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Faith and Fun
A variety of activities for all ages recently took place at Faith Life Church & Outreach Center. This year's theme was Adventures on Promise Island, where kids discover faith and love. Children engaged in hip hop movements, arts and craft, movie time, and outside activity.
Daily News photo by Kim HarrisFor the complete story and more local news, please subscribe to Jennings Daily News by clicking subscribe or by calling 337-824-3011.
Short URL: https://www.jenningsdailynews.net/?p=27197
Posted by Graphic Designer 2 on Jun 12 2014. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.


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Those are one good looking freebies, I'll put a trail on them. Thanks for the post
7 Amazing Freebies For Designers
If you're a web designer then you certainly love design freebies. Today I've put together a list of 7 amazing and free packs for designers. This list includes: 1350 rounded social icons, 46 hand-drawn frames and ribbons vectors, 25 colorful grunge textures, Modus Versus free PSD template, Flat UI Kit, 500 mega icon vector pack, and 40 exclusive Photoshop patterns. Check them out below and enjoy!
1350 Rounded Social Icons
46 Hand-Drawn Frames and Ribbons Vectors
25 Colorful Grunge Textures
Modus Versus – Free PSD Template
Flat UI Kit
500 Mega Icon Vector Pack
40 Exclusive Photoshop Patterns
More freebies soon to come!
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2 thoughts on "7 Amazing Freebies For Designers"
Very creative and stunning freebies. Loved them all.

subset: commoncrawl


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Cathy's Sugarplums
Recipe by seahorse73
From a friend of mine in Canada. We all know Clement Moore's poem "Twas The Night Before Christmas" few can define the exact substance of the sweet immortal treats A combination of dried fruits special nuts with spices and flavourings, this is then rolled in SUGAR therein lies the magic of the vision. In 1822 sugar was very expensive and not widely available so only those very fortunate received this gift. Clement was a wealthy man of British descent who lived in NY city. This was times of tremendous social change as new immigrants arrived on the shores of the New World. They all had a dream, a vision of prosperity in the new land. In that spirit his poem was full of hope that children may have sugar plums on Christmas Day. The Crusaders returning from Holy wars circa 1100AD first carried the flavours of the Mediterranean. Ginger, lemons, oranges, figs, apricots, dates and most of all sugar. Sugar plums became known to the western Europe after the 8th century when Arab trade routes expanded westward. Each of the ingredients of sugar plums has a history in itself, the most notable the fig. It may be the oldest known food to man. It was the fig tree that overshadowed the twin founders of Rome as an emblem of prosperity for the human race. Ultimately it is the early written and pictorial records of the Egyptians which best illustrate the concept of sugar plums. Their sweets were crudely moulded and included honey as a sweetener sugar being unknown at that time. And so sugar plums shepherd in the Christmas season with a historical perspective. Passed from the hands of Egyptians, Arabs, Crusaders and stately kings. they bear with them the warmth of ages past. They offer to you only the very best wishes for prosperity in the future, truly gifts of the Magi. For every child who has ever asked For every adult who has ever wondered. the Story of Sugar Plums. is is also attached to the boxes:
See Discussion:
Ingredients Nutrition
- 1⁄2 cup dried apricot
- 1⁄2 cup chopped pecans or 1⁄2 cup almonds
- 1⁄4 cup dried fig
- 1⁄4 raisins, preferably golden or 1⁄4 turkish sultana
- 1⁄4 cup flaked coconut
- 3 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur or 3 tablespoons orange juice or 3 tablespoons honey
- 1⁄4 cup sugar
Directions See How It's Made
- Finely chop apricot, pecans, figs, raisins, and coconut by hand or food processor.
- Add liqueur blend well.
- Shape into 1 inch balls rolling between palms of hands.
- Roll each ball in sugar.
- Store in air tight container in fridge between waxed paper for up to month.
- Package in boxes or tins or in a basket with ribbons.
- I always double this recipe because I seem to need more than 36.


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The girl sat alone at a desk inside a deserted barn. The barn was deserted because it wasn't a real place. Cartographers had put it on a map years ago as a copyright trap. It was only a paper town. How fitting, a paper girl in a paper town.
The girl caressed the dark leather of the black moleskin notebook she held firmly in long slim fingers. The dark red paint that had once adorned them—a night faraway in another life—was long since chipped off. She opened the book and was met with familiar flowing words crisscrossing across the pages. She flipped to a blank page and laid a worn ballpoint pen to the paper.
And Margo Roth Spiegelman began to write.
I Am a paper Girl in a paper Town And this is the Song of Myself.
I am a writer,
Who Scrawls the dreams and Hopes of a ten-Year old girl,
And the Plots and schemes Of a high school senior.
I am a planner,
Who will stay Up nights Plotting And scheming acts Of valor,
Only to Be disappointed when everything goes according To Plan.
I am a Restless spirit,
Who cannot and Will Not bear To live in a town made Of paper,
Where all the Buildings are flimsy and the People transparent.
I am a lover Scorned,
Who spent her childhood building Up the image of a dauntless Hero,
Only to have It proven Wrong and then right Again.
I Am clay,
That which Anyone who Comes along can Mold Into whatever shape
They Wish to please Themselves.
I am a mirror,
Not a Window, for I Reflect back what Others want to see In me,
Rather Than reveal who I am.
I am A spider web,
With strings Stretching out in every direction Quivering with Anticipation
Being cut One by One.
I Am a paper girl in a Paper Town and this Is The Song of Myself
Paper Towns belongs to John Green and "Song of Myself" belongs to Walt Whitman (though this is not an excerpt from the poem).


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Making Sense of the Traditional Mongolian Script
(This page is an introduction to the traditional Mongolian script based on my experience of being taught by Inner Mongolian teachers. I pass it on here in the hope that it may be of help to those wanting to learn this script. Any errors, omissions, or mistakes are my own, not those of my teachers.)
The old Mongolian script is not an easy script to come to grips with. Letters are easily confused, the same letter may represent more than one sound, and every letter takes on a different form according to its position in the word (initial, medial, and final). The script is written from top to bottom in columns going from left to right, unlike the (traditional) Chinese order of columns going from right to left.
The alphabet showing the plain form of letters is known in its Inner Mongolian pronunciation as chagaan tɔlgɔi (Cyrillic цагаан толгой). In learning this script, the most important points to remember are:
1. Script must be understood on its own terms: In learning the alphabet, words are read out and pronounced as written. The resulting pronunciation will often be quite different from the modern pronunciation of the word, including the number of syllables. To take one example, the modern bisyllabic word ʃa:ʤ-gai 'magpie' (Cyrillic шаазгай ʃa:ʣ-gai) is four syllables in the traditional script, ša-ɣa-ǰa-ɣai:
Besides the number of syllables, there are many other differences between the written language and the modern spoken language. These differences can make it challenging to figure out the modern pronunciation just from reading the script. The relationship between the written language and the pronunciation of the spoken language will not be touched on at this page, which is about making sense of the traditional script on its own terms. It is useful to remember that schoolchildren in Inner Mongolia initially learn to read the traditional script in its written pronunciation for two years, before switching over to ordinary spoken pronunciation in their third year.
2. Syllabic approach: Rather than learning the consonants and vowels in their isolated forms, students learn how the consonants and vowels occur in combination. That is, the traditional script is taught not as individual letters but as syllables, reminiscent of the Japanese kana syllabaries. This is common to all systems of learning the traditional script, although the specifics vary.
In modern Inner Mongolia, the student first learns a large table of open syllables based on combining 16 consonants and seven vowels. Each syllable is shown in initial, medial, and final form.
After learning these open syllables, the student learns a small set of non-syllabic letters that are used to close or lengthen syllables. By learning these, the student can identify both long open syllables and closed syllables. (The practice of listing syllable-closing letters separately appears to be special to modern Inner Mongolia. Other systems incorporate them in the table of syllables.)
The above approach to teaching the script has several advantages.
The tables given below present 1) the basic set of open syllables and 2) the set of letters that can be used to complete syllables, either by closing them or by adding vowels.
The Mongolian script also has a set of rarer consonants mostly found in loanwords from foreign languages. These are omitted here but must also be learnt in order to read the language properly.
* The script is shown below in its handwritten form, which is somewhat different from the printed form. (See here for conversion between handwritten and printed forms).
* The tables below are presented in two phonetic representations. One uses international phonetic alphabet (IPA) and follows modern Inner Mongolian pronunciation. The other is Cyrillic, the alphabet used in Mongolia. The representation of the traditional script in Roman or Latin letters is somewhat chaotic, with several different systems in use. Unfortunately, there is some conflict between the different systems, which is most noticeable at several of the vowels.
Many systems attempt to represent the pronunciation of the language at an earlier stage -- i.e., as though the alphabet represented Classical Mongolian as it is supposed to have been pronounced. The system here presents a pronunciation that makes sense to modern Inner Mongolians. Differences in representing the traditional alphabet tend to be concentrated on the vowels and a small group of consonants. The following table covers the main differences:
* Used by current author elsewhere.
Note that some systems distinguish between G/ɣ before feminine vowels and g before masculine vowels, and q before feminine vowels and k before masculine vowels.
The inventory of common open syllables is set out in a matrix showing how each consonant combines with the seven vowels of Mongolian.
The order of consonants is:
The order of vowels is:
The order shown above is used in dictionaries in Inner Mongolia (with some minor variation) and is worth memorising.
Looking at the tables, you will notice that, despite the fact that the matrix is supposed to cover seven distinct vowels, the actual number of vowels used in the traditional script is usually three and at best five. This will be discussed below. The pronunciation of each syllable is shown down the left-hand side in both phonetic alphabet and Cyrillic letters.
The tables have actually been made into a song, which can be seen here (Youtube) or here (if you're in China), sung by Halin and friend. The order, which aren't so easily read directly from the tables, is shown here.
The Tables
Plain vowels: In initial position only, there is a distinction between vowels 1 and 2 (a and e, Cyrillic а and э).
The special form for vowel 2 (e or э) is found only in foreign words.
The na and ne syllables in final position offer a choice between a) a normal consonant-vowel sequence and b) a syllable-final n followed by a as a separate letter. This is not a free choice; it is determined by the spelling of the word in question.
The following letters are noticeable for the way they are joined to the following vowel in a ligature, which can be confusing for learners. Words beginning with p tend to be foreign words.
The following columns are essential in indicating vowel harmony since almost alone in the Mongolian alphabet, they clearly differentiate between masculine and feminine vowels. However, what the system gives with one hand it takes away with the other: the sounds x and g (х and г) are not distinguished for feminine and neutral vowels.
Like the previous columns, the forms indicating feminine vowels use a ligature.
The g sound is usually presented as a single phoneme in most non-specialist treatments of Mongolian, although the sound used before masculine/yang vowels is actually ɣ, while that used before feminine/yin vowels is g. While the pronunciation differs, in the modern language it is only in final position that it actually plays a role in distinguishing words.
Final ma / me and la / le offer a choice between a) a normal consonant-vowel combination and b) a terminating m or l followed by the letter a written separately. The choice is determined by the spelling of the word in question.
s and ʃ: The combinations si and ʃi are both pronounced /ʃi/.
The distinction between the d and t columns in the spelling is an artificial one. Although the language distinguishes between t and d in pronunciation, the two are not distinguished in the traditional script, apart from a few foreign words.
In the Mongolian of Mongolia and also in dialects of Inner Mongolia, in a large number of words ʧ has become ts and ʤ has become dz (in Cyrillic terms, ч has become ц and ж has become з).
Both ja/je and ra/re have alternative spellings in the final position: either a standard consonant + vowel combination, or a terminal consonant followed by a separately written a. The form used depends on the word in question.
Cyrillic does very poorly at rendering the vowels of the j row.
As I mentioned above, there are several other consonants that are found only in foreign words. If you are interested in seeing these letters, see this site, which also includes sound files.
Besides the short open syllables shown in the tables above, Mongolian also has syllables finishing in a consonant (a CVC structure or indeed a CVCC structure). In other cases, the vowel may be lengthened or converted into a diphthong.
The non-syllabic consonants or vowels used to complete syllables are known in Chinese as 半音节 or 伴音节, both pronounced bàn yīnjié but meaning 'half syllable' and 'syllable accompaniment' respectively. They are divided into three groups: hard (strong), soft (weak), and vocalic. The classification is relevant to the attachment of suffixes, which we will not cover here.
The elements are as follows:
The following are a few very simple examples of syllabification in action.
This approach provides the student with a solid framework for learning to read and decipher the Mongolian script.
Although Mongolian has seven vowels, in a majority of positions the script essentially distinguishes only three vowels: , , and , representing a/ə, i, and ɔ/ʊ/o/u respectively (in Cyrillic, а/э, и and о/у/ө/ү). This is one of the script's most confusing points.
However, a considerable amount of uncertainty is removed by a linguistic feature of Mongolian known as vowel harmony. Vowels in Mongolian fall into three categories:
Incidentally, the preferred terminology for the two main classes of vowel in Inner Mongolia is yang and yin, but 'masculine' and 'feminine' will continue to be used below.
Under vowel harmony, native Mongolian words are normally harmonised to contain 1) only masculine (yang) and neutral vowels, or 2) only feminine (yin) and neutral vowels. No mixtures are allowed. A word containing neutral vowels only is treated as feminine/yin.
In most cases, the script provides vital clues as to whether a word is masculine (yang) or feminine (yin) under vowel harmony. The most important clues are:
While vowel harmony does a lot to disambiguate vowels, there are many forms containing vowels 1 and 2 (a and e, Cyrillic а and э) that fall between the cracks, with actual or potential multiple readings. A couple of examples are:
A more serious problem is the fact that the script draws no distinction between vowels 4 and 5 (ɔ and ʊ, Cyrillic о and y), and between vowels 6 and 7 (o and u, Cyrillic ө and ү). Arriving at the correct pronunciation of these sounds is a matter of identifying the word and knowing how it is pronounced.
While this may appear to be a serious drawback, it does have its advantages. The choice of vowel 4 or 5, or vowel 6 or 7, often differs between dialects. For example, the word morən 'river' (Cyrillic мөрөн) is pronounced murən (theoretically Cyrillic мүрэн) in dialects in the east of Inner Mongolia. Whereas Cyrillic forces a differentiation and recognises only morən, the indeterminacy of the traditional script allows it to accommodate both pronunciations.
Besides problems distinguishing among vowels, there are several other issues reading the script. These include:
There are some occasions when an open syllable stands alone as a single unit, not forming part of a word. This is the case 1) when the syllable is cited as an independent form, for example in the index of dictionaries, or 2) when a word is formed of a single syllable.
Words written with these forms include bi (Cyrillic би) meaning 'I, me' and la (Cyrillic лаа) meaning 'wax'.
(Conversion between handwritten and printed forms is here.)
Examples and writing on this page are drawn from the book Mongol chagaan tolgai kart (Cyrillic Монгол цагаан толгой карт) published by Inner Mongolian People's Publishing (ISBN 7204089375/G); see here for details and photo.
Study Mongolian also covers the letters of the Mongolian alphabet.
An introduction to the Traditional Mongolian script written in Mongolian can be found here.
A tool for converting between Mongol Bichig and the Cyrillic script can be found here: Conversion System between Traditional Mongolian and Cyrillic Mongolian.


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(A) There is hereby created the Ohio building authority, consisting of five persons, residents of the state, appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate. Four members shall have at least five years experience in banking, financial institutions, bond issuances, or other related areas. One member shall have at least five years experience in the area of building management or a related area. Not more than three members of the authority shall belong to or be affiliated with the same political party. The authority is a body both corporate and politic of this state, and it performs essential governmental functions of this state. It may, in its own name, sue and be sued, enter into contracts, and perform all the powers and duties given to it by Chapter 152. of the Revised Code. The authority is subject to all provisions of law generally applicable to state agencies which do not conflict with the provisions of this chapter.
(B) The members of the authority shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed from funds of the authority for necessary expenses incurred in the conduct of authority business. Of the two members appointed on July 1, 1983, one shall serve for a term expiring December 31, 1983 and one for a term expiring December 31, 1985. Thereafter, terms of office shall be for six years, commencing on the first day of January and ending on the thirty-first day of December. Each member shall hold office from the date of his appointment until the end of the term for which he was appointed. Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which his predecessor was appointed shall hold office for the remainder of such term. Any member shall continue in office subsequent to the expiration date of his term until his successor takes office, or until a period of sixty days has elapsed, whichever occurs first. Any member is eligible for reappointment. The governor may remove a member for misfeasance, nonfeasance, or malfeasance in office. After an appointee has qualified and before entering upon his duties, he shall take an oath as provided in Section 7 of Article XV, Ohio Constitution.
(C) The governor shall designate one of the members of the authority to be chairman, and the authority shall select a vice-chairman and a secretary-treasurer from among its other members. The members shall adopt rules for the conduct of their business and shall keep a journal of their proceedings. The authority shall meet at least once in each calendar quarter.
Cite as R.C. § 152.01
Effective Date: 09-29-1995.


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NONE of the state will be declared off limits to mining or gas drilling but companies will have to prove they can keep environmental damage to a minimum if they operate in prime farmland, vineyards and horse studs, under new NSW government plans.
The strategic land use policy, released to the public after tortuous, year-long negotiations, is an attempt to heal the rifts between farmers and mining companies that have become a feature of rural NSW.
It means mining or drilling proposals that fall within areas defined by the government as ''strategic agricultural land'' will have to pass scrutiny from an independent scientific panel, to be appointed by the planning minister, before a development application can be lodged.
The Premier, Barry O'Farrell, also wrote to the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, yesterday, confirming NSW would agree to new federal controls on coal and coal seam gas mining, making the state eligible for a share of $50 million in federal funding for environmental research.
A draft code of conduct for coal seam gas drillers was also released yesterday, with provision for companies to pay legal costs for farmers who go to court to try to stop drilling on their land.
''We are delivering the best protection for agricultural land in Australia and extremely tough controls on coal seam gas mining,'' said the Planning Minister, Brad Hazzard.
Farming and environment groups accused the government of falling well short of what it had promised before the election last year - to fence off some key food-producing zones from miners.
The NSW Minerals Council and the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association said the new rules would greatly add to their costs.
Mr Hazzard agreed that the guidelines, which are on public exhibition for two months, would mean projects would be more expensive and take longer to gain approvals.
''These measures will add to the cost - that's obvious - but the cost is justified by the public interest,'' he said.
Two sensitive farming regions - the upper Hunter Valley and the New England tablelands - have already been mapped, with about 4 per cent of each region meeting the criteria for extra protection. ''We were surprised, actually, that it wasn't all that much,'' Mr Hazzard said.
The southern highlands will be the next region to be mapped, with ''strategic agricultural zones'' eventually to be identified and mapped across the whole state.
The president of the NSW Farmers' Association, Fiona Simson, accused the government of breaking its election promise to protect parts of NSW from mining and coal seam gas exploration and extraction.
She said the government's draft policy could allow hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and trial production for coal seam gas to continue on agricultural land.
''Nowhere is sacred, nowhere is safe,'' she said. ''The government is clearly on the coal seam gas bandwagon.''
A NSW Greens MP, Jeremy Buckingham, said the policy was a ''fizzer''.
''This means the people of NSW will face a rampant coal seam gas industry and ever expanding coal mines,'' he said. ''NSW is set to become one massive gasfield and coalmine.''
The NSW Minerals Council agreed that if a mining project did not ''stack up against the science it shouldn't go ahead and that remains our position''.
But the chief executive, Stephen Galilee, said the plan duplicated regulations already in place.
''It includes the addition of yet another expert panel to decide early in the process whether a proposal can proceed to a second stage with advice from the federal government's independent expert panel,'' Mr Galilee said.
"It's extremely concerning that this new state-based panel would decide whether a mining proposal can be developed without having actually seen a full mining proposal.''


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Psychologist, Dr. Walter F. Wild Releases INVESTMENT DECISIONS
According to psychologist and financier Dr. Walter F. Wild, winning investment decisions avoid both unjustified hope and fear in the decision.
In his new book Winning Investment Decisions, Wild shares how to avoid psychological pitfalls that can entrap the investor into both loss and missing good opportunities.
"It's quite common for investors to get caught up in the moment and make poor investment decisions," says Wild. "If you learn how to prevent this, you'll make more profitable decisions."
Winning Investment Strategies highlights market behavior and investment strategy while providing a unique perspective on the opportunities, dangers and false representations an investor faces.
Wild, an expert in both fields, exposes financial and psychological realities that break common financial myths in his book.
Providing insight into investing profitably and safely, Winning Investment Decisions also offers guidance for readers who may not yet have confidence in their investment decisions but want to avoid the extra cost or impact of poor advice from a financial manager.
Winning Investment Decisions
By Walter F. Wild
Softcover retail price: $19.99
Hardcover retail price: $29.99
E-book price: $3.99
About the author
Walter F. Wild earned his doctorate degree in clinical psychology from the University of Rochester, master's degree in finance from Stanford University and bachelor's degree from Yale University. He practiced psychology in a state hospital, private hospital and medical clinic before starting his private practice. He also continues to manage and advise several investment portfolios. Throughout his career, he has served on several psychological and financial boards and committees. Winning Investment Decisions is his second book to be published.


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A few questions
Discussion in 'Pro/Adv Discussion' started by Turbazz, Oct 18, 2015.
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The Holiday Apartment " Podere Ugolini" is situated near Borgo San Lorenzo. It's a small rural village settled on the hills of the chain of Appennini, it's surrounded by chestnuts and olive trees.
There are holiday apartments, made from old Italian farmhouses and outbuildings, which have been renovated maintaining the atmosphere of farm houses of olden days.
They are all independent apartments, equipped with central heating, and a few also have fireplaces.
Outside you can relax in the large green areas, there are tables and barbecue facilities or you can enjoy long walks along the C.A.I. paths.
About 2km away there is the train station of Ronta, and in 45 minutes you can reach Florence.
At the Holiday Apartment " Podere Ugolini" you can easily reach the most important places like: the birthplace of Giotto, the lake of Bilancino, the Medicean castle of Cafaggiolo and the Barberino Shopping Outlet.
|Demandez à un devis
Services Inclues: Parking, Petites Animaux, Barbecue, Solarium, Piscine Extérieure, Jardin Equipé, Jardin, Parc
Services Optionnelles: Bois de Chauffage, Service de Lave-linge, Fer et planche à repasser
Check In: 16:00 - 19:30
Check Out: 10:00 - 11:00
*Prix moyens. Après votre demande de disponibilité est envoyé une réponse avec le prix final de votre séjour.


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SK-II Signs Nourishing Cream
- 2 reviews See the Breakdown
- Product Info | Add Your Review
SK-II Signs Nourishing Cream Reviews
can tell the differenceI can really tell the difference when I use this daily. I recommend it! — 9 years, 2 months agotlpounds | 20 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 8 of 13 people said helpful
Amazing moisturizer from AsiaThis brand has been used by Cate Blanchett, Oscar-winning Actress for years. Her skin is amazing and although the products are expensive, they're worth the price. Asian women have beautiful, clear, smooth skin and no wonder why. This product line is exclusive and now I know why. — 5 years, 11 months agoshellie123 | 5 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 13 of 17 people said helpful
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When Holiday Cash is Better Than Gift Cards
When Holiday Cash is Better Than Gift Cards It comes as no surprise that gift card spending may decline by 6 percent this year as shoppers are expected to purchase fewer gift cards for various reasons, including the feeling that gift cards are impersonal and to avoid added fees, according to the National Retail Federation. What can you do to assure that a gift that empowers choice keeps it value? Consider giving the equivalent in cash. There are great incentives for choosing cash over gift cards:


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X Factor judges to duet with their acts in final
In the final twist of the season, the X Factor judges are to duet with their own acts in this week's final.
Gary Barlow, Kelly Rowland and Tulisa Contostavlos will be joining the acts they mentor in the show's live final on Saturday night, taking place for the first time at Wembley Arena.
Confirming news of the twist this morning, an X Factor representative said: "This is a first for The X Factor. Our Final weekend at Wembley Arena is going to be our biggest ever and the Judges performing with their finalists is an exciting addition to the weekend."
Battling it out for this year's X Factor crown will be Marcus Collins in the boys category mentored by Barlow, Amelia Lily in the girls…


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Trick-or-treating will be held in the Village of Westfield on Monday, October 31st from 6pm – 8pm. The Fire Department and the Westfield Rotary will sponsor a parade at 6pm. The parade begins at Tops Market and will proceed to the Fire Department where prizes and refreshments will be served. We're looking forward to this wonderful annual event filled with little ghosts and goblins!
Halloween Trick-or-Treating
Posted in General


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Carrie White is the outsider of her class and her mother is a religous fanatic who walks around in a black cape. After she unexpectedly has her first period, she is teased by the girls more ruthlessly than before. The gym teacher punishes the girls that were involved and one of them, Sue Snell, feels sorry for what she did and asks her boyfriend to take Carrie to the prom instead of her. But another girl that has been banned from the prom, Chris Hargenson, isn't so forgiving and hatches an evil
Carrie is not a horror film. At least, not according to Brian De Palma. "Horror films are Hammer films, vampires and Frankenstein," he said at the time of Carrie's release. "I love those pictures but I don't feel it's exactly what I'm doing."
Carrie is not even a horror novel. At least, not according to its author Stephen King. "It's largely about how women find their own channels of power," he wrote in Danse Macabre in 1981. "And what men fear about women and women's sexuality." There you go. Not about a teenager who kills everybody on prom night after all. Carrie may be no ordinary horror film or horror novel, but horror it certainly is, exemplifying what some call De Palma's "red period" (Sisters (1972) to Body Double (1984). As King's debut, written while working for $1.60 an hour in an industrial laundry, Carrie set him on the way to becoming one of the most successful living authors and to be fair to this commendably unpretentious man, he describes his own attempts at subtextualising Carrie as "heavy, turgid stuff".
The reason why both book and film worked was that the action took place in a familiar setting, high school. Since Carrie, there have been more high school horror movies than you can shake a pom-pom at, but in 1976, after the success of Carnal Knowledge (1971), American Graffiti (1973) and on television Happy Days, awareness of high school culture was at a new high. Time to tip a bucket of pig's blood all over it. Carrie is a bloody film, but not in the traditional slasher sense. It begins with the sight of menstrual blood and pivots on the blood of an unfortunate porker, but very little human blood is spilt before our eyes (electrocution and burning do for most of Carrie's victims) except, that is, for the kitchen utensil "crucifixion" of Carrie's mom (Piper Laurie).
For all the morbid, vicarious, popcorn-munching fun to be had from De Palma's first and arguably only true cinematic masterwork, Carrie is loaded with subtext for those who seek it. When, in the film's memorable opening sequence, Carrie (a perfectly-cast Sissy Spacek) is taunted over her first period in the communal showers, the religious connotations are implicit the over-the-top notion of the female "curse of blood" dates back to original sin in The Bible and is reinforced at home by Carrie's mom, a self-flagellating, man-hating, fundamentalist nutcase whose own-brand Baptism in the book becomes extreme Roman Catholicism in the film. Plenty to get your teeth into, especially as Mrs. White gets comeuppance for her fervent beliefs.
Is this King and De Palma's revenge against oppressive authority, religion as a whole or paging Dr. Freud! against dear old Mom? It's easy to read under the surface of the blood, the curse, the crucifixion, even the pagan, ritualistic slaughter of the pig. De Palma's skill inhabits three unforgettable set-pieces in Carrie: the shower scene, prom night and the dream-sequence ending. De Palma's decision to play the first in soft-pornographic slow-motion (soft focus implied by steam) is unsettling, especially when it snaps back to real-time on Carrie's discovery. The prom is a true tour de force and actually Hitchcockian in its understanding of suspense (we know the bucket of blood is suspended above the stage; Carrie does not). More slo-mo ups the impact as Carrie and suitor William Katt approach their fate, and the famous split-screen payoff which took De Palma six whole weeks to cut together is a rare case of gimmickry well employed in the name of narrative.
The "Carrie White burns in Hell" finale, as dreamt by a guilt-ridden Sue (Amy Irving), which involved Spacek being buried in a coffin under rocks, has entered the annals of the All-Time Great Movie Endings. It's one of the few tricks screenwriter Laurence D. Cohen did not glean from the novel. It's fitting that such an influential film should have effectively patented the dummy ending that is now an obligation of every two-bit slasher. Not exactly the first time a hand had emerged from a grave, admittedly, but the tactic was skilfully executed it works every time, like Ben Gardner's head in Jaws.
The film's $1.8 million budget prevented De Palma from depicting Carrie's walk home as it appears in the book (by the time she gets there, half the city of Chamberlain is ablaze), but the route from King novel to the screen would not be as carefully trodden again until Frank Darabont went to work.
The reason Carrie is still held in such high regard as a horror classic is very simple: it's all in the sheer directorial bravado. De Palma at the top of his game.


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Astrology 101: High School Yearbook Awards For Each Sign
It's the most hotly anticipated section of any high school yearbook: the superlatives, or "Most Likely To…" pages, where classmates laud each other for achievements ranging from amazing hair to likelihood of winning a Nobel Peace Prize. We thought it would be fun to give out some of these classic awards to each zodiac sign. Want to know what your sign won? Read on to find out, and then frantically compare the results with your friends!
Best Laugh: Taurus
Most Likely To Invent Something: Aquarius
Biggest Sweetheart: Cancer
Most Dramatic: Leo
Best Party Planner: Virgo
Most Likely To Become A Millionaire: Capricorn
Best Excuses For Tardiness: Gemini
Most Creative: Pisces
Biggest Gossip: Aries
Most Likely To Keep A Secret: Scorpio
Biggest Flirt: Libra
Most Opinionated: Sagittarius


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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/12/2012 (1706 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Mobility and zero degrees of separation have destroyed the way neighbourhoods used to be. And we have lost a lot because of this.
A neighbourhood used to be an area which surrounded a particular group of families who banded together to withstand social, cultural, economic and political forces impacting on them. Nowadays, everybody is pretty much on their own.
That's because our links are scattered city-wide instead of next door, across the street and down the alley. Our kids are more likely to play with other children they meet at school or the local community centre (or the relatives and other urchin units of friends we force them to have play dates with). There is very little hide and go seek or tag being played on city blocks.
Saul Alinsky would not approve. The so-called "father of community development" popularized the concept of organizing neighbourhoods into viable, functioning units capable of standing up to negative forces which might impact on them from time to time. Alinsky deployed community development workers to "door-knock" and hold kitchen meetings which led to block clubs and then neighbourhood associations.
Alinsky's idea was to get people who live beside each other to get to know one another and form a group capable of convincing city hall to install traffic lights if they think they are needed, improve garbage collection, perhaps build a community centre or maybe even to lower unfair taxes and things like that.
These kind of neighbourhood groups used to form naturally because human beings are social animals and it was difficult to get around to more biological and legal linkages. Motorized vehicles and public transit have increased mobility so we get together with who we want instead of trying to deal with whomever lives next door. The degrees of separation from our immediate neighbours increased as front porch verandas were replaced by back yard decks and high wooden fences.
It might be a good idea to get back to more socializing next door instead of across town. Alinsky wrote up all the benefits in a couple of books but the titles (Rules for Radicals and Reveille for Radicals) might sound a bit dated or even intimidating (hey, we're talking about kitchen klatches, not overthrowing any government here, right?)
Take a good look around. How many of your immediate neighbours do you really know? I'll bet you apartment dwellers don't even know most of the people who live on the same floor. So much for having a unified force when the heating system breaks down. And when was the last time you all gathered for coffee in a common room?
The definition of neighbourhood is "an area surrounding a certain person, place or object." Meanwhile, the word forum means "a place where views can be shared." This column is no substitute for community development despite its name.
The word neighbourhood can also be used in subjects like mathematics. Like an estimate is "in the neighbourhood of." It's kind of sad this is how the word is now being used.
Don Marks is an Osborne Village-based writer.
Neighbourhood Forum is a readers' column. If you live in The Times area and would like to contribute to this column, contact email@example.com.


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A 26-year-old man in Austria who lost the use of his right hand in a motorcycle accident ten years ago has decided to undergo "elective amputation," after which he will be fitted with a bionic hand controlled by nerve signals from his own arm. German prosthetics company Otto Bock makes the bionic hands; BBC News reports the prosthetics can "pinch and grasp in response to signals from the brain that are picked up by two sensors placed over the skin above nerves in the forearm."
This will be the second such surgery performed by Professor Oskar Aszmann, of Vienna.
A 24-year-old Austrian man named Patrick was the first patient in the world to choose to have his hand amputated, again by Professor Aszmann, and a bionic replacement fitted. He lost the use of his left hand after being electrocuted at work.More here, and there's video of the bionic hand in use by Patrick, here.
(Thanks, Marguerite // update: also found on Make today, via Phil Torrone)


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Current Newswire:
ZDNet: Promise broken: Windows 2000 delayedOct 15, 1999, 19:56 (28 Talkback[s])
(Other stories by Scott Berinato, Mary Jo Foley)
"Sources say... Microsoft Corp. marketing will take one on the chin and wait until February of next year to launch Windows 2000, the company's flagship product.
The Redmond, Wash., company is telling partners it will take a deliberate approach to launch rather than try to rush the launch into the end of this year just to save face, according to several sources."
"Microsoft officials, who have repeatedly promised shipment by the end of this year, would not confirm or deny any timing issues regarding the shipment of Windows 2000. ... Microsoft officials maintain the product will release to manufacture, or RTM, this year -- sources say Dec. 5 is the latest target -- and therefore Windows 2000 would technically ship this year, even though users won't have the software in hand for six to eight weeks after RTM."
Related Stories:
0 Talkback[s] (click to add your comment)


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Calibre Speedup
View Single Post
Posts: 1,062
Karma: 858115
Join Date: Jan 2011
Device: PRS-T2, Nexus 7, KindleT, iPad2
Originally Posted by
There are various environment variables your system can have that influence where the temp files end up. itimpi told you of the calibre specific one. There are lots more,
Presumably one of those is set on your system to something other than /tmp.
Thanks. I looked at that python tempdir info. On my system the OS X environment variable TMPDIR is set at startup, before opening calibre. That is what Python is using, but I'm not sure if that is set automatically by OS X or by Python as part of OS X startup.
When I mount a RAMdisk on that directory that RAMdisk doesn't get created. When I reset TMPDIR to a different directory that directory doesn't get used. After installing calibre command line tools and setting CALIBRE_TEMP_DIR manually in the Terminal, CALIBRE_TEMP_DIR doesn't get used after starting the calibre GUI, not even when resetting CALIBRE_TEMP_DIR after calibre startup. What gets used in all cases so far is TMPDIR as listed above.
I assume the calibre environment variable CALIBRE_TEMP_DIR requires calibre command line tools first installed (on OS X). So far I haven't tried this with the calibre development environment which is not yet installed. Is setting CALIBRE_TEMP_DIR manually before or after launching the calibre GUI supposed to work? Or is that just with the calibre development environment?
Maybe I'm trying to set the ramdisk on /var/folders/x3/2x81rgjj3lq_2r6wv3_xdkrm0000gn/T too early in the OS X startup and it gets overwritten later by automatic user login initialization.
I'll work on this more tomorrow, including testing a timing delay.
The thought has crossed my mind that figuring this out would be simpler on Windows or Linux. Perhaps when I finally get a new computer it won't be a Mac.
Last edited by unboggling; 10-24-2012 at
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Edit: After half day, my wife's Mac started having the same problem. I have then applied the solution that I found in the Apple
The New iPad / iPad 3 Costs Approximately $310 To Make –
UBM TechInsights has already done a preliminary breakdown of the recently announced new iPad's. The reports says that to manufacture the new iPad 16GB Wifi + 4g it costs Apple around $310 this means that Apple are making a 51% margin. The $310 does not include the research , product development , software and also advertising.
Related Articles


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New college program offers immersion in mining work
December 13, 2012
WHITEHORSE – Yukon College is joining forces with Alexco Resource, Yukon Zinc and Capstone Mining (collectively "the Producers") and the Advanced Education Branch of Yukon Education to place more local workers in jobs at the territory's three working mines.
The College is currently accepting applications to the new, forty-four day Introduction to Mining Operations program. It has been designed to give students a clear pathway to employment upon completion.
The program will give students a unique opportunity to experience a two-week shift rotation. It follows an overview of the entire mining process, an orientation to the working environment in an underground and surface mine, heavy equipment training, and essential certifications in safety awareness.
This new approach to job-skills training comes from collaboration with industry partners to address specific skills gaps in Yukon workers.
"It is absolutely in our best interest to hire locally," said Brad Thrall, COO, Alexco Resource and Chair of the Yukon Producers Group, a new organization that represents the three working mines in the territory.
"The greatest challenge we face in doing so is the scarcity of available skilled workers in Yukon. We have collectively designed this program to develop entry level skills for Yukoners which will hopefully increase the number of qualified local candidates."
"We have learned a lot from how they run similar programs in Alaska," said Shelagh Rowles, Executive Director, Centre for Northern Innovation in Mining at Yukon College.
"They found there can be a disconnect between the number of students who completed training and those who remain working in the mining industry. This has been improved by having employers review applicants prior to entering training."
Likewise, applicants to the new program in Yukon will be screened and interviewed by the Producers before being accepted. A greater emphasis is being placed on personal references, previous skills and experience, rather than academic qualifications.
"There is no guaranteed job at the end but people should treat it more like they are actually applying for a job, than applying for college," said Rowles.
"The benefit is that instead of waiting until the end of the program to evaluate potential employees, the companies are talking to you all the way through and getting a more well-rounded assessment of your capabilities."
Worker retention in the mining industry is affected by such things as people discovering that they are not as suited to the work as they had thought, difficulty adjusting to the shift cycles and being away from their families.
Rowles added that besides giving students a much greater hands-on experience of mining work, this program will also offer support and advice on the lifestyle challenges that come with a job in mining.
This program is just the beginning. "It is anticipated that Yukon's producing mines will require over 2,000 skilled workers in the coming years. We want to build upon this partnership with industry and government to ensure we meet the training needs of Yukon's mining sector," said Rowles.
The program fee is $1,000 and will start January 21, 2013 in Whitehorse. Accommodation for applicants from the communities will be provided in Whitehorse by Yukon College. During work experience placements, meals and accommodation will be provided by the mining companies.
More information, including a full course outline, can be found online at http://www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/programs/info/mine/
For more information, contact:
Michael Vernon
Communications Coordinator
College Relations
Yukon College
Jacqueline Bedard
College Relations
Yukon College


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Love my Covercraft!
Reviewed By Mark S (Idaho Falls, ID) Reviewed for a 2000 Honda Accord —7/18/2013 8:56 AM
This is not a Le Bra! This is a quality bra that looks like I've spent more money than I have. It shows I take serious pride in my car. And even though it's a bra, it adds to the value of my car (even hides a scape the previous owner left me...) It is a bit more complicated to put on, however the Le Bra I replaced didn't have near the quality!


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Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Memory Lane
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
I feel disgusted by some people
If you don't want it on the 'net, don't put it on the 'net!That being said, I will respect privacy and leave names out of this bit.
A blogger wrote the other day:
I clicked the link to comment, and saw these two already there:
Thought of the day...
...is anyone else tired of hearing about the pregnant "man" who gave birth? "He" is not a man! Give it up people. Let it go.
Thank you. I very much agree. Also, can anyone explain why this "guy" who is married is the one who got pregnant when "he" has a perfectly capable wife?
Pet Peeve #1,257,578.23:
People who do really ridiculous stuff just for attention.
I had to respond. However, this blogger chose not to "approve" my comment, so it was never posted. Therefore, I will post it here, in as much of its entirety as I can remember.
He IS legally a man. His wife had to have a hysterectomy when she was younger, and is therefore unable to have children. This was the only way for them to have a child that was biologically related to one of them.On that note, I ran across this interesting little bit in the LDS Aaronic Priesthood Manual 3. This would be in Chapter 31: Choosing an Eternal Companion. (emphasis mine)
I think this had less to do with them wanting attention, but rather, with them wanting a child. Why should you be allowed to have children but then deny them that same right?
My pet peeve? Making judgments about someone else just because they make different decisions than you.
Or maybe we should just make miscegenation illegal again?
So perhaps the Mormons would like to see a Constitutional ban on both miscegenation and same-sex marriages.
Quotation and discussion
Compare the results of the vote with the following statement by President Spencer W. Kimball. Have a young man read it.
"We recommend that people marry those who are of the same racial background generally, and of somewhat the same economic and social and educational background (some of those are not an absolute necessity, but preferred), and above all, the same religious background, without question" ("Marriage and Divorce," in 1976 Devotional Speeches of the Year [Provo: Brigham Young University Press, 1977], p. 144).
Whatever happened to loving your neighbor?
Bust a move
The gym? Well, I got a membership and have been once. I'm not very good about that.
So, I thought to myself, I love dancing around the house, but I look foolish when I perform these same moves in public. Erego:
There were about 7 different options to choose from at the bookstore last night. I almost got the Dancing With the Stars: Cardio Dance, but I couldn't tell if it had different time options like the Gaiam video.
We'll see if this goes any better!!
Backstage with Barack
It's going to be an amazing event, and if you make a contribution of any amount before midnight on July 31st, you could be selected to go Backstage with Barack:
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Obama in France
Sarkozy called Obama "my dear" and said he'd work with any American president — but "I am especially happy to be meeting with the senator."
In an effusive, rambling soliloquy, Sarkozy said twice that that "the French love the Americans," and declared that "the adventure of Barack Obama, it is a story which speaks to the heart of French people and speaks to the heart of Europeans."
Thursday, July 24, 2008
The results
The yard from the driveway
The steps and pathway to the back porch
The pathway to the back porch from the steps
So, what do you think of the changes?
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Keith Olbermann
But, he got me curious, so I actually watched a couple of episodes of Countdown, and I must say, they were rather enjoyable! I'd like to describe it as a bit like The Daily Show, but with a little more brain.
Here's a clip from last night's show. Good times.
The "garden-destroyers" are here
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Updates... with one teensy political comment
Speaking of my garden... Eric talked to the landlord yesterday (finally!) about the holes and foxes in the yard. The landlord is having a landscaper come out on Wednesday to make a bunch of changes to the back yard (how will this affect the foxes? we'll see...). He's going to have them tear up the divide between the near back and far back of the yard. I'm not super pleased about this, as this is where I've spent hours this summer digging and planting. I'm afraid that most of my gardening work will be disappearing tomorrow, and becoming what? I have no idea. I hope he actually does do something about the foxes, though, and fixes up that far back yard, because it's really ugly and scary back there, and the trees have been a nice border so I don't have to look at it or go back there.
He also wants to extend the patio to connect the back porch (off the kitchen) to the concrete area off the back of the house. I REALLY hope this doesn't mean my lavender and roses will be hacked away.
I'll have to keep an eye on what's going on out there tomorrow, but I'm rather disappointed about all of this. We'll see how it goes.
I went in and worked for 3 days last week. The kids in summer school have to take their SOL exams, so I decided to be a proctor for those to get a little extra money this summer. I'll have to go in a total of 8 days over July and August, and I'll get paid $26/hour. Not loads of cash, but enough to maybe buy me a couple more pairs of shoes! :-)
I got my hair cut yesterday. I hadn't been since January, I think... whoa! I cut off about 4 inches. It's still pretty long, but it looks much shorter to me, since that's what I was used to. Here, I'll give you a picture, even though I was really hot yesterday when I took it, so my face looks shiny-funny.My hair used to cover my boobies. So yes, it's much shorter to me, but I like it! Plus, it'll just keep on growing!
Sometimes I like to dance around the house. This is what I look like:
Ha! Good times. You know, I drew that myself :-)
Last thing for now... I just have to post it, even though I promised nothing political. But, come on! There's a chance this guy could be elected president!! The Middle East is a VERY important part of our foreign policy, and our leader NEEDS to be knowledgeable about it!!
If what he just said didn't shock you, please take a look at the map, and excuse me while I cry a little bit.
Monday, July 21, 2008
The "inexperience argument" is crumbling
Well, it turns out that this trip of Obama's is working more and more in his own favor. Each meeting he's had thus far (first in Afghanistan, now in Iraq) reconfirms that Obama has the right ideas.
From an article entitled "Iraqi leader meets Obama, calls for U.S. troops out by end of 2010" we learn:
After talks with Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Monday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki reaffirmed that Iraq wants U.S. combat troops to withdraw from Iraq by the end of 2010, a few months later than Obama had proposed.Perhaps Obama really is the leader with the right judgment?
Ali Dabbagh, the prime minister's spokesman, said Maliki and Obama didn't discuss specifics during the hour-long meeting. But he said the Iraqi government would like to see all American combat troops out of the country by the end of 2010, a bit later than Obama's proposal to draw down all combat brigades within 16 months after he'd become president.
"Barak Obama showed his support to this government," Dabbagh said. "He came to listen to our views and the views of the prime minister. And the prime minister gave him his point of view about the presence of U.S. forces and . . . what we want from the forces."
"We had a very constructive discussion," Obama said upon leaving the meeting at the prime minister's private residence in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone.
PS. I promise I'll post something non-political later today!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
It's all in your head
Good news! It's all in your head!
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Daily Dose of Obama
And, just because I love this clip so much:
Enjoy your weekend!
Friday, July 18, 2008
I ate 3 last night and 2 this morning.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Obama'08 Bumper Sticker
Or, you can also get one for free at MoveOn.org.
Anybody know the price of gas these days?
Then, in a press conference today, another reporter referenced the remark. And today's, much more enlightened response? "Where are they now?"
Monday, July 14, 2008
Being Open
Belgian Budweiser!
From the New York Times
My Plan for Iraq
CHICAGO — The call by Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki for a timetable for the removal of American troops from Iraq presents an enormous opportunity. We should seize this moment to begin the phased redeployment of combat troops that I have long advocated, and that is needed for long-term success in Iraq and the security interests of the United States.
The differences on Iraq in this campaign are deep. Unlike Senator John McCain, I opposed the war in Iraq before it began, and would end it as president. I believed it was a grave mistake to allow ourselves to be distracted from the fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban by invading a country that posed no imminent threat and had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks. Since then, more than 4,000 Americans have died and we have spent nearly $1 trillion. Our military is overstretched. Nearly every threat we face — from Afghanistan to Al Qaeda to Iran — has grown.
In the 18 months since President Bush announced the surge, our troops have performed heroically in bringing down the level of violence. New tactics have protected the Iraqi population, and the Sunni tribes have rejected Al Qaeda — greatly weakening its effectiveness.
But the same factors that led me to oppose the surge still hold true. The strain on our military has grown, the situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated and we've spent nearly $200 billion more in Iraq than we had budgeted. Iraq's leaders have failed to invest tens of billions of dollars in oil revenues in rebuilding their own country, and they have not reached the political accommodation that was the stated purpose of the surge.
The good news is that Iraq's leaders want to take responsibility for their country by negotiating a timetable for the removal of American troops. Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. James Dubik, the American officer in charge of training Iraq's security forces, estimates that the Iraqi Army and police will be ready to assume responsibility for security in 2009.
Only by redeploying our troops can we press the Iraqis to reach comprehensive political accommodation and achieve a successful transition to Iraqis' taking responsibility for the security and stability of their country. Instead of seizing the moment and encouraging Iraqis to step up, the Bush administration and Senator McCain are refusing to embrace this transition — despite their previous commitments to respect the will of Iraq's sovereign government. They call any timetable for the removal of American troops "surrender," even though we would be turning Iraq over to a sovereign Iraqi government.
But this is not a strategy for success — it is a strategy for staying that runs contrary to the will of the Iraqi people, the American people and the security interests of the United States. That is why, on my first day in office, I would give the military a new mission: ending this war.
As I've said many times, we must be as careful getting out of Iraq as we were careless getting in. We can safely redeploy our combat brigades at a pace that would remove them in 16 months. That would be the summer of 2010 — two years from now, and more than seven years after the war began. After this redeployment, a residual force in Iraq would perform limited missions: going after any remnants of Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, protecting American service members and, so long as the Iraqis make political progress, training Iraqi security forces. That would not be a precipitous withdrawal.
In carrying out this strategy, we would inevitably need to make tactical adjustments. As I have often said, I would consult with commanders on the ground and the Iraqi government to ensure that our troops were redeployed safely, and our interests protected. We would move them from secure areas first and volatile areas later. We would pursue a diplomatic offensive with every nation in the region on behalf of Iraq's stability, and commit $2 billion to a new international effort to support Iraq's refugees.
Ending the war is essential to meeting our broader strategic goals, starting in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where the Taliban is resurgent and Al Qaeda has a safe haven. Iraq is not the central front in the war on terrorism, and it never has been. As Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently pointed out, we won't have sufficient resources to finish the job in Afghanistan until we reduce our commitment to Iraq.
As president, I would pursue a new strategy, and begin by providing at least two additional combat brigades to support our effort in Afghanistan. We need more troops, more helicopters, better intelligence-gathering and more nonmilitary assistance to accomplish the mission there. I would not hold our military, our resources and our foreign policy hostage to a misguided desire to maintain permanent bases in Iraq.
In this campaign, there are honest differences over Iraq, and we should discuss them with the thoroughness they deserve. Unlike Senator McCain, I would make it absolutely clear that we seek no presence in Iraq similar to our permanent bases in South Korea, and would redeploy our troops out of Iraq and focus on the broader security challenges that we face. But for far too long, those responsible for the greatest strategic blunder in the recent history of American foreign policy have ignored useful debate in favor of making false charges about flip-flops and surrender.
It's not going to work this time. It's time to end this war.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Tony Snow
Friday, July 11, 2008
Straight-talking again!
Oh boy! That's a tricky one!
Hope all you women out there that take birth control paid attention to that! Without insurance coverage, the cost to you would pop up to anywhere from $40-$80 a month. While at the same time, Viagra would continue to be covered for men. Therefore, clearly, it is okay for men to engage in sex whenever they want, but for women, it's taboo.
Women shouldn't have sex, but men can.
Wait, are you promoting homosexuality?
Ha, of course not! Oh boy...
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Time for a new look
It hurt when he stuck the needle through, but it's not sore anymore. Now, it just feels like I have a big booger in my nose.
Oh boy!
Life... Illustrated
Instructions: Go to a photo site like Flickr, type your answers to the questions in the "search" box, use ONLY the first page, and upload a photo as the answer.
1. What's your first name?
2. What's your favorite thing to do?
3. What is your favorite color?
4. What is your favorite movie?
5. What is your favorite time of year?
6. Name your favorite beverage.
7. Where is your dream vacation?
8. What is your favorite dessert?
9. What do you want to do when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One word to describe yourself.
Now... I will tag: Lance, Marla, and Ang
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Is Google God?
They even provide a list of nine proofs to show the strength of their theory. They can be found here.
My favorite piece of hate mail?
"I'm sorry, but I must not only completely disagree with your little Googlism idea, but i must also call it insanely retarded."
Ah yes, this made my evening :-)
Politics, as usual
The AFL-CIO is releasing an ad tomorrow in key states (including Virginia) that is critical of John McCain and his Senate record.
The AFL-CIO has endorsed Obama, and we can expect to see more ads like this in the coming months.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
The liberators have overstayed their welcome
So... how does that play into John McCain's plan to remain in Iraq for another 100 years?
"Today, we are looking at the necessity of terminating the foreign presence on Iraqi lands and restoring full sovereignty," Maliki told Arab ambassadors in blunt remarks during an official visit to Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates.
"One of the two basic topics is either to have a memorandum of understanding for the departure of forces or a memorandum of understanding to set a timetable for the presence of the forces, so that we know (their presence) will end in a specific time."
The Bush administration's response?
In a briefing today, spokesperson Sean McCormack said the remark may have been a transcription error:(cue: stick fingers in ears and yell, "Nah, nah! I can't hear you!!")
McCORMACK: Well, that's really the part — the point at which I would seek greater clarification in terms of remarks. I've seen the same press reports that you have, but I haven't yet had an opportunity to get greater clarify as to exactly to what Mr. Maliki was referring or if, in fact, that's an accurate reporting of what he said.
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Their own kind of fireworks
The dinner/reception was also outside, but under a tent. They had a great live swing band playing and some delicious food. And the rain made it nice and cool outside!
I had fun hanging out with everyone, but I didn't last too long... I was ti-red! Eric and I went back to the hotel around 11/11:30 and I totally crashed out.
This was our table at dinner. Table 12 rules, Table 11 drools! :-)
Congratulations to the newlyweds!
Friday, July 04, 2008
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Think about it, maybe
I saw this ad for The Nature Conservancy in Fortune and thought it was quite powerful. So, I went and checked out their website and joined. It looks like they do some really good work and they provide tips for simple ways to make your life more green. Because you might think, "It's not my problem."
But really, it's just not your problem yet.
Working from home
I got that crazy-fun doll at a flea/farmer's market last weekend. She was only $7! The guy selling them was really old and said he makes them out of recycled material (envelopes, mostly, and he said the fabric came from the library...?) to sell so he can make a little money for gas to drive his van around to the V.A. hospitals in the area and play his keyboard for the patients. Cute, huh? He even had a tape playing with his keyboard music. I couldn't resist!
Eric decided to 'work from home' today, so he came with me to run errands all morning. It was fun! I bought three new pairs of shoes... who can complain about that??
Tomorrow we are going up to Maryland for a wedding. Too bad, no fireworks at the wedding :-) But, it'll be a fun time. We'll stay up there for the night so we don't have to worry about getting ourselves home after an evening of wedding-celebrating!
Not much else going on right now. Anything political to talk about? Oh, I picked up the latest copy of Fortune Magazine so I have more to talk with Lance about! It goes over both candidates' plans for the economy. I might do a voter registration drive... not this weekend, but perhaps next. Make sure you're all registered to vote!
The flowers are still growing well. I'm restraining myself from posting more pictures, since they still pretty much look the same. I'll wait till they actually flower.
Enjoy your weekend!
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Oh, so THAT'S how you make friends!
I went to a garden center down the road yesterday and bought some new plants. Stuck them in the ground this morning. This one's a ground cover rose that's supposed to be about 30" high and 3' wide. I'm hoping it will spread out and cascade down the wall. That'd be so nice :-)
I also planted some lavender, but the picture was only okay, and I didn't feel like going out to take another one.
Believe it or not, I don't have anything else to say right now!
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
New Clothes
Here's the dress, and the link to check out the different styles.
Extra! Extra!
We really needed a scientific study to tell us this?
Oh sure, blame it on the women
Oh, but wait.
The woman's sin: wanting her own way instead of submitting to her husband.
The man's sin: responding to her threat to his authority by either, 1) beating her; or 2) becoming passive, saying "Yes, dear," "Fine, dear," "Whatever you say, dear."
Commenting on selected passages from the first three chapters of Genesis, Ware said Eve's curse in the Garden of Eden meant "her desire will be to have her way" instead of her obeying her husband, "because she's a sinner."
"And husbands on their parts, because they're sinners, now respond to that threat to their authority either by being abusive, which is of course one of the ways men can respond when their authority is challenged--or, more commonly, to become passive, acquiescent, and simply not asserting the leadership they ought to as men in their homes and in churches," Ware said from the pulpit of Denton Bible Church in Denton, Texas.
article link
Oh dear. So, men, in order to assert the "leadership they ought to as men in their homes" would be better by being abusive? Wait, what is he trying to say?
Those crazy Southern Baptists!
As anyone who knows me knows, there is NO WAY that a man can expect me to submit to him. Ah, sweet Eric :-) I am, ahem, quite strong-willed.
So if some pastor was telling Eric that he should abuse me in order to reaffirm his authority? Oh no, there is no way I'd stand for that!
It's a wonder any woman is religious.


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Serve In Outreach
As Christians we are called to "seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves. " St. Thomas' lives into this call by reaching out to our neighbors, far and near.
Outreach Opportunities
Outreach Committee: This committee coordinates and seeks to expand the outreach ministries of the church, seeking to proclaim God's message of justice, peace, and love by addressing hunger, sickness, loneliness, and neglect in our neighborhood, city and beyond.
In Ministry Programs
Food Pantry distributes food each week on Thursdays from 10 am - noon. Volunteers assist in procurement, organization, hospitality and distribution. From January to August of 2012 this ministry provided food to over 1500 households representing nearly 4500 people in our community.
The folks at Little House Green Grocery are a neighborhood grocery store that supports the St. Thomas Food Pantry. Little House offers fresh, Virginia-grown produce, dairy, meats, groceries, and fine pantry staples along with prepared foods, events and classes. They truly are a neighborhood store, on Bellevue Avenue in the Bellevue neighborhood.
Second Saturday Drop-In Ministry serves the adult-home population on the North Side of Richmond. It provides a Saturday morning of fellowship, activities, and food for this population once a month.
CARITAS Congregations Around Richmond Involved to Assure Shelter. helps provide food and shelter (at St. Thomas' ) for homeless individiuals and families during one week in December or January. Volunteers help by preparing and serving dinner, making bag lunches, doing laundry, providing transportation to showers, helping with set up or clean up for the week and with evening activities for our guests.
In Reaching Out
Mission Trips take place periodically for St. Thomas' members to serve and learn in communities away from Richmond. We also facilitate our parish members joining other churches on their mission trips. All youth being confirmed at St. Thomas' receive a $200 mission trip voucher from the Diocese of Virginia to help offset costs.
Bright Beginnings helps provide school clothing and school supplies for local children whose parents cannot afford them. The program is coordinated through the local YMCA. St. Thomas' collects funding for this ministry as well as volunteers who serve as shopping buddies.
City Jail support is offered by donating magazines and paperback books to women and men in Richmond City Jail. In December, we also donate postage stamps, stationery, and Christmas cards as a way for inmates to connect with loved ones they are separated from. Periodically we also collect underwear, toiletries and socks.
St. Thomas' Day School is one of our primary outreach ministries. Serving chidlren ages 2 - 5 through a play curriculum, the Day School is a resource for children and families.
For more information, contact Kelly Kane (321-9548, ext. 14 email@example.com)
Sewing Guild designs and creates baby quilts that are given to new babies in the church and donated to those in need. Rotation: Weekly on Tuesday mornings, September through mid-June.
The Micah Initiative is a tutoring and mentoring program aimed at Richmond City elementary school children. You can find more about The Micah Initiative to see how you can help.
Stations of the Cross takes place in the afternoon on Good Friday. Together with other Northside Churches, St. Thomas' walks the Stations of the Cross and prays along a portion of Brookland Park Boulevard.
Refugee Resettlement Projects work with leadership from Episcopal Migration Ministry through the Virginia Council of Churches to provide support and welcome to refugees in our community.
Pastoral Calls to the O'Brien Home and The Palace
Boaz & Ruth: The Boaz & Ruth program helps those coming out of incarceration. The programs provides much needed services such as housing and food. It also teaches the residents how to integrate back into society in a way that contributes to the world around them.
Vacation Bible School always includes Missions Emphasis for education and outreach. Past emphases have included The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, an elementary school in Sudan, and home restoration ministry in Appalachia.
In Sharing Space
SCAN: Greater Richmond SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now) is a local nonprofit organization dedicated solely to the prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect in the Greater Richmond area. SCAN was founded in 1991 in response to the rapidly growing rate of child abuse and neglect in the City of Richmond and its surrounding counties. http://www.grscan.com.
Al-Anon: The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength, and hope, in order to solve their common problems. Al-Anon meets Wednesday mornings (HAPPY WEDNESDAY AL- ANON GROUP meet at 10:30) and the Friday group (FRIDAY AFG) meets at 11 a.m. http://www.va-al-anon.org.
The Ginter Park Resident's Association meets at St. Thomas monthly.
Region 11 Clergy Gatherings
Regional Educators Meetings
Northside Mom's Yard Sale
The Nurturing Parent Group meets at St. Thomas on a regular basis.
In Collecting Things to Share (Collection bins are in the Parish Hall Foyer)
Calendars for the Seaman's Church Institute
Cell phones as well as cell phone parts and accessories are collected to be donated to victims of domestic violence. Collection bins are in the Parish Hall foyer.
Children's Books for the Food Pantry
Diapers for the Virginia Council of churches
Eyeglasses for a mission group in Uganda
Food Items for the Food Pantry
School Supplies for the YMCA
Toiletries for Second Saturday Drop-In
Coins for Outreach Loose change in the offering plate is collected for St. Thomas' Outreach ministries.
Dimes for Lire, Sudan


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Just back from the Dawn: Norwegian Dawn Cruise Review by carlakruz
Overall Member Rating
Just back from the Dawn
Destination: Western Caribbean
Embarkation: Tampa
We began our journey out of Tampa, Fl on Sunday, Dec 30th after celebrating my in laws 60th wedding anniversary in Bradenton. We are from Nashville, TN.
We were in cabin 10098 with a wonderful balcony. Our room steward was Francisco and was just great. He was very nice and attentive. We had a safe, blow dryer and a coffee maker. The coffee maker was especially nice as we could sit out on the balcony in the morning with a cup of coffee. We slept every night with the sliding door open so we could hear the waves. The only bad thing concerning the cabin is the toilet area. the toilet area is extremely small. I had read that before but could not believe how small it is. the sink and shower area are just More fine.
Day 1 - at Sea
The weather was beautiful the entire week. We love to sit in a lounge chair and read while feeling that wonderful sun. We had a regular file drill on the deck (you dont have to bring your life jackets). We had the delight of being on the same side of the ship as rooster. He is a delightful addition to the staff and made the drill so entertaining. He told us that our tender would lower first as we were the rich folks (ha)He then said there was no need to go back to the cabin in the event of an emergency as they had recently added a casino, buffet in the tender. We had dinner at Cagneys. I ran out during dinner around 6:15 as we went under the skyway bridge. Dont miss this, its quite a site. Our dinner was fantastic as always - totally worth the extra fee We then attended the welcome show with Greg London. He was very good - dont miss. We also enjoyed Duo Luna - although not as much as the reviews I have read. The girl had a very good voice. They sang alot of latin music which we tired of and quit going to see them. We also attended the Sing if you know if game. This was fun - mostly teens and an absolutely full room. Let me take this time to talk about the Stardust Theater. The seats are absolutely awful and very uncomfortable. I suggest sitting upstairs although the view is not good there. The seats tilt downwards and are small with no leg room. We did not go every night due to this.
Day 2 - New Years Eve
This was a sea day as well. There was excitement in the air all day from the crew and guests for new years eve. we spent the day sitting and looking at the ocean. We started out with breakfast at the buffet (food was always good there). we attended a cruise critic group meeting that was attended by the captain and the officers. This is always so nice and we appreciate the captain taking cruise critic so seriously. We had dinner at the Moderno. This is beyond words. Please dont miss this. Its 20.00 a person and so worth it. The salad bar is wonderful and the meat is delivered to your table until you turn the little card over to red to say no more. We just loved this place.We listened to music after dinner in Gatsbys lounge. This is a great little hidden place to go. Oh, this was formal night with the pictures. There were few men in tuxes on this cruise. We like to drink some but not get stupid and out of control. There were alot of out of control folks so we left around 11:00 to go to our cabin and enjoy our balcony,Day 3 - Roatan, Honduras
We have been here several times but never tire of this cruise. We had breakfast at the buffet. We had booked a ship excursion to South Beach, This is so beautiful and was an excellent choice. We were there for 5 hours and there were not many people. Its a private beach that looks like a huge swimming pool, we had a wonderful Coconut drink that tasted like the nectar from the gods. Beautiful day, oh this included a buffet We ate at the Aqua dining room for dinner. It was very good, Dont miss the second city in the stardust. They are very funny,
Day 4 - Belize City, Belize Temp 85
We went on the Beach Break at Bannister Island reserved through the ship. We were there early so had no problem getting seats. But the people kept coming and coming with no where to sit. I heard a lot of unhappy people. There were Norwegian and Carnival folks. This is a tender port. We went back to the cabin to shower and change and took another tender back over to have a drink at the Wet Lizard. This is a tradition for us. The beer is 2 for 5. We came back, ate at the buffet and went to bed early. No activities for us that night.
Day 5 - Costa Maya, Mexico
This is one of our favorite ports as its so pretty and laid back. Be sure and dont just stay at the pool area, grab a taxi for 2 bucks a piece and go to the town. My advice for the BEST place there is to get off at the 2nd stop, make a right and look for a large sign that says Fernando 100% Avage. STOP there, get a lounge chair and enjoy the best mexican food and Marjaritats in the entire world. Fernando will come out and meet you and give you a free shot. He has recently moved his business to the beach. His restaurant used to be off the beach. We then went back to the port and swam in the pool. We returned to the ship and had dinner at the Venecian. This is a pretty place and the food was good. We had steak. If you love the chilled soups, you can only get these on the buffet, not in the restaurants any more.
Day 6 - Cozumel
This is always one of our favorite ports. We book independently with Cochi Nooman for an all inclusive resort. You take a taxi for 17.00 and the resort averages 55.00 a person. you must reserve in advance. They are wonderful in seeing to your needs. The beach is beautiful, you order from the menu and I highly recommend the fried shrimp and the nachos. There is a pool and swim up hot tub. You can get your drinks straight from the bar tender. Back to the ship, we went to the buffet and enjoyed some music with Margie and Ruby in Gatsbys. In the end, I loved the music of Margie. This ended up being a tender port for us (one day a month). This was unfortunate as one of the tenders broke down and we had to stand in line for 3 hours to get back on the ship. The ship was over an hour late in leaving and then had to return back to the ship due to a crew member having to go to the hospital.
Day 7 - Sea Day
Again, A beautiful day. We relaxed, read and enjoyed the water. My husband bought me a beautiful Gucci watch so it was a really nice day. We had dinner at Le Bistro (20). This was my least favorite restaurant as I was disappointed with the food. I got chicken and did not like it. My husband enjoyed his steak. We then went to Bollywood. My advice is to skip this. I was very disappointed in the skill level of the production crew. At the end of the show the officers and crew came up and formed a line to clap for the guests as we left the theater. That was a special moment.
One last thing, I had read so much about the girls that sanitize your hands as you go into the dining room and ALWAYS as washy washy, happy happy. I heard that so much I wanted to say smackee smackee (ha). My husband got a kick about it. Also the Rooster I mentioned at the beginning serves coffee in the dining room and crows when he walks in the room. He is precious.
All in all, we had a great time and are ready to go again. Hope this review helps some one. Less
Published 01/12/13
Cabin review: BA10098 Mid-Ship Balcony
We had a balcony and loved it. The bad this was a very small toilet area, we would select another ship next time.Read All Mid-Ship Balcony (BA) Reviews >>
Read Cruise Critic's Norwegian Dawn Review >>
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Jul 23, 2013
Would like cruise control fitted on my Polo 6R GTI but need to find out if possible via VCDS!
If its just vcds you need in sheffield area contact bez101. If you want it supplied/fitted and coded site sponsor NHN is your man and he travels to do this type of work. x
Thanks Sandra. Is he in Sheffield? It's just a question of finding out if I've got the necessary bits already there to make cruise control fitting easier and cheaper.
Send a pm to member bez101, he will scan your car with vcds. x
I am going abroad soon and would love this work done before I go- NHN if you could please get in touch before Sunday as I have access to VCDS then!
I am also looking for someone in sheffield S11 with VCDS to do throttle body alignment
Any help or advise would be great...
Also Anyonewho does ECU replacement via VCDS
Separate names with a comma.


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Sig P229/239 or Glock for Concealed Carry
Living in the Philly area, I am looking to buy a gun for self defense and practice. I like the .40 caliber size for the magazine size/power balance... I'd also consider a .45. I definitely need something that will be comfortable concealable...
I love the Sig's style much better than the glock... However I like glocks new trigger safety system (it can only fire by using the trigger).
My question is... Do the Sig's have safety's? And what would happen if the hammer got caught on my shirt and then released... Would it fire?
I was at the gun range and rented a 9mm Sig and I asked the ranger where the safety was... He said that the safety is to not pull the trigger until you are ready to shoot.
So all in all I like the Sig styling much better... But I like the glock for the safety option. Can I have an experienced opinion on this?
I carried a Sig P229 in .40 S&W for over three years when I was working in Tacoma, Wa many years ago. The weapon does not, or didn't at the last time I checked, offer a safety, it has a decocking level to safely lower the hammer, but there is no manual safety. This is not my preferred weapon condition as I have been exposed to a lot of information since I naively bought this as my everyday carry gun. It was popular at the time and there was a lot of good press about it. *shrug*
That said, I was young and a bit inexperienced. I am not ashamed to admit that I carried forward cant on my right hip with a round in the chamber, but the hammer in the down position, so the first round would have to use the double action. I never had a problem, but that doesn't mean I would recommend doing that now that I have much more experience in the world of firearms. :eek:
The D/A draw is very hard, around 10lbs. according to the website, so the chances of "accidentally" setting it off are slim, but I still wouldn't recommend carrying hot and definitely not in Condition 1.
For the weapon itself, I never had a problem. The thing ate damn near everything I fed it and it always shot very true. As I got older and got more experience with firearms and the knowledge behind how they work, I learned the error of my ways and became a fan of the 1911. :D
If you like the Glock styling, but not the model itself, check out the Springfield XD line. I think you may find that you like what they have to offer.
Dan, 4/21/08
You have picked some good pistols in an effective caliber. I have all three of your choices except mine are in 9mm. Both have built-in safeties to prevent accidental discharge, neither has a manual safety like the 1911's. The main difference is in the construction (Glock is plastic framed, Sigs usually have an aluminum frame), the grip angle and the trigger pull. The Glock trigger pull is double action only with a long, constant weight. The sigs have a heavier first double action pull at about ten pounds, and all subsequent shots are in single action with a trigger pull of about 4.5 pounds. Both have firing pin blocking plungers which prevent the firing pin from hitting the cartridge primer unless the trigger is pulled (ie- they won't fire if dropped or if something snags the hammer (on the sigs). Both are routinely carried with a round in the chamber, and with the sig the hammer is down. There are some single-action-only sigs which are set up with a manual safety like the 1911's but I am not including these in the discussion.
The only way to decide which one you want is to rent both at a range. Some people like the Glock, some like Sigs. For me I prefer the Sigs. Either way both are great pistols which are reliable, accurate and safe.
For a carry pistol look at the Glock 19. For the Sigs the 229 is a bit large for me to carry and I prefer the 239. Good luck.
best wishes- oldandslow
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Eagle's on My Roof
by Gordon K. Glatz
About the Book
The story of a native American boy who saves a injured baby eagle, that later pays him a visit in a most unusual way, and the trouble that follows for the man and his wife.
Author website
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UAV SWARM Health Management Project Website
Project PI:
Prof. Jonathan How
Classic shot of 4 autonomous quadrotors (June 2006)
First demonstration of "N=10" - there are 10 UAV quadrotors flying autonomously
the team flight is iniated by a single operator. (March 2007)
Multi-UAV flight with staging from the recharge platform (December 2007)
Recent News Headlines
April, 2008:
RAVEN highlighted in front cover of the IEEE Control Systems Magazine
Feb 28, 2008 : Crash-Proof UAVs Fly Blind at MIT's High-Tech Aerodrome. Popular Mechanics
November 23, 2007 : Perching aircraft train for tricky landings. NewScientist.com
December 12, 2006 : MIT's 'Air Force'. CNBC
November 20, 2006 : MIT 'air force' could help perfect unmanned craft. Boston Globe
October 31, 2006 : Smart Tiny Planes. Video segment aired on ABC
October 17, 2006 : Mini-UAVs swarm creates a buzz. Flight International
September 30, 2006 : Rudel der fliegenden Quadrokopter. Spiegel online
September 27, 2006 : Uncrewed aircraft swarm together indoors. NewScientist.com
September 26th, 2006 : MIT's Intelligent Aircraft Fly, Cooperate Autonomously. MIT News Office
For more information on the project, use the toolbar on the left of the page to check out more links!
Boeing Program Manager
Dr. John Vian
Contact Info


text: PoliticsBrazil's drones to get best World Cup views Two $12m aircraft to patrol World Cup venues this summer as part of $1bn security drive to keep tournament safe. 04 Mar 2014 18:18 GMT | Politics, Business & Economy, Latin America, Brazil Brazil's air force will use two drones to patrol the skies above football matches at the World Cup later this year. The drones, which cost $12m each, are part of a wider security plan to keep the tournament safe. The federal government says it is spending a total of $1bn on security measures for the June event. Al Jazeera's Gabriel Elizondo reports from Santa Maria.Source: Al Jazeera


text: I am moving in 19 days, my Love birds mated 2 days ago I believe. I know they did for today for sure. If I move the cage when she is on eggs is she going to abandon the nest? I am moving about 15 minutes away...what would be the best way anyone can suggest that I move them?


text:
Drag the line on the map to calculate the driving distance for a different route.
If you want to verify these driving directions
or look for another possible route, you can try
Google Maps, Bing Maps, or MapQuest.
The total driving distance from SAT to Alamo, TX is 247 miles or 398 kilometers.
Your trip begins at San Antonio International Airport in San Antonio, Texas. It ends in Alamo, Texas.
If you are planning a road trip, you might also want to calculate the total driving time from SAT to Alamo, TX so you can see when you'll arrive at your destination.
You can also calculate the cost of driving from SAT to Alamo, TX based on current local fuel prices and an estimate of your car's best gas mileage.
If you're meeting a friend, you might be interested in finding the city that is halfway between SAT and Alamo, TX.
Planning to fly a plane instead? You might be more interested in calculating the straight line distance to fly from SAT to Alamo, TX.
Travelmath helps you find driving distances based on actual directions for your road trip. You can get the distance between cities, airports, states, countries, or zip codes to figure out the best route to travel to your destination. Combine this information with the fuel cost tool to find out how much it will cost you to drive the distance, or compare the results to the straight line distance to determine whether it's better to drive or fly. You can print out pages with a travel map.


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Collingwood have suffered a blow on the eve of their AFL round-15 match against arch rivals Carlton, with defender Harry O'Brien ruled out because of ankle injury.
Eighth-placed Collingwood have left out O'Brien and big forward Quinten Lynch (back) because of injuries while Jordan Russell and Kyle Martin have been dropped ahead of Friday night's MCG blockbuster.
Small forward Andrew Krakouer and defender Ben Reid return alongside ruck/forward Jarrod Witts and Hawthorn's 2008 premiership player Clinton Young who makes his debut for the Magpies.
Carlton, who sit two wins behind the Magpies in ninth spot, are in danger of slipping out of finals contention if they can't overcome Nathan Buckley's Magpies.
The Mick Malthouse-coached Blues have been boosted by the return of skipper Marc Murphy from a cheekbone injury and fellow midfielder Andrew Carrazzo plus defender Andrew McInnes.
Injured defender Heath Scotland is out for the Blues against his old side along with Simon White and Josh Bootsma (injured).
Matthew Pavlich and Aaron Sandilands are among key inclusions for fifth-placed Fremantle who host St Kilda in Perth on Sunday.
Ruck/forward Sandilands tore a hamstring in February, while Pavlich hasn't played since round three because of surgery on his plantaris tendon.
Six-time All-Australian Pavlich says it has been a tough fight to regain full fitness.
"The both of us had some dark days throughout the rehab process," Pavlich told FoxFooty's AFL360 program.
The 15th-placed Saints go into battle without skipper Nick Riewoldt who has been listed on the team sheet as having soreness, as does fellow key forward Justin Koschitzke.
Brisbane's Brownlow Medallist Simon Black is out of Saturday's Gabba clash with Queensland rivals Gold Coast with a groin injury while Karmichael Hunt (calf) will miss the game for the Suns.
Cyril Rioli, back from a hamstring injury, is one of three inclusions for Hawthorn who face Geelong at the MCG on Saturday night in a top-of-the-table encounter.
Paul Puopolo and ruckman Max Bailey also return in place of Liam Shiels (ankle), Xavier Ellis (calf) and Jonathon Ceglar (hip).
Adelaide have recalled Shaun McKernan for Saturday night's home game against West Coast who will be without rover Daniel Kerr (ribs), Ashley Smith (calf), Sam Butler (back) and Scott Tunbridge (omitted).
Key forward Jeremy Cameron returns from injury for Greater Western Sydney who will chase their first win of the season in Saturday's clash with 16th-placed Western Bulldogs in Canberra.
North Melbourne (12th) have recalled Ben Cunnington for suspended forward Lindsay Thomas for Saturday's game at Etihad Stadium against the surging sixth-placed Richmond, who've recalled Nick Vlastuin.
Melbourne have named co-captain Jack Grimes for Sunday's game at the MCG against Sydney who regain ruckman Shane Mumford and key forward Sam Reid.
Veteran Dustin Fletcher returns for Essendon who host Port Adelaide at Etihad Stadium on Sunday. Stewart Crameri is out of the Essendon side with an ankle injury while Port will be without Dom Cassisi because of a hamstring complaint.


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Branagh, who also directs the novel-adapted film, shares some updates on the long-gestating project as stating that the filming will start in September and 'we'll be shooting through until Christmas.'
It's been a while since fans last heard about Kenneth Branagh's "Jack Ryan" movie project. Letting movie lovers know that the long-gestating project is still in the works, Branagh took some time to share some updates on the film while revealing that he would tackle the villainous role in his upcoming directorial stint.
Speaking of his role in it, the Irish star told Collider, "I don't tend to think of him as a villain, but if you're playing a villain, you don't think of him as a villain. You just think, 'My Guy.' " He added, "The character is a great anti-thesis, but it isn't as simple as that. It's great to see a character in this film with Jack Ryan. It's just a very strong, very interesting, complicated, complex character. When the project first came my way, it was really to do that."
Weighing in on his double duty as actor and director for the project, the "Thor" helmer explained, "I had a long time to think about that prospect, before actually eventually having them ask me to direct it. And then, we put aside the issue of me being in it for awhile 'cause there were so many other things to deal with. Literally, months later, Paramount said, 'Well, do you think you might?' and I said, 'Yeah, I think I'd like to'."
The "Jack Ryan" project has long been put on a hold reportedly due to creative differences between Paramount execs, lead actor Chris Pine and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura. Making sure that the project would kick off production soon, Branagh stated, "We start shooting in the beginning of September, and we'll be shooting through until Christmas."
Branagh signed on to the untitled Jack Ryan project as a replacement for director Jack Bender. Before exiting the project, it was rumored that Bender was tired of the endless disagreements among the three parties over the direction of the film.
Words were, Pine wanted to make it a "character-driven espionage movie," while di Bonaventura wanted it to be simply an action film. On the other hand, Paramount execs wanted to develop a thriller. Now that Branagh is on board to shepherd the film, he claimed that he will make it "a very fast-paced, very contemporary, very action-driven thriller."
The long-awaited movie is an adaptation of Tom Clancy's famous novel series, which follow Ryan in his 20s when he came out of the Marines to work in the finance world. After Bender left the project, the plot details of the upcoming film are still kept secret.