text:
Meditation on Reading and Writing
by Robert Boedeker
Reading : Writing :: Seeds : Fruit.
The act of reading--
is to the act of writing--
as the act of seeding--
is to the act of fruition--
Thoughts during the day:
Reflections of those thoughts:
*I use the word "I" a lot in my thinking--we are very self-centered in our minds; how interesting to think of someone who isn't self-centered, it's a cultural ideal, to some extent, to not be self-centered, at least too much.
Think about the microcosm in our skulls, the mini-universe we conceive as an abstract structure. Our minds are our worlds; we will never exist apart from them, we will never know another person's mind. We will only know that we exist because we know that we are thinking and processing in our minds. We will only know that the world exists because some of us assume, on faith or whatnot, that there is good enough reason to believe that our senses relay some truth and are somewhat dependable. What a mystery it is how information from the outside world gets to our minds, that abstract realm, and then is processed into us, perhaps initiating responses from the body or changing our emotional/mental/physiological state-we are amazing creations!
All these are definitions of states of being-however,
defining by declaring what I'm lacking or longing for; i.e.: what I
don't possess or am not, which is not a very good definition.
**Relationships take up a lot of time and space within the mind
The mind is finite, and its processes are limited by the
physical world. We cannot think as fast as a computer, we cannot process
at the speed of light; we are very limited compared to electricity and
light. Our minds tend to be lazy too. We could struggle for days and
days on a single issue without having a resolution readily available.
We could say to ourselves thousands of times, "I wish this were different
in my life" but we might never focus all our mental resources on the
problem unless inspired or motivated to. Self-discipline is a key aspect
to a healthy and strong mind. Discipline allows you to pull together
all your resources and focus on a single issue or idea. It organizes
your mind so that the cooperation of your entire mind can be enough
to accomplish what you set out to do.
***Very focused-very absorbed in the material. My thoughts
are prompted by the thoughts on the page with occasional pauses to make
some connections or to refocus my attention. Here self-discipline again
would benefit, as it requires determination to reign in a wandering
mind. It takes a few times of reading before you can actually grasp
what is being read. Refer to Birkerts' Gutenberg Elegies, specifically:
"Writing is the monumentally complex operation whereby experience, insight,
and imagination are distilled into language; reading is the equally
complex operation that disperses these distilled elements into another
person's life. The act only begins with the active deciphering of the
symbols. It ends (if reading can be said to end at all) where we cannot
easily track it, where the atmospheres of self condense into thought
and action." (p.96) ______________________________________________________________________________________
The mind is mysterious to me. It's curious how thinking can produce various physical responses in the body. We tend to think of the mind as separate from the body. The mind is intangible, seemingly infinite, abstract whereas the body is concrete, limited, and knowable. Science can tell us what is happening to our bodies down to the tiniest levels, down to the very atoms of our cells. The body can be cut and can bleed, can feel sore and tired, and can possess many emotional states that can be studied empirically. We can witness our bodies with our senses, we can feel our teeth with our tongues, we can hear our hearts beating, and we can see our chest expanding and contracting. We can exercise our bodies, we can make them grow, and we can change our bodies visibly. The body can be dissected, can deteriorate, and can decompose. We can see an end to the body, we can feel the dust of a decaying mummy's skin, and we can contemplate our own body's death. Our bodies exist in the physical and easily knowable world for us.
The mind exists separately from our bodies. When our bodies are impaired, when we lose a limb, when we lose one of our senses, we are still able to think. Our minds are separate from our brains. If our brain has a tumor and is operated upon, if a spike punctures our brain, if part of our brain is removed, we can still think. This makes us think that the mind is very much separated from our bodies. Interestingly, computers are similar to our brains, but computers are not similar to our minds. Both can do arithmetic, both can perform logical functions, both can seem very aware, only the mind can learn, only the mind can alter its 'programming', only the mind can grasp ideas in the abstract. The computer is physical and the mind is abstract. The mind is separate from the body. And yet it isn't.
The mind and the body interact in numerous ways that can't be explained unless there were a connection between the two. If the brain is dead, it is assumed that the mind is dead, depending on what existential view you take. If the brain is removed, the mind ceases to be a presence. When you remove a person's brain, you are left with a vegetable, a carcass, a once-thinking human, demonstrating a link between the two. The most interesting and intriguing link between the body and the mind is the emotional link. There exists a link between the cognitive and emotional aspects of the mind with the body that produces some amazing effects. For example, it has been documented that when a person experiences prolonged depression, the body goes into its own form of depression. If a person is down emotionally, the body responds and likewise gets down by getting fat or atrophying or becoming ill. The same is true in the reverse. If a person is sick or impaired physically, the emotions and thoughts become very negative. Likewise, if a person thinks positively, they usually experience good health, and if they attain good health, they usually attain a positive mental or emotional state. These are broad examples of this connection; however, the link I am more intrigued by is on a smaller scale.
I recently read a pamphlet distributed in the mall by a couple. The pamphlet did not particularly interest me, but when I saw that there were cartoons and some captions inside, I found some motivation to flip through it. It contained anti-homosexual sentiments and was endorsed by a fundamentalist Christian sect. I sat down on a bench and started over from the beginning and carefully read what it had to say. The argument it proposed said practicing homosexuals will go to hell if they do not stop their sinful behavior. The three words that grabbed my attention from the beginning were "God Hates Fags". It later explained exactly why they used each of those words, and it follows what I thought it would, except they use the word "Fags" in the British sense of something that kindles a fire, in this case, the fire of God's hatred. I read it from cover to cover, I even read all the scripture quotes to support their argument.
I have to say, looking from the booklet to the floor, to the booklet again, and then over to the couple, I was enraged. I was passionately engaged in an argument in my mind refuting as best as I could each of the points made in the pamphlet. I was so angry that I was trembling. I wanted to go over to those people and physically confront them for supporting this line of thought. I didn't but I am ashamed to admit I had the thought. I took the pamphlet with the intention of showing it to my friends, to get them equally riled up on my behalf and behalf of homosexuals, but on the way out I threw it away hoping to leave those dark emotions behind me.
Later as I reflected on this experience what surprised me most was not how I behaved but why I behaved that way. I trembled. I flushed. I became very emotional. And all because I read something. I read something. Why would words do anything to me other than make my eyes move as I scanned the page they're on? Why did the words, the letters, the scratches on paper get me so angry? Why did a simple processing of letters into words, of words into sentences, of sentences into thoughts, of thoughts that I made meaningful in my mind, why did these produce such a powerful emotional response? How did my mind, which received the thoughts, tell my body to release the adrenaline? How did the mind even get the thoughts? The mind has no sense organs like the brain does; the eyes are not abstract but the ideas they transmitted to my mind were. It is a fact that one of the most restful things we can do is to read. Our bodies are very relaxed when we read, even more so than during sleep. How can something so passive as reading make my body become so energized and pumped? I can't explain it; Science can't explain it; no one can explain it, but I still want to know what is really going on. What is the mind? How can it do what it does?
If we knew the answers to these questions we would be
able to understand so much. We would be able to understand exactly the
process of reading and writing. We would be able to understand exactly
how we know, how we gain knowledge, how we produce knowledge, how we
create new ideas, how our imaginations works, what our dreams are, and
so much more. We would be able to finally answer so many of the questions
that we've been asking for ages. Socrates would rest peacefully if we
could finally know ourselves. Knowing ourselves is so key to our existence,
to our daily life, to our smallest tasks, to reading and writing even,
but it always eludes our understanding. And still we are curious about
it, more so because it is so hard to grasp. This is the human condition
showing its paradoxical nature yet again. ______________________________________________________________________________________
I've defined writing as printing ideas onto a tangible surface, presenting ideas from your mind, allowing for old thoughts to develop or new thoughts to appear as you print, and expressing your inner thoughts and personality. As I write these words, what am I really doing? Is this a purely mental process? Is my body doing anything? The more I question, the more questions flow from me...
Was I born with a skill for writing? Is there some biological difference between people with a so-called "aptitude for writing" and people without? Aptitude: an internal, mental, or abstract quality? Is it gained or simply granted or bestowed? Given that there is an inherent inequality in the power of writers in this world, can a person who has little natural ability for writing ever come through hard work and persistence to the level of a "natural writer"?
Inspiration seems to play a role in writers' works. But is inspiration even a present and alive thing? If it is, will it ever happen to me? Can we increase its occurrence in us? More importantly, can we understand it? Is it the crystallization of ideas in our minds, as Robert Pirsig described it? Is it as Birkerts described it, a constant process in our minds that comes forth after a while? Or is it a bubbling to the surface of our minds as the Field Marshall described it? These all seem to describe the same thing, so let's get back to the question-what does inspiration feel like? Would it come to me after I began writing, like in the middle of an essay? Would it come to me before an essay? Is there really anything there to come to me? Do I have the conceptualization of this all wrong? Perhaps it's like trying to decide if God has a white beard or a Buddha's belly, right? Is it like trying to picture God at all? Can we fathom something like this? Is it worth fathoming or worth devoting our time/energy to?
Uh-oh, that sentence ended in a preposition, but shouldn't we be allowed to end sentences with a preposition? If I communicate my ideas effectively, aren't I writing well? Why do we put up with all this grammatical nonsense? Can't we ease off on the strict art of writing? Can't this become more relaxed, like our speech? But our speech has more than just one form of communication attached, built into, and imbedded within it, right? If I write, doesn't the reader only receive my words? And if I talk, doesn't the listener hear my choice of words, my tone of voice, my syntax, and see my facial expressions and body expressions? So we have to conclude that there is some necessity in formalized writing, don't we? Doesn't formalized writing provide rules that give us a base and when we see these rules varied, bent or broken, don't we get more understanding from that?
This exploration is freeing for my mind...am I feeling freer as a writer though? Am I even feeling like a writer? Well, since I'm not feeling like a writer right now, at least in the professional sense or in the capital "w" sense, am I feeling more like a writer in the non-professional sense? Am I feeling more like a reader because of classes? Since we do a lot of reading, wouldn't it seem natural that I would feel more comfortable as a reader? However, since we're reading some difficult stuff and I still struggle with it, doesn't it feel frustrating as a reader?
Have I thousands more questions in my head than space
to write them in? Are these questions ever going to be satisfied? Yes.
Case Study #1--
"Road to hell paved with unbought stuffed dogs." (Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises, p.73, Andrew Small's copy, Lee Sanders' suggestion)
This quote is completely out of context and I have absolutely no idea what it contributes to the novel. I have equally no idea who was saying it, why, and what their background is to promote something like that to be said. Looking at the sentence, I couldn't tell what it said at first. Looking at it again, running it through my mind, focusing, allowing my mind to center in on it, I finally found some pictures to laugh at. I'm not sure what Ernest was smoking, but it was some pretty heavy stuff. Now Ernest is one of the Greats in writing, and seeing as how I'm not, wouldn't I gain a lot by analyzing his work? Wouldn't I be able to find insights into style, imagery, syntax, or just plain old-fashioned insights into life?
Road to hell is paved with unbought stuffed dogs.
'Hell', why talk about hell? Perhaps Ernest imagined that he could take a moment out of the flow of the story and wax philosophical. Maybe this is his existential view on hell, maybe one he is trying out for size. He might have gotten this idea from someone in a bar or on the street and it started some process in his mind. Maybe he read it. Imagine that Ernest read something about hell being paved with the souls of sinners or whatnot from a religious pamphlet, and this pamphlet made such an impression on him that he absorbed that into his head. Maybe it got him to thinking about the truthfulness of that statement. Instead of the souls of sinners that pave hell, maybe he thought back to his Buddhist days and remembered one of his lamas telling him that hell is paved with the souls of the arrogant or the greedy. (Maybe this lama was the same one who turned him ultimately away from his Buddhist upbringing by being too strict with the whole vegetarian thing. Who knows?) But it is interesting to think that maybe he paced the floor of his house for a few days, perhaps a week, thinking about what hell is really like. (Lee suggests that maybe he just has a good sense of humor. I highly doubt this.) Maybe this whole dog thing came to him in a moment of clarity. Perhaps he hadn't made up his mind about what hell really was like, and maybe his editor gave him an ultimatum that he had to come up with something by four o'clock that afternoon and all he could come up with was this silly dog thing. It's a bit of a stretch. I've never conceived of hell as being paved with unbought stuffed anything. The fact still remains: Ernest heard something about hell once in his life if not immediately before he scribed this sentence, and that influence on him worked its magic until it came out on page 73. The bubbling forth started from something; dare we imagine farther? Not yet.
Let's move on to the dogs. Why dogs? Is it a reference to his cute little pet-I'm gonna work you into one of my novels, Sparky, I'm not sure how but you'll be in there-Is that what Ernest told his faithful Black Labrador? (Dr. Bob suggests it's a reference to God. Again, I highly doubt this.) Another thing, the dogs are unbought. Why did he add this idea? What does unbought have to do with anything? It isn't existential; it isn't insightful. It's capitalistic; it's a detail about value. It's an idea that suggests things about the quality of the dog; perhaps it's a seedy dog, a mangy animal that has a shady past. It could be something completely different. It could be a statement about the dog's availability on a market that has yet to demand his services. He could be about to be bought, but the timing was just off. It could be a statement of affirmation though, that maybe these were the special dogs, the saved dogs, the ones better than the normal dogs. I doubt that though. I think that if something were used to pave a road in hell, it probably wouldn't have super-status. He must have chosen this word because of some need to comment on the status of the dogs, to give a colorful way of describing what he saw within the dark character of the dogs. Perhaps he sought a more creative way of phrasing this idea than he grabbed at first, maybe it took him a while, but finally he settled on this unbought idea and liked it.
Similarly, he must have searched long and hard for the stuffed image. This is a powerful use of language here. He combines some non-traditional images into an effective whole. He made a very complex picture for our minds to grapple with. Dogs, perhaps Setters or Poodles, pretty beaten up, sort of scabby and missing patches of fur, stuffed to the brim with whatever it is taxidermists stuff animals with, including the glass eyes and fake noses, lined up along a boulevard, nose to nose, tail to tail, and collar to collar. They pave the road to hell. What did they do to deserve this doggy hell? What did they do to deserve a visit to the taxidermist? What did they do to end up in a story called The Sun Also Rises? What did it take for Hemingway to produce this from his mind? What is it about creativity that allows us to pair a stuffed image with a hell image and an unbought image? These questions are all part of the process of imagining and exploring the text. I had lots of questions for this and most of them are answered by the statements I wrote above, questions unwritten. The time I spent on this passage is only a small amount that rich, deliberate texts deserve from their readers. If I had simply skimmed over it and found it quaint or trivial, what sort of depth would I really get out of this book? If I were to skim over this line, what is to say that I wouldn't skim over most of the description? I might have gotten more out of this book by just analyzing the hell out of this line than a skimmer would have gotten out of the whole thing. And for one good reason-I put effort into understanding and imagining where Hemingway was coming from, what he meant, and what else he might have said. This translates in the big picture into a deeper and richer understanding and connectedness with the novel. What is the point to read? Is it to finish a book and be able to say that you read a famous author? Or is it to connect with the author's ideas, the author's mind, and the author's perspective on the world? I got in touch with Hemingway through this exercise. I got a glimpse into his realm. I saw out of his eyes for the briefest of moments. I...I...I....hmmm, I only looked at one sentence and a sentence I didn't know anything about. I should probably read the rest of it. ______________________________________________________________________________________
Case Study #2--
(In the Vineyard of the Text, by Ivan Illich, required reading by Dr. Bob)
Part A
In the third chapter entitled, Monastic Reading, Illich provides a definition for a word, meditation. Coming from the Latin, meditatio, he explains that it means "incorporation". In the sense of world religions, meditation is a form of reflection or an exercise that all major religions center upon, in one way or another. I'm completely taken aback by this definition, though. For me, meditation has always been a mystery, an art that is teachable but not graspable, something that a wise old sage can do but not something that someone like me can do. Meditation has been surrounded by a cloak of over-importance: the strong emphasis given to it in so many religions makes it seem unapproachable for a layman. I've struggled with the concept of meditating, the act, and the method. Reading this definition has given me a new way of thinking about it though.
The act of incorporation; to take what you experience
outside of the mind and weave a new fabric within the mind, using the
new experiences as the base yarn. When the fabric is constructed, there
will be the opportunity to line it with gold thread when upon further
meditation you are able to come away with more and more and more insights,
deeper questions, or wisdom. All you have to do is be a willing weaver
and be open to the process of weaving, of incorporating the new material
into what already exists up in your mind. What an amazing concept-the
incorporation of knowledge or ideas into yourself, so that you own it,
it becomes a part of you-this is a similar idea to real education in
that you can hear everything your teacher teaches but to really learn
you have to make it your own and incorporate it into your own self.
In all of my contemplation on schooling, this is the ending principle
for me: in order to really learn or gain something from education, you
have to be a willing and active participant in the process. You have
to be the one who does the work; our teachers can't make these connections
for us. And so this is a very powerful and meaningful insight for me,
the idea that meditation is the act of incorporation.
Part B
In the fifth chapter entitled Scholastic Reading, Illich provides a footnote explaining one of his findings within the Rule of St. Benedict. He says, "A terminological study of the Benedictine Rule shows that educare is not the task of the teacher, but regere (to guide), servire (to serve), or instruere (to instruct)." This is an essential difference that I think is lost upon my generation, or any generation of new students. To be responsible for your own education is not a concept we tend to associate with the actual process of learning, of educare, instead we'd like to believe that the grade school style of schooling continues on into college. By the grade school style of schooling I intend to evoke the images of our teachers doing everything in their power to spoon-feed us our education. Another way of looking at this is to remind people that during the early to later years of schooling, the general attitude is that it is uncool to want to learn on your own. Just by watching something as telling as the Simpsons, you can find that in the school setting, it is not the popular thing to want to work for your own education-if there isn't a teacher providing strict guidance, then the students probably won't want to do it on their own. Simply put, how many people do you know would be able to get an education in the same way as Abraham Lincoln? Not many, principally because our general attitude toward education is not a self-improvement or betterment one, it is an attitude of 'we do it because we are told to do it'. If no one tells us to do it, it probably won't happen unless there is an individual who is exceptionally motivated, which is a rarity.
The Benedictines must have had the same problem to some
degree. Since they had to have a clarification in their Rule about the
role of teacher and the role of student, this probably points to a general
misunderstanding among the popular culture about education. Most likely
their conception was our conception-school buildings and teachers and
textbooks equal education, not personal growth or the incorporation
of learning into your own self. This clarification has been slow in
coming to me; only recently could I have honestly told you that I hold
the same view as the Rule on the role of the teacher, but it did come
to me. Accountability, personal responsibility, and hard work are what
the student needs for education; a good teacher is the sprinkles on
the ice cream, not essential but necessary if you want a better flavor
and more color. ______________________________________________________________________________________
Composition as Art
Looking at a painting in the Library, it is easy to see the result of a long effort. There are the brush strokes, carefully blended, and some pencil marks on the very edge where the artist missed a little spot. It is easy to imagine the long hours, the many drafts, and the many sketches that went into this painting before this one was sold and framed. There are color choices, the light hues and the dark hues, the realistic shading on the painted man's face and jaw line, the sparkle deliberately set in his eyes, the bright colors on the ends of the brushes he holds. Looking at the fine details, then at the whole, what I get from the painting is a sense of comfort. There is a comfort found in the artist's ability; as though you can trust this person's skills enough to enjoy what they have created. There's comfort in the man's expression; comfort in the idea that this is a quality piece of art. Here is where art and literature meld together: the result of the creator's long and hard work needs to be something we can put our trust into, needs to be something we can enjoy, and needs to be something of quality.
Imagine working on a story, a blank canvas in front of your eyes, ready for a wash of words upon it. What are you going to come up with? Are you going to go at it with ideas in mind or are you going to sit there and stare at it for however long it takes for you to begin? Are you going to wait for inspiration or dive in with no certainty and little preparation? The beginning's the hardest part for some people; it takes motivation and energy, it takes trust on the part of the creator to just let yourself flow into new realms of ideas, and it takes a few tries before it is worth anything. The important part is that something fills the empty space, something is laid down-not to sound too biblical here, but a foundation of stone is much stronger than one of sand, though how much more work does it take to lay down that stone? Preparation for writing might be as simple as reading a few books, or going to listen at a few conferences. It could be as elaborate as a retreat experience, a meditative venture into your mind's deepest recesses. There are thousands of ways to begin, but the simplest and most sure way seems to be the splash of a few random brush strokes onto the canvas and see where that takes you.
The revision process in both fields is very straining and tedious. Editors make it easier for both writers and artists because the editor has motivational techniques and hopefully specific suggestions to improve the work's quality. The hard part is the psychological work. Trusting yourself that what you are doing is good work is difficult to maintain in your head when you're constantly criticizing and nitpicking at your choices. To not trust yourself and your abilities is to lose grasp on perspective, to lose hope for completion, and to lose your creative edge. If a sculptor only made one attempt at forming a leg, this being that artist's first leg ever, what hope is there that they made it representative of life? Since artists and writers often write and create art, their practice is going to give them some level of security and skill. The sculptor who has created his ten-thousandth leg and now starts on his ten-thousandth-and-one leg is going to understand the nuances of muscle structure, the basic shape, the specific proportions, but might not get it perfect on the first try. To give up on it because it has little imperfections is to deny the world what his gift truly is: the skilled construction of a piece of art. The remolding, the reworking, the recarving of a leg just so that it is finally perfect may be the toughest part for most people, but it seems to separate the great legs from the not-so-great legs.
The ending is crucial. What message do you want to get
across? How do you want the characters to be seen by the audience? How
do you want to achieve that message? For a painter, maybe their painting
is too light-colored for the darker purpose of the piece, maybe the
time finally comes when the artist takes his blacks and grays and puts
the shadows in the faces of the characters or makes the sky dark with
clouds. Maybe the writer decides to open up the end to interpretation
and, instead of writing a moral to the story similar to Aesop's bluntly
told lessons, perhaps this writer wants to create ambiguity for the
reader. Maybe a subtle sentence, hiding the real scene within its inflections
or vagueness. The real trick is to keep restraint, of being effective
but not too clever, clear but not too loud. The greatest example I've
found was in Tess of the D'Urbervilles when Tess is raped by Alex. This
happens within three paragraphs at the end of a chapter and a major
section of the book. The action is veiled with insinuations and metaphors
for rape, but the act is never directly stated. After being told what
it was and where it was, it still took me four times reading through
it word by word before I picked up on Harding was telling us. Up to
that point, he stated himself fairly clearly, so finding a moment of
obscurity threw me off and made me reread that tricky section numerous
times, just as one would reread the beginning of a new book numerous
times to get that foreign style of writing comfortable in their mind.
That obscurity showed a moment of brilliance. It demonstrated a subtle
and careful skill that was not evident before. Most importantly, it
worked well for the story. The rape scene was not blaringly loud on
the page, was not graphic and scandalous, and was not out of place with
the rest of the story. It fit well and made its point effectively. The
author got me to a place where I grew comfortable with his style. I
knew I could rely on him to deliver a good piece of writing. I didn't
feel like this was something I had a right to criticize because it was
already thoroughly picked at. It had already undergone the process of
revision. It was a finished work of art. ______________________________________________________________________________________
Reading and writing are the most important forms of communication for us. There are other more basic forms of communication, like touching and posture and facial expression, but the former two are more important than these latter forms. Reading and writing provide the insight that you can't get when you look into someone's eyes and try to figure out whether they are crying from happiness or crying from sorrow. Reading and writing express our inner selves, they are the ViewFinder for our most isolated parts, our mind and heart, they are what allow us to connect with others.
The convenience of reading and writing cannot go understated. Shakespeare could not have told us that he thought the world was a stage, using all the colorful language, all the poetry, or all the hidden and deeper meanings that gave his works depth, if we could not have read them or if he had not written them. It could be argued that our speaking is more important because it conveys lots of things at once, but not only is our speaking too quick for something like Shakespearean understanding to pervade our souls, but it is too impermanent. One day the Iliad has a guy named Odysseus in it, the next day it's Cliff. Soon it'll be Mike and shortly after that it's gonna be Frank-spoken thought is so easily changed, so easily distorted, so easily lost. This impermanence is especially true in our time now that oral culture has fossilized, written culture hobbles toward its grave, and the information culture of today prospers. Without the memory-abilities of an oral culture, we can only rely on reading and writing to accurately convey meaning.
These tools are limited though. For example, I'm not a big fan of trying to print out on paper all of the thoughts that go through my head about a certain subject. It would be easier to show you a movie of my mind, and let them speak for themselves, but even with movies though, you don't get exactly what is needed to convey what someone feels or thinks or wants. Look at it another way. Our minds contain memories, let's say memories of a trip to a foreign country. For all the days that you spent on that trip, you experienced thousands if not millions or trillions of events that were stored in your mind. On any given day, you could have had thousands of memories, and each one of those memories is a series of moments, like a snapshot. For any given snapshot, you could describe that moment with millions of words-a picture is worth a thousand words (at least), right? If you use only a bare-minimum thousand words for each snapshot, which is just one moment, and you have only a thousand moments in a memory of an event, and finally you have millions of events in your trip, how many words would it take to fully describe your trip to people back home? Similarly, compare our minds to the sky and our memories to the clouds in the sky. Now these big, puffy, cottony clouds are floating around, and there are thousands just waiting to be explored, but do you have enough paper in the entire world to capture a million clouds?
There has to be an easier and more efficient way to communicate. To make the connections that I'd like to make with people, I'd like to connect on a bigger level, a level where understanding is at the maximum, where loneliness is non-existent, and where the fluid exchange of ideas is non-chalantly tossed about in total comprehension.
What I ask for is a collective conscious sort of idea: a utopian-"nowhere" hope whose idealism frustrates me as much as it inspires me. What I ask for is also the impossible, and unfortunately I have to make do with what I've got, and that's writing and reading, limited though they are. Nevertheless, knowing these limitations but continuing to long for what's out of reach, I am motivated to use reading and writing to their fullest.
This web site created and maintained by the Coe Writing Center. Copyright 2001.
E-mail Dr. Bob Marrs with any questions, comments or suggestions.


text:
by Sayora Mashanlo
Almaty, Kazakhstan (AFP) July 02, 2013
An unmanned Russian carrier rocket exploded Tuesday on takeoff at the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, releasing tonnes of highly toxic fuel into the air in the space programme's latest disaster caught on live television.
Spectacular footage showed the Proton-M rocket veering off its trajectory just seconds after its 6:38 am (0238 GMT) launch, before falling apart in mid-air, erupting into a ball of flames and unleashing clouds of noxious black smoke.
"It seems something is going wrong," said a Russian television commentator during the live coverage of the launch at the Baikonur cosmodrome in the Central Asian state of Kazakhstan.
"Something is wrong. It seems it will be a catastrophe," said the presenter, his voice trembling, shortly before the rocket exploded.
President Vladimir Putin had been informed of the accident, the Kremlin said in a statement.
The rocket, which fell back into the area of the Baikonur cosmodrome which Russia leases from ex-Soviet Kazakhstan, was supposed to take three Russian Glonass-M navigation satellites into space.
The rocket carried 600 tonnes of kerosene, heptyl and amyl which are highly poisonous components of rocket fuel, said the head of the Kazakh space agency, Talgat Musabayev.
The Russian space agency Roskosmos, citing preliminary information, said the accident caused no damage or casualties but the crash site was immediately cordoned off and residents of nearby towns including Baikonur were told to stay indoors and keep their windows shut.
Heptyl is a highly poisonous component of rocket fuel and is known to be more toxic than the chemical weapon sarin.
Kazakh officials played down the immediate danger to people, saying a lot of the fuel had burned in the air but some experts suggested the fumes may find their way into drinking water.
Locals said the explosion sounded like thunder and that they were not unduly concerned about their safety.
"They asked us to stay indoors and not to open windows," said Mukhtar Umurzakov, a 46-year-old driver, who lives in the town of Kyzyl-Orda some 300 kilometres (185 miles) from Baikonur.
"They also said you cannot release cattle out to pasture but no one paid attention," he told AFP.
Officials in Kazakhstan said earlier Tuesday that a cloud of fumes that had formed over the cosmodrome could move beyond the area.
Head of the emergencies ministry in Kazakhstan, Vladimir Bozhko, was quoted as saying that early indications showed the accident was caused by a malfunction of a first-stage engine.
Experts say the disaster is a major blow to the reputation of the reliable Proton-M rocket.
"Proton is our main workhorse for commercial use," space analyst Vadim Lukashevich told AFP. "Businessmen will now start thinking whether they should look for another carrier."
He added that Russia would likely come under more pressure from Kazakhstan to increase rental payments for the cosmodrome.
Prominent Kazakh environmental activist Mels Yeleusizov blamed the Russians for the disaster.
"This is real slovenliness indeed. Accidents happen all the time," he said. "It's high time to ban this Proton."
Though key accomplishments like sending the first man into space in 1961 have brought Russia's space programme acclaim, it has recently suffered several major setbacks, notably losing expensive satellites and an unmanned supply ship to the International Space Station.
The most recent disaster brought to memory a horrific rocket explosion at the same Baikonur cosmodrome in 1960 when a prototype rocket exploded on the launch pad and released the highly poisonous rocket fuel in the air dubbed the "devil's venom".
During the accident, which the Russian space agency has called a veritable "inferno", 126 people were burned alive or vaporised altogether, while others died of noxious fumes or succumbed to burns later.
The Soviet Union, which was locked in an arms race with the United States, imposed total secrecy over the disaster, and the files were only declassified in the 1990s.
Related Links
Launch Pad at Space-Travel.com
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Senator Jay Rockefeller today released the following statement after Patriot Coal asked a federal bankruptcy judge to shed its obligations under its existing contract with the United Mine Workers of America:
"Patriot's decision is deeply disappointing, and incredibly unjust. These retirees worked day and night, risking their lives and their health, under a pledge that is now broken. Passing my bill to protect these union miners' health benefits and pensions is now more than just the right thing to do - it's imperative."
Source: http://www.rockefeller.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2013/3/rockefeller-statement-on-patriot-coal-bankruptcy


text:
WHILE THE TREND toward increased outsourcing of maintenance, repair and overhaul activities is undeniable and proving to be an effective strategy for many airlines, there is a significant challenge to the growth of the trend, according to experts who spoke to Airline Procurement. That challenge relates to the inherent confusion and disjointed systems that exist in most MRO organizations.
Click here to read event news from ATW On-Location
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ATW Magazine Products
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text:
Three Indirect Effects of Foreign Direct Investment: Evidence from the Czech Republic
Foreign direct investment has been one of the main drivers of economic developments over the past few years in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Within the ongoing globalization and international division of labor, a large number of foreign companies have established production units in CEE countries to benefit from low labor costs and other advantages. This study looks both in theoretical and empirical terms at whether large foreign presence has also affected domestic firms. Foreign firms might both intentionally and unintentionally influence the productivity, financing and export performance of local firms within the same industry or across industries along the production chain via subsupplier and client linkages. Economic theory does not suggest unambiguous answer to a question whether the influence is positive or negative. For answering the question, both firm-level and industry-level data on performance, financing and exports and interactions of firms within production chain in the Czech Republic are analyzed.
If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.
Volume (Year): 2 (2008)
Issue (Month): 1 ()
Pages: 15-37
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Fax: (+420) 271 741 597
Web page: http://www.vsfs.cz/
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- Lucas, Andre & Klaassen, Pieter & Spreij, Peter & Straetmans, Stefan, 2001.
"An analytic approach to credit risk of large corporate bond and loan portfolios,"
Journal of Banking & Finance,
Elsevier, vol. 25(9), pages 1635-1664, September.
- Lucas, André & Klaassen, Pieter & Spreij, Peter, 1999. "An analytic approach to credit risk of large corporate bond and loan portfolios," Serie Research Memoranda 0018, VU University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Econometrics.
- Gordy, Michael B., 2003. "A risk-factor model foundation for ratings-based bank capital rules," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 12(3), pages 199-232, July.
- Michael B. Gordy, 2002. "A risk-factor model foundation for ratings-based bank capital rules," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2002-55, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
- Boris Hofmann, 2001. "The determinants of private sector credit in industrialised countries: do property prices matter?," BIS Working Papers 108, Bank for International Settlements. Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)
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text:
EFILE for electronic filers
Your online EFILE account
Use your EFILE number and password to:
- Maintain your account
- Renew your account
- View transmission history
Guides and help
The EFILE program is open for transmissions from February 20, 2017, until January 19, 2018, for the electronic filing of your clients' 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 personal income tax and benefit return.
To participate in the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP), you must first register as a volunteer with the CVITP at cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/vlntr/menu-eng.html. If you intend on transmitting returns by EFILE under the CVITP, you must also apply for an EFILE number.
EFILE is an automated service that allows approved tax preparation service providers and discounters to send individual income tax return information to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) directly from EFILE–certified tax preparation software.
Taxpayers may take their tax slips and supporting documents to a registered tax preparer and for a fee, the tax preparer will prepare their return and send it to us electronically using EFILE.
Register for EFILE
Any firm, organization, or individual who provides tax preparation services can apply, as long as they meet the definition and requirements of an applicant and pass the suitability screening criteria.
EFILE news and program updates
For the latest news, updates on enhancements and important dates.
EFILE certified software
EFILE "certified" tax preparation software means that the developer of the tax preparation software has gone through a process with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to verify that their product is compatible with the CRA EFILE electronic tax filing service.
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To renew your account, log in with your EFILE number and password and select "Renew account" on the resulting webpage. Yearly renewal is mandatory for your continued participation in electronic filing. An invitation to renew your account will be sent each year towards the end of October.
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Changes in your business may result in changes to the data you provided to us at the time you applied for, or last renewed your participation in, electronic filing. An account maintenance option is available to all registered users of EFILE.
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Forms T183 and T1013
Form T183, Information Return for Electronic Filing of an Individual's Income Tax and Benefit Return as well as Form T1013, Authorizing or Cancelling a Representative.
- Date modified:


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NYC Skyline Creations
January 16, 2017 at 3:29 pmCategory:CLASSES
As I blow the dust off of my blog…
you will be greeted with some entertaining posts from the past while enjoying things that are happening currently in my art world. It's nice to revisit those projects and memories that have happened as a reminder of why we do what we do. The art, the creativity, the people.
This event took place (wow) early last year! These wonderful gals were dabbling in mixed media while we created New York City skylines. That is a topic that shows up a ton in my art and this project is one of my favorites. It combines lots of basic techniques with the opportunity to use up a ton of paper scraps in an interesting way.
If you are interested in checking out the MEETUP EVENTS at Gotham City Paper & Paint, we would LOVE to meet you!


text: Christmas Trilogy (Score) Look Inside Listen Christmas Trilogy (Score) 3-5 octave handbell choir and keyboard with optional D8 handbell, 3-5 octave handchimes, trumpet and brass quintet - Level 3-Arranged by Janet Linker and Jane McFadden. Handbell Choir Music. Full score. Published by Beckenhorst Press (BP.HB432). Usually leaves our warehouse: Within 1 to 2 weeks More info Add to Cart { "catalogRefId":"19773760", "productId":"prod19773760", "quantity":"1" }


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The 290-theorem, conjectured by Conway and Schneeberger and proved by Bhargava and Hanke, asserts that a positive definite quadratic form represents all numbers iff it represents the numbers in this sequence. - T. D. Noe, Mar 30 2006
J. H. Conway and W. A. Schneeberger, personal communication.
Table of n, a(n) for n=1..29.
Manjul Bhargava and Jonathan Hanke, Universal quadratic forms and the 290-Theorem Inventiones Math., 2005
Alexander J. Hahn, Quadratic Forms over Z from Diophantus to the 290 Theorem, Adv. Appl. Clifford Alg. 18 (2008), 665-676.
Yong Suk Moon, Universal Quadratic Forms and the 15-Theorem and 290-Theorem
K. Ono, Honoring a gift from Kumbakonam, Notices Amer. Math. Soc., 53 (2006), 640-651.
Ivars Peterson, All Square: Science News Online
Ivars Peterson, MathTrek, All Square
Cf. A030050, A116582, A154363.
Sequence in context: A037016 A239746 A101323 * A183071 A139826 A182048
Adjacent sequences: A030048 A030049 A030050 * A030052 A030053 A030054
N. J. A. Sloane


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The .exe extension on a filename indicates an executable file. Executable files may, in some cases, harm your computer. Therefore, please read below to decide for yourself whether the AD.exe on your computer is a Trojan that you should remove, or whether it is a file belonging to the Windows operating system or to a trusted application.
The process known as AutoDialogs executable belongs to software MetaProducts AutoDialogs or AutoDialogs by MetaProducts corp (www.metaproducts.com).
Description: AD.exe is not essential for Windows and will often cause problems. The file AD.exe is located in a subfolder of "C:\Program Files".
Known file sizes on Windows 10/8/7/XP are 503,296 bytes (33% of all occurrences), 488,452 bytes, 2,070,528 bytes, 487,428 bytes or 628,144 bytes.
There is an icon for this program on the taskbar next to the clock. It is able to record keyboard inputs. The AD.exe file is not a Windows system file. AD.exe is able to record keyboard and mouse inputs, monitor applications and manipulate other programs. Therefore the technical security rating is 59% dangerous, however you should also read the user reviews.
Recommended: Identify AD.exe related errors
If AD.exe is located in a subfolder of C:\, the security rating is 70% dangerous. The file size is 253,904 bytes. There is no information about the author of the file. The program has no visible window. The program is loaded during the Windows boot process (see Registry key: MACHINE\Run, win.ini). AD.exe is not a Windows system file. AD.exe appears to be a compressed file.
Important: Some malware camouflages itself as AD.exe, particularly when located in the C:\Windows or C:\Windows\System32 folder. Therefore, you should check the AD.exe process on your PC to see if it is a threat. We recommend Security Task Manager for verifying your computer's security. This was one of the Top Download Picks of The Washington Post and PC World.
Summary: Average user rating of AD.exe: based on 2 votes with 3 user comments. One user thinks AD.exe is essential for Windows or an installed application. One user suspects danger. One user is not sure about it.
A clean and tidy computer is the key requirement for avoiding problems with AD. This means running a scan for malware, cleaning your hard drive using cleanmgr and sfc /scannow, uninstalling programs that you no longer need, checking for Autostart programs (using msconfig) and enabling Windows' Automatic Update. Always remember to perform periodic backups, or at least to set restore points.
Should you experience an actual problem, try to recall the last thing you did, or the last thing you installed before the problem appeared for the first time. Use the resmon command to identify the processes that are causing your problem. Even for serious problems, rather than reinstalling Windows, you are better off repairing of your installation or, for Windows 8 and later versions, executing the DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth command. This allows you to repair the operating system without losing data.
To help you analyze the AD.exe process on your computer, the following programs have proven to be helpful: Security Task Manager displays all running Windows tasks, including embedded hidden processes, such as keyboard and browser monitoring or Autostart entries. A unique security risk rating indicates the likelihood of the process being potential spyware, malware or a Trojan. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware detects and removes sleeping spyware, adware, Trojans, keyloggers, malware and trackers from your hard drive.
starportlite.sys eb6c4499b05f.dll rupass.dll AD.exe srsvc.dll hmailserver.exe ppcb_32.exe p17xfilt.sys siw.exe kxmixer.exe sctsvc.exe [all]


text:
Or does it get monotonous to cook turkey over and over again?
Julia warns that a food processor will turn the soup into "something un-French and monotonous."
A giant red claw picks up the clothes and drops them again in a monotonous symbol of futility.
Befitting his monotonous moniker, Benjamin Benjamin is a Pacific Northwesterner for whom every day is equally uninspiring.
Desperate for a way out of her monotonous existence Kumiko becomes obsessed with the frazzled tape and plots her journey to Fargo.
The hero may, of course, sometimes die; but not always; that would be too monotonous.
The monotonous cry of the leadsman in the chains was the only sound audible.
The airs generally are plaintive and monotonous, and have a sad and weary sound.
The scenery of this branch was as monotonous as that of the other.
We had no spur to enliven our thoughts in our monotonous life.
1750, of sound, from Greek monotonos "of one tone" (see monotony). Transferred and figurative use, "lacking in variety, uninteresting," is from 1783. Related: Monotonously.


text:
add it to the meta function in theme-functions.php. Wrap a div around it, add a class to it and style the it similar to the retweet class (in style.css).
Retweet button issue(34 posts) (10 voices)
Hello atm i have TweetMeme and its work with option : Manually <- thanks! its great..
but i want to add FaceBookShare! near the Twitter, i install : Simple Facebook Connect pluggin , but it still doesn't work for me =(
There will be a 1.3.6 release soon and I will add the facebook button integration then, since so many are requesting this.
Facebook is even better as social network then twitter, maybe that is why. :)Using BigFeature on: DarkQ - Gay Romania blog
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Two of Portage County's three representatives in Congress will be serving on one of its most powerful committees, and the third also will be serving on a committee that plays an important role in the federal budget process.
Rep. Tim Ryan has been reappointed to the House Appropriations Committee, which he has served on for several years. Joining him on the panel will be Rep. David Joyce, who was elected to Congress to succeed Rep. Steve LaTourette.
The House Appropriations Committee sets the expenditures for the federal government. Having Ryan and Joyce on the panel helps increase Portage County's chances of receiving federal funding. Ryan was instrumental in obtaining $20 million in federal money for the Kent Central Gateway, the PARTA transit center, which was one of the key elements of downtown Kent's revitalization effort.
Ryan, a Democrat, represents most of Portage County, including Kent and Ravenna. Joyce, a Republican, represents the northern tier of the county, including Aurora. A portion of southwestern Portage is represented by Rep. Jim Renacci, a Republican.
Renacci has been named to the House Budget Committee, which is chaired by Rep. Paul Ryan, the former GOP vice presidential nominee. That commitee also is an important one because it oversees the concurrent resolution on the federal budget, which is the financial blueprint for governmental operations.
While having Portage County divided among three House districts isn't ideal, it is good news to see all three of its representatives playing important roles in Congress. Regardless of whichever party controls Congress, it appears that Portage will remain on the radar in Washington.
Boy do I feel better now!
Billy why do the the latest polls show nobody supports us?
It really make me sad, sometimes I cry myself to sleep at night.
But we'll show them, those liberal progressive democrats. Us conservatives are intelligent critical thinkers and we don't need no sugar daddies. Liberal progressives are weak and not entirely aware of their surroundings. They indeed are defenseless and unable to think for themselves. Am I right Billy? Tell me I'm right Billy??
latest poll has 80% of Americans now supporting spending cuts. Will Congress pay any attention?
Fantastic! Are they going to continue the same game of getting some of our tax money back from the Feds or will they be representatives who are serious about balancing the budget? And if PARTA is so vital why can't it support itself? Why do my tax $ have to support it?
Tim Ryan has made it clear he has no intention of supporting any spending cuts. He's got his income guaranteed for life and thus the average taxpayer can fend for himself.


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Q100 Chairman: Is it not the same
Mr Farrar: No, it is not the same
person. My sense of this is that for all the reasons I have said
before about people in this country wanting a national health
service, the route of accountability through national government
is a really important dynamic to remain committed to. We do not
have tax raising powers in the regions and actually our resources
are distributed through Parliament. Where I think the regional
minister aspect comes in is that to have somebody who is looking
across all aspects of government in respect of how it impacts
on the region is incredibly important. Asking this question about
the join between the guys you have here and about what we are
joining up actually contributes to, say, the regional economic
strategy, I see that as being a complementary force, asking questions
about whether we are doing our jobs to join up the resources spent
in health, through local government, through the development agencies.
That dynamic has not been there in the past and it is an important
additional dynamic. I do not think it is an either/or again; I
think it is useful that we are seeking with our ministers in the
health team to get some clarity around this relationship that
they have with the regional ministers with their regional briefs.
That is certainly something that is actually in conversation at
the moment.
Q101 John Hemming: One of the issues
with regard to accountability is that it means a wide range of
things depending on the circumstances. It can involve control,
hire and fire; it can involve say for a regional strategy that
you need to get the agreement of the regional select committee
to the regional strategy as a sign off. What sort of level of
accountability would you think is reasonable? Is it the lower
level of just answering questions and potentially being influenced
or should you be looking for a regional sign off for regional
strategies or should we say that actually we should give the regional
select committee the power to sack your board?
Mr Korzeniewski: I am not the
accounting officer for the LSC, that is the chief executive, but
I would expect as things develop that there would be an opportunity
for the regional strategy to be in some sense signed off and the
focus for me there would be around the joining up and it would
be around the impact of national policies in different places.
There is a job to be done which would make our work better around
the joining up. I am employed by a national body and I am not
sure I would want to be at risk regionally.
Mr Eakin: I am not sure I have
anything to add to that. It is the same challenge for us, as a
relatively small national body working on a regional basis, how
you get that balance right. That goes back to your question about
accountability to regional minister or to the secretary of state.
I think, given the bulk of our decisions are made on a regional
basis within the national strategic context, we would be keen
to see as much accountability as possible for that to the appropriate
regional body. I do think that is important and I agree with John
that that needs to be linked into wider regional strategies.
Q102 John Hemming: So potentially
a sign off for those regional strategies.
Mr Eakin: Potentially, yes.
Q103 Sir Peter Soulsby: I wonder
if it might be helpful, if you were able, to summarise what you
think might be some of the pitfalls we ought to avoid in whatever
model we adopt. What do you think we ought to be sure not to do?
Mr Korzeniewski: We work nationally,
regionally and locally and that is fine, but occasionally there
are conflicts within that. I think my worry is setting up too
much tension between those levels.
Mr Eakin: As I said earlier, at
sub-regional level there is a real focus; at the regional level
in a big region like the North West that can get dissipated and
if we create a body which is not really relating to the work on
the ground, that would be my worry. It creates another level.
We are still going to work locally, we are still going to work
sub-regionally and we are still going to work nationally and linked
to that, as I mentioned earlier, there is a huge amount of time,
bureaucracy and all of that. Maybe something that is effective
but relatively light on its feet.
Q104 Sir Nicholas Winterton: My question
really goes to Archie Robertson representing the Highways Agency.
Do you feel that your organisation is the least accountable of
all the organisations represented here today because really the
infrastructure of this country is critical to economic performance?
How would you wish to improve not only the scrutiny of what you
do but, in the widest sense, the accountability of what you do
to the people that are affected by what you do?
Mr Robertson: The point about
the national network is that it is used by people to pop down
the road to the grocers, it is used by people to work in the next
region, it is used to move components around and it is used to
support international trade. The part of our work that is new
for us is the way in which we are now engaging I hope positively,
in the regional development agenda, in helping to form a regional
spatial strategy in taking ownership of our bit of the regional
transport strategy and moving that forward. For the most part
we are acting in a supportive role to the leadership of the RDA
and I would hope that the scrutiny and the accountability that
come with that is proportionate to the way in which the issue
of spatial development is being executed.
Q105 Sir Nicholas Winterton: Would
I make representations in respect of Highways Agency matters to
the regional development agency or would I do it to Mr Archie
Robertson OBE?
Mr Robertson: Because I am accountable
for the Highways Agency wherever it operates you would do it to
Chairman: Thank you very much indeed
for taking the time to come and answer our questions and also
for the willingness that you have shown to be open about the gaps
that there are in the accountability and also your willingness
to be prepared to see those gaps filled. I think that you have
given us a clear sense of your lines of accountability nationally
and your lines of accountability down to the local issues within
your region and you have given us an idea about your working between
your partners at regional level. I think you have been helpful
in clarifying in terms of your different agencies the regional
accountability gap. We have explored a bit what the issues would
be around the model that much of that is left for us to do. Perhaps
you could just watch this space and find out what your evidence
has contributed to helping us to propose to make sure that you
have proper accountability for your very, very important work
which is at regional level.
Mr Howarth: I think that last question
was quite a searching question and I do not think people had an
opportunity to answer properly. If anybody has any further thoughts
on what Peter said I would certainly be interested; perhaps you
could submit a note on that.
Chairman: That is a very good point.
Anything that we should not be doing, fear that we might do it
and write to us to suggest that we do not do it. Thank you very
NHS North West and NHS East of England witnesses
(M60) Ev 104


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West Coast Wine Cruise: Celebrity Century Cruise Review by hurwitz5
Overall Member Rating
West Coast Wine Cruise
Destination: USA
Embarkation: Vancouver
We flew into Vancouver the day before the cruise and stayed at the Hyatt Regency downtown. It was a lovely hotel in close proximity to Canada Place where we boarded the cruise ship. Although the hotel was about 4 - 5 blocks from the cruise terminal at Canada Place, we took a cab because of an abundance of luggage.
Since we are Select on Celebrity, we went on an express line and boarded the ship within 20 minutes (by 11:30 a.m.) and were greeted with a glass of Chempagne. We proceeded to the Islands Cafe for a buffet lunch. At 1:30 p.m. an announcement was made that the cabins were ready. Our bags were delivered to our cabin shortly after. We had an inside More cabin on deck 8 midship. We found this to be a very convenient location for getting to the restaurants, shows, the casino and shops.
We knew that the Century is an old ship,and that it is going into dry dock in April 2013. We found that the cabin was clean, but really in need of an update. It needs new bedding, new carpeting, new shower tiles, etc. I will say, however, that there was a wonderful amount of storage - 2 large closets for hanging clothes, as well as another closet with shelves and drawers, plus 6 drawers by the desk and 2 drawers in each night table, The amount of storage was far better than that on the Solstice class ships, Our cabin steward, Jose, was very helpful and always kept our cabin clean. He also made some towel animals. The public rooms appeared to have been updated more recently than the cabins. The dining rooms, lounges and theater were in good shape.
The food on the ship was very good, particularly in the main dining room. We enjoyed every dinner in the main dining room, served very professionally by Hendrix and Olga. There was a very good selection of food. We especially loved the salmon, lamb chops, lobster and prime rib. The French onion soup and desserts were also outstanding. The only bad meal we had was at the Murano Restaurant on the last night of the cruise. The lobster tails, soups, salads and appetizers were bland and tasteless, and not served hot. The souffles (dessert) were the only part of the meal we enjoyed. When the waiter asked why I hardly ate the scallop appetizer, I told him that it wasn't tasty. He asked if he could get me something else, I decided to ask for shrimp cocktail. Since we were dining at Murano, I anticipated receiving large or jumbo shrimp. Instead, it took the waiter more than 20 minutes to round up some shrimp from the main dining room (small size). On another cruise line the specialty restaurant had delicious jumbo shrimp, I should have asked the waiter about the shrimp and how long it would take him to get the shrimp. We realized that we had been sitting in the restaurant for over an hour, and all we had eaten was the appetizer. The lobster bisque was thin and not hot. We had tastier lobster tails in the main dining room.
The cruise director, John Grantham, is one of the best cruise directors we have had on over 25 cruises. We remembered him from a previous cruise. He is charming and articulate. We enjoyed the 3 production shows. The Celebrity singers and dancers were the best we have seen in a while. We also enjoyed all the other acts (singers, pianists, comedians, etc.) over the 10 night cruise. We also went to the 60's dance party and to various lectures on sea days - all very enjoyable.
The ports were varied and interesting. We were fortunate to have sunny and warm weather during the cruise. We particularly enjoyed the Chihuly exhibit in Seattle, a Napa - Sonoma wine tour from San Francisco, and just walking around Victoria, Nanaimo and Catalina Island. Each port had a different feel to it.
I summary, we had a wonderful cruise - very good food and service, interesting ports, and wonderful entertainment. The only negatives were the Murano restaurant and the "old" cabin. We would sail on the Century again, once it is refurbished. Less
Published 10/15/12
Cabin review: 108160 Inside Stateroom
8160 had a very good midship location. It was an inside cabin with a lot of storage space - many closets and drawers.Read All Inside Stateroom (10) Reviews >>
Port and Shore Excursions
Read Cruise Critic's Celebrity Century Review >>
Cruising the coast of Maine
Beautiful Area
Carefree tour of scenic New En...
Final cruise let-down
Catastrophic trip of lifetime
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PHOTO: Britney Spears Shares Sneak Peak at "Ooh La La" Video
Britney Spears is counting down the hours until her video for "Ooh La La" debuts, and in anticipation she shared a sneak peak of it on her Instagram.
The video debuts on Vevo tomorrow (July 11) at 12pm ET.
Check out the photo below - featuring her songs Jayden James and Sean Preston!
Are you excited to see Brit's new video?
Photo/@britneyspears Instagram


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My company has a fax shared on one of the 2003 servers. When I print to this
fax server in Windows XP the Fax Wizard walks me thru all the necesarry
screens and remembers my Delivery Notification settings, i.e. whether I want
a notification, the email address I want the notification sent to and the
attach a copy of the fax to the notification. All of these settings I can
find in the XP Registry at
ReceiptAttachFax(dword) and ReceiptAddress(string). However, I cannot find
these same settings in Vista Registry. I can set these each time I send a
fax in Vista under Tools\Options, but it is a pain to have to set these
everytime I send a fax in Vista.
Where can I find the equivalent Vista Registry values?


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Capitol Forum Class Statements & Ballot Reports
Capitol Forum Class Statements
Class Statements are an articulation of the consensus of the class regarding their concerns, values, and priorities for America. Class statements are submitted prior to the forum at the state capitol. Following the forum, students will continue discussion in the classroom and then participate in a Student Ballot and ultimately frame their own "Future Five" statements. These are often framed as letters to elected officials.
2013 Class Statements
2011 Class Statements
2010 Class Statements
2009 Class Statements
See letters expressing student views following the forum.
2008 Class Statements
2007 Class Statements
Capitol Forum Ballot Report
Statewide Capitol Forum programs begin and end in the classroom. Following the forum at the state capitol, all students in participating classes engage in classroom discussion and then complete the Student Ballot on America's Future. Completed ballot data is analyzed and developed into the Capitol Forum Ballot Report.
2015 Ballot Report
2014 Ballot Report
2013 Ballot Report
2012 Ballot Report
2011 Ballot Report
2010 Ballot Report
2009 Ballot Report
2008 Ballot Report
2007 Ballot Report
2006 Capitol Forum Ballot Report
2005 Capitol Forum Ballot Report
2004 Capitol Forum Ballot Report
2003 Capitol Forum Ballot Report
2002 Capitol Forum Ballot Report
U.S. Role in a Changing World: Youth Speak Out - 2005
During the year leading up to the 2004 national elections, high school students across the country wrestled with the question of our nation's role in the world. Study and discussion took place both in class and in extracurricular programs and involved consideration of a wide range of current international issues. An online ballot was developed to provide an opportunity for students to register their views on key international issues and then to have those views presented to elected officials.
The U.S. Role in the World: A Report on Student Views was released in January 2005. Senators Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and Jack Reed (D-RI) distributed the report to their colleagues in the U.S. Senate, and Representatives Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and Christopher Shays (R-CT) did the same in the U.S. House of Representatives.


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General information
Palm leaf beetle (Brontispa longissima) is a serious pest that is capable of killing small palms and weakening larger ones, making them more susceptible to other disorders.
This pest was initially subject to internal quarantine controls within Queensland and on the movement of palms interstate. These have now been removed. However, anyone moving palms out of Queensland should check current conditions with the relevant interstate authority. Western Australia maintains its own intrastate controls on palms and palm materials out of the Broome area.
|Species name
Brontispa longissima
The adult palm leaf beetle is about 10 mm long, 2.5 mm across, very flat and mostly black with an orange head and shoulders (top third of the wing covers). The larvae are white. Unlike most beetle larvae, the 'grubs' don't curl up and have two pincer-like spines at the rear end of the body.
The adults are very light sensitive, slow-moving and can be found hiding in young leaflets emerging from the centre of the palm. Flight distances are small, often only a few hundred metres, so natural spread is slow.
|Similiar species
There are some native beetle species which could be confused with the pest including Anadastus sp. and Pleispa sp., however, they are found in fewer numbers, do less damage and have wing covers that are completely black.
Palm leaf beetle is a native of Indonesia and possibly Papua New Guinea and occurs from Indonesia to the Pacific Islands. It was first reported in Australia in Darwin in 1979 and since then in Broome (Western Australia), and from Moa Island in the Torres Strait through to Cooktown on Cape York Peninsula. In December 1992, it was found in the northern suburbs of Cairns, North Queensland. It has since spread in the Cairns area and to Innisfail, and in 2000 was detected in Marcoola on the Sunshine Coast and Townsville. It is predominantly a tropical pest of palms, although its climatic range was predicted to extend from Cape York into Northern NSW.
|Host range
|Palm leaf beetle attacks more than 20 palm species with the coconut (Cocus nucifera) being a favoured host. Other common hosts include: the Royal palm (Roystonea regia), Alexandra palm (Archontophoenix alexandrae), Queen palm (Arecasrum romanzoffianum), Betel nut (Areca catechu), Dwarf fan palm (Livistona muelleri) and Fijian fan palm (Pritchardia pacifica). The range of palms occasionally affected includes: Fishtail palm (Caryota mitis), Golden cane palm (Areca lutescens), Date palm (Phoenixdacylifera), Dwarf date palm (Phoenixroebelenii), Washington palm (Washingtonia robusta), Foxtail palm (Wodyetia bifurcata) and others.
Palm leaf beetle attacks the youngest leaf still in the throat (the spear leaf). This is the tightly packed spear that eventually opens out into a frond. The larvae chew off large areas of the surface of the leaflets causing the underlying tissue to die. Narrow, linear chew marks are characteristic of adult feeding.
As the leaf emerges, the leaflets curl and turn brown giving a characteristic scorched effect. As the spear unfurls, the beetles move to other plants or to the next emerging spear. Leaves that emerge undamaged will not be attacked by the palm leaf beetle.
The damage is often seen during the dry season in Northern Australia, when the pest is active and palm growth is slowed. The beetle rarely causes plant death in mature plants, however it can weaken the plant, predisposing it to other stressors such as disease or drought.
The palm leaf beetle spreads mostly through the movement of infested palms. If you are buying or moving palms from known infested areas, check to see if they are free of palm leaf beetle. A simple inspection for the pest on young leaves in the throat of the palm will be sufficient.
Palm leaf beetle in low numbers can be difficult to detect, so an additional safeguard that can be used in conjunction with inspection is chemical application. Before spraying, the spear leaf should be gently twisted to open up the leaflets and allow good penetration of the spray. A mixture should be prepared by adding 2 ml of a liquid carbaryl product (containing 50% carbaryl) per litre of water, plus a commercial wetting agent used at the manufacturer's recommended rate. The throat and unopened frond of each palm should be flood sprayed with this mixture.
Carbaryl kills the adults and larvae but not the eggs or pupae. A repeat spray is necessary about one week later to kill insects that have emerged from eggs and pupae. Care should be taken when using carbaryl as it is lethal to bees.
Destroy seriously affected palms.
|Biological control
A few natural enemies of the palm leaf beetle have been found in Darwin. For example, green muscardine fungus (Metarhizium anisopliae) can infect various stages of the beetle and cause death, especially during wet spells.
A small parasitic wasp (Tetrastichus brontispae) was first released in affected areas in 1994/95. There is incidental information suggesting this parasitoid does have an impact where it has established, however no recent surveys have been done to determine its distribution or effectiveness.
Foulis, S. and K. Halfpapp, (1997), Biological control of palm leaf beetle, Project NY 317, HRDC, Sydney, Australia.
Halfpapp, K. H. (1999), Further releases of the palm leaf beetle parasite and assessment of present distribution, Project 521, HRDC, Sydney, Australia.


text: Just because a powder room is tiny doesn't mean it can't pack a punch. By its very nature, this little room is the place to be inventive (space is at a premium) and even edgy (it's small, with a door that closes). Here's the area where you can try something different, like a hand-crafted sink that might contrast with the architecture of the rest of the house. It's a place to use materials like rosewood veneer that may have too busy a pattern to be used in open and oft-used spaces. A powder room can be the perfect place to spec in a touch of luxury, experimenting with materials that are too expensive to use on a larger area. Or, this might be the just the part of the house in which to set a fixture whose quirky design and spindly shape would be impractical for a high-traffic area. In all cases, a powder room is a great opportunity to make the most of a small space. These six designs offer ideas and inspiration.


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Nina Usoa Pump
A gunmetal metal pinched metallic leather peep-toe pump. A uniquely sophisticated look.
This almond toe platform pump boasts a cut out, birdcage effect that is sexy, unique and chic. I love them!
I love the warm richness of this cognac colored boot along with the weathered leather. The wedge is hot too!
This taupe embossed crocodile leather pump is speaking so many things...sexy, chic, classy, to name a few. I love the shape of the heel and the toe. A new way to do neutral, so it's not so boring!
I love maryjanes, and the bow on these just makes them the cutest ones I've ever seen. I neeeeeeed them, now.
I love the look of ankle boots with a short dress, but you definately have to have the right kind of legs for it, which I unfortunately do not. Oh well, these shoes are still great!
I love the way the bow is to the side on these shoes! So cute!
Metallic cutout bootie with buckle embellishments on each strap. Unique and sexy!
These may be out there, but they will not look like stripper shoes if you wear them properly. Scam magazines for a look that suits you. These edgy black pieces are really trendy. Only $156 on bluefly.com
A divine shoe in a metallic gold with a wrap around ankle strap. The plaform, heel and minimalist design make this shoe utter hotness!
Blue silk platform sandals. Couture indeed!
Rich leather gladiator platform sandals with 2 buckled ankle straps. Simple yet stylish and chic at the same time.
A uniquely designed shoe made of metallic piping formed into a wide curvy designed on a platform and wooden stacked heel. Screams chic!
A gleaming horshoe buckle decorates the soft leather strap of chic sophisticated sandal, lifted by a contrast heel, with a leather wrapped platform.
Bold contrast stitching stands out on chic leather sandal. Couture and classy at the same time.
Cork platform gladiator sandal with a wooden heel. The strappy cognac leather looks stylish and and sexy!
Genuine snakeskin painted with exotic hues fashions a sassy T-strap sandal, elevated by a sky-high heel and wrapped platform.
A suede, platform peep-toe with a fringe! Sexy, stylish, chic and couture.
Laser-cut leather adds a huarache-inspired look to a modern ankle-strap sandal lifted by a wrapped heel and platform.
These are so cute for summer! I love the curly-q look and the fact that it comes in neutral and black. Flirty, fun, and under $100!
Beautiful grosgrain bow centers a playful sandal accented with tonal rhinestones along the narrow satin straps. Low wrapped platform and a metallic quarter-twist heel provide distinctive elevation.
Smooth metallic stones cover the tapered T-strap of an eye-catching snakeskin-embossed sandal topped with three adjustable ankle straps.
Flat nail-head studs add bold detail to a contemporary gladiator sandal shaped with block-style straps and perched on a tall stacked heel.
Bold bronze hardware details the T-strap of a sultry gladiator sandal fashioned with elastic instep straps for effortless wear.
Circular perforations and gleaming studs lend playful edge to an ankle-strap gladiator sandal set on a stacked high heel.
Rectangular metallic beads cascade down the front of a contemporary T-strap sandal distinctively elevated by a contrasting demi-wedge heel.
An assortment of brasstone studs embellish the lower straps of a standout gladiator sandal perched on a wrapped heel and cork-infused platform.
Graduated studs boldly decorate the separated vamp of a sumptuous suede pump fashioned with a flirty peep toe and back tie. Lofty tapered heel and a concealed platform lend statement-making height.
Navy/bone two-tone hidden platform pump.
Two-tone patent leather pumps. Peep-toe, ankle strap and a hidden platform make these couture shoes something special.


text: #818: PBI Asunder opens but fails with error in console --------------------------------+------------------------ Reporter: joshms | Owner: Kris Type: PBI Packaging Bug | Status: new Priority: trivial | Milestone: Component: PBI System | Version: 10-CURRENT Resolution: | Keywords: --------------------------------+------------------------ Changes (by kenmoore): * owner: ken => Kris Comment: This looks like it is directly related to Bug# 813 - CD drive not found. Perhaps the new 10 PBI system is not setting the right permissions on the raw devices so they can be used? -- Ticket URL: <http://trac.pcbsd.org/ticket/818#comment:3> PC-BSD <http://trac.pcbsd.org> PC-BSD Project Management


text:
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Categories: Teen Blowjob Shaved Pussy
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Hyundai Repair Questions? Ask a Mechanic for Answers ASAP
my new sonata hybrid just went dead....sitting in the garage. when I pressed the start button, it beeped at me three times and went dark. what can I do? I don't know if the care can be jump-started? how can this happen when I only have 2,000 miles on the car? Steve Strobridge
PS, I'm also concerned, since this is new technology for Hyundai, whether their roadside tech service people understand any unique jump start requirements for the Sonata hybrid. How do you jump start it, anyway? Where are the jump start connections?
nothing at all works. I'm at my office so I don't have the VIN here.
I don't have a voltmeter or test light. I plan to call the Hyundai roadside assistance line this afternoon, but I'm concerned, since this is brand new technology, whether they will even now how to jump start the Sonata hybrid. do you know where the jumper connections are on it?
what could have happened to cause it to go dead. Surely a new car's battery shouldn't do that? It has a little blue line on the dash to show battery charge status, and I don't recall it being low when I ran it yesterday?
The hybrid's electric battery is in the trunk. is there also a regular battery?
I guess my main question is whether there's any danger of the Hyundai roadside assistnace guy messing it up in trying to jumpstart it? I'm just leery because, as far as I know, I may have the only Sonata hybrid in Virginia, and there can't have been many calls to jump-start one. the one I have is the only one my dealer has gotten in this year.


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Oftentimes, the synoptists record the same event and thus saying of Jesus. When this occurs, the Bible student should compare these gospel accounts to see if there are any significant differences between them. And Jesus' remarks should always be considered within the context of his culture, especially his religious culture. Perhaps the best example is when Jesus spoke of a camel going through the eye of a needle. But the most significant thing in this pericope is not what he meant about … [Read more...]
Did Jesus Indicate He Was God to the Rich Young Ruler?
April 23, 2014 by Leave a Comment


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March 30, 2012
RENO, Nev. - After having its last two matches cancelled due to inclement weather, the University of Nevada women's tennis team will hit the road for two matches this weekend, taking on UC Santa Barbara on Saturday at 10 a.m. and No. 57 Fresno State Sunday at 11 a.m.
Both matches will take place at the Wathen Tennis Center on the campus of Fresno State.
Nevada enters the weekend at 3-6, while UCSB is 7-10 (3-1 Big West) and Fresno State is 7-6 (2-0 WAC). Sunday's contest with Fresno State will be Nevada's first WAC match this season.
The Wolf Pack was scheduled to go to Santa Clara and San Francisco the weekend of March 16-17, but storms throughout northern California prevented the matches from taking place.
Michelle Okhremchuk and Emma Verberne have led Nevada in singles play this season, playing out of the first and second singles spots, respectively, for all nine matches. Okhremchuk is 5-4, while Verberne will look to get over .500 this weekend, as she sits at 4-5.
With three freshmen joining the Pack prior to the season, and another making her way to Reno during winter break, Nevada has continued to look for a consistent doubles lineup. To date, the most successful doubles team has been Gabriela Eufrasio and Sophie Stevens. The pair is 7-7 overall and 4-4 in dual play.
UC Santa Barbara defeated Loyola Marymount 5-2 its last time out. The win extended the Gauchos winning streak to three matches. During the streak, UCSB has also defeated UTEP 7-0 and Cal State Northridge 5-2.
Fresno State dropped its last contest to another ranked opponent. The Bulldogs lost 4-3 to No. 45 Pepperdine at home. The teams split the singles matches 3-3, but Pepperdine took the match on the strength of its doubles play. The Waves won all three doubles matches and the doubles point.


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BOSS Tom Killick insisted Poole Town were full value for their point at St Neots – even if it took another last-ditch leveller to rescue his side.
Star defender Will Spetch thumped home from Steve Devlin's corner in the 90th minute to ensure a share of the spoils after Lewis Hilliard's first-half goal had put fifth-bottom Saints in the driving seat.
It was the fifth time Dolphins have changed a result with a goal in the last minute this season, a tenacious trait which has added eight points to their Southern League Premier Division tally.
And while the Tatnam outfit sailed close to the wind in extending to eight games their unbeaten league record, Killick claimed Poole were more than worthy of their equalising goal.
The Dolphins manager told the Daily Echo: "It was no less than we deserved because we dominated the match after half-time. The first half was quite even but from the start of the second half they resorted to time-wasting tactics.
"If I was going to be critical it would be over our lack of cutting edge. We would have liked to see more punch in the final third because we put St Neots under significant pressure.
"But it was a reasonable point and I think St Neots will prove to be a lot stronger than the league table suggests as the season goes on."
And Killick, whose side remain a point shy of the play-off places with several games in hand, was quick to praise the contribution of sought-after Spetch on the back of his sixth goal for Dolphins this season.
"Will put in another immaculate performance at the back and, as always, was a real threat the other end," he added.
"He has this great advantage of being able to time his runs and meet the ball with an incredible spring. He can jump much higher than his opponents and that is a very good attribute."
Meanwhile, Killick confirmed he has served Wessex Premier leaders Sholing with a seven-day approach for former Blackfield & Langley defender Terry Cuthbertson.
Dolphins: Buchel, Brooks, Spetch, Emmerson, Whisken, Pettefer, Elliott, Devlin, Charles (Chiedozie, 60), Preston, Cann. Unused subs: Dibba, Davies, Yates (g/k).
- Wimborne Town's trip to Stratford Town in Southern South & West was postponed.


text:
First Class Condition Awaits On This 2004 Sea Ray 360 Sundancer
The 360 Offers A Higher Level Of Fit & Finish Then The 34 And Smaller Sundancers
Seller Is Moving Up In Size & Keeps His Boats In Top Mechanical & Cosmetic Condition So This Is One To See Before Buying Any Other
Have To Sell One Before Buying This One?
Contact Knot 10 Today As With Offices In MD, FL, VA, NJ
Great Layout- Master Is Forward With Island Berth And Privacy Door. Mid-Ship Guest Stateroom with Privacy Curtains, Salon Sofa to Sleep 2, full Galley with fridge and separate freezer, head with enclosed shower, large cockpit for family and entertainment that seats 10. Cockpit seating converts to sun lounger
Master Stateroom
Full Size Berth Innerspring Mattress
Privacy Door
Gunwale Cabinets
Hanging Locker
Master Flat Screen TV
Master Head
Vacu Flush Head
Acrylic Shower Enclosure
Mirrored Storage Cabinets
AC Power Vent
Vanity with sink
Sunbrella Carpet Runners
Salon Flat Screen
AC & Heat
Central VAC
Guest Stateroom
Guest Stateroom Is Mid-Ship.
Privacy Curtain
Mirrored Bulkhead
Double Berth with Slide out Base
Storage Cabinets
Under Counter Refrigerator and separate Freezer
Double Burner Stove Top
Deepwell Sink
Cherry Cabinets
Ample Storage
Garmin 3006 GPS
Sea Ray Navigator
West Marine VHF Radio
Smart Craft Instrumentation
Canvas Enclosure In Great Condition
Hot & Cold Shower
Indirect Lighting
Side Panel Storage
Dockside Water Inlet
Fresh Water Wash Down
Cockpit Icemaker/Wetbar
Dual 30 AMP Cords
Tan Gel coated Dash
Wood Accent Steering Wheel
Dual Horns
Tilt Steering
Extended swim platform
Transom storage locker
Fenders and lines
8.1 Horizon Freash water cooled engines (475 hrs)
7.3 Kohler Generator with Sound Shield (395 Hours)
Fuel Filters
Battery Charger
Isolators Galvanic (2)
Fire Suppression System
Oyster White Gel Coat
Hydraulic Trim Tabs
Hydraulic Steering
Seawater Strainers
4 Batteries
3028 Kent Narrows Way South
Office In MD VA FL & NJ
United States


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Dear Hot Moms of Tampa Bay: You know I dig you, right? When you drive by me at the bus stop in your Honda Odyssey, I see you singing along to all those hits from the '80s. Don't you want me, baby? Of course I do. But here's the problem, HMOTB. We're about to have a falling out. Because in good conscience, I cannot recommend Bon Jovi's April 17 show at the St. Pete Times Forum as one of this month's top concert picks. The last time JBJ was here, your hunky, hairy Jersey Boy phoned it in so bad, the tour sponsor should have been AT&T. But tell you what, ladies: Although JBJ is out, I'll throw in Jimmy Buffett and his Coral Reefers instead. Buy you a margarita, mamacita?
Sean Daly's top 5 April concerts
OF MONTREAL (Ritz Ybor, Thursday) In this Athens, Ga.-based indie outfit, scrawny white singer Kevin Barnes channels the energy of a cross-dressing black soul singer named Georgie Fruit. It's sort of like the Ohio Players meets a college grad who's way too defensive about his useless poli-sci major. Or maybe it's sort of like Michael Stipe if he had any semblance of coolness. Whoa! That's right, R.E.M. fans, I just brought it. What? You going to hit me with your anthology of Sylvia Plath poems? Haha. Suckers. (www.ritzybor.com)
RYAN SHAW (Vinoy Waterfront Park, Saturday) The Tampa Bay Blues Festival has three sweaty, sexy, rump-bumpin' days of übercool acts this year, Bettye Lavette, Cedric Burnside and Jimmie Vaughan included. But you'll need to up your cardio to keep pace with Ryan Shaw, an incandescent throwback to the 1,000 dances of Mr. Wilson Pickett. Shaw plays at 4:30 p.m. Grab a Red Bull and Do the 45. (www.tampabaybluesfest.com)
COLBIE CAILLAT (Ruth Eckerd Hall, April 17) I'd like to help my young male readers out there. Listen up, gents: Caillat's show just happens to be on the same night as Bon Jovi's at the Forum. This means that while all the Hot Moms of Tampa Bay are dealing in Bad Medicine, the Hot Daughters of Tampa Bay will be at this singer-songwriter's Bubbly lil' show of frothy, catchy Malibu ruminations. Curfews are all screwed up tonight, lads. Make me proud. (www.rutheckerdhall.com)
NEIL SEDAKA (Ruth Eckerd Hall, April 18) So sue me: I dig the Hot Grandmoms of Tampa Bay, too! Sing with me, HGOTB! "Don't take your love away from me …" (www.ruth eckerdhall.com)
JIMMY BUFFETT (Ford Amphitheatre, April 24) I rarely pass up an opportunity to annoy Parrotheads. You'd think Buffett fans would be all mellow and tequila-flushed, but they're more defensive than those squawking Michael Buble fans. Nevertheless, I feel like celebrating ol' Jimmy, who turns 64 this year. Despite the fact that his latest album is a full-on stinkeroo, JB still has a great catalog. In fact, during a recent trip to Miami, I cued up the entirety of 1989's Off to See the Lizard — and I loved it. Now about that margarita, ladies … (www.livenation.com)
Sean Daly can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or (727) 893-8467. His Pop Life column runs every Sunday in Floridian.
Top 5 Weekend movies
Dollar amounts in millions
Clash of the Titans, $61.4
Why Did I Get Married Too?, $30.2
How to Train Your Dragon, $29.2
The Last Song, $16.2
Alice in Wonderland, $8.3
Source: hollywood.com
Top 5 prime-time TV shows
American Idol – Tuesday (Fox)
Dancing With the Stars (ABC)
American Idol – Wednesday (Fox)
Undercover Boss (CBS)
60 Minutes (CBS)
Source: Nielsen Co., for week ending March 28
Top 5 iTunes singles
Hey, Soul Sister, Train
Break Your Heart (featuring Ludacris), Taio Cruz
Rude Boy, Rihanna
Nothin' On You (featuring Bruno Mars), B.o.B
Telephone, Lady GaGa, Beyonce
Source: iTunes Music Store, for week ending March 29
Top 5 Yahoo search terms in Tampa Bay
American Idol results
Dancing With the Stars
Kim Yun-Jin
Source: Yahoo.com, for week ending March 31