood. It was originally built as a prop for the 1955 Lana Turner movie The Prodigal, for which it was painted gold and equipped with light-up red eyes. There was a picture of it on the flick's poster. After its acting career (which included a couple of cameos in Tarzan movies) dried up, the piece languished for years in front of a Newark lawn service company. Then, in 1984, it was repositioned on a highway north of the Delaware town of Smyrna. First it welcomed visitors to a travel agency, then to a gallery. The piece was nicknamed the "Buddha," even though there's absolutely nothing Buddha-esque about its glowering visage.
When its former owner decided she'd had enough of the thing, Van Istendal offered $4,000 for it. Ironically, he didn't have a clue about it's Hollywood origins -- he just liked its looks. He hauled it to his property and carefully positioned it on a five-foot mound of dirt with the setting sun at its back so that his own personal pagan god could cast an intimidating shadow across the road out front. "I think this thing overlooking my yard is kind of cool," he told theBurlington County Times. "If it offends you, don't look at it."
The neighborhood was offended and decided that no one should look at it. City officials, using an extremely free interpretation of local zoning ordinances, told Van Istendal that he had to banish his god to a spot where it couldn't be seen from the road. Van Istendal fought the ruling, stating that the statue was already concealed behind a six-foot fence. Actually, "concealed" probably wasn't the right word. The "Buddha" towered over the fencing, allowing it to leer at startled motorists.
These days the statue leers at no one, save for Van Istendal and invited guests.
Recently my occasional writing partner Lou Harry and I went to see World War Z. I knew the plot was radically different from the (awesome) book, but I had no idea they chucked everything. Lou and I discussed the film in an Indianapolis Business Journal piece, which you can read here. The part that bothered me most was that Brad Pitt suffered a very serious injury about halfway through the movie, but within 10 minutes was back on his feet, punching zombies. It only works that way on the silver screen, folks. I call it the Prometheus Effect. All you sci-fi fans know exactly what I'm talking about.
Yours truly was just written up on Coffee With A Canine, a website devoted to writers and their pets. It's of course in conjunction with the recent release of Wedding Dogs: A Celebration of Holy Muttrimony. Check it out here if you'd like to see pictures of me, my son, and (mostly) my dog, Trudy.
Cosmopolitan devoted quite a bit of cyberspace to Wedding Dogs: A Celebration of Holy Muttrimony, which debuts April 16. You can find the images here. If you'd like your own copy of the book, pre-order here.
Barnes & Noble blogger Paul Goat Allen just listed his 20 favorite zombie novels of the last decade, and Night of the Living Trekkies landed at No. 5! Read all about it here. And get your own copy of the greatest Star Trek/zombie mash-up of all time here.
If you enjoy watching cats misbehave (especially ones that aren't yours), then take a look at Get Out of There, Cat! from Running Press. Taken from the pages of Kristina Knapp's popular getoutoftherecat.tumblr.com blog, it features dozens of images of felines sticking their noses where they don't belong. Everyplace from toilets to wine racks to rabbit cages. And of course grocery bags. Cats love grocery bags. The photo captions were provided by me. Give it a look and get ready to laugh.
In honor of the impending release of Wedding Dogs: A Celebration of Holy Muttrimony, I'm offering an essay I wrote a few years ago about my childhood dog, Snoopy. Spoiler Alert: The end is kind of sad.
For the Love of Dog
The domestic canine has evolved from nuisance to helper to man's best friend to family member. And it turns out that's just what we need to become more human.
The other day, as I ladled out $30-a-bag organic dog food to my two mutts, I started feeling guilty about Snoopy.
Not the Peanuts character, but my childhood companion of the same name. Un-neutered, untrained and pretty much uncontrollable (except by me), he was a surly German shepherd-beagle mix who roamed the countryside by day and snoozed in his doghouse by night. He never sat a paw indoors, because to my folks, inviting a big canine into the house was as unthinkable as stabling a horse in the living room. Snoopy and I were forced to part when my family moved to a brand-new house in a brand-new subdivision. It was no place for a semi-wild farm dog, so my parents got rid of him. Just like that. Needless to day, I wasn't consulted. After all, it was 1971 and I was just a kid. And Snoopy, of course, was just a dog.
Fast forward to 2008. My wife and I have a terrier mix named Gracie and a bigger (lots bigger) pit bull-German shepherd named Trudy. They live indoors. They sleep pretty much wherever they please. They enjoy state-of-the-art vet care. And then there's the organic dog food -- supplemented, I'll admit, with fresh slices of deli turkey and ham. Truly, some days they eat better than me.
Though I love them a lot, neither dog is any more special than Snoopy was. Yet each enjoys a life that Snoopy could not even have dreamed of. He was born too soon -- just before the relationship between canines and humans (at least here in America) underwent a revolution. Instead of getting a used doghouse and A&P kibble like he did, today's pampered pooches have designer daycare centers, couture coats and accessories, and special "bark parks" where they can consort with their own kind. More important, they've become full-fledged family members. That's certainly true for mine. Through the years I've grieved over the deaths of beloved dogs far more than I have for some of my deceased human relations. And according to national statistics, I'm not alone in this.
How did it happen?
To put it simply (perhaps too simply), the dog is just now completing a journey it began tens of thousands of years ago, when its wolf ancestors started bumming around human settlements looking for scraps. This was the moment when the wild wolf began to morph into the domestic dog, and the domestic dog began its quest to conquer the human heart.
According to Pat Goodmann, research associate and a curator of Wolf Park, a research facility located in Battlergound, Indiana, the changes that turned wolves into dogs happened gradually and by accident. For instance, those original scavengers probably fared better if they were less aggressive. Any wolf that showed too much piss and vinegar -- say, by stealing food or attacking a child -- would quickly find him- or herself "selected against." In evolutionary biology this is a technical term for "getting killed."
So the more docile, adaptable animals lived while their aggressive packmates died. Eventually the survivors became extremely good at ingratiating themselves to humans. These changes became the norm, and the dog was born. Think of them as a more user-friendly version of the wolf. Or Wolf 2.0. For example, dogs can be house-trained, while wolves generally can't. Indeed, it probably isn't smart to even try. "I don't think it would be wise to try rubbing their noses in poop," Goodmann says.
But there's an even more vital difference. Acclimating a wolf cub to humans can be a long, tricky, not-always-successful proposition, but dog puppies are a comparative breeze. This one incredibly helpful trait probably sealed the human-canine bond. "Our species," Goodmann says, "is notorious for going for the least labor-intensive solution."
Still, though -- when and why did we go from tolerating dogs to working with them to dressing them up in little outfits and letting them sleep with us?
The pat answer is that more people live alone these days and see pets as surrogate spouses and/or children. Dr. Alan Beck, director of Purdue University's Center for the Human-Animal Bond, has heard this line for years. And it ticks him off. He says research proves that the typical canine fan isn't a sad loner starved for companionship. "There's four times as much dog ownership in families that have at least one child over six years old," he says. "So they're really an extension of the family or a part of the family, rather than a substitute for one. We all know people whose dog or cat is their family, but they're not a major part of the pattern."
Secondly, though each year we spend billions on our pets, it's not as much a we splurge on other hobbies. To put it in perspective, the typical dog owner drops roughly $500 to $800 annually on his pet. That's a pittance compared to what a moderately committed golfer might spend on gear and trips and a club membership. And when you consider what the average dog owner gets back, this investment looks like a bargain. Studies show that pet fans have lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, feel less lonely, and are generally less stressed.
So perhaps, even though a typical dog doesn't help us hunt or herd anymore, it still pulls its weight. Especially when it comes to teaching kids lessons about empathy that would be nearly impossible to achieve anywhere else. "It's probably very important to child development," Beck says. "It's one of the very few times children learn to be nurturing. Basically, our pets are our children's children."
Scientists are discovering just how indelible those lessons can be. Beck cites studies showing that, long after Alzheimer's patients forget the names of their spouses and children, they can still recall long-gone pets. Scientists believe it's because while we remember people in the "higher" portions of the mind (where we also keep phone numbers and such), our pets reside in a deeper zone of consciousness that no illness, however grave, can touch. "A person is only a name, but a dog is a feeling," Beck says. "You may forget me, but you'll remember the dog because it was so much more to you than just a name."
In exchange for her pricey vet care and food, Trudy has helped my 13-month-old son take the first steps toward becoming fully human. During their daily play sessions she has taught him the importance of sharing toys and being gentle to another creature. All this before he can read, write, or speak.
Which brings me back to Snoopy. He gave me all those things, and in exchange we jettisoned him like a piece of old furniture. I still think about that, even though he's nearly 40 years gone. According to Beck, I'll probably still think about him when I'm old and drooling in my oatmeal. Well, fine. Perhaps that's the only thing I can do for him now -- the only way to atone for the injustice against him. Even though we wouldn't let him in the house, he'll always have a place in my heart. And he can stay there as long as he likes.
Originally published in Indianapolis Monthly.
I wasn't going to write about this for a while yet, but a story in the current People Magazine forced my hand. April 15 will see the release of Wedding Dogs: A Celebration of Holy Muttrimony. As you might guess by the title, it's a photo album of weddings in which dogs -- from Doberman Pinschers to Chihuahuas (actually, quite a few Chihuahuas) -- served as everything from ring bearers to maids of honor to reception crashers. The concept was dreamed up by Sydney, Australia-based photographer and writer Katie Preston Toepfer. Yours truly contributed the text that accompanies the shots. One of my favorites was a bulldog puppy named Romeo who sat for some pictures with his owner, the bride. But instead of behaving, he instantly grabbed the hem of her wedding dress and started tugging.
The book won't officially "drop" until April, but of course there's no law against ordering one in advance. You can also take a look at the Feb. 18 issue of People, which features several Wedding Dogs photos. If you can't find it, visit Katie Preston's Wedding Dogs Facebook page to take a look.
In my never-ending quest to write about every single subject in the known universe, I've produced a fun little volume for Running Press called Dancing With Jesus. The book features twelve dance steps as they would have been performed by Jesus and his disciples, had Jesus and his disciples ever had time to throw a dance party. Which leading Biblical experts say they almost certainly didn't. Anyway, each dance is illustrated with what could be interpreted as either fun (if you're open-minded) or blasphemous (if you're not) images of Jesus and other New Testament biggies performing steps such as the Temptation Tango, the Apostolic Conga, the Lazarus Lurch and the Judas Hustle. Oh, and the cover and final spread feature animated "lenticular" images in which Jesus & Friends actually move around. Truly miraculous.
Quirk Books has served up yet another mind-bending genre buster. Only this time, instead of mixing zombies with Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) or Star Trek fans with, well, more zombies (Night of the Living Trekkies), they've offered their own twisted take on the police procedural. The Last Policeman tells the story of detective Hank Palace, who's obsessed with a suicide that, to him at least, looks a lot like murder. But no one else cares about his investigation, because they've got something bigger on their minds -- namely a massive asteroid that's going to plow into the earth in six months, obliterating the human race.
The book, the first volume in a projected trilogy, is authored by Ben Winters, proud papa of Android Karenina (a Tolstoy/steam punk mashup) and Bedbugs, a multi-generational story about three women who learn to love, live and grow while running a small diner just outside of LaSalle, Illinois. Just kidding! It's totally about bedbugs. Reading it makes you itch.
If you think that a novel about a cop spending his last days investigating a suicide sounds a bit depressing ... well, you're right. Just check out the following video trailer from Quirk. It made me want to curl up in a corner and suck my thumb -- a compulsion I thought I'd licked in college.
To mark the release of The Dark Knight Rises, I've decided to reprint an essay I wrote a few years ago for the debut of Batman Begins. The sentiments are -- in my opinion -- still right on the money. Enjoy.
Why Batman Matters
He Can't Fly, See Through Walls Or Bend Steel Bars. But In Spite (Or Maybe Because) Of That, The Caped Crusader Still Packs A Ka-Blam.
When I was a kid, my friends and I would play at being superheroes. Inevitably, at least three of us would tie towels around our necks and claim to be Superman. If we didn't like one of the kids or wanted to piss him off, we'd say he was Bizarro Superman. Any token female became Wonder Woman. The fastest runner would be Flash. Occasionally, we'd even get some douche bag who wanted to be Aquaman.
But no one wanted to be Batman.
There were two reasons. First, it was 1970, and our only cultural reference was that cornball TV show starring Adam West. Who wanted to pretend to be a middle-age, out-of-shape loser who wore black jockey shorts over satin tights?
Secondly, Batman couldn't do anything. He couldn't fly. He wasn't super strong. Heat rays didn't shoot out of his eyes. Okay, he had a hot car. But my sister's boyfriend, Dwayne, had a hot car too, and we kids didn't feel the need to zoom around the yard pretending to be Camaro Man. As far as we were concerned, Batman was just a guy in a suit -- a guy who could get taken out by a blow to the head, a lucky bullet or a slippery window ledge, for that matter. What was so super about that?
Absolutely nothing, of course. Which is why Batman, the only costumed hero I wouldn't deign to impersonate as a child, is now the only one who interests me as an adult. Batman seems to interest a lot of adults -- and not just the giant nerds who haunt comic book stores. I'm not one of them, by the way. I am a giant nerd, just not the comic-book-store-haunting kind. But over the years, a lot of people with the money and the talent to do other things have decided to focus their skills on a character who's been hanging around since 1939, when he debuted in Detective Comics #27. (Which is currently worth about $350,000 in mint condition.) Director Tim Burton turned him into a movie franchise. Graphic novelist Frank Miller built his own reputation by creating Batman stories so gritty and bloody that they drew praise from both Stephen King and Mickey Spillane.
And of course, starting in 1966, he was the subject of the campy TV series Batman.
Burton and Miller and many others turned their attention to the Caped Crusader in part because they wanted to undo the damage that show did to his reputation. This month's new theatrical release, Batman Begins, is yet another multimillion-dollar step in that process.
But why would they bother?
Probably because they, too, think he's the only costumed character "realistic" enough for grown-ups. Fact is, any story featuring a protagonist with super powers, be it Spider-man or Peter Pan or Harry Potter, is just rank escapism. The "hero" can get out of pretty much any scrape by calling on some bizarre ability that his opponents lack. It's somewhat interesting, but it's also cheating. Batman, on the other hand, is a character for the average Joe. And by "average Joe," I mean "people who can't use heat vision/invisibility/mind control to triumph in tough situations." He must handle his adversaries the old-fashioned way. The American way. By beating the crap out of them.
Granted, the Caped Crusader's alter ego, Bruce Wayne, is a billionaire. Nothing very proletarian about that. But everything else about him is perfectly human -- and perfectly understandable. Take, for instance, his reason for becoming a crime fighter. Ask Superman why he got into the biz, and it's hard to imagine him giving an answer that makes any sense. He can bend steel with his bare hands. He can fly. He can see through walls. And he uses all those fantastic skills to foil bank robbers. It's totally unbelievable. Just consult the 19th-century philosopher Frederic Nietzsche, who actually invented the word superman (ubermensch in his native German). He states, rightly, that anyone possessing truly superhuman power probably wouldn't give a damn about things like truth, justice and the American way. In a very real sense, he wouldn't even be human.
On the other hand, Batman's motivation is easy for the average Joe to grasp: He's nuts.
Which is plausible, given the circumstances. Not too bright, but plausible.
There was even a well-thought-out, very human rationale for his costume. When Bruce Wayne first started fighting crime, he wore street clothes and a mask to hide his identity. And he got his butt kicked. Repeatedly. Then, while sitting around stately Wayne Manner one night nursing a scotch and a couple of broken ribs, he saw a bat fly by. Inspired, he decided to work up a scary "bat man" outfit that would strike fear into his enemies. The only bit of color in his black-and-grey ensemble is the yellow bat logo on his chest, and even that serves a purpose: It's a target. In theory, bad guys would instinctively shoot at the yellow bat (which is backed by a piece of body armor) rather than aim at the Dark Knight's decidedly non-bulletproof cranium.
And so he became Batman. It wasn't because Bruce Wayne was bitten by a radioactive bat that gave him the ability to find his enemies in the dark by making high-pitched squeaking sounds. He just wanted bad guys to wet themselves when they saw him.
It's hard to think of another costumed character who goes out of his way to freak people out. Usually they don't need to. Superman can afford to smile all the time, pluck kittens out of trees and tell 14-year-olds to eat their vegetables. Because even though he looks and acts like the biggest dork who ever lived (his costume, sewn by his mother, certainly doesn't help), no one's going to call him on it. Batman, on the other hand, wouldn't last a week if he went around dressed like a rodeo clown.
Batman, just trying to blend in.
So he has to be the mean superhero. If there's one superpower he can claim to possess, it's the ability to instill fear. And again, it's understandable. Only someone like Superman or Wonder Woman, both of whom enjoy every advantage under the sun, could talk seriously about fair play and fighting by the rules. Not Batman. Always outnumbered and outgunned, he evens the odds by packing the knuckles of his gloves with lead shot, and by going for the crotch kick and the head butt whenever the opportunity arises.
There's just one problem. While the Caped Crusader's motivations are easy to understand, it's harder to believe that a mere mortal could make a good crime fighter. First and foremost, he lacks support personnel. If he comes home one night with six broken ribs and internal injuries, who patches him up? Last time I checked, neither Alfred nor Robin had a medical degree. Even more telling, how can he get anywhere fast enough to accomplish anything? It's fun to imagine the Batmobile stuck in traffic somewhere, going whubbadawhubbadawhubbada while Batman, sweating under his cowl, tries to avoid making eye contact with the guy in the UPS truck beside him.
Finally, how many times is Batman going to hand the Joker over to the cops, watch him escape, then round him up again? One gets the impression that a real vigilante would get fed up and "accidentally" drop him off a bridge.
But hey, everyone's got failings. Even with his long list of believability issues, Batman still seems more plausible than any other superhero--or any Vin Diesel movie, for that matter. The sad fact is, the typical superhero is what we wish we were: indestructible, fair, and moral. But Batman -- painfully mortal, sometimes mean, and consumed by personal demons -- is what we really are.
It doesn't make him a very nice guy, but it does make him interesting. So I guess you could say my opinion of Batman has changed since I was a kid. But one thing hasn't: I still wouldn't want to be him.
Originally published in Indy Men's Magazine.
I spent this past weekend as a guest at InConJunction XXXII, a sci-fi/fantasy convention held in Indianapolis. I sat on a number of panels, the most eye-opening of which was called Zombie Apocalypse Survival Planning & Preparedness. Like any careful, prudent person, I've thought a lot about what I'll do in case of an undead uprising. Well maybe not "a lot," but "more than a little." Figuring you folks have done pretty much the same thing, I decided to pass along some of the "out of the box" zombie disposal tips uncorked by the InConJunction experts.
Shoot their legs. I know this is sounds like sacrilege to the "pop 'em in the head, make sure they're dead" crowd, but consider this. Plunking someone in the melon is hard. Trained marksmen can't do it consistently. And in a zombie melee you might have to do it dozens of times, without a single miss. Which is impossible for anyone whose nickname isn't Hawkeye or Deadshot. Better to go for the kneecaps or thighs. It won't kill your undead assailant, but it will immobilize him and expedite your escape.
Just switch your boom stick to full auto, spray the first wave at slightly below crotch level and haul ass.
I'm well aware that a certain percentage of you are now shaking your heads and saying, "But Sam, all I've done is create a dangerous 'crawler' that's going to bite someone else in the ankles. How can we ever stem the tide with such a half-assed strategy?" My answer is that while there will certainly have to be an armed, organized response to the zombie apocalypse, you aren't it. You're just a civilian trying to stay alive until the Marines show up. So swallow your pride and go for the knees as you (A) fight your way across a burning purgatory to rescue your love interest, (B) hole up with a group of desperate strangers in a hastily fortified farmhouse, or (C) amuse yourself with some other foolhardy project while civilization crumbles. Which leads to the next rule ...
Your Memaw is dead. You don't need to go check on her. The Aunt Ellies and Uncle Bens and Cousin Rolands of the world will be first on the buffet line. Plus -- to be extremely hardhearted -- what would you do if your octogenarian relative was still kicking? Pack up his/her prescriptions, shove his/her walker into the back of your tricked out Armageddon Wagon and then ... what? Listen to him/her kvetch that all this devastation was caused by Obama? Complain that he/she is missing Matlock? Bitch that you're driving too fast? Better to let nature take its course and use your energy to save yourself.
Your grandma during the zombie apocalypse, asking one of the cannibal undead if he'd like a tissue for his nosebleed.
Zombie time is hammer time! Looking for the ultimate melee weapon? One that won't jam up with blood and guts or, even worse, get stuck in some ghoul's rotten melon? Then ditch your sword/machete/chainsaw and try a war hammer. Developed during the middle ages to perforate the helmets of mounted knights, this classic design is basically a three-foot-long hardwood shaft with an iron hammerhead attached. Great for crushing skulls instead of splitting them open, which cuts down on unwelcome, unhygienic zombie blood spray. You can get your war hammer online, in a wide range of styles and colors. Of course.
This Hammer, however, will be useless.
Run away. As mentioned earlier, you're not going to stop the zombie apocalypse on your own. The best you can do is stay alive long enough to locate other survivors and formulate a plan. So instead of spending an inordinate amount of time worrying about how you'll combat the undead, do yourself a favor and just avoid them. Which means, if you see zombies, don't stand and fight. Ever. Just walk away. Or run.
Get a bicycle. Why doesn't anyone in zombie movies grab a bike? It's the ultimate form of post-apocalypse transport. They're simple, they don't require fuel, they're silent, and they're everywhere. So quit trying to hotwire that sweet-looking Land Rover and raid the nearest bike rack. You won't look as cool, but all the idiots who might be tempted to point that out are already dead. So screw them.
Post-apocalypse bikers won't have to constantly glance over their shoulders to see if some unobservant douche in an SUV is about to run them down.
I'll be spending my Fourth of July weekend at InConJunction XXXII, a science fiction and fantasy convention taking place July 6-8 at the Indianapolis Marriot East in (you guessed it) Indianapolis. On Saturday I'm scheduled to appear on five panels, including Teens vs. the Zombie Apocalypse; Zombie Apocalypse Survival Planning & Preparedness; and Mistakes Beginning Writers Make. It should be quite informative -- especially that last one about mistakes beginning writers make. Because I've pretty much made them all. And I'm no beginner. Anyway, if you're in the Indy area, stop by and say hi. I'll sign your copy of Night of the Living Trekkies or Dracula's Heir, or even sell you one -- provided you get there early. For some reason my supply of books is severely depleted right now.
Thinking about enjoying a refreshing glass of Big Red or Boone's Farm? You'll think again after reading the incredible origins -- and ingredients -- of those drinks and others. All of the following descriptions are ripped from the pages of The Encyclopedia of Guilty Pleasures, authored by Lou Harry, Julia Spalding and me.
Big Red -- What, exactly, is the attraction of a beverage that seems to consist of nothing but a toe-curling blast of sugar, a not-to-be-trifled-with 38 milligrams of caffeine, and enough FD&C red 40 food color to turn it as crimson as the sun on Judgment Day? Perhaps it's the mystery. Big Red, invented in 1957 in Waco, Texas (and originally called Sun Tang Red Cream Soda), doesn't claim to have a particular flavor. It's just a color. Some describe it as tasting like liquid bubble gum, while others compare its cloying bouquet to cotton candy. Way too much cotton candy. None of which has stopped it from becoming a pop culture icon in its Texas homeland, as well as a key ingredient in recipes ranging from barbecue sauce to cake.
Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill -- The motto of this, the official high school party beverage of the '70s, should have been, "Fly now, pay later." Strawberry Hill, not unlike its bastard redneck cousin, Country Kwencher, was sweeter than a stack of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen movies and cheap as a six-pack of domestic beer. But inexperienced drinkers ( and almost everyone who touched this stuff was inexperienced, because grownups had the cash and the smarts to get something better) often found themselves weathering morning-after headaches and retching bouts that they would remember for the rest of their lives. And it's no wonder. These "wines" came from the darkest, most low-rent corner of the vineyards of Ernest and Julio Gallo, the same folks who proudly market such illustrious brands as Ripple and Thunderbird.
Warning: Overconsumption of any of these beverages leads to acute gastrointestinal distress.
Mountain Dew -- The folks who sell this antifreeze-colored beverage work hard to make it seem "radical" and "extreme." But to anyone over the age of 30, it's still the drink of choice for rednecks. In fact, from its birth in the 1940s up to the 1960s, that was its primary market. Created by a Knoxville, Tennessee, bottler, its containers originally featured a picture of a hillbilly shooting at a "revenuer," along with the motto, "It'll tickle yore innards!" In 1973 the company finally switched its focus from the moonshine-and-inbreeding crowd to "young, active outdoor types." This trend accelerated during the '90s. The tagline, "Do the Dew" was introduced, and Pepsi-Cola (Dew's corporate owner) did everything possible to associate their product not with toothless mountain folk, but with snowboarders, skateboarders, and anyone else who might enjoy a beverage with a "daring, high-energy, high-intensity, active, extreme citrus taste."
Actually the only truly extreme thing about Mountain Dew is the extremely large dose of caffeine in each 12-ounce serving (55 milligrams compared to only 38 in a can of regular Pepsi). Maybe that's why it's of such interest to active, outdoor types -- as well as to rednecks and to video gamers binging on World of Warcraft.
Yoo-hoo -- Adults will blithely chug sports drinks the color of windshield wiper fluid, but they won't touch Yoo-hoo. At least, not while anyone's looking. Something about this first-ever chocolate-flavored soft drink seems to infantile. Well, take all the time you need to screw up your courage, because this concoction isn't going anywhere. Created using a super-secret heating and agitating process, Yoo-hoo in properly sealed containers will never go bad. The manufacturer is so confident of this that its bottles and cans don't carry expiration dates.
1. Flint, Michigan, Wal-Mart cashier David Noordewier made the mistake of posting a quip on his MySpace page about how the nation's average IQ would probably increase if bombs were dropped on all of his employer's stores. Management got wind of the remark and instantly fired him. The company said he'd made a threat -- even though, as Noordewier pointed out, it wasn't like he had a jet bomber in his backyard with which to carry it out.
And even if he did, I'm sure it wouldn't be as awesome as mine ...
2. Conway, New Hampshire, resident Joha Turner, 18, thought that roaming around in his local Wal-Mart in an orange prison jumpsuit and handcuffs, furtively asking passersby where the hacksaws were sold, would be a hoot. And it probably was, right up until employees called the cops, who promptly placed Turner under arrest for disorderly conduct.
3. Two Oklahoma men, Cody Allen Sexton and Kenny Dean Andrews, thought it would be funny to drop a pornographic DVD into a player wired to six demo televisions in the electronics department of the Fort Smith, Arkansas, Wal-Mart. A horrified customer notified the store manager, who notified the cops, who carted Sexton and Andrews off to jail. The two were charged with a felony obscenity complaint.
In case you hadn't heard, the aerospace company SpaceX is poised to launch a private resupply ship to the International Space Station. Their rocket is called the Falcon 9 (yes, after the Millennium Falcon) and the space capsule it carries is named Dragon. If all goes according to plan, Dragon will dock with the space station, drop off supplies, pick up some old equipment, then reenter the atmosphere and splash down in the Pacific Ocean. That's a pretty tall order, considering that only the United States, Russia and China have so far succeeded in launching a spacecraft into orbit and then bringing it back.
Which makes this mission pretty cool. Not just because it's a Giant Leap for private enterprise, but because it gives me the perfect excuse to offer the following bizarro list.
Three Cancelled U.S. Space Missions That Sound About As Plausible As the Plot of Armageddon
Both Hollywood and NASA love big-budget outer space spectacles. But when one of Tinseltown's laughably farfetched, poorly constructed star vehicles goes down in flames, the only thing it kills is careers. Which is definitely not the case for actual rocket launches. That's why we should all be happy (astronauts and test pilots particularly so) that the following all-too-real space mission concepts died on the drawing boards -- without taking anyone with them.
1. Voyage to Venus Inside a Fuel Tank!
Possible Tagline:
In space no one can hear you die a slow, agonizing death from long-term radiation exposure. Hey, does it smell like diesel in here?
The Concept:
After the Apollo program landed astronauts on the Moon, NASA looked for new uses for its snazzy lunar hardware. One of the wackier (and by "wackier" we mean "poorly thought-out") schemes was to send a three-person crew on a one-year Venus "fly-around." Fly-around means that the crew wouldn't land. They'd just look out the windows, shout "U-S-A!" a couple of times, then head home.
Sorry we can't hang around ...
The Apollo command module lacked the knee room and luggage space for such a long trip, but planners developed a novel (and by "novel" we mean "poorly thought-out") workaround. Bear with us here. A gigantic Saturn V rocket would launch the mission on its way to Venus, but its upper stage would remain attached to the command module. Once this school bus-sized gas tank burned up all its fuel, the crew would move in. And live there. In the fuel tank. For a year. In the fuel tank.
The inmates of this enormous spaceship/tomb would face the danger of lethal cosmic rays and solar radiation, all for the glory of going to Venus and then not landing. Which is like driving all the way to Disneyland, then turning around in the parking lot and going home. Only that would be a lot less dangerous, because you wouldn't have to go home inside the fuel tank.
What happened?
After the Apollo program no one (particularly president Richard Nixon, who loathed the Kennedy-inspired moon shots) wanted to cut massive checks for more space adventures. Oh, and there was also the fuel tank thing-y. No one was wild about that.
2. Manned Orbital Laboratory
That's no moon. It's a space station! An expensive, unnecessary space station!
Back in the 1960s the U.S. Air Force worried that newfangled spy satellites couldn't be trusted to keep tabs on the Russians. What could? Maybe a couple of flyboys stuck on a cramped military space station for weeks on end, sucking their meals out of tubes, pooping in plastic bags and gazing down at the Soviet Union through telescopes. Thus was born the Manned Orbital Laboratory (or MOL) program. The name sounds badass, but the brass screwed it up by going with a bargain basement design. Instead of commissioning a spinning, roulette wheel-shaped masterpiece of mid-century kitsch, their orbital battle station would have been a cramped hovel consisting of a two-person Gemini spacecraft latched onto the specially outfitted upper stage of a missile. The crew would enter this trailer park in the sky through a hole in the Gemini's heat shield.
Not exactly 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Before the first MOL could be launched it had already become obvious that spy satellites worked great, and that the services of actual human spies weren't required. Also, someone probably pointed out that pretty much the last thing you want to do to a spacecraft's heat shield is cut a hole in it.
3. Launch the X-15 into Orbit
The high-flying, pitch black, knife-shaped X-15 rocket plane was the most awesome experimental aircraft of all time: insanely powerful, futuristic-looking and capable of killing a careless pilot in dozens of highly creative ways.
Hottest. Ride. Ever.
Incredibly, the Air Force decided this sleek widow maker wasn't hardcore enough, and considered building a souped-up X-15B that could actually reach orbit. But getting home would have been the real pisser. The pilot was supposed to guide his ship through a flaming reentry and then -- in a move that makes us wonder if the "B" in X-15B stood for "balls" -- eject and descend the rest of the way via parachute while his riderless ride crashed into the Gulf of Mexico. Which would have been AWESOME.
Even the Air Force, never famous for its fiscal restraint, couldn't stomach the X-15B's projected $120 million-per-shot price tag. That's pretty steep for a program with few clear objectives, beyond making Evel Knievel look like a wuss.
I recently introduced my 5-year-old son to Godzilla movies, which was a revelation for both of us. For him it was love at first sight, because they're packed with giant monsters, tanks, fighter planes and wanton destruction. Or at least he thinks they are. I always fast-forward through the boring buildup and jump to the last half hour, when Godzilla finally throws down with Rodan or Mothra or Gonorrhea or whatever rubber-suited freak Toho Studios tossed in the ring with him.
I have to say that these movies are far less entertaining than I remember. And it's not just because I'm old now and my standards are higher. I am old, but my standards are as low as ever. The problem -- as I discovered when I forced myself to watch Godzilla Raids Again without fast forwarding -- is that for every minute of two-fisted dino action, there's maybe 10 minutes of meetings. No kidding. There's usually a brief (crazy brief) opening action sequence, after which the human characters gather around conference tables, trying to decide how they'll confront Godzilla for the umpteenth time. Books are brought out and consulted. Geriatric scientists with crazy hair hold forth. Instructional films are shown. Coffee is sent for. It's about as exciting as CSPAN3.
The typical G'zilla movie contains a little bit
of this ...
... and a whole big bunch of this.
Maybe it's a cultural thing. I know Japan is big on slow, careful consensus-building, but watching this process in action makes terrible cinema. Plus, when a gigantic monster is trampling Tokyo, who's got the time? And since this sort of thing happens constantly in Godzilla Land, wouldn't a plan already be in place? Something to the effect of: Step One: Point all tanks, missile launchers, fighter planes, bombers and naval units at target. Step Two: Fire. Step Three: Repeat as necessary, or until all forces are melted into a heap of white-hot slag by target's atomic breath.
Most of the Godzilla films my son enjoys are from the '50s and '60s. I know there's stuff from the '80s and '90s and even the 21st century, but I can't bear to look at it. Especially the most recent films. I'm afraid someone will break out a laptop and give a PowerPoint presentation.
Ed Wenck and my co-author on several projects, Lou Harry, recently teamed up to produce Know Your Zombies, a compendium of facts, puzzles and trivia relating to fairy princesses. Just kidding. It's all about the living dead, and how they morphed from horror movie also-rans into unstoppable print and cinema icons. The book includes an excellent compendium of well-known and lesser-known zed-intensive films, from Dance of the Dead (which is on Thriller roughly six times a week) to Return of the Living Dead, which is the funniest zombie movie ever made that doesn't have Bruce Campbell in the cast or the word "Shaun" in its title.
I thought I'd use the premier of the new Three Stooges movie to plug my own contribution to their legacy -- The Three Stooges Career Guide: Advice for Climbing the Ladder (Running Press). Ever wonder how Larry, Moe and Curly would have handled today's dog-eat-dog corporate world? I guess we'll never know, because they've all been dead for quite some time. However this book offers a humorous look at how they might have dealt with everything from casual Fridays to battles for pay raises. It's not exactly a fount of business wisdom, but it is pretty funny. And there are lots of pictures. Just the way Curly would have wanted it.
My Night of the Living Trekkies co-author Kevin David Anderson recently photoshopped the following notional 2012 campaign poster:
This is the kind of team that could make America great (or at least pretty good) again. Apparently George (Sulu) Takei thinks the same. He recently posted it on his mega-popular Facebook page, where it's been viewed roughly seven gazillion times. Or something like that.You can see it in its natural setting at: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150599124596646&set=o.205344452828349&type=1&theater
It's April, and everyone wants to get outside and enjoy the weather. If you're human, that is. If you're an animal, chances are you've just finished migrating or hibernating or doing whatever grueling, boring thing your species does to cope with the cold months. Which means you're probably cranky, tired, hungry -- and ready to take it out on the first unsuspecting biped that blunders into your territory.
Think it can't happen to you? Then consider the following ...
Seven Golf Course Animal Attacks
1. During the late 1990s and early 2000s dozens of golfers were harassed and/or injured by an overprotective red-tailed hawk that nested near the Village Greens Golf Course in Woodridge, Illinois. Attacks, not surprisingly, were most frequent and ferocious during the spring nesting season.
2. Groundskeeper George Petta was working near the 17th hole of the Crystal Springs Resort golf course in New Jersey when he suddenly realized he'd been joined on the links by a large black bear, which cuffed him across the face and then wandered off. Remarkably Petta not only survived the 2006 encounter, he went back to work the same day. "Don't go looking for your ball in the woods if you don't have to," the club superintendent advised members.
Just take a penalty stroke or a mulligan or whatever it is golfers do when they can't locate their ball. No one will think less of you. 'Cause it's a BEAR, dammit!
3. Plenty of golfers have regular run-ins with geese, but none quite as spectacular as that of Swedish pro Joakim Haeggman. While holding a one-shot lead at Spain's Andalucia Open in 2007, he was set upon by an irate goose at the 18th hole (his ninth). "The goose came over to me and at first I laughed about it," he said, post-brawl. "But when I put my head down it wanted to have a go at it and I had to give it a slap across the face, I had no choice." Haeggmann, understandably rattled, lost the tournament.
4. In October of 2009 a 77-year-old man lost an arm to an alligator at South Carolina's Ocean Creek Golf Course. The 10-foot saurian lunged out of a nearby pond when the unlucky duffer leaned down at the 11th hole to pick up his ball. His golf partners fought it off and called 911. A similar encounter happened in 2007 at the Lake Venice Golf Club in Venice, Florida, when the unfortunately named Bruce Burger was set upon by an 11-foot gator as he tried to retrieve his ball from a pond boasting a very conspicuous "Beware of Alligator" sign. Burger survived, and managed to keep all of his appendages.
5. In May of 2011 a thief wearing a black mask terrorized the Sandridge Golf Club in Vero Beach, Florida, stealing purses and other valuables from golfers. An investigation by groundskeepers revealed the crook to be a kleptomaniac raccoon. Two purses, some golf balls and empty food containers were discovered in its den.
6. Golfer David Bailey was playing a round at Ireland's Craddoskstown Golf Club in County Kildare when a rat ran up his trouser leg and peed on him. The rodent's urine was infected with deadly Weil's disease, which killed Bailey a few weeks later.
7. A woman named Annetjie Mienie was shooting home movies at South Africa's legendary Skukuza Golf Course when a female hippo residing in an on-course pond lunged out of the water and killed her. The hippo, nicknamed Mercy by the course staff, was allowed to live.
... Plus One Stuffed Animal Attack
In May of 2011 someone spotted what looked like a large tiger crouching near the Country Golf Club in Hampshire, England. A capture team from the local zoo was quickly dispatched, along with a police helicopter. However, when the chopper's downdraft knocked the "cat" over, it was soon realized that the fierce jungle predator was, in fact, a large stuffed toy.
And if you think the furry little killing machines won't follow you indoors then I respectfully submit the following:
When Animals Attack Wal-Mart Shoppers
A Louisiana woman named Rebecca White sued the retailer after encountering a large South American rodent called a nutria while shopping in an Abbeville, Louisiana, Wal-Mart. Apparently the animal, which has beaver-like buckteeth and can grow as large as 18 pounds, was called Norman and served as the store's unofficial mascot. The woman claimed that Norman darted from behind a rack, startling her and causing her to hurt her back and foot.
This is a nutria. The teeth are really that color. Seriously.
Twelve-year-old Megan Templeton was stung by a scorpion while rummaging through the seedless watermelons at a Barboursville, West Virginia, Wal-Mart. The one-inch-long creature had hitched a ride in the shipment of Mexican produce. Fortunately this particular type of scorpion didn't have highly toxic venom. The girl, who sustained an injury similar to a bee sting, was treated at a local hospital and released.
Things got a bit more dicey for Jeriel Joiner. While shopping at a St. Augustine, Florida, Wal-Mart, he reached in among some potted plants in the garden center to grab a baby bottle dropped by his infant son. What he got instead was a bite on the finger from a pygmy rattlesnake. Joiner survived, but doctors had to amputate the finger.
Finally, when an emu (a flightless bird that can weigh as much as 100 pounds and stand six feet tall) showed up in the parking lot of a West Bend, Wisconsin, Wal-Mart, the quick-thinking staff corralled it with shopping carts and called authorities. A manager fed it grapes and apples to keep it calm until help arrived. Turns out it escaped from an emu ranch (there are such things) two miles away.
The other day I had a nightmare that seems to recur whenever the writing process isn't going all that well for me. I dreamed that I was on deadline to finish a manuscript, but had no idea what it was supposed to be about. Even worse, for some reason I was writing the entire thing on yellow legal pads, using a dull No. 2 pencil. In the dream I kept asking people what I was supposed to be working on, but no one could tell me.
Pretty creepy, but far preferable to my other writing nightmare. The one in which I wake up in the woods surrounded by the angry spirits of all the trees that have been chopped down and ground to pulp to create my previous works.
Towering, judgmental trees like these. Brrr...
It makes me wonder if there were any other writers out there who have recurring "deadline nightmares." If you'd like to share yours, I'd love to hear it.
Web Hosting powered by Network Solutions®


text:
Poe Paddy State Park
Poe Paddy State Park is at the confluence of Big Poe Creek and Penns Creek, a trout angler's paradise featuring the nationally recognized green drake mayfly hatch in June. Hikers enjoy the Mid State Trail. Poe Valley State Park is nearby.
Maps and Downloadables
Below are many of the maps and publications for this park. You can read them or download them and might need special software (all free) to view the publications.
You must have the free Adobe Reader to view the maps and brochures that are in pdf format (.pdf).
Alternate versions of the text of the brochures are in rich text and text formats. Click on the files to view them. To download (.rtf) files:
Recreational Guide
Poe Paddy State Park Map (.pdf) (634 kb, 3/17)
Interactive GIS Map
The Interactive GIS Map uses Geographic Information Systems to create a map that does not need to be downloaded and features driving directions, searchable park amenities and customizable maps. Please note that the background maps are maintained by a variety of public sources and driving directions usually go to the nearest large road.
Campground Map
Poe Paddy State Park Campground Map (.pdf) (1,537 kb, 3/17)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The AIR program at RWU is an educational/assessment program done by the Director of Health Education and HAWEs in cooperation with the Office of Student Life.
Students violating alcohol or other drug use campus/housing policy are sanctioned to do the AIR program. It consists of a self-administered questionnaire on information, personal and social assessment, local, state, and federal law and university policy.
The AIR Program has one main goal: to reduce the risks associated with alcohol use among Roger Williams University students.
What do I need to do to complete the ARA?
What do I need to do to complete an One no One?
The Health Education Office offers these educational workshops/educational programs upon request:
Call Ext. 3491 to schedule any of the above programs.
The Alcohol and Other Drug Information Center, also sponsored by the Wellness Office, provides educational materials, personal information, research data, and technical assistance regarding alcohol and other drugs to students, faculty, and staff. ADIC is located in the Wellness Office, in the Center for Student Development. Call Ext. 3413 for more information.
Important Phone Numbers


text:
Feminism | Posted by Brenna McCaffrey on 11/25/2011
My name is Brenna, I'm eighteen, and I've been glossy-magazine-free for nine months now. That's right. Back at the advent of 2011, I decided to eschew Cosmo, Glamour, Seventeen, Vogue, Marie Claire, Lucky, etc., in hopes of escaping a culture that I continually noticed was telling me how to dress, how to look, how to act, and how to spend my money. I began to get more and more skeptical about this form of media which I had previously deemed as harmless.
I've had a handful of close encounters– an innocent trip to the magazine racks to find the latest issue of Ms. that quickly turns into a desire to peek and see some pretty picture of pretty clothes and pretty nail polish and pretty people. I haven't caved, however, and I can personally attest to the wonders it has done to my self-esteem. It's been nine months now. I no longer want to peek into the glossies. And now that I have established that distance from glossy magazine culture, I feel confident in my ability to criticize the way these magazines both act as a part of society's sexuality police and teach women how to be the societal sexuality police.
Take, for example, this article, published on Cosmopolitan magazine's website. The article is about female college freshmen and their vulnerability to sexual assault in the first few weeks on campus. The article makes the claim right under the headline: "Find out why rapists strike so frequently right now– and steps you can take to protect yourself." It does not, however, give us any information on why rapists apparently strike so often in the first few weeks of college, even though that one bit of information is the most crucial for us to know to combat rape culture.
Women are always seen as the gatekeepers of sex. They are responsible for what happens and what doesn't happen. They can say yes (but if they do, they're sluts) and they can say no. But even in cases of rape, where clearly the person being attacked has already said no, we blame them for asking for it, for not taking the proper precautions, for walking at night in skirts, for drinking anything they haven't brewed themselves, for trusting anyone. This culture of constantly being suspicious of everyone you meet is not a healthy way for anyone to live their life, and yet magazines like Cosmo, along with current rape culture, encourage that attitude. These magazines claim to represent the modern woman, but all they really do is enforce a culture of inferiority, sexual passivity, and blame. We need to hold rapists accountable and stop judging women for what they do and do not do with their bodies.
However, interestingly enough, all of the tips in that Cosmo article came straight from RAINN's website (an organization that I like and respect very much). After realizing this, I explored RAINN's website– their mission statement, statistics, and articles on sexual assault prevention. I was glad to see that gender-specific advice and gender-specific pronouns are missing from most of their materials. The organization gives the very clear message that victims are not to blame. The existence of this organization is very important due to the under-reported nature of sexual assault and the vague definitions of rape that can often leave victims afraid to report the crimes committed against them.
The happy fact is, however, I have never been raped or sexually assaulted. I run around with the idealist view that since I know what sexual assault and rape are, I will somehow be able to stop an assailant if I ever find myself in that situation. Many have told me that my views on life are idealistic, and I only recently began to understand why. It's a product of the privilege that I grew up with. The privilege of having knowledge to combat the constant fear-mongering that is directed towards me as a woman in our culture.
However– if something ever happened to me, it would be because somebody raped me. It would not be because I was in the wrong place, or wearing the wrong thing, or walking by myself, or not carrying pepper-spray, or talking to someone, or not talking to someone, or drinking out of communal punch bowl, or out too late, or not carrying my keys in my hand. And I understand the logic that if it's going to happen and you can't control why or when or how, then at least you can take precautions to prevent it. But I am idealistic, and I stubbornly refuse to play that game.
I refuse to be victimized when I am not a victim. I refuse to be forced to live my everyday life in a way different from men simply for fear of potential attacks. It may be foolish, but I refuse. I refuse to prepare to be attacked. I should not have to think that way, and neither should you.
Read other posts about: Feminism, glossy magazines, preventing rape, RAINN, rape, sex, sexual assault, sexuality, slut shaming, Slut Walk, women's magazines
Post Your Comment
Rebecca G @ at 11:44 am, November 25th, 2011
Hmmm… it's a difficult one. Of course, it is ABSOLUTELY the perpetrator's fault WHATEVER the circumstances, but at the same time it can be argued that it's similar to leaving all your windows open when you go out; of course you SHOULD be able to do this and it's absolutely not your fault if you are burgled, but practically I think the kind of advice offered by RAINN and such is good stuff.
Anna @ at 2:33 pm, November 25th, 2011
@ Rebecca G:
The issue with comparing rape to leaving your house unlocked is that there truly is no way to "prepare" for rape.
A woman was raped in my town 2 years ago at a bus stop on a busy street at 2 P.M.
A woman on my campus was raped a month ago in her apartment (no, it wasn't unlocked) in the middle of the afternoon on a Wednesday.
Those are supposed to be safe spaces right? Those women were following the "don't get raped" guidebook.
Rape can happen anywhere, anytime.
I see your point, but suggesting that one can prevent rape by "locking up the house" is actually perpetuating the idea that rape survivors where asking for it by being laissez-faire with their bodies.
Emma E @ at 6:13 pm, November 25th, 2011
There's pretty much nothing I can say about this article that isn't your basic 'I TOTALLY AGREE', so I'm just going to comment on something I noticed on the accompanying picture: 'Science validates correlation between hair length and relationship length?' Is that actually a real article? Just WTF. Not only does it perpetuate sexist stereotypes, it's just…dumb.
Sorry for the off-topic comment, but it was bugging me.
Another Anna @ at 4:51 am, November 26th, 2011
Exactly what Emma E wrote.
Sara @ at 10:08 pm, November 28th, 2011
Emma and Another Anna, I'm pretty sure that entire spread is satiric. Every article listed on that cover is sexist to the extreme, thereby poking fun at the underlying sexism often found in real women's magazines.
Brenna, I agree with your ideals; unfortunately, we still do live in a world where we need to protect ourselves. Rape is never the victim's fault, but I don't think awareness and safety tips undercut that fact. While, yes, rape can happen any time, any place, it's wise to take cautionary measures.
Noelle @ at 11:38 am, November 30th, 2011
Check out our blog at
Vanessa M @ at 2:46 am, December 1st, 2011
Try reminding yourself that the best look is the most comfy and efficient one. It works
Claire @ at 3:24 pm, December 2nd, 2011
There is a lot that bothers me about these glossy magazines, from the inaccurate and unrealistic body image that it portrays to teens and women to the way they are supposed to behave as "nice girls". It's been years since I've purchased a fashion magazine such as InStyle.
So much emphasis is placed on women not to dress as though they "ask for it" but there is never a mention that we can prevent this paranoia by instructing boys and men NOT to behave in this manner in the first place. Society needs to stop blaming the victims of rape and start proactively preventing both men and women from becoming rapists in the first place.
This leads to that violence against anyone is bad, and purity is most valuable to women. I wrote an article on my blog useyourhooves.com/?p=181 about the importance of purity and its relation to rape in western culture.
Thanks for a great article, Brenna!
Katie @ at 7:55 pm, December 19th, 2011
I was raped when I was young, and although I have not had many immediate side effects, it did come back to haunt me later on and I had a hard time dealing with it. It was absolutely in no way my fault and it took me a long time to learn that. Any belief otherwise is preposterous. Nobody asks to be raped in fact they say no. That is asking NOT to be raped. How you dress should not be a factor.


text:
The Speaker of the House of Commons has flatly rejected Conservative procedural arguments in order to protect MPs' roles in holding to account a majority government.
The latest Conservative omnibus budget bill — which cleared its final vote Wednesday in the Senate — sparked a procedural battle over how many separate votes the opposition could force, and which MPs would be allowed to propose changes.
With Parliament poised to adjourn for the six-week Christmas break, Andrew Scheer delivered a ringing message to the Harper majority government: Voting numbers don't trump MP rights.
"Let me be clear," Mr. Scheer ruled. "The Speaker does not make decisions based on who is in control of the House."
Peter Van Loan, the government House leader, had argued that since the Conservatives hold a clear majority in the Commons, the outcome of votes was preordained.
Mr. Van Loan said the Speaker should have bundled all the opposition deletion motions together in the interests of speed and efficiency.
"This line of reasoning, taken to its logical end, might lead to conclusions that trespass on important, foundational principles of our institutions — regardless of its composition," Mr. Scheer responded.
Mr. Scheer's ruling stressed that holding governments to account is an indispensable privilege of elected MPs, and reminded Mr. Van Loan that Canada has a "parliamentary democracy, not a so-called executive democracy nor a so-called administrative democracy."
Mr. Van Loan had also argued Independent MPs — such as Green party Leader Elizabeth May — should introduce amendments at the committee that studies legislation, not at report stage when the full House votes.
The Conservative House leader claimed a single Independent MP could "hold the House hostage in a voting marathon."
Mr. Scheer shot down that line of argument as well, noting the rules expressly state that report stage is when non-committee member MPs can ask the House to consider amendments.
"It is no secret that Independent members do not sit on committees in the current parliament," said Mr. Scheer.
However the rules do allow committees — currently dominated by Conservatives — "wide latitude" to deal with legislation. Committee MPs could have invited Independents to make their views known, said the Speaker.
Noting that "simple and straight-forward solutions are not being explored," Mr. Scheer ruled that he "intends to continue to protect the rights of Independent members to propose amendments at report stage."
Bill C-45 is the second of two massive Conservative budget implementation bills that have been forced through the House of Commons this year, altering hundreds of separate pieces of legislation.
Critics are howling that C-45 guts the Navigable Waters Protection Act to remove thousands of lakes and streams from federal protection under that law.
Among other provisions, it also extends a hiring credit for small businesses, changes land management on aboriginal reserves, gives pay raises to judges and clears environmental and regulatory hurdles for a new bridge between Windsor, Ont., and Detroit.
A young Stephen Harper once castigated the Liberal government of the day for bringing in a considerably smaller omnibus bill.
"Mr. Speaker, I would argue that the subject matter of the bill is so diverse that a single vote on the content would put members in conflict with their own principles," Mr. Harper, then a Reform party MP, argued in the Commons in 1994.
"In the interest of democracy I ask: How can members represent their constituents on these various areas when they are forced to vote in a block on such legislation and on such concerns?"
Mr. Scheer concluded his ruling Wednesday by inviting all MPs to use the holiday break "to reflect on how best to strengthen public confidence in this institution and on how best to balance the competing interests with which we always grapple."Report Typo/Error


text:
Discuss football with over 60,000 fans. Free Membership.
Join now
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
FootballsFuture.com Home
Iceman's Titan Off-Season
FootballsFuture.com Forum Index
Tennessee Titans
View previous topic
View next topic
Joined: 27 Jan 2009
Posts: 9378
Location: Lancaster, PA
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 5:09 pm
Post subject: Iceman's Titan Off-Season
Icemans Titan Off-Season
Disclosure: There may be moves that you like or dont like throughout this mock, constructive criticism is okay but realize that I will always be right in the end ..
S Bernard Pollard
DL Ropati Pitoitua
DL Antonio Johnson
RB/KR Leon Washington
WR/KR Marc Mariani (Note: I think both Wash and Mariani will be resigned and battle for return duties, Im not sure who would win so I have them both listed)
OL Chris Spencer
Cuts or Not Resigned
RB Chris Johnson
DE Kam Wimbley
TE Craig Stevens
CB Alterraun Verner
OT David Stewart
OT Mike Otto
OL Rob Turner
WR Kenny Britt
WR Damien Williams
LB Patrick Bailey
LB Colin McCarthy
RB Toby Gerhart- 3yrs/$8M
Gerhart is a talent that I have always liked since his time at Stanford. He is more dynamic than most think and has the ability to be effective out of the backfield and in the receiving game. I know we just recently signed Greene and since they are similar players we might not look at Gerhart. But truly Toby offers more speed and elusiveness than Greene. Gerhart showed when he was filling in for AP that he could carry the load and be very effective in doing so. He would be a solid under the radar signing that could really pay dividends.
OT Tyson Clabo- 2yrs/$6M
I most likely will get flack for this as well but I think we need to add a veteran tackle to play opposite Roos. I think that Clabo is a perfect fit. He struggled early in Miami, but eventually stepped up and played very well down the stretch. He is from Tennessee and could be a solid lineman at a decent price for a couple years. I think Clabo is more of a sure thing than Stewart at this juncture.
DE/OLB Shaun Phillips- 1yr/$4M
With the switch to the 3-4 scheme we will need to add more potential playmakers in the short term while we work on drafting younger players. Phillips has experience in both the 4-3 and 3-4 and could be solid in either look. Coming off a great season he may get a multiyear deal and if that is the case I could see 2yrs/$7.5M on a deal. He would likely start right away opposite Ayers and give them more depth and flexibility in year one of the new hybrid scheme.
ILB Karlos Dansby- 3yrs/$18M
I know there will be some potential backlash here but we really need to add a capable inside linebacker that has experience in the 3-4 scheme and the likely best fit is Dansby. He has a proven track record of success and has connections to our coaching staff. He is not going to come cheap, but we will have a big hole in the middle of the defense without a player like Dansby. Also in our favor is Tennessees proximity to his Alabama home.
We will likely target other veteran players, especially on the offensive line to backup Schwenke, Warmack and Levitre. We could potentially bring back Turner or Spencer as offensive line depth.
I know that it is cliché to trade down, but guess what I am going to do just that .IMO there are only two players that I really want at #11 and they are Watkins and Mack (would consider Matthews as well). So here we go .
The Titans trade pick #11 to the Browns for #26, #71, #83, 6th round and 2015 2nd Round Pick so the Browns can either get the WR or QB they did not get with #4.
Then we offer our 4th to move up 3 spots to #23 to secure our target in the 1st .
Round 1 (#23 via KC)-
Louis Nix, NT, Notre Dame
Nix gives us a true NT, which is something that we are completely lacking at this point in time. Nix has some injury issues but that this spot he has great value and could really become solid piece of our defensive line for years to come.
Round 2 (#42)-
Jeremiah Attaochu, OLB/DE, Georgia Tech
Another piece of the puzzle with the switch to the 3-4 is a OLB to fit into that scheme. Attaochu was impressive last season and could potentially slide into the first depending on his pro day. He would instantly give depth and situational pass rush and could replace Phillips after one season.
Round 3 (#71)-
Jared Abbrederis, WR, Wisconson
With Kenny Britt on his way out of two and Washington on the final year of his deal a WR could be ideal in this extremely deep draft. Abbrederis is sneaky fast and he has great hands. He destroyed Bradley Roby in a game this season and shows potential to be a high end #2 WR. He will be a great combination with Kendall Wright and Justin Hunter.
Round 3 (#83)-
Jack Mewhort, OT, Ohio State
With the David Stewart era coming to an end we will need to land a long term replacement pretty soon. If a guy like Mewhort is hanging around at this point in the 3rd it would be a steal. Mewhort is a safer prospect and his ceiling is a very solid RT. He could sit behind Clabo or another vet for a year or two before taking over full time.
Round 5 (#144)-
Lamin Barrow, ILB, LSU
With the signing of Dansby the need for an ILB is not extremely high but adding a younger option would be ideal for the future and depth. Barrow is a great athlete with good size and strength. He is also a leader with great character.
Round 6 (#?)-
DeAnthony Thomas, RB/WR, Oregon
With the signing of Gerhart the need for a RB right away is not extremely high and it is rumored that the Titans have interest gadget players like Darren Sproles. Archer would be ideal but he will likely be overdrafted. Thomas could still be around in the early 6th and would give Whiz a Danny Woodhead type player.
Round 6 (#178)-
Prince Shembo, OLB, Notre Dame
After a great performance at the combine, Shembo has the athleticism to play almost any spot at linebacker. He could serve as a solid 3-4 OLB that can put pressure on the QB and give depth behind Ayers.
Round 7 (#224)-
Tom Savage, QB, Pittsburgh
We will likely target one QB at some point just as insurance and a potential project. The two options that I can see is Connor Shaw or Tom Savage. It will all depend on who Whiz wants and since Savage is the more prototypical pocket passer he would be the odds on favorite. Could potentially offer starting potential down the road.
FA/Resignings - Blue
Draft - Green
- Jake Locker | Ryan Fitzpatrick |
Tom Savage
| Tyler Wilson
Toby Gerhart
| Shonn Greene |
DeAnthony Thomas
- Collin Mooney
- Nate Washington | Justin Hunter
- Kendall Wright |
Jared Abbrederis
| Michael Preston
- Delanie Walker | Taylor Thompson
- Michael Roos | Byron Stingily
- Andy Levitre | Chris Spencer
- Brian Schwenke
- Chance Warmack
Tyson Clabo
Jack Mewhort
- Derrick Morgan | Karl Klug | Lavar Edwards
Louis Nix
| Sammie Lee Hill |
Antonio Johnson
- Jurrell Casey | Mike Martin
- Akeem Ayers |
Prince Shembo
- Zach Brown |
Lamin Barrow
| Zaviar Gooden
Karlos Dansby
| Moise Fokou
Shaun Phillips
Jeremiah Attaochu
- Jason McCourty | Tommie Campbell | Khalid Wooten
- Michael Griffin | Damion Stafford
Bernard Pollard
| George Wilson
- Blidi Wreh-Wilson | Coty Sensabaugh
- Rob Bironas
- Brett Kern
- Beau Brinkley
- Leon Washington/Marc Mariani
Props to Kempes ^
Back to top
Joined: 07 Jan 2007
Posts: 6194
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 5:28 pm
Post subject:
I like the draft and the signings but I don't know if Cleveland would give up all of that to trade up. Then again this is the same team that traded up for Brady Quinn and Brandon Weeden so maybe they'll just sign over the keys to the franchise as well.
Back to top
Joined: 08 Feb 2013
Posts: 924
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 6:34 pm
Post subject:
I love that you traded back in this draft. I really don't think that Barr is necessarily worth the pick at 11, so I'm glad that you didn't go the typical route of drafting Barr at 11. I think you got just as much value out of that position by drafting Attaochu in the 2nd. If Nix's injury concerns check out he'd fill a big void at the NT position, so I can really get behind what you did there. Like I have said before, this is such a deep draft that we can find immediate playmaking starters later in round 1 by moving back and still picking up more picks. I would've liked to have seen you add another pass catching TE at some point in the draft. That position looks a little bare on the depth chart with just Delanie and Thompson. I would also be somewhat concerned with the cornerback depth. I'm sure with Verner leaving in all likelihood that we'll add at least one more corner to the mix to compete whether it be through FA or the draft.
Credit to thesickness89 for the signature!
2017 Adopt-A-Titan: Jonnu Smith & Khalfani Muhammad
Back to top
Display posts from previous:
All Posts
1 Day
7 Days
2 Weeks
1 Month
3 Months
6 Months
1 Year
Oldest First
Newest First
FootballsFuture.com Forum Index
Tennessee Titans
All times are GMT - 4 Hours
Jump to:
Select a forum
NFL General
NFL News
NFL Comparisons
NFL Draft
2017 NFL Mock Draft
GM Mock Drafts
Fantasy Football
College Football
AFC East
Buffalo Bills
Miami Dolphins
New England Patriots
New York Jets
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC South
Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars
Tennessee Titans
AFC West
Denver Broncos
Kansas City Chiefs
Oakland Raiders
Los Angeles Chargers
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys
New York Giants
Philadelphia Eagles
Washington Redskins
NFC North
Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
Minnesota Vikings
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons
Carolina Panthers
New Orleans Saints
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals
Los Angeles Rams
San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks
Other Sports
Other Sports
Fantasy/Sim/GM Leagues
This aint sports talk!
Madden 17 and video games
Feedback Forum
Signature and Avatar Help
post new topics in this forum
reply to topics in this forum
edit your posts in this forum
delete your posts in this forum
vote in polls in this forum
Powered by
© 2001, 2005 phpBB Group


text:
Fine Art and Illustration BA (Hons)Coventry University
£ 9.000 - (10.250 €)
Informazioni importanti
- Bachelor's degree
- Scarborough (Inghilterra)
- Quando:
Settembre 2017
Cosa impari in questo corso?
Art design
Skills and Training
Want to know what it's like at @CovArtDesign? Tweet your questions using #AskCU and find out…— Cov Uni Art & Design (@CovArtDesign) February 9, 2015 OVERVIEW
This course runs in 2016/17.
By combining fine art, a vehicle for personal creative investigation, and illustration, traditionally a commercial art, you can develop new visual languages as an illustrator-artist.
This course aims to provide you with the practical and critical skills necessary to become a successful illustrator-artist. You are provided with a strong grounding in material processes such as drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography and video and digital media, with an emphasis on individual creativity.
If you choose this course you will benefit from:
- An emphasis on studio practice and you will have a dedicated studio space throughout your course as well as having talks and presentations from professionals in the field;
- you will be encouraged to develop a personal visual language, which may entail using more than one medium in order that you develop a connection between fine art and illustration;
- the opportunity to exhibit at the end of your three years at exhibitions such as the 'Free Range' series in London which showcase the very best of degree show work across the UK;
- the opportunity to go on trips to a number of historical and contemporary museums and galleries which in the past have included Tate Modern and the Saatchi Gallery;
- training in Adobe Creative Cloud software such as Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Muse and Acrobat alongside the teaching of traditional disciplines;
- guidance in business and marketing and other transferable skills in order that you can become an independent learner thus graduating with the intellectual and creative flexibility to function in the professional arena;
- the opportunity to apply for a work placement or study abroad between years two and three which will give you the opportunity to gain practical experience.
The thematic content of the course will vary each year, in line with current trends in fine art and illustration. You will be encouraged to develop your own particular subject matter but the first year will always concentrate on developing your drawing, painting, sculpting and idea generation skills with some brief-driven work.
In your second year you will be introduced to industry inspired briefs as well as "real client" briefs which could take the form of commissions, exhibitions or competition briefs.
In your final year you will focus on creating a professional body of work, aimed towards your chosen career path, by working with subject specialists to create bespoke projects best suited to your needs. You will also receive essential business and marketing workshops catered to help you succeed in today's art and design market.HOW WILL THIS COURSE BE TAUGHT?
Your course will be primarily based on the development of your studio practice but you will also have lectures, seminars and workshops.HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED?
You will be assessed on the evidence of practical work throughout your course. You will accrue marks on each module in relation to clearly defined learning outcomes. You will receive verbal and written feedback in each case. You will be assessed by subject specialists who will be on hand to give feedback once you have received your grade.
You will be guided on how to deal with written assignments and how to reference your work using the Harvard system. Practical coursework will be assessed by how well it fulfils the module assessment requirements.
An estimated percentage breakdown of how your final grade is assessed is as follows: practical coursework 70%; essays/reports 20%; presentations 10%.
A compulsory Add+vantage module must also be completed: please see the page on the Add+vantage scheme for more details.TEACHING CONTACT HOURS
In a typical teaching week you will have up to 16 contact hours of teaching and this will break down as:
Personal tutorial/small group teaching: 1 hour of small group or individually guided work and up to 12 allocated hours of studio time each week
Medium group teaching: 2 hour of seminars each week
Large group teaching: 1 hours of lectures each week
Personal study: You will be expected to work on your coursework assignments as self-directed study for a further 20 hours"
C'è qualcosa che non ti convince in questo corso? Segnalaci se ci sono errori e aiuterai altri utenti come te.


text:
Untold Number of U.S. Troops to Remain in Afghanistan Beyond 2014
February 28, 2013
Everyone was told the war was going to end in 2014. You were told this was your last deployment to Afghanistan. You were told a lot of things, now your being told that even after 2014, we will have warriors in harm's way. My thought, if the war is over all of a sudden in 2014 by some "magical reason", why wouldn't we bring all the troops home? If it's not over, why are leaving a small footprint to remain compounded with the sequestration, it doesn't sound like a lot of fun…..or very safe. However, we brought all of the troops out of Iraq right? Ya, they are out of Iraq and they all moved back into Kuwait, sitting waiting in case they have to go back. I can see this happening in Afghanistan, they will be out of Helmond but we will really be out of Afghanistan? Doesn't sound like it.
Time for a C-Gar
Continue reading "Untold Number of U.S. Troops to Remain in Afghanistan Beyond 2014 " »


text:
Now to catch up on all those things that have accumulated on the back burner!
This is a discussion on It's Official! within the Off Topic & Humor Discussion forums, part of the The Back Porch category; As of 9/30/2007 I'm Retired!...
As of 9/30/2007 I'm Retired!
"The sword dose not cause the murder, and the maker of the sword dose not bear sin" Rabbi Solomon ben Isaac 11th century
Now to catch up on all those things that have accumulated on the back burner!
Chris - P95
NRA Certified Instructor & NRA Life Member.
"To own a gun and assume that you are armed
is like owning a piano and assuming that you are a musician!."
http://www.rkba-2a.com/ - a portal for 2A links, articles and some videos.
Semper Fi
"The gun is the great equalizer... For it is the gun, that allows the meek to repel the monsters; Whom are bigger, stronger and without conscience, prey on those who without one, would surely perish."
"To blame a gun for a mans decision is to foolishly attribute free will to an inanimate object"- Colion Noir.
Congrats!!!! Try to find something to keep yore hands and mind busy, so that you do not get bored.
Congrats Sheldon! May you have bunches of money, and more than enough time to spend it!
Assault is a behavior, not a device.
"Don't never take no shortcuts." Patty Reed, Donner Party
Lifetime NRA member
Now you will have more time to do all of those things that your wife thinks you should.
When you accept mediocrity you sow the seeds for future failure.
One should never confuse good fortune with good training.
Illegitimus Non Carborundum. In God we trust.
Lucky guy! I am jealous.
I hope you have plenty of money, plenty of time and all the fun that anyone who has worked their whole life and retires deserves! Shoot, travel and putter around the house to your hearts content.
But, beware, my Dad retired 4 years ago. He now has a part time job as a bank courier because puttering around the house was driving him insane. Having him there all the time was making my Mom crazy too. He kept changing things. Rearranging the furniture and moving the plates and coffee cups in the cabinets. She told him he had to get a part time job to occupy his time or she was going to throttle him.
,=====o00o _
l_--- \___l---[]lllllll[]
(o)_)-o- (o)_)--o-)_)
Welcome to the club. I hope you enjoy the "geezer" phase of your life as much as I have mine.
"Society never advances. It recedes as fast on one side as it gains on the other. It undergoes continual change; but this change is not [an improvement]. For everything that is given, something is taken."
Ralph Waldo Emerson


text:
Space Exploration at Home
The NASA/BMSIS Spaceward Bound India 2016 team visiting a school in Panamik for a rocket launching activity
Distributive Earth System Science
The availability and low cost of Internet communication technology allows BMSIS researchers to function as a virtual laboratory that holds no central physical location.
Astrobiology on Earth
Armando Azua-Bustos raises the Blue Marble flag at the Lagoa do Fogo volcano on the Azores Islands.
BMSIS scientist Mark Claire contemplating the beautiful interplay of geochemistry and biology in low pH waters at Rio Tinto, Spain.
Distributive Earth System Science
The scientific pursuit of big-picture questions requires an approach of constrained imagination. The increase of communication between traditional disciplines such as chemistry, physics, biology, astronomy, and geology has spawned new multidisciplinary scientific communities that include climate science, astrobiology, cognitive science, and space exploration.
Experimental Evolution
BMSIS research scientist Betül Kaçar holding a petri dish culture of experimentally evolved E.coli, carrying a 500 million year old ancient gene component. (Photo credit: Robin Gaucher)
BMSIS Research Scientist Zach Adam pilots a DA-20 Eclipse during an aerial survey of rock outcrops in Montana as part of an effort to discover some of the oldest eukaryote fossils in the world (inset) within the 1.4 billion year old Belt Supergroup.
Distributive Earth System Science
By building upon the wealth of knowledge within disciplines and fostering communication across disciplines, these multidisciplinary communities are able to examine complex and profound philosophical questions using the tools of science.
BMSIS research scientist Sanjoy Som discusses volcanology with David Des Marais, a senior scientist at NASA Ames, while on top of the Fimmvörðuháls lava field—one of the two 2010 eruption sites of Eyjafjallajökull. (Photo credit: Rebecca Wolsey)
Mars Analog Sites
BMSIS research scientist Julia DeMarines at the HI-SEAS Mars habitat near Mauna Kea, Hawaii.


text:
Consulting and IT-Solutions
Developing software is one of our main businesses areas. No matter if we have a fresh, new idea and develop software from scratch or work with existing software and extend and adopt it to fit our customer's requirements. More »
Besides software development, consulting is the second big area of sigma star. With most of our customers, consulting and software development often go side by side. More »
Good software needs methodology, a good programmer does not guarantee for a successful software product. We provide our customers with knowledge in software design and project planning. More »
Depending on the demands of the software we are able to provide the infrastructure to host nearly every type of software - Windows or Linux based. More »
The sigma star gmbh was founded in 2011 by the long term business partners Thomas Dierl and Richard Weinberger. Since then, they have formed a diverse team of young computer scientists and software engineers with strong expertise in a wide variety of IT topics.
Our services cover the full IT-stack, starting from planning, through development in a wide range of technologies up to operations and customer support.


text:
So I've bought a Ainol Hero 10 tablet - Like most people have found out the hard way, putting new firmware on this device is quite a nervous procedure, and you thought OH NO! I've bricked it!
Well in fact it is near impossible to brick this device! It's just not the easy of tablets to understand.
My finding's so far regarding firmware versions and release's from the manufacturer!
* 115v2 is the most stable - newly released versions (1207 and 1219) are awful to the point of crashing at weirdest moments - i.e. Touch screen loss of control to wifi disconnecting randomly.
* Cyanogenmod 4.2 is not ready.
So I've been testing Jelly bean release 4.1.2, from this thread - http://www.slatedroi...pro-2012-12-20/
So far so good, insanely smooth and so far no crashing.
The instruction's have a lot to be desired and don't explain possible caveats that user's might come across along the way - like soft bricking and panic attacks!
I'll quickly explain my findings and the supplied solution to install.
* The manufacture's recovery system has specific NAND value's set, so formatting the Internal memory is problematic!
* Attempting to flash the CM recovery onto the tablet will result in failing to boot to android and then looping back to recovery!
* If you had updated to the new 1207 or 1219 firmware, Ainol have implemented a new bootloader - which has caused havoc and made users think they have bricked their tablet!
So with my finding's in mind, the following has been done from me and hopefully will resolve a lot of user's issue's.
I've uploaded the latest CM 10 4.1.2 with instructions - I've set the defaults to English UK added a few app's. Boot logo is maintained from the manufacturer image.
Bootloader is from the 115v2, so if you have updated to 12+ images this will put back the stable bootloader.
Build.prop has been set to Samsung Galaxy SIII (R1) Galaxy Nexus (R2)
File list:
(CM10 4.1.2DBr1.zip)
Instructions contains:
PLEASE NOTE: This will remove any settings you have made i.e. system,data, userdata will be formatted!!
1207 and 1209 OWNERS:
* Get into recovery mode, apply 1a.factoryromresets.zip first then select Reboot
* Hold down VOL- again to get back into recovery mode ( if on reboot the screen is blank, use a paper clip and press the reset button in the Mic hole)
* Then following the below instructions.
(Just following the numbering scheme on when and what to image first from recovery)
Instructions (Must use built in Recovery uImage!)
* Unzip/rar the content of this (CM10 4.1.2DBr1,r2) archive and put it in the root of a MicroSD.
* Turn on the tablet keeping pressed VOL- and POWER until you see the green droid.
* Select "apply update from EXT" (you can use volume rocker to move up/down and power button to confirm).
* Flash rom "1a.factoryromresets.zip", then "1b.cm-10-20121220-UNOFFICIAL-elf2DBs.zip", then "2.gapps-jb-20121011-signed-ubifsDBs.zip" then finally "3.cm10finalDBs.zip".
* Remove SD card, go to next instruction.
* Select "Wipe media partition".
* Now select "Reboot system now".
* Enjoy CyanogenMod 10!
* If you're coming from a stock based rom, it's better if you use "stock" recovery to format "media" partition (the internal memory). And it'd be better if you don't use Google's backup/restore service to avoid breakages.
* If you boot into recovery from the CM image(uImage_recoverycm), i've added in cmfinalDBs.zip a formating routine for the media partition - doesn't work in the factory recovery!.
* Internal memory is mounted at /emmc, external sdcard is mounted at /storage/sdcard. If you wanna swap them (and make primary your real microsd) just flash this file after flashing rom's zip (you have to do it everytime you flash a new version of the rom)
* If you wanna increase the microphone capture volume open terminal emulator and after typing "su" type "alsa_amixer sset Capture 63"
* If you want to use the CM recovery, rename "uImage_recovery" to "uImage_recoveryorig", then rename the CM uImage (uImage_recoverycm) to uImage_recovery - ONLY use this for backup of system,cache or userdata - DON'T use for any other purpose as the formatting routine's haven't been carried over by the manufacturer!
See attached Mirrors.txt for download links for R1. Mirrors.txt 91bytes 286 downloads
R1 mirror
Changes in R2:R2 Mirrors
* Added Gmail app.
* Set CPU to 1300MHZ, 1500MHZ is probably to unsafe.
* hw.nophone=true and hw.hasethernet=false set as requested.
* Changed build.prop to Galaxy Nexus.
Thanks goes to Christian Troy for taking the time to compile the CM 10 4.1.2.
Sources from https://github.com/c...ab=repositories
Edited by db260179, 14 January 2013 - 09:57 AM.


text:
Commit to a raw diet with convenient meal delivery service.Top Rated Diets of 2017
The Raw Foods Diet is a very unique and disciplined way of eating that rests on a metaphysical philosophy that food that is cooked or prepared in certain ways renders the food dead. Since we are what we eat, by eating processed or cooked foods, we internalize these qualities and this in turn compromises our health. The raw premise rests on the notion that food prepared using conventional methods destroys over 80% of that food's nutrition.
Hopping on the growing trend of the raw food and the effort involved in preparing raw dishes, raw devottee, chef and owner of Santa Monica's hip Euphoria Loves RAWvolution; Matt Amdsen, has spread his raw food signature dishes to households across the country. With Amsden's raw food meal-delivery program, his famous raw food dishes are prepared and delivered to your door using only raw, fresh and organic ingredients without you having to chop, dice or mix anything.
Do You Know the Best Diets of 2017?
- A convenient way to adhere to the raw foods diet
- Ingredients are healthy, fresh with no additives or preservatives
- Raw Food followers swear by the abundance of energy they have when eating raw
- Vegetarian and vegan friendly
- Delivers nationwide
- Does not teach you how to prepare your own meals
- Adherence to eating only raw foods may be difficult
- Raw food diets in the long-term have not proven to be successful
- No scientific proof that eating raw is healthier than eating a healthy, minimally-processed diet
- Not good for those with nut or legume allergies
Rather than a meal-delivery program that promises to help you lose weight, RAWvolution prepares a weekly box of that includes two soups, four entrees, four sides and two desserts. Food is shipped to you fresh and only requires to be refrigerated.
Food selections include raw takes on their traditional cooked and carnivorous counterparts. Sample dishes include:
- Asian vegetable nori rolls
- Mock chicken salad
- Pecan crumble
- Stir-not-fry
- Pizza italiano
- No-bean hummus
Each of the dishes are prepared with organic and fresh ingredients. The seemingly cooked entrees, like pizza and sandwiches, are prepared using nuts, seeds, vegetables and condiments to create a consistency and flavor similar to the traditional ingredients.
In adopting a raw food diet, vegetables, non-roasted nuts and seeds, fruit, cacao and other seasonings are main staples of this style of eating. All food is prepared without the use of ovens, stoves or microwaves. It is in fact, raw.EXERCISE
There is no exercise routine that you are requested to follow on the RAWvolution meal-delivery program, but any successful healthy lifestyle includes a consistent exercise component that is done on most days of the week.CONCLUSION
With the exception of tossing together a simple lettuce salad or chopping up a fruit salad, preparing raw food can be a painstaking and time-consuming process. In today's world where there is never enough time to do anything let alone prepare a meal, the RAWvolution meal-delivery program takes the labor out of eating a raw foods diet and instead replaces it with a box of freshly-made raw dishes for you each week.
Whether you're a raw foodie with little time or a curious soul who lives miles away from a raw food eatery, the RAWvolution meal-delivery program may be just what you need to quell your appetite as you get along with more urgent matters.Common Misspellings
Raw Volution, RawSolution, Revolution, Rawvolution meal delivery, rawvolution diet, rawvolution mealsHow Does RAWvolution Compare?
- Product Name
- User Rating
- Easy to follow
- Cheap Price
- Fast Results
- High Protein Diet
- 91/100
- Dukan Diet
- 89/100
- Paleo Diet
- 87/100
- Plexus Slim
- 77/100
- RAWvolution
- /100
User Feedback(Page 1 of 1, 4 total comments)
Rawvolution in a Box for NY area is delicious. Delivered on time, week after week (I've been using them for a little over 2 months now). I switched from 5 meals delivered daily to raw vegan food after a 5-day Blueprint cleanse program that combined juices and raw food. I do not have any complains about Rawvolution. Company keeps improving their menu every week. I even got my meat eating boyfriend to switch to raw vegan food and he loves it.
I have been vegan for many years recently moving towards raw food. I have tried RawVolutions food for several weeks and it is delicious.
I liked Pjs Raw Cuisine much better. They have a weekly meal service that I have delivered and most items are delicious. If you're into raw food, it's the only way to go.
love raw food, however rawvolution on main street is horrible, damaging . the owners are carlessand fake. there is no love raw evolution. it is a lie . they do not live up to their standards. i know people who have had mounth injuries due to their meal. they don't care about their custumers or public. be carefull people. !!!
Featured Diets and Supplements
Related Diets: Vegan Diet, Vegetarian Diet, Raw Diet, Bistro MD